I wrote this prologue in the middle of being stuck on chapter
4 so I wonder if it introduces the characters well, or makes
any sense whatsover.  I've finished up to chapter 5 now and if
there's any interest, I'll release them on the FFML in a timely
manner, say one a week.

I'm very interested in hearing anything anyone has to say about
this story.  I'm not sure about how I feel about it myself.

***

Kami or Oni
By Ammadeau

Prologue

***

      "It's been twenty years now,"  the Queen of Heaven 
remarked to her husband over tea after their divine lunch.  Her 
long pale green hair spilled onto ornate robes that were the product 
of a decade of meticulous stitching, while above her head floated a 
ring more golden than her fair skin.  They ate in a ornate gazebo 
set amongst the carefully maintained splendor of their courtyard 
garden, which would make any plant lover sob in joy to witness 
such horticultural perfection.  To any kami it was simply expected 
from the palace of the Jade Heaven.  "Twenty years since you 
stripped a minor kami of his powers and exiled him to the human 
world.  Don't you think it's about time you forgave him and 
repealed you silly punishment?  Really, overreacting over 
something so minor..."
      "Perhaps you consider it minor," the King of Heaven 
replied gruffly as his own halo glittered in the afternoon light.  
Like the wardrobe of his wife, his clothes were a work of art, 
delicately stitched by the most talented artists who had ever 
existed, but at the moment he didn't appear very comfortable in 
them.  "However, openly flirting with the Queen of Heaven during 
an important ceremony does not befit the proper dignity of a kami 
of any rank.  There are standards that we all must maintain, 
otherwise we'll be no better than the oni."
      "You're so cute when you're jealous, but you really 
shouldn't be taking it out on the poor boy.  He was only being 
polite," the Queen insisted.  "Besides, after twenty years of exile 
I'm sure he's changed his ways."
      "Somehow, I doubt it," the King replied, though he knew it 
would not convince his wife.  "Very well, send one of your 
servants down to the human world in order to see what sort of 
person our exile has become.  If he has reformed, then he will be 
admitted back into the grace of Heaven, but if he is the same skirt 
chaser I know him to be, then the exile will stand."
      "I already placed one of my servants in the human world to 
make sure I don't miss out on some wonderful human products," 
the Queen explained as she sipped at her lemon tea and glanced 
through the latest human fashion magazine.  "I'll have her look into 
it."

      "I'm actually going to be fighting you this time, right?" 
Kenji asked between clenched teeth, tightening his grip on his 
boukto.  He was normally the most even-tempered boy at school, 
though considering the nature of the school that wasn't saying 
much, but the boy he was currently glaring at was one of the few 
people who really seemed to get under his skin.  The fact that his 
opponent was dressed in a white tuxedo while Kenji was wearing a 
white gi and white headband to keep his somewhat unruly black 
hair out of his eyes made the answer to his question was fairly 
obvious.
      "Of course," Hideaki replied as he brushed his long hair 
away from his eyes in a calculated effect to make the women in the 
audience swoon.  Handsome, rich, elegant, cultured... he was a 
man that women could not help but desire.  Then he pulled out 
what looked to be a large controller for a radio-controlled car and 
added, "With this device, I will control every movement of the 
robot I had constructed for this final competition."
      "That's not what I meant!" Kenji raged back at him.  
      Fukabashi High was a school for people who seemed to 
possess excessive fighting energy.  Instead of trying to punish 
them for getting into fights and repressing that fiery spirit, their 
principal organized a major martial arts tournament every semester 
that the entire school participated in.  This even included the 
teachers, though they fought separately from the students.  The 
event was further split between men and women.  The final 
matches of all the other events had already taken place.  Only the 
battle for the ultimate male student martial artist remained.
      Hideaki had been using machines to fight for him all 
through the tournament, always claiming he would fight himself 
eventually, but now it was the final match and wasn't surprising he 
wasn't keeping his promise.  Especially when hadn't kept his 
promise in the previous two tournaments he had participated it, 
though he had used professional martial artists and trained animals 
instead of mecha to come close to the top those previous times.  
Only to be defeated each time by Kenji.
