by Honie Jar
The lead ninja continued, “A successful completion of this mission would also reap a large reward for our clan and our academy. From the reward, we could commission new armor for all who take part. This will coincide with your increased rank. So please be certain you complete this mission precisely.”
The ninjas gave a silent, single nod in agreement. Hikari followed suit. The lead ninja then explained, “They have contracted us to escort Rose Kabashi, a young girl from a wealthy family who hails from the Komodo Islands, several thousand miles from Nara. This should be a quick bodyguard mission if everything goes well.”
The lead ninja took a moment to gather his words. “Now, Rose is traveling to Nara to pick up and sell an item she inherited from her uncle who passed yesterday morning. The uncle left her an ancient jewelry box. My understanding is it is worth a fortune. Made from the finest metals in all the land, they adorned it with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. Any other clan or underground member would want this as it is extremely rare.”
Hikari noticed the Jonin she was under, Shizue Jonin stepped forward. “If I may, Yamato Jonin-Gashira.”
“Proceed.”
“We have received word that there are several clans who want to intercept the procurement and the sale of this item. In addition, there may, in fact, be a fraudulent buyer of this item masquerading as a qualified one. We must vet the individual who agrees to buy the item by entering a winning bid during the auction and ensure the money is properly transferred. Now, this item will go up for auction tomorrow morning. We will meet Lady Kabashi at the dock momentarily. Next, she will need an escort to the Hildebrandt House where her item is being stored and is under heavy security. Finally, we will escort her at dawn to the market where her item will be auctioned off.”
Yamato Jonin-Gashira continued, “Thank you Shizue Jonin. Lady Kabashi may be in danger as well. She comes from a wealthy family, and any of the clans or underground thugs may want to kidnap her for ransom. We will need to protect both the girl and the artifact from a nighttime attack. Our job is done once Rose is back on her family’s vessel, headed for the Komodo Islands. Is everything clear?”
The ninjas, once again, gave a single nod in agreement to the orders handed out.
Shizue Jonin stepped forward once again, “Very well, and thank you Yamato Jonin-Gashira. Let’s line up and head to the dock. Lady Kabashi will arrive at any moment.” The ninjas rose from their seated position, filtering behind either Shizue Jonin or Hashi Jonin in two lines. Both lines went down the hidden stairway of the monastery.
Hikari was surprised by how little sound a group of twenty made in their tabi boots. Playing the Kunoichi Online versus living it was like night and day. Actually walking silently in the tabi boots was far more gratifying than learning Stealth Walk in Kunoichi.
The two lines made it out of the monastery and into the alley, splitting into two groups so they would not draw attention to themselves as each group would reunite at the docks for Rose Kabashi’s arrival. The troops traveled fast, running, sprinting, jumping to remain in the shadows, undetected by those who wandered the streets unassuming of the World of Shadows. Hikari grew less astonished at her physical acumen and her ability to keep up with her troop. She was becoming accustomed to embracing her new physique and skill set.
Shortly after both groups’ arrival at the dock, a large vessel with elaborate carvings of a mermaid on the bow docked with the ropes thrown from the deck crew to the dockers. Within minutes, the ship was tied down and secured. An exquisite, tiny girl emerged from the ship, walking down the ramp of the ship. Her hair was intricately woven and fixed to her head. Her black hair, adorned with flowers, put in between swirls of her pinned hair. Her facial features were petite and attractive. Her eyes sat, tilted upwards from her high cheekbones. Her skin was darker than that of the ninja’s since she was from the island area of Ukiyo Komorebi.
Rose Kabashi appeared to be very young, somewhere in her late teens, probably around Hikari’s age. Hikari stood in the back of her troop, watching the girl disembark from the boat. Shizue Jonin went to greet her as her feet hit the ground. “Good evening Lady Kabashi,” he said.
“Good evening,” the demure Rose answered.
“It is my understanding that you will need an escort to the Hildebrandt House and after to the Mushir Market.”
“Yes, that is correct,” answered Rose. She spoke deliberately and with such politeness and refinement.
“Oh, and sorry for your loss,” Shizue Jonin added.
