A/N: Hello, sorry for the long delay been getting all my last minute coursework and stuff out of the way for my stupid G.C.S.E's in a couple of weeks time, which means I've been doing revision in most of my lessons not writing my fan fics as I would normally :-P lol. Well thanks for the reviews and hope you like this chapter, and maybe you might not have to wait so long for the next one.

"What do you mean you couldn't bring him back? I sent you to Hagi to go and find him and bring him back to him and yet you come back here empty handed telling me this." Akio shouted at the girl.

"I'm sorry but I couldn't get in to The Otori house. Master Kenji is also staying there. It would have been to risky."

This angered Akio more. That medalling old man. Akio thought bitterly. "Risky? Aren't you a part of the Tribe? Don't you have the skills to do the task?" The girl just nodded looking down at the floor. "Well then you couldn't you have done it? It looks like I shall just have to do it myself. Now go and let Master Sintaro to get me my horse ready. I will be leaving to day."

"Yes Master Akio." The girl said while she bowed then hurried out of the room.

Akio pounded the wall the sat down. Why? He thought Why must this happen? Takeo has taken everything a way from me, everything that is close to me. I shall go to Hagi and reclaim what is mine.

"Come in" Akio shouted angrily as someone knocked at the door.

"I hear you are leaving. Is this true?"

"Yes. I am going to Hagi. It looks like little Kori was got himself in to trouble."

"Just like his father then."

Akio didn't like to hear that. It reminded him of Takeo. Although Kori was Takeo's child, Akio had raised Kori since the Tribe killed Yuki. He had helped him train and learn. Everyone knew the Yuki was Kori's mother, they had been told that she had died during childbirth, but the truth was kept hidden, just like the truth about Kori's fatherhood. Many thought Akio was Kori's fathers, but others thought differently; for they had met Takeo and knew whom Kori resembled the most.

"I am leaving today, so if you don't mind I'll be on my way." Akio said as he pushed him self past the man and headed to collect his things.

About an hour later, Akio sat on his horse, ready to leave. "I'll be back in a few days Sintaro." Akio said patting his great black horse.

"Don't be to hard on the lad." Sintaro replied handing Akio the reins.

"Don't worry he still has a task to finish off." Akio took the reins and wrapped them around his hands. "Make your everyone stays out of trouble while I'm gone."

Sintaro nodded "Goodbye Akio."

"Goodbye." Akio said kicking his horse gently, setting off on the long road to Hagi.

"What's he got himself in to this time?" Sintaro muttered as he made his was back to the stables.

I paced around my small study. My widows were wide open allowing the morning air to greet me. Fragments of my strange dream haunted me, swimming around my head like fish in a bowl while butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I wanted to tell Kenji of my dream, hoping that he would be able to help me understand what it meant, but he was in the other side of Hagi investigating the tribal rumours that were going around, and wouldn't be back till after noon.

Tired, I slumped down on to one of the arm chairs by the window, and watched the two twins, Kimura and Kazuko playing tricks on Kori, who seemed to know a few of is own. Tokoriki was with Kaede, who was teaching her to sew. I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds in the house trying to distract my mind.

"Takeo"

I opened my eyes to find Kenji standing him front of me laughing.

"You were asleep." He said.

"Well sleep comes to all of us." I laughed. "So what did you find out?"

Kenji's faced changed so I knew it wasn't going to be good news. He pulled another chair up to mine.

"Takeo it doesn't look good." He said. "It seems that Akio had left the Tribe home to come here. I don't know where he is or if he is even here yet."

Oh no. I thought. This is bad.

"I'm not sure if we should tell Kori yet."

"But his going to find out if Akio comes looking for him. The Tribe doesn't let you go if you disobey them, especially Akio." I said, knowing the truth for myself.

Kenji nodded. "But I don't think we should tell him just yet. He looks so happy here. Lets not worry him yet."

"Ok but lets not leave it to late to tell him, because things just might get worse."

"I agree. So how are you this morning? You look slightly worries about something. Its not Kaede and the baby is it?" Kenji asked.

I told Kenji about the dream, and about the voice.

"Takeo. I think you could be in need of some rest. It could just be shock or something. I'll go and thing this over but I think you should just stay up here and rest."

"I will talk to you later" I said leaning back in my chair.

"Ok then Takeo, I shall talk to you later." Kenji said, walking out the room.

I hope his right, I thought, I don't think the dream was a good thing. Yawning I closed my eyes. Maybe I am just tried and it's just my mind playing tricks on me.

At the gates of Hagi a black horse rode up with a cloaked figure riding. He had been riding for a few days to reach Hagi and with a little talk to the two men in the gatehouse, the cloaked man was allowed in to the city. Remounting his horse, the man rode over the bridge and in to the sea town of Hagi.