Chapter Eight: The Great Divide

The Ryouga & Ukyou Chronicles, Volume Two

Disclaimer:
Ryouga Hibiki and Ukyou Kuonji are not my creations and are both copyright of Rumiko Takahashi. This same holds true for Nabiki Tendo, Sasuke, Hiroshi, Daisuke, and yes, even Kuno. I’d like to thank Takahashi-sensei for her great series once again. So don’t sue me. I’m broke. All you’ll get is an IOU written on a cocktail napkin. Well, that is, if I could afford a cocktail...Anyway, I once again claim no credit for their creation. And, now, on with the show...

I

The six dark clad figures knelt silently in the darkened hollow of the room, each barely daring to breathe for fear of reprisal. Ninja though they were, the dank and all-consuming shadows that danced around their faces provided little comfort to them. The only illumination came from the eerie blue light of the pillar that rose from the room’s center. It cut through the thick darkness, its incandescence a stark contrast to the rest of the interior. Looming over the figures, the man known only as Takemura paced, obviously irritated. His face was twisted into an angry snarl, a foil to the silent, shared composure of the dark clad figures beneath him. Standing behind Takemura, his two disciples Yaro and Hayabusai watched on with nervous apprehension. For what seemed like an eternity, not a soul dared speak.

"M-Master…" The leader of the Karate Force Omega Ultra, Ninja Super Heroes from a Far Away Land, said, clearing his throat nervously, "Forgive us. Our failure has shamed you greatly."

"Forgive you?" Takemura mused. "Forgive you, should I?" He glared down at the kneeling ninja, his expression dancing that fine line between amusement and insanity. "I entrusted your group, your Karate Force Omega Ultra, Ninja Super Heroes from a Far Away Land, with the sacred duty of curbing the unnatural activities of our enemies. You assured me your warriors would not…no, COULD not fail."

He paused deeply, as if to inflect upon some great mystery of the universe. "And yet…" he said, waving his arm over the ninja in a sweeping gesture. "…Here we are. And you just want me to forgive you? Just like that?"

The ninja leader hung his head deeply, the stain of his failure obviously weighing deeply on his soul. "I understand, my Lord. But give us one more chance. I swear to you that we will not fail you this time."

Takemura narrowed his eyes and slowly placed his hand on the chin of the ninja master, lifting his head up to meet his gaze. The ninja master stared back, lost in the deep black, and for a moment the eyes almost seemed to…change. They took on a deeper feeling, almost seeming serpentine. It was like staring into a sparkling galaxy of power. And then it was gone. Takemura released the ninja slowly.

"See that you don’t." he growled, then waved dismissively at them. "Get to work."

The ninja master bowed, touching his head to the cold rock floor, and rose quickly, clapping his hands together once. All the members of Karate Force Omega Ultra, Ninja Super Heroes from a Far Away Land leapt to their feet and quickly exited. Sighing, Takemura rested heavily on the chair by the recording console and rested his head in his hands wearily.

"Well, I think that went well." Yaro said hopefully. "Karate Force Omega Ultra, Ninja Super Heroes from a Far Away Land have served JUS-"

Takemura glowered up at him menacingly. Yaro swallowed hard, and cleared his throat nervously.

"Uh, I mean, J-dot-U-dot-S-dot-T-dot-I-dot-C-dot-E-dot, faithfully for many years. They will succeed." Yaro finished. Hayabusai nodded sagely.

"Indeed. Many times they’ve captured others for successful division." He added. Takemura leaned back in the chair heavily and sighed.

"That Kourenai woman has proven exceedingly difficult to capture in the past." He said. "This Hibiki character is starting to shape up to be the same way. We can’t have these abominations running unchecked across Japan." Yaro and Hayabusai both nodded in agreement, the perfect ‘yes’ men. Takemura regarded them with an almost apathetic glance.

"Hayabusai, I leave this to you and your agents to deal with Personally, should my Karate Force Omega Ultra, Ninja Super Heroes from a Far Away Land fail again." he said. Hayabusai nodded in compliance. "For now, I shall retire to my private quarters. Yaro, keep me informed." Takemura added, rising slowly from the seat and strolling out of the room. When he was a safe distance away, Hayabusai’s calm demeanor slipped off, and he began dancing for joy.

"What are you so happy about?" Yaro said suspiciously as he took his seat at the console, firmly placing the large headphones over his ears.

"Don’t you see?" Hayabusai said happily. "This is the chance I’ve been waiting for!"

Yaro stared at him, obviously confused. Sighing, Hayabusai shook his head.

"Think about it, Yaro!" he said jubilantly. "If Takemura fails to capture that Kourenai woman and that Hibiki dunce this time, and I can, then the superiors will finally recognize my genius."

