"How many years has it been..."
[. . .]
Clouds gathered together, darkening the sky around the Crimson Forest. Lightning flashed through the atmosphere, with the sound of thunder following behind it.
"Ryuto, get inside! It's about to rain!"
"Sorry, father!" He apologized as he dusted himself off after training. He retrieved his blade from the ground and gazed into his reflection from the puddle of water. The image of a wild raven-haired boy was staring back at him.
"What did I tell you about sneaking off to go train by yourself?" His father scolded him.
"I'm sorry! I just want to get better, so I thought it'd be okay to—"
"You thought?" He repeated after Ryuto. "No, Ryuto, you weren't thinking at all," He plucked a small branch off of Ryuto's hair.
"You never train me even though I'm ready..." Ryuto whined, crossing his arms over each other while pouting.
"Your training begins at age twelve, not eleven. You'll have to wait until next year," Isobe declared.
"Oh, whatever!" Ryuto screamed out in annoyance at his father's condescending tone. He marches off to his room, sliding his door closed with vigor. "Stupid dad... I know I'm ready!" He runs to the wall, punching a hole into it. "Whatever, I'm just gonna go to bed! Maybe tomorrow he'll change his mind,"
Ryuto tucked himself into bed, staring at the door.
"I'm gonna be a Shinobi, one way or the other!" Ryuto cries out in a muttered voice.
He sits up from the mat and turns over to his right side, gently lifting the wooden floorboard up. Within the secret compartment were his shurikens, kunai, smoke bombs, and ninjato.
"I'll prove myself to dad! I'm gonna go kill a samurai and drag his body back here!" He raged in his thoughts.
After stuffing his ninja tools into a bag, Ryuto moves swiftly past his father and storms toward the front door, throwing it to the side with astonishing speed. His father immediately wakes after hearing the door be forcefully opened and could only see the trail of footsteps that Ryuto made while running.
"Ryuto!!!" Isobe cried out, as Ryuto was too far gone in the distance to hear his voice.
Ryuto darts through the forest, trying to hold back the tears in his eyes. His clothes become drenched in the overwhelming amount of rain that poured. Wet branches smack him across the face, scarring his cheek with a minor cut. He wipes his face of the minuscule amount of blood leaking and continues to run.
He sought shelter wherever he could find it and luckily found a nearby village in another section within the forest. As he stepped foot near the entrance, he was worried about being spotted by the villagers already inside.
"Damn it!" He thought as he snuck around the nearest house to him. He peeks his head slightly into the window, examining the dark room. When he was sure that there was nobody in sight, Ryuto climbed through the window and hid behind a wall. The sound of footsteps drew near to him, lessening Ryuto's chance of being undetected.
"Aiko, where's Tora's spoon? I can't find it!" A random man yelled out across the house.
"Check around our bed!" Another voice that sounded feminine yelled back.
Because the room was dark, Ryuto had no idea where he was, but what he did know was the footsteps were getting closer. He had limited options now, and only one would certainly secure his safety: to kill the man.
This would be impossible for him as Ryuto has never killed or harmed anyone in his life. He dreaded the thought of killing people, but to him, the only way he'll prove his father wrong is to kill a samurai.
The man who hollered through the house walked into the room with a lamp in hand. Ryuto hurriedly hid in the nearest corner he could find. He shifted the lamp around the bed, trying to find the spoon he was looking for. The light from the lamp eventually highlighted Ryuto's face, startling the man.
"AAAH!" The man screamed in fright, immediately having his mouth shut by Ryuto's hand. Ryuto then took the blade to his neck and grabbed a hold of the man's long, shaggy dark brown hair.
"Shut up!" Ryuto quietly said to the man, holding his ninjato to his neck. "Just please be quiet. I need somewhere to stay!"
"S-S-Sure!" With a blade to his neck, the man couldn't speak appropriately without stuttering. Soon after, a woman walked into the room holding a baby boy.
