I tapped my foot quietly, impatiently. My master tells me that is my only flaw when it comes to my temperament. That and the fact that I hate to follow orders. And that I... Well, okay, it's not my only flaw, but it is my main one. I have no patience. None whatsoever. I quickly and irritably brushed my hair out of my eyes. If he didn't hurry up, they would start the Tournament without me. And this would be the only time all the Shinobi would be assembled in one place for another couple thousand years.

"Patience, patience." I glanced behind me, at my aging teacher. He had long silvery hair and a lean physique. Vern, the Fire Master. He looked at me. "Ready to go?"

I nodded, and grinned wolfishly.

He just rolled his eyes. "That's pretty arrogant considering the company you will be in."

"Yes sir." I replied, keeping a straight face.

He smiled, "I like that in a fighter." I grinned back and we both took off at a run.

Risho glanced about; none of the future masters looked like what he needed. Touya looked at his sect leader. "I have been informed that Vern and his apprentice are late."

Risho looked at him. "Vern, you say? Hm."

Jin yawned. "Yeah, he's the best Fire Master, big deal."

"His apprentice is rumored to excel him." Gama looked at Jin in slight surprise at his indifference. "And he is the best Fire Master since Xio, who died five thousand years ago."

"Yeah, whatever." Jin casually picked his ear. "I don't give a damn." He turned to leave.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bakken asked, grabbing Jin's shoulder. The Wind Master looked at him. Bakken stepped back from the sheer hatred in Jin's eyes.

"Don't EVER put your gritty hands on me again!" He hissed, his fangs bared. Bakken took another step back. Jin jumped into the air and flew off.

"Master Risho." The sect looked at the demon that approached them. She was a fairly young apprentice, he estimated she had seen less than a hundred years and was apparently a Fire Master's. "Master Vern wishes to speak with you." Risho nodded and followed the apprentice, his sect behind them. Risho tried evaluating her but he couldn't feel her power, she had drawn it in. It took a lot of skill to do that, interesting. When they came to the meeting area, Risho nodded at the aging Fire Master. Touya glanced at his leader; he should show more respect for the Head Master of the Fire Element.

I felt the Earth Master's gaze, apparently attempting to evaluate my abilities. I drew my aura in. Bowing to my master, I took a kneeling position in a corner of the room. "Ah, Risho. I have heard many things about your sect."

"And I of you, sir."

Flatterer. I had to hold in a yawn. Vern noticed my boredom and smiled. "You may leave, Rekka." I nodded and stood. Bowing slightly, I walked out of the room. Outside, I went straight to the arena and entered myself. I had to do something to kill time.

"Why have you summoned my sect here?" Risho asked, attempting to get to the point.

"I see your Wind Master isn't here." Vern remarked, ignoring the obvious sign to tell him why he summoned him there.

"He is like the wind he controls, unpredictable." Touya tentatively offered.

Vern laughed. So the Ice Master spoke. "A bit like my apprentice. She is wild, uncontrollable as well." Risho gritted his teeth; he didn't like being toyed with. "All right then, I'll be brief." Vern stood. "I am running out of time. Rekka's learned all she can from me, but I want to ensure her a future. If I had it my way, she wouldn't even be a Shinobi, but..." He shrugged. "There was no other choice. I would like you to consider adding her to your faction."

Risho nodded, eyes calculating. "I'll consider it. But I would like to see her fight."

"You will get your chance." Vern grinned. "Just go to the ring." The Earth Master raised an eyebrow, nodded and left. After he did, Vern shook his head. "Why the HELL did HE have to be in charge of the most successful sect?" He muttered to himself.

"Sir?" He looked at Touya, who stood hesitantly in the doorway. "May I speak freely?"

"Of course." He watched the Ice Master attentively, who kneeled before him.

"I would advise you sending your apprentice to another sect, sir. Risho would try to dominate her as soon as she was accepted."

"I know, she'll like the challenge."

Touya looked up, meeting the Fire Master's gaze. "If you believe so, sir."

Vern stood up, and motioned for Touya to as well. "Rekka is free-spirited, Master of Enchanted Ice. Go watch her fight. Draw your opinion from that." He clapped the stunned Touya on the shoulder and walked past him.

Laughing, I easily dodged the blade and struck, knocking him out cold. "Next?" I grinned.

"Winner of the fifteenth match: Fire Master Vern's apprentice, Rekka."

