1 Chapter 1: Promise #3 No Matter Where You Run, You Belong To The Clan

The cool spray of the ocean brushed through Haruka's hair. Out on the beach, the other children ran barefoot and screaming. If she dared to go near them, they'd run off, calling her bug-eyed, daughter of a whore, or yokai. Plenty of names they chose from, some more creative than others.

"I heard about your mother, Haruka-chan." One of the fishermen, Sakai-san, sat next to her. His crooked nose and bags under his eyes made him look twice his age. Haruka didn't know exactly how old he was, but she imagined he wasn't much older than her father.

Haruka pulled her knees inward. "They said she's going to have a baby. But she's been away from Otou-san for a long time. They say I'm the daughter of a whore…I don't even know what that means, Sakai-san."

Sakai-san wrapped an arm around Haruka's shoulders. "Don't worry your head about it. I'm sure—"

"Haruka!"

She recoiled at the sound of her father shouting. "Y-yes, Otou-san!" She pushed away from Sakai-san and stood up.

Her father glared down at Sakai-san then back to Haruka. "Come with me."

"Come with? Where are we going?" She had never been called back home by her father before. Based on his short responses, it wasn't anywhere good.

Sakai-san stood and grasped Haruka's shoulder. "You're not going to do this, Goto. She's a child! She's barely seen more than eight cycles."

"And that's my wife!" her father snarled. "Unless you have the coin to pay, then I don't want to hear your complaints."

"I—"

"Enough!" He stormed to Haruka and grabbed her wrist. His veins popped in his hands. "You're coming home, Haruka."

Haruka turned to Sakai-san who only stood by. The solemn smile flashed for a moment before disappearing into the sunken face of the hardened fisherman.

"How much?" Sakai-san croaked out.

"What?" her father snapped back to Sakai-san. He dragged Haruka closer to him.

Sakai-san gulped. His entire body shook. "How much is the fee for your wife?"

Haruka knew Sakai-san to be strong willed. He raced across the waves while searching for fish and helped defend the village from wild beasts. It didn't make sense why he shook in front of her father. She never heard about a fee either. It was like so many secrets were being whispered in front of her, and she received only a few pieces to latch onto.

"Five hundred ryo. That's if that fee is still set. You know how the Hikage clan is."

What energy Sakai-san had in his body drooped into the earth. "Five hundred…far more than a year's worth of wages…" He looked at Haruka and forced another smile. "I will count and see if I can help."

There were stories of the Hikage clan hunting innocent people at night. Though Haruka never knew which stories were real, or the ones the kids all told while playing games in the streets. Tales stretched from the clan controlling yokai to being yokai themselves. The thought of her father being involved with the clan shoved a stone in her throat.

"You have until sunrise. We're leaving then."

He didn't say another word.

Haruka and her father hiked back toward the village. Whispers echoed from person to person as they passed. None of them wanted to say anything directly. Not since her mother went missing a few moons ago. No one wanted to tell her what happened either.

Inside their small house was quiet. The wooden floors were rotten where pieces met from a lack of replacement and holes where water leaked during storms. She was thankful most of the year stayed warm enough that the holes didn't bother her too much. After her mother left, they had to move here and sell their old home. Her father never looked in her direction the rest of the night, muttering under his breath as he fell asleep.

#

"Otou-san, where are we going?" Haruka looked up at her father and then down at the mud-covered streets in front of them.

He ignored her question, like the others before that on their morning journey. Occasionally she received a grunt of recognition, but nothing more.

The buildings were empty. The cracked windows were coated in grime. She imagined the city near their home would be filled with nice homes and wealthy people. Rumors from the children in her village claimed houses like these were filled with demons and monsters that hid from view until they could devour someone. She attempted to slow her pace and turn down another road back to the market. Despite this, her father's cobra-like grip around her thin wrist tightened and yanked her further along. She was helpless against his strength and held her breath in hopes it would keep any yokai away.