“Thank you. My family will be very happy when the sale of this item is complete. We are eager to put this whole ordeal behind us. At least we can get some money from this horrid death. Did you know of my uncle, Shogun Mikimoto?”
“No. I did not have the pleasure of knowing that Shogun,” answered Shizue Jonin from under his mask, his eyes looking directly at the girl in a perplexing manner. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did he pass?”
“They stabbed him to death. Three days ago. He had always told me he would leave me his prized jewelry box. But after I heard of his murder, I could not keep it. Instead, I will use the money after I sell it and start an orphanage.”
“That is very noble,” answered Shizue Jonin, looking away as soon as he said it. “We must get you to the Hildebrandt House immediately.”
From under Shizue Jonin’s black shinobi uniform, he pulled out a black cloak. “Here, put this on,” he commanded. Lady Rose took the cloak from him and draped it around her ornate hair, masking her beauty and signs of wealth she appeared to fade into the background. Not like a ninja, but a normal person who no one would look twice at.
“Let’s move,” commanded Shizue, guiding her to walk forward with his arm over his shoulder. As they walked, he put on a civilian tunic over his shinobi uniform, removing his mask and hood, he put on a straw hat. The pair appeared to be a couple, out for an evening stroll.
Hashi Jonin’s troop went in front, dispersing among the streets and alleyways to secure the pathway to the Hildebrandt House. The remaining troop trailed the pair, following at a distance, but still hiding in the shadows and keeping alert of threats from behind.
The Hildebrandt House was a secure location used by the wealthy to distribute inherited items. They located the Hildebrandt House in the middle of Nara, a few blocks from the Royal Court where the Crown Prince lived and down the way from the Buddhist monastery that house Erīto Preparatory Academy.
They carved the house of wood like many of the structures in Nara. It curved upward the roof, warding off evil spirits, and a metal gate surrounded the structure, prepared by the city’s blacksmiths.
Shizue Jonin and Lady Rose made it there with no one noticing them. The shinobi troops followed them inside, filtering in the gated manor and entering the sliding wooden door and into the entryway of the Hildebrandt House.
The inside burst with relics, ancient artifacts, scrolls, jewels, and statues. The entryway, cluttered with these items, could barely fit the twenty shinobi who were Lady Rose’s hired bodyguards.
Black-clad shinobi lined the side of the foyer of the interwoven amongst the relics cluttered throughout, not spoken for. Shizue Jonin and Rose Kabashi stood in the middle of the foyer. Before the situation became too awkward, a large, burly man with a braided ponytail, the rest of his hair all shaven, came and greeted Lady Rose.
The man had a black goatee that was braided as well. As he walked, his arms did not move passed his sides, appearing to be more of a bloated, over-stuffed sausage. His gait was more of a waddle than a walk. “Good evening Lady Rose,” said the burly man. “Your parents sent a messenger three days ago that I would expect you this evening.”
“Correct,” answered Lady Rose. “I am here to pick up a jewelry box that my uncle left me.”
“Jewelry box?” challenged the burly man. “We have many treasures come through this house, but none are as exquisite and rare as the Bushido Jewelry Casket, created in the memory of Minamoto Mitsuhide, who began the
revolution centuries ago and established Nara. This piece was made in his memory and given to his wife.”
“I did not understand its origin. I only enjoyed playing with it when I was young and came to the capital city to visit my father’s brother.”
“Wait here, let me get it. We placed it in our vault.” The large, burly man went back toward the back of the house while Lady Rose, Shizue Jonin and the rest of the shinobis waited in the foyer.
A few moments later, the large man returned with the ancient treasure. He held a substantial velvet pouch and pulled out a chest constructed out of gold and platinum. On the lid were seven gemstones at least an inch in diameter, each resembling the seven virtues of Bushido. Emerald for loyalty, sapphire for honor, diamond for honesty, jacinth for benevolence, agate for respect, amethyst for righteousness, and onyx for courage.
“Wow! Look at it,” Lady Rose exclaimed in awe. “I mean, it is exactly how I remember it.”
“Well, since your parents have made the arrangements to hand the object to you, then here you go,” answered the man. “I am glad you brought reinforcements. I’d hate for you roaming around the streets of Nara with such a fortune on you by yourself.”
