Ninja Love: Saizo Kirigakure

Chapter 30

"Kuma..." I trailed off, instinctively reaching my hand down to the pouch in my bag where the kunai were stored. I turned my eyes to the trees to search for Hayatemaru, and relaxed a little when I found him perched above the Hachisuka clan, shifting on his talons and waiting for instructions.

I made eye contact with the falcon, trying to make discreet motions as I prayed to the goddess that he could somehow understand that I needed him to get someone, anyone really, to help us.

He cocked his head at me curiously, and I made a mental note to teach him some hand signs later, if we ever got out of this alive. I snuck a peek at the people surrounding us. They were thoroughly distracted, and seemingly rather aggravated, by another ranting session from Kuma, so I started trying to mouth commands to Hayatemaru.

Go find Saizo. Get help. Fetch. Other. Ninja!

It wasn't until the boulder was wrenched form my aching hands and I got so surprised that I flung my arms out and yelled "Go!" that Hayatemaru finally took off towards Iga.

I sighed, a momentary wave of relief washing over me, but it was gone almost as quickly as it came. Kuma had tossed the boulder into the group of ninja, pinning one to the ground and crushing another. Ninjas had almost instantly flooded around her, and she was now fending off a group of rather impressively.

I had barely taken a step towards her aid when a loud roar caused me to spin around, kunai in hand. The blurry form of a samurai suddenly froze, an expression of surprise and horror plastered on his face. I hadn't even realized what had happened, but when I looked to his away from his face, my kunai was buried deep in his chest. Blood splattered my hand, anddark red flowers began blooming from the wound.

The life left the samurai's eyes and I winced, fighting the urge to wretch right in the middle of a battle. I pulled my weapon out of the listless body, cringing at the sound of metal sliding against flesh.

I turned again towards Kuma,this time unhindered, and rushed the group of people surrounding her. I started flinging blindly, pulling three more kunai from my bag to tuck them around my fingers and use them as claws.

I had actually managed toget a few slashes in, but my blind fury was rudely interrupted by a rough yank on the back collar of my kimono. I tumbled backwards, right into the waiting arms of Akumo, the Hachisuka leader. He grinned down at me almost mockingly, gripping my upper arms to the point of bruising. He had dark brown eyes that glinted slyly, and dark hair peeping out from under his forehead protector. There wasnothing physically displeasing about him, per say.

However, when he opened his mouth, he let out a foul stench as rotten as his soul. "So,you're the rumored Ninja Princess that everyone has been fussing over." He stated more than questioned. "I don't see what all the fuss is about." He gave me a grossly appraising once-over before continuing. "I mean, I guess you're not all too hard on the eyes, but I don't see why Nobunaga sent out a special order to keep you of all people alive."

I glowered at him, equally disgusted and intrigued by this new information. In my mind at least,the best thing to do would be to kill me in order to demoralize and halt the ninja revolt. What does Nobunaga have to gain by capturing me alive?

I figured I would have time to ponder these questions later, so I focused on trying to get out of Akumo's grasp. Mixing a violent twist with a sharp kick to his crotch backed with all the anger I harbored against this cursed war, I managed to drop the traitor to thr ground with a grunt.

I started towards Kuma again, fully intent on helping her, but she saw me first. She fought her way to me, slashing ninja and samurai alike with a sword I assumed she pulled from a dead warrior.