As Bokuden opened his eyes he awoke in a place that seemed all to familiar to him. The cracked and battered stone walls and flooring shone in syncopated rhythms as the shadows cast by the roaring torches danced ominously, cutting through the darkness. The crackling of the embers echoed throughout the silent and empty cavern, providing the only breaks between the unbearable silence and solitude that engulfed the area. Before Bokuden stood what appeared to be a stone alter of sorts, standing at least twenty feet high. Nothing past the front of the alter could be seen as through the darkness which ebbed and flowed as the light from the torches flashed. Those torches seemed to be the only thing standing between Bokuden and the darkness that loomed just beyond the alter, fighting back the encroaching darkness which slithered back into it's corner with each pass as it growled in hunger. "Where the hell am I? And why does it feel like I got hit in the head with a baseball bat?" Bokuden thought to himself as he continued to scan the room, a fruitless effort as the darkness consumed all that the light did not touch.


"Why does this place seem so familiar?" Bokuden thought as he stared straight at the ground. He took another glance around to look for something, anything that could give him a hint as to where he was and what he was doing there. The harder he tried to force himself to to remember anything that he could use the more his head seemed to hurt. The pain seemed to cloud his mind more than a lack of memory, sending him into almost migraine like fits the deeper into his memory he tried to dig. Bokuden didn't know where he was pr why he was there and his headache certainly wasn't helping him any. One thing was for certain however, he had definitely been in this room before and he was going to get answers either way.



Word Count: 336/2000 Ninjutsu C>B

A sudden burst of light seemed to pierce through the darkness and shine down onto Bokuden. Despite the intense brightness emanating from the unidentifiable source Bokuden experienced no discomfort from the white rays. In fact, the longer he stared into the source the more discernible its shape seemed to be. From its place atop the large alter the wall of light almost seemed to part, revealing what was almost certainly a katana. It was beautifully crafted, with wrappings as white as freshly fallen snow that seemed to glimmer as the light touched them and a golden hand guard and trimmings that were as pure as any gold Bokuden had ever laid his eyes on. After being stunned for a few seconds by the appearance of this sword Bokuden began combing the annals of his mind for something that might identify this weapon. He had read a seemingly immeasurable amount of literature pertaining to famous weapons and legendary swords, surely someone had written about a sword as awe inspiring as the one before him now. He frantically searched every recess of his memory, but only one weapon came to mind. “I only know of one sword that fits the description of what I am seeing now… the Yamato. But that isn’t possible the sword was lost centuries ago, during the first clan rebellion at founding of Kumogakure. Why would it be in front of me here, now?”


Bokuden was unsure of what any of this meant, but he did know that if the sword was within his grasp he could not leave it behind. This sword, the Yamato, was once the treasure of the Ryuzoji clan. It was a katana whose sharpness and cutting power was said to dwarf all others, its light capable of dispelling even the deepest darkness. “With the Yamato maybe I don’t have to wait for eventually. Maybe I can change the clan, change everything. All I have to do is reach for it.” Now in an almost trance like state from the overwhelming feeling that flooded through his body Bokuden reached out his left hand towards the sword and took a single step forward.


Ninjutsu C > B: 696/2000

Before Bokuden could take another step towards the sword to claim it for himself, a series of chains coming from seemingly everywhere the darkness lurked came forth rapidly and began wrapping around and restricting his limbs. Before he had time to react Bokuden found himself being pulled by the chains from all directions, leaving himself hung up in the center of the dark room as the links dug into him and the chains constantly tugged on his limbs. This position too was familiar to Bokuden as he now realized exactly what this room was and what it was for. It was the chamber just beneath the castle of the Ryuzoji main branch, where the more secretive rituals of the clan are performed... as well as the executions. How many times had he been in this room and watched those he once called family were tortured and executed while he stood there unable to lift a finger? How many times had he been the blade that was responsible for shutting the eyes of the people who once considered him a friend for all eternity? He had always figured this day would come, a day of judgement. As long as Satomi nor his mother or sister were involved then he was resigned to his fate and accepted it. Without a word or as much as a glance up Bokuden lowered his head defeatedly and awaited his punishment.

"Do not worry Bokuden. you're life will not end here," a more than familiar voice said mockingly. "I'm terribly disappointed in you Bokuden. To allow yourself to be captured so easily makes me feel you may be a bit... unworthy of succeeding me." As Bokuden looked up to see his assailant's identity, the darkness that once engulfed nearly the entire room was replaced by roaring wall sconces located all about the area. As Bokuden squinted his eyes to identify his assailant who appeared to be none other than Bokuden's own father.


Ninjutsu C>B: 1026/2000

Anger swelled up inside of Bokuden as he clenched his teeth, bearing his pronounced canines, and furrowed his brow, the piercing glare from his icy blue eyes fixated on the image of the man who stood before him. "What the hell is going on here Ieyasu?" Bokuden growled as he attempted to lunge forward at the man, only to have the chains restraining him tighten further causing him to grimace in pain. The links coiled around his limbs pulled hard in different directions as if Bokuden was being quartered, but before pulling too far they loosened leaving Bokuden to hang over with only the chains holding up his weakened body. He raised his head just enough to meet the gaze of his father and lock into a bit of a stare down with him.

