'The Hands of a Man'
'Love Hina' is by Ken Akamatsu

Writer's notes: This is where the story begin to take a less than stellar turn towards a bit of melodrama, but only slightly.

Chapter 3: Strong shoulders to cry on

After an evening of passionate lovemaking, it does one good to sleep in the arms of the woman you love. It can be quite wonderful when having travelled far and going through some life changing traumas.

In the more traditional families of Japan, having them disown and strip you of your name used to lead people committing seppuku.

Tsuruko though does not care one wit about what her former clan has done to her, because none is close to her in blood and she knows that they had lost their honor a long time ago.

Flashback as to what happened in Kyoto…

Shocking the elders, although her parents sit silent, by laughing in their collective faces, Tsuruko pulls the clan's ancient Katana from of its Saya and shatters it in half across the steps of the dais in front of them.

The blade was an ancient and powerful symbol of their clan's heritage and prestige, but it was also the symbol of an era gone by.

For the woman bearing it however, the weapon was an 'albatross' around her neck and she is glad to rid herself of the damnable thing.

Angered beyond credulity, Tsuruko throws the piece in her hand in front of a senior elder who she knows cannot contain his anger. Without any regrets, and wearing a big smile on her face when she stands up, Tsuruko then without bowing turns her back on them. Provoking him even more, she then declares in a clear loud voice, "I'd rather be the disowned heir of this decrepit dying clan and its pathetic perversion of the old ways than turn my back on the one I love. I'll never grace this place with my presence ever again unless it's to burn this shithole to the ground."

With this affirmation, Tsuruko leaves the Aoyama Dojo forever without once looking back.

Before totally departing the building she used to love, Tsuruko strips off her Gi and disdainfully throws it on the floor to her side. Then as a last bit of rejection of her former clan, position and heritage, she spits on the garment. Not topless though, she still has the hated traditional wrapping to bind her large breasts.

No longer will she dress like a relic, or a Samurai movie reject.

As soon as Tsuruko walks off the Aoyama clan grounds, she feels free.

However, to maintain some modesty, Tsuruko grabbed the only possession that was truly hers there before departing forever to begin her new life. A leather jacket that was a college graduation gift from her lover. Putting it on, she then strolls down the street whistling a tune and swaying her gorgeous Hakama covered ass. To outsiders Tsuruko did look strangely clad though, as they viewed this tall and now very happy woman when she left the ancient Dojo grounds without closing the gate behind her. The exposed view of her luscious body is for her lover only.

With this accomplished, she does not have too far to walk in reaching her real place of residence…

Stepping into her opulent apartment in the best part of Kyoto, Tsuruko tosses the remnants of her past down the garbage chute after taking them off and put on a dressing gown. Silk with lace bras and bikini panties feel so much better than the old shit that she had worn. Now she will only wear clothing that is sexy, hot and gets her lover's eye.

Oh, that reminds her, she is going to have to call her lover and tell them that she is coming for a long stay. She will not say it will be permanent yet until the time is right. When the time is right, she will sit with her lover and Keitaro to discuss the situation because of certain obligations of her old clan.

After calling, she packs her car before the sun sets and will head out early in the morning.

Since she owns her apartment, and has more money than the Aoyama could ever dream of, Tsuruko decides to keep the place. It will be a great place to stay at when she and her lover come down to Kyoto on holiday.

Not fearing anyone in the Aoyama clan retaliating against her, she has mastered all of their high arts and a few others that none of them knows about. In her studies, she found a few of their most ancient scrolls hidden away that everyone there thought was lost. Those missing works were from an era when the Aoyama still knew what honor meant.

Having mastered those ancient techniques with the blade, she then destroyed the scrolls to keep them out of corrupt hands.

Moreover, she and her lover can easily kick any Aoyama ass if it ever came to a real confrontation.

'Fucking assholes,' thinks Tsuruko angrily stripping and drawing a bath.

