Finding the Four-Eyed Samurai WITH YOU?

by Fenrir's Lockhart

It's been a year since the trio disbanded. Everything is back to normal, except Mugen and Fuu's memories refuse to subside. Meeting by chance in Edo, the two "forced" to travel together again, decide to find "you know who". Throughout their misadventures, something is subtly but surely changing between the former waitress and pirate. Maybe it was there all along... FLUFF and angst.

38. Chapter 36 Investigative Improvisation

Chapter 36 Investigative Improvisation

[A/N]: ...

Manzou the Saw: Iraishai! I have much to inform about the flower and willow world today! But, first the author of this fanfiction doesn't want you all to know how she is a very slow writer, but has gone back to writing full force. All the returning readers, even after seven years of on and off writing, have made her extremely "senshimentoru". Oh, "Senshimentoru" is a term coined in the west for emotional women who tend to-

Fenrir's Lockhart: MANZOU! OUT. OUT. OUT!

Ahem. Welcome back dear readers to another installment of this missing geisha investigation. There will be 4 parts in total, so stay tuned for the whole story. (Remember Tsuru, Giri and Otachi? ...Well they won't be back for a while.)

Anime Song Reference- The song within will sound familiar. The song is indeed You by Kazami from Episode 17, but it is the Japanese version not played in the anime. The actual title is "You Himawari". For this reason, the lyrics may seem unfamiliar to you, since the translation in Japanese is not the same as the English. Imo, the Japanese words are even more fitting for Fuu.

Art Reference- So, does Fuu know how to play a shamisen? Pfft. No. Or...does...she? O.O If you have the DVDs or watched when it aired, at the end of certain episodes, there were ukiyo-e prints shown. Three of these were done by artist, Tsubaki Anna. One such print is Fuu looking back, a hairpin in her mouth...and playing a shamisen. Of course, in the animation itself, this was not shown, but this ukiyo-e print was made FOR the anime. Fuu playing a shamisen will both be a reference to that print, as well as of Sara teaching her offscreen. If you're interested in these images, or need a refresher, you can find them on "AMALGAM-a Samurai Champloo fansite" right on the main page.

To guest reviewer Nana Erza, I think the word you're looking for isn't beautiful. It's frustrating. LOL. Thanks for waiting :)

To guest reviewer Dahlya, Ack! Don't be nervous! Although...the tension will definitely get worse. So will the danger! Chapter 37 and 38 will get crazy.

To guest reviewer Feb 4th, I guess I'm now a drug dealer. And this drug is called Fuugen Feels.

To guest reviewer Alyza, I won't stop :) Promise! Trying to set artificial deadlines for myself now.

To guest reviewer Feb. 6th, It seems everyone agrees Chapter 34's conflict needs a resolution. I too don't think Mugen or Fuu would be able to contain this for long, so I won't brush it aside. ...We will see what happens in Chapter 37...and what triggers Mugen or Fuu to speak up ;)

To guest reviewer Mel, Oh boy, I hope you can hang in there for a couple more years hahah XD

To guest reviewer Feb 23rd, 2014?! Holy shit. Long time reader and a Jin fan. I love all three of the characters. Even though this is a Fuugen story, I will not neglect such an important character. After the Tsuru-himegimi arc, Jin will get several chapters to himself. It will be about all the people he has helped, how he got so much money, as well as his little family of Shino, Norio, Mirai...and a baby on the way!

To guest reviewer Feb 24th,Thank you :D I will!

To guest reviewer Jen, I too don't like unfinished stories. It makes me think...how many people actually didn't finish their stories due to dying? It just freaks me out. Happy you took the leap with this one! Also, HOW do you read it all in 2 days XD I can't even do that hahaha.

To guest reviewer sensan, aww, this is so sweet ^.^ It's far from a true sequel, or a bible. Even if we can't meet in real life, you can always make a Fanfiction account and we can discuss more about Tokugawa culture or Samurai Champloo, so give it some thought!

You're in for a treat (or torture). This baby is looooong.

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo, Manzou the Saw, Kagemaru, Baseball Doge etc. Geez, these character listings have me out of breath! Wait...I'm typing not talking.

---

Chapter 36 Investigative Improvisation

The wax-coated comb raked through chestnut locks of hair, causing such resistance, that the girl almost screamed from the strain. She winced when the hairdresser fiercely pulled her head and then sucked in air through her teeth when he tugged it the opposite way. If this torturous treatment kept up, Fuu grew certain she'd develop a bald spot at the crown of her forehead. After tightly tying the strands into a perfectly shaped wareshinobu knot, the man nodded in satisfaction.

"The wax and cloth will hold it together, but you can't wash your hair for a week. You will have to sleep on a raised pillow." the old hairdresser said.

Fuu grimaced. Once, she'd hoped a stay in Kyoto meant submerging in a bathhouse.

Before she even recovered from the brutal onslaught to her scalp, two women stood her on her feet, and dragged her into another room. They began undressing the shy girl without any warning.

"H-hey! What are you-"

"You're going to have to look the part if you have any chance at being a maiko!" one of the seamstresses replied, wasting no time in twirling off Fuu's scarlet obi. Pink robes falling free, the girl let loose a squeal with a failed attempt to keep her modesty, as they fitted her with what was to be a proper garb for a geisha's apprentice.

Through the walls came muffled struggling and then a clamorous splash of water. …Maybe she wasn't the only one who had it bad.

---

Disguising as a patron to a geisha tea house meant that the rough and tough Mugen needed a complete makeover. Manzou and Kagemaru reached a mutual consensus that his "improper clothes" and "stench of salt and dirt" just wouldn't fly. Most importantly, the distinct prison tattoos needed to be concealed, so to not arouse any suspicion on their real identities.

At the time, the ex-criminal had told the detective and retired ninja quite candidly to "go fuck themselves". But when they assured him that two lovely maidens would be the ones tasked in undressing, bathing, and then fitting him with new clothes...he'd been more inclined to agree.

Guided to the changing room by a grinning Kagemaru, and then forcefully shoved into the doorway by Manzou...Mugen smirked to the pair of bowing ladies. He couldn't see what they looked like from the angle.

"Welcome sir. We will take good care of you." the women said simultaneously, their tones sultry and smooth.

When they gradually rose to meet his gaze...

...he realized how hideous their wrinkled, toothy faces were.

"Yeah, I'm out."

Before he could high tail it out of the trap, the pair of elderly women tore at his red and gray clothes. After pulling on both his arms, they shoved him right into the scalding bathtub. "OI! Lay the fuck off!" he flailed until the steaming hot water sloshed out of the barrel tub, flooding the entirety of the bathroom floor.

"Stay still, honey. Or it will only be worse for you." one of the handmaidens said far too enthusiastically. From the back of her waist, she whipped out a pair of washing brushes.

While the one scrubbed his skin raw with the bristles, the other repeatedly dunked more hot water onto his head every time he tried to get out, until his once wild hair flattened against his gaunt cheeks. Their sharp fingernails scrubbed an assortment of scented shampoos and soaps into his scalp. Mugen had the urge to push one of them, had he not known that the force might cause them to shatter a hip bone, considering how old they must have been.

With no other option but to grumble into the soapy water, Mugen instead, silently vowed to kill those bastards at the first possible opportunity.

---

It'd been a rude awakening for Fuu. Becoming a maiko did not mean a life of glamour as she'd always assumed; it meant a career of pain. She knew as much already, and she hadn't even started yet.

After Detective Manzou made a grunt of approval to his team, the two left towards the flower district of Gion. The seamstresses pushed her off in such a hurry, that Fuu didn't even get the chance to examine what she looked like, nor got to see Mugen come out of his own changing room.

At least she could inspect the fabric.

They'd fitted her petite frame with a multicolored furisode, its base shade a lavender purple and obi a light cyan. The sleeves were much longer than her usual kimono, and far heavier. Lunar white butterflies—or moths, she couldn't tell—fluttered along the seams, among swirling flowers that matched the obi.

This obi dangled freely in the back, reaching down to her ankles. It sat very high on her breast. ...And, it was so tight, she had a hard time breathing.

Though, the brand new cloth did feel silky smooth on her skin, and she almost thought of asking Manzou if she could keep it...had it not been merely a loan for the investigation.

While Manzou carried her shamisen, she'd been given a smaller parcel housing her accessories, makeup and fans.

"Left arm." he said, with a glance in her direction. Fuu looked at him quizzically. "You need to carry that in your left arm."

Finally, Fuu understood and swapped which arm cradled the cloth package. She had no idea that tiny, seemingly insignificant details like that would be so important.

"So...what gave you the weird idea to use an undercover maiko for this case, anyway?"

"The world of the geisha is one of secrets." Manzou replied. "Sure, men can pose as customers and stalk other men leaving the ochayas after performances. But if someone is sneaking into the okiya, or following and kidnapping girls on the streets, we need a woman on the inside."

To their left, a man waltzed on with two women on his flanks. Flowing pastel robes and immaculately pristine white faces, they were more walking works of art than actual people. The well-dressed trio carried some conversation brimming with laughter, and small quips. One of these dazzling ladies looked to Fuu with a delicate simper.

Astounded, she lowered her head with a bow as they passed. Their dainty feet shimmied along so sleekly, they must have floated on a walkway of clouds. Before now, she'd never actually seen a geisha in person!

Now she knew what all the fuss was about.

"I'm...not sure I'm cut out for this sort of thing…"

"You'll be finnnnne. Being a brand new maiko, they probably won't let you perform. All you need to do is practice, examine the clients, see if you spot anything fishy about them...or if any take a peculiar level of interest in you."

