The hardest part of writing a story is starting it. Or in this case, figuring out where to start telling a story. This is the question being pondered by the Hyuuga clan leader, Masato, as he looked down at the small, white haired boy sitting on the mat in front of him. The two sat alone in a newly constructed tent, which served as their current residence. The child waited eagerly to hear another tale of his parents.
"You want to hear the full story of how your mother and father saved my life?"
The boy nodded excitedly, before visibly calming himself and hiding his hands under his legs so they wouldn't cause distractions.
Not having any better ideas, Masato decided to start with a loose order of events. "You see… Your father and I were meeting up in a small village. We had not seen each other in a while, and he had something important to talk to me about…"
—
Masato had been minding his own business when he received a vague note delivered via bird. All the note contained was the name of a village, a date and time, and the word "bar" in a cramped scribble near the bottom. When the day came, Masato arrived at the village well before the prescribed time. The village he found himself in was quaint, and host to plenty of farmers. Even though no one carried more money than the travelling merchants, any village worth its salt usually contained the establishment Masato had been directed toward. Marching down a path and carefully avoiding a small ditch, he reached the bar.
Except he found no familiar face waiting for him. The few people already in the bar gave Masato strange looks from the corners of the room, which he passed off as a byproduct of wearing his orderly grey clan robes. He failed to notice that the attention was due to his lack of facial hair, being the only clean-shaven man in the establishment. Sitting by himself at a table for two, Masato parted his straight black hair to take a sip from a small glass of alcohol, having nothing to do but wait.
An hour past the time specified in the note, a man finally made his way into the village. He was strikingly average, topped by short cut white hair, a rough shaven face and covered in dirty but well-fitting clothes. On his back was a knapsack that carried dried food and smelly socks, which he failed to keep adequately separated. The man's name was Kouga Hoku, and he came here to catch up with his friend. Unlike his friend, Kouga did not bother heading straight for the bar, even though he knew its exact location; it was a favoured drinking spot after all. Instead, he meandered through the village, chatting up the locals and dodging hefty carts. After stepping through every puddle of mud and nearly tripping over a small ditch, he finally reached the bar.
By the time Kouga arrived, Masato was already half-way through his only drink. Masato should have known better, as the other man was never punctual when it came to social affairs. Dragging mud in through the door, Kouga strode across the room, distractedly weaving around chairs and almost bumping someone's drink off a table. He sat down at the chair in front of Masato with a vacant grin on his face.
"So," Kouga began, "My wife had a boy."
Before Masato could start with any greeting, he was caught off guard by the man's introduction. Blinking away the momentary confusion, he said, "Uh, nice to see you too…" Then he realised that was not the correct way to address the subject, so he amended it with "I give you congratulations. Raising children is a wonderful experience."
Kouga scoffed. "Don't give me that, Masato. It's only been a few weeks and I am ready to jump into a lake just to get some quiet. Besides, we've known each other long enough, loosen up!"
Kouga then looked down to see that Masato's cup was only half empty.
"Wow, you've already drunk that much and you're still this uptight? Something must have made you worried."
Masato knew Kouga's wife had been due for their child's birth. Kouga would routinely ask about Masato's own son and daughter whenever they met up, asking for advice on how to deal with children. He would not offer such advice lightly, as that would ruin the surprise.
Kouga continued on his one-sided conversation for another minute. Masato had forgotten how annoying it was when his friend started talking non-stop. He tried to break back into the conversation.
"How is your wife? Is she well?"
Kouga did not miss a beat with his reply. "Reika is recovering slower than other cases. She almost broke a wall down the other day, so she is still far from normal."
Masato nodded in understanding. "Just pray that you don't have a daughter some time later."
"I would make no such prayer!"
"...Sure." Masato took a sceptical sip from his drink.
They continued to discuss happenings with their families for a while. The bar began to fill slowly as people came and went, some leaving to head back to their homes and others entering after a long day of working. Many people threw strange glances at the two friends as Masato's appearance especially gave the pair an out of place look.
A lull appeared in the conversation, letting Kouga bring his pack into his lap and pull out some bread. He broke it in half, getting crumbs on the table and down onto the floor, before offering one half to Masato. There was a strange smell Masato couldn't identify. Masato remembered that Kouga did not like to eat food that he or someone he trusted had not prepared.
He took the half, watching in slight horror as Kouga bit into the loaf and chewed. The chewing went on long enough that Masato started to get concerned. Kouga then reached for Masato's half finished drink and used it to help fight the stubborn bread. Unlike food, Kouga had no problem drinking anyone's alcohol. Masato had watched the event unfold in broad repulsion, until Kouga glanced toward the bar entrance.
