Scene X

Solar Year 189

Tokyo Empire, Asakusa

. . . . . .

Benimaru was pissed.

Actually, it went far beyond just mere anger. It bordered on rage. A rage born from a deep pain which bubbled up from some dark inner place within his mind and heart. Though he wasn't about to let anyone else know that. He saw how the people of Asakusa looked at him (well, alright, not everyone); he saw the fear, the intimidation, and the uncertainty in their eyes which only served to fuel his anger and pain even further.

He hated those looks.

It pissed him off.

Fighting, though, that was easy.

If someone gave him crap for shit that had nothing to do with him (and even if it did), he pummeled them into the dirt. To teach them not to mess with him; to leave him the hell alone. He wanted to be on his own. He liked it. It was better. He could handle it; he thrived in it. Being by himself wasn't scary or lonely or anything else everyone said it was. He was a stray dog and he didn't give a rats ass about it. He could be his own person and not have this goddamn expectation placed on him where if he didn't achieve what everyone wanted him to, he wasn't somehow lesser.

"As far as I can tell, the Iai Chop only gives way to utter destruction and that boy of yours is the poorest decision you have ever made in an heir." Old man Shobu's harsh criticism echoed menacingly in his ears causing yet another wave of anger to wash over Benimaru.

He ran along the hallway and down the stairs, skipping the last three in a single leap which nearly had him landing on his ass when his heel lost traction with the polished wood. He caught himself at the last minute and continued to sprint through the house until he reached one of the doors leading to the outside. He burst through the shoji and onto the engawa, ending up near Kaede's back garden where it was more secluded and away from the rest of the house.

He doubled over, forcing air into his lungs in great gulps which threatened to turn into something more, but he swallowed, thickly, and held it back. He wanted to scream. He wanted to run. Most of all, he wanted to fight. Anything would do, particularly old man Shobu with his goddamn Style and his holier-than-thou philosophy. He wanted to smash the man's face in, he wanted to crush his Style and teachings under his heel and scream at him every curse he knew in the damn book (and he knew a hell of a lot of them).

Benimaru ground his molars together, wanting to jump out of his own skin, when hand suddenly touched his shoulder. He whorled about, small fist flying instinctually out of vexation . . .

. . . only for Shobu Kaede, still in her training gi, to catch his offense with one hand. Her hair was falling out of its low ponytail and there was a growing bruise along her jaw where Toshiro had managed to strike her.

He stopped, hand frozen in her grasp and, for a moment, Benimaru thought she would hit him back.

He almost welcomed the idea.

She simply stared down at him, face passive and unreadable; then it softened and melted into one of deep concern. She reached out with her free arm and tugged him into a crushing, one arm hug. He stood there, fixed to the spot, unable to process what was happening. Only the sensation of being touched and in a way that wasn't born out of anger or frustration or disinterest or anything else which was usually the norm. Then, she let go of his fist and brought her other arm around him, hand drifting through his hair while rubbing small, soothing circles along his back. Briefly, he thought of shoving her away, like he would any other person who dared to touch him.

Yet, he didn't.

For the first time in a long while, Shinmon Benimaru actually wanted to be held.

He buried his face in her shoulder, hands reaching around her back to fist themselves in the fabric of her gi. He didn't cry. No, he wasn't so far gone for that shit. Like hell old man Shobu and his damn opinion and Style and philosophy or any of that crap was worth him crying, of all things, over . . . but this . . . this was . . . safe, he supposed.

"Damn, him." He murmured against her, anger and hurt surfacing like a cork rising in a bottle. "Damn him ta hell. I hate him. I hate all o' 'em."

The hands holding him only tightened further and, if it was at all possible, her body seemed to curve around him, as if protecting him from her father and his words and everything else in the world which seemed to raise its ugly head against him.

After several long moments, with the utmost gentleness, Kaede lead him away from the engawa and back inside. She drew him into the kitchen and helped him sit down at the low table before going to the sink and wetting a washcloth. She offered it to him with a small smile as she took a seat beside him, sitting cross-legged rather than seiza. He took the cloth and scrubbed his face (damn, maybe he had cried a bit after all), thankful she hadn't said anything on the subject of his bout of weakness.

