Thanks to: lmamc, magicalnana (Can't promise to go much faster due to having to give time to real life situations but I'm glad you enjoyed it. I can't wait to get Kyo and Yuya back together), darkryubaby, Deby MU (Hope you didn't blush too hard, I'm trying to avoid getting too detailed on the sexy parts because it makes me a bit shy too. I'm super happy you like the way I'm writing Shinrei. He's one of my favorite characters and I like how loyal he tries to be. I can't promise he'll tell Kyo about his son yet because if Kyo can't handle Yuya being his wife, I don't think he'll react well to having a child. Yuya is definitely in for a shock when she finds out Akari is male. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know what you think. It's very encouraging to know that you enjoy the story.), Rinfantasy (Like Taihaku, Shinrei knows Yuya pushes Kyo to greater strength. Kyo is in for a big surprise when he meets his wife because she is nothing like the women he's used to.), kyoandyuya (Hmm, my money is in Shinrei getting his butt whipped. Plot progression and all that, you know. ;-P),

Kurenai Kioku

Chapter Ten

Hard Choices and Strange Secrets

Part Two

Though his mouth said one thing when he was speaking with Taihaku, Kyo's mind was a completely different matter. When the older man spoke of Shinrei being in on the Mibu's little plot to control his life, Tenrou had oh-so-helpfully supplied an image that made his blood boil and prompted his remark about having his memory jogged.

For all his talk of how useless most women were to him, desperation to meet this Yuya had grabbed ahold of him and refused to let go. He didn't believe himself capable of love, as hinted by the blonde apparition he saw earlier, but he was intrigued by the idea of a woman who was in love with him. He was so used to keeping himself emotionally distant from women and everyone else in general that he had to wonder why he had allowed the woman in his dreams to come with him to the clan. Regardless of how good a chick was in bed, he had never felt the desire to take her traveling with him, believing that the feelings that any woman would inevitably develop for him would be a burden.

However, no matter how much he told himself that he'd find out who the woman was and prove to both of them that she was nothing special, he couldn't shake the longing that had lodged itself into his heart. He wanted her in a way he had a hard time defining and since he couldn't wrap his head around the laughable idea of loving another person, he focused on the parts he did understand, the sensual ones. After four years of forced celibacy, he was ready to find out how she had managed to make such a strong impression on him that he was lusting after her even when he couldn't remember who she was.

Therefore, his current goal, after conversing with Shinrei at the point of his sword, was to head to Edo - bolstered by Taihaku's words and the images Tenrou fed to him of a large city - and find the woman. He'd see for himself what made Yuya so fascinating and, one way or another, find out if his impotence would kick in with her as well. If it did, then he'd move on, but if not, she was going to find herself handling a whole lot of frustrated man because he wasn't letting her slip away without getting a taste of what her dream version offered him.

'But, business first and pleasure later,' Kyo thought, tightening his grip around Tenrou.

The image given to him by the sword was still dancing in his head and he used the anger it engendered in him to feed his determination to seek Shinrei out. Half-remembered or not, he was positive that what he saw had really happened. In his mind he had a clear picture of Shinrei holding his mysterious woman and kissing her deeply while she struggled against his hold. Her obvious unwillingness was reason enough to get annoyed because, as far as he was concerned, she had already gone from being a random female to his. But what fanned the flames of his fury was the taunting look the other man gave him when he was done – something about that supercilious gaze made him want to punch his light out then run him through, no questions asked .

Kyo was positive that he and the water-user had once been bitter enemies and he agreed with the head of the Goyosei – the two of them had major unfinished business. Someone was due for a beat down and he was pissed enough at his whole situation to make sure he didn't leave before showing Shinrei that he was no one to screw with.

As if the heavens were smiling down on him, he caught sight of the silver-haired man himself just then, exiting the door at the end of the corridor which lead deeper into the castle. Perhaps it was the intensity of his rage or maybe his killing aura was less controlled than he thought it was but, with the instinct of a man who was a warrior first and foremost, Shinrei stopped and stared at Kyo, his hands automatically going to the hilts of his swords.

Golden eyes met crimson and the other man said tonelessly, "You know."

Lips curled to reveal sharp fangs in a humorless smile as Kyo replied, "Oh? And what do I know, Shinrei?"

