Disclaimer: I don't own Samurai Champloo or any of its characters.


Author's note: Sorry again about the delay in updating, but this chapter is the equivalent of two average sized chapters. This is dedicated to all fans of the Jin-Fuu pairing.


Chapter 28

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

- William Butler Yeats (1899)

One who claims the title of warrior should understand that it is his foremost duty to keep death ever in his mind from the first moment of New Year's Day to the last moment of the last day of the year.

The warrior who does this will always fulfil all obligations of loyalty and filial piety, avoid a windfall of evils and disasters, and live a long healthy life. His spirit will grow strong, and Heaven and earth will favour him.

A man's life is as fleeting as the evening dew or the morning frost, and a warrior's life is even more uncertain. A warrior who believes that he will live a long life will get caught up in his own desires and may fail to fulfil his duty to his Lord or his parents.

Always remember, just because life is here today is no guarantee it will be here tomorrow. Receive your orders from your Lord or parents as though you will never see them again, and you will serve them from a heart of sincerity. This way you will never fall short of total loyalty or filial piety.

- From Budo Shoshin-shu by Yuzan Daidoji(1725?), translated by Tarver(2003).

Love and Loyalty/Giri Ninjo [1]

It was a cloudy day in Kofu today, one in which the threat of rain exists but does not materialize. The layer of clouds covering the Kofu basin was thin; the ones that made it past the blockage of mountains surrounding the basin had unshed moisture in them. The rays of the sun passing through these clouds cast interesting colours on the landscape. At the moment, for example, the cherry blossom grove in which Jin had kissed Fuu for the first time was of a lilac hue. Cherry blossoms were falling thick and fast, giving the grove an appearance of a cemetery with freshly-dug graves adorned with flower petals.

There were children playing here, just as there had been on that day. But they had been quarrelling, and one of them was crying. Jin, who was on his way to the town magistrate's mansion, had wanted to avoid the cherry blossom grove, even though it fell directly en route to Takeda Yoshinori's residence. But somehow, whether due to absent-mindedness or due to being preoccupied with myriad thoughts, he had ended up taking this route anyway, as if compelled by a force not of his choosing. When was the last time he had cried? He tried to recall similar moments from his own childhood, as he observed the children.

The last time Jin had cried was when he was eight years old. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it was the last time he had shed tears. The tears that had remained unshed had accumulated over the years, like a liquid weight inside him; a weight that one eventually got used to until it wasn't noticeable any more.

At least, that is how one would describe it if one were to be sentimental about it. For there was nothing unusual about a samurai being in control of such emotions; it was all part of the training and discipline imparted to a young boy growing up in a bushi household. If you cried over trivial reasons, such as quarrelling with your playmates, you were told, as the eight year old Jin, who then went by the name of Taro, was told by his father, "A samurai doesn't cry about such little things. The way of the samurai, Taro-kun, is the way of death – one must at all times stand ready to sacrifice oneself for the sake of one's lord, and for the sake of one's ideals. That is what you must prepare yourself for. Crying over such trivial matters is not going to prepare you for the beautiful life that is your destiny."

Jin hadn't quite understood his father at that time; indeed, even in later years he would go on to question that central tenet of bushido – that of absolute loyalty to one's lord and master. But he had stopped crying and learned over the years to control his emotions to a degree that was remarkable for young boys of his age. But that didn't mean that he did not feel those emotions, or had cultivated a lack of sensitivity – he was simply able to distance himself from them, as if watching or observing them from outside, so to speak.

He was in fact deeply sensitive, and it was a trait cultivated by his mother, who was very keen that he was educated in some of the refined arts of the nobility and warrior classes. She often argued with his father about Jin's education, saying that: "These are times of peace, and eventually the fate of the warrior classes will depend on their education, not their martial skills. If Taro-chan is educated well, he will have better prospects when he grows up."

Jin's father did not disagree with her; indeed, he saw the merit of her arguments, although he was more inclined to emphasize Jin's training as a warrior. In any case, Jin was to inherit his rank when he grew up, and that would be the rank of a koke, only less exalted than the rank of a daimyo. It was then imperative that he receive an education commensurate with that rank.

The ranking system of feudal lords that was prevalent in those times had come about at the end of Japan's Sengoku Jidai or Warring States Era. After the decisive Battle of Sekigahara that ended it, the first Tokugawa shogun Lord Iyeasu had created a hierarchy of sorts among the daimyo. Leaders of clans that had fought on the side of the Tokugawas were categorized as the fudai daimyo and typically had landed estates of about 10000 koku (50,000 bushels of rice) or more. On the other hand, leaders of comparably wealthy clans who had fought against the Tokugawas were referred to as tozama daimyo. There was also a third category, even more exalted than fudai – reserved for those with the Tokugawa name or those related by blood to the Tokugawas – these were the shinpan daimyo.

Great families that were dispossessed but had estates valued at less than 10000 koku were not qualified to be daimyo, but were assigned the rank of koke. The Takedas of Kai and some of their branches were among such families. Their role was less important relative to direct retainers of the shogun, but had some prestige in the sense of being appointed as master of ceremonies at court functions, and advisors of protocol in relation to the meetings of the shogun or daimyo with members of the imperial family at Kyoto.

Jin's father Takeda Jinemon was cognizant with the protocols of the imperial court at Kyoto and recognized the importance of providing Jin with the arts and education of the aristocracy. But he was also conscious of being a descendant of the great Takeda family of Kai and its martial lineage, so he insisted that Jin take up training in the martial arts at a fairly early age, despite opposition from Jin's mother Lady Takeda Masako. So at the age of ten, which was deemed a little too early for beginning serious training in the martial arts even at the time of war, Jin was sent to Kisarazu to train in Mujushin Kenjutsu as a pupil of Mariya Enshiro. Mariya Enshiro himself was a descendant of the Takeda family, and a distant relative of Takeda Jinemon.

