First off, I apologize for the long wait. In between the last chapter and this one, baby number four came along and my energy turned to taking care of my munchkins since they always take precedence. I've also had some health problems crop up as well. Thankfully, I am now getting sleep again and with a rested mind comes renewed imagination.

Many thanks to everyone who read and reviewed and sent me messages to encourage me and ask if I planned to continue this story. The response is always "yes" (this chapter was partially completed for over a year) but I take a break every time a kid comes along and this one was no different.

Hopefully, I don't disappoint any of you who have been eagerly waiting for the story to continue or those who were worried that I would give up.

Much love to you all! =)

A short re-cap for those who haven't read the story in a while:

Yuya is currently being held by the Former King who took her away shortly after she finally met Sakuya and sees that Kyoshiro has changed sides again. Kyo just defeated Akari and has returned him to normal, but he had been pulled back into Tenrou to speak with the First Crimson King to find out who and what he is at last. The twins are being babysat by Yuan's sister, Anna, and Kyo just sent Julian there with the New Mibu children.

Akira beat Tokito and she is now traveling with him, Shinrei, Hotaru, Benitora, and Bon. Muramasa is with Kyo and Akari. Yukimura and Sasuke are heading deeper into Hishigi's lab to find and hopefully rescue Shindara aka the original Sarutobi Sasuke. He's one of the few remaining Twelve Shoguns whom Hishigi put into stasis while the Taishirou were making changes to the Mibu Reconstruction Plan and altering the conditions of resurrecting Nobunaga.

I think that covers what's been happening in the previous 10 chapters. Also, this chapter is a bit dark out of the gate since it covers the demise of the True Mibu.

Kurenai Kioku

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Old Secrets and Dirty Lies

Kyo awoke to the feel of little fingers threading through his hair and the sound of childish giggles.

"He looks silly," said one voice.

"No, no. He's pretty," said another voice, a female child.

Cracking his eyes open, he reached up to swat away the hands touching his head. His tiny commentators quickly removed their digits from his mane and he heard the sounds of them shuffling away.

"Uh oh! He's up."

"Bet you he's gonna' be mad."

"Why? I made him look nice?"

Opening his eyes more fully, he glared in the direction of the brats and impatiently combed his fingers through his hair, grimacing as they caught on a thick clump of strands that felt suspiciously like a braid.

The kids - a boy and girl with bright red eyes and matching gold-embroidered clothes - exchanged a look before laughing and wheeling around to scurry away, joining the other children who were playing in the background.

Muttering under his breath about brats who didn't know their place, he quickly untwisted braid as he got to his feet and shook his head to return the red-black strands to their normal wild halo.

He knew exactly where he was this time and it took little searching to spy the First Crimson King on his massive throne. As per usual, there was an amused smile on his face as he rose from his seat and descended the stairs, chuckling when the kids swarmed around him. The scene was near identical to their first meeting and Kyo made his way over to stand before the huge man who seemed more interested in playing with his garden of children than telling him what he'd brought him here to learn.

Moments passed while Kyo waited and the king seemed content to let the little ones crawl all over him.

Irritation mounted by the second and Kyo opened his mouth, intent on demanding an answer to the questions he'd posed the last time.

However, before he could even utter a word, the king said, "I've been waiting for this for such a long time and yet - for all my age and power - I find it hard to lay my faults out in front of you, Kyo. By the way, you should have left the braid in, it was so very becoming."

Kyo wasn't sure how to respond to the first sentence so he addressed the second and said, "I don't do braids."

"Oh, but it suited you perfectly. What warrior doesn't like having a tiny plait sticking off of the side of his head? You have to spice things up sometimes, you know."

He voice was even enough, but Kyo wasn't fooled and he narrowed his gaze suspiciously as he said, "You just want an excuse to tease me again, like you did with those horns the first time we met."

A tiny snort of laughter escaped the king, but he recovered quickly and replied with mock seriousness, "I have no idea what you mean. I am the epitome of a wise and caring father. I would never do anything to humiliate my own child."

"More like the epitome of senility. And you can barely keep a straight face when you talk out of your butt. I think you get plenty of kicks out of making my life hard."

"You wound me Kyo," he said, placing a large hand on his chest, "Besides, little Ai-Chan is eventually going to attempt to do the same thing herself. That's what daughters do, you know. It's part of their charm."

