Chapter 10: The Hunt for Ugetsu
It was another few days before Claire felt that it was a good time to return to the barracks. So far, it seemed that Makoto and Captain Kongo were having very little luck in locating Ugetsu's location.
But after Claire had trained hard and practiced more of her bladework, she felt that she had learned all she could for the time being and that she would check in on Makoto and see how the investigation was going. To her surprise, it seemed that she wasn't the only one who had been busy since they last spoke.
"Great tidings, Claire!" Makoto cried with a bright look in her eyes when she approached, "We've ascertained the location of Ugetsu's hideout! Captain Kongo has the details. A moment, if you would."
Claire was taken aback to hear this, but she waited patiently until Makoto returned with Kongo right behind her. He smiled warmly at the sight of her—any signs of superstitions or distrust seemed to be permanently gone—as he bowed politely to her.
"Claire, you are well come," he said to her seriously, "We scoured Shiden's quarters, and what should turn up among his possessions but missives he received from Ugetsu. They point to a certain ruin in Yanxia."
Yanxia? Well, it was a start. But Yanxia was a large chunk of land and it wasn't like they could search over every square inch? She was in half a mind to see if she could contact any of her fellow Shinobi in the Liberation Front when Captain Kongo went on.
"Now, word of Shiden's demise will have already reached Ugetsu, and he must assume that we will track him down ere long," he reasoned, "But he will not—cannot—run. To do so after losing his right hand would cost him much of the momentum he has painstakingly gained."
That certainly was true. After coming this far, it seemed unlikely that he would be willing to give up that easily. The only part that remained in question was wondering just what he would choose to do now. It if were her, she would want to put a stop to them before anymore of the plan began to unravel. Which would mean…?
"As I see it, two choices remain to Ugetsu," Kongo added with a thoughtful scowl. "He will await our coming, or he will bring the fight to us. Either way the stakes are high. As you know, Ugetsu is a peerless swordsman. Only you, who bested Shiden, and perhaps myself could stand a chance against him."
She could see where this was going from a malm off. If the two of them were the only ones who had a chance against Ugetsu, then they would have to split up. One of them would go to Yanxia and investigate while the other remained behind and wait. And she had a pretty good guess as to which of them would be expected to travel to Yanxia.
"As captain, my place is here at the barracks," Kongo added with an apologetic look on his face, "While I hold fort, I bid you and Makoto journey to Yanxia, there to hunt down Ugetsu."
Claire nodded, while not happy about this, she was also aware that it couldn't be helped. If nothing else, she did know more about Yanxia and she could always contact Hien and the Liberation Front to aid her if she was unsuccessful.
"I shall pray for your safety and success," he said with another bow and a look of great respect, "If instead the rogue should show himself here, rest assured I will give him a rousing welcome."
She was counting on him. In all honesty though, she hoped that she would be able to track down Ugetsu herself. She wanted a chance to meet him face-to-face—just so that she could have a face to put to the name that put Musosai through so much torment.
As she readied herself to leave, she got a surprise from Makoto, who insisted on going with her.
"Yanxia lies upon the mainland," she said, "Across the Ruby Sea. We will first make for Namai, a small mountain village, and thence go after Ugetsu and his cohorts."
"I can go on my own," she offered as the two of them left the barracks and headed down to the docks that would take them across the Ruby Sea.
"I can't let you go alone," Makoto insisted. "And Yanxia is large. You will need more than one pair of eyes to search it. Don't worry, should we find Ugetsu, I won't hold back."
Claire shrugged, knowing that she would be fighting a losing battle to try and convince her to remain behind. So, she nodded and allowed her to follow after her as they secured safe passage. They borrowed a small fishing boat and set sail at once, drifting across the water, the waves oddly gentle this day as they sailed underneath the cloudy sky.
"This is good," Makoto said as she looked up to the thick clouds above her. "Less chances of being spotted with this cloud cover. Of course, if it rains, it could end up hindering us?"