"Did you find it—" Before she finished inquiring about the missing spoon, she saw a young boy with his sword nearing her husband's jugular. "—yet?"
"Uh... hi," Ryuto greeted himself, lowering his weapon back into its scabbard. "This is completely not what it looks like,"
"Do... do you want our money?" The woman asked concerningly.
"No, no, no! This is all a misunderstanding! I'm here because..." He was at a loss for words, still feeling dread over leaving his father behind so suddenly. "...I don't know,"
"Well, if you're looking for a home, you kind of could've just asked," The man said while nervously laughing to ease the tension in the room. "My name's Hayato, and that woman is my wife, Aiko. The baby boy in her arms is Tora, our little new addition to the family,"
"Pleased to meet you all!"
Ryuto backs away and bows before them, showing his gratitude. As he held his head down, tears dropped from his eyes, forming a small puddle on the floor.
He was beginning to break down, feeling saddened about the terror he thought he caused them. His legs gave away, making him drop to his knees with both of his palms down on the floor.
"I'm... so sorry!" He wept softly.
Hayato kneels before Ryuto and offers his hand. "Come on," Ryuto stares up at him in confusion, seeing the smile on his face. "We're having salmon tonight. You eat salmon, right?"
"Why... are you so nice to me?"
"You're a scared young man who was looking for a warm place to stay. I'm not going to throw you outside for that,"
"As much as you frightened me, little boy, I have to agree with Hayato reluctantly," Aiko said, with a bit of disdain in her voice.
"Thank you!" He gleefully hugged Hayato. Hayato accepted his heartwarming hug, but he quickly realized his emotions were getting the best of him. He lets go and takes a few steps away, clearing his throat. "My name's Ryuto, and thank you for having me for dinner," He said with a more assertive and grown-up voice.
Ryuto spent several moments getting himself situated and setting his equipment down into a safe area in the house; he enjoyed the meal that Aiko laid out for them. He chows down as if he hasn't eaten in days like a glorified glutton. Aiko and Hayato watch him, still having their doubts on if they could trust him.
Some time passes after dinner, and Ryuto gets himself situated in the guest room. Hayato enters the room, supplying Ryuto with a mat and pillow.
"Here you go!"
"Thank you," Ryuto said, bowing his head in gratitude.
"No worries, it's the least we could do for a wanderer," Hayato chuckled. As Hayato began to walk out the door, he quickly stops and then turns his attention back to Ryuto. "Oh, by the way, you might want to stay clear of the mountain up north," He warned.
"Why? What's up there at the mountain?"
"It's where the Blue Demon lives,"
"The... Blue Demon?"
"You mean you don't know?"
"No," He answered. "It's not my fault; dad never let me go out!" He furiously thought.
Hayato knelt before him. "Let's just say he's a... very scary guy," He smiled, patting Ryuto on the head.
Ryuto quickly smacks Hayato's hand away. "Hey! Stop treating me like a little kid!" He demanded.
"Uh..." Hayato blankly stared at him, then returned to his smile. "...sure," He complied before leaving again.
"Weirdo," Ryuto muttered to himself. He looked outside the window and admired the mountain that Hayato had warned him about. His curiosity was piqued. "Why is this Otakemaru guy so scary to him?"
He stares through the window towards the mountain in the distance. The mountain gave way an attractive feel to it that begged for Ryuto to go.
He quietly tip-toed to the walls and listened in for any movement or sound coming from the other rooms. What he heard was nothing but the wind blowing outside and the snoring in Hayato and Aiko's bedroom.
With his opportunity becoming present, he quickly grabs his ninja tools then sneaks out of the window with no sound being made.
Now that he was outside, he ran north towards Mount. Otakemaru. He cuts through the bushes and tall grass that was in his way with his ninjato. Moments passed by after he determinedly snuck out and all he could think of was who could be up there at the mountain... or at least... what could be.
[ . . . ]
"Aaah..." Yawned the young man that lived within the peak of Mount. Otakemaru. "...how long has it been?" He thought to himself as he looked towards the scratches on the wall, counting off the days he's been in the cave.