The man's name was said mockingly and he was pleased to see those gloved hands tighten on his weapons. Kyo generally found the other man to be a stiff, boring prig who spent too much time controlling his emotions and being led by others. Oh, Shinrei was well loved by the clan members - Kyo wasn't so far out of the loop that he didn't listen to what was going on around him. They praised his honor, his loyalty, his self-control, and blah, blah, blah but what Kyo saw was a man who always held back. When they sparred, he could see the struggle in Shinrei's eyes to keep things civil, as if the man fought a constant internal battle between hating him and respecting him.

Kyo wanted to tear the stick out of his snobbish butt and rip that control to pieces. The desire had been with him from almost the beginning but he held back because he was playing nice, trying to make a place amongst a people who treated him like trash once upon a time. Only, now he found that the mistreatment had never really stopped and that they'd been playing him for a while. He did so hate it when people tried to take advantage of him.

Still, even though it was bad business to have lost so much time, he felt a trill of excitement that he hadn't had in years. For so long he hadn't been able to test his limits, fight someone worthy, and the discontent he'd been nursing had grown and grown until it was a living thing. His anger at his circumstances was very real and yet - as he looked at Shinrei who was trying so hard not to draw his swords and give him the fight he was asking for - he realized that he felt freer than he ever had since waking up in his bedroom years ago to fake memories of reconciliation and redemption.

He wanted a fight and the other man was going to give it to him one way or the other.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The end had come at last.

Shinrei knew that things were different the moment he stepped into the hallway and saw Kyo watching him with a look that was full of predatory loathing. He hadn't seen it since the day he cursed Kyo's wife and he wondered why it was that, instead of feeling dread, all he felt was excitement and... relief.

For so long he'd struggled to find relief from the knowledge that he had helped to steal Ryu's parents away. For so long he had held back even though he knew that he and Kyo had never finished their last true battle. For so long he had agonized over disobeying his masters and fighting Kyo for real because he knew it would serve as a stepping stone to greater power for the infamous and hated Demon Child.

He knew his duty.

But as he looked at Kyo, debating how he would answer him and thinking over the events of that morning – Ryu's condition and Saisei's prognosis that a massive amount of blood had been extracted from him – he knew what he would do. The young man had been on his way to speak with Taihaku, seeking counsel and guidance but, at the end of the day, was there really a question of what he would do? In his mind, he saw little arms bruised from where Ryu had strained against whatever Hishigi and his assistants used to hold him down and the places where they had withdrawn his blood. He heard the sound of the boy's panting breaths.

Yes, he knew his duty...but when he stared into that ruby gaze, he knew that what he wanted was a fight.

If he couldn't go up against Hishigi and the rest then he would pour out all of the anger, disappointment, and resentment he'd been saving up for years and give Kyo a battle he wouldn't forget. Even though Ryu did factor into it, he'd never lost the desire to put Kyo to the test. The words that came out of his mouth were as much for him as they were for the boy.

Slowly taking his hands off of his swords, he folded them across his chest and finally answered Kyo's question with, "You know that we've been lying to you for the past four years."

"Yeah, that's one of the things."

Glancing at the weapon in Kyo's hand, Shinrei added, "And now you have Tenrou again. Can I assume that your cursed Muramasa blade has been showing you your past?"

The other man's toothy smile was unsettling but his voice was oddly pleasant as he replied, "Correct again. In fact, now that you mention it, I keep seeing this image of you sticking your tongue down the throat of someone who doesn't belong to you. Usually I don't care what a sexless sycophant like you does but something about it just rubs me the wrong way. Any thoughts, Shinrei?"

"My thoughts are that you are the last person who should be calling anyone sexless."

It was a low blow, one that wasn't like him at all, but he knew he scored a hit when those red eyes narrowed. The way he figured though, if they were going to duke it out he saw no point in maintaining the niceties. He wanted Kyo nice and angry so he could have a good fight because it might very well be his last.

"Who knew you had the balls to taunt me?" Kyo said with a smirk, "I thought you had to get permission to pass gas."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me or yourself, Kyo. So why don't I make this easy? You obviously want a fight and I've wanted to finish what we started years ago. You have questions and I have answers. This isn't the time or place because we're bound to get interrupted but, since you are going to be leaving," Kyo gave a start at his accurate deduction of his plans, "let us settle this tonight at the first gate."

