The Way Of The Shinobi

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Beginning of the End

(Mayumi's POV)

     I felt like I couldn't breath. Hearing those words come from Kakashi when I was just trying to do the right thing. What even was the right thing anymore? I sniffled and wiped my tears as I turned and looked at the door that Kakashi had just walked out of. Before I could leave the room Rin stopped in front of the doorway, his bright violet eyes scanning every detail of my face as he spoke.

    "Mayumi? Are you alright? What happened?" He threw a barrage of questions at me as I sighed deeply and wiped the few tears that were still on my face.

   "I'm alright Rin. I need a few moments to go get ready before this mission. Will you let Itachi know that I'll be ready in a few minutes?" I asked as I walked straight past him as he nodded in response.

     I walked back to my quarters in silence, replaying the words Kakashi had spoken moments ago. I am willing to do whatever it takes to stop my father, even if that means becoming a rogue ninja and losing a man that I had true feelings for. Once I closed the door to my room I slid my top and bottoms off of my slender body leaving me completely naked. I heard a knock on my door as I pulled out my short soft purple and wine colored kimono and draped it on the side of the small bed in my room.

    "Come in." I mumbled, undoing the bows on my kimono. Yumiko and Kakashi walked into my room, both of their eyes immediately went to my naked body. Kakashi quickly closed the door behind them as he put on his Anbu mask and stayed quiet.

    "It seems we came at the wrong time." Yumiko rubbed the back of her head and giggled as I shrugged.

    "Well it doesn't bother me at all. You're a girl..." I paused my statement as I glanced at Kakashi, who was standing behind Yumiko. "And the other one has seen me naked plenty of times." I added as I saw Kakashi stiffen up by my words.

    "I mean, that is true I guess." Yumiko giggled. "So, we came to see if you're ready to go. It's almost time for us to head out." Yumiko explained as I nodded and slid the silk fabric over my soft skin. Even though Kakashi was wearing a mask I could feel his intense stare watch my every move.

    "I'm pretty much ready, Are you sure you can do this Yumiko?" I asked as I tied my kimono and grabbed my wine colored thigh highs. Yumiko nodded slowly, her nerves showing clearly on her porcelain face.

    "I can do this Mayumi. Do you know what you need to do?" Yumiko asked as I pulled my thigh highs up my long legs. I scoffed a bit and smirked as I stood up straight and ran my hands through my cascading snow white hair.

    "I know exactly what I need to look for, I just need you two to stall my father long enough for me to get what I need and get out." I explained as I pulled my long white hair into a high ponytail. Yumiko nodded as she looked back at Kakashi and smiled.

    "I think we can give you some time, right Kakashi?" Yumiko stated confidently as Kakashi nodded, still keeping quiet. I grabbed my sword, a smaller knife, with a longer blade and shorter maroon colored handle. I secured the blade at my waist and grabbed my Anbu mask, placing it over my face.

    "Lets go." I stated as I walked past Yumiko and Kakashi. My clan's estate was about ten minutes away from our underground base. Once Kakashi, Yumiko and I reached our designated meeting spot.

    "Good Luck, Mayumi." Yumiko spoke softly as I nodded, glancing up at Kakashi with my mask still on.

   "Good luck to you both as well." I spoke softly as I looked at the view of the large Kaneko Clan estate.

     A total of thirteen buildings in total, surrounded by a large red and gold gate. Guards were posted at each entrance of the estate. Yumiko and Kakashi walked to the front gate. Luckily Kakashi had decided to go to the meeting with my father disguised as someone else. He wore a black wig, and one of Yumiko's guard outfit's. The crisp white and silver outfit only accentuated the details of Kakashi's muscles. 

    I took a deep breath, trying to refocus myself as I headed to an opening in the fence that I had discovered when I was a child. It was a small secret entrance into and out of the estate on the west side. I snuck over to the secret entrance that seemed to be untouched since the last time I had snuck in here. I took a deep breath and opened up the grate of the vent, quickly sneaking in and closing it behind myself. I closed my eyes and activated my Ishi Kettei-Sha.

        Five routes in total flashed before my eyes. But, only one route flashed green. The rest of the paths were the blood red color that I hated to see. There was no way in hell that we only had one route available to us if we wanted to get out of this in one piece. Seeing only one route light up suddenly made my confidence in this mission plummet. I quietly traveled through the vents to my fathers bedroom, where Itachi had stated the blade was located. The blade, also called Thorn, was a long sword that fed off of the user's chakra. 

      The blade was about twenty inches long, with a very detailed handle that had iron rose vines and thorns. It is said that the sword has the power, if it accepts it's user, to change their physical strength as well as grant them an indescribable amount of power. In order to defeat my father, I had no other options but to find this sword as soon as possible.

       I silently made my way through the vents, careful not to give away my location. The whole time I was in the vent the only thing I could think of was the look on Kakashi's face when he found out about the terms of me and Itachi's agreement. I had no idea what I was going to do about that whole situation either. But, that was something I was going to have to figure out later on. 

   After about ten minutes of traveling through the vents I made it to the vent that was connected to my fathers chambers. I peeked through the vent, making sure the room was empty before I pulled the vent open and quietly hopped out of the vent and into the room. Suddenly, the feeling of an ice cold blade against my throat made me tense in fear as I heard a voice that I was hoping to avoid.

"Lady Kaneko, I had a feeling you would try something." The voice belonged to none other than Yuko, One of the most ruthless servants of the Kaneko Clan.