"There's always been something I wanted to ask you, Benimaru." Kaede's hands worked through the signs, slowly and gently; her face curious but, there was nothing there which told him she expected an answer.

"Yeah?" Benimaru's voice came out far too thick for his liking, emotion still clear as day in his tone. He winced, shoving his face back into the folds of the cloth, silently hoping it would swallow him.

Fingers reached out and, almost sheepishly, lowered his hands from his face.

Oh. Right.

He blushed, heat creeping up his neck and coloring his ears. Kaede's words wouldn't reach him if he wasn't looking at her directly.

She smiled softly at him, not offended by his absentmindedness, and continued, "Why do you fight?"

"Because people are always pissing me off," he answered automatically and instantly, his hackles rising. He narrowed his eyes at her, defenses slamming home as they usually did when someone asked the same question.

If Kaede was intimidated by any of this, she certainly didn't show it. Instead, she calmly gazed at him with honest curiosity. "How do they 'piss' you off?"

This was new. Nobody had really asked him that before. Well, not like that anyway.

Benimaru shrugged, not really knowing how to answer. "They just do."

"Are they cruel to you?" Kaede asked, calm turning to concern. "Do they try to harm you? Or others?"

Again, he didn't know what to say. As much as his Master and Konro tried, they never really understood. Well, Konro did a better job of it but nothing the man said ever made sense. Last week, he had ranted about how all the hikeshi liked their own tea better than anyone else's and something about choosing what kind of fights Benimaru should make his own. He hadn't really understood any of it.

Well, except the bit about how he should learn to control his temper and not beat the shit out of everyone who 'pissed' him off.

"Not . . . really, I guess," he admitted, suddenly unsure where she was taking this. "Just, they way they look at me. Call me names, sometimes. Pisses me off."

"I see," Kaede nodded slowly, eyes suddenly warm with kindness and understanding. "It's their perception which bothers you."

"I don't care 'bout what anyone thinks o' me!" Benimaru growled, fist slamming down on the table. Anger swept through him once again, threatening to take over. "I don't need anyone!"

She frowned at that and Benimaru's anger fell along with her smile.

"Perhaps, that's true." She relented, but her hands moved slightly more aggressively. He thought that was her own way of expressing the idea of how a person might bite their tongue when talking. "But, maybe, just maybe, someone needs you, Benimaru."

"Nobody does," he replied sourly as he twisted the cloth in his hands. "E'cept the old fart, but that's only 'cause he don't have an heir."

"I don't believe that's the only reason." Kaede countered smoothly, hands softening into gentle movements once more. She offered him a comforting expression and reached out to take the cloth from his hands. She set it down beside her and continued, "Did you know he had a wife?"

"Huh?!" Benimaru blinked owlishly. "Yer kidding! No way that old geezer had a woman! Who'd want ta put up with that?!"

Kaede threw back her head and laughed, abet silently, and had to reach out and grasp the edge of the table to prevent herself from falling over. He frowned at that, not liking the idea of someone laughing at him for asking such a reasonable question. After all, his Master was a pissed off old buck who bit at anything that came near him. He was always cursing the hell out of Beni and calling him a goddamn idiot left and right. Whoever thought, 'Yeah, he's husband material', had to have been plain crazy.

"It was before you came," she signed, then raised a hand to wipe away a stray tear of laughter. "She and your Master loved each other very much."

"There's no way in hell," Benimaru grimaced, not at all buying this tale. "He's a goddamn bastard."

"Death has a way of changing people, Beni." Kaede's expression turned sad and she reached across the table for his hand. He let her take it, feeling her fingers wrap tightly around his own and giving them a firm squeeze before withdrawing. "He hasn't been the same after she died, especially since he had to be the one to do it."

"What?" Benimaru's whole frame went stock still and his blood ran cold.

No way. The fact he had a wife alone was nuts.

But, then he killed her?

"Shinmon Himawari was non-powered," she added by way of explanation.

Realization hit him like a punch to the head. "Ya mean she-?"

"Infernalization." Kaede nodded grimly, jaw taunt. "It broke his heart. He had no choice. Well, I suppose he could have left it to Konro but-"

No.

