Chapter 38: A New Objective

"So then, what happened to Michio?" Shoryu asked.

Shoichi looked up, confused.

"You mentioned Kazuya's father got away, yet you told me ten minutes ago he was dead for sure."

"That. . ." Shoichi sat down and released a deep breath. "Is a story I'd rather save for another time. Your friend Kazuya deserves an explanation – and it's not something I want to discuss more than once."

Behind the eyes of a sea green – the same as his own – Shoryu saw only anguish. Just talking about it seemed to trouble him. Shoichi looked up again, hopeful this time.

"So have I earned your trust yet?"

"Not quite, I still have more questions." Ever cautious, Shoryu wanted to make sure he knew everything before putting faith in this stranger. His father coming back after all these years was a miracle. In Shoryu's experience, things that looked too good to be true usually were. Fortunately his father humoured him.

"Fire away," he said.

"Why summon Kyoh the other day? He didn't come out when I tried; you were already using him."

"That was intentional. Taking your dragon into that fight would've likely got him killed. Unlike you, he doesn't have an Alpha Gene to save him from certain death. I made sure he didn't interfere with what was about to happen."

There it was; Shoryu found his hand hovering over his one remaining sword in an instant. "You planned my Alpha Gene activating?"

"Not directly, no. I've been watching your camp for about a week now. I noticed your Alpha Gene hadn't awoken, so when I saw the Hidden Stone's battalion incoming I wanted to see what you would do."

"You left my life and my men up to that stupid mutation?" demanded Shoryu. "Anything could've happened!"

"No." Shoichi shook his head. "I've seen the gene manifest more than a few times. It happens in all cases without fail. If I ever thought even for a second that your life was truly in danger I would've wiped those ninja out myself."

"Still, you were nowhere to be seen after it activated – it wasn't going to save my life a second time." said Shoryu, still wary of the man.

"You wanted me to show up and ruin your special moment?" Laughing, Shoichi rocked back and clutched his heart as if it burned. "After that kiss!? What kind of parent would I be if I stole the limelight then? Seriously, that was tear-jerking son. Bravo for that one."

In spite of his anger Shoryu felt his cheeks prickle with embarrassment. "You were watching!?" he demanded.

"Of course I was! Kyoh and I observed the fight from a safe distance. In fact we were about to jump in ourselves but your Raikage beat us to it. You made some powerful friends while I was away."

Silently fuming, Shoichi took a moment to collect his thoughts as his father still chuckled. Around them fireflies began to gather. The clearing brightened with the emergence of a hundred stars overhead. The leaves rushed against the trees and nightjars chimed in the ambiance. Usually Shoryu would enjoy himself on a night like this – kindle a campfire, gather his friends and steal some sake from some older Jonin. Tonight was just a confusing medley of conflicting emotions.

"Anything else?" Shoichi asked him.

At his father's prompt Shoryu remembered his other question. "One more: I can understand your disappearance – keeping me and mom safe and all," Shoryu went on, "but why return now? What could be so important that you came out of hiding for?"

"Glad you asked," Shoichi indulged him, "I received word from a trusted contact of mine that Teijo is somewhere here in the ninja world. If he's left Magnus Sanctum he's vulnerable – it's a chance to end this war. More than anything I'm here for your help, Shoryu. I can't hope to win if it's just me."

The news took Shoryu by surprise; until now they'd never found a solid lead on the Senmatsu. This was the chance Cloud had been waiting for. "Where in the ninja world?"

Shoichi looked abashed. "I don't know," he admitted. Just as his son was about to lecture him on the vastness of all five nations combined he added, "However – I also know that my sister, Yasu, is on her way here right as we speak. She will know where he is, and I plan to extract that information from her."

The Jonin considered; the way his father said 'extract' implied torture. A harsh method to resort to, but this was Teijo – the key to the war. He could spare no room for moral conundrums.

"Why would she come here?" asked Shoryu. "Something tells me she isn't the 'visiting friends' type."

"Oh she isn't," Shoichi assured him. "She's here on a vendetta. My source tells me she learned that the man who killed her daughter is in your squadron."