The dismissive wave of his hand only ascertained to Fuu how wrong this could potentially go.

"You'll be safe." the detective said. "I doubt your bodyguard would let anything happen to you."

"Wha-what do you mean?"

"Mugen always seemed very protective of you."

...Her only replies to give were downcast eyes and a small nod of the head. It was no wonder Detective Manzou would think this way. When the old trio had first met him...she'd been kidnapped while modeling. It'd been none other than Mugen that had sprinted across town, and saved her. Back then, she'd always assumed it was his unquenchable love for battle that had spurred him on. The more her heart argued, the more she wanted to believe he had some other motivation.

...Even if it was obvious how untrue this had to be...

As they wandered through Gion district together, the girl always lagged behind Manzou by a few feet, enraptured by the view. Their sandals clicked and clacked on sidewalks comprised of quarried slabs of stone. Multi-colored parasols poking out of windows, and crimson streamers hanging above doorways offered a sight of welcoming. The abundance of dark, latticed machiya buildings were built so closely, that she was surprised they looked so neatly arranged, rather than caving into each other.

"We will be heading to Gekka Okiya." called back Manzou.

Snapped out of her awe, she hurried beside him. "Is there something unique about that one?" Fuu questioned.

"Why, of course! There can be no better opportunity to sneak you into a house! Yesterday night...a geisha went missing: Mameharu. Her older sister, Mamesuzu was also kidnapped last year. Out of grief, their mother has closed down Inoue Okiya. All other geisha and maiko that lived there must relocate."

"Does that mean I'm pretending to be a relocating maiko?" she further inquired.

"Yes. We have forged documents that list you as the apprentice to Mameharu. Therefore you are in need of a new "older sister". You see, when a maiko has her Misedashi Ceremony, she is bonded to a woman that will play the role of her mentor. This bond is only shattered by death."

"Or her disappearance…"

"Precisely. Usually, a maiko can continue her career alone if something were to happen. But, we will be saying that you only just started your training. Now that 'your okiya' is closed down, you have no place to go."

"But...why pick Gekka Okiya out of all the ones in the Hanamachi?"

It seemed the detective had an answer for everything. Maybe this was good. "Gekka Okiya is one of the most renowned. And coincidentally, three girls have gone missing from here. It could be that they are targeting girls due to the house's fame. My guess is, they're then sold to damn foreigners for sexual exploitation. This also means another thing for us; Gekka Okiya is in need of performers. The problem is, I've heard the owner is extremely strict and would never allow a fake maiko into her house."

After some more time of navigating the hanamachi, he stopped at an okiya somewhat isolated from the rest of the bustling Gion streets. While of an old Sengoku design, it'd been repainted a cedar brown. Stony fortifications twice as tall as the towering Manzou enclosed the building from the rest of the outside world. They passed under a gateway built into the wall, currently open, to get to the actual entrance.

At the top left of the door frame, hung a series of wooden plates listing the names of its resident performers: Hatsuki, Shizuki, and Rizuki.

Three times in succession, Manzou knocked roughly on the door panel. The bangs of his fist were so assertive, that it suddenly reminded Fuu that Manzou the Saw wasn't an eccentric traveling buffoon, but an actual police detective.

"Just follow my lead." he whispered one last time.

They waited there in silence for some odd number of minutes, until the shoji door released a creak.

A woman in a purple kimono peered out, with an appearance of such mature splendor that Manzou lost the function of closing his dropped jaw. High cheekbones, and enchanting sterling eyes, she stood only a few inches below him. She bowed at a gracefully slow pace before her light gaze met with Manzou's and then Fuu's.

"Good afternoon." The female smiled, though it looked like it'd been made of porcelain. Stiff, and easily shatterable. Perhaps, in Fuu's mind, she grew weary of all male visitors after recent events. "I did not expect anyone at my doorstep so early in the day, especially a man."

'Early? It was already noon.' A nightlife of entertaining must have meant sleeping in.

"Hello! You must be Yamizuki, mother of the Gekka Okiya." He bowed. "...I heard from many you were astonishing for the eye; b-but I-I must say, you surpass rumors!" A coat of blush adorned his chubby cheeks.

'Mother?'

While Fuu found it laughable at how nervous he grew over the sight of a beautiful woman, it even astonished her that the lady greeting them happened to be the owner herself. Yamizuki's regal stature and fit shape aside, just a touch of delicate makeup concealed an age of mid to late thirties.

"Oh, such a charmer." the retired geisha cupped one cheek, while her other hand mock shooed at him. The only parts of her body to age her, were bony fingers and rough palms. They were calloused and wrinkled, similar to those of a swordsman—probably from playing instruments in her former years as a renowned performer of Kyoto.

"While I appreciate the compliments, I doubt you've come to my door for mere pleasantries."

"Ah well, you see, I am Manz…" Caught off guard, Sakami Manzou glanced to Fuu."Sa-sakai Manzoku."

Fuu bit her tongue to keep from laughing at his stupidity.

While she'd been successful, Yamizuki softly giggled into the back of her hand, once again causing them to second guess her middle age. "Sakai Manzoku? What a curious name! Though, it definitely seems to suit your...appearance."

Honestly, Fuu believed this to be a cheeky insult at his large build. And yet, this caused Manzou to blush, straightening out first his top knot, and then the tight black collar of his gi. "I am the danna of Lady Mameharu, who I am sure you know has gone missing two days ago." he said.

"Yes. Tragic indeed. Before we speak further, why don't you come in, and explain yourself? I will brew us some tea."

"Th-thank you for seeing us on such short notice." he bowed once more, and Fuu followed suite.

In a spacious living room, the okiya mother gestured for them to sit at a lacquer table. She quickly went to the nearby kitchen to heat a pot of matcha tea, giving the two posers the opportunity to observe some of Fuu's potential living quarters, in the event everything went as planned. All corners were clean and minimalistic, except in one way. Remarkable paintings of misty mountain landscapes and crashing ocean waves filled up the majority of wall space. Some prints held images of attractive geisha playing instruments, others of them dancing. Every single work contained the same curvy signature of Yamizuki herself etched in one corner or another.

No later than ten minutes, said woman reappeared with a tray bearing a pot and three decorative tea cups. Even the way her one hand flattened to keep the lid on, while her other bent to pour the stream of matcha held such precision and grace. Detective Manzou couldn't take his eyes off of her. She gently pushed the steaming beverage towards him first, then to Fuu.

Thinking only of her thirst, the hasty girl gulped all the hot liquid down, relishing the sweet aftertaste. But she realized the retired geisha keenly watched her actions from the brim of her own cup. Shyly, Fuu set it back down.

After one small sip, Yamizuki spoke first. "I did not know Mameharu had managed to procure a patron before her disappearance."

"It was a recent development. And this was her apprentice maiko: Mameyakka." he gestured toward Fuu sitting beside him. "Without a geiko sister to take care of her...Mameyakka cannot continue her training. She'd been living in Inoue Okiya. However, I am sure you have heard of recent events…"

"I heard Mamekino-san closed down the okiya after her two daughters went missing."

"Indeed. And I had heard that three of yours have also vanished these last two years. One of them was the maiko, Mizuki, correct?"

"Yes..."

"For that reason, I was hoping that Mameyakka here might be a suitable replacement."

"Mameyakka, eh?" Briefly, she tilted towards the seventeen year old. Once again, her silvery eyes returned to Manzou. "How much training does she have?'"

Sweat beads formed on the detective's brow. Fuu chose to answer for him.

"I...In truth, I don't have much at all. The geisha training me disappeared right as I'd started my first steps of being a maiko. But, I have had some training before that, in serving, as well as in conversation."

Yamizuki's face stiffened, slenderly painted eyebrows rising. Though, she forced her glossy lips into another smile. "...So, you're a maiko who has debuted?"

"Yes! Only recently."

"Then...can you explain why I had not received a flyer pertaining to your debut?"

"Th-that's…"

Manzou cleared his throat, "If you're questioning the validity of her Misedashi ceremony, I possess all the documentation right here." From the pleats in his clothes, the police detective retrieved several rolls of bamboo paper. Breaking the circular wax seal on one such scroll, it unraveled before them...until its sheer length couldn't fit on the table itself, and kept unwinding all the way into the middle of the floor. It was more a river parting the room...than paper. He'd definitely made sure to overcompensate. "With recent events, the ceremony was kept very personal so to not arouse the attention of the kidnapper and endanger her well being."

"...I see… Still, it is very strange that I have not so much as heard of your name." The okiya owner glanced briefly over the scribbles and signatures on the scroll before looking Fuu directly in the eyes, expression unwavering.

It honestly was intimidating. But she couldn't back down now.

"Please, Yamizuki-san, I may not be popular, or have as much training as other maiko, but I'm willing to work incredibly hard to prove my worth."

"I can vouch for her. Mameyakka-chan takes being a maiko very seriously, even if she is a bit clumsy." he winked.

"This is most irregular. It is true...our okiya is, in fact, short on performers. I would be more than willing to allow her. I just do not want my okiya's reputation sullied, nor do I want to spend valuable resources on a bad investment."

"I will provide for her first month." Manzou thumped his broad chest. "It's the least I can do for dear Mameharu. All I ask, is that you give her today to prove herself to you."

Yamizuki lifted the tea back to her lips at a pace that had Fuu and Manzou waiting with bated breath. She took another small sip, and then just as slowly as she'd picked it up, set it back down so delicately, that it did not make a sound upon making contact with the table.

"...Very well." she said.

They looked at each other excitedly. "Thank you, Sa...Sakai-san, for this opportunity!" Fuu said.

