Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai 7 or any names affiliated with it. I only own Miyuki.
This chapter is dedicated to my friend Heidi. Sometimes, you have to go along with what someone else has decided. Yes, it's difficult, but you live through it.
A few weeks of hard training passed and Miyuki felt like she was falling in love with Heihachi more and more. She had been learning kyudo (the way of the bow) from a blond samurai who seemed a little older than Heihachi, but way more silent and he didn't seem to like anything or anyone. Miyuki looked around to see her friend Akiko and found that she was also learning how to shoot arrows. Akiko was a little older than Miyuki. She was about 19 years old, with light brown hair. She was tall, thin, pretty, and very optimistic. The blond samurai was teaching her how to hold the bow and draw the string as far back as was comfortable. Akiko shot an arrow and it hit the target she was aiming at dead center.
As she smiled and turned to the samurai, Miyuki thought she heard Akiko say "Thank you Kyuzo". Miyuki could tell that Akiko really liked the samurai named Kyuzo, but she didn't have the heart to tell Akiko that he might not be the type of guy who could return her affections. Akiko saw Miyuki looking and smiled and waved. Miyuki waved back but turned away from the scene when she heard Heihachi walk up behind her.
"What're you looking at Miyuki?" he asked.
"Nothing. Just my friend Akiko." Miyuki stated plainly.
"Oh," Heihachi replied, "Well it's almost dark now, you wanna go back to your house and talk like we always do?"
Miyuki smiled and said, " Sure. Just let me finish up here." Heihachi turned away from her when he heard someone call his name. Shichiroji and Gorobei ran up to speak with him.
"Hey, guys. What's the hurry?" Heihachi asked.
"Kambei-sama wants to speak with you. He said he wanted us to tell you and the others that we're going to war tomorrow but also something else. I don't know what it's about but I have a feeling…" Gorobei and Shichiroji looked at each other, then at Miyuki, then back at Heihachi.
"Never mind. But while you go speak with Kambei-sama, Shichiroji and I will handle things here," Gorobei said. Heihachi looked slightly worried.
"You sure? I can ask Kyuzo-dono and Katsushiro-kun if you guys need any more help," Heihachi said, looking at Katsushiro who was pulling arrows out for a villager.
"Nah, it's ok. Besides, after the villagers finish up here, they go to find their children. And we all know who their favorite person is…" Shichiroji's voice faded.
Heihachi, Gorobei, and Shichiroji looked at each other, and then burst out laughing. "KIKUCHIYO!" they said in unison.
"Ok I'll go then," Heihachi said, " But make sure you watch the villagers when they're pulling out arrows. Sometimes they'll accidentally cut their palms on the arrowheads."
"Got it," Shichiroji said, turning away. Heihachi turned to Miyuki and crouched down next to her.
" Kambei-sama wants to talk to me for a while. I'll be at your house soon enough to join you for dinner ok?" he whispered softly in her ear.
"Ok. I'm making extra rice so we can have some rice balls," Miyuki said, not looking up from her work. She laughed and Heihachi smiled. It always made him happy when he heard her laugh. That first time he had held Miyuki in his arms, he'd noticed that she was so alone and afraid. Heihachi couldn't bear seeing her so sad and he couldn't stop thinking about her. She kept haunting his dreams and he wanted to spend all his time with her. Heihachi didn't want to name the feeling yet, but he knew he was falling in love with Miyuki. He stood up and started walking towards Kambei's house.
After Heihachi told Miyuki where he was going, she put down her bow and unstrung it like Kyuzo had shown her. Then she made sure she pulled out all the arrows from her target and cleaned them. After about 30 minutes of cleaning arrows, Miyuki stood up, stretched and followed after the rest of the villagers who were going home after training. She went to her house and started making some rice for dinner. Suddenly there was a tapping at the screen in the doorway and she looked up.
"Come in," Miyuki said cautiously. The screen was pushed aside to reveal Kambei standing there and he looked concerned. Miyuki was shocked but she bowed anyway.
"Great Samurai! Forgive me but I did not know you were coming…" But Kambei cut her off.
" It's all right Miyuki. I only came to discuss your relationship with Heihachi-san," he said, sitting down next to her. Miyuki looked at him, her eyes betraying the slightest glimpse of fear.
"W-We are only friends Kambei-sama. Nothing more…" she stammered. Kambei looked pained, as if he didn't want to continue.
"But you wish to be more than friends. I know Heihachi does and so do you. I just came from talking to him, and I want you to know the dangers of this relationship." Miyukilooked up at him with a pale face and she wanted to cry.
"What dangers Kambei-sama?" her question came out little more than a whisper.
"If Heihachi should become more involved with you, it might cloud his judgment. And that is a risk we cannot take. I must ask you to keep your relationship at a low level until this war is over." Miyuki looked at him with an crushed expression on her face, but inside she was relieved. She could still see Heihachi, but she just couldn't do much else.
"I understand Great Samurai," she said, bowing, " Thank you for letting me know. I will respect your wishes." Kambei nodded and stood. He pushed the screen aside and put one foot out before he stopped.
"One more thing. Do you have a friend named Akiko who is most often seen with Kyuzo-dono?" Miyuki felt a shock run through her and she knew what Akiko was going to hear soon enough. She didn't want to say that she was friends with Akiko, but knew Kambei would know if she were lying.
"Yes, Great Samurai. She lives up the road a little ways. I know what you intend to say, Kambei-sama, and when you say it, I ask only that you be prepared for her… emotions… She is very emotional, but can take it when she needs to," Miyuki said, looking into the flames of the fire in front of her.
"Thank you for the kind advice Miyuki. Good night." Kambei walked out the door and Miyuki breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't like hearing that from Kambei, since she so badly wanted to let Heihachi know her feelings for him. But she knew that she had to respect Kambei's wishes as she had said.
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Author's Note: Sorry this took so long to come out. I wanted to get more reviews for my story so I would know if I should continue or not. I hope readers keep sending me requests for more chapters because I actually finished the story. I just need reader support. Thanks for reading!
-NeverLookBackSamurai
