Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yuugi or Chichiri. Wish I did, tho...

Nuriko had broken down completely, and poor Tasuki was trying to calm her down. Chiriko had not stopped his constant sniffling, either. Mitsukake was silent, as usual. They all looked up when Chichiri came down... carrying Tamahome's blood-stained body. "... We should at least bury him, no da," he muttered.

Tamahome was carefully laid on the table. Mitsukake healed his wounds and gently closed Tama's eyelids, to cover the look of terror that haunted them all. Chichiri commenced his blessings, but Chiriko interrupted. "... Where are we going to bury him? We cannot go out in this weather."

Chichiri stopped and looked at the child. "... That's true, no da..."

But before any of them could think, a voice cut the silence. "What a pity for Tamahome... such a sudden death." Everyone whipped around to find none other than Nakago glide out of the shadows. "Why the looks of contempt? I've come to pay respects," he said and grinned.

Tasuki got to his feet and glared. "What th' hell're you doin' here?"

"You really shouldn't swear like that... Tasuki, isn't it?" The bandit curled his lip in response. "Then I am correct in saying you must be terribly upset about this... unfortunate situation?"

Tasuki was stunned, but let no signs of it show to the Seiryu warrior. "Whaddaya mean?"

"Your little argument, of course."

"How th' hell would you know?!?"

"I have been here for several days. Yet it was pointless to reveal myself until the right time came."

Chichiri had also gotten up. "You did this, didn't you, no da?"

Nakago grinned again. "I am afraid not. Though I must commend whichever of you did."

The Suzaku seishi looked at each other nervously. They all knew Nakago must be lying. "Y... You're wrong... None of us would kill Tamahome, no da."

"It's easy to say that, isn't it?" The Seiryu seishi came closer to Chichiri. "You are the only man ever to break my wards... But I am getting off of the subject. I will bury Tamahome." He went to get the body, but Tasuki and Nuriko stood in his way.

"You're not touching him," Nuriko exclaimed, "without going through us!" Her armlets reappeared, and Tasuki held out his tessen, ready to fight Nakago.

But Nakago didn't attack. He only smiled again and said, "As you wish..." He grabbed Chichiri by the wrists. "Now, really, would you want anything to happen to him? Move and I shall release him."

The grip on his wrists were too strong for the monk to break. He didn't understand why Nakago had suddenly focused on him. Was he merely a replacement target since Tamahome was gone? "D- daaaaa!!" he struggled against the warrior to no avail.

Tasuki and Nuriko looked at each other and nodded. They didn't want to be responsible for another possible death among them, so they moved aside. Nakago let Chichiri go and picked up Tamahome's lifeless body. "... Indeed... such a pity... I had grown fond of tormenting him..."

Chichiri tightened the grip on his bamboo staff as Nakago actually went outside in the snowstorm. Nuriko closed and locked the door behind him. "... He can't do anything to him, anyway... N-not anymore..." She put on a forced grin and turned to the others. "M-maybe he'll leave us alone now that he took Tama-baby..." Nuriko broke down once more and fell to the floor in tears. Then she suddenly stopped and got up. "I want to know who did this..."

"... We all do, no da," Chichiri sighed.

"Th-that bastard's gotta be lyin'..." Tasuki's hands were clenched into tight fists. "None of us'd ever wanna kill another... right?" He looked around at his fellow seishi. They all nodded in agreement.

A pounding at the door startled them. Nuriko sweatdropped. "... Should we open it?"

"Of course not! What if it's Nakago, no da?" Chichiri exclaimed.

"But why would be come back?" No one could answer. Then all of the sudden, Nuriko's entire aura changed. "Evreyone, be on your guard. I'm opening the door," she warned in a steady voice. Chiriko, who's kanji was out of control now, ran upstairs. Mitsukake, Tasuki, and Chichiri stood firmly, ready to attack should the time come. Nuriko slowly unlocked the door, and a snowy Nakago burst in.

He brushed himself off and looked around. "Why so tense? I gave him a proper burial, I can assure you."

"Words coming from you are useless," Nuriko replied.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... Now, is that any way to treat a guest? After I buried your beloved Tamahome?"

No one knew if he was telling the truth. "How do we know you actually buried him like you said you would?" Nuriko asked carefully, ready to pounce if she had to.

"Would you want to go outside to look?" She fell silent. "I thought so. You all can trust my word. I have no reason to kill any of you... and I am always a man of my word... yet I wonder..."

"About what?"

"...Why one of YOU would kill him?" Nakago looked at each of them.

"... Don't be a fool! None of US killed him!"

The Seiryu chosen laughed. "Yes, it is always easy to place blame on an enemy. It's so difficult to blame a friend." Silence. "I will want to stay to see how this plays out. I bid you all good night." He bowed before them and went upstairs.

Tasuki stood, twitching in anger. "That... son of a..."

Nuriko put a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down. There's not much we can do for now. He hasn't done anything yet that we can be sure of."

"What're ya sayin', Nuriko?!? That one of us killed Tamahome?!?"

"No. I just think Nakago may be telling the truth..."

"Then... d'ya think there're other Seiryu warriors here?"

"No, no da. I can't sense any presence of them, no da," Chichiri answered.

Tasuki lowered his fists. "I don' trust 'im. An' ya can't make me."

"None of us trust him. But we can't do anything until he tells us, no da. We should all get some sleep... but someone should stay awake in case something else happens, no da."

"I'll do it," Tasuki volunteered. "If he does anythin' suspicious, I'll wake y'all up."

(A/N: Now you can all take your guess about who's done the killing around here! Seriously, go ahead... I'm curious to see, no da!)