After a brief moment of silence between the two as their eyes locked in on each other Ieyasu spoke. "Now now Bokuden, is that any way to speak to your father? I would think that you would be more appreciative of all the things I've done for you," he said, mocking Bokuden with every word that crawled forward from his lips. A sinister smirk rested upon his face as he continued, "And besides, you of all people should know exactly what is going on here." It was true. Bokuden looked about the now flame lit chamber, more than a bit familiar with the situation he found himself in. Bokuden's anger subsided for a moment as he know could not hold back a pronounced chuckle. "Did I say something amusing Bokuden?" Ieyasu inquired while cocking his right eyebrow in intrigue. This was clearly not the reaction he was expecting to get. The anger he had foreseen, but laughter? What could be so funny about being bound by chains in an execution chamber?


"You don't see the irony in all of this?" Bokuden replied with a grin on his face, suppressing his laughter, "How many times have I been on the other side of this particular situation, watching someone else bound by these chains and looking up to you as you stand on your alter? To think it would all end like this... I can't help but to find humor in it." Once he finished speaking Bokuden no longer held in his amusement and let out a loud chuckle. The chuckle soon developed into a small laugh as he watched his father's face contort into a scowl. 


Ninjutsu C>B: 1440/2000

Bokuden's amusement however, would be short lived as Ieyasu began to laugh in unison with him. Upon hearing his father's laughter, Bokuden's own laughter immediately stopped as he glared up at Ieyasu. "What the hell are you laughing at?" Bokuden inquired, now highly suspicious of the man who stood before him. 


"It's every father's dream to see his children happy. You seemed so overcome with joy that I couldn't help but join in the fun. Is that so wrong?" Ieyasu replied with a devilish grin on his face. "I know we have had our differences in the past, but that doesn't change the fact that you are my son, flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood. We don't need to be enemies. All you need to do is open your eyes to the new world that I am trying to show you. A world where the unworthy bow before us. Where our names our only sung in reverent songs of praise or whispered in the fearful cries of our enemies."


"You're fucking crazy," Bokuden replied in a harsh growl, his gaze never wavering from the image of his father, "We've been through this before. I go along with what you say only until you release those two. After that I'll kill you myself. How dare you pretend to care about my happiness after everything that you've done? You expect me to believe that you have good intentions as you have me chained up for an execution?" Bokuden tugged once more on the chains that were restricting his arms, but they would not budge. It was more than apparent that despite his father's talk of concern for his son's happiness, Ieyasu had no intention of letting Bokuden walk out of this. Not that Bokuden actually expected any parental concern from Ieyasu to begin with.




Ninjutsu C>B: 1758/2000

A disturbing silence fell over the room as Bokuden awaited his father's response. Ieyasu narrowed his eyes as the grin from his face slowly turned to into a frown. He let out a deep sigh and answered in a monotone voice, "It seems that time and time again, no matter how many chances I give you, you will never fail to disappoint me. It seems that you are unable to understand the gravity of the situation that you find yourself in." Ieyasu then swiftly waved his right hand through the air leaving his arm completely outstretched to his right. As if cued by his motion the chains once again tightened and pulled harder. Bokuden grimaced in pain as he forced himself to restrain his screams, instead letting out a loud growl.


As the chains once again loosened, Bokuden recomposed himself as best he could after the pain and glared back at Ieyasu. "I understand perfectly well what is going on here. How complicated do you think this looks? I'm chained up and restrained in the chamber used for executions. If you are going to kill me then hurry up and do it, otherwise let me out of here because you are wasting my time." There was no doubt in Bokuden's mind that his father would be willing to kill him. Compassion was not one of Ieyasu's more prominent traits, not even for his own family, but Bokuden had long passed the point of fearing death. In fact this particular scenario was one that had played out in his mind on several occasions. This room, where he had spilled the blood of so many, was a fitting end for Bokuden. Accepting his fate, Bokuden lowered his head and closed his eyes as he awaited his execution.


What Bokuden though to be a courageous act, facing his death with bravery, would have to wait as the chamber flowed with the echoes of Ieyasu's laughter. Bokuden quickly raised his head with a confused look on his face, staring at his laughing father atop the alter. "Oh, don't give me that look Bokuden," Ieyasu commented, holding down his laughter while he spoke, "I told you that you have no understanding of the situation. Why would I kill you? Whether you like me or not is irrelevant, you are far too useful a tool to me for me to just discard you. This is not the day for your execution. There will come a day when you adopt our beliefs, but until that day arrives I figured you could use a bit of incentive."

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000

Ninjutsu B>A: 193/3000

Bokuden's brow furrowed in anger at the sound of Ieyasu's words, intensifying the already hate filled glare that he wore on his face. "What do you mean incentive?" Bokuden inquired as a feeling of worry swelled up inside of him as the possibilities of what his father could use against him raced through his mind. He remained silent as he struggled to find something that perhaps he had missed, Bokuden was sure that he had taken precautions to prevent exactly this situation. He kept people at a distance for years, refusing to allow them to get close to him to ensure that Ieyasu would not use them against him. It was a lesson he learned the day that his father first dangled the lives of his mother and sister over his head, ensnaring Bokuden in the web of deceit and blood that was the inner workings of Ieyasu's empire. 
 

