"Just hangin' out."
"In the desert why?"
"Clouds."
"Clouds?"
"There are clouds above my village so the sky is not clear."
"That headband on your belt is from your village?"
"Yeah, what of it?"
"Just curious. What was that sound just now?"
"Huh?" Suddenly the two were surrounded.
"It's Sandstorm, the desert's organization. They control these sands."
"Sandstorm is that the best they could come up with? Where I'm from it was the Ledge Organization."
"What are you doing in our desert?"
"You know passing through and training."
"What kind of training?"
"Self restriction, so I can hold back yet my power still increases."
"Now that you've seen us we need to kill you. That is the law of the desert's Sandstorm."
"Sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
"Sorry that you are the ones that are gonna die." He removed a sword being held by his headband. It was a slightly extended blade with an extra long handle. "You sure you just don't wanna let me go?"
"Once you see a Sandstorm you die."
"Friend, it's pointless. What are you going to do? It's ten to one."
"Try not to kill them all. Don't worry Ryuu Tora will protect you."
"Ryuu Tora will protect me?"
"That is the name of my sword." He unsheathed Ryuu Tora and took a Battojutsu stance. They came one at a time and each one was taken down easily. Their blades were blocked then they were hit in either the throat or underarm by the sheath. Every so often he made a slip and was grazed by the enemy's weapon.
"Ten men one hit each. So it is true. You are Roxas Mitsudome aka Ninja the Strategist of the Ledge Organization. Right, friend?"
"You mean the former organization, but more importantly what is your business with me?"
"You're my way back to the road of honor. There's a big reward for your capture and it grows day by day."
"Really? That means," As he cuts off his head, "I'll have to kill you. Sorry friend." Looking down at the body, "Maybe it's time I go back," he thought himself as he wipes off Ryuu Tora and places it back in the headband's loop.
A dark gateway opens before a fortress in ruins and a figure emerges. He looks around and notices he is already being followed so he goes down a narrow alley. "You guys can come out now." Suddenly three figures emerged. "What do you guys want?"
"Is this him? Yeah, it's him. You are going to be a nice pay day. That bounty on your head grows day by day."
"What bounty?"
"Well you left the village without permission which make you rouge and because of whom you were associated with makes you an S-class rouge at that."
"Who put the hit out?"
"The princess at the time."
"I see." Without another word the three had taken out their weapons. The rouge changed his fingers into long claws made of bone. The first bounty hunter attacked, his blade was blocked by the rouge's left hand then stabbed through the stomach with his right. The rouge lifted the body to block the second's attack then he threw the body at him. The third jumped into the air to attack, but when he came back down his throat was in the left hand of the rouge.
"No, please don't" but it was too late his throat was ripped apart when the rouge closed his hand. The second, barely alive at this point, was trying to escape when he was caught.
"You should always study the techniques of who ever you're after and in doing so having a proper plan for the target. How high up on the list am I? "
"You're number one in every country wanted alive not worth anything dead and besides there weren't any files on you" as he took his sword and tried to stab the rouge in the heart, but he could not reach it he could only tear is jacket revealing a mark on his chest. "What are you?"
"I'm the darkness lost in light and you're wrong I'm not an S-class but a SS-class rouge. That was kept a secret from low ranking bounty hunters like yourself. Who put out the bounty, which princess?" he asked as the bounty hunter died. "What a pain, now I need to find who's after me" as he wiped his hands on, now back to normal, on one of the bodies. When the bounty hunters were done away with he returned to where he first appeared. "Miss Mikoto, she has been watching out for me for some time now. Since I am back in the village she will come to see me."
After waiting around twenty minutes the princesses arrived with an eight year old girl. "Roxas you're back" as Nishino runs up and hugs him. "I said I'd come back."
"Yep, sister was watching you everyday she could."
"Yeah I know. I felt her. Wait that girl with Miss Mikoto who is she? We couldn't have. I left before we could have."
"So you really have returned and you don't remember her? This is little Kimmy the daughter of Osirix and Tomoe. Before you left I took her in for her parents. By the way these two on the other hand are yours."