Yaro shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

"You just have no ambition, you killjoy." Hayabusai grumbled. "I intend to rise in the ranks of this organization, even…no, ESPECIALLY if it means using old Takemura as my stepping stone."

"Well," Yaro said nonchalantly as he began to set up the machinery, "That sounds all well and good, but just how do you intend to bring this about?"

"I am not without my own agents, Yaro." Hayabusai said sinisterly. All I have to do is utilize my men to make sure that Takemura’s men fail miserably. Then the stage will be set for my SUPREME GLORY!" he declared triumphantly, thrusting his fist into the air as he cackled maniacally.

Yaro just rolled his eyes and shook his head as he tried to drown out Hayabusai’s ravings with the steady hum of the console as it warmed up for the evening’s duties.

II

Ukyou handed the damp figure sitting across from her another towel to wrap herself in and sighed wearily. The lighting in the hotel bathroom was poor to begin with, but the disruption in wiring caused by the night’s…activities…had damaged them further, and they now flickered in and out at a seemingly random pattern. Ukyou didn’t need very good lighting to tell her that the Agotsu Kourenai that was sitting in front of her was, indeed, feminine.

"So, feeling any better?" Ukyou said after a moment of mutual silence. Agotsu scowled at her, strands of her damp hair hanging over her deep brown eyes.

"What do you think, stupid?" she growled. "Everything is ruined. Goddamn those mantra ninja psychopaths." Ukyou couldn’t help but smirk.

"Well, it’s not so bad." She offered, trying to hide the smile from her face and act concerned and caring. "What’s so wrong with being a girl? It has its good points, you know."

"Maybe for you." Agotsu huffed, frustrated. "Women are weak. Useless. Better suited to stay home and cook for our husbands than pursue personal vendettas."

"That’s a hell of a thing to say." Ukyou said, surprised. "Are you sure you aren’t really a man with a pig-headed, moronic attitude like that?"

"It’s the truth." Agotsu retorted, drawing the towel closer around her. "That’s the way things are where I come from."

Ukyou was about to ask what godforsaken place it was Agotsu had come from when a knock on the door interrupted her. Agotsu’s face flushed bright crimson and she turned her back to the doorway as Ukyou stood.

"What is it?" the okonomiyaki chef asked impatiently. She’d requested a private moment with Agotsu when it became apparent that he was really a she. Without so much as an announcement, Daisuke poked his head in the doorway.

"You fix her shirt yet?" he said. Ukyou nodded, which caused Daisuke to scowl in disappointment.

"Damn." He said, snapping his fingers. Suddenly a hand roughly placed itself over his face and dragged him out of the doorway with a quick jerk. Ryouga’s face replaced it, peering in cautiously.

"Ucchan…we should go soon…" he said. "The manager is calling the police department." In the background, Ukyou could hear the tubby manager shouting curses and obscenities over the phone as he surveyed the damage from his desk. She sighed and nodded, and Ryouga closed the door firmly.

"Agotsu, listen." Ukyou said firmly. "I really couldn’t care less about your little gender crisis issue right now. The fact is that Ryouga and I are getting out of here before the police show up. I don’t exactly think it’s a terrible idea to leave you here to take the rap for it all, but I don’t think I can do that. So, are you coming along or not?"

Agotsu turned back around and looked up through the dripping strands of dark hair that had lengthened considerably after her transformation. She regarded Ukyou for a moment, then sighed deeply.

"Fine, fine, let’s get the hell out of here." She grunted, standing up. She threw the door open and stormed out followed a step behind by a smiling Ukyou. Seeing them emerge, Daisuke joyfully scampered up.

"Hey, Agotsu, listen-" he started to say, but she abruptly cut him off by kicking him across the room and into a far table, which he tumbled over and came to a rest against the wall of the lobby.

"That’s for looking at my cleavage, you pervert!" she snarled. "You’d better keep your grubby hands away from me if you want to keep them."

Daisuke, struggling to stand, leaned heavily against the overturned table and gave the "OK" sign with his free hand before collapsing back onto the red carpeting. Oblivious to this was Ryouga, who had immediately gone to Ukyou’s side. He hugged her tightly, much to her surprise. They locked in the mutual embrace for a moment, before forcing themselves to let go.

"What was that for?" Ukyou said, but the smile of delight was obvious on her face. Ryouga smiled back, his fangs poking out in that habit they had of doing.

"I didn’t get a chance to check on you after those…guys…broke into the hotel room. They didn’t hurt you, did they?" he said, concern crossing his well-worn features. Ukyou laughed.

"Those mantra ninja guys?" she said, giggling. "Those morons didn’t even put a scratch on the walls. And they certainly hit them enough."

"I know what you mean." He chuckled. "I almost feel insulted that someone thought they could take us. They would have been better off sending a kid with a water gun."

