Well now, here's the next chapter in my "oh so exciting" (rolls eyes) SDK saga. Seriously though, this chapter signals the entry into the real story, so I'll be toning down the Kyo/Yuya interaction a bit in favor or story (though it won't be much because I can always find a way to create space for these two.)
I certainly apologize for the long wait but, as I've said, I attend school full time and I work a WHOLE lot more than I used to. My time is very limited and I only managed this chapter because I've been stealing bits and pieces out of my class time (I sit in front of a computer all day, and type this when I'm pretending to do my work :3)
Normally, I would list my "Thank You's" but it is past midnight right now and I have to work a double shift tomorrow. It's going to have to wait until next time with the exception of a big fat "THANKS" to my beta and lifesaver The Narrator.
Japanese words:
Chinkusha – carries the connotation of being ugly.
Mumyojinpu school – Kyo's fighting style.
Mizuchi – a move that is the foundation of the Mumyojinpu school.
Kendama – a toy used in ancient Japan to improve concentration and involved a cup and a pointy tip. Sasuke can be seen playing with it constantly in the manga.
Juunishinshou – the "Twelve God Shoguns" who serve the "Master."
Haori - formal robe/coat.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kyo otherwise Kyo, Hotaru, Shinrei, and all the other sexy guys in Kyo would be a part of my harem. ;)
Midori No Me
Chapter Nine
Followers and Leaders
There exists a forest.
A sacred place where humans were not meant to tread.
A terrifying place where mortals could never hope to set foot and live.
A secret place that rejects all who do not belong.
There exists a forest where gods live and demons thrive and the rest of the world is regarded as nothing more a mere plaything for its dwellers.
Kami, he hated having to walk through this forest. Shindara paused and closed his eyes, adjusting his grip on the body of his master who would more than likely going to die within the next two hours if a new host was not provided for him soon. Granted, death never had been and never would be enough to stop his lord for long but there were two problems with this entire situation.
The first problem was how Kyo had managed to defeat his lord and master despite having nonexistent access to his memories of the Mumyojinpu school's techniques. They believed him to be easy prey since they had been watching him as he wandered around the countryside for the past four years. However, he had surprised them all by pulling off a Mizuchi that he should not have recalled how to perform, striking a mortal wound to his master.
'Perhaps it has something to do with his sword,' he speculated to himself. There had been a glimmer of recognition when Tenryo was drawn but no more than that. It was always difficult to read Kyo when he was behaving like an all-around lunatic – which seemed to be every time they met. 'Time enough to dwell on that later.' There were bigger things, like finding a new body for the Master - preferably a stronger one.
Akira had confirmed that Kyo was still very much alive and currently traveling with the sister of one of the few people who came in contact with the Mibu. A certain Yuya, if he recalled the name properly. A bounty had been placed on both of their heads, according to Akira's last report, for the murder of the girl's brother but the government was slow at best. Results would be a long time coming with Kyo in the role of prey - a notion that was laughable at best and idiotic at worst. Had Shindara been a kind man, he might have felt badly about the bounty hunters who would flock to Kyo and die for their efforts, but as it was, he doubted that they would even slow him down.
All of this brought him to his second problem and its name was Akira – also known as Ajira. He didn't trust the boy or his "motives" for wanting Kyo dead. They were supposed to have met a while ago but he was nowhere in sight. Antera was escorting him back, last he heard, but they weren't here yet and their lord was leaning upon death's door.
'When he has his new body, I must speak to him about getting rid of Akira. That boy will betray us, I just know it.'
There was a rustling in the bushes ahead and he placed a hand on the sword beneath his cloak, prepared to defend his liege to the last. 'A ninja to very end, eh?' he thought, a humorless smile twisting his lips. Even with a body that would never die - unless something drastic happened - he was still injured. His senses had been playing tricks on him ever since he entered Aokigahara and it had been a miracle that he had beaten off the more persistent denizens. What made it even worse was that the Mibu hadn't offered any assistance even though there wasn't a doubt in his mind that they knew what he was going through. He suspected that it had something to do with that law of the forest: "The weak die and the strong survive." Well, he wasn't ready to die just yet and so he waited until he was sure that there was nothing there before continuing on his way.
No sooner had he turned his back than a sharp pain ripped through his body and he had to grit his teeth from crying out.