      "I have been trained by the finest martial arts instructors 
that money can buy.  My skill in the deadly art of hand to hand 
combat is so finely tuned that it would be far too cruel for me to 
fight you in person.  Therefore I must accept this handicap," 
Hideaki explained as his latest lumbering mecha rolled onto the 
gym floor on treads.  It had about six arms that seemed as if they 
had been affixed at random to a central column, on top of which 
was a vaguely human head.  It looked like a futuristic coat rack.
      "Liar!  When we were kids, you used to cry like a little girl 
whenever I hit you!" Mitsuko shouted from Kenji's corner, dressed 
in a comfortable, if unstylish, blouse and long skirt.  She had 
transferred to the school along with Hideaki over a year ago, and 
though they seemed to have been going to school together since 
preschool, she was one of the few female students who clearly 
hated his guts.  Since she had dropped out of the women's 
competition fairly early on, she had volunteered to help out Kenji, 
since his divorced father, Toshiharu, was off on another one of his 
dates.
      "Please ignore the lies spouted by that jealous woman, 
driven to insanity by the fact that I have spurred her advances time 
and time again," Hideaki spoke to the audience in a slightly 
nervous tone, and also ignoring Mitsuko's raspberry response.  
Caressing his own cheek, Hideaki continued, "Even though my 
martial arts abilities have no equal, there is still a slight chance that 
this handsome face, which fate has burdened me with, would 
receive some blemish to mar its perfection.  To scar this face, 
which brings so many people happiness, would cause far too much 
suffering for me to allow that to happen."
      "Fine.  Let's just get this over with," Kenji gave in with a 
sigh, knowing Hideaki would argue all night to get what he 
wanted.  He also knew that Hideaki would never stop bragging 
about his supposed martial arts skills until he was beaten directly, 
making a victory here unsatisfying at best.
      "Now it seems that the competitors are finally prepared for 
our final match of the night in Fukabashi High's martial arts 
tournament championship!" the principal announced from the 
judges table, being able to be heard far to the other side of the gym 
without the aid of a microphone, though the people sitting next to 
him were going to find it hard to hear things afterwards.  "On one 
side, we have the returning champion, Kenji Yokokami, who has 
gone undefeated for three tournaments now!  And on the other, we 
have another amazing mecha controlled by student council 
president Hideaki Maehayashi!  Begin!"

      "Go! Go! Kenji-kun!" Momoko cheered him from the 
sidelines, which Kenji did his best to ignore.  It was bad enough 
that she had just been cheering for Hideaki a moment before, 
worse that she was their homeroom teacher, but absolutely 
embarrassing due to the fact that she was wearing a very revealing 
cheerleader uniform as she bounced about waving her pom-poms 
in the air.  The fact that she was a devastatingly attractive women 
with sparkling green eyes and slightly curly black hair didn't make 
it any less humiliating for Kenji, though it did mean that the 
majority of the males in the audience weren't paying much 
attention to the match.
      Tuning out all distractions, Kenji studied his mechanical 
opponent closely as he slowly circled around it, the machine 
staying perfectly still as Hideaki idly waved to some women in the 
audience, his other hand only loosely holding the controls.  With 
the robot having such a thin body, Kenji knew it was going to be 
hard to score points there and the treads seemed well protected by 
the thing's arms, but its smallish head had no overhead cover...
      Suddenly dashing forward while its creator was distracted, 
Kenji leapt high into the air to bring his boukto down hard on the 
head of the machine, less concerned about scoring a hit than doing 
enough damage to the thing so it could no longer function.  So he 
was caught by surprise when the its six arms started twirling 
around so fast they sent a gust of air right up at him, sending him 
flying off in a random direction.  It was only from his father's 
rigorous training that Kenji was able to flip and land on his feet 
several meters away.
      "Kenji...," Maiko whispered softly in obvious worry, sitting 
alone near the back of the audience with her gaze permanently 
fixed on the young kendoist.  She appeared slender and pale, 
almost sickly.  Her long dark red hair flowed down to her simple 
black long sleeved dress, complete with matching gloves.
      "Sometimes the best offense is a good defense," Hideaki 
said to Kenji with a smirk.  "My latest creation is capable of 
repelling all attacks directed upon it automatically, allowing me to 
focus on finding the proper moment to strike."
