Chapter 1

Meeting the Viper

Shinigami sighed as she pushed a branch out of her path. A smile graced her lovely lips as she took in the sweep of the land. A village spread out on the landscape below her. She took in a deep breath as she closed her eyes enjoying the familiar sounds and smells of her home.

She nodded as she turned and headed down a well-worn path. She knew that it would lead her toward the back of her house, which is where she wanted to go right now. She was in need of a bath rather badly at the moment.

Blood covered her hair and face. Her clothing already being a deep red in color, didn’t show it as well. Her eyes kept watch as she headed down the path at a good pace. It narrowed in some places, but was still wide enough for her lithe frame to slip through with ease.

She happily walked out of the woods and into the back courtyard of her home. She let her bo staff rest on her shoulder. Her booted feet click softly on the stone beneath them.

Her eyes looked over the courtyard, and her smile deepened. The sakura were in full bloom, and she could only hope that there were fresh ones in her room for her to enjoy. It was dusk, and that ment that night was on it’s way. Her favorite time since she worked in the dark. So it made it all the more lovely to her eye.

She turned upon her heel as she heard a noise behind her. Her light, ice blue eyes darted around until they fell upon the form of a tall man. Her smile returned as she relaxed, rising up out of her stance, once more letting her staff rest on her shoulder.

"Well, well, well, if it isn’t the most faithful of servants. How are you fairing this eve, Tynan?" she asked in a soft voice as her eyes ranged her father’s servant.

Tynan nodded as he took in the sight of the young mistress

"I am fairing well Lady Kakashi. I see that you are back from your travels. It is good to see you home safe. I take it that you job went according to plan?" Tynan asked as he let his body slip into a graceful bow.

He was from one of the local families, and had been serving the Kakashis for many years. He was a tall, pale man of about thirty-five or so years. Shinigami couldn’t tell his exact age since he didn’t show it. His eyes and hair were as dark as the night time sky.

Shinigami nodded as she reached the back porch. She perched herself upon a step, and began to unlace her boots.

"Yes, it did indeed go as I planed. Tell me, Tynan, is my father home?" she asked as she laid her boots off to the side, as she rose up and waited for his answer, her eyes upon him.

Tynan shook his head as he spoke.

"No Lady Kakashi. He set out a week after you did, and has yet to return," he glared up at her as he bowed once more, "so therefore I am your’s to command till his return."

She returned his glare with one of her own. "Very well, and also, Tynan, never lie about being glad to see me. I know you hate me as I do you. I want a bath drawn and ready in a quarter hour." With a curt nod she turned and headed off into the house.

As she walked through the house her eyes glanced over the familiar paper walls around her. She smiled as she reached her room and opened the door. She stepped in, and shut it behind her. She couldn’t help but grin as she was greeted by both the sight and smell of a half dozen vases filled to brimming with sakura. "Kumi you are to good to me. I really must remind myself to get her something from my next travels." She knew for a fact that her own personal servant, Kumi, had seen to her room.

She sighed as she rested her staff upon one of the walls. Quickly she changed from her blood stained half-kimono into a soft, pale blue full-kimono. She tensed as she heard a knock at the door. One of her hands rested upon a dagger as she called out, "Who is it?"

"It’s just me Lady Kakashi, your bath is ready," answer Kumi, Shinigami’s loving and faithful servant. She smiled at hearing the younger woman’s voice from within the room. The older woman had cared for Shinigami after her mother’s death.

Shinigami walked over and pulled the door open. "KUMI!! Ohhh my dear Kumi. It’s wonderful to see you once more." She bent down and gave the old woman a hug, grateful to see her servant in good health. "Tell me, are you fairing well Kumi? and you know to call me Aiko." She let her eyes dart over the woman before her. Kumi was always dressed in a deep purple kimono. She smiled for that was truly her servant.

"I am fairing as well as I can my sweet Aiko." Kumi gave a nod with a smile as she spoke once more. "Now Aiko you really should get out to the bath before the water gets too cold for your liking."

Shinigami giggled softly as she nodded. "Yes your right about that Kumi. I so do want a hot bath tonight. Give me a moment and I’ll be ready." She turned around and gathered up her bathing basket. She smiled as she left the room and stood next to Kumi. "I’ll attend to myself tonight."

Kumi gave a sigh. "Very well Aiko, very well." She let her eyes scan over her young charge who stood before her and smiled. "You look so much like your mother Aiko. I can’t believe your eighteen years of age. Seems like only yesterday that you were scraping your knees."

Shinigami smiled as she fought back her tears. "Thank you Kumi. I know that my mother would be so very grateful to you for caring for me." She sniffled as she shut her eyes for a moment.

