A Tale of the Past

The Mugen Tenshin Clan had originally planned an all-out war on the Mishima Zaibatsu but eventually agreed with Kasumi and Jin that it's much better to settle this the way Kazuki intended this to be; in the Dead or Alive tournament. Knowing the chaos that a war with the Mishima Zaibatsu would bring, the Dead or Alive tournament is a much better way to get their revenge against Heihachi, with Kazuki being the fighter to represent his family and clan.

But there's one other thing that Kazuki must know and that's about Jin and his reasons for starting the war years ago.

Jin and Kazuki stand outside of the Azuchi Castle, all to themselves. Jin himself felt it was time to tell Kazuki everything, something he had intended to for since their battle against MIST.

"I've been very curious," said Kazuki. "My mother told me that you had your reasons for starting that war on the world. Not only that but I met this girl at the tournament. She told me that her mother knew you. You two were best friends. She even told me that even though you did declare war on the world, her mother never thought that you were evil. There has to be a reason for that. Everyone who was close to you still thought you were a much better person than you appeared."

"I'm almost certain that the girl's mother is Ling Xiaoyu," said Jin. "She really was my friend…but she could never understand what I went through. I couldn't bring her into my life…and I didn't want to do that to Kasumi either."

"What do you mean by that?"

"We'll get to that later. First let's start from the beginning to when I decided to start the war."


20 Years Ago

I wanted to rid this world of the Devil Gene. I felt that I was losing control of it, that it would eventually consume me if I didn't do something about it. So, after the fifth King of Iron Fist Tournament, I took over the Mishima Zaibatsu. I had a plan; if I started a war on the world, then that would bring a lot of negative energy into the world and it would bring out Azazel. Azazel is the creature who is behind the Devil Gene…or so I thought. If the world is full of nothing but chaos, then Azazel will appear to make everyone suffer for it.

But for me, I only had one goal; getting rid of the Devil Gene, which means that I had to destroy Azazel. I traveled to Egypt where he was imprisoned. I didn't care if I died. As a matter fact, I was hoping for that. Destroying Azazel and the Devil Gene…and also die while doing it? I was doing the world a favor, something they would never understand. The less Mishimas with the Devil Gene, the less evil this world would have to suffer. I thought maybe I would be the one to end it all. That's what drove me in my battle against Azazel.

And yet, all of that was for nothing.

When I woke up, I expected to be in the afterlife. Whether it was heaven or hell.

But no, I was clearly still on Earth, the very world I didn't want to stay in. I woke up alone in what appeared to be a facility. It took me a little while before I remember that I destroyed Azazel in our battle. I just wasn't expecting to live through it.

Then I looked at my left arm…and that's when I saw that the Devil Gene mark was still there. My plan was a complete failure. Azazel was destroyed, but I was still alive and the Devil Gene remained.

Once it finally sunk in, my rage boiled over. I turned into a devil and flew out of the facility. He who fights monsters should look to it himself that he does not become one, right? Well, at that moment, I realize that I had become a monster, the very thing that I was hunting down. I became Azazel, wanting to make my own self pay for my sins, hoping someone would destroy me the same way. I had to pay for my actions.

I went into a rage. There was no telling what kind of damage I had done. At that moment, I just wanted to die as the monster I had become. I was just waiting for my end to come.

Then…that's when I met her.

In the Muramasa village, sitting on the tree trunk is Kasumi, who looks up at the bright sunny sky. She reminisces her time in the Mugen Tenshin Village while also thinking about her freedom since she left it. But no matter what, she will make sure that Donovan will not harm her family again.

Suddenly, she then hears a sound on the ground some feet away from the tree. She sees a man staggering through the forest on unsteady legs. She jumps to the ground to see who this person is.

She recognizes the person as Jin Kazama.

"You're…" she said. Jin can barely see Kasumi with his blurry vision but immediately passes out. Kasumi runs up to him and holds his head. "Muramasa!" she yells.

The next day, Jin awakes inside of a house in the village. As he looks around his bed, he sees Kasumi in her blue kimono and an elderly man Muramasa at his side.

"Where…where am I?" he says as he sits up. "What is this place?"

"This is Muramasa's village," said Kasumi. "Easy. You've been unconscious since yesterday."

"How did I get here? What happened?"

"You lost consciousness in the woods but I saw you just in time."

"Yes, there's no telling what would have happened if nobody found you," said Muramasa. "Kasumi saved your life."

However, Jin finds no joy in being saved by anybody.

"It probably would have been better off if nobody saved me at all," said Jin. "I should be dead right now."

