Setsu dan kanja Gaiden: Orora saga p1

Setsu dan kanja Gaiden: Orora saga


Part 1

From the temple of the southern peeks, a couple of explosions disrupt the dominant peace over the high mountain. From the entrance of the temple rush out a couple of cloaked individuals carrying a big yellow object. Ten feet behind, a horde of dark suited warriors follows the escapees.

The two escaping persons are a women and someone dressed as the ninjas they are following them. They are carrying a gold idol. Then woman turns around and throws some small balls at the ninjas following them. In seconds, the spheres explode covering the ninjas in an orange sticky substance. About a mile downhill, the two stop to rest.

The woman takes off her cloak and reveals she wears ninja clothing as the ninja accompanying her, but with a lighter color and short pants. The woman has orange shoulder long hair and chest long sideburns. She carries a large gourd tied to her belt that has small pockets and wears strapped sandals up to her calves. The kunoichi leans back as she starts laughing.

“Ha, Haha, HA! Did you see the look on their eyes when they discovered you weren’t their leader, Orora?”

The ninja turns around and faces the kunoichi. He reaches his face with the right hand and pulls it. It was another kunoichi wearing the mask of an old man. She takes off her dark ninja uniform revealing she is using wrapped fabrics on her chest, shoulders and thighs to give the appearance of having the body of a man.

Orora wears a uniform similar to the first kunoichi, but in dark red. She has a light yellow curly hair down to her waist done in two ponytails. The kunoichi has a short sword back in her waist and a shuriken line running diagonally across her chest.

“This has to stop, Nene Baba.” Orora tells her partner. “We have risked our lives for that stupid statue. You said they had the illusion amulet here and there was nothing.”

“At least we find out they don’t have the kitsune amulet, Orora.” The orange haired kunichi tells Orora as she deft manipulates some of her small glue bombs. “However, this gold statue will make us rich.”

“You lie to me! You knew they didn’t have the amulet, Nene!” The disguise expert kunoichi tells the other one while pointing at a crack in the idol showing it’s made of stone. “And that thing is only coated in gold. We are lucky if we could eat for four months with that.”

“Relax, Orora. We could ask the mountain ninjas for a ransom, we could make three times more money.” Nene Baba replies. “After all they think this is their god.”

“And then what? Risk our lives again and again. Wining more enemies all over the land until they finally get us?” Orora responds firmly. “I don’t want to go on with this.”

“What are you saying? You are quitting?” Nene chuckles. “We were expelled from our clans and want dead. You plan to become a road robber, you don’t have options.”

“Anything is better than this, goodbye, Nene.” Orora replies and leaves.

“Fine, Orora! I hope you find your stupid illusion amulet!” Nene tells her friend as she departs. “Rats! Oh well, at least I have food for seven more months.”

Months later, we find Kanami and Ayase traveling through the forest. Behind them a dark suited ninja follows them. Then Kanami and Ayase signaled each other with their eyes and they split in separated ways. The ninja hesitates for a second and then chooses to follow Kanami but then he sees someone standing his way two trees ahead.

“You are not a Setsu Dan Kanja. Leave girl or I will kill you instantly.” The ninja warns the intruder as he reaches his sword.

“If you continue this way, you will fall into their trap.” The woman tells the dark suited ninja and he realizes there’s an array of thin transparent sharp threads blocking his way. “My name is Orora and I want to propose you a deal.”

The ninja looks around and sees the two bladed heeled kunoichis, they then turn around and leave. “Very well, young one, I’m listening.”

“I want to be part of your clan.” The kunoichi in the red suit tells the ninja warrior.

“Saving my life does not make you good enough to join the shadow clan.” The ninja responds. “You need skills.”

“I’ve been watching you for a week and I know you are behind the armor dressed ninjas.” Orora says to the shadow ninja. “I will get you a setsudankanja and you will help me join your clan.”

The ninja pulls out from his jacket two oval gold coins and shows them to the kunoichi. “One is for saving me and the second coin is in case you get me a setsu dan kanja.”

“You say I need skills?” Orora responds looking at the coins. “I suggest you accompany me and watch my methods and judge if I have the aptitudes to be part of your clan.”

The two ninjas go to an old abandon farm outside a nearby village. In the barn Orora was already installed. There was a large table with grass and stones serving as a scale model of the area. There’s an improvised fire place in the center of the barn with a small cauldron over it.  The ninja then sees two large gourds on the table. He peaks in them and finds one is filled with green dirt and the other with some kind of red sap.

“Please be careful with those. They are expensive to make and I need them.” Orora warns the ninja and he places them down. “I’ve study the patterns of the setsu dan kanjas for sometime and they are chaotic. There’s no clear way or place they travel along the forest and as we see today, it’s risky to follow them.”

