Short Stories (Come on people! Don't be shy!)

[Mishimomei]

Eh... heh heh.. Not really that short.. but w/e))

Prologue
~*~

Father please forgive me for I have sinned.
The number of lives I have taken is near countless, mortal and immortal alike. I have
been alive for centuries, but never have I truly lived, wandering almost emotionlessly through
this ever changing world.
At least that’s how it was, until I met him.
His long silver hair tied into a loose, untidy horse tail. His almost feminine lips and the
articulate way they would speak with confidence. I fear I cannot get him out of my mind.
His pitch black eyes filled with such hatred and pain that they gave away that he would
tell no lies, no matter how painful the truth. They contradicted the soft way his body would lure
you to him. He had an air around him that few would be able to resist.
A Vampire.
You could tell that there were few lies hidden in him. Where as my soul is filled with
little but false truths and deceit. He flirts brashly with no disregard for the consequences.
Sadly the thing that really caught my attention was not his looks or charisma, but the
chance that he might be able to defeat me in full out fight.
That is the fate of my kind.
I am a shapeshifter. One with no master. Which makes the said shifter liable to go into
animalistic fits of rage. Where they would kill anyone or anything around them until that rage
left them. That is why they need a master, to control them and make sure they don’t hurt
themselves or others.
I still cannot keep a focused mind without my thoughts trailing back to that undead
abomination. His long wiry muscles and dangerous, spicy scent.
Oh and did I forget to mention I was assigned by my clan to kill him?

Chapter One “The Meeting”
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I first saw him in a club in Northwest Germany. I had been tracking down a rogue
werewolf, who’s sanity wasn’t very stable.
The music thumped through me, matching the pulse of the humans dancing so close to
me. Their sweet blood tantalizing my senses.
I caught the scent of the werewolf as soon as he walked in. Though the dancers blocked
my view I knew that he had come in from the back.
Ah, those bloody mutts were always bragging about their superior sense of smell. The
thing was that they were easily distracted. That was one of the reasons that the other werewolves
didn’t just track this mutt down on their own. Well, that, plus the fact that he barely held on to
his sanity. He probably hadn’t even guessed that the organization had sent a hunter.
A hand wrapped around my waist and I almost attacked by pure instinct. My hand was
already on my upper thigh where my senbon were hidden. But just as quickly as my action on of
the hands went over mine, “Why is an assassin of the Karasu Clan here?” The voice was like
liquid silver in my ear. I then realized that the hard, cold body that held me had no heart beat.
He was a nasferatu, a vampire.
The embrace that he held me in looked like that of two lovers, but his hold was like being
wrapped in steel bars. He was strong, even for a vampire. That meant he must be old if even I
could not break his grip, very old.
How could he sneak up on me, let alone get a hold of me. My mind, trained to lock away
such emotions such as fear, stayed cool. I began working my magic into his blood as I spoke,
“Pardon sir,” I said with a thick German accent that would fool even a native Deutch, “but I do
not understand what it is you speak of.”
His grip loosened only a little and then only for a fraction of a second. The he tightened
again.
“Nice try daemon,” he said his tongue clicking delicately on the roof of his mouth with
his mixed Russian accent. “But a humans blood doesn’t smell near as delicious,” He took a slow
breath and let it out softly in my ear, shudders ran down my spine. “Plus a human would be
afraid in this situation, even one trained as an assassin- Hey” He cut off what he was saying as
he felt my magic in his veins as I began freezing him from the inside out.
Somehow, he pushed the magic back at me and I gasped in shock. Though my blood was
liquid ice it still made me shiver.
Just the thought of the amount of power it would take for a vampire to press a shifter’s
own magic back at them.
Adrenaline began to pump into my blood stream. I could feel myself beginning to loose
control. “Sorry,” I said quickly and slipped out of his hold like a snake under a door, “but I
cannot be distracted.” I threw one of my senbon at him, which he of corse caught with ease but
it distracted him long enough for my to vanish into the pulsing crowd. Which is what I was
aiming for.
My heart racing faster than it had in years I mentally cursed myself for getting
sidetracked. My target had caught sight of the vampire and made his escape towards the back of
the club.