Even Mariya Enshiro was a little reluctant take in such a young pupil, but after having assessed the boy's aptitude, was very impressed with him. So when Jin's parents died, he readily took up the responsibility of looking after Jin.

The death of Jin's parents took place just as Jin had described – they died in a fire, which was a fairly common occurrence in cities and towns where the dwellings were made of wood and paper. But Jin had not told Hideo of the circumstances surrounding his parent's prior to their death, perhaps because he didn't think it necessary. Or perhaps Jin didn't remember much of the details himself.

Takeda Jinemon had a weakness; he had an excessive interest in women other than his wife. As it was quite acceptable for men in high ranks among the upper classes to keep concubines, Takeda Jinemon kept two in addition to his wife. The death of his favourite concubine had quite an impact on him and he was an altered person after that event. He started to drink and patronize the pleasure districts, and accumulated a fair amount of debt. Eventually his lands had to be sold to settle his debts, so Jin's prospects were doomed as there was nothing left for him at the death of his parents. The shogun Ietsuna didn't see it fit to appoint another koke in Kofu, and the relatives of Jin's parents other than Mariya Enshiro weren't keen to adopt Jin.

'Taro' became 'Jin' after Mariya Enshiro named him so at his coming of age ceremony. Jin could have taken the name of Mariya but kept the Takeda name out of respect for his family. Or rather he kept it because he thought that his mother would have wanted it.

Before the alteration of his character Jin's relationship with his father was not a bad one, but he maintained a distance that was natural given that Jinemon saw his role as authoritarian parent, even though he wasn't unkind to Jin. But he worshipped the ground his mother walked on. The most painful aspect of going away to Kisarazu had been the parting with his mother, and the news of his parent's death was devastating to a greater degree due to his close relationship with her. He felt her loss more keenly than he did his father's.

He didn't cry then, nor did he cry out of the loneliness that followed. Boys of his age at the dojo were jealous of him and shunned him, and Mariya Enshiro, who was kind, but didn't want to be viewed as partial, maintained his distance. Jin bore all of this with a stoicism that was to become a hallmark of his personality as an adult.

But there had been a moment when he had been close to tears. Mariya Enshiro, feeling deeply sorry for him one day had impulsively ruffled Jin's hair, and in doing so brought back a memory of his mother; it had been a habit of hers to run her fingers through his hair just before she combed and arranged it into a ponytail.

She took a great deal of care when she combed his hair, he recalled, and insisted on doing it herself rather than delegating the task to a servant. She oiled his hair first, and her fingers running between the strands of his hair were reminiscent of the feeling of hair being tugged by water while floating in a pool. There was a pleasant teasing, tingling feel to the combing that followed, and a sweet languor induced by the rhythmic swishing and scraping sounds it entailed.

She had a way of making such actions coincide with periods in which he was, for whatever reason, in less than elevated spirits. He admired this perceptiveness in her, and her ability to make everything all right in his world.

He had never expected to experience that feeling again, but Fuu had surprised him attempting to comb his hair as he was recovering in Ikitsuki-shima from the injuries inflicted by Kariya.

"Oka-san used to do that," he had remarked. Fuu was pleased as it had been the first time he had spoken since collapsing after the 'duel' with Mugen at the end of their journey. She saw it as a sign of his recovery.

"I hope I am not making you uncomfortable. It doesn't hurt, does it?"

"No."

He had moved into a sitting position to help her, even though it had been somewhat painful to do so. But to him it had been a sign from the universe that he was going to be all right.

---xxx---

Stoicism has its limits, thought Jin; there is only so much one can put up with, after all. Seeing Fuu covered in blood that day had driven him close to insanity. He couldn't remember exactly how he had reached the Tsutsujigasaki ruins, the site of Fuu's duel with Inuyama. Along with Mugen and Hideo, he had been running like the wind to get there. Of course, Jin and Mugen had got there first, but for a moment it had seemed that they had been too late. With his heart in his mouth he had watched her fall towards the ground, drenched in blood. The fact that Inuyama lay dead a few yards away from her had given him hope, only to be dashed to the ground when he caught her and discovered that most of the blood on her came from her own wound.

(No no no the blood is flowing too fast let the blood stop please no no no Fuu please don't I can't live without you don't leave me I love you no no no.)

He had held her in his arms for a long time, her back propped against his chest, with one of his hands placed over her wound as if willing it to stop bleeding. Applying pressure on her wound in that manner had indeed been effective; the blood had clotted and dried, but he hadn't been able to let go of her. In the end Mugen, with the help of Hideo had separated Fuu from him in order that the physician Dr. Watanabe may examine the wound.

The blood that had dried on his fingers had the appearance of vermillion on snow, and his fingers too had to be pried apart as the clotted blood had congealed and thickened between them, causing them to stick to each other. Again, it was Mugen who had done this for him, taking him away to wash his hands, and then later attacking him with his sword so that he would snap out of his state of shock.

The sword had stopped a few inches above his forehead, but Jin hadn't even flinched. This had simultaneously angered and frightened Mugen.

"I could have killed you, you idiot. Snap out of it!"

"No."

"No?"

"No, you couldn't have killed me."

"Starting to trust me, are you? That'd be stupid."

Jin hadn't wanted to be drawn into further conversation. If you had really wanted to kill me, my friend, I would have known.

---xxx---

Beyond the several acres of cherry, peach, and plum groves, there was a somewhat steeply rising hill forested with cedar, oak, and pine trees. At the top of the hill there was a plateau of sorts, a generous part of which constituted the compound of the town magistrate Takeda Yoshinari's mansion. There was a high wall surrounding it, although not as high as the one surrounding the Kofu castle. Outside of the wall, on one side of it was a grove of cypress trees, while another side consisted of some smaller dwellings, probably those of Yoshinori's retainers, each surrounded by a little garden of its own. A simple garden gate formed the entrance, beyond which was the 'tegashiva' tree symbolizing luck and prosperity, typically found at the entry of samurai homes. Inside the centre of the compound was the one-storied, but large mansion of Takeda Yoshinori, which included rooms for official purposes, in addition to the personal living quarters of his household. The mansion was airy and elegant with gardens on three sides of it, facing its large verandas.