Ieyasu chuckled once more as he relished the opportunity to see Bokuden squirm. "Now that is what I like to see," he said, each word slithering out more sinister than the last, "That look of complete hopelessness. It seems you now understand how helpless you are in this situation. This overwhelming feeling of joy it brings me to see you reduced to this, it must be what people refer to when they speak of parental joy. I'm afraid however, that it won't change anything." Ieyasu snapped his fingers creating visible waves that permeated the entirety of the chamber. The powerful vibrations of the waves caused Bokuden to writhe in pain as he felt as though his head was being split open from the inside out. Still restricted by  the chains and unable to move all Bokuden could do was close his eyes as he twisted and turned. The room felt like it was spinning as the waves made it seem as though the walls themselves were contorting in the same way his body was. The pain caused Bokuden to lose all sense of time, leaving him with no idea how long he could have possibly been under the influence of the waves. It could have been days or seconds.

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 553/3000

As the waves dissipated the pain that Bokuden was suffering through began to subside. Still clenching his eyes shut, Bokuden found himself hunched over and breathing heavily, trying to regain some resemblance of stability after having his world shaken by whatever technique Ieyasu had used on him. "Come now, Bokuden. You won't be able to see a thing from down there. I wouldn't want you to miss the show," Bokuden heard his father's voice tell him, now much closer than before. Bokuden slowly opened his eyes to find himself laying on the ground next to his father. His body still largely unresponsive due to the enormous trauma that he had just endured, Bokuden struggled to raise himself onto his knees, using his fully extended arms as support beams to prevent him from falling over. "I said stand!" Ieyasu commanded in an irate tone, waving his hand to once again summon forth chains to force Bokuden to his feet, stringing him up by his his wrists.


Bokuden's heart sank down into his chest as he looked on in horror at the sight before him. Now hanging over the alter, what Bokuden saw as he looked over the center of the chamber where he was previously located was the image of his mother and sister bound by chains on every limb. Bokuden found himself paralyzed in fear for a moment as he witnessed the chain's links digging in and tightening around their bodies. Bokuden struggled frantically with every bit of strength he could muster, his terror overriding any residual pain he was feeling, to try and free himself. "Stop this, we had a deal! You can't do this," Bokuden pleaded to Ieyasu, his eyes wide and filled with fear.


"I... can't?" Ieyasu answered in a devious tone, turning a glance over to the restrained Bokuden from the corner of his eye, "You aren't in the position to be making assumptions like that Bokuden, especially when you are the reason they are here. You made a promise to protect them, did you not? Where is all of your fire and promises now? They will suffer Bokuden. They will suffer endlessly and it will be entirely your fault."

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 925/3000

The two screamed out in pain as the chains began to tug on their limbs, forcing them just the the point of dislocation before easing once again. Bokuden continued to struggle in a second attempt to undo his bindings, but made no more progress than his first attempt. Frantic and desperate Bokuden attempted to scream something, anything to convince Ieyasu to stop, but found himself unable to make a sound. The more Bokuden tried to force his voice to return the more helpless the situation became. So wrapped up in the overwhelming despair that was engulfing him as he watched the spectacle going on in front of him, Bokuden could not even think as to why he was unable to speak. His mother and sister raised their heads to look up at Bokuden, strands of their snow white hair falling over their faces as tears flooded from their eyes. "Why Bokuden? Why are you letting this happen to us? You promised you would keep us safe! Was that all just a lie?" Bokuden's mother screamed out, the anger in her voice clearly audible through the pain.

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 1302/3000

The very thought of succumbing to his father's wishes sickened Bokuden, but there was no other way, Ieyasu held all of the cards in this situation. There was nothing Bokuden could do but give him what he wanted, an obedient attack dog. Swallowing every bit of his pride he had left Bokuden called out to his father, his head still bowed unwilling to look him in the eyes, "You win, just stop this. I'll do whatever you ask, just stop. Please... father." Bokuden gritted his teeth as he forced every word to leave his lips, feeling more and more nauseous with each utterance that he allowed to slither out.


"Father," Ieyasu responded as the grin faded from his face, replaced by a disappointed frown, "How many years has it been since you have called me by that name? It almost touches my heart to hear my son, my heir, recognize me once again. It seems the prodigal son has returned home." A smirk once again formed on his face as he turned to face the restrained Bokuden, his back now turned to the two in the center of the chamber. "However," Ieyasu continued, narrowing his eyes as he locked eyes with Bokuden, his gaze cold and void of compassion, " You have made such a pledge to me before, only to rebel and plot against me the moment I loosened the reigns. Am I supposed to trust the treacherous dog that bit me once before? Your words don't mask your intent Bokuden. You are wild and fierce like your mother, neither promise nor oath can dull your fangs, but I will tame you just as I tamed her. But first I must take from you which you cherish most. I must make you experience the despair of hopelessness. Only by breaking its resolve may a savage beast be tamed."

