"Hey, daddy, look!" A cute little girl pointed with her finger and stared with her eyes wide open. They were of a clear blue, just like her father's. The blond hair she had gotten from her mother, who looked at the direction her daughter was pointing. "What do you see, Lily?" She ask asked the little girl even though she knew the answer. A pack of deer ate grass at the distance.
"I see big animals, mommy!" She replied.
The father smiled. He was young, just like his wife, but his life career had being nothing short of success. He was wearing his a loose overcoat over his kimono, a coat that marked him a man of prestige. The coat was green and in the center of the back an unmistakable white symbol moved to the whims of the wind: the Seifugun. The pattern, and distinctive color of the code was only used by captains.
Two of the captain's underlings kept an eye on him from not too far. They were not too close either, to let the captain enjoy the time with his wife. But even as discrete and minimal as their presence was, her wife could not feel completely at ease. "Must they come as well? Why can't be spend some time just the three of us?"
This argument was a constant colliding point for the couple. "Dear, you know it's for security reasons. Our security."
She sighed.
He continued. "The Shinseidan in most occasions does not attack up front. They use stealth tactics to fight his stronger opponent. That's us, dear. The government's army."
She nodded solemnly. "I know, dear. But I am your wife, and I know too well that despite this, you are a very skilled fighter. The Seifugun does not make just anyone their captain. You're among the youngest captains, and that's not without merit or reason."
Her husband grinned. "So you think I am very strong," he japed. "Do I impress you?"
She chuckled, in spite of trying to remain serious. "Don't be silly now, Asano. You know my words are true."
"Aye. I do," Asano confirmed. "But it never hurts to take extra precautions. For my beloved ones especially..." And he kissed her. She returned his kiss.
"Mommy, look," Lily said. "There are big animals there."
They both turned to face her, still holding each other in arms from their warm embrace. They held hands, and walked towards her daughter, when Asano heard her underlings talk. "Stop!" They said. "Stop." They repeated, and then they were dead.
"The Shinseidan," were his thoughts at first, but when he turned, he found a figure in black walking past the corpses of his comrades. The samurai kept the pace straight towards Asano.
"Take Lily far away from here..." He ordered his wife, but she was frozen in terror, as the sinister figure moved closer. Asano drew his sword. "Damn you, Shinseidan!" He shouted. "You will not be forgiven for this."
The figure stopped, katana in hand. She was a woman. And not just any woman. She was an assassin with a bounty in her head, and an ominous legend on her back. Crow. Karasu. The bird that flew towards death. Shinseidan. Seifugun. It made no difference to the grim reaper. Asano realized immediately.
"You're no Shinseidan," he declared. "I beg of you, please not in front of my daughter and wife. I would like them to see neither your blood nor mine. They did nothing to you!" Asano was not afraid; he just wanted their family to live as peacefully as they could.
"Shinseidan. Seifugun. You are both the same. You fight for your ideals, with no disregard for the people that surround you," Karasu explained. "You are in no place to make demands. Now die." With those words, she lunged forward. Asano went to meet her head on, attempting to stab her with the blade, but the assassin danced sideway, letting the blade pass. Her own katana came down, slashing the captain on the side. Her wife gasped, and her daughter wept loudly. He started to lose blood rapidly, but he still held on. With a hand on the wound, his trembling sword stood upright, ready to be used against the enemy. "I... would not involve innocents."
Karasu took a stance. Unlike Asano who was breathing hard, she remained still as water. Her eyes were like a hawk's. "You represent a party. A group, and their ideals. And I represent another."
"Whom?" He demanded. As far as everyone was concerned, Karasu was a lone assassin.
"The souls of the dead." Asano stared speechless for a moment, but he soon had to react, for the assassin attacked with no warning, shortening the distance between the two in split seconds. Karasu let Asano perform the first attack, a weak sideways slash she edged backwards to avoid. Another slash came in succession, starting down raising up. She moved her head slightly to the side, letting the blade pass by close to her face. She grabbed his arm firmly, raised her own blade, twisted it so that the tip would be on the lower side, and thrust forward in a single motion that pierced his throat. The speed was such that he could not reach with his other arm in time. And just as fast she released the blade. Asano died without being able to speak properly: his windpipe had been punctured.
Karasu started to walk away when she her the distinctive metallic sound of the blade being picked up. Asano's wife held the blade unsteadily and with eyes too clouded with tears to see anything. The assassin simply walked towards the woman who sobbed silently. When Karasu was in range, Asano's wife yelled and attempted a swing, but her blade was sent flying into the air, deflected by a quick draw of the assassin's katana. The woman went to her knees sobbing loudly. The unforgiving assassin raised her katana with both hands, and executed her right there. A single thrust aimed properly enough to kill.
Asano's blade that had been deflected in the air, suddenly landed near Lily. The little girl who was still trying to wake up her dead father grabbed the blade, who was ridiculously big for her. The assassin stared down at her, and little girl dropped the sword in fear.
"Grow to hate. Search for me, so that you might attempt to kill me." And with those words, she left.
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