They turned another corner and stopped in front of a statue of a stone serpentine dragon that blocked the building at the end of the alley. It glared down at her, twisting its body around a glass orb. Whiskers stretched across its face and down the sides of its cheeks. The hollowness of its gaze followed Haruka as she neared. Its three clawed fingers dug into the orb, daring anyone to approach and face death.

She turned away and dug her heels into the ground, but her father dragged her closer to the statue. She shifted where she stood, not wanting to look back at it again. The fire in its gaze bore down on her all the same.

A man dressed in a dark brown cloak with tattered edges and patches in multiple areas stepped around the statue. The man stood almost a head taller than her father. His expression twisted with disgust as if she were a filthy dog. Haruka recoiled behind her father.

"Bringing the girl won't change your debt," the man said as if his voice were made of the wind itself.

Her mother hobbled out from around the statue. Her cheeks were sunken in and her brown eyes dull and glass-like. The weeks had destroyed her mother's inner glow. Her stomach was round. Well into a pregnancy.

"Okaa-San!" Haruka shouted and tore away from her father.

Her father grabbed the scruff of Haruka's robes and yanked her back. "Stay still, girl," he snapped.

Her mother winced from Haruka and scuffled closer to the cloaked man.

Haruka looked up at her father and then back at her mother, who stood as still as the statue next to her. They should have been embracing one another.

"Okaa-san?"

Her mother flinched again at the sound of Haruka's voice. She wanted to reach out to her mother but knew to stay still for now. It pained her that the gap between them was so close and yet more distant than ever before. They'd soon be hugging one another again as long as she stayed patient. At least, she hoped they would. Sakai-san claimed he would be giving her father the money to cover any debts. It had to be enough. But he hadn't come that morning, and she wasn't sure if he knew where they were.

"I've come to pay the debt in full." Haruka's father stood her between him and the cloaked man. "She will provide you many more years compared to my wife. And I'm sure there will be many who will pay for someone so...young to enjoy..."

He took a step from Haruka, releasing her arm. His face contorted into a combination of disgust and sadness she had never seen before. Not since she cut open her leg and bled over the salmon, making them unsellable. At least he claimed they were unsellable, but she recognized the one her neighbor purchased the next day from the too short tail fin. The realization slowly poured over her. She was the fish today.

The cloaked man nodded. "We could find more use for her." He pushed Haruka's mother forward, pinching her arm. She squirmed from the pain but didn't let a sound escape her lips. The cloaked man didn't seem to notice or didn't care, that he was causing her any pain.

"Saitou!" he shouted.

From the darkness of the building came a young boy no older than Haruka. He had one long scar across the right side of his face. It reached from his brow past his lip. There was no life in his eyes. Every few seconds, his body twitched and shivered from an unknown breeze or pain.

"Bind the girl and take her inside."

The boy, Saitou, reached for his belt and held out a long rope. "Of course, Kasshoku-sensei." He wrapped the end of the rope into a loop and tested the strength of the knot. He strode up to Haruka and grinned. His teeth were half rotten.

Haruka moved closer to her father and grabbed his forearm. "Otou-san, you're not really leaving me, are you?"

She glanced up at her father, expecting him to shield her from the boy and cloaked man. He continued to stare straight ahead at her mother. Like a knife cutting through any attachment they had, he wrenched from Haruka and reached out for her mother. She was isolated.

"You promise this will cover our debt?" His voice quivered.

"She will do."

Kasshoku-sensei pushed Haruka's mother forward. She stumbled over her feet and fell to the ground. Her kimono, which had once been a bright red, was now caked in grey and brown mud. Haruka remembered when her mother had first sewn the kimono. It had taken several moons, and she almost quit when funds were low, but they worked together to finish it. Now it was as disheveled as the rest of their life.

Haruka wanted to reach out and help clean it off, but the stare she received from her father pushed her away. A lump swelled in Haruka's throat, keeping her silent.

Saitou grabbed Haruka's wrist. She yanked away and shook her head. The cloaked man snarled in her direction. It sent a cold shiver down her spine, and she froze in place. If she moved, he would devour her in an instant. He was the demon they warned of. Not a real one like the stories, but a demon in human form.