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 1613/3000

Without saying another word Ieyasu turned his back to Bokuden and faced Yumiko and Naomi, once more making the same hand motion that he seemed to be using to manipulate the chains. “Now Bokuden, sit back and watch the show,” Ieyasu said in a sinister tone before turning his head to throw one more glance at Bokuden from over his shoulder, “I’m going to break you. I’ll take everything from you; your mother, your sister, your mutt, your purpose. When I am done all that will be left for you will be me with not a soul remaining to encourage you to resist my commands. I’ve invested far too much time and resources in you to allow you to fuck it all up. You should know by now son, in the end I always get what I want.” The chains binding Yumiko and Naomi began pulling on their limbs once again, their screams echoing through the chamber. At the same time more chains wrapped themselves around Bokuden, completely restraining movement to prevent him from struggling and holding his neck in place so that he could not look away.

Bokuden looked on in horror at the gruesome sight that was unfolding before him. He tried once again to scream, but no sound emerged from his mouth. The chains pulled harder and harder, causing the screams of Bokuden’s mother and sister to intensify as the pain magnified with each passing moment. The world seemed to be moving in slow motion as Bokuden looked on, seemingly able to see every last detail of the horrid situation going on before eyes. As the chains pulled their limbs further and further Bokuden could almost hear their bones begin to crack from the force of the chains. Their constant screaming peaked the moment that the chains dislocated their limbs and continued at that terrifying level as the chains pulled further still. Time seemed to move slower and slower as the chains approached the point of dismembering the two. Unable to bring himself to watch, Bokuden wanted to close his eyes, but simply couldn’t. The screams reaching a violent shriek as their seemingly began to rip apart.

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 1978/3000

Bokuden shot up on his bed, waking up from his nightmare in a cold sweat. “It… was a dream?” Bokuden said to himself in a whisper, pressing his left hand against his bare chest to feel his racing heart, “But it felt so real.” He angrily gripped the sheet beneath his right hand and clenched his teeth, still worked up over his nightmare. Bokuden began to perform a visual scan of the room, making sure that the threat was indeed gone. He then shot a quick glance over to his bedside table, which had a photograph of his mother and sister, before violently slamming his fist down onto his mattress.

Satomi, who was sleeping on her own bed down near the foot of Bokuden’s, peeked her head over Bokuden’s mattress, tilting it slightly to the side to convey her confusion. “What’s the matter?” Satomi inquired, concerned over Bokuden’s strange behavior, “Did something happen?”  She scanned Bokuden up and down, concerned to see him in the state he was in, it was highly unusual for him. His eyes were wide open and filled with a look of terror that she had not seen in Bokuden in years and his breathing was violent and heavy. Without a word Bokuden threw off the sheets that were covering him and darted out of the room. “Wait a minute, Bokden! Where are you going?” Satomi yelled out before chasing after him, “At least put on a shirt!”


Bokuden ran down the long corridor after exiting his room, images of his nightmare playing in his mind over and over. “I have to be sure,” Bokuden thought to himself, closing his eyes and shaking his head as he ran, “I have to see for myself.” Upon reaching the front door, he slid it open and leapt off into the night.

“What the hell is he thinking? It’s freezing out there at this time at night. We are in the damn mountains,” Satomi grumbled to herself while grabbing a jacket with her mouth, “He better have a good reason for waking me up in the middle of the night to deal with THIS.” Satomi followed Bokuden out of the house, using her tail to slide the door shut behind her and sniffing out Bokuden’s scent.

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 2361/3000

Once she picked up his trail Satomi began to follow Bokuden, curious as to what was going on and what prompted such behavior. It would not take long for Satomi to realize where he was going based on the direction Bokuden was travelling in. “Why is her going there at this hour?” Satomi thought to herself as she sped up hoping to close the gap between Bokuden and herself, “I had better catch up to him before he does something stupid.”

Bokuden silently landed on a rooftop of a large building before long, having reached his destination. He stealthily snuck around the top of the enormous structure, seemingly searching for a specific spot. “Here we are,” Bokuden thought to himself as he took a knee, “Now I need to make sure they are alright.” Bokuden activated his Current Perception: Combat Range in order to search for people in the building beneath him. “They are here, I'm glad,” Bokuden whispered to himself, placing a hand over his heart and letting out a deep sigh of relief, “I guess it was just a dream after all.”

“Was this dream you had so frightening that you couldn’t put on some clothes before you ran out here?” Satomi inquired, landing silently on the rooftop as well before cocking her neck back and swinging it forward, tossing the jacket she had been carrying to Bokuden. “Now put that on, I don’t need you getting sick,” Satomi said before turning in the opposite direction, facing home, “Now let’s leave this place before trouble comes looking for us.”

Bokuden caught the thrown jacket with his right hand and began putting it on, not realizing how cold it had gotten due to his adrenaline. He enjoyed the cold, but not when cold wind was blowing harshly against his bare skin. “You’re right, we can talk more once we arrive home. Lingering around here is a bad idea, who knows what kind of snakes we’ll find slithering about around here.”

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 2697/3000

After putting his second arm through the jacket sleeve, Bokuden raised himself from his kneeling position, shrugged his shoulders forward and tugged on both ends of the jacket’s collar to adjust the fit. Both Satomi and Bokuden took a few steps toward home before stopping abruptly and throwing a concerned glance towards each other. “It looks like we won’t be taking our leave without issue after all,” Bokuden said to Satomi before throwing a glance over his shoulder and continuing, “What are you doing here?”