"You're a god, I'm sure you'll recover and my daughter knows better," the Thousand Killer replied drily.

"Spoken like a man who still doesn't understand children. A few hours spent in their company does not an expert make. She'll have those little hands in your hair faster than you can blink and you'll let her too because she's your princess. Already, I can see her wrapping you around this," the red-haired monarch stuck out his right pinky and swirled the clawed digit in the air to simulate a winding motion as he grinned.

"Anyways..." Kyo ignored the king's asinine suggestion about how much power Aiko would have over him and glanced around his surroundings yet again before staring into his vivid eyes

"…Tell me what a True Mibu is. What is it and why does it make me special? What does it have to do with the Former King?"

The words hung in the air - heavy between them - and he wondered if he was going to have to shake the truth out of this man who claimed kinship with him. But the king didn't leave him waiting this time.

Instead, he sighed heavily and ordered in a voice that brooked no argument, "Leave us."

Without a word, the children scattered, flowing around their legs like a living river of crimson eyes and vibrant silk robes as they gave the two of them a wide berth.

The demon king watched them go with a look of longing as he said, almost to himself, "A beautiful illusion, are they not? Children should be the future of the Mibu clan and yet, those little ones are my past. It is the eternal weakness of the man who holds the title of the Crimson King, our love and desire to indulge our little ones. Unfortunately, I didn't learn to stop coddling my offspring until it was far too late. Demon Eyes Kyo, my last son, shall I tell you an old story about the fall of the Mibu Clan."

The air around the king was woven through with sorrow and Kyo didn't dare to speak. He'd waited his entire life to find out who he was and where he'd come. However, he also sensed that he was about to learn something that – much like Shinrei's discovery of the true intent behind the Mibu reconstruction Plan - would shake the foundations of everything he knew.

"We were once an incredible clan, Kyo," the king began, and his voice took on a faraway quality as he spoke, "A race of demons who cast off their savage ways in order to build an empire. I was the first and I took a number of women as wives and concubines to serve as the foundation of the original Mibu Clan. I wanted something great, a nation that would have the power to change the world, and I succeeded in ways that went far beyond my wildest expectations."

"We discovered and absorbed a near infinite amount of knowledge on all sorts of subjects. The world was at our fingertips and our interests were vast and varied, ranging from art to science, religion, magic, and more - things both seen and unseen. And we used that information to refine ourselves, burying our wild roots in the ground and sprouting anew as a force to be reckoned with. Illness and old age were myths for us, something that only lesser beings had to worry about. Outstanding beauty was our hallmark. Power was a given. We were the pinnacle of civilization and we advanced past any and all other races and cultures of the time."

Kyo listened intently and marveled as shadows arose behind the king's impressive form and gradually resolved into semi-transparent figures of men and women dressed in extraordinary finery, even by Mibu standards. They were tall and beautiful with brilliant crimson eyes that filled their sockets from end to end like the king and his children and they glided with graceful steps between magnificent buildings inlaid with gold and previous stones. Even he felt a sense of awe at the sight, but it was marred by the air that surrounded the illusory people. Even as mere memory fragments, they all exuded an unmistakable feeling of superiority that got his back right up and the king nodded ever so slightly in acknowledgement of his discomfort as he continued.

"However, no matter was sort of incredible fruits we produced, our roots never changed. Beneath the beauty and intelligence, lay the darkness of our demon heritage. A monster slept inside every member of the Mibu clan – the same one that lies in wait inside of you - and the more we advanced the more arrogant we became. Eventually, we started to experiment with creating life itself…and we succeeded. Battle dolls we called them, crafted to provide us with amusement by fighting each other and catering to our every whim."

"It was fascinating to see tangible proof that we truly had entered the realm of the gods and we rushed on, crafting more and more dolls. They started off as vaguely humanoid but we Mibu were a vain lot; more and more we made them like ourselves. Beautiful, intelligent, and powerful. We even gave them crimson eyes like ours. "

Behind him, new forms appeared amongst the laughing and preening Mibu ghosts. Kyo watched in sick fascination as those figures resolved themselves into human-sized dolls, complete with obvious ball joints and manufactured features before they began to multiply, gaining more realistic attributes with each new iteration. Animated wood and metal became skin and bone and playfully drawn faces became actual lips, noses, and eyes that were every bit as bright as the real Mibu clan members. Within moments, he could no longer tell which figures had always been Mibu and which ones were their creations. Like a curtain coming down to end an act in a play, a dark shadow started to creep over the seething mass of people.

