Waaiii! Ok, since I'll be starting school visits on Thursday and won't be able to update as quickly from that point, I'm going to give you all another update today, and maybe one later this week. After that, I'm thinking around the 28th. Maybe later. I know I know, sorry, but unfortunatley, I am in Japan because I do have to work. I like my job too, so that's a plus. :) I'll be writing like mad until the end of the 19th so I can hopefully advance the story far enough to just have to put up new chapters instead of write them too. Yes, this is a WIP, but with all these reviews to keep me going, as well as plot points I want to get to, it's moving pretty fast. :) Thanks to all my reviewers, you have a section at the bottom, and special thanx to Heather R, for her wonderful encouragement and support of my story. If it wasn't for her, you probably wouldn't be reading this right now. Please check out her stuff. It's awesome!! Ok, on with the vocab.
And the vocab for today's story is:
"Irrashaimase!!" : I LOVE this phrase! It's so nice. It means basically 'Welcome!' or/and 'How may I help you?' one of the many ways the Japanese retailers try to make their customers feel more at ease. Shopping here is really, really nice. They're so attentative and not pushy!! :)
Daimyo : A Daimyo is the equivalent of a lord. The Daimyo served as lords beneath the Shogun (or the head samurai/lord ; i.e. the head of the government.). They swore loyalty to him and served him only. In fact, I beleive later on during the Edo period (which lasted something like 500 years...), the daimyo were forced to leave their lands once a year and travel to Edo to meet with the Shogun in Edo. Their families were basically held hostage in homes in Edo near the Shogunate, and should a daimyo disobey, you can bet something not nice happened to his wife and kids. This journey also happened to be incredibly financially draining, not to mention quite long for some, which was another way the Shogun kept his power absolute. Here, Takatori is a high-ranking Daimyo who has direct ties with the Shogun. Not all daimyo do. Or did, rather. :)
Notes on clothing (i.e. gi and kimonos) are quite lengthy and probably boring for most, so they will be skipped. However, if you have the burning desire to know the ins and outs of wearing a kimono, just let me know, and I'll tell you all about it...;.
Not much else for this chapter I think. If you have any other vocab or culture questions, ask away! I'll blab about it to an embarassing length.... Ok, on with the show!!!
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Chapter 3
"A firefly
Lights up
Another firefly dead".
Koi Nagata
Yohji had watched the whole encounter with wide, amazed eyes. Although the enraged man on the foot path had obviously not known what group of men he was attacking, Yohji knew full well, and was floored when the young man not only landed a hit on Farferello, but managed to knock the psychopath down on a second strike; one which also managed to knock Schulditch aside as well.
From his place in the underbrush, Yohji watched the battle with Crawford and then Schulditch again unfold with anticipation, his respect and awe for the skill of the man before him growing with every moment. He had never seen such determination in a man in Ken's position. It ended however, as every moment must, with the young, half naked brunette pinned face down and at the mercy of Faferello's daggers. He breathed a sigh of relief when Crawford, a tall, American man, beckoned his associates off the young ninja and away to where they were already late for a meeting with the daimyo.
Once he assumed it was safe to come out, he crept slowly from his hiding place and onto the footpath towards the young man in question. Yohji had never seen a man fight like that. He had seen men fight in desperation alright, but only to save themselves. This man had had no concern for his own well being, and every concern for the unconscious Kase. It was infuriating to see him fight for Kase so desperately and know that Kase had betrayed that loyalty as if it were nothing. Cautiously, he turned the young man over, and lit a small candle he pulled from a pouch secured to his belt. The flint showered sparks into the darkness, and one caught, erupting into a small, bright flame along the candle wick. Yohji held it close to the man's face to study him.
Tanned skin and matted, tangled brown hair. Cracked, dry lips smudged with soot to match other various places on his face were opened slightly, allowing small, shallow breaths into the lungs and throat. Blood stained everything; skin, hair, what clothing the man wore. It saturated some of the soil beneath the brunette's chest. It was hard to tell if it all belonged to him. Yohji hoped not. Kritiker would not want to loose such a valuable fighter. Yohji certainly didn't think the world deserved to loose a vibrant, brave soul such as this one.