"I will come by tomorrow, to see how Mameyakka fairs. Until then, I will take my leave." Manzou and Yamizuki stood simultaneously, making another of many polite curtsies; Fuu had to scramble to keep up.

As Manzou departed, he gave his subordinate the wrapped up shamisen along with an eager thumbs up, just as the okiya mother turned her back. ...Breathing in deeply, Fuu mentally readied for her first day as an apprentice geiko.

---

Two geisha and one maiko inhabited the lodging house, aside from the okiya mother herself.

Even without signature white face paint, their attractiveness definitely could leave impressions for days. Slim. Long lashes. Perfect complexion. They each greeted her with formal bows. Their expressions however, did not convey any sense of welcoming; they were stiff, carved from stone. The other maiko, a fifteen year old named Rizuki, even huffed when the others looked away.

...Being in a geisha house meant a life full of competition in beauty, as much as in talent. She was perceived as their new threat.

If it were a contest, one woman stood out. The dark eyed geisha in her early twenties, Hatsuki, had to be the prettiest of all. Though, she seemed disinterested with Fuu...or maybe her downcast eyes revealed some other feeling. She couldn't exactly tell.

Yamizuki brought them all back to the living room to sit. Before Fuu could join them, the okiya mother motioned to the parcel Manzou had handed to her.

"Why don't you perform something for us, so that we may see how much experience you have thus far?"

Her fingers gripped tighter onto the wrapped shamisen. "Uh. Yes. Let me see, um…" Much too quickly, Fuu kneeled in the middle of the floor, scrambling to unravel the cloth casing.

While Yamizuki, Shizuki and Rizuki scrutinized every move, the other geisha, Hatsuki, examined her filed fingernails, long lashes concealing her irises.

Fuu balanced the square body of the shamisen between her hip and the crook of her arm, and rested the bridge in one palm. Years ago, Sara the goze had given enough pointers for a basic understanding of playing. At the very least, she held the instrument believably. Last night, over a span of five hours, Fuu had diligently practiced. ...Five was not enough.

Somewhat rushed, she pressed the ivory bachi to the three strings and strummed the introductory chords.

Two notes sounded...off.

No one there seemed to notice. In fact, Hatsuki finally ceased examining her nails, listening intently to the traditional melody. On Fuu went, madly flicking the plectrum as the pads of her fingers pressed onto the silk strings.

"Though a fool I may be in many ways...perhaps I may be rewarded for this deed."

As she enunciated the opening lines, she couldn't help noticing the disparity between her soft vocals, versus the way the refined goze had once fluidly carried each syllable. ...Her finger slipped. A wrong note. Two wrong notes. Three. The more she fumbled, the further nervousness grew, initiating a long chain of obvious mistakes. Rizuki and Shizuki's mouths lifted into subtle smirks.

"But alas, no new songs come to mind."

Her listless singing grew more apparent. No. These lyrics did not suit her. A hundred songs would be better to sing than this one. She plucked another wrong string. It screeched out of the base of the instrument and flew around the room like a rabid bat thrashing about to escape a house. The okiya mother's eyes turned to beady lines. On the contrary, a once closed off Hatsuki brought a pointed finger to rest on her bottom lip, in what looked to be thoughtful contemplation.

"May I be allowed to sing to you instead...the sad tale of Princess Kuzunoha?"

Sara flashed into her mind.

This story of a sorrowful mother was not her own. This song was not hers to sing. It was wrong...so wrong to even try.

Unexpectedly the new girl stopped strumming halfway through the instrumental portion of the verse. The only other maiko, Rizuki, whispered something that caused Shizuki to snicker. But Yamizuki and Hatsuki still analyzed her.

"May I...may I restart?"

"If you wish." Yamizuki answered.

Much more carefully than she'd picked it up, Fuu set down the shamisen at her side, willing both hands to calm. Delicately, like handling glass, she unfolded the other cloth parcel and took hold of a gold and red folding fan in each hand. A loud whip of air echoed out of the creases when they were flipped open sharply.

In this moment, Fuu probably could have thought of anything at all to ease the nervousness of singing for some of the most talented women in the country. Instead, she thought of the one thing in this world that she didn't at all want to think about. It may well be the only way her amateur singing would come out in earnest.

Perhaps she could finally channel this soul crippling uncertainty.

Wobbly feet, and pounding heart, the girl stood. She locked eyes with each of the women, forcing confidence.

So much to be spoken...so much that never could be… Now was the moment to let it free.

She sang.

"Oh...you know. You know what to say. Say: 'I love you'. ...Oh...I think...you gotta know right away. 'Maybe me too'.'"

Effortlessly, the sweet melody flowed from her lips. She dipped the fans by her waist, and then carried them gradually upward. Slowly. Slowly.

"It drifts gently, through the pages of my treasured memories. That sweet scent you left behind."

The fans swayed forward, rustling in the soft breeze that was Fuu's graceful movements. Each step of her foot smoothly grazed the floor, matching the energy of the calming tune.

"I searched one day, for your smile with those tender eyes. It was swaying in my heart: a sunflower blooming in the night sky."

At the increasing pace of which she spun the fans together, their yellow gold color melded into the appearance of petals.

"Oh...can I...can I tell you why. Why I need you. Oh...my life. You made it a cloudless sky, I can fly through."

She pivoted on her foot, and turned forward again, all the while deftly spinning the fans in a whirlwind around her hips.

"By dreaming, I realized...that when you meet someone you may have to leave them."

Her pace slowed.

"I'm sure I'll understand. There'll be traces of you all the time. Someday I'm sure I'll remember, the sunflowers we saw together."

The first verse repeated while the speed of her twirling feet grew. As her song began to near its inevitable conclusion...she lost her footing.

One of the geisha gasped.

"You.."

But, instead of falling clumsily, she caught herself just in time, gracefully kneeling down in a purposeful trance. Each fan closed and rested upon the floor directly in front of her. The last lyrics were merely a murmur full of melancholy.

"One day…in my heart…surely you'll… Surely one day…"

Fuu stayed kneeled, flattening her fingers demurely on the floor, as she lowered herself into a traditional bow. If she hadn't lowered her face...maybe they all would have noticed the tears that had sprung in the corners of her eyes, for reasons she did not want to admit.

The two geisha and the maiko clapped slowly. Yamizuki stood up.

"...Your voice may be sweet, but it is shaky." she said. "And your dancing has much to be desired. Look at you." She sized her up with such an icy disregard that Fuu's blood ran completely cold. "So stiff. You look as if you've never been a maiko for a day of your life."

A dense curtain of silence suffocated the okiya.

With a wispy sigh, the okiya mother closed in the distance between them. "Perhaps that isn't your fault, but the fault of your mentor… Mameharu didn't take our life very seriously. That song you sang was so full of emotion. You just need refinement. Unfortunately, I haven't the time nor the patience to teach someone as old as you from scratch. You would need a geisha sister here to be your mentor. And only Hatsuki has no maiko apprentice."

At the sound of her name, Hatsuki joined Yamizuki's side. "She does have a unique look. If we train her, perhaps she would bring in good money." She repeatedly tapped her chin. "Oka-san, let her join me. Rizuki and Shizuki are performing at the daimyo's manor today. So, I am in need of someone else for the dinner party at Ichiriki Chaya . If she does well, then perhaps...perhaps I will become her Onee-san."

Shizuki's tongue flicked from her lips. "You're actually serious? Don't tell me this is about Mizuki... Just because she's gone doesn't mean that you should take in some wannabe maiko to replace her."

Cheeks puffing, Rizuki nodded, voice an annoying squeak. "She's right. This girl is older than me and doesn't have nearly as much skill!"

The okiya mother seemed to contemplate this for several seconds. Without any warning, she floated closer to Fuu, almost causing the shorter girl to shrink back down to the tatami floor. Yamizuki's cold, bony hand grabbed her by the chin. Out of a long time reflex of rough treatment in her travels, Fuu almost pulled away.

First she tilted the girl's head one way, and then the other; it reminded her of earlier that day when the stylist assaulted her head. "Your hair...such a light brown, like soil baked under the sun. That is a rare trait." She then pulled her face back up and locked eyes straight with Fuu, peering deep into the dark irises. For what she searched for, Fuu did not know. "And your eyes...like warm liquor."

Blushing, she chose to focus on her tabi socks rather than the older woman's face. Although no one else had ever told her this before, she'd always considered her brown eyes to be her very best trait.

...Did he feel the same?

"You were gifted with unique beauty, that much is for certain. But...you have already had your debut. Since your involvement with the last okiya has been sundered. I shall have to grant you a new name rather than Mameyakka, in the event you are to live here. You and Hatsuki would need a new Misedashi Ceremony to bond you as sisters." She relinquished her grip on Fuu's face, and walked away. "You should try your best at Ichiriki Chaya...if you want to find out what your new name would be."

Hatsuki ignored the two obviously threatened women's gripes, focusing only on the decision of the okiya mother. "You're not joining us tonight, Oka-san, to monitor how well she does?"

"I have other matters to attend to. I am leaving this decision to you. Show her around the okiya and get her prepared for tonight, would you?"

She bowed respectfully to Yamizuki, and then with a curl of her fingers, beckoned for Fuu to follow.

---

A few steps in Gekka Okiya revealed it to be a visual puzzle; the building was far more massive on the interior than the exterior let on. Not to mention, a maze of hallways. On every wall, hung more colorful clusters of prints and canvases, creating an illusion of entering new mystical environments at every turn.

