The Anti Thieving Duo
"Hello" - (Normal talking)
"What happened?" - (Thoughts)
"What do I do?" - (Flashback)
{"Hey, can you hear me?"} - (Communication)
":Now arriving at our destination:" - (Another Language)
"\Prepare for departure\" - (Radio and speakers)
Hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 10 - The Daisho Caper
(A classroom)
(Flashback/dream starts)
"Japan, also known as The Land of the Rising Sun, is located off the coast of Eastern Asia. It is a country filled with many sights to behold, magnificent temples and pagodas, and cherry blossoms which bloom in spring" Shadowsan said, with a fond smile on his face, as though travelling back through his memories.
"Even fearsome sumo wrestlers. Legend holds that Japan was created when the ancient ones dipped the blade of a jewelled spear into the sea. When the blade was removed, drops fell back into the sea, and those drops became the island of Japan. Tomorrow, Professor Maelstrom will tell you all about Scandinavia" Shadowsan said, as he smiled at a young Black Sheep and Dark Fox.
They both scowled at this. "No! I wanna go to Japan!" Black Sheep said, as she gripped her fists tightly.
"Yeah, me too," Dark Fox said with a nod of agreement.
"Perhaps someday you shall, Black Sheep and Dark Fox" Shadowsan said, as he grinned at them.
They both perked up at this, as they smiled at him.
"Will you take us there?" Black Sheep asked hopefully, with Dark Fox giving him a pleading look.
Shadowsan just smiled at them. "Maybe one day" he said.
0o0o0o0
(Flash forward, a few years later)
"Shadowsan, Shadowsan!" A slightly older Dark Fox and Black Sheep yelled together, as they were running after Shadowsan in the VILE Academy lobby, before they caught up with him.
"Tell us again how Japan was made by a spear!" Dark Fox said, as they skipped behind him.
"Please?" Black Sheep asked, with her hands clenched together.
"That was a mere legend, a fairy tale. You are both old enough now to know the truth" Shadowsan said, before he stopped walking and turned towards them. "My country was not forged by magic, but by brave warriors called 'samurai,' who lived for honour and were willing to give their lives to defend it" Shadowsan explained to them.
Dark Fox and Black Sheep looked amazed upon hearing this.
0o0o0o0
(Flash forward a few more years)
Dark Fox and Black Sheep stood before the Faculty members.
"We both want this more than anything, Instructor Shadowsan" Black Sheep said.
"You had better be certain that becoming professional thieves is what you truly desire. For if you choose this path, there will be no turning back" Shadowsan said, as he glared down at them while standing up.
(Flashback/dream ends)
0o0o0o0
(On a train)
Carmen was asleep next to a window, when she woke up with a gasp.
"You okay babe?" Naruto asked her, as he looked at her from his seat from the other aisle.
Carmen nodded her head at this, before they heard a chime from the speakers. "\:We are arriving at Matsumoto Station. Please watch your step:\" they heard a woman saying in Japanese, before there was another chime.
Carmen looked at the seat next to her, and noticed that it was empty, causing her to look concerned.
"Where's Shadowsan?" Carmen asked Naruto.
"No clue, as I woke up just before you did" Naruto said with a shrug, as he frowned.
Carmen then stood up, and looked at all the other seats with a raised eyebrow.
She and Naruto then looked at the seats Zack and Ivy were in, seeing them leaning against each other fast asleep, with some droll escaping from Zack's open mouth. "Hey, guys?" Carmen asked them.
Ivy opened her eyes, before looking around. "What? Huh? Is it karaoke time?" she asked, as she sat up with a smile, causing Zack to slump over as he woke up.
"Where's Shadowsan?" Naruto asked them with a raised eyebrow.
Zack and Ivy looked at each other cluelessly, as they raised an eyebrow each.
Naruto then leaned down, and grabbed his bag. "Come on, let's go. He might have gotten off the train before it stopped at the station" he said to them, as he walked off the train.
The others nodded in agreement to this, as they grabbed their own bags and followed Naruto.
They quickly got off the train, before they looked around the station. They couldn't find any sign of Shadowsan, even as the train began pulling away.
"Yo! Shadow-lo-yadalow-ay-hee-hoo! " Ivy yelled out, as she yodelled.
"Oh, Shadowsan!" Zack yelled, with his hands placed around his mouth, as he and Ivy walked off.
"He said that he had personal matters to attend to" Carmen said, as she stood there with her arms crossed.
"We definitely didn't expect another vanishing act," Naruto said with a nod of agreement.
{"He's a ninja guys. It's his thing"} Player said, where they could hear the grin he had on his face, before they heard him typing on his computer.
"Well, it's getting old," Carmen said with a huff of annoyance.
"So, why would Shadowsan jump ship at Matsumoto City?" Player asked curiously with a raised eyebrow, as he looked at a map of the area he'd pulled up. "There doesn't seem to be much around there."
Naruto and Carmen had their hands on their chins in thought, before they saw a poster on the wall next to them.
"Unless you're into historic samurai castles" Naruto said, as they slightly narrowed their eyes.
They quickly went over to Zack and Ivy, and told them where they were going, before handing their bags to them and telling them to head to the hotel, before they went to get a taxi.