He stared into a puddle, and what stared back at him was a man with a straw hat and black kimono that was smeared in noticeable amounts of dirt and grime.
He shook his head then placed his palm to his forehead, thinking of flourishing things that swirled in his mind. One of them being his family.
"Father... I-"
"Hey, you!" A voice called out to him at the entrance.
"What?" The man said, turning his attention to where the voice came from. "Who are you?" He asked tiredly.
"My name is Ryuto! Ryuto Kagamine! I'm a ninja from—"
"Stop. You're telling me more than I need to know," He asked with an annoyed look on his face. "Honestly if I had been anyone else I would've killed you just for uttering the word 'ninja' to me. You look a little too young to be one too. And inexperienced on top of that,"
"I..." Ryuto was left speechless, not because of the man's brash remarks, but because he was yet another person that reminded him of his inadecquacies. "...I don't care! When this is over, you're gonna wish you respected me before you died, Blue Demon!"
"Blue Demon...? Is that what they call me...?"
"I mean, yeah! You're the so-called really bad guy livin' here!"
"Kid, I'm not a demon. My name's Takeshi,"
"Well, look here, Takeshi! I'm not gonna let you insult my honor and get away with it! I'll give you the chance to prepare yourself for combat, but after that, you're done for!"
Takeshi begins to smirk at his threat, realizing that although Ryuto may be serious, he was obviously nothing to be concerned about. "A ninja talking about honor and giving their opponent a chance to defend themselves..." He stands up while picking up his katana from behind himself. "...If it wasn't official before, it is now. You are the worst ninja in Japan,"
"Shut up and fight me!" Ryuto roars out, taking the initiative to charge at Takeshi.
However, as he took a step forward, the slippery cave's edge gave away, breaking his footing. Takeshi dashes to try and save Ryuto but it was too late to reach him.
"Damn it!" Takeshi bellows as he jumps outside the cave and begins to slide down the mountain.
Ryuto was only a few feet away from hitting the ground, but he had not been ready to accept death. He takes out his kusarigama and hooks the sickle onto the nearest tree. As the sickle latches onto a nearby branch, Ryuto uses his momentum to swing up into the trees, out of Takeshi's sight.
Takeshi finally reaches the ground, but couldn't find any trace of Ryuto. He inspects the surrounding area and then stares into the deep ends of the forest. It had become evident to him that Ryuto wasn't dead, just hiding.
As much as he could just ignore him and retreat back into the cave, Takeshi indulged in Ryuto's little game. He enters the forest, opening his ears to the sounds around him.
"I've got 'em right where I want him," He thought as he threw one of his shurikens at Takeshi.
"Hmm?" Thankfully because of the silence, Takeshi could hear where the shuriken came from and fend it off with his katana. "Maybe I was wrong when I thought this kid wasn't deadly," He muttered under his breath.
More shuriken came flying at Takeshi with great speed. He reacts with the speed of a bullet, parrying them off into various directions. Ryuto makes a steady pattern with his assault, stepping from tree branch to tree branch, throwing a shuriken from wherever he lands.
While being attacked, Takeshi observed Ryuto's sequence of strikes and began to anticipate his next move. As Ryuto threw a shuriken his way, Takeshi snatched it out of the air, throwing it to where Ryuto would land next. The shuriken nicks Ryuto in the arm, making him miss his step and slip off the tree branch.
Ryuto fell from the air and crash landed down onto the grass below. THUD! He groans in pain and slowly begins to find the strength to stand again. As he begins to advance towards Takeshi again, he hears a trickle of liquid drip down onto the grass. A crimson flow of blood ran down his hands. He quickly lifted up his sleeve and spotted the nasty gash made by his shuriken.
"Aw man, he really got me..." He mumbled. "You bastard!"
"If you can't handle a little cut like that then maybe you're not fit to be a shinobi. Go back home, kid. Your mother's probably wondering where the hell you ran off to,"
"My... my mother's dead..." Ryuto struggled through his words.