“Oh Bokuden, don’t be like that, we’re family,” a voice spoke from the darkness, “Besides, you know what I am doing here. The better question is what are you doing here. I received no word of an authorized visit tonight.” The man stepped out from the shadows revealing a tall figure covered in a long black cloak. The length of the cloak freely blew along with the harsh night’s wind. His black hood covered all possible distinguishing features such as hair while what was left visible of his face was adorned with a mask. Although most of the mask was shrouded by the hood, it was one that Bokuden immediately identified. The ANBU-esque  porcelain mask that bore the mark of the Ryuzoji clan instead of that of Kumogakure with lightning bolt shaped markings beneath the eyes was uniform for his father’s own personal secret police. Made up almost entirely of clan members, the group acted as Ieyasu’s foot soldiers and also served as his enforcers within the clan.

“You forget your place. My business is between myself and Ieyasu, I owe you no explanation for my actions,” Bokuden replied in a threatening manner, now turned fully towards the man with Satomi stepping right beside him. Bokuden raised his left hand to his waist only to grasp nothing but air. He had been reaching for his sword almost purely out of habit, but had been in such a rush after he awoke that he left it by his bedside.

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 3000/3000
Ninjutsu A>S: 38/4000

“Shit,” Bokuden thought to himself as he looked down to see his hand swing past his sword-less waste, “Of all the time’s to run out of my house shirtless and leave my katana behind.” Bokuden shifted his gaze back from his waste and towards the masked man, taking a small step backwards with his right foot, bending his knees slightly in order to assume an athletic position. As he did this he began focusing chakra into the tips of his fingers in preparation to use his Lightning Release: Shock Bullets technique. Satomi followed suit and positioned herself as if she were about to pounce and growled viciously at the masked man. The two stood on the rooftop, their eyes locked in on their masked visitor, awaiting him to make his next move.

“Don’t be so on edge,” the man said sarcastically, shrugging his shoulders before taking a single step forward, “There is no need for this to escalate to an unreasonable level. Your father doesn’t need to know about this, does he? We could both pretend that this never happened.” The man slipped his hands into the pockets on his cloak as he awaited Bokuden’s response.

Bokuden raised an eyebrow at the proposition, his curiosity had been piqued but being the skeptic that he was, Bokuden knew all too well that any such favor would be costly. “I see. Do you take me for a fool?” Bokuden said in a frigid and emotionless voice, “And what exactly would you gain from such a situation?” Bokuden tightly clenched his right fist as he glared at the man, his icy blue eyes piercing the darkness of the night. Fully expecting a fight to break out at any time Satomi did not so much as take a step out of position. The only movement she was making was the graceful swaying of her tail back and forth, keeping it raised in case she would need to hit someone with it in the event a fight broke out.

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 3000/3000
Ninjutsu A>S: 377/4000

“What? Bokuden, I’m hurt. Family can’t help family without wanting something in return?” the man said with an obviously sarcastic inflection while raising his hands and shrugging his shoulders.

“No,” Bokuden snapped back immediately.

“Hmph! Clever as always, aren’t we Bokuden?” the masked man replied in a devious tone, letting out a slight chuckle, “So am I correct in assuming you are willing to step up to the bargaining table?”

Bokuden sneered at the man’s amused response and spoke with suspicion in his voice, “That would all depend on what kind of “bargain” you are talking about. I find that that particular word is often used with the intention of a far more one-sided deal than the word actually implies. Tell me exactly what you want.”

“A favor,” the man answered back quickly and bluntly, growing tired of playing these mind games with Bokuden.

A feeling of anger surged through Bokuden as his suspicions were proven correct. Still, it was in his best interest to at least her the man out. “What kind of a favor are we talking about?” Bokuden inquired, attempting to mask his anger.

“Well I can’t just put all of my cards on the table this early in the game, now can I? That would just be unwise,” the masked man spoke once again in a playfully sinister manner before continuing with a much more serious tone, “I need to be sure you are going to agree to do it before I say a word. Do we have a deal?”

“You’re kidding me, right?” Bokuden replied, raising an eyebrow at the sheer audacity of the proposal, “You want me to give you a blank check? You would never agree to such a deal.”

“No, I would not,” the masked man answered stoically, apparently he had become impatient with the snarky remarks and childish taunts, “But I’m not the one in this situation, am I Bokuden?”

“If you think I’m signing my soul over to you just to keep a late night visit to see them a secret you are even stupider than I thought you were. Which in its own way is an amazing feat,” Bokuden said, equally tired of the games and ready to fight his way out of the situation if need be.

“Think very carefully about what you are saying, boy. I rarely make the same offer more than once.” The man replied in an aggravated tone.

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 3000/3000
Ninjutsu A>S: 790/4000

“Good, then I won’t have to go through the trouble of telling you to go to hell more than once either. Now I am going to tell you this once Hayato, I have already been forced into servitude to one man and his day will come. I counter your proposal with this one, you will forget everything that has transpired here this evening and in exchange I won’t remove that insolent head from your shoulders. Do we have a deal?” Bokuden exclaimed in a ferocious growl. Bokuden could feel Hayato’s anger seething through his mask. He yearned to see the look on Hayato’s face as his feeble attempts at blackmail fell on deaf ears, but hid his delight at Hayato’s frustration and awaited a response.

