Light flashes before her eyes, and for a moment, Yoshie found herself in a standstill. It was a moment where whispers of the past poked her side. Glimpses of familiar faces play before her eyes. Their lips happily curled into smiles, but as fast as they came, their lips pulled downwards. Fire suddenly ate at their flesh, burning off their skin quickly, then their flesh, then everything else until every bit of them turned into ashes. Their moans haunting and terrifying.

Tap.

In an endless room of pitch black, Yoshie suddenly found herself standing on water. But whether it was truly water, the woman did not know. Ripples gently echo underneath her feet, and they spanned only for a few yards before disappearing. This silence was deafening; the haunting cries buried into her heart echoed endlessly.

A man stood a few yards away from her, his back to her face. But Yoshie knew the form too much--there was no need to blink twice to know. The samurai knew the long, dark blue locks that was tied into a ponytail, swaying behind him as though it teased her. She knew the manner he walked--that playful childlike prance. Her eyes knew the strong hand that hung by the man's side.

He was the man she knew.

He was--

"Takashi!" A trembling voice croaked.

Ripples form under his feet as he stilled in his tracks. Yoshie felt her heart pound restlessly. Her body wanted to run and wrap her arms him, but her feet were frozen in place. The slender hands that bore her swords wanted to touch the man who won her heart. She wanted to become a woman worthy of his protection once more. If there was anything she wanted, it was him who left her alone.

"Takashi." Tears pooled in the woman's eyes, her voice begging him to stay.

But everything begins to fade around her, dissolving like smoke. And with her hands reaching out to her late husband, Yoshie falls.

* * * * * * * *

"Masashi-san!" Obito screamed as Yoshie sinks to her knees. He manages to catch her fall, but he couldn't see the burning sunset in her eyes. The samurai's eyes were shut close as her body became limp, resulting in her blades clattering on the mountain of corpses. Confusion swept across Obito's face. Earlier she was like a god, displaying an immense amount of power that saved hundreds of lives, but now she's descended into a sleeping maiden that needed saving.

The man heaves her up like a bride, and he struggled to take her blade into its rightful sheathe. After a moment, he successfully does so, before taking a look at what she had done.

Small of shikabane lay like stray flowers in a field during spring. But they were still with death veiling their terrifying faces. They lie limp where they once stood. The glowing orange that ran like rivulets had turned into a deep violet. But in mere seconds, they turned into dust like the rest did at first, leaving the village a city of ashes that got played by the wind.

Strong drafts suddenly blew at the city, and they carried the ashes like a veil cast by the heavens. It was an eerie scenery with the glowing moon the only source of light. And the casting shadows loomed over the village, as if Death himself flaunted his face at the weak mortals before him. But as soon as the ashes dispersed, the stars were freely twinkling in the midnight sky since the clouds above have mysteriously dispersed into nothingness.

The Uchiha could see the survivors scavenging what remained of their home.The young shinobi were already actively assisting them, and they already began their small circulation of rescue mini missions. It amazed Obito to see the village's people and he with the shinobi spared from the fangs of Yoshie's dragon. Without a doubt, the woman was more than she seemed. But he felt surprised to see the pain etched on the woman's face, like a silent scream.

Masashi-san. . what kind of pain did you go through to become this?

The moment of peace didn't last for long. 

A deafening explosion pierced his ears without warning. And a cloud of smoke forms in the air. In speeds impossible for a normal human, his fellow shinobi battle a monster that could very well end their lives.

Dressed in a clad of raven black armor, a samurai emerges from the smoke with a red demon face. His swords glint terror in the moonlight, threatening to strike down the two shinobi in front of him. The blades were already pulled back, ready to swing. But just as he was about to slice their heads off with an incredible speed--the demon samurai found another samurai opposing him.

"Izanagi-san!" Kakashi gasped as the samurai shields them from their deathblow.

Their swords clash for mere moments, and Ieyasu already found himself being pushed back. He was in constant defense, shielding every attack the demon samurai had for him. Gritting his teeth, the samurai quickly made hand signs with his free hand, creating a force field that blocked the other samurai from advancing. In turn, Kakashi grabs both he and Neji and escapes from the samurai's wrath.

"Damnit! Damnit!" Seethed the samurai, pounding his fist into a village house's column.

