Ninja Love: Saizo Kirigakure

Chapter 9

We successfully made it through the small valley, stopping at a small village on the way the get some supplies while trying not to be noticed. I changed into a plain blue kimono, and Saizo went back to his traditional ninja garb. He wore a royal blueish violet kimono with low sleeves that exposed his shoulders, displaying the magnificent parallel scars running across his right shoulder. He had a black mask on, concealing his mouth and emotions. A red scarf dangled from his neck, and his sickle and chain hung loosely at his belt. His black hair danced with his feather in the wind as we walked. We were now making our way up another mountain pass, and may I just say, I was exhausted.

I tried to focus on my surroundings and not the pain in my calves, but it was very difficult. I had held out for about an hour before Saizo noticed.

"Hey, what's the matter? A short walk on a rocky path gotcha out of breath?" Saizo started walking backwards so he could keep moving and taunt me at the same time. Too out of breath to spit out a good comeback, I just gave him a pointed glare that only succeeded in making him burst into laughter. It was amazing how quickly he changed from expressionless to laughing at someone’s pain.

"So... no soldiers... can follow... us up here... right?" I managed to huff out, trying to change the subject.

"Nope. That's why we chose this path, because soldiers with horses and armor can't get up here." His eyes still held a hint of amusement, but I tried to ignore that.

We walked in silence for about thirty seconds when I felt a sudden, sharp pain in my right foot and pitched sharply forward. Unable to catch myself, I found myself getting up close and personal with the rocky ground.

Hearing the dull thud, Saizo glanced backwards and sighed, "You don't look like you're fit to be the Ninja Princess."

I groaned. Don't you think I know that? I glared at Saizo, still not leaving the company of the moist soil.

I looked up at Saizo only to see a mischievous glint in his green eyes.

"Well, if you aren't fit to be the princess, you could always just get married." He smirked at me as he continued. "Hanzo, Goemon, even Sasuke. Just pick one to marry and I'm sure they would be more than happy to-"

I immediately jumped up "Its okay! I'm good now. Shouldn't we keep walking? I mean, its a long way to Iga..." I heard Saizo chuckle at my sudden "enthusiasm" as I sprung ahead of him.

I could hear his stifled laughter catching up to me, and I resumed a normal walking pace. Without warning, a large, warm hand slipped into mine.

I looked at him with surprise and confusion mixed in my eyes.

"Isn't it slippery? I wouldn't want our beloved Kusonoki Legacy to tired and fall yet again." I pouted at his amused expression. It didn't help that his warm hand felt very... Safe. There was something rather déjà vu about this, but it slipped away from me just as I tried to grasp at the memory.

---

We made good time, and by noon we stopped to have a light lunch. I watched Saizo chew his dango thoughtfully, before he caught me staring. I looked away quickly as he spoke.

"You smell." He stated matter-of-factly, looking over my tattered appearance as we ate. "There's a hot spring nearby. We should probably take the rest of the day off from travel, if only to preserve our noses." He kept his usual straight face, while I frowned at his insults.

But he wasn't done yet. He leaned back against a large boulder and continued. "Ninjas like to stay clean, so we take regular baths. Clearly you have a lot to learn."

I huffed indignantly. "Fine then. We'll go to the hot spring." I tried to sound as displeased as possible to get back at Saizo, but I was honestly quite ecstatic to have a bath in a mountain hot spring.

It only took about a half an hour to get to the springs, my eagerness growing with each step, until we got there. It was then that I realized that I would be bathing in rather close proximity of a man.

"Hey, why are you all wrapped up? You don't expect to bathe in towels, do you?" Saizo had already slipped into a steaming pool, while I stood nervously, wrapped in a towel.

"Just so you know I have no interest in women." He rolled his eyes at me while I absorbed this information.

"So... You like men?" Curiosity got the best of me.

"No you idiot! I am a ninja! There is no room for a relationship in my line of work." He sat up a little straighter in the spring exposing more of his muscular chest.

I catch myself staring at his multiple scars. Stab wounds, bullet scars, gashes, cuts. I feel like his history could be told through his eyes and scars alone. Those eyes... I remember the night Hanzo told me I'd be leaving. Green, cat-like eyes... They really do have a mind of their own. I must remember where I've seen them before…

"... Misaki." I jolted out of my wonderland at the sound of Saizo's voice. I looked up towards his eyes to see him staring intently at me. As soon as I thought he was going to say something, he just shook his head.

"Now isn't the time to be conceited. You need to hurry up and bathe so we can set up camp for the night."

I nodded my head and gestured for Saizo to turn his head, which he did, but not before mumbling something about nothing to see on such a tiny chest. I decided to get him back for that later.

I slipped into the warm waters of the steaming spring, letting the hot liquid wash away the dirt and my worries. I let my long brown hair out of its bun and watched it swirl in the water around my delicate frame, and I was once again reminded of how much responsibility I had. I sighed and closed my eyes, trying not to think of my job as the ninja princess. Before I knew it, I dozed off into a blissful nap.

---

Spring. Meadows. Laughter. Flowers. Promise. Falcon. Feather. Road. Village. Fire. Blood. Screams. Tears. Searching. Carriage. Darkness. Shaking.

Shaking. That's what I woke up to. Still half submerged in water, I looked up to see Saizo leaning over me, a towel wrapped around his waist, looking at me with a concerned expression. It was only then that I noticed that my face was streaked with tears, and I was trembling.

"Hey, you fell asleep and started screaming. Are you alright?" I think this is the first time he's been genuinely concerned about me, but I was too shaken up to enjoy it.

"Yeah, I'm fine... Just a little nightmare." I took the towel Saizo held out to me and stood up, maybe a little too quickly. I inhaled sharply at the sudden head rush and closed my eyes briefly. I wrapped the towel around me and slowly walked towards the sort where our clothes were lying, freshly cleaned, on a boulder.

Drip.

I looked down at my fingertips to see blood dotting them. Great. A nose bleed. Just what I need. I thought to myself. My head rush unexpectedly came back, and I turned towards Saizo, only to find my vision swimming before me, refusing to let me see clearly. I put my fingers to my temple as the black dots closed in.

"Saizo..." I squeaked out, before the darkness closed in on me once more.