Chapter Forty-Three: The Best Night of Our Lives…
Dipping the brush back into the bowl before bringing it up to my face, I fought back the flinch that it caused, settling for a shiver at how weird it felt. Behind me, Asuka and Mizu were tying their bandages, small gasps escaping them. Glancing at them with the mirror, I kept at my task, setting the white brush down when my entire face was covered. Again Chiyome had patiently sat behind me and worked my hair into a style, attaching ornaments here and there, until it sat on the back of my head in two chignons, one on top of the other. The headdress would have to wait until right before it was my turn to go on, because as we'd already proven, Asuka would need to help me tie the laces between the buns.
Taking the red brush in hand, I carefully examined the rough drawing Chiyome had used as a reference, placing the tip hesitantly on my lips. Leaving a small bow shape on top, I slowly brought it down onto my bottom lip, painstakingly running the bristles over half of it, finally settling back to admire the contrast. Dipping it back in the red, I turned my cheek, found the base of my cheekbone and flicked the brush upwards, adding another scratch under it before doing the same to the other.
While Asuka took a place in front of me to sort out the eye dusting, I held my breath, wrinkling my nose as the dust flew over my face, the strokes feather light. "Alright, I'm done."
"Your costume's over here." Mizu added, patting the pile of cloth as she strode past to apply her own face. Unlike Asuka, who was wearing a sleeveless jacket style yukata that came to her thighs, with leggings under that, Mizu had opted for her usual archery gear, but left one side of the kimono around her waist, draped over the hakama skirt. The torso that would otherwise have Saburo slipping on his own drool had been tightly bound up, unfortunately leaving a lot to our resident pervert's imagination.
Slipping her own outer robe on, looking for all the world like a young noblewoman, Asuka held onto the headdress while I shrugged my jacket on, running the cord around my waist to hold it while I reached for my own skirt. As I finished tying that layer on, and Mizu stepped away from the mirror to let Asuka take her place, Chihiro came bounding in, looking beautiful in her new yukata and with a fresh ribbon in her hair.
"Looking good, Chihiro." Mizu complimented, moving to help Asuka with the first layer of greasepaint. Taking the words with a grin, she came over to me, taking the headdress in her hands to admire it.
Granted, it was just a metal band we'd picked up in town on the cheap, but two hours with Asuka's mother, some black paint and a quick poke around for anything even resembling ribbons later, and we had the perfect item to complete my costume.
Finally tying the final cord on the obi, I finally breathed out, trying hard to ignore how tight everything felt. Noticing the slight hitch, Chihiro turned me around, her smaller fingers finding the knot responsible and loosening it without having to be asked. Nodding gratefully, I picked up my swords, looping them through and twirling round, "How do I look?"
"Like you've seen a ghost." Asuka teased, ignoring her own, very white face, "You look great Yomi,"
"Better than the boys anyway." Chihiro signed, her own laughter coming through her usual silence. It was the one sound you could always hear from her, and it always made me grin.
"Well, we can hardly set them as a precedent, can we?" Mizu joked. "Hey, has the landlord shown up yet?"
"Yes." Chihiro nodded, "They're sitting with the Elder."
Meeting eyes with Asuka, I couldn't resist puckering my lips, quickly looking innocent when Mizu turned around at the loud spluttering it caused. Raising one eyebrow in suspicion, the huntress turned on me, using the dark makeup around her eyes to great effect as she tried to stare me down. Beginning to feel my resolve crumbling, I was relieved when she gave up, grabbing her bow and pointing to the door with it, "Our audience awaits!"
Our preparations had lasted long enough for night to set in, and as we came down the path from the Elder's house where we'd been changing, the braziers were just getting lit, fire leaping to the skies and lighting up the small wooden stage that we'd set up earlier. After the weeks we'd spent practising, and the early mornings and late nights we'd put into the show, I was almost looking forward to it being over.
Taking a seat close to the runway so we could come and go when we were needed, Asuka quickly began knotting the laces on my headdress, slipping it across my forehead. Staying still while she did, I quickly picked out Masamune and Master Katakura, seated close to the stage, with the villagers surrounding them.
As Ranmaru and Itsuki began beating some drums, two veiled women stepped from the crowd, standing next to each other as they did. When the beat ended, they slowly raised the material over their eyes, sending the crowd into fits of laughter. Leaning forwards to see better, I felt my jaw drop.
Standing there, in pink and purple respectively and with large amounts of greasepaint over their faces, were Saburo and Hanzo.