Makoto spoke more about their chances with the weather the further they sailed—not coming across any signs of the Confederacy yet. Claire couldn't help but wonder if it was because they had no desire to pick a fight with someone in a Sekiseigumi uniform… or were busy pillaging other wares from those who refused to pay the Tithe. Either way, it seemed that they would arrive safely to the Isle of Isari without meeting anyone else.
Just as they spotted the shores upon the small isle, Claire couldn't help but gaze down at her with curiosity. That was when she decided that since they had nothing else to do at the moment, she asked her a question that she had been wondering about since the moment that they met.
"Makoto?" she asked suddenly, getting her attention. "Why are you so determined to hunt down Ugetsu, if you don't mind me asking?"
Makoto blinked at such a question before Claire elaborated, "While I understand your desire to capture Ugetsu before anything else dies… I can't help but feel like you are taking this… personally. It is almost… like an obsession with you. I got that feeling the moment that we first met."
There was no doubt about it. There was some kind of sensitive ground she was treading upon. It was written all over Makoto's face as she looked down to her lap, not saying a word.
"I… I have my reasons," she said slowly. "I know that it's not much to speak of. But I lost those that I care deeply for because of… because of him." She then looked back up and added as they passed over a sudden upsurge, quickly carrying them to the shores, "I will not deny that this is more personal than I let on. But… my life has been turned completely upside down because of Ugetsu. I lost everything because of him and I swore that I would find a way to put a stop to his ambitions before anyone else is made to suffer."
Claire then saw her hands clench tightly upon her knees—shaking slightly as she gave her head a hard shake.
"I know that it's not much to go on, but the past is painful to talk about…?" she began but Claire shook her head.
"Nay, I apologize," she said softly, "I did not mean to bring up any painful memories. If you rather not talk about it, then I respect that. I simply wanted to make sure that you weren't going to allow your feelings to prevent you from doing what you intend. Forgive me."
But Makoto shook her head, a faint smile there as she said, "No, don't apologize. In all honesty, it's been a long time since I felt comfortable enough around someone to speak my mind. Thank you for looking out for me."
They reached the shore and disembarked, continuing on more to the north on foot, travelling through this section of land with little trouble. After passing underneath the misty mountains and over the dry grasslands, they soon came to the very outskirts of the village of Namai. It seemed that it was still peaceful for the time being—ever since the Garleans were forced out of Doma, everything seemed to be improving for everyone in this region.
She was glad to see that Hien was doing a good job of keeping everything together.
Meanwhile, she and Makoto decided not to enter the village and worry the people about how they were looking for a fugitive that may or may not be in these parts. Instead, they stopped just outside the village as they discussed their plans.
"The ruin serving as Ugetsu's hideout is near," Makoto explained as she pointed towards a section of land just to the north of where they stood, "I shall scout on ahead; meanwhile, pray scour the area for insurgents and tend to them."
They parted ways after that, with Claire heading down the hill and proceeded a fair ways, heading across the smaller parts of the river to where she was able to survey a stretch of the Glittering Basin. She reached the ruins with ease, where she could clearly see the old scars of battle from both the first rebellion and the second. A quiet section of land that was far away from curious eyes…? She had to hand Ugetsu some credit… he was clever.
As she began her survey of the land, she soon encountered an insurgent hiding in the brush before he came charging at her. She was forced to dispatch him before he was able to raise the alarm for any others that were nearby. It would seem that she would have to rely more on stealth from this moment onwards and so she kept low and quiet as she continued on her search for more enemies.
She soon came upon more insurgents, who were very clumsy with their blades as they swung wildly at her. Once more, she was forced to silence them before they gave her away. So far though… she didn't have any luck in tracking down Ugetsu. While she may not know what this guy looked like, she had a feeling that if she met him, she would know who he was.
Perhaps if she went a little bit further…? Just to make sure that the area was secure. She encountered another band of insurgents further north, but as with the other groups, she made short work of them. But once again, she was unable to find anything other than a few underlings. She was forced to conclude that Ugetsu wasn't in this area.
