Hidden Assassin 194

## Volume 3: Cohabitation Era – Sixth Volume: Azure Sky Below, Section 194: I’m Going Back

February 8, 2013

7 PM. The Tsukikage Family Mansion.

Ancient trees stood tall. The Tsukikage Family Mansion, with its deep courtyard and long history, occupied a vast expanse of land. According to Ten’yu Masanori’s records, there were currently over 600 people living in this Tsukikage Family base, with close to 200 combat-ready ninjas. However, as a ninja clan that prioritized stealth, agility, and assassination, the mansion was cloaked in a peculiar tranquility. As they walked, people, whether eating, practicing, or gathering in small groups to chat, all spoke in hushed tones that could only be heard by those in close proximity. For the Dragon Hall sisters, who were accustomed to speaking loudly and arguing frequently, the existence of such a place was indeed hard to comprehend. Even though it was the height of August, the entire Tsukikage Family Mansion was shrouded in an eerie quiet. While their bodies felt the oppressive heat, a strange chill permeated their hearts, leaving them with an unsettling feeling of discomfort.

“It’s like our old fridge back home… I hate this feeling…”

Dragon Hall Jing, with her white, soft feet tucked under her, lay on the bed, playing a game while speaking in a childish voice. Dragon Hall Wei, on another bed, lifted the sheet and arranged her luggage: “Whatever, we’re just staying for one night, then we’re leaving tomorrow. Though the seaweed rice balls we had today were delicious.”

“Ninjas often go out on missions, although not as many these days. But when it comes to making rice balls, they still have a knack for it. If you like, we can ask them to make some to take with us tomorrow when we leave.” A voice echoed from the doorway. It was Muramura Hiroki. “There will be some free practice and sparring at 7:30, Masanori asked me to come and tell you. Are you interested?”

“Why didn’t Ten’yu Masanori come and tell us himself?”

“Come on, Wei, don’t be jealous.” Muramura Hiroki couldn’t help but laugh. “He’s only here for a day, and the Tsukikage elders will surely seize the opportunity to keep him busy. You can see him during training later. Besides… with me, a handsome guy, accompanying you, shouldn’t that be enough to make you forget about that guy, Masanori?”

“Cut it out.” Wei scoffed playfully and asked with a smile, “Jing, are you coming?”

The answer was predictable, the young girl on the bed didn’t even lift her head: “No, I’m playing games.”

…

Generally, ninja training courses cover a wide range of disciplines. Compared to assassins, who learn weapon skills and then are trained to survive in any environment, ninja training is incredibly specific. From forests to fields, from dark rooms to underwater, from wooden posts to floating logs, every location requires different training methods. Near the Tsukikage Family’s estate, there are various training grounds dedicated to this purpose. During the nightly practice session, occasional accidents or intense battles would break the silence that usually enveloped the estate.

However, the path of martial arts, in its myriad forms, ultimately boils down to the cultivation of physical skills. Even in today’s world, where firearms are the primary weapon of combat, ninjas still place the utmost importance on physical training. This shared a similarity with Jia Ming’s views. When the body reaches a certain level of strength, even if the opponent has a gun, they become less intimidating. And when armed with a gun, the body’s sharpness can provide support in all aspects. But if Jia Ming were to evaluate it, ninja training would seem a bit obsessive in its approach, as their training intensity with firearms seemed “too low.”

At 7:30, the training hall at the Tsukikage Family Mansion was packed. Nearly a hundred people were seated around the central training area. At the front were the elders, headed by Tsukikage Masamitsu, while Ten’yu Masanori, Muramura Hiroki, and the Dragon Hall sisters, as guests, were seated on the side. The rest were mostly students participating in the training, their hair tied back in ponytails, wearing simple training clothes. Xun, with her usual expressionless face, was kneeling among them.

Since Ten’yu Masanori, a distinguished guest, had arrived, Tsukikage Masamitsu and the others had personally come to serve as instructors. This was also why nearly half the students had come to practice that night. Following tradition, after the instructors delivered their introductory remarks, the students would engage in several hours of free sparring and discussion, during which the instructors would point out significant errors or highlights, culminating in a final summary by the instructors, signaling the end of the training session. The opening speech was always uninspired, so it will be skipped here. After Tsukikage Masamitsu finished his remarks, the atmosphere in the hall became more lively.

