Story Adapted by & Screenplay by : Jameal Jordon & Sharome Jordon

EXT. GOHDA CASTLE/ COMPOUND/ FOREST – NIGHT

Ayame & Setsuro leave Lord Gohda’s compound on horseback in the dead of the night, once more a ninja watches, but now her blonde locks hanging from below her mask can be seen, it has been Ai all along watching them. Setsuro stops for a second or so & comes to a complete halt. He stares at a tree dead at where Ai is spying on them from, she is startled to know that he can see her.
AI : Setsuro (runs off deeper into the woods)
Ayame looks back to find Setsuro sitting atop his horse still, the horse has come to a complete stop & not moving. She stops & turns around & gallops quickly to where he has stopped.
SETSURO (softly speaks) : Ai
AYAME (looks to where his eyes are cast at) : What are you doing??? You’re wasting time!!! What are you looking at??
SETSURO (looking at Ayame & softly speaks) : Nothing (rides off)
Setsuro rides on to where Goo was spotted. His big feet & animal tracks can be seen in the mushy, muddy dark forest trail. He gets off his horse, looking down. He bends down & rubs the tracks with a hand & then looks up to see how far they go into the woods.
AYAME (rides after him, she then angrily gets off her horse & pokes Setsuro in the back) : Hey!! I know, I know you’re secret.
SETSURO : Heh..(looking up coldly at her, then stares down at her) You think you do, but like the rest you know nothing you know nothing about me, what I am or what I’ve done. I am a warrior, maybe a walking shadow like you knows nothing about that, to stare down your enemy rather than to stab them in the back in the dark. I face all my enemies head on & strike whether they know it or not. I am a man of honor, ninja & whether you can understand that or not, (shrugs his shoulders) I really don’t care. (gets back on his horse)
And Whoever took Rikimaru, went thataway. (pointing) We need to hurry, ninja. (rides off)
AYAME : Hey!!! My name is Ayame!!! (rubs her head) Hmm…that does feel rather insulting. (gets on her horse)
Ayame soon catches up to Setsuro & they ride silently thru the night following the huge tracks made by Goo & his friends. The exit Gohda’s territory & land in the old lands of the Gohda’s old foe – Toda, his old lands being controlled by his decendants who also have a distaste for Gohda, because of what happened to the late Lord Toda not too long ago.

EXT. ENEMY FOREST – EXT

Ayame & Setsuro now enter the forest encirclement. They dismount & tie the horses up to a tree for now. They creep & move forward, Ayame leaps high, into a tree to near Ayame to get a better look. Setsuro uses his kurikama to get into a tree as well. They soon spy forest warriors, guards that look like ronin, archers, & spear guards.
SETSURO (looking down) : They do not seem to be warriors of Lord Toda. They must belong to someone else. (looking to a sign upon a wall of a cave off in the distance) Can it be? Can this be the work of Lord Me-Oh??
AYAME : How would you know?
Setsuro does not reply but only leaps to another tree swiftly. He begins to leap from tree to tree, until he is directly over a forest warrior neat the cave entrance. The young forest warrior seems alert & active he stands in place rigid.
FOREST WARRIOR (looking around aimlessly) (loudly) : Nice Night.
Setsuro uses the chain on his kurikama to slowly reach down & then encircle the neck of the guard. Setsuro now strangles the forest warrior, with an insane amount of force pulling up, the warrior drops his weapon & Setsuro now uses counterbalancing to fall down while standing on the branch & pulls on the chain with his body weight makes a makeshift pully. He is zipped quickly to the ground while the forest warrior is lifted & strangled to death as he is pulled upwards & is now resting in eternity on the tree. Setsuro unravels the chain from his neck. Ayame is seen sprinting across the treetops & leaps to the cave entrance where Setsuro is, flips off the cave surface & somersaults to the ground. They exchange no words as they enter the cave.