"And while we played at being gods," the king's voice dropped even lower, "the evil that lurked beneath the surface began to come to the forefront. Disputes broke out about who was the best, who could produce the superior dolls. We had created new life, Kyo, and in so doing we cheapened our own. By that time, there were powerful families vying for dominance within the clan and rivalries that had sprung up over the centuries started to turn violent. Assassinations occurred, duels were fought, and vengeance was sought. Over and over again, our own blood was shed."

The crowd of people behind the king began to push and shove at each other, voices raised in indecipherable anger. Louder and louder the sounds of unrest grew and the ethereally beautiful faces of the Mibu became ugly and twisted with rage. Within moments, he saw the glint of metal weapons within the mob – sharp, precise, and multiplying like the stars in the sky as night descended.

So softly that he had to strain his ears to hear it, he heard the First King say, "It was a massacre."

The sound of metal on metal came first and then it became a sound he was very familiar with. A macabre symphony of metal tearing through flesh and bone and the gurgling crescendo of death as lungs filled with blood and the victim lost their ability to speak as they drowned on their own two feet. A red haze arose over the crowd as the smell of iron and death filled his nostrils and yet, he couldn't take his eyes away as the Mibu literally tore each other to shreds.

"Families turned against each other and most of the clan died out in a matter of months. And when there weren't enough natural-born Mibu left, they manufactured battle dolls that were their equals in power and used them as their weapons. No one was left untouched. Not a single man, woman…or child."

The ancient king's sorrow was palpable as they watched body after body fall and listened to the women and children weeping pitifully over the slain until even their voices were cut off. In the end, there were corpses as far as the eye could see and he grimaced as he took in the forms mixed in that were far too small and far too still. Kyo swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the tiny bodies dressed in gold-embroidered finery that was an exact replica of the garments that the two kids who had woken him up just a short while ago were wearing.

The silence in the wake of the chaos was deafening and he realized with a start that the background noises of children playing and laughing that always accompanied his visits with the First King were also gone.

Once upon a time, he wouldn't have batted an eyelash at the cruelty of it all. But the current Kyo - who now had children of his own - felt sick at the abrupt stillness. Kids were always making noises, always moving or asking questions. And for all of that to vanish without a trace…he couldn't begin to describe the wrongness of it.

Hundreds of little lives cut short with only the king's memories and a carefully crafted illusion to show they ever existed. Why? Because they never had the chance to grow up.

The blood-soaked peace seemed to go on forever until gradually the vision behind the king faded and he began to speak once more.

"As I said before, we truly are monsters Kyo and to be the Crimson King is to seize complete control of the demon lurking within and ascend to godhood. Why? Because the Mibu only understand one thing: 'The strong survive, and the weak die.' Unfortunately, that philosophy is why the Mibu of old is long extinct while the Mibu clan of the here and now is also in need of salvation. Their fate rests with the only two remaining relics of that dark time, you – my last-born child – and the Former King who saw it all. The full power of the True Mibu rests with the two of you."

Kyo mulled that over as the king's voice trailed off again and he struggled between the revelation that he was quite possibly an ancient himself and confusion as to what that meant about the current Mibu.

"So, what does that make the Mibu clan of today?" he asked after a few minutes.

"They are the descendants of the battle dolls who eventually took on the Mibu name. Unfortunately, they were never meant to operate on their own, let alone reproduce in great numbers like natural-born creatures do. All living things have their flaws and after centuries of existing and passing on their manufactured genetics to generation after generation, they are starting to degrade. To put it simply, what you know as the Death Disease is actually the inevitable end of a battle doll once its body can no longer sustain the weight of its own power."

"And the Former King? What about him? What about me? If the original Mibu offed themselves thousands of years ago, then how am I here? I only remember being a kid in this time," Kyo said.

Truthfully, even though he prided himself on taking things as they came and adjusting accordingly, this information dump was staggering. How pragmatic could one be in the face of knowledge that turned what he thought he knew on its head? His entire relationship with the Mibu, no, his entire existence had been built on a falsehood.

He was the Demon Child. He was always the anomaly. He was a curse upon the Mibu. He was the reason the Death Disease had shown up in the first place.

Lies upon lies.

