CHAPTER 2: THE CONVERGENCE

"Ahh... the poor Crimson faction. I see you have followed my footsteps, Hanabi." the Akuma ninja said, devilishly grinning while staring at the Higanbana. He could feel his blood rush at the sight of getting his hands on the weapon.

Hanabi managed to compose herself and tie the Higanbana on her waist tightly in one swift motion. "Don't throw me in with you! You demon! I only coveted the Higanbana to rid the Land of the Dawn of your darkness!" she said in defense. The demon could only laugh in mockery.

"Did you, now? Go on then..." the former Shadow's mischievous grin was now gone, replaced by a glare so sharp, Hanabi could've sworn her insides were burning. "... Try me, Scarlet."

It took a lifetime's worth of courage for Hanabi to even think about fighting the former Shadow. She is ambitious, alright. But not stupid. She understood that the luck she has of defeating the man standing before her is not even enough to keep her alive for a couple of minutes. She cannot do this without using the Higanbana. As she readied herself to throw it at the right time, she stopped and looked at the Tori gate the Akuma ninja was standing on just a few seconds ago—he was gone.

The tension doubled and Hanabi felt the danger in the air. She was in complete focus and ready for an attack from any direction. The pale moon shone so beautifully, it looked as if it was mocking Hanabi's ill fate. As the clouds covered the moon, a nefarious sound she had never heard before terrified the Scarlet ninja. She stood her ground, still unclear where the attack will be coming from.

The clouds receded and the pale moon shone on the ninja's beautiful silhouette once more. Except there's something wrong. Hanabi looked at her feet and there she saw—a shadow.

The sense of danger tells Hanabi she should run away from that spot immediately. But she was too late. Before she could escape, a thousand slashes had already rendered her entire body immobile. But from where it came from, she doesn't know.

"I warned you, didn't I?" said the former Shadow, who was now back on top of the Tori gate, as if he hadn't disappeared a few moments ago. "You cannot defeat me."

Hanabi used up all of her remaining strength, ignoring the pain from all of her wounds to throw the Higanbana at the former Shadow one last time. But to no avail. The fiend parried it easily, and the weapon flew back towards Hanabi's direction, latching itself onto the ground.

"Hanabi." the Akuma ninja said, staring deeply into Hanabi's eyes. She felt terrified. Not because she might die at the hands of the man she was supposed to kill. But because of the thought that the man standing before her was so strong, even Hayabusa and Kagura would not stand a chance.

"Let's finish this now."

The Akuma ninja lunged for one final attack. Hanabi closed her eyes and braced herself for her impending doom. But just before she could feel the cold steel of the ninja's sword, she felt strong hands lift her into the air. Her eyes shot open and couldn't believe who was standing before her. "Ha-Hayabusa..."

The young ninja looked at Hanabi in anger and worry. "What the hell were you thinking, Hanabi?! Did you honestly believe you can take him down by yourself?!" Hayabusa shouted.

Hanabi understood what Hayabusa's point was. But the fact that he, the one who so selfishly decided by himself to take down the former Shadow without the help of the Scarlet Shadow had the nerve to tell her these things, infuriated her. The Scarlet ninja snapped. All of a sudden, she forgot about the pain she was feeling. She didn't care—her blood was boiling.

Though full of wounds and badly bloodied, Hanabi's hand still found its way towards Hayabusa's face.

"Don't you dare lecture me about this when you were the one who left me alone!" the Scarlet ninja spat at him even though her throat felt like hell. Hayabusa's eyes widened as guilt slapped him in the face. He touched his left cheek and saw blood. But it wasn't his.

The young Shadow looked at his comrade's wounds in worry. "S-Sorry, are you okay?"

Hanabi was about to answer when an irritatingly high pitched and childish voice brought her to reality.

"Umm... Guys? As much as I enjoy seeing your happy reunion, I kinda need some help here??" Kagura said, still holding her ground while trying to block the evil ninja. Hanabi and Hayabusa remembered the dire situation they were in and focused on the enemy in front of them. In the blink of an eye, Hayabusa carried Hanabi behind a tree, out of the enemy's sight. She was about to complain but her voice wouldn't come out. Her body is starting to give up from the restless battles she just fought. The young Scarlet could only watch in frustration as she looked at the fight. Hayabusa and Kagura's teamwork overwhelmed the former Shadow. The two worked so perfectly together, it gave Hanabi a sour taste. She didn't like what she was feeling. Especially at a crucial time like this.

The two finally managed to drive the Akuma ninja into a corner. But they lowered their guard down too early. As the enemy felt enraged, he released the full power of the Ame no Habakiri. And just like what happened to Hanabi, the Akuma ninja disappeared, and a shadow appeared on the ground where the two were standing on. Hanabi wanted to shout so much that she could already taste blood, but her voice just won't come out.

Hayabusa was the first one to notice. He was able to shorten the time he'd be slashed by Hayabusa's thousand blades by running away from the circle, but the enemy was just too powerful. Thorns appeared out of nowhere and slashed through Hayabusa's knees just as he got away from the shadow. Kagura wasn't so lucky either.

The three of them felt it—the shadow of death is upon them. And there is nothing to do except to embrace it. As the young shadow felt the horrible reality, he looked over to the unconscious Kagura, and then to the young Scarlet, looking at them in worry from behind the tree. Hot tears fell from Hanabi's eyes as she locked eyes with Hayabusa. This was the first time the young Shadow ever looked at her this way. She couldn't read what was on his mind. The young Shadow mouthed something to Hanabi, but she couldn't figure out what it was. And then, he smiled. It was the first time his smile reached his eyes. And ironically so, she had to witness it just before they die.

The Akuma ninja's laugh echoed throughout the forest. It was a laugh full of confidence—and bloodlust. But before he could harm the first two standing before him, he stopped. Hanabi looked at the former Shadow closely, trying to figure out what caused him to stop. But there was nothing—none. It was as if there was something stopping him from within himself. The Akuma ninja clutched his head in agony. He glared at Hayabusa one last time before disappearing into the darkness of the night. "I'll come back for you, boy. Oh, and tell that young Scarlet... She won't be able to escape from me."

After the Akuma ninja had gone, silence invaded the forest. No one dared to say anything, nor do anything. They just let the night wind kiss their wounded bodies as they tried to make amends with the reality that had just punched them in the gut.