INT. ENEMY CAVE – NIGHT

The cave is a dark & dense, it seems to have been carved out a long time ago for military usage long, long ago before the feudal era came. Proceeding into the cave, a huge yawn can be hard by a spear guard, he is standing next to a large torch that lights a small amount of the inner cave. Setsuro waves off Ayame as he charges forward, with his kurikama in hand, he leaps forward & jump kicks the guard into a pitfall a few feet away. The guard can be heard falling & screaming into the dark pit.
SETSURO (deepens his voice) : Excellent, heh, heh.(looking over the pitfall, then to the camera) Flawless.
AYAME (coming up behind him) : What the hell are you talking about??
SETSURO (clears his voice): Er Nothing umm nothing at all (looking at the short jump over to the next pitfall & then to a lighted area)
AYAME (putting her hands on her hips) : You sure have a lot of nothing to say, ashigaru. If that’s what you really, even though I know now You are much more than that, Setsuro. Why not come clean with it, here & now!!!
SETSURO (jumps over to the next walkway & then over the next pitfall) : We’re wasting time, c’mon!!
AYAME (folds her arms & says silently to herself) : You can’t & won’t avoid my questions, Setsuro (she leaps over the 2 jumps as well)
They walk slowly into a lighted area, a bar filled door is closed, Setsuro pushes it to find it open. The duo enter a walkway that seems to lead to a dead end, Setsuro looks up to find another walkway. He hears a guard above & to the left. Setsuro looks up & he sees the guard yawning & he stands with his back turned. Setsuro then goes back down he signals to Ayame.
SETSURO (softly) : I’m going to try something.
AYAME : Like what?
SETSURO : Something foolish (holds the handle of his sword)
Setsuro leaps straight up, his sword still sheathed, the jump is nearly about 8 ft up, at the height of the jump He unsheathes & strikes in the same breath. He cuts the guard from left to right, in one mighty blow, as he falls to the ground he sheathes the sword & rolls forward. He then gets up & then picks up Ayame & runs away with her backwards to the way they came, for the guard falls in two halves to the bottom of the walkway his blood spews from his remains. The essence & color red is strewn across the walkway as Ayame now finally realizes what just happened, Setsuro has touched her. She slaps him after he puts her down. Setsuro rubs his face & puts up his hand to smack her for her ungratefulness, but throws down his hand.
SETSURO : Ungrateful wench I saved you from a bloodbath back there & this is how you repay me??
AYAME : What?? Hey I thought after you looking at me all this time. You finally got me alone & was trying to hurt me, I don’t know you, Setsuro. In fact I don’t ever want to know you like that.
SETSURO : You know, what? I wasn’t trying to hurt you, but you ninja are so untrusting you can’t even see help or caring for what is it. Ayame One day, you’re going to end up alone, old, & bitter. Much more than you already are if that’s even possible. (walks back to the walkway & climbs up the wall to the right)
Ayame climbs up behind him but to the wall of the left where the guard was standing. Setsuro is looking around.
AYAME (with heavy attitude) : All right, ashigaru Which way now????
SETSURO (never turns to look at her) : That’s easy. To the right.
AYAME (putting her hand on her hips) : And how do you know????
SETSURO : That is easy too Look to your left, do you see anything?
AYAME (looking into the darkness, partially seen is the dead end) : No.
SETSURO : That’s easy. It’s a dead end. Look to your right what do you see?
AYAME (looking to the right, she sees a narrow stone bridge) : A treacherous & possibly unsafe stone bridge?
SETSURO : That’s right. As always for some sort of universal irony, you must go usually where it is treacherous. Guess where were going? (walks towards the bridge)
Ayame soon follows behind him. They pace slowly across the bridge, it seems not too many have went this way, Setsuro looks to the ground seeing tracks of the bear, the wolves & the large thing that took Rikimaru all muddled together as they merged to go in this direction.
SETSURO : We’re getting close.
Setsuro now stops in the middle of the bridge. He sees two caged doors both partially ajar, he looks to the tracks seeing they went to the right.
SETSURO : Ayame, we need to get over there.
AYAME (sarcastically) : You don’t have to tell me twice!!!! (uses her grappling hook to zip over to the door, she then slips a bit & falls to catch the ledge & climbs up)
SETSURO : Hey! You ok??
AYAME : I don’t need your help, ashigaru. (disappears into the door)
Setsuro shrugs his shoulders & uses his kurikama’s chain weight to catch the door, he then tugs on it & swings over to the other side & lets go of the kurikama as he enters sliding. His kurikama slides off the door & almost falls into the chasm, Setsuro swung over. He gets up & rushes over to grab the chain weight & pulls up the kama to get it back. He then walks over to Ayame standing in the shadows.

