Round of Blood (malexmale)

Chapter 2

"Lord Ka'U wasn't wrong either.

Even before the silver moon was centered within the navy sky, Gentoku was nearing the border of Toki.

As the man glided through the thick woods bounding from branch to branch, he contemplated on something.

He'd gotten soft.

Thirty moments before he left, he considered saying farewell to his comrades.
Honestly.
A farewell.
He snorted.
He tried to blame the fact that he built Toki's Shinobi Division from the ground up. Like a parent raising a child. But he knew, knew why he was soft.
No.
No he--

Suddenly, a loud rustling snapped him from his thoughts.
Shifting his right foot on the next branch and hopped down to lower branches.
"Who are you?!" He demanded. There was a faint stepping sound beneath the rustling so Gentoku was positive it was one person.
He grabbed his ninjato and put two fingers through two kunai that were strapped to his upper thigh. After a moment, he braced himself to seek out his purser.
'Still there...' He stood on his toes, 'one clean leap and--'
"Shimada-san! Lower your weapons!" A shadow leapt from the gap of darkness between the leaves and landed on a branch far from Gentoku.
"It's me, Yamamoto Kisuke!"
"Yamamoto?!" Gentoku yelped as Kisuke pulled down his dark green scarf revealing his stern baby face.
The man was like the second in command of the Toki Shinobi when Gentoku was on a mission...or in one of his moods. He was as tall Gentoku, but not at all as intimidating with his green cloak covering the left side of his body and basic ninja garb.
'Such a pain...' Gentoku thought.
Gentoku growled, "What the hell are you doing here?!..."
"I could ask the same of you, Captain." Kisuke said simply dropping down to the same branch as his superior but kept a considerable distance.
Gentoku, regardless if he was with an ally, never lowered his guard right away if ever. Kisuke didn't train under him despite being one of his top shinobi in Ka'U's division. Every other ninja he knew trained with Gentoku, for the man was well experienced and lethal. A finely tuned instrument of death with ice cold blue eyes as deep as the ocean he'd fling your lifeless corpse in.
Kisuke shuddered.
Those eyes spoke volumes of promised pain if he didn't leave. He was only two years younger than Gentoku, but the man had seen things he hadn't. The obvious gap in experience was what made him train to the bone to get Gentoku to stop looking at him like that.
Like a....
"Return to the Castle." Gentoku said more as a warning then a command and turned.
"Wait!" Kisuke bellowed about to grab the other's wrist but thought better of it in a split second.
"Captain where are you going?"
Gentoku took a moment before slightly turning his head to the younger.
Those eyes...so....haughty!
Kisuke mentally cursed.
"I'm leaving", Gentoku paused after a blink, "for Aki."
Kisuke's chocolate eyes widened in disbelief.
"I've already asked Lord Ka'U for pardon."
"W-why?" Kisuke clenched and unclenched his fist. "Why are you leaving--Captain?!"
Gentoku's eyes narrowed in exhaustion as he turned his head back around.
"Captain! Toki is in a state of panic--"
The other snorted making Kisuke pauses briefly and check him self so he wouldn't do something he would regret.
"We can't afford to leave and do as we please!" He knew he sounded arrogant, but that damn ninja snorted. Snorted!
This was Toki, the land he swore to protect, doesn't he care?!
"Our duty is to protect the land and his Lordship. We already lost General Tikashi--"
Abruptly Kisuke silenced himself hearing Gentoku crack his fingers.
Kisuke was about to back down and let the man leave when it occurred to him.
The man was strapped head to toe in kunai and other blades on his suit.
If he asked for pardon, why would he leave like he was in a search and destroy mission.
Then it clicked.
"It's revenge...isn't it?" Kisuke asked slowly hoping--praying he was wrong.
The ask to leave.
Vanishing in the middle of the night.
Eyes that promised death upon whoever crossed his path...
The younger ninja's heart throbbed when he watched Gentoku slowly nod his head.
"Captain--no--Shimada Gentoku!" Kisuke gestured his arms in a way that made it seemed like he wanted a hug.
"What did the General always say?! Revenge only leads to more revenge!"
"So be it."
"Captain!--"
"Tikashi followed his bushido. His way of the samurai. 'Forgive but never forget'."
The younger fell silent taken aback by his superior's rather...bitter tone. The man usually sounded more...indifferent.
Gentoku gritted his teeth, "My nindo is 'eye for an eye'." Tikashi did not deserve to die!.." he trailed off suddenly noticing he gave away too much of how he was feeling. He knew he shouldn't have said that man's name.
That man...
Gentoku gently breathed and did it silently so the other wouldn't notice how much even saying the man's name made him feel.
What did he feel exactly?
Unfortunately, Kisuke noticed and thought the best thing was to place a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder.
"It's better to grieve in tears than in blood."

Almost too fast, Kisuke landed head first into a bush and stayed there.
Pain raged through his abdomen and shoulder blades each time he tried to will himself to move. He could move his legs slightly, but his upper body was dead weight.
He was paralyzed.
Kisuke cursed violently for his carelessness. How could he forget that Gentoku specialized in pressure points?
He groaned and tried to move his shoulder.
"You are no ninja."
The statement made Kisuke freeze in place. He couldn't help feeling bitter and angry at the man that stood in the trees above him.
Grey clouds covered the moon and any source of light was snuffed out save for Gentoku's sky blue eyes.
Those sky blue eyes stared down at Kisuke like a hawk and were emphasized more by the surrounding darkness of the night.
"You're wasting your time straining yourself. You won't be able to move your upper body for two hours..." The eyes tilted and Kisuke knew he was cocking his head to the side...like he does when he sees something rather pitiful.
"Make that four hours considering you lack the skill to carry yourself when you're weight is off balance."
"Don't you dare scold me!!" Kisuke exclaimed angrily.
Gentoku scoffed...and laughed.
"Hopefully animals won't mistake you for a tasty treat."
"Bastard!..." Kisuke hissed wishing--wishing he could knock that stupid ass grin off his face because he knew he was grinning. Mocking him.
"....Don't follow me." Gentoku said, not as an order or warning, but advice.
Not a second later, a rustle disturbed the silent leaves of the trees and the blue eyed ninja was gone.