One of these gardens was of the ornamental type, with bonsai trees and stones of various shapes and sizes in it, and a meandering bed of sand suggestive of a river running through it. Another garden consisted of a hilly landscape with cherry, wisteria, maple and plum trees, and was adjacent to a forested area towards the back of the mansion, where the household shrine was located. The third garden consisted of a miniature pond surrounding a miniature island of bonsai peach, maple and azalea plants.

The reception room of the mansion faced this particular garden, and from the viewpoint of this room the garden did not look like a miniature but a real landscape – it had the appearance of the bank of a lake with an island which is a long way off.[2] It was in this room that Takeda Yoshinori conducted most of his official business.

The beauty of the surroundings normally had a calming effect on Yoshinori, but lately he had perceived it in a different light. He had lived in this mansion for many years, and practically all aspects of his surroundings were associated with memories of his recently deceased son Yoshiyasu.

Unlike his wife Hitomi, he had the advantage of being able to immerse himself in the administration of the town of Kofu. But the order of business today was disconcerting precisely because it directly and indirectly involved a discussion of matters related to the death of his son. It had to do with this 'kitsunetsuki' case that had troubled the Kofu police force for more than a year now. And although he did not want to acknowledge that his son's death had anything to do with fox possession, in his official capacity as town magistrate he had to admit the possibility of it. Especially given that a more rational explanation for the kitsunetsuki-deaths had recently come forth due to the efforts of Edo specialist Sakami Manzou.

He had been impressed and somewhat diverted by Manzou, who had seemed like a large bundle of contradictions. He was extremely respectful, courteous, and yet brutally honest. He was obviously a very intelligent and competent officer, but somehow managed to come across, on first impression, as stupid. Perhaps he was a follower of that well known precept from Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War,' namely, 'Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline, simulated fear postulates courage, simulated weakness postulates strength.'

Even more intriguing was the fact that Manzou had involved an interesting bunch of assistants, and had made it a point to give them a lot of credit for his findings. And one of these assistants, a Takeda Jin, whom Manzou had deferentially referred to as an 'advisor' was to meet him today.

Takeda Jin, it turned out, was quite an interesting character, especially in the light of recent events. For Yoshinori had received some communication regarding Jin from none other than Hotta Masatoshi of the Edo Council of Elders. The messenger who delivered the message had imparted several very puzzling directives from Edo, some of which he had discussed with his senior-most retainer Arima Makoto.

"Don't you think, Makoto-san, it is a rather interesting coincidence that this young man is to meet me, just a few days after I received that strange message about him?"

"I think, Yoshinori-sama, that the metsuke (shogun's intelligence officers) have had their eye on this man for quite a while. Maybe his involvement in this 'kitsunetsuki' investigation has drawn further attention to him."

"A lot of attention, I should say. In fact, it seems that the great Lord Yagyu Munefuyu is on his way here. I have been instructed to invite him to stay with us."

Makoto, a round faced animated looking man of about forty or so raised his eyebrows at this piece of information, causing a series of lines to form on his forehead just below the shaved part at the centre of his crown.

"Lord Yagyu Munefuyu? The shogun's kenjutsu instructor?! You think that his arrival has something to do with Takeda Jin?"

"Well, we have been told to keep a watch on this young man, who is so highly skilled in kenjutsu that he was awarded a menkyo by none other than Mariya Enshiro."

"Yes, I see, that is quite suggestive. This Jin, he killed Mariya Enshiro, didn't he? Perhaps Lord Munefuyu has been requested to avenge his death. There were several students in that Mujushin Kenjutsu dojo, weren't there, who filled out 'ada-uchi' forms for revenge against Jin. But none of them had the ability to fight Jin, so it was inevitable that they would ask another highly skilled swordsman to represent them."

"Hmm, maybe. But I don't think so. They would have to be extremely well connected to avail of the services of such an exalted personage as Lord Munefuyu. Secondly, the messenger from Edo had another strange directive for me. He hinted, although in not so many words, that I was to help Lord Munefuyu assess Takeda Jin's performance in the kitsunetsuki investigations."

Takeda Yoshinori sounded a bit peeved as he said this; he appeared to resent the fact that an outsider had been asked to look into matters that fell within his jurisdiction.

"Huh? Incredible! To tell you the truth Yoshinori-sama, I am rather disappointed to hear that. I don't mean to question the judgement of Edo's councillors, but I was hoping there was to be some retribution for an act as heinous as killing one's own teacher."

"Apparently he was attacked by Mariya Enshiro, so he had no choice."

"Still… It is almost like killing one's parent. I should think that if one had to choose between one's own death, or the death of a teacher - "

"Ah, Makoto-san, we don't know what the circumstances were, so we cannot judge him. Besides, that kind of loyalty does not exist anymore. It is a thing of the past."

---xxx---

Jin had initially been reluctant to meet Takeda Yoshinori. Apart from his instinctive dislike of government officials in high positions, he felt that it would be more appropriate for Manzou to liaise with him.

"I am only an assistant Manzou-san. I think that you, in the official capacity as chief investigator of this case, are more suitable for the job of reporting to and questioning the town magistrate."

"I am only a doshin Jin-san, so I wouldn't presume to call myself a 'chief investigator.' That is the privilege of the yoriki (police commanders). And you are not merely an assistant. I regard you as an advisor and a partner in this case. A man of your abilities and education, under, uh, normal circumstances, would be in a much higher position, should you have chosen a career in this profession."