"I did promise I would, wait what?" He did not notice that there was also a boy and another girl with Kim. Mikoto approached, he thought he was going to get a welcome back hug, but instead received a slap across his face.
"Your daughter is Sakura and your son is Kira. And do you know how long I've been waiting?"
"It has only been a few years."
"A few years? Try three and a half with twins. Why didn't you take me with you?"
"Your heart is too pure for darkness, you would have gotten lost. Plus you could not go where I went; in fact no mortal may enter. And how am I their father we never did anything."
"Well technology has advanced so much all we needed was some blood and hair from both parents."
"Makes sense, but why are they Kim's age?"
"They were genetically modified to age a few years they were born at the age of five so they could play with Kimmy."
"Where did you go, for a while I could not see."
"Yeah Roxas tell us, tell us" Nishino added.
"I started my journey in Hell."
"Hell, but why?"
"I needed to learn how to use my new powers and the only one that could teach me was in the lowest circle. It took me one year alone just to do that."
"So, what did you find out?"
"I have all of the knowledge, abilities, and life force of anyone I kill, but now I also have all of their insanity and inner demons. In order not to destroy myself I had to get two more cursed seals. My right hand contains insanity in darkness and my left has demons in light. I did however learn how to remove the immortality like aspect of the curse, but to do so I need to train Kim for the next year."
"You just get back and now you're leaving again."
"No this needs to be done in that place."
"Why me? For what purpose? In what place?"
"In the remnants of the organization's headquarters so you can summon your parents back to life. Sakura, Kira come also you might be able to learn some new tricks because you both have a piece of the curse too."
"No, you can't do that. They're only eight too young to do anything dangerous like that."
"Actually in this village they are too old to do this so it is going to be difficult for all of us."
"But, why the three of them?"
"Students work better in small groups. Anyways if they want to learn it should be from the best."
"So how long is this going to take?"
"If they are lucky it should be three years."
"And if they aren't?"
"Then they will be dead within the year. This is the harshest thing that they will ever go through."
"You never answered why me? I know that you would want to teach your kids so why me?"
"It appears since your parents died Miss Mikoto has been looking after you along with the twins, right? So my family has accepted you and I am to act as your father until your training is done."
"What is my training?"
"When I am done with you your parents will be alive again."
"How?"
"You are going to bring them back. During my experience in Hell I learned two things: how to get rid of my curse and how to help a parentless child. I need your help to get rid of the curse."
"Why?"
"The deaths of your parents brought about this curse, so by bringing them back it should be lifted."
"I still don't understand. How did they die?"
"The master of your father killed them both while trying to take over this place. He was stopped by your mother sacrificing herself, which led to both of their deaths."
"Where were you when this happened?"
"I was the one that was supposed to die in that place. I guess you all should hear the tale of what happened since Miss Mikoto and Miss Nishino do not know everything." For the next few hours the story was told stopping occasionally for a break or question. "So now you know."
"How could you let that happen? You knew Sike was killing everyone why didn't you stop him?"
"We tried or have you just forgotten the fact your parents died."
"Father does this mean me and Kira have this curse too?"
"I don't know Kira take your shirt off."
"Why? In front of the girls? "
"To see if a mark is there so, yes in front of the girls."
"What mark?"
"This one" as Roxas removes his shirt. "Miss Mikoto, check Sakura." It turned out Kira had it but Sakura didn't. "How interesting one has it and the other doesn't. I wonder if being twins they both share the abilities. Although I can't have them test it."
"Why not, I can do it. Why won't you let me?"
"Kira are you really my son? Haven't you been listening? The only way to test it is to stain your hands with blood and you all are too young for that."
"Stain our hands with blood? What does that even mean?"
"What it means, Bonehead, is that one of us needs to kill someone and father is right we are too young to try something like that."
"Very good Sakura, you found the only flaw. So figuring that out have you thought of any alternatives?"
"Only one. What if we fake one of killing someone to trick the mark? All we'd need is someone on their deathbed still able to fight."
"What if you fight someone that is already dead?"
