"Sorry," Hanabi apologized, "I got delayed for a bit.""Never mind," Hanzo replied. "Let"s get going."
The three continued with their journey through the Land of the Giants. Unknown to them, they have woken a giant from his slumber. The clacking sounds of stones grinding each other resounded. The low and hoa.r.s.e voice of a giant grunted as he stood on his stony feet. He looked up and saw the crescent moon. He looked around and just like always, no visitors are in sight.
When the three finally saw a river, Hanabi managed to wash off the blood all over her body.
"Hanzo, I know you also now have the idea as to why she is called the Scarlet Flower," Hayabusa said while they were waiting for Hanabi.
Hanzo remained quiet for he could not accept the fact that Hanabi does have the qualifications to join them. The image of the b.l.o.o.d.y scarlet ninja played in his mind over and over again. It was as if he is stuck in a world of repeating time.
"She is officially one of us," Hanzo said in a low tone of voice.
Hayabusa smiled for Hanzo has finally lowered his pride for the goodness of their team. The two men heard footsteps so they both got ready and rode on their horses.
Hanabi has her hair still dripping wet and she could now feel the fatigue on her entire body. She was taken aback when Hanzo reached out his hand towards her. She stared at him, not knowing what to do.
"What are you waiting for? We"re in a hurry," Hanzo said. Hanabi grabbed his hand and he pulled her up to help her seat behind him on the saddle.
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Despite riding behind him before, this time, Hanabi is starting to feel her face heat up. She is thankful enough that her mask is covering her cheeks in order not to be exposed. She also started to think if it was okay for her to wrap her arms around him. She wished that he wouldn"t notice how her heart beats faster just because of how close they with each other.
As they travel further, Hanzo felt Hanabi"s head leaning on his shoulder.
"She fell asleep," Hayabusa stated. "There"s a town ahead, we should ask around if they saw Kagura or Kenshin."
As they enter the town, a black-haired girl riding on a horse came rushing towards them. The horse neighed loudly as it raises its forelimbs.
"Kagura!" Hayabusa called out. The onmyouji recognized her teammates so she stood on her feet right on the saddle and jumped towards Hayabusa. She hugged him tight as if she never wanted to let go.
Hayabusa patted her head and said, "We"re here. It"s okay."
The team settled down on a room they rented. While Hanabi is still on her sleep, the other three talked.
"What happened? How did you escape from Kenshin?" Hanzo asked but Kagura simply shook her head.
"I did not escape. In fact, he disengaged the equipments that are limiting my power while I was asleep. When I woke up, I found him nowhere," Kagura replied.
"What could have changed his mind?" Hayabusa wondered.
This time, Kagura stared at the sleeping Hanabi.
"I think he"s got other plans," she commented. "And maybe, Hanabi will somehow be involved. The other night before he left, I heard him saying that he wanted a specific ninja as a prize. I have this strong feeling that he is referring to Hanabi for she is only the ninja whom he interacted with other than me."
"Kenshin must have headed to Magical City," Hanzo stated. "If we step into their territory, it would be suicide. So we better go back and report to chief."
After their preparation, they once again journeyed back to their village. As they pa.s.s by the plains of the Land of the Giants, on her peripheral view, Hanabi saw a lump of huge stone walking. But when she turned her head to confirm what she just saw, she saw nothing.
When the night fell, the team decided to camp out. Around the fire, they"re all gathered around.
"Hanabi, did Kenshin somehow tell you something that we could use to track him down?" Kagura asked.
"Nothing," Hanabi replied after shaking her head. "He"s quite smart not to slip any information. And with his actions and unknown status, I am guessing that he must be of high position."
"How could that be? Then, if he does hold a high position, why does he go to Mizuyama himself to do the negotiations?" Kagura asked.
"That is a clue, Kagura. It means that their illegal trades are so important that he has to do the negotiations himself," Hanabi replied which does makes sense.
"You two," Hayabusa called out, "Get some rest so we could go back as early as possible."
After two days, the team finally reached the Shadow faction village. On the giant gates, Yukimura is waving her hand jubilantly with a smile plastered on her face. But her smile disappeared when she saw that Hanzo and the scarlet ninja are riding on the same horse. Hanabi"s arms are wrapped around Hanzo which made her jealous in no time.
"Yuki, go back to the quarters. We still need to go to the chief," Hanzo said as they pa.s.sed her by.
The young lady looked down and walked back into the quarters feeling jealous.
The team stood on the chief"s office. Hanzo knocked to inform the chief of their presence. Someone opened the door for them and they were shocked to see an older man smiling at them.
Hanabi was filled with joy as she ran towards him and hugged him tight.
"Easy there, yound lady," the man said as he pats her back. "I miss you,too, my dear daughter."
"Daughter?!" the other three yelled in chorus. Hanabi lets go and faced her teammates.
"Meet my dad," she said with a smile.
"They already know him," said the chief. "For he was their master before he went back to the Scarlet faction for good."
Hanabi looked at her father and said, "Wow, you never told me before."
"Why would a father tell such thing to his daughter? If I told you back then, you"d be jealous," her father said. He , then, faced his former students.
"You three have grown so much. I heard you"ve been achieving a lot. Good work," he greeted.
The three just stood there as they gaze at Hanabi. Hanzo and Hayabusa remembered the times they bullied the scarlet ninja. Kagura remembered how she let the two men be mean on Hanabi. If their actions are known by their favorite master, it would be a bad impression.
"Get yourselves together, idiots!" the chief yelled. All attentions are now on him. "What happened to your mission?"
"We apologize but we failed to capture the head of the black marketeers," Hanzo replied.
"But the reports about rebellion against us is a false accusation," Kagura added.
"Good work," the chief simply said. "Since Kazuto is here, you could now go and show him around."
They left the office and decided to go to eat first before anything else. During their meal, Hanabi noticed how the three spoil her father by giving him more food. When she was training at the age of seven, her father was busy training these three as well. The four of them are happily reminiscing their past while she is also remembering how lonely she felt when her father has been apart from them for 15 years after she was born.
She looked at the happy faces of the three and she badly want to crush them all at once. Nah, Hanabi wouldn"t do so for she understood that her father was required to work when she was still young.