The boy took advantage of her distraction and slipped the loop around her wrists. He tightened it and drew Haruka closer to him. He stank of an unclean waste pit. She gagged. She pulled against the restraints and sucked in a deep breath of fresh air before he pulled her back in close.

"That's enough, boy," Kasshoku-sensei growled.

Saitou nodded and held the rope in both hands. He turned to the man and handed the rope over. "Yes, Kasshoku-sensei."

Kasshoku-sensei grasped the rope and gently held it closer to his body, dragging Haruka behind.

Haruka turned to her father. Tears welled in her eyes. He looked away, not meeting her gaze. Her mother's face was buried in her father's shoulder. She was shaking and muttering apologies. Whether to her father or to Haruka, she wasn't sure.

Kasshoku-sensei's face was cold, staring intently at her. She gulped down the need to scream in fear. This was the beginning of a nightmare that wouldn't end. No one said what her mother had done while she worked for the Hikage Clan.

"The debt is paid for. You're both free to leave." Kasshoku-sensei waved a hand through the air as if shooing an annoying mosquito.

Haruka's parents didn't say a word. They bowed deeply to Kasshoku-sensei then scurried off down the alley. That small bow took everything that made Haruka who she was. Halfway down, her mother glanced back and then faced forward again as if saying her final goodbyes in silence. Her mother was the only story of someone taken from the clan and returning. There wouldn't be a second exception. This was the last time she would see her parents, and Haruka couldn't tell how she felt. Empty was the best word for it.

"Kasshoku-sensei, are you really going to let them leave?" Saitou said.

He shook his head but stayed silent for a few seconds. Once they could no longer hear her parents, he nodded. "Keep an eye on them. They will fall in line like the swine they are. But we don't let swine think they have a sword in their hand."

Figures unfurled from the roofs of the buildings. She hadn't noticed them before. The two men, one on each side of the alley, sprinted across without a sound.

"Don't hu—" Haruka tumbled backward as Kasshoku-sensei yanked on the rope tied around her wrists. He didn't wait for her and continued inside of the building with her behind. Saitou followed and placed a large plank of wood across the door to prevent it from opening.

Haruka blinked to adjust to the darkness. The only source of light belonged to a single lantern by the far wall. Saitou dissipated into the shadows, leaving Haruka alone with Kasshoku-sensei. She brushed her foot across the dusty floor, kicking up small clouds which refracted the light.

Kasshoku-sensei removed his cloak and sat on a small multi-patched cushion at the far end of the room. It sagged under his weight, struggling to not burst at the seams. He pulled a small blade from his belt and beckoned her closer.

As she shuffled to him, he grabbed her hands and sliced the ropes binding her. She rubbed at the raw skin underneath and cringed. There wasn't a spoken reason, but something yelled at Haruka to remain silent until he spoke and hide as much of her fear as she could. Once she had the chance, she would let every tear rush through her.

"Can you dodge, girl?"

Haruka didn't have a chance to ask what he meant before he flung the dagger at her. It flashed past her ear, slicing a few strands of her hair in the process. Ice pooled in her body as the realization flooded her. She opened her mouth, but closed it immediately, unsure of what to say. Not even her father threw a knife at her back home.

"Seems not. What of strength?" He pointed over to a bag of rice that stood to her knees. "Pick that up."

Haruka shook her head. "I can't!"

Kasshoku-sensei slammed his fist on the ground. Haruka recoiled at the sudden aggression. She didn't wait for him to get up and scurried to the rice bag. Haruka knelt in front of the bag and dragged it toward her. It tipped halfway before her knee caught it mid-fall. She grunted and pushed it back into place but couldn't move it. She forced more of her weight onto the bag. It fell backward with a thud.

"I can't…" Haruka sniffed. She didn't know what would happen if she couldn't get it off the ground, but after the knife, she didn't want to know.

Kasshoku-sensei stood up and grumbled under his breath. He hoisted the rice bag into the air and then shoved it into her chest.