"Is that even possible?"
"It is but the only way to do that is to go to a place that those that still have a life to live should not go."
"I wanna fight the dead please take me there."
"Do you even know the place he's referring to?"
"Yeah, that fallen village at the edge of the boarder. Everyone there has nothing to live for and is practically dead."
"That is an interesting idea."
"What are you seriously gonna go through with one of his ideas?"
"He's right you know those in a fallen village have thrown everything away and are dead inside. It does beat the place I was talking about."
"What were you talking about father?"
"A place I spent one year in with my fallen comrades."
"You were going to take us through Hell's Gate?"
"No, now you're the one who's not listening."
"Oh yeah we all still have lives to live."
"Now before we go I need to see what the three of you can do. Who wants to go first?"
"I will."
"Alright Kira give it your all with intent to kill." Kira was just as Sakura described a "Bonehead". He just rushes in without thinking, gets knocked back, and tries the same thing again. "You have good strength and stamina but no form or thought process. I guess you'll need to learn that the hard way."
"I'm not done yet I still have this", as he takes out an oversized sword. The blade was at least six feet long with a four foot handle.
"There are only two ways to attack with that zanbatto a downward slash or a side swipe which makes it easy to predict your movement." Xian did what he usually does in this situation, but moved at an impressive rate with such a heavy weapon.
"Kira you are a perfect candidate to learn my style of fighting the Metal Palm Ryu." Sakura was next using a short sword and Battojutsu.
"Battojutsu, with a short sword? So you use the ability to attack and defend at once with the added bonus of an easily controlled weapon, very good. So what else can you do? Well just like him with intent to kill."
"Intent to kill that means no holding back. Great I can finally test out my eyes."
"The Kansatsugan is not as complete as you think. The way to make them truly complete is to witness the death of someone close to you, but come at me with what you've got. Anyways does he have them?"
"Sort of. He can only use them for a few minutes then passes out."
"How complete are they?"
"One step behind mine. So are we ever going to start?"
"You could have attacked at any time intent to kill does not follow conventional rules."
"Fly in the wind Zakura", as she said this, her blade turned into thousands of cherry blossoms.
"A soul slayer, very interesting, but you'll need to stop there otherwise I'll never be able to evaluate Kim."
"Ah, I wanted to show you my second release. I guess I'll need to wait a little longer."
"A second release, at your age?"
Kim was more technical, she moved according to Roxas. Her weapons were clawed knuckles she had found amongst her mother's belongings. She was as fast as Kira with Sakura's smarts a very different person compared to her parents.
"Very good, you girls are pretty advanced for your age. Kira come with me you're going to be the first to learn something."
"And that is?"
"Gattotsu, it's a full force charge with the ability to break through any obstacle. The only problem is it has a large blind spot, your right arm, and requires your Kansatsugan to avoid it."
"I don't need Kansatsugan to do anything. Why do I need it?"
"The blind spot is too easily exposed and the only way to negate that is to track your opponent perfectly otherwise you'll miss every time."
"Couldn't you just put your arm down? Then there would be nothing in the way."
"Put down your arm and throw off your balance. Without it you'll just end up falling on your face. So practice with Kansatsugan and try not to pass out."
"How am I supposed to do that? I can only use them for a short period of time."
"The more you use them the easier to control they become. Now on to the girls."
"Wait, aren't you going to show me the form first?"
"No, not until you can use your eyes for at least a hour."
"Kim, take this. It was your father's sword."
"My father's? What can it do?"
"That is for you to find out all you need to do is think of your mother when you use it."
"Is it powerful?"
"It was for your parents, this is what your father did to me" as he shows her his left arm, "the blade turned into millions of microscopic needles that burrowed into my bone then exploded outward."
"If they exploded outward why do you still have an arm?"
"My body heals quickly; when I saw the attack was unavoidable I started preparing my arm for the worst. Now then Sakura I'm going to make you like me a true assassin."
"An assassin? Why?"