0o0o0o0
(Sometime later)
Naruto and Carmen walked around the castle from the poster, as they saw a few other tourists also looking at everything that was on display.
{"Any sign of him, guys?"} Player asked them over their comms.
They briefly stopped in front of a samurai armour and sword on display, before they glanced off to the side and chuckled slightly.
"Just one" Carmen said, as they walked over to a katana on display, before crouching down before it.
"A pretty sure sign," Naruto said with a nod of agreement, as they both frowned slightly, seeing the symbol on the handle.
0o0o0o0
(Flashback starts)
Black Sheep and Dark Fox were both folding origami in Shadowsan's class, before they looked up at Shadowsan's katana, looking at the symbol on its sheath.
(Flashback over)
0o0o0o0
(Back in the present)
Naruto and Carmen placed their hands on the glass, as they looked at the same symbol on the sword's sheath.
"Do not touch the glass. Fingerprints spoil the view" they heard someone say, and saw a Japanese man approaching them from behind, thanks to the reflection on the glass.
They both stood up as they looked at him, before facing the sword once more, with their arms behind their backs. "And the view from here is….striking," Carmen said with a smile.
"Indeed," Naruto said, as he nodded in agreement.
"What you are gazing upon, is Matsumoto Castle's most precious artefact. Swords like these, and the samurai who wielded them, embody the soul of Japan" the man said, as he walked over to stand next to them, while gazing at the sword.
"So, there's another like it?" Carmen asked with a raised eyebrow.
The man turned to her, with a hard look.
"You said, 'Swords like these' mister?" Naruto said with a raised eyebrow of his own, to see if he'll say what his name is.
"I am Hideo. And there actually was another. It was part of the daisho" the now-named Hideo said, as he glanced off to the side slightly for a moment.
"The what?" Naruto and Carmen both asked together, as they raised an eyebrow each.
"The Daisho. It's a Japanese word for 'pair of swords, big and little,' worn together by the samurai. This pair was separated many years ago" Hideo told them.
"What happened?" Carmen asked curiously.
"Legend holds that the long sword was lost to dark forces" Hideo said, as he turned and walked off, with Naruto and Carmen watching him go, with raised eyebrows.
0o0o0o0
(Sometime later)
Naruto and Carmen walked out of the castle, as they frowned slightly.
As they walked, Shadowsan appeared from behind them, with a small glare. "You followed me," he said.
"You ditched us" they both said at the sametime, as they frowned even more.
"Did I not tell you I came to Japan to attend to personal matters?" Shadowsan said with a disapproving look.
"Oh, let me guess. To complete your daisho?" Carmen said, as she and Naruto both glanced at him over their shoulders briefly, before facing the front again.
This caused Shadowsan to widen his eyes in surprise, before he frowned as he stopped walking.
Naruto and Carmen stopped walking, and turned around to face him. "We saw the sword," Naruto said, as they both glared at him.
Shadowsan's eyes went wide with shock at this.
"If you wanna steal for personal gain, go back to V.I.L.E. Island" Carmen said.
Naruto nodded at this. "We mean it" he said, as they turned around and walked off.
"I did not come here to steal that sword" Shadowsan said, causing Naruto and Carmen to stop walking, as they turned to look at him. "For I am here to return this one" he said, as he pulled the katana from behind him to the front.
"Are you telling us the legend or the truth?" Carmen asked with a glare.
Shadowsan glanced around, before he walked past them. "I….do not feel comfortable speaking here" he said, as Carmen and Naruto watched him go with raised eyebrows.
They looked at each other curiously, before they shrugged their shoulders and jogged to catch up with him.
0o0o0o0
(A karaoke bar, sometime later)
Naruto and Carmen had called Zack and Ivy, and told them they'd found Shadowsan, and they were taking him to somewhere private to talk. Luckily, Zack and Ivy had found a karaoke bar, where they could talk.
Right now, Zack and Ivy were on a stage, singing to 'More Than a Feeling', while Naruto, Carmen and Shadowsan were sitting in a booth, as they watched.
" I looked out this morning and the sun was gone / Turned on some music to start my day " Ivy sang out with a smile.
Zack then walked over, as he did the next verse. " I lost myself in a familiar song / I closed my eyes and I slipped away " he sang next to Ivy for a moment, before he went over to sing next to Shadowsan, who had a look of annoyance on his face, while Naruto and Carmen smiled at this. Zack then slid on his knees on the floor, and pretended to be playing a guitar solo.
"I was once young and foolish as well" Shadowsan said, as he watched Zack and Ivy.
"You stole the sword from the museum on a dare?" Carmen asked flatly.
Naruto snorted at this, finding that hard to believe.
"It was more like a rite of initiation. My gateway into a life of crime" Shadowsan said, as he turned to face them.
" It's more than a feeling " Zack sang out.
" More than a feeling " Ivy echoed.
" When I hear that old song they used to play " Zack sang again.
" More than a feeling " Ivy sang, as she repeated her last line.
" I begin dreaming " Zack sang, while Ivy nodded her head to the music slightly, with her eyes closed.