“My family took all precautions. We are glad to have this heirloom back in our family,” explained Rose.
Shizue Jonin interrupted Lady Rose as he said, “Sweetie, we must get going. Our boat awaits.”
“Right,” she nodded. “Thank you for holding this for my family while I traveled to retrieve it.”
The man put the jewelry chest back into the velvet pouch and handed it to Lady Rose. As she clutched it in her hands, ten ropes trailed to the ground, attached to the ceiling of the Hildebrandt House. Within a millisecond, thirty shinobis descended, flying through the air, using the ropes as mere guides as they glided to the ground. The first set landed making no noise as their feet impacted the bamboo floor of the house.
As the shinobis landed on the ground, they each did a backward flip, allowing space for the second set that followed, gliding through the sky much like the first group. A third set followed the second set, as the second set completed a backflip to give the final set room to land.
The last ninja who landed faced Shizue Jonin, and from under his mask he said, “Shizue, surrender the Bushido Jewelry Casket or be prepared to pay the cost.”
Shizue Jonin responded, “Shito, we are not surrendering the casket to the Senshi Clan. I’m certain it is a relic that would mean everything to your clan, but they hired us to ensure this piece stayed with its rightful owner.”
“You are outnumbered. Let’s make this easier for both you and I,” the muffled voice came from beneath the mask. “Give me the Bushido Jewelry Casket.”
“You know, I can’t,” answered Shizue Jonin with reluctance in his voice.
“Don’t say I didn’t give you a way out,” Shito muttered as he sprung at Shizue Jonin, leaping in the air toward the neck of Shizue Jonin.
Shizue Jonin calmly placed his hands on arms of the flying Shito, regulating him to the ground as he dodged the attack. Hashi Jonin sprung into action and took Lady Rose from the action, undetectable in the chaos.
One of the shinobis from the Senshi Clan leaped at Hikari. Hikari instinctively took out her Ninjatō that was strapped to her back and swung them at the shinobi who meticulously dodged every advance Hikari made.
“You seem a little out of practice,” a voice beneath the mask taunted.
“That’s what you think,” answered Hikari, swinging her Ninjatō at the menacing shinobi. When she lunged, anger filled her and she surged toward him, further than she thought she did as she swung the Ninjatō clean through the neck of the taunter. Hikari did not know quite what she had done, and the action caught her off guard as she watched his eyes turn empty like a vacuum.
Petrified, Hikari watched what flashed across her field of vision:
Hikari successfully performed the Ninpo, CrossCut (Blade). Close Combat Attack. If the attack is successful, you may add a 100 point damage bonus to the target.
Target: King Mushizi, Senshi Clan. Level 4. LP-6 Def: 20 Evasion: 10
CrossCut- A Ninpo that enhances the damage of strikes when the opponent is in proximity. One minute you’re behind when engaged in combat and the next minute their blood is spraying everywhere.
DMG = (Weapon Attack + Strength) * Attackers Level/8 - (Target Defense + Evasion) * Defenders Level/8
Damage = (15 + 12) * (4/8) + 100 - (20 + 10) * (6/8)
King Mushizi’s Damage = 91
91 removes all 6 LP from each of the Attributes. 91/10 points of damage = 1 LP
King has no more Attributes and cannot move.
King is dead.
LP 0/6
Emotional bond to King Mushizi- Sympathy
Immediately, Hikari felt empathetic, however she did not have time to feel an emotional bond such as this. In the corner of her eye she saw Rika Miyoshi, her friend at Erīto, struggling with her assailant. As Rika staved off her attacker with a staff, Hikari put her hand to the ground and swung both of her legs, sweeping the attacker’s legs out from under him.
Emotional bond to Rika Miyoshi- Brotherhood
While the attacker was on the ground, Rika put her foot to his throat, suffocating him. “Thanks, Hikari,” said Rika. “Now, let’s make sure Jiro and Karin are all right.”
Hikari nodded, having a faint recollection who Jiro and Karin were. She did not remember right away, but when she heard Karin tell her attacker, he smelled like moldy cheese, memories that happened before Ayuka incarnated into Hikari came flooding into her mind.