The space was large, but obviously couldn’t accommodate everyone at once, so the training was usually done in groups of ten to twenty. The rest observed, analyzed, and learned. While the presence of several important figures did create some restraint, there were still many eager to seek guidance and recognition. After the first group took the field, including Kentaro, who had welcomed them earlier, many eyes turned towards Xun, who was sitting on the other side of the training area. There were likely many who wanted to challenge her, but, firstly, she was Tsukikage Masamitsu’s biological daughter, and secondly, she was Ten’yu Masanori’s fiancée. If they were to challenge her, everyone would have to consider the consequences.

Figures crossed, wooden swords flew. Swordsmanship has always been an essential part of Japanese martial arts, and ninja training was no exception. For more than half an hour, the sound of wooden swords clashing echoed through the hall. Dragon Hall Wei, bored, stood up and looked around the room. Ten’yu Masanori and Muramura Hiroki, on the other hand, smiled and watched. The first group seemed to have finished their practice and was replaced by the second group of sparring partners. As Kentaro looked at Xun across the training area, his eyes narrowed, as if he had made a decision. At that moment, Muramura Hiroki, the kind-hearted fellow who had been kneeling beside Ten’yu Masanori, turned his head with a smile.

“Tsukikage-sensei, I heard there’s a rule here, that no one in the hall can refuse a first challenge. Is that right?”

“Yes.” Tsukikage Masamitsu nodded. “This rule is to ensure fairness in the sparring and encourage initiative among the students. However, after accepting one challenge, they can decide whether or not to accept subsequent challenges.”

“So… do I also have the right to challenge others?”

“Muramura-san, you wish to test your skills? Of course, you can challenge anyone in the hall.”

Tsukikage Masamitsu chuckled. Ten’yu Masanori’s strength was well-known in Japan, but he had a special status and wouldn’t easily engage in combat, so no one could force him. Now that he had brought his friends along, the Tsukikage Family, though they had little information about this Muramura Hiroki, knew from Kentaro’s report that he had knocked out Mimori Ki with a single backpack, proving he was a powerful figure like Ten’yu Masanori. They welcomed his desire to engage in combat, but they weren’t sure which of the elders he was interested in challenging.

The next moment, having obtained permission, Muramura Hiroki stood up with a smile. Ten’yu Masanori called out with a laugh: “Hey, hey, Hiroki, what are you doing? Don’t go crazy.”

“Alright, alright, I know my limits, I won’t rough up the beautiful lady too much… hmph, my judo just passed its exam, I’m itching to try it out.” He jogged over to Tsukikage Xun, “Xun, beautiful Miss Xun, I’d like to have a friendly sparring session with you on physical skills. Would you mind?”

Looking up at him, Tsukikage Xun’s gaze shifted towards the front. Before leaving Jiang Hai, Jia Ming had told her to listen to Ten’yu Masanori’s arrangements, so she naturally sought his opinion. Tsukikage Masamitsu, mistaking his daughter’s gaze for his, nodded discontentedly. Only after Ten’yu Masanori also nodded in agreement, did she stand up: “Please, enlighten me.”

Gazing towards them, Ten’yu Masanori silently mouthed: “Don’t go too hard…”

“Hehe, don’t worry, don’t worry, I’ll hold back, don’t be afraid. Hmm, come on.”

Smiling, he backed away a short distance and assumed a judo starting position. It was a casual posture, revealing nothing about his skill, yet many nearby people were already captivated by the match. The battle between Ten’yu Masanori’s friend and Xun, what would it be like? Nearly everyone, including the elders, turned their attention towards them.

Xun stepped into the ring.

She clenched her fists, first assuming a clumsy-looking Wing Chun posture, then, seemingly realizing she was on a ninja sparring field, squatted down and reverted to her usual ninja training posture. It was slightly stiff, but after a moment, she changed her fists into open palms and shifted her posture again. In the end, she looked at her fair, slender fingers with a touch of frustration, seeming a bit lost. In the past year, she had been undergoing Jia Ming’s training, with occasional practical drills. It was all about impromptu combat, with Jia Ming simply telling her to attack whenever, without any pre-arranged postures. There was no point in doing a posture that signaled to the opponent, “I’m coming now.”