" More than a feeling " Ivy sang a third time, as she and Zack looked at each other, with smiles on their faces, as they bumped their shoulders together.
" Till I see Shadowsan walk away " they sang together, as they gestured towards Shadowsan, who had an unamused look on his face, while Naruto and Carmen were grinning in amusement.
" See my Shadowsan walking away " Zack sang, as he stretched a hand out towards Shadowsan, before he sank to his knee, where he then belted out.
" Domo arigato " Ivy sang, as they bowed, showing they'd finished.
"What I could not know then is the burden of shame I would carry for dishonouring the memory of samurai" Shadowsan said, as he glanced at Naruto and Carmen for a moment, before bowing his head slightly.
Zack and Ivy sat down with them. "Oh, they use swords, too!" Zack said with a smile.
"So, what's the difference between a samurai and a ninja anyway?" Ivy asked curiously with a raised eyebrow.
"Samurai were known to be noble warriors and keepers of the peace in ancient Japan. While ninja were trained in dark arts of deception and used their talents as spies and assassins" Shadowsan explained.
"So, which one are you?" Zack asked, with a raised eyebrow.
Shadowsan just glanced off to the side sadly, as he said nothing.
Naruto and Carmen looked down at this, while Ivy and Zack looked at each other curiously.
"Haido zo" a waitress said, as she came over while carrying a tray, which she soon placed down, showing it was….
"Fish?" Zack said, as he retched, while the waitress walked off. "Almost a perfect evening" he said with a sigh, while Ivy, Naruto and Carmen gave him small smiles, with Ivy patting him on the back in comfort.
{"Heads up, guys. I've just intercepted V.I.L.E. chatter. An unknown operative was dispatched to Tokyo this morning"} Player said to them from their comms, causing them both to frown.
"V.I.L.E., in Tokyo now?" they both questioned together, while frowning at Shadowsan.
"They are here for the sword" Shadowsan said, with a deep frown.
0o0o0o0
(Somewhere outside of Tokyo)
A woman was in front of a temple, with her eyes closed. She was a Japanese woman, and was wearing a traditional kimono and carried a Japanese style paper umbrella. She wore her hair in a bun, and a pair of sunglasses.
The woman suddenly opened her eyes at the sound of paper crinkling, and used her umbrella to shield herself from flying paper ninja stars.
When she lowered the umbrella, she saw Paper Star standing there. "Pretty spry for a seasoned operative" Paper Star said with a grin.
"Test my reflexes again, and you will taste my venom" the woman said with a glare.
"Your mastery over poison potions is legendary, Lady Dokuso. It would be prudent of me to respect my elders" Paper Star said to her with a slight shrug of her shoulders, as Dokuso walked past her, with Paper Star following her.
"Not all elders, Paper Star-chan. I called you here because there is one who must be punished" Dokuso said with a hard frown.
Paper Star gave a dark chuckle at this, as they left the temple.
0o0o0o0
(Back in Tokyo, sometime later)
Naruto, Carmen and Shadowsan were seen walking down a street. "So V.I.L.E. assumes what we assumed. That you wanna complete the set" Carmen said, as she stopped walking, with her and Naruto looking at Shadowsan.
"They will steal the short sword to use as bait to draw me out" Shadowsan said, with his hands held behind his back.
"We'll steal it first. It's what we do" Naruto said, as he and Carmen walked forward with light smirks, before looking back at Shadowsan with a smile each.
Shadowsan had a light disapproving frown at this.
"The opposite of what you came here to accomplish, I know," Carmen said, as she and Naruto had looks of worry on their faces.
"I cannot, not again" Shadowsan said, as he closed his eyes.
"Then be glad that we invited ourselves along" Naruto said, as he and Carmen gave Shadowsan a grin each.
0o0o0o0
(Sometime later)
Naruto and Carmen were in their mission clothes, as they hang glided over Matsumoto Castle.
As they were, they saw paper ninja stars coming towards them. They looked worried upon spotting them, before they began doing what they could to avoid them.
They were able to avoid them for a while, before some ripped through their gliders, which caused them both to gasp as they went down.
"Come on. Come on!" they both said, as they narrowed their eyes, as they aimed for one of the rooftops on the castle.
Once they got close enough, they released their gliders, which caused them to roll along the roof, and grabbed onto the edge before they fell. "Whoa! That was too close for comfort" Naruto said, as they pulled themselves up.
Carmen gave a nod of agreement, as they looked over at where their gliders had landed on another rooftop, and saw the paper shuriken in the wings.
"Paper Star" Carmen said with a glare.
"Oh great, my creepy stalker is here," Naruto said with a groan.
"Like I've told you before. Sheep and foxes don't fly, not on my watch" Paper Star said from a higher rooftop behind them, as she held her hands up showing a paper shuriken in between her fingers, before she spread them out showing more paper shurikens.
She then jumped in the air, and threw the shurikens at them, causing Naruto and Carmen to jump up to avoid them. They then spun in the air, so that they could go to the next rooftop below them.
They landed in a crouch, before getting up as they ran along the middle of the roof, with Paper Star still throwing her paper shurikens at them.