Hayato gritted his teeth beneath his porcelain mask, using every bit of self control he possessed to stop himself from lunging at Bokuden. His hand shook as he inhaled deeply and exhaled with a sigh, in an attempt to calm himself down. The animosity between the two had existed for years, one the son of the clan head, the other the son of the clan head’s younger brother. Hayato had spent his entire life in Bokuden’s shadow, always being one upped by him. It appeared tonight was going to be no different as Hayato had no counter to Bokuden’s words. Both of them knew that informing Ieyasu of Bokuden’s unauthorized trip that night would accomplish nothing. However disobedient Bokuden was still the rightful heir to the clan and an investment that Ieyasu was unwilling to give up on. If it was to come down to a choice between Bokuden and himself Hayato knew that Ieyasu would not hesitate in showing lenience to his little prodigy once again. The day that Hayato would settle things with Bokuden once and for all would come in time, but this night was not that time. Without saying a word Hayato leapt off of the rooftop, disappearing into the shadows of the night.

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 3000/3000
Ninjutsu A>S: 1132/4000

Satomi stepped forward and right to Bokuden’s side before looking up at Bokuden. “You weren’t really intending to fight Hayato alone and unarmed were you?” Satomi inquired, tilting her head slightly to the right to underscore her curiosity.

Bokuden remained silent for a moment, looking back at Satomi through the corner of his eye. He casually buried his hands into his pant pockets as a smirk appeared on his face. “Well he’s gone now, so the question is irrelevant now, is it now?” Bokuden mused as he began walking towards the edge of the roof facing the direction of his home.

“I’m being serious,” Satomi growled as she walked over to Bokuden at the edge of the roof, “I know you think you can beat anyone, but you can’t be so reckless. He is a Ryuzoji as well. He won’t be susceptible to the same tactics as other enemies. Everyone is aware of the kind of history you two have and I doubt that there are many things in this world that Hayato wouldn’t give in exchange for your life. Don’t make it an easy trade. Remember, you have outstanding promises that you have yet to make good on. I’ve never seen you default on a promise before, don’t start now.”

Without turning his gaze away from the view from the high rooftop, Bokuden inhaled deeply and smiled as he turned his head to look at Satomi. “I know Satomi,” Bokuden replied, “But you are wrong about me fighting him alone. You were with me, that’s all the backup I need.” Bokuden took one more step forward with his left leg, allowing half of his foot to hang over the edge. “Now let’s go home. We could both use some sleep,” Bokuden said with a smile before using his left foot to launch himself off of the roof and towards his home.

“Hey! Don’t just go taking off on your own, you idiot. That is how we got here in the first place,” Satomi yelled at Bokuden before following suit and propelling herself in the same direction.

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 3000/3000
Ninjutsu A>S: 1492/4000

“You’re always like this. That smile isn’t fooling anyone,” Satomi thought to herself as she followed Bokuden, still trailing behind after his head start. Bokuden had been this way ever since that day three years ago, masking his anger behind a false smile. At first his emotions were easily discernible behind the smile, but as time passed he became so adept at it that even Satomi had trouble distinguishing between a real smile and a feigned one. Sometimes she wondered whether he was even capable of producing a real smile anymore. Despite Satomi’s concerns she remained silent out of respect for Bokuden. Surely he would tell her if anything was getting too far out of his control… right?

As the two arrived at their destination they leapt down from the rooftops and into the courtyard located in the center of Bokuden’s home. Bokuden always paused for a moment upon entering this place as it was a place with which Bokuden associated memories and powerful emotions. This courtyard was once his mother’s garden, where she would spend most of her free time tending to her flowers or simply enjoying the atmosphere. After the event three years ago however, Ieyasu had ordered both Yumiko and Naomi back to the main house where he dwelled leaving Bokuden alone and the garden unattended. Bokuden took it upon himself to maintain the garden and although he killed his fair share of plants at first, he would eventually learn how to properly care for the plants, cultivating a beautiful flower garden and finding it to be quite a therapeutic activity in the process. He didn’t particularly enjoy gardening if he was to be honest, but he felt obligated to ensure the survival of these flowers, especially the moon lilies. They were his mother’s favorite flowers and this garden was one of the very few places outside of Yuki no Kuni to have them. They are exceptionally beautiful flowers that bloom and shine in the moonlight and the citizens of Yuki no Kuni are the only people to know the secrets of growing them. They live in the frigid cold of the Snow country and the cold nights and altitude of Kumogakure helps them survive. They also have the strange characteristic of blooming when chakra is flowed into them. Bokuden usually carried a bud around in his coat pocket, using his chakra to preserve it or make it bloom as a reminder of them.

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 3000/3000
Ninjutsu A>S: 1906/4000

After taking a moment to gaze over his garden of moon lilies which were illuminated by the full moon, Bokuden took a step towards the door back into the building. “Let’s go Satomi, we still have time to get some sleep. We have to be up in the morning to investigate the bandit reports down in the old abandoned mine,” Bokuden said in a chillingly cold voice as he began to approach the door, removing one arm from its sleeve at a time and slinging the jacket over his shoulder. Without awaiting a response he slid open the Shoji door with his right hand and proceeded inside.