"Hiiiii, Shindara!" a familiar voice called cheerfully and he slowly swung around to give the speaker a glare that plainly said that he was NOT amused.
Antera beamed up at him as she danced in place, her sunny curls bouncing with a cheerfulness that was just wrong given their surroundings.
"Antera," he said in a stern voice, "did it ever occur to you that perhaps I also sustained injuries of my own when we fought against Kyo?"
"Of course not," was her reply, "You're Shindara the Undying, so I know you're alright."
Though not a particularly god-fearing man, he offered a word up to whoever was there to deliver him from the idiots of the world who equated undying with unable-to-get-hurt/maimed/pissed off. He took a deep breath and held his irritation at bay, opting to focus it all on the young man who stood, half-hidden, beneath the shade of the trees.
"Where have you been Ajira? We could have used you in the fight with Kyo. Or are you going to switch sides now since there is no way the Master will forgive you for not being there when he needed you?"
"Shindara, Shindara, don't be so unkind," Akira replied with his soft voice and unfailing formality. He smiled the smile of an angel, but Shinadara knew better than to ignore the demon that lurked behind that façade. Blind he might be, but Akira was no one to sneeze at.
"How could I be kind to a man who cannot be trusted?"
"And where did you obtain the idea that I can not be trusted? I simply excused myself from the battle because it was apparent that the Master would be needing a new body. Surely you agree that I know Kyo best out of the Juunishinshou? I merely noticed that the battle was not in our favor and excused myself to search for 'back-up,' as you might say. I do recall telling you that before I left and I also recall sending word that I had set a plan in motion for the capture of Kyo."
Antera, who had remained quiet after her initial outburst, chimed in, "That's true Shindara. Akira was working very hard to help us find a new body for our Master."
"And where was Akira when you caught up to him, Antera?"
"He was with, Hotaru."
Shindara gave her a sharp look at that, but refrained from commenting. The meeting of two of the legendary four – even if one did work for the Mibu - did not sit well with him at all.
"Perhaps you did do as you said you would, but would it not have made more sense to stay and fight? Your strength would have turned the tide in our favor."
"Is that so…" The younger man brought a finger up and rested it below his lips – which quirked into a sweetly mocking smile.
"Are you perhaps implying that I have more strength than the master or you yourself?" It was buried beneath the silk and genteel nature of his voice but Shindara heard it clearly. Akira was saying in his own subtle way that he was indeed stronger than himself and the master - at least he thought so, but one never knew with Akira. He could insult your entire family and question the legitimacy of your birth and it would come out sounding like the smoothest of poetry.
"He has a point Shindara," Antera added once more, green eyes looking from one to the other, "He probably knew that if the master couldn't beat Kyo then he wouldn't stand a chance. I think he did a good job," she beamed at Akira and the tall man tightened his lips.
'What are you after, Akira?' The older man chose to let the younger's comment pass and turned his back instead, though his hand had yet to leave his sword.
"Let him answer for himself Antera, he doesn't need you to come to his rescue. Do me a favor and stay out of this."
"But," the look he gave her brooked no argument and she grumbled something about the Juunishinshou not needing to argue with each other when they were so few in number now. He stared at her and his expression became even more grim. 'She puts far too much trust in him.'
He turned dark eyes back towards the other man and asked in a low voice, "So tell me, Ajira, did you find the body that you supposedly went to look for?"
Apparently unfazed by the clear suspicion, Akira replied easily, "Why, yes I have. A host that will be stronger than the master's current body." Insult number two. They both knew that the master's strength wasn't dependent on his current form. 'The master was too weak to fight Kyo,' was the message Shindara received and his hand tightened on his sword.
"Where is it then?" He kept his voice level.
"Here with me of course." Akira indicated a well-wrapped bundle though, on closer inspection, he noted that blood had soaked through the bindings in some places. It certainly looked the worse for wear with a suspicious number of protrusions pointing out from the otherwise man-shaped package.
"Are you sure that it is a good choice?"
"Oh, I am very sure, Shindara. It is freshly dead, which should hardly be a hindrance, right?"
"Indeed. Very well, bring it with you, we are nearing the gates."
"As you wish…though, are you sure that you do not wish to allow me to carry the Master for you? Surely you are tired by now."
"I'm fine," he snapped a little more loudly than he intended. No, he didn't trust Akira, not with his Master's body, not in the past, and not in the present.
'That leaves only the future.'