"Hold it!"

Haruka took the bag, but the weight was too much. Her arms gave out immediately and the bag fell to the ground, barely missing both of their feet. Dust curled in small puffs around their ankles.

Kasshoku-sensei smacked her across the face, sending her to the ground. Her cheek burned and then tingled. The world spun around her, grasping at her mind to wretch it from her. His hand remained in the air, poised to strike again. She wanted to shrink in size and run away. Her breath caught in her throat as her chest heaved. There was nowhere to hide.

"I will find a use for you. Even if it means placing you in the same brothel as your damn mother. Someone will pay greatly to deflower you, brat." He pointed at the bag on the floor next to her. "Pick up the bag."

"But I-"

"Talkback one more time, and I will sew your mouth shut." He strode to the door. "You have until I return."

"What happens then?" Haruka squeaked out.

He shut the door behind him without an answer.

She rubbed her raw cheek. Likely what waited for her was worse than the pain she had rushing through her face.

Haruka slumped onto the ground next to the rice. Her fingers stroked across the rough texture.

"Otou-san...why..." she choked out between tears.

She sat there for what felt like forever, sobbing. It was impossible to expect her to move the bag of rice. Better to kill her before the night ended instead of taunting her with challenges she couldn't complete. She saw others in the village take their lives when they couldn't live any longer, according to the other adults. She couldn't do it, but Kosshoku-sensei could. There was no chance to escape without possibly bumping into someone from the clan like the men that almost killed her parents.

"I'm going to die here," she whimpered.

Her hand slid across the wooden floor, and something sharp stabbed her palm. She recoiled, holding her wrist to keep her hand stiff in front of her. Small droplets of blood glistened in the dim light, trickling down her palm. Haruka shoved her hand into her mouth, muffling a scream. The thought of Kasshoku-sensei or Saitou coming back in terrified her. She drew her hand back out and winced as cold air brushed across the wound. Haruka bit her lip to hold in the painful screams then squinted to see what had sliced her palm. The metal glinted in the darkness.

The knife lay next to her. Haruka picked it up, wanting to throw it across the room. She wiped her palm against her clothes. The sliced skin tugged, opening wider. An impossible task meant for humiliation. There had to be more to the task than lifting it if he left her with the knife. She looked between the knife and bag of rice. He said to lift the bag. If she was wrong in her idea, she would be punished, but if she was right, then he'd be happy with her. Her mother was always happy for her cleverness.

"He said to pick up the bag. If I could just..." She found a corner where the fabric had gone thin and forced the dagger into it, tearing a small slit so the rice would fall out. The idea of wasting food made her uneasy, but it was better to waste food she couldn't eat than die because she refused to.

Rice spilled out of the hole. As it lightened, Haruka lifted the end so it continued to pour quickly. She wrapped the bag around her hand. The pressure gave relief to the aching pain. The rest lay limp, swinging underneath her arm.

Even with the pain, she couldn't help but smile at her success. If Haruka didn't live past the day, at least she could say she did her best.

She sat, listening for any movement outside of the building. Kasshoku-sensei paced in the other room, closer to the door than before. Haruka sat against the wall and shoved her trembling hands under her butt.

Kasshoku-sensei walked into the room and leered down at her. He glanced at the bag still half wrapped around her hand and then at the rice spewed across the floor.

"You lifted the bag?" he said and raised an eyebrow. Nothing like his mood earlier.

Haruka held her hand in the air. "I-I can c-carry it above my hea-head now."

Kasshoku-sensei smirked and sat back down on his pillow. "I see that. But did you lift it with the rice?"

Haruka shook her head, waiting for the punishment.

He waved his hand through the air. "No matter. You'll pay it off soon. Most don't even bother lifting the bag before I get back. Leave a knife with a man and he slices his throat open. Floor's stained in blood." His gaze drifted down to the knife and her wrapped hand. "Yours joined the rest I see." He leaned forward and lowered his voice. "You pass, for now."

Haruka gulped. "Can I go home now?"

