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Kuroi Ryu Part 3

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Shattered was busy cleaning the bloodstains out of his kimono in the river after what happened last night. He realized he may have overdone by a large margin, but he couldn't help but love the fear they felt. He smiled a little at that. How scared those bandits looked. How they screamed in agony and pain. He couldn't help how much he enjoyed their suffering for what they did. But he removed those thoughts from his mind for a moment and decided to bathe himself while his clothes were being washed. "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!" It was just freezing! He forgot how cold rivers could be. So he washed himself as quickly as possible and came out barely able to breathe. He needed to dry off fast. Just as soon as he thought that someone's hand was holding a cloth.
"Here." Shattered looked at who was giving the cloth, he recognized him to be the man he first met. He had a stern look on his face.
"Uh, thank you." Shattered said nervously. He took the cloth and began drying himself off, and then began putting his clothes back on.
"I will take you to Osaka. But after that, please do not return to the village."
"... I, understand." Shattered was not surprised to hear this. 
"We appreciate your help in saving our lives, but, we-"
"Your help is all I require." Shattered bows "Thank you very much." Shattered grabs his swords and suddenly feels a moment like the pulse of a heartbeat, but as if it were his whole body instead. At that moment he realized something dark seeping out of the scabbards, then wraps itself around it's arm, it glowed a strange purple. Once the pulse was gone, Shattered felt a moment of panic and fell to the ground.
"Are you alright?!" Asked the man.
Shattered stared at the swords trying to understand what happened, then he looked at his arm and pulled his sleeve. On his arm was a black dragon tattoo, slithering around like a serpent.
'What the hell is this?!' He thought
"Is everything alright?" The man asked. Shattered turned around shocked, but felt relieved to see him. 
"Uh, sorry, it's nothing." Shattered got up, and reached for his swords again, and another pulse emanated. The other sword this time had the same dark energy seeping out of the other katana and wrap itself around his arm. Shattered was frozen in terror. What was happening?! What were they doing?! He shakingly equips his swords at his side, and silently walks by the man. 
"Let's just, go." He says.
Shattered and the man left the village. Being given looks of terror and people quickly heading indoors as they passed by. Once they left the village, the man spoke to Shattered "For what it's worth, as ... well, strangely demonic as that fight was you put on, I could not help but be impressed. I'm guessing you have some strange sense of justice yes?"
Shattered chuckled a little at that. "You could say that. I just hate bastards who ruin other people's lives and kill people only for their own selfish benefit."
"How interesting." The ronin smiled. "I do not believe I have properly introduced myself." They stop for a moment "I am Goto Mototsugu, and it is a pleasure to meet you." He bowed as he said this.
"Goto Mototsugu?" Shattered realized he knew that name. "I know you!"
"Really?"
"Indeed. I believe you worked with the Kuroda clan for a while and the-" He was about to say 'went to serve the Toyotomi and fight at Osaka, but this event didn't happen yet. He was silent for a little, not knowing how he could respond to stopping himself, but also on whether he should tell him what happens at Osaka.
"Then, what?" Mototsugu wondered.
Shattered composed himself and said "You, left. After your lord died ... right?" This was true, and it was perfect to cover for the pause. Shattered felt like he just got away with something.
"This is true. How do you know this?"
"I, just, happen to know a few things you may not." And Shattered continued walking, and Goto followed.

