Gritting her teeth, Naru Narusegawa tapped the end of her pencil impatiently upon her notebook. Sitting cross-legged at her table, she sat hunched over several textbooks; papers littered the table and the space around her. Sporting her coke bottle glasses and wearing her patented red cardigan, she slipped into a pair of pajamas and started studying as soon as she got back from her night job as a part time review teacher at a prep center. Most other times it would be unnecessary but a student had managed to stump her on a math problem. If she couldn't solve this problem, she didn't have any business being a teacher. She grabbed her eraser, intent on solving this math equation, which by all means should be cakewalk for her, and she freely admitted to herself that she needed help.

"Keitaro! Where are you! I need someone to—" Naru stopped in her tracks. She looked at her Liddo-kun and realized she almost called out for her landlord, a young man by the name of Keitaro Urashima. The stuffed plush stared back at her with blank eyes, offering no solace for the fact that the man she wanted to be by her side was nowhere to be found. In fact, he was halfway around the world, studying abroad with Seta Noriyasu, a friend and former crush. She sighed. It had been getting harder and harder to deal with the fact that Keitaro had only been gone for a week, since deep down she knew he wouldn't be back for another five months and three weeks; give or take a few days.

She turned away from the doll and stared at her notebook once more. Her irritation had turned into a lesser form of self-pity and depression. Things had been different with Keitaro gone and everyone in the Hinata-sou had to manage somehow. None of them knew how much they had drifted apart from each other. In a sense, Keitaro had brought them together closer than ever before, but he had just as easily split them asunder with his absence. Meals were more quiet and reserved, but the rambunctious ways of Su and Sarah combined were usually able to liven things up a bit, but more often than not the others would wonder about their landlord. Conversation between the Hinata girls seemed to have dwindled as well, no one seemed to have much to talk about, and Naru would usually instigate a conversation during dinnertime, just to ease the silence.

Times were indeed tough. In about two years' time, they had forgotten to function as they were, without the presence of a man. A caring, giving, man whom everyone seems to adore, but you... A voice chimed in. Why is it that you can't accept the fact you miss him?

Naru closed her eyes and groaned. Wanting nothing more than to strangle that voice inside her head, she knew the voice, which is actually her voice of reason, is right yet again. She would never confess that she missed Keitaro and that was her greatest weakness, her insane desire to lie through her teeth about her feelings for the young ronin…

She crossed that thought out. That was just a thing of the past as he's now officially a college man. In fact, their trio of ronin had officially disbanded as they were admitted into Toudai, a victory that none of them will ever forget. She shook her head and smile as she remembered how happy he was and the joy that ran through her when she realized that they both had passed and admitted to Toudai.

Naru straightened her back and closed her notebook. Taking off her glasses she blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. Things were on the verge of changing between the two of them and his departure to the United States had only left it up in the air for all to see. Having to wonder about that while trying to keep everyone else from falling apart had finally begun to take its toll on her. And it had only been a week.

Forcing herself to be strong she lifted Liddo-kun and the plank of wood off of the floor to reveal a rather large hole. Her room was right above the landlord's room and she could remember the times she could always talk to Granny Hina when things got rough. But for the last two years it had served as a way of communicating with Keitaro. More often than she'd like he had popped in on her changing more times than she could count on one hand. She chuckled as she remembered the look on his face every time he was caught and she would send him flying. It pained her a bit, but she had to draw the line somehow. A part of her denied that violence was the way to draw the line, but Naru quickly snuffed that idea out. She already knew the argument there, to hit or not to hit, that's never the question, but rather to apologize or walk away. That had always been her dilemma. Putting the plank aside with her plush doll in hand she jumped down into Keitaro's room.

Landing rather softly over his still unrolled futon she looked around the room, curiosity overwhelming her need to vacate the premises immediately for fear of having been found out. She looked over towards the door and remembered the first time he had arrived in the Hinata-sou. He was on the floor, begging for forgiveness since he had lied to all of them about his true status as a ronin. Sighing she remembered the simpler times. Walking over to his desk she sat in his chair with Liddo-kun still in her arms. Spinning around so that she could take in the view of his entire room, her mind began to wander, walking down memory lane and exploring every single moment that had happened between him and her inside this very room.

