Face on a bounty board

Baiken was heavily out of breath, three years of stranuos training later and she realised it was more difficult than she had imagened.

At this point she only managed to learn two techniques as it took one whole year to master the use of chi. Tachibana taught her the great dragons breath, a technique where she spews her chi from her mouth and set it alight.

Then the multiplication of form, where she can duplicate her body two to three times, these were more real bodily forms than the one Tachibana used on her when they met, they could actually physically attack as well.

The last one Tachibana was trying to teach her was to use her chi to blanket herself and become invisible to a degree during movement, and completely invisible if she sat still. Right now she could only master static invisibility, if she moved she couldn't maintain it.

"Still think it's possible to do it in three years?" Tachibana said with a smirk.

"Look at you bragging" She replied phanting.

"Well, since you didn't completely reach your goals, why don't I come with you?"

She looked up to him from the tatame "You sure? I'm considered an omen remember?"

"Peh, I'm not afraid is such things"

Baiken got up and bowed at Tachibana "It would be an honor to have a shinobi of your stature accompany me..." She looked up during her bow "You're not coming with because you're going to miss the sex right?"

The man laughed "It's a bonus, I still consider you a child since we are almost twenty years apart, even so you still know a thing or two about making love"

Baiken sat down "My mother taught me, whilst Yamamoto teached the fighting, she showed me how to be a woman"

Tachibana remained quiet.

"It's ok, I'm not there anymore, that's why I can't persue my father, I want my own life"

"Yamamoto Shido, he is the man who gave you those scars? Painted your body with the omens?"

"Yes, you know him?"

"The emperors right hand man, and once your father's best friend... Shido was going to help Benkei with the coup against the emperor, but Shido betrayed him, and the night Benkei was supposed to end the emperor, Sakura was there, bought over by Yamamoto and she assassinated Kazuna sama"

Somehow this sparked a tingle of hate in Baiken again "He, betrayed my father?"

"How do you think Yamamoto became the most notorious samurai in the valley? The one who saved the emperor from death"

"That bastard..." Baiken stood up, but her sad face suddenly got a sly smile.

"What's wrong?" Tachibana frowned.

"The emperor is looking for me because of the fear the legend of my father has planted in him. Yamamoto is looking for me because his little pet has strayed off without his consent..." She looked down to where he sat "The way I see it, I'll make this a psychological game, I'll always remain away from them both, but I'll send some reminders of myself their way, so they always remain conscious of my existance"

Tachibana smiled and nodded slowly "Good tactic, it's a way to keep your enemies aware of you, and spark fear for the unknown"

Baiken proudly nodded.

"Does this mean you will eventually follow your father and face them?"

"No" She said turning away "I will honor him by avenging his death only, his path was chosen by him, I do not wish to follow it"

Tachibana slapped his kneecaps and stood up "Very well then, I'm off to prepare for our journey, you should do the same. Maybe if you see Tokyo you'll realise what your father wanted to do, was more a mission to help the people of Saipan, than selfish ambitions"

Baiken watched the man as he left the room, 'Selfish ambitions' she wondered if what she was aiming for was considered selfish. Her mother still back on the farm, she will remain on this island, under the rule of the emperor.

Baiken wanted off Saipan, the world was huge and she never left here. Where on this wide large planet could Sakura be, she's defenitly not here anymore, where does Baiken even start looking for this needle?

As an honor to the agreement between her and Kurusaki sama, she will one day cut Sakura's head off, but for now Baiken felt she needed to settle first, find a path and make a life for herself, when all the foundations are laid, she will focus on Sakura.

With sufficient food and gear packed, Baiken and Tachibana set off into the jungle back to the path. She took one last look down at the valley from which she came from then turned her back on it, over the mountain and down the other side towards the northern harbor of the island.

When they entered the harbor town Baiken covered her head in a hood again. She wanted to pick up speed but Tachibana whistled making her stop, infront of him a notice board just like the one in the previous town.

"Have you seen this?" He said pointing at a picture. Baiken came close, it was drawn by an artist, not a picture taken by a camera.

"Ten, thousand, yen..." He said, the artistic drawn picture was of her. She quickly reached out and tore the picture down and crushing it into a ball.

"No, give it here!" He said grabbing the picture from her. He unfrummled it and neatly folded it.

"Why? You want to collect my bounty?"

"No, surprisingly enough, I know the artist who drew this, he resides in Okinawa, were heading there as a stop before we go to mainland Japan and I'd like to hear his story about this picture"

Baiken frowned at him.

"What? And I like art, this picture is very well drawn"

"As long as you don't cut my head off in my sleep" She said and started walking again.

"Relax, not only am I honored to your father, I'm technically your sensei as well, I cannot harm you" He said following.