"I understand that you are reluctant to do this. But I instinctively feel that Yoshinori-sama is more likely to open up to you in relation to the circumstances surrounding the death of his son. The last time I met him he was reluctant to even admit that his son may be one of the 'kitsunetsuki' victims. He kept insisting that his son had died of an undiagnosed ailment which had nothing to do with kitsunetsuki."

"You could have pointed out that the name Takeda appeared on that list found with the monk Joben."

"I did, but he brushed it off saying that there were many Takedas in Kofu."

"Why do you think it would make any difference if I were to question him about it?"

Manzou seemed very reluctant to answer Jin's question. He scratched his head, making a series of 'um, ah, er' type of noises, before saying, "Ano,…"

He thinks that because my name is Takeda it is likely to make a difference, but is too polite to say so, thought Jin. It would be rude to suggest that the town magistrate, or the Takeda-clan in general, is parochial.

Jin had eventually accepted the task of interviewing Takeda Yoshinori, albeit with a lot of reluctance. Later, however, a certain conversation he had with Fuu had put him in a very agitated state of mind, and he welcomed it as a diversion. But today, on his way to Yoshinori's house, he was yet again regretting his decision. He was just not in the right frame of mind to carry out the task at hand.

Why had she suddenly changed her mind? It had been going so well – things had completely turned around as she started to recover from her injury. There had been a disagreement – a little quarrel if you like – but everything had been resolved amicably. But then why…

---xxx---

He had only a small window of opportunity to speak with Fuu alone when she was convalescing; her hawk-eyed aunt had been too vigilant for Jin's liking. He had been at Fuu's bedside at a time when Mugen arrived with a message from Hideo. He addressed Ayako quite brusquely: "Your husband wants to see you. He's downstairs with some letter that came from Edo."

Mugen pretended to stay in the room as chaperone, but Ayako nevertheless left the room with a significant parting look at both Jin and Fuu. Mugen left immediately afterwards, so they were able to have a private conversation. Part of it had been wordless, with Jin staring at her coldly, his eyes expressing a severe disapproval of her recent actions. She had stared back apologetically, before saying, "I wasn't able to express myself properly, that day I left for Ikitsuki-shima."

He looked at her questioningly as she continued, "I mean, I was only fifteen and the words I wrote in that letter weren't able to sum up what I felt completely. I don't know if I can find the words now that I am eighteen, but I will try."

"Initially, I am ashamed to say, I think I had taken the two of you for granted. It hadn't seemed that big a favour to ask at that time. I helped save your lives, and in return you guys were to help find my father – you were to safely escort me to Nagasaki and that was all."

"But then when we were in Satsuma, things suddenly started to get more dangerous – I mean, Mugen almost lost his life because of his dealings with that man Mukuro. And then there was the encounter with Sara, and she almost killed the two of you. She would have killed Mugen in the first duel she had with him, had I not begged for his life."

"Particularly after that, I got really scared. It was not just about being independent and trying to make it on my own, as I said in that letter – that was only a small part of it. Suddenly it had become too much to ask for your help, because I had known both of you could die in the process of helping me. And in Ikitsuki-shima you came very close. I felt responsible and very very guilty"

"And after all, I had tricked you guys about the outcome of the coin toss that started our journey! Although, I think both of you would have come with me anyway. No, don't worry; I am not going to say that you guys accompanied me because I was cute – not again! You would have come with me simply because both of you were lovely, generous-hearted men. But maybe my being a cute girl had a little bit to do with it."

She squinted with her right eye, and raised her right hand, touching the tip of her thumb with her index finger to emphasize the phrase 'little bit' in her previous remark. Then she looked expectantly at Jin, as if hoping that her half-hearted attempt at a joke had somehow lightened his mood.

But Jin only stared at her, mesmerized and inscrutable. (You can't get out of this you funny child-on-the-threshold-of-womanhood you pig-headed beautiful stupid adorable you frighten me don't do that again my darling still mad at you.)

"Anyway, what I am trying to say is that there is only one thing I could have done. I will always be a danger to all of you and I don't want you to risk your lives again and again for my sake."

There was a long silence before Jin spoke. "You have chosen to spend your life with me Fuu. Do you understand what that means?"

"Yes, I should have told you, but - "

"Told me? I hope you mean 'told you about Inuyama's threat' rather than 'told you I was going to fight Inuyama.' It was an extremely stupid thing you did, do you understand that?"

He had spoken in a somewhat hoarse and angry tone of voice, one that he had never used before, with her. At least, Fuu perceived it that way, and was a little frightened. Her eyes had widened and were brimming with tears. But she raised herself to a sitting position, and replied, "Jin, when I had decided to fight, I had expected to die. Now that I have survived, it is better for me to go away and live by myself. I don't want anyone else to be in danger because of me. Especially not you or Mugen, or my uncle and aunt."

She had burst into tears and in that process completely unsettled Jin's resolve to remain angry with her. He moved closer to her, taking out the tenugui (handkerchief) between his juban and kimono, put an arm around her shoulder, and proceeded to wipe her tears with it. He said, gently, "Have you thought about what my life would be like without you? You want me to die slowly, of a broken heart?"

"You would be safe."

"It is unlikely. My life will always be in danger - ironically because of my skills with the sword, and because of my past. Former students of Shishou, friends of Kariya, or shugyosha wanting to test their skills against me – any of these could be responsible for ending my life. In fact, you were naïve to believe that Inuyama was here only for the purpose of killing you."

"I don't think so, Jin. Why is it that these sorts of things happen when the three of us are together? I think it is because the bakufu are concerned about the daughter of Kasumi Seizo joining forces with swordsmen of skill. They would leave me alone if you had nothing to do with me."