Looking around cautiously once again, he reached out and gently prodded the muscular body, checking for the depth and severity of injuries. His conclusion was grim. If he didn't get this man some form of help tonight, it was probable he would die. Yohji was suddenly grateful he'd risked coming on a horse, although the animal was at least a mile's walk back at the burned-out village. What to do? He would leave the ninja here and bring the horse back. No sense in jarring the young man overly much in his state, and he could go much faster alone and unburdened.
Course of action decided, Yohji gently moved the unconscious brunette to the side of the foot path and pulled off his own black gi, laying it over the man's chest as a protective, camouflaging cover as much for warmth. He was already anticipating a fever. It did not need to grow any worse. He blew out the candle and set it back in his pouch. Settled, Yohji ran off at a quick pace, eager to get his horse and get them both out. He was taking a big risk by saving this man. A big risk on all sides. He only hoped he wouldn't regret it.
OOOOO
He returned what felt like an eternity later, but had only been perhaps twenty minutes at most. The man still lay still and unmoving where Yohji had left him, and he sighed in relief. He could see no signs of anyone else having come by, and dismounted, tethering his horse to a low-hanging pine branch while he figured out the best way to get them both onto the horse and stable enough to ride without aggravating any of the young man's wounds further. He finally untethered his horse and managed to somehow heave the man into the saddle, leaning him against the horse's neck. He may have looked smaller than Yohji, but Yohji should have guessed at the dense, packed muscle beneath the tanned skin. Yohji climbed up behind him and gently pulled him back to rest against his chest, tucking the black gi around him more securely once more. He took up the reigns in one hand around the left side, careful to avoid the large gash across the man's ribs, while his other hand slid carefully around his waist to keep him in place. Deciding they were as settled as they would ever be, Yohji nudged his horse into a gallop towards the neighboring village. He needed a place to hide Ken and see to it that he was cared for, and he had just the lovely lady in mind…
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Yuriko yawned heavily and shuffled her feet slowly as she moved out of the front door and into the pre-dawn chill. A pale blue color was just blooming on the horizon, and although she thought it was beautiful, she would have gladly stayed in bed and missed it for a little more sleep. But work was work, and life as a fisherman's daughter was hard work; which meant early hours and little sleep. In the distance, she could still see thin wisps of smoke from the hidden village close by. She shuddered involuntarily. Normally such wisps could have been dismissed as cooking fires, and they had been; before the village had been destroyed. Yuriko wondered about that constantly since they had heard the news; seen the huge flames roaring into the twilight sky in the distance nearly a day and a half ago. Not how. But why. Why had someone been so cruel, so completely merciless as to destroy an entire village and leave the ones around it? It seemed so awful to her. Not that she wanted her village to be attacked, but she wondered why only thatone. Bandits would surely have hit the entire area. And they would not have been able to destroy everything so completely, she was sure of it. Nor would they have bothered.
The familiar sounds of her father moving about in the storage shack brought her back to the moment, and the day ahead. Yuriko sighed heavily, wishing that her life wasn't so monotonous. She would have liked some kind of adventure. She often dreamed of packing up her few things and simply traveling, anywhere her feet could take her. But she couldn't leave her father and mother alone. They were getting older now, and she was their only daughter. They needed the strength of her youth to live. It was unfair, but that was life, and she would be dammned if she'd ever desert them to that kind of fate.
She was stretching as she heard a familiar, soft whistle in the bushes near the side of the house. A small thrill coursed up her spine as she checked to make sure no one was watching and then darted towards the sound. She dove through a small screen of underbrush and giggled softly in delight when Yohji caught her up in his arms and kissed her senseless. She gave in to him for a moment of enjoyment before pulling back and fixing him with a sassy glare.
"Kudo Yohji, how dare you!! What do you think you're doing here!?" she growled. Yohji put his fingers to his lips in alarm, trying to motion her into silence.
"Yuriko, my love, do I ever need a reason to look at your beautiful face?" he crooned silkily, flashing her a charming smile. Yuriko remained unmoved. She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted mock hurt.
"Of course not. Or Asano-chan's, or Reika-chan's, or Midori-chan's, or Shizuka-chan's….Did I leave anyone out?" she asked, batting her eyelashes in deceptive sweetness. Yohji winced.