It was so much to take in and yet, it still didn't completely add up and he felt as if there were even more things the king was keeping from him.

However, the other man's attention was no longer on him. Rather, his intense red gaze was fixed on the sky above them and his head was tilted to the side in a listening pose.

His lips thinned a moment before he sighed and said, "Looks like our time is up, Kyo. I'll have to answer those questions another time. For now, keep getting stronger, unlock the fourth technique in the Mumyou Jinpuu Ryuu school, and try to save your human. Most of the answers you seek are awaiting you in your battle with the Former King…if you're strong enough."

Pride made Kyo open his mouth to say something smart at the slight ding against his abilities. The memory of what un-checked arrogance had done to the original Mibu clan closed his lips before he could utter a quip about his father underestimating him.

He was strong but the Former King was on another level and he had to push himself even harder. A smart mouth needed power to back it up.

A tiny smirk played on the First King's mouth and he raised his clawed fingers as he said, "Always keep moving forward, brat. Either you'll become the best of the best…or the baddest of the bad. God or Demon, Kyo, the choice is yours."

Those words echoed in his ears as a clear warning and then a snap sounded.

Kyo blinked and immediately found himself staring up into a suspiciously bright pair of violet eyes. He sat up quickly, causing a worried-looking Akari to fall back on his behind with a startled yelp.

"Gods above, you nearly scared the life out of me, Kyo. I thought I'd actually managed to injure you permanently when you fainted out of the clear blue," the shaman chided, standing up to rub his bruised bottom with his newly-bared left hand. He followed it up by swiftly scrubbing his other arm across his eyes to obliterate the worried tears that Kyo had forbidden him to shed again.

"I'm fine," Kyo reassured him, stretching his limbs and noting the slight tingle in them that always lingered when the shaman used his healing powers on him.

Relief at the reminder that his friend was still safe, sound, and no longer cursed by the Medusa Eye washed over him but quickly took a backseat to the information that he'd just learned. Turning his gaze away from the shaman, he sought out the one person who could confirm the truth about the current Mibu clan.

All his life, he'd been treated like a pariah by the so-called gods in charge of this gilded cesspool, only to find out that they were all a bunch of fakes and he was more Mibu than any of them except the Former King.

It should have been immensely satisfying but, as his eyes met those of Muramasa, all he saw was the man who had left his entire life behind and become an outcast in order to raise him.

'Forgive me, Kyo. I selfishly raised you to be a weapon to destroy the Former King.'

The former Elder had uttered those words more than once over the years, but they held new meaning now. Why had Muramasa done something as desperate as fleeing the clan with the curse Demon Child if he was a simple nobody? Why had his mentor been so certain that he could become strong enough to match a man with thousands of years worth of power and experience under his belt? Someone who had enough presence to bring monsters like Hishigi and Fubuki to heel with no more than a glance?

"You know the truth about the Mibu clan, don't you, Old Man," Kyo asked directly.

A shadow entered those blue-green and the ancient opened his mouth and closed it again just as quickly. Kyo's first instinct was to demand an answer but he didn't dare press too hard as he took in Muramasa's appearance. Now that he'd had to shake off Hishigi's petrifying curse, the blonde man was back to looking frail again and he suspected that the Death Disease had started up once more due to expending so much energy all at once.

It was Akari who broke the silence, looking uncertainly between the two men and wringing his hands with worry as he asked, "What do you mean 'the truth about the Mibu clan', Kyo? What's going on here and why did you black out?"

The pink-haired man's question hung in the air for another long moment until Kyo's teacher sighed and replied at last, "Yes, Kyo. I do. We…aren't the real Mibu. In fact, I hesitate to even refer to us as real people. You…really are talking to someone special when Tenrou calls you away, aren't you?"

His teacher's voice was uncharacteristically tremulous and filled with awe and Kyo nodded slowly in response.

"Yeah. He still claims to be my old man. And he said that the original clan members killed themselves off, leaving nothing but living dolls to take their place. He also said that the Death Disease is because you were always destined to fall apart. Is that why…," he bit the last words off and didn't finish his question, ignoring Akari's gasp of shock at his statement as he tried to think of a way to give voice to his own inner turmoil. If the end results of the Death Disease were inevitable, then even Muramasa – someone who had earned his respect many times over - was fated to crumble away into dust.