"That is what Inuyama wanted you to believe. And I don't think it was the bakufu that hired him. If the bakufu was so concerned about the three of us getting together they would have eliminated us long ago. You have been in Edo all along, right under their noses, and Mugen and I have been in and out of Edo quite frequently too. No, it doesn't make sense. My guess is that Inuyama was hired by some friend of Kariya. It would certainly be a lot easier to kill me if they had killed you first; I would have wanted - "

Fuu had covered his mouth with the palm of her hand. "Ahhh! Don't say such inauspicious things."

He kissed the palm of her hand, and then held it over his heart. "Yes, there is a risk we will both get killed. It is also possible that one of us gets killed. But I don't think that marrying me is going to increase the chances of something bad happening to us. And we could definitely beat the odds and survive to tell our grandchildren about our adventures."

She had blushed at the mention of grandchildren, Jin noted with some amusement. Something stirred within him as she lowered her eyelids, her eyelashes coming down like fans over her flaming cheeks. Unable to resist the avalanche of emotions within him, he pulled her closer as his lips descended on hers.

His kisses were punishing, demanding, and almost bruising her lips with his passion. The kiss deepened as he embraced her tightly, gently but firmly moulding her body against his. It deepened further becoming almost worshipful, seeking more of her sweetness and fragrance, seeking to merge their souls together.

Jin felt frustrated as the kiss lengthened, like a held musical phrase, feeling her supple and soft breasts throbbing against his chest, wanting desperately to do what was forbidden. And yet there was a feeling of elation, of euphoria, of forever, and of an almost unbearable happiness.

There was a charcoal brazier in the room as it had been a cold evening. It felt as if it was crackling and hissing in celebration of their kiss. It also felt as if the winds outside were rejoicing by making rattling and drumming sounds against the walls of the inn, and that the entire cosmos was dancing to the violent rhythm of their beating hearts.

---xxx---

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance," said Takeda Yoshinori to Jin, after he had him ushered into the reception room of his mansion, and introduced by the retainer Arima Makoto. A little younger than Jin had expected, Yoshinori had a physically robust disposition for his age, suggesting regular practise and training in the martial arts. He had a hairstyle typical of samurai officials employed with the bakufu, with unshaven part of his locks oiled and arranged carefully into a top knot. The sharp, angular features of his face gave him a chiselled look.

He had greeted Jin politely enough, but there had been an undercurrent of something in his manner suggestive of reserve. His chin had moved on-hundredth of an inch as he nodded at Jin, and there had been a whisper of a smile that lost its way before reaching his eyes. It was as if he hadn't yet decided whether to like Jin or not.

But there were other signs of courtesy that surprised Jin. There was the smell of incense in the room, of a variety that would have been lit in honour of a guest of refinement and education, a guest who would have been able to appreciate the quality of the incense. A woman, probably a lady-in-waiting to Yoshinori's wife Takeda Hitomi, came in and gracefully served him a bowl of tea.

The woman and the retainer Makoto respectfully backed away from the room, making an exit through different entrances. Jin was then alone in the room with Yoshinori, but he got the impression that Makoto and the lady-in-waiting were within earshot of them. He particularly got the impression that there had been another lady behind the sliding screen through which the lady-in-waiting left the room.

There was a silence of a few minutes, in which Jin decided that it was up to him to open the conversation. Somehow, he had to bring up the topic of Yoshinori's son. He didn't want to seem insensitive, yet he thought that a direct approach would be more fruitful. So he said, using a very polite and formal language, "Yoshinori-sama, I am very sorry to hear about your loss, but it is incumbent upon me to give you further pain, in the interests of the investigation I am assisting in. So I hope you will not mind if I ask you some questions about your son."

Yoshinori had winced at the phrase 'I am very sorry to hear about your loss' thinking, here come the formalities, but his expression turned to that of surprise as Jin completed the sentence. He had thought that Jin would proceed to make the customary phrases of condolence, and perhaps ask to light incense at the household shrine where his son Yoshiyasu's ihai (mortuary tablet) was placed. But interestingly Jin had dispensed with the formalities, and almost brusquely asked to interview him.

Yoshinari raised his eyebrows and nodded curtly at Jin. "Proceed. But I must warn you that I am not convinced that my son's death has anything to do with this investigation."

"Yes, I understand. But even if there is a remote possibility of a link, the appropriate procedures must be followed. To that end, I would like to ask you if you know of anyone who had a grudge against or a reason to dislike your son."

"Not to my knowledge."

"When did the symptoms of his illness begin?"

Yoshinori paused, and spoke slowly, deliberately, as if measuring his words. "Two weeks before his death he had a high fever. But he had a mild fever off and on for a couple of months."

"Was there anything else, other than fever? Any, uh, signs of mental instability?"

There was a perceptible stiffening of Yoshinori's shoulders, and he raised his voice as he answered. "There was no mental instability!"

This is not going too well, thought Jin, feeling ill at ease. "Yoshinori-sama, I didn't mean to imply that - "

Yoshinori raised a hand to silence Jin. "I know. You are only doing your job. He did have some strange hallucinations. He would claim – uh-hmm – he would claim that he had seen kitsune."

"When did these hallucinations start?"

"I'd say about six months ago. They continued for a period of four months until his death two months ago."

"Was anyone else present during these hallucinations?"

"He generally had these hallucinations – or perhaps nightmares - during the night, to my knowledge. He would run out of his room shouting he had seen kitsune-bi – fox fires – coming from the mouth and tail of a kitsune – or something like that."

Jin thought he heard a rustling sound coming from behind the sliding screen, the one which had been used by the woman who had served him tea. He wondered whether Takeda Hitomi, Yoshinori's wife was listening to their conversation.

"Yoshinori-sama, would it be asking too much – could I at some stage have a look at your son's room?"