"Oh, and Naruto, I wouldn't call myself a stalker," Paper Star said, with a twisted grin.
"What would you call it then?" Naruto asked sarcastically.
"Admiring you from afar" Paper Star replied with a smirk, as she revealed paper boomerangs, which she threw at them, while chuckling.
Naruto and Carmen looked over their shoulders in worry, before they rolled underneath them as they flew overhead, before they quickly got back up and continued running. They looked up with glares, and saw the paper boomerangs coming back around. They both quickly dropped to their knees, and bent backwards as they slid underneath the paper boomerangs.
They briefly looked back, before shooting their grappling guns at the roof edge before them, and swung over to a rooftop. Once they retracted the grapple's, they quickly ran to hide behind a corner, as they carefully listened with a frown each, to see if Paper Star was following them.
"Guys, someone's taking the security cameras offline... and it isn't me" Player said with a look of worry, as he looked at his computer screens, which were suddenly showing static.
Their frowns deepened, as they looked to see Paper Star skipping along, while pulling some paper out of her pouches.
"Paper Star's not the thief, she's the decoy" they said together.
They both ran out, as they headed towards Paper Star, who quickly began throwing paper shuriken at them. Both Naruto and Carmen spotted broken tiles on the roof, which they kicked into the air. They then jumped up, and kicked them towards Paper Star's wrists with a yell, knocking the paper shurikens from her hands.
Paper Star gave a yell of pain, as she looked down and held her wrists, and when she looked back up, she saw that they'd both disappeared. She frowned for a moment, before smiling.
Carmen and Naruto landed on a balcony and ran through an empty room of the castle, as they headed for where the short sword was being kept on display.
But when they arrived, they saw that they were too late, as the display case was empty.
"No!" they both said in despair together, as they sank to their knees, while touching the display case.
Before anything else could be said, a torch suddenly came on behind them. "What is the meaning of this?" Hideo yelled out, as he entered the room wearing a dressing gown and slippers.
Naruto and Carmen stood up, as the torch was pointed at them.
A look of surprise appeared on Hideo's face. "You! The girl and boy from today! Did Suhara send you?" he asked with a frown.
Naruto and Carmen each raised an eyebrow at this. "Who?" Carmen asked, as she and Naruto looked around.
"We work alone," Naruto said, as they ran towards him, with Carmen flipping over him by placing her hands on his shoulders, with Naruto doing the same. This caused Hideo to stumble forward slightly in surprise. And when he looked around, he saw that they were gone.
0o0o0o0
(VILE Isle)
Lady Dokuso was on the giant screen before the Faculty, and was holding the short katana.
"Shadowsan will come for it soon" she told the Faculty, with narrowed eyes.
"And what makes you so certain, my mistress of toxic distress?" Gunnar asked her curiously with his left hand placed over his right fist, as he and the rest of the Faculty smiled at her.
"His young associate's are already here in Japan, doing his dirty work, so the traitor cannot be far behind" she said, as she lowered her hands.
Maelstrom grinned up at her, as he pressed his fingertips together, while the rest of the Faculty looked at him with their own grins. "Then use your young associate to bring us all three of their traitorous heads, and earn a seat at our table" he said, as he gestured at the empty seat next to Dr Bellum.
0o0o0o0
(The next day, Japan)
Naruto, Carmen and Shadowsan were standing on a bridge in a park, with Naruto and Carmen in their civilian clothes.
"This is not your fight" Shadowsan said to Naruto and Carmen.
They both gave him a frown at this, as they folded their arms.
"You know it's a trap. Is it really worth risking your life to return these swords?" Carmen asked him, causing Shadowsan to look to the side slightly.
"There's more to the story, isn't there... Suhara?" Naruto said with a raised eyebrow, causing Shadowsan to look at them with a slight sad look.
He turned around as he closed his eyes, and walked to the edge of the bridge, and placed his hands on the railing, as he opened his eyes. "I am Shadowsan. Suhara was swallowed by darkness a long time ago" he said, as he looked out over the water.
"The curator of Matsumoto Castle seems to know something about that," Carmen said, as she and Naruto frowned slightly.
Shadowsan turned his hand into a fist upon hearing this. "All too well, I'm afraid. He is my brother" he said, as he closed his eyes in sadness.
This caused Naruto and Carmen to widen their eyes, upon hearing this. "And you didn't tell us?" Naruto asked with a frown.
"Why?" Carmen added, as she gave him a look of concern.
"Because I could not bear to burden you with tales of my own family, not when I am unable to tell you two anything about your own" Shadowsan told them, as they walked over to stand next to him.
"No secrets, remember? We can't keep operating with only half of the story" Carmen said, as she glared at Shadowsan.
Naruto nodded in agreement at this, as he turned around and leaned against the bridge's rails. "So spill already" he said, as he folded his arms.
Shadowsan gave a sigh at this, as he closed his eyes for a moment, before reopening them as he looked out over the water.
"I was raised by my brother from as early as I could remember" Shadowsan told them, as he remembered how life was back then.
0o0o0o0
(Flashback start)
A younger Shadowsan and Hideo were kneeling on the floor, with their hands pressed together, as they meditated.