I growled lowly, not wanting to deal with the guard I simply shifted to the form of a
black cat. Anyone who might have seen me was probably too inebriated to know what they had
actually witnessed. I walked passed the bouncers and changed back as soon as I passed them
and was out of their sight.
I saw my quarry disappear out the back door and I bolted after him. My muscles taught as
I got into the rhythm of the hunt. My breathing steadied, quickening only slightly. My eyes
darkened to a red/black color. My lax in feeding was taking its toll on my in more ways than
one. I felt that I was in a feeding hunt and my nails extended and sharpened, becoming more like
claws now. My canines lengthened as well. The familiar itch to tear into flesh touched my mind.
Guess it was a good thing that I planned to kill him anyways.
I cornered him in a dead end, out of the way alley. I stopped as I saw what had made him
so stupidly choose this way. There was a dead body at his feet, a man with his throat ripped out
viciously.
I low growl passed through my lips as I saw he held a pleading woman in his arms. I
growled not for fear or anger that he would take her life, but I felt he had stolen my prey.
I shifted to my natural form. I still had a humans basic body structure, except for the little
fact that my ears were now that of a cats . I had sprouted a tail the same bright auburn color as
hair and the fur on my ears that now perked forward then laid back.
“Jack St. Christopher,” I said sauntering closer to him, “Also known as Shredder.” One
hand swept through my short -now blood red- hair, shoving it away from my face in an
unconsciously feminine gesture. “Your organization has found you guilty of conscious man
slaughter.” My voice was low and seemed layered in ice. “Forty-six accounts of major theft.
Three different accounts of insanity.” I paused for a moment, “And exposing our world to
humans, the worst crime of any of the magic races.” I took another step closer. “Your
organization has hired an assassin of the Karasu Clan to hunt you out.”
He was staring at me now, still holding the woman by the arm. She was now simpering in
stupidity. “Daemon” he spat at me. His mouth looked a little foamed, like that of a rabid dog.
His grip on the woman tightened. I heard the distinctive snap of a couple of bones breaking and
the girl screamed.
A shadow flew pass my vision from behind me. So quick, that even my eyes had trouble
tracking, the man from the bar shot forward and grabbed my quarry by the throat and threw him
into a near by wall. The werewolf was unconscious as soon as his head smashed the concrete.
I blinked twice in slight confusion. “How did you- What the” I shouted as I looked back
at him. He was crooning over the girl. She was still in shock. I saw he held her arm, which was
now healed. She stared blankly until he whispered something in her ear and she blushed darkly.
“What the hell are you doing,” I hissed at him as I saw a hand snake down her body to
settle in her hip. Later I shocked myself by realizing the odd feeling I had felt was jealousy.
He sighed, a smile playing on his lips. He whispered something else in her ear and she
passed out. “Poor girl,” he said with a pout. “She’s been through a lot tonight.”I began losing
my temper.
“Poor girl,” I yelled at him, it was a mix between my hunger and the
odd emotions this stranger made me feel. “If you hadn’t held me up I wouldn’t have lost my
sight of my target, I wouldn’t have been distracted. And he wouldn’t have died,” I yelled
pointing at the corpse of the human.
“Calm down dear heart,” he said tranquilly and if I didn’t know better I might have said
there was amusement in his tone. “Besides,” he said with a shrug, “If I hadn’t interfered you
would have only killed her after you finished him anyways.”
I took a step back. “What do you mean? How could you just assume that of someone?” I
asked in an icy voice.
“Because I know your kind well,” he said holding up a finger to accentuate the point. “I
can tell when a shifter hasn’t fed in a lot longer of a time than they should have. “ He leaned
forward as if to whisper, “And yes. I know of the Karasu secrete that they feed off the mythical
as well as the mortal.”
I glared at him with blood red eyes.
“I also know that they need feed from their-“
”Enough,” I hissed at him cutting him off. “You have proved your point.” I wasn’t afraid
like many of my kind would be after realizing someone knew so much of our kind.
I was curious.
That had always been my major flaw. It had gotten me into a lot of trouble, but
sometimes it had gotten me out of trouble as well.
“I don’t think you quite understand dear heart,” my eyes watched him with intensity as he
scratched his neck, his fingers lingering over his jugular, only long enough for my to suspect he
had done it on purpose.
