Remember that this was going to be shounen-ai? Well if you're not into that stuff this chapter isn't going to be for you, believe me!

Honor and Loyalty

Chapter 6: Limits

He traveled along the silent roads, trailing after Yukimura-sama as the man walked carelessly out in the open.

There was a look in his eyes that worried Saizo. It made him feel edgy and uncertain. It was the reason why he walked several yards behind him instead of beside him.

The look that Saizo had noted on Yukimuras' face was of someone yearning for blood. He had seen it before on the faces of the warrior's moments before a great battle. This look usually only appeared on Yukimuras' face when the thought of fighting Kyo came up, but now...

What did Shinrei do to him?

Saizo had reported to Yukimura-sama of Sakuya's disappearance and of Akira's current whereabouts after his lord had returned with Yuya-san and Demon Eyes Kyo, but he hadn't seemed to even hear the words.

The next day Benitora and Sasuke left to go to Edo to stop the assassination of Ieyasu Tokugawa, after Shinrei had planted the Seiryu around Yuya-san's heart and Okuni-san left in search of Kyos' body.

Demon Eyes Kyo was going to learn the secrets of the Muramasa sword from Muramasa himself and Yukimura had said that he was going into the mountains to train.

...But they weren't heading towards the mountains...

Saizo kept opening his mouth to try to ask where they were going, but every time he reconsidered upon seeing Yukimura's face. That look frightened him and he contemplated leaving.

He swallowed hard before deciding that he would check on Kudoyama. That would keep him busy for a while. He began veering away from his lord not trusting himself to speak.

"Where are you going?"

Saizo stopped in his tracks, noting darkly that Yukimura still had his back turned to him, but had stopped to wait for him.

"I..." he stuttered on his words.

"I'm going to be needing you, Saizo, so come along," Yukimura said and began walking again.

Saizo hesitated before continuing to follow his lord's footsteps. He noted that it would be dusk soon and wondered whether or not Yukimura planned on camping out on the roadside.

They walked for several more minutes on the road before Yukimura suddenly veered to the left and walked through the overgrown trees and brush.

Saizo followed and almost ran into his lord when Yukimura stopped abruptly.

"Let's camp here tonight," he said grinning as he pulled at the sake bottle in his right hand and took a large gulp from it.

Saizo looked at him uncertainly before he walked over and began gathering nearby firewood to use. It was normal for him to set up camp and usually it didn't matter much to him, but for some reason tonight was different.

Perhaps it was in the fact that Yukimura remained absolutely silent behind him. Usually his lord made silly comments and lightened the mood. This time there was nothing. Not even the sound of the sake bottle moving came to Saizos' ears.

And than perhaps it was because even with his back turned Saizo could feel his lords' eyes watching him. He didn't have to look up to know that. He could feel it in the way the muscles in his back tensed and the nervous shake came into his hands. He had trouble starting the fire and frowned in agitation at his reaction.

He finally did manage to start the fire and slowly glanced at Yukimura-sama out of the corner of his eye. Just as he suspected the mans' eyes were watching him and if Saizo didn't know better he would have thought that they were...appraising him?

Saizo shook his head before standing up and facing Yukimura. "Do you want me to find something to eat?"

"Nah, it's fine," Yukimura replied absently as he brushed his shoulder against Saizo's when he passed him and sat down near the fire.

Saizo stood uncertainly watching as his lord looked into the flames and drank some more sake like as if nothing was strange or unusual.

"I'm going to go get some water. I'll be right back," Saizo stated before starting towards the river near their camp.

He walked away without looking back and finally reached the water source. He felt uneasy for some reason and thought that perhaps knowing where he was would help. Quickly he climbed one of the taller trees to look around. From his position he could see just past the forest and he marveled at how far they had traveled and also of where they were headed.

"We're near the Mibu..." he murmured aloud as he jumped down to the ground and gathered some water to drink.

He headed back to the small camp and found Yukimura-sama in the exact same spot that he had left him and hesitated before finally he trailed forward and sat down near his lord.

"Yukimura-sama? Where are we going?" Saizo asked cautiously.

"Why ask when you already know?" Yukimura asked in turn smiling disarmingly at Saizo.

"Yukimura-sama, I believe we should leave before the Mibu Clan picks up on our location. Please, I'm sure that the others will—" Saizo stopped mid sentence when a hand calmly touched his cheek.

"I plan on joining the Mibu Clan, Saizo," his lord said trailing the hand along his lower jawbone.

"But, Yuki—" Saizo tried to insist, but again that hand moved to stop him when a finger was placed over his lips.

"But in order to join I need to find a way inside," Yukimura continued unperturbed. "I'll need your help."

Saizo shook his head, his lords' hand still pressed over his lips. If he found a way inside than Yukimura-sama would...

"You said that Sakuya was missing, right? Don't you think this is the best way of finding her?" Yukimura asked as he pulled his hand away and looked at Saizo inquiringly.

"They'll kill you the moment you set foot inside the castle," Saizo replied.

"I'll give them reason not to," Yukimura replied leaning against Saizo's shoulder. "All I want you to do is find a way in, that's all, Saizo Kirigakure."

Saizo knew that he was calling for disaster when he began contemplating what to do. Half of him wished that he had taken his own suggestion earlier of going to Kudoyama to get away, but the other half was trying to think of what to do in the current situation.

All he had to do was find a way inside...but than what?

"Would you actually be willing to let the person you care about most go there?"

Kosuke's words came back to him and he looked up at the fire wondering what he should do. If he refused Yukimura's orders than he was disobeying and if he did go through with the orders than... would he be sending his lord to his death?

Saizo didn't get the chance to finish his thoughts when a hand touched his cheek once more before moving to the back of his neck and pulling him forward.

"You promised, remember?" Yukimura asked smiling at the startled look on Saizos' face.

Saizos' eyes widened as Yukimuras' face stopped just inches from his. "I promised to..."

Saizo was having trouble concentrating as lips brushed against his and he couldn't finish his sentence when a tongue trailed along his lower lip. His initial reaction was to pull away, but that was made useless by the hand at the back of his neck, holding him in place.

"...To serve and protect me," Yukimura finished for him as he finally pulled back a little bit, smiling sweetly at Saizo.

"Will you find me a way into the Mibu Clan?" Yukimura asked trailing a hand up his shoulder and back down, stopping at the armguards.

Saizo swallowed hard before nodding numbly. He felt almost like a puppet connected to strings even as the smile widened on Yukimuras' face.

"Thank you," his lord whispered.

Saizo fell back away from Yukimura and quickly turned away. He looked back only once to see Yukimura watching him before moving towards the Mibu Clan without a word, barely noticing where he was going as the last of the sunlight vanished behind the horizon.