He'd already seen other clan members collapse in upon themselves on death, leaving nothing behind – like they were only an illusion all along.

Muramasa smiled at him and, even though the expression was tinged with sadness, his eyes were still warm as he stepped forward and reached up to clasp Kyo's shoulders in either hand.

"Yes, Kyo. That's exactly why we don't leave a corpse behind when we die. But…" his hands tightened on him and Kyo's heart ached as he felt the tiny tremors in those fingers, pointing to the former Taishirou's worsened condition and the depth of his emotions.

"…I don't regret my existence or the choices I've made. I can't. Not when I have you, Kyo. In truth, my faith in you has probably kept me going for far longer than I should have. And looking at how things have deteriorated here, I am more and more certain than I would have shared Ian's tragic fate if I had stayed because I just can't support what Fubuki, Hishigi, and the Former King have done."

"But…," Kyo began, scowling at him because it sounded to him like his teacher had already given up.

"Kyo…," Muramasa's smile brightened further as he cut off what he was about to say, "I have already lived for a very long time. I don't want you worrying about saving me. Rather, worry about rescuing the lost children of the Mibu clan and the people you love."

"We've committed so many sins over the years, including our treatment of you, because we were taught to fear those red eyes and that it was sacrilege for anyone to use or even show them. They were supposed to be reserved for the Crimson King, the last True Mibu. But then you appeared soon after the Death Disease got to my sister and I saw it as a portent of change. I have never had the right to ask for your help, but I will ask again, please save the Mibu Clan, Kyo. Even if you have to step over my ashes to do so."

Twice within the same day, he was being implored to help the very people who had scorned him. Three times if he counted the backhanded way Shihoudou has asked for his help. He thought back to the old hag who watched over the graves of the Mibu's failed experiments and Shinrei who fought for the Mibu because he still loved them as family even though they were wrong. He thought too of Julian and his loud and dysfunctional family, who had gathered up an abandoned child like Hotaru and made something out of him. Not to mention their selfless agreement to protect his own kids, even though it made them traitors. He thought of Julian's wife Ian, who had been executed and dishonorably disposed of by the king and the fact that the very same man was holding onto his own wife.

He took in a deep fortifying breath.

The king had Yuya.

He let the breath go.

His decision had already been made for him.

He shrugged his shoulders, swatting Muramasa's hands away playfully as he smirked and said, "You're getting way too soft and touchy-feely in your old age, Muramasa. No need to beg. My answer is the same as it's always been. The king is in my way so the only thing to do is to go through him."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So how do you plan to wake him up?" Sasuke asked as he stared broodingly at the man suspended in the long fluid-filled tube that was tilted diagonally and hooked up to some weird contraption embedded in the wall.

He still wasn't sure about Yukimura's plan to rescue this particular man - the former Sarutobi Sasuke, whom he had always simply known as Shindara the Undying. His unease increased as he looked over at the adjacent tube which held another troublemaker from four years prior. In particular, it was that blonde brat with the curly twin-tails who had the mannerisms of a spoiled child and enough strength to tear a man in half. However, unlike the last time he'd seen her, she was taller and looked to be the same age as his own sixteen years. Both of the sleeping fighters were dressed in form fitting black suits that covered them from the neck down and he absently wondered if

"We…llllll…," Yukimura drawled the word distractedly, snapping the young ninja's attention back to his master. The fallen nobleman shuffled the sheaf of papers in his hands, reading over the notes that Hishigi had laid down in his ridiculously neat handwriting.

The silver-haired young man leaned against the wall and waited impatiently for him to finish his thought.

"As far as I can tell, the Juunishinshou were essentially another one of Hishigi's experiments. As you know, they were intended to be servants for Nobunaga whom the Mibu had slated to rule the human world – with their backing of course – while someone else was meant to take over for the Mibu. However, with the advent of the Death Disease, it seems they turned their attention more towards their own internal affairs. Mind you, they still intended for Nobunaga to rule but those plans were put on hiatus while they worked on creating those new Mibu kids we just saw. It coincides with what happened when we came here four years ago. It looks like, Hishigi put them to sleep so that he could modify their abilities and make them even stronger once the Mibu started turning their attention to the human world again. This is some crazy stuff here."

"It's the Mibu clan," Sasuke said on a shrug. He didn't care about what Hishigi planned to do with Shindara or the blond brat since it had nothing to do with the circumstances of his own creation.