"Oka-san's room and workshop are in the very back of the house, on the first floor. It's a house rule not to go in there without her permission. Oka-san is the one that sets up all our performances, trains us, and also is an artist. She barely gets any time to herself to paint, so when she does, that room is her personal sanctuary."

"I saw her paintings. Yamizuki-san is really talented."

Fuu would need to get used to calling Yamizuki "oka-san" soon enough… After the loss of her actual mother, doing so might turn out to be the biggest challenge in this place.

"Yes. She takes all forms of art incredibly serious."

They ascended a flight of stairs. Hatsuki introduced Fuu to each room they passed; storerooms, washrooms and spare bedrooms. Glass orbs blankly watched the girls pass by, forever silent. The moment Fuu glanced upward, she almost jumped twenty feet back down the hall!

Taxidermied animals mounted on high shelves throughout the house stared down with their marble eyes. Squeaking, Momo peeped out of her brand new kimono collar, and with one glance, scurried back under the lavender cloth.

Once Hatsuki named which bedrooms belonged to Shizuki and Rizuki, her voice became a drowned out echo, since Fuu chose instead to observe the frozen animals. A stuffed Ezo wolf prowled from above, teeth bare; a flying fox suspended on a wire, drank the nectar of a lotus flower; an Amami rabbit stood on its haunches, ears perked up; an Iriomote cat licked it's raised paw. There stood several other species she failed to recall the names of, but it did occur to her, that all of these animals were rare ones.

Whoever had taxidermied the endangered creatures must have done so with tender patience and care. Artificial life had been breathed into their stiff bodies through the use of clever and precise posing.

"And this is my room." the senior geisha stopped before the second last door on the second floor, opening it enough to reveal its neatness. "Now repeat what I just said."

Although she'd lost track of the conversation, Fuu paraphrased what she expected. "Don't bother Oka-san unless necessary. And don't rummage through anyone's belongings."

"A quick learner. Keep it that way." the geisha smiled.

...Only when Hatsuki turned her back, did Fuu allow her tensed shoulders to slump. 'How can someone so bossy hold onto a smile that long?' One moment she acted polite, and another so stern. Perhaps this woman didn't want her to succeed as a maiko...and just wanted a little lackey to boss around for the rest of her career.

"This will be your room, in the event you perform well tonight." The last door slid open, revealing a bedroom, as clean as they come. Unlike the others shown thus far, it was barren of any personal belongings.

"It used to be my apprentice's room… Honestly, it's strange to come in here again, after her disappearance." For the first time, Hatsuki's expression lost that placid smile. When she caught Fuu staring, the mask went right back on. "Now come, sit. We should get you ready for tonight." The geisha flattened her kimono, and gracefully knelt in front of a full-length mirror sitting at a tilt in the center of the room. Twice, her hand patted the tatami mat beside her.

Fuu shuffled over and plopped down.

"What are you, a monkey?! Did your old okiya have no class whatsoever?! Stand up and do it again."

"S-sorry, I'm just a little nervous." Jolted back to standing, Fuu tried to not be so shaky while lowering into a kneel. Emulating the cultured woman's perfect form proved more than tedious. Never in her life had she had the time to be so slow and graceful...especially since they'd always been on the run from trouble.

The geisha sighed, spinning Fuu around. "This is a fine kimono. Since you're not officially a member here, you will have to wear this tonight. But...we wouldn't want it to get damaged." Hatsuki placed a cloth around her shoulders.

Quickly, the once clear floor bore all manners of containers of makeup. First, Hatsuki popped open a round box housing an oil-like substance, scraping a fair amount onto a brush, and finally mixed it into another holding a coagulated white powder. They melded together into a thick paste. Fuu watched diligently until she was instructed to turn her face. The brush smoothly glided along the canvas of skin, from the top of her face to the bottom of her neck, changing the already pale color to a soft alabaster white. Eventually, the layers evened out. Only three streaks on the nape of the neck were kept bare.

The moment the tip of a pointed brush moved towards her eyes, a paranoid Fuu blinked a million and one times. Each time, she received a harsh scolding. Only during the two occasions she'd been thrown into brothels, had other women applied makeup on her.

Being so close to her, Fuu caught the scent of the woman's perfume: a soothing mixture of jasmine and lilac. It was strong enough to inhale, and yet not nearly as overbearing as the perfume the prostitutes wore in seedy brothels. It held subtlety, just like the geisha's movements, and unreadable expressions.

It suddenly rose a thought. Other, normal women must lead much different lives. She traveled with an uncouth barbarian who only bathed when necessary...or probably to get a sneak peek at the naked women. Even when Jin had traveled with them two years ago...she hated admitting it...but the proud ronin meticulously took better care of his appearance than she did.

Two dabs of red were applied to both eyelids, accentuating the brown tone of her eyes.

During this process, the older of the two chose to speak up. "I don't know who you're trying to fool here, but I'm not buying one bit of you being a debuted maiko. I never imagined Oka-san would be that foolish to let you in."

Fuu snapped her head towards Hatsuki.

In response, she grabbed Fuu's chin with deliberate harshness and turned her face again. "Didn't I tell you not to move?"

"It's just...if you don't trust me, then why are you even bothering?"

She laughed, though resumed the task by outlining an eyebrow with a charcoal pencil and then delicate pink powder.

"You...remind me of my previous apprentice, Mizuki. It is incredibly rare for the Oka-san to accept any girl into this house. I'm surprised she didn't turn you away at the door. There's something about you. She must see it too."

"Well, you don't have to worry. Because, I am a debuted maiko."

The geisha snorted. Fuu decided to change the subject.

"...What was Mizuki like?"

"Innocent, and curious. And she wore her heart on her sleeve." Her steady hand finished one eyebrow and moved to the other. "We were very different. Mizuki always tried her best. And me...I didn't even want to become a geiko. Not at first, anyway. My parents had no money and thought that giving me away to an okiya house would ensure me a prosperous future."

Fuu's slackened expression caused Hatsuki to scoff.

"Don't misunderstand, it's not that bad here. I love it. Although, it definitely wasn't easy to learn. Seeing her try so hard...made me want to work harder as her mentor." The woman paused before her voice became a subdued whisper. The makeup brush nearly slipped from her fingers. "...But, now she's gone."

Fuu wanted to say something to comfort her; she truly did. But she didn't even know what to say. The female performers had been going missing for nearly two years now, without any trace. While she could have pretended to be hopeful like she desperately wanted to be...whatever happened to them couldn't possibly have been good.

The beautiful geisha forced another of her fake smiles. But Fuu could tell from the way she stared at some far off space, that her thoughts still wandered elsewhere. Her dark, glassy eyes were the same as marbles... Just like those taxidermied animals. She wondered how much more charming this woman would be...with an honest smile.

Using the tip of her pinky finger, Hatsuki dabbed liquid red lipstick only to Fuu's bottom lip. Although curious why both weren't colored, she didn't dare ask why, for fear of being suspicious, so she just assumed the woman did it as a sign of Fuu being a trainee.

"If you do well tonight, then we will see if I will take you in as my new sister." Hatsuki said. "Don't disappoint me. Not only will you make me look bad for even considering you, Oka-san will be furious you wasted her valuable time."

Upon finishing the small details, the geiko turned to the collection of accessories from the police barracks. "Ah! These will be perfect for the last week of March." Hatsuki plucked several yellow flowers—daffodils and canola blossoms—from the box, meticulously sticking them at various places at the top of the wareshinobu hairstyle. Her fingernails toyed with the near translucent wings of a silver butterfly. That specific pin was placed towards the front, complimenting Fuu's heart-shaped face. "And this one even matches your kimono!"

Hatsuki gripped her potential apprentice by the shoulders, spinning her body around to face the mirror. "I have to admit, you do look the part."

Had she not gasped, and the lady lingering in the glass had not followed her every move, the much confused Fuu would have thought she peered into an open window rather than her own reflection. Face a painted mask of white, and hair in a traditional style she'd never once worn...the brunette beauty truly resembled the regal geisha that had walked by her and Manzou that afternoon. Her potential mentor paid very close attention to detail, creating an artificial bouquet out of the assortment of yellow floral accessories. While she thought herself to be a wondrous sight...she didn't know if she really looked like herself.

Even though it was foolish to ponder such a thing...she wondered if Mugen would even recognize her like this.

---

Fuu had been more than correct earlier. It was not just a career of pain; it was a time-consuming one. Gion was cloaked in the darkness of twilight by the time Hatsuki finished up with her own makeup and attire.

But when she appeared from her bedroom, the wait was well worth it.

Her ink blue kimono was far more solid in color than Fuu's. If it were the night sky, she'd be the single star. And while she'd chosen to lavish the would-be maiko's hair in cutesy accessories, Hatsuki only wore a simple wooden comb at the top. It looked more dignified. More mature.

This would be the type of woman he would like.

If maiko Fuu resembled a painting...senior geisha Hatsuki belonged in one.

Together, the two women descended the stairs, only to witness a bizarre commotion by the side door of the okiya.

"Shoo, you beast! Shoo, I said!" Armed with a straw broom, an infuriated Yamizuki swatted at something that repeatedly tried and failed to barge into the house. Two barks challenged this act of aggression.

It was none other than a friendly Inukage, the "ninja dog"...who ironically was not very good at being ninja-like. At the mere sight of Fuu, his pointy ears perked up, and furry body squirmed right passed Yamizuki's broom, with a bound into the house. Letting out a cry unbefitting a geisha, Hatsuki pushed the happy canine away in an attempt to keep his muddy little paws from damaging their priceless silk kimonos.

"What is the meaning of this dog. Yours?" Yamizuki's stern stare caused Fuu to swallow down a wad of saliva.

