An Honest Mistake

“An Honest Mistake”

The tension was thick and hung heavy all around the mostly empty field, except for the two figures that were engaged in a battle of not only will but fighting for their lives. Once friends and partners now enemies. Fighting each other striking and missing, hitting and drawing blood too.

As Genma makes no attempt to dodge the punch that hit’s the mask that covers his face. The force of Nero’s punch makes the mask crack and fall to the ground broken; useless. Genma notices the surprise that washes over Nero’s face when he realizes he is fighting his former friend and partner in crime.

“Hn. I should have known you’d be a damn traitor, Genma my old friend! So this is how low you’ve stooped? Paid to hunt me down like a dog and kill me?” Nero sneers; bitter, mocking words gliding off his tongue like poisoned honey.

“People they don’t mean a thing to you. They move right through you. Just like your breath.” Genma thinks bitterly. “A job is a job just like money is just money Nero. Its just my job, nothing personal.” He can’t help but spit the words out with un-relenting venom.

A shadow of anger flashes over Nero’s face and before Genma can side step or ready his senbon needles Nero is in front of him. Genma feels the sharp pain of a surprise left to his jaw and then a series of swift kicks to the chest and back. The force of the blows sends him staggering and to his knees, sloppily and barely dodging a series of swings from Nero’s sword as he aims for his throat or any other vital area.

“Ready to walk away or die here yet, Genma?” Nero asks giving him a triumphant look as he leans over him to whisper un-known words into his ear
.
“Nero, Nero, if only you weren’t so cocky.” Genma thinks as he leans up and stabs Nero with four senbon needles to the chest. Reaching into the pouch around his upper left thigh he pulls out a kunai preparing to stab Nero, but, Nero is too quick for that and scrabbles back just as the kunai comes down. Missing its intended target, the kunai falls, stabbing into the ground below.

So Genma throws three more kunai and this time Nero isn’t so quick and two kunai in bed themselves into Nero’s shoulders. However, being, the stubborn bastard that he is Nero just couldn’t stay down and he couldn’t; wouldn’t walk away.

“Genma, Genma, do you really think you’ll kill me? You swore you love me and always would remember? But, then again, you always were a disappointment to me. I never loved you; you… You were just a pawn.” Nero’s mocking voice makes Genma’s temper flare.

Pulling another kunai from his pouch Genma slashes him across the face it draws blood immediately. “That’s sure to scar.” Genma thinks smiling smugly at a shocked Nero.

“No, I didn’t suppose you would ever know how to care. Let alone love someone else, Nero.”

And Genma knows with those few words he’s struck a nerve. Even more evident as Nero, in a blind rage swings at Genma who easily dodges such a hasty and foreseeable maneuver.

Taking the opportunity while Nero is still getting his defenses together he lands a series of strong punches and stabs with his kunai. As Nero is on his knees Genma grabs him by the hair jerking his head back, he leans down to whisper;

“Just because I loved you doesn’t mean I won’t kill you Nero. I should, but I won’t; yet.” Genma sneers.

Throwing two kunai just shy of piercing Nero’s thighs, and laughing cruelly. As Genma walks away he can’t help thinking that “another scar on my soul is of no difference to me either way.” He leaves Nero on his knees on the dirty ground.
Shoulder length honey-blonde hair stained crimson. Much like his armor and his body from the many wounds and gashes he received in return for each blow, each strike of the sword or senbon needles he dealt to his former friend and the one he loved above all others.

But, Genma, can’t think about Nero anymore. Genma doesn’t want to think about Nero anymore. If fact, he doesn’t think, he doesn’t feel, he doesn’t care. “My old friend, I swear I never meant for this. I never meant…It was an honest mistake.” The last thing Genma can think. He isn’t a man he’s just a ninja and ninja are just sacrifices.