"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that," Takeshi held his head down in shame for thinking he insulted the boy.
"Yeah, well, I don't need your sympathy! Especially when she was killed by a samurai!"
"Then you're lashing out on the wrong person. I'm not a samurai, I'm a ronin. I go wherever and do whatever and I thought this would've been an ideal place, but here you go dashing my hopes away,"
"Samurai or not, I'm gonna prove to my father that I'm capable of being trained,"
Ryuto's insistence makes Takeshi raise an eyebrow, curious at his opponent. "Okay, then by all means, draw your blade and show me what you can do,"
"With pleasure!" Ryuto howls as he finally unsheathes his Ninjato, running full steam ahead towards Takeshi. He swiftly swings his sword as Takeshi swung his own in response, clashing their blades together.
Their skills were not matched whatsoever. Takeshi clearly dominated the duel considering he was more trained and skilled in the way of the sword than Ryuto was. He struck in various ways without keeping up any traditional stance not because of laziness, but due to the fact that Ryuto didn't deserve such preparation.
His speed was on an entirely different level. Ryuto could just barely make out the image of Takeshi when he slashed. Try as he might, Ryuto was incapable of competing with him. Takeshi decided to end their short exchange with one final attack.
Takeshi crosses his blade with Ryuto's, then presses his foot against Ryuto's chest and pushes him back just a few inches. Takeshi then raised his blade again and slashed down one final time, packing more strength into his strike. Ryuto manages to block him but barely, having his ninjato knocked out of his hands and losing his footing, collapses to the floor almost immediately.
"H-Hey! Wait!" Ryuto pleads.
The look of terror on Ryuto's face as he's utterly defeated reminded Takeshi of a vague but painful memory.
"Relax, I'm not gonna kill you," Takeshi assured him as he sheathed his blade into its scabbard. "That was just to teach you we're not the same when it comes to technique. And if you can't beat me, don't expect to be able to beat anyone else,"
"But wait, if you're not gonna kill me then what are you gonna do with me?"
"Nothing," He said, walking back to the mountain.
"There he goes again, treating me like I'm a nobody!" Ryuto thought, trying to hold back the tears in his eyes from the shame he felt.
He picks up his ninjato and runs through the forest, contemplating the battle that just transpired. Meanwhile, Takeshi glanced behind himself, watching Ryuto frantically run away, leaving his shuriken behind. He took notice of each of them and did a slight shrug.-
"Why does everyone do this! Why can't anybody just look at me like I'm an equal!" He yells in fury.
As Ryuto made his way back to the village, he discovered a band of ronins dressed in black kimonos had taken people hostage there. He spies from the tall grass, observing each of them and their intentions.
"Is this or is this not Fukushima?" A ronin asked his hostage.
"Yes, it is!"
"Then you know where Takeshi Akatsuki is, right?"
"No, we don't know who that is! I swear!" Hayato squealed.
"Don't lie to me!" The ronin screamed while backhanding Hayato. "Our intel says a man with black hair and a ponytail that had a dragon-scale striped scabbard was last seen walking through this village and you're telling me none of you saw him!?"
"I promise you, if we had we would've told you where he is! We don't want any trouble! We never have!"
"Fine, for every hour he's not in our possession, we'll take the life of one person here. How does that sound?"
"Please! I'm begging you! We don't know, I swear!"
"I get the impression you think I'm lying, so I'll take your son's life,"
The ronin begins to reach down to Tora, but before his hand could touch him, a kunai chipped the man's ear, causing him to quickly survey the area and spot Ryuto out of the grass.
"You're lucky I missed that time, but I promise you if you lay a single hand on them I'll dice 'ya up!" Ryuto vows while drawing his ninjato.
The other ronins readied their weapons in response to Ryuto's sudden attack. Many of them had their arrows ready to fire once given the command.
"You sincerely picked a battle you could not win, boy,"
"I don't care, all I know is I won't allow you to hurt these people anymore!" Ryuto declared as he charged towards the leader.
