26 Chapter 26

"Where is Hanabi?" Shizuka whispered. "She's your hostage, right? She could be of help right now."

"I brought her to the Kira organization," Hanzo whispered back. "Even if she's here, she wouldn't dare help us. We're not allies."

"Are you insane?!" Shizuka snarled. "She could be dead by now. Urgh, sometimes, you look cool yet a certified blockhead."

"Well, if she's lucky enough, she could be alive," the assassin replied. "Instead of worrying about her, you better focus now for we are under their mercy. You know what? I slightly regretted that I came here to save you."

Shizuka clicked her tongue in annoyance of her partner's idiocy.

Kagura summons her Seimei Umbrella and moves it towards their direction. The demons inside it emerged, attacking and slowing down their movements. But when they thought they succeeded on trapping them, Hanzo summons Hanekage who just woke up from his slumber.

"You, demon," it cursed at its master so Hanzo tugged at the black chains on its neck to force him in returning back to his original form. Hanekage has no other choice but to follow his orders.

"Don't growl at your master, demon," Hanzo smirked.

A loud roar echoed throughout the village as the office of the leaders is destroyed by the huge size of Hanekage. Its pointy body made the troops step back. Its purplish eyes, it seems beautiful but dangerous. The archers start shooting it with raining arrows but it did not leave any serious wound on it. Hanekage roared once more, shaking the ground. Hanzo and Shizuka got on top of its head before it flew away, making their escape.

Hayabusa and Kagura attempted to run after them but the chief stopped them.

"Hanekage is way too dangerous for you to go against with," Chief Haruno said. "If he is angered, he could destroy the village."

"Then, is there no other way to defeat Hanzo? He could summon the demon at his own will, is it possible to defeat him?" Kagura asks.

"We have to find a way," the chief replied.

"Can Hanabi be of help?" Hayabusa asked. "She knows more about Hanzo, maybe she has an idea of his weakness."

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"She can help, yes, that's true but she's running away from us. From your marriage," Kagura commented.

As the Shadow faction set things back after Hanekage's uproar, meanwhile...

"Okay, we got away from them quite easily. Thanks to this monstrous pet of yours," Shizuka spoke. She felt relieved for they are more than safe. "I thought we're done for."

"Hey, stupid girl. I'm not a monster, I'm a demon," Hanekage wheezed.

"We better get down now," Hanzo stated as he grabbed Shizuka by the arm and jumped off from Hanekage. He tugged the chains once more and there puffs the dragon form of the demon. He turned back into a dark smoke and it surrounded Hanzo until they reached the ground safely before it vanished.

"That was a great ride," Shizuka cheered. "Can we do that again?"

"This ain't the time to play," Hanzo said seriously. "Let's hurry back to the Kira organization."

"Whoah," Shizuka said with a pained heart. "You do look grim. I bet you're worried about Hanabi."

Hanzo did not respond to her which confirmed that her guess is right.

The two heads back to Kyoto while the dark covered the sky. They travelled for days in silence until the assassin girl spoke.

"Hanzo, do you think Hanabi is still alive?" she asks.

Hanzo shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I do not know either."

Shizuka narrowed her eyes as she stares at the akuma ninja. "For what reason did you bring her to the Kira headquarters?"

"She said she wants to avenge her clan so being the nicest person around, I brought her there. She no longer need to waste time and effort in finding them," Hanzo pointed out. "If she's got the best luck, she could be alive but if it is the opposite, then she would be at Amaterasu's side right at this moment."

"How could she fight if she cannot see?" the girl pondered.

"Let us just say that it is part of her training. If she's smart enough to trick her enemies, then lucky for her," the akuma ninja replied. "And stop asking about her already."

"You know what, you bring her to trouble yet you worry about her the most. Can't you decide which is which? Wait," Shizuka retaliated as she stops on her tracks.

"Now, what? You keep on blabbering about her," Hanzo sneered as he takes off his mask due to annoyance. He wipes off the sweat from his forehead, trying his hardest to lengthen his patience. Too much talking has never been his forte and he hates too much questions.

"Have you met the Kira's leader? Do you know his name?" the girl asks.

"Shio, that is what he told me before," the assassin replied. "What about him?"

"Shio?" Shizuka repeated as she tries to remember who that is. She suddenly slapped Hanzo's back with all her might.

"OW!" he yelped, "What was that for, you stupid girl?!"

"You just became a bridge to a grand reunion," the girl mused.

"Grand what?" Hanzo asks in confusion.

"Okay, let me tell you something about Hanabi that nobody else know," Shizuka stated as she clears her throat.

"You see, Hanabi had been training ever since she was young so she had been trained along with other young men. Shio was one of the best ninja in the Scarlet faction," Shizuka started but Hanzo butted in.

"Shio is from the Scarlet faction?" he asks to make things clear.