"As you've no doubt already learned, Hideo is a scholar of samurai history. He always possessed discipline" Shadowsan said.
Young Shadowsan opened one of his eyes, as he looked at Hideo curiously. Shadowsan then heard the doors behind them being opened, and looked back as two kids beckoned him to come outside. Shadowsan smirked at Hideo, as he got up and followed them, leaving him.
"While I did not" Shadowsan said.
0o0o0o0
(Flash forward, a few years later)
An older Hideo was in the castle, as he was talking to some tourists, showing them the daisho.
"Hideo held sacred the idea of Bushido, or the way of the samurai warrior" Shadowsan said.
An older Shadowsan was walking amongst the tourists, as he picked their pockets, while looking around at times with narrowed eyes.
"While I did not" Shadowsan said.
0o0o0o0
(That night)
Young Shadowsan was sitting at a small table for two, as Hideo placed down a bowl of rice and a plate of vegetables in front of him, before doing the same in front of his own place as he sat down to eat.
"And Hideo was content living on a scholar's wages" Shadowsan said.
Young Shadowsan glared at the small amount of food in front of him, before he knocked the bowl of rice on the floor, and stood up as he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Hiedo frowned at this, before he bowed his head in sadness.
"While I was not" Shadowsan said.
0o0o0o0
(Sometime later)
Young Shadowsan was walking down a dark alley, with his hands stuffed in his pockets.
"I believed I deserved better. So I chose my path" Shadowsan said.
Young Shadowsan stood before a man, as another walked past him. Once the second man was far enough away, Shadowsan pulled a wallet from his pocket, and threw it towards the man, who caught it before he opened a door curtain for him with a smirk.
Shadowsan gave a smirk of his own with a raised eyebrow, as he stepped through the doorway.
"To earn my stripes, I boasted of stealing something of great value. So, I made it my mission to steal the daisho" Shadowsan said.
0o0o0o0
(Sometime later)
Young Shadowsan peaked round a corner, making sure that no one was about, before he looked over at where the daisho swords were.
He walked over towards them, with a slightly raised eyebrow. He looked around once more, before he reached in the case and grabbed the long katana, and removed it from the case. He unsheathed it slightly, and stared at his reflection on the blade.
"At that moment, I knew I had made a profound error in judgement" Shadowsan said.
Young Shadowsan's eyes widened as he sheathed the katana, before he turned around and was surprised as he saw Hideo holding the shorter katana in his hands, who was glaring at Shadowsan even while trembling.
"Hideo warned that I would have to take it from him. I knew that he meant it" Shadowsan said.
Young Shadowsan glared back at Hideo, as he unsheathed the long katana slightly, before a look of sorrow appeared on his face, as he glanced off to the side slightly. Shadowsan then resheathed the long katana, before he ran out of the room, with Hideo watching him go, with a look of worry on his face.
(Flashback ends)
0o0o0o0
"Separating the two halves of the daisho separated the two of us….irreparably. In the event that I fail to return, please ensure that my brother receives this" Shadowsan said, as he looked at Naruto and Carmen, while holding the long katana up.
Naruto and Carmen looked surprised at this, as they slightly glanced at each other, before looking back at Shadowsan.
"You're going in there alone and unarmed?" Carmen asked in shock.
"Where are they keeping it?" Naruto then asked with a frown.
Shadowsan gave a slight frown at this, before he sighed. "In a V.I.L.E. stronghold in the heart of Tokyo. Club Dokuso... a notorious den of hoodlums" he said.
"Then we're gonna need to make a plan," Carmen said, as Naruto nodded in agreement, as they crossed their arms.
"Very well then. If the short sword is not hidden in its storeroom, it will be found within the club itself" Shadowsan said.
Naruto and Carmen nodded at this, as they planned how to get the short katana.
0o0o0o0
(Later, that night)
Shadowsan was seen walking through the streets, as he headed for the club.
Meanwhile, inside the club, various men were in the club, either sitting down while eating and drinking, or standing around, while Dokuso was standing at a bar with her back to the room.
A waitress was seen in the club, pushing a cart, as she served tea to the patrons, while stealthily stealing their swords, and putting them under the cloth on the cart as she did.
"We have stirred up trouble for our ex-colleague, but we must not let our guard down," Dokuso said with a frown.
One of the Yakuza goons scoffed at this, as he leaned back in his chair. "We outnumber him and outweigh him, and we are armed. What can one man do?" he asked while sheathing his sword before placing it down, as Dokuso glanced at him over her shoulder.
"Haido zo" the waitress said, as she placed a cup of tea in front him and stealthily took his sword, before moving along.
"I heard that he once took down a dozen rivals using only a pair of chopsticks," another Yakuza goon said, as the waitress placed a cup of tea next to his bowl of rice, before quickly grabbing his sword.
"Ha! That's just legend, a fairy tale!" a third Yakuza goon said with a scoff, as he turned around from looking at the karaoke machine.
"Believe everything you have ever heard about Shadowsan" Lady Dokuso said, as she turned around and glared at the goons. She then glanced at the kitchen door, as she saw the waitress go into the kitchen.
"New girl! Where is my coffee?" Dokuso shouted out.
