Chapter 2

Ryu nearly stumbled on the creaky old steps leading down off the cliff to the dusty, tan ground of his home village. It was a small town but always prosperous and happy.

He slid open the front door of his small house and went back into the bedroom separated from the front room by a rice paper room divider. He lay on his cot, thinking of what would happen now.

“Ryu, dear, is that you?” A beautiful voice rang out through the house. It was Ryu’s wife. She had long, black hair and sparkling blue eyes.

“Oh, hello Mikoto.” Ryu muttered.

“What’s wrong, honey? Why are you always so serious?”

A small smile spread across Ryu’s face. He brushed a piece of hair from his loving wife’s face, staring into her eyes as though there was an entire universe within them. A beautiful universe, one of peace and happiness.

“Nothing’s wrong, Mikoto.” Ryu whispered, caressing the words as though he was trying to reassure not only his worrisome companion, but himself as well. “Lord Mitsuhide has slain the tyrant Nobunaga. Our land is saved.”

Ryu held his wife tightly, as though he might lose her at any moment. She kissed him, elated that her husband had finally returned from war. Then, she slid open the divider.

“Shall I prepare dinner?” She turned and asked with sort of a sing-song tone in her voice.

“No thank you. I’ll have something later.” Ryu turned uneasily away from his wife, who was now reconstructed by the feeling that there was something wrong with Ryu.

Ryu couldn’t stop thinking about the incident from so many years ago.

***

One day, a man had attacked the village. Ryu stood against the intruder but was mercilessly defeated. That was the day he became immortal.

However, Ryu decided not to think about it so much. As far as he was concerned, that entire incident never happened. He was sure of it. But…If he was so sure, then what was this odd feeling?

***

Ryu awoke to the unpleasant feeling of an empty stomach. He walked out into the front room, being careful not to disturb his wife’s slumber. He got himself a bowl of rice and carefully shut the front door as he had decided to sit on the bench outside.

The sky was a deep blue color, clear and majestic, not a cloud single cloud to block the glaring light of the full moon. Ryu crossed the dirt path, which served as his village’s main street, traveling right through the center of the moonlit mat of scattered houses and shops. With a sigh, he leaned against the fence opposite his house and stared into the full moon as though it could tell him why he felt like he did.

He tried to convince himself that he was home, that this was where he belonged, that there would be no more war now that the tyrant Lord Nobunaga had been slain. He would not have to go back.

“Well, well if it isn’t Ryu.” A solemn voice startled Ryu. “I never thought I’d find you so quickly.” The voice taunted.

“Toshiro…What do you want?” Ryu snarled with a look of disgust.

Ryu turned to see the owner of the familiar voice. A man with shining silver hair and straight bangs which draped over his face like thin, spiked, curtains sat atop Ryu’s house, silhouetted against the full moon.

Ryu took notice of his attire, which was mainly black and punk rocker looking.

“Still trying to look “cool” are we, Toshiro?”

“Shut up.” The mysterious intruder scoffed. “I’m here on account of the Organization.”

“Sorry, I quit the Organization a long time ago.”

“Please, I’m asking you as a former comrade.”

“I said, “I’m not interested””

“Now, Ryu, is that any way to treat your old friend?”

“Stop that! I’m not your old friend.”

“Look,” Something in Toshiro’s voice changed. Usually one could tell by his voice that he could take control of any situation, always so calm and collected. That calmness returned to his tone and Ryu could tell that he was done joking around. “Xavier is back. We recently received word that he’s seized the Castle of Twilight and raised an army of his own. We are not yet aware of his motives, however, when it became clear that he had hundreds of men fighting at his will, the others suggested I find you.”

“I’m sorry. I cannot leave her, not again.”

“Ryu, we need you to help end this once and for all.”

Ryu stared at the ground, in contemplation of the situation. He realized that this was one of those times when someone had gotten caught up in something that they had no part in and thought it was over. But the incident came back and it seemed as though it would never end.

Ryu wanted to end this. A war to end all others…

“Please, once again, I am asking you as a former comrade.”

Ryu nodded solemnly.

Returning Ryu’s quiet, understanding nod, Toshiro seemed to vanish.

Ryu wondered what he had gotten himself into.

***

The next morning, Ryu awoke to the sound of Mikoto shutting the front door. He rose and got into his kimono.

As he staggered into the front room, Mikoto, who had been arranging freshly picked flowers in the center of the table, noticed that he had put on his mask.

With a sudden look of worry in her eyes, she knelt down by the table and pretended to be busy fixing the flowers so that she would not have to look her husband in the eyes as he told her the inevitable answer to the question that was burning to exit her mouth.

“Good morning.” Her voice sang sweetly through the room.

“Good morning, Mikoto.” Ryu tried his best to sound cheery but something was holding him back.

“Were you up last night? I thought I heard something?” She strained to keep a happy tone in her voice, sensing her husband’s discomfort.

“Yes…Yes, I was” Ryu gulped.

There was a long, awkward silence. Mikoto bit her lip, trying to gather the nerve to ask her husband the fateful question.

“Mikoto,” Ryu knelt down beside her, trying to console his worried wife. He could tell that her eyes were beginning to water. “I must go, just once more.”

She was quiet for a moment before burying her face into his shoulder.

“Please, don’t go!” She sobbed.

“Mikoto, dear, I apologize sincerely, but one last battle came up. I must go.”

“Why? What if I lose you? What if I never see you again? Ryu, please. You can never hope to start a family whilst balancing the weight of the world on your shoulders.”

“Mikoto,” Ryu held back tears of his own. His sobbing wife looked up into his eyes. “When I return we shall start a family. I cannot let this battle pass me up. Not again.”

This raised a question in Mikoto’s mind, but she had taught herself not to question her husband’s ways. After all he was a ninja. His ways, however mysterious, were honorable and true.

***

The entire village was there to watch Ryu go. He had always been respected as the village hero. He loved his home and everyone in it.

He kissed beautiful, loving wife “good-bye”.

“Must you really go?” She asked him.

“I am afraid so. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one. This will be a war to end all wars.” Ryu stared deeply into his wife’s eyes. She smiled weakly and gave him one final kiss.

Ryu turned and waved to all the villagers, from the youngsters who played “ninja” with their wooden swords and bows to the old and wise elders.

Ryu pulled his mask over his face and dashed away through the beautiful, soft pink, cherry blossom trees.