Shizuka nodded in response and continued her story, "As I was saying, Shio was trained along with Hanabi that they became sparring partners. Well, in the eyes of the others, they seem to be just sparring partners but secretly, the two of them grew fond of each other and actually had mutual feelings. But Hanabi's father has other plans about Hanabi's marriage so he encouraged her to avoid romantic relationship. Hanabi lied to her father of course, and went out on dates with Shio. But Shio's thirst for power ruined their relationship."

"I do get the point why they hid their relationship but why do you know about it?" Hanzo teased with a smirk plastered on his face.

Shizuka turned red as she stares at Hanzo's bare face. His emerald eyes seems to shine and his perfectly shaped jawline became more visible as he smirked. She looks at his finely chiseled nose down on his lips but she got back to her senses when Hanzo snapped his fingers right in front of her.

"Ha- Hanabi and I used to be best of friends so she told me everything," Shizuka stuttered as she looks away to hide her beet red face.

"I see," Hanzo responded, "What does it have to do with Hanabi being in the Kira's?"

"Can't you get it?" Shizuka wheezed in disbelief. "Hanabi once again meets her first love. Her first love, Hanzo. First love. To us, women, our first love matters the most. And I am guessing, Hanabi and Shio must have forgiven each other and reconciled."

Hanzo did not say anything afterwards. He grits his teeth and clenched his fist in anger.

"F**k that first love," he thought.

"Are you listening to me?!" Shizuka screamed and she only got a nod in response from the akuma ninja.

Upon reaching Kyoto, Hanzo and Shizuka immediately head to the Kira's headquarters. Upon opening the huge doors, the two saw an unmoving body on the ground. Hanzo immediately knew it is Hanabi so he ran towards her and held her wrist to check her pulse.

"Go check what happened inside," he commanded Shizuka which she obliged to.

Hanzo felt a soft pulse so he tried waking Hanabi up. He saw how pale she had become. Her hands and some part of her face are tainted by dried blood, her lips became pale and dry as well. Her breathing is only faint and her temperature dropped.

"The main hall are full of ashes, no sign of life," Shizuka reported. "What actually happened?"

"Let's talk about this after we bring Hanabi at the rent house," Hanzo replied as he carries her.

Upon reaching the house they've been renting, Hanzo laid Hanabi on the bed and let Shizuka clean her up. A physician checked up on her and gave the proper medications.

"When she wakes up, make sure she eats food and drink more water. It'll take time before she fully recovers."

"Thank you," Shizuka said as she gives the payment to the physician before he left.

Hanzo entered the room and Shizuka starts questioning him.

"So, can you tell me what could have possibly occurred back there?" she asks. "What's with the huge amount of

ashes scattered around? Plus, I could sense something different in that place."

"Hanabi must have killed them all," Hanzo replied.

"But how come they turned into ashes? A dead body decays for a long time, it's impossible for a human body to decay within 4 days," the girl remarked.

"Don't you know about the demonic energy that the Higanbana possesses? If that demonic energy consumes a human body, it'll decay at a fast speed. It explains all the ashes you saw," the akuma ninja explained.

"That makes sense," the girl responded. "Did Hanabi got her eyesight back? It seems impossible to kill all those assassins if she's still blind."

"Who knows? She might have received help from Amaterasu again," Hanzo replied. Shizuka looks at him with an eyebrow raised and with confusion plastered on her face.

"Amaterasu had been helping her ever since. When we were at Izanami's lair, I could have killed her if Amaterasu did not butt in."

"I see. I feel so envious of her," Shizuka blurted out unintentionally.

"Why so?" Hanzo asks.

"She was born in a known family. She received love from the clan, and she could get married to a promising husband. She even received the Higanbana. And now, she is under Amaterasu's care. Plus, her physique is much better than mine. And even her beauty is above the average type," the girl  murmured.

"But you have something she doesn't have," Hanzo remarked. "You could excellently fight on both close combat and on distant one. Hanabi's weakness is that she couldn't put up a decent fight in close combat. Her Higanbana and her ninjutsu are for distant fight."

"Well, she could train more and become better. But as for me, I could not do anything with this small build body of mine," Shizuka protested which earned her a snicker from the assassin.

"Just put all of what you have into your own advantage and you'll be fine," he said.

"You think so?" Shizuka asks, Hanzo nodded which made the girl smile happily. Her face turned red so she looks away for the assassin not to notice.

"Furthermore, you've got a better life than her actually," Hanzo added which made Shizuka look at him.

"Huh?" she muttered. "She's got the wealth and had grown up with a silver spoon. What makes me living a better life than her?"

"She's an only child and bears all the weight of her clan's expectation. She's not actually free for her own family had decided her fate before she was even born. Being a ninja wasn't really her choice, they made her do it. Her marriage is even arranged," Hanzo replied as he gazed at the unconscious woman.

"Well, you've got a point," the girl pointed out.

"Plus, lucky for you to be sitting there and not lying on that bed while being on the verge of death," the akuma ninja snickered.

"But she's luckier to have your affections," Shizuka mumbled.

Hanzo shifted and looked at her,wanting to repeat and clearly state what she said but Shizuka shook her head and said, "Never mind."