Sojiro p.o.v. Chapter one.
I looked around at my surroundings, my breathing slows and the air felt heavy as fear filled my chest at the sight of it all.
The sounds of screams in the far off distance, I could hear the steps of many samurai warriors marched onward on the battle field….. I could feel the earth tremble beneath my feet as hooves of mounted calvary stomped up and down, trotting slowly but steadily.
Yet in the midst of battle, my father gallantly sat upon his beautiful Black hokkaido horse, Hokusho, watching in the rearward of the battlefield, smirking at the chaos that unfolded before him, then swiftly rode off into battle, I looked around as the strong smell of blood hit my nose, the dead all surrounded me. Fallen from both sides lay on the ground freshly slaughtered …
"WereWolves?" I questioned.
The stench was so horrid that I could almost feel myself vomit. Taking a step, the scenery changed, then I heard a voice call out to me.
At first only one; a small female's voice saying 'Soji help me.' then more joined in. The voices grew louder and louder, soon enough I saw flashes of people I've never seen before all screaming for me to help them.
The images in my mind swirled around fast, flashing from person to person in my minds eye, the world around me started spinning. I grabbed my head and attempted to scream, but no sound came out.
When I opened my eyes all those people I had just seen flash in my mind, stood before me.
Their skin as grey as freshly burnt coal, pieces of their faces missing, eyes, limbs, gone.
The horror before me…shook me to my core.
I couldn't move... couldn't speak, i was stuck in one place unable to defend my self…..helplessly
"Why did you do it? Why did you not save us…..save us…...Soji!" one said as he barreled towards me….
Then a white flash….
"A dream?" I gasped as I sat up in my bed, clenching my head.
Its was the same random dream I'd been having for months now. I sighed as laid back down and pushed it out of my mind.
'It's just a dream...its not real…' I told myself and went back to bed.
A few minutes later, I heard the curtains move and my room was filled with light.
I squinted my eyes open at the bright light that blared down on me.
"Rise and shine sleepy head." A voice called out to me, as the covers mysteriously flew off me.
I slowly reopened my eyes and leaned my elbow on the mattress, as I sat up, I scanned the entire room only to see Misa walking toward me.
"Oh it's just you..…..get out…." I told her unemotionally as I went back to lying down.
"I said get up!" she yelled as she kicked my bed.
"Misa ...what reason do you have to come intrude into my room and wake me up ...?" I yawned as I stretched myself out.
"Because it's time for you to get up….....Now get up Soji!" She yelled with a big smile on her face.
I yawned again, and then I moved on my side facing toward her.
"No...I don't want to," and I put the pillow over my head to block out her vigorous gaze.
"I said get up!!!" She yelled as she shook me over and over again.
"Okay....okay...okay, I'm up....geez." I mumbled and I got out of the bed.
"You're such a bother...why do you always do this to me?" I scoffed at her.
"Because I love you big brother.....you always spend time with me anyway. So I just thought I'd come up here and wake you up, so you can keep me entertained, since I'm bored." She admitted.
Misa is my nine and a half years old half-sister. She had very long brown hair and for some strange reason, she was born with a few blonde streaks in it like my brother Kohaku. She also had very pale skin like him too. The only difference between us is that her mother is different from ours, and to make things even more complicated for her, her mother is currently alive unlike our mother, which makes bad blood between the two of them. Her mother is one of the concubines my father lays with from time to time.
She always leaves the area in the castle where the maidens were kept just to come and bug me in the morning and follow me everywhere I'd go; like a bored puppy.
"So you came to wake me up just so I could keep you entertained?" I asked raising an eyebrow at her, as I get up from my bed. Knowing her for as long as I have, I knew there was always something more to it.
"Well...." she crossed her arms and turned away from me.
"I have no one to play with and mother is always busy, Kohaku doesn't talk to me nor does he like me even, women and young girls can't train to fight, and you are the only one here in our family, literally in this entire clan, I believe that doesn't treat me like an outsider." She frowned.
I smiled at her and ruffled her hair as I walked passed her to get some clothes. "Well ...sorry to burst your bubble little sister but....I'll be way too busy today to keep you busy…..sorry." I grinned as I tried to weasel my way out of her hanging around me.
"Too bad…...you're stuck with me today…." she said in a flattened tone.