"Ahh….no, I think that about covers it." He replied guiltily. 'At least in this area anyways.' He quipped silently.
"And what are you doing hiding in the bushes and being all secretive? I have to work today, so if you want to enjoy my company, you'd better let father know you're here." She went on further. Yohji's eyes widened in panic.
"NO! Err….no, that's alright thanks. I still have a scar from the last time I think. Your old man is pretty scary…" he trailed off, rubbing at his left arm and wincing.
"My father is only worried about his daughter's reputation and vulnerability to ladies' men like yourself." Yuriko shot back. "And anyway, why are you here so secretly?" her curiosity was piqued.
"Actually, aside from seeking your charming company while wishing to keep my manhood relatively intact, I have a err….favor to ask you…" when Yuriko pouted again he pressed on hastily. "Remember the village that got sacked?"
"How could I forget Yohji? Gods, it was awful…"
"Right, well, they were wrong about the survivors. There was one. He's really badly hurt though. And Yuriko, I have a feeling someone will be looking for him. You don't go to the trouble of slaughtering an entire village to let one guy go missing…Can you….Do you know a good hiding place…?" Yohji winced, waiting to be blasted into the next phase of the moon for trying to drag her into danger. He was quite disconcerted when he got a brilliant, sunny smile instead.
"Is that what you wanted?? Yohji, of course! You know I'd do anything to help someone in need. That poor man, is he going to be ok? Let's put him up in my room right away. I'm sure mom will help with the bandaging. Dad will understand—" Yohji put his fingers to her lips before she could continue, looking around cautiously to see if anyone had overheard them yet.
"Yuriko, I'm not putting you or your family in that kind of danger. Listen, I need a good place to hide him where no one lives. I'll need to bandage him up and someone needs to check on him regularly to make sure he's alive until I can come back for him tomorrow. Can you do that for me?" Yuriko looked put out, but nodded. She hated to admit that she was touched by Yohji's concern for the welfare of her family and herself.
"There's a woodshed out on the edge of Kakuhiro's farm that no one uses this time of year. Usually it's for when they're looking at the far fields and have to stay over night, so it's got a palate in it. Not sure how it's going to be for a sick man though. It's on the way to town, so I can check on him regularly enough, but I can't baby-sit him all the time if my parents don't know what's going on." The edge in her voice was softened by concern for a stranger.
"That's more than I can hope to ask for Yuriko-chan, you're the best!" Yohji responded, clasping her hands affectionately.
"Wait for me by the pond near the road to town. I'll sneak away in an hour and meet you there. We'll go together and you can explain things to me a little better. Until then…" she kissed him and turned, running towards the house just as the voice of her father rose in pitch, demanding to know where she was. Yohji smiled to himself and sped off towards his horse. He knew he'd made the right choice. Yuriko may have been upset with him; with good reason, as always, but she was more than willing to help someone else in need.
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As he waited in the shade of the woods beside the pond, Yohji decided to take the opportunity to cleanse the injured man's wounds; both to get a better look and stave off infection. He was rewarded with a soft groan as he leaned the man forward onto his horse's neck again as he dismounted.
"C'mon pal. Let's get you cleaned up ok? Don't want you to get infected or anything…" Yohji said amiably as he lowered the injured from his horse's back and carefully into his arms. He staggered towards the pond beneath the weight, feeling slightly awkward with his extra burden. His lanky legs couldn't seem to straighten themselves all the way and it was all he could do to keep from tripping over his own two feet. This resulted in him rather clumsily depositing the man on the small shore rather than lowering him carefully, as he had originally intended. The impact seemed to jar the man awake and he heaved himself into a sitting position with great effort as he struggled to take in his surroundings. When deep brown eyes half shadowed by long, dark lashes landed on him, Yohji twinkled his fingers merrily.
"Why hello sleeping beauty. What a relief to see you awake." he chuckled. The man balked at Yohji and looked around again in confusion.
"R-Ryuuta-kun? Takehiro-kun?" he mumbled incoherently. Fearing a memory jog would be too much at the moment, Yohji's brain raced to grope any diversion.
