"Fuck." "Fucking fuck!" "Watch it, old man." "What the fuck?" "You're doing it wrong!" "Needle is doing what the needle does." "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" "The irezumi does not hide the skin." "The tattoo reveals the nature of the man and illuminates the four noble professions in The Book of Five Rings:" "The warrior, the artist, the merchant and the farmer." "If there is a conflict between the needle and the skin between the mark and the man then perhaps the path you've chosen is not the path for which you're suited." "What did you just say, old man?" "I know you didn't just disrespect me, did you?" "You that fucking stupid?" "You disrespect me and I'll tattoo the ceiling with your fucking brains." "No disrespect." "You're lucky." "I can't kill you until you finish this thing." "Bang." "Give me that mirror." "Let's see how it's looking." "Not bad, not bad." "Hey, boss." "This just came for you." " What is it?" " A letter." "So open it, dumbass." "What?" " What is it?" "It looks like sand." "Yep." "Sand." " Black sand." " No." "You know what this is?" "You wanna let us in on the joke?" "Years ago I watched a man open an envelope like that one." "There were many with him." "And they laughed as you laugh now." "And then it came from the shadows and their laughter was drowned in blood." "What came out of the shadows?" "I cannot say the word." "What word?" "That night one of their blades struck here." "I should have died but for an accident of birth." "My heart is here, on the other side." "The fuck is that?" "It looks like a ninja, boss." "A ninja?" "Are you kidding me?" "That's the word you're afraid to say?" "Ninja?" "Ninja, ninja, ninja." "Yeah, you old fuck." "Yeah, you had me going." " Ninja." "That's some good shit." "Ninja." "Wanna fuck with me, huh?" "Wanna fuck with me?" "Look, you don't have to do this." "Whatever they're paying you, I'll double it." "I'll triple it." "You hear me?" "I'll pay you whatever you want." "You cannot bargain with it, you cannot reason with it because it is not a human being." "It is a demon sent straight from hell." "You shut your face, old man!" "I'll blow your fuck..." "For 57 years, I've told your story." "No one ever believed me, but you are real, aren't you?" "Is all that for the Delgata case?" "This is Delgata." " And the rest?" " Evidence." "For?" "Oh, no, not again, Mika, please." "What is the problem?" "You've trusted my research before." "Here's a question." "Which of these does not belong in this sentence:" "Laptop, space shuttle, nanotechnology, ninja." "All I'm asking for is an hour." "That's all." "Why do I think I'm gonna regret this?" "Remember the Eulmi Incident?" "Korean queen, late 1800s, killed by one of these ninja clans." "Ozunu, I think." "Now, I've been going through the original transcripts of the trial of Kunitomo Shigeaki." "The prosecutor questioned Shigeaki about a payment of 100 pounds of gold." "Shigeaki answered that he didn't know what the prosecutor was talking about." "The question was never brought up again." "But what pinged for me was the amount." "The exact same amount rumored to have been paid to the Ozunu Clan for the yakuza massacre that happened last week in Osaka." "So you wonder, in this ever-changing world if the cost of a man's life remains the same." "Exactly." "I mean, I figure these clans are like, what, a thousand years old?" "They probably don't change." "So I started looking at international wire transfers targeting banks in the regions of several high-profile assassinations." "And bingo." "Russian Prime Minister Zhukov." "The day before the assassination $1,555,999 and 90 cents was transferred from the Bank of Shanghai." "That is the exact market equivalent of 100 pounds of gold." " Okay, you got me, this is interesting." " The clans are real, Ryan." "They steal children and turn them into assassins." "Look, Mika, no one's denying the historical facts but this thing doesn't make sense in a modern world." "They're real." "You can call them spooks or assassins or whatever you want if it makes you feel better, but they are out there and they are killing people." "And nobody is doing a damn thing to stop them." "Hi." "Excuse me." "Would you mind?" "If it's not too much trouble, could you help me with this?" "What clan are you from?" "What are you doing in Berlin?" "I don't understand." "What is going on?" "You found something?" "I was digging around trying to see what I could come up with and I found this." "A report." "A friend of mine in Moscow tipped me to it." "It was written during the Cold War by a high-ranking KGB agent named Alexi Sabatin." "He