A Ninja Story - chapter 3
Pairing: Santana/Brittany
Rating: PG-13 (may change later on)
Words: ~2 000
Spoilers: None, completely A/U
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.
Summary:
Eight year old Santana has been washed ashore in Japan. She is found by an old man who happens to be a ninja master. She grows up to become a shinobi, a ninja.
chapter 1 chapter 2
A/N: This chapter has not been beta-read. Please forgive the mistakes. I know the story moves forward a little slowly but please bear with me. We’ll get to know Brittany better in the next chapter.
They ride as fast as they can through the open landscape. Santana enjoys feeling the magnificent animal move beneath her, the wind against her face and the sun on her skin. She has put her hair up and is dressed like a boy. The few people they pass on their way think they’re two young men out for a ride. They are probably taken for young noblemen. No peasants could afford horses this strong and beautiful.
In the afternoon they reach the tiny village Takai has pointed out to them on a map. They leave their horses at a stable belonging to a ryokan and then they proceed on foot, all the time trying to draw as little attention to themselves as possible. They walk for two hours until they are only a few kilometres from Tanaka’s compound. There they find a secluded place in the woods where they camouflage themselves and lie down to rest. They take turns, one sleeping while the other rests. Santana goes through the map in her head while Takeshi snoozes next to her. She has memorised the layout of the entire compound. She and Taskashi have discussed entering the area by scaling the west wall and climbing up on the parapet. Then they’re to work their way all the way to the opposite outer wall. They have gone over their plan throughout the day. They have the skills to improvise if need be but they’d rather not. This is their first mission. The fewer glitches the better.
As night falls they eat a few rice rolls and drink water. Then they change into their black clothes. Santana’s hands tremble a little as she ties the black hood around her head. She takes a deep breath. It’s alright to be nervous now. Once they reach the compound she has to concentrate to keep her nerves in check, all her sense sharp and to be all she’s trained to be. As they reach the wall they unfasten their kaginawas and throw them up onto the parapet. There is a faint clanging sound as the metal hooks land. Santana pulls the rope to make sure the kaginawa is fastened properly. Then she begins to climb. She ascends as fast as she can. They’re vulnerable while they climb and they do not want to be spotted.
Soon they find themselves up on the stone clad parapet. Silently they move along the wall and make their way down onto a small courtyard. They are now inside enemy territory but they can’t afford to dwell on that thought. Instead they focus completely on the task at hand and begin explore the compound, gathering as much information as possible. As they are about to enter the main building they decide to split up and meet back up on the west wall again.
Santana sneaks inside like a black shadow. She moves swiftly along a corridor and enters a great hall when she suddenly hears footsteps. Someone is quickly approaching the hall with confident steps. She presses herself against the wall, partially shielded from view by a large cupboard. Her left hand is on her wakizashi and she is ready to strike. She can see him now. He appears to be a guard on routine patrol. He comes closer but hasn’t seen her. Instead he walks right past her and leaves the hall into the corridor she came from. Santana exhales slowly.
Methodically she goes through the buildings, taking mental note of everything. She comes across a few more guards but manages to avoid being discovered. Most of the rooms are empty as the inhabitants of the compound sleep unaware of the trespasser. She finally emerges out onto a roof overlooking a yard. Well hidden in the shadows she allows herself to sit down and rest for a moment. In her mind she retraces her steps and the information she has gathered.
“We have him!” a loud voice penetrates the night. “We have the spy!”
There are more voices speaking loudly and excitedly.
Moments later she sees a group of men come into view in the yard. In the middle is a figure covered by a large net. She knows it’s Takashi. She doesn’t have to see his face to know. Her heart races and she feels her pulse in her temples. Her thoughts are in disarray. This was not supposed to happen! How could this happen? She knows they are going to keep him under close guard and it would be impossible to defeat his watchers alone. Still… She also knows the men are going to try to make Takashi talk. Her Takashi, her best friend. He would never talk, that’s not who he is. Instead he would silently let them torture him to death. No! No! No! That is not an option. Takai would have told her to leave him. A shinobi knows what the job means and what the risks are. Still she doubts Takai would have abandoned his best friend in this situation. He would have thought of a clever plan and freed his friend.
She tries to compose herself and gather her thoughts. She forces herself to breathe deeply and slowly, letting the oxygen flow to her brain and muscles. Before she leaves her hiding place she checks all her equipment and makes sure everything is ready to use. Then she sneaks across the roof and follows after Takashi and his capturers.
