Kazuho stopped in front of the dojo and hesitated. She looked down at her hand. She lifted it to her face and stared it. She still hadn't gotten over her chock. She has never sent someone flying across a room, just with the touch of her hand.

How the hell did her did that?

Not now, Kazuho. You need to focus!

She tried to shake off her thoughts. Now wasn't the time to think about that because through the shoji-door she could sense the many and different demons' jyaki waiting for her on the other side.

Kazuho checked to make sure her clothes sat right. She was wearing a dark-blue kimono top that was tucked in a pair of a black hakama. She slid a hand over her hair and tightened the ponytail before sliding the door open.

The demons inside turned at her entrance and stared. Kazuho stared blankly back and shut the screen-door after her. Scanning the crowd of demons there were at least thirty of them. Some had long, short or curvy horns. There were blue-skinned, grey-skinned, green-skinned even scaled-skinned demons. But there were others who looked surprisingly human with beautiful features and different lengths of hair. "Well, well, well, look at this, boys. This must be the onna Lord Takahiro was talking about." A demon with curved horns exclaimed loudly and laughed. The demons closest around him joined in on the laughter while others sneered.

"So you're the lot Lord Takahiro wants me to go up against," Kazuho paused and walked further into the room, scanning the demons before stopping in front of the curved-horned demon. "Hn, not much of a challenge."

The change was instant. The air pulsated and got heavier when the demons released their demon energy, trying to intimidate her. Kazuho felt the pressure but she wasn't impressed and yawned to piss them off.

A clinging sound rang throughout the dojo when swords were unsheathed.

"You think so?" A familiar voice spoke up.

Kazuho turned around and bowed along with everyone else when Takahiro stepped into the dojo. He wore red hakama and a red kimono top with white plum blossom motif on the sleeves.

Only those in Sesshoumaru's inner circle wore this motif. His mark on them.

"Good evening Kazuho. I'm glad that you decided to join us. I see that you have met the boys."

"Yes, I have. Truly a pleasure, my Lord."

Takahiro grinned as he walked up to we. "Well let's get started then. Please pick a weapon of choice."

Kazuho looked towards the way Takahiro gestured. On the far-side wall to her right hung rows of weapons. Spiked clubs, chained sickles, sets of sai, swords in different sizes, naginatas and much more. "I will be kind and pick these." Kazuho grinned and picked out two arm-length wooden sticks with a leather handle.

"Aaah, little girl." A demon snickered.

"Who said that?"

The laughter dead out and the demons parted a way for the demon that had laugh. "I did."

Kazuho threw a dull look over her shoulder. A muscular grey-skinned demon with pointy black beard and pointy ears stepped into the space that had been created. Orange eyes sized her up and didn't hide the amusement when he was done. Kazuho walked up to him and had to tilt her head back so she could get a good look at him. He had to be close to seven feet tall.

She gave him a quick once-over before stepping back and bowed. When the demon didn't bow back she got into a fighting position by stretching out one leg and bending her knees. She raised the wooden sticks above her head. The demon blinked then burst out laughing. The room shook with his deep rumbling laughter. Still laughing he crossed his massive arms across his board chest and licked his lips. "Do you think you can handle a man like me?"

"I repeat myself...easy practices."

The laughter fell from his face. His eyes narrowed sharply. A strange rumbling sound began to grow in the room. The demon slowly hunched forward as his growl grew louder and louder when he suddenly let loose an ear-deafening roar and pounced.

He came at her by throwing a left hook then quickly sent a right hook. His punches had incredible speed and force but Kazuho easily dodged every punch by gilding from side to side. She quickly realized that the demon was trying to back her into a corner.

This realization made Kazuho roll her eyes. This will be over before we get started.

She sighed and then in a blink of an eye disappeared.

The bulky demon froze and looked around, blinking. He furrowed confused. Before he knew it, Kazuho did a low floor spin and sharply kicked the backside of his knee with her heel. His leg gave in and the large demon fell to his knees.

