Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ Pride and Honor ❯ Dark Fire: Infiltration ( Chapter 6 )

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A/N: Well, it's that about that time again... I do not own Love Hina and I do not intend to. Furthermore, I am making no money from this and am only writing for fun. Enjoy.

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Pride and Honor: Chapter 05 - Dark Fire ~ Infiltration

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Summary:

Sora has shown off his 'Majin' form for the first time, and injures Keitaro in a sparring match. While everyone is busy taking care of the manager, Sora attempt to kill Aoyama Motoko, but is stopped by Koalla Suu. What will happen now?

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Sora was sitting on top of a tall building, dressed in his black ninja gi and watching the moon. He was somewhere in Tokyo, but he wasn't quite sure where. Below him, the city was still bustling with activity, people milling around through the streets. All were too busy to notice the shadow that was currently in the middle of his favorite distraction: Roof hopping.

Ever since he was a child, Sora would go out at night and merely wander around on the rooftops or in the shadows, seeing if he could avoid detection the entire time or how fast he could move. It was murder on his muscles (which were still tired from the workouts during the day), but he never felt as alive or free as when he was out.

It was an odd diversion indeed, but it gave him some time to himself. And more importantly, it gave him time to think. //Though, I really don't want to think that much right now.//

It had been two weeks since he showed the 'Trance' to the girls of the Hinata, and they haven't spoken to him since. Not that he had tried talking to them either, but he could see their expressions change whenever he entered a room or approached one of them. He even derived a sick sort of pleasure when he snuck up on them. This made the other girls furious, but they didn't seem to be interested in doing anything except making a few grumpy sounds. They all truly hated him and he knew it.

~~

*Flashback*

"Why, okaasan? Why does everyone hate us? We didn't do anything bad..."

"Do not worry Bandit. You just don't belong here..."

~~

//But where do I belong...? Even my own family wants me dead...// Sora shook his head. //I made a grave mistake trying to kill Aoyama-san then... Why did I hatch that plan? Surely I could have isolated her later, without having to hurt otousan. I should have waited... Remember Sora: A hasty ninja is dead one.//

Keitaro had been obviously pissed when he found out about his attempt on Motoko's life. "What the HELL, is wrong with you!?" he hollered. "Bandit, I swear, if I see you even lift a FINGER against Motoko-chan, I'll kill you myself!" He lectured him for the whole day, and Sora listened impassively. Then his face grew cold and he left the room. Keitaro hasn't spoken to Sora all that much in the last two weeks either, except when he was assigning him chores.

Of course, Motoko's change in attitude towards him was the thing that shook Sora the most. She was very quiet all the time, bowing respectfully whenever she saw Sora, but she never spoke to him. She was also spending a lot of time up in her room.

"She's going to stab herself," Sora said the morning after their fight when he met up with his father.

"I know," Keitaro replied as he ran up the stairs in record time. When he came back down, he addressed his son coolly. "I don't know how you're going to deal with this, but you'd better make it right," he said. "I don't fight anymore, but I WILL pick up a sword again if you push Motoko- chan to kill herself."

So there was his dilemma. His father was quite powerful, exiting the brutal attack two weeks ago with only a small fracture on his right arm (where he hit the floor) and a concussion. Hell, Sora's ribs cracked were from where he was elbowed early on in the fight. Also, he didn't use his trance, making the fight somewhat unbalanced.

