Thanks to: abattles2 (Yuya and Akari are so much fun to write and of course no one can compare to Kyo but Yuya has to get a chance to troll Akari at some point. Tora and Sasuke are already in Edo – remember who Tora's dad is - we'll see them soon enough), Guest (Glad you are loving it), kyoandyuya (I update as I can. Ryu is having a hard time but he'll be alright in the end and there's nothing wrong with thinking he's cute. Akari might not be as bad as Kyo but he does like to tease Yuya at first.), Juliedoo (Hey, Julie, so happy to hear from you again! I'm super happy you are enjoying the story and the way I write Yuya and Akari, their relationship was always fun. I'm also happy you like the children. I wanted them to be likeable with their own personalities without taking over the story completely because this is still a Kyo/Yuya fic.), Guest (I'm happy you are enjoying the story and I hope Kyo and Yuya see each other again soon too. Can't wait to write that.), Deby MU (Ryu is more fascinated by his father at this point than at the point where he likes/dislikes him. Glad you like Akari, he's a fun character and I can't wait to write the Emperors' interactions with each other. Yuya can't help but compare but Kyo is still and always will be the best. ;-) As for the new faces, it's someone from the manga that I've only vaguely covered earlier.), ThunderxShadow (I aim to please ^_^), magicalnana (Will see what I can do to add more Kyo but I have to add plot as well), general zargon (I'm happy you enjoyed the chapter and the way I wrote Yuya and Akari. I could never kill Shinrei off, I love him too much), Rinfantasy (Lol, Yuya is a force unto herself who accepts no competitors, that's why Kyo loves her), lmamc
Author's Note: Sadly, no Kyo in this chapter but lots of plot and old characters, and there will be oodles of our favorite red-eyed samurai in the upcoming chapters. More Kyo/Yuya is coming very soon, I promise. ^_^
Kurenai Kioku
Chapter Twelve
Bad Fathers and Good Friends
Red eyes.
He stood transfixed by that crimson gaze as it met his own over the shoulder of the man being choked to death.
The sound of bones cracking filled the air and he held his breath, wondering what was going to happen next as the man slumped to the ground and those vivid irises assessed him coldly.
The two boys stared at each other for a while before the Demon Child turned away, freeing him from the spell that he'd cast and going over to his cot to lay down.
It was such a simple act but the impact it had on him was profound. He had always been told that the boy in the cell was a monster sent to plague the clan, who would kill without conscience if given the chance. Instead, he had been saved from a gruesome fate and the "monster" was laying there, ignoring him.
Why didn't the boy try to kill him as well? Why hadn't he seen any ill-intent in those unique eyes? Why did he rescue him in the first place?
Such thoughts tormented him as he ran away from the dungeon that he had entered out of curiosity about its young, lone occupant. He left behind the darkness and returned to the opulence of his father's residence with a troubled heart, pausing as the servants fussed over the dirt staining his fine silk garb before ushering him in to see his sire.
As always, his father's face was stern and the look in his golden eyes was annoyed because his heir was behaving in ways that he did not approve of. The man expected nothing less than perfection and absolute obedience and sometimes he wondered if the man even loved him. He had worked tirelessly to inculcate into his heir the importance and dignity of his station and to insure he understood his obligations as a noble of the clan. And the young boy tried as hard as he could to live up to his expectations.
Discipline. Obedience. Honor.
The child believed in those ideals because it pleased his father and his clan. However, he was curious as well. His mind was often restless, constantly moving, constantly taking things apart and putting them back together. Always, he was asking "why" and this time held true as well as he recounted the tale of his venture into the dungeons. The more he talked about his encounter, the more the pieces started to fit together and the more he realized that the Demon Child was not at all what they thought he was.
The thought took root and grew into an epiphany about the nature of the "evil" boy in the dungeon. A smile of excitement and happiness at his find grew and he was eager, ecstatic even, as he shared it with his father. He addressed that stern visage and, with glowing words, told him about how he had been saved and how pretty those forbidden red eyes were and how he didn't think the Demon Child was a bad person at all.