"Seriously? Apparently Madoka didn't seem to care when Kazuya killed her daughter."

"Yasu is different. She's been corrupted by my father's ideals like the rest of them, but she doesn't adhere to them completely," Shoichi explained. "Whether she likes it or not, there's definitely some human left in her. I've tried reaching out to her a few times, but Teijo is her twin brother. She'll take his word over mine no matter his faults."

"Hmm." It occurred to Shoryu that they might be able to recruit another powerful ally. Then again, if his father had no luck talking her around she might be lost cause. The loss of a child was too great an incentive for revenge – so very cliché. It was upon thinking this that another thought struck Shoryu. The shoe seemed to fit.

"Wait, what's her full name? It isn't Senmatsu right?" he asked.

Shoichi shook his head. "Yasu Honami. She married; but then again I think Teijo is controlling her husband at this point – if he's still alive that is."

Honami, of course it is. Shoryu palmed his face and let out a groan. "Her daughter – the one who died. It wouldn't happen to be Kamiko Honami would it?"

"Sure was. Why?"

"Your contact might be a little inaccurate. It's not a man she's after, it's a girl," said the ninja.

"You know her?"

Shoryu gave his father a long, blank stare. It took him a few seconds, but eventually Shoichi got the message. Watching his face as the gears turned made the boy cringe; it was exactly how he would react. The older man's eyes lit up and he flapped his hands like an impatient schoolboy desperate to answer a question.

"NO WAY! Kissing girl!? That same one!?" he cried.

"Her name is Ayako," said Shoryu. "And yes, the very same."

Shoichi's sudden, prolonged laugh was like a slap in the face. Shoryu could do nothing more than stand there and take it; it was an odd coincidence after all – he had to grant him that.

"You really know how to pick 'em don't you?" Shoichi mocked him.

"So you're telling me a super powered relative of ours is on her way here right as we speak so she can murder Ayako in cold blood?"

Shoichi took a moment to think. Then: "Oh yeah. I suppose I am."

Oblivious to his father's protests, Shoryu turned and bolted into darkness. Strained sounds behind him told him Shoichi was following behind; trying to lose him would take up valuable time – and besides, the backup was appreciated. If he was as clever as Shoryu suspected he wouldn't reveal himself to the other ninja until Yasu arrived.

As he reached the town Shoryu ducked beneath a few streetlights and dashed down a back alley. Stopping for a second, he charged up the Raikyogan and surveyed the area around him, correcting his course. To the west the compact cluster of tiny light bulbs told him where their camp was. Shoryu scaled a house in two bounds, skidding down the slate before leaping to the next as a shortcut to the town's outskirts.

Smoke rose from the forest before him in five black plumes: campfires. Without a pause Shoryu ran into the evergreens. Spindly, wire-like branches whipped at his face as he shot through the woods in total pitch. Before long the blood he tasted on his tongue told him he'd been cut, but by then he was slowing to a jog and huffing into the first clearing, already out of breath.

Around him shadows shifted and an orange glow played on the half-dozen tents in a circle around the fire. Four ninja sat on logs eating broth and instant ramen – three of them Leaf Chunin on watch duty. Recognising the fourth, Shoryu ran over and got her attention.

"Hoshi!"

Groggy-eyed and slouched, the moment the raven haired girl saw Shoryu she leapt to her feet. "Sir! Good to see you're awake. Did anyone bring you up to speed on-"

"-Our ninja?" said Shoryu. Hoshi flinched. He'd almost forgotten about what Kazuya told him; all those they rescued had been taken by the false Alpha Gene, a result of their bodies rejecting the compound. "Yeah, they did," finished Shoryu.

"We all grieve for their passing, but after that surprise attack by the Stone we should return to the Cloud with all haste, sir."

Shoryu spared her a look of disdain; she was making him uncomfortable somehow. "Yeah. . . Of course. We'll head out first thing tomorrow."

"Anything else I can help you with, sir?"

"Alright stop that," said Shoryu – three times was more than enough. "Quit it with the 'sir'. We're old friends."