Sora sighed. //How the hell am I going to make things right with Aoyama- san?// he thought. He DID feel kind of bad about trying to kill her, though he normally didn't have to live with a person after beating them. It was disgusting. The proud (somewhat arrogant) samurai girl had completely lost her fighting spirit. //I know... I turned into a fool once I saw her. It wasn't her fault. I CAN'T blame her for otousan's death...// Sora sighed, //But what can I do? It's not like I can just apologize...//

Sora stood up and looked out over the city. //Koji... where the hell are you? The sooner I can kill you, the sooner I can leave.//

It has been two months since Auron Koji had challenged Sora to find and kill him. Sora's older brother turned out to be a worthy foe, injuring the young ninja on his first two attempts on his life. Sora had just barely escaped from those encounters, being hospitalized for about a month each time. //What is he planning? The clan is dead but he's obviously working towards the revival of the 'Dark Fire'. I must prevent them from causing any more harm.// Sora looked up at the stars. //Maybe this is what okaasan was talking about?//

~~

*Flashback*

"Listen to me. You don't belong here, living your life in the shadows. You are destined for great things, my son. Your place is not here with the Auron Ninja. It is not here with your dying mother..."

~~

Sora snorted. //So are these the great things? Becoming the murderer of my entire family?// He stood up and leapt of the roof. A small amount of energy covered his left hand and foot as he placed them on the side of the building to slow himself down. He slid safely to the floor and broke into a run, not caring who saw him. //You gave birth to a heartless demon, okaasan...//

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Keitaro sat at his desk, studying. It was getting late, but he was used to the lack of sleep now. //Let's see now... Math... oh, forget it! I've been at this for seven hours!//

Life for Urashima Keitaro had been quite stressful as of late. He had the practice exam coming up in a month, Haruka hadn't been around lately so he had clean the teashop once a week, and his son coming home just complicated things even more. //Damn it... I didn't think he was actually going to try to kill her!// he thought.

What really bothered him was that Sora had planned it out perfectly, putting Keitaro in a position where he couldn't intervene. Sure, the child shook his head and told him it was a spur-of-the-moment sort of thing, but Keitaro could see he was lying. It was rather unnerving, to say the least. Sora had KNOWN that he was going to volunteer to fight against him, and he KNEW that injuring him would send all of the girls (except for Motoko) to his aid. And he knew that he was stronger than the swordswoman. //So now I know why he was practicing with her...// Keitaro thought blandly. He only watched the girls for week and he could already pick up their behavioral patterns. //Well, that is the Way of the Ninja. Always watching. Always waiting. Then they strike with deadly force and precision, vanishing into the night and only leaving a dead body in their wake.//

Keitaro growled in frustration. //How did I miss this?// he thought. //Maybe I AM stupid, like Naru-chan says... Let's just hope Sora doesn't try anything else like this. I don't think Sora will miss twice.// Keitaro picked his book back up. //I can't believe it. My own son has outsmarted me...//

Aside from the obvious trouble, the girls were also acting rather strangely towards him as well. Naru had seemed oddly accommodating during the time of his injury, opting to avoid hitting him in the head or the right shoulder, and not sending him flying through walls and such. //Better watch out,// Keitaro snorted, //She might actually stop hitting you at all!// Keitaro sighed. He doesn't understand girls, and he won't ever by his estimation.

Motoko was the largest problem, though. He wasn't sure why, but convincing the young samurai to refrain from stabbing herself in the throat proved to be quite difficult. He couldn't leave the girl alone for five minutes without having to force some sharp object from her grasp. Keitaro had even taken to sleeping outside of her in a sleeping bag.

Keitaro looked up from his textbook abruptly. //Wait a minute...// He thought to himself. //Where the hell is...// "Motoko-chan! Motoko-chan, don't do it!!!" he hollered as he bolted from the room.

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Sora stood sat on a park bench, weighing the pros and cons of sleeping there that night. He didn't really want to return to the inn, but he also didn't want to sleep outside if there was a better alternative. //Hah! Going back there is the BETTER alternative?// he thought lightly. While he was still thinking, he felt a presence at his back.

Turning slightly, he could see a shadow standing beside the bench. The figure was feminine, about a foot taller than him, and her green eyes were sharp and piercing. "I'm honored," Sora said, "It seems they have sent a kunoichi after me."

"Don't laugh, little Bandit," the ninja said, standing up a bit straighter. "I've come to deliver a message. A mission statement from my clan."