"At the gate? And I'm supposed to trust you to show up?" Kyo asked, raising a brow.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because my reasons now are still the same as four years ago and I never got a satisfactory answer. I want to know why Muramasa has so much faith in you."

It was mostly the truth. He also wanted to spend a bit more time with Ryu because he planned to bring him along so that he could hear what he had to tell Kyo and he was sure the boy would want nothing to do with him afterwards, if he survived. It was a painful thought but the child needed to see his father and understand the nature of his master's relationship with him because, sometimes, words just weren't enough.

Kyo gave him a long look and he met that searching gaze with a steady stare, willing Kyo to read his sincerity. After a long minute, Kyo gave a jerky nod and said, "I'll kill you tonight then."

Shinrei returned his nod with a slight bow and replied softly, "We'll see," before walking forward.

As he moved past Kyo, he was hard pressed not to shrink back from the sheer amount of killing intent radiating off of him. Although the other man had the outward appearance of being calm, he harbored no illusions that his opponent was not eager to spill his blood and wreak his vengeance.

The storm he'd been predicting was here and before the day was done, one of them would have lost everything. Unfortunately, in order to accomplish his goals that person was going to have to be him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sun was sinking by the time Kyo arrived at the gate and he saw that Shinrei was already waiting for him. The dying sunlight added a red tint to his silver hair and gave an almost animalistic glow to his intense golden eyes. His swords were already in his hands, throwing off a crystalline shine that might have been pretty in other circumstances.

The Thousand Killer studied his opponent and allowed a genuine smile to touch the corners of his lips. He still planned to kill Shinrei but he had to give the guy his props for coming to him as promised. There wasn't an ounce of hesitation in the other man for once and he found the first glimmerings of respect blossoming. It took balls to show up for your own death.

"I'm so glad you decided to show," Kyo said, wasting no time as he drew Tenrou and tossed the sheath down on the ground next to him.

Shinrei gave him an answering smile – taking Kyo back a bit because it was the first and only time he'd ever seen the dour young man look happy – and replied calmly, "I wouldn't miss it for anything, Kyo."

Those eyes briefly darted off to the side to stare at the nearby brush as he continued, "This day has been a long time coming and I've been carrying around so much weight that it hampers my movements and keeps me from doing what must be done. I need this just as much as you do."

Kyo wondered briefly why he seemed so intent on the bushes ringing the courtyard in front of the gate. He couldn't sense much out of the ordinary save a very small ki that likely belonged to an animal of some sort.

Shrugging off the idea that Shinrei was expecting company, hesaid, "I don't care about all of that. I just want a good fight."

The other man chuckled before assuming his regular stance of one sword up and the other held before him and saying, "Then at least we in accord in that. Be warned, though, you have never once beaten me, Kyo."

All Shinrei's words did was raise his excitement higher and Kyo slid his tongue briefly over his teeth in anticipation as he replied, "There's a first time for everything."

No more time was wasted as the two men closed in on each other in unison and they began to fight in earnest without build-up. If there was one thing Kyo had gained from their years of sparring, it was an intimate knowledge of the way Shinrei moved and how his technique worked. Of course, knowing was half the battle and he took a few cuts to the ribs before Tenrou vibrated and he started seeing images of his past that kept his ire going, coaxing him to move faster, swing his sword harder, to see Shinrei as his prey rather than just any opponent.

He blocked a swing from one of those wickedly curved swords and dodged back to avoid the follow up blade but earned a wound to his chest and Tenrou punished him by feeding him the image of Shinrei kissing Yuya again.

Gritting his teeth in anger, he screwed his eyes shut, both to avoid the vision and to level the playing field because Shinrei's style relied heavily on his own gift for predicting the movements of his enemy.

Moving forward, he swung Tenrou in a downward arc and mentally "saw" as Shinrei maneuvered to intercept him before he quickly changed the direction of his sword and attacked him from the side, forcing the other man to hop backwards. Opening his eyes again, he smirked as he saw a thin cut in the blue tunic covering his chest and the beginnings of a red stain.

Shinrei's eyes shone as he said, "Don't get too cocky just because you managed to touch me, Kyo."