Placing her chin on top of the Liddo-kun she softly murmured his name, the sound muffled by the large plush doll. "Keitaro…"

Suddenly she stopped thinking when she heard footsteps just outside the door. As she realized the door was being slid open she quickly ran into the closet, opening it and closing it at the drop of a dime, all without alerting the intruder. With most of Keitaro's things residing with Keitaro in his residence in sunny California, there was enough room for her to squeeze in and not feel cramped. Opening the door slightly, she observed the person whom was now walking into Keitaro's room…

----------

Making barely a sound, Motoko Aoyoma, next in line to become the heir to the Shinmei-ryu, strode into the empty room. With her flowing red hakama covering her feet, she looked as if though she had glided across the floor as her hair flowed beside her like a shadow. Glistening from yet another harsh training session, she had partially taken off her white gi, slipping her arms out of the sleeves and letting it fall freely, the bottom portion of it tucked within the confines of her hakama. If not for her chest bindings she would have been indecent. In her hand she held her blade with the utmost tenderness, her slender fingers lightly touched the black sheath of the legendary Ominous Blade, known as Hina. In ancient times it had destroyed the city of Kyoto and had nearly gone further, if not for the combined strength of the Shinmei-ryu of that era who had seal it away.

Taking her free hand she wiped some of the sweat off of her forehead with the back of her hand. Looking around, she made sure everything was in order. Sighing to herself she sat down on the futon and laid the Hina blade down beside her. Her fingers caressed the material and instantly her mind, a torrent of chaos and confusion, began to calm itself. Breathing deeply she could still smell the shampoo that Keitaro uses. Strange that his shampoo had to be so fragrant… but she had found it enjoyable when she had first came into his room. That had been the first day of Keitaro's six-month journey overseas.

She hadn't wanted him to leave. When Keitaro had first issued those certificates that allowed for him to fulfill the wishes of the wielder of such a certificate, she had asked him for the truth as to why he wanted to leave Hinata-sou to go to the United States. She and the others were in disbelief and in shock when he had admitted to wanting to go study abroad without really telling them in advance. None of them wanted him to leave, but he just had to make a point.

Why shouldn't he want to do something for himself? All his life, he kept himself alive on a vague promise made fifteen years prior to his arrival to the Hinata-sou, it was the only thing that had kept him sane. In essence, however much he may have wanted it, it wasn't his choice. He had chose to keep the promise because he wanted to honor it, but it wasn't something he had wanted to do for himself. Taking the test, this was the first time he would do something for himself, free from anyone else's opinions, ideas, or orders. It would be the first step that he would take as a man.

And who were they to stop him?

She, along with Kitsune, Sarah, Su, and Shinobu had filled out their certificates. Each one of them asked him to succeed in their own little way. They would support him and cheer him on, he needed those in his life to support him and that was something they did with a heavy heart. No matter what, he would still be gone, but they knew that he would be happy and that he would succeed because this is something he truly wanted.

On the first night he was gone, she had come to his room. Not knowing what possessed her to do so, she had ventured slowly and her senses were in overdrive. She feared that she would never live it down were she to be caught, doing Kami-knows-what in his room. That night she had never felt so confused and betrayed at the same time, not since that day she had caught her elder sister Tsuroko kissing a man.

She felt betrayed by her emotions, something she's strived to keep a tight reign on. She felt betrayed by Keitaro. How could he leave, especially since she had asked him specifically not to let her down? She felt betrayed by herself, twice over. On one hand, he had allowed herself to be conquered and subjugated by a man. Betrayal. On the other hand she had let her pride get in the way of her happiness. It wasn't something she could come across easily and every time she would think about him her warrior spirit wouldn't let that matter rest, her warrior spirit wouldn't just let things be, it wouldn't allow Keitaro near her because he is a man. Again, betrayed.

