The Scarlet Shadow [UNDER EDITING]

Chapter 5: Akuma Ninja

After the parade, every important officials joined the banquet with Chief Haruto and the Scarlet guests.  Hanabi and Hayabusa sat beside each other while Kagura and Hanzo sat across them.  It may seem awkward for them; however, Hanabi found it amusing, especially that she could annoy the hell out of both Kagura and Hayabusa.

As the scarlet ninja was about to grab some teriyaki, her chopsticks clinked against Kagura’s. They both flashed each other a smile but instead of going along with the silver-haired girl’s farce, Hanabi brushed her off and chose to get the teriyaki.

"Ah.” Hanabi opened her mouth as she tried to feed Hayabusa, making Kagura break her chopsticks into two.

Everyone was staring at Hayabusa, probably expecting how he would respond, so he was forced to be fed. Hanabi smiled at him, then to Kagura. With everyone's surprise, Hanzo stretched out his hand with teriyaki on his chopsticks and offered it to Hanabi. Being a glutton who believed that food must not be rejected, the Scarlet accepted it but had secretly flicked a small ball of rice right on his forehead, making her snicker in amusement. She winked at him before flicking another ball of rice towards Kagura and it had hit her nose.

Hanzo snorted while he tried to keep his laughter while Hayabusa covered his mouth to keep himself from laughing. Hanabi simply smiled elegantly but, then, received a kick from her under the table that it caused her to yelp in pain,

"The food is too delicious that I forgot that it is hot. Pardon me."
She excused herself from the sudden shout while pretending to cover her mouth, acting like her tongue was burned.

After the banquet, the presentations of dances had started. Haruto and Kazuki, together with the soon-to-be couple, were seated at the balcony where they could have a great view of the show. Kagura was simply behind them, in case they needed something.

Watching the dance of the young ladies on the stage awed Hanabi. It was not just because it was graceful but because it was a dance she mastered after being under the strict tutelage of her mother. Chief Haruno asked her if she was a good dancer but Hanabi humbly replied that she was not that good, but still she asked if she could join the ladies for a while. The chief gladly agreed and as Hanabi left her seat, she grabbed Kagura with her.

"Don't you want to impress him?" Hanabi whispered to her. She took a quick glance at Hayabusa, taunting Kagura to join the dance with her, before stepping in to dance with the beat.

Kagura looked at the balcony and had eye contact with her lover. She gave him a sweet smile before dancing with the rhythm. The idea of showing another side of her gave her confidence to be more suitable as Hayabusa’s wife. But with their current situation, their relationship will be forced cut so they needed to hide it.

And that was what Kagura was secretly thankful for Hanabi because she kept quiet about that truth even though she was more than annoying. Hanabi and Kagura were in sync as if they had practiced day and night for that presentation. The crowd was pleased with the situation that some of them also joined in with the dance. But the excitement suddenly changed into worry when Hanabi felt something strange and dangerous. Kagura felt it as well. Trusting their instinct, they gave out a warning without having second thoughts.

"Everyone, spread out!" they both yelled, which made the crowd go quiet. Without any questions, everyone started to empty the stage with confusion. Hayabusa stood from his seat and was about to jump onto the stage when a strange, dark circle surrounded the two girls.

Quick to react on a dire situation, Hanabi pushed Kagura out of the circle before something happens; however, she felt her skin getting gashed by something invisible yet sharp. Small drops of blood oozed out from her wounds down but she ignored it when she saw a person behind her. She immediately drew out her kunais and crossed her arms together for a firmer support as she blocked the swift attack.

Before she could counterattack, the intruder disappeared; giving Kagura and Hayabusa time to run to her side, their weapons also drawn out.
They couldn't see the face of the intruder for half of his face was covered. Only his remarkable glowing emerald eyes could be seen. The three spread out when the intruder was about to perform his jutsu in order to widen their defense and increase the numbers of their attacks. He suddenly lunged towards the location of Hanabi but immediately disappeared.

That was no sign of safety at all because the dark circle appeared beneath her once again, and before she could make her escape, another invisible weapon sliced her skin, this time, the cuts were deeper than the first attack, making her whimper in pain.

She immediately got up on her feet when she felt someone charge towards her but with her injuries, she wasn't able to move out from her place. She could see the person with his sword lunging at her, however, before the intruder could land a blow, Hayabusa immediately carried Hanabi while Kagura released her Seimei Umbrella open, taking the damage from the unwanted guest.

Kagura, being the shield of the two, got her Seimei umbrella back and released it once more towards the intruder, letting the demons within it attack. With her jutsu instilled on her umbrella, the intruder was slowed down.

Hayabusa, who already brought Hanabi to safety, lunged towards the enemy with his three shurikens, but were blocked easily with the huge sword. He also blocked his kick, then, he took that chance to swing his sword towards him. Hayabusa summoned back his three shurikens that came swishing behind the intruder, helping him escape from the hit of his enemy.

What was weird about the guy they were against with was that his body seemed to be more of a shadow that materialized, maybe that was also the reason why it was hard to land a real attack on him.

The intruder stepped back and vanished in thin air. Hayabusa and Kagura scanned the vicinity but there was no sign of the intruder.

Hanabi, who had seen the fight from afar, was in a daze. Not because she was about to die that afternoon but because she had finally seen the akuma ninja who killed her father. Instead of cowering in fear, she smirked at the fact that the assassin had showed up before her. And seeing those burning emerald orbs reminded her of the tragedy.

"Hanabi, you should enter the room. The medic should attend to your wounds," Kazuki said with his stern voice. He didn’t want to lose Hanabi, he couldn't imagine how terrible would her mother be if they lost her.

Hanabi abided without saying a word, but when she entered, she saw Hayabusa and Kagura.

"Thank you for saving my life back there," she said,  "I owe you two my life."

"Who would have thought that you're weak?" Hayabusa blatantly said.

"You're right," Hanabi agreed, "it's hard for a marksman like me to counter that Soul Reap ninjutsu. Though, that sounded more of an excuse that I find myself pathetic."

"Soul reap ninjutsu?" Kagura asked in confusion for she had never heard such thing.

"The akuma ninja is the only person who could do such ninjutsu. That dark circle you saw a while back is actually the soul portal. Whoever is inside the soul portal will be obviously hurt physically in order to accumulate blood. With that blood, the user will use it to become stronger," Hanabi explained.

This was the first time they heard of this and it made Hayabusa suspicious of the Scarlet ninja. Hanabi’s explanation was that she did her research after the death of her father, thus, Kagura asked for further details so they would be able to take down that akuma ninja.

However, the Scarlet chose to shoo them away with the reason that she wanted to rest and promised them that all those matter shall be discussed sooner. While Hanabi was looking at the horizon, enjoying her time of being alone, she heard the sliding doors opened.

Her unexpected visitor was Hanzo and as far as she remembered, they were not that closely acquainted, so she asked him as to why he would visit. Hanzo made himself comfortable on the sofa just across the bed where Hanabi was and responded that he was ordered by his father to guard for a while.

Remembering the fight the other day, Hanabi once again asked him if he would like to do some sparring the next day. Hanzo showed no interest in her request and told her that he was not that a lowly ninja that would spar with a lady, plus, she was even injured during the attack. Still Hanabi insisted because she believed that Hanzo would help her get better, and with her unending pleading, Hanzo simply agreed with a small nod.