They give me no credit. I left the ring; they were moving on to the Masters. I wouldn't fight again unless someone challenged me. A Master might, considering I did an elimination match with every other apprentice here, and won it, but I doubted it. Stretching slightly, I took a seat. Yawning, I felt a powerful aura. I glanced at the guy sitting beside me; he was the one emitting it.

He glanced at me and smiled. "Like fightin', huh?"

"Love it." I grinned.

"Wanna?"

I saw the pointed ears. Jin, the Wind Master. My grin widened. "Love to." He stepped into the ring and announced his challenge. I stepped down to meet him.

"Begin!"

I waited for him to make the first move. Ah, his ever-favored Tornado Fist. He gave me his signature I-don't-have-a-care-in-the-world grin.

"So ya ready?"

"BRING IT!" I smirked. He charged, laughing. I knocked his arm out of the way and delivered a solidpunch to his stomach. He fell back, clutching said body part. He flew up into the air.

"Nice." He grinned.

I just smiled disarmingly and closed my eyes as I unleashed my power. Flames licked at my body, but I paid them no heed. I opened my eyes. Jin blinked sweat out of his eye as my fiery aura made the temperature skyrocket up. From about eighty to a hundred and twenty degrees in less than a nanosecond.

"REKKA!"

I glanced at the intruder and groaned. He had to interrupt my fight, didn't he...? Vern had the match called off and I walked over to him. "Yes?" I asked, then muttered. "It better be good."

He smiled thinly. "I didn't want you to kill your soon to be fellow Shinobi sect member."

"What?" I looked at him, incredulous. "You mean, I am soon to be a Master?"

"After one final test, yes, but I have the feeling it'll be a breeze for you." He grinned, then laughed a little ruefully. "Come on, we'd better get going."

Jin sullenly left the ring; he had wanted to finish that fight... Risho walked over to him, as did the rest of his fellow sect members. "Why did he stop the fight?" Jin asked, clearly disappointed.

"Fire Master Vern thought it wise that you didn't kill each other just before Rekka became our teammate." Touya glanced at Risho. "If he agrees."

Risho looked at Touya; his eyes showed his anger at his impudence. "She will be adequate." He turned and left.

"Why does everything he utter a insult?" Touya asked, shaking his head.

"Because he is a fuckin' bastard." Jin replied instantly. Touya snickered slightly. "Don' tell Risho I said that, huh?" He grinned at his friend. Touya just smiled and walked off.

I kneeled at my Master's deathbed. Why...? Why did I have to...? I clenched my fists and bowed my head, tears running down my face. The lastfifty years (most apprentices trained for centuries, but I was extremely adept) of training had been Hell... But to kill my teacher in battle...

He looked at me, and slowly smiled. "I had to do this as well, you know."

"I... Know..." Damn it, why couldn't I stop crying!

He laughed weakly, blood trickling from his mouth. "You'll... Meet Risho's sect at the temple in two days... A little advice, though." I looked up at him through tear-stained eyes. He grinned. "Don't tell Risho that I left you anything. The bastard's a miser who is a control freak and will try to dominate you."

I wiped my eyes. "I'll have to show him that Fire is untamable, then, won't I?"

"That's my girl." He fondly ruffled my unruly mane. He took a deep, shaky breath; I looked away as his Spirit Energy faded. I gently adjusted his blanket and pillow and slowly got to my feet. I burned his body. He had... Wished... To be consumed by flame... To then have his ashes scattered around the surrounding area of the volcano that he had called home, but to have his heart remain in the center of it. I did as he asked. I had removed the heart and cremated it separately. Putting the ashes in his favorite crystal, I set it in the heart of the volcano, amid the lava. I then scattered the rest around the forest that surrounded the volcano, randomly.

Going to my own room, I packed my extra clothes. Pulling on a scarlet cloak, I threw the bag over my shoulder and tossed a small purse full of money into it. Leaving the volcano through the only entrance, I sealed it off. Running at a trot, I made it to the Fire Temple in a day. Vern had found me here when I was a mere babe. Even he didn't know where I came from. Finding the nearby river, I grabbed a handful of sand from the bottom and cleaned up. After drying off, I changed into my best clothes and waited. True to his word, Risho arrived the next day. Which was lucky for him. I don't like waiting longer than a said time. And I wasn't in a mood to ignore tardiness or any transgressions.