They hold him in a hut at the edge of the compound. He is in a large wooden cage. Four men are taunting him. Apparently they have decided not to interrogate him tonight. Santana draws a sigh of relief. She hears one of the men say “Don’t forget he’s a fucking shinobi so be on your guard. Don’t stand too close to him. And there could be more. They often work in pairs. My guess is that his partner is on his way back to their master, like a rat scurries home. Anyway, we’ll be right outside.”
She knows she has to take out the first two guards without alerting the two guards inside. Otherwise she will have to fight all four at the same time and the risk that one of them calls for further reinforcement is too great. At the same time she is wondering if Takashi wants to be rescued. He has compromised the mission and because of his mistake Tanaka will know someone is spying on him. He will raise security and be prepared for attacks. Takashi will feel terribly ashamed. It will be up to Takai to restore his confidence.
Santana has her plan ready. Carefully she moves closer to the guards. She sizes them up and assesses their height and weight. Then she makes a dash towards them. Just as she is upon the nearest guard, she leaps up and the overside of her right foot connects with his head. The very next second she turns in the air and she grabs the garrotting string with both hands before looping it around the other guard’s neck. Then she pulls tight. Her biceps flex and her knuckles turn white. She’s thankful she doesn’t have to look at his face. It doesn’t take long but it feels like an eternity before the man falls and joins his fellow guard on the ground. Santana stills and listens. There are no sounds of footsteps.
The next step is trickier. Opening the door will alert the guards inside and she doesn’t know where they’re positioned. She has to improvise completely. She takes another deep breath as she puts her hand on the handle. Then she pushes the door open steps inside and closes the door behind her. It takes her a second to scan the room. One of the men is standing by the cage, the other is sitting in the left far corner. She draws her wakizashi and lunges for the standing man first. She sees him reaching for the hilt of his sword so she crouches down a little and spins around in order to make herself a more difficult target. As she swirls closer she stretches her left arm and the shiny blade cuts through skin, sinews and flesh. Warm blood drenches her hand and there is a sickly sweet smell in the air. The other man is on his feet now. He has taken a defensive stance and is armed with a sword. Slowly she takes a few steps closer to him, trying to read his movements. He’s waiting for her to strike first. She would like to disarm him. After that it’s easier so she lunges for his right side and her hand hits hard at the top of his shoulder to paralyse the arm. There is a muffled thud as the sword hits the floor but his left hand is in the air and he strikes her across the head. It’s not a full on blow but it still hurts and for a moment she becomes slightly disoriented. He pulls his arm back to hit her again and doing so he exposes his chest. His eyes widen in surprise and pain as he feels her thin dagger blade being driven in between his ribs. She staggers backwards away from him.
She allows herself a few moments to compose herself after the fight. She hasn’t had time to think about her actions and now is not the time either. She steels herself and blocks out her emotions. She knows she will have to process what she’s done but that will have to come later.
When she finally turns around and looks at Takashi he meets her gaze with expressionless eyes. He knows he’s battling with feelings of guilt and gratitude. Quickly she opens the cage and he springs out. Carefully she opens the door, making sure there is no surprise attack outside the hut. Then they move swiftly in the shadows towards the west wall. They lower themselves towards the ground so fast they feel the friction burn through the cloths they use to protect their hands. Once on the ground they run. Santana feels the air sting as she draws shallow ragged breathes as she presses on. She doesn’t know for how long they run but they want to put as much distance between themselves and the Tanaka compound as possible before they rest.
Eventually they are forced to rest. Their bodies simply won’t carry them further. Shielded by shrubbery they lie down on the ground to rest. Fighting to gain control over her breathing, Santana stares up at the stars. She and Takashi still haven’t spoken. She knows he wants to tell her she should have left him in the cage but at the same time he is grateful to be alive. He would not have feared death but wants to be alive.
A little before dawn they find the place where they left their clothes. They get changed and continue on to the village to fetch their horses. To their great advantage, Tanaka’s men will most likely be searching for a man travelling alone or two men. However, they prefer not to be seen as Santana is a gai-jin and easy to recognise and describe.
The journey back to the Kawada compound is uneventful, something both Santana and Takashi are thankful for. Exhausted they leave their horses at the stable and walk back towards their quarters. A group of young women pass them on the path. They are dressed in beautiful kimonos and their hair is done up in intricate beautiful dos. Santana and Takashi can only see the women from behind but they both notice that one of them is clearly taller than the others and her hair is golden blond like ripe wheat.
