Saizo and Sasuke make it to the city, dropping off their horses at the stables and make it down to the market place. Observing the city-folk, Saizo continued to watch the surrounding areas in suspicion.
"What are you looking for?" Sasuke asks as he looks away from a stand, debating to himself if he should buy a snack.
"The woman warned us about watching the trees. If she knew we were on that path, someone could have followed us." Saizo explains, glancing at his partner for a moment before scanning the area again.
"We have a sixth sense. You'll be able to feel his eyes before you see him." Sasuke reassures with a wave of his hand.
Saizo gave off a sigh before scanning the market place again. "So this woman lives in a tea house?"
"That's what I was told. She used to live with her husband, but after his death, she moved back to the tea house. Kind of strange to think about." Sasuke explains, continuing to scan the stands he passed.
"Why would you move back to a tea house? Was she a geisha before?" Saizo watched Sasuke shrug his shoulders but seemingly didn't seem to be paying any attention.
They continued to walk the marketplace until they found the tea house near the edge of the city. As they approached the tea house, Saizo and Sasuke find some of the young geisha girls watching them and giggling to each other behind their hand fans. One of the girls even opening the fan below her eyes, winking at Saizo as she caught his eyes. He only glares back at her before turning away from them and moving the tea green curtain, entering the tea house in silence.
"This place is actually really nice," Sasuke comments, looking around the room with a nod.
"Welcome! How may I help you today?" A woman walks into the room and bows deeply to the men.
"We're not interested in pleasure tonight. We wanted to speak to Aina if it is possible." Saizo declares, causing the woman to look up at him in surprise then confusion.
"Aye, that's me. Did something happen?"
"We would like to talk in private." Aina nods to him, motioning the two to follow her into a private room, offering some tea as they sat down.
Pouring some tea in some cups, she hands them to the ninjas and sat in front of them with a curious expression.
"Did I do something wrong?" Aina asks, clenching the hem of her kimono in nervousness.
"We wanted to discuss your husband. Just want to know what he was like and his circles." Saizo notices that Aina's posture changes as she relaxes and a grin painted her lips.
"He deserves what he got." Sasuke chocks on the tea and looks at her in surprise. "It is inappropriate for me to say something like that as his former wife, but it is the truth. He was a horrible man. He always has been, even when he bought me from this tea house a few years ago."
"So, you were a geisha before you married him?" Saizo asks.
"As a geisha, I did not have the power to decline his offer. I was one of the best workers here, and he knew that. So he bought me for himself." Aina let out a small chuckle and leaned her head back. "We all knew he was a bastard. He always hit the girls here. Even stabbed one a few weeks before buying me."
"He seems like an unstable man. You couldn't report him?" Sasuke asks, a look of disbelief on his face.
"He WAS the authority. Abused that power to his will. That's what made him almost unstoppable. Until that assassin killed him."
Saizo and Sasuke glance back at each other for a moment before Saizo brings up another question.
"Kind of off subject, but has a Westerner ever visited this tea house?" The question made Aina stare off into the distance for a moment before remembering something.
"I was told a Westerner has visited a few times after I was wed off, but I have yet to see him since moving back. But I do remember another girl who did serve him tea. Excuse me." Walking out of the room, Saizo and Sasuke sat in silence for a moment before bringing up the man again.
"So he was better off dead." Sasuke states.
"Just like our last victim. They were abusing power and were unstable. That could be the trend." Saizo ponders before Aina walks back into the room with a girl following behind. She was no older than 13 as she still wore bright colored kimonos and let her black hair draped over her shoulders.
"This is Ikue. She was the only one who served the Westerner when he visited." Ikue bowed to the two ninjas before sitting down next to Aina.
"Would you be able to tell us about this man, Ikue?" Sasuke asks in a gentle voice, knowing damn well Saizo is too blunt.
"He was really pretty. He had this almost white hair and very white skin. He also had the prettiest blue eyes that I have ever seen. He was really nice to me. He showed me this game that you play with your hands and played it with me every time he visited. Oh, he even gave me a pin for my kimono." Pulling out a metal pin with a jeweled flower on it, the ninjas observe it and find it a true Western jewel.
"He also carried a bow and arrow around with him. I asked him what they were for and he just said he was hunting." Ikue leans in, making the two ninjas also lean in curiosity. "I think he is the one the killed the bad man that took Aina away. He stopped coming in after he was killed."
The ninjas look at each other in surprise. Maybe that mysterious woman was telling the truth.
"That's bold of you to assume."
~*~ Yagyu Criminal ~*~
Hitomi sat in the garden late that night, smoking from her pipe and enjoying the silence surrounding her. Events from earlier day seemed to have drained her as she had to remember that event from 8 years ago. She was going to get these men, whether her family agrees with her or not.
"You can come out now," Hitomi calls out into the air, feeling a presence of a familiar near her but continuing to smoke as they approached.
"Long time no see, Hitomi." The woman looks up to find a mysterious girl in front of her, her body covered in a black outfit and her face half covered in a mask. But even the presence of her made Hitomi smile in delight.
"Ahmya, it has been so long." Standing from the ground, the two women embrace tightly and smile at each other as they reunite once again. "How are you? It's been several months since I have last seen you."
"I'm doing fine. I was just worried about you and if you would ever get back from inland. Then I started hearing about the assassinations going around and I just knew that you had to be home. I came as quick as I could without getting caught." Ahmya smiles proudly at the swordsman and pulls down her mask.
Sitting down, Hitomi pours Ahmya some red bean sake before beginning her smoke again.
"How have the burns been treating you?" Hitomi asks as a puff of smoke exhaled.
"They don't hurt as much anymore. Since your husband gave me the ointment, I haven't had too much pain on my neck. I feel wonderful!"
"I'm so glad. I was hoping something from inland would help you. It's actually even cheaper to buy than I thought it would be but it's readily available. The Westerners are so advanced." Hitomi praises, refilling her pipe with fresh Blue Leaf.
"And yet, your husband still uses a bow." Ahmya let out a small chuckle before taking a sip of the sake.
Hitomi nods with a small smile before it fell silent over the two. The air shifted around them as it became stiff. The two women were thinking of the same thing.
"How many men are left?" Ahmya asks, swirling her sake around in the sake cup.
"Two. Ando and Kawabe. I have yet to track Ando, but Kawabe is in Ido as far as I am aware." Hitomi let out another puff of smoke before laying down her pipe and looking over at the girl next to her. "Would you be able to go to Ido and take care of him?"
Ahmya let out a chuckle before finishing the rest of the sake, standing and bowing deeply to her. "Hitomi. I would be honored to kill the man who burned me." Hitomi could only smile to the girl as she stood and embraced her one last time.
"Since you decided to go, I made you a backpack. It has some food and medicine for your journey. And take a horse before you leave. You remember how to ride, right?"
"Yes, you are the one that thought me as a child." Ahmya laughs, thanking the woman and setting off on her journey.
Watching the girl disappear in the darkness, Hitomi looks back at the bright moon above her and prays to God that she is safe and succeeds.