I groaned in frustration and then I went into my bathroom to get ready for the day. I pulled the rope that makes the hot water run and let it pour down over me.
(Everyday it's the same thing…..I need to escape this place.) I thought to myself…...I sighed.
Ten minutes had passed, I got out of the bath and dried myself off with a towel. I started putting on my clothes, and I hadn't even had my shirt even half way on before I heard a huge commotion going on in my room. I groaned at the annoyance of this morning. I reached the door and walked out of the bath wing only to see her…
"STUPID BRAT!"
"DUMB WHORE!"
"That's why no one loves you-YOU CHILD OF SATAN!!!"
"That's right I am aren't I... and that's why…..WHY MY BROTHER SOJI WILL NEVER MARRY A SKANK LIKE YOU…YOU WRETCHED PIECE OF TRASH! GO BACK TO YOUR WHORE CLAN AND NEVER RETURN!!!" Misa snapped.
(Can my day get any worse?) I asked myself as I stood there blankly listening to them argue…..
"_"
"HE WILL TO MARRY ME!!!" Jasmine my so called consort exclaimed.
"NOT ON YOUR LIFE WHORE! NOT EVEN ON THE DAY WHEN THE DRAGONS RETURN AND WE ARE OVERRUN BY THE MOON AND SUN GODDESSES CHILDREN!" Misa shouted.
"YOU WOULD KNOW SINCE YOU ARE ONE RIGHT? FREAK!" Jasmine insulted.
"YOU ARE AN EMBA-"
"ENOUGH!!!!" I shouted cutting Jasmine off..
"Why are you here?" I gritted as rage took over me.
"I told you never to come into my room ever again!" My voice dripped with anger and frustration.
She looked at Misa and smiled in triumph like she won a trophy.
"Bro-"
"Not you Misa…" I cut her off and continued my verbal assault on Jasmine.
"...Her…..that ...that ... thing right there…..I told you I never wanted to see you again and here you are once more, standing before me, in my room of all places, insulting my baby sister….." I said as I felt my rage spiral through me.
"You really do have no shame… no morals?" I scoffed.
"But, Soji ...I-" she pouted.
"No...don't EVER call me that…your voice gives shame to my name every time you speak it; my name is Prince Isumora to you…..I will never marry you…...so go back to where you came from and never return…..or contact me…" I walked toward the door and opened it, then looked at her pointedly.
Her face contorted with pain, sadness, and anger, but I didn't care, I continued on with my verbal assault..
"Let this be noted ...this is the last nice thing I'm going to do for you ...EVER!" I glared at her.
She grumbled in defeat and stomped her way over to me.
"No ...now, you note this Soji-"
"It's Prince Isumora to you Jasmine and you will address me as such…" I corrected her.
"Whatever…..I will be your wife and become Queen whether you like it or not…" then she walked out through the door.
"Bye skank!" Misa called after her.
You could hear Jasmine scream frustrated screams down the hall as she continued walking away from my room, yelling to gather her people.
"Come on Misa, let's go find something else to do that will keep us both entertained." I laughed then we walked out of my room.
We walked down the hallway talking; as usual, I stopped at the only window that sat in the royal palace hallway down the way from my room on the third floor, and looked through it. I always wondered how the world outside Osaka was like.
Since I was the son of royalty, I was not permitted to leave at my own convenience.
The sky was blue and cloudy. I could see the people in a nearby village going about their normal duties beyond the gates of the castle and children playing some types of ball game.
I sighed and we continued our walk through the halls. We got to the second floor and started to walk toward the dining area to have a bite to eat, that's when we heard it; soft beautiful sounds of the piano being played in the foyer.
Misa stopped and tugged at my shirt.
"Can we go see? Please!!!" She begged.
I looked down at her to see that her face wore no expression, I nodded my head in accordance with her request and we walked toward the foyer. She kept talking about the song that was playing the whole way there.
Even though it sounded a bit menacing, it was a beautiful piece that seemed to be drawing us both in.
We got to the foyer and peeked in. There, we saw a girl that sat at the piano singing the melody to the song as she played. I looked at her closely, realising that I've never seen her before.
