I am [NOT] of Honor

Life, Happiness, and the Sword...

The airs of the spring evening fell upon the valley of prosperous cherries that bloomed within the cascading moonlight, flowers which mirrored the flows of falling waters that gave this land its noble namesake. Petals of pink and magenta waltzed along the quiet breezes of the night becoming pristine with the stroke of celestial diamond upon passing the luminance of the nocturne pearl. The same painting of heavenly origins reflected itself against the soothing waters of the river, connected to the edge of low grasses that gleamed with dew to draw gemstones across green. The elegant spectacle of light and nature's own brilliance to be accented by the twinkles of firefly's, the stars, and the subtle tributes of man's own reverence to her presence. It was peaceful, hiding the tensions of betrayal under the blanket of rare extravagance.

Within the village that lay merely down the girth of the river and upon the paved embankments, lights telegraphed the late goers and nightly types, adding a mild shine that still held no contest to their heavenward siblings. Despite the activity, it was relativity quiet, the commotion of bull-frogs and crickets drowning out the energy of shops, red-light districts, and dining. Many of the village's bustling types had taken refuge in their homes however, taking wise notion of the atmosphere of change and knowing all too well the manner which such a movement would be ushered in.

Toshin Kakita walked with a stumble across the road along the flowery embankment. A flush in his cheeks with the sake that lingered in his form, let alone the inkling satisfaction of his loins after an extended stay in the popular brothels, showering the "attendants" with the abundance of coin and the testament of pleasure. A sly grin across what usually would be a stern face of discipline and decorum, no, this one was filled with the luxuries of sin and drink quite comfortably from the sieve of inequity. But such were the times, when the world dictated by manipulation and subterfuge positioned those with formerly noble desires to become enlightened to the intricate web of corruption.

Kakita however wasn't specifically that. Just another snake that was dormant during the time when noble efforts reigned and revealed his head only in the absence.

Still smug with the clear images of his favorite woman and the scents that lay attached to his clothing, the warrior continued padding along the roads without a concern that bypassed his large wall of built up lusts and imagination. Lean in frame, obese with immorality, the character of this man was telegraphed by the aura of his violation, with only the tint of shady eye conveyed to the lack of decency. Even if all man was not without sin, some men, were bountiful than others. So with humming a song of drunken stupor to the lips, he staggered in jubilancy. Ignoring the tell tale rapid breezes of the wind which picked up, not noticing the leaning branches of the surrounding Sakura that seemed to reach out to claw away at the dishonor in their presence, and ignorant of the mist of petals that became a transparent field before him.

What he did notice and rather immediately, was the girl standing now yards away, appearing within the dying mist of pink..and the silver shine of a sword pointed towards him.

The haze of drunkeness washed away with the sudden snatch of adrenaline. "That's a dangerous thing you're doing little girl," he chuckled, now sneering. "Kids your age should be in the home practicing calligraphy."

"Are you the one called Toshin Kakita?" the girl asked, her snow hued hair blowing with the breath of the wind and her inquiry while the raised blade moved none from the fine alignment towards the Ronin's chest.

"I am. Now speak your business." he growled, now moving his own hand to the pair of swords at the waist, but not drawing them unless provoked.

"I am Amano Rei of Takigakure." she replied, her voice even yet deathly stern, rivaling the sharpness of the extended steel towards the male. "You will come with me at once so we may ascertain the recent threats to the stability of the country. You will comply or you will find your life in jeopardy."

Kakita laughed lewdly. "Has our country fallen so much that little girls are sent to deal the dirty work of what used to be of honorable and proud shinobi? This is nonsense. Run along child, and tell whoever sent you to that I would rather die than to forfeit anything that would cripple my duty to this country." He tightened the grip on the hilts in the end, narrowing the one eyed gaze on the girl that much more to reflect the same intensity.

"Does that mean you forfeit your life instead?" Rei asked coldly.

"You will find I relinquish nothing dog," he said with another laugh. "Besides, there is only one of you...and three of us." Which his claim was backed up, now with two more blade wielding ronin who stepped from the surrounding trees. Their steel already drawn to match Rei's aggressive gesture.

"Then you will not die alone."

Kakita and his entourage spat and snickered in unison. Then he nodded to his pair of guards in command. "Kill her."