"But why?" asked Kasumi.

"After what I've done, the only punishment I deserve is death. Had you known about what I did, you'd be thinking the same thing."

Kasumi and Muramasa look at each other for a moment.

"It's because of that war, isn't it?" asked Kasumi.

Jin looks at Kasumi with a surprised look.

"So, you do know about it?" he asked.

"You're Jin Kazama, the leader of the Mishima Zaibatsu," said Kasumi. "Please, tell us why you started a war on the world?"

Jin lifts his left arm to show the Devil Gene mark and says "I was trying to free myself…and the world from this." Muramasa walks up to get a closer look at the mark.

"I see," he said. "The mark of the Devil Gene."

"The 'Devil Gene'?" asked Kasumi. "Do you know about this, Muramasa?"

"Yes. Only those of the Hachijo Clan possesses the powers of the Devil Gene. Are you part of this clan, Jin?"

Jin pauses for a moment before saying "Maybe. All I know is that this is not a power that I wish to have. I was trying destroy it in any way I could. I thought that defeating Azazel would put an end to the Devil Gene. I was wrong. Everyone suffered for nothing."

"That's right," said Muramasa. "Azazel is drawn to the negative energies of this world. So, you started this war to draw him out."

"Yes," said Jin. "That was my only reason for starting the war. It was a foolish move after all." He angrily makes a fist.

"Then what will you do now?" asked Kasumi.

Jin just looks away. Harboring both guilt and anger over his failure, he just simply wants to shut himself away from reality.

"I can only let destiny decide that…but I do know that I have to pay for my actions." he said. "I'd rather have that sooner than later."

"Well, you will have to decide that for yourself, boy," said Muramasa. He then turns to Kasumi and says "Come on, Kasumi. I'm sure he would like to be alone for now."

"Yes," said Kasumi.

While Muramasa walks to another room, Kasumi precedes to walk outside.

"Wait," said Jin, in which Kasumi stops at the door. "Kasumi, isn't it? You know who I am and what I did. So…why did you still help me? Don't you…hate me for what I did? Don't you think I should be punished for it?"

"I did," said Kasumi. "I wanted you to be stopped, just like everybody else. But when they kept showing you fighting Azazel…not everybody believed it. Some people thought that it was all a trick…but I wanted to know the truth. A dear friend of mine recognized Azazel and he told me more about him. If you were fighting something like that…then there has to be a reason for it. That's what I wanted to know."

I didn't want to think about the possibility of happiness, because there was nothing to be happy about. I was denying my feelings, suppressing them as much as I could. I'm a monster. Why should I feel that way? But in the end, my feelings got the best of me. I was starting to feel the same way I felt when I lived with my mother. No hatred, no troubles, no worries. The longer I stayed in the village, the happier I felt. Kasumi saved me from the monster I had become and made me human again. I was finally able to put aside my guilt and hatred and learn to live a happy life again.

Then a year later, that day happened.

While Jin is sitting on a rock, Kasumi approaches him with a happy expression on her face.

"Jin, feel this!" she says as she takes Jin's hand and places it on her stomach…and Jin could feel it. A fetal heartbeat.

"Kasumi, you're…" he says,

"Yes!" she said. "Muramasa told me. It's true. Oh Jin, I'm so happy!"

Jin looks at the happy expression on Kasumi's face. Her smile usually brightens his day but this time, it was different. Jin cannot feel that same happiness she feels.

"No…what have I done?" said Jin.

"Jin? What's wrong?"

"This is all a mistake. This shouldn't have happened."

"What do you mean?"

Jin turns around and looks down at the ground as he says "If another Mishima is born, then that means that the bloodline…and the Devil Gene…will continue on. I didn't want that! I don't want the world to suffer again!"

"Jin, everything will be fine," said Kasumi.

"You just don't understand, Kasumi," said Jin. "Nothing will ever be fine as long as the Devil Gene is still around. This is why you shouldn't have saved me. The world would have been better off if I just died right there!"

Jin walks away as Kasumi looks in confusion. She doesn't know what else to say.

I sat down near the river. I could do nothing but think about what will happen in the future. The truth is, I didn't want children. I didn't want the Mishima bloodline to continue, especially when I still have the Devil Gene. I was willing to die before that happens. But now…Kasumi was pregnant. The situation was completely out of my hands. It didn't matter to me if she was happy. It didn't matter to me that she thought everything would be okay. What mattered to me was the danger that the world was going to be in…and once again, I'm responsible for that. I thought to myself for some minutes. Maybe thirty minutes.