"I know but I'm not sure if I should admire their arrogance in wanting to control regular humans as well or get angry for the same reason. Still, there are some interesting things here. Apparently, Sasuke – pardon me, Shindara was approached by Tokito a few years back which was shortly before he left the Sanada Ten. Whatever, she said, it made him open to joining the Mibu and consenting to be experimented on."

"So how do you know he won't turn on us, if you wake him up?" Sasuke asked, his tone a little harsher than he intended it to be. Even though he knew what sort of person Yukimura was, it still rankled that he had never told him that he was replacing someone else when he chose him. And he was honest enough with himself to acknowledge that he strongly disliked not knowing enough about Shindara to see how he measured up as someone else who bore the name of "Sarutobi Sasuke".

"I don't," Yukimura said, gazing at his young companion with those dark eyes that missed little.

"If he's immortal, how exactly do you intend to kill him if he decides he doesn't want to be buddy-buddy with you? Not everyone is cool with picking things back up where they were after years of separation."

Yukimura paused a moment before replying, "Are we still talking about Shindara?"

"Of course," Sasuke half-lied.

Another moment of silence fell between them before Yukimura smiled at him again and said bemusedly, "You really are turning into a man, aren't you?"

Sasuke cocked a brow at him and asked, "Want me to drop my pant and show you proof?"

Without missing a beat, Yukimura batted his lashes and said in a sultry voice, "Promise?"

The young man didn't blink as he replied bluntly, "You aren't my type."

"There's the Sasuke I know, honest to a fault," Yukimura's smile turned into a mischievous grin as he said, "I know what your type is."

Tapping the side of his cheek, he pretended to think before saying smugly, "Let's see…you have a thing for blondes."

Sasuke still and glared at him as he continued.

"Preferably ones with green eyes, pert breasts, and oh-so-cute lips. Especially ones named….," his master cut his words off and laughed as he dodged a well-timed kunai that whizzed past his cheek and sunk deep into the stone behind him.

"Are you done making a fool of yourself?" the ninja said with deadly calm, a second kunai winking between his fingers.

The older man shrugged delicately and replied with a sigh, "Sure. Although, I kind of miss the kid version of you. You were cuter."

"And you were younger. Besides, I'm pretty sure Kyo would have a problem staring at his wife's breasts," Sasuke replied.

"Ouch, kicking me where it hurts, I see. Still, I can't help myself. I like breasts and the cute ladies that come with them. However, I would never steal another man's woman unless I felt he didn't deserve her. For all his flaws, Kyo loves his wife. He wouldn't have traded his life for hers if he didn't."

His voice turned more serious as he said, "You should probably find someone else to crush on Sasuke-Kun. Even as strong as you are, Kyo would still tear you apart if you came between them, friendship be damned. I'm not sure if you've noticed it yet, but there's a terrifying side of him that comes out where she's concerned"

"I'm not afraid of Kyo. If he cares so much about her then he needs to keep a better eye on her."

"Things aren't always so simple. Take my advice, as someone who has been around for a while…."

"For a long while," Sasuke stressed and enjoyed watching Yukimura frown.

"You just aren't cute anymore. Oh, the sweet innocence of youth, where have you flown?" he grumbled.

"Pretty sure I was never innocent," Sasuke stated honestly.

Yukimura let out a long-suffering sigh as he continued, "Like I was saying, I've been around long enough to tell you that you can't get in the way true love. When a woman gets ahold of you heart, she never let's go. And a smart man knows that he has to keep her close even if he has to go through hell to make it happen."

Sasuke softened a bit as a sad shadow flit across the other man's face. Like the rest of the Sanada Ten, he knew about the love Yukimura had lost when he was only a few years older than he was now.

As quickly as it came, the shadow was gone and his cheerful façade was back in place as he gestured towards the tubes with their sleeping occupants and suggested jokingly, "Hey, why don't you see if you can charm this blonde cutie here instead? I'm sure she remembers the adorable little boy who played with her four years ago."

Sasuke shot him a look of disgust and replied, "I think you're going senile, Yukimura. The more you talk, the more convinced I am that you're turning into old geezer. Let's just get Shindara and go already."

"Yes, yes," Yukimura bent over Shindara's tube and fiddled with the controls before backing off with a pleased sound as the tube began to drain of fluids before popping open.