Benimaru had known his Master long enough to understand by now he would never let someone else carry that weight for him. Shinmon Hibachi was always going on about carrying the lives of Asakusa. How it was the Master's duty to take those lives and their feelings and change them into the Sun itself. To be the Chief of Asakusa's Fire Brigade, one had to learn to carry the weight of the souls of the living and the dead.

No God's gonna clean up our mess.

His Master was always saying that.

He was also always drilling into Benimaru that he had to find his own resolve someday and it had better be damn soon or else he wasn't gonna be worth the trouble of training him up for the job in the first place. As if Beni didn't already have that resolve. As if he didn't not want to live up to what the Master wanted of him. He had the drive. He had the resolve. Asakusa was gonna be his town one day and he was gonna make damn sure of it.

If only people stopped pissing him the hell off, first.

"You are needed." Kaede said, drawing the conversation back to her original point. "You are very strong Beni," here, she smiled and it seemed . . . proud? "So very strong. And Asakusa will always need the strong to be there to protect her. Only you can do that. Which is why you need a reason, a true reason, for why you fight."

Benimaru glanced down at his hands, suddenly nervous and . . . unsure? No one had ever put it like that to him before.

"I just-" He trailed off, searching for the right words. "I don't-"

Why? Why did he fight? Why did some things make him so angry? Why couldn't he control it better, like everyone else wanted him to? His temper always ran away from him, even before he knew it.

Kaede tapped his hand, drawing his attention. "I'm not saying you need to figure it out right now. Just, keep it in mind for the next time someone 'pisses' you off. Alright?"

Benimaru nodded, relief flooding through him. He didn't have the answer now and, knowing himself as well as he did, he probably wouldn't have it next week either. Yet, Kaede was fine with that and merely smiled in that kind, understanding way she always did whenever they had the rare chance to speak. Now, sitting here with her, Benimaru found he wasn't as upset as before. Kaede didn't hate him or think he was a menace. She didn't look at him with disappointment when he lost control.

She talked to him.

Something which his Master and even Konro, sometimes, couldn't manage to do.

Which reminded him . . .

"That's right! I-" Benimaru jumped to his feet in a flourish, startling Kaede who tried to get up with him. "No, wait. Sit down!"

She stopped, halfway standing as he sprung forward, placing his small hands on her shoulders and forcing her (gently) back into a sitting position.

"Beni-chan, what's wrong?" Concern was all over her face and worry wasn't too far behind.

Nervous, but determined to do this right, Benimaru shook his head. "Nothin' just . . . I'm sorry, alright?! I'm sorry I ever called ya a mute! Yer really cool and strong and nice and -!" He dropped to his hands and curled his legs under him into a full kowtow, forehead pressing hard into the tatami mats. "I shouldn't have said what I did! All I ever do is-!"

He was cut off, mid rant, by two strong but gentle hands grasping his jaw and forcing him to look upwards. Kaede was staring down at him with tears in her eyes and Benimaru's heart dropped like a stone in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't supposed to make her cry!

She shook her head and pulled him closer, drawing him into her arms and holding him tightly against her shoulder.

"But, I-" He continued to argue, trying to pull away in the effort to properly apologize. He messed up, a long time ago; it had also taken him just as long to realize it and not be such an idiot about it!

Again, she shook her head and her only response was to simply hold him tighter.

Dammit, he didn't deserve it! She shouldn't be so nice to him. She shouldn't be able to hold him like she was without being angry or upset with him. What about the fact he had broken her favorite tea set the first time they met (Konro had to buy her a new one and had made Beni come as a punishment)? What about all the times he and Tsu got into fistfights? What about all the times he turned his nose up at her food when they came over and he didn't like it? There was so much he had done to be as unhappy and pissed off as possible around her. So how could she hug him as if it wasn't a big deal?

"That's . . . not fair." He cried, face burying itself further in her shoulder. "Why? I don't get it. Why?!"

Kaede pulled away so he could see her face, red and tear-stained as it was, and she wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her gi before raising her hands in explanation. "Because strong boys like you can't be strong all the time. Everyone needs time to be weak. If you'll let me, I'll be here for you as long as you want me to be. I promise, I won't tell a soul."

"O-okay." He murmured, scrubbing at one eye with the heel of his hand. He still didn't get it but, if she wasn't mad at him then . . . He supposed it was all right.