Satomi hesitated to answer Bokuden and before long he was already gone from sight. A chill ran down Satomi’s spine as Bokuden’s emotionless tone rang through her head. Satomi sunk her head down in thought as she stood in the garden, thinking about the words Bokuden had just spoken. “That cold and emotionless voice did not come from Bokuden,” Satomi thought to herself, “The words may have come out of his mouth, but they were not his own. That isn’t the Bokuden that I grew up with, the one that played in this garden with me when we were both pups. This is Ieyasu’s doing. “ Satomi pressed her paw strongly against the floor beneath her as she tried to contain her anger. Bokuden had never been one to display an abundance of emotion, but he had certainly grown distinctly colder since the day his mother and sister were taken. There was once a time that there was nothing that Bokuden knew that Satomi did not, but it seemed that more recently he had become more distant, seemingly drifting further and further away from Satomi, at least emotionally, with each passing day. “I made a promise to Bokuden that I would help him at any cost and that will not change, but I made another promise to myself that I would rip Ieyasu’s heart out of his chest If I ever got the chance. I just hope that chance comes before Bokuden loses himself,” Satomi said in a whisper before slowly walking back into the house.

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 3000/3000
Ninjutsu A>S: 2274/4000

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. Bokuden’s eyes were heavy and difficult to open as he awoke from his sleep to the sound of his alarm clock. He grabbed a pillow with his right hand and used it to cover his head and muffle the sound of the alarm as he rolled over and let out a deep sigh. Bokuden then took the pillow he grabbed and threw it at the alarm clock sending it crashing to the ground and ending the noise. He used his arms to raise himself to a seated position on the bed before running his fingers back through his hair and performing a quick visual scan of the room. Bokuden wiped his eyes and let out a yawn before calling out for his partner, “Satomi, you up?”

Satomi’s ears perked up upon hearing her name and she opened up a single eye and looked around the room to see the sunlight peeking through the windows. She closed her eye for a moment more before expelling a deep breath of air from her nose and rolling herself onto her stomach before raising herself up from the ground. “Yes unfortunately,” Satomi replied as she stretched her back, “Although I’d much rather not be.”

“Hmph,” Bokuden chuckled as he heard Satomi’s response, “Yeah, you and me both. The mine isn’t going to clear itself out of bandits, though. Let’s get ready, we leave as soon as we can.” Bokuden moved his legs over to the edge of the mattress, now sitting in an upright position on the side of the bed. He stretched his legs out once before raising himself from the bed and walking towards the window. “It almost feels like none of that really happened,” thought to himself as he thought back to the night before, “Oh well, no point in lingering on it for too long, I have a job to do.” Bokuden looked over to his nightstand where a picture of his mother and sister sat next to a vase of moon lilies and smirked before making his into the hallway, “Come on Satomi, I’ll get us some breakfast.” Satomi wagged her tail around and eagerly followed Bokuden out of the room.

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 3000/3000
Ninjutsu A>S: 2646/4000

The two sat at the dining table in silence, both thinking back to the previous night, but neither wanting to be the first to speak on it. Bokuden twirled his spoon in his hand while avoiding eye contact with Satomi before deciding to break the silence. “Satomi. About last night’s events, it is probably best if-“ Bokuden tried to explain before Satomi cut in mid sentence.

“I already know Bokuden. We have been partners for a long time, I don’t need to be reminded,” Satomi interjected with an understanding voice before resuming with her meal.

A smile appeared on Bokuden’s face as his guilt subsided. “You’re right. How could I forget?” Bokuden thought to himself as he watched Satomi pretend that nothing even happened, “We’ve been together for so long, sometimes I forget that you picked up more from me than just your attitude. You wouldn’t accept an apology even if one was offered to you.”

“Aren’t you going to finish your breakfast?” Satomi inquired as she noticed Bokuden sitting idle in thought, “I doubt that there is going to be an abundance of food vendors down in the mine and I don’t want to hear you complaining about being hungry the whole trip.”

“Hmph,” Bokuden chuckled while forming a haughty smirk on his face, “Don’t get ahead of yourself Satomi, I’m still the leading man in this duo. Sidekicks don’t get to give orders.”

“Yeah whatever,” Satomi replied with an annoyed attitude before continuing her meal. She couldn’t help but feel a bit of relief on the inside that Bokuden seemed to be back to normal after the night before. That frigid voice reverberated once more through her ears as she shuddered for a moment. That emotionless tone had become more and more frequent recently and it had become a source of concern for Satomi. She feared that despite all of the work they have done to subvert Ieyasu that Bokuden was falling further into his clan’s darkness. She allowed the thoughts to pass and continued her meal, focusing instead on the task to come. Once the two were done with their meal they made their final preparations for their trip to the mine and made their way out of the front door.

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 3000/3000
Ninjutsu A>S: 3033/4000

“Well, here we are, the old Abandoned Mine. Just as dark and uninviting as advertised,” Bokuden grumbled as he stared into the darkness of the cave entrance that stood before him. The mine was once a major economic boon for Kaminari no Kuni, being a major source of ores and precious stones, the sale of which brought a great deal of wealth to the elites of the country. The Ryuzoji clan of course had a stake in the mines as well before they were shut down, but have since cut ties with the mine along with all of the other investors once it was no longer profitable.