The air escaping from the tube was cold and the two men waited with bated breath as Shindara's chest moved up and down for a few moments before his eyes slit open and he blinked, squinting at the sudden light.

Sasuke gripped Shibien tightly, body tensed as those impossibly dark eyes drifted down to look at them.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Shindara-San," Yukimura said, breaking the silence as he stepped forward with a smile and an outstretched hand to help his old friend down.

Shindara turned his full attention to Yukimura and his lips tightened in displeasure before he demanded in a voice that was rough from disuse, "Why are you here, Yukimura?"

"A number of reasons, but one of them was to save you from yourself," he replied, undeterred by the lest than welcoming demeanor of the other man.

"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about," Shindara said, his eyes sliding away to rest on Sasuke, who met his gaze full on. Though he had his doubts about the wisdom of Yukimura's desire to help this man who was a friend-turned-enemy, the young ninja would still protect his master. Flaws and all, the nobleman was still someone he cared about deeply.

The two of them stared at each other. The Sasuke of the past and the Sasuke of the present who had already made the name his own and wouldn't back down.

Ever-so-slightly, the edge of Shindara's mouth curled upwards and he asked in a less harsh tone, "How long was I asleep?"

"About four years, give or take a few months," Yukimura said.

"And where's Hishigi?"

"Otherwise occupied."

"I should kill you. We are supposed to be enemies now."

"You won't."

"And why not?" one thin eyebrow arched upwards.

"Sasuke, won't let you. And neither will I. I haven't been idle while you were gone. I didn't wake you up to see you become an obstacle, but I will cut you down if you are determined to fight."

Sasuke was gratified that Yukimura emphasized the fact that he was now the rightful owner of the name that had been bestowed upon him and it didn't go unnoticed by Shindara, who chuckled low in his throat.

Reaching up, he pushed his long, wet hair out of his face and slowly stepped down out of the tube, ignoring the hand that his former master had kept out for him to take.

"Where are my clothes and sword?" he queried.

"Waiting for confirmation that you'll help us. A lot has happened since you went to sleep."

"I was supposed to be awakened when they finished resurrecting Nobunaga."

"He's already been brought back and killed again by Kyo."

To his credit, Shindara seemed to take that in stride and Sasuke surmised that he wasn't particularly loyal to the mad general who was obsessed with defeating Kyo and ruling the world.

"So, I am currently without a master again. Or did you come here to bring me under your thumb again," he asked softly, dangerously.

Ever the unflappable charmer, Yukimura smiled and said, "Of course not. I came to put the past aside and ask for your help. A battle is brewing and it's all hands on deck."

"Are things that desperate?" Shindara asked, his eyes intent on his former master.

"Well, it was either keep going and leave you to rot once the Mibu clan falls or come grab you and ask you to help us."

Both eyebrows shot up and he looked between the nobleman and the young ninja, searching their faces for signs of deceit.

Shindara reached up and ran his thumb across the tattoo on his left cheek as he turned their words over in his head. Eventually, he let out a heavy sigh and folded his arms across his chest, leaning back against the side of the tube as he fixed them with a steady gaze again.

"If I'm going to help you, I suppose I should tell you why I came here in the first place. But before that, you need to set her free as well."

He jerked his head over towards the tube holding the young woman and Sasuke spoke up at last, "I don't think so."

"I'm not asking you, I'm telling you what my fee is for helping you out. I'm not leaving her behind and if you are serious about needing aid, then she can probably be persuaded to fight. I'm…all she has left."

Sasuke and Yukimura exchanged a look at this uncharacteristic display of kindness before the nobleman nodded and his young servant walked over to press the controls on Antera's tube.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You've done well Chinmei. Pity Tokito was unable to hold her own but Hokuto Shichisei is simply too powerful to leave in the hands of a weakling."

Yuya awoke to the sound of the Former Crimson King speaking to someone else in mellow tones. She cracked open bleary eyes and tried to get a bearing on her surroundings. It looked like she was in a massive throne room and she ran a parched tongue over equally dry lips, wondering why her body felt like it wasn't her own. The last thing she remembered was the king being irritated at her for leaving her room to see Sakuya and then he said he would keep her close as he took her away.

He had taken her back to her room and then….what?

She shook her head, trying to recall what had happened but her thoughts were jumbled. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible had happened.