Taking a luxuriant soak in the large tub, she then dries her gorgeous body and masturbates in bed afterwards fantasizing about being with her lover very soon.

Tsuruko needs a night of passionate sex with her lover before telling them about what happened to her and the reasons why. She wants it to be her saying something before they hear about it from someone else, as this situation may get very dicey.

End of Flashback…

"Haru-chan, do you always have to be so rough?" purrs Tsuruko after catching her breath.

The next morning…

Making breakfast in her new kitchen, Shinobu is grateful that school will be finished for the summer break in a couple of days. She remembers doing well on her semester end finals after studying very hard with her Sempais. Keitaro also helped her with some of the more difficult subjects after he was through with his work.

There is one thing that the petite miss has come to appreciate. After a long and brutal session of studying with her Sempais, she and others head out back for a late night swim in the new beach area at the lake. The place is well lit, mostly bug-free and the girls are in awe of how it looks now.

When the two are alone, Kitsune gets a little frisky with Keitaro in the water. It is a good thing that it is nighttime out, or Keitaro would have shown the Fox something that would startled her immensely.

Saying that this area is for their use, he suggests if they come back here for a swim to bring someone with them. He also liked seeing the girls in their bathing suits.

Now though, she is almost through with her prep.

Like clockwork, her Sempai comes through the kitchen door to assist her in finishing the morning meal.

The coffee urn is perking, the teakettle is on and service platters are out.

At that moment, he gets a call on his cell.

It is Haruka and if it is not on the radio network, something must be up, so he heads out.

Telling Shinobu to not to save anything for him, he will eat down at the Tea Shoppe.

The girl smiles after him as he departs.

In Haruka's Tea Shoppe…

"Ohaiyo, Haru-chan," says Keitaro coming into the back of the Tea Shoppe, "what's up?"

Noticing that someone else is here by the expensive car outside with the Kyoto plates on it, he quickly surmises whom it can be sitting with her.

"I see," he adds.

This can only mean one thing.

"Konnichiwa, Tsuruko Nee," he says seeing the Motoko's Onee-san.

Sitting in a booth holding hands with Haruka, it looks like the two of them have been here for a while because their mugs are just about empty and they have eaten their breakfast.

"Kei-kun, please sit," says Haruka with a serious expression on her face, "We need to talk."

When Keitaro hears her say this, he knows something is up, so he sits down in a chair across from them.

Haruka's tone being what it is, and along with the tears that are falling from Tsuruko's eyes, something serious must have happened with her to see her in this state. Keitaro knows that the tall Kyoto native is one of the strongest and toughest women that he has ever met.

Her resolve is finally falling apart.

After sitting down, Keitaro says, "Tell me what is troubling you, Tsuruko Nee?"

Knowing him as she does, Tsuruko just starts in by telling him that she had declined another Omiai that her parents did not sanction. Others, including her hated Oji-san wanted her to marry a man who was both rich and very handsome. Incidentally, this was the sixteenth time she has done this in the past eleven years.

The clan was angry at her saying that this marriage could have helped bring the Aoyama back into solvency.

Keitaro takes note of this last statement by Tsuruko. He knows that she has a certain proclivity and her destiny lies with the woman she sits next to at the table.

At a crossroads in her life, this is when she acted.

Tsuruko says, "This is when I finally decided to 'come out of the closet' so to speak and let them know the reason why I have turned down so many marriage proposals. I believe you know that I am gay and have never wanted a man. Also, I had refused their outrageous demand to name my female partner."

"I would kick their asses as well," hisses Haruka in support of her girlfriend.

"Thanks, Haru-chan," responds Tsuruko looking at the woman she loves and gracing her with a smile.

Keitaro realizes too that no one there would dare challenge her to a duel. This would be stupid on her opponent's part because she is the best out of all of them with a Katana.

Lastly, she says, "They then have the temerity to strip me of the title as heir to the Aoyama Dojo, before shunning and take my name off the clan roll in front of my parents. Both of whom could do nothing."