The crack of palm meeting cheek followed that innocent proclamation and the boy hit the floor so hard that he bounced. His father's anger was wild, terrifying and he curled into himself as he laid into him for daring to defend the Demon Child. Flaying him with his words as he went down the list of sins he had committed by giving into his childish curiosity and ordering him to forget what had happened.
He had been disciplined. He must obey. It was the honorable thing to do.
The next day he was turned over to Fubuki and it was impressed upon him that the clan was his family and that it must be protected at all costs. Eventually, he truly did blank out the "traitorous" thoughts he'd had about the cursed boy in his lonely cell and admiration was carefully twisted into hatred by the masterful hand of the head of the Taishirou.
He was to close his eyes, plug his ears, play pretend and never speak favorably of the Demon Child.
*End Flashback*
Two days after losing to Kyo, Shinrei woke up from old dreams and painful memories. He stared at the ceiling as he sorted through his thoughts and realized that he was not dead and that, for the second time in his life, he had been touched by the Demon Child's mercy. As he turned his head to look at the boy - so much like his father - keeping a sleepy vigil over him, he smiled because he knew that the boy would not be there if he didn't care.
He had bet his life and his relationship with Ryu on the outcome of his battle and had lost neither. As he closed his eyes, delighting in the very act of breathing, he laughed. He had hoped and that hope had born fruit. Kyo was free and would return to avenge himself – he knew it with absolute certainty. And in that other man's selfish desire for vengeance, he saw a way out for his people.
'What will you do now, Kyo?' he wondered.
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Sometimes Tokito wondered how she could function with so much hatred swimming through her veins.
It was there when she woke up. It breathed down her neck whenever she was around other people. It gripped her heart every time she heard the name of the man who had given her life then summarily abandoned her.
Muramasa.
No matter where she turned, he was always there and she was always reduced to nothing more than his "son". To some, she was a reminder of one the greatest traitors the clan had ever known and to others she was the last glimmer of hope they had from a man they idolized. Neither side ever considered her on her own merits, not even when she was made an Elder, and so she nursed her bitterness and hatred until it was a monster that accompanied her wherever she went.
If she could not receive the comfort and respect that she longed for from her own clan then she would take solace in her own misery because at least that was one thing that was constant. Well, that and her fervent wish to kill the man who sired her. No matter how she turned it over in her head, she didn't understand why he hadn't wanted her. Was she defective? Did she annoy him? Why had he chosen to take the Demon Child with him instead of her? Did he want a son and was he disappointed when all he had was a daughter? According to the clan members, she looked just like him and she didn't understand how he could abandon someone who clearly bore his features, who had his blood running through her veins.
There were so many unanswered questions that filled her with confusion and pain whenever she sought answers and so she stopped looking and took her pleasure where she could. And for her, enjoyment came from robbing others of their happiness. If she wasn't allowed to obtain it then what made everyone else so special that they should have something that eluded her? Contentment? Joy? Hopes? Dreams?
How dare they!
As Tokito emerged into the King's throne room, her eyes fell on the tall figure of Fubuki and her blue-green gaze softened imperceptibly. There was only one person she respected and he was as magnificent as always. He was so tall and strong and she wished with all her heart that she could have had a father like him instead of a legacy of shame from the man who cast her away. Why couldn't she have been born as his son instead of as a girl who had to maintain the illusion of a boy - stuck at the age of fourteen to make it easier to hide her bust and hips? The few times she looked at herself when she released the bonds maintaining her boyish figure, she had wanted to vomit. She was a beautiful woman and yet, all she saw were Muramasa's features staring back at her.
So everyday, she tied her hated breasts down with vicious determination, using the pain to remind herself that anything was better than being who she was and that Fubuki was the one who had been kind enough to gift her with a new life and a new place as one of the Taishirou.