I sneezed breaking the slight thrall that he had me in. “Go away before I kill you for
interfering in the affairs of my kind.” I turned my back on him to grab the werewolf on the
ground. I lifted his head and pulled out a glass vial. In one motion I slit his throat with a silver
dagger and poured some of the blood into the glass.
I did not look at him as I preformed this action. Blood splattered on my the front of my
shirt and I growled. Yet another shirt ruined because of carelessness. I frowned, taking a step
back and letting his body fall.
I had three compartments in my senbon holster. The far right one held plain steel ones.
The middle ones were poisoned and the left ones were coated with a strong sedative.
Hidden on my left forearm was another holster with only on compartment. Inside were
senbon with my own special solution on them. These were treated with a poison and acid
complement that was designed to decompose a living, or nonliving body in a matter of minutes.
If humans got a hold of these weapons their mass destruction would only increase ten
fold. That is why only the most elite of my clan are permitted to use them.
I reached up my left sleeve and retrieved a senbon. The silver laced gloves I wore were
not only to help control my element, but also to keep from scratching myself with these lethal
needles.
“What are you doing?”
I practically leapt into the air. I was so lost in thought I had forgotten that I had company,
a foolish mistake. My hand shot out to snatch the dropped needle. “Don’t do that!” I hissed
angrily at him.
He shrugged, “I just thought you might want to know you should hurry up and change
back to your human form.” He turned his head to the right as if hearing something, practically
baring his throat. I felt my heart skip a beat, or two. “Mortals are on their way.”
I cursed myself, three mistakes in one night. That was more than I had made in the past
five decades. My ears twitched to the sound of the police sirens. I shifted to my more human
form and quickly disposed of the werewolf body, making sure not to leave my senbon.
Innocent bystanders, insane werewolves, meddling vampires, and now ignorant
destructive humans yeah, that’s just what I needed. I stood up and sighed, I remember hearing a
chuckle from the vampire behind me.
Confused I looked at myself to see what could be so funny.
I was licking the blood off the back of my hand, while the front of my shirt was soaked in
the tainted filth.
I blushed deeply and looked away, shocked that I could even blush. I hadn’t since I was
fifteen and my brother left.
“Cute,” he said. I looked up to see a sly grin on his face.
I glared up at him through blood red bangs. I opened my mouth to argue that shape
shifters were not supposed to be ‘cute,’ but he held up one finger. “You and I should leave. The
humans are almost here.”
He gave me that same smile that confused as much as it had before.
Who the hell are you?” I asked tilting my head to the side, eyes green giving away my
curiosity.
His grin widened, showing pure white fangs, “I’ll tell you if you come with me.”
I almost just flat out said yes. Then I shook my head and said in an emotionless tone, “I
cannot. I am supposed to return to my home as soon as my mission is complete.”
“Liar,” he said nonchalantly as he took me by the wrist. “You were given a week in the
outside world after your mission was finished.” He took off his long black coat and draped it
over my shoulders.
The human police showed up right then. I must have looked like a child next to this
vampires towering height. “I found this little girl. I am going to take her home and you are not
will not even remember we were even here.” I shivered as I felt the compulsion he used on
them.
“But there was a fight brewing here-“ the human was cut off by the vampires
commanding voice.
“There was no fight, you see no blood. You were called here to take care of that woman.
” He pointed to the unconscious female victim. “Now forget you ever saw us,” he added with a
dismissive wave of his hand and the mortal just wandered off.
“Hey-“ I gasped, losing the words I was about to speak when a warm hand pressed
against my lips. ‘Don’t say anything,’ his voice pressed in my mind.
I guess that if your blood is liquid ice then even a vampire feels warm.
‘Get out!’ I yelled mentally, forcing him from my head.
There was the sound of receding laughter followed by the words, ‘Just trying to look out
for you.’
I instinctively growled and he tightened is grip on me. He grabbed me around the waist
and flipped me up into his arms so he was carrying me as he would his bride.
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When we were well away from to mortals I leapt put of his arms, landing silently on my
feet.
I a sarcastically formal voice I said, “I appreciate the assistance,” I turned my back on
him. “But it was not necessary in the least.”
I turned back around to tell him to stay out of my way. He grabbed me by the wrist and
pulled my towards him. He wrapped on arm around my and, he kissed me. His lips crashing into
mine.