"Yes sir."

"You're still doing it."

"Am I sir? I hardly even noticed," she replied.

"Wait, are you bitter about me outranking you now? Is that what this is?" said Shoryu, figuring he'd cracked it.

"I don't believe you can order me to share my private opinions, sir."

"No, I can't. But I can think up of some clever way to get you back for this. I have a mental list of ninja I need to repay. Now are you sure you want to be on it?"

"Aww, are you threatening me sir? I'm so scared," she jeered. As Hoshi exhaled Shoichi caught the scent of sake on her breath. She was too professional to get drunk on the job – but maybe she'd had just enough to challenge him.

"That's it, you're on the list. Just like that." Shoryu clicked his fingers. "Now as much as I'd love to continue this I need to find Ayako."

"I BET you do sir!" Hoshi cried, and at her jape the camp was filled with the roaring laughter of her and the remaining three Chunin.

Shoryu winced as he realised how it sounded. After the other day, him asking to see Ayako in the middle of the night was a blatant indicator of perverse intentions. As the ninja continued to laugh away Shoryu thought of exorcising his power and scolding them. Only then did he realise it was his pride at work; with the failure of the mission and the loss of fellow soldiers these ninja needed a boost in morale.

A laugh or two would do them wonders, even if it was at his expense. Putting his hand behind his head, Shoryu did his best to look flustered as he chuckled along with them.

"Alright alright, you got me," he said. "Throw me a bone would you?"

"Waaaaaaayyy!" cheered one of the ninja, clearly drunker than he ought to be. "You enjoy yourself commander!"

"Just through those trees sir." Hoshi motioned to their right. "You should recognise the tent."

With a mocking bow of courtesy Shoryu assured the four he was in their debt and headed off to find Ayako. The Jonin cringed as they called jokes after him, some cruder than others.

As the light of the fire receded behind him Shoryu found himself stumbling through darkness once again. He looked around; his father was nowhere in sight, perhaps he'd lost him in his crazed run for the camp? The boy shook his head – whatever else he was, Shoichi was a good enough ninja to conceal his presence. He'd managed to hide himself from the Raikyogan back on the day Shoryu first activated it – perhaps by staying out of its hundred metre range. Shoryu put those thoughts from his mind as the trees thinned out to a clearing.

More swilling Chunin greeted him – six this time. At a second look however Shoryu noticed there were in fact seven ninja. Free sat alone against a tree, just barely illuminated by the ambers dancing from the centre. He was so distant and reserved that Shoryu realised he'd forgotten all about the young clone. The boy fulfilled his end of the bargain; despite a number of threats and a bucketful of mistrust from Shoryu himself. Free came through for them in the end – he couldn't have possibly known what would happen to those they rescued.

Making a note to speak with him later, Shoryu glanced around for any sign of Ayako's tent. Hoshi was right; he recognised it in a heartbeat. Rainbow stripes down the canvas and entrance made it distinct from the countless other identical tents in the squadron – a good idea considering how many ninja wandered into someone else's by mistake late at night. Shoryu wandered over and rapped three times on the door flap.

Ten seconds passed before he decided to knock again. Shoryu feared the worst until the sound of Ayako groaning awake put his mind at ease.

"Just a sec. . ." she mumbled.

Half a minute passed as the girl quickly got dressed. Pulling down the zips of the opening, she appeared in casual wear, her hair its natural blonde.

"Shoryu!"

Before he could even speak Ayako flung her arms around him. Smiling, Shoryu eased into the embrace, only seconds before she broke the hold and slapped him hard across the face.

"What were you thinking!?" she cried. "You scared me half to death!"

"First of all, ouch. Secon-" Shoryu never got to phrase his 'second of all' before Ayako pressed a finger to his lips and pulled him into a deep, romantic kiss by the fire. Shoryu immediately forgot what he was about to say; this was far more enjoyable. Just as he thought he was getting the hang of it Ayako pulled back again, this time clobbering him with a savage right hook that sent him sprawling to the ground.

"Don't ever do anything like that again!" she ordered him.

