Part 2/2

The dawn of the new day. The birds were singing since a while but suddenly went silent as Shin broke through the trees. He was bleeding hard and couldn't walk straight anymore. Besides the superficial cuts and some broken bones the young man had also two bad looking gunshot wounds. His weapons were gone, broken and lost at the end of the battle. He killed his victim easily but it seemed the brother of the shogun wasn't the only target of this mission. Why else did this amount of guards show up after he killed his victim? Shin had run from the guards as far as he could. On a spot with less trees he fell to the ground, unconscious.

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"So he's gone now…" The old Hatamoto stood on the door of his house, watching into the forest. His most trusted man stood beside him. "Yes, he left early in the morning. Maybe it's better this way." The guard answered and remembered the son of his master, whom he taught and trained since the boy could walk. "I mean, to give him the opportunity to find his own way."

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The green of the trees was fresh and clear everywhere around him. The birds were singing and now and then he saw other small animals running from his steps. His luggage wasn't heavy, only some groceries, a kimono to change and of course his swords. So he was more strolling through the woods than making distance. After a few hours of this relaxing walk he came to a less overgrown area. The trees got less and lesser. But, in exchange, there was a noise in the air, getting loud and louder. People were speaking, angrily. ".... just died! Now we…. elder told us…" The sound of metal, swords getting pulled out "So now die already, bastard!" Without noticing it the wayfarer found himself defending a motionless person against three attackers. They were ninjas, strong and experienced in fighting. But he didn't wear his swords as accessories. He was also very experienced in fighting. So he fought two of them at once, a blade in each hand. The hits went back and forth, it took his whole concentration to parry and attack at two sides. Just as he took a massive strike at the guy to his right he could hear the third man behind him. He managed to strike the one on his right down and kicked the one on the left a little distance away to get some time to turn around. There he found the third man on the ground, the before motionless guy half on top of him, the hand still around a little knife. The wayfarer didn't took the time thinking about what happened, the other man was back at him anyway. He managed to strike him down too after a few moments. Spirited he turned around again but froze the moment his vision focused. The formerly motionless, also a ninja with many fresh wounds from another fight, had slit the throat of his victim and was groveling toward the next attacker. "What are you doing?!" He shouted at the guy on the ground with a high-pitched voice. "Making… sure… they're dead…" With disbelief in the eyes he watched the wounded killing all three attackers, he wasn't able to stop him.

~~~~~

"Uff, I'm really glad we're still in an area I'm familiar with! I don't know what i would have done if this hut weren't just around the corner…" "Urg!" Shin awoke to an unknown voice. "No no, don't move! I just catched up with all your wounds. If you don't stop turning around i need to start again. I will numb you if you don't listen to me!" Shin tried to focus his eyes on the owner of this strike voice, without moving his body. "Who…?" "My name is Ryuma and i won't harm you as long as you don't attack me. Now get back to sleep, we'll talk properly when you're feeling better." Shin rested his head back on the ground he was lying at. He wasn't even able to attack the other guy at this moment. And only seconds later a thing somewhere between a deep sleep and a light unconsciousness overwhelmed him.

~~~~~

When he woke up again Shin was still lying at the ground of this little hut. It was only a small room, maybe three jō big, half of the size of a normal room. He was alone inside but could hear the other guy, Ryuma, outside. Carefully and without much sound he tried to stretch his body. A broken rib, a crack of the forearm bone, several more or less deep cuts and, worst of all, two bullet wounds. One of them was a pierced wound, the bullet went straight through his shoulder, leaving a whole shortly over his shoulder blade and under his collarbone. The other was at the side of his thigh, the bullet didn't hit the artery but this doesn't mean it couldn't kill him. Shin's hand was resting on a bandage on his thigh. "Don't worry, i got the bullet out and cleaned all your wounds. I'm just not sure what it is with your right arm. It doesn't appear broken or cut but it isn't alright also…" Unnoticed Ryuma had approached him.

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"So your name is Shin and somehow your ninja friends wanted to kill you because… yeah why exactly?" Ryuma had given him some water and mushed herbs. He has splint Shins arm to prevent a real fracture while they were talking. "I don't know why. Most likely they're still afraid of me." The ninja answered weak. "Mh, seems like you have a long and interesting story to tell, but not now. You'll stay here and I'll go get us some food now. We don't have to eat anything anymore." Ryuma stood up from Shin's camp. "Do i need to numb you or will you be still here when I get back?" He asked in a strict voice. "I'll stay." Shin answered already half asleep again.

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As Ryuma went back to the hut through the calming forest he was thinking about all the things happened in such a short time. He had left his home to go find his own way, free from the orders of his father and also free of his benefits. Then, only a few hours later, he stumped into this ninjas. 'Because they're still afraid of me' this Shin had said as Ryuma had asked for a reason. Was this Shin-guy so fearsome? He thought about the weak man, lying in the hut, not able to do anything on his own. But still, he had killed all three attackers in the end. Ryuma had add some numbing herbs to the medicine he infused Shin, just to make sure.

~~~~~

As time went by Shin's wounds healed up one by one. Ryuma watched carefully each one of them. Even a small cut could kill a grown man if it got infected. After a while Shin had asked to omit the numbing herbs. "You saved my life, I won't harm you or run away before I returned this debt." Somehow Ryuma wasn't surprised the ninja noticed his doing. And so Shin was soon able to help with the daily tasks. He taught Ryuma a more effective way to use the healing herbs and helped with the cooking. A few times Ryuma went out to buy things they needed. Shin never asked after the money for it or how long they would stay in this hut. There weren't more attackers, surely the elder was just happy he didn't come back. Life, in this little universe with only a moon and a sun orbit around each other, has become peaceful.

~~~~~

Slowly they started to get to know each other. It was difficult for both men but at some point Ryuma simply started to tell Shin about his past, his dreams and his way to reach them. In short, he was blabbing all the time. And so little by little Shin started also to tell bits of his life. He told about the life in the ninja village, about Sota and the old man. Ryuma never judged about what he heard. He quickly realized Shin wasn't able to feel mercy or a family tie to someone. So, who could judge this innocent guy for doing the only things he got taught? Not he, Shin, who had always everything he wanted and way more! But Ryuma also started to explain Shin all these interpersonal things. He had a strong craving to heal this wounded guy, even from wounds Shin itself couldn't see.

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After Shin got better he started practicing again. Normally his whole day was filled with different kinds of training, but the bullet wounds and the broken rib bound him to the hut. Or rather Ryuma did. "You have to heal up properly before practicing again! If you're a good guy I'll train with you then." And so, after weeks of resting, they started to spar together. Shin was using a simple branch at first but soon Ryuma brought a simple sword back from one of his shopping tours." We can buy you proper weapons later but for now please use this." Ninjas normally aren't attached to their weapons but using this plain blade, it made Shin smile inside.

~~~~~

"The nights are getting colder. We should leave the hut soon." Ryuma thought out loud some day. "Where will we go?" Shin asked. "Maybe just the next city for now…" There wasn't the question of taking the ninja with him, Shin was already a part of Ryuma, like one of his swords. Shin had announced to stay with Ryuma for paying back a debt, whatever this means to a ninja. So it felt like Ryuma had his own little family now. Ryuma smiled at Shin. "I'm really happy i found you there that morning!" Shin turned away from him, mumbling "Yes, me too." The ninja couldn't understand why his cheeks suddenly feel so hot but he thought 'Maybe I've now found my one trueness in this strange guy…'