I pushed him away, my breath quick. My cheeks were hot and flushed. “Who do you
think you are!” I hissed. “You have no right to touch me in an intimate way. In any way for that
matter!”
He took a step closer, murmuring something in old Russian that I could not understand.
One thing I could understand was that he was speaking to me as if I was a wounded animal.
The bad thing was that it was actually calming me. I didn’t want him to notice this so I
snapped a growl at him and backed up a few feet. “Stay away from me.”
Then I jumped passed him to a fire escape ladder leaving makibishi in my wake and leapt
from building to building, never stopping until I was already out of the city. I don’t even remember when buildings turned into trees. I finally stopped, jumping down on the ground. I
closed my eyes and concentrated. I didn’t even sense a human within a kilometer of my, let
alone a vampire.
I walked for an hour until the sun was up. I came up on a small village and sighed in
relief. I had no stalkers still, I was in the clear.
I did not come across him for the rest of my stay in Germany. I did take the free time
given to me. I have to admit that I have a weak spot for Germany. But I felt watched so I ended
the trip early.
I had to hunt down a hobgoblin in the middle east and ran across him. I fought with him.
Telling him to leave me alone. Swearing that I would kill him, but with every strike from me
there was a block from him.
The hobgoblin was quickly disposed of and I left the country for my next assignment in
Ireland, hoping to get away from him. I was in Ireland for a week after I had disposed of a black
elf before he caught up with me.
Not only did he not take me seriously, but he also flirted with me. Some of the things he
said to me would make a siren blush.
He always made the point to offer to show me why he knew so much about my kind,
about me in particular. I would come close to agreeing many times, but I controlled myself.
Every time I would leave my village on any kind of assignment, whether assassination, thievery,
or just to gather information- he would find me. He would steal kisses from me. A few
unwilling hugs. I would fight him, but once his lips pressed against mine I would pause in my
assault..
At least for a moment. Then I would run away leaving makibish in my wake.
Whether Egypt, Europe, Russia, or even America, he would find me. The only place I
was safe from him was in my village. I did not tell anyone about him. I did not want him to
ruin my reputation by going to my clan just to dispose of one vampire.
Chapter Two “Curiosity”
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I sighed and sat down on a large cushion on the floor. Finally I was away from the
vampire. I had just gotten back from the Ireland job and was declining requests that were sitting
at my door.
Looks like the demands for me were even starting to beat me home.
When carriers came to the door with an impending request I just shut the door in their
faces. I was tired. I didn’t want to deal with my laundry, let alone take on some other
mission where I would probably get killed.
What with my mother being the head of the clan I knew I wouldn’t be allowed to take
time to myself for much longer unless I left the village.
I snatched the cup ramen from the table next to me. It was shrimp flavor too, my favorite
. Im an okay cook, but I just didn’t feel like taking the effort to actually make a meal. Because
then I would have to clean the dishes from it.
I sighed again and laid back on the cushion. Looking at my small apartment. I could have
lived in the main house, but then I would have to deal with my mother.
Besides, I adored my little apartment. I grinned when looked at the shelves of books
surrounding me, the cushions covering the floors, and even the ramen trash spilling out of the
trash can. Okay well not so much that.
I groaned and stood up. ‘So it’s either deal with the clan or that vampire.’ The thought
was not very comforting. I ran my fingers through my hair. My tail twitched behind me.
“So you don’t want to deal with me, lovely,” a voice came from the window.
I yelped jumping almost three feet in the air. My claws were extended an animalistic
growl rose in my throat. I turned and saw the vampire in my windowsill. “What are you doing
here?” I hissed. “Do you have a death wish?” I calmed a little, though my claws were still out.
“Aw now you’re worrying about me?” He climbed in and looked around.
I was suddenly self-conscious about my small, throughly trashed apartment. It was all too
obvious that I was standing there in rubber ducky pajama pants and a tank top shirt, surrounded
by empty cups of ramen and disheveled books. My tangled hair sticking out at all ends.
He covered his mouth and his shoulders shook with laughter.
“What are you laughing at?” I yelled at him.
“You better quiet down or your neighbors will come wondering what’s up.”
