The Watanabe Kazoku Manor

[podgie_bear]

Tenaka rose slowly to his feet and said, "Master, I …..".

Then he saw it! A glint of reflected light from the branches of the great tree in the centre of the garden. Reacting immediately and without out conscious thought, Tenaka performed a crouching spin kick which swept Takahiro from his feet and dumped him unceremoniously onto the grass. Then rising to meet the ninja assassin he knew it to be, Tenaka's hand moved with the speed of a striking Cobra. In one smooth motion he drew his Katana and threw it with all his force at the dark shape which leaped down from the tree.

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As Takahiro recovered from the shock of what had just happened to him, he allowed the guard who had sprinted to his side to help him to his feet. He gazed with open displeasure at the two other guards still running towards him and thought, "I must ensure that our guards react far more quickly! Why are they so slow, shouldn't they have been here as quickly as this first guard?". Then he remembered what had happened, spinning towards Tenaka, he saw the black-robed body pinned to the tree with the hilt of Tenaka's Katana protruding from the exact centre of his chest. "Hmm, pinned like a butterfly on display", he thought,"Thank the ancestors for Tenaka's inhuman speed and reactions".

As he opened his mouth to thank him, Tenaka turned slowly towards him and he saw the ragged hole where his throat should have been. As he watched in shock, Tenaka reached up and tugged a razor edged metal star from the wound, a Shuriken! Then he took a step towards Takahiro and fell to his knees.

Rushing forward, Takahiro caught Tenaka as he started to fall onto his face and said, "My son!" Tenaka appeared to try and say something, but with no throat there was only a gush of bright blood. With the last of his strength, he reached into his kimono and pulled out a small gold locket, which he clasped into Takahiro's hand.

Then as Takahiro gazed into his face, he saw the light slowly fade from his eyes as the life drained out of him along with the blood pumping from his ruined throat.

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As Toshiro raced across the garden, that was the scene that confronted him. Takahiro still supporting Tenaka's dead body as tears slowly dripped down onto his upturned face.

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