True to her word, Mizu sent a letter not long after…well after everything. There hadn't been enough time to let Oshu know of the latest developments, so her words were full of cheer and reports on the others. It brought me some relief to know that Itsuki and Ranmaru were alright, and Mizu had even sent some people to make sure Shiro and Mariko were settling in. She hadn't heard back yet, but she still seemed pretty optimistic that all was going well.

It was hard to read about how happy she was, what with knowing someone was going to have to burst the bubble. Thankfully, Hanzo volunteered to take that job, even if he said it while avoiding my eyes. He still gave me no clue as to what he thought he saw, or why it was bothering him so much. I did wonder about trying to get the answer from him, but if he could hide an entire ninja village while I was in it, the odds were against me finding out.

With one arm in a sling, there was little for me to do but watch Kotone's training and listen to Yori babble his way through his days. Still, I couldn't complain much, he did say my name first. Even with that though, the boredom set in, and when about a week after Obon, the doctor said I could do away with the sling, I was more than ready to jump into battle. Sadly, we were still in an era of semi-peace.

Satoshi had gone to Mino like he'd been hinting, and had returned in a far better mood than when he'd left. When I asked about it, he just gave a smirk and mentioned meeting some old friends. My experienced brain immediately translated that to drinking buddies, with maybe a courtesan or two in there as well. I rolled my eyes and left him to it, intending to find Kotone and instruct her to do the same when he said something that made me stop in my tracks. "Tell me I misheard you."

"Well, if you heard me say that I'm going back tomorrow, you heard right."

"Oh, I know. It's the second part my ears seem to be confused on."

Sighing, Satoshi ran a hand through his hair, "You missed Obon, and after everything-"

"Everything is precisely why I don't fancy going." My shoulders relaxed when I took a breath, the tension leaving them, "Come on Satoshi. It's been fifteen years. I didn't even take part in the siege for crying out loud."

"You should never be scared to go home Botan."

Who said anything about being scared? There was nothing there for me any more. If Hanzo and I got past…whatever the hell was going on, my future was with him in Koga. If, Kami forbid we couldn't, then I'd probably stay in Edo. When I told Satoshi as much, he just shook his head. "Rin left you something, Botan. The least you could do is pick it up." He wouldn't drop the subject, which was painfully obvious.

I ended up agreeing to go, just to shut him up, but I made sure he knew it was under sufferance. Getting a Hiroto lecture was not my idea of a good time, even with two fully working arms.

I was packed within ten minutes, taking just two spare yukatas and the very base essentials, but when I was slinging the light pack into the corner Satoshi appeared out of nowhere, asking if he could add something. "This all you're taking Botan?"

"We're not going to be there long."

"Fair enough. At least take some money in case you want something while we're there."

"I highly doubt that I'll be there long enough to browse." My hand still took a purse off the side anyway, tossing it his way. "What did Mom leave there?"

"I never asked. Still, it's an excuse to check on things."

"Check on what things?"

Satoshi gave me a look, the kind idiots usually received after a stupid comment, "Botan, Hanbei took over that area after Kazuki died. Now he's dead, so the area passes to his heir."

"Mitsunari." I groaned in understanding.

"Exactly. Now since our family house is there, I'd get what we can out of there before he notices that nice package of land."


As it turned out, when you leave a place and don't look back for fifteen years, things change. I'd always assumed that Mino would stay the same while I was gone, so that when- if- I came back, I'd still know my way around. Then again, even when I had lived here, Tadashi and I had only ever run to the public mews and straight back home again. If there ever had been other trips into town, I didn't remember them.

Satoshi had my reins in his hands, leading me through the strange streets to the tavern he had reserved, giving me a chance to look around. Just a brief glance told me Mitsunari hadn't been here yet, the people were too relaxed, there were too many men (assuming we were right about the conscription) and there was no sign of a Toyotomi crest. The same glance told me we were attracting a fair amount of attention.

There were only passing glances from the younger people, but those who were older, who probably knew who Satoshi was, were taking longer to examine us. But even they eventually looked away as well, turning back to their shopping or conversations. I didn't know what I expected, but it certainly wasn't this.

The tavern further pushed my limit of disbelief, Satoshi having actually booked us into a fairly decent one in the town centre rather than the first one he saw that had booze on the menu. That wasn't to say I didn't hear him go back downstairs to the bar about an hour after we arrived mind. I let him be, focusing all my attention on the window, staring out of it to the blue roof I could just make out if I craned my head right so I could see between a pair of buildings. My family home was a mile away at most.

I tore myself away when the sun began to inch behind the scenery, pulling the shutters closed so I wouldn't be tempted to slip back into the daze. Unpacking would've been the next sensible thing to do, if only to see what Satoshi had added yesterday, but instead I followed my uncle downstairs, finding him at one of the tables, bottle nearby, and pipe in his mouth. "This is weird, when are we going to go to the house?"

"Evening to you too, Botan. Anyway, it's too late to go tonight. And tomorrow some old friends are coming here for lunch. So, tomorrow afternoon, I suppose."

"Why not in the morning?"

