CHAPTER IV

Attack of Kudji-Kiri

One of Manjis saw a Kudji-Kiri ninja sneaking close to their hideout, and that meant only once: Kudji-Kiri will attack again.

All Manji ninjas came to dark place in forest, where they can make plans how to defend from Kudji-Kiri ‘s next attack.

- Kudji-Kiri strikes again – said Zeku, their sensei. – We must stop them until they kill more innocent people.

- What will we do? – Asked one of the Manjis.

- You need to stop them by any cost. Use any way to eliminate them, and try to keep at least one of them alive. We need one of them to reveal their position to us.

- That will be hard...I think there is no way to force a ninja to talk...

- You are right. But something tells me we will succeed. We need to split up, every Manji shall go in other direction. Also, you two will stay here with me if one or more of their ninjas come to this hideout. Now go!

Manjis got out of the hideout and went in all directions. Kudji-Kiri ninjas are dangerous, but Manjis are dangerous too...

Yoshimitsu sneaked slowly. He learned to fight, but he never fought against Kudji-Kiri. He wasn’t scared, no...ninja is never scared. He was just queasy.

When he came close to one tree, he reclined on the tree and waited. Maybe some of Kudji-Kiri ninjas are closer than he thinks...

He was right. A Kudji-Kiri was on the other side of the tree! He sensed Yoshimitsu, just like Yoshimitsu sensed his presence. And finally, Yoshimitsu left his cover!

He saw the ninja in completely black costume. Ninja quickly threw a shuriken pointing to Yoshimitsu, but Yoshimitsu raised his sword with the speed of light and protected his face! Shuriken his Yoshimitsu’s sword! Yoshimitsu didn’t wait, he jumped to other ninja, making double front flip and waving his sword. If that attack hits, it’s all over...

...but no. Kudji-Kiri ninja was well trained and he rolled to side, so Yoshimitsu missed him. He now stroke with his katana, pointing to Yoshimitsu’s head.

But Yoshimitsu crouched and ninja’s katana missed his body! He quickly turned to Kudji-Kiri ninja, and attacked with his sword, horizontally...

The sound of crossing the swords. Kudji-Kiri ninja again surprised Yoshimitsu, blocking his attack. He was well trained, more than well trained...

Yoshimitsu did a backflip, and wondered: What to do?

Then, he got an idea : Invisibility! He stared at opponent’s eyes, diving into his mind. Kudji-Kiri ninja was surprised why his opponent won’t attack him, but after that, he didn’t see his opponent! That strange ninja in golden armor...he just disappeared! He didn’t have much time to wonder, because he sensed something hit him...that ninja...he killed him...

As Kudji-Kiri ninja’s corpse was relaxing, Yoshimitsu cleaned his sword using ninja’s clothes. He was proud on himself for killing a Kudji-Kiri ninja, but then he realized that someone should bring an ALIVE Kudji-Kiri ninja! He blessed himself for his stupidity, but he continued sneaking trough the forest. There are more Kudji-Kiri ninjas around...

When he came to a river, he stopped. Something was telling him there is a danger ahead. Something...BEHIND HIM!

He quickly turned around, and he saw another Kudji-Kiri ninja. He knew what Ninja will do, he will try to shoot him with his shurikens...

And so the ninja did. But Yoshimitsu was far away from the place where shuriken stabbed. He jumped to side before ninja waved his hand with a shuriken in it, then he stroke to ninja with full speed. But ninja wasn’t there anymore!

«Damn, he uses the same trick» thought Yoshimitsu. His opponent became invisible. He didn’t know where to strike. What to do. How to escape death.

Yoshimitsu closed his eyes. He won’t need them for this fight. He must concentrate on his ears...try to hear the ninja...

Yes!

He heard the sound of air when ninja jumped to him. Maybe impossible, but Yoshimitsu’s ears became much more precise than human’s ears.

