Chapter Seven
Pain by the Numbers

>>>Morning - May 2, 1583

Nobumitsu was a large man by any definition. He stood fully six feet tall, with thick muscle rippling throughout his well-tanned frame. Short, spiky black hair adorned his head along with a stern gaze and a perfectly square chin. His ordinary gray gi was tied only loosely to his waist by a white obi, allowing the garment to fall open around the collar and expose a hairless torso with pectorals and abdominal muscles that appeared as if chiseled in stone. A pair of matching gray shorts accompanied the gi in an effort to stave off the massive heat wave that had recently descended upon the region.

These features caused Nobumitsu to stand out from the daily crowd that flooded the shopping district of Komo Town. The man looked left and right as he walked toward the grain seller. A warm smile crossed his face, but the sternness never left his brown eyes. The bright sun above shone down upon townspeople full to the brim with vigor and purpose. Komo Town was by no means large, but its people had worked hard for many years to build this place. Nobumitsu felt a swell of pride when he thought about that.

Despite the disaster of Old Komo Town eight years before, a new and better town had resurrected the spirit of the citizens. Everywhere he looked, Nobumitsu could see the faces of honest, hard-working individuals. The tenants at the local inns had just finished their morning cleaning and stood outside to invite travelers into their quaint yet charming abodes. The salesmen of the marketplace proudly displayed their wares to customers side by side, creating a stupendous tapestry of delicious food, clothing, tools, and all manner of goods.

Nobumitsu turned his gaze toward the sky. Komo Town, a town created from wood, stone, and the thriving spirit of revival. Like the phoenix, born from the fires of destruction. A sad expression made its way across Nobumitsu's face. That night eight years ago . . .

Nobu banished thoughts of that tragedy from his mind as he pushed aside the cloth hanging from the entrance of the grain seller's shop. "Ohayo, Taroto-san!" he exclaimed.

The shopkeeper had lived an unusually long time; Komo Town had never existed for Nobumitsu without Taroto-san. The kind old man was well into his 60s and possibly early 70s, but he had always and probably would always love children. He had even once been kind enough to take in three orphans from outside the village.

Taroto-san laughed heartily and pointed a finger knotted with age at his customer. "You have always been the most punctual child in this town. I've never known you to miss your weekly stops by more than a minute or two."

Nobumitsu smiled. There had been a few times when he had missed those weekly stops. Of course, during that time, the shop had ceased to exist, along with the rest of the town.

"It is important for a man to be on time." Nobu replied, standing just inside the smallish wooden sales floor. "How else does one prove to be reliable?"

"Well put, son," Taroto commented. "Well put indeed. So, are you here for the usual?"

"That's right." Nobumitsu answered. "Three days' supply of white rice for my sister and I will do. I'm sure by now that you know the amount."

Taroto laughed once again as he opened a barrel to his left. "The day my memory starts to fade that badly, I want you to finish me yourself, Nobu."

Nobumitsu smiled warmly. It was expression he gave only to those he loved. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that, old man."

"So," Taroto began while filling a cloth pouch with the rice grains. "How goes the formation of the town militia?"

Nobu sighed heavily. "Absolutely nowhere. There are very few able-bodied men who are interested in the job. Despite what happened all those years ago, there still seems to be a general attitude that nothing like it will happen again." He paused on that sour note before continuing. "If only we had more young ones like the Kajikura brothers; those two will make fine guardsmen one day."

Taroto smiled knowingly. "Indeed they will. From the very moment that they saw you stave off that pair of armed bandits from the marketplace with your bare hands, they've wanted to be just like you." He finished measuring the rice and handed the pouch to Nobumitsu. "When do you suppose you'll find them camping out in some secluded corner of your house again?"

Nobumitsu chuckled while sorting through his money. "It is becoming habitual isn't it? Their parents are furious every time." He paused, allowing Taroto to respond, but the old man simply stared beyond Nobu and out into the streets.

The town guardian finished counting the money and pressed the coins to the shopkeeper's hand. "Taroto-san? Are you alright?"