Rating: PG-13 (may change later on)
Words: ~2 000
Spoilers: None, completely A/U
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.
Summary:
Eight year old Santana has been washed ashore in Japan. She is found by an old man who happens to be a ninja master. She grows up to become a shinobi, a ninja.
chapter 1 chapter 2
A/N: This chapter has not been beta-read. Please forgive the mistakes. I know the story moves forward a little slowly but please bear with me. We’ll get to know Brittany better in the next chapter.
They ride as fast as they can through the open landscape. Santana enjoys feeling the magnificent animal move beneath her, the wind against her face and the sun on her skin. She has put her hair up and is dressed like a boy. The few people they pass on their way think they’re two young men out for a ride. They are probably taken for young noblemen. No peasants could afford horses this strong and beautiful.
In the afternoon they reach the tiny village Takai has pointed out to them on a map. They leave their horses at a stable belonging to a ryokan and then they proceed on foot, all the time trying to draw as little attention to themselves as possible. They walk for two hours until they are only a few kilometres from Tanaka’s compound. There they find a secluded place in the woods where they camouflage themselves and lie down to rest. They take turns, one sleeping while the other rests. Santana goes through the map in her head while Takeshi snoozes next to her. She has memorised the layout of the entire compound. She and Taskashi have discussed entering the area by scaling the west wall and climbing up on the parapet. Then they’re to work their way all the way to the opposite outer wall. They have gone over their plan throughout the day. They have the skills to improvise if need be but they’d rather not. This is their first mission. The fewer glitches the better.
As night falls they eat a few rice rolls and drink water. Then they change into their black clothes. Santana’s hands tremble a little as she ties the black hood around her head. She takes a deep breath. It’s alright to be nervous now. Once they reach the compound she has to concentrate to keep her nerves in check, all her sense sharp and to be all she’s trained to be. As they reach the wall they unfasten their kaginawas and throw them up onto the parapet. There is a faint clanging sound as the metal hooks land. Santana pulls the rope to make sure the kaginawa is fastened properly. Then she begins to climb. She ascends as fast as she can. They’re vulnerable while they climb and they do not want to be spotted.
Soon they find themselves up on the stone clad parapet. Silently they move along the wall and make their way down onto a small courtyard. They are now inside enemy territory but they can’t afford to dwell on that thought. Instead they focus completely on the task at hand and begin explore the compound, gathering as much information as possible. As they are about to enter the main building they decide to split up and meet back up on the west wall again.
Santana sneaks inside like a black shadow. She moves swiftly along a corridor and enters a great hall when she suddenly hears footsteps. Someone is quickly approaching the hall with confident steps. She presses herself against the wall, partially shielded from view by a large cupboard. Her left hand is on her wakizashi and she is ready to strike. She can see him now. He appears to be a guard on routine patrol. He comes closer but hasn’t seen her. Instead he walks right past her and leaves the hall into the corridor she came from. Santana exhales slowly.
Methodically she goes through the buildings, taking mental note of everything. She comes across a few more guards but manages to avoid being discovered. Most of the rooms are empty as the inhabitants of the compound sleep unaware of the trespasser. She finally emerges out onto a roof overlooking a yard. Well hidden in the shadows she allows herself to sit down and rest for a moment. In her mind she retraces her steps and the information she has gathered.
“We have him!” a loud voice penetrates the night. “We have the spy!”
There are more voices speaking loudly and excitedly.
Moments later she sees a group of men come into view in the yard. In the middle is a figure covered by a large net. She knows it’s Takashi. She doesn’t have to see his face to know. Her heart races and she feels her pulse in her temples. Her thoughts are in disarray. This was not supposed to happen! How could this happen? She knows they are going to keep him under close guard and it would be impossible to defeat his watchers alone. Still… She also knows the men are going to try to make Takashi talk. Her Takashi, her best friend. He would never talk, that’s not who he is. Instead he would silently let them torture him to death. No! No! No! That is not an option. Takai would have told her to leave him. A shinobi knows what the job means and what the risks are. Still she doubts Takai would have abandoned his best friend in this situation. He would have thought of a clever plan and freed his friend.
She tries to compose herself and gather her thoughts. She forces herself to breathe deeply and slowly, letting the oxygen flow to her brain and muscles. Before she leaves her hiding place she checks all her equipment and makes sure everything is ready to use. Then she sneaks across the roof and follows after Takashi and his capturers.