She had short light brown hair and wore glasses. The melody she played changed to a different song. It was even darker than the one from before, but I felt like I've heard this song once before; in a distant memory from when I was younger. I felt like it was calling out to me as if it was changing the whole world around me.
I started to drift off into the song, I felt like I was drifting off into a trance . with every note played my body began to grow slightly heavier.
After a few minutes of listening to it, my entire body started to tingle then my head started to spin. I looked at Misa; she started walking into the foyer slowly. It was hypnotizing her.
She reached her hand out to the girl at the piano...
"Misa Wait ...No…" I called out to her quietly.
"I can't stop…..moving...Soji...I'm scared." She turned to face me but didn't stop.
The girl looked up and saw us and I could have sworn I saw her smirked at us as she played a new song. I started to feel my breathing picked up faster and my heart started to race, my vision went blurry, and everything around me seemed distorted. I reached out to Misa trying to grab her.
"Fight it Misa ...Ahh...shit" I cringed as I fell to my knees, head pound, and adrenaline rushing through my veins, my mind went blank as I felt something foreign stur inside me.
It felt like my body was on fire as pain pulsated through me.
I groaned as I started to hear small cracks throughout my body as if my bones were breaking.
"Sojiro??" I turned my head to the sound of a familiar voice that had called out to me.
The music stopped abruptly, the pain was also gone and when I looked toward the piano, the girl was gone to.
"Are you okay?" Tui asked me disquietly.
I look up at the person with the extremely concerned familiar voice; cleared my throat and stood up.
"Yes I'm fine…." I told him confidently.
"Okay ... I've been... looking for you. Your father wants to speak to you and your brother, Kohaku, as soon as possible. He ordered that you two should meet him in the throne room "He said as he walked up to me with a smile.
Tui stood at 6'9 with jet black hair with golden tips at the end that almost reached his feet, he had dark brown eyes that looked almost black at times. Not to mention the fact that he had a very daunting figure that would make you want to run away from him just to avoid him, even though he wouldn't hurt a fly....
"What does father want with me and Kohaku? Is everything alright?" I asked with endless concern in my tone.
"Yes, but it's very important that you both see him right now. I don't know the exact details, but you have to meet with him." He replied back to me with a smile.
"But Tui..."
"No excuses...just go." He said, cutting me off.
"Misa..." he bowed then walked away.
I stood there dumbfounded while watching him walk up the hallway, leaving me in my thoughts. He left me no chance to reply to his declaration about my father's request. I glanced at Misa and noticed a frown on her face, so I placed my hand gently on her head and she looked up at me and I smiled.
"What's wrong now?" I asked her.
She shook her head and we started walking.
"So before ...just now, you have any idea what just happened to us?" I asked her while referring to the incident in the foyer.
"No...I don't...it was strange. It was like the song was calling out to me...speaking to my-.....I really don't want to talk about this…" she said as she quieted her voice.
"Anyway my birthday is coming up…" she trailed off.
"I know...and no, I will not tell you what I got for you." I told her as we continued walking toward Kohaku's room.
"I wonder what father wants with you and brother…" she began.
"I do to." I mumbled.
(It's not like that crazy old fool wants to see his sons.....knowing that he does now....I have a bad feeling about this.) I thought to myself and sighed.
We walked past some servant women that always say good morning to me and or bow, I tried to put on a smile and returned their greetings back to them, but when they were out of sight.....I removed my fake smile and sighed.
(Same old routine every single day with this.....Come on, I wish they'd say something new already...have a conversation...something.....This place is driving me insane already and the people here aren't making it any better for me.) I thought to myself then I heard Misa giggling.
"What is so funny?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
She shook her head and smiled, and we continued on walking down the hall. We got to his room ten minutes after we passed the servants in the hall.
"Go find your mother...I will see you later okay Misa?" I told her.
"You promise…?" She whined.
I nodded my head in concurrence, and then I drew an x over my heart. She smiled at me then gave me a warm hug...
"Also remember to stay out of sight this time because you are not allowed in this area alone." I reminded her.
"I know. I'll stick to the walls this time." She said and ran off.
(Stick to the walls? What does that suppose to mean ...?) I thought to myself before walking up to Kohaku's door.
I took a deep breath and pushed the door open and walked into his room. I stood at the entrance in ah.....