She set off immediately, planning to rejoin Makoto as soon as possible and inform her of the situation. By the time she tracked her down, she found her finishing tying up a captured insurgent. She looked up when she heard her approach, clearly wondering if it was another foe before relaxing when she saw who it was. But her relief soon was replaced with anxiety as she told her, "Ugetsu is nowhere to be seen. Then that means…"
If he was truly nowhere in this area… then it seemed that Captain Kongo's worries were well founded.
"Aye, he's on his way to Kugane…" Ugetsu's Henchman coughed, having received a nasty wound from Makoto before he began to laugh out, as though he found the entire situation funny, "To pay your captain a visit…"
"So… his true target was Kongo now," Claire reasoned with a frown, feeling a sharp jolt of cold going through her body as Makoto gasped in terror at this news.
"K-Kami preserve!" Makoto cried fretfully, "We must hurry back! We've no time to waste, Claire! Let us hurry back to Kugane!"
Neither of them wanted to leave with the insurgent here, but Makoto promised she would send someone along to fetch him soon. After all, if this area was as secure as Claire said it was, then it shouldn't be too hard for them to return here after ensuring that the Captain was safe. And rather than waste precious time sailing back, they teleported—taking the fast way.
Makoto led the way all back through the streets, bolting straight towards the barracks, faint hope that they could make it back in time to warn the others. But Claire knew at once that they arrived too late the moment that they stepped into the training yard.
In front of the doors to the barracks looked to be the entire force of the Sekiseigumi… watching a battle between Captain Kongo and another. The man that she assumed to be Ugetsu was bent low, his blade ready to be drawn as Kongo stood tall with his katana drawn. But Claire already saw what was coming… for she had seen Ugetsu's move enough times to know what he was about to unleash.
But before they could step in, Ugetsu dashed forward just as Kongo struck… to most, they wouldn't have seen it. But she did. She saw the expert swordsmanship that Ugetsu wielded strike at Kongo as he managed to dance underneath his guard… all the while holding off Kongo's own strike and avoid it completely.
Yet, for those who hadn't seen this, it would look more like the two simply dashed by the other without even touching before they were now standing with their backs to the other. The others watched, not sure what happened… before Captain Kongo slowly fell, his sword hitting the ground with a clatter against the stones as blood burst from his mouth.
"Nooooooo!" Makoto cried, her voice ringing loudly in the stunned silence, as she ran to her captain's side and knelt down next to him.
Claire ran right behind her as Ugetsu slowly got back up and replaced his blade at his hip.
But Makoto didn't even give him a second glance as she looked down at her captain, pleading for him to be alright. But Claire had seen the wound from the strike and knew that this time, he wasn't going to be coming back to them like a miracle. He seemed to realize this as well, for Captain Kongo looked up at Makoto and croaked, "Forgive me… I was… too weak…"
He coughed violently, his voice growing fainter by the second, his eyes becoming cloudy as he wheezed out, "The Sekiseigumi… yours now… You must… finish…" but he wasn't even able to finish as he let out a shuddering gasp.
Makoto nodded in understanding for him to see as the light faded from his eyes and his head fell back against the stone… no more breath rising from him.
Looking down at the sight of this, she could not help but be reminded of the sight of Musosai laying in the cold snow… bleeding from both his own sickness and the wound she had dealt with her own hands. How Momozigo cried at his side, begging him not to die, and the peaceful expression that her old master held as he looked back up at her… eyes full of gratitude.
She then turned back to the man responsible for all this suffering, getting a good look at him for the first time. She had to admit… he was a rather handsome, young man with brown hair highlighted with silver hanging over his face which held a few small scars. While a short, scraggly beard, much like Thancred's, revealed a sad smile as he looked down at his handiwork.
Ugetsu was observing Makoto with a curious look that Claire did not like before he finally spoke—his voice unusually caring but cold at the same time.
"Well, well," he said carefully, "For a moment I doubted my eyes, but it really is you, Kagetsu. I hadn't expected to see you in a Sekiseigumi uniform, dear sister."
Claire looked from him to Makoto in confusion as the other Sekiseigumi looked at her with wide eyes. Makoto did not look up, but Claire could see that she flinched slightly at the name and suddenly realization hit her. But she would worry about that later.