The whole ground shook from the impact and Kazuho nearly lost her balance but quickly regained it and ran up to him.

The demon grunted and started to pull himself onto his feet when a sharp force slammed into his chin causing his teeth to bit his tongue and blood filled his mouth. His brain jammed against his skull. Bright stars exploded before his eyes when he felt his entire body levitate from the ground and he fell onto his back.

Kazuho jumped onto the demon and quickly straddled him. She waited patiently for him to come out of his daze when his eyes finally managed to lock with hers.

"Too easy." She sneered and delivered a heavy blow to the side of his head.

The demon choked on a stunned gasp before his eyes rolled back and he went still.

Kazuho sat and stared at the falling demon. She clapped his cheek and the demon didn't stir. She smirked and got up. She looked up and saw the others awed faces. They seemed unsure if they should be outraged or amazed.

Kazuho placed a hand on her hip and swirled a stick with her other hand. "So who's next?"

[*][*][*]

"How did it go?"

"There isn't much to say. Kazuho easily kicked the men asses."

"Hn, did she?"

"Sadly so," Takahiro sighed and joined Sesshoumaru in a courtyard. Sesshoumaru was sitting on a bench overlooking a bridge and a large koi pond. Next to him was a bottle of sake and two sake bowls. Takahiro filled one and tossed it into his mouth.

"It hurt to see how easily she took them on. You would think my men would put on a better fight but no."

"And everything happened without her displaying any powers?"

"Yeah. From what I sensed and saw Kazuho only used her skills and own strength. No powers or magic. Why? Was it expected? Is that why you agreed to my request?" Takahiro threw his friend a look and received a smirk. Takahiro sighed and drank some more sake. "Hai, hai, don't tell me anything. So should I ask Kazuho to join us again? Though I doubt she will. The men were no match for her."

Sesshoumaru got up and walked up to the pond. "Do that and we will see what becomes of it..."

"I see your head is still attached to your body."

"If you mean I get to slave other day then yes I'm alive."

"Ah, it went that well?"

Kazuho looked up from the bed she was making and smiled when her older sister Nadia enter the room. Nadia smiled widely and walked further into the room. Like Kazuho, Nadia was dressed in the female servant uniform which was a plain indigo-coloured kimono with a black obi and a shimmering sliver crescent moon motif on the left shoulder. "Hn, you could say that. It was way too easy," Kazuho snorted, thinking about the training session from last night. "What brings you here? Shouldn't you be in the kitchen?"

"Yeah but I snuck out," Nadia grinned and sat down on the newly made bed. Kazuho sent her a sharp glare but Nadia completely ignored. "And also...I'm here because we need to talk."

"About what?"

"Kazuho, there are rumours circling about you and our daimyo."

"There is what?!"

"Kazuho, listen-"

"-What rumours? Nothing is going on!"

"I know, I know," Nadia chuckled as she assured Kazuho. "I'm just saying people are talking."

"And what are they saying, Nadia?"

"They are simply wondering why your day has been cleared so you can spend the afternoon with Sesshoumaru-sama..."

"My schedule has been what?!"

"What? You didn't know?"

"No, I didn't know. Tsunade-obama didn't mention anything when I got my schedule this morning. How did you find about this?"

"Oooh, you know how this things go. Someone heard it from someone who heard it from someone else and the merry-go-round keeps spinning."

"I didn't ask for this!"

"So why are you spending the day cooped up in Sesshoumaru-sama's study?"

"Because I obeyed his orders!" Kazuho ran her hands over her face and began pacing. Nadia cocked her eyebrows and stared at her. "When I was released he told me to stay out of his sight and I did that but since I was so good following his command he felt he should award me and my reward is to spend my day with him after I'm done with my chores."

"Okay," Nadia chuckled. "And what will you do all day long alone with Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Nothing. At least not along the tracks you are thinking!" Kazuho growled and ran a hand through her hair causing strands of hair to come out of her braid. "Seriously, what have I done to be punished like this for?!"