The karaoke machine then came on, as the lights began to move about, as everyone looked at the Yakuza goon from earlier on the stage, who had his back to them.
" We're caught in a trap / I can't walk out / Because I love you too much, baby / Why can't you see / What you're doing to me? / When you don't believe a word I say " the goon sang, as he turned around while bobbing his head a few times, as some of the other goons did the same thing, while others raised their cups of tea at him.
"An old friend has stopped by to say hello" everyone heard Shadowsan's voice saying, causing them all to look over at the doorway, where they saw him slightly lift the door curtain as he entered.
" We can't go on together / With suspicious minds " the karaoke machine continued to sing.
A Yakuza goon gasped in shocked surprise, as the two sitting down stood up.
" Suspicious minds " the karaoke machine sang out.
All the Yakuza goons then reached for their swords.
"Huh? Nani?" one goon said, seeing his sword was gone.
Another goon gave a gasp of shocked surprise, when he noticed that his own sword was missing. "My sword!" he yelled out.
0o0o0o0
(Elsewhere)
In the hallway, the waitress pushed the cart before she stopped, and pulled at her hair, showing that it was a wig as it slid, and that it was really Ivy.
Ivy then pulled the tablecloth off the cart, showing that Naruto and Carmen had been hiding there, and were holding the swords that had been taken.
They both climbed out, and smiled as they gave the swords to Ivy. "You know where to toss 'em" Carmen said, as they placed the swords on the cart.
"Down the garbage chute, hai!" Ivy said with a smile, as Naruto and Carmen ran off.
"Along with these clogs. Who walks in these?" Ivy asked, as she removed her shoes and grimaced as she walked off while pushing the cart, as she tossed the clogs over her shoulder.
0o0o0o0
(Back with Shadowsan)
Shadowsan was walking towards the goons, who all stood ready, as he grabbed the hilt of his katana.
" Here we go again " the karaoke machine said.
The goons all looked concerned at Shadowsan placing his hands on the sword, as they looked at each other uneasily.
"You cannot take all of us," one of them said, trying to sound brave.
Shadowsan walked over to a table and stood in front of it, before he pulled the sword out of his belt, and held it out with both hands. "Do you really think I would ever dishonour this sacred blade by using it upon the likes of you?" he asked them, before he placed the sword down, so that it leaned against the edge of the table, before he folded his arms behind his back.
"You arrogant fool!" one of the Yakuza goons said with a grin, before he ran at Shadowsan with a yell, as he charged at him.
" Suspicious minds " the karaoke machine sang out, as the goon tried to hit Shadowsan, who quickly moved to the side and grabbed the goons wrist along with his shirt and jacket, before he spun round and sent him back the way he came while throwing him, sending him crashing into a table where the goon gave a grunt as it broke beneath him.
The goon laid on the ground, as he groaned in pain, with his eyes closed.
" ….build our dreams " was heard from the karaoke machine, as Dokuso gave a frown. "Get him! Now!" she yelled at the other two goons, when they didn't move.
They both looked at Shadowsan, and gritted their teeth before they yelled as they charged at him.
0o0o0o0
(With Naruto and Carmen)
Meanwhile, Naruto and Carmen were in the storeroom. Carmen held up a tracker, which was beeping, and as they walked through the storeroom, the beeping began becoming more rapid, as they zeroed in on a crate.
"Konnichiwa" they both said with smiles, as they walked to the crate, with Carmen putting the tracker away.
They both lifted the crates lid, and saw Paper Star in the crate with her eyes closed, while holding the short sword. As soon as they placed the lid down, Paper Star opened her eyes and looked up at them with a wide grin.
"Boo! Pop goes Paper Star!" she said, as she jumped out of the crate, while slinging the katana onto her back.
Naruto and Carmen backed away from the crate, as Paper Star landed in a crouch in front of them, before she got up and ran towards them.
Carmen grabbed a crate next to her, and knocked it over, with paper fans falling out.
The three of them bent down, and picked up two fans each.
"Bring it, fan girl," Carmen said with a frown, causing Naruto to chuckle slightly.
Paper Star dashed towards them, as she swiped the fans at them, trying to cut them both, as Naruto and Carmen both dodged her attempts.
Paper Star grinned at them both, as she dropped her paper fans and reached for the katana, as she pulled it out of its sheath slightly.
Naruto and Carmen both frowned at this, as they threw their fans at her.
Paper Star dodged the spinning paper fans with a glare, which allowed Carmen to jump onto her back and grab the katana. Paper Star tried to get Carmen off, but she refused to let go of the katana.
Carmen soon jumped off Paper Star's back, pushing her forward slightly, while Naruto kicked her in the back before he jumped in the air, as they both landed on a crate next to each other.
Paper Star looked over her shoulder and glared at them, before she looked in surprise as she noticed that she no longer had the katana on her back.
"Lose something?" Carmen asked with a grin, as she stood up while holding the short katana.
"Sorry, but finders keepers," Naruto said with a smile.
Paper Star growled at this, before she ran towards them.
Naruto and Carmen jumped from crate to crate, as they headed for an open window. Once they got there, Carmen slung the short katana on her back, before they pulled out their grappling hooks and fired them at a nearby building.