"Jin!" yells Muramasa as he comes running. "Something's happened to Kasumi! She's unconscious!"

"What…!" Jin, followed by Muramasa, immediately starts running to Muramasa's house where he sees an unconscious Kasumi lying in bed.

"What happened to her?!" asked Jin.

"I don't know," said Muramasa. "She was lying on the ground when I found her. I brought her inside but she was already passed out. Oh, I hope that she and the baby will be okay!"

"Kasumi…and our child…" said Jin with a shaky voice.

I couldn't help but feel responsible once again. I left Kasumi by herself. I didn't know what happened, only that I could have prevented it if I hadn't walked off like that. But I'm glad she was still alive…and that she didn't lose you.

The next day, I sat next to her. Muramasa and I both saw her as she finally opened her eyes.

Kasumi slowly opens her eyes and looks to her right to see Jin and Muramasa next to her.

"Jin…Muramasa…" she said in a quiet voice.

"Kasumi, take it easy," said Jin. "You're still just recovering."

"How long have I been unconscious?" asked Kasumi.

"Since yesterday," said Jin.

Kasumi looks down at her stomach and touches it.

"I…still have the baby?" asked Kasumi.

"Yes," said Muramasa. "Your child survived. Everything will be just fine, Kasumi."

Kasumi's eyes begin to light up with happiness upon realizing that her child is still alive, as if she were to make a quick recovery.

"I'm so happy!" said she said. "That monster…I wasn't going to let him take our baby."

Jin and Muramasa look at each other confusion, as they know nothing about what happened to Kasumi until now.

"What 'monster'?" asked Jin. "What happened, Kasumi?"

"Devil…he was trying to possess our child," she said. "I wasn't going to let him do that. I protected our baby from Devil."

Jin almost cannot believe it. He's already familiar with the power of Devil and yet, Kasumi still managed to defeat it and save their child.

"Kasumi is a strong woman," said Muramasa. "She's willing to risk her life to protect her family, no matter what the consequences will be. It is why your child is still alive."

Despite Jin's relief that Kasumi and their child is okay, this makes him even more aware of the possible dangers involving him and the Devil Gene. It also reinforces his belief of the possible danger that will come after their child is born.

"I knew this would be dangerous," he said. "This is all because of the Devil Gene…and because of me. I'm just too much of a danger to anybody as long as I have the Devil Gene."

"Don't blame yourself, Jin," said Muramasa. "It is not your fault. You didn't bring Devil here."

"But I knew that something would happen and I still just left Kasumi by herself. I shouldn't have done that. As long as the Devil Gene exists, there will always be a great danger to the people that I know." Jin looks at Kasumi and says "Listen Kasumi, I can't put your life at risk like this. I'll stay with you until our child is born but after that, I have to leave this village. I must settle things by myself and in order to make sure you're safe, we have to part ways. I don't want our child to know the Devil Gene or about me."

As Kasumi looks at Jin, her expression changes from happiness to seriousness. There is definitely something unsettling about what Jin said. Nevertheless, she doesn't disagree with what he said.

"You're right," she said. "It is too dangerous. I can't protect our child while I'm being hunted by my clan…and Devil will surely come back. I will have to put him in the care of my family. That's the only way he will be safe."

"But Kasumi, that would mean that you'll be separated from your child," said Muramasa. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, I am. If it means that it will be safe from any danger, then it's worth the sacrifice. All I want is for it to be taught and raised the right way and I trust my family to do that."

That was painful to hear. She was happy to have you. She was the one who named you Kazuki. I liked it because it sounded very much like her own name. Had it not been for the Devil Gene, she would have never given you up. I know it. I didn't want her to be separated from you because I knew she would have been a great mother. But once again, I felt that it was all because of me that she couldn't keep you with her. Kasumi knew how dangerous it was…why am I gong on like this? She is a great mother because she was willing to let you go. That's the best a mother could do for her child in a situation like that. Our lives as runaways were just too dangerous to keep you with us. Therefore, after we…Ryu, Irene, Muramasa, and I…helped her conceive you, it was when we went our separate ways. A few weeks after you were born, I was set to leave and she was preparing to take you to her village that night. Before I left, I had one final talk with her.

Kasumi and Jin stand outside of Muramasa's house where the baby Kazuki is being watched over by Muramasa.

"The Mishima curse will carry on through Kazuki," said Jin. "He'll no doubt hate me for putting the world in danger. Once he grows up, there is a good chance that we may have to face each other in battle one day, possibly to the death. The only way that can be prevented is if I'm dead before he knows the truth. Therefore, make sure that he doesn't know who his father is while I'm still alive. By then, hopefully Kazuya and Heihachi will be dead by that time as well and he will never have to suffer by their hands or the Devil Gene. Remember that, Kasumi."