Her mind torn between being a warrior or a girl, her duty and her happiness, she found herself awake the next morning, curled up in his futon in which he had meticulously made before he had left. In the United States they had western style beds, which meant futons wouldn't be advised, so he had decided to leave it behind. She had woken up feeling refreshed and warm, the feeling of his blankets over her made her feel safe, the smell of his shampoo still lingered in the fabric of the pillow covers and the pillows itself, allowing her to wake up with a smile. She was no fool and she need not bother hiding her feelings with a look of scorn or a sharp tongue especially since she was alone at the time. She may not be in love with him, but the line between love and like is always blurry, and she had already deduced she liked him. A lot. Upon realizing her mental state of mind after waking up in his bed, she had said the first thing that had come to mind with a light smile on her face…

"Damn it."

After that she had decided to make it a nightly ritual. When everyone would disperse after dinner to resume the rest of their days in peace, drinking, playing, inventing, cleaning, or studying, she would come here to be away from it all as well. Sometimes she would sleep there and wake up early the next morning with no one the wiser. Then there were times she would just sit in his room or lay in his futon and just think. There were also times where she would use it as a place to meditate. She was no fool. She knew the others would need to see her once in a while for various reasons, and when they would seek her she would have to tell a little white lie just to get by without arousing any suspicion from her housemates. But all in all it was the only way for her to get peace.

She chuckled in spite of herself as she spied something from the corner of the futon. By the corner of the pillow a small magazine stuck out, an ecchi periodical no doubt, but the amount of it being periodical should be in question. She had visited his room enough times to know what contraband he carried and his patterns in hiding them. Keitaro would hide his ecchi in the strangest places, always switching the location time after time. When she had first found them she was disgusted and angered at his sudden lack of morals but she had said nothing. In time she had learned not to let it bother her. However there were times she was sorely tempted to wear something extra feminine, just to get him off the wagon in a manner of speaking.

After a while she thought about the magazines. How could she be so angry with a man in his sexual prime for having a magazine such as that? Too many reasons to count, but the chief among them was; why look at a piece of paper when he could go out and get the real thing like any other normal person?

Sighing to herself she shook her head of that thought. He's not just a normal person; he's not even a normal man. Motoko slipped the magazine back under the futon as the voice of her inner prosecutor turned instigator continued to speak. No one has a claim to him, even he said so himself. Maybe you can help him live out a dream or two, well, page two anyway. Immediately she began to blush as she remembered the girl in the maid outfit in the second page of the magazine and the bookmark she had found, signifying one of his guilty pleasures. Lying down, she pulled her thoughts together and chased away the naughty fantasy that had somehow crept up on her yet again. Interestingly enough she found herself more prone to these fits of perversion, being blindsided by them was almost becoming a daily occurrence whenever Keitaro would cross her mind, or anything Keitaro-related.

Finally she reasoned, she couldn't continue living the way she was, if one could even call it that. What if there were times he had to leave for a week or more, just like now? She couldn't always do this. Sooner or later…

Sooner or later, he'll have to know where he stands with me… by then I'll know where I stand with him. She thought with conviction. So until then, I better find a better way to cope. If I keep sleeping here I'll never want to get out of bed!

----------

The sound of a broken dish echoed within the kitchen and out into the hallway. Shinobu held a hand to her mouth in shock but quickly recovered. Taking a broom and dustpan she began to gather the jagged pieces to toss them away. "Why do I have to be so clumsy?" she whispered to herself.

As of late Shinobu had become more accident-prone in the kitchen. Under any other circumstance she would feel most comfortable in the kitchen. But ever since Keitaro left for his study trip abroad her mind wasn't as focused as it used to be.

Dumping the contents she returned to her workload. As she glared at the dishes and pots that needed to be cleaned she felt the feelings of frustration and despair bubble up. Quickly she rinsed her hands and turned off the water completely. Taking a thermos of sweetened ice tea that she had made for herself in the early afternoon, she quickly poured it into a cup as her mind took a detour from the rest of the night's work, and took a long sip.

