The mission was like a dozen before it - kill some rival jito holed up in his manor surrounded by his ashigaru.  Blah blah blah.  Yukikazi had put nearly a dozen of her special shruiken into Miyako's loyal men.  The remaining retainers laid strewn about the manor's sumptuous courtyard.  They had never seen Yukikazi coming shrouded in the night.  Had it not been so cold, they may have felt the ever so slight breeze of her wake as she darted past one, then another.  Ten loyal warriors laid dead before one was observant enough to spot her just before she collapsed his windpipe.<br/><br/>Yukikazi cursed herself for being so slow.  Before the man fell limp into the gravel, he had given the alarm.  "Intruder!"  Warriors grabbed their weapons and scampered into the darkened courtyard.  Barely out of the fog of sleep, they were ill prepared for the ninja's deadly blows which seemed to land from every direction.  One after another felt into the gravel completely unaware of their opponent.<br/><br/>One warrior managed to swing his sword at Yukikazi while she was distracted dispatching one of his companions.  She turned, disarmed him then swept his feet out from under him.  He cursed as he fell on his back scattering pebbles everywhere.  Yukikazi's heel bit into the man's throat quickly and then she hurried off to face her next opponent.  The unfortunate sword wielder struggled for breath for a few minutes before succumbing to eternal slumber.<br/><br/>Every last one of Miyako's men lay dead, dying or crippled in the bitter evening.  Miyako himself stepped from his chamber, katana in hand at the far end of the courtyard.  "You do honor to your honorless clan of half-bitches."  Miyako spat.  He knew who had hired the ninja and exactly which clan would have earned the contract.  Despite the carnage before him, Miyako was not afraid.  He had killed ninja before.  He was sure he would kill ninja again.<br/><br/>"Pray for your ancestors to welcome you with open arms."  Miyako squatted, balancing his weight equally between both legs and raised his blade into the air.  The polished metal caught the reflection of the nearly full moon.