"One of those your name? Or should I just call you wild man? I'm sure the ladies adore you, especially considering your current attire." He crooned, eyeing the lean body before him suggestively. The confusion in those brown eyes got evenmore muddled before sparking into anger. The man opened his mouth, no doubt to give Yohji a piece of his mind, but instead coughed blood. Yohji cursed colorfully and sprang forward, pulling the man up into a full sitting position, thumping his back to get his lungs cleared. When the coughing fit finished, he laid the man back down carefully.
"Sorry about that. We'd better be careful for a little bit. How's this? My name is Yohji. What's yours?" Yohji wasn't really expecting an answer, given the man's state, but he got one.
"K-Ken. My name's…Ken. Where…..What happened?" he asked slowly, his voice sounding wet and raspy. Yohji winced.
"You're at a pond right now. I'm going to clean you up. I'm not really sure what happened yet." he responded. The lie was partial and smooth, but necessary. The last thing Yohji was going to say to a man so critically injured was 'By the way, your whole clan is dead, and the guy who's responsible for selling you out now works for the high-ranked daimyo that obliterated you. You're now a wanted man probably. You can kiss your old life goodbye.' Ken seemed to relax at the response anyway, so Yohji considered his job done. "Why don't you rest Ken? You need it." Ken didn't argue. He seemed grateful as his eyes slid closed and his head fell back against Yohji's arm. Yohji sighed in relief at the sound of a more steady breathing. Ken, huh? Yohji thought about Ken while he cleansed wounds and began trying to combat early signs of fever and infection.
OOOOO
Forty-five minutes later, Yuriko burst into the clearing like a whirlwind, hefting a small, tied bundle which she promptly dropped at Yohji's side and opened. Yohji watched her sift through it curiously before leaning forward to peer at it's contents.
Buddha bless the woman, she'd brought a hefty medicinal sack. It had salves, bandages, teas, poultices, everything they could possibly need, including needles and suturing thread.
" I didn't know how bad it was so I brought everything." she remarked absently, pulling out the needles, thread, and some salves of various kinds. Yohji smiled warmly at her; a smile that was not like his bedroom smile he always used. It was a real smile, and had Yuriko seen it, it would have taken her breath away.
"Anything you brought would have been fine, even if it was only yourself." he replied affectionately, his respect for her already climbing.
"Gods help you Yohji, he needs more than just my charming personality!" She fumed. Yohji only laughed as she continued. She elected to ignore him. "I've only got twenty minutes, so I'm giving this to you to take care of. We've got to get to the hiding spot before anyone notices I'm gone and comes looking for me." she repacked the bag and shoved it at Yohji as she bent over Ken in concern. "Is he going to make it? He's pretty cute…" she remarked off-hand. Yohji sighed and shook his head.
"With luck, he'll make it. He woke up when we got here for about five minutes. Long enough to tell me his name was Ken. He doesn't really remember what happened yet, and I want to keep it that way as long as possible, ok Yuri-chan? I think having his memory revived is going to be bad for his health." Yuriko nodded in agreement and let the ridiculous pet name slide. She helped him slide Ken back onto his horse and then mount behind him, and ignoring his protests that she not have to walk while he rode, she grabbed the reigns and led them the back way through Kakuhiro's fields and towards the small shed as quickly and discreetly as possible. The morning sun had disappeared in favor of heavy grey clouds that hung low and promised rain. The cicadas remained silent in the fields.
Once they arrived, Yuriko turned to help Yohji dismount and dismount Ken and carry him into the shed. Once she was certain that he was settled, she turned again to Yohji.
"I have to go now, I'll already have been missed. My father figured out it was you this morning, and he's pretty pissed off. He'll be watching me all day now Yohji. I don't know that I'll be able to keep coming back here. People will get suspicious." Yohji took her hands in his gently to keep them from fidgeting in guilt with the hem of her kimono sleeve. He gently disentangled the pale yellow material from her fingers and pulled her into his arms.
"It's alright, Yuriko. You've already done more than enough. I don't want you in trouble with your parents again. And I certainly don't want you engendering any kind of suspicion on yourself or Ken, so stay away if it isn't safe to come. Ken's already woken up once, so he'll be fine. I'll only be gone one night." Yohji comforted. Yuriko nodded against his chest.