As she listened to Fubuki fill the king in on the latest developments, including the unwelcome news that Kyo had taken off on his own and that he had apparently crushed Shinrei in battle when he tried to stop him, she wondered why it was that they served the former Crimson King in the first place. Ever since Fubuki had given her a stern warning about disrespecting their ruler after she questioned the red-haired buffoon about his plans for Kyo and his little brat, she'd felt resentful towards the man. The head Elder had never chastised her so strongly before and it left a bad taste in her mouth.
The former king was so goofy, even when he was asking them simple questions about the going-ons of the clan. She didn't understand him and with that lack of understanding came a disrespect that only festered the longer she listened to and watched him bumble his way around the throne room and play with that useless little red-headed child while Yuan snickered in the background. She couldn't help but draw comparisons between the fool who led them and her precious Fubuki.
She was firmly convinced that the white-haired man was the true savior of the Mibu and the sole reason why they were able to survive despite the Death Disease and she wondered if it were possible to make him the king instead. It was a treasonous thought but one that was appealing and she licked her lips in amusement as she imagined showing the king how out of touch and unworthy he was to rule over herself and the clan.
Tokito was just about to reach into her clothes to pull out the cards she used to both foretell misfortune and kill the people who annoyed her – intent on embarrassing the king – when he stopped mid-sentence and smiled at her pleasantly.
"Now that simply won't do, Tokito. It's best not to scheme up foolish things."
The young woman had just enough time to feel a shiver of apprehension before the king was before her and she was being cut in half cleanly with a strike that was so forceful it pulverized the stone beneath her. She could feel it as her skull was split open and her bones and organs were torn to shreds before she could even scream, bathing the area around her with blood.
It was a mere fraction of a second but she suddenly found herself standing and staring at the king on his throne with wide eyes. He hadn't moved an inch but his point had been made loud and clear and her legs gave way, dumping her unceremoniously onto the floor. Shudders of pure, unadulterated terror wracked her body and she curled up into a ball. She barely noticed it when Fubuki quickly stepped in front of her and bowed low with Hishigi in tow, begging the king to spare her life in that smoothly eloquent voice she so adored.
Normally she would have been ecstatic at receiving such concern from her idol but she was too busy fighting the urge to throw up and reeling from the realization of how stupid she had been. Not once had it occurred to her that behind that genial face and those clumsy mannerisms lay a monster of immense proportions and she fought to wrap her brain around the fact that she had very nearly been killed with just a thought.
For the first time in her life, Tokito, the youngest of the Taishirou, was thoroughly humiliated, thoroughly humbled, and thoroughly scared. With those emotions came the understanding that the king truly had no need of their power - he was that far beyond all of them in strength - and that he kept them around for his own personal reasons. With vivid clarity she knew that it was in her best interests not to alter those motives.
It was a singularly unique experience and she was still trembling when the king spoke again. And this time, now that she had a glimpse of what lay behind those thick glasses, that gentle voice took on a whole new level of menace as he said, "There is no need to beg forgiveness, Fubuki. Tokito was merely being a child and all children make mistakes at some point. However, I understand that he has gone through his share of hardships and that patience can elude even the best of us. With that in mind, I have an assignment for him."
Slowly, she raised her head in the king's direction, averting her eyes so as not to look the demon who ruled over them in the eyes.
Her voice wavered slightly as she said with uncharacteristic meekness, "Whatever my lord commands."
"Wonderful Tokito. You should be very happy with this request. In fact, I think it's something you've been looking forward to for some time. I'd like you to leave the Mibu lands and retrieve something for me."
She frowned, wondering what he could possibly need her to get that couldn't be handled by one of the Five Stars or their low-level soldiers. Of course she would do as commanded – her rebellious thoughts had dried up the moment she tasted her own death - but she'd never heard of one of the Four Elders being sent to human territory.
"You are a very quick study," the king said with a smile, indicating that he was still reading her thoughts and making her flinch.