"We’ll worry about it later, sugar." She said, grabbing his hand and pulling insistently. "Right now we should probably get going before we have to spend the night in jail."

Ryouga nodded and allowed Ukyou to lead him towards the hotel entrance. Agotsu followed, silently stewing in her misery. Daisuke wobbled unsteadily a few steps behind them all. The cool night air quickly set about the task of bringing them fully awake, a job for which it was eminently suited. The Lost boy closed his eyes for a moment and sucked a chest full of the cool night atmosphere. Even though it was late at night, the city throbbed and pulsed with a life all its own.

"So…" Ryouga said as the foursome came to a halt on the barren sidewalk about a block from the hotel. "What do we do now?"

"This is all those damn JUSTICE ninja’s fault." Daisuke said angrily, seeming to have regained composure after his most recent thrashing. "We ought to find them and give them a good thrashing." Ukyou, Ryouga, and Agotsu all gave him questionable, if not amused, glances. Chuckling nervously, Daisuke added. "Uh, well, by ‘we’, I meant you guys, of course."

"Yeah, well, like it or not, I have to agree with Daisuke." Ukyou said, somewhat distastefully. Daisuke’s eyes brightened.

"Really?" he said. "Hah! I bet you never thought you’d say that, did you?" He crossed his arms and smiled confidently. "I told you guys I wasn’t the most useless hanger on. That dumb Ninja of Kuno’s is."

"You’re both idiots." Ryouga spat. "But Daisuke is right. Apparently these guys are gonna keep dogging us until they get what they want. I’m not sure what that is, but I’m really not too eager to find out." He glanced over at Agotsu, standing off from the rest of them slightly, looking seemingly at nothing in particular.

"Agotsu." Ryouga said. Her body jolted momentarily, but she didn’t turn to face him. Nevertheless, he continued. "You probably know more about these guys than any of the rest of us do. You’ve obviously managed to avoid them for a while. What can you tell us?"

Agotsu’s eyes narrowed and she looked downward, drawing her cloak tighter around her to keep out the night chill. She still didn’t turn to face him.

"I should let them catch you." she muttered. "But I’ll help you, if only because I reserve the right to kill you myself, and I won’t have the right taken from me by some self-righteous bastards in black pajamas."

"Yeah, okay." Ryouga said nonchalantly. "I can deal with that. It’s not me I’m trying to look out for."

"Gee, thanks, buddy!" Daisuke said, putting his arm around Ryouga’s neck. "I had know idea we were such good pals!" Ryouga turned and glowered at him menacingly.

"We aren’t." he said. "I was talking about Ukyou. Now get your hand off me."

"Oh, right." Daisuke said, straightening up and adjusting his shirt nervously. "Sorry, sorry."

"Ryo-chan, I appreciate the sentiment. But I’m a big girl and I can handle myself." Ukyou said, trying not to blush at Ryouga’s display of casual emotion. "Nevertheless, it’s nice to know a girl is appreciated." She added, gripping his large, rough hand in her own and squeezing gently. Ryouga smiled warmly down at her.

"All I know is they usually come at night. I’ve seen those ninjas before, but I don’t know who the two guys that attacked us at Doctor Koan’s were." Agotsu commented offhandedly, gazing up into the clear night sky.

"They sure seemed to know who you were." Daisuke commented. "I guess they’re part of the same conspiracy. Except those dudes at the doc’s were pretty damn competent, and the ninjas…well, they stank."

"We should probably get out of the cold, at any rate." Ukyou commented. "I’d hate to be caught out here in the street, especially since I think the police might be looking for us and we aren’t exactly inconspicuous."

"But where do we go?" Daisuke said, scratching his head. "We can’t go back to the doc’s. Another hotel?"

"We should camp out." Ryouga said. "Outside of the city. They’ll have a harder time finding us out there."

Just then, a fairly nice looking black car turned the corner and slowed to a stop alongside the group. Ryouga and the others watched warily, and he noticed Agotsu was subtly preparing herself in case she needed to suddenly defend herself. He did the same. The heavily tinted window showed only Ryouga’s reflection and the glare of the streetlight. Slowly, it rolled down with an electric hum.

"Hmph. You guys certainly know how to stay out of trouble." Nabiki said sarcastically as she peered out from the passenger window. An amused grin danced over her pretty face, but that was nothing unusual.

"Nabiki?" Ukyou said, stepping forward next to Ryouga. "W-Where did you get this car?" Nabiki raised her eyebrow in mock surprise.

"Ukyou, really." She said. "You’ve known me long enough now to realize I don’t get caught unprepared. Get in."

Ryouga and Ukyou shared a confused, yet relieved glance, and then hurriedly climbed into the back of the car. It was a tight fit, but the four managed to squeeze in. Nabiki turned in her seat and smiled back at them. An unrecognizable man with slicked back black hair and an expensive looking suit sat in the driver’s seat, and he began to causally guide the vehicle through the twisting streets.

