2 2• Hayabusa: Crimson Shadow Ninja
What a warm day in the land full of blooming sakura and the smell of fresh air.
A man lying down on the grass looks like he has the most of his life. Solitude or just a piece of his time enjoying the day sleeping under the trees that give shade from the sun.
"Hayabusa!...Hayabusa!" a cute girl voice shouting coming from afar. Then, a little footstep--- the sound of grass being stepped in. "Haya..." She looks down and found him a few steps away and smiles. She quickly goes towards a guy lying down on the grass sleeping.
"There you are!" surprise greetings from a cute girl right in front of his face but he remains his eyes close.
"I know you heard me haha" She laughed.
A sudden silence with only noises of birds surrounding the place while she stares at Hayabusa. A few seconds of that moment when she recognizes Hayabusa aren't even responding. She starts to slowly change her expression to a cute face of disappointment.
"..why are you always doing that to me?" her disliking tone.
She grabs Hayabusa, put her both hands on his chest "wake up!--" while shaking his chest "wake up!" She insists.
Hayabusa's body slightly shakes by that treatment and gently smile. Slowly he opens his eye to see the girl still staring right in front of his face.
"Hi Kagura," he says in a soft voice
Kagura dislikes it and quickly sits beside him while Hayabusa slowly goes up to sit on the grass with his left leg bent down while the right leg bent up to put his right arm on it.
"I just don't like that" she still protests like a brat
"why?"
"I just don't like you pretending like that"
"pretending what?" He looks at Kagura.
A lonely face staring at him seems like tears shining in her eyes
"pretending that---" She sigh "---I am not here"
She seriously says while looking at Hayabusa's eyes.
Hayabusa smile as seen in his eyes "I am not pretending" He explains "I know you're coming" he says, but Kagura stares at him with sad eyes. And then suddenly look somewhere away from Hayabusa's face. Kagura scans the view. This peaceful view of the place where birds and wind noises will soothe your ear. And the beauty filled by Sakura and petals falling is something to feed her eyes.
Suddenly her sad eyes shine as tears are starting to show up.
A moment of silence occupies in them for a few seconds while enjoying the view---
"I don't want you to die Haya" Suddenly she whispers. He was shocked to hear that while Kagura still staring far away. Her hands are on her lap and still looking like a bit depressed.
"Hey" Hayabusa breaks the silence and sadness atmosphere occupying their place. Kagura stays in that not even responding in his sudden gesture. He pauses for a minute staring at this beautiful Kagura. Her hair moves softly by the wind while sakura petals fall down in the background that adds to the view. He takes a minute maybe few, pausing for that some kind of a beautiful sight beside him. Kagura was used to be a cheerful girl and he doesn't like to be the subject of her sadness.
After recovering for a sudden pause, he blinks and he looks up into the sky, thinking. He takes a deep breath and says
"..I will not die," He said softly but sounds unsure and then turn his eyes somewhere
" I will complete the mission, but I will not die" He promised.
The wind blows making sakura petals fly in a certain direction adding a bit of peaceful ambiance on them.
Suddenly, Kagura looks at him with hope in her eyes. "Please" Her sincere request. Maybe she wants him to keep his promise.
"I trust you," she said with a mild voice. Hayabusa doesn't want Kagura to feel worried about him so without a doubt, he looks at her. Kagura looks a bit ok now as he sees her slight smile.
"okay" Hayabusa then slowly stand up bend his two arms upward, stretching " I have a training to do" He looks at Kagura while she is standing too. "so I have to go"
Kagura now has a lively face.
"Goodluck" She cheered
Hayabusa smile at her and they both walk a few steps till they are out the trees shaded area.
"Thank you I'll bring your smile with me"
"huh" she wonders.
"just a bit of inspiration" Hayabusa explain and look at Kagura's wondering face
"You take care of yourself" he added and left Kagura behind.
Kagura opens her umbrella to shield the sun's heat. She then stares on leaving Hayabusa as it slowly walks away.
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Calm, peaceful, warm afternoon.
A place surrounded by lots of higher trees and bamboos. Where you will only hear the mild wind blowing and birds noises. However, despite this some kind of soothing mood, a spike of the blade slashes quickly into the air-- every time the blade passes the sun rays, it produces a bouncing light that shines on it.