"Well, let's not waste time and beat around the bush. I think you'll find my request to be quite cathartic for you. I want you to pay a visit to your father."
She gave a start and stared at him with huge eyes as he continued, "And I'd like very much for you to retrieve him and a small girl that happens to be staying with him. Don't harm the child, since I am very interested in meeting her, but my only requirement for Muramasa is that you bring him back alive. What you do to him in between his home and here is your choice."
It was an unexpectedly magnanimous gift and she wavered between caution at being chosen for something so important when she had nearly revolted against her god and king moments ago and the first stirrings of a dark joy at getting a chance to confront her neglectful sire.
Years of anguish and malcontent meant there was no contest and she bestowed upon him one of her rare genuine smiles as she replied, "It will be my pleasure Sire."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Edo was just as busy as Yuya remembered. Thus far, she and Kyoshiro had stuck to the surrounding towns around their home when they went off to hunt their bounties and so she had a brief moment of claustrophobia when they entered the gates and found themselves pressed on all sides with people.
The city was bustling with life and energy. There were people conversing, trading their wares, and moving in and out of houses and shops and she even saw the occasional soldier - which caused her to shrink back a bit because she was still married to a wanted man and he'd fought in the tournament for criminals years past. At the end of the day, she was still a country girl at heart and it took a moment to readjust to so many people and realize that they had no idea who she was and weren't paying her any mind outside of the occasional odd look at her blonde tresses.
Instead, more than one person stopped and stared at Akari as he passed by – marveling at his unique looks and the air of untouchable beauty he projected. The shaman's face was serene and a tiny smile played around his lips. To all outward appearances, he was an enchanting traveling priestess who was merely passing through on her way to do good deeds and help those in need.
Yuya had pegged his personality well enough to know that he was probably just basking in the admiration and was going to be insufferable for the next few hours. Sure enough, once they'd picked an inn and settled down in a room since separate ones weren't available, the shaman flitted back and forth, exclaiming in excitement at being the center of attention.
The bounty huntress sighed and unpacked her bag while she waited for Akari to come back down from his egotistical high. She turned to ask Kyoshiro, who was sitting on his futon, what he wanted for dinner and paused, staring at him in concern. For a while now – as far back as shortly before they left her father-in-law's house - she'd noticed that he wasn't sleeping very well. Since he'd always had the occasional nightmare about his blood-soaked past for as long as they'd been under the same roof, she hadn't troubled him about it because he always got very antsy and uncomfortable when she tried to get more details about his life as a Mibu assassin.
Sometimes, he would just sit on the porch and stare off into space in the general direction of the Mibu clan and she felt like he was somewhere else entirely. Usually, the young man was quite cheerful but she could see the guilt weighing down on him about the things he had done and the way he flinched whenever she mentioned her brother. As for her, she cared for him a great deal but sometimes she struggled with the knowledge that he was the reason why Nozomu was gone. And it was only the realization that he was also the reason why Kyo had come into her life that allowed her to push back the tears that threatened when she cast her mind back to the dark day she entered her house to find her brother slain.
Pushing those thoughts aside before she could look at them too closely, she observed the dark shadows beneath his blue eyes and rose to walk over to him, touching him lightly on his shoulder. He was so out of it that it was a full two seconds before he blinked and looked at her, mustering up a pitiful smile as he asked, "Yes, Yuya?"
"Are you alright, Kyoshiro? You look exhausted," she said with a worried frown.
"I just haven't been getting much rest lately," he replied, yawning and blinking rapidly as if it had caught him off-guard.
"So I noticed. Why don't you take a nap? I'll grab Akari-San and take him with me to get some food so you can have some peace and quiet."
"Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself with Akari-San, Yuya? I can go with you instead," Kyoshiro was trying so hard to stay awake at that point that she shook her head and gave him a gentle shove, causing him to sprawl back on his bedding.
She smirked and gave him a flick on the nose before saying, "I'll be fine. I give you my solemn vow that I won't kill him and hide the body."