“Bite me,” I growled. The my eyes went wide at what I insinuated. “Don’t you even
think of it.” He held his hands up as if he hadn’t even thought of it.
“Okay, what are you doing here?” I plopped ungracefully on the nearest cushion. I sat
cross-legged, my hands in my lap. My tail curled around me.
“Research!” he said brightly.
“What the hell do you mean by research.” My ears laid back and my tail puffed out.
He laughed in the same revered manor. “You my dear.”
“Don’t call me that,” I said without looking at him. My bangs covered my face and the
light blush that crossed my cheeks. I looked up at him after a moment, “You still haven’t
explained yourself.
“Oh, I’ve been asked to escort you to someone.” He leaned against one of the
bookshelves. “So, do you want to find out how I know so much about you dear?” He stood up
and took my hand, pulling me to my feet with little to no effort.
I looked up at him and my heart skipped a beat. I knew he had to have heard it, but his
face didn’t change its expression.
“Come, I will whisk you away in the dead of night and we will dance under the full moon
while the sprites flutter around us-“
I cut him off, “You just like hearing yourself talk don’t you!”
He laughed again, “Sometimes.” He still held me against him. “So do you want to
know?” He whispered in my ear.
“Okay,” I said without a second thought. “Let me change my clothes at least.”
He flipped me up and held me in his arms. “No time, your clan already knows I’m here.”
Just then the intruder alarms sounded. He took off out my window and across the roof tops at a
dead sprint.
“Nyah!” I yelped clinging to his neck. We were soon out of the village and cross the
landscape.
“Wh- Where are we going.” I wasn’t even sure if he could hear me until I heard his
chuckle. “You will see,” was his only reply.
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After only a short moment longer we were back in Germany. I blinked to clear my vision
. “How could we be here so quickly?”
He grinned without saying anything and continued a head of me.
I looked up to see that we were in front of the same club where I first met him. He waved
for me to follow, “Come on there is someone who wants to see you.”
My curiosity got the better of me again and I followed quickly. “Who is it?” I asked
practically nagging him to tell me.
I looked at him and sighed when he still did not answer. He lead me in and straight
through the crowd. Even early in the night the floor was packed with humans. He took me to a
room in the far back. I glanced at the exit that was right down the hall and thought, ‘Good
there’s another exit if there are no windows in the room.’
There were a few book shelves, a large televison. There were also two large windows
draped with thick red satin curtains. There was a small hearth with a banked fire. It was much
like a renaissance study favored by the rich, or among the nonhuman, favored by those who
lived in that period. I was surveying the room before registering the residents.
“You haven’t changed a bit. Still wary of your surrounding I see,” I heard a familiar
laugh and my eyes snapped to the room’s only occupant. Sitting there was a man who looked
about the age of nineteen. His jet black hair was cut feathery, when the light hit it the red
undertone could be seen. His posture was laid back. He had one leg crossed over the other. In
his right hand sat the remote control for the televison and his other hand rest in his lap. I knew
before I looked at his face that eyes the same intense ice blue as my own looked at me. A thin
scar ran through his left eyebrow, the same as my own.
Sitting beside him was a white jaguar. Its very being clashed that of the man sitting next
to it. Its muscles were tense as if ready to spring at any moment. Its amber eyes flared. The it
yawned and lowered its head to the ground, seeming to fall back asleep.
I ignored the great animal. My mind ran in all directions. I just stared openly at the man
in front of me. After what seemed like forever I managed to utter one word, “Brother?” I spoke
the question as a whisper. I had instinctively shifted to my natural form. My ears laid back and I
bared my fangs.
“That’s right.” He noted the change in my attitude. “Are you going to slit my throat
now?” his voice was calm when he spoke these words.
There is a story behind why he said those words specifically..
I killed my father when a was eight. Well my brother and I had to hunt him down
but I was always the one to make the kill.
Let me explain. My father was a daemon. He also practiced one of the worst kurai-jutsu
The reason this kind was so dangerous and forbidden was because of the side affects.
Most shape shifters do not have an affinity for the kurai, or shadow, anyways.
The user of this magic will go insane. There is no doubt about that.
The question is how long it will take before the mind is over taken by darkness. My
father lasted centuries before it finally caught up with him. He ran through our village,
slaughtering my people. That day our numbers decreased even more drastically.