"Um, uh, well-"

"Forgive me, miss. He's mine." interjected a familiar voice. From the doorway, a short, bald man whistled for Inukage. Obediently, he sulked back outside, only to excitedly run off when his master tossed a baseball somewhere into the bushes of the okiya yard. "I'm supposed to be escorting a geisha to Ichiriki Chaya this evening."

If Fuu hadn't heard the voice...she may have never known that Kagemaru himself leaned against the doorway. To maintain his clever disguise, he didn't even acknowledge her presence. He hadn't actually shaved down his head, using some odd bald cap with a fake chonmage ponytail attached to the end for the effect. She guessed that Manzou had asked the retired ninja to monitor her safety.

Hatsuki tugged onto Fuu's wrist, "Ah! We're late!" She motioned to a pair of extremely stilted sandals sitting neatly by the door. Quickly, Fuu slipped her tabi covered feet into the okobo shoes, and although the soles were of proper length and width, she fumbled to walk straight due to their insane height. Only a few awkward steps outside in these heels, and her body lost coordination because of the excessiveness of her less than dainty strides.

She fell.

The disguised man rubbed his forehead, surely out of embarrassment.

Hatsuki ran to her side, chiding her potential apprentice while brushing off an unseemly spot of dirt that marked up the brand new butterfly kimono. During this moment...she pulled Fuu's ear to her fully painted lips, uttering a short whisper. "That's strike one, Mameyakka. Now take smaller steps."

...This geisha really wasn't on her side.

Kagemaru helped each of the "performers" board the rickety two-wheeled rickshaw cart. He pulled onto the wooden poles on each side and, with a speed only befitting a ninja, started off. Inukage chased after, baseball nestled in his teeth and tail wagging the whole way.

---

Ichiriki Chaya was not the type of establishment she'd have normally been able to enter...with the little money she and Mugen could ever obtain. So for this reason, being a disguised maiko held some fascinating perks.

Aromas of exotic spices swirled into their nostrils the moment the red entry flap pulled back for the pair. A sumptuous banquet of seafood sat on every square inch of the table; the wood surface underneath couldn't even be visible. Saliva threatened to run from her mouth and ruin her red lipstick and white face paint.

Around the dimly lit buffet table, dozens of fancily dressed male guests—lords, samurai, merchants of the highest esteem—sat, transfixed by a performance on stage. Several geisha and maiko from multiple okiya danced in sync to a springtime theme upon the platform at the head of the room. The reedy whistles of a shakuhachi flute, and tender chords of a shamisen melodically accompanied their light steps and graceful swerves and bends of their hands. Other geisha hosting the party carried conversations with their clientele of Kyoto's high society.

Hatsuki waved to a young man in the corner, and took a seat beside him. Fuu too sat.

The savory scents grew so strong that she could practically taste the food already. Not even five minutes after they'd sat to conversate with the dinner guests, Fuu dived for a plate, filling it with all manners of fried goodies; crab, lobster, eel. The works. Just as she readied to wrap her lips around a decadent piece of calamari...a sharp pinch on the flabbiest part of her back caused the morsel to drop back onto the shiny saucer.

"Are you insane." Hatsuki hissed. "Maiko aren't allowed to eat on the job! Strike two."

Fuu's heart, and more importantly, her stomach sunk to an unfathomable depth of despair. She chose to hand over the plate to a landowner, who graciously thanked her...though had a hard time prying it out of the traumatized new girl's clutches.

The would-be maiko chose to wander around the room, stopping briefly to introduce herself to several people. There were so many well dressed men, that she had no idea how the heck she would manage to pinpoint which one could possibly be a potential kidnapper. And even if she could, she wasn't sure she wanted to go near them to find out.

Hatsuki acted playful with her current patron: that young man, she addressed as Yuta. Most of the guests were older than thirty, with several even pushing sixties. Yuta alone didn't seem all that old. With a trimmed stubble and bedroom eyes, he also appeared quite handsome. The couple was deeply engaged in conversation, and every minute, they seemed to inch closer to each other.

She hoped she didn't have to act the same way with patrons.

Or did Hatsuki not have to act?

One round around the room later, Fuu returned to her side.

"More tea, sir?" she asked Yuta, picking up a teapot. He didn't even notice nor respond. Him and Hatsuki were so absorbed by each other, that Fuu chose to reach over them and pour the tea anyway.

...That's when she looked down at Hatsuki's lap, accidentally catching glimpse of a sight surely not meant for her innocent eyes.

The young man's palm rested on Hatsuki's thigh. He squeezed. Strangely, Hatsuki lightheartedly slapped his wrist and didn't seem all that bothered. He then leaned forward and whispered something into her ear that caused the once seemingly mature woman to giggle like a teenager in love...while his hand rolled up the kimono fabric, slithering under the cloth.

Fuu looked away quickly, more out of disgust than embarrassment.

The interaction was definitely a strange one. Upon glancing around, none of the other geisha dared be in any similar type of compromising positions. Sure the people flirted, but to remain respectful, no one ever touched that long. These were not courtesans. They were hostesses. So...why would Hatsuki...

"I would have remembered such a sweet face as yours. Who might you be darling?"

The deep, almost authoritative voice of a man who had sat down on her left, interrupted her contemplations. He, like Yuta, was not at all ugly, although his appearance possessed a sterner expression and thicker jawline. The beginnings of horizontal age lines traveled upon his forehead, so she guessed he neared forty. At one look at the swords at his waist...she realized he was a samurai.

She bowed her head. "My name is Mameyakka. I was an apprentice to Mameharu of Inoue Okiya. But due to recent events, Gekka Okiya may decide to take me in and give me a new name."

"Ah, Mameharu. Such a beautiful girl… Tis' a shame what happened to your mentor. Well, Gekka Okiya definitely wouldn't want to lose out on such a pretty girl." the samurai smiled gently.

"Oh, Yoshioka-san. you are going to make her so shy!" Hatsuki finally turned away from Yuta. "Next to a man of such high esteem, how can she ever hope to impress you?" she laughed, though it sounded forced.

Yoshioka chuckled, placing one hand on Fuu's wrist. Luckily, he did not keep it there long. Definitely different than the way that Yuta guy felt up Hatsuki's leg.

"She can start by pouring me another cup of sake. You wouldn't mind, would you darling?"

"O-oh! Of course not, sir." Fuu bowed, and began pouring a cup. She leaned her face to the side.

'C'mon. Be nice. Be fake. You can do it.'

She looked back at the middle-aged samurai, batting lashes and taking a lesson from all the geisha of Gekka Okiya by forcing her best porcelain smile. "So your name is Yoshioka? Why don't you share a story with me about your high esteem?"

The man grinned back, chest puffing out slightly more than it had before. "You sure don't waste any time. Well, my name is Yoshioka Seijin. I'm one of the last of Kyoto's Yoshioka clan. You may never have heard of us... We're forgotten due to the duels of Miyamoto Musashi's father ruining our dojo's good name. But I'll have you know, the last of us are a very talented group of swordsmen."

...The samurai regaled tales of adventure and intrigue for so long, that time itself must have given up and died.

Of course, he had no idea at all that he didn't speak to a maiko who'd been locked away in an Okiya for most of the years of her life. Mugen and Jin's escapades and altercations across Japan easily crushed any story this swordsman had to tell. But it wasn't her job to top them; it was her job to be a good host. So on she let him boast, nodding politely, and softly giggling into her hand every time he attempted to make her laugh. Maybe she'd be pretty good at this. Still...

It was going to be a long night.

---

Mugen tapped his geta on the concrete. Those two sure took their sweet time... After Kagemaru had dropped Fuu and Hatsuki off, he'd left to change into a more fitting attire for a patron rather than a common rickshaw worker. Manzou too went off somewhere for part of the investigation.

"Yo!" the ninja called from down the street.

...Mugen did not bother to ask why the ninja still wore those orange sunglasses after sunset when they held no function whatsoever. After all, that wasn't the stupidest part about his newest appearance. The Ryukyuan squinted at a giant horn of black hair, so large, it could whack someone to the ground with one misplaced swerve of the head.

"What the fuck is that?"

Repeatedly, the shinobi combed out the enormous trunk of a pompadour until its length stuck out eight inches from his forehead. "New style. Bosozoku, man. We're gonna have to be leaving impressions."

"An' what kinda impression is a dick stickin' out of your head gonna leave?"

Kagemaru grabbed at his chest, feigning a wince. "How heartless. It's not like you'd do much better without our help." He motioned to Mugen's...new…getup.

Red kimono top, black hakama and the telltale blades strapped at his hip, it was apparent they'd chosen to disguise Mugen as a samurai... His teeth ground against each other, the moment he'd been reminded… Regardless of what they'd said, these expensive clothes specifically resembled one person to him.

Jin.

They hung heavy on his thin body, especially the baggy hakama pants. Walking in them without tripping turned out to be an annoying chore in itself. Perhaps his choice of shorts rather than pants gave a keen advantage of speed against all these idiot samurai he'd fought in the past. Honestly, his main reasons for such apparel were purely due to their cheap price and ability to keep him cool.

Even more of an insult were the leather gauntlets now covering his ringed prison tattoos. The last time he'd worn anything to conceal them had been the first day he landed in Satsuma province six years ago.

Well, at least they didn't force him to wear glasses.

"How the hell do ya expect me to move in this shit?"

"You'll get used to it." Kagemaru laughed.

Detective Manzou approached.