"Where to?" he said to Nabiki, without really looking at her. His voice was smooth, flowing pleasantly with an eloquence that must have taken a lot of practice to perfect. Still, there was something unsavory about him that neither Ukyou nor Ryouga could shake off. Neither needed to say it to the other, though. A quick look into one another’s eyes was all it took.

"Your place, Josei, if you would." Nabiki said, smirking in self-satisfaction. The man in the suit nodded. "You’re the boss, Miss Tendo." Ryouga glanced over to Daisuke, who only shrugged in the same confused state.

"Well, uh, thanks for the ride, Nabiki." He said nervously. Nabiki chuckled and shrugged casually.

"It’s no problem. I’m sure you’ll all be more than willing to repay the favor if I ever need it." She commented. "You’re probably all wondering what’s going on."

"Yeah, well…Yeah." Daisuke said flatly. Nabiki regarded him for a moment.

"Well, a modern businesswoman such as myself needs to spread herself out in order to get ahead. Josei here is one of my most valuable associates." She said. The man driving smiled but said nothing. Ukyou noticed an expensive looking watch that adorned his wrist as he gently guided the car along with the steering wheel.

"Uh, okay." Ryouga said. Ukyou shook her head and rolled her eyes at her love’s lack of eloquence.

"Well, thank you very much, Mister…" she said, pausing for him to give his full name. A silence pervaded the car for a moment, accompanied by the droning hum of the car engine as it crept through the night.

"Josei." He responded smoothly. "Just Josei will do for now, Miss Kuonji."

"How did you-" she began, but caught sight of Nabiki’s eyebrow preparing to arch again, and caught herself. "…oh, of course, Mr. Josei. Thanks for your help, at any rate."

"Think nothing of it." He said smoothly. "What Miss Tendo wants, she gets. I’m merely the tool of her provision. You should be thanking her for deciding to make a friend here in Urawa."

"Where’s Hiroshi?" Daisuke said suddenly. "And Kuno? And that ninja guy…you know. The short one, with the whiskers." He made some sort of hand gesture as he spoke, supposedly to help illustrate the idea of whiskers.

"They’re back at the hotel." Nabiki said. "I didn’t want to arouse suspicion by having us all leave. They’re fine for now where they are. The less of us there are, the better off for everyone."

"Makes sense to me." Daisuke said, trying his best to relax and get comfortable in the tight confines of the back seat. Beside him, Agotsu shifted uncomfortably and turned away to look out the window. Daisuke looked her over for a minute. She certainly was a different person from who he thought he knew. Her hair was long and flowing in this body, and her deep brown eyes held a certain allure he found to be quite attractive. He hadn’t gotten much of a look at her body, but what he’d seen he’d definantly enjoyed. He shook these feelings aside and closed his eyes, trying to catch a few precious minutes of rest. Sadly, it was not to be, as he felt the car come to a stop.

"Okay, here we are." Josei said, opening the door and climbing out. He walked over to the passenger side and opened Nabiki’s door, offering her his hand as she got out of the reflective black vehicle. Ryouga nodded slightly, and got out of the car, happy to be free of the alien confines of the machine. Ukyou made a move to get up, and he extended his hand to her in a mimic of Josei’s gesture.

"Why, thank you Ryo-chan." Ukyou smiled, letting him slightly pull her out of the vehicle and wrapping her arms around his waist. She smiled at him and kissed the tip of his nose. "You can be a pretty decent guy when you want to be."

"Well, Heh, Uh…" Ryouga stammered, his face flushing a bright crimson. Daisuke just shook his head and stretched, while Agotsu ignored them completely. Nabiki waited patiently for a moment before clearing her throat loudly. The two teens snapped simultaneously back into reality.

"There will be plenty of time for those kind of things once we’re safely inside." Nabiki commented with an undertone of impatience in her voice.

"Everyone just follow me." Josei said, and pressed a button on his keychain. The car beeped loudly. For a moment.

"Oh, damn." Daisuke said suddenly. "I left my wallet in there." He reached for the car handle, but Josei gripped him by the wrist forcefully, stopping him cold.

"Don’t touch." He said seriously. "It’ll blow up if the system’s still active."

"Uh, okay…" Daisuke said, backing a step or two away from the car nervously. "I guess I’ll just…I’ll get it later." He smiled nervously at Josei, who just walked back over to Nabiki and nodded. She smiled slightly, and he strolled forward into the dimly lit parking garage.