Blood was running like rivulets in his side, turning his blue shirt red. Sweat formed like pearls on his temples and they rolled down on his face. From a healthy fair complexion, it went down to a pallid color. The man had lost too much blood, but he was too upset with the two with him to allow them to give him medical attention.

Kakashi had fear in his eyes, which was a very unlikely sight for Neji to see. The formidable and legendary jonin of Konohagakure was shaking in front of an unknown opponent--a samurai in black.

"Kakashi-sensei. . what about Uesugi-san? Shouldn't we go back and get him?" Neji asks, actually also rattled from the sudden attack.

Earlier on, the samurai appeared before them while making it clear what his intentions were. A tattered, black cloak flailed hung on his metal-plated shoulders which pointed upwards like horns. Even his helmet had ugly horns like those of a demon's, and his red face very much like so. And the way he fought had every bit a man should fear: indifference to his opponents.

It was a terrifying feat.

The samurai first targeted Ieyasu with horrifying speed. It was obvious that he wasn't going to allow the samurai in blue to react. But unfortunately for the demon samurai, the man got shielded by his best friend Hirohisa. Though the first blade was successfully blocked by Hirohisa's yari, the demon samurai didn't hesitate to use his second blade. So the other katana he held came through the big man's torso, letting blood spill through the holes made in his body, but it still manages to pierce Ieyasu in the side. Then the big man man slumped to the ground and became very still. And when the samurai came to face the remaining three standing, Kakashi made a run for it.

To Ieyasu, it was an unforgivable sin committed by the shinobi's leader. Running away was a coward's escape from death. And for the samurai in blue, it was unbearable! But most of all, Ieyasu hated himself for allowing Hirohisa to take the blow for him! He couldn't fight back fast enough and ended up retreating thanks to the gray-haired shinobi's jutsu.

He couldn't take it.

"We left him! Instead of fighting that demon, you ran! You cowards!" Ieyasu roared angrily the moment they settled. "I don't know what you're afraid of, but I've seen far more fierce warriors than he! You dare run the moment you saw a chance!"

"We needed to pull back and strategize," Kakashi defended himself, glaring at the samurai. "Last time I fought him, my team and I almost got eliminated if not for Sakura's comeback."

Ieyasi frowns.

"Are you saying you need a girl to watch your back, shinobi?" He seethed.

His hand poked at Kakashi's chest, destroying the shinobi's calm demeanor.

"We're men. We're supposed to protect women. We may hold the titles of shinobi or samurai, but that doesn't take away the fact that we are men with pride and dignity. I'm not saying this to lower your outlook or expectations of women, but you don't expect me to believe that you need that pink-haired kunoichi in order to defeat that demon samurai are you?"

"Among all the shinobi," the samurai continued. "I assumed that you would be last to run. You with the calmest demeanor, I thought you would be the most calculative and analytic. Damnit, and I chose to save you instead of my friend who saved me."

"I am sorry for that. But I will not let myself or my student die because of impulse! If we all die, then our journey would have been in vain!" Said Kakashi, closing his face in at Ieyasu. 

Shoving Kakashi, Izanagi makes his way to a nearby tree where he takes a seat where he took out bandages from one of his pockets. He even refused Neji's assistance when the boy offered his services. The man muttered that he didn't need help from cowards. From his usually cold, yet calm collected self, Ieyasu was obviously disoriented from the sacrifice his friend made for him. His teeth grinding against each other was a sign of that agony.

The ground they walked on was white as ash, and columns of it would rise with each step they took. It was messy, but they had no choice but to ignore this discomfort. By no means would their path be easy; it'll continue into a dark abyss with no guarantee of return from the unknown.

As for the gray-haired ninja, his helplessness became an addition to his guilt. A supposed prodigy running from a samurai? Truly his fear got embedded from that battle on the mountain. But Kakashi has seen the face of death, how is this any different? No, he did not want death occurring when something else could be done to avoid any more tragedy.

He did not want to repeat past mistakes again!

"I'm sorry that we needed to leave your friend behind, Izanagi-san," Kakashi began, his fists clenching in guilt. "We'll get back to him, somehow."

But Ieyasu simply clicks his tongue irritably.

"If that bastard demon samurai is here. . he's probably come for Yoshie," said the samurai in blue, surprising the two with him. "This is just a hypothesis since I've never proven it, and I won't be able to until I see Yoshie and that bastard in the same scenario. But I think the demon samurai comes only to haunt Yoshie."