They then reeled themselves towards the building, just as Paper Star jumped out and grabbed hold of their ankles with a yell.
Naruto and Carmen both yelled in surprise at this, as they went up. Once they reached the rooftop, they went flying over the edge and grunted in pain as they landed on the roof, knocked out.
0o0o0o0
(Back with Shadowsan)
Back in the club, Shadowsan was fighting against the other two Yakuza goons.
He effortlessly dodged the punches and kicks from one of them, before he grabbed him by the leg as he tried to hit him, and threw him towards the karaoke machine causing it to break and knocking the goon out.
The other one carefully approached Shadowsan, before they circled each other, with the goon giving Shadowsan a hard glare as he put his fists up, while Shadowsan gave him a glare of his own, as Lady Dokuso watched with a frown.
Shadowsan was just about to attack the goon, before he turned around, as Dokuso gave a yell while trying to hit him with the tip of her umbrella, as she ran at him.
Shadowsan weaved his way through her thrusts, and diverted or blocked those that he didn't dodge. Dokuso frowned, before she yelled as she spun the umbrella while thrusting it forward, which Shadowsan blocked by using a table, causing the umbrella tip to get stuck.
He then pulled on the table, causing Lady Dokuso to let go of the umbrella, before he threw the table at her. Dokuso jumped in the air, and landed on the rim of the table as it hit the ground, where she stood perfectly balanced as she rolled it towards the bar before she hopped up onto the counter, with her arms behind her back as she smirked at him.
Shadowsan placed his own arms behind his back as he glared at her for a moment, before his eyes widened slightly, as he heard the sound of the katana he brought being unsheathed, by the final Yakuza goon, who held both sword and scabbard at the ready, as he glared at Shadowsan.
Shadowsan glanced over his shoulder at him, before he looked down at a pair of chopsticks. He reached down to pick them up, and gave a slight grin.
The Yakuza goon looked worried for a slight moment, before he grit his teeth then ran towards Shadowsan with a yell.
Shadowsan turned and threw one of the chopsticks at the goon, nailing him in the forehead, causing him to close his eyes in pain as he got stunned as he dropped the scabbard, while running past Shadowsan, who then threw the final chopstick at the back on the goon's neck, knocking him out.
Shadowsan walked over to pick up the scabbard, before he walked over to the goon and picked up the katana.
"A present for me?" Dokuso asked with a grin and a cocked eyebrow, as Shadowsan placed the sword back in its sheath.
Shadowsan looked over his shoulder as he glared at her. "On the contrary, I believe that you have one for me" he said, as he faced her fully.
Before anything else could happen, he gave a groan as he fell to his knees, while using the sword to keep himself up.
Lady Dokuso hopped off the counter, and walked over to him with a cruel smirk. Shadowsan looked up at her, as his vision began to get hazy and out of focus. "Yes, I coated the chopsticks with an absorbent toxin, designed to permeate the skin" she said, as she stepped on a pair of chopsticks, and crouched down before him.
Shadowsan's hand holding the katana was shaking, as he let go of it, causing it to clatter to the floor, before he groaned and collapsed with a thud, while Dokuso watched with a cruel smile.
0o0o0o0
(Back outside)
Carmen and Naruto both groaned as they awoke, and pushed themselves to their feet, while grunting slightly. And as they did, they noticed that Paper Star woke up too. They quickly ran off, with Paper Star chasing after them.
Naruto and Carmen ran to the edge of the roof, and used an electric sign to jump to a ladder, which they used to climb to the top of the roof.
Paper Star put her hands in her pouches to make paper shuriken, but noticed that she had no paper. She gave a growl of annoyance, before she too used the electric sign to jump to the ladder as she followed after them.
Naruto and Carmen ran across the rooftop, before they reached the edge. They looked down, and saw cars driving on the road, and that there was no way off the rooftop, causing them both to frown and grit their teeth, as the gap between the two buildings was too far for their grappling hooks.
"Too bad I shred your pretty gliders" Paper Star said, as she casually walked towards them, before she stopped under some paper lanterns.
Naruto and Carmen turned around to face her. "Careful, now. We're the one here with the cutting implement" Naruto said, as Carmen placed her hand on the katana's handle.
Paper Star frowned slightly, before she gave a smile. "In my world, paper beats steel," she said, as she reached up and grabbed a paper lantern.
She then pressed it between her hands, to make it into a weapon….only for it to become stuck to her hands, and rip to pieces when she separated her hands.
"Ugh! Hey! What's going on?" Paper Star asked, as she tried to shake the stuck pieces of lantern off her hands.
"Looks like baby bear got her paw stuck in the honey pot" Carmen said, as she and Naruto both smiled at this.
"Glue party!" Zack yelled out, with Paper Star looking up at him in shock. Zack gave a laugh as he let go of a string of lanterns he was holding, which fell and binded Paper Star.
Naruto and Carmen both grinned as they ran past Paper Star, who tried to free herself, while Zack gave a chuckle as he went for the door that led to the roof.