Hayabusa taking up some of his fighting skills even though Shadow sect declared that he had reached it and beyond. He is a determined kind of ninja. He doesn't rest in practicing all the skills he had learned over the years. He believes that every single day of practice, help him improve and even stronger.
Serious and narrowed eyes seeing in his half covered face. A ninja's way in him believes that this is his fate. He was destined to take the title of the Shadow and accepting the mission.
"Betrayal must be paid back by blood" words in his mind. After that, he narrowed his eyes again because he remembers his main mission.
Holding the short sword, he takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. He is meditating. He feels the surrounding making his mind alert and ready. He must take the mission seriously. He opens his eyes slowly and does one more move swaying the sword.
After doing it, He stands straight and slowly returning it at his back. He quickly dashes forward to create his four shadows and throws shuriken fast as a speed of light. The shuriken flies snap and locks on the trunk of a tree--but Hayabusa heard a strange noise coming from bushes. There is Someone!
"Who's is there!" he quickly enlarges his eyes.
Someone is watching! This is something uneasy for a ninja secretly doing something that must be unknown to anyone. Suddenly a hand coming out first behind the trunk and slowly steps in to reveal who is it--- A lady also has a half face covered identifying as another ninja.
From shock, Hayabusa recovered and return into his normal eyes seeing it was someone he knew.
"What are you doing here" suddenly he asks.
The lady walks a little more to take out on the bushes to stand completely in front of him while confidently put her both arms on her waist.
"I just pass by, when I heard a sword noise..then I found you" composed and mild tone she says. She turns at the tree where the shuriken locked and return facing Hayabusa
"So you still practicing?" and gave a malicious smile as it shows in her eyes with a slight of turning her eyeball sideways and return. She seems like insulting and wanted to turn down a potential rival in that expression.
"You think you're too strong now that you accepted the mission?" her sarcastic tone
"---So you're not done making a comparison on strength between us?" suddenly he asks in a serious tone.
She quickly turns her head to the left showing her disagreement in that assumption
"No" she says and turns her head to look at Hayabusa again "I am the Scarlet sect chosen one, what do I have to prove?" boasting herself.
"--you're not beating me yet" Hayabusa boasted too. The lady suddenly changes his expression quickly. She was provoked to be more serious and challenged.
"What did you say?" she asks and quickly steps backward while she put her right arm at the side and about to unsheath a weapon.
"---wait, Hanabi" A quick interruption of Hayabusa. He assumes there is an attempting to burst out anger on this lady ninja. "I am sorry" suddenly he apologize. Hanabi reacts with that unexpected approach. It is her first time to hear Haya in a soft voice saying sorry. A man with a determined and strong attitude apologizing. "Hanabi, I don't have a plan on sparring against you right now" He explained "I actually wanted to do things alone" he added.
Hanabi then calms down and returns to a normal position and stared at Hayabusa.
"You're weak" suddenly she said without hesitation "You're too affected by your emotions even to us---- girls" Hayabusa didn't expect that sayings.
"How come you accepted the mission you cannot handle" she turns around and about to leave. Before she made a step, she turns her head on the side acknowledging Haya is still listening behind. "You will die probably" she added seriously and finally leave.
Hayabusa just watches her leave with no words.
Hanabi walks away to escape the unwanted encounter with him. She quickly runs as far as until she is out of Hayabusa's sight.
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Running not so far enough, she suddenly stops. Catching her breath, she flats her right arm to the trunk and still thinking of Hayabusa. She stands straight after recovering her breath.
"He will die probably" she repeats in her mind, but she cannot deny the fact that she doesn't like what she has said. She feels so evil for her childhood training buddy. Hanabi is confused, but her suppressing feelings of rivalry are rising. She wants to prove she can do things better. Also, she is worried about what will happen---on what could happen.
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As Hayabusa left alone, he still looking at the direction where Hanabi runs off and gone.
The wind blows, makes the piece of red scarf on his suit move. He remains standing and calm. He was occupied on his deep thinking
"Sorry Hanabi, this was not a sparring play anymore" The only words that come in his mind.
Yes, they were not kids anymore. The childhood memories must be left from the past. Now, they are Shadow sect and Scarlet sect chosen ninjas. The things have to start as serious as the time is going near for their fates.
Specially---his fate.