He smiled and Akari sniffed in indignation, having pulled himself away from his self-aggrandizement long enough to catch Yuya's comment.
"No need to be rude," the shaman said huffily.
"It's the truth. You were being a brat at first and you know it," the bounty huntress said, offering him a grin to take the sting out of her words. Akari was still annoying at times but they were getting along better since their honest talk a few days prior and their interactions were more good-natured ribbing than anything else.
Akari humphed and Kyoshiro gave a tired laugh before saying, "Alright, I'll try to sleep. You two just need to stay out of trouble until we work out how to get in contact with your friends. And Akari-San," he fixed the other man with intent blue eyes.
"Watch over Yuya. Kyo asked me to protect her and he is still a wanted man here. He'll kill us both if anything happens to her."
A look that Yuya couldn't quite decipher passed between the two and Akari's face took on a serious expression that morphed him from a flippant priestess to a stern young man before nodding. It was the first time she had seen the shaman look like the warrior that the leanly muscled body beneath his robes proclaimed he was and she forgot to protest their belief that she needed protection.
It would have been a token objection anyways because, while she could take on most normal humans, the people who tended to seek Kyo out usually fell outside that criteria and she was ever conscious of the fact that she could be used against her husband. It had happened once and she would rather die than let it happen again.
She watched as those blue eyes slowly drifted shut and Akari reached down and pulled her up with uncharacteristic gentless before pushing her out of the room and closing the door behind them. Yuya was surprised when the shaman linked his arm with hers and said, "I have the feeling you are the sort to wander off and get into to trouble. So to save myself a headache, the two of us will simply be a couple of girlfriends out on a stroll to go shopping and I will try to tolerate your presence."
Yuya frowned because she didn't think she was that bad – even though the last time she was in Edo she had been stalked by a couple of soldiers and nearly killed. Of course, then there was the part where she was drugged so a vengeful woman could steal her identity and kill Kyo.
'Okay, so maybe I do attract trouble,' she thought in chagrin and didn't pull her arm away as Akari escorted her from one shop to another and basked in the attention of the men who stopped to check them out.
About three stores in, Yuya asked the shaman, "I don't know how you can handle so much attention. We can barely move without someone trying to flirt with you."
"It comes with the territory of being so beautiful," he replied lighty before saying in a much quieter voice, "and it's better to admired than feared in a place like this. As a bonus focusing on the praise helps me to keep my game face on. I hate crowds and people in general so count yourself blessed to be allowed in the presence of Akari-Sama."
His tone was humorless but his smile was pleasant as a woman passed by and asked him how he got such lovely hair. The young woman just stared at him, trying to figure out how someone could have two such distinct faces as he stopped at a stand to buy onigiri – most likely to serve as replacement breasts.
Once he had the snacks in hand, he bent his head close and murmured, "Don't freak out but we're being followed."
Yuya nodded briefly and whispered back, "Can you see who it is?"
The shaman pulled her forward and turned a bit, lifting his hand and pointing at a pretty hair ornament before laughing and leaning in close as if to tell her about the decoration as he said, "A man. Noteworthy because he is so unremarkable that it doesn't feel natural and I can feel his ki, it's higher than a normal person's."
"What do you plan to do?" Yuya asked.
"I'll go see for myself what he wants and handle him if he gets rough," the way Akari said "handle" gave her chills and she saw that the warrior face was back again.
"You, stay here," he ordered, showing her to a nearby cart with a collection of odds and ends, ranging from masks to cookware and old clothes.
The tall shaman glided back the way they came and she was grateful for his height and looks because she was able to keep him in sight. She focused on her companion until the hairs on the back of her neck raised and she got the feeling that she was being watched. Slowly moving her head from side to side, she tried to figure out where the sensation was coming from. Her senses were nowhere near as sharp as Akari's but she'd spent enough time around strong fighters and bounties that she could pick out a strong ki if it was close enough.