She had met Muramura Hiroki through Ten’yu Masanori a few days ago and knew he was a good person who liked to go hiking, but he was Ten’yu Masanori’s friend and strong enough to beat Mimori Ki with one backpack, so she assumed he was an incredibly skilled fighter. She wanted to present her strongest posture, but found herself struggling to do so. Tsukikage Masamitsu, seated in front, shook his head. He had never been satisfied with his daughter. It seemed that she had only been wasting time in China for the past year. Even though her existence was just to secure Ten’yu Masanori, he felt a sense of anger.

In the end, she settled on a clumsy-looking Wing Chun starting posture. To the ninjas, this Chinese martial arts pose looked clumsy and unrefined. They couldn’t help but sneer and feel disappointed. Muramura Hiroki watched her assume her posture and didn’t move.

The two stared at each other for almost three minutes. Muramura Hiroki’s legs seemed to go numb, he shifted his body a couple of times, then helplessly leaned towards Xun, the distance between them gradually shrinking. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Muramura Hiroki to unleash his extraordinary martial arts skill.

Their figures collided.

“Aaaa!”

A sharp scream echoed through the training hall. Muramura Hiroki’s body flew up, describing a semi-circular arc in the air before crashing heavily onto the ground. It was a simple over-the-shoulder throw, the simplest of techniques, and the match was over. Xun, seeing the man sprawled at her feet, was clearly stunned, but then took a step back and bowed. Muramura Hiroki held his shoulder and moaned: “Ah, my shoulder… It’s dislocated… ah, it must be dislocated… so painful… it hurts… it hurts…”

Ten’yu Masanori walked over helplessly and popped his dislocated shoulder back in place, then apologetically helped him back to the spectator area: “Sorry, everyone, please continue. My friend’s not very good at this…”

Such an unexpected farce left everyone a bit dazed, but the sparring continued. Soon, Kentaro and others took turns challenging Xun, but she refused them all. Having seen her clumsy posture, everyone became even more contemptuous. The rule regarding challenges was meant to prevent people from ganging up on a single individual. Xun had not expended any energy in the fight with Muramura Hiroki and was now refusing all challenges. She must have softened up after a year of indulgence in China – Xun used to be brave and never shied away from challenges, even though she lacked strength.

Seeing her cowardly attitude, Tsukikage Masamitsu’s discontent grew. Around 10 PM, the phone in Ten’yu Masanori’s pocket rang. He walked aside to answer it, then returned with a puzzled look. He patted Xun on the shoulder: “Come here. There’s news from Jiang Hai City…”

Xun’s usually expressionless face, rare for her, displayed a hint of panic. She took Ten’yu Masanori’s phone and dialed a number: “Hello… Sha Sha. It’s Xun. He was shot? How could…”

…

Close to midnight, the sparring participants gradually returned to their seats. Xun sat silently, kneeling on the edge of the training hall, her head bowed. She had maintained this posture for nearly two hours since making the phone call. However, compared to before, those around her unconsciously felt a chill in the air.

Tsukikage Masamitsu was speaking at the front, summarizing the day’s sparring and analyzing the shortcomings of some. He had been speaking for a long time, and after concluding the summary, he casually brought up the next day’s trial.

“… As a yearly trial, I hope you all give your all. Last year, Kentaro was the first place winner, I hope you can continue to excel this year…”

Tsukikage Masamitsu delivered his instructions and encouragement, mentioning each individual he remembered. Finally, he turned his gaze to Xun, who was sitting on the side: “… and you, Xun. You were in China training for the past year, I hope to see your results. I am extremely dissatisfied with your deliberate cowardice earlier. Ninjas may choose to temporarily avoid stronger opponents in real combat, but they should never back down during training. I hope you can…”

As Xun was his biological daughter, his words were especially stern. However, before he could finish, Xun stood up, walked to the center of the training hall, and knelt down: “I’m sorry, Father, I’m leaving for Jiang Hai City on the first flight tomorrow morning. I won’t be participating in the trial tomorrow.”

Everyone knew the relationship between Xun and Tsukikage Masamitsu, so calling him “Father” wasn’t a big deal. However, interrupting an elder’s speech and disobeying the elders and superiors was a serious transgression in the ninja world. Tsukikage Masamitsu’s eyebrows furrowed instantly, his gaze burning into his daughter as he demanded: “What did you say!?”

Raising her head, she met his gaze with a calm and resolute expression: “I’m going back.”

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