By now, Keitaro is seething and both women notice the change in his demeanor.

He smirked when Tsuruko told them that she broke the clan's oldest Katana and defiled her Gi after throwing it on the floor.

"I'm glad that I have my Haru-chan, my company and that I've some made some wise investments over the past five years, or I'd have absolutely nothing," adds Tsuruko as Haruka hold her close.

Giving her words a few extra seconds to sink in, Keitaro then does some unloading of his own, "I've listened to your story about how you threw away your family heritage because you declared that you're a lesbian and how you come to be with your lover. Well, it is about damn time you came to your senses and made Haru-chan happy. Now, I am going to tell you something Tsuruko and you are going to listen close to every word I am about to say.

A pause for Keitaro to gather some facts together from memory.

"Your former clan was on the verge of bankruptcy a few years ago and the Urashima clan had to go down there to pull their collective asses out of the fire. Haru-chan, did you ever wonder why Hina Baa-chan's youngest sibling, Nagisa Ōoba-san and our cousin Reiji live there on the grounds of Aoyama estate? It is not because they are trying to learn anything from them, it is because they run and operate the fucking place. The Aoyama Dojo was bleeding yen badly Tsuruko, because the Council of Elders are a collective bunch of fucking bakas. YES, I said fucking bakas. None of them has any brain cells left. Moreover, I have known about you two being a 'yuri' couple since I was eleven. I was helping with the rededication of the Dojo in Kyoto when the paint crew asked me to apply some stain to one of the lion statues. I saw you two kissing outside a window by the old rose bushes, and that was not the first time I had seen anything from you two either. Do not look at me like that, Haru-chan. I'm glad that you two are finally together."

Keitaro words had in them a mixture of loathing, anger and regret.

"H-how'd you know about all of this Kei-kun?" asks Haruka.

Tsuruko is in too much shock to say anything, she knows that Keitaro can be blunt and very direct, but this….

"Haru-chan, some of it I figured out on my own. Some cousin Reiji told me, and then I saw the Urashima clan's portfolio since I am now the heir. All of the Aoyama properties and holdings in Kyoto and its environs the auditors prominently listed in its pages. Every bit of land, all of the buildings and the other properties too, it is all there. So that means we own the Aoyama 'lock, stock and barrel' as the American's would say," says Keitaro breathlessly with no satisfaction and a bit of disdain in his voice.

"So, we have them by the balls, huh," says Haruka with a very nasty smirk on her face, "If they give Tsuruko any more shit or try to force Motoko-chan to go back to Kyoto we'll make sure that they pay a heavy price for their arrogance."

One thing that people know about the Urashima is that you never get away with pissing them off, because they are excellent at exacting revenge.

"What?" Tsuruko asks coming back around and seeing light at the end of her tunnel. She had perked up when Keitaro mentioned the news about her former clan's dilemma, then laughs at the Karmic irony.

"Yes, every bit of it is true," says Keitaro smiling at his cousin who starts to cry in relief, "So when you were kicked out of the Aoyama clan, it was no big disgrace. No, the bigger disgrace is the fact that your former clan is still living in the Tokugawa Era, and still refuses to come into the twenty-first century. Tsuruko Nee, since you have no name now, I will ask Hina Baa-chan's permission to give you our name. You will be an Urashima and not some ronin without a family. Shit, even that's old-fashioned, but I would anything to make Haru-chan happy any time I can."

Tsuruko smiles at him as she and Haruka embrace each other again.

"What about Motoko-chan, Kei-kun?" asks Haruka.

"Shit!" Keitaro curses, feeling that this day, which began with so much promise, is now going straight into the shitter.

Hinata Hill, places in-between and then the Urashima Dojo…

For once, Keitaro does not do any work around the Hinata and it is quite eerie for it to be so still around the old place.