"So you can make better judgments during battle. Chaotic balance, Ryuu Tora Towairaito (two mighty rivals of twilight)." His sword changed the tsuba became a dragon's claw, the blunt side of the blade had razors that resemble fangs, and the handle had a two foot black chain hanging from it with a small scythe at the end.
"Whoa that's amazing. Is this your swords true form?"
"Yes, the dragons of heaven and hell combine and this mask is what I wore an assignment."
"So that is your mask is the symbol of your position."
"No it just hides my face. Now then shall we begin?"
"Yes father."
"For a start I need to take away your fear of loss."
"Why?"
"You need to start from the beginning to become better in order to do this you're going to die temporarily."
"What?"
"You will have three days to regain what you lost or you will be lost forever, ready?"
"I guess," as soon as she said this she was inside of an orchard full of cherry blossoms.
"Wow, pretty it has been awhile since I've visited my inner world."
"Hi, Sakura. What brings you here? You know you don't come that often," the person that said this was a girl around Sakura's age dressed in a pink and red sundress with a floral print.
"Hello, Zakura I was wondering where you were. I need your help to become an assassin like my father."
"An assassin. First you need to become you again. IN order to do that all you need to do is find the real me in the midst of all these imposters," as she summons thousands of swords "after that you need to defeat your Dark half without my help. Ready, set, go and hurry time is against you if you fail you'll become a fallen soul." All around her there were swords of every shape, color, and size it was difficult to see the one she is searching for. After thirty minutes of searching Zakura's unreleased form was within sight all that needed to be done was to pick her up. Just as she was about to pick up that sword Zakura's voice ringed through the orchard, "Wrong try again."
"What do you mean wrong isn't this it?"
"Nope you need to find my true form not an imitation. Don't stop you'll waste time come on you can get through this."
"Wait a minute everyone has a thread representing their life and it is black. Ha there it is" as she rushed for the plainest looking sword and regained her powers.
"Four hours not bad but let's see how long it takes for you to defeat yourself."
"Yea, Sakura did it but you know that was the easy part. The true test starts now. Your opponent shall be your dark half with my help."
"Hello Sakura what's wrong don't you recognize your other half." It was some sort of doppelganger clad in white and sure enough in her hand was Zakura.
"How am I supposed to fight you? I have no weapon."
"Yes you do you're holding it." Sakura had not realized that she had to use the plain looking sword she had found. "It isn't as hard as you think all you need to do is submit me to pass."
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"Figure it out. You have two days and twenty hours to do so or you'll become me."
"What am I going to do? I have just over two days to beat myself and I don't know how."
"Fly in the wind Zakura."
"s**t I was hoping that wouldn't happen. Now what can I do? I have nothing; I can't do this by myself. Zakura I need your help."
"Poor little Sakura is so helpless and pathetic looking I guess I should help her although I never really left to begin with."
"So you wanted to see what I could without you."
"No I just wanted to mess with you for a bit. Well come on two days and fifteen hours left." With Zakura in hand that anti-Sakura will be easily handled.
"Sakura you should know that anti-you knows everything you can do and has mastered all of my abilities."
"Thanks by I'm not going to fight like myself."
"Oh, is that so. Then who like?"
"My brother. Watch this, Cherry Blossom Obliteration."
"You're going to try a charge?" Sakura had rushed pushing her sword into her opponent. "Now what? You can't defend at this range."
"Fly in the wind Zakura."
"But I'm on the inside if I do that…Oh that's what you're counting on." All of the cherry blossom were spread throughout her opponent and burst forth from every possible opening practically destroying her body. "Not bad but I'm still alive."
"Yes but only for the moment, Blossoming Zakura." One pillar of bone emerged from the ground and stabbed through the doppelganger and it resembled a Sakura tree in bloom.
"Okay you win can I go back now?"
"Sure" as she slowly returns to Zakura's body. "But hear this the next time I won't go so easy against you."
"Very good. Here is your mask. The mask was pretty plain like that of a festival.
Later that summer Roxas confronts Kim. "Kim I think it's time for you to learn the summoning ritual that will bring your parents."
"Is it even possible to bring the dead back to life or are you just messing with me? I mean they've been dead for three years there won't be much to bring back."