"Ah, I see that you are awake, young Yuya," the king said, and she stilled her movements, looking over at him and then beyond him to a man in a top hat, with glasses and a cloak that hid most of his body. The man's face was placid as he stared back at her and then he smiled slightly as his face began to crack.

Before her eyes, his skin crumbled and flecked off to reveal another face below. One that she still saw sometimes in her nightmares. As his disguise crumbled away, she sucked in her breath and pressed her body closer to the back of the chair she had awoken in.

"Surprise! I bet you didn't know I could do magic tricks as well, did you, girlie?" Chinmei said cheerfully as he emerged from the husk of his disguise.

Yuya said nothing, merely stare at him as she tried to control her shivering. Even though their interactions had been limited, he was bad news. She would never forget the way he'd dangled her over a gaping chasm before dropping her to her near death. Nor could she forget the sight of him snapping poor Mahiro's arm like a twig and laughing about it.

As crazy as it was, she darted a glance over at the king, hoping that he didn't intend to leave her in the charge of this psychopath who viewed all life as disposable.

At least the king had a purpose for her. It was tenuous but she held onto the hope that he meant what he said about keeping her close. He couldn't use her if she were dead, could he?

The Former King stared back at her with his usual placid face and she noticed that his glasses were off once more leaving her with the full effect of his red eyes.

"Leave us, Chinmei," the king said after a long moment and Yuya let out a relieved sigh, clutching her hand to her throat and kicking herself for showing fear.

She hated letting them see her weakness but it hard to put on a brave face when she'd just woken up in a strange new place and felt as if there were something wrong with her.

No matter how much she tried, Yuya couldn't shake off the vague feeling of having being violated and she screwed his eyes shut and listened to the sounds of Chinmei making his exit as she tried to recall what had happened once the king took her back to her room.

What was it he had said to her back in Sakuya's quarters?

'I want to see what Kyo is capable of - what he'll do to get you back. And if you have chosen Kyo as your god, perhaps I shall test that faith of yours. One god versus another. Would you put your heart and your life on the line, hmm?'

After that, he had taken her back to her room and gently but firmly pushed her to sit into a chair.

In the present, the king raised a beautiful sword up to the light and made it disintegrate before her eyes.

'He could easily do that to you, Yuya,' her mind whispered and, in her memories, she saw him looming over her.

His hand was like iron shackles as he held both wrists with one appendage and reached the other one forward to pull the ties of her kimono loose.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Insurance," he said as he watched her face, doubtless reading her surface thoughts. She couldn't seem to control her own mind and her breathing turned heavy as panic clawed up her throat.

"What are you doing?" she had asked him that in her memories as well.

He pushed back the collar of her garment until the top curves of her breasts were bared and bent close.

Closer.

Closer still.

All the while she struggled against this invasion of her personal space and it was like trying to move a mountain.

Her fingers clenched, nails scraping across her throat as she stared at the king without actually seeing the current him.

He bent forward until his breath fanned across her cheeks and her vision was filled with his image. Until she could see his red eyes clearly behind his thick glasses.

Close enough to kiss her.

Close enough to kill her.

Close enough for her to know that he was trespassing on territory that belonged exclusively to Kyo.

The Former King brought his free hand up and her heart pounded in her ears as he laid his fingers on her throat.

Yuya could still feel his touch on her skin and her own digits involuntarily moved to the spot where he'd made contact.

His fingers were surprisingly soft as he drew them downwards until they rested over her heart and his voice was quiet as he whispered, "This will only hurt for a moment."

She traced the path he had taken but her clothes were in the way and it was like she was in a trance as she reached behind her back and loosened her obi. She had to part the sides of her kimono - just enough to get a better look.

The king simply watched her and she knew that she was breaking propriety, but she had to know. Had to see what he had done to her.

Yuya hesitated for only a moment before bringing her fingers down to hover over the place where her heart was pounding, the tips just barely touching the skin.

"What are you doing," she demanded a second time.

The skin felt rough and puckered, all wrong and eerily similar to the time Shinrei's curse had started eating her alive. She pressed her hand more fully to the spot and let out a cry at what she discovered.

"I'm stealing your heart," he murmured, his breath hot in her ear, and then, just as he said, the pain began.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Before anyone asks, no, Yuya did not get raped but the king did violate her in a sense. Hopefully, it's not so obvious that I'm a bit rusty and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. More action coming up next. Please let me know your thoughts. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.