Chapter One
The day started well enough...up until Ayane was conducting shuriken and kunai class for the younger ninja-in-training. At the age of seventeen, she was the youngest Hajinmon leader in the history of the Mugen Tenshin clan, having been appointed the position by Hayate.
She was also a college student, a freshman at Itagaki University, studying Philosophy. Right now, she was on her way to the medical clinic, her hand wrapped in makeshift bandages, as she had caught a kunai barehanded, cutting her palm.
Cursing under her breath, Ayane entered the two-floor building which served as both the Tenshinmon and Hajinmon medical facility. The room was about as big as a suite, complete with several cots lined in a row at the far end of the building. Medicines, both herbal and modern lined the shelves.
In one of the cots, was Ageha. She was found earlier that week at the Sacred Wilderness Training Grounds, unconscious. Someone or something had demolished a section of the bamboo forest there.
Seated behind a desk, was the senior medical officer, having ascended the position following his predecessor's death. To Ayane, the well-built man known as Shin was an enigma. He was Japanese, older than her, but other than the fact that he was one of Genra's last students students, Ayane didn't know much about him. Unlike the villagers, he was dressed in Western clothes: a khaki shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows and black cargo pants. His dark hair was tied into a ponytail.
He was also someone that spoke to Ayane like an equal. He knew that she was a bastard child, which didn't bother him since Shin himself was also the same, having not known his father and his mother was a courtesan. Only several people knew about Shin's family, and Ayane was one of them. And as Ayane noticed, he also was a skilled fighter, trained in both the Hajinmon style of Ninjitsu, as well as Akido.
Shin looked up and saw Ayane holding her bleeding hand. "Take a seat," he ordered, pointing to the stool as he gathered several items: a wash basin, several clean rags, and some other things.
Pulling up a chair, Shin sat down in front of the Hajinmon leader. "Now let's see what kind of damage we have here," he mused as he inspected the wound. "Clean cut...let me guess...kunai?" he said as he began to clean the wound.
Ayane nodded. "Yes. How bad is it?"
"You're gonna need stitches," Shin replied. He cleaned Ayane's wound of the blood. Once that was finished, he took some rubbing alcohol and applied it to the wound, causing the lilac-haired teenager to jump slightly.
"Sorry," the medic apologized. "I should have warned you about the alcohol."
As he began to stitch up Ayane's hand, the Hajinmon boss looked at Shin, who was focused on her hand. "You never did tell me how you joined the clan," she said.
"I've been a member of the clan since I was young," he replied. "I was supposed to join the Hajinmon sect, but the clan needed a medical specialist. So I volunteered." He looked at Ayane. "You're not what I've expected from the so-called 'Female Tengu.' When I first met you, I thought you would be at least...older."
"I'm old enough," Ayane replied. "How did you join the clan anyway?"
"The old man. Master Genra," Shin replied. "It was...twelve years ago. I was eight at the time. I had no family, and I was living off the streets. The old man found me and brought me here. I trained in Hajinmon Ninjitsu, but I decided to take over the clinic once Takeda retired, with Genra's blessings. I was supposed to lead the Hajinmon, but I stepped aside."
At that moment, Hayate entered the clinic. As always, he was dressed in his white ninja uniform, save for the mask. "What happened?" he demanded. "Ayane, are you all right?"
"She'll be fine," Shin replied as he finished the stitches. He then wrapped Ayane's hand in bandages. "She had an accident with a kunai. There. All done. I would take it easy for the next few days until your hand heals, Ayane. Don't use that hand for any type of strenuous activity, or else the stitches will pop open."
Hayate turned to Ageha. "How is Ageha?" he asked.
"Stable, but from the look of things, she is in in a mild coma," Shin replied. "She'll come out of it soon. But it's best that we let her rest."
Ayane looked at her half-brother. There was some talk going on that Ageha had taken a fancy to the Mugen Tenshin head. With Kasumi gone, Hayate was turning his attention to the Hajinmon scout. On more than once occasion, did one of the Tenshinmon or Hajinmon ninja caught them alone together, walking along the trails, talking and enjoying each other's company.
"Ball your hand into a fist," Shin ordered. Ayane did as he she was told. "Okay. Good."
"How long it will take for my hand to heal?" Ayane asked.
"That all depends on you," the medic replied. "Just take it easy for the next couple of days and it will heal."
"But there's the kunai class and--" Ayane was cut off by Hayate.
"Don't worry about that. I'll get a replacement. Take this time out to focus on your studies." When it looked like Ayane was going to argue, Hayate shot her a stern glare. "Ayane...that was an order."
Ayane huffed at that. She may have been the Hajinmon leader, but even she had to answer to Hayate. With a bow, she turned and left the clinic.
As Shin turned to clean up the bloody bandages Hayate turned to him. "I'm sorry about Ayane's behavior."
"You don't need to apologize for her," Shin replied. "There's nothing to apologize for. She has her responsibilities and she doesn't want to disappoint you." Off Hayate's surprised look, Shin smiled. "I can read people very well."
Back at the Hajinmon village, Ayane was in her room. The room used to belong to Genra, but it was hers now. Seated at the low table, she was going over some notes for her university classes, dressed only in a tanktop and a pair of panties.
It was Hayate's request that she attended university. Naturally, Ayane objected, but Hayate insisted that one's education was just as important as mastering Hajinmon Ninjitsu.
Sure enough, Ayane came to like being a college student, especially her Philosophy class. Three times a week, she would go into Tokyo and attend school there. She knew that Ryu Hayabusa had his curio shop in the city, but she only had the old address, and therefore couldn't find him when he relocated his business. He did, however dropped by to the village several times to spar with her or her brother.
Ayane stopped studying for a moment before turning to a framed photo. It was that of her and Genra. It was the last picture she had of him before his death. It was also the only one she had of him not wearing his mask. He looked proud of her, as any father would have been of their child.
The slight pain in her hand didn't worry her. It was her attraction to Shin. She ended up remembering the first time she saw Shin practice his fighting...
It was several months after Kasumi had disappeared. Ayane had woken early that day and decided to train before leaving for her classes. As she approached the training platform, in her ninja uniform, she saw Shin already there.
Ayane watched from her place as Shin practiced. He was naked from the waist up, clad only in a pair of black pants. Ayane took notice that he was just as muscular as Hayate, maybe even more so. But what stood out from Shin was the assortment of scars on his arms, torso and back (ala Kazuya Mishima, minus the big one on his chest).
She may have been the Hajinmon leader, but Shin still outranked her in seniority, and in the ensuing sparring session, she found out that he was especially skilled in the Hajinmon fighting style.
Or maybe she found herself being attracted to Shin.
That idea had scared her somewhat. Ever since Genra had died by her hand, she had shut herself off from the world, only opening up whenever she was with her half-brother or chasing Kasumi down.
'It's not like he doesn't have any brownie points,' Ayane thought as she laid back on her futon, hands behind her head. 'He is loyal to the clan, and speaks to me like an equal. He also doesn't care about me being a product of rape. He has a strange way of thinking, and maybe...'
The next line of thought made her face turn crimson. Thoughts of her and Shin naked and caught in the throes of passion in the form of raw, unadulterated hot monkey sex.
'No way!' she thought as she shoved the thoughts out of her mind. 'What kind of hentai am I?!'
She knew that several of the female members of the Tenshinmon and Hajinmon sects lusted after Shin, but he seemed uninterested. But he was intrigued by Ayane, little did she realize.