Right before Masato forced himself to take a bite of the stale bread, someone came running into the bar. It was a boy- barely a man, panting as he looked around the room, before spotting where the two were seated and hastily manoeuvring past chairs and tables their way. He bumped into a table, nearly spilling a drink as Kouga almost had earlier. Masato noted that the boy wore somewhat fitting clothes and sported a messenger bag. By the time Masato had made these assessments, the boy stopped at their table.
"Hoku… Kouga Hoku? General, sir. I am here to bring a report."
Kouga had stood up to watch the messenger approach. Masato did not recognise the boy, but Kouga clearly did. There was a spot of blood on the boy's bag.
"Sir, the Kingdom fell under attack. It began this morning. I was told to come find you. I have orders, but I need to tell you-"
"Slow down, take a deep breath. Relay your orders." Kouga interrupted. The messenger had presumably been running for hours, and was clearly not in a fit state to relay information. Masato was busy contemplating the first part of what the boy had blurted out when Kouga continued.
"Tell me what you know."
The boy took several more breaths to collect himself, then began. "An army appeared out of nowhere and destroyed the main fortifications. The guards on watch were no match, and anyone else that took up arms were simply cut down. The Cinders fought with everything they had, but within an hour the entire kingdom was overrun. Sir… My orders are to deliver a message from your second in command." The messenger made a weary sigh. "As of right now, you are likely the last Cinder alive. You must go into hiding."
Stunned, Kouga and Masato briefly glanced at each other. Masato saw fear fall over his friend's face, but watched it vanish and be replaced with a cold, familiar gaze.
Kouga directed his attention fully onto the messenger. "Do you know who attacked us?"
The messenger seemed frustrated. "Not exactly, sir. They carried no clan markings, and they all wore indistinct masks. However… Their armour. I don't know how else to explain it, but…" His focus fell to the floor momentarily before coming back up. "They wore the armour of samurai, sir. Yet they used hand signs and jutsu, like a shinobi."
Masato had seen samurai before. On the occasions that he had visited his friend in the kingdom, young samurai in-training would pass through on their way out of the valley. It was a common sight, according to Kouga.
Kouga began gathering his things, then stopped. He carefully looked up at the messenger, before asking, "Were you followed?"
The boy was shocked, then chagrin passed over his face as he appeared to remember something. "No, sir. Uh… Your wife is with me. She is outside."
Masato, also shocked, had decided the situation had gone on long enough without his input, and activated his Byakugan as the messenger was giving his answer. Within moments, he too had an answer to Kouga's question, but it was too late to warn him.
"KOUGA!" A voice boomed just outside of the bar as the front doors, which normally swung out, were broken inward. Reika walked in through the now empty doorway, a small bundle cradled in one arm and a sack swung over the other. Masato could see the handle of a sword poking over her shoulder, pushing aside a long braid of blonde hair.
Masato had no problem keeping his Byakugan active, only experiencing a minimal strain in his eyes as he brought his ability to full might. Expectations meant that anyone within the Hyuuga clan who could not use their heritage to its fullest extent would be seen as weak, and Masato was not weak.
Kouga moved around the messenger swiftly towards his wife, avoiding the more packed and interested bar crowd. They had been listening in on the dialogue between the messenger and the friends. A few had left the bar quickly after learning of the alarming information, while others had stayed to watch more. Kouga got to his wife and inspected her from top to bottom, presumably checking for damage.
While Kouga tended to his family, Masato focused more on their surroundings. The Byakugan allowed Masato to view the entire village in a full 360 degree range of vision around himself, which he had not been anticipating doing whatsoever. There were no threats as far as he could tell. He continued his search for danger far beyond the boundary of the town, but saw no reason to begin moving immediately. Masato understood that Kouga was in a dire situation, and he needed to make sure that nothing happened to his friend and now his family.
Masato began moving towards the entrance, grabbing the sleeve of the messenger as he slipped past the bar's full tables. Kouga and Reika had been conversing quietly while he made his way to them. When he got to his friend's side, Kouga had a stricken look on his face while Reika continued her account of the situation.
"...There was no time to evacuate anyone. It was your second who came and brought me to the tower after the main walls had fallen. I had only grabbed a few things… Kouga, we must go back. There are others, we can regroup-"
"No. This is my decision. We are going to get you and Kotetsu out of here. I am not putting either of you in danger." Kouga cut Reika off mid-statement, before turning to Masato. "Masato, would you give us a hand? My family needs a place to stay while I check out what happened."