"Are you two rea-"

Mugen tightened a white hachimaki headband on his forehead; it proudly showed off a red infinity symbol painted onto the cloth. ...It was the only part of the outfit they let him handpick. Looking at the ridiculous thing now, Manzou considered that it may have been a mistake. The ex-criminal then unsheathed one of the katana he'd been loaned, examining the sharpness of the blade. Repeatedly, he slashed it through the air to test its weight.

Meanwhile, Kagemaru continued grooming the massive pompadour hump lovingly. His hand swiftly flicked the comb once, to reveal a hidden tanto popping out of one end. He winked at his reflection in the shiny side of the steel blade.

"...dy... " Manzou finished, left eye twitching. Just one look at his two temporary colleagues and he audibly groaned. They were a far cry from any well to do businessmen he'd ever seen...unless of course, they aimed to resemble roguish yakuza! Pinching the bridge of his nose, the hulking detective shoved passed them into the ochaya. The other night, Manzou the Saw bought entry into some of the highest class establishments for the purpose of the investigation. But instead of greeting him right away, a waiter bowed to the shorter man on his left side.

"Ah, Kagemaru-san! Welcome back, sir!"

"...Wait...you've been here before?" the detective whispered.

"Y-yeah! I told you I watch geiko...for historical research!"

Manzou knew the price of this place offhand; it was insanely high. He stared skeptically, "What, pray tell, is so fascinating aside from the geiko?"

"Uh, w-well," the ninja adjusted his sunglasses, the dimness of the ochaya hiding a blush. "The...the leader of the forty-seven ronin hung out here, at Ichiriki Chaya, and got the reputation of being a drunk. But being a drunkard was all a mere ruse to get spies off his back. His real plans were avenging his daimyo Asakura by killing the court official Kira Yoshinaka and-"

"Whatever you say, lizard fanboy." yawned Mugen.

"I already told you," Kagemaru gritted his teeth. "Geiko are not lizards, you ignorant bastard!"

They had stopped listening.

The confused waiter intervened again. "Oh, I see you brought Sakai-san with you tonight! I am sure he will enjoy the performances we have to offer." He then looked at the tall intimidating Ryukyuan with sudden fear. "And who might this…samurai be."

"This is my bodyguard, Muten." Manzou answered.

"Yo."

Kagemaru shook his head. With names likes these...who even needed disguises.

In just a few seconds, the "samurai" scanned the entirety of the ochaya room for potential threats; there were numerous women, some performing, others sitting beside pompous old men. All were dolled up in that white makeup. He didn't care much for it, but it allowed their pretty faces to stand out well in the dark teahouse lit only by the orange and red table lanterns. Yet, still, he did not see her.

"So where's the chick?"

Kagemaru pointed, "She's right there."

Right next to an obviously posturing older samurai, kneeled a fetching young female in lavender purple. Her kimono's obi was wrapped so high on her chest, that it hid any possible curves she may have had. Even without a view of her figure, her movements were graceful and well-mannered, creating a somehow elegant beauty. She too had that makeup, and that characteristic hairstyle...except a curious shade of chestnut brown.

The woman glanced up, catching his eyes. For several seconds, they just stared each other down from across this spacious room, only repeatedly blinking.

As much as he didn't want to admit it, he could've easily mistaken her for one of those real maiko. Rather, if he hadn't seen her bright brown eyes...he would've. This was the second time it happened. Whether with a makeup of a courtesan behind the bars of a brothel, or makeup of a maiko serving men of high esteem, those shiny, hopeful eyes alone always revealed her true identity.

Her true...beauty.

"Pretty cute, right?" Kagemaru smirked, elbowing Mugen's ribs.

He could tell...when she quickly covered her mouth, that a laugh had been withheld. A laugh at him. It honestly ticked him off, that just because he wore the garb of a samurai for the first time, it was some kind of giant joke. But of course, Jin—and every other guy, including the one next to her—could wear a similar outfit without any damn problem.

Mugen scoffed, "She looks fuckin' ridiculous."

The trio of men took a seat on the opposite side of the room.

At long last, the appearance of "new customers" gave the perfect opportunity to slip away from that boasting samurai. Lifting the tray of beverages back up, she shimmied through the people, to reach their end of the room. Several men became a trail of obstacles, calling out, some raising their glasses in a request for another refill of sake or tea. She smiled sweetly for each person she served before setting off again.

During the time Fuu scampered around the room, the trio on the case observed the general surroundings.

As much as he'd tried to just ignore her presence, the only damn thing that kept catching his eyes just happened to be Fuu. It was like a curse. Mugen's gaze followed her around the whole entire teahouse, and how the old men looked to her with such fascination, such intrigue. Each instance she so much as smiled, they all treated it as some kind of miraculous event. Their eyes would alight, their faces would form deep laugh lines from grinning so widely and their whole bodies leaned in her general direction to hold onto the moment just a second longer.

He noticed every time a man's hand would brush against her wrist...every time they stared too long at her swaying hips as she passed by. Little did the oblivious girl know how seductive that could look.

A grumbling, searing Mugen blamed all these layers of fancy clothes for making him feel like he was burning alive.

Manzou had his eyes specifically set on a different part of the establishment. "Damn Amekou…" he muttered under a breath. Two carrot headed foreigners banged their fists and drummed their chopsticks on the table.

They were so loud, that sometimes, the plucking of the shamisen and blowing of the flute were drowned in a sea of babbles and slurs. Even worse was when they sang along to the melody, with what must have been their motherland's anthem. The European tune opposed the Japanese folk song. On and on, the tone deaf men sang, carrying out even the highest and longest notes of their jarring duet.

"Proost!" the two said in tandem, their accents thick. They raised their brawny arms, and clacked their little sake cups together, sloshing some of the luxurious rice wine on the table, along with their own laps. Perhaps they didn't notice in their drunken state, or just chose not to care.

Kagemaru's brow quirked. He nudged the detective, "Amekou? ...They're Dutch. Not American."

"Whatever. Foreigners are foreigners. All they bring is trouble..." Manzou grumbled into the sake choko.

"...If you say so. What the hell are they doing in Kyoto anyway? Aren't the Dutch only allowed to dock in Dejima?"

"They have a meeting in April with the Emperor to discuss a new trading clause. Mere formalities since the Shogun decides it all anyway. Still...I don't trust those men. The timing of another geisha disappearing is far too convenient."

Finally, Fuu made the rounds enough to approach her friends. She glanced to Mugen, but with hands folded into his new kimono sleeves, to her, it merely seemed like he'd be watching the other girls dancing on stage. Only Kagemaru appeared interested in what she had to say.

"That man there…" she motioned in the direction of Hatsuki and Yuta with a subtle tilt of her head. "I think he's taking a lot of interest in her."

"Can ya blame him?" Mugen cupped his chin with a devious smirk, ogling a geisha passing them. "Looks ta' me like all the men have taken interest in all the women."

She pouted, "I don't know...it's different. When I served him tea, he didn't even take his eyes off her. And, he was getting really touchy feely with her. Like, feeling up her legs and stuff. And he even slid his hand under her kimono! I don't think that's normal."

So fast, his attention snapped from the other woman, as he whipped his head towards Fuu. Brow a furled knot, there was no longer a smirk. Only a spiteful frown.

She blinked back, confused.

...And that's when it hit her.

She hadn't meant for the statement to be directed at Mugen at all! But after the words left her lips, it became apparent he'd related the observations of Yuta's actions...to his very own drunken advances the other night. Pounding heart ripping out of her chest, Fuu couldn't be more relieved that the white face paint hid any indication of her madly blushing.

"I recognize that guy." Kagemaru chimed in. "Every time Hatsuki of Gekka Okiya comes into an ochaya, he shows up… From what I know, he isn't even a huge name in this city. Just a dockhand that somehow curried favor with different teahouses. Perhaps he's giving them a discount on fish…"

"Every ochaya huh. Just how many have you been to?"

"Hey, the information is useful, right?! So get off my back."

Manzou rubbed his jaw absentmindedly, "What if he has made her his next target?"

"It could be…"

The notes flowing from the stage concluded and the dazzling pair of dancing geisha gave their bows. Applause and hoots of praise filled the entire ochaya. While Fuu wanted to remain by the sides of Mugen, Manzou and Kagemaru to discuss this further, eventually someone would take notice of her "picking favorites". She bowed, feigning politeness, and excused herself to carry tea and alcohol to another waiting part of the long table.

A spot laid vacant beside a chubby businessman, whose sagging face stayed a permanent frown. He vigorously cracked open shellfish, shoving the meat into his crunching jaw. Earlier, when she'd been introduced around the room, the Dutchmen referred to him as Nakamura; owner of a successful Kyoto lumber mill. "Hello Nakamura-san. Did you enjoy that last dance?"

Nakamura's grumble caused Fuu's happy expression to falter.

'Again Fuu. Fake it. Fake. It.'

"A man as handsome as you should never wear such a frown." she shifted closer, trying her hardest to sound sweet. On the inside, she held back a gag. "I have found that a good cup of spirits always can lift a man's...well, spirits!"

"Fine then, pour me a glass of the grape wine." he grunted.

She searched around the tray before finding the red bottle, but while her hand moved to pour it, she for some reason had the strangest suspicion that someone's eyes landed on her, and stayed there. Except...the feeling did not cause her skin to crawl nor her heart to feel uneasy.

No...it felt, strangely enough...reassuring. Like someone watched as a way to keep her safe. Quickly, Fuu glanced to the only possible root of the cause. Even in the little light exuded from the ochaya's lanterns, the sight was clear as any cloudless day.

Just as she suspected, and honestly, even hoped for, her brown eyes met head on with steel gray ones. Her heart fluttered.