"I'll worry anyway, and come as much as I can. It'll be a lot easier when my parents fall asleep. There's a blanket in that bag, I'll bring another tonight so he stays warm. Please make sure he stays safe Yohji." she replied softly, pushing away from his chest. She slipped out silently, and was gone.
Yohji looked down at Ken grimly. He hadn't told Yuriko about the fever or infection that were setting in just yet. He didn't want her to worry and risk discovery. But all the same, that meant leaving an injured sick man in a wood shed by himself. And with the looming threat of rain. Yohji looked at the ceiling briefly with dislike before setting to work bandaging Ken's wounds. Most of them had ceased to bleed during the journey, and miraculously, Ken hadn't died of blood loss. But that didn't mean he would make it now. It meant he had less of a chance to make it now than he would have if Yohji had had the means to patch him up last night. It was going to be touch and go. Either he or Yuriko would come in to see a live man, or a dead one. Yohji fervently hoped it would be a live one as his fingers felt the heat radiating from the wounds. Some of them looked swollen and overly-red already. It looked, Yohji thought darkly, like the fever was already here. It was going to be a lot harder to explain himself to his bosses if he showed up with a dead man instead of a live one. He was already two hours late.
The rain came, just as the fever settled in, and Yohji found himself soaking a folded bandage in rain water to bathe Ken's fevered forehead. So far the ceiling proved to do a decent job of keeping out the water. He was going to have to leave soon. It was going to be hard to tear himself away. Despite everything he was, Yohji was not a man who liked to see decent people suffer, and he certainly did not like leaving helpless invalids by themselves in rain storms, but it had to be done or he was going to have to start worrying about his own survival. Wrapping a blanket around Ken and tucking it in securely, Yohji laid the compress on Ken's forehead one last time and left with a backwards glance. He would be fast. As fast as he could be.
His horse whickered at him for leaving it in the rain, and Yohji gave it an apologetic pat on the nose before mounting him and nudging him into another gallop towards the village. He chose the back roads and forest paths, until he reached the back of a certain tea house. He dismounted, rain water running off him in rivulets, and handed his horse's reigns to a surprised looking servant.
"Take good care of him, I'm afraid he's had some rather rough treatment from me recently." He said casually before slipping in through the back door. He looked up from slipping off his shoes, startled, at the call of "Irrashaimase!" He was using the servant's quarters, wasn't he?
Confused and startled Jade met deep sapphire blue that contained a hint of anger and smugness.
"Where the hell have you been?! Manx is about ready to spit fire!!" Omi grumbled at him. "And guess who's gotta sit there politely and take her wrath full force?" Yohji smiled in sympathy, shoes finally off, and stepped completely onto the hard wood floor.
"Sorry Omittitchi, something incredibly important came up." he apologized. Omi glared at him.
"If it had long legs, full breasts, and wore sweet perfume, then I'm not taking it as an acceptable excuse!" he growled, removing a flawless hand from a wide, cream-colored silk sleeve and rapping Yohji sharply on the head with his folded fan. He frowned, suddenly noticing the state of Yohji's attire. "And what the hell are you doing soaked and wearing that outfit!? Are you trying to attract attention!?" he huffed.
Yohji frowned now. He could understand being angry about having to be around Manx when she was…upset, but Omi was getting on his already frayed nerves. "Do you think I did this on purpose!? I've been busy!" he ground out. "And if you let me get in to see Manx, I'll tell you both why." He added.
Omi didn't say anything, but he scowled and led Yohji down the hall, frowning in disgust as Yohji dripped water everywhere. He paused outside a closed doorway and motioned for Yohji to wait. He went further down the hall and disappeared behind a doorway before coming back and tossing Yohji a blanket. "Sit on this so you don't ruin the floors." He grumbled before sliding the door open.
Manx was wearing a pale blue kimono that had a painting of mountains and pine trees covered in snow chasing gracefully across its hem and the hem of the long sleeves. Here and there a grey crane with a touch of red was captured in flight. Her hair was done up simply and stylishly for business, and she knelt at a low lacquered table, calmly sipping tea. Yohji wondered, for a brief, deceptive instant as he stepped inside and heard Omi slide the door shut behind them, what the hell Omi was so mad about. Omi slid quietly across the floor and knelt at her side, hands folded into his kimono sleeves once more. He studied the red thread looping through the sleeve hems with a sudden intense interest, and Yohji read this as a sign of extreme nervousness in Omi.