The ronin were given command to fire by the point of their leader's finger and before anyone knew it, a plethora of arrows passed through the wind, naming Ryuto their target. Ryuto stood ready to accept his fate and die. Even though he hadn't fulfilled his desire to prove himself, he was happy enough to die with bravery in his heart.
Yet, just before he could taste death, a mysterious figure leaps from the shadows, tackling Ryuto out of the way. The sun shone over the figure, revealing them to be Takeshi, the man that the ronin were looking for.
"Boys, I believe we got ourselves Mr. Akatsuki himself!"
Takeshi stands up and glares down the road, meeting eye to eye with the leader. "How do you know my name?"
"Now all that ain't really important, but I'll tell you what is..." The man drew his blade. "...the fact that when I kill you, that sweet chick with the white streak is gonna give me a handsome reward! And hopefully her smokin' hot body too!"
"White streak?" Takeshi thought. He then took a few steps closer to the man. "I would like your name," He asked.
"Michi Fugami!"
"Michi Fugami, If I win, I want you and your thugs to leave. By leave, I mean never come back as well,"
"As if you think I'd let you even get the chance to win!" Michi raises his arm again then points to Takeshi, calling his men to fire. "Kill him!"
The archers shoot their arrows collectively at Takeshi once more. Ryuto could do nothing but sit by as he was about to witness Takeshi get murdered.
"TAKESHI! MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!"
"Sure," Instead of avoiding the arrows, Takeshi rushes forward, slashing each of them out of his general direction. His speed amazed the villagers but brought fright to the ronins. Michi wouldn't let this stop him however. He stood prepared, awaiting Takeshi to get closer to him.
One of the ronins, in the midst of Takeshi's grand display of swordsmanship, manages to capture Ryuto, while another grabs a woman from the sidelines and holds a blade to her neck.
"Now, hold up there, Takeshi! If you care about these people and your little brat behind you, you'll drop your sword and stand down!"
Takeshi looks behind himself, seeing Ryuto struggling to break free of the ronin's grasp. He averted his gaze back to Michi and sighed.
"I don't need to save him,"
"What?"
"Any shinobi that can't save themselves isn't worth his salt," Takeshi announced.
Ryuto held his head down in shame. "Yeah, you're right, Takeshi. That's why…" Ryuto reaches into his pocket and pulls out a black pellet. "...I'm not gonna let this guy get the best of me!" He throws the pellet in the ronin's face. BOOM! The pellet combusts on impact, igniting the man's face on fire.
"AAAAHH!!!" The ronin lets go of Ryuto and runs around, crying in agony.
"Are you serious!?" Michi yells out to his face-burned subordinate. "That's it! Kill the wench!" He yells at the other ronin.
Takeshi looks down and picks up one of the kunai that Ryuto threw earlier. He takes careful aim and throws it in the eye of the ronin that held a villager captive.
Michi watches in fury as his men begin to get picked off one by one. "FIRE SOME MORE ARROWS! DON'T STOP UNTIL I TELL YOU!"
His men would try to raise their bows but Takeshi's glare that he gave them made Michi's soldiers quake in fear.
"What are you waiting for!? I said fire!" Michi repeated.
After Michi's second order went unresponsive, Takeshi rushed in at him, keeping a firm grip on his blade.
"Forget it! Skilled or not, a single man ain't gonna get the best of me!" Michi barked out. He stepped forward and used all his strength to finish Takeshi with one downward slash of his kanabō.
Takeshi anticipates this though, and raises his blade upwards in a diagonal motion to parry Michi's kanabō. For how heavy the weapon should've been, Takeshi's strength left Michi wide open.
He cuts downward diagonally, slicing his blade through Michi's chest and heart in one swing!
The villagers stared in shock at Takeshi's awe-inspiring counterattack and let their jaws hang open. Michi's subordinates ran off in fear, realizing they were absolutely useless against facing Takeshi. The villagers cheer for Takeshi then free each other from their binds to congratulate him in person.