      "That's not fair, Hideaki!" Mitsuko shouted at him again, 
though she didn't really need to shout since she had strode right up 
to him.  The additional volume was meant to convey her increased 
contempt for the arrogant idiot.  "First you bring some stupid robot 
to do all the fighting for you again, and now you make one that can 
defend itself without you even doing anything!"
      "It's okay, Mitsu," Kenji said after he took a deep breath to 
steady himself.  He had been a little shaken by that sudden 
artificial whirlwind, but it wouldn't catch him by surprise a second 
time.  "I have my pride as a martial artist.  I'm not about to lose to 
some... tinker toy that Hideaki had built."
      "You dare mock my genius, Kenji-kun?  I considered this a 
light-hearted match between friends, but now you have gone to 
make this personal," Hideaki spoke in restrained anger as started to 
work deftly at the robot's controls, bringing the thing to life once 
again.  Its treads slowly moved towards Kenji, while its arms spun 
about seemingly at random.  "We'll see if you still consider it a 
tinker toy after you have tasted bitter defeat."
      "When have we ever been friends?!" Kenji raged as he 
charged.  Kenji's father had always taught his son to let one's 
opponent attack first and focus one's energies on counter-attacking, 
but at the moment Kenji was angry enough to go with his mother's 
much simpler strategy of kicking her opponent until they stopped 
moving.  Hideaki was the one he really wanted to give a few kicks, 
but under tournament rules that would mean forfeiting the match 
and he didn't want to give the arrogant blowhard the satisfaction.
      Kenji dived in for a light sweep kick aiming to hit one of 
the treads, knowing he couldn't do any damage to the machine that 
way, but at least hopefully scoring a point.  Unfortunately, the 
metal monster was able to bend its thin torso to send a new gust of 
air right in his face, forcing him away before he could even 
connect.  Following up with a simple boukto strike to the torso was 
just as ineffective, the whirling arms easily keeping him at bay.
      *If it defends itself without Hideaki's input, then it must 
have a way of sensing my attacks...,* Kenji mused as he kept a 
short distance away from the advancing electronic beast while 
catching his breath.  Hideaki was still paying more attention to the 
women in the audience than he was to the match, probably waiting 
for Kenji to wear himself out before launching his attack.
      Kenji's father also had a technique that every opponent had 
a small weakness that should be exploited whenever possible.  It 
was something both Kenji and his mother frowned upon, but there 
didn't seem much point in fighting fair against a machine.  Kenji 
launched a few more experimental attacks, varying the location 
and strength of his blows.  It became clear to him that the stronger 
he attacked, the quicker the robot would defend itself.  In a real 
fight, strength was essential to victory, but in this tournament there 
was no reason to back his blows with any power at all.
      Waiting for Hideaki to be especially distracted in an 
argument with Mitsuko, Kenji tested out his theory by slowly 
approaching the robot and giving it a very light bop on the head 
with his boukto.  This time, the machine completely failed to react 
to his presence.
      "Hit for Kenji!" the principal announced, immediately 
grabbing Hideaki's attention.
      "Yay, Kenji-kun!" Momoko cheered for her prized student.
      "Kenji..." Maiko whispered again, though this time she was 
smiling very slightly.
      "It seems the goddess of good fortune has smiled upon you 
once, Kenji-kun.  However, luck will only get you so far against a 
machine designed specifically to best you," Hideaki spoke as he 
fiddled with the controls.
      The mecha that had been slowly chasing Kenji suddenly 
stopped before him and moved all of its arms the to front.  Kenji 
held his boukto before him and braced himself for Hideaki's 
obvious plan, though he wasn't sure how good his wooden sword 
would do against the six arms of the metal monster.  With the 
sound of the grinding of gears, the robot suddenly charged towards 
him with more speed than it looked capable of.
      Kenji flinched for impact, only no impact of any kind 
followed.  He glanced over to his right to see that Hideaki's aim 
was a little off, making his mecha miss its intended target by a 
meter or so.  Kenji was about to laugh when once the machine's 
arms extended and tapped him solidly on the side.
