Wandering Heathens

Welcome

"I'm hungry!" Shinjo whined. "We ate a few hours ago! I told you to pack extras!" Ryuu scolded. The man shook his head of messy purple hair before his hand reached for his katana blade. "I really don't have the patience to put up with your shit today" he said, his brown eyes glowing dangerously. The other man sighed, closed his green eyes and ran his hand through his spiky red hair, "Jo, we're almost at the next Village. We can get something there. Unless his son isn't on the menu anymore~" he teased.

At the mention of their target Shinjo removed his hand and laughed, "I've been walking days to get my hands on him so don't think I've forgotten", the last part he growled. "Yeah yeah, let's get a move on" Ryuu replied nonchalantly as he began walking in the direction of the Village. Every so often Shinjo would chuckle evilly as he thought about the Daiymo's son.

"Welcome!" a woman said happily as they stepped into a tea shop. "Is this your first time in the Village? I haven't seen you before! Oh! I've never seen that symbol before! What does it mean-" Ryuu raised a hand to cut her off, a frown on his lips. "Two teas and two dangos, please." "Right away!" the woman chirped as she turned away. "Chipper one isn't she?" Shinjo chuckled. "Hmmm a little too chipper if you ask me. These people look too happy" he murmured as he rested his head on his hand and gazed around the Village. The sound of dishes being put on the table roused him from his thoughts and he grabbed a stick of dango and began eating.

"Aaahh!" Shinjo sighed happily as he put his empty cup on the table. "Just what I needed!" Ryuu hummed in agreement, chewing on a dango stick as they got up to leave. The waitress came over with the bill and bowed as she handed it to them. "What's this?" Ryuu asked. "The bill, sir, for your meal" she replied. "Oh, right, that. We'll take the five finger discount, thank you" he said as they began to move away. "Now just a minute!" she exclaimed, grabbing Ryuu's sleeve, "you have to pay for what you ate!" Ryuu looked at the hand on his sleeve, then at the woman, before turning to Shinjo. "Can you please get her off me? You know I hate being touched" he drawled.

Shinjo drew his katana and lazily, but quickly, drew it into the air. Nothing happened for several seconds until a cut formed on the woman's arm and blood began to seep from it before gushing out and the severed limb to slide off its stump. The woman screamed, horrified by the turn of events, and Villagers gathered around to watch the commotion. "So much for being sneaky" Shinjo said as the Villagers began to press around them, yelling for their blood and grabbing weapons.

The men dropped into a fighting stance as the Villagers began to press around them. "Wait. What am I doing? You've got this" Ryuu said as he leaped onto the roof of the tea house, sitting down with his legs crossed and chewing on the dango stick as he settled in to watch Shinjo battle. "I really didn't want to have to work today but I suppose there's no other choice" he said as he stepped back, raised his right hand in the spar sign and used his left to grab his katana. "WIND STYLE: SEVERING SLICE!" he said as he drew his katana, its blade glowing a blue-white color, and swung it through the air. He moved so quickly that it looked like he barely moved at all. He lowered his spar sign as rhythmic thuds sounded as the bodies fell where they stood.

Ryuu hopped down, applauding, "encore! Encore! Brava!" Screams and cries filled the air as the men casually stepped over the corpses as they made their way to the Diamyo's palace. Two guards tried to stop them from entering the palace but two senbons to the eyes gained them access. The sounds of battles and wounded and dying men filled the hallways and rooms, growing louder and louder as they approached the Diamyo's Chambers.

Ryuu kicked a dying shinobi through the Chamber's doors causing them to crash open and reveal the royal family cowering in the room. "Hello! How are ya?!" Ryuu called out to them as they entered the room. Shinjo walked over to the family and yanked the Diamyo to his feet. He pulled the stumbling man to Ryuu and kicked his knees out from under him so that the old man fell to his knees heavily. He winced and bit his lip to suppress a cry as his kneecaps broke at the force of them hitting the marble floor.

"So! Here's the deal: give us all of your riches and we will kill you quickly! Make us wait and we will fill the time with torture. Your choice but I strongly suggest you pick the first one." The Diamyo stayed silent, taking the kicks and punches Shinjo struck him with. "Uncooperative shit aren't you?" Ryuu snarled. The old man glared in defiance at Ryuu and spat at him. "Ecch! What the fuck?!" he screeched as he stepped back. "I think it's time to try my method" Shinjo said as he pulled a blue haired young man to his feet. Ryuu knelt down to the Diamyo's level and spoke, "give us your riches or my partner here will do things to your son that no sane man wants to see. You have 30 seconds!" "Father!" The young man cried out as Shinjo trailed a kunai blade against his neck. "So soft and supple, so young and pure" he whispered for the psychological torture of his victim.

"20 seconds!" Ryuu called out like some form of circus ringmaster. Shinjo undid the man's obi and watched as his kimono opened to reveal a leanly muscled body. "10 seconds!" Shinjo reached out to stroke the man's jaw before grabbing his chin. "Time's up!" Ryuu crowed as Shinjo slammed his lips onto the young man's, muffling a scream of "FATHER!"