"And don't pay any mind to what my father said earlier." Kaede insisted strongly, her hands sharp and commanding. "He was wrong to insult you and your Master, especially with you both as our guests in our home. I apologize sincerely for his behavior."

Before Benimaru could comment, Kaede slipped from his grasp and swiftly drew herself into a full kowtow before him.

Shocked, he simply stared at her for a moment, mouth wide and eyes bulging.

"Wha-?! No, wait!" He rose to his feet and grabbed her under the arms, trying to pull her up. "C'mon, Kaede! Ya don't have ta do that! Really, it's fine. Yer old man's just an ass, that's not on ya!"

She raised her head, thankfully, and sat up straight.

"Ya don't have ta worry 'bout yer old man," Benimaru cut across quickly before she had the chance to say anything first. "Ya nearly had Toshiro beat. It was . . . cool!"

"Oh?" She asked, suddenly sheepish. "Well now, I don't think-"

"No way," he argued, throwing out a hand in dismissal. "Yer totally cool and if yer old man can't see it, he really is a blind old fart!" He paused, suddenly realizing something. "How'd ya get down here anyway? Aren't ya supposed ta be in bed?"

Now that he thought about it, Kaede probably shouldn't be up and around. Not with her bell rung like it was. That bruise on her jaw looked pretty nasty too and it wasn't even done growing yet.

"I'll be fine." Kaede signed, a small grin spreading across her face. It made the bruise look even worse. "Your Master and my father are having . . . disagreements upstairs. Loud ones. Though, they were nice enough to leave before laying into each other."

Here, she offered him a knowing smirk and a mischievous wink. "I decided to make my escape before they noticed."

Benimaru grinned wickedly, "Yer sneaky."

"Of course," Kaede's smirk widened and her eyes practically spelled trouble. "A Shobu always takes an opening when she can get one."

. . . . . .

Kaede eventually got around to making tea (and a few onigiri when Benimaru's stomach decided it was hungry), and they were enjoying a nice bout of silence when the shoji opened to reveal a new face . . . but certainly a welcomed one.

"Konro!" Benimaru brightened upon seeing the older man, though he looked rather worn and tired.

"Ah, there you are." Konro offered him a small, one-sided grin. "Been looking for you everywhere."

"He's been keeping me company," signed Kaede as she placed another onigiri on Benimaru's plate. "Father and Master Shinmon aren't exactly . . . getting along at the moment. So, Beni's making a great sacrifice in looking after me instead."

Benimaru blinked in surprise; Kaede made it sound like he was doing something important by sitting down and having tea and snacks. Not that food wasn't important just . . . maybe not as grand as she was making it out to be.

"That right?" asked Konro slowly, turning to look at him with curiosity. "Good man, Beni. What's the verdict?"

Not used to being put on the spot, he shrugged one shoulder haphazardly. Then, he recalled how much help Kaede had been to him today and decided he would turn this to his own advantage.

Kind of.

"She's okay, I guess." Benimaru said carefully, giving Kaede a small glance from one eye. "But, I think she needs more company. So sit down, shut up, and have some tea."

Konro merely stared at him, mouth falling slightly open in mild shock. Kaede too, was looking at him with just as much astonishment, though she quickly recovered and took control of the situation.

"I think I've made enough to feed a couple of hungry hikeshi," she made a large show of getting up to retrieve another teacup. "Help yourself to an onigiri and I'll be right back."

She left the room in search for Konro's teacup and anything else which came to her mind.

"Smooth, kid." Konro remarked, rather deadpanned, and took a seat beside Kaede's empty spot so he could sit across from Benimaru. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you did that on purpose."

"The hell ya talkin' 'bout?" Benimaru groused from over his teacup. Honestly, just what the heck was wrong with them and why was Konro suddenly getting all bent out of shape? He was trying to do them a favor by getting them to talk. Obviously, Konro was gonna blame himself for the bruise on Kaede's jaw and Kaede was just gonna ignore it and pretend it wasn't a big deal. They should be thanking him. "I didn't do nothin'."

"I'll believe that when hell freezes over," Konro retorted, though he didn't seem angry and his tone suggested a bit of wry humor. The man reached out and roughly ruffled Benimaru's hair, affection bleeding into the atmosphere. "You're gonna be hella dangerous when you're older, I just know it."