"Oh my-" Mizu whispered, covering her eyes, "I can't watch."
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Saburo called, his voice deliberately a few pitches higher than usual, "Please, we have begun!"
"Not before introducing our honoured guests you mean?" Hanzo mock gasped, his imitation far better, but still clearly over the top. "Why, I thought you had more class!"
"Of course not you fool!" Rapping him smartly on the head with a folded fan, Saburo paused so the laughter could stop before he continued, "We can't afford the higher rent!"
From here, the One Eyed Dragon's grin was far from hidden, and even Master Katakura seemed to be smirking slightly. Moving to the front, Hanzo and Saburo both bowed, just like women usually did, and tittered quietly, "We welcome you, Lord Date Masamune and Lord Katakura Kojuro."
"Get ready." Asuka nudged, turning her head back to the stage without making sure I was.
"Well, this is all very well and good, but I completely forgot what we're doing here!" Hanzo exclaimed, throwing his hands up.
"Tell me about it, I stepped out this morning to go to the market, and now I'm here!"
"I hope there's some good food on."
"So do I." Getting to my feet, I stepped around Mizu, striding up the runway. As I did, Saburo recoiled in fear, "Look out! A fearsome samurai approaches!"
When Nobu had dropped the book around a week ago, I'd thought he was joking when he told me to memorise it. But since Saburo and Hanzo obviously had, I had to carry on the charade, "Out of my way peasants!"
As I stepped between the boys, the younger children began to boo, spurred on by their parents. Scowling at them, I turned it on the 'women', rewarded by Hanzo squealing and Saburo leaping away, "It's not just any samurai!"
"No?" Hanzo asked, peeking between his hands.
"No." Saburo confirmed, slowly creeping closer. As he did, I turned to face him, scaring him again, "I know that face! It's the Demon King!"
"Wretch!" I spat, pulling him closer, "I'm a woman!"
"You are?!" Saburo squeaked, "I mean, of course you are!" Throwing him away with another scowl, I turned from the crowd, hearing them retreat behind me, arguing as they scurried up the catwalk. After a couple of seconds I moved again, pulling out my sword,
"Demon King. Hah! That fool's dead and buried thanks to his arrogance. Now anyone could take charge!" Holding my sword in front of me, I listened to the music drum out a small beat, gleefully moving through my carefully practised routine. As my sword cut through the air with severe jigen slices and delicate tamiya steps, the torches' reflections flashed in the steel, no matter where I moved. It was the only dance I could ever be comfortable with.
With a sudden clap of the drum, I suddenly stopped dead in my footsteps, tilting my head. The crowd went silent, wondering what I was doing, and even Masamune was leaning forwards slightly. Itsuki took up the beat again, the tempo slow until finally…
"Sayomi, look out!" Tsukiko screamed, her face pale with shock. Turning in alarm, I examined the stage, spotting Hanzo in his uniform behind one of the lanterns. Guessing at the game, I hid my smile, looking back at the crowd.
"I don't see anyone."
"Behind you, behind you!"
"There's nothing there!"
I could hear Hanzo approaching me slowly, but I continued my banter with the children, until his naginata came slicing through the air a hair's breadth away from my face. Whirling around and knocking it back like we'd practised I growled quietly as we regarded each other, the old prejudice I used to have coming to the surface easily, "I see you, shinobi."
"And I see you, samurai. Will you die easily?"
"Not on your life!" Charging at him with the blade, I kept a careful eye on how Hanzo was moving, only moving my arms from their neutral position when I had to, until he accidently gave me an opening, my sword easily slicing his spear shaft in half. The children were cheering, clapping wildly, if only because for a few seconds, there had been a fight with real weapons.
Holding my steel to his neck, I calmly asked Hanzo something, "Do you yield, ninja?"
"No, he doesn't!" Mizu called, her arrow flying through the air to bounce off me harmlessly, the thick pad around its head preventing any real injury. Still I played it up, staggering back as though I had been mortally wounded. Clutching my chest dramatically, I clenched my jaw as she charged onto the stage, taking my sword from the ground and examining it as I collapsed, nearly swearing when my head bounced off the boards.
Satisfied she'd done her job, Mizu rounded on her brother, slapping him as he shakily stood up again, "Have you no pride man? Always make sure they can't kill you!"
Mournfully collecting his spear halves, Hanzo gave a small nod, trooping after his sister as the crowd began to applaud. It wasn't a Noh performance worthy of the greatest troop, but with only a few weeks preparation, we hadn't done so badly. While the Elder came onto the stage to give a more formal speech in welcoming of Masamune and Master Katakura, I picked myself up, hopping off the stage to meet with the others.