Within a second, Mugen averted his gaze when another geisha approached, sitting right between him and Manzou. She was as beautiful as Hatsuki. Soon they were in some type of conversation, and she said something that caused both the men to grin. The woman laughed so much, that her hand landed on the ex-pirate's arm to keep steady.

How badly she wanted to swap places, to laugh in such a way, or even hold a conversation after that night…

Only a startled yelp ripped her from the daydream. Amidst tilting the bottle, she'd completely missed the cup. The cold, dark wine drenched the businessman's hakama pants. "You clumsy woman!"

"I-I'm so sorry sir!" She feverishly reached for a cloth on the table, patting and scrubbing his lap, and further worsening the red stains of grape wine that probably would never come out of the fabric.

"These are brand new, and worth more than you!" He snagged Fuu's wrist between his fat fingers that reeked of crab and lobster. She flinched. "Just how do you expect to pay for these?!"

The group of performers that just got onto the stage had a hard time staying focused due to the commotion. Across the room, Yoshioka started getting up to approach. Manzou and Kagemaru did the same.

But Mugen already stood on his feet.

"Oi,"

Half of the room looked at him now. The geisha beside him, even looked surprised.

"Can ya shut your mouth? It's hard ta' hear the damn music with you bitchin' over there."

Infuriated and even more embarrassed, the man gradually released her. Several of the ochaya workers came to Nakamura, whispering something that caused him to flush so red, his head might explode. Touching a maiko in such an aggressive manner would not be tolerated. The ochaya owner appeared as well, and with one stern look, the lumber mill owner chose to get up and leave, only the awkward silence of the teahouse preceding him.

The music recommenced.

Five minutes later, the two drunk dutch stood up as well. They sang some more, thanking the geisha profusely for a lovely night before they too departed.

"Kagemaru," Detective Manzou rested a hand on the retired ninja's shoulder. "Go follow them. Something seemed off about how they left so quickly after he did." Despite Manzou suspicions of the foreigners beforehand, he hadn't even bothered to move, himself! Instead, he remained there, entranced by the geisha dances.

"Now who's the geisha fanboy…" With a sigh, Kagemaru headed outside. He whistled for Inukage who came tumbling from an alley, bits of garbage still clinging to the fur around his maw after a successful dumpster dive.

Inside, Hatsuki finished a conversation with Yuta. Despite her unquestionably good looks, she did not seem to perform the job of a hostess very well, considering how she'd only gave attention to that one young man for the entire night. Since spilling the drink, Fuu worried the woman would have something to say about it… And her fears were well warranted. She approached Fuu, gripping onto her forearm until it began to hurt, much like how Nakamura had done.

"Come with me."

When they stood at the exit, Hatsuki bowed to the entire room. "Forgive me gentlemen, but the two of us must take our leave! We have another engagement tonight. It was a lovely evening!" Several seconds late, Fuu followed her actions.

Some of the men whined, begging them to stay, while others offered a final toast to the beauty of Gekka Okiya and her fresh-faced trainee. They exited. After being confined in that ochaya with all those men for what must have been four hours, the Spring night air couldn't have tasted sweeter.

...Her relief was short lived.

Hatsuki snapped back around to face her would-be apprentice. She lost her fake smile. Exhaustion, as much as annoyance, crept into her tightened face. "I can't be your teacher." she started. "You act like a monkey, walk like an ox and have an appetite like a pig! Go back and tell Oka-san that I can't be your mentor."

Fuu attempted to refute, but her mouth came up dry. She knew she didn't have what it took to be a maiko. She knew that. But, she had done her very best! Not only was she letting Manzou down...but she couldn't handle the fact that Mugen would probably mock her for her inability to do this job. Already, Hatsuki had callously turned.

"Where...where are you going?"

The woman didn't bother looking back at Fuu. "I have another party to attend. If I brought you along, you'd just embarrass me. Farewell Mameyakka. Maybe you'll find success at some other okiya."

For a minute, Fuu remained standing there, hands clenched and eyes only on her okobo sandals.

Until someone walked passed her.

Yuta from the ochaya. The one who Hatsuki had chatted up. The one who had whispered things in Hatsuki's ear. The one who placed a hand on her leg. Once, he glanced at Fuu, and when he noticed her intently watching him, his strides on the stone avenue quickened. He clearly headed in the same direction as the geisha.

Every thought of Hatsuki's rudeness and her inevitable failure immediately got tucked away. One thing mattered.

That woman had to be in danger.

Another stumble in her okobo sandals, throwing back the cloth drape at the doorway, the clumsy Fuu flailed back into the ochaya. "That man...is following...Hatsuki." she panted.

"Sweet." Mugen replied, winding hands behind his head.

Manzou stroked his chin, focused only on the elegance of the women twirling their fans. She doubted the detective even heard her...The two lazy bastards continued sipping their drinks with not a single indication that either planned to get up in pursuit. "C'mon you bums, let's go!"

On the other side of the ochaya, the samurai, Yoshioka's head tilted in dubious wonder upon seeing the shy maiko he'd conversed with, tugging two grown men vigorously out of the teahouse.

---

"Ya sure you didn't just imagine it?"

"I'm sure! They headed this way!" They'd wandered to the very end of the avenue, passing numerous establishments until they hit a dead end. The only way from here, was a sharp left down a shady sidestreet. In daylight...Gion's street surely didn't look so dangerous. Only more storehouses blotted by shadows and a screeching yowl of a tomcat greeted their entry into the abysmal alley. When the trio squinted, they all saw movement in the moonlight; someone crept into a vacant storehouse, before discreetly shutting the door behind his back.

"There!"

They treaded silently, though their pace had quickened. The building was built several feet from ground level, so they had to climb onto a raised porch to see into the shoji door. Detective Manzou did so first, hand cautiously resting on his police baton for the moment it would have to be used. He wasted no time in poking two eye sized holes into the latticed paper, to see what exactly the man planned to do in there.

His eyes bulged from their sockets. Perspiration flooded his flabby cheeks. The hand on his police baton retracted, choosing instead to pull a spare handkerchief from his gi.

"...Well...well blow me…"

"Down?" Fuu finished for him. Her and Mugen crept up to the shoji door of the storehouse as well, prodding their fingers into the paper to allow a view of what could possibly leave the detective so speechless.

The sight inside caused the girl to fall backwards, right off the porch.

"Ack! The-they're-!"

"Oh. They're doin' it." Mugen stated plainly. "What a lucky bastard."

His lecherous eyes stayed glued to the two peepholes with curious fascination. In contrast, the embarrassed girl released a pig squeal after using her hands to shield both her eyes in an attempt to mentally scrub her head free of the horrific sight. Realizing she could now hear her potential mentor's moaning (and quite loudly) she swapped covering her eyes for covering her ears. When this too proved to be a futile attempt, the girl darted back onto the porch to wrap the palms of her hands around her bodyguard's eyes instead.

"Mugen, don't look!"

"What the hell, bitch! It's not like I'm five! Ya act like I've never seen a naked woman before!" he struggled in an attempt to relinquish himself of her grip.

"Ugh, you're practically drooling!"

They caused quite a commotion; rolling around the balcony with Mugen being tackled and Fuu repeatedly being shoved off. The detective hissed for the pair to pipe down.

Too late.

Instantly, the repeated creaking of floorboards and telltale noises of passion ceased. Hatsuki's panting voice filtered through the thin shoji paper. "Did you...hear something?"

Fuu and Mugen squinted at each other accusingly, and then to Manzou, who frowned at them both with equal amounts of disdain. The detective dropped flat on his stomach...and rolled….right off...the porch. They couldn't help comparing him to a barrel. He scrambled underneath the wooden deck, beckoning for the two loudmouths to follow him to this hiding place. Amidst their careful tiptoeing, they could only stop dead in their tracks after hearing the door fly open.

Slowly, very, very slowly, Fuu and Mugen looked behind them.

Manicured hands clasping her priceless robes together, the flustered geisha had eyes filled first with shock...and then a furious storm. "YOU AGAIN?!" she shrieked so high that they winced. "What are you doing here?! And why is a patron here?!"

They would have never guessed the prim and proper geisha to be the type to skulk around in the dead of night, having sexual affairs with patrons. Fuu had had enough of playing nice all day.

Hands balanced on her wide hips, and with an annoyed shake of her head, Fuu shed her maiko persona and snapped right on back to the woman. "I should be asking you! What the hell are you doing with a patron?!"

A short gasped escaped the geisha's pursed lips once the true tomboy revealed herself. As the two stared each other down...the young man she'd been sleeping with crept away in an attempt to make his escape a silent one.

But an arm darted from under the porch, pulling Yuta's ankle. He lost balance and emitted a horror-stricken shriek.

"You sly devil! You seduced this defenseless geisha, and then planned on using her as a sex slave! I will not allow these heinous acts!" the detective bellowed while rolling out of his hiding place.

Hatsuki pulled at Manzou's arm. "No, please wait! He's-w-we are…"

"Are you stupid?! I would never dream of hurting her! I'm in love with her!" the man proclaimed.

"WHAT?!" everyone, including Hatsuki, yelled.

Yuta stood, brushing the dirt and pebbles from his apparel. His face was stained a curious red, "We've been...seeing each other for a while now. Several months. And, I like to walk her back home every night to make sure she's safe. I may just be a poor man, never able to afford being a danna of a geisha, but I try so hard to see her every night she performs. She's the love of my life!"

Hatsuki, out of them all, seemed the most taken aback. Her hand covered her smudged lips, while her other tightened on her loosened kimono.

The ex-pirate snorted, "Seems like ya did pretty well for yourself. So tell us…" Mugen suddenly grabbed Yuta and Manzou, slinging both his gauntlet-clad arms around their shoulders. "How did a chump like you manage to score a fine piece like her?"