"Leave off," Benimaru grumbled, forcing away the hand and turning back to his food. "And ya bet yer ass, I am. Asakusa's gonna be my town one day an' nobody's gonna be able ta do jackshit 'bout it."

Konro threw back his head and laughed, his hair flying about his face, and Benimaru rolled his eyes. Why Konro suddenly decided to grow out his hair, he'd never understand. It almost, but not quite, reached the top of his shoulder blades. He should just tie the whole thing up but, no, he wanted to keep the same hairstyle as he had before. Which made him look stupid.

"That's not exactly what I meant," said Konro with a shake of his head. "But, I guess you got a point on that one too."

"Yeah?" Asked Benimaru from around his onigiri, rice clinging to his chin. "Well, ya suck at explainin' jack crap. No one ever says what they mean. It's stupid."

Before Konro could get the chance to fire back with some kind of comeback, Kaede reentered the room.

"I never got around to properly thanking you for the new tea set, Konro." She signed after she set down the cup and another bowl of onigiri. "I really like this design."

"Er, you're welcome," Konro murmured sheepishly, not looking at her. His ears were turning a faint shade of pink and Benimaru rolled his eyes, once more, to the ceiling in annoyance. How hard was it to talk to her about a goddamn tea set of all things? "Beni here was a big help, though."

"Really?" Kaede turned to him, her gentle smile widening to the point it lit up her whole face. "Oh, Beni, it's absolutely lovely."

Beni's face warmed and embarrassment flowed through him. Geez, all this fuss over a tea set.

"It's no big deal." He ducked his head and reached to rub the back of his neck. "I kinda broke the first one, anyway."

"Finally! Took ya long enough!"

Shobu Tsubaki was standing in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest, and looking at him with a rather irritated scowl on her face.

Benimaru grimaced and just like that, the whole mood was ruined.

"Tsu, please don't start." Kaede asked pleadingly, her face pained.

"Whatever," Shobu huffed, sitting down opposite of her sister and planting her elbows on the table. She shot Benimaru a side-glance, "Little brat actually knows how ta say he's sorry. Shocking."

"Who ya callin' a 'little brat'?!" He growled, hackles rising. He hated how everything turned sour when she was around.

Shobu ignored him, choosing to focus on her sister instead. "How ya feeling, sis? Yer head okay?"

"I'm fine." Kaede sighed wearily, rubbing circles around her temple. "I really wish you all would stop asking. I'm not hurt."

"Yer kiddin' me!" Shobu exclaimed, hands coming down hard on the table's surface. "Ya got knocked out cold!"

The dishes rattled ominously and Benimaru lurched forward to prevent his teacup from falling over.

"Oi! Watch it!" He shouted at her. "Or ya can be the one ta buy the next one!"

Again, in typically Shobu fashion, he was instantly dismissed by her.

"Knocked out, yes." Kaede relented grudgingly, clearly not liking being forced to admit it out loud (well, close enough). "Hurt? No."

"The bruise on your face says otherwise," Konro pipped up from the other side of the table. The older man's face was stressed and obviously trying not to show how worried he actually was. That would explain why he wasn't exactly looking at her full on. This was further proven when his eyes trained in on the bruise on her jaw and Benimaru watched as the older man's own tightened in self-hatred.

Kaede took a long sip of tea before replying, "It will heal like any other bruise. It's not a death sentence, so everyone stop treating it like it's the end of the world."

"Dammit, Kaede!" Konro exclaimed angrily, hands balling into fists. "Will you please stop down playing this?!"

"I've lost many spars and ended up with far worse," Kaede rebuked easily, meeting Konro's eyes with her own stubborn gaze. "Just because this is the first time you've seen it doesn't make it -"

"I'm the one who put you in the situation in the first place!" Konro admitted loudly, bending slightly, and placed his hand over his chest in a gesture to himself. "I'm the reason you lost."

"There will be other spars, Konro." Kaede signed slowly and with great care, her expression softening at the sign of his distress. "I haven't lost every chance there is."

"I've set you back," He argued further, face tightening.

"Then I will simply work to overcome it," She answered swiftly and with full confidence.