"What do you mean? We met him on a mountain range on our way here," said Kakashi. "We were following Masashi-san at that time. But. ."

The mask shattering flashed in his mind, a reminder that the samurai was no one from the supernatural plane. But rather a fellow human being under the guise of a terrorist. Then Kakashi realizes why he has that fear: the horrifying chakra that embodied the samurai. He had huge reserves of it like a *jinchuuriki. However, it was unlike what he knew. 

It felt. . wrong.

"Whoever that bastard is," Ieyasu continued, interrupting Ieyasu's thoughts. "We'll make him regret showing his face!"

As soon as he said these words, an ominous presence made their hairs stand up. The ninjas pulled out their weapons as Ieyasu pulled out a couple of swords. Then they simply jumped into the air, just in time to save themselves from an attack that cut the building and tree in half horizontally. An explosion came as an aftereffect, with deafening booms ringing into their ears. The force came like a tidal wave--a progressive carrier of destruction, making ashes fly into the clouds.

In a few meters, Kakashi and his companions could see the samurai fast approaching them with his swords glinting in the moonlight. And in moments, Ieyasu found himself sparring with this mysterious beast. Their swords clashed thunderclaps as their blades meet. Ieyasu would pull back and swing his swords for his opponent's joints. But the fellow dual sword wielder effortlessly blocks them off, while slightly sliding his blade to the side which forces Ieyasu to swing his arm in that direction. With each opening, the samurai in black lunges in his blades, but the other samurai leaps out of the blade's reach.

"I know who you are. ." a deep voice rumbled. "You're the second son of Goku Izanagi--the leader of Izanagi clan. Also known as the Black Dragon of the West."

A blinding flash of lightning suddenly illuminated the sky, coming unknowingly to the people that dark clouds had already began to circulate through the skies. Trickles of water fell from the indigo abyss, forming puddles within moments before everything gets soaked from the rain. Underneath the looming sky, the samurai in black and the samurai in blue circle around each other, their eyes not leaving either warrior.

Water trickles down their blades, each reflecting the face of their owners. And the water that pooled underneath these warriors' feet mirrored their animosity for one another. This was going to showcase the battle between a multi-sword user and a dual swordsmaster.

"I also know your motive for wanting to marry Yoshie of the Masashi clan, White Dragon of the East," the black samurai continued. "They are clear like the reflection of a still lake. You dare think she would go with your plans. Her fate lies not with weaklings like you!"

"You and I have nothing to discuss about fate!" Seethed Ieyasu. "Who are you to speak of Yoshie's fate?! You the ghost samurai who dare terrorize these lands have brought misery upon that woman!"

He twists his wrist at his opponent.

"What the hell do you want from the woman?! She has nothing to do with you! I won't have some villain interfere; spouting nonsense about fate. What do you know of her? To dare speak her name so casually?"

Footsteps come in between the sounds of splattering rain. With his dual swords already unsheathed, Hanzo came with dripping blond hair. His eyes narrowed fiercely at the black samurai, now turning the tables on the one in black. Iron-clad boots stomp into puddles before firmly placing themselves into the ground in a fighting stance.

"So I finally found you," he growls. "You fucking ghost samurai."

"Get the fuck out of here," Hanzo barks at Kakashi and Neji who stood close by. "Don't think about getting in our way. We'll kill this bastard!"

"I have a plan," Kakashi whispered to Neji. "Let's go!"

They didn't need to be told twice. Without glancing back at the two samurai, the shinobi left them for their showdown.

"It seems like I've myself a couple of enemies," the black samurai replied indifferently. He sounded neither worried or confused. But his tone infuriated both swordsmen.

"Like hell you wouldn't. Yoshie had told me about you. But finally after four years, you're going to hell to pay for what you've done!" Hanzo adds.

"Hmph. No matter." The demon samurai declared. "You can't defeat me. You don't have the means to do so, nor the skill that requires it!"

Without warning he sprays water at them by dragging his blade along the water that pooled around him. It created a screen of water that startled the two samurai. He utilizes his other blade, and creates a second screen and began his comeback. He makes a run for it, but is chased by the two samurai who fiercely aimed to end his life.

Two samurais who both wielded dual swords versus a another dual sword user made witnesses drop their jaws in awe. Fighting in light speed, one could see the fighting efforts the two young samurai made. Swinging their swords in opposite sides to slice off the demon's samurai's head proved itself to be wasted energy when he vanishes from thin air. And the same went for trying to pin him with their blades.