They hold him in a hut at the edge of the compound. He is in a large wooden cage. Four men are taunting him. Apparently they have decided not to interrogate him tonight. Santana draws a sigh of relief. She hears one of the men say “Don’t forget he’s a fucking shinobi so be on your guard. Don’t stand too close to him. And there could be more. They often work in pairs. My guess is that his partner is on his way back to their master, like a rat scurries home. Anyway, we’ll be right outside.”
She knows she has to take out the first two guards without alerting the two guards inside. Otherwise she will have to fight all four at the same time and the risk that one of them calls for further reinforcement is too great. At the same time she is wondering if Takashi wants to be rescued. He has compromised the mission and because of his mistake Tanaka will know someone is spying on him. He will raise security and be prepared for attacks. Takashi will feel terribly ashamed. It will be up to Takai to restore his confidence.
Santana has her plan ready. Carefully she moves closer to the guards. She sizes them up and assesses their height and weight. Then she makes a dash towards them. Just as she is upon the nearest guard, she leaps up and the overside of her right foot connects with his head. The very next second she turns in the air and she grabs the garrotting string with both hands before looping it around the other guard’s neck. Then she pulls tight. Her biceps flex and her knuckles turn white. She’s thankful she doesn’t have to look at his face. It doesn’t take long but it feels like an eternity before the man falls and joins his fellow guard on the ground. Santana stills and listens. There are no sounds of footsteps.
The next step is trickier. Opening the door will alert the guards inside and she doesn’t know where they’re positioned. She has to improvise completely. She takes another deep breath as she puts her hand on the handle. Then she pushes the door open steps inside and closes the door behind her. It takes her a second to scan the room. One of the men is standing by the cage, the other is sitting in the left far corner. She draws her wakizashi and lunges for the standing man first. She sees him reaching for the hilt of his sword so she crouches down a little and spins around in order to make herself a more difficult target. As she swirls closer she stretches her left arm and the shiny blade cuts through skin, sinews and flesh. Warm blood drenches her hand and there is a sickly sweet smell in the air. The other man is on his feet now. He has taken a defensive stance and is armed with a sword. Slowly she takes a few steps closer to him, trying to read his movements. He’s waiting for her to strike first. She would like to disarm him. After that it’s easier so she lunges for his right side and her hand hits hard at the top of his shoulder to paralyse the arm. There is a muffled thud as the sword hits the floor but his left hand is in the air and he strikes her across the head. It’s not a full on blow but it still hurts and for a moment she becomes slightly disoriented. He pulls his arm back to hit her again and doing so he exposes his chest. His eyes widen in surprise and pain as he feels her thin dagger blade being driven in between his ribs. She staggers backwards away from him.
She allows herself a few moments to compose herself after the fight. She hasn’t had time to think about her actions and now is not the time either. She steels herself and blocks out her emotions. She knows she will have to process what she’s done but that will have to come later.
When she finally turns around and looks at Takashi he meets her gaze with expressionless eyes. He knows he’s battling with feelings of guilt and gratitude. Quickly she opens the cage and he springs out. Carefully she opens the door, making sure there is no surprise attack outside the hut. Then they move swiftly in the shadows towards the west wall. They lower themselves towards the ground so fast they feel the friction burn through the cloths they use to protect their hands. Once on the ground they run. Santana feels the air sting as she draws shallow ragged breathes as she presses on. She doesn’t know for how long they run but they want to put as much distance between themselves and the Tanaka compound as possible before they rest.
Eventually they are forced to rest. Their bodies simply won’t carry them further. Shielded by shrubbery they lie down on the ground to rest. Fighting to gain control over her breathing, Santana stares up at the stars. She and Takashi still haven’t spoken. She knows he wants to tell her she should have left him in the cage but at the same time he is grateful to be alive. He would not have feared death but wants to be alive.
A little before dawn they find the place where they left their clothes. They get changed and continue on to the village to fetch their horses. To their great advantage, Tanaka’s men will most likely be searching for a man travelling alone or two men. However, they prefer not to be seen as Santana is a gai-jin and easy to recognise and describe.
The journey back to the Kawada compound is uneventful, something both Santana and Takashi are thankful for. Exhausted they leave their horses at the stable and walk back towards their quarters. A group of young women pass them on the path. They are dressed in beautiful kimonos and their hair is done up in intricate beautiful dos. Santana and Takashi can only see the women from behind but they both notice that one of them is clearly taller than the others and her hair is golden blond like ripe wheat.