As the group followed him, Ryouga took note of the cement and steel construct that surrounded them, as alien to him as the high peaks and forests of the countryside probably were to Nabiki and her ‘friend.’ The shadows seeped into every crack, every crevasse, and seemed to make the room almost endlessly deep. The shadows conformed tot he architecture, and the darkness yielded only slightly to the small lights that were set along the columns that held the structure up from within. Finally, in the distance, Ryouga could see an elevator door. Josei stopped in front of it and pressed the button, summoning the elevator within seconds. He stood aside and allowed Nabiki and the others to enter before him, only stepping in himself after all others were in. He pressed the button for the eighth floor and the tiny room jolted and began its ascent.

"Miuchiko will be happy to see you again." Josei commented offhandedly, presumably to Nabiki. She smiled genuinely, a rarity, and nodded to herself.

"I haven’t seen her since graduation." Nabiki said with a hint of melancholy. "How is she?"

"Good, good, although I must say I don’t approve of her boyfriend." Josei said. Ukyou tried not to eavesdrop on this personal conversation, but the sound of Nabiki being surprised by something was a rarity indeed, and attracted her attention. She glanced over at Ryouga who shifted uncomfortably in the confines of the elevator and smiled weakly at her.

"Boyfriend?" Nabiki said with amusement. Josei nodded.

"You’ll most certainly hear all about it." He said with a bit of weariness in his voice. Ukyou estimated he couldn’t be older than 22, but his demeanor didn’t indicate it to her. He carried himself with the stature of a Tokyo business hotshot. Or a well trained Yakuza agent.

"It’s…good to see you again." Josei added uncertainly after a brief pause. Nabiki smiled and raised an eyebrow quizzically at him.

"It is , is it?" she said, amused. "Josei, you should know better." Nevertheless, her smile didn’t entirely fade. Josei bowed his head slightly.

"My apologies, Miss Tendo." He said. Almost as if on cue, the elevator bell rang, and the door slid open. A long, well lit, well furnished hallway stretched out before them. Josei gestured for everyone to proceed, holding the door open with his arm. After the last steeped through, He made his way back to the front and lead them down the halls. He came to a stop in front of a room labeled "722" and began to casually flip through the keys on his keychain. He inserted one, turned, and the door swung inward.

Nabiki smiled and stepped inside, with Ukyou and Ryouga following behind her, then Daisuke and Agotsu. Josei paused outside long enough to look around before stepping in and shutting the door behind him. Ryouga heard the faint click of the door locking behind them. Before them, the apartment room spread out, lavishly furnished with leather furniture, an exercise bike and treadmill facing the huge windows that overlooked the city street far below. A large screen TV with all the modern accessories sat against the far wall like a shrine, with the sofas and recliners surrounding it like the devout followers that worshipped it. Daisuke found a comfortably suitable couch and flopped lazily down on it with a sigh of relief. Ukyou and Ryouga nestled snugly into what could best be described as a love seat. Nabiki sat down on a chair facing them, while Agotsu stood, slightly away from them. Ryouga noticed that she had been unusually pensive since they’d discovered her little ‘secret’. He shrugged it off as one of those small miracles of life. Josei tossed his jacket on the floor causally and walked into the kitchen.

"Tea?" he offered as the sink began to run. Ryouga could hear the unmistakable sound of water being poured into a kettle. His mind drifted back to Nerima at the familiar sound and he found himself almost missing the old place before drifting back into reality.

"Sure." Ukyou said pleasantly, snuggling comfortably against Ryouga as he tried vainly to stop from blushing. She delighted in the reactions she could illicit from him.

"So, it seems you’ve gotten yourselves into quite a mess." Nabiki said as she lounged back in the chair. "What did you do this time? Didn’t go strolling through another magic valley, did you?"

"No way." Ryouga said sternly. "I don’t know what the hell is with these guys. It has something to do with both Agotsu and I being Jusenkyo victims, though."

"Oh, really?" Nabiki said, glancing over at the girl with interest. "I don’t believe we’ve been introduced."

"I prefer it that way." Agotsu growled, not turning to acknowledge the Tendo girl. Nabiki shrugged and refocused her attentions on the okonomiyaki chef and the pig boy instead.

"What do-" Nabiki began, but was suddenly interrupted when the large glass window leading out to the balcony shattered in, and several dark clad figures tumbled into the room. They sprung to their feet, proceeding to flip and roll all over the room in erratic patterns, making several grunting gestures to signal they were expending effort to put on this remarkably ineffective show.

"Ah, dammit!" Ryouga snarled, standing up angrily as one of the Ninja flipped by him, doing a somersault over the couch he and Ukyou were sharing.

"I take it this is them?" Nabiki said, unamused, as she conveniently slipped beside Josei behind the large bar. Daisuke quickly joined them after concurring that this was the safest place to hide. Ryouga nodded, trying his best to follow the dizzying movements of the ninja intruders.