"Would you make your mind up already!?" complained Shoryu, nursing a glowing cheek. "I've heard of 'mixed signals' but this is a bit extreme don't you think!?"

"Hey, I'm not the one being unfair! You run out there all 'scooooooore!' like an idiot – made us leave you for dead – and now you show up in the middle of the night like nothing ever happened? Planning to get what you want before you run off to die again? Well I'm not that kind of girl Shoryu."

"Seriously, why does everyone keep assuming I'm after that?" mused the boy, slowly getting to his feet. Around him he noticed the stares of the ninja on watch; Ayako didn't seem to mind much – humiliating him was nothing if not amusing. "Can I talk to you for a moment? In private," he said.

"Oh you'd love that wouldn't you?"

"Not half as much as you."

Ayako stepped forward, leaning in close. For a moment Shoryu wondered whether she was about to kiss him again before a graceful sweep of her leg sent him back to the pines. Hunger made him slow – normally the move would be easy enough to dodge for him, but no food for three days made Shoryu devoid of energy.

"Pay close attention guys," he mumbled weakly to the rest, tasting dirt, grass and blood on his tongue. "The girl who can kick your ass is the only one you need."

"Smartest thing you've said so far," she grumbled.

"I sure hope you've got everything out of your system. I'm not sure my body can take much more punishment. Plus I really need to talk to you."

Ayako turned, folding her arms as she made a face. Clearly his smart remarks did little to abate her anger. Shoryu sighed.

"Look, I'm sorry for ordering your retreat. It was reckless and stupid of me and I won't ever do it again. You win."

That seemed to work. With a jerk of her head Ayako ushered him inside the tent, making no move to help him up. Shoryu struggled back to his feet, took a glance around and shrugged to the ninja, still stifling chuckles at his romantic misfortune.

Inside the tent a spectrum of colours awaited Shoryu. Paint and scraps of parchment were stacked in nearly every free space around Ayako's bedroll. Two hand-fashioned desks and a mirror were the only units in sight. A lantern hung from the curved roof; Shoryu had to duck beneath it to pass before taking a seat on a folding chair – the only one in the room. Ayako meanwhile had already assumed her place on her bedroll, stretching and making herself comfortable so that Shoryu could admire every curve. Is that intentional? He wondered; he never could tell with her.

"I'm glad you're alright," she whispered at last. It was reluctant and begrudging, but Shoryu figured she meant it.

"Listen to me," he told her. "It'll take more than a few hundred ninja to stop me in my tracks. All the shinobi armies in the world couldn't keep me from you. As for the Senmatsu, their days are numbered. They'll regret ever giving me this power - I'm going to use it to annihilate them."

Ayako paused, taken aback by Shoryu's sudden confidence. There was a conviction to his words that never existed before – a sense of purpose where there was once confusion and doubt. He believed in every word he said, and so did she.

"I know some bravado and a few cheesy lines won't make up for the other day, but-"

"-But it's a start." Ayako got up and made her way over, taking a seat on Shoryu's lap without stopping to ask permission. She stared at him for a moment, as if testing him, and then kissed him once again before he could make the first move.

Suddenly Shoryu decided to hold off on telling her about Yasu. It would kill the atmosphere for one. Normally that alone wouldn't be enough to keep his conscience from acting, but he couldn't help that feel with her so close by, nothing could ever hope to harm her. They were safe here.

"You're really light, you know that?" Shoryu said as they parted.

"Quit acting tough."

The Jonin winced, holding up his hands. "No punches this time?"

"Don't tempt me." Leaning in again, Ayako's eyes suddenly found the twin strokes racing up Shoryu's neck, markings left by the Kanzen Raikyogan – tiny grooves in his skin. She rocked away from his kiss and inspected them further. Shoryu merely grumbled in disapproval as she trailed a finger down one. They were hardly visible from a distance, but to anyone within arm's reach they stuck out like a sore thumb.

"My mother always used to warn me about guys with tattoos," she teased.

"It's not a tattoo," insisted Shoryu. He craned his neck to see himself in the mirror; between the neck and the arms they looked worse than he feared. "How the hell am I going to hide these anyway?"

