Part 1

It was a crisp and chilly night in the Washi mountain range. Very few clouds hung in the air allowing a pristine view of the star filled sky. A full silver moon casts a halo around the earth. As well as Illuminating the masses of pine trees that stretched Washis' tops and slopes, but only at the highest peak might one see the far away horizon.

Near one of the lower peaks on a ridge you will find a temple of Japanese styling, the path to which is not obvious, or traversable by the average person. The temple itself was composed of two buildings. One is pagoda-like in structure consisting of three levels with a large brass bell at the top. Blue tiles covered its roofs. Its interior is wide with red round wooden pillars to support the upper floors as well as a walkway leading up.

On the far side connected to the pagoda by an open air walkway was the second building, its slanted roofs with bronze accents where several swords pertaining to the various clans of Washi were enshrined.

Though some say the Tengu are its caretakers the temple has no inhabitants, not even monks or priests, the only time people come to the temple is for the sake of ceremony. The coming of age or marriage of someone important.

One clan, the OniMichi or Ogre Bane, uses it to host a ceremony when their village declares a new head. It is a grand three day celebration for their village entailing the gathering of all the men who instead of their daily attire would be clad in cowled black robes they wore when hunting oni.

In the ceremony the new head was to bow on his knees with his head to the earth before the demon quelling sword enshrined within, and then partake of half a cup of rice wine mixed with his own blood and to pour the other half upon the earth to symbolize his oath to put the village before himself; to protect it, and to let his blood be the first and last to flow in its defense.

The men of the village would bow to the new head in a similar manner and then shout the words "We follow you through natures' might, through darkest despair, and most horrid of hells!" Thus Signifying their allegiance; that he would be aided and not stand alone in this responsibility. The following morning a festival would be held in their village, and the day after that the new head would marry.

However the men of Onimichi village were late to return. In truth it was not tardiness that kept them. For within the temple In place of paintings or scrolls men were nailed to the walls.

Instead of flower petals or fallen leaves limbs and entrails littered the ground and rather than rain or mist blood seemed to cover nearly the whole of the temple those black robed men dismembered, crushed, gutted, disemboweled, decapitated, skewered with their own weapons, and bisected.

Rather than a joyous night it was a gateway to hell. This was the sight that greeted the lady samurais' Yuriko and Mizune. Each gripped her weapon tightly. Yuriko her naginata and Mizune her Odachi.

They caught sight of each other as they entered into the courtyard outside the pagoda, both readied their weapons. The points of their blades pointed at the other.

The two came from the opposing clans of Sakura and Hayabusa. Neither would take their eyes off each other such was the nature of young people. Hot blooded, especially in regards to honor.

"I AM YURIKO OF THE SAKURA, TELL ME WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED HERE OR FORFEIT YOUR HEAD!" Yuriko boomed, breaking the silence. Her pink hair almost seemed to redden at her intensity.

"I am Mizune of the Hayabusa. Your question is also mine." Mizune replied coolly, her yellow eyes holding a blizzard within them.

Neither made further effort to speak, springing into combat, but just as they were about to fall on one another they were made to stop by a row of knives suddenly digging into the stone between them.

"That's quite enough." A voice seemed to echo around them with no exact source. Then suddenly standing almost in the center of them was a bloodied young man in black robes and a mask that stretched over his nose. Around his neck, he wore a bandana with a steel plate pinned onto the fabric. An Onimichi shinobi.

His dark hair was wild and long. It parted to the right and swept back out of his face, and he had it tied down in a ponytail by a red cord. His eyes looked dangerous or perhaps tired. "There are worse things to be worrying about."

He shifted his eyes around the courtyard. "I suggest if you're not here to help you take your feud elsewhere." His hands were a blur as they launched a pair of red tasseled knives towards the top of the pagodas' entryway.

The blades themselves rather than dig into the building seemed instead to hover in the air, a black liquid began to seep from where the blades hovered. A creature seemed to appear out of nowhere and let out a howl.

The creature was grotesque, covered in blue-gray skin; it had a long and thin body resembling a man's. It's head was like a dogs with a single bloodshot eye in the center and it had a maw of serrated teeth. It moved quadrupedally, its forelegs held five long claws and was very similar to a humans, its hind legs were shorter, consisting of three hooked talons reminiscent of a birds.

The creature leaped at them from where it had hung on the wall. Yuriko and Mizune almost in synch dodged to the side, slicing off its forelegs. It slid limply along the stone courtyard. It didn't move. Yuriko and Mizune were at the ready; they'd never encountered such a beast.

"It's already dead." The young man stated; now several meters behind them near the pagodas entrance. "Wha...?" The two samurai were perplexed, neither had seen him move. "Surely just removing such a creatures' limbs wouldn't be enough to kill it?" Mizune inquired, glancing back at the shinobi.

"I gouged its eye out. That's its weak point." He replied. "Huh, when did you do that?" Yuriko squaked. "I jumped when it did just a little higher and struck its eye out like this." He feigned a downward strike with the blade of his left hand.

"It would've been easier, but my good arm's broken." He said as he collapsed face first. Both girls rushed to him. "Dammit, don't go dying, we still need to know what happened here!" Yuriko exclaimed. Mizune wasted no time tearing the sleeves of her haori to make bandages.

"Help me undress him if he's bleeding we need to staunch it and then get out of here." "Who are you to give me orders Hayabusa cur!?" Yuriko fumed, sticking her spear in Mizunes' face.

"If this man dies then we'll never know what events transpired here. But more importantly, samurai shouldn't leave someone who saved their lives to die like this."

The blizzard was for a moment gone from Mizunes eyes, her words striking Yuriko, whos eyes went wide as she realized her foolishness.

As much as she wanted to be angry she knew she shouldn't, because her rival spoke true. If this shinobi hadn't appeared when he did that monster would've killed them both while they were distracted fighting each other.

"If you can understand that then help me. I'll carry him down. My body's better suited for it. You'll cover our rear, your choice of weapon is better suited to the cramped terrain."

Yuriko sighed as she knelt down to assist Mizune. "Fine, for today we are friends. Lady Hayabusa." She said almost blushing from embarrassment.

"Ah, so you can be polite, Lady Sakura." Mizune teased a small smile breaking on her icy exterior. "Don't fucking push it!" Yuriko replied fierily, her face going red.

Mizune didn't attempt further mockery and the two were quick in dressing the young shinobis' wounds, before beginning a long march down the mountains towards safety. Towards Onimichi.