After finishing with finding out everything he needs from Haruka and Tsuruko in the Tea Shoppe, he asks Tsuruko to drive up to the back of the property. Giving her directions and an access card, he has her wait in the new Dojo until he can figure out a solution to this new dilemma.

Sitting on a bench in the modern side of the air-conditioned facility, she watches Keitaro pace 'back-and-forth' as he is now in a brooding and somber mood.

Wrestling in his mind with what to do about two, he is trying hard to come up with a positive solution. Mainly, because he has been falling for Motoko and this shit is going to change the young woman he loves in one way or another. The shock of all of the Aoyama clan missteps may be too much for someone to whom honor means all to take.

Maybe this is where he should start.

"Hey, Tsuruko Nee," says Keitaro as clarity to this situation reaches him, "If you need to get rid of any pent up anxiety, this facility is open for use." He then hands her a spare access card and says she will have a permanent one later.

Seeing how the former Samurai is going through quite a lot of turmoil in her mind too, he trying to get it so she can think about something else right now.

Keitaro wants all of this bullshit to end, and end very soon, as he is having difficulty in controlling his emotions at this moment.

Seeing how this state of affairs is affecting his beloved cousin, he will do what he can to make sure that she and Tsuruko can stay together 'come hell or high water'. Because he would do anything for the woman who is closer to him than anyone on earth is. This includes his Kaa-san, Obaa-san or Kanako.

Stepping outside…

Walking around the very back of the hill where he has just thinned out some undergrowth, Keitaro decides to take charge of resolving this matter before it spirals out of control and it gets violent.

First, he calls his Obaa-san, Reiji, Nagisa Ōoba-san and his Tou-san. Neither his Tou-san nor Haruka wanted to be the heir, so he personally undertook the responsibility for the Urashima clan's future.

Though older than him, Reiji is a good and honest man but he does not have the stones to make the tough decisions to prevent the rest of this generation of Urashima from wasting all that Obaa-san and his Tou-san's generation have built up. (When he was eighteen, Keitaro threatened to beat the crap out of one cousin who said that he was not a true leader because he did not know how to use the clan's influence to get power. That cousin could do nothing because he knew that Keitaro could cripple him with very little effort.)

Hina Obaa-san has never interfered when he goes about keeping the clan in line. She knows that he is a man of few words and strong deeds. Although he works long hours and is away from home a lot, Keitaro has always kept up with clan business.

Ending his ruminations, he has a plan.

Coming back into the Dojo, he places a low table in the traditional side of the building. Then, he places four Tatami mats on the floor with it.

Placing two mats on either side of the table, Keitaro figures that the best way to resolve his dilemma with Haruka, Tsuruko and Motoko, who still has no clue, is to get everything out in the open.

He prays that Motoko's love for him and her Onee-chan will win out over her love of the Aoyama traditions.

'We'll see,' he thinks after finishing here.

Elsewhere…

Haruka has been fidgeting around the Tea Shoppe the whole day.

Kitsune is going nuts watching her friend's pacing around the pace during the slow times.

"Haruka, are you okay?" asks a concerned Kitsune, "You've been walking around here like the Yakuza is after you."

"If it was only the Yakuza, Kitsune," says Haruka derisively. She is still pacing with a pencil in her mouth, sucking on it as if it was a cigarette, "those useless cock-grabbers I can handle. They do not fuck with the Urashima because they know we would butcher them like a pen of hogs if they were to try anything. No, it is not that, but you will be hearing about it soon enough, I can promise you that."

Wishing now that she had not quit smoking, Haruka could use one of the 'cancer sticks' right now to calm her nerves. She then takes another pull on her coffee mug.

'That's some strong shit there' she thinks.

"Okay," says Kitsune drawing the word out, "I won't touch that one anymore."

This is when it gets very quiet.

"Good girl," Haruka, putting the pencil down, says in a tone letting her friend know that 'in no uncertain terms' this is not a good time to say anything more right now.

Then her smart phone rings.