AYAME : What took you so long??

Setsuro quietly loves past her & spies other guards. He then slides up a wall, scraping his armor, & then holding onto the chain he swings the kama end & stabs an sleepy, unsuspecting archer dead & deep into his chest. The archer slides against a wall & then crumples to the ground in a pitiful heap. Ayame moves forward to find a sword guard with his back turned.

AYAME : This is how it’s done. (readies shuriken)

Ayame launches a shuriken in the guard’s upper back, then his middle back, then his lower back, the guard turns around in pain, she smiles & then mercilessly launches one into his crotch & then to his forehead. The guard falls spins around & falls dead.

SETSURO : I think you enjoyed that a bit too much. (walks away)

Ayame quickly moves forward, & then up a rather steep incline. Setsuro follows her from behind still admiring her body. The move quickly & pass thru another familiar looking door, a guard is posted here, dead asleep against the wall, Setsuro takes his weapon, & throws it far away then picks up & throws a rock at the guard smack into his face. The guard is awaken by Setsuro’s rock & then pats himself to find his weapon. Setsuro with sword in hand & extended moves closer, the guard turns around still looking at Setsuro to find Ayame with kuni extended & then cuts the guard in his chest. He feels the blows, & then moves backwards to onto a blade, the blade is now extending thru his chest, Setsuro uses all his anger & might to lift up the guard & throw him to the floor while he is still on the blade. After he does so, he pulls out the blade from his carcass. He then resheathes the blade. They find that the incline goes higher still & they soon encounter the roar of animals. As they move closer the duo hears groaning & fists banging, then pounding against bamboo. Setsuro & Ayame see a bear & 2 wolves over the incline.

INT./EXT. THE TORTURE CHAMBER – NIGHT

Goo has a now sobering up Rikimaru inside a bamboo & steel cage. Rikimaru now sits still. Setsuro & Ayame wait in the darkness ready to strike. The see Rikimaru caged but say nothing, they see Goo looking to Rikimaru.

GOO (to Rikimaru) : Heh heh, little mouse. I’ve got a friend like you. But he’s no mouse he’s a rat!!

The bear walks over to Goo, tapping on him.

GOO : What bear want?? Is this about honey?? You can’t have more honey, I ate it all, I sorry bear. I so sorry I ate it up.

The bear roars softly & then shakes his head at Goo, the wolves howl a bit.

GOO : No? Then what is problem, bear??

The bear points out to the 2 standing in the shadows. None other than Setsuro & Ayame.
Goo turns around to see them & pulls out his weapon.

GOO : So The mice come out to play That means Goo get to play too!!! (he charges towards Ayame The animals charge at Setsuro.)

[*fight sequence*][*boss fighting music played here*] Ayame faces off with Goo. Ayame is able to cut Goo at first but then soon finds it hard as he plays keep away with his larger weapon. She tries different techniques but finds he is able to keep her at bay. Setsuro fights the wolves & the bear. Setsuro slices & kills the wolves easily with his sword, & then uses his kurikama to grab the bear by the leg as he tries to claw Setsuro. Setsuro’s armor is cut, but he uses his chain to sweep the bear from standing. He then stabs the bear with the sword. Setsuro then sees Ayame having trouble reaching Goo because of his long weapon. He beats Ayame’s kuni hard with his big pole as he stops her from getting the final blow in. Setsuro tries to help out Ayame by grabbing Goo’s neck with his chain. Setsuro then grabs & holds Goo’s neck with his chain. Ayame takes this chance & finishes off Goo by jumping onto his back & stabbing her kuni in his shoulders, then into his neck.

GOO (dying) : Goo can’t play no more Goo tired

Goo falls over near his animal friends & dies.

