School soon let out, and Akage stretched his arms. "Today felt longer than usual..."
"I know right?", Pinkie chirped as she popped up behind him! "But hey! The week's almost over!"
Akage smiled. "At least I can't stay in a bad mood with you around." Akage then froze as he felt a presence and heard something whistling through the air! Akage exteded his arm, and caught a single kunai with a note attached. He narrowed his eyes as he stared in the direction of where the kunai had been thrown. A shadow seemed to disappear as soon as Akage looked in that direction. Pinkie had a worried look on her face as she saw Akage read the note. "Pinkie? You're going to have to walk without me."
Pinkie noticed Akage's grim expression. ".....Akage? What's wrong?"
"...It looks like my brother and I will be having a conversation after all. I'm sorry, but this is something I have to take care of alone." Akage's face looked dead serious. "Excuse me. I need to pick some things up from home." Akage returned to his home and went into his room. He changed into his ninja garb. Akage then pulled a trunk out from under his bed. "Never imagined I'd pick this thing up again." Akage gazed upon the sword he had placed in the trunk, and hung it over his back. "Right about now, I really wish I could laugh about this." Akage leaped out his window and landed on the ground! He then ran towards the location Shogun had chosen for their confrontation. As Akage arrived, Shogun was waiting for him with his eyes closed.
"So. You have arrived.", Shogun said as he sensed Akage's presence. "I've had two years to prepare for this day."
"And I've been praying this day would not come.", Akage replied as he activated his duel disk.
"Our cards and swords clash at twilight. When the light and dark mix, and the shadows are everywhere.", Shogun began.
"The wind blows, and the land is silent.", Akage continued. "At this twilight, the answers are laid bare with steel and cards."
Music suggested:
Akage: 8000
Shogun: 8000
"I got the first move!", Shogun declared! "I summon Twilight Ninja Shingetsu! Then I play Double Summon to allow an extra normal summon this turn! I tribute Shingetsu to summon Twilight Ninja Nichirin, the Chunin!" A large ninja took the field!! "Then I set two cards face-down and end my turn."
"I draw!" Shogun wasted no time in summoning a high-level monster., Akage thought. But the key to a ninja deck is speed! "I summon Upstart Golden Ninja! Then I'll use his effect! By sending a trap card from my hand to the graveyard, I can special summon a level four or lower 'Ninja' monster from my deck in face-up defense mode! I special summon Strike Ninja!" Another ninja appeared on Akage's field in a puff of smoke! "Now I overlay my two monsters! I xyz summon Blade Armor Ninja! Then I equip him with Fuhma Shuriken! This boosts him by 700 points! Attack Nichirin the Chunin! Stealth Blade Strike!" Blade Armor Ninja moved as swift as a shadow and cut down Nichirin the Chunin! "But I'm not finished yet! By detaching an overlay unit, I can target one 'Ninja' monster I control and have it make a second attack during this battle phase!" Blade Armor Ninja detached one of his overlay units and struck Shogun directly! "I end my turn with a face-down."
Akage: 8000
Shogun: 4500
"You've not lost your edge Akage.", Shogun said with a nod. "Now to show you how mine has sharpened! I play Soul Charge to revive Shingetsu at the cost of 1000 life points! Now I tribute him to summon Twilight Ninja Getsuga, the Shogun!" A large ninja appeared as Shingetsu vanished in a puff of smoke! "Now for his effect! I switch Getsuga to defense-mode to special summon Shingetsu and Nichirin from my graveyard! Now I'll activate Shingetsu's effect! I can discard a 'Ninja' monster from my hand to activate one of his effects! I'll have Nichirin gain 1000 attack points! Attack Blade Armor Ninja!"
"You may make good use of your blade, but there's more to a ninja than that!", Akage cried out as Nichirin charged! "I activate Armor Ninjitsu Art of Decoy! By targeting one 'Ninja' monster I control, it can't be destroyed by battle!" As Nichrin struck Blade Armor Ninja, it turned out that he merely struck a tree! Blade Armor had escaped destruction, but Akage winced as he still took damage!
"I end my turn with a face-down.", Shogun said flatly. "Your tricks won't keep you safe forever."
Akage: 7400
Shogun: 4500
"Looks like your eagerness to seek the light is reflected in your deck.", Akage shot back. "Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why we worked in the shadows? Everything is done for a reason in our clan. Turning your back on our arts, seeking to reveal us, is the complete opposite of our nature!"
"But why?!", Shogun yelled! "For generations we've guarded the world in secret! And with all the evil duelists and monsters that showed up at the last two tournaments, the world needs to know that now more than ever it has protectors! People it can depend on!"
"it already does. I should know because I've befriended the one who defeated the evil duelists and monsters that reared their heads. He is the same enemy your master wishes to destroy. The people of the world don't need to know we exist because HE still stands! And it'll be him standing triumphant when Blitz Surge is no more!" Akage drew his next card! "I activate my trap! Ninjitsu Art of Shadow Sealing! I tribute Blade Armor Ninja to banish Nichirin, the Chunin!" Nichirin's shadow was struck with a kunai and he faded away into the shadows! "Now his monster card zone can't be used! And since you've got monsters and I don't, I can special summon Earth Armor Ninja from my hand! Then I'll summon Fire Armor Ninja and use his effect! I'll increase Flame Armor's level by one! Now I overlay my two monsters! I xyz summon Number 12: Crimson Shadow Armor Ninja!" As Crimson Shadow took the field, Shogun smiled.
"Just what I was hoping for! I activate my trap! Armor Ninjitsu Art of Rust Mist! Since you special summoned a monster while I control a 'Ninja' monster, that monster's attack is halved!" Crimson Shadow fell to one knee!
"Akage...", Crimson Shadow groaned. "I can't move..."