Taroto seemed to snap out of a trance. "Oh, sorry my boy." He quickly counted the coins in his almost skeletal hand. "Just the right amount, as always. So, will you tell your sister Tomoe hello for me?"

"Indeed I will." Nobumitsu replied, securing the rice to his obi and beginning to walk back outside the shop. "See you again, Taroto-san."

"By the way," Taroto shouted after him. "You should get a good look at what just breathed in the north entrance."

"The north entrance?" the town guardian questioned quietly before turning his gaze to the aforementioned place. Suddenly, his combat senses took over. There were six strangers; none had before visited this town. Three katanas, two wakizashis, one broadsword, and a belt of kunai between them.

Nobumitsu did his best to keep his cool. It was not often that visitors bore weapons into the town without the intent of causing trouble. The guardian flexed his gigantic muscles with an audible stretching sound. Nobu had always despised weapons, preferring to overcome foes with his raw power alone. However, he might have to rethink his strategy against that many combatants.

Still, they did not appear especially threatening at the present moment. Nobumitsu allowed his eyes to take in the travelers' full appearances in order to calm his nerves. There were two apparent leaders of the group, judging by the fact that they walked ahead of the rest. Both wore conical straw hats that were fairly common throughout the region, but their similarities ended there.

One was an elderly man, not as old as Taroto-san, but in his later years nonetheless. Clothed in a white kimono, red obi, and black hakama, he hobbled forward in an unusually graceful manner on a pair of old wooden crutches that had not strayed far in craftsmanship from their previous occupation as tree branches. A sheathed katana and wakizashi adorned his left hip, looking far too well-kept to be the weapons of a bandit.

The other leader was almost completely covered from the neck down by a thick brown cloak, a clothing item known to be more common in the far northern provinces. Nobumitsu could just make out a green kimono and gray hakama from the separation at the front of the cloak, but the faint protrusion on the left side gave away the presence of a weapon. It was only natural, judging by the length of the protrusion, to assume that the weapon in question was a type of katana. This particular individual chose to keep his head low, which obscured his facial features. What the pose did not hide, however, were the locks of dark raven hair that made their way past the shelter of the straw hat and descended to just above shoulder height.

Of the four who followed behind the leaders, the boy in the white gi and simple gray pants looked the least threatening, chatting amicably with his companions. One thing that did stand out about him, however, was his unusual blonde hair. Nobumitsu raised an eyebrow. Komo Town had boasted quite a few travelers since its completion, but never one from overseas. Was this boy some sort of merchant?

The girl who possessed the belt of kunai was dressed in a dark blue gi and precious little else. Nobu felt like detaining her for indecency alone, but who knew? Perhaps she was some sort of courtesan? The wild brown hair that covered one side of her face and fell past her waist in the form of a ponytail seemed seriously out of place with that assumption. Her headband also sported a metallic medallion. A kunoichi, perhaps? No, they never traveled with this sort of crowd.

Nobumitsu ceased his wonderings about the scantily clad girl and gazed over the party's smallest member, who was covered completely from head to toe by an exceedingly simple hooded cloak. The garment was similar to the northerner's design, but not as thick. Could the group be attempting to conceal this one's identity?

The last member of the group was a dark-skinned man with a violet kimono, gray hakama, white headband, and an unkempt mess of jet-black hair. He carried the remaining katana and wakizashi in the group, moving at a slower pace. Nobumitsu initially assumed the boy's slowness to be caused by the gigantic western broadsword slung across his back. However, upon closer inspection, Nobumitsu noticed several bruises, a black eye, and white bandages placed all over his person. Had these travelers recently seen combat? And if so, why was only one of them injured in such a manner?

Nobumitsu suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia pass through his mind. The boy in the violet kimono . . . Nobu was sure that he had never seen the man in his life before now, but there was something oddly familiar about him. Perhaps he was a blood relative of someone who Nobu had encountered long ago?

No, the boy was too familiar for that. However, the simplest answer was also the least likely. It simply couldn't be him . . .

>>>

"I can't . . . believe . . . we finally . . . made it." Takashi gasped as he and his companions entered the northern entrance of Komo Town.