The two rushed towards her, shouting loudly in battle tones with brandished blades to drink upon the female's blood. Rei's eyes merely became slits of hostility, dropping into a low stance as she re-sheathe her Katana and awaited their approach. The first swung downward, upon she spun away smoothly, using the momentum of the pivot to fuel the hands that gripped the hilt of her sword once more, a draw, then a hiss that was drowned out in the saturation of steel through flesh, a fine cleave through the abdomen of her aggressor so swiftly, and through the lungs to prevent him from screaming. Crimson reflected the moonlight as it passed in air, creating the theatrical mist of rubies while the first fell in two pieces across the paved earth.

The second hollered in defiance, now filled with rage in lieu of a fallen comrade with his sword coming across in a savage stroke. Rei returned just as swiftly with her weapon and the two clashed with a flicker of light and sparks. The blades broke free, and the second came downward, once again only to clash not with a katana, but the short sword Wakizashi. revealed from the hip and held in the off hand, the same hand that twisted the parring blade to slide off awkwardly, leaving the man vulnerable with the shift of force. Panic filled his eyes before the vision of Rei's sword thrusting through the chest. He yelped in pain but the breathes grew silent and still before the body slide off Amano's steel.

She turned to him, flicked the blood from her weapon and directed a glare back at Kakita. "You will not reconsider?"

Something in Kakita along the lines of cold fear ran down his spine and tore apart the pit of his stomach, but his expression remained placid. The two this girl had killed were among of the better swordsman money could buy within the country and she had put them down without as much as breaking into exhaustion. Still staring idly, he raised his hand to his chin in mock brooding...then smiled slyly. "That's right...you said your last name was Amano. Relation to Amano Kyoshiro perhaps?"

"That is my father." Rei responded sharply.

The ronin sneered. "Then why go through all of this? You know clear and well of what we aim to do. Your father was an agent of the people. He would have supported us. I fought beside him you know."

But Rei's expression didn't change. "You're wrong."

"Am I?"

"My father is a man of honor...not a sell sword. He wouldn't have cheapened himself and offered his skills to villians and corrupt men"

"A matter of perspective my dear," Kakita drew his sword and took his stance, holding the blade raised and over the shoulder, primed in a thrusting motion that had yet to be executed. "Lets get this over with. I never sleep well after killing a child."

Rei returned the blades to the sheath and re-took her stance.

For the moment, the world stopped allowing the solitary falling of luscious petals to decorate the immediate freeze frame, allowing perspectives to pan around both soon to be combatants to test will and mettle with one another till the foundations of their hearts would fall wayside to another. With only the moon and stars as witness the audience nodded in approval, and gave single in the breath of a slow wind for the two warriors-

The petal touched the ground.

Both were gone, reappearing as light followed in delay to draw the image of their clashing blades. The struggle and embraced lasted briefly, with Kakita twisting to roll Rei's sword away and guide his towards the throat. Rei was swifter and more controlled than what her opponent had projected, and she merely retreated, evading just by a sliver the weapon that shifted her hair with the trailing wind. Her foot landed solidly, a step forward, Rei moved past Kakita to find his back before he could bring his blade back down while she turned for a cleave to the back. The ronin wouldn't fall so easily and managed with just swiftness alone to turn his hip along with his sword to slap hers out of trajectory.

Rei utlized the momentum caused by the ronin's deflection to fuel her pivot, flipping the blade underhanded as she twirled with another strike during his retreat. Kakita stepped just out of range, snarling and returned with a low stroke that would leave Amano legless, yet he expected to be blocked. The misjudgment was the underestimating of Rei's speed, who jumped cleanly over the blade's length, landed, and shot an upward stroke that would have Kakita's torso.

He stepped back-

Rei stepped forward, within his guard and swiftly turn an upward slash into a fine thurst.

It found its target, protruding through the ronin's flesh neatly. The last breath in his lungs muttered something, a cure perhaps. But before he could say anything else in defiance, Rei drew her sword from his chest, and removed the head from her struggling opponent, ending his life with the little honor he had retained and earned from their duel.

The crimson was flick from the blade once more before returning to the sheath. The Takigakure swordsmen, while feeling her samurai lineage and honor questioned, reached down to the be-headed body to retrieve the real purpose of this confrontation, the scroll containing vital information of what dangers were to come. Placing it within the folds of her outfit, the teenager took one last look at the felled ringleader, his eye still glaring back at her in disgust and the teeth soaked in fine blood. Rei tossed the image from her mind, turned her back, and walked down the road away from the village...

...she did not notice the pair of eyes nor the smile illuminated in moonlight that watched her exit...