Dark Waters

Chapter Eight: Vengeance

Chapter Eight: Vengeance 

Two weeks later, inside the Dark Flame clan’s headquarters.   

Leopard stood alone in his quarters, his arms folded in thought. He had given orders not to be disturbed unless it was important or unless the Dark Flame Grandmaster, his master, said otherwise.

Outwardly he was the picture of calmness, but inwardly he seethed with rage as he recalled the events of the past few days.

He was sent away on a different mission when he had heard the news. His master had ordered him to meet with one of his more 'legal business partners' regarding the stock market when he had received word that the Dark Flame Grandmaster had offered those other ninjas a place in the Clan and it had gone wrong.

It had gone horribly wrong.

Leopard remembered pleading to his father that it would be dangerous to reveal themselves to them but Natsu merely shrugged off his concerns and sent him off to that business meeting.

How dare they? He silently cursed. How dare they refuse and how dare they attack the Master? How dare those... accursed fools... hurt his father.

Leopard had never thought of himself as a part of the Mizu clan, even though he had rumors that he might be blood related to them. Besides, he had heard what happened to the one who had been his DNA donor. They had abandoned him just like Natsu, his adopted father, told him. They didn't even search for him after all these years.

Rainier... his eyes narrowed further as he thought about the red clad ninja who had looked so much like him. Did he, his other self, have a twin brother? Leopard frowned, as he tried to search his foggy memories for the time before the Dark Flame Clan found a boy, half dead and catatonic by the riverside, only to hiss in pain when the only thing he got for his efforts was a stabbing headache.

Putting a hand to his throbbing head Leopard teetered unsteadily on his feet. Shaking his head to clear it, he remembered that Rainier had been the one refuse the Master's offer and the first one to attack. He will pay. They will all pay...

A Dark Flame Ninja appeared at his side, interrupting his thoughts.

"Report," He began in a bored voice.

The ninja bowed in respect of the Commander of the Dark Flame Black Elites and nervously began. "Captain Taro of the Silver Division reports that they have been unsuccessful in finding the Mizu Clan. A search in their home and their place of business have turned up empty and it seems that they have had been so for some time. They wait for your next order, Commander." He paused, nervously eyeing the black clad young man for any signs that he would turn on him. Though Leopard had gained the reputation of being the icy leader of the Dark Flame Grandmaster's personal guard, his calm veneer hid a dangerous fury. Which was dangerous because anger did not cloud his judgment. It sharpened them. Honed his senses into a dangerous blade that would strike to kill in an instant. And with the Dark Flame Grandmaster wounded in the last skirmish with those rogue ninjas, the Dark Flame Ninja knew that Leopard Kuraihi was very, very angry.

If those poor other ninjas he sent in the Med bay during a training spar earlier hadn't been proof of that. And those ninjas weren't just armed and well trained, they were Elites.

The ninja watched Leopard bow his head in thought for a few seconds before finally speaking up. "Then we can assume that they aren't anymore in there." He muttered. "Order the search group to return to base. They need to rest and regroup before come up with a new recon target. Tell Taro that I do not consider this a failure of his or his team's part."