"Kitsune, please close up. Thanks," says Haruka answering her call as she rushes out the back door.

"Okay," says the Fox getting up to put away two, now empty, mugs into the sink.

Kitsune knows, as Haruka's good friend, never to pry too much into the Urashima woman's business, as it can be very painful if you do. Therefore, she secures the place and goes up to see if the man of the house is free.

Motoko receives a radio call from Keitaro to come to the Dojo unarmed.

Smiling, as it is her dream to be alone with him. She has finished her dinner and was about to go over to the Dojo anyway. When her Keitaro-sama wants to see her unarmed, she goes to her closet to find her best Yukata. The one her sister had given her will do the trick, as it is silk and meant for her to wear it for a man. Putting it on, she then decides to wear it in the traditional way. Motoko makes sure she looks like the perfect 'Yamato Nadeshiko' before heading out to meet him.

Tragically, the upcoming meeting with her Keitaro-sama will not be one that she is looking for.

Entering the Dojo, she smiles when she sees her Keitaro-sama at the entrance.

Unfortunately, Keitaro is not wearing a smile nor does he say anything before she gets the whole picture of what is about to transpire.

Coming into the traditional side, she then gets an eyeful of a very somber and surprising sight. Haruka and her beloved Ane-ue kneel together on one side of a low table holding hands along with a box of tissues is the only thing on the table, besides four bottles of water.

She sees nothing else.

Keitaro and Motoko kneel together on the other side of the table. The young woman is strangely quiet even though she wants to greet Tsuruko.

An Aoyama representative called her earlier in the day and told her about Tsuruko's discommendation.

Never fully trusting that person, she will hear her from beloved Ane-ue personally and form her own opinion. She has no wish to add to Tsuruko's misery of being totally cut-off from all things Aoyama.

"Motoko-chan, your Onee-san, Haruka and I have some things to tell you. You're not going to like it either but these are things you have to hear," says Keitaro. He starts the meeting without preamble, then adds, "it's because many of these things can and will affect you."

Motoko looks at the man she loves and decides to hear them all out.

Tsuruko then starts, and informs her about the last Omiai. Then, she informs Motoko about their clans' frivolity, hypocrisy and opulent spending. Before going into the pressure that she was under from their elders to marry someone rich so they could regain their fiscal stature and get from underneath the Urashima.

The look on Motoko's face at first is one of disbelief at first, but as Tsuruko continues, it turns to incredulity bordering on anger.

Putting his hand on the young maiden's, Keitaro wishes to steady her resolve to keep listening as some tears form in the corners of her beautiful green eyes.

When Tsuruko gets to the part of loving a woman, Motoko does not know how to react at first. Yuri relationships are something that she has only read about and other than that, she has no firsthand knowledge of these things. Remembering that sometimes she kisses Kitsune or Kaolla on the lips and shares a bed with her, but what Tsuruko and then Haruka describe about their relationship, is a whole lot deeper than some innocent kissing.

Her Ane-ue, her beloved sister and the woman she looks up to the most, is telling her that she is a lesbian and that her lover is Haruka.

Motoko also looks up to the Urashima woman, but she will wait before she draws any conclusion.

Next, Haruka takes her turn and relates her love for Tsuruko.

When Haruka finishes her tale, both of the older women are in tears as they hold each other's hands. This is the hardest thing that either of them has ever had to do. That is, declaring before this young woman, who looks up to them the most, that they are now both 'out of the closet' so to speak.

Cringing a bit when Tsuruko tells her that she had destroyed the Aoyama clan's oldest Katana, Motoko realizes that this was her last act of defiance before they disowned her.

All three women are now sobbing openly.

Motoko, the woman who had since she was a child, believed what she had learned from the Aoyama was correct and honorable. In addition, the things about your own personal honor, the clan and the way of the Katana that has been drilled into her head since she could remember was all for nothing. Her Kaa-san and Ane-ue personally showing her what it what to be a warrior, but now….