He strongly suspected that the future would bring more problems from Akira than solutions and he grit his teeth; he could do nothing right now save watch and wait.
If…no, when Akira betrayed them, he wanted to be the one to take him down.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Yuya awoke to the sound of Kyo talking to someone outside of their little bush and held herself still, her mind briskly pushing out the last bits of fog from her long sleep in less than a second. 'Who in the world could he be talking to?' she wondered, adjusting the tilt of her head in order to better hear what was being said.
"Your memories lie in Edo, Demon Eyes Kyo."
Her entire body stiffened when she heard those words. 'What is that supposed to mean? What about Kyo's memories?' She asked herself those two questions right before she sensed a change in Kyo's ki and the breath left her lungs in a silent 'whoosh'. 'He's angry,' her mind informed her and she shook her head, annoyed that she was starting to pick up on his moods.
Of greater import than the awareness of his anger was understanding why he was getting upset over such a simple statement. Kyo was a bit unstable – okay, very unstable – but she had chalked it up to all the blood he'd shed over the years affecting his mind. It certainly wasn't unheard-of for samurai to lose their minds from so much killing, which was why it never occurred to her that there might actually be another reason why his thinking was so twisted.
They were speaking again and she quickly tuned her ears into the conversation, noting the well-blended undercurrent of suspicion – and excitement? – in Kyo's voice that she wouldn't have picked up on a few days ago when they first met. 'Kami, I really am starting to become sensitive to his moods!' It was a disconcerting thought and she quickly refocused her attention on the conversation taking place.
"And why," came her companion's voice, "would you come to such a conclusion?"
"I am merely passing a message on to you," replied the stranger, "I just…imagined that you would be glad to know the whereabouts of you memories…or, more specifically, the woman who can return them to you."
"If that's the case then I also imagine that'll you'll be glad to return to your lord," his tone spoke volumes about what he thought of the stranger's employer, "in pieces for presuming to know what I want."
"I am unafraid to die in the service of my master." Yuya rolled her eyes at the generic statement that every man who wielded a sword and worked for one organization or another used. However, she sobered up immediately; the man might actually mean it after all.
"And if he asked you to eat his crap would you do that as well," Kyo inquired crudely. She just knew that he was smirking right now, despite the residual anger in the air.
A sigh of dismissal sounded and he followed his words up with a most unsubtle threat on his part: "Count yourself fortunate that I don't feel like relieving the weight of your head from your shoulders today, Saizo Eater of Crap, though that can quickly change. Tell your master to mind his own business and I won't have to kill either of you until I feel like it."
"I do not think…" the other man began.
"Exactly, you don't think. So allow me to be direct." She clearly heard the sound of a sword being drawn – a long sword that had a mind of its own and only obeyed a certain red-eyed samurai.
"Keep your nose in your master's crap and stay out of mine," her companion said and she decided that now was probably the best time to wriggle out from beneath the bush and provide damage control.
It was a laughable concept – her being able to stay Kyo from killing anyone – but she desperately wanted to avoid any unnecessary bloodshed and therefore mustered the courage to back out from beneath the bush slowly. She frowned when she reached up to smooth her hair and it deepened when her head cleared the bush and she caught sight of the two men. Red eyes shifted her way and she felt very naked for a moment beneath his piercing gaze as he took her measure and nodded, apparently satisfied that she was able to stand on her feet unassisted. 'More like making sure that I don't try to run away again,' she thought sourly.
Kyo had his sword out, but it was in his left hand – she supposed that either he wasn't being serious or he thought nothing of the man before him. Yuya shot him a look that said she didn't approve because the other man – who was pitifully out of place in his ninja's garb – was obviously not a threat. He returned her look with a blank stare and shrugged, glancing at the person who was called "Saizo".
"Forgive me, I did not intend to disturb your lady from her rest," Saizo said, his eyes taking her measure as well before quickly returning them to Kyo. Why was he still being polite to a jerk like Kyo? But more importantly, to refute his statement…
"I have taste."
They both said it…
…In perfect unison.
As one, they turned and she glared at him while his already deadpan face grew even more so.
A silent something was communicated and when at last they remembered that a spectator was present, he had already disappeared with nary a trace as to his whereabouts.