"Come on Kazuho, you got to be kidding."

"No! Why should I?"

"Stop it Kazuho! Are you blind or something? Our daimyo is gorgeous and desired by many. I bet lots of girls would kill to be in your shoes. Did you know our daimyo rarely, if ever, uses the women from the Golden Pavilion."

"So?"

"Maybe he is waiting for the perfect woman to come along and spend the endless nights and days with." Kazuho picked up a pillow and threw at Nadia. Nadia quickly jumped out of the way and laughed. "What? Did I hit a nerve?"

Kazuho glowered at Nadia. To pissed to tell her off!

The few strands of Nadia's blonde hair dangled alongside her pale face and swayed when she threw her back, laughing. Her violet eyes sparkled, amused by Kazuho's reaction. Kazuho frowned and looked away. She had always envied Nadia's lightness. Were Nadia was light, Kazuho was dark. Her hair was black as coal with blue strips that glinted when the light hit her hair just right. Her eyes were just as dark as her skin, a coffee bean to hue to it.

Nadia calmed down when she noticed Kazuho's frown and walked up to her. "Hey Kazuho," Nadia spoke softly and placed a hand on her arm. "I know you and our daimyo have unresolved history but does this have to do with you being different? Does he suspect anything? Is that the reason you will be in his study so he can keep a close eye on you?"

Instantly images from last night flashed in Kazuho's mind. How she sent Sesshoumaru flying into a wall.

Kazuho turned away from Nadia and picked up the pillow she had thrown. She placed it back and re-made the bed. "No...I don't think so."

But if you are right then it's already too late.

A moment of silence filled the room. The only sounds being the curtains fluttering in the wind.

"We should leave."

"What?" Kazuho looked up from the bed.

"We're meeting up with Miaka and Anko for lunch, remember?"

"Oh, that's right! I forgot!"

Kazuho hurriedly finished the bed and picked up the dirty sheets dumping them in a basket. She picked the basket up and headed for the door where Nadia was waiting. Nadia opened the door and held it open from Kazuho. She closed it after they exited the bedroom and the two of walked down the hall in silence when Nadia suddenly slowed down and halted in her steps. Kazuho stopped too and looked at her. "Kazuho, do you ever think about him? Kouhei?"

The sudden bang of heartache hit Kazuho so hard that she thought her heart had burst.

Kazuho exhaled shakily and wet her lips. "A-all the time. Why you ask?"

"Because I believe he is still alive," Nadia said with a firmness that matched the certainty in her eyes. "I know he is alive. I can feel it and I know he will come for us. So please in the meantime don't do anything stupid like upsetting a certain daimyo."

Kazuho stared into Nadia's violet eyes and could see the plea in them but she couldn't reassure her. She and Sesshoumaru could barely be in the same space without ending up arguing and adding the events from last night Kazuho doubted she and Sesshoumaru would make through today without trying to kill each other.

But to throw Nadia off and lessen her worry, Kazuho tilted her head to the side and smirked. "Of course. You can trust me."

"No Kazuho, I mean it. Don't anger Sesshoumaru-sama. The thought of losing you..."

Kazuho's smirk fell from her face when she saw the concerned look in Nadia's eyes. Kazuho averted her eyes to the side and sighed gravely. "Alright. I will do my best but I can't promise you anything...since Sesshoumaru and I...but I will try, okay?"

Nadia sighed in relief and walked up to Kazuho. "That's all I ask."

Kazuho glanced at her before turning to walk away. Nadia fell into her steps and threw an arm around her shoulder. Kazuho sent her a look and looked away, huffing. Nadia smiled knowingly and pulled Kazuho into a side hug.

Both failing to notice Takahiro standing further down the hall, watching the sisters...

Alright! That's all for now - what do you think?

Until next time - take care & ja ne!