My mother felt it would be a challenge for us. My brother rambled cheekily by my side
as we caught up with our father.
There isn't much to tell from there. We got to him, my brother distracted him while I
came up behind him and slit his throat with my silver dagger. I made sure to use three acidic
senbon so that I knew he would no live again.
There is really nothing else to say. So let us get back to the matter of hand.
My brother, the wielder of the Tei-jutsu, was right in front of me. After more than eight centuries I saw him again.
“What the hell are you thinking bringing me here,” I snapped at my vampire escort. “He
has a warrant out for him from the council of thirteen themselves.”
“Sister, calm down.” My brother stood up and brushed his hand against mine. A look of
worry crossed his face as he felt the starvation my body had been enduring. He took my pale
small hand in his. At some time in the period we have been apart he had developed a rich
natural tan. His thumb caressed the back of my hand. His left hand went to my cheek feeling a
slight warmth that shouldn’t be there.
“Sister,” his voice was calming, even though there was a fringe of worry there. I did not
look up at him. “Mishimomei Uso Karasu, look at me.” He did not raise his voice, but there was
a edge of demand and power there that I could not ignore.
I looked up at him and he took a sharp breath as he saw the jagged black ring on the irises
of my eyes. The a slow smile, like a grin a parent would give a rueful child, crept across his
features. “Mishi,” he murmured as he touched my cheek affectionately, “You keep forgetting to
feed don’t you?”
Before he left the only differences between us were only our attitude and sex. Now those
differences seemed to take part physically as well. Where my skin was pale, his was dark.
Where he was optimistic I was pessimistic. Even his body build was different from mine. He
was tall with well toned muscles. I was more slight with a swifter build. The only things that
still seemed the same between us were our scars. When one of us were hurt the other was as
well. That is the only thing that saved his life when he left. The council knew if they killed him
it would kill me, their heir, as well. Also our eyes both changed colors to match our moods. That
was one of the only things we inherited from our father.
“Don’t,” I said in a whisper as tears welled in my eyes. “Please don’t.” I slapped his hand
away, “All you had to do was finish your assignment and come home. You promised you would
come back. It was our birthday” I hit his chest over and over with each word until I finally
collapsed against him. I knew well that his chest would be bruised. “Why,” I whimpered against
him “Why did you leave.”
He kindly waited for me to finish until he put me at arms length he could look into my
eyes. “Sister, “ He looked at me with soft violet eyes that showed his struggle between his fear
and pain. “There is much that you don’t know about. Alexander here,” he waved his hand in a
gesture of acknowledgment towards the vampire, “He has taught me many things about the
outside world that the council of thirteen insists that our kind cannot strive in. They tell us that
we need the pack.”
He took my hands in his, “But that is not true. I am living proof that it isn’t. We do not
have to raise our young to kill just support the village. We can change the very minds of our
people.” He shifted his weight as if he weren’t sure he should continue. He acted as if the next
part were the most important. “I had been thinking of how to change things since we were
young. You saw that and apparently you were not the only one. Our mother saw it as well and
brought the situation to the council. That last mission they sent me on was a suicide mission. I
knew it was. They had to get rid of me because I was the one in line to take over as head of the
clan I would have the power to change things.”
I had no clue what to say. If I believed him then my entire life had been planned out and
most had been a lie. My mother’s confidence in me. The council’s coveted opinion.
“The mission the sent me on actually ended up being my chance at freedom.” He gave
me a sheepish grin, “They sent me to kill Alexander.”
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Glossary
senbon - The senbon was first used by doctors in acupuncture, it was then adopted by ninja
and Hunter-ninja to hit points on the body to cause death, deaden limbs or cause their
target to fall unconscious.
makibishi- small, metal, three pronged spikes that are easily thrown. This weapon is
primarily used during escape, numerous makibishi are thrown on the ground and enemy
soldiers will have a difficult time pursuing because the spiked metal can penetrate the sole
of the shoe wear.
jutsu- English translation is art or means, commonly used to show an ability. Such as taijutsu-roughly meaning an art using the body, a type of martial arts. (Hi-jutsu, ice art. Mizu-jutsu, water art. Kaki-jutsu, fire art. Yochi-jutsu, earth art. Tei-jutsu, air art. Etc.)