Rika went to assist Jiro while Hikari assisted Karin. Karin specialized in the Kusarigama Sickle, a sickle on a chain. With the ball of the chain spinning over her head, she lassoed the shinobigatana that her attacker wielded. Hikari stood and watched Karin expertly relinquish the shinobigatana from her assailant. Then she lassoed his neck, pulling him close into her. Piercing the backside with the sickle, blood poured from the unassuming shinobi. He clearly did not understand what he was in for and probably underestimated Karin’s high maintenance demeanor as a weakness as the entire Erīto Preparatory Academy had once done. That was until they knew better.
Karin’s father was a Kage of the Kagaku Clan. However, he became disgraced with a deal that went sour, and Karin often hid the fact that her dad was the highest-ranking member of the Kagaku Clan. Instead, she portrayed herself as an elite rich girl whose parents bought the academy a training wing so she could get in. Well, her parents did purchase the wing so they would allow her entrance into the academy since the Kagaku Clan was no longer an option for her.
She knew Karin as the girl who screamed when she was frightened, wouldn’t puncture anyone because she didn’t want to get blood on her blouse, and she always spoke in a condescending tone, to everyone. Especially the Jonin and her instructors. Pretentious was her middle name, however when it came to the precise technique of the Kusarigama Sickle, no one was even close to her skill level as she rivaled the Jonin-Gashiras with her ability. Obviously, Karin had been trained by her father since before she could walk.
Hikari grew a liking to Karin early on and they were fast friends. Hikari appreciated Karin’s duality. On one hand, she was the prissiest ninja in the bunch. Yet, she had the most refined technique in the entire academy. Hikari chalked it up to privilege, since much like Ayuka, Hikari came from a poor and modest upbringing. However, unlike Ayuka, Hikari did not have the chip on her shoulder, and did not hold any animosity to those who were born in a place they did not choose.
“Gross, the idiot bled all over me,” said Karin as she turned to Hikari to lament.
“Occupational hazard,” replied Hikari with a shrug.
“Where’s Rika and Jiro?”
“I saw Rika head over to Jiro, but I didn’t see where she went. What about Yoshi?”
“Did someone asked about me?” the man who used a pair of nunchucks, waving them around, making a low hum as they move
d through the air. Yoshi’s attacker charged at him, and he used the nunchucks to strangle the assailant, putting his neck between the two wood handles, tightening his grip until the eyes bulged out over the mask.
Yoshi’s specialty was the use of nunchucks and his were made of wood that was submerged in mud for several years, where lack of oxygen and optimal acidity would prevent rotting and cause the wood to harden. The rope that joined the two pieces of wood was constructed of horsehair. They were a simple, yet effective weapon.
The Senshi Clan had thinned considerably as the Erīto Preparatory Academy took down each of their shinobis one by one, despite them being outnumbered. To Erīto’s credit, they had some best-prepared shinobis in Nara, which made them formidable opponents for clashes such as this.
Shizue Jonin belted out from the foyer’s center, “We are done here, let us finish our mission!” The entire room of Erīto shinobis filed out of the Hildebrandt House and made their way to the market.
On the way to the market, the ninjas jogged, pacing themselves to hide within the shadows. Hikari caught up with Rika and Jiro. “Hey guys,” she started. “Can you cover for me?” Hikari asked.
“What?” Rika countered.
Jiro, being the calm and collected one asked, “Where are you headed, Hikari?”
“I cannot say.”
“Hik, we trust you,” answered Jiro. “Do what you need to do. We will say you were helping the keeper of the Hildebrandt House clean up. It won’t be a violation of your mission.”
With a relief, Hikari responded, “Oh, thanks, guys. It worried me. I have been working on something that I need to check on.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Hikari turned herself and ran in the opposite direction, careful not to be spotted by the other shinobis of the Erīto Preparatory Academy Clan.
5 Chapter Five
Knowing she had to return to Shinobu’s cave before sunrise, Hikari could not follow the clan to fulfill the second half of the mission, which was to facilitate in the selling of the Bushido Jewelry Casket and to return Lady Rose to her family’s ship safe and sound. Instead, Hikari high-tailed it to the cave as part of her obligations for receiving a mentor.