"Aw," Noriko cooed with mock concern, looking back towards the ronin. "Is walking too hard for poor Takashi?" Her face suddenly transformed into a mask of anger. "Could it have something to do with that light amount of punishment he received last night?"

The ronin simply shuddered in response.

"I think we should leave as soon as we can." Yuki complained from beneath the heavy cloak that Noriko had loaned her. "I hate having all this cloth on me; it makes me feel all cooped up."

"It's kind of necessary." Fuji commented. "A lot of people would freak out if they saw a demon walking right through the middle of town, and we need to keep a low profile if we're going to find out about the guy that killed-"

"Noriko's father." Yuki interrupted. "So who asked you anyway, priest boy? Let's see you walk around in this stinking heat trap for a while."

Megumi smiled widely and leaned down to Yuki's height. "Someone's real grumpy today."

"You bet." Yuki grumbled. "So, Noriko, what's the plan?"

Noriko stopped and turned to the group along with Jeffy. "Well, I'm off to find some information about my father's murderer."

"Oh yeah," Takashi replied sarcastically. "That leaves a heck of a lot for us to do."

Noriko's face once again twisted into anger. "I don't recall asking for your opinion, pervert."

"Unfortunately," Jeffy interceded. "I must also take my leave of you for the day. I need to find someone who knows the exact whereabouts of the shrine at Mt. Gozaisho, that is, unless our young apprentice here happens to know the way.""

"I'm afraid that I do not." the apprentice conceded. "I just heard about what happened to it; I've never actually been there."

"In that case," Jeffy surmised. "I'd better get to work. Mata ne!"

Noriko watched the sword master depart before turning again to the rest of the group. "If you guys need something to do while Jeffy and I are getting info, you might try renting a room at one of the local inns. I think our business here may extend overnight." She put her right hand to her chin, as if trying to decide something. "Now let's see; who can I trust with the money pouch?"

It didn't take long for her to decide. "Okay, would you mind handling the funds, Yuki?"

"That's a great idea." Takashi sneered. "Give all the money to the one we know the least about."

"Still gonna keep that act up, huh?" Yuki mumbled from beneath the shadow of the hooded cloak. "Even so, I'd prefer it if you didn't add anymore weight to me. This cloak is stifling enough as it is."

"Hmm," Noriko mused. "Well, then I guess it falls to you, Fuji."

Fuji looked genuinely shocked as Noriko placed the pouch in his hands. "What? Are you sure you can trust me with this?"

Noriko made a half-grin. "What did I tell you before? I don't trust anyone. However, Yuki doesn't want it, Takashi would just blow it on sake, and Megumi . . . Well, I'd rather leave it with you."

"Hai." Fuji replied in a subdued tone. It seemed like he still had a ways to go in that "trust" department.

"Okay, people." Noriko stated as she began to depart. "Try to get someplace decent."

As soon as Noriko faded into the crowd, Fuji suddenly felt the money pouch leave his hand by Takashi's efforts.

"Hey!" the apprentice shouted in surprise. "What are you doing? Noriko asked me to take care of the funds!"

"What do you think I'm doing?" Takashi remarked off-handedly as he began to head off to the east side of town and examine the coins within the cloth pouch. "I'm gonna go get some sake."

"How disgraceful," Yuki protested. "You know how mad Noriko will be if she finds out you spent her money on booze. Just what kind of person have you become anyway?"

"I'm sorry," Takashi replied, putting a cupped hand to his left ear. "Did somebody say something? I could have sworn somebody asked me a question." The ronin shrugged his shoulders. "Must have been the wind."

"Takashi!" Megumi fumed. "Yuki-chan is talking to you!"

"Really?" Takashi sarcastically responded. "Never heard of her."

"Let it go." Yuki said, placing a hand on Megumi's arm. "If he wants to be a child, then let him." Her eyes narrowed beneath the hood. Just what was the matter with this guy?

"Still," Fuji interjected as the group proceeded behind the steadily advancing Takashi. "I need to be handling the money. We can't just go and blow it all on sake! Noriko will be seriously pissed!"