Another moment passed during which a breeze came through and toyed with her hair before leaping to his and running invisible fingers through the long red strands. His head swiveled to bring his eyes to gaze into hers once more and she saw something frightening – at least to her - moving through their depths before vanishing as he returned his sword to its sheath. He appeared to be waiting for something and she wondered if he was trying to figure out how much she had overheard.
She'd had every intention of asking him about Saizo's intriguing statement but it seemed to be the stupidest thing she could do at the moment. She settled for plastering a smile on her face and saying in as normal a voice as possible, "Good morning, Kyo."
He blinked and gave her a look that clearly questioned her sanity before rudely turning his back on her and striding towards the horses.
The young woman took a deep breath and bent down to retrieve her outer kimono, blushing when she realized that the short inner robe didn't do much to cover the important bits. He was going to be tormenting her with this particular mistake later, she just knew he couldn't and wouldn't miss any opportunity to taunt her. 'Stupid promise,' she thought, remembering that she had put herself at his mercy the night before. Shaking her head along with the garment, she donned it quickly and checked the folds where she kept her knives. 'Really, I need to find a better way to carry these. Maybe I should get one of those knife holders they sell in the bigger towns.'
Now that she thought about it, there had been a woman who passed through her village some years ago. She hadn't recognized her but her brother received the lady with open arms and it had only taken her a short while to work her way into young Yuya's heart. Much to Nozomu's dismay, the woman had been all too eager to teach his darling baby sister – who was equally happy to learn – the finer points of knife-throwing. Searching through her memories of that time, she recalled a sort of halter that the woman had shown her. It went around the thigh and was readily accessible in a pinch; definitely something she wanted to buy as soon as she was able. Even more so because of who her traveling companion was. 'I can only do so much with the gun.'
As if to prove her point, a hand came around as soon as she finished the thought and gave her right breast a firm squeeze which resulted in her shrieking and sending an elbow straight towards her assailant's gut, while her other hand fumbled for her knives. She most definitely was going to get a halter or whatever you call it to go around her leg the first chance she got.
Unfortunately – but not unexpected - for her, Kyo dodged and a disappointed look crept over his features. "Still so small," he murmured, a sigh escaping him as he held the hand that had groped her up before his ruby eyes.
'Of all the times to…' The young woman slit her eyes at him in anger and said crossly, "Can't you keep your hands to yourself? It's not like I'm going to magically grow overnight. Besides, I'm not that small, you perv."
"Really," he said, his tone casually disbelieving, "and how big would you say they are, little girl?"
She flushed, he had neatly backed her into a corner and they both knew it. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid Yuya… ignoring him and forgetting what sort of man he is. You walked right into that one!' She crossed her arms over her bosom and glowered.
He smirked and cocked his head, "I'm waiting, girl. Don't tell me you can't back your words up."
"I…" she tried to look anywhere but at him with little success. 'What comparison could I possibly make…?' Her eyes widened and she stared at him with a defiant look as something came to her.
"I…I'm at least peach-sized!" she all but shouted, sticking her hands to her hips and glaring at him with every inch of her five foot three height. Fire was blazing in her green eyes, but she cringed inside at how young she sounded. He stared at her with his brow raised and a smirk on his lips that looked like it desperately wanted to turn into a smile, but she couldn't be sure.
Shaking his head he condescendingly pat her on the head, as if she were nothing but a child, leaning uncomfortably close before saying with mild amusement, "Then I guess I should say that your 'peaches' aren't adequate for my needs."
He made the name of the fruit sound like a dirty word and her blush deepened, her lips compressing into a tighter line as she snapped back, "Who said that they were for you! I'm saving them for the man I marry!"
Kyo actually blinked when he heard that and the fingers of the hand on top of her head curled, burrowing into the golden strands of her hair as his jaw tensed. He was angry again, at least she thought he was, but the moment passed by quickly.
"As if any man in his right mind would tie himself to an ugly brat like you," he sneered, releasing her hair and giving her a none-too-gentle shove.
By the time it occurred to her to be indignant about this second breach in her personal space and the insult that came with it, he was striding away towards the horses. Thin fingers reached up to smooth the hair where his hand had been and lingered, intrigued by the faint warmth left over from his touch. 'I don't understand that man, not one bit.'