"If you don't believe me prove me wrong. Learn the complete ritual and perform it."
"Fine how does it start?"
"Here read this" as he hands her a book. "You need a couple around the same age as your parents with a child around your age and killed in the exact way that they were."
"Why does it need to be exact? Just having the two dead should be fine."
"It needs to be exact because they are to be the tributes and the slightest flaw will bring back something else. I'll only give you the book. So you need to learn on your own and be the one to do this not me."
"Fine let's get started." Kim was concentrating all of her time and energy into learning the ritual. The only method to practice was to kill small animals and try to bring them back to life. After half a year everything she experimented on had been resurrected. In that time Kira had mastered Gattotsu and created the Zan-Gattotsu, which was basically the same thing using a zanbatto instead of a regular sword. Sakura also learned some silent kill techniques. "We've trained hard enough now it's time to bring my parents back."
"No, not yet wait for the New Moon."
"Why should I wait? The phase of the moon never affected the ritual."
"No but those were animals humans are a little different."
"Well that may be but I'm going to try it soon." Late at night about a week later Kim fulfilled her word. There were two fresh bodies before her. The moon was full and high in the night sky, it's eerily quiet and the ritual has begun. Two beams of light shown on the bodies, the ground began to shake and there was a large explosion.
"What was that noise? Where is Kim? She's not in her room." When the dust cleared the bodies were gone and had been replaced by a dark figure.
"So the world has changed this much in three years. Now, to finish what I had planned those many years ago."
"s**t, where is she" Roxas kept thinking searching through the village. He finally found her at her old home and standing before her was Sike.
"So it was true, a New Moon for the murdered and a Full Moon for the murderer. I told you to wait, didn't I?" "Why didn't you say that earlier?"
"I did warn you but you didn't listen. Did you even read the entire book?"
"Now then Roxas, I'm going to borrow her for awhile and make her what Osirix should have been, more like you. Don't worry I won't kill her. See ya four years from now."
"Damn they're gone and I can't sense them. What am I going to tell Sakura and Kira? More importantly what am I going to tell Mikoto, "Sorry I let the b*****d that ruined the world return and he's taken Kim for some good old fashioned training," no she'd kill me. It's a good thing I've got all of this life force otherwise I'd truly be dead after telling her." He had just noticed another presence around.
"Father did Kim leave because of the ritual?" "Yes, no, something like that. The reason is more because of who was brought back."
"Who did she bring back anyways? The world feels as if there is more darkness in it."
"There is, she returned Sike to this world."
"Oh is that all."
"Wait Sike as in your teacher from the story?"
"Yep, Kimmy accidentally did it during the ritual."
"So how are we going to rescue her? I think we're ready to do this."
"We are going to wait and train. Sike will give her back in due time."
"******** that! We should do it now while he's not expecting it."
"So how do you plan on achieving that, do you know where they are 'cause I don't. All of the connections this organization had have been erased so to do what you want will take years of travel. That time you are planning to waste should go towards your training."
"Kira it's too late she's already gone. At least now you have a new aspiration." "What would that be?"
"You could be the one to bring her back."
"Alright, fine what's the new regiment?"
"Come with me you are going to choose what you like from my old weapons." "What will those old things do?"
"They will lend you some of my strength, so don't underestimate any of them I used to carry all of them at once. When you are finished refine the skills you already have and find some new tricks to use." Kira had chosen the scythe chain along with Yin and Yang the twin Tai chi swords. Sakura took the ninja tools and the concealable twin swords.
"Learn to make my strength your own then surpass it and master everything that is possible for you. Sike is no pushover and Kim won't be either when the time comes."
"Huh? Who's there?" Sakura asked scanning the room.
A woman has appeared in the corner of the room and Roxas was stunned to see who it was.
"Tomoe? So the ritual wasn't a complete failure."
"Tomoe, you mean Kim's mother?"
"Ya, the very same. Where's Osirix?" Roxas asked.
"He should be here soon. Since the ritual was incomplete we need to wait for him. What's taking him so long? He was right behind me."
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