Disclaimer : Dead or alive and Ninja Gaiden characters belongs to KOEI TECMO, TECMO and Team Ninja. The introduction below is not written by me and is of the property of the dead or alive fandom/wikia page.

INTRODUCTION

When Kasumi was seventeen, her uncle, the rogue ninja Raidou, returned to the village to obtain the Torn Sky Blast technique; a ninpo spell used by the clan's leaders. Defeating even the prodigious Ayane, Raidou eventually managed to mimic the technique from Hayate, and rendered the boy both comatose and paraplegic before escaping. As Kasumi was not present during the attack and nobody told her what had happened, she was left clueless as to what happened until much later. Due to Hayate's dire state and the unlikelihood of his recovery, Shiden chose Kasumi to become the clan's eighteenth master. Her worry over her brother seemed to affect her training, but she managed to learn the Torn Sky Blast at least. Wanting to know the truth, Kasumi turned to Ayane, and believing that Kasumi would never become a great leader anyway, she told her that Raidou was the one who harmed Hayate. Kasumi only managed to escape from the village alive thanks to Christie and good timing. With the truth finally out, Kasumi decided to take possibly suicidal action and left the village without permission in order to find Raidou and take revenge on him for Hayate, although this meant she would become a nukenin and marked for death. The clan quickly found out about Kasumi's leave, and Ayane was ordered by Genra to find and kill her.

CHAPTER 1

She was running as fast as she could, panting as she would lose control of her own lungs. Wanting only a rest, the nukenin climbed into an oak tree. Kasumi was tired, it has been weeks or maybe months she didn't have any peaceful moments. After the tournaments ended, she seeked a normal life in Tokyo, but Kasumi was still chased by her clan for breaking the rules. Just so she could avenge her older brother Hayate, as she remembers now. Her copper hair was floating in the humid air, she finally had a moment for her. Her mind escaped trough her past, the first person she was thinking about was Hayate's best friend, her guardian. Kasumi didn't understand why she imagined his green eyes right now. Maybe it was because she was craving for someone to rescue her for only once, craving to live what she felt, even if he didn't the same way. Or maybe she had hallucinations. She received two arrows at her while running and after trying to pull them out she didn't see how drenched in blood she was, how much of her essence she lost.
"I am going to die if I continue to run away… I don't have enough energy…" she said to herself.

Convinced she was going to die, she thought of the only person who could give her hope and warmth at this very moment. She broke the arrow at her shoulder and finally pulled out the one in her thigh, with what was left of her tears. She could barely fight on her own, the arrow was still blocking her shoulder and she had neither speed, nor force left in her leg.

As she decided to come down from the giant oak, Kasumi was heading to the only place she may have a chance. It was pouring down and rain was really heavy for her petite, pale and almost lifeless body. She was drained of her own blood and water soaked. Please be the ancient gods for her sacrifice if she can't help herself anymore. Hours passed, she did as fast as she could throughout the forbidden forest near her destination. As thunder was vociferous and loud, she collapsed at the door of an antique shop, instead of passing it.

"That noise, what is going on?" he said while going at the main entrance.

A tall and athletic man opened the door and she finally saw his dark and profound green gaze again.
"Hayabusa…"
He scooped her with his arms. Containing his emotions as always, Hayabusa almost panicked in his mind, after realizing her pulse was nearly imperceptible and how in bad shape she could be. She couldn't do a single move as she fainted.
"Don't die on me Kasumi, don't die on me!" Ryû surprised himself by elevating his voice.
Hayabusa urged to put her delicate body on his futon and started to undress her without any thoughts. It was the only way he could contain the blood, treat her wounds and put on some bandage. Hayabusa knew her since she was a toddler, never in his life as a ninja he has seen Kasumi in bad shape, nor between life and death. After cleaning and giving her some stitches, Ryû checked her heartbeat .
"Your pulse is still weak…"

He started to wash her skin, covered in mud and blood. He put her in one of his yukatas to keep her warm, untied her hair and pulled the blanket. He returned to close the antique shop of his and of Muramasa and took some water. He stayed all night at her side, wondering if she would stay alive.

Once she was only half comatose and her eyelashes flickered, he gave her a sip of water to keep her hydrated. Hayabusa was all delicate and soft to her, the opposite of his normal habit. Deep inside, Ryû tried to conceal, as always, but he felt sorrow as he didn't want life to leave her.

Ryû's cellphone chimes. Someone was trying to call him.
"Bad timing" He said while refusing the call from Irene.
"Hayabusa…"
Her gorgeous hair scattered on the pillows, Kasumi opened her eyes this time.
"You're awake! How do you feel?"
"Numb, but alive"
Suddenly, Ryû's cheeks were slightly warmer, he actually undressed the kunoichi who had grown up into a fine woman.

Even with their five years of gap, and being her brother's best friend, Kasumi remembered at sixteen years old how they looked at each other. It felt like a secret, because no one knew her feelings towards him. She didn't even know how he felt about her. When he stayed late at home for Hayate, she stayed with them just to spend the night near, exchanging their gazes and falling asleep. Even when walking into the other by chance, they would watch each other mysteriously and intensely. Without knowing they wanted each other so badly.

"I've worked quite hard after the fight against M.I.S.T., If I didn't took any time for myself at the antique shop, I won't imagine what would have happened to you"

He touched her cheek and felt such relief, his whole body relaxed. Kasumi then understood, maybe the attraction was not only hers, but their fate and their duties were too complicated… At last, what she felt was real. He was irreplaceable for her. Kasumi placed her hand on top and closed her eyes.
"Thank you Hayabusa…" while she was retaining a tear from shedding.
"Get some sleep so you can heal" She heard him mumbling