She huffed for good measure and turned her back towards him, shaking off her momentary confusion. 'I'll be on guard next time,' she thought as she gathered her very meager belongings from beneath the bush and approached one of the horses, a stallion that was surprisingly well-groomed considering it's previous owners. The animal was a lovely shade of chestnut with a long mane of shimmering black hair of such a pure shade that its highlights were blue; she loved it immediately. It certainly seemed to take to her as she came close, turning its head to regard her with liquid brown eyes that warmed her heart.
"You're a pretty one aren't you," she said softly, holding a hand out to be thoroughly sniffed before reaching up to stroke the velvety nose and guiding it up over the long face to touch the beginning of it's mane, the rest being beyond her reach due to height. A tiny pout graced her lips, she really wanted to scratch behind his ears but they were far too high for her to touch. The young woman contented herself with petting it on the nose, wondering if there was any kind of feed for the great beast in the packs that Kyo had lifted from the bandits. Rubbing its nose gently one last time, she shifted her burden to the other arm and eyed the high back of the animal.
There was no way she would be able to reach it on her own, especially with her bundle in her hands, and she would walk before she asked Kyo for help in mounting. She definitely didn't want to risk giving him another opportunity to cop a feel. 'But how else could I get up there?' She squinted against the newly risen sun and scanned the terrain for a stump or a rock or anything to help her mount. It only confirmed the horrible suspicion that she wouldn't receive help from anyone save the "Thousand Killer" and she grimaced. 'I absolutely am NOT going to ask him.'
Hazarding a glance over her shoulder, she saw that he was watching her with a knowing look in his eyes and she grit her teeth, returning her attention to the horse. 'Definitely not! I don't want his hands on me! I refuse to let him touch me!' She turned to shoot a glare at his smug countenance and stifled a shriek as she literally came face-to-face with him.
"Don't do that!"
"Do what?" was his casual reply.
"Sneak up on me like that."
"Does it ever occur to you that perhaps you're just oblivious to your surroundings?"
She bit her lip and refused to mention that she had merely been occupied with finding a way to mount the horse. There was also little point in telling him that most humans in general didn't make it from a ten-foot distance to less than one in the space of time it took for her to turn around, all without creating a sound.
'Stupid, abnormal, arrogant…' she mentally compiled a list of adjectives to add to his name and gradually relaxed.
"Having trouble mounting, hmm? Do you need help?" He didn't even bother to hide his mirth at her predicament.
Her ire came back with a vengeance and she answered him through clenched teeth, "No, I am perfectly fine doing this on my own."
"As you wish then. Just keep in mind that we need to be gone as soon as possible if you want to have a bed to sleep in tonight."
She wanted to stick her tongue out at him for implying that she would take forever to get up on the broad back of her mount…except he was mostly right and she hadn't a clue as to how she was going get up that high without aid. 'Or without giving him a free show,' she tugged self-consciously at the bottom of her kimono which was sure to take a ride up if she lifted her legs too high.
'Let's see…maybe I can…' She set her pack down on the ground and 'smooshed' it into a ball, wincing when she thought of the tiny bit of food she had stashed therein. Working it over until she was satisfied, she added her foot-wear to the top and stepped up, pointedly ignoring the evil grin on his face – the one where she caught a glimpse of his sharp canines. Measuring the height of the bundle and her own body, she prayed to whoever was listening that he wouldn't be getting an eyeful and tentatively stepped onto the mound.
"See, I can get up by myself," she said triumphantly as she brought her other foot up to balance on her makeshift stepladder.
He made no reply and she smirked as she half-turned with every intention of taunting him for doubting her…and promptly lost her balance. It took one second for the geta beneath her bare foot to slip from the pile and another for her to see the ground rushing up at her before she screwed her eyes shut and waited for an impact…
…which never came.
She tensed and opened her eyes as her fall was neatly halted. Kyo was there, with his arms of corded steel and his scent that was pure male tinged with the smell of forests and a hint of blood. Her face was pressed into his haori and, by extension, his warm chest and her mind was immediately swamped with memories of the night before. She shook like a leaf as she pushed away from him quickly, her feet finding purchase on solid ground once again. One small hand was brought up to hide the way her lips trembled and the flush that painted itself across her cheeks in delicate shades of pink.
"Can't you even do something as simple as getting onto a horse," his deep voice, laden with mockery, broke the temporary spell and she turned away.
"D…Don't think I'm grateful to you for breaking my fall. I didn't ask you to get horses. Beside I've never…" she quickly cut herself off, unwilling to continue.
Unfortunately, he wasn't going to let her end it at that.