When I caught up with them, Saburo was furiously scrubbing his face clean, while Asuka refused to look at him. "You know," I snickered, crossing my arms as I drew level, "There was nothing in that script about a drag act."
"That's because a little birdy with blue hair thought it'd be funny." Saburo grimaced, turning his face left and right. Scrutinising the skin, Mizu gave a curt nod, taking the cloth from him. He slowly began shedding layers until he was in his ninja gear too, leaving only his hair to sort out.
Moving to help him, Hanzo took a quick glance at the stage, shaking his head, "How they were entertained by that, I don't know."
"There was death, there was fighting and of course, there was crossdressing." I ignored the glares the boys sent at me, "How couldn't they be entertained?"
"Nobu isn't going to let you hear the end of this though." Mizu warned; her bow still tight in her grip.
Before Saburo could give her a response typical of him, the Elder's voice grew in volume, his hands gesturing to bring on the next act, "And now, for your pleasure, I present Asuka and Saburo, with the Dance of the Knives!" Applause accompanied his statement, the summoned pair saluting to us before heading up the gangway.
What we'd been allowed to see of the Dance of the Knives had been previewed after two weeks of careful practise. Considering the knives were very real and Asuka only had a signalling fan, the amount of trust they were placing in each other was absolutely staggering.
Taking proud and haughty steps onto the stage, Asuka glanced at the audience, turning her head away with a sniff as if they were beneath her. Soft string music accompanied her movements, Chihiro carefully plucking the strings of an old shamisen next to Ranmaru, who was staring at her with a sense of wonder.
"It's just a pattern for her." Hanzo whispered, nodding towards her. "She's never heard the songs she plays, but I've never once heard her go wrong."
"The finest geisha in the land would be jealous." I whispered back, receiving a smile in return. Shushing us, Mizu stabbed the ground with her bow, letting it stand upright as she took a seat again. Shrugging at each other, we followed her lead, and were almost immediately swept up again.
Asuka sighed woefully, tapping her fan against her lip as she walked, seemingly unaware of the shadow following her every move, the knife glinting in his hand. Suddenly, she stopped dead, turning her head just in time to bring her arm up and grip Saburo's arm, the knife point an inch from her throat. Grinning at him cockily, she pushed against him, using her spare hand to undo the thick sash. Once the robe lay open, revealing her ninja gear, she carelessly shoved Saburo away, using the spare second it took for him to lunge again to toss it off completely, this time blocking the knife with the steel edge of her fan.
Politely applauding with everyone else, Mizu paused mid-clap, her head pointed away from the stage completely. Giving her a nudge, I silently asked what was wrong with a tilt of my head. In answer, she nodded towards a barely visible shadow, "Did Date bring his own security?"
"I think so, do you want me to check?"
"You know them better." She shrugged. Taking that to mean yes, I slowly uncurled from my position, kissing Hanzo on the cheek after promising to be back soon.
The air was beginning to cool, I realised with a small shiver as I walked. Crossing my arms around myself, I crept around the crowd, waving to Chiyome as she went into her house, little Yori tight in her arms. Smiling back at me, she soon dropped her head so she was only staring at her baby. That was how a mother was supposed to act, I sighed, feeling my hand move to my hair, easily picking out the comb's shape.
Remembering what I'd actually set out to do, I gathered my thoughts, continuing my walk until my footsteps became audible to the shadow, Bunshichiro turning when I drew close enough, "Everything alright?"
"Yeah, you just had one of the residents panicked for a second." Laughing at that, Bunshichiro looked back at the stage, admiring the fast paced action taking place there, Asuka and Saburo swapping blows that never landed, until finally, they were left at a stalemate, her fan resting against his jugular, and his knife primed for her heart. Both of them were breathing heavily, and for the briefest second, my eyes were consumed by pink, before Saburo simply dropped his knife and pulled her closer, taking her lips before she could even think about protesting.
Jaw dropping, I waited for her to push him away and rub her lips clean, but it never came. The audience was likewise struck dumb, until the Elder got to his feet and joined them on stage, introducing the next act while Itsuki and Ranmaru snapped them out of it.
Shoving them the last few inches off the stage, Mizu shook her head, grinning all the while. Giving a quick goodbye to the Date soldier, I hurried back to where Hanzo was talking to the guilty pair, unable to keep the disbelief out of his voice, "Where did that come from?" He grinned, wrapping a casual arm around my shoulders as I got close enough.