(That's a first; I can't believe what I am seeing, his room is clean....)
My thoughts trailed off as I started to look through his room for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. He usually sits in his study section, reading or staring out into the unknown world when we aren't in training, but he wasn't there. I went over to the desk and picked up a picture of us when we were kids.
Kohaku is my little brother, he wants nothing more than to be the greatest ninja in the word.
He is 17-years-old, 5'9 with ever flowing black hair with one or two blonde streaks in it. He always flusters it up into his famous slick ponytail. He was a little more built than some of the other guys of his age in our clan. Besides his unhealthy obsession with fighting and trying to defeat me, he can be very hard headed and stubborn at times, and cold hearted as well.
Just then... the door slammed shut.
(I knew this was going to happen.) I thought to myself as I got prepared for whatever was going to happen next.
"Such a shame... we have to do this, in your nice clean room ....." I said quietly almost sounding as if I'm singing a melody.
Then I looked up and saw him holding onto the chandelier. He let go of the chandelier and dropped down toward me. I jumped back as far as I could, as he landed on the floor in front of me like a cat.
"What the hell is this about?" I asked him.
"What does it look like to you? I'm trying to attack you." He replied nonchalantly.
"Well obviously....You just never learn do you? I already told you, you will never beat me. I don't even know why you even bother. Give it up already....." I sighed.
"I may be your little brother and all, but I have learned a lot since the last fight we had. I am the top ranked ninja in my class and I want you to see how much stronger I am than you. I will beat you!" He said in an intense tone.
I laughed. "Well not today.... You know that I know; you will never defeat me." I laughed hysterically.
"You maybe the top in your class, but I'm the top rank ninja in our clan so why are you so bent up on defeating me, little brother? Do you have that much of a death wish that you would rush into a battle against me, when you haven't even mastered the element of surprise, yet Raging Beast?" I said in amusement. "Until the day you are ready for a real one on one with me, I will not and cannot fight you." I stated.
He stammered over to the chair with disappointment in his big hazel eyes.
"Anyhow....." I cleared my throat.
"Our father wants to see us in the throne room, so can you cut it out with your attitude already and get ready to meet him." I told him as I yawned.
"Whatever…I've gotten much stronger since our last fight.
I guess you're just too chicken to fight me...." He said with great passion in his eyes.
.
I remember the last fight we had that spring, when he first started his training to be a White Fang…..
The fight I and my brother had that spring didn't last long. He always wanted to prove that he was the better son to our father. But I'm sure our father didn't think so. Shortly after Kohaku was born, mother died. Since then, father had resented him because of it.
Flashback...
"Kohaku! You want to be a White Fang....you will fight your brother Sojiro then. If you are left standing at the end of this fight, you will begin your training. If not, you will bring shame to your name and our family...I will deem you worthless. Becoming a White fang is something only members of the clan with worthy blood can do. This is a test of your worth my..." he paused then spat at the ground, "Son...." he grumbled.
"For us White Fang, we train hard to become better Shinobi and to become stronger, when the day comes for you to become a full-fledged Shinobi, you will be ready to face a very honorable task, your destiny as the entire shinobi clan does. Are you ready to accept these terms?" father's voice boomed throughout the courtyard.
Kohaku nodded.
"Yes father...I accept the terms that were given to me by the king ...on my name I will bring honor to our clan…" then he smiled at him, and then turned to me.
"Father, I don't think this will be a fair fight. I don't want to hurt my little brother. Can't you choose someone at a beginner level like him?" I asked father, but got a glare instead.
"You will do as I say boy...you will fight your brother.....do you understand me?" He glared down at me.
I frowned and nodded my head, then walked to the center of the courtyard to face my brother.
Kohaku was at least 7 and I was 9 with two years of training over him.
"Come at me, come at me. I can take you." Kohaku says as he takes his stance.
"Yea yea yea. Quit your whining. You're so annoying sometimes. Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked him.
"Yeah...let's do it. Come on I can take you big brother. So don't hold back okay. Otherwise I'm going to beat you okay." He smirked.
"Alright....if you say so; I don't think you stand a chance little brother, but since you're asking for it...."I said as I charged at him; slamming my body into his.
He threw a left punch at me and I dodged him, and jabbed him with my elbow into his side.