One look at Manx confirmed his suspicion. She had that icy, icy calm on her face that meant she was probably very, very angry. No wonder Omi looked so nervous. She motioned to him to sit across from them without looking up from her tea. Yohji sat immediately and steeled himself for the fight of his life. Before he could even open his mouth, Manx looked up, her eyes meeting his, steel in their depths.
"I'm giving you one chance to explain yourself, Balinese, so it had better be good." she said softly, setting her tea-cup aside and giving him her full attention. Yohji swallowed and squirmed beneath the calmly furious gaze, trying to find a way to save his hide.
"I've found Kritiker a new agent." he said finally, wincing internally at how pitiful that had sounded. At her raised eyebrow and Omi's suddenly interested look, he pressed on carefully. "Takatori sent me out to watch his men and make sure nothing went amiss, which, of course, was as planned….But as the night was finishing up and I was tailing Schwartz, a ninja that had survived came out of nowhere and attacked them head on." Here he paused for effect, enjoying the way both Manx's and Omi's eyebrows rose in further interest. The tightness in Manx's face loosened just slightly. "He…are you ready for this? He got the drop on Farferello, then he managed to knock both Schulditch and Farferello down in one attack. Farferello didn't get up, and it took Schulditch several minutes to recover. He ran for Crawford next. He was after that guy Kase—he must not have realized what Kase had done—and he just jumped right at Crawford—"
"Wait, he made it through Schulditch and Farferello and then tried to get at Crawford head on?" Omi interrupted. Yohji nodded. "Yeah. Crawford knocked him around a bit but he managed to get a good knee into Crawford's gut before Schulditch ran him through with a wakezashi. It all went down hill from there, and they fucked him up pretty badly. But man, you should have seen it. When Crawford dislocated his shoulder he just popped it back into place like it was nothing."
"Is he alive Yohji?" Manx asked, although her frown had turned more thoughtful than angry. Yohji nodded.
"Yeah. But he's in pretty bad shape. I don't know if he'll make it. That's why I was late. I was trying to patch him up." here, he held his breath, anxious to see if he would make it past Manx's wrath.
"Where is he now?" she persisted.
"I left him in a wood shed at the edge of a field. I figured it'd be best to hide him since I don't know who, if anyone, will come looking for him if they know he's alive." Manx nodded slowly. "But he needs help Manx; real help, or he's going to die. His whole clan is dead. He thinks Kase's been kidnapped. He's not in the best condition to be left alone in a wood shed. When I left him, fever was setting in. And if he wakes up and tries to go anywhere…."
Omi's eyes were already full of sympathy, but Manx remained as unmovable as steel. "What if he's a liability?" she asked slowly. Yohji shrugged. "He is. Is he evil? No. A bad person? No. Is he desperate? Yes. If we come at him the right way, he'll be more than ready to work for Kritiker. But right now, I think when he remembers what happened, the only thing he's going to embrace is suicide. He fought with the strength of an angry, desperate man Manx. He wants revenge. If we promise him that, he'll come to us more than willing." The steel in her eyes softened thoughtfully.
"And his potential for loyalty to Weiss?" Yohji looked thoughtful. "Very good. Again, provided we handle him carefully. We show him we have no ill-will and want to prevent mass slaughter and unjust punishment, and I have a feeling he'll be more than game. Right now he has nothing. We can use that to our advantage." He replied confidently. A heavy silence descended upon the room, and Manx turned finally to look at Omi.
"And what do you make of this?" she asked neutrally. Omi frowned. "I think it bears looking into at the very least. If he's as wounded as Yohji says right now, he won't be able to fight us, let alone become a threat. It would be to our advantage to learn all we can about him and see if he can be turned towards our cause." he replied carefully. Manx nodded in approval. She turned and fixed a relieved looking Yohji with a stern glare.