"He was fucking testing you!"

"I know."

"Why aren't you bothered by this?!" Demanded Konro, clenched fist striking the table's surface in a bout of sudden fury. "How can you sit there and act like this isn't-"

"Because I'm not angry with you." Kaede's hands moved with such gentleness and ease that Konro paused, his anger falling away and leaving nothing but pure and utter misery. "You didn't mean for it to happen. There's no reason for you to blame yourself."

"But I-"

"It's not your fault."

"Well, I've certainly given him a reason to never let me watch you spar again," He spat bitterly through clenched teeth.

Benimaru looked back and forth between the two, confused. Who were they-?

Oh.

Old man Shobu was really causing everybody a hellava lot of problems today. Apparently, Konro thought the old man wouldn't let any of them sit in on another sparing match ever again because of Kaede's momentary lack of concentration. Benimaru thought that was stupid but wouldn't put it passed the old man to fall into such pettiness. After all, he had laid into him without just cause. What he would do or say to Konro when he eventually came downstairs was very much up in the air and Benimaru wasn't in the mood to find out.

"If you would like to see another spar, I'm sure Tsubaki and I can arrange something," Kaede assured him, glancing over to her sister for support.

Shobu jerked upright, surprised at being drawn into the conversation. She looked between the two adults, unsure for a moment, then offered them a nervous smile. "Sure, Sis. Hey! We can actually use our pyrokinesis next time! That'll be so cool!"

Kaede grinned and it was one filled with her own brand of excitement. "I think that would be a great idea. I'm a little rusty, myself. Would be nice to flex some old muscles again. What do you think, Konro? How's that for a spar?"

Benimaru was certainly excited. He had missed seeing Shobu spar and Kaede's had ended . . . in disaster. Seeing the two of them go head to head and with pyrokinesis involved sounded a hell of a lot of fun.

"Well, if everyone else is up for it, who am I to say no?" Konro sighed, but he smiled and shook his head. "Let us know when and where and we'll be there. Maybe we can drag Master along if he promises to keep his mouth shut."

"No way!" Benimaru cut in. "He'll just bring down the mood. We can do it ourselves!"

The newly found peace was completely shattered in the following moment when the shoji door flew open so fast, it rebounded off it's frame and nearly hit the two men coming through the doorway. The whole room jumped, startled by the sudden entrance.

"Konro, Benimaru, we're leavin'." Shinmon Hibachi ordered sharply, tone clipped; his golden eyes were cold with fury as they fixed themselves on each of his respective charges.

"But-!" Benimaru protested, confused. He didn't want to leave.

"Now!"

"Master, what's happened-?" Konro stood up, hand braced against Kaede's shoulder in the effort to keep her seated. His narrow blue eyes flitted between the two men and, judging by the man's guarded expression, Benimaru worried a full blown fight was about to break out.

He wasn't wrong.

"Your Master has proven, one again, why he and I fail to see eye to eye on many, many subjects." Shobu Kintarou remarked coolly, eyeing Shinmon with a heavy look of disgust.

"That much," the Master turned swiftly on his heel and met Shobu's gaze unflinching. "We can agree on. Yer stubbornness an' pride is gonna cost ya one day, Kintarou. And I, fer one, hope I'm dead an' gone by the time it happens 'cause I'd rather not see the misery ya'll sow."

Old man Shobu's eyes narrowed slightly at the warning but merely raised his head, his words dry. "Bold words from a man who's become nothing but sullen and foul-tempered for the past five years. Seeing you like this makes me wonder what Hima ever saw in you."

The room fell instantly into stark silence and Benimaru felt a bout of unease creeping through his chest. Konro went white, paler than even when Kaede took the hit she had in the dojo, blatant shock spreading across his face. Kaede looked like she had sucked on something sour and bitter all at once, mouth thin and eyes near to bulging. Shobu Tsubaki had retreated to the far side of the room, away from everyone else, clearly afraid of the ensuing argument.

"What?" Shinmon asked, voice low but there was a different quality to it this time. Almost strained and it lacked any previous heat that had been on display earlier.

Benimaru realized, with a great deal of surprise, that his Master was actually . . . hurt. But, why? Who was 'Hima'-?

Oh.

Oh hell no.