      "Hit for Hideaki!" the principal declared.  "Now that a hit 
has been scored on either side, the next hit will decide the match!"
      "Yay, Hideaki-kun!" Momoko cheered for her other prized 
student.
      "Hideaki, you jerk!  That was the most underhanded attack 
yet!" Mitsuko protested mainly by choking the source of her ire.  
Only for several female students to rush out of the audience in his 
defense, eventually prying her hands from his throat.
      "It's shocking that a woman could be so crude and 
unfeminine," Hideaki managed to croak out as he recovered from 
the uncalled for assault on his person.  Then he addressed Kenji 
with a stronger tone, "It saddens me to see you resort to the 
underhanded tactic of using your second to aid you in winning this 
match, but it is no doubt caused by the realization that you now 
have no chance of victory in this noble tournament."
      *I can't believe he can say that with a straight face,* Kenji 
thought with a sigh, knowing Hideaki only considered something 
cheating if it were used against him.  He also knew he had to be on 
his guard now that robot started to slowly approach him again.  
The machine had caught him by surprise twice now and Kenji had 
no idea what other tricks it had up its metal sleeves.  He had to 
score another hit and end the match as quickly as possible.
      *It can move a lot faster than this, so I wonder why it 
follows me around so slowly.... Hmm, since it defends itself by 
sensing changes in air pressure, maybe if it moved any faster it 
wouldn't be able to 'see' my attacks,* Kenji considered as he kept 
his eyes on and his distance from the mobile coat rack of doom.
      "Now you are merely delaying the inevitable, Kenji-kun," 
Hideaki gloated, looking as if he were holding back laughter.  
"Knowing when to accept defeat is also part of being a true martial 
artist."
      *If I'm right, when it rushes me its defenses are down.  The 
thing also moves like a tank and Hideaki isn't very good at piloting 
it...,* Kenji mused as he felt a plan beginning to form.  Slowly 
making his way closer to Hideaki while facing away from the 
arrogant boy, Kenji replied, "Really?  Mitsu was telling me before 
about how you would always cry to your mommy whenever she so 
much raised her first at you... or how no matter what games you 
both played you would always lose..."
      "Lies!  Lies concocted by a jealous and evil mind, twisted 
by years of envying my superior abilities," Hideaki practically spat 
in anger.  Taking a few moments to calm himself down, and to 
tune out Mitsuko's mocking laughter nearby, he calmly told his 
opponent, "Now I believe it is time to teach you a lesson in 
humility."
      Kenji said nothing, having made sure to come close to the 
robot just before it began its mad charge.  First diving to the floor 
he managed to avoid the frantic milling of its six arms, he applied a 
kick hard to the side of its treads and caused it to turn right in the 
direction of its master.  Hideaki was unable to correct its new 
course before it plowed right into him, knocking him to the floor.  
The robot attempted to roll right over him, only to topple about 
half way and fall with a smash to the floor as well.
      "Hit and match.  The winner of the men's student martial 
arts competition for the forth consecutive semester is Kenji 
Yokokami," the principal announced at what was a normal volume 
for most people, a little too stunned by the result to raise his voice.
      No one could hear him over the sound of Mitsuko's loud 
laughter anyway, as it echoed throughout the gym.

      "It couldn't have been that funny, Mitsu," Kenji said to his 
friend who was still chuckling to herself with a huge grin.
      They were sitting off in a corner of the gym, away from the 
crowd, as they waited for the preparations for the closing 
ceremony of the tournament to be completed.  Kenji's foot still 
ached from kicking his metal opponent, but he was sure letting 
Hideaki win would have been a lot more painful.
      "Are you kidding?  That was the funniest thing I've ever 
seen in my life!" Mitsuko declared around a fresh wave of 
laughter.  "The best part when the robot rolled over him after 
knocking him down..."
      "Excuse me... Kenji-san..."  Maiko's words were barely 
audible to herself, much less to her intended target over the 
continued sounds of Mitsuko's laughter.  Somehow, he must have 
sensed her behind him because he started to turn, causing Maiko to 
immediately turn away from him and flee the gym in a panic.
