3.04

"OH, This is just fucking beautiful!" Jax fumed then leaned closer, right into Sato annoyed face, just for good measure. "Yet another fine example of one of your big ideas!"

"Look dipshit!" Sato replied coldly. Turning only slightly surveying his companion's livid face. "How was I to know the goddamn priest was going to declare himself a holiday?" It had been almost ten years since he'd lived in Butto. In the total previous fifteen years before he'd never seen Masaki shrine closed to visitors! Hell! Most people here bouts assumed Katsuhito never slept! The old bastard! All ways creeping around! In the middle of the night! Ready to grab the ear of anyone of like wise nocturnal habits!

"HEY! FUCK FACE!" Jax steamed, shaking Sato away from his musings, "I'm talk'n to you!" Sato glanced around angrily, the bitching was starting to really 'dig in' and it wasn't like any of them had a better idea! They and these other three losers' had been wandering around the train station, low on cash, same as always. More restless than usual 'cause' Izo's old man, 'the self-righteous bastard', walked in the night before and given the group their walking papers!

So what if all that shit in his basement was stolen! It wasn't like the old fucker knew any of those ancient pricks at that nursing home!

The rest of the following day, Izo's wining about how home sick he was, got Sato to think'n. Bout younger days, living in Butto but mostly about how filthy fucking rich the Masaki's were! Even though they lived like paupers! That, plus the current situation got him to think'n maybe it might finally be time for some well-deserved payback!

'How can my family atone for this shame my son has brought upon us?' Sato remembered vividly. His father, eyes closed and head bowed to Katsuhito standing some feet away looking as always like a wizened old post.

"I see no reason to pursue the mater further." The old priest had said. God! How Sato had hated that old goat!

"It was after all, only a few coins from the I-ching." Katsuhito continued. "You work hard in the fields and have not been able to provide the guidance a troubled youth needs."

Yeah? So what. Maybe he had taken the damn things, both of them talking like he wasn't even there!

"We should keep this amongst friends and family." Katsuhito had then added. "So as not to cause anyone to lose face."

"DOMO! Katsuhito Sama! Domo oregato!" Sato's father had bowed and scraped. Yeah, like always! Most families in the valley sent their kids to help out at the shrine. Like it was some kind of big ass privilege! Working like a dog for that old swine! And it was exactly that kind of reminiscing that lead them here.

"I got an ideal!" Sato had told his crew. They'd all been crouching in a culvert divvying up bills from a wallet Luks just happened to find. Right along with some guy's shirt, pants and shoes, left unattended in a bath houses locker. 'Tisk'! Maybe he should have invested in a better lock. Well, you live you learn!

"See, there's this old shrine back where I used to live!" He had told them. From that point, Sato had related all of the juicy details, about what sort of objects that were just lying around waiting for some enterprising youth such as themselves to liberate.

"No shit?" Hito had almost gasped. "A sword encrusted with gems?"

"And its sheath is gilded in gold!" Sato told them nodding.

They were of course skeptical, especially Jax who seem these day to piss and moan about, EVERYTHING!

"Yeah and my cock's loaded with gods nectar!" He had smirked. "Suck it and know heaven!" It had taken about a day's worth of convincing. That, plus what money they could scrape, and for what? They'd come all this way and found the shrine closed!

"So, asshole!" Izo fumed. "What are we going to do now?"

"How bout shutting the fuck up!" Sato snapped, getting royally sick of all the comments. Like any of them had a plan! "Give me a minute to think." He muttered.

"You boys waiting on a bus?" A voice called suddenly to them. With almost choreographed precision, each of the assembled group heads turned to regard Washu standing about twenty odd feet away. Her fire red hair cascading in the breeze, providing a perfect frame for her emerald eyes as she stared curiously at the group of strange men. "Cause, I gotta tell ya," She continued. "The last one past by here over an hour ago!"

The reactions they gave ranged from an appreciative 'Wow!' from Luks to Jax's usual, that is to say an outright hostile glare. Sato on the other hand was taken aback.

"Who the hell?" Being actually from this area, he just assumed he knew most family's here 'bouts. This little girl wasn't from one of them! Of that he was certain! Belatedly Sato considered she might have dyed her hair that outrageous shade but there was just something about her that told him otherwise.