"You've never what…ridden a horse?"
She tensed even more if possible and nodded reluctantly. "Unlike some people who have had the privilege of growing up around wealth, my family was a poor one. We couldn't afford such luxuries."
And she knew this very well because she had cried herself to sleep many a night when the children teased her more than usual and reminded her that she was a poor child with no parents. 'Yuya, Yuya, ugly girl! Always useless…always holding Nozomu back...' She blinked away the tears that came automatically before they could spill over and braced herself for Kyo's usual scathing remarks about self-pity and the like.
Surprisingly, nothing was said, he simply stood there and stared at her with a stony face that revealed nothing. It was strange and un-Kyo-like and she felt like provoking him because of it.
"What? Is there something else you need? I'll just try again. I neither want nor need your help," She moved past him and set a foot on the pile, firmly kicking the voice in the back of her head that told her she was being mulish. 'What are you going to do now, Kyo?'
His answer to her unspoken question, of course, was to take matters into his own hands – literally – and she clearly heard him growl out a "stubborn woman" before he hauled her up like so much baggage and deposited her atop the horse. She had to grab onto the animal's thick neck in order to stop herself from falling off on the other side and spent a good number of minutes trying to get herself comfortable with having something so wide between her legs. Satisfied that she wasn't going to plunge to her doom, she turned to glare at Kyo and found him gone yet again in order to tend to the other horses.
This time he was settling her "step-ladder" - which was thoroughly rumpled and looked like a bad idea now that she saw the end result – on the back of a black beauty of a stallion. Her idea seemed even more ludicrous because she was now deprived of any sort of footwear and was acutely aware of the fact that she looked every bit the poor girl that she was with her kimono splattered with mud and her bare toes wiggling with discomfort.
'Stupid Kyo,' she thought to herself, even thought she knew very well that a lot of blame could just as easily be heaped upon her own head. 'That's right, Yuya, you gave him license to order you around.' She grimaced and sagged. Why was it that she always realized the enormity of her mistakes after the fact?
Yuya watched as he slapped the rump of the extra horse, red eyes momentarily following it as it galloped off to wherever it wanted to go, before mounting his own steed. She took advantage of his momentary distraction to admire the gorgeous black horse that suited Kyo to perfection with its proud back and decidedly independent spirit. It held itself as if were only deigning to carry anything on its back, let alone a person and his meager belongings. And Kyo - while every bit as tattered as she was in his worn armor and ragged haori – still managed to cut a proud figure who needed nothing and no one to be strong. He was as in his element as she was out of hers and, not for the first time, she wondered where he had acquired his unique personality. 'Where did you come from Kyo?'
His unsettling gaze swung around to hers and she quickly looked away, seemingly engrossed with the saddle - it was of an unusual design that must have been imported (or stolen) from one of the western foreigners who frequented the shores and towns of Nippon. The sound of hooves making their way slowly to her side reached her ears and she waited for him to speak.
"Move up, brat," the husky voice of her tormentor ordered and she reluctantly obeyed, keeping her head turned in order to avoid the mocking look in his eyes. She just knew it was there because he got that same look whenever he succeeded in angering her or when she made a complete fool of herself.
She did herself proud by holding still as he leaned over her and looped a length of rope – procured from the packs that they had "acquired" from the bandits – around the neck of her horse. He tied it tightly enough to stay on and still allow the animal to breath, giving it a good tug to make sure that would hold before gathering the reigns and looping them around an odd protrusion on the saddle. The other end was tied around the neck of his own steed, who snorted at this additional affront to its dignity.
"You will hold onto this," he indicated the rope instead of the reins once he was done.
"Why?" she asked, puzzled about the whole thing.
"Do you know how to guide a horse?"
"No."
"Then you don't need to hold onto the reins. I don't have the time to chase after you if you scare your horse because you jerk them around too much. I am going to lead and you are going to follow."
She found herself forming a strong dislike for his words, sensible though they were.
"You don't have to treat me like a child," she muttered under her breath but he caught it anyways and fixed a steady eye on her.
"Would you prefer to be thrown from your horse if it bolts, so that you break your fool neck?"
"As if you actually care about me," she shot back at him, wondering in some remote part of her mind why she was being so testy when he clearly wasn't trying to provoke her.