"Don't tell me how to feel," Kyo replied, "you have no idea how much you and this idiot clan have screwed up my life."

He quickly dodged to the side as the other man closed in and attempted to rake him across the side with his sword before surprising him by spinning the blade in his other hand and ramming him hard enough in the stomach with the hilt to send him sliding backwards a few feet. There was going to be a nasty bruise there later but it was immaterial and Kyo shrugged aside the observation as quickly as it came.

"So you think I don't know anything about you, Kyo?" Shinrei asked and Kyo didn't like the look in his eyes one bit.

Mixed in with the excitement and confidence was an emotion that unsettled him – guilt. It was something that had been wholly foreign to members of the clan for as long as he knew them and, while he wanted answers to his questions, he wasn't keen on the idea of Shinrei opening up to him in any way shape or form.

Unfortunately, the other man apparently planned to do just that because he held his swords up and said, "I still remember her, you know."

There was a note of regret in his voice that gave Kyo momentary pause but he ignored it and closed in, locking his weapon with Shinrei's as he replied, "Who cares?"

"You do. Or at least you did. You cared enough to come here for her sake."

The implication in his words made Kyo uncomfortable and he hopped back, quickly calling up the power he'd held a few days past and swinging his sword, opening his mouth to call out an attack he barely remembered.

"Muzuchi!"

The air shimmered in front of him, swirling around his blade before coalescing into a single point and heading for his opponent. He watched in satisfaction as it neatly bisected Shinrei but growled when the body dissolved into water and he had to side-step a sword that would have taken his head off and it's twin which aimed to amputate his right arm.

"Even without being able to fight seriously these past years, I have to admit that you've gotten better at avoiding my attacks Kyo. Is it because you're starting to remember your woman? That's why you wanted to get stronger the first time."

Spinning around to face his enemy, Kyo swung Tenrou again, changing direction at the last minute to slash him across the ribs. A fine spray of blood followed in his wake and he had just a moment to grin before the other man raised his swords and suddenly yelled out, "Mumyou Saikyou Water Sevensplit Dragon!"

Kyo threw his weapon up quickly to block as Shirei's blades shimmered before releasing a deluge of water that took on the shape of seven dragons that snarled and snapped as they slammed into Kyo's body, pushing him at least ten feet back and tearing into his skin before knocking him on his back.

He hadn't been expecting that and he was stunned for a moment, listening as Shinrei said, "Looks like you still have a hard time countering that technique, Kyo. It's the same attack I used to defeat you the last time and the reason why your woman tried to protect you from me."

As Kyo processed what he was saying, Tenrou supplied him with an image of that woman, Yuya, struggling with Shinrei. There were no words but he could tell she was distressed and he watched as she fought the silver-haired man. She was so weak but fearless at the same time and her boldness made his heart pound.

"I cursed her and gave her only two months to live, Kyo. That's what you saw when I kissed her. I was putting a water wyrm inside of her that would tear her heart to pieces if you couldn't beat me in the allotted time. You were so angry but too weak to do anything about it."

"I still remember how her lips felt," the words were a whisper but he heard the confusion.

Clearly kissing his woman had left a major impression.

It pissed Kyo off.

He grit his teeth and pushed himself up on his elbows, glaring at Shinrei who was looking through him – clearly seeing another scene instead of the present.

His next words were more like a confession than a discussion as he continued, "They were so soft and I thought how infuriating it was that you, the accursed Demon Child, had someone who was willing to die for you. You left the Mibu and moved on, despite our interference, and it was unfair that someone like you had a life and love while the clan was dying off."

"You sound jealous," Kyo said as he stood up, wiping a speck of blood from the corner of his mouth as he brought his sword up once more.

He had to acknowledge Shinrei's abilities, the man was strong and he'd just barely managed to escape being torn to pieces. But if he looked past the pain, he knew that something had clicked inside him and he reached for it cautiously, a power deep inside that was begging for his touch.

"Thinking about it now, I was jealous," the water-user said, assuming his stance again as the water on the ground from his attack began to recede, flowing back into his swords.

Kyo didn't have time to marvel at such incredible control of the elements as Shinrei closed in on him and they went around again. Steel slid against crystallized water as each let go of the years of frustration and forced self-control, exorcizing their pain in the way only warriors could – through blood and battle.