He shook his head and chuckled. "Of course not. I own your mind, body, and soul. This just proves you're worth the investment. If not, I would have let the men take you and get my ryo's worth in a day. Might still happen, but for now, you're safe." He knelt and grabbed her hand. "Show me."

Haruka squirmed and pulled the bag away. He called her an investment. Not something to be killed, but to be saved. Better than her fate earlier, but still trapped within the clutches of the clan. The cut was still sore. She held it to the light. Dried blood blotched her palm where the bag held the wound closed.

Kasshoku-sensei tapped his foot on the tatami mat. It sounded rhythmic, almost purposeful as he tapped twice, paused, then tapped four times. He didn't say anything, and his gaze never left Haruka. She stared at the floor to avoid their eyes meeting.

The door to the other room opened again. Another man stood in the doorway. Unlike Kasshoku-sensei and Saitou, his face was completely covered except for his golden-green eyes with black slit-like pupils. He wore loose-fitted black clothes that made it impossible to see where the outline of his body ended, and the rest of the room began.

He glanced at Haruka. When their gazes met, he snapped them away and looked directly at her captor. "Kasshoku-sensei," he purred and bowed low. "What is it you need from me?"

"The girl." He pointed over at Haruka. "Starting today, you all will train her into a true kunoichi. I expect you have the room prepared?"

The ninja's eyes flashed in the light's reflection. "Of course. But are you certain you want her to train with us? We kitsune are usually—"

"She is going to train with you. That is an order."

Haruka retreated into herself while they talked to one another about her fate. She tried to figure out if the word kitsune was just another phrase they used within the ninja ranks. There was no way they were referencing the yokai that haunted the forests. The person in front of her was a man, and the only kitsune she remembered from the stories were women with tell-tale tails. Except for the eyes, he looked human.

The ninja bowed once again. "As you wish, sensei." He bent down next to Haruka. He squinted as if he was smiling at her. "May I have your name, child?"

Something about the question felt off. The familiarity and calm approach made her want to run. All of her energy drained out of her body as if sapped by the ninja.

"Your name. May I have it?" His voice was growing more irritated.

"Ha—Haruka."

The ninja nodded. "Good. Now, Haruka, forget it. Forget everything you ever knew about your life outside of this room. Any happy memory, any sad memory. Even the pain before I spoke with you. Forget all of it."

He placed a hand on her forehead. It was warmer than she expected, building a fire deep inside of her core. The ninja pulled down the cloth covering his face and sneered, revealing a wide mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth. She wanted to run. To scream. But any strength she had left was used to hold her sitting in place.

It wasn't a man that stood before her. A yokai. A demon that Shizu knew to avoid, and yet she was trapped within his control. Everything she knew about her world collapsed in on itself as she grasped within her memories the stories of legends and reality that were mixing together. They slipped from her fingers as if the memories never existed.

"That's it. Now sleep. When you wake up, all of this will be a bad dream."

Haruka closed her eyes and felt the weight of the world release from her body. Visions flashed to show her mother and father standing together in the house. Tattered clothing wrapped around them, but they smiled and welcomed her with open arms. They smelled of the saltwater they caught fish from. They swirled away, replaced by children running around screaming in delight. She reached out for them, but it all melted away. She couldn't even remember who the man and woman were anymore. They felt familiar, but she couldn't figure out why. The only glimmer left was a mixture of hatred and love for the people. She grasped it, refusing to let go. She would never let go of that hatred.

The room blurred and faded until all she could see was a kitsune sitting a few steps in front of her. His six tails swished through the air lackadaisically. The visage of the ninja was faint, almost like a phantom, standing in the same place as the kitsune.

"That's it, child," both the phantom ninja and kitsune whispered. "Forget. Just forget everything that happened. When you awake, you will be with your new family. You are no longer Haruka."

She tried to focus on the fox-man. "My name's not Ha—? What?"

"From now on, you have a new name. A better name."

"What's my name?"

The kitsune turned away. He walked into the darkness, leaving her to the visions that continued to melt from her mind.