Chapter 21

Hanabi held the back of her neck when she slowly wakes up. It still hurts and she could remember how Hayabusa hit her back then.

Upon opening her eyes, she saw Chief Haruno standing across her.

"Yo, chief," she jested with an awkward smile. "It's been quite a while, I guess."

"It is indeed," the chief replied. "So, what can you say for yourself about leaving during your wedding?"

"Ah!" she exclaimed. "Hayabusa has temporary memory loss when he fell off the cliff."

The chief narrowed his sight towards her, ignoring what she just said. Hanabi scratched the back of her neck.

"I was just concerned so I just wanted to tell you," she said with a lower tone of voice.

"I have already altered his memories before he left the village so that temporary memory loss is false," the chief informed her.

With confusion, Hanabi's eyebrows almost meet at the center of her forehead. "What? Why'd you do that?"

"As a punishment for what you all did. For trying to trick us. Hayabusa and Kagura bear the weight of you leaving the village. Now, Hanabi, if you want to keep your memories, you better behave and marry Hayabusa for real this time."

"What?! That is just absurd!" Hanabi exclaimed.

"What is absurd here is you turning your back to your written fate! You and Hayabusa are destined to be together and defeat the traitor who killed your entire clan!" Chief Haruno explained with anger.

"I can kill Hanzo alone!" Hanabi insisted.

"No, you can not," Chief Haruno negated. "You may have achieved the blessing of Amaterasu with your viper transformation but that alone is not enough."

"How can you be so sure about that when we haven't tried it yet?" Hanabi asked with clenched fist.

"It's because Izanami had chosen Hanzo to be one with him," the chief replied calmly as he took a seat beside Hanabi's bed.

"What do you mean by that, chief?" the scarlet ninja asked.

"Hanzo was born like any other boys out there but as he grew up, I noticed the different aura he was emitting. Just then, I saw a mark on the nape of his neck, it was the mark of Izanami. I thought it was just an ordinary birth mark but I made a research so I could be assured that he is just an ordinary boy. But after such, it was confirmed that Izanami did made his mark on him. At a young age, he became a skilled swordsman despite the fact that he only learned how to use a sword in a span of one month. I think his thirst for blood is caused by Izanami so Hanzo could kill more which would please that death god. My prediction is that his mark has been triggered the day of your father's death."

Hanabi is speechless for her enemy is also under the mercy of a god, and at most, a powerful one and a god of death at that.

"I'll give you time to make your decision," Chief Haruno said before leaving her alone. But this time, Hanabi grabbed the cape beside her bed and escaped. She is thankful that the night has already fallen, making her leave less obvious. She has to kill Hanzo as soon as possible for she will be doomed if he becomes aware of Izanami's presence in him.

Upon reaching the woods, she heads east where the nearest village is. She could gather information about Hanzo or the Kira organization.

At dawn, Hanabi found another village, she clutched the cape harder around her as she felt her stomach grumble. She could smell the sweet-tasting food around her. Her mouth watered at the sight of the food stalls but she could not do anything but stare for she does not have money with her.

"Okay, I regret leaving without any valuables with me or any money. Grrrr, those food looks so tasty," she thought to herself.

Just then, she saw a restaurant with a special event. The challenge is that one must eat the big bowl full of  ramen within 30 minutes and if time beaten, the ramen would be free. Hanabi licks her lips and smirked. She has not eaten for a day and big bowl of ramen would satisfy her to the fullest.

She openednthe entrance and went to the counter asking to take the challenge.

"Are you sure?" the lady smirked while Hanabi nods in response.

She waited for a while and some group of men entered the restaurant. The lady servers rushed towards them with glee asking for their order and giving them the best spot. She observed the sudden ruckus, trying to recall the faces of the people wgo had attacked her village. She has a strong feeling that the group of men are somehow related to the Kira organization.

But then, her attention was caught by another figurine. Its fluffiness urges Hanabi to pinch and touch it. Its long ears attracts her as they go up and down. Its white fur makes it even cuter especially with those red eyes. Hanabi fights her urge with all her might just not to jump and grab the cute little bunny on the next table.

"Here's the ramen. The moment you tasted the food, your time starts," the server said with a smile as if saying that it is impossible for her to finish it. Hanabi stares at the food on her table, she gulped as her stomach growled once more.

She grabbed her chopsticks and starts gobbling her food. The other customers are eyeing her. Others are in awe while the ladies thought of her as unlady-like. The amount of food she eats is equivalent for a man's appetite. The way she moves is far from elegant but Hanabi ignored all those judging eyes just to fill up her growling stomach. 

The group of men who just entered kept their eyes on her but could not make out what she really looks like for Hanabi is still wearing the hood of her cape. As time ticks by and the bowl of ramen is nearly emptied, Hanabi felt her cheeks start to burn, not because of the hot ramen but because of embarassment. She came here to eat and yet became an attraction to people in that very place.

Hanabi banged her chopsticks on the table which made her expectators flinch with the sudden movement. She grabbed her bowl, laid her lips on the edge of it and gulped the remaining soup. She wiped off her mouth and told the server she ate the ramen in time. She hurriedly rushed out of the restaurant and took one last glimpse of the men.

She hid to have some rest for she had eaten way too much. After some time, she saw the men leaving and secretly followed them.

"Are you sure that person is her?" she heard one of them ask.

"I am sure of it. Her physique, her movement, it all fits with the description of that remaining scarlet ninja," one of them answered.

"Bingo," Hanabi thought as a smirk forms on her lips. She's quite lucky to have attracted the eyes of her enemies.

When the group scattered around to search for her, Hanabi took that chance to ambush one of them. She cornered the man and got her kunais.

"Okay, if you do not want this kunai to get through your forehead and explode into a bloody firework, tell me where your leader is," the scarlet ninja said as she swings her three kunais.

The man remained silent as he slowly fell on his knees and eventually lost his last last breathe. Hanabi saw a sharp, bloody katana pierced on the wall which had killed her supposedly victim.

"We meet again," Shizuka said as she jumped off the wall. She ripped a piece of cloth from the dead man and wiped off her katana clean. "The next blood that would stain my sword is yours."

Hanabi scoffed at the lady's arrogance. She raised her eyebrow and clicked her tongue. With a hand on her hip and the other holding her three kunais, she said, "Don't be so confident just because Hanzo is with you. You want to kill me? Kill me alone."

Just then, the soul portal opened around Hanabi, weakening her. She is about to jump out from the portal but Hanzo attacked her from above. Shizuka lunged towards Hanabi as well, ready to cut her head off, but when Hanabi and Hanzo clashed, the ground beneath them turned dark swallowed them both.

Shizuka, despite being shocked, attempted to jump in as well but the ground turn back into its original state. She grunted for she is left behind and would be ignorant of whst would happen with the two.

On the other hand, Hanabi and Hanzo fell with the pure darkness surrounding them. The two could not see each other but could sense each other's presence.

"What did you do?" Hanabi asked.

No response came from the assassin.

"Are we falling into oblivion?" she asked to herself.