raises the possibility that a number of political assassinations were conducted by an ancient but sophisticated network he calls the Nine Clans." " Mind you, he doesn't call them ninjas." " What happened to him?" "Same thing that's gonna happen to me if I hang around with you." "Kicked out of the service for mental instability." "You believe it now, don't you?" "Ninjas." " You gotta be joking." " Well, then why are you doing all this?" "I don't know." "But I can guarantee you it has nothing to do with the fact that you're the most attractive researcher I have ever worked with." "Oh, Mr. Nan." "Good, you are back." "We had a heating problem, and I had to go into your apartment." " Is it all right?" " It's all fixed." "You keep it very dark and spare in there." "And forgive me, but I couldn't help noticing your suitcases." "I told you, my father was a very sick man." "Do you have to leave Berlin soon?" "Not yet, but I am expecting a phone call." "I'm sorry to hear that." "One day, death will come for us all." "Wherever you are wherever you may go you must never forget who you are how you came to be." "You are Ozunu." "You are part of me as I am part of you." "This is the truth of your lives and it will remain true after death." "This is my new son." "I have given him the name Raizo." "Welcome him as your brother." "Welcome, Raizo." "The body must obey the will." "Hunger and thirst even the blood in your veins, are the body's weakness." "Master them and you master the self." "This is the power of the Ozunu Clan." "This is the way of the ninja." "Eat tonight and you work twice as hard tomorrow." "What is the lesson?" "Look at your brother." "Life is combat." "You know this truth." "Abandoned by your parents without a home, without people to care for you you should have died." "But instead you fought." "As you did here today, you fought and you won." "In combat, you face the enemy without doubt, without pity or remorse." "To survive, you must learn to fear nothing at all." "Pain breeds weakness." "Remember, suffering exists only because weakness exists." "You must hate all weakness." "Hate it in others, but most of all, hate it in yourself." "Mrs. Sabatin?" " Yeah." "I'm Mika Coretti with Europol." "We spoke on the phone." "You said you read my husband's report, yes?" "Yes." "I understand the report caused some problems for him within the KGB." "The report caused problems for Alexi's career the way Moses caused problems for the Pharaoh." "Very unpleasant." "What happened?" "About two years ago after the assassination of Zhukov the report drew attention." "After that everything was different." "Alexi hired men to change all the locks and put in more of them." "Locks on the windows, locks on the doors, locks on the locks." "He put in cameras and motion sensors and lights." "Everywhere, lights." ""There can be no shadows," he said." ""No shadows. "" "Then one day, a man came to the door." "They talked in Alexi's study for some time, and then the young man left." "My husband was a soldier." "Member of Russian intelligence." "He was not a man to frighten easily." "But when I came to the door, in his eyes I saw fear." "And then he stood up he kissed me and told me that he loved me very much." "He said I should always remember that." "Do you know what they talked about?" "No." "He said it was safer that way." "Can I ask how he died?" "The lights went out." "You are the first person who has taken my husband's work seriously." "It would be good to know that he did not die without cause." "He would want you to have this." "Who are you?" "Hiyah!" "Did Takeshi's blow hurt you?" "You think this is pain." "You are mistaken." "That is true pain." "Here is your test, Raizo." "Survive the night." "Very good, Raizo." "Very good." "Boy, you're like a dog with a bone on that computer, aren't you?" "Excuse me?" "Agent Zabranski Internal Affairs." "Need to ask you a couple of questions." "You're Mika Coretti, yeah?" "Forensic researcher." "You work a lot with Agent Maslow, that right?" "A few cases, yeah." "You have something of a social relationship." " Excuse me?" " You had lunch with him on the 13th and again on the 18th." "How do you know that?" " Isn't it true?" " I'm not sure." "We do have lunch together sometimes, but that's usually when we're working." "Has Agent Maslow seemed different to you lately in any way?" "I mean, has he said or done anything that struck you as unusual?" "No." "Why?" "Has Agent Maslow done something?" "Just routine." "The agency cares about its field operatives." "We monitor for signs of stress, fatigue mental exhaustion." "Agent Maslow has a serious