Many tsukumogami living under one roof can bring forth many problems.
The sage is always busy with paperwork even though they try their best to clear their schedule for their warriors. Thus, the job of preventing fights falls to their assistant and the oldest sword summoned.
More often than not, Yamanbagiri Kunihiro finds himself sighing as he makes his way toward a group of arguing tsukumogami.
The earlier days were easy as those who manifested were mostly tantou. They were friendly to each other and often invited him and the sage into one of their cuddles –which were always warm and good – and never were fewer things to do those days.
The problem probably started when Hachisuka Kotetsu came to the citadel.
"I am called Hachisuka Kotetsu. I would be happy if you didn't assume I was a counterfeit."
The uchigatana was dressed in a golden armor that hurt his eyes and the way he kept sprouting things about fakes made Yamanbagiri's blood boil.
"Nagasone? That guy is no brother of mine." He had snorted when Horikawa approached him to ask about Nagasone Kotetsu's whereas. "He is just a fake who uses the name of the Kotetsu."
Horikawa had jolted back with sadden blue eyes and Yamanbagiri had already moving toward his brother when Izuminokami Kanesada came in between his self-proclaimed partner and the other uchigatana.
"Oi, watch your mouth, Hachisuka Kotetsu!" Izuminokami was quick to defend his partner as Yamanbagiri lightly touched his brother's shoulder in comforting. "Even if you are his brother, don't think we would let it slip if you disrespected him."
In return, Hachisuka sneered with a flick of his lustrous locks. "Of course the swords of the Shinsengumi do not understand authenticity. You ranks were full of fakes and counterfeits."
It was very lucky that Horikawa's speed was fast when he held Izuminokami back but unfortunately, there was only one Horikawa.
There was a sharp sound of a slap and before he could blink, he had been standing on his toes before Hachisuka with his aching palm and there was a red handprint on the other uchigatana's face.
"Don't you dare!" His voice was calm and his eyes were clearer than they had ever been. "Horikawa Kunihiro is my brother. If I ever heard a word against him again, I will make sure to break you into a million shards of scrap metal." His body was on auto-pilot and he didn't even register the words he had said before Horikawa pulled him back by the arm.
His brother's eyes were pleading when their eyes met. "Don't do this." He said. "Our master wouldn't want a fight between us."
He relented and let Horikawa guide him away.
"Thank you for standing up for him." Izuminokami whispered as he followed them. "That Hachisuka Kotetsu doesn't know what he is talking about."
He nodded but Hachisuka's behavior and words hurt.
The swords of the Shinsengumi were a dysfunctional bunch.
That was truer when Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki arrived.
Izuminokami Kanesada and him butted heads more than once a day and the arrival of Kashuu Kiyomitsu and Yamatonokami Yasusada made it worse.
Yamanbagiri hated to think of the day when their master successfully summoned Nagasone Kotetsu – the default leader of the Shinsengumi swords, brother of Hachisuka Kotetsu and the sword wielded by the man who was beheaded for assassinating Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki's master.
"Brother, can you keep an eye on the swords of the Shinsengumi?" He asked Horikawa as the latter was passing with some laundry. "I don't want another fight breaks out between them and Mutsunokami."
Horikawa was nice enough to stop his comrades from going after each other's throat and Yamanbagiri thanked every deity that at least there was one sword of the Shinsengumi who had common senses.
His brother laughed and agreed which eased his worries a bit until he remembered he had an expedition with Hachisuka Kotetsu and his mood worsened.
"Good morning, Yamanbagiri-san." Hotarumaru, one of those who would accompany him on the upcoming expedition, greeted him cheerfully. "Our captain is not here yet."
He mumbled a small greeting in reply and scanned through his teammates.
Ookurikara was sulking and petting a stray – possibly Uguisumaru's friend – and when he felt eyes on him, he retaliated with a glare. Honebami Toushirou was tapping his foot rather impatiently as he stared at the sky while a newly arrived Nagasone was checking his armor.
Wait, Nagasone Kotetsu?
He had to stifle a groan because Nagasone Kotetsu and Hachisuka Kotetsu did not get along well. When did he get here? Why was the sage thinking, putting them on the same team was good? Who was the assistant when the sage decided to put them on the same team? Why didn't he stop them?
"I know what you are wondering." Honebami spoke calmly. "He came at midnight last night and it was Higekiri." There was a sour note in his tone and Yamanbagiri just knew he was not the only one bothered by the formation.
Yamanbagiri sighed and he knew he was going to be so tired when they returned.