She drew her blade, standing there against him, should he try anything else.
When he saw this motion he turned his attention to her—looking at her with surprise and interest as he studied her position.
"That stance…" he said thoughtfully before his eyes widened slightly from recognition, "Yes, the very picture of Master himself. So you are Musosai's final pupil, and the samurai who felled Shiden."
So he knew of that, did he?
Then again, Shiden was aware of this and surely would have told his master this piece of information. Knowing that there was no point in denying it—nor was she ashamed of it—she nodded. Now, if the other Sekiseigumi were surprised before, they were all looking dumbstruck at this news.
She ignored them as Ugetsu was now looking at her with much more respect.
"We meet at last," Ugetsu said graciously to her, "Ugetsu, at your service. Like you, I trained under Musosai. And like you, I was made to walk his absurd path. We are practically brother and sister."
Ha… he was no brother to her. And after seeing how just the thought of him tormented Musosai, he had some nerve to proclaim that he was his pupil.
"It's a shame, then, that we stand on opposing sides," Ugetsu went on, "Hingashi has known peace for far too long. Her leaders have grown soft, and they spend their days in decadence. Their existence is a blight, one that must be burned out with the fires of revolution. To kindle this fire, I bade Shiden assassinate the Tairo. But thanks to you and yours, the attempt ended in miserable failure."
She was no fan of how things were run here. And she agreed that there were changes that needed to be made to their system of government. But his way of thinking was to simply burn it all down to the ground and not caring about all those who would be made to suffer from it. Did he not care about all the innocents that would die if his plan was allowed to continue?
She had seen enough blood and violence for one lifetime and did not want any children to be burdened with such nightmares if she could help it.
Ugetsu looked back to his sister and added, "Till now, we have kept to the shadows, but that time is passes. No few people share our vision, and by bringing them into the fold, we shall have the strength to face the bakufu openly, and defeat it. Removing your captain was the first step in this endeavor. With him gone, the good men and women of the Sekiseigumi may choose with their hearts." He then looked to the rest of the Sekiseigumi and added, "If there are any souls here who would join our cause, we welcome you with open arms."
Looking back to Makoto he then offered—not just to her—but to Claire as well, "The offer stands for you too, Kagetsu. My sister pupil. Will you not create a new world with me?"
And have Musosai roll over in his grave at her choice? While she agreed with Ugetsu on some parts, she liked not his plan. Especially after seeing how he willingly allowed those who served under him to die… and killing good men and women? No, thank you.
It would be safer to sell your soul to a voidsent than serve under him.
At the offer though, Makoto slowly stood up, her eyes never leaving the captain's face before she turned to glare at her brother.
"Create?" she repeated with a tone thick with repressed grief but full of anger as well, "You can create naught with the edge of a blade! Nay, what you seek to do is destroy! Should the bakufu fall, Hingashi would be plunged into another Age of Blood!"
Claire nodded in full agreement as Ugetsu shook his head in disappointment at their answers.
"Blood will flow, aye," he agreed, "But it will serve to nourish and strengthen a new nation, one that is free of the corruption that tainted the old. What we have now is not peace, but stagnance. Hingashi is become a morass of decay, and we samurai must be the tsunami that washes it clean to make way for true peace."
"A samurai fights to ward off chaos, not create it!" Makoto snapped back, now shaking with suppressed fury, "Have you forgotten Master Musosai's teachings?!"
Ugetsu did not answer for a moment before he looked back to the other Sekiseigumi and said, "Clearly my breath is wasted on you. But what of the others? Will you remain mindless slaves to the bakufu? Or will you join me and bring about true change?"
No one said a word. No one moved forward to volunteer… which was good. But none of them rallied to Makoto's words either. Claire didn't like that.
"Disappointing," Ugetsu sighed, "I had hoped some of you would see sense. But if we must fight, then so be it. I have no desire to spill blood needlessly. Let us settle this away from the masses, on the Isle of Bekko. Your people against mine. Though, if I may make an observation, it seems you may want for blades, dear sister."