Yoshimitsu quickly rolled to his left. Ninja missed him again. Yoshimitsu knew that he can’t beat this ninja only using his ears. He MUST see him...

Yoshimitsu opened his eyes. He looked at river, and jumped in! River was deep, so he has place to swim. Ninja jumped with him too, but he forgot he can’t be invisible in water because he can’t concentrate...Yoshimitsu saw the ninja again! They both took their katanas, and swam to each other.

This will be a hard fight...not because there is no air, ninjas can hold their breath for a long time, but fighting in water is hard because of the water pressure, attacks will be harder to do...and slower...

Kudji-Kiri ninja waved his sword, pointing to Yoshimitsu’s chest. Yoshimitsu waved his sword and managed to block the attack, then he swam back. Ninja attacked again, but Yoshimitsu predicted his attack. He swam down, more deeply in the river. Ninja missed him, and couldn’t see him anymore, because his opponent disappeared.

No, Yoshimitsu didn’t use his invisibility because he couldn’t do it in water, but he swam to ninja’s back! Ninja wanted to turn around, but he felt something cold and sharp was on his neck...

«I must bring this one...alive» thought Yoshimitsu.

He swam to the top of the river, and got out of river, still holding his sword on ninja’s neck. Ninja already made up a plan...he quickly raised his sword to do a Hara-Kiri, an attack which will stab his sword in his chest and kill him, but kill his opponent too...

Yoshimitsu realized what ninja is trying to do, and he reacted quickly, dashing back.

Ninja stabbed himself in the stomach, and died instantly.

"DAMN!" thought Yoshimitsu. He was really unlucky. He needed an alive opponent, not just because sensei said so, but because he didn’t enjoyed killing. In fact, he hated killing. He only killed in self-defense, when he had no other choice.

- Yoshimitsu!

He turned around and saw Kobayasha, carrying a Kudji-Kiri ninja.

- Kobayasha?

- Yes. I managed to get this one.

- Is he alive?

- Yes, of course! You doubted? I couldn’t hypnose him though, he passed an anti-hypnosis treatment or something, but he didn’t see when I shot a little needle which caused him to sleep...– Kobayasha smiled under his mask.

- Wow, great. I hope we’ll find out something from him...

- Let’s go now. Manjis were very successful this time, Kudji-Kiri ran away when they saw our ninjas beat their ninjas. - Kobayasha smiled again.

Manjis returned to their hideout.

- Congratulations Kobayasha! – said sensei – You did a good job!

- Thank you, sensei. Hmm...I think our friend is awake.

Kudji-Kiri ninja was tied with multiple ropes to one tree. Manjis knew he could break those ropes, but he was tired and without energy. He couldn’t break those ropes until he rests, meditates and gets his strength back...

- OK, my friend, now you need to tell us all secrets of your clan, hmmm...I think you know what to say, EVERYTHING! – Smiled Kobayasha, but his voice was serious.

Ninja refused to say anything. He knew Kudji-Kiri would kill him right away if he said something about them.

- You don’t want to say anything, huh? Why you don’t try to make him speak, Yoshimitsu? – Asked Kobayasha.

- No. I don’t like torturing people. – Said Yoshimitsu honestly.

- I understand you, but this is rare chance when we caught a Kudji-Kiri ninja, and we must use that advantage. – Spoke Kobayasha slowly. – OK. If you don’t want to do it, someone else will. Masaki! – Kobayasha called another Manji ninja. He had armor and masks like all other Manjis, but he also had long dark brown hair which comes out of his helmet.

- Yes?

- Make him speak. We will be in south part of forest. You know what to do. Torture him, make him bleed, cause maximum pain to him, but he must speak. – Said Kobayasha.

Although he sounded different, Kobayasha wanted to scare Kudji-Kiri ninja before ninja needed to be tortured. Manjis hated to torture slaves, and they tried to scare the ninja before the moment when they MUST torture him until he speaks...