Looking down into her cup she listened to the sounds of the house settling and the various noises that came from the other residents. A sharp yelp from Kitsune could be heard and instantly Shinobu felt the urge to check on the resident slacker until she realize that it had to be Su that was causing Kitsune to shout out like that. She glared down at her tea once again as she remembered why Su was with Kitsune in the first place.

One night, she had gone to check on Keitaro's things to make sure he had everything he would need. But as she was about to turn the corner to his room, she caught Motoko sneaking into Keitaro's room. Thinking nothing of it, she waited patiently for her to leave, but Motoko hadn't left until the early hours of the morning. Shinobu had no idea what to make of it until she saw it happen again the next night and the night after that. It was clear that Motoko now held some feelings for Keitaro as well. At that last thought she finished her tea in one last chug and slammed the cup down on the counter.

It's not fair! Motoko and Naru sempai… What chance do I have now? A part of her felt concerned for her sempai since things can only get complicated from this point on. Another part of her however wanted to get in on the action. Any second now, someone else would reveal their feelings, making things even harder for her. Immediately her mind began to drift off into one of her usual fantasies. Keitaro would show up before the six months were up, declare how she had grown up into a beautiful woman, and then she would declare that she had always loved him, thus living happily ever after.

"Keitaro…" She murmured. Taking the plastic cup off the counter, she dropped it into the sink without another care. She would finish it the next morning. Feeling backed up, romantically speaking, she had decided to watch the last few episodes of Remma 1/3, and cheer on the underdog before going onto sleep.

----------

Naru weakly opened her eyes. Her mind still fogged over with sleep she struggled to remember why she felt so comfortable. Yawning lightly, she focused her eyes and immediately she began to mime her best impression of a fish out of water. She stared at the hole in the ceiling and the wooden plank that covered it. Being under the thrall of sleep she deduced she was in Keitaro's room, and since she was so comfortable, she had to be in his bed, looking up at her own room! Which in turn can only mean…

She sat up in bed and grabbed the covered around her upper body and was about to cry pervert when another entity within the room made herself known by clearing her throat.

"Perhaps you should refrain from shouting, Naru-sempai. It's still quite early."

"Eh? Motoko?"

She looked to her left and Motoko stood languidly with her back against the wall and her arms crossed against her chest. Her gi was still disengaged from her body and she stood to her full height. Unconsciously Naru gulped at the sight before her. Motoko was often tepid when it came to emotional expressions as she was always serious, but for some reason she held the air of a predator, gauging the actions of its prey. Her sword was placed against her side but even that did little to ease Naru.

"Sleep well?"

Naru froze at her words. She was found out! Wait a second… "Did you sleep at all?" She fired back. She ran into the closet because she heard someone entering, and it was the very same person that was interrogating her at this very moment.

Motoko smiled peacefully, reminding Naru eerily of Tsuroko. "But of course. That futon is very comfortable!" she said as she point at the bedding beneath Naru. "I didn't think you'd like being cramped up in there like that."

Naru's eyes widened before they narrowed, as she struggled to understand the situation before her. She was not a morning person and using her wits was something she couldn't handle when being roused from a good sleep.

"Well, in case you're wondering, yes, we did sleep in the same bed. Much like in our younger years." Motoko said. Naru glanced at her bemusedly.

"What's happening to us?" Naru asked.

Motoko looked at Naru and place on her game face, reserved but all the while emanating a fierce spirit of determination. "What do you mean?"

Our posturing and these mind games for one… Naru replied casually. She mused how easy things could be said when you didn't have to say them out loud. "Why are we even here in his room?"

Why do you think Narusegawa? Why do you think? Motoko replied snidely. "I do not know. I suppose we both miss him more than we let on."

Naru looked down at her blanket-covered legs and grimaced. Refusing to acknowledge certain feelings towards Keitaro has been coming back from the dead to bite her in the ass all to often these days. "Yeah. I suppose so." She stayed silent for a moment. The birds chirped lightly outside the window, and as the sun slowly rose to cover Motoko's lithe form, Naru broke the silence. "So now what?"