Osaka Castle,
March 23rd 1600

After two days of travel, Shattered and his guide had arrived in the vicinity of the castle town of Osaka. A well-known and flourishing trade center in Japan, the town and it's people prosper under the rich amount of income brought in, and is no wonder as to why the Western Army made this town the capital province during the Sekigahara campaign.
"Well, this is farewell. I wish you luck with Lord Terumoto, and then Mitsunari when you come across him."
"You know Mitsunari?"
"Just going by what I heard." He bows
"Thank you Mototsugu. I appreciate what you've done." He bows back, and they both go their separate ways. "Oh! One more thing Goto." Shattered says.
Mototsugu turns around and asks."Yes?"
"If you happen to hear of any news that may come up," Shattered turns around with a confident smile, points at him, and says in a proud tone "Be sure to look for the name Kuroi Ryu!"
Mototsugu looked at him for a while, and laughed. "I'll be sure to do that, Black Dragon."
Shattered/Kuroi Ryu grinned at that and then they both went their separate ways.
Kuroi Ryu then heads to the castle. Once there, he looks up to the top of it, and suddenly feels his chest ache from how nervous he was. He took a deep breath and then walked to the gates. Two guards held their spears in front of the gate. One yelled "Halt! You may not enter the castle without the Lord's permission!"
"I'm well aware of it. But please tell the lord of the castle that I wish to have an audience with him." He bows and says. It's very important that I speak with him."
The guards look at each other then respond. "We will notify him, but this does not guarantee entrance."
"Thank you. I understand." Kuroi Ryu bows.
"What is your name?"
Kuroi Ryu smiles and says "Tell the lord of the castle that Kuroi Ryu has information that would peek his interest. Something that could threaten the stability of the Toyotomi Clan."
The guards were taken aback for a little, and then burst out laughing. This surprised Kuroi Ryu a little. "Huh?"
"Threaten the Toyotomi Clan?! Hahahahaha! What is it this time? the spirits of yokai are haunting your village's children? Hahahaha!"
Kuroi Ryu figured that news like that coming from someone the lord didn't even know would hardly be believable. However, this was too important a matter to have it be mocked. Kuroi Ryu gave a cold stare, and little did he know, the dark essence from his swords seeped out  and formed two dragon heads behind him. His eyes glowed against the darkness that had covered his face. "You'd best take this matter seriously!"
The guards backed into the wall terrified while those at the level above them aimed their bows and arquebuses at Kuroi Ryu. Something told Kuroi Ryu that perhaps he may have overdone it just a little. "What the hell are you?!" Yelled one of the guards.
"He's not human!"
"What is he?!"
Yeah deeefinitely overdid it.
"What's going on here?!" An authoritative voice roared to the panicked guards and made Kuroi Ryu jump a little. The source of the voice wore a brown headdress with golden horns poking out. He had intimidating brown eyes that cut through whoever he deems deserves it, a thin black mustache and wore the Ishida clan emblem. He walked up to Kuroi Ryu and stared down at him with a look that kinda made him wanna just turn around and walk away like nothing even happened. But that option wasn't available, so he had to endure it. The horror.
"Who are you?" The man asked.
Kuroi Ryu for a moment could not respond. As much as he doesn't want to admit it, when he's done something really wrong, his weakness is dealing with a very angry authority figure that he is unwilling to fight against. This was one of those rare figures he was unwilling to fight against. Kind of counterproductive to fight the guy you're trying to help because of how he stares at you. Kuroi Ryu, then put his composure back together, and then responded. "I am Kuroi Ryu, I'm here to be granted an audience with ... the lord of Osaka Castle."
"Well." He raises his arms. "You have my attention. What is it you wish to say?"
Shattered gulped as he wasn't sure how this man would respond to a private audience. "Y-you are ... Ishida Mitsunari ... yes?"
He squints his eyes just slightly, but Kuroi Ryu knew that that was not a good sign. "Yes. I am. Did you expect someone else?"
Come to think of it, what made him think Mitsunari had already left? Kuroi Ryu should've known he would be here. He tried as best he could to hide his fear, and said. "Lord Mitsunari, if I could ... speak with you in your court. This is ... very important."
Mitsunari was silent for a moment, he just looked at Kuroi Ryu as he thought the request over. "Why should I allow it?"
Kuroi Ryu had to think it over in his head, this was not looking good. "Because your life and Lord Hideyori's is at stake."
Mitsunari looked shocked for a moment, but then looked back at Kuroi Ryu. There was a long silence and OH MY GOD HE WON'T STOP STARING I CAN'T TAKE IT JUST SAY YES OR NO ALREADY!!! 
Mitsunari scoffs and finally says "I have heard that you assisted a nearby village with a bandit problem. In quite a brutal fashion from what I've heard."
Kuroi is surprised by this. "Uh, yes, my lord. But, how did you know?"
"A lord must always be aware of what happens in his lands." He turns around and begins walking towards the castle. "This better be worth my time."
Finally we meet the Leader of the Western Army, and Shattered officially becomes, the Black Dragon. Probably wasn't the best way to bring up the name but I just HAD to get Shattered with that proud aura going around. Hopefully all goes well with meeting Ishida Mitsunari. Cause that stare was just meant to kill.
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DeusJet's avatar
Haha the ending of this chapter made me laugh xD Soo awesome! So his name means Black Dragon?