9 9• The Forbidden Jutsu

"I am glad you pass the test tonight"

The lady master compliments Hanabi inside her room. They are both sitting on the floor facing each other.

"Thank you, master" Hanabi said while bowing in front of her.

The lady master looks at Hanabi seriously while both arms crossed under her chest.

When Hanabi is done bowing, she lifted her upper body to look at the master " Can I accept missions now?" Suddenly, she asks.

"Familiarize yourself first to those techniques I taught you" The master advises her.

"I am just asking for the random mission I can take" Hanabi clears it.

"Elders decided that you prioritize your training for now" the lady master casually said.

Hanabi widens her eyes, she was shocked. "I thought this was just a brief training" she protests

"I am in charge to give you If I want" The lady master said.

Hanabi left speechless and started to get suspicious. She also knew a little secret she assumes they are building up against her.

"Why do I have to be guarded all the time?" Suddenly, she asks directly to the point expecting the master would tell her the truth. "I feel this training is forcing me or something..." She added trying not to be sound so obvious and just pure curiosity.

They both made eye contact with each other. The lady master feels there is something going around Hanabi's mind and she must avoid to stir up something.

"Honestly, I am dissatisfied on how you face me right now" the lady master frankly said.

Hanabi was shocked "Dissatisfied? in what way?" Hanabi frowned, she doesn't like what she heard.

The lady master narrowed her eyes " After all of these, I still see you lacking---"

"Lacking in what?" She cut what her master was saying. Hanabi feels that she is just creating excuses "Tell me the truth" Hanabi suddenly insisted she truly wants to hear what she wants.

"What truth?"

Hanabi then narrowed her eyes staring at the master. "You actually trap me here so you won't lose your guards on me" Hanabi finally said directly and surely as she remembered when she heard the masters at the sacred temple. The lady master was shocked at what she said. "Despite having the title, being the rightful ninja, I am prohibited" She added "It was insulting! I was treated like an ordinary ninja here" She really sounds so disappointed as she protests telling what she has just found.

The lady master can't believe what she has heard. She was shocked knowing that Hanabi finally discovered the secret.

"Where did you get that idea?" She asks and seems caught off guard.

Hanabi then gives a malicious smile "I am not an ordinary ninja, master, I can easily trace information" She proudly says.

The lady master was then the one speechless now. After that, Hanabi waits for a second to hear what the master would say. She sees that after her shocked, the master made a deep sigh.

The lady master turns her head to the side as she was being cornered. She thinks its time, to tell the truth, well, half of it and not all the truth. After a sudden pause, she looks at Hanabi again.

"Hanabi" She calls her to get started Hanabi then react and wait for something she would say "The Scarlet never forgives...and...never forgets" Suddenly, she said seriously as her introduction.

"What?"

"Ten years ago, Scarlet was formerly known as Crimson Sect" She said then Hanabi widen her eyes. She was surprised.

"Crimson?" She whispers enough for the master to hear it.

The lady master closes her eyes as she reminisces the dark past.

"yes, we are once called the Crimson Sect" The lady master clear it out.

Hanabi was a teenager back ten years ago. After the tragedy, Crimson Sect started to change everything from style to goals up to altering belief. As a young ninja, they are unaware of the changes since they are all busy doing their studies developing their skills. They know and hear about Crimson name but the remaining masters used to say Scarlet as their new approach to teaching them years ago. And Hanabi grew up doesn't have any idea about it.

"After that traitor killed them all in cold blood, it left us grieving as the most affected Sect because we were the most eliminated ninjas" The lady master started to feel something heavy in her heart. Hanabi was shocked as now she knows how deep is the pain burdens over the years in the Scarlet Sect. "That traitor was once a rightful ninja and elders assume he would bring unity until his heart of evil, anger, and greed consumed him. He freed a demon and acquired a powerful weapon. He becomes a power-hungry that wants to be the strongest ninja" Hanabi was shocked to know all of that. And the description, it also defines her too, but, no she is different! All she knew was the traitor killed a lot of ninjas before that's all, she never had any idea it was some more beyond it.

She then faces the floor and clenched her fist "The Crimson faded and Scarlet started differently. We became cautious" Lady master continues "We don't want to teach a new ninja and turns to be just like him so we started to alter everything." She added.

"Alter" Hanabi whispers facing the floor. Now she knows why that weapon was hidden in the Sacred temple and forbids anyone including her to know about it. What was there were the masters thinking?

After finding it out, She turns her head up and looks at the master with a serious face.

"So all the master made a foresight that being the rightful ninja can also be a potential traitor?" Suddenly she asks seriously feels like she'll stir up anger.

"No Hanabi, we are not thinking as that" The lady master denied. Hanabi is more eager now and sure that elders are doubting her in the first place. The masters are wrong to assume that she can be just like the traitor.

"You are all wrong" Hanabi then speaks up seriously "How insulting," Hanabi slightly smile "Now I know why you always humiliates and discourage me" She added "You don't want me to feel so powerful that I can dominate the whole Scarlet Sect" She assumes. " I inherited the title to teach me altered techniques but the truth is, you just want to trap me here" Hanabi added. "You are predicting that after I learned all the forbidden techniques, I can be a potential traitor that will use that against " She concludes.

The lady master was shocked and her eye-wide open. "That was not what I meant" The master protests.

Hanabi then stands up while the master follows a look to her. "Thanks for teaching me, master" Hanabi said staring at her seriously "It is going to be useful" She added.

The lady master was shocked as she feels a determination to Hanabi.

"Hanabi, please" She is trying to calm her down.

"I will decide for myself now" Later she insists. "I will do the mission and no one can stop me" She proclaimed.