Leaning against the cart, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes in order to concentrate, doing her best to block out the noise around her and focus on the sound of her own heartbeat. With agonizing slowness, the hubbub around her receded and she found what she was looking for, a ki that was significantly higher than was normal. The person was on the other side of the cart and closing in and she surreptitiously reached behind herself to hike the back of her kimono up so that she could reach the knives strapped to her leg.
She was about to withdraw her weapons when strong fingers were wrapped around her wrist, halting her progress and a voice said next to her ear, "You still need more practice, Nee-San."
That voice! It was a lot deeper than she remembered but the half-mocking tone was the same and, when she turned her head to look at its owner, the golden eyes with cat-like pupils looking back at her were the same as well.
Yuya smiled and exclaimed happily, "Sasuke-Kun!"
His lips quirked slightly and he opened them to respond when his eyes narrowed and he jerked her close. She barely registered what he had done before he sidestepped the pointed end of a shakujo which slammed into the side of the cart, causing it to rock on its wheels.
"Take your hands off of her," Akari said menacingly, violet eyes flashing as he withdrew the staff and raised it slightly.
A dark aura that gave off a sinister feeling appeared around the shaman's hands and gradually spread up the length of his weapon. Sasuke pushed her behind him and his hand went to the sword strapped to his back as he raised his ki and she thought she smelled ozone. The owner of the cart finally put in an appearance once he figured out his property had been damaged and came around the side to run them off, only to do an about-face when he caught sight of the tall woman with the strangely glowing staff and the boy with eyes like a wild beast.
Yuya had yet to see Akari in action but the air crackled with danger and she sensed that things were going to go south very quickly if she didn't intervene.
Jerking her appendage loose from Sasuke's grip, she stepped between the two and held her hands up as she said, "It's alright, Akari-San. He's a friend."
The shaman looked from her to the ninja and back again before asking, "Are you sure?"
The question came out softly and she had a feeling that the teenager was about to narrowly escape a fight he was unlikely to win.
"Positive," she said and the tall man stared at her a moment longer, as if to make sure she was telling the truth, before the black aura disappeared.
He lowered his staff and flicked a strand of pink hair over one shoulder before placing his right hand on his hip. Sasuke followed suit by standing down as well and she breathed a sigh of relief that a fight hadn't broken out.
"Akari-San, this is Sasuke-Kun. He works for Yukimura-San of the Sanada clan and he came with us to the Mibu lands four years ago," she gestured to the young man.
She was about to introduce Akari but he beat her to the punch by stepping forward and saying haughtily, " I am the great Akari-Sama - the strongest of the Four Emperors."
With that bold proclamation, he walked over to Yuya and, catching her by the arm, pulled her forward so he could interject himself between her and the shinobi. He gave the young man a long considering look which was returned with a neutral expression.
Tilting his head back towards the bounty huntress, he asked, "How in the world is it that you keep attracting all of these good-looking guys?"
He didn't even have the tact to whisper the question and Sasuke shot Akari an annoyed look as he folded his arms and leaned against the cart. Yuya frowned at the shaman for teasing the young man already and herself by extension because his tone said he thought she didn't have much appeal.
Ignoring the rude implications in his statement, she looked back at Sasuke and had to admit that the boy of twelve had grown into a handsome young man of sixteen. His silver hair and golden cat eyes were still striking but the childish roundness had been carved away and replaced by well defined cheekbones and a generous, if unsmiling, mouth. He probably wasn't going to be a very tall man once he was done growing but he still rose over her and his arms and legs were muscular from years of swordplay and roof-jumping. She imagined that he was probably getting a lot of feminine attention by now.
He was appraising her as well she noticed and, offering him an apologetic smile for staring instead of conversing, she said, "I really am happy to see you, Sasuke-Kun, even though you gave me a little scare."
The corner of his mouth twitched at her stern tone and she continued, "How have you been and where is Benitora-San? I thought the two of you came to Edo together."
"We did, Nee-San. He's still here actually but he couldn't get away. He's had us watching the gate for the past year to see if you showed up."