He stumbled then grabbed my arm and threw me back into a wall. I was stunned as I stumbled to get my footing. I ran at him and hit him with a right hook jab. He hit the ground a little ways from me.
Then, he got up and ran towards me with a jump kick, I grabbed him but he got me and I flew backwards.
In mid air all I could think about was...
(He's whooping my ass....I'm going to lose to my little brother, I can't believe it. Wait.... what I am doing, I gotta win this.)
Then I hit the ground and I scurried to my feet, and shadow stepped toward him; nearly disappearing in front of him. I managed to get behind him and grabbed him by his arm, twisted it behind his back, and then threw him to the ground. At that point the fight was over. I really felt bad that I almost broke his arm and he was crying at that. I didn't want to hurt him. But father said we are training to be shinobi. And we should do what is required to win. The last thing I remember was that I started to cry saying....
"I'm sorry Kohaku please forgive me."
Back from the flashback...
"So are you're not going to fight me or what? I have been waiting a long time for a rematch." He said sounding so disappointed.
"Geez you're annoying sometimes.... No...right now we have business to attend to... father wants us to meet him, after that maybe we can since you're so bent up on this. I have a bad feeling that this may retain to something important. And if so, I need you to be just as strong as I am." I replied to him as I folded my arms.
I was able to convince him to get ready to meet our father. I couldn't help it, but I can sense that Kohaku slightly resented our father as well as I did. We walked down the hallway to get to the throne room.
"That old man never calls us to his 'Throne Room'...not me anyway. But since he wants to see us, I wonder what it's all about this time. I mean it's not like I'm in trouble or anything, or you however aren't in any trouble. I'm not father's favorite. You are, so if he wants to meet the both of us this must really have to be very important don't you think?" He rambled with a smile.
"Kohaku don't start. You know father loves you just like he loves me, he does not favor me over you." I lied.
"However, it is very strange that he does want to see both of us at the same time. He's never asked both of us to come see him nor really asks us to come to the Royal Hall. As a matter a fact, I have never even been in the royal hall before." I said as I scratched my head.
"I really don't care what it is, I just want to get this over with so that we can have our fighting match." He said
"There is more to life than fighting Kohaku. Have you accepted Chandra request to be your wife?" I asked him.
"NO.....I will never marry that crazy woman." He grimaced.
"Why? She's...pr-ee-tt...cute...." I couldn't finish saying that word. Kohaku laughed.
"See you don't even think so...besides it has nothing to do with that.....I just don't like her like that ...I'm not attracted to any of these girls that have come around to make a request to me…." he made a serious face.
"I know how you feel...I just try to ignore it...otherwise father will pick for us." I told him.
"So, you've done things with your suitors before...?" He asked.
"Yeah…..why not .....I just ignore the fact that I don't feel anything for them." I told him.
"So, you're going to accept what's her name's request?" He asked me.
"Jasmine and no.....she's not worth my time." I replied.
"I think all of them aren't worth my time and attention. That's just my gut feeling, like I'm just not made for that....fighting is all I want to do." He said.
I shook my head at him as we continued walking through the hall to where father was.
In a way he was right, I could never shake the feeling when I'm around these women, that I'm supposed to be elsewhere.... Like my mind wasn't interested. My mind drifted back to the situation at hand. I was so curious about what this was all about. This was unlike father to call some type of family meeting; he wasn't the type of 'parent' to interact with his own flesh and blood. We were like normal people to him, as I see it.
(What if this is about him choosing our wives for us?...no that can't be it....Damn Kohaku and this random conversation....no that's not it ...it's something else.....but what?) I thought to myself.
Once we got to the Royal hall, we stood in front of the door that separated us from father's Throne room. We looked at each other as though saying you open it. I put my hand out to make a gesture for him to open it, but he shook his head and did the same telling me to. I stretched my hands out unveiling the door to him, he shook his head and did a little spin, and then pointed one hand to the door and the other at me as he bobbed his head side to side. I couldn't help, but to laugh at him as I saw him do that.
So... I did the hikobo shiusa (the Jeodoshi version of the Macarena.) I spun and jumped then pointed to both him and the door. He clapped his hand as though saying good one. We were both doing goofy dances to see who can be the goofiest as the loser opens the door (a big bro little bro goofy off extravaganza tradition of ours.)
