Dinner was weirdly quiet without two ninjas in the room, and it wasn't just me noticing the strangeness. I toyed with my food, only managing a few bites but clearing it at everyone's looks. Masamune didn't fare much better, but it was partially his ability to eat without worry that prompted my appetite. It took a second course for Ranmaru to lose his patience, his fists balling as he cleared his throat, "I was wondering about hunting, are there any chances for that?"

Ieyasu was quick to answer, something I might've otherwise been amused by, "We're not that close to any big game forests, but the next time one goes out I'll send the leader to ask you."

"Thanks." The conversation seemed fit to lull again before I spotted Hotaru tugging on Kotone's sleeve. When the bigger girl looked at her, she had to bend down fast to catch the rapid fire whispering, nodding when the message was received. Nudging Master Katakura, I nodded at her, my heart warming at his soft smile. As far as I knew, while Hanzo and I had been hiding from Mizu, Hotaru had been at Master Katakura's side, no matter where he went.

It was nice to see someone able to take the mood lightly.

After lunch was over, Kotone looked up at me questioningly, but Hotaru gave another tug on her sleeve. "Go play for a bit, I'm going to look this place over on my own." My flippancy was rewarded by an anxious, but cheerful expression as the girls disappeared back to their room. When I glanced towards the head of the table, Ieyasu was nodding in approval, sensing my strategy.

"All work and no play makes for killers, but you don't want her to become like you were, do you?" He asked about an hour later. The two of us, or rather the three since Yori was in my arms, were out by the training grounds, trying to get Yori to doze off.

Jigging Yori a bit to bring him into a more secure position, I let my face soften when I realised he was beginning to drift off, "If we succeed in ending all of this once and for all, then there won't be any necessity for Kotone to learn. She can have a few more years of being happy."

"I get the feeling that she is happy. You saw her at dinner earlier, she was glowing."

"But I don't want her to be happy by learning how to end lives. Teaching her so she won't be scared is one thing, teaching her that it's the only way to live is something I couldn't forgive myself for." Nodding to my point as we walked, Ieyasu suddenly stopped dead, staring into the empty room, "What are you doing?"

"For old time's sake?" He suggested, pushing the door open. Taking a quick look at Yori, I sighed and followed him in, waiting for him to light a few lamps before looking around properly. The weapon's wall was richly stocked, but Ieyasu was pulling out a few cushions instead, wedging them together into a bed. "Come on, he'll be safe here while we spar."

"Oh good, you wanted to spar. Because when you used to lead me into dark rooms it was for something quite different." Taking Yori off me with a mock glare before tucking his outermost blanket around him better, Ieyasu looked at the wall before slipping his gauntlets off. His hands were bandaged underneath, I noticed, and the top layer had traces of blood caked into the fabric. "And here I thought bare fists were the way to go."

Quirking his head slightly, Ieyasu caught my meaning and laughed, but it sounded hollow. "I chose to give up my spear so I could feel the pain I was causing others when I fought. It worked a little too well at first but…I can't give up now."

Accepting the explanation, I moved to the other side of the room, getting myself into a combat position. Matching my position, Ieyasu gave a short war cry before running at me, my own echoing as I charged, jumping to the side at the last second so I could kick his side. Anticipating the feint, he twisted himself round mid-step, grabbing my ankle with one hand while delivering a soft punch to my side with the other. Tugging myself free, I landed awkwardly, giving him a chance to sweep my legs from under me, then rest a foot on my stomach when I was down. I immediately grabbed his ankle, yanking sharply, only for it to move off at his pace, rather than mine.

Staring up at him in minor annoyance, I took the hand when it was offered to me, glaring at him, "Oh yeah, I'd like to see you take my sword on empty handed."

"Only way to go, Yomi." Ieyasu repeated, not even out of breath. "Besides, the spear work is all in my past."

"Our weapons are never in the past Ieyasu." I chided. Tucking a lock of hair out of my face, I held out my own hand, taking his with my spare. Baring both palms upwards, I traced the lines visible to me, smiling when I found what I was looking for, "You moved your hands too fast in Osaka, so I thought yours were softer, but here, that's where you used to grip your spear. And that's where the splinters from the shaft dug in sharpest."

My hand moved to its twin, "Just like here, where every time I held my sword the hilt would wear on my skin until it was smooth, and here, where every time we met after practise, your blisters rubbed on mine." I looked at him properly, "Your spear was as much a part of you as my sword is to me. Even if you swear never to use it again, it'll have been a part of you."