"Us?" she queried, wondering who the solitary young man had partnered with.
"I'm thinking he was in league with that guy I saw following us earlier," Akari said and both of his companions turned to look at him.
"I was working my way to him when he just vanished into thin air. That's when I turned to come back and saw this kid leaning over you, Yuya-San. How old are you anyways, boy?" Akari asked briskly.
Apparently some things never changed because Sasuke said nothing in response and merely stared the shaman down.
'Still as shy about speaking to strangers as ever,' she thought to herself before answering for the young man and replying, "Sasuke-Kun should be sixteen by now. It's so weird to think that he's now the same age I was when I first met Kyo. Time really flies doesn't it?"
"Can't he answer for himself?" Akari asked.
"Akari-San...," Yuya said with a pained tone because she didn't feel like stopping another fight and her young friend was starting to get an annoyed look in his eyes.
"I know, I know, he's a friend and all that good stuff. I just think it's weird that he showed up out of nowhere and was following us instead of greeting us properly."
Those were valid concerns but she got the feeling something else was bothering the older man. However, she wasn't going to get a straight answer out of him in front of someone he didn't know so she turned her attention back to Sasuke and asked, "So who is this "us" you spoke of and what have you been doing these past years? I can tell you are a lot stronger."
Golden eyes flicked over Akari before he opted to ignore the shaman and replied, "I've been working with Benitora to get stronger. He is still an idiot but he's gotten better as well and his dad affords me a lot of opportunities to fight. Currently, I am partnered up with two other people. One of them was indeed following the two of you."
"Ah ha!" her other companion exclaimed.
She mentally rolled her eyes at the shaman's childishness and said cheerfully, "If Tora-San can't come to see us, why don't we go and pay him a visit? It sounds like he finally fixed his relationship with his father and I'd love to meet him."
Sasuke was quiet for a long moment and she wondered if she'd said something wrong when a mischievous look entered those golden eyes and he said, "That sounds like a good idea. Why don't we go pay them both a visit?"
"Lovely," she clapped her hands together to indicate that things were settled and said, "Let's go back to the inn and pick Kyoshiro up. I hate to interrupt his nap but maybe we can all get together and have dinner together like old times."
Humming in happiness at the thought of seeing Benitora again, she led the way back to the inn, paying no heed to the two men who trailed after her in silence. Sasuke opted to wait outside while a sulky Akari followed her inside. She was just going to ignore him but things had been going so well between the two of them of late that she felt compelled to ask him what was bothering him and why he was being so antagonistic towards the teenager. After all, Akari was almost her friend now if still rough around the edges.
Yuya hesitated in front of the door to their room and turned to the shaman as she asked gently, "By the way, what was all of that?"
"What was all of what?" he replied a little defensively and she inclined her head to the side, trying to figure out what had rubbed him the wrong way this time.
"That whole exchange with Sasuke. I already confirmed that he was my friend. Is there something about him that bothers you?"
"I just don't like how sneaky he is," came the brusque reply.
"He's a shinobi, that kind of comes with the territory and he's fantastically good at what he does."
"A little too good if you ask me. What would you have done if it had been anyone else?"
"Tried to fight as best I could."
He made a contemptuous sound and said, "You are such a weakling. Attitude can only carry you so far, you know."
"Of course," she replied, genuinely confused as to where he was going with this mini-tirade.
"That's the problem with you. You keep doing things on willpower alone and making people worried about you."
A thought occurred to her and she smiled warmly at the shaman as she asked, "Why Akari-San, are you upset because he slipped past you? Where you concerned for me?"
She must have nailed it on the head because his cheeks pinkened slightly and he lifted his nose and replied disdainfully, "I said you make people worry about you. That doesn't mean I'm included. It's not like I'm friends with you yet or that we'll go around braiding each other's hair and stuff."