"Come now child. Stop before you make the both of us cry. Wouldn’t be proper for a lady like you to be seen crying with an old servant like me." Slowly she raised a sleeved arm up to wipe at her eyes. "Now off to the bath with you. Your covered in blood, which is a rarity for you."

"Yes indeed it is Kumi, but it’s getting to cold to bathe in the rivers this time of year." With a soft smile and a light touch to Kumi’s shoulder she was on her way. Her thoughts wondering as she walked towards the bath house.

She felt the coldness of the wood floors beneath her bare feet and shivered. It was nearing autumn for the leaves were changing, and it was growing colder by the day. She mentally reminded herself to tell Tynan to put more wood on tonight.

She stepped out into one of the open hallways and shivered anew as the cold night air met her face. With a heavy sigh she walked on towards the glowing windows of the bath house. Her head bobbed in many nods as she heard her title called out.

Lady Kakashi, her mother’s title at one time, but since her death it had been passed unto her. Her father’s new wife wasn’t even honored enough in the household to even be called Mistress Kakashi. She was only known as Mistress Amaya to all of the servant’s, their Lord’s concubine.

Shinigami Aiko Kakashi was her full name. She scoffed lightly at the thought. She had taken on the name Shinigami, which means Angel of Death, after her first assassination.

Her fist given name was Aiko. Little loved one it’s meaning. Her mother had chosen for her at her birth. She had been her mother’s first and only child after all, so that ment that she was truly her mother’s little loved one.

Her father, Yami Kakashi, had killed her mother when she was only five. The memory still fresh on her mind’s eye even after all these years. She stopped mid-stride at this thought. Images and memories of her mother flooded her mind. She could feel the stinging heat of tears behind her eyes.

Quickly she pushed them back and reached the bath house. With a swiftness taught to her in her many years of training she disrobed, and let her body sink into the hot water of her bath, and she began to cry. "Mother, how I miss you so."

She let her thoughts drift to a great beauty of a woman. Raven black hair feel down her back when she wore it lose. Soft, kind, blue eyes peered out from behind that curtain of black hair, from a heart-shaped face.

This figure of a woman was known as Amarante. A kimono of spring green hugged her delicate frame as she laughed. This was Shinigami’s mother.

Shinigami let out a sob as she pushed the memory away. She knew all to well how it would end. It was one of the happiest, and saddest memories she held. It was both her Fifth birthday, and the day her father killed her mother before her very eyes.

With shaking hands she reached up and pulled the pins free of her hair. Raven black silk, just like her mother’s, feel past her hips. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and went about washing her hair.

Gods, why did Kumi have to be right? She did indeed look as her mother did. They both had the same ungodly, light, ice blue eyes. A true rarity in Japan. Their hair was of the same color and feel. Black as a raven’s wing with deep blue under-tones. They were both also lithe and somewhat on the short side. Many, who didn’t know of her mother’s fate, that came to visit thought she was her mother.

Calmly she pulled herself out of the bath, and dried off with one of the large, white towels. Once she was dry she dawned her pale blue kimono once more. She combed out her hair, and braided it over one of her shoulders. She wasn’t one to dress in tradition, but when she came home from her travels she would. She gathered her things and placed them by the door as she left.

She walked out into the cool night, and she let her eyes take in all that was around her. The Kakashi’s home and land spread itself out before her. She smiled as she walked around a bit, and then returned to stand in the middle of the courtyard.

She drew herself up to her full height once she stood were she was. These were her lands, and her home for she was the last of her line for now. She smiled as the wind picked up, and tugged a few strands of her hair free. She let then blow in her face as she closed her eyes, and took in the sweet scent of her and her mother’s sakura trees.

She opened her eyes and looked down at her right wrist. She pulled the sleeve back to reveal a golden viper tattoo wrapped around her wrist. It’s head rested upon the back of her hand as deadly red eyes met with her calm blue ones.

She was the Golden Viper, the deadliest assassin in all of Japan, and she knew that winter was coming that her business would slow some. It would be good for her if it did. She was in need of a bit of a vacation.

She had came to be an assassin since it was her family’s trade, passed on through the sons mainly. There were records of only one other female assassin in her family line. Her great-grandmother. Sons. That’s how the line kept on living.

Well the Gods sure tossed her father a surprise when she was born. Her father’s only child from his first wife, and even through Amaya had given him a son, the land and trade were still hers to claim. She lifted her ice blue eyes to the sky, and laughed at this thought.

Here stood the last of the great Kakashi assassins, and she was laughing. She was instantly in a better mood, and with a nod of her head she turned around, and walked back to the main house. She needed to find Tynan and see what duties had to be done before bed, and the hour was already growing late.