caseload." "That much work can wear on a man." "Zabranski came to my office." "Yeah, I got a surprise visit too." "He made it real clear, Ryan." "They're watching us." "I don't get the full picture quite yet, but I know a warning when I see one." " But why?" " Why?" "It's obvious." "If this little fantasy of yours has any chance of being real then these clans are gonna have some pretty major juice protecting them." "So, what are you gonna do?" "We are gonna tiptoe very carefully from here on in, you understand?" "You do nothing without checking with me first." " Got it?" " Got it." "ALEXl:" "A 14th-century scroll refers to one of the oldest of the Nine Clans as the Clan of Black Sand." "The Islamic explorer Ibn Battuta journeyed with a group of orphans that were being taken to a remote shido hidden among snowcapped mountains." "Battuta describes a ceremonial dinner followed by a display of martial skill." "The combatants were children, neither beyond the age of 10." "His hosts explained that a man's life must be made meaningless..." "Own the meaning of a man's life and you own his heart." "You shouldn't do that." "It's against the rules." "If they catch you..." " Then they catch me." " They'll put you in the box." "I believe the heart of the tree knows which way it needs to grow." " Trees don't have hearts." " Everything has a heart." "I don't." "Really?" "Let me see." "Hello?" "It's saying hello back and that it's happy to meet me, but it misses you." " Liar." " I'm not lying." "Listen to mine." "For an entire year, you shall live without one of your senses beginning with the sense you rely on the most." "You must see with more than your eyes." "Cut him, Kiriko." "All failure must be sown into the flesh." "Cut him." "You know the law." "I told you." "I tried to warn you." "Yes." "You did." "Why, Kiriko?" "Why?" "Why am I in here or why are you out there?" "Kiriko!" "Why are you doing this?" "I have to." "You know the law." "He will cut your heart from your chest." "No." "He can never touch my heart." "Come with me." "Where?" "What is out there?" "Life." "My life is here." "Fucking Christ, Ryan." "I'm sorry I couldn't talk earlier, Mika." "They're watching me." "Get in." "Where have you been?" "I've been calling your office." "Now I know how Sabatin must have felt." "What's happened?" "Right now I've got Internal Affairs, Homeland Security the CIA and for all I know the Martian military in my office tearing the place apart." "What are we gonna do?" "You are gonna pack your bags, go on holiday." "No way." "Don't argue." "I trusted you, you gotta trust me." "I'm sorry, I can't let you lose your job because of me." "I'm not talking about losing my job." "Take this." "It's clean, untraceable, no serial number." " Ryan?" " Yeah, I know." "I've investigated world bank organizations, drug cartels, arms dealers." "I've never faced this kind of heat." "For ninjas." "It's fucking unbelievable." "Excuse me." " Hey." "Hi." "So, what's going on?" "Power's out." "Us, the building behind us, and that one across the street." "It seems like every few months, boom, the light's out." "Okay." "Thanks." "More will come." " What?" "They won't stop until you're dead." "Oh, God." "A gun won't help you." "Well, I don't have a lot of options, okay?" "I once took a Tae Bo class but that is the extent of my kung-fu abilities, all right?" "I can help you, but you have to trust me." "Okay." "Do you know me?" "How?" "Security camera in New York recorded you fighting one of them." "You know about them?" "A little." "Well, there are these clans." "And, apparently, they've been supplying assassins to governments or anyone who has 100 pounds of gold for the last thousand years." "His name was Jin." "Wait, you knew him?" " He was not born an assassin." " You're from his clan." " They why did you stop him?" " They're coming." "Who?" "It was him, the traitor, Raizo." "Murderer." " Fresh kill." "He's with the girl." "Still close." "Very close." "Run, little brother, run." "Weakness compels strength." "Betrayal begets blood." "This is the law of the Nine Clans." "We have been betrayed." "A child of mine, my daughter, betrayed us." "She refused my gifts, rejected our clan." "Her shame can only be purged with blood." "You." "You, my son, who returned her shall have this honor." " Where are we going?" " Doesn't matter." "You think they're following us?" "I know they're following us." "I don't see anything back there." "They have our scent." "Following our scent?" "Like dogs?" "No." "Like wolves." "My name's Mika, by the way." "Raizo is the name I was given." "So you're an orphan?" "If it's okay with you, I'm gonna