He was certainly taunting her now as he reminded her, "Now that your men are aware of our connection."
She just glared back, her eyes full of unshed tears as he turned and strolled out. Claire was in half a mind to cut him down as he left, but perhaps now wasn't the time. She withdrew her blade as she watched him leave, feeling anger boiling in the pit of her stomach. Who would have thought that a few words would be enough to leave all of the Sekiseigumi here helpless?
No one else said a word as they moved their fallen captain's body, taking it inside and were already making the preparations to honor his memory. When that was finished, Makoto tried to take charge and stood in front of the barracks as she tried to rally them all.
"Hear me, my comrades," she cried passionately, "As leader of the First Squad, I have been chosen to carry on Captain's Kongo's legacy. The battle against Ugetsu promises to be bloody, but come what may, we must prevail. The future of Hingashi rests upon us!"
But the others didn't look happy as Claire watched from the side. She didn't need to know anything about the Hingashi culture to know that they were not happy with this new arrangement. While Kongo had named her his successor, convincing them to accept this may not be so easy now that they know the full truth.
Once they all began to return to their duties, not a single one of them giving Makoto a passing glance, Claire decided to approach her and see if there was anything she could do to help her.
She could see the cracks appearing in Makoto's determination as she tried to remain calm. When she looked up and saw her there—standing silently as she watched her—she rubbed her eyes sadly.
"Forgive me, Claire," she sighed before confessing, "But it is all true. Ugetsu is my older brother. And Kagetsu is my birth name, though I have long cast it aside."
Claire did not say anything as she listened, knowing that Makoto needed someone to talk to—now more than ever—and listened patiently as Makoto told her everything.
"We were born into a samurai family in the capital, Bukyo," she explained, "From a tender age, Ugetsu showed tremendous talent as a swordsman, and everyone knew him as a child prodigy. But to me he was always the kind and caring brother. I was proud of him, and I could not have been prouder when the legendary Musosai took him as a pupil. Then he took to the road for his training, and I never saw him again."
Claire raised her eyebrows at that, having a feeling that she wasn't being literal with that phrase.
"'Twas a different man who returned," she told her miserably, "Instead of easy smiles, he wore frowns. Instead of good-natured quipping, he engaged in heated tirades directed at the bakufu and the great lords. There was so much anger, but more than that there was despair—despair for his country."
She looked down to the ground, sniffling slightly as she confessed, "Not long thereafter, he parted ways with Master Musosai and began instructing me in the katana. As far back as then, I believed he harbored the dream of topping the bakufu, and so he instilled in me the skills to survive in a war ravaged world."
So, in that much, he still cared about his sister, even though he knew that he was about to betray her in a horrific way. So this was what she meant when she explained how her life had been turned upside down. She also remembered what Musosai said to her… how he was expected to take his own life simply for being Ugetsu's master… and if that was what was expected out of a teacher…? She could only imagine what it must be like to be a blood relative. Now she could see why Makoto always felt such sympathy for Musosai… always seeing him with respect. They had both been in the same position because of one person.
"In time, I came into my own as a samurai," Makoto went on, "And then it happened. My brother assassinated high-ranking officers of the bakufu, and our family was made to pay the price. Our line was ordered wiped from existence. My parents were summarily executed, and 'twas only by chance that I escaped their fate. Out on the streets and without a home, I journeyed to Kugane. I adopted the name Makoto and knocked on the Sekiseigumi's doors, with but one purpose in my mind: punishing Ugetsu."
She lowered her head, her entire body shaking as she finished, "We may share the same blood, but I can never forgive him. Four our parents' blood is on his hands."
Now it all made sense… Claire understood now. While he was still her big brother, Makoto was the one who suffered the most by his hands. And now, she wanted to see him pay for what he put her and their parents through. Though they were family, any bonds that they once had were severed.
Makoto looked back up to her and Claire could see that her face had grown redder, her eyes more watery with every word she spoke.