Ayako shrugged, taking his arm in her hand and inspecting. "Well, long sleeves and gloves for these ones. As for the up here, high collars?"

"Great, I'll be the only shinobi on the battlefield who looks like he fell straight out of the last war. Or worse; a vampire," said Shoryu.

"Hey, it might be your only option."

The boy sighed again as he realised she was right – it was that or a scarf, hardly practical in summer. "Pirate Kazuya and vampire Shoryu," he said to himself. "At what point did we stop being ninja?"

"We didn't, you're just being vain." Following the Raikyogan grooves down to his elbows, Ayako added, "shirt off, I want to see the whole thing."

"Me too. You first."

A playful shove put Shoryu in his place.

"You sure? You know I'm still not fully healed right?"

Ayako nodded silently.

"Alright then, you asked for it."

The girl leaned back for a moment so Shoryu could pull off his shirt, wincing as he stretched his shuriken-mangled shoulder to an awkward angle. Scabs and bruises painted most of his torso, but save for the scorch in his side he found himself relieved that they weren't too hideous to gaze upon. Ayako didn't appear to care anyway; they'd all received wounds in the past. After four years at war even the most delicate were hardened to such sights.

The markings of the Raikyogan etched a symmetrical pattern across Shoryu's entire upper body. On the chest a curving array like a skewed butterfly was the most extravagant, but equally impressive designs covered his shoulders, biceps, forearms and stomach, always the same on both sides. Most noticeable of all were the lightning bolts atop Shoryu's hands, the left one warped by the scar left by Kouta Renazawa's spiked gloves in the Chunin exams.

Ayako traced a finger down one of the lines, following it all the way to his gut.

"How far do these go?" she asked him.

"They end at my waist," he said. "So not quite far enough."

Ayako shoved him again with a smile. "So what's it like then? When it activates?"

"Strange. It's not just the sight. You get this kind of feeling; you can feel the life forms of everything around you, all these little jabs at your consciousness," he explained, making gestures with his hands like an academy sensei. "That and your reflexes get awfully fast. More than once I forgot it was activated and hit myself in the face, so it's probably not as awesome looking as I thought it was."

"So can you switch it on when you like?" Ayako prodded him.

"I think so, yeah. Why? You want a demonstration?" Shoryu asked.

"Yes please!" Hopping off the boy, Ayako retreated a few paces and looked on in anticipation. For a moment Shoryu figured they were young ninja again, eagerly trading their coolest jutsu in a bid for the other's affections. He didn't mind so much; the Kanzen was nothing if not spectacular.

The Jonin looked around for something to demonstrate with. Eventually his eyes found the lantern swinging to and fro above them. He stood up and loosened the knot, freeing the light from its string so he could hold it aloft.

"Observe." Shoryu flipped it over and opened the casing to display the batteries. With his nails he then pulled them out, plummeting the two of them into darkness. He saw only a vague outline of Ayako before him, but all that changed with the next two words.

"Kanzen Raikyogan."

Starting at the bolts on his hands blue light spread upward, slowly engulfing the patterns on his arms and body like a charging generator. There was even a low hum as tiny slithers of lighting started to bounce from his skin. They subsided as the blue reached his eyes, morphing them into twin glowing orbs, each the nebula of an electrical storm.

Before Shoryu the kunoichi appeared in a haze of azure night-vision, her structure comprised of an endless stream of bioelectricity. It was her life-force itself, presented to him in countless crossroads of intersecting rivers. Where the currents darkened he saw the major pockets of electricity – places he could strike with a thunderous charge for a crippling effect.

Without saying a word the ninja then placed his first finger on the lantern, right where the batteries were a few moments ago. In an instant there was light as the bulb flickered back to life.

"Tadaa."

From the corner of the room Ayako clapped excitedly.

The ninja give a twirl, showing her every side of it as he grinned in self-satisfaction. "How badass is this!? I look incredible!"

"You look terrifying," stressed Ayako, unable to maintain eye contact with the soulless blue spheres. "Your mom's going to freak out!"

