Shadows of thy Self
Pairng: Kasumi/Ryu
Warnings/Spoilers: Sexual situations
Author Note: I wanted to do a darker look in Kasumi's charctar and this was the result. Although it did turn out differently than I thought it would.
Disclaimer: I don't own Dead or Alive
Summary: She has changed, she is a lot colder now, she made it so Ayane couldn't return to the shinobi life, and yet they he could catch a glimpse of her old self

She has changed Hayabusa...

The girl that you once knew and loved is gone...

She has quit running and started to fight back. She even made it so Ayane couldn't return to the shinobi life. The rest of the clan is afraid of her...

You are they only one...who can kill her.

She has always trusted you. She has always loved you...

He frowns lightly as Hayate's words continue to ring through his mind. He still has a hard of time of accepting his words.

Even when Hayate gave him the cold hard evidence of her change showing him Ayane's injured form, a part of him wanted to deny his best friends words.

Even now he has a hard time in believing that Kasumi would purposefully cut off Ayane's leg, of course he also understands that anything could happen in battle. It was probably Ayane's miscalculation that had caused her to lose her right leg.

The only logical explanation in his mind is what caused Kasumi to snap in such a matter. Sure she might have grown tired of being hunted by her former clansmen, but he believes that was only partially the reason. Kasumi has always valued human life with a few exceptions to that rule like that Raidou. But when he asked Hayte or Ayane about it they didn't know or was being oblivious to it.

It honestly didn't take long for him to find her. He was honestly more surprise about her job occupation than anything else. In the years that he has known her he couldn't imagine Kasumi working as a stripper.

Yet he couldn't deny the fact that it was Kasumi dress in a black bra and thong doing some sort of dance on the stage. Hips moving to sensual beat of the music

It would only be a matter of time before he can talks to Kasumi. Despite the fact he doesn't attend strip joints on a regular basis. He knows that a person can request a specific stripper for a private lap dance which he is silently grateful. In the solitude of a private room he wouldn't be interrupted and he would be able to find out the information he wants to know.

"I take it Hayate asked you to kill me?" she questions angrily slightly slamming the door as she glares at his sitting form and for a minute he thought something else cross her face.

Hurt perhaps.

"He did, but I haven't decided if I'm going to yet," he remarks choosing his words carefully. He did see the anger slowly drain from her, and a slow and seductive smile spread across her face.

"So what do I have to do convince you otherwise?" she says seductively moving to sit on his lap so his face was inches away from her barely clad breast.

"What cause you to snap?" he questions trying to ignore Kasumi scantly clad form and how good it felt to have body press against his. "Is it because you hate the clan?"

She shakes her head no manner, "It happen a year ago, I was in the park or something and there was this little girl. About five years old, she wanted to give me a flower saying it would cheer me up. Then Ayane and her squad attacked. I suppose the girl was collateral damage. It was shortly afterwards I went through a self-reflection process and I decided to fight back."

He nods in understanding.

He did have a feeling it had something to do with the death of another person.

"And Ayane?" he questions noticing Kasumi stiffen at the mention of her half-sister a part of him wonders if she would push him away.

"It was her own miscalculation but I can't say I regret what happen," she replies with a slight indifference in her voice. Kissing him lightly, "Is that all of your questions Mr. Super Ninja because I was thinking we could do something more fun."

"Some place else," he replies.

She instantly shakes her head before pressing her lips against his in a soft kiss, before shaking her head lightly, "I don't trust you Hayabusa, you have always been loyal to my brother, and I know you will use my trust and love for you against me."

"I will never use your feelings against you," he replies.

"Perhaps," she muses lightly moving off his lap before walking backgrounds towards the door. "But I'm not capable of trust anymore. As long as I'm a nukenin I can trust or freely love anybody. Despite my feeling for you. Goodbye Hayabusa"

He frowns lightly as he watches Kasumi move out of the private room, and he can feel his lips twitching upwards into a soft sad smile.

Hayate was wrong.

Deep down she is still the same girl from five years ago. A girl who is still hoping for freedom, but until that freedom comes.

She would harden her heart to everybody including him, but her words give him hope as well. She didn't deny her feelings for him.

It's just the matter if she is still considered as a nukenin. Perhaps he can get Hayate to lift the death sentence off of her, with that thought in mind.

He disappears from the strip joint with a new sense of purpose. Everything he does now will be for Kasumi.

-the End