      "Huh?  Was someone behind me?" Kenji thought out loud 
as he glanced back.  He was sure he felt someone, but he looked 
there was no one there.  When he turned back around, however, 
there was definitely someone there, whose face was now only a 
couple of centimeters from his own, one he wished wasn't so 
familiar.
      "Ken-ji-kun," Momoko said his name slowly.  Then she 
grinned and practically leapt on him to apply a suffocating hug, 
pressing her curvatious body against his.  "As your teacher, I'm 
very proud of you.  I was cheering you on from the sidelines... 
hoping that you, my best student, would triumph..."
      "You were cheering Hideaki too," Kenji muttered, not that 
he expected this fact to have much of an effect on his overly 
affectionate teacher.  He was sure a lot of other boys would envy 
the position he was in right now, but Kenji was too tired, sore, and 
especially annoyed to gain any satisfaction from it.
      *Poor Maiko,* Mitsuko thought as she was still staring at 
the door the shy girl had retreated to.  It had been clear to her for a 
while now that she had a crush on Kenji for some reason, but she 
was far too timid to do anything about it.  *There has to be 
something I can do to help her...*
      "I won the female teacher martial arts completion.  Aren't 
you proud of me?" Momoko asked as she continued to cling to 
Kenji, ignoring what he had just said.  Finally, she released her 
hold on him, only to slip her arm around his waist as she declared 
dramatically, "Now we can stand arm in arm in the winners' 
circle... a beautiful teacher and her darling student."
      "I already know you won.  You practically forced me to 
watch you.  Don't you remember?" Kenji asked, wishing he could 
forget it.  Though at least he wasn't alone in that.  She had told her 
entire class that if everyone didn't cheer for her she was sure to 
lose and would have to sing songs in class all day tomorrow to 
cheer herself up.  Listening to that would be a face worse than 
death.
      "Watching my body?  You naughty boy," Momoko teased 
as she hugged him, rubbing one of his cheeks with her finger while 
the rest of her body rubbed up against him.  "Maybe I should keep 
you after school tomorrow... and teach you a little lesson."
      Kenji frantically signed to Mitsuko for help, but she 
seemed distracted by some thought and wasn't even looking in his 
direction.  The way his teacher was acting was going to get them 
both kicked out of school, but she didn't seem to mind.  For Kenji, 
who was hoping to get into a decent college and keep the 
reputation of his family's dojo from being completely ruined, it 
was a little more important.  *Kami-sama, please deliver me from 
this terrible fate.*
      "Kenji, if you wish to celebrate your underhanded victory 
against me then I request that you do so in private.  While I am 
willing to swallow my pride and accept this unfair defeat, I will not 
tolerate you offending the public with such a... perverted display," 
Hideaki spoke as if sick to his stomach as he approached, sporting 
a completely new white tux after Kenji's final attack had caused 
some minor rips on his previous one.
      *This wasn't exactly what I had in mind,* Kenji thought, 
though he should have known better to rely on heavenly powers 
with his bad luck.  "How was my victory underhanded exactly?  I 
was following all the rules of the tournament... and not bending the 
substitution rule to get someone or something else to fight for me."
      "Your use of that... vile woman to distract me at the critical 
moment was-- urk!" Hideaki's speech was cut off the same way 
that his air was, by Mitsuko's hands closing over his windpipe.
      "That woman is right behind you," Kenji warned him a 
little too late.  Now they both had women clinging to them and 
Kenji had to admit he was getting the better deal at the moment.  
With a sigh, he reluctantly told his friend, "You better let go of 
him, Mitsu.  If Hideaki dies...  umm, I'm sure it would be bad for 
some reason."
      "Fine," Mitsuko released her hold on him.  Even if she 
never had a chance of winning the woman's martial arts 
championship, all that judo training building up a strong grip was 
good for something.
      "I've come to expect this from her.  Physical violence is the 
only response an inarticulate woman such as her can make," 
Hideaki responded arrogantly, at least once he had put Kenji and 
Momoko between the she devil and himself.
      "For a woman, it's not always best to put her emotions in 
words," Momoko breathed into Kenji's ear with her arms still 
around him.  She had a look in her eyes that his father's dates 
usually had just before he invites them into his bedroom.