"I...I end my turn.", Akage said as he hung his head in powerlessness.
"My turn. I draw!" Shogun smiled as he drew his next card! "I switch Getsuga into attack mode! Then I'll equip him with Magnum Shield! This boosts his attack by his defense points!" Getsu's attack points rocketed to 5000! "Now attack Crimson Shadow Armor Ninja! Shogun Strike!"
"I activate Crimson Shadow's effect!", Akage cried out! "I detach one overlay unit so a face-up 'Ninja' monster I control isn't destroyed by battle or card effects!" Akage cringed as Crimson Shadow took the force of Getsu's attack, but stayed on the field!"
"Impressive. You're still standing.", Shogun said with a nod. "I end my turn."
Akage: 3600
Shogun: 4500
Not good..., Akage thought as he looked over his cards. Nothing in my hand help me. What I wouldn't give for Pinkie to show up right about now. Even at this point...she'd help me find a way to smile....
"AKAGE!", Pinkie yelled as she popped out of nowhere! Both Akage and Shogun were shocked! Akage because she showed up, and Shogun because he had no idea how she'd gotten here so fast! Pinkie ran over to Akage and hugged him!
"PINKIE?!...What're you doing here?!", Akage asked!
Pinkie smiled. "Please! Like I'd miss a chance to see an awesome ninja showdown?"
"I'd...hardly call a situation like this awesome...", Akage said with a wince. Pinkie looked him over and nodded.
"Here's what you need to do! Just think of something that's funny! Even if you lose, at least you won't lose your smile Akage!", she said with a small smile. "I don't like seeing the people close to me unhappy."
Akage paused for a moment, then he thought of the reason why Shogun was fighting him. And he burst into laughter. "Pfffft! HA HA HAH HA HAHA HAHAHA HA!"
Shogun was looking at Akage like he had succumbed to madness. "What...what's got you laughing so hard?"
Akage clutched his ribs. "Shogun. The reason you're fghting me right now is what's got me cracking up! It's pretty hilarious! Here you are here trying to wrest leadership of the clan from me, and I didn't even want it in the first place!" Akage again burst into laughter. Shogun took a moment before he himself began to chuckle.
"You know...heh heh! The more I think about my whole reveal-our-clan-to-the world plan is pretty dumb! I just realized, I'd have painted a bullseye on our home! The press would eat us alive! Heck, imagine if they caught dad singing at karaoke!" Shogun then began to laugh as well! Pinkie smiled, and soon found that she had ponied up and gained wings and a horn.
"Laughter really is a good medicine!", Pinkie said with a smile. Akage soon recovered from his fit of laughter and noticed the glowing card on top of his deck.
"Sorry Shogun. You can lead the clan, but I'm gonna win this duel!", Akage said with a smile.
Shogun chuckled. "Well what're you waiting for?"
Akage drew his next card! "I play the spell card Absolute Ninjitsu Art! I tribute a 'Ninja' from my field! I tribute Crimson Shadow Armor Ninja!" Crimson Shadow disappeared in a puff of smoke! "I special summon Strider the Absolute Ninja!" A ninja wearing a crimson scarf with red hair and a simple black ninja outfit stood on the field! "Now her effect activates! When she's summoned, I can destroy all spell and trap cards on the field! Then my opponent takes 300 damage for each one destroyed! Last time I checked, there were four spells and traps! That means you take 1200 damage!" Shogun winced as a wave of wind blew across his field as Strider made gestures with her hands to summon the gale! "Now for her other effect! For every monster on your field, I can special summon one Strider Shadow Token!" Two copies of Strider appeared on Akage's field! "Each token has the same attack as Strider! 3000! Now my tokens will take down your monsters!" The two tokens leaped into the air and hurled twin windmill shurikens that slashed Shogun's monster into ribbons! "Now Strider! Attack him directly! Strider Swallow Drop!" Strider leaped into the air and readied her blade as she struck at the last of Shogun's life points! After she returned to Akage's field, she bowed to Shogun.
"You dueled with honor Shogun. May you lead your clan well. Farewll Master Akage. I must return to my own home.", Strider said with a pleasant smile as she vanished in a puff of smoke. Akage ans Shogun shook hands.
"So...how're we going to tell dad?", Shogun asked.
"Who says you need to?" Both boys and Pinkie snapped their attention to the trees and saw Akage and Shogun's father smiling down from the top of a tree. He then jumped down, and bowed to them. "I must apologize to both of you boys. Never once did I consider to explain to you Shogun why we worked from the shadows, or whether you Akage truly wished to lead." He then turned to Pinkie. "And I owe you a debt I cannot repay. You've made my sons truly smile."
Pinkie beamed. "Thanks! Akage makes me smile too!" Pinkie then nuzzled up against Akage who blushed.
Akage chuckled. "Shogun..." Akage then removed his scarf. "This belongs to the leader of the clan."
Shogun smiled. "No. I'll make my own symbol of leadership. You're worthy of wearing that scarf Akage. It's bright crimson reflects that smile of yours." Shogun then turned to his father. "I will become a leader in my own right back home." The boys' father smiled.
"Then let's head back home." The two vansihed in a swirl of leaves. "Farewell Akage. Good luck with helping her at her party sevice."
Pinkie gasped as Akage's father and Shogun vanished! "How did he know?"
Akage let out a chuckle. "We're ninjas. We're good at finding out secrets. In the meantime, let's head to Sugar Cube Corner. I don't know about you, but I could use a little pick me up from all this excitement."
Pinkie smiled. "I'll be sure to have your favorite cupcake ready!"
"You're sweet Pinkie.", Akage said with a small chuckle.
Pinkie giggled. "That one was too easy, but it's the icing on the cake for this chapter!"