"I'm pretty sure I'm not in your clan," Sora replied, not looking at the girl.

"I know this, but we would urge you to take on this offer. It's rather interesting," she said.

"I remember my mother telling me never to trust the kunoichi. And I'm inclined to agree, frankly." Sora stood up to leave, but froze when he felt the girl moving. Turning his head, he could see that she had come a bit closer, but her hands remained at her sides.

"Come on, little Bandit, I know you'll be interested once you find out who the target is," she responded.

Sora turned fully to look at the girl, and something in her eyes grabbed his attention. //I'm going to hate myself for this...// "Who?"

"Auron Koji," she said smiling.

Sora narrowed his eyes. "Goodbye," he said dismissively.

He turned his head away, but he could feel the girl coming closer again. "I am Fujita Minako of the Kato ninja."

Sora shook his head. "Now I'm really confused... I thought the Kato were on good terms with the Auron ninja."

"We are," Minako said easily. "But Koji has something up his sleeve and our clan's leaders see him as a potential threat."

"Like what? What can Koji do that is a threat to the Kato?" Sora asked, turning around. "Our clan is dead."

"That's were you are wrong, little Bandit," She said, wagging a finger. "The Auron clan is still alive. And they seek to revive the 'Dark Fire'."

"What does that have to do with Koji and I?" Sora asked.

Minako laughed. It was a rather light sound, so light that Sora didn't really know she was laughing until he saw her shoulders shaking. "Come on, Sora, the 'Dark Fire' cannot exist without the Auron. Your clan created the art form, and made it famous. The Kato will be unable to carry out the legacy without your support."

Sora snorted, "So why kill Koji? It doesn't make any sense."

"Like I said earlier, Koji is not very trustworthy," the girl replied as she strode towards Sora. "We can't carry out the assassination ourselves, or we'll destroy any chance of a treaty once the Auron revive."

"So you use me? I'm out to destroy the 'Dark Fire'. What makes me anymore trustworthy than Koji?" Sora asked, rising from the bench.

"Because we know you'll be going after Koji and you won't discard a lead such as this," Minako said smiling.

Sora seemed to consider this for a little bit, keeping his back to the girl. //So, in other words, you know you can control me? Damn it... I've been outmaneuvered...// "Show me your face," Sora said finally.

Minako took a step back. "Huh?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"Show me your face, I said," Sora replied softly. "If this is a trap of some sort, you'll be the first person I come after."

Minako merely nodded and removed her mask. She looked to be about 19 or so, a pretty woman with soft features and green hair. Sora thought he recognized her, or that she looked like someone he knew, but he couldn't quite place it. She was smiling easily at the moment, though it made Sora's hair stand on edge. //Good,// Sora thought. //That'll make her easier to find.//

"Okay," she said as she put her mask back on. "Let's go."

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Aoyama Motoko sat in her room, watching Keitaro sleep on her floor. It seems that he hasn't been getting much sleep recently, trying to cheer the samurai girl up. //Why does he bother?// she thought. //I'm useless. My only real accomplishment in life was my ability with a sword, and I was defeated by an unarmed child.//

Sighing, Motoko picked up the sleeping Keitaro and set him outside the door. She knew that the other girls would get the wrong idea and cause him more undue harm. //This man must be crazy... All I've ever done to him the entire time he has been staying here is beat him up. Now he's putting himself through more discomfort just to help me.// Motoko threw a sheet over his sleeping form and closed the door to her room. Keitaro had already confiscated everything of hers that was sharp (even her pencils and pens), and he made sure there was nothing she could strangle herself with. Finally, he bolted the window shut, and he stayed with her the entire day.

