I will kill you first - Hanazo (mlbb)

Part 2

I was too tired after all the hours that I spent walking through the woods. But I was sure I was close. At least I hope I was. I was already really hungry as well. I wished I had something to eat, but there was nothing and I felt too tired to hunt.

I stopped and rested my head on the tree next to me. I closed my eyes and breath in. I really hope Haya and Kagura won't try to go after me or try to find me.

"Should I assume you have a death wish?" oh... I opened my eyes and I was ready for a fight, even thou my body was not. I felt like collapsing. The traitor was a few steps away from me. His head was tilted to the side and he was looking at me kind of curious.

"Maybe I do," I said and my tone sounded a little braver than it should've had.
"Okay," he tried to attack. Shit...
"Wait!" but he didn't. His sword missed the place where my head was for less than an inch, and that's just because I managed to move in time. "You want to be the strongest right?" he looked a little confused for a second.
"I am the strongest, girl." He said. I expected that he would sound prideful, but his tone sounded just like he was stating a fact. Plus he called me "girl" again.
"But you can become even stronger, right?" I challenged. And it worked. He was looking at me like a wolf would look at a lamb but didn't attack. I gulped and continue with my words. "It must be lonely to be alone all of the time. Teach me how to fight. Make me stronger, that way it would be more interesting to kill me later, right?" his eyes looked at me even more confused. "Even an old, ill man can kill someone as wounded as me. This will not make you look strong but weak." He laughed putting his hand in front of his face. It was a little hysterical.

"If I wanted something to walk after me and to look after I would've got a pet." He laughed even more. I took another breath.

"I will give Higanbana to you if you manage to beat me after you train me. " he reminded me that he can just get it now, after killing me. I shrugged. "This will be such a boring story. The greatest ninja, the strongest ninja, killed an already beaten and weak woman. This will not make people fear you...but rather laugh at you. " he was looking at me with his weird glowing eyes. And he signed.

"Such pain." We turned around and.... Was he trying to just go? I made a few steps trying to follow him. "Three mounts. If you don't manage to become better than me... no... to kill me, you will die." He said. I just nodded even though I was sure he was not looking at me.

To be completely honest I thought someone as evil would live in... I don't know... a cave? On top of a tree? In the Abyss? I don't know. I was certainly not imagining a house. Yes. It was not new. Pretty or clean. It was not even something that looked like someone lived in, but it was still a house. Judging by the door I can imagine it was not really his. The lock was broken but I guess no one in their right mind will try to steal something from this broken... hovel.

I tried to walk after him inside but he obstructed me.
"No one told you that you are allowed inside." Well... no one told me that I wasn't, but I didn't want to get on his nerves while I was still too hurt to even run like a scared cat, so I didn't say a thing. "We start with your training in the morning. " it was literally around 4 pm, what was I suppose to do all until the next morning? Plus I was still starving. And what was "morning"? Wasn't it there a better description or the wicked didn't like using watches? "Don't bother me and don't make noise." And just like that he shut the door in front of my face and went inside. Okay. I looked around. Well, I was lucky. I saw some berries while walking through the forest and I thought they would be enough for now. I went back to the forest and found some. They were pretty yummy and I felt happy that I finally found something to eat. At this point, it was as clear as day that the Acuma ninja was not going to treat me like a guest so I was probably supposed to find my own food. It took me a while but I found a river and felt even better after I found there was fish in it. Great. The fish wasn't big but It was better than eating berries all of the time.

The water in the river was great so I decided to take a dip. It was warm enough and the sun was bright, so my clothes dried not long after. I thought sleeping under the sky will be an easy task... until I realized that there were a lot of mosqutous. Probably because of the river nearby. I spent most of the night trying go get some sleep, that I really needed. I was sure toomorow will be really though.

"Lazy girl, no wonder you are so weak." I opened my eyes and almost jumped from my place. It was not morning. It was still dark. Or he was considering this morning? The giant sword he was carring usually was nowhere to be found. He was still weaking the scary mask that covered half of his face.

"I am not lazy and don't call me girl. I have a name." he was looking just as bored as I expected. He didn't really care about my opinion.

"You look like a girl to me, and I don't care about your name," he said and walked a few steps ahead. "Now fight like you want to kill me." He spread his hands waiting for me to attack. Wasn't he going to take a stance? I attacked. I was already aware that he was really fast so I tried to be sneaky and even though I looked like I was about to hit him with my right hand I jumped backward and tried to kick him in the face. He grabbed my leg and slammed me to the ground. I could feel my bones crack. He looked like he was waiting. I managed to stand up and tried again. He was making me look like a complete amateur. And I hated it. Eventually, I tried to attack with my weapons. Maybe from a distance, I would have a chance? I mean... he was an assassin after all. He was supposed to be really good on close combat. But it turns out this only gave him more time to dodge my attacks. Seconds later I was on the ground again.

"Too slow. Too weak. Not concentrated enough." He said while I was trying to stand up again. "Surrender?" I realized that it was a question because he was still standing there, waiting for an answer.

"I won't." I stand up on my feet. He rolled his eyes.

I managed to kick him only once during the practice. My whole body was in pain and I realized that my lip was bleeding. The rounds were short. I was trying to attack, he was countering me, hitting me or throwing me to the ground and I was standing back on my feet looking even worse than before. Every time I was becoming weaker and slower and I knew it, but I was too stubborn to surrender or say that I was defeated. It was worse than training with Haya. I was not filling thrilled. I felt like shit. Like all these years that I spent training were for nothing, wasted. If I was the best in my clan and he could just throw me like a puppet around no wonder so many died from his hands...

"Was this enough?" I wanted to scream that this was not teaching, but all I said that it wasn't.
"How and I supposed to kill you when I can't even scratch you?" the question was not really for him and he never answered, even though he didn't have to. I already knew his answer. I was not going to be able to kill him...and I would be dead. Well.... Death could go to hell I would not surrender. I will be the best even if I cost my life. "Again," I said and stand up on my feet. I was even hard to stand.
"Stupid girl..." his tone almost sounded like a sigh. One last hit, I didn't even felt the pain because everything turned black.