“I already know that.” The shadow clan ninja interrupts.

“However they seem to have a meeting point and it’s this small village. I don’t think it’s their base because it’s too crowded and exposed to attacks.” Orora explains. “It’s our best option right now.”

“I can’t call my comrades expect them to settle in the village and wait there hidden for days there until one of them shows up.” The man informs the kunoichi.

“Of course not...” Orora replies. “… I will do it by myself.”

For the next days Orora disguises herself as merchant. Using part of the money of the ninja, she installs at the local market and sells clay pots as the ninja watches over Orora hidden. Orora tries to find information about her victims, but soon finds out the people are hermetic about that subject. Deducting the setsu dan kanja clan gives the villagers protection.

On the third day in the afternoon, Orora fights to stay awake. She notices someone wearing a cloak. The cloaked person is looking at jewelry near Orora’s place. Orora soon realizes she finally has found her prey when she notices the tiptoed training shoes she is using below her shroud. However, instead of being discrete, she is talking openly.

“You seem like a smart person. Perhaps I can show you some of my pots.” Orora approaches the undercover kunoichi.

“Thank you, but I’m looking for a present for my sempai, Ayase. She is the greatest in the world. Last month she saved me when we fight a ninja. She was incredible; with a blow of her bladed boot she decapitated the ninja. Whoosh! The head fall down, amazing...” The cloaked kunoichi responds and continues talking for two minutes. “By the way, my name is Mihiro.”

“Wow! That surely was incredible. You said your sempai did that? That means you are a warrior apprentice?” Orora keeps her talking.

“I’m not supposed to talk about this, but you seem like a nice person.” Mihiro then leans toward Orora and whispers to her. “I’m a setsu dan kanja, well not yet, I’m still on training. That’s why my arms are restrained like this.”

“Wow! That is fantastic. I always wanted to meet one of you.” Orora keeps encouraging her. “Can I invite you to eat, I pay.”

The two go to a small eating place. Mihiro keeps talking about Ayase and all her notion about the dresses and the martial arts of the setsu dan kanja. Then Orora tells Mihiro to order whatever she wants and she orders eel. As they wait for the food, Mihiro then tells something that takes Orora by surprise.

“We have several weapons that are adapted for us to use them with our feet. We also can fight demons with some amulets a Shinto maid gave Ayase and her sister and we keep in the sensei’s workshop. They are amulets that use magic, like controlling someone, create realms, make fireballs and...” Mihiro continues.

“You have the kitsune amulets!” Orora interrupts excited.

A long pause is made as the food is ready. Then without warning, Orora is sent ten feet away with a powerful kick. Orora grunts as she touches her abdomen.

“Ouch! That really hurts!” Orora exclaims rolling on the ground.

“You already knew about the secret amulets. You are a spy!” Mihiro proclaims.

Orora jumps back and escapes. Mihiro follows her thru the forest. Soon Mihiro gets ahead of her and blocks her way.

“Tell me who you really are or I will make you!” Mihiro says upset.

Orora raises her hands upfront and then says. “My name is Orora. I’m a kunoichi just like you. I was part of a ninja clan called Sakkaku (illusion). I have no intention to harm you, Mihiro, I need to capture you to be accepted as part of the shadow clan, but now you are my top priority after learning you have the kitsune amulets.”

“You work with the shadow clan?!” Mihiro says surprised. “I can’t believe you are that stupid to work with those assassins.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go now. I must obtain the precious illusion amulet to increment my hypnotic powers beyond the ninja master’s level.” Orora says grinning.

“Only the worst scum would want to join those villager slayers.” Mihiro yells. “You deserve no mercy.”

Mihiro runs toward Orora. The disguised kunoichi instead of running, she just stays there. As Mihiro is about to kick the disguised kunoichi, Orora keeps looking at her directly into the eyes. Orora’s eyes start to glow and Mihiro stops suddenly.

“What’s happening to me?” Mihiro says slowing down.

“It’s a secret technique my master taught me. It’s called Teishi-Seichin and you are under my control now, Mihiro.” Orora explains.

Then Mihiro notices she can’t move anymore as she keeps looking at Orora’s glowing eyes. Mihiro is still conscious, but can’t move. Orora closes her eyes for a second and then gives another stare at Mihiro, this time she loses all perception of her surroundings.

Orora then stops her technique and her eyes stop glowing. She closes them for a few seconds and then she approaches Mihiro and kicks her softly. She realizes Mihiro is in trance. Orora walks toward the village and signals the ninja. The shadow clan ninja arrives and sees the Kunoichi on the ground.

“Pick her up.” Orora tells the ninja. “We will need her to get to the others.”

Orora then heads to their hideout. The ninja observes Mihiro as he narrows his eyes. He then picks her up and follows Orora.


To be continued…