Motoko moved through her room slowly, intending to prepare for bed, when she heard a knock at the door. //That must be Suu-chan,// she thought. "Enter," she said, and sure enough, the small inventor came through the door. The girl looked rather solemn at the moment, which was very unusual for her. Motoko was beginning to get used to it by now. Suu seemed to be decidedly gloomy for the last two weeks, opting to spend more time alone in her room. //Damn you, Sora...// she thought angrily. //You've even managed to make Suu-chan, sad!// she hit the floor in frustration. //But what can I do? I was completely overpowered...//

"What's wrong, Suu-chan?" Motoko asked, while giving the young girl a hug.

"Nothing really..." she said. The sat there silently for a moment, neither one really knowing what to say next. Finally Suu spoke up. "Why do you and Bandit hate each other?"

Motoko looked away for a moment, lost in thought. "Well," she began. "It's very complicated. The samurai and ninja have never liked each other, causing many deaths throughout history. Our clans merely continued this feud, and it will continue even here. Both of our clans have taken away someone very important to the other."

"I know all of that..." Suu replied. "But why do you hate EACH OTHER? You didn't kill Sora's father and he didn't kill Jeros..."

Motoko sighed. "That's a good question, Suu-chan. Sometimes when people are hurt deeply, they look to lash out at others so they can feel some brief comfort."

"Well, that's wrong! You shouldn't fight just for that!" Suu said standing up.

"I know, Suu-chan," Motoko replied. "I know..." Motoko looked back at the girl. "Now sit back down, we need to get ready for bed."

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"Well, here we are," Minako announced. Sora looked around. They were somewhere on the outskirts of Tokyo, standing in front of what appeared to be a military base. Sora's eyes flashed red as he preformed a dash towards the entrance of the compound. He pressed his hands against the wall, his dark energy flowing from his fingertip, enabling him to climb.

Once he was on top, he looked down to Minako and gave her an 'all clear' sign with his hand. The girl followed him up the wall as Sora leapt off the other side and broke into a run. He stopped behind a parked truck and listened to two MP's talking on the other side. Minako jumped up to the top of the bus and laid flat against it. Sliding slowly along her belly, she peeked over the edge. Using a series of hand signals, she relayed the positions of the two guards. Sora nodded and prepared to attack. On some unspoken cue, both ninjas attacked at the same time, knocking both of the guards out before they could make a sound.

Catching the unconscious guards before they hit the floor, Sora and Minako nodded to each other. They dragged them into the back of the truck and change the frequencies on the radios so the other guards could contact them.

Finally reaching the inner gate, the two ninjas paused to find a way in. After a few minutes of watching, it became apparent that they were going to have to split up if they were going to enter undetected. 'Don't kill anybody,' Sora said, using his hand to get the point across. 'I don't want Koji to become suspicious and leave.'

'Understood,' Minako signed back.

As she left, Sora sighed in relief. //Good thing the Auron and the Kato use the same hand signals.// Sora's eyes turned red as he sprinted for the inner gate at full speed, avoiding the searchlights and sticking to the shadows.

When he got within fifty feet of the inner gate, Sora immediately turned back to normal and checked his speed. He ran silently, bypassing a few guards without incident. Finally, he discovered a suitable hiding place behind a metal crate. Sliding his body to the edge, Sora listened carefully for any sign of activity. Noting that the coast was clear, he took a quick peek around the corner. He then made his hand signals, knowing that Minako was watching. 'Okay, at least thirty MP's. Twenty covering the middle, five on the right and five on the left. They're pretty well armed, each carrying assault rifles and grenades. I just spotted two long riflemen. Looks like they have a view of at least two and a half miles from where they are, but they can't see in the dark. Use this to your advantage.' Sora took another quick peek. 'Alright, I see the front gate, obviously. If you take that approach, then you can probably make it when they are shifting around. They only have about five MP's watching the gate when the other guards make their rounds.'