"Should I assume that my clan will be paid for this service?"
Kouga looked sharply at Masato. His face relaxed slightly when he saw the small upturn of Masato's smile.
"You will be paid in gratitude, which you should value much more than money right now. Let's get out of here."
After Kouga took the lead and started moving the group away from the bar entrance, Masato froze in shock at a sudden intrusion. Over three kilometers away- closing in fast. Moving on instinct, he grabbed Reika and made for a jump while throwing a warning at Kouga.
"Eight o'Clock, coming in behind the bar! Kouga!" Were the only words he got to speak. Reika shifted in his grasp, and he made sure he would not drop her. He only got to move a few steps away before the entire set of rough wooden buildings behind him suddenly and violently exploded.
All mayhem broke out as Masato jumped, Reika yelling in his ear to put her down. He continued to make a series of jumps away, splitting his focus on escaping and watching the sudden brutality unfold behind him. He needed to put Reika down so he could go back and help Kouga. Being in a sudden mortal fight was not on his list of to do items for the day, or even the week, but sometimes these things just happen. Masato heard a soft cry coming from the bundle Reika kept closely to her chest.
That's when the debris stopped flying enough for Masato to finally make sense of what had hit the buildings, and he was shocked all over again. In the middle of the dust stood Kouga, and… someone else. It was a samurai. Masato had not actually seen the full attire of a samurai before, but looking at it now filled him with a certain sense of dread. The once-black armour was stained a deep red from neck to foot, and an equally red-stained horned kabuto helmet obstructed their face. The blood of who knows how many people, both of warriors and innocents staining the plating. At their legs was the crumpled body of the messenger, whose entire upper body was twisted too far in one direction. Other bodies littered the surrounding destruction, some clinging to life and others not. Screaming began to fill the late summer air.
Masato kept jumping until Reika finally got his attention.
"Let… Me.. Go!" Reika demanded.
"Your husband has entrusted your safety to my people. I have to get you and Kotetsu out of here."
"No..! You can't leave him! He needs his sword! He…"
Masato was monitoring the skirmish behind him and making his way out of the town. He carefully landed and aimed to make his next jump, only to be surprised at the sudden and forceful gut punch he received from Reika. He wasn't entirely sure how she got the angle correct, but it was enough for him to loosen his grip around her legs and shoulders. Her feet fell and stomped into the ground, letting her gain leverage and move away from him.
"You are not fully recovered. I cannot let you leave by yourself." Masato realised he could have chosen his words more carefully. He should have known better than to prod at Reika's weakness, even unintentionally, as he had painfully learned with his own wife.
Before Reika could get any words out, Masato had to turn around and get between her and the startlingly fast samurai. He didn't know why the samurai had chosen to move his way, but getting around Kouga should have taken… ah. Masato understood that Kouga wasn't just sidestepped, as he saw in the short timeframe he had been stunned by Reika, Kouga had been embedded into a farmhouse.
He had no time to think as the samurai seemed to slide across the ground straight towards him. By reflex, he formed the hand signs for a water style technique, something fast to gain distance- only to be disrupted by an arm sliding between his hands and rushing towards his chest. He anticipated the momentum of the samurai to send him flying straight back, straight into Reika, but instead, nothing. There was no push, no force, or any reaction. Instead, the samurai held a firm grip on the front of his shirt.
Masato's gut reaction was simple. Forming a flat palm, he slammed his right hand upward into the samurai's forearm, only for nothing to happen. The burst of power he released from his palm, intending to disable the samurai, stopped dead before it could get past his armour. Next, he tried grabbing the samurai's wrist, attempting to twist his arm away, but gripping the samurai's arm was like holding wrapped steel. They stayed like that for a moment, before the samurai spoke in a deep tone.
"Hyuuga. I am not here to kill you. My objective is those who you foolishly protect. Stand aside, and you will not die today."
The samurai's words were clipped, yet his breath remained steady. Masato tried to remain calm as he assessed the situation. Even though his eyes were locked on the samurai's helmet, his real attention was on Kouga, who was busily extricating himself from the wrecked building. Masato watched as Kouga began to move further into the building, making his way towards the back, when the samurai spoke again.
"I have given you my choice. Now it is up to you to make the correct decision."