She never said whether or not she agreed with me. She just looked at me, almost as if she was disappointed about something. I never asked her if she would go along with it or not, I just walked away. I didn't even think I would ever see her again. I just knew it was for the better.

I didn't go after Kazuya and Heihachi immediately after that, however. Many people began to think that I was dead and that's how I preferred it. I didn't want anyone else to know that I was alive, not even Ling Xiaoyu. She was a close friend of mine but I don't think she would ever understand. My life would be too dangerous for her, just like it was for Kasumi. I just wondered around and stayed hidden in the shadows. If anyone spotted me, I had ways of escaping. After all, very few people know about the Devil Gene. I was just waiting for everybody to forget about me and I can just fade away in people's memories. But Kazuya and Heihachi remained at wars with each other and my name was constantly mentioned as a result of that. No matter what, people still remembered me for what I did.

One day, I decided to go back to my old home in Yakushima where I lived with my mother. Although our house had been destroyed a long time ago, it still felt like home. I can do nothing but reminisce the happy times I had with my mother…I wish you could have met your grandmother Jun. She was a great person. Then that's when something occurred to me; if my mother was still alive, would she want to see me after all I did? I went against everything she taught me and instead of correcting my errors, I'm running away from them. I couldn't do this. I can't spend the rest of my life running away like this. That's when I finally decided that it was time to end this once and for all…and that's by taking down Kazuya and Heihachi. I went to Violet Systems, as they seem to be only one who is openly against both of them. I met with Lars, who saw me as the world's only hope but I couldn't agree with that. I had a falling out with him about that and left Violet Systems. But then I realized that I was being tracked. I was ambushed by the Tekken Force but I defeated them and fought off their attack on Voilet Systems. That's when the world saw me for the first time in twenty years.

Then I saw you at the King of Iron Fist Tournament. You were just a baby when I last saw you but I can tell it was you with a glance, all grown up and looking like your mother. But I can also tell that you didn't know that I was your father and that's how I wanted it. Unfortunately, Kazuya, the one person who I didn't want to know, found out when he fought you. My fears of more chaos done by the Mishima clan were growing once again.


Present Day

"But now, I realize that this is probably for the better," said Jin. "Your experiences with Kazuya and Heihachi, as well as the love you inherited from your mother, allowed us to fight together. How foolish was I to doubt this would ever change?"

"I always knew that it would," said Kasumi, as she along with Hayate and Ayane, walk up to Jin and Kazuki.

"You all were here the whole time?" asked Kazuki.

"Yes," she said. "Although Jin didn't think that the curse could be stopped, I always believed that it could. I knew that the Mugen Tenshin Clan would guide you to the right path and when Hayate allowed me to visit the village once a year, I made sure that you stay on that path."

"Yes, I remember," said Kazuki. "We went site seeing, spent time on top of the mountains, attended many carnivals…you even taught me a few techniques. I love those happy times."

"You could also thank your grandfather for that as well," said Hayate.

"What do you mean?" asked Kazuki.

"He is very dedicated the traditions of the Mugen Tenshin Clan so he was against the idea of allowing a runaway shinobi into the village. I argued with him over it to the point where I nearly considered leaving the village myself. But he soon changed his mind. I don't know why. Maybe it was because of our mother who knows what it's like to be separated from her child…or maybe it was the fear of being separated from the only two that he has."

"So, this was meant to be after all," said Kazuki. "It was fate. Everything happened for a reason and now I've finally realized what it is; to show that there is hope for this world. It doesn't matter if I have Mishima blood or the Devil Gene, that doesn't mean that there can't be any changes. Now that I know the whole truth, I'm satisfied. At first…my goal was to become the next leader of the Mugen Tenshin Clan but now I realize that I have some ways to go first, starting with this. I have to wait until I truly have the responsibilities of being a leader."

"You do that, then," said Jin. "But remember this Kazuki; don't forget about others when you make your decisions. Your family, your clan, the world, even your enemies. All of that counts." As he turns around to leave, he says "Good luck, Kazuki."

He walks away as the ninjas look on.

"Come on," said Ayane. "If we're not going through with our plans, then we must head back to the village."

"Right," said Hayate.

Ryu Hayabusa watches from afar on top of the Azuchi Castle.

"You have an important presence, Kazuki," he said. "Always remember that."

To Be Continued.