Paper Star turned around, as she tried to follow after Naruto and Carmen by hopping along. "Whoa!" she yelled out, as she fell over with a grunt.
0o0o0o0
(Back with Shadowsan)
Shadowsan woke up on the ground, as he gave a groan. When he saw the sword next to him, he tried to reach for it.
"Yes, you're fading" Dokuso said, as she kicked the katana out of his reach, causing Shadowsan to groan as his hand fell to the floor.
"The toxins currently coursing through your veins mimic those of the pufferfish, which paralyses its victims" Lady Dokuso explained to Shadowsan.
Shadowsan groaned, as he raised his hand and continued to reach for the sword.
Dokuso smirked at him as she crouched down. "The effects are temporary, but by the time they wear off, you will be missing your head" she said, as she ran her finger across her neck.
Shadowsan grunted as he continued to reach for the sword.
Dokuso stood up, and turned around as she looked over her shoulder at Shadowsan. "It was so terribly foolish of you, to believe that you could stroll into my club like a samurai," Lady Dokuso said with a glare, as she turned to face him fully.
Shadowsan looked up at Dokuso for a moment, before he closed his eyes. "I am no samurai," he said.
Lady Dokuso frowned at this
"I am the decoy" Shadowsan said, as he smiled up at her.
Before Dokuso could say anything, she heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed, causing her to widen her eyes slightly. She turned around, and saw Carmen holding the short katana and its sheath in her hands at the ready, while Naruto was holding his escrima sticks.
Lady Dokuso backed up slightly at this, before she glanced over her shoulder with a glare and gritted teeth, as she turned and reached down to grab hold of Shadowsan's katana, that he was now holding. But he had a very strong grip on it.
Dokuso looked back over her shoulder at Carmen and Naruto, as they slowly and carefully advanced towards her.
Lady Dokuso gave the three of them a glare, before she reached into her kimono and pulled something out, which she threw down revealing that it was a dust bomb, causing the three of them to close their eyes at this.
Once the dust had cleared, they opened their eyes again, and saw that Dokuso had disappeared.
Carmen briefly looked around, before she closed her eyes while bowing her head slightly, as she sheathed the short katana.
"Big and little, together again" Carmen and Naruto said together, as they crouched before Shadowsan while smiling, with Carmen holding the short katana.
Shadowsan smiled up at them, as he gave a sigh of relief while closing his eyes.
0o0o0o0
(Isle of VILE)
Lady Dokuso was back at the temple, while on the giant screen before the Faculty.
{"Give us more time. We will bring you both swords"} she said with a frown.
Maelstrom rested his arms on the table with his fingers intertwined, as he glared up at Lady Dokuso. "The sword was one way to draw out Shadowsan, not the only way. We will cross paths with him again" he said with a hard look.
"But if you would only allow us to —" Dokuso was saying, with a look of concern on her face as she held her phone.
{"Sayonara"} Gunnar said, before the phone screen went black.
Lady Dokuso turned around with a frown, and looked at Paper Star, who still had paper lanterns glued to her.
Paper Star clenched her fists tightly, and threw her head back as she yelled.
0o0o0o0
(Matsumoto Castle, sometime later)
Hiedo had just turned the lights off in one of the rooms in the castle, and just as he was about to close the doors, his eyes widened in surprise as he gasped slightly.
He opened the doors and ran over to the glass case, which had both of the daisho swords inside it.
"H-How?" he stuttered out, as he stood before the glass case.
He then looked in the reflection of the picture over the swords, and his eyes widened at what he saw. He turned around to make sure he wasn't seeing things, and saw that it was indeed Shadowsan….who was knelt in prostration before him.
"I do not expect your forgiveness. I only ask that you allow me to correct this grave dishonour" Shadowsan said, with his eyes closed.
Hideo stood there for a while, before he walked away while Shadowsan opened his eyes.
0o0o0o0
(At the train station, sometime later)
Ivy, Zack, Naruto and Carmen were waiting at the train station.
"Do you think he'll show?" Zack asked curiously.
Carmen and Naruto were sitting on a bench, in their civilian clothes, as Zack and Ivy looked over at them.
"A part of me hopes that he doesn't" Carmen said, as she folded her arms.
"Whatever Shadowsan decides, is his choice" Naruto said.
The train soon arrived at the station, and pulled to a stop before the doors opened with a ding.
They were just about to get on, when Naruto and Carmen noticed Shadowsan in their periphery, which caused them to smile at him slightly as he walked over to them.
0o0o0o0
Authors Note: To those who want me to lemon/sex scenes in every chapter or so, I can't as I need to find the right time/moment to do them. Such as, on their plane, in a hotel room or in a train's sleeping carriage. So please, stop asking me to keep adding them, as I'll do them when I please.
Hope that everyone enjoyed the chapter, and that you're doing what you can to avoid getting this COVID by following the rules, while any and all flames are no longer welcome. Also, for some reason, if I get a PM from anyone, it wouldn't show me the number(s) on fanfiction (so if you send me a PM, and I reply to it late, that's the reason why). Let's hope that now the vaccines are all done, we can rest a bit easier.
I have also posted a few story ideas on my home page, and if any of you want to use them please, PM me and let me know.