Suppressing a laugh she replied, "First off, the thought of giggling back and forth and braiding hair with you is just creepy and second, too bad. You might not consider me a friend and I might think you are a pain in the butt sometimes but it's too late. I've already decided to be your friend so deal with it!"
To punctuate her point, she poked him in the chest and he stared at her finger until she started feeling awkward and quickly withdrew it. Those violet eyes rose to meet hers and she couldn't read much from his expression outside of his pink cheeks.
"You are such a strange person," he said quietly before turning to open the door to their room and entering it, leaving a bewildered Yuya behind to wait as he woke Kyoshiro up.
The former assassin staggered out, yawning and rubbing at his eyes and she affectionately ruffled his dark head as she said, "Hey there sleepyhead, sorry to get you up but there's someone you need to meet."
He blinked owlishly at her and nodded before going back into the room and retrieving his sword, only half-listening as she filled him in on what had happened and giving a nod to the boy outside that he had met briefly when they were escaping the Mibu lands. They made their way quickly through the crowd and Yuya looked around in surprise as the houses went from average to very nice the closer they got to their destination.
Before long, they were standing in front of gates that she knew very well and she turned to ask Sasuke in a worried tone, "This is the castle, right?"
His eyes were bright as he replied simply, "Yes."
"Don't tell me Benitora got captured by the Shogun. I know he was a bandit once but I don't think he really hurt anyone."
"He isn't in jail," the ninja replied and she wondered why he looked so amused when she was so worried about the wellbeing of her friend.
"Then why are we here and are you sure it's alright for me to be here? I'm the wife of a wanted man and there was even a bounty on my head for the suspected murder of my brother."
Kyoshiro cringed and she shot him an apologetic glance while she waited for an answer to the dilemma before her. The bounty huntress was desperate to see her old friend but unwilling to risk being thrown into jail or worse. She had a husband to see and a son to save and no one was going to get in the way of that if she had anything to say about it. The gates of the castle were opened wide and she felt as if she were looking into the maw of a beast that was waiting to devour her.
"It's all been taken care of. No one is hunting you and Kyo right now. Tora has seen to that."
She was really confused now and she took an unconscious step back, unsure of how to take his explanation. There was no way the Red Tiger had that sort of power, was it?
Something about her expression must have tipped Sasuke off that she was starting to get scared and that his private joke was going on far too long because he sighed and gently took her hand in his as he said, "It's all right, Nee-San. Tora gave me permission to tell you his secret in case you had to come here again and got worried."
"His secret? What secret? Is he some sort of court official?"
Yuya laughed at the ridiculousness of the idea but Sasuke's expression didn't change as he replied, "Not far from that. You know how I said his dad gives me plenty of chances to fight?"
She nodded and he continued, "Well, that's just it. He leads an elite group of ninja...as well as this country."
The young woman continued to nod for a second or two once he was done speaking and then the pieces fell into place all at once and her jaw dropped as she exclaimed, "Wait a minute. That means his father is the...?!"
The silver-haired teen nodded.
"Then that means Tora-San is the son of the Shogun?!"
"Yes, he is Tokugawa Hidetada. The current heir to the shogunate."
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I made this chapter a bit longer to avoid having to take time from Kyo in the next one plot. I always thought it would have been nice if Kamijyo-Sensei showed how Yuya knew Benitora's true identity in another way besides hinting at it in the bonus chapter. I know this one was a bit slower but there will be more action in the next chapter and Kyo arrives in Edo. Can't say much more other than that he and his lady love should be meeting again within the next two chapters and Bon and Akira will show up soon enough. I finally brought in more of Tokito as I always wondered what would happen if she actually got to meet Muramasa and I like her and Akira as a couple.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, thanks for reading and please let me know what you think. Please don't mind the typos, I've got to re-read parts of this chapter anyways.
P.S. While I do think Akari has a very small crush on Yuya in the manga there is no real Kyo, Yuya, and Akari triangle going on in this fic. All of the guys in SDK are in love with Yuya in one way or the other because she's just that awesome. =)