With every ring of blade on blade, Tenrou supplied him with images of the past. He saw himself fighting a number of enemies – a man with dark skin, another who was an albino, a man with a tiger-striped bandana, Shinrei, Keikoku, a strange man with dark glasses and a cheerful smile that made his skin crawl. He went through a plethora of emotions that were both new and familiar at the same time - rage, pain, hatred, sorrow, happiness, and one more that he didn't recognize but which was powerful nonetheless.

Through it all, he saw her. She was always watching him with those bright green eyes. The good, the bad, and the ugly about him, she saw it all but the look in those irises never changed and it brought a curious warmth to life in his chest.

Reaching deep, he touched the fringes of the power he felt inside and channeled it through his blade, calling forth an attack he hadn't used in years and hadn't remembered until a split second before.

"Suzaku!"

Wings the color of brilliant vermillion winked into existence overhead and he felt like laughing as the energy was pulled from his body, feeding the flames of his phoenix until was complete and flying towards his opponent. He saw a moment of panic in those golden eyes and watched in bewilderment when, instead of dodging the bird, Shinrei leaned further into its path, raising his ki to impressive levels and calling forth his dragons once more.

Their size was even larger this time and he swore as the roaring serpents shot up into the air, fanned out and came back down, slamming into his Suzaku and shredding it until nothing was left but feather-shaped cinders. Knowing that he had only a small window before Shinrei recalled the water from his attack, he darted forward and took advantage of the opening provided. Using so much ki required a longer recovery and even if it only took a second or two, it was enough to press the advantage of still being alive.

Gathering a small amount of power, he came in close and slashed forward, sending out a small Mizuchi that forced Shinrei to block again, although it was only partially successful this time because cuts appeared on his arms.

"I don't know what that was supposed to...," the young man began but stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening as his weapons vibrated for a moment before falling into pieces.

"You were saying?" Kyo said in an amused tone and Shinrei scowled, stepping back as he threw one of his hilts to the side and held up the one in his right hand.

Kyo was certain that the fight was just about over but he should have know the other man would find a way to keep annoying him. The other warrior stabbed his left palm with the jagged end of his remaining hilt before throwing that to the side as well. He squeezed the bleeding hand into a fist, forcing more blood out as he pressed his right palm to the side of it's twin appendage. As he pulled his hands apart, a red blade began to take shape and the Thousand Killer realized that he was using his control over water to create a replacement weapon out of his own blood.

Kyo was impressed, he'd never fought anyone as tough as him and the scrap of respect he'd felt towards the man for showing up blossomed into the real deal. Past or present, he'd never had such an intense battle and his blood was singing.

Too bad Shinrei was in his way and as he reached even deeper, seeking the power that lay beyond Suzaku, Tenrou tipped the scales of his wrath with one last image. Like he was watching two plays at once, he saw the other man stab himself in the side and felt him gathering his ki for an enormous attack. The blood streaming onto the ground out of the self-inflicted wound began to bubble ominously. That was the first play. The second was somewhere else, he was certain that it was the last time the two of them had fought, and in his mind he saw Shinrei staring past him with a shocked expression and turned to follow it.

Fubuki was there, holding his woman and he saw her face clearly for the first time. She was young and pretty and he watched as she opened her mouth, screaming in agony while the Taishirou pressed his hand against her chest. From the darkest parts of his memories, he dredged up the sound of her voice as she bowed her back and choked on her own blood. There had been a piercing shriek followed by a sickening gurgle and cloudy eyes that wept bitter, helpless tears while the blood-rouged lips he enjoyed kissing softly mouthed his name.

"Kyo."

His reaction was instantaneous and violent.

The anger that flowed into him was all consuming, immolating him on the bier of tortuous recollections, pain, and heartbreak and forging him anew on a wave of fury and vengeance. In that moment, he didn't care that he wasn't supposed to feel anything for that woman, his Yuya, or that he was losing control. All he knew was that soul consuming sense of loss and that Shinrei was partly responsible.

Perhaps it was an echo of his memories or an illusion brought on by Tenrou but he imagined that he saw her standing with her back to him, there beyond Shinrei and beyond this fight. With startling realism, he saw her long blonde hair waving slightly in the evening breeze and then she turned, showing him those hypnotic emerald eyes and giving him just a hint of a smile.