The samurai let go of Masato's clothing. Neither moved from their position. Masato understood that he had screwed up, but it was too late now. Reika stood directly behind Masato by just a few steps. Kouga made his way out behind the barn and moved parallel to the row of buildings between himself and Masato, until he was directly behind the now vacant building that stood beside the three. Then, Kouga raised his left hand with two fingers, and lowered his right with three fingers. Masato could hardly believe that they were doing this.
Masato kept his tone neutral as he spoke. "You are mistaken. I cannot abandon them."
"You mean you will not abandon them. You are not bound to these individuals." The samurai intoned.
"No, I do mean what I said. I will be paid a hefty sum to fulfil my duty."
"Then you will die without your reward."
"We'll see."
Masato kept both hands to his sides during the back and forth. Before he spoke what he hoped would not be his final words, he put all of his inner focus on the ninjutsu he would cast. In order to be faster than the samurai, he needed to perform the technique with a single motion.
Moving with all the precision and speed he could muster, Masato clapped his hands into a single formation. At the same time, the samurai brought one arm up and reached over his shoulder, unsheathing a black blade that bore little reflection. The samurai moved with the leisurely speed of someone who knew they were in a position of overwhelming advantage. That's when the building between them and Kouga was suddenly consumed in a conflagration of flames that rushed toward the group.
Masato kept his attention on the Chakra he had formed at his feet, transforming and manipulating it into a hollow column of water that rose over a dozen feet into the air. The column separated and surrounded Reika and himself from the samurai, who barely had time to turn and witness the inferno before it engulfed all of them.
Masato shut his eyes reflexively and turned from the blazing white flames that were kept at bay by his water. Counting the seconds, he willed his eyes open and reached for Reika, pushing her toward the back of the column. The wall suddenly shifted, revealing an escape from the cool water that surrounded them.
Masato attempted to pick Reika up again, but relented when she threatened him with a kick. The two moved as fast as they could. Staying behind slightly, Masato kept watch with his Byakugan on the unfolding chaos. From what he could tell, the samurai had somehow deflected the onslaught of fire and escaped with only minor scorch marks across his body. Kouga attempted to keep his distance while maintaining his offensive push. The situation grew desperate when it was apparent that the samurai seemed able to slice through the blazing fire around him with his black sword.
Masato and Reika exited the village and made their way into the surrounding forest. Brush and low branches were dodged as the pair continued to move as fast as they could, Masato directing their passage with short commands from behind, while simultaneously watching their flank. Though Masato knew only a few minutes had passed since leaving the fight, it was the longest few minutes of his entire life. He cursed his inability to do more for his friend. He mourned the people of this village who were just trying to live life. He felt the fear of the unknown. Watching Reika's back, he could feel the stress and sadness emanating off of her in waves. He could see the tension in her shoulders as she too wondered at the fate of her husband.
All of these thoughts swirling in Masato's head were suddenly overridden by the immediate and intense feeling of danger. Focusing behind, he spotted the problem in the shape of the samurai moving at speeds that made Masato's head spin. Then he noticed the samurai clutching a leg, and the attached body getting slammed through branches and being drug across the forest floor. He had seconds to act.
Those seconds were wasted.
Masato was left stunned by the terror that gripped him. In those crucial seconds, he did nothing. In his panic, Masato had stopped moving, causing Reika to also stop and turn to ask why he stopped. When she saw his face, the look in her eyes went from wary to dread. That look gave Masato a jolt. He thought of his own family. In that moment, he regained what little composure he had left and turned to face the approaching threat. Seeing the samurai move through the trees towards him, he racked his brain for any solution. A way to win, or even just a way to escape. A way to not die.
The samurai suddenly froze in mid-air, sending a powerful blast of wind over the two, knocking Reika to the ground and causing Masato to stumble. The samurai released the body he was carrying, causing it to ragdoll forward and skid across the foliage. The near unrecognisable body of Kouga was battered, cut, and caked in blood that was air dried by the violent transportation. Masato did not take his gaze away from the samurai, who seemed to stand above the ground and in the air itself.
Reika let out a cry as Kouga lay unmoving on the ground. The samurai stood, appearing to appreciate his handiwork for a moment, before falling softly to the ground. He took slow and deliberate steps toward Masato. Masato noted that the black sword was neither being held nor in its sheath on the samurai's back.
The samurai stopped just out of arms reach in front of Masato.
"You were warned." The samurai croaked.
Masato observed that the samurai seemed almost too casual. When he spoke, the words came out strained. He knew Kouga did not go down without a fight. Masato began to back up.
"Do you really need what these two have? It seems like you are plenty strong by yourself." Masato said.