"Yes!" Ukyou said angrily as she unsheathed her large spatula and wielded it menacingly. Raising it high and bracing herself, she swung hard, connecting solidly with one of the ninja that flipped by her, sending the figure careening across the room. He smashed into an expensive looking table and slumped onto the floor. Josei winced visibly.

"Ah HAH!" The Ninja leader said as he landed in front of Ryouga, Ukyou, and Agotsu, shaking his fist furiously. "We have returned to settle the score! Now, get ready for a message from J-dot-U-dot-S-dot-T-dot-I-dot-C-dot-E-dot! A message…of PAIN!"

"God, someone make them stop saying that stupid goddamn mantra!" Agotsu shouted angrily as she grabbed the expensive lacquered coffee table and lifted it high over her head. Lifting it high, she brought it down angrily on top of the ninja leader, dazing him. The wood snapped sickeningly as the table broken with the force of her blow.

"Hey, can you possibly not do that?" Josei said from behind the bar. "You do have other weapons, right? That’s expensive furniture."

Just then, the door to the apartment split in half, and the two samurai from Doctor Koan’s stormed into the room, katanas held at the ready. Ryouga turned to face them, ignoring the ninja that flipped by uselessly behind him.

"There they are!" The blue clad samurai said, pointing his blade at the bandannaed boy. Ryouga grimaced and stood his ground, cursing his bad luck under his breath. The samurai closed their eyes simultaneously and lifted their blades until the blunt sides were almost resting on their foreheads, and then they charged forward.

Ryouga braced himself inwardly.

They ran right by him.

"What the?" He said aloud, stunned, as the samurai parted around him like the river around a stone, merging back together and smashing into the ninja behind him, who were still in the midst of their acrobatics display. Ryouga just kind of stood there, watching them, not really sure what to say. Ukyou walked up behind him, her spatula hanging loosely from one hand, and tugged on his sleeve. He looked down at her and saw the puzzled expression on her face. He shrugged, his expression a mirror of hers.

Daisuke, watching this spectacle with interest, happened to glance out of the window and notice several flashing red and blue lights. He turned to Nabiki, who was trying her best to inconspicuously console Josei, who was watching all of his furniture disintegrate as the ninja and samurai battle intensified.

"Hey, Tendo," he said, poking her in the back. She turned to him with a look of slight annoyance.

"What is it?" she said. "And don’t touch me."

"Oh, sorry." Daisuke chided, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "But, I think you should take a look outside." The two teens slowly crept to the shattered window and looked out, only to be greeted by the sight of six or seven city police vehicles parked in a haphazard barricade around the hotel entrance. Police officers armed with rifles lined the vehicles, hiding themselves behind the cover the cars provided and more or less aiming them at the building in no particular place of focus. A police officer stood proudly at their center, much larger and broader than the others. Nabiki chuckled, half-amused, as she realized he seemed somewhat familiar.

"What’s so funny?" Daisuke said, glancing over at her. She smiled and gestured out at the officer in question.

"Look familiar to you?" she said. Daisuke looked more closely, puzzled. His eyes widened and he groaned.

"You’ve got to be kidding me." He said.

Meanwhile, on the ground, One of the police officers, Hanaka Tatsuya, glanced nervously from the imposing hotel to the large and equally imposing cop standing next to him. Nervously, he cleared his throat.

"Uh, C-Captain Hinako…?" He said sheepishly. The stout commander looked down at him imperiously, megaphone in hand.

"What is it, Tatsuya?" Hinako said.

"Well, sir," Hanaka said nervously, "Do you really think we need so many officers for this? It’s just a public disturbance call, you know…"

"JUST?" Hinako snarled. "JUST? Public disturbance call, indeed!" He leaned close to the young officer, until their noses nearly touched. Hinako could smell the boy’s fear. It was intoxicating. "Let me tell you something, mister. Public disturbance is just a little hop from TOTAL ANARCHY! Are you saying we should let these political revolutionaries just go scot free? I suppose you want them to continue their terrorist activities without our interference, hmmm?"

"Well, uh, no sir…I guess not…" Hanaka said sheepishly.

"YOU’RE DAMN RIGHT, MISTER!" Hinako shouted into the megaphone, the ear-splitting decibel level sending the young officer stumbling back onto the ground. Straightening himself upright and adjusting his tie, he cleared his throat.

"Now listen here, you rebel scum!" Hinako shouted boldly. "You thought you could just go around planting bombs and communist doctrine pamphlets in our city hotels at your leisure, did you!? Well, let it be known that you’re dealing with the NEW chief of Urawa Police, and I don’t take kindly to dissidents in my district!"

