The next morning, Goemon and Ebisumaru sat at their usual table in the Akindo Teahouse. Omitsu had greeted them with her usual squeal of joy and announced that the heroes of Japan had arrived. Nobody else in the restaurant seemed to share the same level of excitement that Omitsu had, although there were some brief stares from the people who had seen Goemon depart to Mt. Fuji the previous day. The enthusiastic waitress had used that same introduction for over three years now, and all of the customers had grown bored of it long before then.
Goemon stared down at his cup of tea in deep thought. He had spent most of the night thinking about what Yae had said to him, the entire conversation playing in his mind over and over again. He hadn't shown it at the time, but what she said had really got to him. Maybe he was becoming irresponsible. Maybe another brash action would end up hurting him or one of his friends, and if that happened he wasn't sure he could ever forgive himself. But at the same time, he felt he had the duty to lead, and sometimes that involved acting without taking too much time to think each option through carefully.
He and Yae had had so many similar disagreements in the past, he was sure their friendship wouldn't be adversely affected in the long run by this one argument. Even so, he knew an apology was in order. After all, she was obviously concerned about him.
Goemon and Ebisumaru finished their meal and got up to exit, leaving their payment on the table. Omitsu waved affectionately in their direction as they left. Goemon smiled and waved back. No matter how bad his day was, seeing Omitsu usually cheered him up, as long as she wasn't interrupting the beginning of a long overdue adventure.
Goemon and Ebisumaru walked through the streets of Oedo Town, discussing what to do about their demon problem. Goemon, as usual, wanted to waste no more time and start the search right away. His eagerness had returned to its full fervor. They hadn't walked very far when they heard a feminine voice whisper to them. "Psst. Goemon! Ebisumaru! Over here."
Goemon and Ebisumaru turned in the direction of the voice and saw a figure covered from head to toe in a green cloak. Her face (at least, they assumed it was a "her") was shrouded in the darkness of her hood, which also seemed to hide two small points at the top of her head. She beckoned Goemon and Ebisumaru forward with her hand, which was inside a small yellow glove.
Goemon was hesitant at first to follow this stranger's advice. "I can help you," she said after several seconds of Goemon staring at her. Goemon finally trusted her and walked down the alley, with Ebisumaru following closely behind. There was something familiar about the voice, but Goemon couldn't quite put his finger on it.
The figure turned around and removed her hood, revealing a face resembling that of a cat. She had red markings on her cheeks and red hair to match, and her pointed ears stood straight up above her head. Goemon and his friends had met her once before. It was...
"Hey, it's Suzuki," Ebisumaru said. "How are you doing?"
"Suzuki" was visibly irritated. "Umm...actually, my name is Suzaku."
"Hey, it's Suzaku. How are you doing?"
---
Yae woke up that morning feeling worse than she had in a long time. She had laid in bed for much of the night thinking about Goemon. He seemed to turn a deaf ear to the fact that she was so concerned about his well-being, and she was extremely hurt by this. On top of that, she had a splitting headache and an agonizing stomachache. She couldn't bring herself to eat anything, and instead decided to report for work early. Her boss was always pleased when his employees showed up early. Yae knew she couldn't show any symptoms of her internal or external ailments while at work. There was no mercy for SSIN agents who showed any kind of weakness.
The headquarters of the SSIN was a tall building not far from Oedo Castle. It was inconspicuous in appearance, save for the sign by the sliding door that assured all readers that this building was not the headquarters of the SSIN. Yae looked around to make sure nobody was watching her and entered the building.
The first room looked normal, most likely in case anybody who doubted the validity of the sign wandered in. There was no indication that this was a place where missions of a top secret nature were planned. There were some chairs on the side and a simple desk at the back, where the only other person in the room, the receptionist, sat. "Miss Yae, Hideyoshi would like to speak with you, ad he didn't sound too happy" said the receptionist in a raspy voice. "Good luck, you're probably gonna need it."
Nobody knew much about the receptionist except that she had worked here since long before Yae was born. She was dangerously overweight, and her stubby fingers made flipping through her many pages of work a chore. Her thick glasses were dirty and partially covered her dreary brown eyes. She buried her face in her paperwork immediately after relaying Hideyoshi's message to Yae, which made it more difficult to see the disinterested frown she was most likely wearing. In all the years Yae had been an agent here, she had never once seen this woman smile.
"Thanks, Ayame," Yae said as she walked past the desk to a set of double doors. She slowly turned the knob and walked inside, fearing the worst.
Unlike the foyer, nearly every inch of wall space in this room was decorated with banners, maps, and paintings. Two intertwined dragons were painted on the ceiling in a breathtaking display. Both of the side walls contained calligraphy posters to remind members of the organization's three cardinal values: secrecy, loyalty, and justice. Yae walked to the center of the room, where an ornate oaken desk from a tall man whose back was facing her. He looked over his shoulder at the sound of approaching footsteps. "Ah, Miss Yae. I've been expecting you." He turned around completely, revealing a wide body and face, and glasses even thicker than Ayame's. Several large, beautiful rings were placed on his old, worn out fingers. As he lowered himself into his imposing leather chair, he let out a huge sigh, as if sitting down was a task that required a great amount of effort. Slumped in his chair, he looked like a frog. A giant, slimy, disgusting frog. "I see you're early. At least you can still do that right."