"Graveyard. Now, any more questions, or shall we have some dinner?" Pouting, I took the seat across from him, giving the bottle a quick look over before pouring myself a cup. Surprisingly, I didn't have to upturn the whole thing to get a few drops. Either Satoshi had just topped himself up, or (and this was the more likely option, if his breath was anything to go by) my drunken uncle was beginning to reduce his drinking.

The very thought was terrifying.

Dinner was simple, but it gave me something to hide behind. Mercifully, Satoshi kept showing the uncharacteristic streak of tact he'd been displaying recently, and kept the conversation to a minimum on his end as well. Until of course, he asked the question I'd been dreading, "You and Hanzo doing okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't we be?"

"Well, just when I got back, he asked if I'd consider taking you with me next time. Not that I wasn't planning to anyway, of course." Holding his hand near one of the plates in a silent request, Satoshi couldn't resist a grin when I nodded, collecting a generous portion of wasabi for himself, "Everything is alright, isn't it Botan?"

"Everything's fine." I concluded, using a bit more force than was strictly necessary. Instead of being offended though, Satoshi let out an amused snort instead, chuckling properly when I tried to glare at him. "What's so funny?"

Finishing his mouthful before replying, Satoshi poured himself another drink, sipping at it as he spoke, "You just sounded so much like your mother."

My body reacted in the usually way, bristling all over and an annoyed denial on my lips before I even noticed it. Raising an eyebrow, my uncle just took another drink, patiently waiting for my hackles to go back down. And they did, eventually. His gaze was almost probing throughout though, a thoughtful hum escaping him when I was finally relaxed again.

"I didn't mean it as an insult. Granted, Rin and I never saw eye to eye on most things-"

"Hence the continued use of the word 'bitch' in reference to her." I interrupted, smirking when the woman on the next table turned with a huff, obviously glaring with matronly disapproval. In the corner of my eye it might've been, but you don't forget a burning sensation like that in a hurry.

Satoshi waited for her to turn back around before continuing, "But when I had her sat where you are now, we had the closest thing to an agreement we ever got."

I was torn between curiosity and lingering annoyance at those words. Naturally, curiosity won out, and I lifted my eyes off my lap, asking the question with them. Wearing a smug smile, Satoshi started back in on his dinner, a silent indicator that I should do the same. "It was before your parents married. I'd say she might've been about your age, maybe a little older."

"What happened?"

"Round about the time they started to get more serious, a nasty rumour floated around the province. Well, nasty might be a bit of a stretch, but it hurt Rin, and in response, she hurt your dad." The remnants of my meal went forgotten as I leant forwards, betraying my interest in the story. Spotting it, Satoshi's eyes glinted slightly, and he started packing his pipe up as he spoke, "Now, you know your grandpa had all the luck in the world when it came to his heirs: Yours truly and Kazuki, the smart one with a crush on a farm girl." If I'd ever had the fortune of meeting darling Grandfather, it was one of those meetings that I'd forgotten. Still, his 'luck' was a bit of a joke within the family. "The rumour was that my father was trying to fix up an advantageous marriage for his heir. A full blooded Japanese woman who could bring status and money to our name, three things that your mother didn't have."

My eyes widened a fraction, suddenly recalling how light my mother's hair had been. But my assumption was shot before I could even voice it, "No Botan, you're not part gaijin, and if you are, then I'd like to know how a sailor got from the port to Mino without someone noticing, let alone had a kid. But yes, people meeting her for the first time could and did make that mistake."

"So what happened? Obviously Dad didn't marry this woman he was being set up with."

"I'm getting to that. Well, Kazuki got the cold shoulder for weeks, Rin being her stubborn self and refusing to be his mistress. It was marriage or nothing for her. I didn't enjoy seeing my brother so heartbroken, so I dragged her here to get a few answers, using up an hour just to get her to stop saying everything was fine and it was none of my business. Do you know what I did when she finished?" I shook my head, so (after blowing out a mouthful of smoke) Satoshi leant forwards, a smile pricking the corner of his mouth, "I moved this close, and I laughed at her."

Stunned, I could only manage a couple of blinks before my uncle pulled back again, putting his pipe back where it belonged. "That was how she reacted as well. See, the rumour was true. Your grandpa was looking for a bride for his heir. And had the entire situation not landed my brother with heartbreak, and a bit of insult aimed at me, I would've found it hilarious." Lost in the memory, Satoshi laughed to himself, only stopping when he noticed my blank look. "And suddenly I'm insulted again."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

Rolling his eyes, Satoshi spelt it out, "You nearly had an auntie Botan. I was still the heir at the time."

"Oh…Ohhh!"

"Yeah, all I had to do was marry this woman I'd never met, and I'd be the next lord of this place. Now, we know that didn't happen, but everyone assumed Kazuki was the favourite, all because my own father wasn't sure if he wanted to advertise me as this woman's fiancé."

"What did Mom say?"

"She went white as a sheet. Thought I was going to have to catch her at some point. But then she ran off looking for Kazuki to apologise. Left me with the bill as well."