      "Momo... chan, it looks like the principal is trying to get 
your attention," Kenji told the teacher nervously when he noticed 
the former world champion martial artist staring directly at him.  
His expression was a little hard to read at a distance, but under the 
circumstances Kenji doubted it was a pleasant one.
      "Oh, they must need me for the closing ceremonies already.  
I've got to go," Momoko said reluctantly as she released her hold 
on Kenji, causing him to sigh in deep relief, that is until she raced 
back over to him to plant a kiss on his cheek.  "Chu!"
      *She didn't have to make the sound effect too,* Kenji 
thought bitterly as he rubbed his cheek and stared at the ditzy 
teacher as she scampered off towards the stage.  He couldn't help 
noticing Hideaki staring at her as well, especially at the very short 
skirt of her cheerleading outfit.  Noting Mitsuko's grin, Kenji told 
her, "You could have helped me, you know."
      "You looked like you didn't need my help... except maybe 
to help you pay for a room at a love motel," Mitsuko commented 
with a smirk.  "Hideaki might have the attention of all the girls in 
class... for some bizarre and disgusting reason, but you've got the 
grand prize to keep you warm."
      "It isn't like that at all," Kenji protested.  Momoko flirted 
with virtually every male at school, but since he was one of the few 
who didn't respond properly to her attention he got singled out by 
her for extra effort.  It might have been the fantasy of the other 
boys in class, but all it made him feel was uncomfortable.
      "Only teasing you, Kenji-kun.  Airheads like her are more 
Hideaki's type," Mitsuko said with a glare directed at Hideaki 
himself, who was still basically hiding behind Kenji.
      "Our instructor is a paragon of womanly virtue, which is 
not something I expect a brutish ape like you to understand," 
Hideaki lectured Mitsuko, while maintaining a safe distance from 
her.  "While her taste in men is sadly misguided, Momoko-san is a 
model of beauty, grace, and femininity.  She understands that a 
woman's place is working at a feminine profession such as 
teaching until she marries.  Then she will leave her temporary 
career behind and instead focus on her true duty of maintaining a 
home and showering her husband with affection.  Bulging biceps 
would only take away from her beauty, which is why the violent 
sport of martial arts should be left to men.  The delicate flower of 
womanhood was not meant to endure such harsh treatment."
      "Come on Hideaki, ideas like 'a woman's place is only in 
the home' are a couple centuries out of date.  Besides, I've got a 
feeling that our homeroom teacher is hardly a master of the 
domestic arts.  She tricks the boys in our class into bringing her 
lunches," Kenji berated his rival, not bothering to point out that 
Momoko had one the women teachers' martial arts competition, 
because it was hard to call her method of winning a martial art.  
Most of her opponents forfeited out of disgust.
      Some distance away, two tough-looking female students 
had just come in from outside to overhear this interesting 
conversation.  Though one was nearly a head taller than the other, 
their matching outfits of leather jackets, torn jean shorts, knee high 
leather boots, leather gloves, spiked collar, and assorted chains 
made them almost look like twins.
      "Boss wouldn't be too happy to hear this," C-ko whispered 
to her companion in a worried tone while smiling.
      "We should definitely tell her," B-ko replied with full grin.
      "Yeah.  Should be fun to watch what happens," C-ko 
agreed before they both quickly returned outside.

      When Shinobu entered the gym again everyone took notice.  
It wasn't her spiky black hair that added several centimeters to her 
already impressive height.  It wasn't her 'biker from hell' fashion 
sense.  It wasn't that she had just won the women's student martial 
arts competition, defeating all her opponents by knock outs or 
forfeits.  It wasn't that she had banged the gym doors open hard 
enough to shake the walls.  It was all those things and the fact that 
she had a reputation for delivering extra large quantities of pain to 
anyone who dared to offend her.
      "... saying that women are too weak to become martial 
artists, that martial arts practice make them ugly, and that a woman 
must put her husband first, that's...  What's wrong Hideaki?"  Kenji 
had been arguing with the arrogant jerk for a little while, trying 
vainly for him to see reason in his feudal based fantasy world, only 
for the target of his verbal assault to suddenly pale as he looked at 
something over Kenji's shoulder.