"You will tell me where you have put him. You will then go and wash up and change for your meeting with Takatori. When you are done, you will come back here immediately. I am holding you top person responsible for this man's care and supervision. If anything goes wrong, you will kill him without hesitation, is that clear?" Yohji nodded, meeting her eyes firmly. "Good. And Yohji?" when he looked back up, she glowered at him full strength. "Next time, at least send a carrier pigeon or something, all right? In the name of the Gods." She growled in frustration. At his second nod, she gestured towards the door. "You're dismissed. Now go get to the baths for heaven's sake." she grumbled, wrinkling her nose. Yohji smiled charmingly. It was so nice to be worried about when you were out risking your neck for the good of Japan, he thought as he slid the door closed silently behind him and wandered off down the hall whistling cheerily.
Within, Manx turned to Omi. "Send a couple of our agents out to retrieve this ninja. If he has wandered off, have them track him for as long as he stays conscious, then bring him back here to me." Omi nodded and rose, bowing hastily before hurrying off to find a couple of agents that could be spared, the fine silk of his kimono fluttering elegantly behind him against cedar-wood floors and white paper doors as he went.
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And the plot thickens....I know I know, poor KenKen ne? I just wanna grab him up and hug him and tell him it'll all be ok....But I'll be strong, cause I know Ran's going to do it for me eventually...In his own Ran kind of way....
Ok, reponse to the reviewers!!! (WAAII!)
carrothien : Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked it. I'm also glad all the technical notes didn't bore you. I was afraid they would, and the language would prove to be a problem. Keep reading and I'll update asap! What did you think of Yohji??
Ru-chan : Thanks! I'm sorry about the chapter menu, it was messed up for some reason. I've been told it's been fixed, so hopefully now you can read the rest, ne? Enjoy!!
HeatherR : Waii!!!! I'm just as excited as you are, I think!! I can't beleive my story is up and getting reviews! I didn't even think it was going to be that great! Thank you again for all your support and encouragement! You're amazing yourself, you know?
L.A. Mason : ::Blush:: I'm flattered that you're enjoying my story so much seeing as it's in a context you normally don't enjoy. Thank you so much, and don't worry, I plan to write lots more. I think this story may wind up being a bit longer than I suspected...You are quite welcome, and I hope future chapters are as enjoyable as this one!
Whisper Reilman : ::Blush:: Yet another reviewer flatters me to my toes. I'm so glad that you like the story, and quite amazed that you find my story such a rare treat. I appreciate you commenting on the Loose/lose. I try to pick up on these things, but sometimes they slip my mind. Kind of embarassing, ne? Especially for an English teacher in Japan. Oh dear...I shall try to correct the mistake when I have time, and look out for it in my other chapters. If you find anything else please let me know. And see!?! Ken's NOT dead! :) From his point of view in the last chapter, he thought he was dying. But he's not! Mattaku! ("Really!/ Honestly!") I'm not THAT heartless. I love Ken too much to kill him off! Besides, Ken is one of the driving forces of this story. Without him, the plot sort of looses a lot. heh. All better now?? .;
RuByMoOn17 : Yes, Ran will come out to play very soon. Actually, you have about another two chapters to go. He's in the chapter after the next short one. I plan on trying to get in as many characters as I can work in without making things awkward. This will be a Ran/Ken much later on...:)
kasugai gummie : Ack! You too! ::Blush::I'm so very very flattered by your review!! I'm so glad you liked it that much, and that you approve of the language usage. I speak the language myself a bit, living here, and I hate it when people use it inapporpriatley, or at the wrong moment, so it intterrupts the flow. I like putting the vocab at the beginning so the readers don't have to stop in the middle of the story and go look it up at the bottom! . I'm very glad I can show instead of tell. Actually, I AM an English teacher right now. Maybe that has something to do with it. Although I don't think my little Japanese middle-schoolers will have to worry about something as technical as 'show don't tell' yet, ne? They can barely tell me about themselves right now. .; Ah! And the haikus are direct translations I found online. I have a book of them, but it isn't here, so unfortunatley, I have to trust what I can find. I'm a big fan of the haiku. I like the fear one too. I thought it fit rather well. I'll keep updating as often as possible. Please keep reading!!!
Whew! All done! Thanx to all of you, you're part of what keeps this story going!
Matta miru ne? (See you next time/later!)
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