"But for all my determination, I am no match for my brother," she confessed miserably, the despair in her voice clearly heard. "And while his cause grows in strength, mine only weakens."
It seemed that it was now taking everything she had to keep her emotions from completely breaking loose as she confessed, "In our culture, people are defined first by their birth, and the revelation that I am kin to Ugetsu has shaken my men's faith in me. They may not accept my authority, even though the captain willed it."
Yes, as cruel as it was. It seemed that in this land, blood was everything. While she wasn't naïve to think that this was only something in Kugane, she also could see that it was by far clearer here than anywhere else.
And all because she was brother to a criminal, it seemed that everything around her was beginning to disintegrate.
"And with him gone, there is naught I may depend upon save mine own conviction… and you, Claire," she said as tears began to well up and fall, "Even should it cost me my life, I swear to end my brother's ambitions. I pray that you will stand with me through this trying time."
Claire's eyes soften as she put her hand upon Makoto's shoulder and caused her to look back into her eyes. She just gave her a gentle smile as she pulled her into a hug, much like the one she shared with Lyse not too long ago…
And like with Lyse, it seemed that this was something that she desperately needed. Makoto screwed up her face as her crumbling fortitude finally broke apart. She just hugged her back as she buried her face into Claire's shoulder… not saying a word as she sobbed quietly.
*Makoto*
Kagetsu… how she hated that name now. It brought back all those memories. She had been born into a noble family where she lived in peace with her parents and older brother. She had been truly happy there with them. Some would say that she would have had a perfect life… and she did. Until the day that Ugetsu returned home with such a coldness in his eyes that she no longer recognize him as her dear brother.
After that, he trained like a man possessed in the courtyard, honing his skills and practicing movements until they were second nature. At night, she could see him sitting up until the early hours of the morning as he studied up on the surrounding lands and old scrolls that spoke of the history of war.
His obsession with fighting frightened her. And even more so when he would drag her out into the courtyard and began to train her with a bamboo sword. He was relentless, making sure that she would practice moves over and over until she got it right and not letting up to even let her rest.
"Brother…" she said tearfully after one particularly harsh lesson. "I don't want to fight! Why do I have to learn this?"
"For protection," he retorted harshly. "I won't be there to protect you forever. You will have to grow strong on your own, dear sister. Now come at me again! You aren't going to stop until I feel that you know what you are doing!"
She frowned heavily at him as she went charging at him with the bamboo sword, a surge of anger actually taking him by surprise for a moment before he knocked her back. Eventually, their father put his foot down at his rough teaching… especially after he accidently ended up hurting her during one of their sessions.
Their father had given him a stern warning that if he didn't change then he would be disowned.
"Mother," she whispered as their mother dapped at her many bruises on her face, "What happened to him? Why is he like this now?"
Her mother had no words to explain, for she didn't know either.
"He just needs some time," her mother had said to her when she told her some of her worries one evening. "But I promise that your father and I will talk to him more in the morning."
But that discussion never came. For it was that night that he left home… and began his bloody killing spree. When word had reached them about what Ugetsu had done, they knew that their lives were all but forfeit. They had tried to flee, but they had been hunted down and dragged off to face their punishment. For Ugetsu's blood was now considered to be so evil, that all traces of it had to be destroyed.
She could only remember her parent's words as they pleaded with her to flee while she could… to live. And she had been able to escape in time before the execution. With no choice, she fled out to sea to where she almost drowned… eventually finding her way to Kugane. It was here that she decided to start over anew… and chose a new name for herself.
That was when she went to the Sekiseigumi… where she met the Captain… who took her in without question.
But now… after all that has happened… she was in danger of losing everything a second time because of her brother. It had frightened her to no end that they would discover her connection to Ugetsu and they would turn on her. She didn't think she could stand the look of disgust in their faces if they discovered the truth… to be cast out again?
That was why she never told another living soul.
And now her worst fears were realized.
She looked up to her friend's kind eyes and clung onto her as she sobbed, not knowing what else to do. She just buried her face into her shoulder as she sobbed, just trying to hold onto what may be the only support she had left.