Atsuko Tadeshi - The revenge

Chapter 9 - Oshira's End

The next 6 weeks were hard for Atsuko. First 2 weeks, he could barely walk and he needed crutches to move around. Most of the time, he stayed in bed. He often had nightmares. Sometimes, he saw his family. They said that he failed them and that he was a shame for his family. Other times, Hebi visited him in his dreams. Every time, he fought him, but usually, he changed into a huge snake that would eat him if he didn't wake up.

He carefully started training again the next weeks, even though he could only use one hand. Every day he trained with his katana or he trained his body. He also trained his leg and after the 3rd week, he could walk almost normally again. 

Atsuko bought a lot of bamboos and brought them to his house. He made small parcours across his yard. He practiced quick moves and fast strikes. He needed to find a way to surprise Hebi. Something that he wouldn't expect. He could use the same tricks, he used against the 20 guards of Hatso. But every trick, he used before, could be known. His whole plan was to capture Hebi, but last time, he ended up with a dislocated knee. He somehow needed to knock Hebi out but how could he do that. He wanted to know why Hebi killed his family. He needed to know, so he couldn't kill him.

Maybe he could find Oshira again. Atsuko didn't expect Oshira to have contact with Hebi. Hebi knew that Oshira had been visited by Atsuko. But Atsuko still tried. Trying couldn't hurt.

The next week, he dressed as "The Ghost" again. He grabbed his katana's and walked out the door. It was late, and dark outside. He walked from shadow to shadow as he did before. He took one look back. At the other side of the street, he saw his family. He saw the judging and disgusted looks in their eyes in the street light. The whole time he wanted to revenge them, but he had failed. As a single tear crawled down on his cheek, he turned around. With a hard look in his eyes, he sneaked around a corner. This time, he wouldn't fail.

He went to the street Oshira lived in. He saw the house where he left the bag with swords. As he walked past the house, he noticed that the door was slightly opened. After a close look, he saw that it was opened with force. He grabbed one of his katana's and slowly pushed the door open. The house was completely dark, except for some light, coming from a small hallway where, Atsuko assumed, were the bedrooms. He sneaked in, katana ready as he heard the voice of a woman. It yelled from a bedroom where some light came out. Atsuko walked to the door and through the small opening, he saw a man. He was also completely dark dressed but with a small hood. He held his katana straight at the woman. Atsuko watched as he pushed it right through her chest. The man pulled his sword back and turned towards a small crib. In it was the daughter of oshira, Atsuko saw. The man lifted his sword, ready to kill the baby. As the sword came down, Atsuko kicked the door wide open and blocked the man's sword.

The man was shocked to see "The Ghost" kicking the door open and catching his blow. Atsuko used this moment and gave a firm kicked the man's chest and he fell back. They expected someone to come because from behind the door, a second man came, swinging his katana at Atsuko. He rolled away and grabbed his other katana. The man on the ground sat up and said: "The Ghost? We heard you were dead." As the two looked from Atsuko to each other and back, Atsuko said: "I'm not that easy to kill. Why were you going to kill the baby?" The one behind the door said: "None of your business." As he quickly tried to pierce Atsuko straight through the chest. But Atsuko's sword pushed it to the side, missing Atsuko. Atsuko grabbed his other sword and sliced deep into the man's side. As the blood gushed from his side, he dropped his katana. He turned pale and almost fell, but Atsuko sheathed one of his katana's and grabbed the man at his shirt, holding him up. "It is my business." He said before dropping the man. He turned to the man on the ground. His shock had only grown since Atsuko brutally killed his buddy. Atsuko quickly grabbed the man's katana and threw it to the side. "Why did you want to kill a 2-year-old?" The man hesitated and looked at the door behind Atsuko. Atsuko noticed a little bit of joy in his eyes. He quickly looked at the door, to see 4 men walk in.

The man on the ground said: "You fell right in the trap. Hebi knew that you would try to use Oshira again." The man stood up and grabbed his katana. "But you're too late." He said as a man walked into the room. He dragged Oshira over the ground, sword against his throat. Atsuko saw that they had beaten Oshira pretty bad. The man put Oshira on the ground, his head towards Atsuko. Atsuko looked at Oshira as he slowly lifted his head. He looked into Atsuko's eyes as he said: "M..my d...d...daughter." Atsuko knew what was going to happen. One of the men lifted his sword.

One of the men threw a tanto before Oshira. With shaking hands, he grabbed the knife, but before he could unsheathe it, a throwing star hit his hand. Oshira screamed in pain, as he dropped the knife. "You know damn well that he doesn't deserve Harakiri," Atsuko said. The men were surprised by it because they didn't see Atsuko move at all. Atsuko did one step closer to the group of men. His katana's still sheathed.

One of the men jumped forwards, taking this opportunity, while Atsuko wasn't armed, but Atsuko moved quickly. The man thrust his sword towards Atsuko's chest but Atsuko easily stepped out of the way. He quickly hit the man's hand. The pain in his hand forced him to drop his sword and Atsuko caught it, turned it around, and thrust it into the man's chest. The man looked at the handle that still stuck out of his chest as Atsuko turned to the other men again. "Anyone else?" he asked as the man dropped to his knees and fell over.

Atsuko turned to the man that seemed the leader and said: "Just kill him. If you see Hebi, tell him I'll find a way." Atsuko did two steps back and the man that had still lifted his sword swung it down, beheading Oshira.