"My strength came with a price. And it is not power that I am after… But knowledge." The samurai said between heavy breaths.
"Knowledge? You need to burn down an entire kingdom and slaughter hundreds just to learn something?" Masato said. The words came from his righteous pride, but deep down he knew that some knowledge was truly worth a pool of blood. He could see the end approaching.
"Your words mean nothing to me. In the end, I will have what I desire and you shall join this family in the dirt." The samurai spat.
The kick was so fast that Masato wasn't even sure what leg he was hit with. From one moment to the next, the samurai's entire body turned into a red blur, ending in a sharp snap that resonated through Masato's chest and back. However, it wasn't the kick that surprised Masato, it was his own reaction. Moving his right arm at nearly the exact same moment, Masato used his middle and pointer finger to make contact with the side of the samurai's leg, where he could see the black armour failed to cover the side of his opponent's knee. In that moment, he sent a pinprick burst of power through that weak point. Then, Masato flew backwards, crashing through a bush and into a tree with a loud crunch, causing a web of cracks to move up its trunk.
Masato was out for only a few seconds. He woke to find his body moving of its own accord, and soon found himself standing despite the pain that racked his chest, back and head. He looked ahead to see the samurai hobbled on his left leg, looking down and cursing the other leg. He did not know if it would be enough.
Masato stumbled toward Reika, who was still laying on the ground after the shockwave of wind swept her off her feet. She cradled the small bundle of her and Kouga's son in her arms, protected from the fall by arms that could break wood. Kouga's sword had slipped over her shoulder and was left forgotten for the moment.
"Are you hurt? Is the child okay?" Masato's head felt like it had been struck by lightning.
"We're both fine. But…" Reika turned to look at Kouga. His body lay unmoving, except for the small movement in his chest from breathing that told them he was just barely alive still.
"We need to mo-" Masato tried to coax Reika from the ground when he was interrupted by an unexpected source.
"Masato." Kouga's body lay unmoving. His head stayed planted on the ground, but his mouth moved. His voice was calm and collected, as if he hadn't just been dragged through a mile of sharp sticks and hardwood.
"Would you please bring me my sword?"
Masato could hardly believe that it was Kouga talking, and thought for a second it was somehow the samurai speaking, trying to trick him. But after Kouga began moving slowly, pushing himself up off the ground into a sitting position, Masato felt his heart beat faster.
"Honey- Remember what we practiced a week before you had our son?" Kouga continued the conversation as if there wasn't a murderous samurai standing between them.
Reika looked up at Masato, and he saw the exact moment Reika figured out what Kouga was talking about. Her entire expression slipped from confused and worried to panic, anger, sadness, then finally, acceptance. Looking up at Masato, she got to one knee and offered the packaged baby to him. Masato quickly reached out and carefully extracted the child from her arms. The blanket was covered in splinters and mud. He looked down into the small face as it looked back up at him, using his sleeve to wipe the fresh tears and drool falling down the baby's face. The boy had his mother's eyes.
Reika had grabbed the sword that fell to her side and stood up with it. Turning toward the samurai and Kouga, she made the move to toss the sword toward Kouga. But right before throwing the sword, she quickly threw the sword backward, straight at Masato. Masato quickly threw out one hand to grab the sword just before it flew past him.
"What do you think you are doing?" The samurai spoke in clipped words.
"Masato, please watch over our child." Reika said, turning to face the samurai.
"You are all fools. I no longer pity you."
The samurai moved straight at Masato, then stopped. He barely got past Reika before a bright flash covered his entire body, and he was suddenly thrust back to the space between Reika and Kouga. Masato watched in horror and amazement as the samurai was covered from head to foot in white hot fire. He understood immediately that the two had formed an invisible barrier that burned whatever touched it. The screaming came shortly after.
The samurai moved once again, this time straight at Kouga. Masato heard the crack of bone as the samurai slammed to a complete stop against an invisible force, sending him flying backward again, causing the flames to spread further across his body. Masato could see Reika begin to shake, and sweat started to drip down her arms and legs.
"YOU! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" The samurai gasped as he crawled to his feet and stumbled toward Kouga. The fire began to diminish, but did not fade completely.
Reika turned to look at Masato. Looking from Kouga, who he could tell was being held up by pure spite and determination, to Reika, who appeared completely calm now. She spoke to him over the ranting and yelling of the samurai.
"Protect our son. Protect Kotetsu. Please… Run."
With one final look at his friends, Masato turned and ran. The angry screams of the samurai carried through the forest. He ran until the sun began to set.