Chapter 23

A black smoke circled Hanabi and she had sensed the presence of death. The black smoke has gone to Hanzo's side and it has shown its original form.

Hanabi watched as the god of death, Izanami, appears behind her nemesis. He is holding a scythe with its deadly blade being held together by a sharp, osteal bone. The god's presence emits the strong sense of death itself.

"It's been a while, scarlet ninja," the god said. "You've grown into such a  beautiful lady that even my akuma ninja could not resist. Ah, Amaterasu does really have her way to ruin my plans. If only I knew you'd be such a nuisance, I could have made Hanzo kill you with your father."

Hanabi tightens her grip on her Higanbana. She is aching to attack him but she is just a mere human and a god is way too strong for her to kill. And that god, right in front of her, is the god of death himself.

"You see, the death of your father has done great thing to me. More bloodshed had occurred, ah, what a beautiful sight that is. But I do sympathize with the death of your whole clan. It wasn't my intention to leave you all alone," said the god calmly as if he is just having a break from the world's cruelness.

While he is conversing with Hanabi, Hanzo's wounds healed and the demonic energy inside him was removed by the death god. He regains his strength back and watched how the death god circles around the scarlet ninja.

"You see, Hanabi, my only plan is to have Hanzo go around the world and spread bloodshed for me. That is the reason why I have some remains of myself implanted inside the very core of him. But Amaterasu and you are becoming a big nuisance and it's very annoying," the death god remarked.

"Human lives are not something you could play with, Izanami," Hanabi bluntly replied.

"Oh what a terrible term for you to call my job as only a play. Hanabi, as the death god, it is my responsibility to balance the power of Amaterasu who creates and maintains life. Her existence and my existence are both important for we maintain the proper equilibrium of this world."

Izanami turned back into his original form, a god with silver hair, with shadowy extra hands surrounding him.

"Hanabi, you're the only person who hinders my akuma ninja to do his job. I give you my respect but you have disrespected me in return. Now, for my akuma ninja to perform his mission perfectly, all I have to do is have you stay with me... Forever."

Izanami lets out a chuckle while he grips his scythe. Hanabi stanced readily. She knew Amaterasu would never leave her side and she would be alright even if she is against the god of death.

"I do admire you, Hanabi, but letting you live would cause imbalance."

Izanami tightens his grip on his life-taking scythe. With his dark power, he blinded Hanabi effortlessly. The god of death swings his scythe yet before it cuts through the scarlet ninja, Hanzo had his Ame no Habakiri drawn out and holds his weapon in place.

"Oh my," Izanami chuckled. He withdraws his scythe and reduced his size into that of a human. "Are you betraying me now, Hanzo?"

Hanzo did not respond. He suddenly felt an excruciating pain on his nape which made him kneel down on his knees right in front of the death god.

"That is the consequence if you go against me, my dearest ninja," Izanami said as he walks towards him. "Hanzo, you were the perfect medium for me to reside in yet you became imperfect when you have set your eyes on that scarlet ninja."

"I do not work for you, dumbass," Hanzo sneered.

"You've got the attitude to curse at me. But do not forget that I have granted you so much power. I have given you the skills of a deadly assassin and yet you're not using it wisely. You are letting your emotions work rather than your intellect. Do you think I do not have the power to get those back? Those power, that Ame no Habakiri, and even Hanekage. I could retrieve them back right now if you do not kill that woman."

Hanabi could hear every word of their conversation but she could not see what they are up to for she sees nothing but pure darkness. She walks backwards as she hears footsteps coming towards her direction. She had her Higanbana ready for at any time, she could be assaulted. She senses the sudden occurence of a strong force on her right side so she used her Higanbana as a shield from the death god's scythe.

Hanzo summoned Hanekage on his original form which distracted the god from killing the scarlet ninja. The huge form of Hanekage collapsed the ground they're standing on. Hanabi ran forward but it was too late, the next step she made had her fall down into the abyss. Izanami returned back to his original form which is as large as that of Hanekage.

Hanzo, on the other hand, caught Hanabi and went to higher ground. But the scarlet ninja attempted to pierce him with her soul scroll which made the akuma ninja throw her off his shoulder.

"Stay right there!" Hanabi warned which made him scoff.

"Right, stupid woman," he cursed. "If you want to die here, then suit yourself, blockhead."

Hanabi gritted her teeth for she is going to lower her pride and give her trust to the person she is meant to kill.

"Wait!" she yelled, making Hanzo stop on his tracks. He looks back and is confused as he watches her walk carefully.

"Stop dilly dallying," he snarled as he grabs her by the hand and lead the way.

"Be careful on your tracks, you freaking dumbass!" Hanabi cursed. "I cannot see here in the darkness!"

Hanzo stops and waves his hand in front of Hanabi's eyes. The pupils of her eyes which turned back into ocean blue ones did not follow his moving hand, confirming that she is indeed blind. He once again tugged her arm and lead the way out of Izanami's lair.

"Tell me, just how stupid are you to not realize that you are blind?" Hanzo asked.

Hanabi did not respond for a while as she processes in mind what Hanzo had said.

A flush of embarassment ran through her. Her cheeks, her ears turned red and she wished and hoped so hard that they are still in a dark place for never, ever, does she want Hanzo to see her like a well-riped tomato.

"No need to hide your embarassment," Hanzo teased. "You look good enough to be considered as one of the tomatoes out there."

Hanabi is so abashed that she cannot say or do anything else but to just follow Hanzo's lead.

"Why are you helping me anyway?" she asked to lead their conversation away from the fact that she's so red at the moment.

It is now Hanzo's turn to turn red but luckily for him, Hanabi has lost her eyesight temporarily. He did not answer her which made Hanabi remember what the god of death had said.

"You've grown into such a beautiful lady that even my akuma ninja could not resist," Hanabi repeats the words of Izanami which made Hanzo mad in no time.

Hanabi smirked for it is her turn to tease the assassin.

"What a beautiful statement that is to my ears," Hanabi jested which made Hanzo let her hand go and walk ahead of her. Hanabi could still hear his footsteps so she could follow him still.

In all of a sudden, a huge roar echoed which made Hanzo turn back and carry Hanabi like a bag of rice. Hanekage came flying through, Hanzo jumped on his back for a ride.

"What happened to Izanami?" Hanzo asks.

"For a reason I do not know, he lets us off the hook and went back to his throne room," Hanekage replied.

"What are we riding on?" Hanabi asks as she taps her foot on the hard scale of Hanekage.

Before Hanabi could ask another question, a loud scream escape from her mouth as Hanekage went on full speed and flew upward. Hanzo has Hanabi on his arms as they reach the surface where Hanekage turned back into black smoke and returned into Hanzo's body.

"Hanzo!" Shizuka called out upon seeing him. But her face turned sour when she saw Hanabi with him.

"Shizuka," Hanabi whispered as she summons her Higanbana. She looks at her side for that is where she heard Shizuka's voice.

"Why is she with you?" Shizuka asks bitterly.

"Calm your nerves," Hanzo said. "She's somewhat a hostage, I guess."

Hanzo waves his hand once more in front of the scarlet ninja to show Shizuka that she is blind.

"If she's blind then, it's the perfect time to kill her!" the assassin said as she lunged towards her but Hanabi's spider-like limbs appeared once more and breaks her katana. The other spider limbs almost pierced through Shizuka only if Hanzo did not block them.

"Careful, she's venomous even if she cannot see," Hanzo warned.