Ninja Love Story

Chapter 21

After the slight break Hanzo and I took, we finally reached the falls just as the sky turned pink. Stopping at the bank, Hanzo knelt down to inspect the water's edge and I looked to the waterfall. It gushed from the cliffside with a deafening roar as droplets glistened with the few rays of sunshine peaking through the trees. The faintest hue of a rainbow shimmered at the base of the falls with a cluster of misty cloudes gathered at its peak. It's so beautiful...

"This looks like the place mentioned in the scroll," Hanzo said.

"Come again?!" I called, not really hearing him.

"THIS LOOKS LIKE THE PLACE I SAID," he shouted. Suddenly, he pointed towards at the base. "Look!" he called.

I looked where he was mentioning and I saw an area of the water jut out unnaturally. Squinting my eyes at it, I saw that it was a the face of a boulder just under the water's surface. "There's a rock set just below the falls there," I felt Hanzo's hot breath beside my ear. Immediately I tensed and shivered. "Your father might have hidden the Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi somewhere aroung there as well."

Realizing Hanzo might be right, I was overcome with a sudden surge of willpower. Knowing we were so close to obtaining all the Treasures, combined with the sudden proximity Hanzo shared with me, I felt giddy. "I'll get it!" I yelled as I kicked off my shoes, lifting the robe of my kimono to wade in the water.

"H-hey no, WAIT!"

In an instant, the ground beneath me gave away. Cold mud gushed itself between my toes and my knees buckled. The water, much stronger than I had anticipated, nearly swept me off my feet. Whoa there, water! At least buy me dinner first! All of a sudden, I felt Hanzo's arms wrap themselves around my waist and hoist me up.

"Sheeta! What the hell were you thinking?!" Hanzo very roughly gripped my shoulders, making me look into his eyes. His brow was furrowed and he looked somewhat angry. Immediately, I felt sheepish. "You won't be able to handle the force of the water being this close to the falls."

"But-!" I protested.

"No. No buts. I'm going. I'm not going to risk losing you."

I sighed and hung my head dejectedly. He's probably right...

Hanzo loosened his grip on me as he started to pet my hair, pushing strands away from my face. He spoke gently, "Hey... What's with the pouty face?"

I sighed. "Hanzo, I don't want you to get hurt..." I reached up to squeeze his hand. "And I want you to know I can do this-"

He gave a small chuckle. "Sheeta, I am the next man in a long line of ninjas destined to be chief of the Wind Village. Passing through a waterfall is easy stuff for me. Besides," he said, booping me on the nose, "I already know how capable you are of doing this, I've seen you do so much more already. But I want to go in your stead. Especially since I want you to come to the Wind Village with me someday..." His hand fell from my face down to my neck, his fingers gently passing over the skin. He bent down to whisper in my ear once more, "Won't you oblige me...?"

I melted. My voice was hardly more than a whisper itself. "Yes..."

Splash!

Opening my eyes, I saw the tail end of Hanzo's swan dive break the water's surface. Aw, dammit! In that moment with Hanzo, I realized I had shut my eyes and he took the opportunity for all it was worth. I kicked at the water, causing a big splash. "That was not okay, y'know!" I yelled, knowing he couldn't hear me anyway.

Some time passed before I realized how long Hanzo had been gone. I sat down at the bank with my knees up to my chest, staring at the ripples of the water. Gnats began flitting around my face. Nothing but the sound of the waterfall filled my ears. Even the wind had seemed to die. It makes me so anxious that I can't see him... I hope he's alright.