"Thank you, Master Hideyoshi," Yae chanted dryly. "Sir" simply wouldn't cut it for him; he insisted on being called "Master", a title that he felt truly encompassed his greatness.
In fact, Yae loathed her boss. At the beginning of her career at the SSIN, Hideyoshi was a handsome man with an impressive ability to inspire confidence in his employees. He was young and idealistic, the heart of a true leader beating in his perfectly sculpted chest. But this had not lasted for long. He had been the head of the SSIN for only one year before he lost his zeal. He grew fat and tired, and got some sick pleasure out of making his agents squirm. This sudden transformation had always confounded Yae, who had at one point considered him to be quite attractive. If Yae had known that Hideyoshi would turn out like this, she would have shuddered and gagged every time she looked at him.
"Have a seat, Yae," Hideyoshi said. There was a pause before he began laughing at this joke that he had been using for years. There were no other chairs in the room for Yae to sit in. "Anyway, I'll be frank," he continued. "You are a very skilled agent, one of our best."
Yae nodded, but said nothing. Hideyoshi hated to be interrupted in the middle of one of his speeches.
"But lately, you've been engaging in actions that go against the very tenets of the SSIN. You have made your affiliation with us a little too...public for my liking. Nearly everybody in Japan knows who you are, and we certainly can't have that. Imagine if our headquarters was found, the chaos that would ensue. On top of that, you're spending entirely too much time with that hideous excuse of a ninja."
Yae groaned and rolled her eyes. It was no secret to Yae that Hideyoshi despised Goemon almost as much as she hated Hideyoshi.
Hideyoshi was taken aback by Yae's insolence, but kept going. "It is my understanding that you went to investigate something at Mt. Fuji yesterday. He is a bad influence on a SSIN agent like you, Yae. Once a thief, always a thief. There is no real justice in what he does. At this point, I'm starting to think your loyalties lie with him instead of us."
"You're wrong, Hideyoshi," Yae said. She had put up with this idiocy for too long. "Goemon was a righteous thief, a bringer of true justice. He has always helped those in need. And even though Goemon is one of my best friends, you know that I'm always forced to put this job first. My loyalty will always lie with the SSIN." Yae's breathing rapidly sped up and became harder after this. It was far from being as powerful as she would have liked, but she hoped she had made her point.
"What he pursues is not real justice. He seeks glory above all else. Hardly righteous, if you ask me." Hideyoshi was visibly perturbed by Yae's sudden outburst. The kunoichi, meanwhile, narrowed her eyes and tried her best to suppress a low, almost inaudible growl. "Perhaps I should be more strict on this matter. From this point forward, you are not to be seen with Goemon on any type of adventure, or expedition, or investigation, or whatever you want to call it. If there is substantial evidence that you are joining him on one of these foolhardy errands, I will have no choice but to terminate your employment with us as an agent."
"May I remind you, Master Hideyoshi, that a member of the SSIN is a member for life. People are very rarely permitted to quit, and even if it were possible for you to fire me, it wouldn't be a wise decision. What if I became so bitter that I revealed the secrets of the SSIN to anybody who would listen? Perhaps it would be in everyone's best interest that I stay here, don't you think?" Yae was relieved, not to mention thankful that she had taken the time to learn every single rule of this organization. She had finally managed to outsmart her boss.
"I am aware of that, but also note that I threatened to end your career as an agent. You'll still be working for the SSIN for the rest of your days, you can be sure of that." A malicious grin formed on Hideyoshi's face as a look of confusion formed on Yae's. "You'll be coming in every day to fill out paperwork. You will have no time off, and you will no longer be sent to do any fieldwork for us."
This was the worst thing Yae could possibly hear. She gasped and covered her mouth in horror at the prospect of being stuck behind a desk all day. "You wouldn't--"
"I would indeed," Hideyoshi said. His smile curved viciously and stretched from ear to ear. Watching Yae suffer was apparently giving him great joy. "Look on the bright side, Yae. In a few years, you might have Ayame's job. She started out just like you: a brilliant young kunoichi with dreams of being a great agent for the SSIN. She worked hard and became one of the best, again just like you. But then she became sloppy. Started carrying out her own plans in pursuit of what she called 'real justice,' very similar to this Goemon fellow. But what she really did was act out of line of SSIN standards. Since she had served this organization so well in the past, the heads of the organization at that time decided to strip her of her former title and make her a receptionist."
Yae imagined her future self if this was to be her fate. She saw an aged woman with sagging skin and unkempt hair, and a face that lacked any desire to work or even live. It was the most frightening image Yae had ever seen. "B-But sir--How could you do this to me? I've been so loyal and served so wholeheartedly. You--You said just a moment ago that I was one of your best agents." Yae's throat was growing sore, and her anger was almost too much to control.