"Hey!" Washu snapped. "Round these parts, we expect answers when we talk to someone!" Soto blinked, realizing he and the entire group had been standing there, open mouthed or just staring blankly.

"A thousand pardons young lady!" Sato said smiling as he formally bowed. "We were indeed waiting on the bus!" Out of the corner of his eye Sato could see the rest of the fools gaping at him. "Morons!" he seethed inwardly. There wasn't a tactful bone in any of them! Including their empty heads!

"It appears we were informed incorrectly about the departure times!" He added hoping to cover.

"Well, if you hit the road now." Washu responded cautiously. "You can be in Butto in about twenty minutes."

"Much obliged." Sato schmoozed, having a sudden notion. "But if you would please? Might you know what misfortune has fallen that required the closing of old Masaki shrine?" He 'clenched the deal' by adding one of his patented 'trust me smiles.'

"Well..." Washu began, eying them, particularly Sato dubiously up and down, clearly unimpressed by what she saw. Hoping perhaps, that a few well-chosen words would get these characters out of her hair. Admittedly, Sato was more than mildly shocked. He'd always gotten good results with schoolgirls before!

"And then maybe!" Someone suddenly blurted. "You could tell us a little about your pretty little self!" Three adjacent sets of eyes turned slowly. Luks had Sato believed the most stupid, vacant look on his face he'd ever seen. That and a grin so huge it bordered on grotesque.

"Gezz not again!" Jax muttered tiredly. Luks always did like 'em a tad too young.

"Come again?" Washu mouthed, now clearly distracted.

"Sato Atomy!" A voice from behind Washu spoke up. "Why, I haven't seen you in ages!"

Glancing, that direction Sato suddenly felt a little ill.

"Shit!" The thought rolled while grinding his teeth. "Mom wrote me a few years back, told me that old fucker wasn't living here anymore!

"Hello Mr. Masaki!" Sato told the approaching Nobuyuki, making certain his absolute contempt was well concealed.

"You saying you know these jokers 'yuki'?" Washu asked.

"Sure!" Nobuyuki affirmed pleasantly. It was a rare occurrence when Washu showed any uncertainly. "Sato is the youngest son of Mr. Atomy!" Nobuyuki glanced her way. "You know the gentleman who owns the junk shop?"

"Oh!' She nodded, giving Sato another once over in light of this new information. 'Mako' the man who ran the local curios shop was an odd but pleasant man. Always helpful when ever she showed up to 'scrounge'. 'Hey!' There were just some things it was easier to fix that way!

"Tsk!" She thought looking again with a grin at the young man."I guess here is a prime example of devolution!"

"Go ahead!" Sato was fuming privately. "Have your little 'conversation!' Like I'm not standing right here!"

"Fraid I don't know these other young men." Nobuyuki added, a slight speculative hardening to his eyes. "So have you gone to see your papa yet?" He then asked in a more congenial tone.

"No!" Sato shot back quickly. Then added more quietly. "At least, not yet."

"Well, I'm sure he'll be pleased as punch to see you!" Nobuyuki added.

"So, old man," Jax suddenly asked impatiently. "Think you can tell us why the old assed shire is closed?" All of this 'wholesome family goodness' was starting to make him want to hurl. Sato gritted his teeth wanting to kick Jax in his balls! What a stupid way to ask!

"I hope nothing is wrong with the great lord Katsuhito Masaki!" He added elaborately attempting again to cover. "Like a heart attack?" He added silently. "Please?" Or at least, something equally slow and painful, He didn't care. Thinking maybe death might take some of the starch out of the old bastard's spine!

"Oh you needn't worry!" Washu fixed Sato in one of her laser like gazes. "Urgent business, had to be elsewhere."

"But I thought your son was his apprentice!" Sato blurted, curiosity brimming in spite of things. "At least I seemed to remember..."

"Well," Nobuyuki told him. "Tenchi, also had some business to take care of in roughly the same direction!" He then shrugged. "Luck of the draw I guess?"

"Ah." Sato nodded.

"Nobuyuki would have kept the shine opened." Washu added. "But he's not ordained." "Jesus! Take the hint already!" She took a turn thinking, staring at the four young men disapprovingly. "So looks like you wasted your trip boys." She continued politely, almost managing to sound sincere.