Seemingly unable to see anything but the girl at his side, Saburo's voice took on a dreamlike quality, "I just got this feeling; that now was the right time."
"Yeah well watch it." Asuka playfully warned, "If I know Dad, he'll be pestering you to propose."
"Would that be so bad?"
"Congratulations." I finally managed to get in, resting my head on Hanzo's shoulders, "You could do worse, Asuka."
"He is rather loyal, isn't he?" Giggling childishly, we sat back down again, leaving the boys to shake their heads at us.
Meanwhile, Nobu was clambering to join Mizu on the stage, guarding a small candle fiercely as he did. Intrigued, the children began to whisper, pointing to Itsuki when she lugged a heavy bucket of liquid up too. It was only when the first torch was put out that they finally tore their eyes away, looking about in wonder as they edged closer to total darkness. Only Mizu was visible, silhouetted by the tiny flame. "What's she doing?" Saburo whispered, "I don't remember Mizu playing with fire."
"She wasn't, that's why." Hanzo breathed back, mesmerized as his sister slowly knelt, pulling an arrow from her quiver and gently lacing the sack head in whatever was in the bucket.
Still keeping the painfully slow pace, she held it out for Nobu to light, not even flinching when the children screamed, clearly wondering what she was doing. Quick as lightning, she nocked the arrow and let it fly, everyone turning in their seats to watch its path, erupting into noise when the first torch was reignited. Ignoring them, she pulled another arrow free, repeating the action, this time pointing her bow towards us. Gulping, all of us ducked to the ground when the arrow was released, the sounds of flames behind us making all of us sigh in relief.
For every torch, the same actions were mirrored, but she still managed to keep us enthralled, those of us who knew her trying to connect this serene archer with our hunter.
When only the torch behind Master Katakura and Masamune was left, the routine changed. Her final arrow didn't go near the flame, yet as she turned into a crouch, aiming for the wood, the tip ignited all the same. Gasping softly, I traced the red aura up her arms, watching it lace around her bow. Everyone else stayed silent, out of knowledge or awe I didn't know. Hanzo's eyes glinted when I glanced towards him though.
Her aiming took a second longer than the others had, and for that second, we were all questioning if she'd be able to make the shot. Master Katakura certainly looked worried, only just turning to face his Lord before the flame was shooting past them, lighting the torch without even a second of danger.
Suitably impressed, the clapping for this act was the loudest, Masamune surprising everybody by standing to give his regards. Blushing happily, she bowed low, her fingers finding her scar without any difficulty, while her aura calmed again. "Well," Ranmaru joked from behind us, making us all jump in surprise, "I think the plan's working."
"Yeah, hopefully my heart won't give out before it does!" Saburo half growled, grabbing him and placing him in a light headlock. Wriggling around to get free, Ranmaru couldn't resist laughing, even while the Elder was standing next to Mizu helping her rise again.
"Our maiden of fire, Mizu Kobayashi!" He cheered, stepping back so she and Nobu could bow together. Waiting for the applause to die down again, the Elder gestured for the rest of us in the wings to come forwards, Ranmaru falling flat on his face when Saburo released the hold. "A beautiful end to round off our performance; don't you agree children?" Wincing with a smirk on his face, Nobu realised what the currently yampy children in front of him hadn't, and the Elder caught it, his beard twitching upwards at the sides, "Now, it is time for bed."
A loud outcry followed the order, but I was ignorant to their feelings, too busy lacing my fingers through Asuka's while the boys slipped ahead to take Mizu's, until we were in a line, me at one end, and Hanzo at the other. First, we bowed to the children, who waved to us, before standing straight and releasing each other, turning this time to face Masamune.
Saburo was grinning at Asuka, Hanzo was leaning slightly forwards to grin at me, and Mizu's eyes were clearly fluttering upwards to gaze at Masamune. The night had come to a satisfying end, and once everyone had gone and tomorrow came we'd-
Sayomi suddenly cut herself off, her eyes closing. In the quiet of her office, Ryota could hear the quiet clink of steel against steel, Kotori having taken a break to practise her naginata work with her sister. Had he a warrior's experience like Sayomi, he might've been able to pick out who was winning the bout, and who would be coming in with bruises, but all he could do was listen for the pause between the strikes until slowly, like the matter was causing her pain, Sayomi spoke once more.
"I can't blame the bullet. It could only go in a straight line after all. Blaming the person who fired it would do nothing; he was just following orders, just like I was. But it never makes the thought of that night any easier."