He was met with a stony silence, as if to suggest that the question itself was too impertinent to dignify with a reply. It would have been so much easier, thought Jin, if Fuu had been with him. Somehow, she had the knack of making things comfortable; she would have said all the right things and they would have thawed this ice-block of a man sitting before him. It had been so enjoyable to interview that actor Mayumi with her. But then again, the police didn't hire women other than kunoichi in an official capacity, and even if they did, she wouldn't want to be at his side. She probably didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore.

Yoshinori was initially a little offended by Jin's question, but softened a little after watching the changes in Jin's countenance. He seems somewhat depressed, as if suffering a personal loss of his own.

"May I ask, Jin-san, why you think it is relevant to examine my son's room?"

"It's just a couple of theories we have, Yoshinari-sama. It is possible that the hallucinations weren't really hallucinations, or there was something in the environment that could provide a clue as to what triggered those hallucinations."

"In that case, Makoto-san can assist you. In fact, Makoto-san would know everything that may be relevant to the case. So if you have any further questions, I suggest you ask him."

It was obviously a dismissal; Takeda Yoshinori had stood up and Arima Makoto had appeared suddenly, as if by magic. Jin was annoyed at having been so abruptly dismissed; he had many more questions to ask and was also hoping to interview Takeda Hitomi. So he too stood up, and was about to turn his back to Yoshinori and swiftly walk out of the room, before he checked himself. Offending Yoshinori could jeopardize things for Manzou, and he didn't want that. So he swallowed his pride, and followed Makoto's example, bowing respectfully and backing out of the room before turning away to leave.

He was in for another surprise as Yoshinori suddenly exclaimed, "Ah, Jin-san, before you go, I wanted to let you know that we are expecting a very distinguished guest, Lord Yagyu Munefuyu in a couple of days. I am thinking of organizing some martial arts practise sessions with him, and I would be pleased if you could attend."

Jin was stunned by this piece of information, and even more surprised by the courtesy that had just been extended to him. Why did Yoishinori, after having dismissed him so rudely, decide to invite him to train with the great Yagyu swordsman? And why did Munefuyu want to be in Kofu?

"I would be honoured."

"Good. I will send a message through Makoto-san."

---xxx---

The sound of Fuu's footsteps approaching the room he shared with Mugen never failed to make his heart leap, even when he was engaged in his daily practise of Zen meditation. But yesterday, Jin had also been a little worried; she had not fully recovered from her injury, so he didn't like the idea of her undertaking any physical exertion that was unnecessary.

The sad expression on her face disconcerted him even further. "What is the matter, Fuu-chan?"

"You were meditating, I see. I can come back later."

She was fully dressed, he noticed. Apart from looking pale and listless, she didn't seem to show any signs of discomfort. Yet the way she looked at him made him feel more than a little apprehensive.

He was about to prepare a futon for her, when she said, "No, Jin, I don't want to lie down. I just want to talk to you."

Jin stood up and walked up to Fuu, taking her hand, and gently pulling her into the room, helping her into a sitting position. "You could have sent a message, and I would have come to see you in your room. Physical exertion is not a good idea at this stage – you haven't fully recovered."

"The go-between Miyoshi-sama came to see Oji-san today," Fuu blurted out, ignoring Jin's remark. "He had a letter from Lord Masakuni."

"And?"

"Lord Masakuni wishes that I marry Tanaka-san."

"So? Hideo-san can inform him later about your decision – that you wish to marry me instead of Tanaka-san."

"How can you be so naïve, Jin? You know that a daimyo's wish is like a command. My uncle has to obey it."

"But you don't." Jin spoke calmly, in an unwavering, patient tone of voice. But he felt an anger uncoiling within him, along with some measure of panic.

"In ideal circumstances Fuu, the relationship between a daimyo and a retainer is of a special kind. It is expected that a bushi will serve his master with an unquestioning, undivided, and absolute sort of loyalty. But as I see it a daimyo is also a bushi, one who is bound by the same if not higher ethical standards of behaviour. He is expected to be fair and just in all his dealings, and concerned with the welfare of his vassals. He is to act generously – like a benevolent parent if you will – towards his retainers. In this case, for example, it is unthinkable that your wishes wouldn't be taken into account."

"Jin, you don't understand. Ayako-basan said that they know I am the daughter of Kasumi Seizo, and I will be under some sort of surveillance all my life. I can't act independently and let Oji-san suffer the consequences. And the consequences can be pretty bad. What if Lord Masakuni ordered him to commit seppuku?"

"That is absurd!" His tone was now sharper, angrier, and he had locked his eyes with Fuu in a steady gaze she found difficult to meet.

"The Masakuni House has very strict rules. You know about my uncle's case of fugu poisoning don't you? He was acting as poison-taster for Lord Masakuni that day. Nothing happened to Lord Masakuni, but the chef who had prepared the fugu was asked to commit seppuku."

"Perhaps there was evidence suggesting that the poisoning was deliberate. In that case such an action might have been warranted. In fact he could have suffered a punishment that was far greater – that of execution by the authorities – rather than the more honourable method of seppuku."

"But all of the evidence suggested that it had been an accident."

"Be that as it may, you are not Hideo-san's daughter. You don't have to follow Lord Masakuni's orders."

Fuu was trembling like a leaf now, one which is facing a strong gust of wind. But she raised her voice and said, "How can you say that Jin? How ungrateful, how despicable it would be if I were to be responsible for Hideo-jisan's death! And I am his daughter. I am not Kasumi Fuu any more, I am Miyamori Kimiko. I am telling you that I will choose to marry Tanaka-san, not you."

There was a long, intense silence before Jin spoke. "In that case, Kimiko-san, he said coldly, "you and I have nothing further to say to each other."

Fuu's face crumpled up like a piece of paper as she turned away and ran out of the room. He heard a stifled sob from her as she was leaving. And later, as the sound of silence around him grew unbearable, he thought he heard loud sobs in the distance, similar to mourners grieving at a funeral.