"What" The Lady master was shocked and quickly stands up too.

Hanabi then turns her back to leave, she doesn't even bow to her master but after she made a few steps, she stops turning her head to the side acknowledging the master behind "this training..." then she added "...is done" She said and walks to finally leave.

The lady master was shocked and widen her eyes again "Hanabi" She was trying to stop her. She can actually stop her but she chose not to do it. Hanabi's determined face seems like it will stir up anger. Resulting in them to fight and will make a loud noise that will disturb the whole Sect tonight. She still respects the strength and skill of that lady ninja to the fact that she can even exceed hers.

She was left with so many fears of what will happen after this.

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Wile outside under a big full moon.

She passes through the bamboo and trees at high speed and seems like the surrounding is zooming in at a fast pace. Hanabi is running fast and doesn't know where she is going. She just keeps going forward faster and faster. She feels a lot of pain. The discouraging word from her Sect humiliates her. Their way of stopping her was no help and just created cracks to her heart. Anger and disappointment build up in her. She realized the Scarlet Sect is unreliable, selfish and prisoners of the past. The more they avoid the possibility of conflicts, the more they made Hanabi defies them.

She remains her speed while feeling the pain in her heart right now.

"Where are you Hayabusa?" The question in her mind. "I will prove to you once and for all" her thoughts. She keeps on running and set herself ready whenever she finds him. The moon is also joining as it lighted up the way for Hanabi it is going to be a long night of sorrow.

And finally...

Sound of the night occupying this rare and dark place where Hayabusa is sitting at peace. Enjoying the solitude tonight under a big full moon. His eyes are closed and seem like meditating when suddenly...

He quickly dashes to avoid the three shuriken incoming. His eyes are wide-open in shocked. He sees the shuriken was planted to the ground in a snap! thanks to his high senses and prediction. Suddenly an incoming attack, he quickly unsheaths his word and blocks the blade of the attacker; it is Hanabi.

"Hanabi" Hayabusa whispers and then he pushes her, Hanabi then jumps backward. She remains serious staring at Hayabusa while Hayabusa was shocked to see her unexpectedly.

Suddenly, Hanabi is about to make another attack so Hayabusa alert himself. Hanabi then quickly moves towards him and Hayabusa made a defensive move. Hanabi always makes an offensive attack while Hayabusa just keeps on dashing to avoid and confused her.

He keeps on defending in every Hanabi's attack, She throws kunai then Hayabusa dashes and creates his shadows. After that, Hayabusa throws shuriken while Hanabi quickly moves to dash the attack. It continues back and forth. Seeing the two strongest ninjas seems like no one wants to lose in that sudden fight.

That peaceful night disturbs with sword noises as the two keep on fighting.

The light of the moon reflects their blades and it glows in the dark.

When finally, Hayabusa has to make an offensive attack. He finally accepted this sudden battle. He dashes towards holding his sword, Hanabi then blocked it with hers.

"Your skills have improved, Hanabi" Hayabusa compliments her while they are both resisting their strength holding their own blades that crossed against each other.

Hanabi look at him seriously "You'll see...One of these days" She warned him with a refusing but determined tone. She then finally made the opportunity to make a slashing move against Hayabusa "I'll knock that smug look off of your face!" She shouts as she promised that to herself. Hayabusa jumps off to avoid the slashing move and made a distance a few steps away.

Hanabi is always irritated the way Hayabusa insults him in the simplest way. She always belittled by this Shadow ninja just like the whole Scarlet Sect does. Every fight and every defeat was added pain to her and a lost pride assuming that Hayabusa always shows off that he is the strongest on this fight. It all started since they were young and the pain gets deeper up to now.

After that distance, they look at each other, five steps away.

"This is unexpected" Suddenly, Hayabusa said. Hanabi then remains serious while staring at him before Hanabi even answer it, She quickly moves towards him with an act of slashing her sword then Hayabusa quickly blocks it.

"Don't let your guard down!" She warned.

"This is enough, Hanabi" He said with a refusing tone while trying to push Hanabi away. He looks at her and sees the anger in her face. Hayabusa is confused, Hanabi never gives this so much seriousness before. Countering each other lasted until he finally pushes her away. "Enough" He said after she pushed her away.

Hanabi then stops and looks at Hayabusa seriously. "I can handle that Shadow traitor with my eyes closed" Suddenly, she proudly says.

"I see your eyes showing a lot of anger" Suddenly, Hayabusa said "Anger comes from pain" he added "And pain means weakness."

Hanabi was shocked to hear that. Is Hayabusa insults her again?

She is now offended! She clenched the handle of her sword and about to attack Hayabusa again.

"I can handle that Shadow traitor with myself!" She repeats shouting it in front of him.

"If only that were true" Hayabusa doubts her then see Hanabi going to attack her.

Hanabi dashes forward to attack him but Hayabusa uses his shadows and disappears. She was left with shocked and turns her head left and right to look for him until she realized Hayabusa fled and left her. She stands up straight assuming Hayabusa was gone.

"Hmph!" her reaction when she has left alone "You think you are so great?" She said referring to a proud Hayabusa. She then slices a bit to her thumb and drops blood. She made a quick and unique movement of hands to cast a forbidden spell...then poof! A large smoke pops out! "Just you watch!" She said "I will take out that traitor before you even get the chance!" She announces.

The smoke dissipates, it reveals what she is holding. She actually combined the forbidden spell to summon a weapon, it was the forbidden Jutsu: Higanbana. She stole it!

She lifts it up seeing the weapon glows in scarlet color "I can't wait to see your face when you finally lose to me! Hayabusa!!!" She exclaimed.

The night ended...but the serious competition started between them...