He furrowed his brow at her and replied, "I take care of my property and that includes you. I gave you my word that you wouldn't be harmed and I won't let your lack of anything resembling a brain get in the way of keeping it."
"You…"
"Yes?" he cut her off, his red eyes hardened with a look that brooked no argument.
Her waspish reply died in her throat and she couldn't bear to stare into his eyes any longer. Obediently, she hooked her hands onto the rope and pressed her legs closer to the horse's sides.
"Better," he murmured and she knew the exact moment when his heavy stare was lifted from her tiny frame and she was allowed to breathe again.
'Never forget, Yuya, that he's killed a thousand men. Provoke him you may but remember that you live because he wants it that way…and it could easily change.' Up ahead, he kicked his horse into a slow walk and her own mount followed.
When she looked up again, she saw him looking off the road to the right - where there was nothing but open plain and trees as far as she could see – with a preoccupied look on his face. It didn't take long for her behind – completely unused to being on a horse and one that obviously wasn't built for a Yuya-sized rider to boot – to start feeling as if it had been soundly switched. It took forever for her to figure out how to ignore the pain and even longer to gather up her courage to voice the question that had been teasing her since she woke up to his strange conversation.
They were half an hour into their journey when she focused her eyes on his back and spoke, breaking his concentration on…whatever it was that had caught his interest.
"We are going to Edo, Kyo."
It wasn't a so much a question as it was a statement, carefully worded to inform him that she had heard his conversation. 'What will you say? Will you tell me the truth? This is your opportunity to be straight with me, Kyo,' she told him in her mind.
He took so long in answering that she was beginning to believe that she must indeed be a glutton for punishment. What else would prompt her to ask anything personal of him, no matter how vaguely she put it?
She jumped when he answered in a neutral tone, "We are going there to look for something."
That too was a carefully worded statement. If she hadn't heard his conversation then her earlier statement could be passed off as a question. But if she had…would she ask him the all important question.
"Are you really searching for your memories?"
Something deep down told her that her question would open a door that wasn't ready to be opened yet and so she keep it inside of her head and said instead, "Is it a long way to Edo?"
Yuya got the distinct impression that he was relieved that she hadn't pried any further and for one reason or another, a smile worked its way onto her lips. Perhaps he was human after all and perhaps she hadn't made the mistake of her life when she rescued him.
It was an illogical conclusion to come to but she couldn't help it. Why? Because, in the end, she would carry with her the memory of Kyo following her in the rain and the gentle fingers that wiped the tears from her cheeks as he held her safe.
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Golden eyes studied them. It really wasn't far to Mt. Kudoyama – only half-a day - but Sasuke had been sidetracked by his senses. They first told him that Saizo, his fellow "servant", was nearby; more than enough reason to take the scenic route. He wasn't in the mood to deal with the somewhat paranoid ninja and his constant "Yukimura-sama this" and "Yukimura-sama that" – the man was like a mother hen sometimes.
The second thing he detected was the presence of someone strong nearby and he felt himself itching. Well, perhaps 'itching' wasn't the right word for it. It was more like ants walking up and down right beneath the surface of his skin and a voice that whispered in the back of his mind that there was killing to be done. He tightened his hand on his kendama and began to play with it; the rhythmic 'click-clack' of the ball landing on the wooden point and the shallow cup in turn was relaxing. This particular habit of his certainly took the edge off of the near animalistic urge to draw sword and charge forward by keeping his hands occupied.
All this talk of Demon Eyes Kyo - the Thousand Slayer - made him impatient for battle. He wanted to test his sword against this man who Yukimura kept talking about in order to see if it really was possible to kill a legend. Unfortunately, he was reduced to watching because of his master's orders and he silently – if half-heartedly – cursed his unending loyalty to the younger Sanada brother. Yukimura Sanada, for all his reputation as a loose man with little common sense, was his benefactor, his employer…and his brother. Not a day went by that he did not recall how much he owed the man who had filled the gap in his life that was left behind after he killed…
No, he wasn't going to think about that right now. There was someone there who was just like him – a kindred spirit as it were. Although, if the other person was anything like him, then they would more than likely attempt to kill each other once they met. He wasn't afraid to die – in fact, he was positive that he would meet his end in a battle before he reached his lord's age – but, the truth of the matter was that he had a mission to complete and he would not fail it because of his own selfishness.