AYAME : (walks over to Goo’s dying form) You’re repulsive!!! Hurry up & die!!!!
SETSURO (releases the chain from Goo’s neck & then rubs his head) : YOU KNOW WHAT?? I SIMPLY DON’T GET IT?

Ayame & Rikimaru looks strangely & stare at Setsuro, watching him take off his helmet & rub his head, violently.

SETSURO : HOW DID THAT FAT BASTARD CROSS THAT DAMNED BRIDGE?? I’M STUPIFIED!!!!!

Ayame sheathes her kuni, then looks down & sees a shadow leaping down. The shadow avoids Ayame & jump kicks Setsuro in the back, his armor takes most of the blow, but he falls forward & is downed by the kick. The shadow is Onikage.

ONIKAGE : Heh, heh..To make things short, I will introduce myself. I am Onikage, I shall eventually come for Gohda & your heads. Until then become a more worthy opponent, ha,ha,ha,ha,ha!!!!! (exits to where Ayame & Setsuro entered)

Setsuro gets up to follow Onikage.

SETSURO (follows after Onikage) : He’s not getting away!!!

AYAME : What are you doing??

SETSURO :Free Rikimaru!!!! I’m going after Onikage!!!

Ayame throws him her bag filled grenades & smoke bombs. He catches them as he exits the torcher area. Ayame then slowly walks over to the cave to see a squatting Rikimaru. Rikimaru shakes his head as she approaches.

RIKIMARU :You weren’t supposed to do this.

AYAME : Well you can thank Lord Gohda for bending the rules. (throwing him ‘Izayoi’)

RIKIMARU (catching the sword & then slices the bars once, the bars fall to the ground) : I am in his debt
AYAME : I think we should follow Setsuro. Onikage seems that he would kill him without breaking a sweat.

RIKIMARU : I think you should give him more credit than that, Ayame. He was able to keep up & find this place.

AYAME : Whatever. Let’s go!!! (dashes off)

INT./EXT. ENEMY CAVE – NIGHT.

Setsuro chases after Onikage. Onikage seemingly moves faster than a normal human & moves out of the cave. Setsuro & Onikage face off [*Onikage fight music* played here]. The spar slightly as ninja come to the aid of Onikage, who has a range disadvantage due to Setsuro’s kurikama. Ai leaps from behind all the other ninja & fights Setsuro, Onikage & Ai fight Setsuro, but Setsuro seems to be always one step ahead of them both. He sweeps them both with his chain, but Ai then arms herself with her weapon of choice, 2 steel fans with the rising sun of Japan in the middle as the are extended. Onikage lets Ai fight Setsuro, they face off & to a trained eye it sees they seem to move the same way in combat, blow for blow they never hit each other. But she kicks Setsuro in the face & he is floored, he finally looks up & sees an army of ronin, ninja, archers, mercenaries, ashigaru all behind Onikage.
ONIKAGE : Heh heh, now you die! (Onikage lifts his hand high & then lowers it quickly, the army behind begins to slowly charge forward around him) my army of 20,000 will crush even Gohda..but they will start with you, ashigaru
SETSURO (looks to Onikage first then Ai, she is smirking) : 20,000?? My god And you I will get you later for this

Setsuro then reaches into the sack filled with grenades & smoke bombs, he throws them all as he gets up, then uses the last of the grenades to blow up the cave entrance, sealing it for now. Setsuro is blown back & hurt a bit from the proximity of the blast range. He gets up & sprints as fast as he can, soon he makes it back to Rikimaru & Ayame. Rikimaru can be seen drinking the contents of a heal bottle.

SETSURO (out of breath) : We can’t go back the way we came!! Onikage, & Ai. They have an army of t..t tt..tt.. 20,000 soldiers outside of this place, I had to blow up the entrance to the cave & seal us in!!!

AYAME :Just great How do we plan to get out of here??

RIKIMARU (throwing the empty bottle to the ground & then points his sword to the place from where Onikage entered) : That is where we will go deep along the borders of Lord Toda’s territory. (uses his grappling hook to zip up to the top)

Ayame uses her grappling hook to follow & Setsuro uses his kurikama to follow behind the ninjas.