"I love you, Kyo."

He wrenched the power inside of him loose, letting it fill his body inside while the wind picked up on the outside and he saw that blonde hair flying about wildly as her grin turned into a proud smile because he'd surpassed himself yet again. His own red-black strands were whipping around as he seized control of the wind, funneling it into his body and concentrating it into Tenrou who sang in response.

All of this took place in a matter of seconds and as the blood around Shinrei rose and solidified into dragons, following the movements of his red sword as he began to "dance" to bring them to life, Kyo heard the howl of a wolf followed by the growl of something larger and wilder. Instead of flowing inside of him, he felt the power prowling through his veins and along the edge of his blade.

His opponent raised his sword and yelled what they both knew was his final attack as he brought it down.

"Mumyou Saikyo Hiryu!"

The blood dragons twisted and roared as they rushed towards him and it was if they were moving in slow-motion as he sidestepped them one after the other. He silently counted from one to seven as each dragon slammed into the spot he was supposed to be before dissolving and leaving a furrow in the courtyard where the acid they contained ate away at the stone.

He moved in once the fifth dragon hit the ground, getting closer as he avoided the last two wyrms and forcing Shinrei to step back as he swung his sword, calling on the ki he'd gathered and setting it free at the zenith of his attack as he yelled, "Mumyo Jinpuu Ryuu Ougi, Byatsuko!"

The air rippled and he felt the ki squeezing it's way out from the center of his being and through his pores as the massive form of a tiger took form and leapt towards Shinrei, razor sharp claws outstretched to rend the man in half. He could see the beginnings of fear in that golden gaze as his white tiger's right claw lashed forward, tearing the other man in half like a rag doll.

The two halves immediately dissolved into water and the real Shinrei reappeared behind them, weapon raised as he shouted, "Looks like your Byastuko had failed, Kyo!"

He was about to swing the blood sword when he stopped completely and Kyo moved in, smiling wickedly as he followed the path of his tiger. He and the wind flowed together in unity as he rode the eddies of his own power and watched as his Byakko's left claw held the other man immobile. In less than a second, the other man was being pulled into the center of a vortex in order to be torn apart by the "fangs" of his tiger and he laughed darkly as he raised his sword and completed the technique, drawing his blade up the center of Shinrei's body and leaving a trail of blood in its path.

The fight was over.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I am sooo ready to sleep in a warm bed," Akari said and Yuya silently agreed.

They'd been traveling for a couple of days after deciding to waste no more time. The plan was to get to Edo and wait there for a few weeks while they got their friends together. Tora and Sasuke weren't a problem but they were probably going to have to send away for Bontenmaru, who had traveled to Sendai with Akira.

In the meantime, she planned to heed the counsel given by Aiko's mysterious other grandfather and wait to see if Kyo would really show up, after which they would head back to the Mibu lands by way of Muramasa's place to check on Aiko and the former Elder. She missed her daughter already and was looking forward to seeing how her abilities had developed and if she could connect with her brother again.

So far, they were making good time and having a relatively peaceful trip, although there had been a weird incident where Akio - the son of the headman who lived in the village nearest to Muramasa's house - had taken one look at Akari, turned pale, and scurried away like the hounds of hell were at his heels. Having been on the receiving end of his unwanted flirtations and unsubtle gropes until the threat of castration at gunpoint put a stop to them, she wondered why he seemed so scared of a woman as pretty as Akari. She thought for sure that he would have tried to chat her up instead.

When she asked the priestess about it, the woman laughed haughtily and told her that it took a certain type of man to handle Akari-Sama and breezed ahead without a second thought.

Yuya shrugged it off and continued on as she had been, trying to draw Akari into conversation and controlling herself whenever she felt like snatching the woman bald – which was often. So far, the only thing she knew about other female was that she still wasn't fond of her relationship to Kyo and that she had a penchant for meat buns and rice balls. At least, she thought the shaman liked them since she seemed to buy them at every village although Yuya rarely saw her eat them and she didn't seem inclined to share her snacks with either her or Kyoshiro.