Ieyasu's eyes never wavered, even when I looked away to clear my throat, suddenly feeling very awkward. Waiting a few seconds before turning to look at him again, I managed a small smile, "Easy as that, see?"

"Yes, I do." Ieyasu nodded, already moving for his bracers. He checked on Yori as he passed, waving me over silently, letting me see the calm face of Chiyome's son as he slept, eyelids fluttering with whatever it was babies dreamt of. Waving goodbye to Ieyasu as I picked Yori back up, I held him close as I went back inside the castle, wary of the cold air that could easily wake him up.

Back on the girl's floor, Kotone was sitting with her back to Hotaru, the younger girl patiently braiding what she could, both of them ignoring me as I closed the door with a soft tap. Still holding Yori to me, I went to open my door, halting at Ranmaru calling my name.

Turning to greet him, I frowned when he wouldn't quite meet my eyes, "Everything okay?"

"Me and Itsuki were thinking about going back to Oshu." Taken aback, I couldn't speak, even as he continued doing so, "I know we said we'd support Ieyasu and we still will it's just…she's not comfortable here, and I'm not either."

"Too much like Gifu?" I finally asked, face falling when he nodded. "Yeah, when I woke up in Osaka, I thought the same thing." Shaking my head, I looked at the ceiling, feeling that sense of déjà vu again. "Remember when nowhere but Gifu was safe?"

Ranmaru smirked briefly, "Yeah, that was round about the time you decided you could actually stand me."

The corners of my mouth twitched, but the sombre mood brought it under control again, especially when something occurred to me, "I never apologised to you for that."

"Yes you did." When I blinked, Ranmaru's smirk grew again. "When we were waiting for Oda to come find us after the river, you kept saying you were sorry." He gave a quick shrug, rubbing Yori's head as he slept, "It took me a while to figure out who you were talking to."


One leg stretched out in front of me and my head against the balcony's railing, I watched the city slowly go to sleep, keeping my gaze just high enough to avoid the courtyard below where soldiers were patrolling. When I finally turned away, it was to look at the comb in my hand, finger running across the teeth. Before I'd gotten involved with Oda, Uncle Satoshi had sat me in his lap, telling the story of the two things I was left with as heir to the Hiroto name.

The sword was obviously my father's, forged in honour of his ascent to family head, and the comb my mother's, a memory of her life before she married and had her first taste of luxury. If it had been made of anything more showy or expensive, then it wouldn't have been me who held it like this. Had it belonged to any other woman but my mother, I wouldn't have acted the way I did when Ranmaru had held it in his sugar coated fingers.

My eyes winced at the memory, the shocked face of the boy who for years afterwards I would stand beside as a comrade and friend…staring up at me like I was some kind of monster. Shaking my head to clear the image away, I flung my hand out, intending to throw the comb back inside my room, only for it to fly out at the wrong second, sailing between the rails before I could catch it. "Shit!"

Scrambling to my feet and charging through my room into the hallway, I narrowly avoided sailing into Kotone and Hotaru's room, forcing my feet into a slide before I did, "Girls, I'll be back in a minute!" Keeping my robe closed tightly around me, I continued running, the foolishness of the task obvious even as my feet kept moving. Barely skirting a maid who nearly dropped her tea set as I passed, and then a very confused Yoshinao, I finally made it to the bottom floor, my feet just managing to slip into a pair of shoes before tripping into the evening.

The comb had not had a nice journey. Shoulders sagging, I bent slightly and picked up the largest piece I could see before dropping it with a sigh. "Well, it wasn't like I made a secret of hating her. Still…" Forcing myself to lean forwards and pick up every piece I could, even the minutest splinter I saw, I held the shards close to my stomach.

Somewhere inside me, there was a trace, maybe only a dusting of something that had made me keep the comb for as long as I had. Still keeping it close, I turned to go back inside, remembering when I'd nearly acted on my desire to burn the thing. I'd stared at the kitchen fire for maybe an hour before Nohime found me.

She'd calmly taken the comb from my fingers and led me back to my room, and then as far as the whispers from the maids in the hallway told me, gone to tear into my uncle with all the rage of a charging tiger. He later came in himself to apologise and left the castle within the hour. That was the last time I ever saw him, and I can't remember feeling sad about it.

When I got back to mine and Mizu's room, I placed the pieces on my shelf, trying not to wince as a collection of noises was made rather than just one. Shaking my head at them, and lying on my mat, I closed my eyes to try to get some sleep and jump to the next day…just as Yori let out a wail, demanding attention.