Involvement of their parents in not standing up for her does not please her as well.

'Was it all just bullshit,' thinks Motoko disillusioned about quite a few things right now.

Gripping her Keitaro-sama's hand a bit tighter, she is glad that he had asked her to come here unarmed. (Seppuku sounds very good to her at this moment to stop her heart from breaking into pieces.)

Without hesitating, Keitaro starts in after the weeping slows down.

Motoko then learns about the Aoyama financial troubles, the Urashima ownership of the Aoyama properties and of why Hina Obaa-san's Imouto along with her son lives there in the main house to act as administrators of the place.

Keitaro says that the Urashima do not reject those who are gay, because it is a well-known fact that Urashima Reiji is homosexual and plays a prominent part as one of the clan chief advisors on administrative matters.

This fact alone causes the Aoyama fits.

Shaken to her very core by the piece of news about the Aoyama, Motoko leans into Keitaro and cries harder than before. All of her ideals, the things she had learned up until now are nothing but a pack of lies.

Feeling extremely unworthy right now, she then tries to break free from Keitaro's embrace.

Refusing to let her go, Keitaro knows he can maintain his grip because he is stronger than she is.

"Keitaro-sama, how can you hold someone from a disgraced family and whose life has been nothing but a sham," cries Motoko who is now almost hysterical with grief and shame.

Gently pulling back off from her a little, he firmly takes her by the shoulders and uses his strength to hold her still, says, "Motoko-chan, look at me," she complies with some difficulty, her tears are still flowing, "from now on you and your Onee-san are Urashima. I called Hina Baa-chan and she agrees with me that our clan should take the best from a bad one and add it to our own."

Turning to Tsuruko, who is looking at him intently along with Haruka, Keitaro says, "I was going to tell you, but when this started happening I had to act fast before your former clan could do anything to intervene. The act of taking their last real heir could lead to possible outright war, but Nagisa Ōoba-san right now is presenting a warning of eviction to the Aoyama if they interfere in the Urashima clan's formal adoption of you two. I have a selfish reason for doing this too."

Turning to Motoko, he says, "I love you Motoko-chan and I'll do anything to protect you from them."

Hearing these last few words from him, her thoughts of shame vanish in an instant. The turmoil in her mind also goes away when she hears her Keitaro-sama profess his love for her.

"How can this be, my Keitaro-sama?" asks Motoko.

Completely startled, she does not know how to react when says outright that he is in love with her.

"You're an innocent caught up in shit that shouldn't be tolerated in today's age," says Keitaro finally smiling, "You and your Onee-san have been stuck in a damn seventeenth century mentality so long I'm actually surprised you've taken the news of these things so well. When this meeting started, I thought that you would denounce all of us as liars, and call your Onee-san a traitor. That is why I have also hidden your weapons rack. I'd hate to have to fight you for real."

Struck to the heart by his words, she throws herself bodily at Keitaro and hugs him very tight. In her eyes, he has now replaced everything with warmth and love.

(If they had been alone here, she would have given her virginity to him right on the spot without hesitation.)

Keitaro holds onto the beautiful young woman after his declaration.

Her tears now are only those of joy.

Nevertheless, there is more to come.

Tsuruko comes around the table to embrace her Imouto-chan after Motoko releases the man she loves.

The elder sibling's shame is no more and the younger one will not have any future shame after what Keitaro will be doing for them.

Surprised as well, Haruka understands about the drastic steps that he has taken to rectify the situation with the Aoyama. She knows if anyone could resolve this mess, it would be her Keitaro. How he arrived at the resolution to this problem is what now staggers Haruka's mind. Never would she have thought that he would go so far as to taking the only two remaining heirs of her lover's former clan and accept them into theirs.

Going around the table, she hugs and kisses Keitaro on the cheek.

Haruka is extremely proud of him.

Resolving this situation for now, he knows that it is far from settled. Not by a long shot.