"It's true that losing you as an agent would be difficult. But don't worry, we have others who are just as good and will actually adhere to my orders. And remember, at this time you are still an agent for us. This is just your final warning. No more adventures with Goemon, it's for your own good."
"For my own good?!" Yae shouted. She knew she would be strongly rebuked for this, but that didn't matter anymore. She was too upset to care. "Goemon has been a better friend to me than anybody else in my entire life."
"He's corrupted you, Yae. He's changed you for the worse."
"He has NOT corrupted me! I'm still as good a ninja as I always was! Goemon's changed me for the better, he made me a better person. It took me over three years to see this, and I didn't fully realize it until now, standing here in front of you today. But I know in my heart that it's true, and I will defend his honor with all my might!"
"Fine, defend his honor all you want. You are still more than welcome to call him a friend. But remember that he is a foolish man whose tactics often make a situation worse in the long run rather than better. A member of the SSIN can not be seen working with someone like that."
The conversation had grown quite heated in the few minutes it had lasted so far. Yae couldn't believe how twisted Hideyoshi's perception of Goemon was. "'Worse in the long run rather than better?' I don't believe this!" How could he say that after he saved all of Japan so many times?
"Now then," Hideyoshi continued. "It doesn't look like we have any assignments for you today. You will remain on standby in Oedo Town until we have need of your services. If you have no further questions, you may go."
Yae bowed stiffly and started out the door, only too happy to go. "Oh, one more thing I forgot to mention," Hideyoshi called to her before clearing his throat. "May I remind you, Miss Yae, that if you do reveal the SSIN's secrets to anybody as you so threatened, you will suffer the same punishment as anybody else who goes against the organization's tenets: execution. And if you run, rest assured we will find you. Have a nice day."
Yae walked out of Hideyoshi's office and wanted to collapse on the spot. Her will to get out of that place as quickly as possible was the only thing keeping her standing. "What a nightmare these past two days have been," she complained as she massaged her forehead.
"I heard the whole thing, Yae," Ayame said. She took her glasses off for a cleaning, revealing a look of genuine concern and sympathy. "Don't make the same mistakes I did. It's not worth it. You're still an attractive young girl, you don't deserve to be stuck here all day every day." Ayame went back to her pile of paperwork, which didn't seem to have diminished at all over the duration of Yae's confrontation with her boss.
Yae was still fuming when she walked outside. Her headache had gotten much worse, and she could feel the vomit starting to creep up inside her. She huffed defiantly and sat on the street just a few yards from SSIN headquarters, immediately burying her face in her palms.
She cursed her boss under her breath, not caring at all about the stares she received from the people around her. Yae hadn't heard Hideyoshi speak this badly of Goemon in over three years, which was one of the reasons she enjoyed the hiatus so much more than Goemon did. She was free to spend time with Goemon, Ebisumaru and Sasuke, an activity she enjoyed more than she was willing to admit. But there was no logic to Hideyoshi's hatred of him. He was blinded by his prejudice, a loathing he had developed back when Goemon still called himself a righteous thief. It sickened Yae to the core.
Even though Yae had left Goemon on less than pleasant terms the previous night, she missed his company and wished he was there to console her. But if he was here, the conversation from the day before, a topic that Yae was not keen on talking about, would surely come up.
Yae's mind then wandered to the threats Hideyoshi had made. Could he possibly be serious? Would he really force her to perform such menial tasks for the rest of her life, just to force her to cut off all ties to Goemon? True, Hideyoshi had made it clear that she could still call him a friend, but Yae was fairly certain that his ultimate goal was for her to stop spending time with him altogether. She couldn't know for sure whether Hideyoshi's threat was serious, and she wondered if it was worth the risk to test his patience even more than she already had. For the first time in years, Yae felt truly alone, with no idea of what the right thing to do might be.
A familiar voice awoke Yae from her daze. "Hey, Yae. I'm glad we found you. You don't have anything to do for work right now, do you?"
Yae looked up to see Goemon and Ebisumaru approach. They were followed by a mysterious figure in a green cloak and hood. Yae stood up quickly, cleared her throat, and shook her head.
"All right, we may have found someone who can help us find and defeat Makurayami," Goemon said, indicating the stranger following him. Yae leaned in closer to try and get a better look at this new helper.
"We may not be able to live in the same world yet, but I'm glad I could at least visit you again, Yae." Yae's eyes widened upon hearing this unusual phrase, as it triggered a dormant memory in her brain. She knew immediately who she was talking to.
"It's good to see you again, Suzaku," Yae said as she bowed politely.
Suzaku turned to Ebisumaru. "See? It's not that hard to remember."
"Hey, I got close, didn't I?" Ebisumaru said. "Give me a break, already." They walked off in the other direction, leaving Goemon and Yae alone.
"Suzaku's going to tell us everything at the Wise Man's house," Goemon said. "Sasuke should probably hear this too."
They started walking after Ebisumaru and Suzaku before Goemon spoke again. "Listen, Yae, about last night. I'm--"
Yae waved her hand and shook her head to stop him. "It's okay," she said. She wouldn't dare say anything more to him, or even look him in the eyes. Not after what she was thinking about at that moment.