Nagasone Kotetsu was pleasant in comparison to his uchigatana brother and Horikawa admired him – a little less than his Kane-san – but that was okay in Yamanabagiri's book.
"I heard." Were the first words he said when they met face-to-face. "That you stood up for Horikawa. Thank you."
Horikawa had described Nagasone Kotetsu as rough but sincere and never once Yamanbagiri doubted his brother's words. His brother was right, as always. Nagasone Kotetsu was lacking in elegance, as Kasen Kanesada would complain, but he made up for his sincere caring.
"Horikawa does not deserve those words." He murmured in reply. "What he deserves is more than I could ever give him."
Nagasone answered with a light nod as he stared at the moon above them. "Hachisuka doesn't mean it." He said under his breath, which wasn't quiet as Yamanbagiri could hear every word. "He is bitter that many tried to use the fame of the Kotetsu."
They were in the hallway and maybe this conversation was a bit too private to be discussed out in the open but somehow, Yamanbagiri pushed on. "Doesn't it bother you?" He asked. "Being called a fake?"
Nagasone shrugged yet when he spoke, his words were weary. "Hachisuka Kotetsu is prejudiced against me. It can't be helped. He's trying to coping with the fact that his brother is a fake." He said. "I have no intention of justifying the fact I'm a fake. That's just how it is. Just like how you accept the fact that you are Kunihiro's masterpiece even when your design was not original."
The words were so unexpected and Yamanbagiri had to breathe in sharply to calm his heart. "Heshikiri Hasebe once said that it doesn't matter whether or not I am a fake if my blade is for our master to use."
Nagasone replied with a small tired smile. "It is true." He agreed. "What is important is how you perform."
Yamanbagiri would forever deny it but Nagasone's words really warmed his heart.
Hachisuka Kotetsu never approached him voluntarily so when Yamanbagiri heard his voice from the other side of the shoji, asking for permission to enter, he had choked on air before steely himself to reply.
"What is it that you want?" He asked in a voice tinged with curiosity and irritation. "Urashima Kotetsu is not here. He is with Midare Toushirou."
Hachisuka's voice had an edge of sarcasm as he answered. "I know where my brother is, thank you very much. I want to talk with you."
Rolling his eyes, Yamanbagiri waved his hand distractedly as he tucked the book he was reading away. "Whatever. Come in."
Hachisuka came in with a small frown. He closed the shoji swiftly and dropped into a seiza as Yamanbagiri fell into one.
"I would like to apologize for my behavior toward counterfeits and fakes." He said with a straight face and Yamanbagiri wondered if his ears were tricking him. "Master and I had a talk earlier about Nagasone Kotetsu's arrival."
Ok, this was weird. Yamanbagiri had been at the sage's side the longest but he had never known their master having a conversation with Hachisuka Kotetsu and successfully changed his view on counterfeits.
"I have talked to Nagasone and he want to rekindle our relationship and I would like for us to start over again."
The first thing on Yamanbagiri's mind was relief when he realized that meant he would never have to prevent the arguments between Hachisuka and the Shinsengumi swords again.
"Fine." He said. "But this is the first and last chance I will ever give you." He warned and watched as Hachisuka brightened with satisfaction.
He really should ask how the sage could do the impossible and maybe ask them to talk to Mutsunokami and the other Shinsengumi. And probably with Hasebe andNihongou, as well.
Later, when Yamanbagiri met the sage, they were coughing and were holding a whiteboard and markers.
My voice is gone. They wrote. I spent a month talking to Nagasone and Hachisuka and last night, I kinda lost it and yelled at them.
He probably shouldn't do it but he giggled while the sage fumed silently.
What are you laughing about, Yamanbagiri-san! They wrote back furiously as he did not stop giggling. It was hard, you know!
"Sorry… Sorry. And thank you." He tried in between his laughter and the sage's face lit up nicely.
Sometimes, Yamanbagiri can't believe how far they have come.
In the earlier days, Hachisuka had been very touchy when it came to authenticity and Nagasone was a thorn in his eyes. Nowadays, the genuine Kotetsu is not as bitter as he used to be and Hachisuka and Nagasone argue a lot less.
"Love makes people change." The sage had said once when they were in their teasing mood.
Now, with Hachisuka's head on his laps and Nagasone's back against his own, the sage's words make sense but he would never tell them that.
Note:
Yesterday (27 Jan 2018), Uzbekistan won the AFC cup and Vietnam got second place.
Even though Vietnam wasn't the champion, I was very happy, which resulted in this fic.
I still am happy and another fic may pop up next week if I have the time and the energy.