"Oh yeah. Forgot about that one." Shoryu shrugged; he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. Keeping his finger on the metal conductor, Shoryu left the transformation active until he'd slotted the batteries back into place. Seconds later the blue faded, his skin draining back to its original colour. Shoryu hung up the light and parked himself beside the girl.

"I guess now might be a good time to tell you what's going on. To tell you the truth these last few hours have been pretty hectic," he said.

"Oh yeah, didn't you say you had something important to tell me?"

Shoryu nodded, wondering where the hell to start. He began with their most immediate threat – that her life was in danger as the mother of her fallen foe was about to return for vengeance. He told her all about Yasu Honami, assuring her at least five times that there was no need to worry. They'd already slain a few Senmatsu; one on her own would be no match if she stormed their camp. Even with Reizo gone, powerful ninja were still gathered here.

"Wait." Ayako recoiled suddenly, rocking back to the corner. "So there's a madwoman on her way to kill me, and you only just mentioned this now?"

"We were having a moment!" Shoryu protested. "You looked so comfortable on my lap back there!"

After a laugh at his desperate ploy Ayako replied, "So who told you all this?"

"Ah. See that's the thing." Awkwardly Shoryu reached up and scratched his head. "Turns out my father is alive – looks like he's on our side too."

"For real?"

"Yeah. I'll introduce you to him later."

"Did he ask for his coat back yet?"

"Nope, but I imagine he will."

"Why's that?"

"Because I would," Shoryu explained. "It's infuriating how much he acts like me – which makes no sense! I never even met the guy!"

The kunoichi shrugged. "Maybe it's genetic?"

"Ugh, I never want to hear that word again in my life," Shoryu groaned.

"Wimp."

"Yeah, that's me, total wimp." A slight stretch made a dull throb from Shoryu's abdomen – the Fireball Jutsu that roasted his side. Making for his shirt, the boy turned his body to reach the chair. Ayako slapped his hand away.

"I didn't say you could put it back on," she said, grinning devilishly.

"It's cold."

"So deal with it."

Another kiss made Shoryu decide he didn't need his shirt after all; what was he thinking?

"Speaking of cold, that reminds me – there's something else," he said. Fujiko's last moments still played on his mind, probably the single most haunting, tragic memory he'd ever sat through. He wondered how his friend must be feeling. "When I woke up at the hospital Kazuya was there."

Ayako's expression suddenly changed to remorse. "How is he? I know Fujiko is one of the only ones still alive."

"Was," Shoryu corrected her. "Kazuya did it himself. Said she wanted a warrior's death. I don't know how he managed it – takes way more courage than anything I've got."

Gasping, the girl clasped a hand over her mouth as if shielding herself from the horror of such a scene. Neither of them knew Fujiko very well, but Kazuya only ever brightened when they mentioned her name. The fact that she strived to be the first female samurai made them respect her even more; no doubt she was a very special woman.

"That's awful," muttered Ayako. ". . .Poor Kazuya. . ."

"I know. You should've seen him Ayako," said Shoryu. The tears of the Taisho were hardly something he was likely to forget. "It's rare to see anything faze the guy, but this – it might have just destroyed him. After Bishamon. . . I'm not sure how much emotional damage a man can take before he's lost forever."

"Do you think he'll be okay?"

"I don't know," Shoryu confessed. "Part of me wants to say he'll bounce back like he always does. But he's my best friend – I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about him."

Ayako huddled closer and put her arm around the boy, resting her head in the crook of his neck. "It isn't fair, none of this is."

"I don't ever want to see that again, it's more than I could take." He paused, looking down at her. "I won't let anything happen to you."

"I swore to be the Raikage one day Shoryu. I'm not after your protection."

"That's true."

As she glanced up to him Shoryu found himself drowning in the oasis pools of her eyes. Ayako smiled her sweetest and buried her head closer, whispering, "But I'm glad you're concerned all the same."

For a while the two of them sat there in the low light, never moving nor saying a word. Shoryu suddenly wished the dawn would never come – that the war could be damned so he could sit here forever; it was far cosier than any bed. After a time one of them began to get sleepy. In just fifteen minutes Ayako had already drifted off.