      Kenji very slowly turned around, expecting to find some 
mutant space alien advancing on him with a death ray in hand, but 
instead he saw something far worse.  He considered running, but 
he had a feeling that would only make her madder.
      "Kenji Yokokami," Shinobu spoke his name slowly as she 
grabbed him by his gi in her gloved hand, lifting him effortlessly 
off of his feet.  If looks could kill, he would be sub-atomic 
particles by now.  "I challenge you to the first match of the new 
season, out in the school yard before the first class of the new 
semester.  Forfeits, substitutions, or any other excuses will not be 
allowed."
      "Shinobu-san... girls aren't supposed to challenge boys.  
That's part of the rules," Kenji explained weakly, since it was hard 
to speak from a position of strength when your feet didn't touch the 
ground.  For the first half of their school's big tournament anybody 
could challenge anyone they liked.  Then whoever hadn't fought 
would compete in more structured matches in the second half.  The 
tournament was clearly divided between students and teachers and 
men and women for reasons that seemed obvious to everyone but 
Shinobu.  "I'm sure this is all just a misunders--"
      "Shut up!" Shinobu practically screamed in his face before 
dropping him to the hard gym floor.  "After the things you just 
said, I don't want to hear another word from you until it's through 
broken teeth.  And if you don't show, I might get upset."
      *And you're not upset now?* Kenji thought, but wisely 
refrained from saying, as Shinobu walked away, her two 
subordinates falling into step behind her.  Mitsuko put a 
comforting hand on his shoulder.  Not surprisingly, Hideaki had 
vanished.  Looking up at his friend, Kenji said, "I'm dead, aren't 
I?"
      "No, I'm sure at worst Shinobu will put you in the hospital 
for a few days with probably a few casts," Mitsuko replied 
honestly.  "If you're really remorseful she might let you off with 
just a broken bone or two."
      "This really isn't helping," Kenji told her.  He had won the 
men's side of the student competition ever since coming to this 
high school, much to Hideaki's continued annoyance.  Shinobu was 
in a whole other league from him.  He was faster on his feet and 
might have more pure skill, but it didn't mean much in the face of 
the punk girl's inhuman strength and endurance.  He might as well 
pick a fight with a tank.  With a faint hope, he added, "Maybe I can 
reason with her and get her to realize it was all a 
misunderstanding."
      "Hey, look at the bright side.  Even if you do get beaten to 
a bloody pulp, I'm sure our busty teacher will be all too eager to 
nurse you back to health," Mitsuko teased to lighten the mood.
      Kenji shuddered and muttered, "Maybe Shinobu will knock 
me unconscious at least."

      Dusk had come to coat Japan in an inky darkness.  
Darkness that hid her away from watching eyes as she approached 
the home of her latest assignment.  The mansion was dark and 
closed up without a sign of life, but Asami knew better.  It was 
how the only home she had ever known for her seventeen years of 
life appeared to the untrained eye.  Things visible only to the eyes 
of a ninja.
      Over the wall and through the grounds without a sound, not 
a single dead leaf scattered across the courtyard betraying her 
arrival.  The locks on the doors and windows were far more 
modern than the building itself, but they were not enough to bar 
her entry.
      Hand on the door to the main hall and for the first time she 
hesitated.  She knew who lay beyond, perhaps even anticipating 
her arrival now.  Asami had been carrying out her duties as a 
member of her clan for years now without so much as a pause, but 
this time was different.  This time she would not be able to walk 
away and blend back into the night as if nothing had happened.  
This time she would not be able to escape the consequences of her 
actions.
      Her hands started to shake slightly.  They hadn't done that 
since she had begun her training over a decade ago.  Asami knew 
what it meant if she could not carry out this assignment.  The fate 
all ninja dread:  shinobi.  To be cast from one's clan and hunted to 
the ends of the earth for the rest of their short life.
      *I can't... I can't do this,* Asami thought in agony as she 
turned and fled in a panic, a rush of wind no normal eye could 
discern the source of.  Tears began to soak her mask.
      In the shadows of the hall, another figure watched her rush 
past, sniffing the faint scent of cherry blossoms in the air.

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