"Damn." Ryouga said, stepping back from the window where he, Ukyou, and Agotsu had joined Daisuke and Nabiki moments ago. "We can’t get a break, can we?" A loud kiai shout drowned out any response as one of the ninja barely avoided a blast of chi from one of the samurai in the background, the flash of energy slamming into the far wall, smashing it out. Chunks of debris hurtled down onto the ground, with several small pebbles clanking noisily on the tops of the police cruisers.

"Holy Jigoku!" Hinako shouted angrily, grabbing the nearest officer and shaking him violently. "Did you see that? Watch out men, these people are dangerous!" So said, he tossed the hapless cop to the ground and lifted the megaphone to his mouth again.

"Throw a building at me, will you!?" He shouted. "I’m tagging reckless endangerment, illegal possession of fireworks, and assaulting a police officer to your charges, buddy!"

"We have to get out of here!" Ukyou snarled as she grasped Ryouga’s hand firmly. "Things just keep getting worse. I don’t really feel like hanging around while all our other old problems come rushing here to join the fray."

"You aren’t going anywhere!" A sinister voice said from behind them. The group spun and came face to face with a dark cloaked figure, who towered over them. In his hand he grasped the handle of a silver bucket firmly. Ryouga could see the glint of water sloshing lazily within it.

"What the hell?" Ryouga said angrily. "Who are you supposed to be!?" The man chuckled dismissively at the lost boy.

"My name is Hayabusai, and I’m one of the men that has been chasing you. Those two samurai are my lowly servants." He said sinisterly. "With Takemura’s minions distracted, I can splash you with the Division Water and claim credit for myself. At last, my hour of triumph is at hand!" He laughed maniacly and raised his free hand, clenching his fist in triumph. Ukyou looked over at Ryouga, who could offer little more than another confused shrug in response.

"Wait, who’s Takemura?" Daisuke chimed in. "Is he the Autumn guy?"

"No, stupid." Ryu said as he knelt down beside Ryouga. "That Ito. Takemura, he mystery guy." Everyone, with the exception of Josei and Nabiki, was stunned by his arrival.

"Ryu!?" Ukyou said, confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Huh?" Ryu said, looking confused. "Oh, I okay now. All better. Doctor say everything fine, so I go come find you."

"How the hell did you know where we were?" Ukyou said, still confused. Ryu shrugged nonchalantly.

"I just follow police. I figure Ryouga-san not far from trouble. And here you is, okay?" he said simply. Ukyou rolled her eyes and Ryouga groaned, shaking his head.

"Okay, I give up." Daisuke said hopelessly, throwing his hands in the air. "I just don’t care enough to try and figure out what the hell is going on anymore. Just someone tell me what to do, because I’m beyond being able to care."

"Um, hello, can you pay attention to me, please?" Hayabusai said, snapping his fingers impatiently. "Now, if everyone’s ready, can we please prepare for my moment of SUPREME GLORY!?!"

Just then, again, a loud whoosh shot through the room, and the bucket was jerked free from Hayabusai’s hand. It dangled lazily from the handle of a sharp throwing knife, which now jutted out from the middle of a now ruined wall painting. Josei shook his head solemnly.

"That’s enough, Hayabusai!" A loud, angry voice thundered. Everyone turned to face two more dark robed figures standing in the doorway. One wore thick glasses and the other had short, erratically spiked hair and a long scar on his face. "You backstabbing traitor!"

"Takemura!" Hayabusai snarled. "But, how? Yaro, you didn’t!?" The man in the thick glasses shrugged.

"Not me." He said. "I’m just here because Lord Takemura needed a ride, and I don’t trust him with my car." Takemura glowered at the thinner man, who cringed slightly and became silent.

"B-But, how?" Hayabusai said, startled. Oblivious to the happenings, one of the samurai stumbled by them, struggling as two ninja clung ferociously onto him, and then he was out of the collective’s range of view. Takemura chuckled, and reached into his robes, drawing out a small black book.

"You should be more careful where you leave your…DAILY PLANNER!" he cackled menacingly. Opening the book, he flipped through the pages fervently. "See, here, right after luncheon at J-dot-U-dot-S-dot-T-dot-I-dot-C-dot-E-dot- Headquarters, it says, ‘Use Takemura as a stepping stone to SUPREME GLORY!’" He tossed the book aside triumphantly and snapped his finger. Yaro placed an almost identical bucket of water in his hand.

"Damn you, you buffoon!" Hayabusai snarled, grabbing the bucket that dangled from the wall angrily. "I’ve come to far to let you stop me now!"

"Hah!" Takemura chuckled. "Did you really think you could defeat ME!? After I use the Division Water on these accursed Jusenkyo victims…" he said gesturing to the empty space that the group once occupied, "Then I will deal with…" He stopped suddenly and glanced back.

They were gone.

"What!? They escaped!?" Takemura shouted, stunned. Yaro nodded.