Keitaro has hopes that this never happens again, because next time he will really kill someone in the Aoyama clan. His rage against them for causing this to one of the women he loves and to Haruka's lover is not sated in the least, only mollified for now.

The little 'soap opera' that played itself out this morning has left Keitaro mentally exhausted.

It was something unexpected and did not need under any circumstances, as there is already so much 'on his plate'.

He needs to get away.

That afternoon, in Keitaro's camp…

Tinkering on one of his chainsaws, his smart phone rings.

"Moshi, moshi. Urashima here," says Keitaro in a neutral tone not looking at the screen.

"Hi, Kei-kun," says a concerned voice on the other end, "What are your plans now that everything is out in the open?"

"After having some time to think, Haru-chan," says Keitaro putting the smart phone on speaker, "I am going to take a couple of weeks and work in the back part of the property by myself. The stress of dealing with Tsuruko Nee and Motoko-chan was not something I had needed so soon after moving here."

"Oh," says Haruka surprised by his response.

"Yeah, I am," says Keitaro unused to the situation he was just in, "It would best for everyone if I did. Also, it would give me an opportunity to sort some other shit out as well."

"Should I say anything to the girls about you disappearing so suddenly?" she asks concerned for her favorite relative.

"Just tell them not to come looking for me," he answers, "If Tsu Nee or Motoko-chan want to fill in some details about our discussion, let them. Like I said, I'll be back in two weeks."

"Okay, Kei-kun," Haruka says before hanging up.

Shutting off the device, Keitaro plunges back into his work.

With no distractions for the next two weeks, this is his catharsis and cure for what he needs time to re-center his life. Wanting to place his feet back on the path he set for himself many years ago, he will brook no bullshit from others and will be just as equally hard on himself.

Keitaro's favorite times are those when he has something to do and somewhere to go. With the responsibility of the Hinata now, and its residents along with clan responsibilities, he realizes that this will be his final solitary trip.

As an unexpected bit of luck, a friend then shows up in its usual place.

"Oh hi, I didn't see you there," says Keitaro to the mysterious companion who hops up into the cab of his pickup, "Would you like to come along with me?"

Smiling at the silent response, he closes the door and drives off for the wilderness of the back property.

The Hinata, late afternoon…

The girls come home from school, and at least three out of the four of them go looking for Keitaro.

Naru heads to her room first before going over to check out the jobs list.

None of them can find Keitaro anywhere in the Hinata or in the new Dojo. He is not in his workshops or back at his camp. They then check his storage areas and find nothing.

His pickup and a trailer are missing, as well as a few of his tools.

None of know what to make of this situation.

Back inside, Haruka greets them all somberly.

Tsuruko and Kitsune come up with her.

The Fox is beginning to head off herself to find Keitaro when Haruka asks everyone to sit in the common room for a short meeting.

Sitting down, the residents and Tsuruko all see how sad Haruka looks right now.

The older cousin is trying to form her words as Kitsune asks, "Where's Kei-kun, Haruka?"

The Fox is beginning to worry about what the answer might be since she knows that her friend is struggling to say something.

"Well, minna," says Haruka starting out slowly, "he's gone. For the next two weeks, Keitaro said that he would be disappearing into the wilder part of the Hinata Hill to work, as he needs some time to sort some things out before returning. He asked for all of you stay here and not go try to find him. If you all love and respect him like I know you do, please do as he wishes."

Motoko begins to cry thinking that she is the reason why he has left them.

Tsuruko steps over to comfort the proud girl whose world now revolves around him. She tells her, "Keitaro-sama didn't do this thing because of you Imouto-chan. The stress of dealing with our former clan probably got to him and he needs time to decompress."

"I hope he's safe and eats properly," says Shinobu sitting on Kitsune's lap and hugging the ash-blonde.

For the rest of the day, no one feels much like doing anything since Keitaro is not here. After a light dinner, the girls head off to their own rooms.