---xxx---

The Takeda mansion had a funereal aura about. The domestic staff and household members were all dressed in mourning garb, and the air was heavy with ceremonial incense. Arima Makoto, generally silent and uncommunicative, chose to speak in solemn, whispered tones when he had to. "This is the entry to the young master Yoshyasu's room," he pointed as they came towards the end of a corridor.

Observing the salt that was lining the corners of the room, Jin guessed correctly that Yoshiyasu's death had occurred here. And the other obvious sign of death having occurred in the room was the incense bowl and flowers placed at a makeshift alter at the centre of the room. The air in the room was thick with smoke from the incense.

The tokonoma (alcove) near the entry had a wooden stand with a pair of katana and wakizashi placed on it, arranged in front of a calligraphic scroll. The room was very sparsely furnished with a lacquer chest of drawers and a writing desk, both positioned diagonally across to the left, if one were facing inside the room at the entrance.

There was a sliding screen at the far end, and it opened out to a veranda. The tatami mats at the centre of the room had a rectangular area with a slightly worn out look about it. That is where the futon was placed when he slept, thought Jin, but he asked Makoto to confirm his conjecture. He got a 'Yes' in response and nothing more.

"Did Yoshiyasu-san ever tell anyone exactly where in this room he saw the images of kitsune?"

"He usually pointed towards the sliding screen."

Jin asked for the screen to be pushed aside. Stepping out, one could see one of the gardens, and a forested area leading to the household shrine on the far right.

A servant came through Yoshiyasu's room, ostensibly with a message for Makoto, which he whispered into the retainer's ear. Makoto excused himself, saying he would be back in a few minutes, and Jin decided to take the opportunity of examining Yoshiyasu's room more closely.

The writing desk was a relatively simple one with no drawers – just a table with a rectangular surface suitable for writing. Some mulberry paper, an ink stick, ink stone, and brush were arranged neatly on one side, but the paper was unused, so Jin moved on to the three-tiered chest of drawers. The bottom two drawers had clothes in them while the topmost drawer consisted of a couple of packets of incense wafers, some old and worn out copies of classic Chinese texts, worn out copies of the Genji and Heike Monogatari (Tale of Genji and Tale of Heike), and a relatively new copy of Konjaku Monogatari ( Anthology of Tales From the Past). The incense packets were labelled, and obviously from Toshitsugu's shop. That man must be doing good business, thought Jin, he supplies the entire town of Kofu with incense. And the Konjaku Monogatari has several stories about kitsune.

Arima Makoto returned, and looked towards the drawer Jin had just shut. "Jin-san, if you have finished examining this room…"

"Yes, I have. But I would like to ask you a few questions."

"Yes?"

"I wanted to ask Yoshinori-sama, but didn't get the opportunity to do so. Were there any particular friends and acquaintances Yoshiyasu-san spent time with in the months leading to his death?"

"Towards the end he was rather sick, so he didn't go out much. But before that he would often go to train in the martial arts, and he often trained with some retainers of Lord Ienobu. Sometimes he would also go to the training grounds at the police headquarters, and train with some of the yoriki, and even some of the doshin."

There was some disapproval expressed in the way he said 'even some of the doshin,' Jin noted. Was it class consciousness, or something else?

"Would it be possible to get a list of names of people he spent the most time with?"

Makoto grudgingly answered in the affirmative.

"These 'visions' he was having – did the physician attending him recommend any particular treatment?"

"Ah yes, Watanabe-san put him on a course of herbal medicine. We also consulted another physician, Dr. Mori, who recommended some moxa treatment, and also some varieties of medicinal incense. But nothing seemed to help – he kept deteriorating steadily. In fact - "

Jin waited for Makoto to complete the sentence, but he had obviously decided to withhold whatever it was he had been on the brink of saying.

"Makoto-san, I would appreciate it if you did not leave out any details, even if you think it is unimportant. You were about to say something. What was it?"

"Well, Yoshinori-sama was not very happy about it, but Hitomi-sama asked for an exorcist; she was convinced that the young master was possessed."

"Who was this man?"

"Oh, just a charlatan by the name of Gonzaemon. Apparently he had been hired to help with some of the other kitsunetsuki cases, but wasn't successful. But for some reason he has a considerable clientele, especially among the peasants."

"Would it be possible for me to speak to Hitomi-sama?"

"Oh, no, she hasn't been well recently and the master doesn't want her to be exposed to any questioning. It has been a terrible shock for her."

There was a rustling sound in the background; it was similar to the one Jin had heard when he was interviewing Yoshinori. It was obvious to Jin that Makoto had heard it too, as he had glanced nervously in the direction of the partially open entrance of Yoshiyasu's room.

Jin had been aware of a presence behind the screen for a while now, but had assumed it was one of the servants waiting in the wings if required, just as there had been when he was with Yoshinori. But now he conjectured that it might be Lady Hitomi who had been listening to both conversations.

It seemed as if the silence that followed alerted the person in question that Jin was aware of her presence, because in the next moment the panel at the entrance slid open to reveal an elegantly dressed lady who majestically announced, "I am Takeda Hitomi."

Even though he had anticipated her presence, Takeda Hitomi's appearance gave Jin a bit of a shock. She certainly isn't well, he thought. Her face had a somewhat lifeless, inanimate look about it, partly because of the thick layer of white powder on it. It was as if a pair of dark eyes was peering at him from behind a mask.

She had the shaved eyebrows and blackened teeth that were typical of married ladies of upper-class samurai families, and her hair, although elegantly arranged in the Osafune style, had a slightly dishevelled look about it. Dressed in a black kimono, the red dot on the middle of her lower lip was the only bit of colour on her person.

Makoto said, "Hitomi-sama, you are not well…"

She dismissed the agitated retainer with a wave of her hand. "Nonsense! You may leave, Makoto-san."