"Shinmon Himawari was non-powered. It broke his heart. He had no choice."

"Bastard!" Benimaru shouted angrily, fury rising in his veins. He had no right. No right at all. So what if the old geezer was a damn, senile, old fart who was always kicking his ass? He didn't deserve to have his dead wife thrown in his face. "Ya goddamnsonovabitch!"

He lurched forward, about to lay into the old man, when his Master threw out an arm and caught him around the waist, hauling him up and over his shoulder.

"Let me at 'im!" Benimaru screamed, kicking wildly against Shinmon's back and throwing daggers at Shobu's clearly unimpressed expression. "He can't say that shit ta ya!"

"Pipe down, brat," his Master growled lowly in his ear but, for the first time, it lacked any real bite to it. "Don't give 'im any more reason ta be pissed at ya."

As per his usual behavior, Benimaru continued to kick and squirm against his Master's hold but, at hearing the change in tone in the old man's voice, immediately stopped fighting and went limp.

"We're leavin'." Shinmon stated simply, his mouth set in a grim line; he didn't take his eyes from Shobu. "An' since we're on the subject, I won't be bringin' my people back only fer 'em ta be berated an' insulted. Ya got a problem with me? Fine. But, ya leave Konro an' the brat out o' it. Ya hear?"

"Just get out of my house, Shinmon." Shobu remarked, deadpanned, and turned on his heel, marching through the doorway and down the hall.

. . . . . .

"Sorry fer all the fuss, girl." The Master grumbled quietly to Kaede as they stood on the front engawa. "Didn't mean fer ya ta see all that."

Everyone's mood had fallen somewhere between their feet and hell itself; a strange and uncomfortable feeling settling between all of them as they tried to salvage what was left of the mess. Konro had made himself at home by leaning against one of the beams, looking off into the street and Shobu (Tsubaki, rather) was sitting on the steps with her elbows propped against her knees, choosing to ignore everyone around her. It seemed to Benimaru that the fight had actually scared her. Normally, he'd tease her about being afraid of his Master but, after all that had happened today, he wasn't in the mood for it.

Kaede shook her head, "I apologize for Father, he shouldn't have-"

"That's 'nough o' that, now." Shinmon cut in, dismissing her efforts entirely with the wave of a hand. "Not yer job ta be sayin' jack crap, girl. Yer father's a grown ass man who still can't move forward even after nine years." Here he offered her a genuine expression of sympathy. "Ya did good today. Don' ya let 'im think ya didn't. Ya've grown an' Ryoko-chan would be pleased ta see it, if she could."

Kaede ducked her head in embarrassment, glancing off to the side. "Thank you, Shinmon-san. You're very kind."

"Nothin' kind 'bout it," The old geezer snorted loudly, "It's a fact, girl. 'Sides, now we know ya can take one hellva hit an' still be up doin' yer thing. The goddamn sonofabitch who manages ta catch yer fancy better count 'imself damn lucky. "

Kaede turned a bright shade of red at the comment but what Benimaru thought was more interesting was the fact Konro had perked up from his post and was giving her this rather shy (Konro? Shy?) expression. Not that she could see him considering her back was to him in the first place. His Master caught Konro's eye and the younger man turned his face quickly to hide it. He was much too late, however.

"That said," continued Shinmon, turning back to Kaede. "Thank's fer lookin' after my brat today. Hope he didn't cause ya any trouble."

"Oh, no," she shook her head and offered Benimaru a wide, comforting smile. "He kept me company and made me tea. He was a big help in the kitchen."

The Master raised an eyebrow at that, giving Beni a questioning look. "That so, eh? Well now, seems ya can be useful."

Benimaru scowled, not happy with the blatant skepticism being directed his way.

"Thanks, old man." He grumbled, crossing his arms in his sleeves and turning his attention to the street.

"You all will always be welcomed by us, here." Kaede signed, her expression genuine and heartfelt. "Give Father a few days to calm his temper. With Mother's anniversary coming up, I think he's been . . . stressed."

"No excuse fer 'im ta be takin' it out on ya," Shinmon snapped irritably. "Or my hikeshi."

"It's my own fault, really." She protested lightly, "I should have been paying more attention. I'm truly sorry for causing you all such trouble."