"That was amazing!"
"You're so cool!"
"Can you teach me the way of the sword too!"
"Hey, hey, now! Let the guy have some space!" Hayato ordered them. "Many thanks, Takeshi, you're a lifesaver,"
"Don't mention it," Takeshi apathetically accepted their thanks while wiping the blood off his katana using his kimono. He then sheathed his blade into its scabbard and began to stroll his way to the entrance. "I'd leave if I were you guys,"
"Wait, Takeshi!" Ryuto called out for him, running to the entrance as well. "Where are you going? The mountain's the other way,"
"It's not safe for me to stay here. Nor is it safe for you. Head somewhere safe while you still can, maybe south. I'm going east, I doubt she'll look for me there,"
"'She'?" Ryuto repeated. But Takeshi continued to walk, leaving Ryuto confused about who this mystery woman is. Ryuto followed behind him and watched his face for any change in emotion. Though, there was none.
"Where do you think you're going?" Takeshi asked.
"I'm going where you're going, obviously,"
"No, go back home,"
"No way! This is the first time in my life that I've felt excited to do something! I wanna know who this mystery person is that you're so scared of!"
"It's not about being scared, It's about... not wanting that certain confrontation,"
"Is this some girl you used to like?"
"In a way,"
"What happened with you and her?"
"We had a disagreement one day and then it led to some... unfortunate events happening that I wish I could've foreseen but didn't,"
"Oh... so does this mean you're on your own now?"
"For the time being, yeah,"
"Well, not anymore! I'm by your side this time!"
"No, I don't need anyone getting involved in my issues,"
"After what those guys did, I'm pretty involved now! Let's go find that woman and make her pay!"
Takeshi stops walking and Ryuto stops shortly after. "Look, Ryuto, you seem like a... decent kid. Average fighter at best. But you're not ready kind of lifestyle I have to live through. If I really go through with hunting her down... you couldn't fathom how heart-wrenching it'll be. Don't you understand that the life I'm living is nothing but a long road of bloodshed and chaos wherever I go? No matter how hard I try, there's nothing to stop the trail of death that follows behind me, why would you want to stick around for that?"
"You know, I think you're talking a lot and not deciding enough! Why don't you take that trail of death and spit in its face and go deal with her before she gets more people hurt!?" Ryuto grinned as he spit into the floor as a demonstration of what he meant.
"You're an odd one, I'll give you that," Takeshi noted, beginning to walk again.
"So, this is it? We're gonna go see her, right? where exactly are we headed anyway? Somewhere special?" Ryuto asked before walking beside Takeshi again.
"You ask a lot of questions, don't you? Well... you were right about what you said. If I don't deal with her, she'll keep sending guys like that to get me, and who knows what they'll do just to get to me. So, I'm gonna go find and kill the girl that sent them,"
"Really!? Oh, man! This is gonna be great!" Ryuto excitedly blurted out, ignoring Takeshi's denial of them travelling together.
"What are you so hyper about?"
"Think about it! With us together, we'll be unstoppable against that girl you're talking about!"
"That's comforting," Takeshi sighed.
The pair end up discovering a peasant house in the middle of the road. Outside of it were the same ronin that harassed Fukushima, standing guard over it with their heads held high. Because of their run-in with Takeshi, their security was extra tight.
"Wait a minute, Takeshi, did you come here to kill those guys?"
"I never got the chance to ask them where they've last seen her. So, I'm gonna do some interrogation,"
"Oh," Ryuto hesitated. "What if they don't tell you?"
"Then I'll kill them,"
"Right! It's just… there's a lot of them in there," Ryuto said with a little bead of sweat dripping from his forehead.
"If you're intimidated already by them, you can go back home. You'll get no arguments from me,"
"No! I want to stay and fight!"
Takeshi places a hand on his scabbard with his thumb pressing against the hilt of his blade. "Then ready your weapons, because this is about to get bloody,"