Takashi smiled as the heavy broadsword clanked across his back. "It's times like these, Fuji, when you should remember who is the teacher around here. I'm obviously doing this for your benefit; the Jeffy-Yaen sake-drinking techniques are an important part of your training."

Fuji sighed heavily and decided to make a compromise rather than carry on the argument. "Okay, but we're only having one drink and that's it. You hear me? After that, we're going straight to an inn."

"But Fuji-san," Megumi commented. "What about Noriko's money? We can't just spend it like that."

"Don't worry." Fuji replied with a touch of exasperation. "I have enough to pay for it myself."

"Whoa!" Takashi shouted, stopping suddenly and turning to Fuji. "You would buy the drinks for me? Obviously, you have less to learn in this area of your training than I thought."

Fuji cast a withering look at the hapless ronin. "I'm beginning to think that you often use the words 'my training' in place of 'your mooching'."

"That could very well be true." Takashi grinned. "But it is of no consequence; I have sighted the perfect opportunity for a cheap drink."

The group's eyes all turned in the direction of the ronin's outstretched finger to an outdoors ramen bar that protruded from the surrounding buildings.

Fuji looked at the construct suspiciously. "I know that can't be a place to get good sake, and I've never even had any."

Takashi slung an arm around the apprentice's shoulders and ushered him to a seat at the bar while laying aside the cursed broadsword. "I never said it would be high-quality, but since you're new, we'll start off light."

No one seemed to notice the concern that crossed Megumi's face when she saw the broadsword laid to rest next to Takashi. Nonetheless, she took the seat next to Takashi with great apprehension in her movements while Yuki wordlessly assumed a position next to Fuji. The catgirl laid her head down between crossed arms on the wooden counter as if to take a nap.

"So," the owner of the establishment commented as he approached his four new customers. "What can I get for you today?"

Takashi raised his middle and index fingers. "Let's get two bottles of sake and some drinking bowls." A mischievous smile crossed the ronin's face. "Oh, and my friend Fuji right here will pick up the tab."

Fuji looked very downcast as he rummaged through his meager wallet. "I thought I said one drink."

"Hey," Takashi laughed. "Don't look so glum, my student! You're about to get your first taste of true manhood."

Yuki shifted in her resting pose. "And that worked out so well the last time."

Takashi paid her no heed as the bottles were brought to the counter. "Alright, let's get cooking."

Megumi shifted restlessly in her seat.

He's coming; I can hear him.

"Now, the secret is," Takashi began to explain to the apprentice.

Any minute now, it'll all be over.

"You've got to sip almost gracefully." Takashi continued while taking hold of an empty bowl. "Kind of like this."

I can't.

"You tip it up, and slowly . . ." the ronin commented while making the motions with the bowl.

Why can't I!

Megumi's right hand shot straight across Takashi's back just in time for a kunai to bury half its blade length into her palm. The girl shouted in pain as Takashi and Fuji turned completely around to face the threat.

"What the hell!" Takashi shouted upon seeing Megumi's injured hand.

"There!" Fuji pointed. "Somebody's on the roof!"

Shisho Kumo looked genuinely surprised on a rooftop across the street, his loose, dark red clothes fluttering in the breeze. The ninja quickly recovered from his shock and made a motion as if to depart. "Mission failed. Returning to fallback point."

Yuki suddenly and unexpectedly shot out of the ramen bar and removed her cloak in a single swipe. Her pupils had narrowed to feline slits and the golden irises shone bright yellow with anger. She snatched the kunai out of Megumi's palm, flew through the air, and plunged the weapon into Kumo's right shoulder. Due to the unbelievable speed of the action, Kumo and Megumi cried out in pain almost simultaneously.

The catgirl sneered with murderous intent. "'Returning to fallback point', huh? He might be a real jerk, but no one tries to hurt Taka-kun and gets away with it!"

(End Chapter Seven)

Japanese Dialogue and Terms (in order of appearance):

ohayo - translates as "good morning".

mata ne - translates as "see you later".