try and fill in some of the blanks here." "So you must have been taken by the Ozunu Clan, trained to be an assassin but something happened and you decided to opt out of the program." "Now, I don't imagine that went over so well." "Since they're after me for just peeking through the keyhole they must be after you in, like, a major way." "But you're also after them, which is why you're in Berlin." "Because Sabatin is one of the few people pursuing the clans which is why they took him out." "But here's a question I can't answer." "Why did you save me?" "Your entire life has brought you to this moment." "Do not fail yourself." "Do not fail your family." "He's wearing a gold watch." "Bring it to me." "That kind of tickled." "It's gonna take more than a knitting needle to fuck me up, boy!" "Keep it." "It will remind you that every moment of your life is a gift I have given you." "You have made me proud, my son." "Now the time has come for you to prove you are true Ozunu." "She tried to run from us from our family." "Takeshi caught her and returned her to us." "Weakness compels strength." "Betrayal begets blood." "This is the law of the Nine Clans." "Hiyah!" "Kill him!" "You need protection." "No." "I want Ozunu, and I need your help to get him." "Exit here." " You are a size 36?" " What?" "No, size 34." "If you leave while I'm gone they'll hunt you and kill you." "Do you understand?" "Get undressed." "Shower, but do not use soap." "Do you smoke?" "Put your clothes in here." "These jeans are a little tight." "You said 34." "Yeah, well, it's German sizes." "They must run a little small, I guess." "This is for our scent." "Right?" "Let's go." " Yeah?" "Ryan, it's me." " Mika, I've been calling you for hours." " I know, I'm in a bit of trouble." "You miss jury service, you're in trouble." "You're in the deepest shit you've ever been in." "At least I'm not down here by myself." "Sabatin's guy from the tape?" "Is he with you?" "He's on our side, Ryan." "He wants Ozunu, but he needs the agency's help." " Be careful, Mika." " I trust him." "All right, look, I can't make any promises, but if he cooperates, I'll do what I can." " Can you meet us?" " Where?" "How about the usual?" "There he is." "Now, it's all right." "He's a good guy." " Mika, are you okay?" " Yeah." "Thanks to him." " Why have you done this?" " Done what?" "People will die." " Now!" "No!" "Don't move!" "This is wrong!" "No!" "No!" "Charlie 2, do you read me?" "Move him!" "What the fuck are you doing?" "Following orders." " Prisoner is secure, sir." " Right." "Sure doesn't look like a killing machine to me, sir." "Looks like he belongs in a boy band." "He couldn't have heard that." "Could he?" "Sir?" " Ryan?" "This is wrong." "I mean, it can't be legal." "What is this place?" "Your own private Guantanamo?" "It's an old GDR safe house." "Jamison wants this off the grid." "You're making a huge mistake." "I don't think so." "I got reports from London, Washington and Osaka, all tagging your boy." "The only problem we have is where to extradite him first." "Two weeks ago, there's no such thing as ninja and now every city in the world has a warrant for one?" " He is not the enemy." " He's a killer, Mika." "Weren't you telling me it was our job to stop him?" " You're not even listening." " You're not saying anything worth hearing." "Wanna do the insubordination tango?" "Let's go." "But not in front of the children." "Boys, get out." "Come on, let's go!" "Damn it, I am just trying to..." "Shut up and listen to me." "We don't have much time." "Now I don't know what we've stumbled into but somebody's pulling some major strings inside." "They want him dead." "He's been fighting them for years." "I believe you." "I've been in this business too long not to smell a setup but we have to be very careful how we handle this and I cannot risk you going AWOL on me again." "Now, if you get into trouble you switch this on and no matter where you are, I'll find you." "Hey." "You looked thirsty." "I'm sorry, I didn't know about any of this." " I know." " You do?" "The only time you lied to me was when you told me your size." "How did you know that?" "Your heart." "It is special." "Maslow's on our side." "He's gonna try to help you." "It's too late." "No one goes here." "Ryan?" "Ryan, can I talk to you?" "Do we have to do this again, Coretti?" "I just..." "I have reason to believe a group of ninja may be on their way." "I think these gentlemen can handle a few wackjobs wearing pajamas, am I right?" " You see?" " Yeah, but the situation we discussed..." "I'm working on that." " You have to give me time." " We don't have time." " They're