Motoko only shrugged. "Nothing. I will be coming back here, that is all." She took her sword and began to walk towards the door until an irate Naru stood up.

"Now wait just a minute! And what is that supposed to mean?" Naru shouted, not caring if anyone heard what she had said. "You can't just stay here in his room! And this is Keitaro's room, may I remind you, he never even gave you permission!"

Su's cries for food filtered into the tense silence that permeated the room. Motoko fully turned around and looked to her sempai. Loud crashes of dishes could be heard and the sounds a scolding and peeved Shinobu warred against the ever-hyper Su.

"Does it really matter in the end, Narusegawa-semapi?" Motoko asked pleadingly. "I don't want to fight." She turned around but Naru immediately grabbed her arm and turned her around.

"Fight over what, this retard's room?" Naru scoffed but Motoko could hear her voice break as she said it. This time it was Motoko's turn to sound angry. She pulled her arm away and spat at her.

"I didn't want to fight with you at all… but it seems the more you open your mouth, the less inclined I am to keeping that promise with myself!"

"I've come here for peace of mind. As do you, am I correct?"

Naru only looked away from the piercing glare of the young Aoyama. Motoko continued on…

"I dragged you into that bed, because I knew that was what you wanted. I don't blame you, and I don't care if you ever wish to expel your feelings for him for the world to see, but don't you ever refer to him in such language in my presence!"

"And you're the saint? Always blowing him away with your sword strikes?" Naru shouted, while glaring up at the taller girl.

Motoko shook her head. "I never claimed that, and yes, I was always 'blowing him away' as you call it, with my sword. But have you apologized? I already have."

"Keep this in mind, Naru-sempai. I have made this my temporary residence. If you must, then you may stay as well, but do not test my patience. Now leave, so that I may tidy up."

Naru was now seething at the situation at hand. How can Motoko act like this to her friend? What has happened to the man-hating Motoko of old? "What has he done to you? I bet this is his trick at making me go blind with jealousy and jump into bed with him!" she began ranting but Motoko gave the girl a sound slap across the face.

"What did I just say? Now you are not allowed here. Ever." Motoko's eyes flickered for a moment and once again Naru was reminded once more of the elder Aoyama, Tsuroko. "Leave."

"Why? Why should I? I could easily tell the others that you're here." Naru felt sickened by what she was doing. Forced into a desperate position she had to act in such a way, and it only made her feel worse since she's never had to do this to a friend before. "What then?"

Motoko smiled benevolently. "I will accept whatever comes my way."

Naru's jaw dropped once more that day.

"I will accept the teasing and innuendoes from Kitsune, I will accept Shinobu's reaction and possibly rivalry she'll direct at me, I'll even accept you as my rival. But the question is, are you willing to expose to the world that you have a rival for the affections of a man you can't even bring yourself to admit that you have feelings for?"

Motoko turned around and slowly walked towards the door, all the while making her point clear. "I don't know why or when… but lately it's come to my attention that Keitaro… is more than he seems. And yes, I have no idea about these kinds of relationships. But I'm willing to go the distance."

"But…"

"But nothing, Narusegawa-sempai. You have no claim to him. Neither do I. However I am willing to fight for his affections, and even to stay in his room until the day he comes back, no sooner that that. Are you?"

"I… Please…"

"From this point on, we're rivals. If you wish to report me… go ahead. I tire of this, and if you want to bring any of this to light with the other residents, then as Kitsune would say, 'I'm game.'"

"Motoko…"

"I bid you a good morning and a good day, Narusegawa-sempai. I shall return later to tidy up." Motoko closed the door on her way out. All the while, Naru stood frozen in place as she looked to the door.

"But I love him…"

----------

Ah! The fresh smell of prologue in the morning! Remember when I said back in the description of "A Ronin Fit For a Samurai" how one question could change the course of history? Well here you go!

Now, this is just a bit of a trailer so to speak. I had to do a major rewrite of Book II because it just didn't satisfy me, it just wasn't what I wanted. But here's something for you out there. So enjoy! Oh, and review!