Shoryu meanwhile couldn't sleep; he'd been out for nearly three days - what he needed more than anything was sustenance. Seeing a kettle by Ayako's bedside unit, the boy flipped it on and grabbed a cup from her backpack. Throughout pouring himself some tea Shoryu never moved or leaned too far forward, using his feet and stretching as far as he could whenever necessary. With Ayako soundly asleep on his shoulder he didn't dare move in case she woke. Grinning to himself, Shoryu figured it was just another stealth exercise.

A noise from far away made him finish his brew in three burning gulps and softly shake Ayako awake.

"Hm?"

"Shh," he hissed, "do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" returning back to the real world, Ayako shook out the sleep and glanced around the room.

The faint sound of running water echoed around the tent. Ayako heard it too when she stopped to listen. A far-off river trundled in the ambiance, but there was no river here; the closest drinking gulley was a half mile south. As Shoryu got up to inspect the sound he noticed something else – a single gimlet of water seeping in beneath the tarp of the tent, flowing down the incline of the floor and branching off into separate paths along the creases.

At the same time Shoryu and Ayako both looked to the roof. Pattering and dark spots normally indicated rain, and yet the ceiling was blank; the only other sound outside was the high whistle of the wind above them.

"This better not be another one of Yuudai's stupid pranks," said Ayako.

The girl's suggestion suddenly triggered a memory within Shoryu – of just a few weeks ago when they met Free for the very first time. The clone had shown them a family tree of the Senmatsu, indicating which possessed the Alpha Gene and how it manifested. Shoryu figured it could be paranoia, but in an instant he was convinced one of them had been the Water Style. Was it Yasu? Shoryu counted off all the other family members they knew of. His father's was summoning, Kamiko's was Taijutsu, Kiyoshi's was his Sharingan, Teijo had Genjutsu and Shoren made the Clones. Were there any other Alpha Gene users left?

Around them the gushing of the tide grew louder and louder until it resembled a nearby waterfall. Something was coming their way for sure; it was too much of a coincidence. Yasu was here, Shoryu was suddenly certain of it. His hand dropped to his belt, an instinctual check to make sure his shorter sword still hung there. Holding it tight, Shoryu turned to the girl.

"Ayako?" he asked her.

"Yeah?"

"Can I please put my shirt back on now?"

.

Author's Notes: Finally back to the plot! My apologies for it taking so long to get here, it's just that my other story is in its closing stages at the moment so I've been trying to focus on that as much as I can. It'll work out better for Legacies in the long run though; I'll have way more time to work on it once I get DBAF finished.

Having said all that, surprisingly enough I made myself put a crapload of hours and effort into this chapter. When I penned out that last scene it basically bottled down to Shoryu running in and going "Ayako! My crazy auntie is after you!" When I got around to writing it however I quickly realised that just wasn't going to cut it after their last encounter.

Again, never written anything like that before. In at least half a million words of fanfiction alone I've avoided those kind of smooshy scenes like the plague. Romance isn't exactly my speciality, but recently Legacies is really going to all those emotional places I've never had the chance to visit before, and I guess all writers should strive for self-betterment. So yeah, I'm glad the plot has forced me to practice these.

Also, why does it seem to be a general rule in shonen anime/manga that relationships between teenagers are dealt with in stammers, blushes and awkward small-talk? I actually tried at first but I couldn't make it work that way, it's just too far from how these characters act. Ayako and Shoryu are best buddies before anything else – isn't that how good relationships work? I mean they've been at war together for four years, and they've always been pretty open with each other. Changing it now would just be silly.

Last thing I wanna mention is actually going back to the beginning – when Shoichi mentions Teijo is back on the mainland. Just to put things into perspective, this whole 'search and destroy Teijo' story arc is the last segment of Volume II. I don't know how many more chapters it's going to be exactly yet – roughly. . . Six or seven? Don't quote me on that though, I never seem to stick to these plans. It could be shorter and it could be longer, we'll see how it goes.