"That's ok!" Luks suddenly said stepping forward, actually taking her hand in both of his. "I'm certain there are plenty of wonderful things you could show us!" Luks added brightly. Washu gazed back wide eyed, startled to say the least. Anyone who had even a tenth of a clue who she really was wouldn't have dared! But that was the point wasn't it? She opened her mouth to, 'let him have an earful' when realizing he was staring directly into her eyes.

"Well, I." She began pausing, noticing luks's baby blue eyes. "Wow!" She realized with a blush. "Cute kid!" Her level of surprise only intensified when realizing he was gently massaging her hand!

"Pretty little thing like you probably knows all sorts of ways to have fun round here!" Luks continued smoothly.

"I heard that!" Iso added appreciatively, breaking his long silence. Who ever this girl was, she had the most beautiful hair and the prettiest eyes he could remember seeing in a long while.

"Smooth operator Huh?" Washu mused. Of course not buying the bull-crap for a nanosecond. "Little bastards coming on to me!"

"Got her!" Luks saw the color rise in Washu face totally misreading its portent. Thinking all he had to do now was just lead this pretty little bird away to somewhere private. Washu steamed for some additional seconds, perversely liking the exchange. She had come to the firm decision to end it Just when a rather large tanned hand descended on to the young mans wrist.

"That will be about enough of that. Nobuyuki told announced coldly. Washu's gazed upwards wonderingly, suddenly realizing that living here she'd gotten used to the scale of the Masaki men.

"Hey!" Luks shouted, attempting to wrest his arm free only to have it squeezed. Washu could hear the bones in the guy's wrist click!

"Well," She considered. "Tenchi had to have inherited it from somewhere!" Nobuyuki however was not a small man. While his days as a farmer were behind him, rigorous commuting and household repair kept him in fair physical trim. It was he Tenchi and Katsuhito after all who'd mostly rebuilt the house.

"Lay off you old fuck!" Luks whimpered as the other four were tensing.

"Ok." Nobuyuki calmly addressed the rest of the gang. "Who's first?" He gave Luks captured wrist another squeeze and was rewarded with the expected yelp.

"Shit!" Luks wheezed painfully. "This old fucker's gonna kill me!"

"Look, uh, Mr. Masaki." Sato shot in quickly. "He didn't mean any harm! We really don't want any trouble!"

"BULLSHIT!" Jaxs spat, lurching forwards, noticeably reaching under his jacket. Sato took one look and panicked.

"CHILL THE FUCK OUT!!" he yelled, jumping between Jaxs and Nobuyuki. He had hoped the idiot would've the brains not to just whip it out!

"We were just leaving!" He emphasized inches Jax's startled face.

"Probably a good ideal." Nobuyuki told them icily pushing Luks toward them and releasing his wrist at about the same time. As their suitably chastised companion joined them, the group glared and grumbled at where Nobuyuki towered beside Washu.

"He ain't so much." Iso muttered. "We could take him!"

"Yeah," Hito muttered.

"In your dreams!" Washu grinned, enjoying the show in spite of her self.

"Shut the fuck up!" Sato snapped. Staring directly into Nobuyuki's eyes. "Like I said, were leaving." It acted as a signal for the rest to turn and begin, slowly heading back along the road in the general direction of Butto. When the last of the muttered comments and vague threats had faded Nobuyuki glanced down, surprised to see Washu positively beaming.

"I'm impressed!" She admitted.

"Well, now Miss Washu," He began, being the ONLY person in the entire Masaki household who ever got away with it! "I realize you can take care of yourself!" He added emphatically. "And I know you've always got some high tech card up your sleeve!" Washu regarded him kindly, her smile only widening at his appraisal, to the point Nobuyuki actually started blushing! "But well, I'm from the old school! And you don't treat a little lady like that!"

Unable to think of anything to add Washu simply nodded.

"Least not while I'm breathing..." He muttered. Washu continued to smile. Evidently Tenchi had inherited more than just broad shoulders from this man. Just when she thought she'd gotten him figured out he seemed to pull out another surprise. Again just like his son!

"Bye the way, Miss Washu?" Nobuyuki suddenly asked. "Why didn't you?" He paused suddenly wondering if he were being rude. "Well, shoot them with a force beam or something?"

"Oh! Well," She told him turning back towards the house. "It's been a couple o thousand years since someone actually hit on me." She paused, turned and smiled sweetly over her shoulder. "I was just trying to enjoy it!"