Other ninjas left the place where Kudji-Kiri ninja was tied, and he was alone with Masaki, who prepared for torture. Masaki firstly put all of his weapons to ground, katana, shuriken, explosive pellet, daggers, needles, all sorts of blades and other ninja tools. He looked like he enjoys in torture, but he hated the torture too, like all Manji clan. Anyways, he needs to force the ninja talk...he will firstly try scaring him, but if that doesn’t help, he will must use the force...

- These are my toys – said Masaki, smiling – I will use them on you, so you better talk until I really must use these tools...

Ninja wasn’t scared when he saw first weapons Masaki put on the ground, but when he spotted all those blades and a huge hammer, he started feeling scared.

Masaki firstly wanted to try calm way to get information from Kudji-Kiri ninja. He stared at him, and tried to dive into ninja’s mind, to hypnose him. But he found a blockade there which caused bad pain to his brain. He realized that this ninja passed an anti-hypnosis treatment.

Masaki grabbed one dagger from his group of weapons, and came close to Kudji-Kiri ninja.

- I will stick this right in your hand. Do you know what pain it will cause?

Ninja wasn’t speaking.

Masaki realized that he can’t scare this ninja. Without any doubt, he stabbed his dagger in ninja’s hand. A scream with no human attributes in it was heard.

Ninja looked at his hand and saw dagger stabbed in it, while blood was soaking the ground. Masaki hated the whole scene, but he needed to continue...

- What’s wrong? It hurts? Don’t worry, this can stop if you want to talk.

Masaki grabbed his hammer and looked at ninja’s eyes, but ninja still didn’t want to speak. He raised the hammer, and smashed ninja’s right foot!

Ninja screamed again, because his right foot was totally smashed and all bones were broken. Pain was terrible...but ninja still didn’t give up.

- So? Have you realized this isn’t a joke? Will you speak or not? – said Masaki with threatening voice.

Ninja was badly hurt, and the pain was a real terror, but he still didn’t speak.

- No? OK...

Masaki grabbed ninja’s hood and revealed ninja’s face. A blonde person, with dark green eyes which became scared, even though he is a ninja...

- I have something for you...– Masaki grabbed his katana from the ground. He waited to see will ninja say anything.

But ninja was still calm.

Masaki waved his katana and sliced ninja’s right ear! Ninja started screaming like an animal, the pain was terrible. His right side of the face was completely in the blood. Masaki tried to smile to scare the ninja even more, but he couldn’t. The scene was terrible. He almost couldn’t believe that he is doing those things. But he took a needle and whispered to ninja, very slowly:

- I will stick this in your eye if you don’t speak. Do you really want to meet that pain?

Ninja was half-mad of his injuries, but he still didn’t speak.

Masaki started to bring his needle closer to ninja’s eye, but suddenly...

- NO! WAIT! I’LL TALK! PLEASE! JUST DON’T SO THESE THINGS ANYMORE!

Masaki smiled, and threw his needle. He stabbed out dagger from ninja’s hand, then opened a bag which was close to group of weapons. He took a plaster and puttied ninja’s injuries. He didn’t reduce the pain but he stopped the bleeding. After that, he sit on ground.

- OK, my friend. We’ll have a very long conversation...

Masaki started asking questions about Kudji-Kiri, and ninja answered on them. He decided to say everything, just not to be more tortured...

After they ninja ended their conversation, Masaki got up and looked at ninja.

- May...may I go now?

- Go? You mean, to escape?

Ninja looked at him without saying a word. His eyes shown that he is scared, very scared. He was surprised when he heard Masaki says:

- Of course you can! You can go right away! But I don’t think it will be smart to come back to your fellow ninjas...– Masaki smiled. – They won’t be happy about this, you know!

Masaki untied the ninja and let him go away. Ninja didn’t even think of a fight, he was totally scared, and he left out of that part of forest, slowly walking, because he didn’t have the energy to run...Masaki didn’t look at him anymore. He put all of his weapons in his bag, and went to other Manjis...