Snippets from the girls…

In Motoko's room…

Kneeling before her shrine in a plain Yukata, Motoko lights a lone candle and some incense. She prays that the good spirits will look after her Keitaro-sama and vows to stay at her shrine for the next two weeks, with the exception of school and meals.

She will sacrifice all of her free time praying, so that the man she worships will be 'safe and sound'.

Climbing into her futon, she has a dream about him taking her as a lover. Smiling in her sleep, she will allow him to do so without hesitation when he wishes to claim her.

In Kitsune's room…

Kitsune is beside herself with grief.

Though not responsible for this situation, she is aching for him. This plainspoken workaholic and giant of a man has wormed his way into her heart placing claws deep within her soul.

Crying because she misses him, she also longs to share his bed.

Kitsune has not been drunk in a while and does not feel like medicating herself this evening.

In assessing her life since meeting Keitaro, Kitsune has to admit finally that she has fallen and is in fact very much in love with him.

Wiping the tears away from her eyes, the Fox takes out one of her best adult aids from a dresser drawer before having one hell of fantasy about Keitaro fucking her silly until she passes out.

In Kaolla room…

Having difficulty at first understanding why her 'Onii-chan' left without saying anything to her, she hopes he is safe wherever he went to and hopes that he will be back soon.

No ideas come to her at this time, because her inspiration now is out there alone somewhere in the environs of the hill that he own.

Then vowing to all of her native gods, she pledges that all her inventions will go to help him in his work after he returns home.

'Goodnight, Onii-chan,' thinks Kaolla before she falls asleep in her bed.

In Naru's room…

The brunette calls a very special friend to talk. This is someone that she can tell anything to as they usually comfort her in troubling times.

Although she has no romantic interest in Keitaro, his absence that evening leaves her feeling a bit empty. Empty is the word Naru was looking for as it describes her mood perfectly right now. It is the only way that she can convey this feeling to the person on the other end of the line.

Oh well, she hopes Keitaro is safe wherever he may be.

Saying goodnight to her friend after receiving some solace, Naru goes to bed.

Knowing that he will be okay, because the man has proven himself quite resourceful in all areas to her.

In Shinobu's room…

Crying tears for her Sempai, she has faith that he will return safe very soon. Even though she does not make dinner that evening, she is sure that he will want her to continue until he comes back to her.

She will be strong for him and the others by pouring all that she is into running the Hinata for him until she hugs him next.

"Sempai, I vow to be strong until you're home. Good night," whispers Shinobu as she climbed into bed and falls asleep.

Down with Haruka and Tsuruko…

Both women are silent as they lay in bed together.

Tsuruko holds her best friend and lover close to her knowing that her heart is not into sex right now. She will be Haruka's strength until Keitaro finds his center again and comes home.

"Haru-chan, I'm here for you," she says as the other woman has just fallen asleep.

The back property…

Pouring all of his energy into his work, Keitaro knows that nothing helps him clear the useless shit as he sees it out of his mind faster than good old-fashioned muscle flexing labor.

Whether it is cutting down rotten trees with his saws or cleaning out the underbrush, nothing satisfies him more at this moment than seeing sweat pouring out of his body.

He does not have large muscles for nothing, and does work that would tire any lesser man than him.

Taking no pity on tree, bush, grass or weed that is in his path, they come down, get cut, trampled or just plain cast aside to be dealt with later.

Anger, he believes, is best gotten rid of in a positive manner by draining it of any negative Karma using intensive labor. Some days he does this almost to the point of total exhaustion.

Out here though, he is never truly alone.

A silent companion stays with him for the two weeks of his self-imposed exile.

His companion just sits there and looks on never more than a few meters away.

The noise of a chainsaw does not disturb or make them run away. Unlike others of its kind, they stay with the one it calls friend, as it somehow understands the human concept.

Instinct maybe, who knows?

"Hello, Haru-chan. I'm coming home," says Keitaro into his smart phone.

Smiling, Keitaro has re-captured his center.

End of Chapter