"What are you two doing....?" We turned around at the sound of Tui's voice in sheer embarrassment.
"Now is not the time to be standing here and goofing off!! Go in already; your father is waiting...!" Tui said as he opened the door and walked in.
Kohaku and I just stood there, staring at his back as he walked on ahead shaking his head in disbelief about what he had just seen us do. Then, we looked at each other and exchange glances.
"Well, this is awkward....We can't just stand here now, can we?" I said as I scratched my head again. Kohaku shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't mind at all. I'd rather not see that old fool anyway." Kohaku stated.
I shook my head at him and walked into the room behind Tui.
"Hey...." Kohaku grumbled as he ran to catch up with me.
"Hurry up you two. It's a very exciting day today!" Tui said with a cheerful voice.
Kohaku and I kneeled down in front of father and bowed our heads, as Tui stood in the middle of us.
"My sons, what a glorious day today is indeed!" Father said as he stood up from his seat.
We both looked up at him, and then looked at each other then back at the floor.
(He is unusual in high spirits today. I guess the way Kohaku looked at me, he thinks so too.) I thought to myself.
"My son's hold your heads up. Today is a very important day for the 'both' of you.....Today you 'both' are graduating at the top of your shinobi class and we feel it is time for you both to be real shinobi." Father said as he kneeled down on the mat in front of us.
Tui put his hands on both of our shoulders. I looked up at him to see a smile on his face. I could easily tell that he was proud.
"This is a gift from me to you my sons. What a great honor it is to present these to you." He said while passing us both a box.
We looked at the box, father never gave us gifts before, but we unwrapped it anyway and unfolded a White Fang shinobi shozoku and tabi boots. My eyes widened at the sight of it, and I quickly bowed to father in thanks to this gift. Kohaku also bowed as well.
"Most importantly, today is the day you both go on your first mission. Your targets will arrive in Oakland city tomorrow. You need to kill them in fifteen days before the red moon is full." He said as he smiled.
I was in great shock.
(He wants us to what!!?) I thought to myself as I started shaking.
"Wait, you're not sending them on the mission I think you are. Siurue, it's too dangerous to send them to kill Juin, let alone her daughters. Who knows what skills she has taught them." Said Tui frantically.
"Are you saying my boys aren't skilled enough to handle this job? Would you like me to send you instead? They are heads of their various classes, and I believe they can handle it!" He yelled.
"So, you will send your only seventeen and twenty year old sons to their death? This is preposterous!" Tui exclaimed.
(I've never killed anyone before, I've only seen students get killed, but I've never done....how he can even ask us such a thing.) I thought to myself while fighting back the fear.
"Shut up Takamori!" Father yelled, having been fed up with Tui's outburst, his tone changed from gentle to irritation.
"You must accept this mission...if you don't, you will die and our clan will cease to exist. Juin is why our clan has had many losses. You must take her and her daughters out in order to keep more of our people from falling. You will avenge those that have fallen at their hands. This mission is a pledge of your loyalty to me and the clan, those who refuse will be killed on the spot!" Father stated.
With that being said, a few White Fangs appeared from the shadows. The sound of their swords being unsheathe, cut straight through the silence and I started to feel chills run up my spine.
(Killed on the spot? Father.....why.... This can't be happening....I'm dreaming. Is this is why he wanted us to train so hard? So, we can do his unfinished dirty work?) I thought to myself.
"But Siurue this is uncalled for. Surely, there is something better than killing them if they don't accept....they are your son's, so why would you want to....this is crazy!" Tui said trying to sway father from the ultimatums he set.
"For the last time Tui.... I will feed you to the wolves if you don't keep your damn mouth shut! Besides, you are the only one with a problem. Is there something I should know, since I am their true father or am I not?" Father shouted at Tui.
Tui nodded his head, and then lowered it as he clenched his fist.
I looked up at Tui, he seemed as if he was going to cry or maybe get angry, I really couldn't tell.
I tried my best not to get upset.
(How can he treat his own brother like this...disrespectful bastard...this is unforgivable.) I thought to myself, while trying to fight back my own outraged outbursts.
Then Kohaku spoke up for the both of us and made the pledge. I was speechless. The words of it's to kill or be killed rang through my head, so I also bowed in acceptance too.