not here now, are they?" " They'll be here soon." "How soon?" "Raizo." " Mika!" "Go with her, secure the prisoner." "Go, go, go." "Team two, we're on our way down to the holding cell." "What's your 20?" "We're just now entering section four." "Hold your fire." "Hold your fire." " Good way to get killed." " I need that cell open." " We're moving the prisoner." " Those are not my orders." "Mika!" "Get out of here!" " Not without you!" "Then we all die together." "Open fire!" "Multiple targets!" " Open that gate." " I can't do that." "Go to infrared, boys." "They're already in the room." "Open fire!" "We're under attack!" "Unknown number!" "Shit." "Oh, Mika, Mika." "I like you more and more." "Okay, all right." "Shit." " Mika, hurry." " Okay." "Mika, I don't wanna sound critical..." "Look, I'm doing the best I can here." " We don't have much time!" " Shit!" "Let's go." "Oh, God." "We are heavily engaged with the enemy, I repea..." "Wait here." "Let's go." "We got two men over on the side!" "Get down, get down!" "Look out!" "The car's upstairs." "Go." " Go now." " Okay." "Murderer." "Traitor." "So long, brother." "Vengeance, betrayal begets blood, brother." "Murderer." "Death." "Kill." "Murderer." "Kill him." "Just." "Vengeance." "Little brother." "Come on, Raizo." "Raizo, where are you?" "Shit." "Fuck!" "Shit." "Oh, my God." "Okay." "Okay." "Oh, my God!" "Come on!" "Watch it!" "Help!" "Goodbye, little brother." "Get in!" "I can't believe I found you." "I was waiting for you." " Ugh!" " Oh, God." "I have to get you to a hospital." "No." "Not a hospital." "Just keep moving." "Mika, where are you?" " He told me to keep moving." "Is he still alive?" " After a fashion." "Jesus Christ." "Listen, I'm gonna bring you in." " No, not this time." " There are too many people involved." " It's just a matter of time." " I don't think we have much time." "Mika." "Shit." "I know you can't hear me so I'm sure this doesn't matter but I'm gonna say it anyway." "I'm just a forensic researcher." "It's like a fancy way of saying I'm a librarian." "By myself, I can't do anything to help you." "I wanted to thank you for saving my life." "And I hope you can forgive me for this." " Agent Maslow!" "The tracking device." "Yeah?" " You got a lock?" " Triangulating her position now." "I want the International Task Force mobilized and ready to go in five minutes." "At last." "Kill him." "Slit his throat." "No." "Our father should have the honor." " Take him to Father." "Bring him to Father." "Clear." "Clear." "They took him 10 minutes ago." "He's gone." "You are Ozunu." "You are part of me, as I am part of you." "This is the truth of your lives." "And it will remain true after death." "My child." "It is good to see you again." "Do you know there was a time when I looked at you I felt such pride." "No child ever showed more promise." "You are the son I was waiting for the one to take my place." "And now, do you know what you have done?" "How you have shamed my family?" "How you have hurt me?" "Why do you think I did it?" "Get this thing out of my sight." "Tonight we avenge our brothers and sisters." "Tonight we avenge our honor." "Let this death be remembered for a thousand years." "Weakness compels strength." "Betrayal begets blood." "You are getting weak old man." "Father!" "Move it!" "Shit!" " What took you?" " You knew I'd come?" "Just because I was asleep doesn't mean I couldn't hear you." "And I forgive you." "Mika!" "Come, this way." "You swore to me you'd stay inside the APC." " I thought we were too late." " First team is ready, sir!" "Hit it!" "Go!" "Stay here." "You two, with me!" "Come, little brother." "Let us play like old times." "My turn." "Watch the roof!" "Do you still think about her?" "Do you remember the sound she made when I stuck her?" "Watch the roof!" "Three o'clock!" "I need a solid perimeter on the left, now!" "You remember all I taught you." "You are still Ozunu." "Come." "Beg your father for forgiveness." "Your heart is weak." "Raizo!" "All this loss, this waste because you put yourself before your family." "This is not my family." "You are not my father." "And the breath I take after I kill you will be the first breath of my life." " Mika, run!" " Where is he?" "Where is he?" "Get away!" "Mika!" "No!" "Most children are disappointments not worth the effort to raise." "Mika." "Jesus Christ, what happened?" "She saved my life." "Medic!" "Medic!" "She'll be all right." "Her heart is special." "I need a medic here now!" " Is she gonna be all right?" "I don't understand." "She's got a hole right through her heart, but..." "My heart is over here." "Come with me." "The End"