However, not fighting didn't translate into not getting a look at the person who seemed to taunt him with the sheer amount of raw power hovering about his person. This thought was what brought him to his present position – perched in a tree and staring out over a wide plain in order to observe his quarry.
There were two people there, one male and one female. The woman he dismissed as unimportant since he could barely detect her rather pitiful presence but the man, he was undoubtedly the person who had triggered his senses without any warning. The man positively radiated power and he tightened his grip on his toy as his mind and body clamored in unison to fight this unknown person.
Perhaps he himself had allowed his own ki to flow forth without intention because the next thing he knew, the face of the man turned towards him. Even at this distance – which was more than a normal human could see and certainly stretched his own superior vision – there was no mistaking the blazing red of the eyes set in that face. The man looked right at him and he shrank back, even though the trees and their leaves were acting as his cover. He wasn't afraid, no, but he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would fight this man today if they were to truly meet face-to-face.
He realized exactly who this must be.
Demon Eyes Kyo.
The man who slew a thousand men in one fateful day on the bloody battlefield of Sekigahara.
The man who Yukimura and the One-Eyed Idiot were searching for.
The man he would gladly die fighting.
He was indeed strong, so very strong, and he felt his heart beating against the cage of his chest, eagerly pumping blood to the farthest extremities of his body. He would need the extra energy it provided if…
Sasuke sighed.
…If he was going to stick around long enough to take this man on. He had a mission to complete and responsibilities to fulfill which left no time to dally in battle, no matter who the opponent was. He turned away with much difficulty and resumed his journey towards Mt. Kudoyama. Yukimura would be there soon and he would inform him about the whereabouts of Kyo and then…
His golden eyes glinted.
…Then, he would come back. There was nothing - save Yukimura ordering him to stay put and even that was questionable - that would keep him from fighting Kyo.
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Their peaceful little interlude wasn't going to last.
Kyo knew this when he decided not to tell the little minx behind him that he hadn't a single memory of his life before these past four years. How does a man tell the person he has promised to protect that his first memory was of being stranded in the middle of a battle with no choice save to fight his way out using skills that he doesn't remember having? How could he tell her that he had wound up wounded on her "doorstep" because he had fought two men, both of whom seemed to hold a grudge against him and neither of whom he could recall? He certainly wasn't about to tell her that his sword – which was very much alive – seemed to be the only thing that knew who and what he was but it tried to drive him out of his mind every time he used it.
Their peaceful little interlude wasn't going to last.
Yuya was far too spirited a woman to settle for his constant silence on matters concerning his past. He couldn't keep her in the dark forever because, already, there were people out there who wanted him dead; individuals who knew who and what he was better than himself. The presence that he had sensed earlier was gone now but he knew it would be back and it wouldn't be the only one. A fighter in every sense of the word, he knew in the very core of his being that others like him would never pass up the chance to test their mettle against the "Thousand Slayer."
The problem was what would happen when the girl was finally drawn into his mess. 'More like, when she's drawn further into the mess.' He suspected that she had heard part of his conversation with Saizo but he hadn't expected her to pass up the opportunity to press him about it. It either meant that she hadn't been listening to them or she was far more in tune with his personality than he was comfortable with. If it was the latter, then perhaps he had better consider cutting her loose sooner rather than later - he didn't want to form any unwanted attachments. And he positively refused to examine the feeling that shot through him when she told him that she was saving herself for the man she would marry.
'I've barely known the brat for three days. It's nothing.'
The moment they set foot in Edo he was going to head for the nearest brothel and rid himself of the tension that made him think about that frustrating little country girl behind him far too often. He was Demon Eyes Kyo, a man who could kill thousands if he had to.
What use did he have for anyone else but his sword?
What need did he have for a girl who was more or less of passing interest to him?
What necessity was there for memories of her tear streaked face and the warmth of her - very pliant - body as it rested against his own?
He had things to do and people to kill, she existed because she was an oddity and a puzzle, only that and nothing more. Once he worked off his frustration at the brothel, the flames that twisted around in his stomach whenever she was near would die down and he could continue on with his life. He would reason out what it was that he wanted from the girl and find whatever niche in his life she was destined to have.
Yes, that was what he would do.
That was what he would have to do…
…Because their peaceful little interlude wasn't going to last and he didn't want to think about what he would do if she died before he figured what he really wanted from her.
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There you have, the next chapter. Feel free to R and R. I'll be seeing you next time.