Gliding into the room noiselessly, she positioned herself in front of Jin, as if to examine him carefully. With her left hand she lightly traced the contours of his left cheekbone, after which she proceeded to trace a path down to the left side of his face. "Hmm, you must be from a very handsome line of Takedas."

Jin stood motionless throughout this examination, guessing that her eccentric behaviour was the reason Makoto had wanted to prevent this meeting. Obviously, her son's death had impacted on her mental wellbeing. He said, very gently, "Hitomi-sama, it was thoughtless of me to have requested an interview at this stage. I can speak to you later when you are feeling better."

"Ah, you are a perceptive man – you feel the pain of others. And I can feel your pain too. You are going through something at the moment – is it a girl?"

"Hitomi-sama - "

"Don't worry about me, I am all right. I want to get to the bottom of all this Jin-san. If my son was murdered, then I want the murderer found and punished."

"Then you do believe that your son was murdered."

Hitomi stepped behind Jin and walked towards the chest of drawers. Opening the second drawer, she pulled out a dark blue kimono with the Takeda-mon on it, and held it close, inhaling as if expecting to find a familiar fragrance in it.

"As Makoto-san said, there was a period of time I believed my son had kitsunetsuki. Perhaps I wanted to believe it – there had been some cases among the peasants and they had been cured by this man Gonzaemon. What seemed to be happening to my son was quite alarming, and none of the treatments we had tried worked."

"And then, towards the end I was spending a lot of time hear in this room, watching my son dying, not being able to do anything about it. I think I was going crazy – even after my son died I spent long hours in this room, hoping he would miraculously come back, as if nothing had happened and it all turned out to be a bad dream."

"My husband eventually forbade me to enter this room. He thought I was spending too much time here, not allowing myself to recover."

"Did you happen to be around when your son was having hallucinations?"

"Yes, once he claimed that he was seeing a snake that wasn't there. But I was never around when he had hallucinations of kitsune. Those seemed to happen during the night. As my husband said, those could easily have been nightmares."

They heard footsteps approaching, and Hitomi, catching hold of Jin's right arm, said, "Follow me. My husband is very protective, so he won't allow you to question me further. We'll go to the household shrine, and if they find us there, we'll say that you wanted to light some incense for my son."

They stepped out of the room to the veranda, and Jin followed Hitomi on a path that eventually led to the household shrine in the forested area of the compound.

"It is good to see a Takeda. In a way it is like meeting a member of my side of the family."

"Your husband was adopted into your family when he married you?"

"Yes, he used to be a Maeda before marriage."

They passed through a grove of cypress trees to reach an elevated clearing, on which the household shrine was situated. It has probably had a lot of visitors recently, thought Jin, as the smell of incense drifted down the breeze that was blowing in their direction.

"This was quite a favourite haunt of my son. He used to come here quite often. To meditate. He said he found it rather peaceful here."

"Hitomi-sama, I was wondering whether you knew of any particular friends or acquaintances he liked to spend time with."

"Hmm, let's see. There was a slightly older man he had taken a fancy to – a gentleman named Uesugi Kenta, who is the son of a senior retainer of Lord Ienobu. And there was another very young man, Kansuke, but I don't think my son was particularly fond of him. I think Kansuke had a crush on my son, and followed him around like a puppy. But I think there was a falling out of ways between them. In the end they only met at martial arts training sessions."

"Kansuke? Could that be the doshin Kansuke?" He certainly wears his heart on his sleeve – I got the impression he had a crush on me.

"Yes, that's him. My husband didn't approve of the friendship between them. He didn't want my son to mix with a samurai of a lower status, you see."

"And I take it that you didn't mind?"

"I don't know about these things, Jin-san, I am a woman. We don't have as much control over our lives that men do. So we eventually give up thinking for ourselves. We do as we are told to do, and think as we are told to think. It is less painful that way."

They looked up as they heard the sound of someone stepping on a twig, and saw Makoto approaching them.

"Ah Jin-san we will probably have to cut this short. But I usually visit the Sekisuiji Temple on the day of the full moon if you want to ask me any further questions."

"Thank you Hitomi-sama, you have been very helpful. And I am truly sorry for your loss. May the Gods help you through this."

"Before you go Jin-san, who were your parents?"

Makoto approached them in an agitated manner. He seemed a little out of breath.

"Jin is just about to leave, Makoto-san. He was here to light an incense for Yoshiyasu."

As if somewhat relieved and pacified by the explanation, Makoto said: "Ah."

Jin too was relieved; he wasn't particularly sure he wanted to talk to Hitomi about his parents. It eventually led to too many questions about his past.

As she watched Jin leave Hitomi thought: I wonder now, could he be the son of Takeda Jinemon? No. That would be too much of a coincidence.


[1] The alternative title for this chapter, the phrase 'giri ninjo' roughly translates a duty and human feeling. An internet website I found called 'Words from Japan' describes this concept as follows: "Two words to describe two very different elements in our social life which constantly struggle to find a balance. Giri refers to social obligations or duty to others, whereas ninjo refers to human feelings and desire for individual freedom."

[2] My description of Yoshinori's garden is heavily based on an article by Lafcadio Hearn in which he describes an Edo period Japanese garden. See Hearn, H. (1892), "In a Japanese Garden," Atlantic Monthly July 1892, Volume 70, Issue 417, pp. 14-33.

Author's notes:

(1) The quotation above is from a well known early eighteenth century book on 'bushido'. But it is less famous than Yamamoto Tsunetomo's Hagakure, which consist of the famous quotation "The way of the samurai is the way of death."

(2) I am quite exhausted after typing up this chapter, so I will update the historical notes later, maybe in a week or so. I am also putting this through without carefully proof-reading it, so I hope I haven't missed any typos etc.

As usual, I would like to say:Many thanks to readers and reviewers, and for favs, hits, and alerts.