“This is my first time actually coming out here. What happened to this place?” Satomi inquired with a tinge of curiosity in her voice as she examined the pitch black cave, “From what I remember this place used to be a big money maker for the country and your clan, but it closed down after an accident or something, right?”

“Correct,” Bokuden replied, “The mining operation was so profitable that the investors demanded production be increased further at any cost. After a few decades of nonstop mining the mines were completely stripped of their resources. Instead of cutting their losses and accepting the death of their cash cow, they insisted on spending more money in order to mine deeper hoping to uncover some ore veins that might be hidden further down in the mountain.” Bokuden paused for a moment after his explanation, his gaze never shifting from the black hole that stood before them.

“And then?” Satomi continued, hoping to break the silence.

“They went too far with their digging,” Bokuden answered, “No one is quite sure exactly what happened, but the prevalent theory is that their continued digging jeopardized the safety of the mine, eventually leading to the cave to collapse on top of all of its workers. There were no survivors. Unwilling to pay to have the debris removed and hire an entirely new work force the benefactors finally decided to cut ties with the mine. That was well over fifty years ago now. Now it’s more of an unofficial grave site for those lost in the cave in.”

“Which is why we need to investigate the rumblings of bandits using it as a hideout,” Satomi replied.

“Yes,” Bokuden solemnly before making his way towards the entrance to the mine.

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 3000/3000
Ninjutsu A>S: 3433/4000

Bokuden and Satomi walked a few meters into the mine before bringing themselves to a halt. “I definitely smell the scent of others, recently too, but do you really think bandits have set up base here? You wouldn’t be able to see your hand in front of your face in the darkness beyond this point,” Satomi said, skeptical of the idea of meandering about in a pitch black cave looking for hostiles.

Bokuden was over by the wall which he had been running his hand along the whole time since entering, appearing to be looking for something. “Well, what better place to hide than a place where nobody wants to look? The reports said that there were lights seen going in and out of the cave at night. Sounds like a pretty good hiding spot to me,” he answered, still moving his hands along the wall. “Ah, here it is,” Bokuden proclaimed, “the old fuse box at the entrance of the cave that controlled the electrical service to the mine.”

“This mine has been abandoned for decades, that fuse box probably hasn’t received electrical service in at least as long,” Satomi responded, “What good is it going to do us now?”

“Ye of little faith,” Bokuden replied as he used a kunai to break open the door that covered the fuse box, “All it probably needs is a little jump start to get it going again.” Bokuden proceeded to weave a sequence of hand signs and performing the Lightning Release: Wave of Inspiration jutsu to amass a large amount of ration chakra into his hand, which he immediately thrust into the open fuse box. As the electricity flowed out of his hand and into the fuse box, one by one lights began to turn themselves back on. They were dim and many of them had at least one light bulb missing. It was far from ideal lighting, but it would have to do.

“How did you know that was going to work?” Satomi inquired, shocked that the electricity in the mine could still operate.

“I’ve been following the wires along the wall leading to the fuse box since we entered the mine,” Bokuden replied, “They had been worked on. Recently. The lock on the fuse box was also too new to have been the original. Someone else has been tinkering with the electricity in this place. They probably now know that we are here as well. Stay alert.

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 3000/3000
Ninjutsu A>S: 3844/4000

Chakra: 140/150:

The lights in the mine shafts flickered overhead as Bokuden and Satomi moved silently through the area, searching for any signs of the suspected bandits. If nothing else the mine definitely looked as if it was unoccupied. Metal scraps from tools and equipment lay rusted and scattered across the ground, rusted beyond salvation. The duo treaded extremely cautiously as they waded through what seemed to be a sea of dirt and old parts, working under the assumption that whoever had gotten there before them knew that someone might be coming and was smart enough to lay traps.

Bokuden followed closely behind Satomi, who had been following the trail of the scents that she had picked up at the mine’s entrance. She had picked up the scent of five different people, four male and one female and had been using that trail to navigate the many twists and turns of the mine’s corridors. Bokuden was marking the path they were following on a copy of an old map of the mine he had acquired from his clan’s archives, making sure they did not get lost in the seemingly endless labyrinth of tunnels.

A decent amount of time had passed as they traveled deeper and deeper into the depths of the mine, their distance beneath the ground had begun to cause a noticeable drop in temperature as they descended. Bokuden noticed that they were approaching the end of the original mine’s blueprint, anything beyond that point would be leading them down into the area that was caved in. It was more than a bit suspicious for Bokuden to see a path in the rubble cleared out, no one should have been down in that area in decades. If there had been any doubt about it before there was none now, they were not alone in this mine.

As they approached the end of a tunnel a lit chamber became visible in the distance. “They’re up ahead,” Satomi whispered, stopping in her tracks, “All of them. How do you want to do this?”

“Well, it would be rude if we didn’t introduce ourselves, wouldn’t it?” Bokuden mused with a smirk.

---

Ninjutsu C>B: 2000/2000
Ninjutsu B>A: 3000/3000
Ninjutsu A>S: 4000/4000
Ninjutsu S>SS: 208/9000