"Them? Oh, yeah, they left while you guys were talking. I guess I probably should have mentioned it to you." he said nonchalantly, pouring himself a cup of tea and whistling. Takemura and Hayabusai exchanged pale glances.

"Yaro…" They both growled, and took a step towards the other man menacingly. Just then, the room swelled as police officers poured into the room. Towering over them, megaphone in hand, officer Hinako cackled gleefully.

"Criminals, prepare to taste the wrath of my law!" he laughed insanely as the police jumped into the fray of ninjas, samurai, and dark clad masterminds.

III

"Man." Daisuke said, stretching his arms behind his back as the six figures strolled down the early morning streets of Urawa. "I don’t believe that plan actually worked."

"I do." Ukyou said smartly, her arms wrapped around one of Ryouga’s powerful arms. "When you deal with really stupid people, sometimes just doing something simple works pretty damn well."

"What about that friend of yours, Nabiki?" Ryouga said, trying not to blush as he felt the warmth of Ukyou’s body against him.

"He said something about having to re-think his life." Nabiki commented offhandedly, licking a cone of ice cream she’d purchased at an all night store. Well, that she got Daisuke to purchase, anyway.

"Well, that just goes to show you." Daisuke commented. "Don’t bother doing anything good for someone, because you’ll probably get screwed over somehow."

"How noble." Ukyou said sarcastically. She glanced over at Agotsu, who had remained somewhat silent through the walk. "And what about you?"

"I’ve still got a score to settle with your little lover boy." Agotsu said reluctantly. "But, I, uh, I guess, uh, mumble…mumble…"

"What" Ukyou said, smiling. "I didn’t hear you."

"I said, I guess he’s not such a bad guy, for a complete idiot." She said angrily. "A complete stupid, stupid, stupid-"

"Okay, I heard you." Ryouga snarled. "I wonder if we’ll see those J-dot-U-dot…whatever…guys again?"

"Is that who that was?" Ryu said curiously. "I know well of them."

"You do?" Ryouga said. "What the hell were they after us for?"

"It simple." Ryu explained. "They go around, find people Jusenkyo cursed. They have magic water. You get splashed, you and curse get put into different bodies, so you is no cursed no more. Is easy, no?"

Ryouga’s face paled. "They…cure…curses…?" He whispered. Ryu nodded. Whimpering visibly, Ryouga buried his head in Ukyou’s shoulder and she patted his back softly, whispering reassuring words into his ears.

"Well, how about we head on back to Nerima, then?" Daisuke said, ignoring Ryouga. Nabiki nodded.

"Definantly." She said. "I need a good long soak in the bath."

"Ooh, sounds like fun." Daisuke said, smirking. "Is that an invitation?"

"Drop dead." Nabiki said, smiling and patting Daisuke on the shoulder before walking ahead. He just stood there for a second, not saying anything. Ryu walked up to him and shook his head.

"Did you see that, Ryu?" Daisuke said. The garishly clad samurai nodded solemnly. "She didn’t hit me or anything." Daisuke continued. "God, she must want me. I’m pretty smooth, huh?"

"You stupid, like rock that think it can fly like bird in waterfall." Ryu commented. Daisuke just kind of shrugged. The group began to slowly make their way out to the city limits, Ukyou guiding the still whimpering Ryouga along the way carefully. Suddenly, Nabiki paused.

"What’s wrong?" Daisuke said, stopping next to her. She shook her head, looking a little confused.

"I…it’s nothing." She said slowly. "I just thought for a minute I’d forgotten something, but it’s probably nothing important."

"Oh." Daisuke said, shrugging, as they picked up the pace to keep in step with the rest of the group as they headed out into the early morning mist.

IV

"There." Hiroshi said, annoyed, as he placed the go stone onto the board. "I win again. Happy yet?" Across the table from him, in the dimly lit hotel room, Kuno furrowed his brown and frowned. The ninja Sasuke came into the room, carrying a plate.

"Reheated okonomiyaki!" he said musically. "For you I have prepared the best, Master Kuno."

"This blows." Hiroshi said, standing up. "I’m going to go look for Nabiki." As he moved to leave, Kuno clamped his hand on the boy’s arm tightly.

"Wait a moment." Kuno said. "We shall play the best 16 out of 30 games."

"What?" Hiroshi shouted. "Get bent, Kuno! I beat you. Deal with it."

"Tatewaki Kuno does not lose to commoners. Those were merely practice matches. Yes...ten practice matches. This time, for real!" Kuno declared. Hiroshi tried to shrug him off, and Kuno gestured to Sasuke, who was holding the kendoist’s bokken, ready to hand it to his master.

"You have little choice." Kuno said darkly. Hiroshi looked from the door, to the go table, to the bokken. Frustrated, he sat back down heavily as Sasuke began to diligently re-set the board.

End of Chapter 8.