Fuu rolled her eyes.

Hatsuki managed to pull herself together and stammer out a response, "A-at any rate, he has an alibi! From what I can remember, he had been with me on many of the nights when other geisha must have gone missing. Including when...when my apprentice disappeared." She suddenly grabbed Fuu's hands, fingers trembling. "Please, you cannot tell Oka-san about this! It's forbidden for us to have affairs with men unless they can sponsor our career! And since he can't afford being my danna…she'll kick me out!"

Fuu and Manzou nodded knowingly to each other. Mugen merely flicked a piece of earwax off his pinky.

Determined, Fuu stared back at the confused geisha. "I won't say anything...as long as you can keep my secret."

"S...secret?"

"Ya can't tell? The girl here's a fake." Mugen said bluntly.

"We are on an investigation to find who is kidnapping the geisha." Manzou affirmed.

Fuu nodded, "My name isn't Mameyakka. It's Fuu. And...I don't have any training so I need you to cover for me while I stay in the okiya."

In a brief moment of enlightenment, the woman's sharp eyebrows rose. "I knew it! Oka-san will never allow this! She's extremely traditional. Posing as a maiko is a huge disrespect to our whole way of life!"

"That's why we need your help! It's necessary for the investigation that I'm a decoy, or get the chance to observe the clients! If the rumor slips that a team is spying on the customers to safeguard the geisha…do you really think the kidnapper will reveal himself?"

Finally, Hatsuki let go of Fuu's hands, placing a finger against her chin. "I see…the less people who know, the less of a chance the actual kidnapper will find out as well."

They were certain that the woman would say no. Instead, she looked back to the trio; no longer did she scowl, however, no longer did she don a fake smile. Her somber eyes, and lips drawn into a thin line, revealed to them, what personal importance this must have held for her.

"I will keep your secret, Fuu-chan. So please, help me find my apprentice, Mizuki. I must find out what happened to her!"

Mugen's arm that had once been slung around Yuta, moved to wrap a hand around his collar. "And you too, kid. If we find out ya spilled the beans to anybody…" On queue, his grip tightened.

"M-my lips are sealed. You have my word. P-please don't hurt me."

"We'll be keeping an eye on you."

---

Portly Nakamura hobbled along through Gion. Every several blocks, the lumber mill owner stopped to glance behind his back. When there was a not a sound nor a stir in the lifeless hanamachi streets, he shambled closer towards his destination.

The man did not know he'd been followed.

From a high perch in the shadows, the stealthy Kagemaru knelt just out of sight. Along the way, he'd shed his attire for one that would better mold him into the shadows. Him and the hound edged swiftly along the rooftops, leaping from shingle to shingle, with moonlight bathing their backs.

"Suspicious, eh, Inukage?"

The dog whined out an answer. He was more interested in the baseball his master tauntingly twirled in a hand.

Kagemaru put a finger to his lips.

Nakamura started turning around again. Instantly, Kagemaru ducked his dog down while flattening his own body against the rooftop. Luckily, their presence remained unnoticed by that skeevy fat rat. Eventually, the businessman neared the banks of the thin Kamo river cutting through town, where a group of tall men awaited his arrival. Thick jaws, and wavy hair of blonde and red, they were all obviously more foreigners. He easily spotted the two drunkards from the ochaya.

"I heard...you have received a new flower the other night." he whispered.

"Ja ja." nodded the towering blonde dutchman. "We have many flowers. Beautiful, beautiful flowers. Why don't you come in and have a look around? Perhaps you may pick a bouquet that is to your liking, mijnheer."

He ushered Nakamura inside a large storehouse.

Flowers.

Kagemaru had to hold back a scoff. Who would buy flowers at this time of night, anyway? And who would buy flowers on the side of town obviously used for storing and transporting fish? What fools to use such an obvious code word for the missing geisha!

There would be no way to infiltrate the building alone, without alerting the two burly Dutch guards standing outside of the entrance. While he contemplated a course of action, Inukage repeatedly nudged Kagemaru's hand for the baseball. Three nudges too many and the restless dog lost his balance on the shingles of the roof. He cried out, paws desperately clinging for the edge.

Just as the men glanced skyward for the source of the noise...he pulled the dog up and out of sight.

"Wat was dat geluid?" the one guard asked.

"Zwerfhond?" the other answered.

Though limited in his knowledge of Holland's native tongue, their lack of alertness assured him they had not caught on to their presence. Ninja tabi descended from the other side of the rooftop, landing with graceful silence. "You're more of a hindrance than help, dog." Kagemaru whispered.

Again, Inukage whined. He set down the antsy shiba inu.

Arms swaying behind his back, the ninja sprinted off with his clumsy companion to give a full report to Detective Manzou, on Nakamura and the foreigner's peculiar midnight meeting.

~To Be Continued~

---

[A/N]: Edit: A couple of people pointed out in a review I confused German and Dutch! I tried to find info and corrected it into what I believe is the right phrase. If you have any information, please let me know. All I know is German, Dutch and English have some similarities.

Manzou the Saw: Kagemaru, why wouldn't you use an alias at the okiya?!

Kagemaru: "Kagemaru" isn't my real name. Every ninja in my clan is given a false identity once they come of age.

Mugen: ...Hah? Then what the hell is your real one?

Kagemaru: If I told you...I'd have to kill you.

Mugen: Oh yeah? *draws katana* I'd like to see you try.

Manzou: You are not allowed to use those swords! They're merely for the investigation!

Fuu: *sigh* He's trying to pick a fight just so he can test them out…

Info on Maiko- The apprentices a geisha can only start their training at very young ages, 17 being the oldest. Fuu just made the cut. Their outfits and hair ornaments are incredibly ornate, compared to full fledged geisha who wear solid colors and much less accessories. This is a representation that their flashy appearance compensates for their lack of experience and mature beauty. A maiko on her first year will only have her bottom lip painted as a sign of her inexperience. That's why only Fuu's bottom lip was painted red.

Maiko's Kanzashi (hair ornaments)- they are completely ruled by the seasons. These are called Kisetsubana. Each month, the ornaments will change. For example, in November, a maiko will wear ornaments resembling autumn leaves. Since it is the end of March, Fuu will be wearing yellow flowers and butterflies. Butterflies and plant life were her title image in the opening anime sequence, so this is quite fitting.

Gekka Okiya (月下美人 置屋)) - Gekka Bijin is a Nightbloom flower. Also called "Queen of the Night", or "beauty of the night", they seldom bloom, and when they do, the event only occurs at night. This is fitting of a geisha's occupation. Not an actual okiya (that I know of), unlike the others that are listed on the missing person's bulletin of the last chapter.

-tsuki/-zuki (月)-The common geimei suffix for all the geisha within the Gekka house means "moon". Shizuki, Mizuki, Hanatsuki etc.

Yotsuyu of Final Fantasy 14: Stormblood gave inspiration for this okiya's aesthetics, as she is associated with the nightbloom flower, and the moon.

Iciriki Chaya- A historical teahouse in Gion, Kyoto dating back to 300 years ago. Just as Kagemaru said, it was made notable by the fact Oishi, leader of the famed forty-seven ronin, visited daily to drink and act obscene to dissuade spies from suspecting him of attacking Kira Yoshinaka. The famous Ako Incident (the story of the forty-seven ronin) was a real event in 1702, where a group of samurai avenged their lord and were forced to commit ritual suicide as a result. Definitely look into it. On another note, Ichiriki Chaya was also a location in the novel/movie: Memoirs of a Geisha. For a better visual perspective, Memoirs of a Geisha is a good film to start with, but it has many inaccuracies about the appearance of geisha and some of their customs. This is partly because the lives of geisha is so secretive, and also because the novel was written by an American: Arthur Golden, and was later made a Hollywood film. So take everything with a grain of salt.

Sakai Manzoku (Sakami Manzou's improvised alias)- the reason this name is so strange is, Manzoku is a word that means "To feel satisfaction". Often times it is used to describe revelry, drinking and eating delicious food. Sakai is a surname that is used with the Kanji for "rice wine". All together, the name sounds like he gets satisfaction from drinking.

Muten (Mugen's alias)- The word means "Martial arts" and "heavenly", implying a person who is good at fighting. ...On the flipside, with the kanji 無点, it means "Without meaning". As in, it's a stupid name!

Mugen's Hachimaki Headband (鉢巻,)- They are usually worn as a symbol of effort or courage, and oftentimes feature the Japanese flag… Mugen's has an infinity symbol instead. While possibly first worn by samurai underneath helmets, they are now associated with festivals...and Bosozoko: Japanese rebel motorcycle gangs. This is similar to Kagemaru wearing a pompadour. Some more chanpuru for ya.

Rickshaw Cart- Originates from the Japanese word "jinrikisha". Total anachronism. These things were not even invented until 1869, after the shogunate lifted the ban on wheeled vehicles in the city. So there's no way Kagemaru would use one... (unless of course, we're talking about Samurai Champloo's purposeful historical inaccuracies). *looks at Kagemaru's baseball*). WORTH NOTING. Baseball was brought to Japan AT THE SAME TIME AS RICKSHAWS (1867-1873)

The Codeword: Flowers- This is apparent to Kagemaru that flowers is a codeword for geisha, not just because women are compared to flowers…but, because the world of prostitutes and geisha is often dubbed "The Flower and Willow World."

Thank you everyone for reading! Please favorite, follow and review your thoughts for more senshimentoru feels! Part 3 coming soon...hopefully XP

End of Chapter 36