Sora could feel a rush of energy blow by him. Turning quickly, he watched in astonishment as Minako slipped by the guards just as they were changing positions. Not a single one even noticed the fact that the girl had ran right by them. //Whoa... that girl is crazy...// he thought, not really expecting the girl to take such a foolhardy route. Sora shrugged. //Whatever works...//

Scanning the gate again, Sora began to search for his own way in. Skipping over the main gate (he wasn't even going to THINK about trying that), he scanned around the upper and lower areas of the gate. Then he spotted it.

In a darkened area on the upper level was a vent shaft about ten feet of the ground. It wasn't very well guarded, probably because the MP's thought it was inaccessible. //If I can make it there without having to hurt anybody, I should be in good shape.//

Sora took one last glance around the corner, then made a run for the wall on the left. He stopped at the bottom of the staircase pressing his back to the wall and listening to the footsteps above. One set was moving in between the stairs and some point midway through the walkway while the other on covered the rest of the walk. //Damn it...// he thought to himself. //They've got the vent covered from the stairs and I can't knock out or kill anyone or Koji will know I've found him...//

Suddenly, inspiration hit and Sora moved slightly up the stairs. Then he press turned and knelt, preparing to flee quickly, his whole body going rigid and his eyes turning red. //I hope this works...// Sora then raised his arm slowly, a small ball of energy appearing in his hand. Het set it down carefully and ran. The blast small ball exploded, making a bright flash and a loud sound, but doing no damage to the surrounding area.

Everything happened in a blur. Both MP's on the walkway and any one in earshot rushed the staircase, Sora bolted around them leaping high into the air and landing on the walkway after flipping over the railing. Spotting the vent he climbed up and removed it carefully, making sure to replace it when he was all the way through. Getting a goo distance away, Sora allowed himself a (quiet) sigh of relief. //And I called Minako-san foolhardy...// Sora shook his head and proceeded onwards.

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Keitaro sat in his room, trying hard to study. //Why can't I just forget him!? Bandit is FINE! It's the city I should worried about...// He had woke up in the hallway about an hour earlier and saw Suu sleeping with Motoko, so he assumed that the samurai girl wouldn't try to kill herself again until morning came.

//Now, when will Bandit be getting back? It's almost 4:00 a.m. Usually he tries to make it back home in time for training in the morning.// Keitaro stared blankly at a problem, working it out slowly. //Could something have happened? I don't feel his energy...// Sighing, Keitaro picked up his book and went for the roof. //I'll just wait till he gets back and then I'll break of his legs...//

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Sora crawled through the vents for what felt like an hour, wandering around the compound. Now traveling through the dark, he bumped into something warm. "Hey, watch it," she said quietly.

"Minako-san?" Sora asked.

"Who else could it be, baka?" she replied, nursing a sore spot on her head. "I've found Koji. Follow me."

Sora watched the girl go, weighing the pros and cons of following her. Shrugging, he shuffled after her, making sure that he could get to his knife if he need it.

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Keitaro sat on the roof of the Hinata-sou, waiting for his son to make an appearance. He had long since decided that he would slug the boy outright. Now he was merely pondering HOW he was going to hit him.

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"As you can see," Minako started, "The officer barrack are kept in good lighting and are kept out in the open. MP's are crawling through the area, and no doubt Koji is keeping a very close eye on his surroundings..."

Sora looked around. What Minako said was true, and it was quite clear that they wouldn't be able to advance any further without alerting anybody. "What we need is a plan."

"No, you see, THAT is where we have some confusion. What YOU need is a plan. I will accompany you for one week, and one week only so you can scout out this place. At the end of the week, you will attack as you see fit. When the deed is done you will come with me to Kyoto and report to my superiors for payment. Do we have an agreement?"

Sora hesitated. He couldn't help but feel like he was selling his soul to the devil. //There's always a catch... but I can't possibly back out now. If I don't accept this mission I'll make an enemy out of the Kato...// "Okay, I accept your terms... Koji will be dead within two weeks."

Minako smiled openly at this. "Good."

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A/N: All right, I'm almost finished updating this. Just a few more chapters for today...

--Stizzo Out