Grabbing hold of his hand that held his katana, the demon samurai elbows Ieyasu's face and kicks him off balance. It sends the young samurai stumbling and swimming in the mud. But he quickly gets back on his feet, though moaning at the pain that numbed his face. Compared to the samurai in blue, the red samurai proved to be a more versatile and prominent fighter. He whirls in the air as he dodges the demon samurai's deathly swing, and slides in the mud to regain momentum. Opening his pockets, Hanzo hurls daggers at his opponent before directly swinging his sword over his head.

Meanwhile, Ieyasu pulls out multiple of his swords and grips them only with his fingers. He finally pulled out all six of his katanas despite his earlier injury, determined to end things there. But he could feel his wound stretch and open, letting blood ooze despite the bandage he had placed.

It was an agonizing game of endurance.

His long blades slice through the air, approaching the samurai inch by inch as he tries to fight off Hanzo. And when finally seeing an opening, Ieyasu gave the demon samurai slashes on his arms and legs. Then Ieyasu began whipping his swords that were only held by the tips of their hilts. Controlling them as though they were puppets, Ieyasu showcased the Black Dragon Dance as he slides his feet around the muddy ground so nimbly. Mud clung on his feet as he bravely challenged the demon samurai, and he manages to lunge direct hits at his adversary.

It was followed up by Hanzo's attack. Swiftly making some hand signs while he held his swords, the blonde twirled with his arms aligned with his shoulders. He quickly placed both his swords in one hand and swung it and strangely made the sword fade in his hands. Thousands of slashes were inflicted on the demon samurai's body--this was the Red Dragon's Thousand Claws!

"Hanzo of the Red Dragon," the samurai in black began as blood oozed down to the ground. 

Red liquid diverged into the murky water underneath his feet. Normally, Hanzo's lips would have curled, but instead, the blonde kept an alert scowl on his face--the samurai just couldn't stop talking. 

"You have a heart of retribution," the demon samurai continued. "One against the White Dragon who hurt your pride."

Lifting his face, he revealed his partially broken mask. One of the eye holes threatened to give way, while the rest of his armor was chipped and ripped from Ieyasu and Hanzo's earlier attack. Ieyasu was heaving for breath now, using only sheer willpower to stay up on his two feet.

"Like I would give a damn what you think, bastard," the blonde seethed, tightening his grip on his sword. "I know what you're trying to do! You're trying to get into our heads and do what you want!"

He swings his sword at the samurai, but he easily dodges it.

"You're both angry. ." the demon samurai continued, chuckling under his mask. "And you'll die here with your remorse!" He suddenly began making hand signs, creating two water dragons in the process.

Remorse.

Frustration.

Anger.

Confusion.

These were the things that bugged the blonde samurai. His gritting teeth forced out his strength as he gets thrown like a pebble--tumbling and twirling against the ground. The red coat he had was now torn and cut, added with muck from the ground. Hanzo threw himself at the demon samurai, fighting with every ounce of his strength that remained within him. He was still so alive.

Ieyasu, however, in comparison to Hanzo was a dying man. His pallid appearance only showed how weak he was from his earlier wound, which was a mere emergency treatment. He was in no shape to fight in the first place. But anger and hatred blinded him from seeing his weakness.

The battles continues, but seeing Ieyasu barely standing on his two feet, Hanzo shoves the latter aside to face the samurai alone. His hazel eyes followed the movements of the demon samurai's glinting blades, and when he saw them coming for his head Hanzo quickly uses his sword to shield himself. But the demon samurai's dragons came crashing on him, swallowing him.

~~~

Number of words: 3519

*jinchuuriki (人柱力, literally meaning: power of human sacrifice) are humans that have tailed beasts sealed within them. They exhibit extraordinary powers due to the immense chakra reserves they possess.  

This chapter is dedicated to rio_owo for her support! I do appreciate everyone's support, and I would like to keep dedicating a chapter to one of my beloved readers! :D

Please give me a feedback on this chapter! It's actually short since it's not my usual 4k+ word chapter, but adding anymore scenes would ruin the chapter mood, so yeah.

I'm still struggling on posting on a weekly basis, I honestly wish I could do better but studying to become an architect is difficult when you have a lot to do, ahaha. But thank you all for still reading this thing :)

- Raita