Father smiled.
"I am truly proud of you boys. Arrangements will be made; the royal son will be going to Oakland on their first mission...Tonight!!!!" Father said in decoration.
"Tonight.....Siurue.....but shouldn't we debrief them before they go? The timing is too short to get things set before we get there and make plans as to how and what they have to do." Tui complained.
"I see....well that's why you will be going with them Taka." Father replied with a grin.
"What....You can't be serious Siurue.... I haven't been out in the field in a long time."
Tui combated father, but his mind was made up.
"This is your punishment for what you have done to me brother. If you come back alive, I will think about letting you come back. But for now you can accompany them out of my sight.....you wretch. "Father whispered to Tui only loud enough for me to hear.
(Tui would never do anything wrong...) I thought to myself, while punching the floor.
"No, it is you that will be sorry for what you have done to me and....."Tui's voice trailed off.
Then I looked at Kohaku and his expressions were the same as mine. We were both shocked and angry. Then father handed me a paper with pictures of our so called targets on it.
"You better make damn sure you and Kohaku don't screw this up.....Your whole clans lives are riding on the success of the completion of this mission. If you do not complete this mission, I will have your under mates find and kill you both." He whispered to me.
"Understood sir…" I said through gritted teeth.
(You arrogant bastard.....) I thought to myself as we bowed. Then Tui escorted us out.
"I'm sorry boys I thought you two would be doing something better than this. I didn't know he had this planned for you. Take care of each other. Promise me you will. Even though I am going with you, I won't be on the field with you. "Tui said trying not to cry.
"So this is what Shinobi do ...kill people? Why did he have to choose us for this job?" I asked him with a hint of anger.
(I will hold off on asking him what he whispered to him.) I told myself in thought.
"It's a world of kill or be killed Soji. But this well[E2] ... you might as well call this a suicide mission if you ask me." He said nonchalantly.
"WHAT!!!?" Kohaku and I exclaimed.
"Juin is a very powerful opponent, and a priestess. No one can get close to her and live to tell the tale. I can only imagine that her daughters have inherited the same traits as Juin, seeing how she is a Kitsune. Your father is irrational with decisions and also very irresponsible." He said as we walked to the stable where the horses we would be riding to this Oakland place were kept. When we got there, some of the castle servants were already there preparing the horses with our things.
(Kitsune? So they are Were foxes...? How can he throw us at a mission like this? I know nothing about Kitsunes.) I thought to myself.
"Sojiro! Sojiro please don't go!!!" Misa yelled as she ran up to me, clinging onto me tightly.
"I have to...I'm sorry Misa..." I frowned.
"Then I'll go with you." She yelled as she grabbed me tighter.
I shook my head at her as tears started to flow down her cheeks.
"I promise I'll come back.....then we can play any game you want....I cross my heart." I said to her, while trying to smile.
Then she jumped into my arms and hugged me tightly.
"Misa listen to me, if anything happens, promise me you will come find me. . . Promise me you will." She nodded her head in my chest.
I had an eerie feeling that something bad might happen to her once I leave.
I let her go and she took a few steps back, so that she wasn't in the way.
"YOU BETTER COME BACK TO US!!" She screamed as she ran out of the stables.
"I will.....little sister." I whispered.
"You have sister issues…" Kohaku snickered behind me.
I turned around and glared at him.
"Well now that the goodbyes have been said, are we all ready to go?" Tui asked.
"NO!!!!!" Both Kohaku and I exclaimed.
"Well to bad....it's time to go. Let's get this over with then shall we...?" Tui said.
"Why would you ask us if we were ready since you were just going to tell us we have to leave anyway?" Kohaku muttered.
"I thought it would be funny..... With you two always goofing off and all..." Tui replied as he gave out a dry laugh, and then rode off.
"What a drag, I don't want to kill these people." Kohaku muttered with an attitude.
"Then, why the hell did you agree to it!!? Let alone speak for me!" I yelled back to him.
"What choice did I have? They were going to kill us. Besides how are we going to battle if you're dead!?" He shouted as we rode to our destination.
"Nice to know you care ...!" I said sarcastically.
I couldn't help but to agree with him. We were forced into this and at this moment, I didn't see any way out of it.