A grin split my face, which I quickly hid with my cup. Satoshi kept his smirk as well, right up until we were parting for the night. "Night Botan."

"Night." Just before I closed the door behind me, another thought occurred, and I opened it again, just catching him, "Satoshi, why do you keep calling me Botan? I'm not a little girl anymore." I stood on my toes a bit, "And I'm technically your superior."

Satoshi did a particularly good job of quashing the effect by reaching over and pinching my nose, "You're still the baby of this family Botan. You're still my little niece."

"Oi, less of the little. I can still kick your sorry ass round the training grounds." Since he still hadn't let go, the sentence came out nasally, and definitely not with the authority I was trying to convey, but with a final tweak, Satoshi went into his own room, reminding me to put on the black kimono for tomorrow. For a second, I wondered what he was on about, then shrugged it off, assuming it was one of the ones he had slipped in.


We wore coloured jackets while we walked to the graveyard, not wanting to look like ghouls until we were in the proper setting. Satoshi had given himself another shave and tidied up his beard, and I'd dithered over what to do with myself, before scraping my hair back into the most severe bun I could manage. It had required some help from my bemused uncle, but before too long, every inch of my face was visible to the world, tugged back by the roots.

I found myself constantly touching my hair, terrified of one of the pins falling out and causing the whole thing to come loose. Catching me at it when we got to the graveyard's entrance, Satoshi gave my hands a light smack, gesturing for me to go in first. Shrugging my coat off as I walked, I glanced at each grave in turn, as if I was looking for the family plot, even though I had seen it the second we walked in, my eyes constantly returning to the tree that marked Tadashi's resting place. Once I held the red silk in my hands, I carefully folded it over my arm, using the action to hide how I steeled myself. With that done, I stopped hesitating, and forced myself to move in the right direction with purpose.

Satoshi followed more sedately, in charge of carrying the basket of offerings we'd brought. The happiness we'd shared yesterday, maybe the only time we had really had together once he officially moved into Edo, had faded into a mutual dislike for what we were doing. The pair of us were working on an unspoken deal, that if one of us lost our nerve and tried to escape, the other had the same luxury. We were essentially each other's jailers.

Satoshi's footsteps stopped at my grandparent's grave, his head turning to make sure I actually made it to my parent's. The pair of us took a breath before kneeling down, our voices dropping so the other wouldn't hear what we were saying. At least that was the general idea, but I stayed staring at the characters spelling out Dad's name without speaking until Satoshi halted his own one sided conversation, "Botan?"

"He won't know my voice." I realised with a lump in my throat.

"He will, just…just tell him it's you."

Turning back to his parents, Satoshi kept one eye on me, only moving his attention entirely when I finally spoke, "Hey Dad, hey Mom, it's me, Sayomi. I- I know it's been a while since I was last here."
I wasn't stupid enough to think there was going to be an answer, but I waited a second anyway. "Things have been going well, I guess. There's been a few things cleared up, now. So I uh…I know why you both did what you did, and I'm sorry it's taken me this long to come back." I nibbled on my lip for a second, trying to find one subject out of the many I had, "So much has happened, and I don't know where to start, and I don't know if we'll be able to come again. But I met Hanbei, Dad, though I guess you already know that. Can you tell him Sayomi says hello and that I'm alright? And if you are watching, I'm sorry about your swords, I know you probably didn't think I'd screw up like that."

There was so much more I wanted to say, but actually phrasing it was difficult, so I turned to Mom's grave, taking another breath, "I don't know how I can apologise enough for every way I've insulted you or hated you for something I didn't understand. You were just trying to protect us, you just wanted your family safe, and I hated you for that. I thought that every day I lived was a slap in your face, when it was really a gift."

"It was easier to hate you both than to think that I had anything here. I promise that if we defeat Mitsunari, then I will personally kick him out of our land and restore it. I can't promise that I'll stay here, but whoever next rules Mino will be doing so under my watch."

Unsure as to whether there was anything else to say, I let Satoshi take my place, moving along to the last grave. This one was harder to approach, but I nudged myself forwards, taking longer to kneel this time. How do you face the one member of family that you had never lost faith in, knowing that they had been doomed from the start?

It had been Tadashi's grave that I'd tried to join when Hanbei had pulled me back. I don't know why I glanced to the side, looking for the scuff marks we must've made. Even if there was a ghost to be seen, my eyes weren't worthy of seeing it.

Sighing, I turned my attention back to the stone, gently tracing the carved name with the tips of my fingers, "I'm here Dashi. Your little sister's here."

As I spoke, keeping my subjects as light as I could, I wondered again what he would be like now. Would he approve of the war we were currently waging? What kind of friends would he draw to the circle we had? Would he be as protective of me as Mizu was of her brother?

A year older than me, but that had been enough to reveal how short his life would be.

I didn't realise I was crying until Satoshi tapped me on the shoulder, my uncle awkwardly averting his eyes when he saw. "We uh, we forgot to put the stuff out first."

I gave him a blank stare, before looking around him to see the still brimming baskets by Grandfather's grave, and making an 'oh' sound. "Do you think…"

"They heard, Botan. Don't you worry about that."