The Master sighed heavily, hand coming up to press against his brow. "Will ya stop puttin' all the blame on yerself, Kaede-chan? Honestly, yer too hard on yerself and I blame yer father fer it. Man needs ta get his head outta his ass an' see both his girls have good heads on their shoulders."

"Father is Father," Kaede offered gently, hands hesitant. "I don't think he's healed, even after all this time."

"Time itself ain't a cure-all." Shinmon Hibachi said quietly, staring off into empty space for a moment. Then he shook himself, as if freeing his mind from some far off memory, and continued. "Take care o' yerself. I mean it. Ya got 'nough ta deal with 'sides puttin' shit like yer father's attitude on yer shoulders. Ya can't fix the world, so ya better stop tryin'."

"The world is a bit too much for me to handle." Kaede agreed with a silent laugh and Benimaru was glad to see her truly smile. "But, I'll take my own small part of it and make it the best I can, anyway."

"Heh," the Master grinned, one corner tilting up in a crooked sort of way. "Yer definably Ryoko-chan's daughter, that's fer sure. Alright, you lot," here he turned to Benimaru and Konro, scowling once more. "Let's get a move on an' get home."

Benimaru decided to bypass the steps altogether and jumped off the engawa, landing solidly on two feet before turning and waiting for the adults to wrap up their goodbyes.

"Thanks, by the way."

He blinked, glancing at Shobu who had remained quiet this whole time. She didn't look at him, choosing to keep her eyes fixed on the stone beneath her feet.

"Fer what?" He asked and tried, for once, to not sound so pissed off when he did. After all, Kaede was rooting for him. No way was he gonna let her down now.

"For saying ya were sorry." She said, still not looking at him. She kicked a foot against the stone, scrapping the bottom of her zori. "My sis is really nice. I don't like it when people are assholes to her. It . . . pisses me off . . . "

Benimaru opened his mouth to reply but stopped, unsure of what exactly to say. It sounded . . . strange . . . hearing the same excuse coming from her, of all people.

"S'alright," he shrugged, trying to formulate something which didn't sound stupid. "Yer sister kicks ass."

Now it was Shobu who blinked in surprise, head coming up to stare at him with wide, green eyes. Then, she grinned, honestly, and it was the first time Benimaru ever remembered her doing so. At least in front of him. "I know, right?! She was so close today! A few more spars and maybe father will finally move her up a rank!"

"That what Konro meant by 'test'?" Benimaru wondered aloud, head titling in curiosity.

Shobu's face fell. "Not . . . exactly. Dad's pretty hard on her. I don't know why. He gots all these . . ." She waved a hand in the air, searching for the right words. "I don't know . . . things . . . where he's always testing her in different ways then he does everyone else. He's been wantin' me ta take extra lessons with him. Said something 'bout training for the future. Whatever that means."

Benimaru frowned, not liking the sound of any of that. 'Training for the future' sounded suspiciously like something the Master was always going on about with him.

Before he had the chance to reply, said Master was grabbing him by the collar of his happi and shoving him along.

"Let's go," Shinmon groused. Was that a bit of exhaustion in his voice or was Beni finally losing it? "It's been a long day an' I'm starvin'."

He continued to walk forward but looked over his shoulder as Kaede and Shobu both stood in the street behind them, waving as they went.

Then, carefully, he raised his own and offered them both a small gesture in return.

He guessed Shobu wasn't so bad, after all.

Timeline

SY = Solar Year

SY 195 (current year, as of now): Benimaru age 19; Konro age 35; Tsubaki age 20; Kaede age 28

SY 189: Benimaru and Tsubaki become friends through a rather unfortunate incident. Benimaru age 13; Konro age 29; Tsubaki age 14; Kaede age 22

SY 188: Benimaru and Tsubaki meet for the first time. Benimaru age 12; Konro age 28; Tsubaki age 13; Kaede age 21

SY 186: Benimaru is adopted by Shinmon Hibachi. Benimaru age 10; Konro age 26

SY 184: Shinmon Himawari dies. Konro age 24; Kaede age 17; Tsubaki age 9.

SY 180: The Shobu Matriarch, Shobu Ryoko, dies. Konro age 20; Kaede age 13; Tsubaki age 5