Speaking of which, the former assassin was still mum on why Akari wasn't Kyo's type. Yuya thought for sure that her husband would have slept with the woman at least once but when she brought it up to Kyoshiro at dinner once, he choked on his food and looked at her as if she had sprouted two heads. It was all very peculiar and she was starting to get a bit annoyed – at Akari for being Akari and Kyoshiro for being secretive.

So it was that when they were fortunate enough to come across an inn with a hot spring in the back, the two women leapt at the chance and overrode Kyoshiro's protest that they still had a few hours of daylight.

"A lady can't be stuck wearing days worth of dirt," Yuya told him waspishly and Akari nodded in agreement.

Kyoshiro sighed and said nothing as he followed the women into the establishment. Yuya paid for two rooms, one for herself and Akari and the other for Kyoshiro who blushed and asked if she wasn't sure she wanted to get a third room for the priestess. Even though Akari drove her crazy, Yuya was a practical woman and didn't believe in spending extra money of there was no need.

Since she was tired, she completely missed the mischievous look on the shaman's face as they made their way to the room and settled in. The bounty huntress ordered dinner for the three of them and they all ate together, chatting amongst themselves and laughing as Kyoshiro and Akari traded their favorite stories about Kyo – trying to outdo each other like little kids - for the next few hours. She must have been more tired than she thought because all she did was blink and the next thing she knew, it was the dead of night and she was alone on the floor of her room with the candle burning low.

Sitting up, she yawned and stretched, wondering where Akari was and wrinkling her nose at the scent emanating from her clothes. She hated the gritty feeling of traveling for days without a bath and, glancing around once more, thought that maybe the priestess went to bathe. Since she didn't favor waiting until morning to wash when she felt so dirty, she dug into her traveling bag for her bathing supplies and a clean under kimono and headed off to the baths.

Thankfully, they were well lit with oil lamps and as she stripped down in the room that led to the women's bath and hot spring, she hummed in anticipation of getting clean. Even if Akari was bathing already, she was perfectly content to mind her own business and ignore whatever commentary that was sure to follow once the priestess saw her in the nude. Akari made no secret that she found Yuya's physical attributes lacking and she still remembered the woman comparing her bust to hers. Even though Kyo used to tease her about it too, Yuya knew her breasts had grown a bit as she matured and, while she would never be at Okuni's level, she wasn't a slouch in that department either.

Once she was naked, she wrapped herself with a towel and headed for the door, picking her way cautiously as she drew close to the portal because the floor was wet. Just as she was about to open the door to the baths, it slid to the side quickly and she took a startled step back, causing her foot to go sideways on the slippery floor while her body followed. Her hands shot out, frantically grabbing for whatever was in reach until she caught a handful of the towel the person who had just entered from outside was wearing. It pulled loose in her grasp and she continued her descent until strong hands caught her by the shoulders and hauled her upright, causing her to lose her own towel in the process.

The first thing she noticed was that the person holding her was male because she was staring at a surprisingly muscular chest with two tiny nubs gracing his pectorals. The second thing she noticed was that the person was wearing a very familiar black glove on his left hand. And the third thing she realized was that the strange man had come out of the women's bath. Quickly putting two and two together, her head snapped up and she stared into a gorgeous face framed with pink strands, that sported two bright violet eyes and a well-formed mouth.

Those shapely lips curled into a downright boyish grin and their owner sighed and said mockingly, "You're clumsy too, Yuya. It's yet another thing that makes me wonder why Kyo picked you. Although...," he held her away from him slightly to give her body an appraising look before continuing, "I have to take back what I said, those are actually decent breasts."

The laughter in his voice was enough to bring Yuya out of her shock and she realized that she was buck naked in front of a man who wasn't Kyo. On the heels of that embarrassing thought was the recollection that the man holding her had spent the past few days picking at her constantly and making her life miserable. A sensible person would have taken heed of the storm brewing in those green eyes but her tormentor had underestimated her ferocity yet again and was too caught up in teasing her to notice.

Therefore, Yuya scored a direct hit when she brought her knee up with merciless force and nailed Akari right in his family jewels.

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Ah, that was fun. Sorry if it seemed I just added that last bit on but I needed some humor after having to be so serious for most of the past few chapters. I'm probably going to have to reread this chapter a few times for editing purposes but I hope you enjoyed it and, as always, please let me know what you think. Thanks for reading folks.

P.S. Shinrei isn't dead, just in case you were wondering.