Being Okashira

Part Nine: Image on the Breeze



The return trip to the Aoiya was tense. Misao grilled Megumi on the potion, which resulted in an arguement of monumental porportions. Okon and Kuro had watched in amusement while Hannya remained on guard and Aoshi kept by Misao's side, ready to pull her away from a physical confrontation.

Something he'd had to do twice already.

Megumi raised her hand to cover her mouth, laughing. "I can't believe a little weasel like you leads a ninja group."

Misao growled and lunged, but Aoshi caught her, with barely a glance her direction, this time keeping a hold of her elbow.

Misao glared at him with the fires of hell in her eyes.

"You know, Aoshi, I think it's time we had a little chat. Again. About who's in charge around here. I don't think we've had the 'I'm not a little kid anymore' talk yet, but it's not too late to start."

Megumi snickered and Misao shot her a nasty glare.

"I suggest someone check their laughter or she'll find herself with a clinic in millions of detachable pieces."

Megumi's expression dimmed, a frown etching on her ruby lips. "Really, quite the moral beacon, aren't you?"

Misao shot her a glittering smile. "I am, aren't I?"

The others chuckled and her irritation at Aoshi seemed to vanish, but he still kept hold of her elbow.

"Of course, this from the girl who says stealing from thieves isn't really stealing because she didn't steal it first," Hannya remarked from up front.

"Hey, hey!" Misao shouted. "If it's in my hands, it's mine. It's a live-by rule."

"Oh?" Megmi's fox ears popped up. "Does Aoshi count too?"

Misao glanced at Aoshi, still holding her arm.. "I'm technically in his hands and he doesn't count."

She raised a brow. "Oh?"

Misao fumed. "Okay that does it. Let go, Aoshi, I want to smack her."

He pulled the struggling girl to the other side of him.

"Why is it I have to remind you, I'm the one in charge around here?"

"If I thought you could behave yourself I wouldn't be restraining you."

She huffed and crossed her arms, or tried to only Aoshi's hand on her arm impeded the motion. Instead she just growled, and began sulking, kicking at things in her way.

Along the way, Aoshi's hand slid down, dropping to Misao's wrist.

She looked over, but didn't comment, and the random abuse of roadside litter ended.


She watched them quietly as they walked along. The others were ahead slightly with her trailing at the back of the group, Misao and Aoshi in front of her some feet. They hadn't said anything to one another but there was an interesting tension between them.

Aoshi had released her elbow, no longer pulling her along like a cantankerous child, instead sliding his long fingers around her slender wrist.

Aoshi's actions, in her eyes, were amazingly signficant. Aoshi was never one for casual touching. He didn't like being touched, in most cases, and didn't like reciprocating them.

She recalled him being especially sensitive to men putting their hands on his shoulders casually or other such friendly gestures. She didn't know what was the cause of his disdain for violation of his personal space, nor had she thought to ask.

But they were an interesting pair, weren't they?

So... unsual.

Aoshi was so stiff and silent and Misao... Misao was so bubbily and ... young.

There must be at least ten years between them, she thought, but Aoshi seemed to like her. He must like her on some level, she thought, staring at the two as the walked along together. It was beyond unusual for Aoshi to intiate contact, let alone maintain it, for any period of time.

It hadn't been necessary to restrain the girl. While Misao was boisterous and loud and often given to dramatic exhibitions of kunai throwing, she had yet to see the girl actually attack someone in a malacious fashion.

She had not known Aoshi to be a particuarily dominating man either. He had never quibbled over her doing what she wanted when she wanted to do it and never went out of his way to either involve himself in her business or to approve or disapprove thereof.

Although she had to admit her relationship with Aoshi had been different. They'd been lovers, she doubted very much he had a relationship like that with Misao.

Aside from their physical contact, she thought back, maybe they hadn't had a relationship at all. They never really had much time for each other. Aoshi had never been talkative and she wasn't given to rambling over either. Not like Misao, but this was different. Misao was Aoshi's senior.

He was, as it were, subject to Misao's will, with her as the leader. Could he simply wish to exert some type of power over her? She had heard passing by a few rooms in the Aoiya that Aoshi was in line to marry Misao to take over the Oniwabanshuu, but she didn't know what that was really about.

It didn't seem like Aoshi would go through so much trouble just to keep her quiet. There didn't seem to be any need for that.

Still, he was still holding onto her wrist. Perhaps he was trying to win the girl over? If it were true, and Aoshi married Misao, that would make him the head of the ninja group.

What an interesting arrangment indeed. So, did that mean Misao's consent was required?

Hmm, it certainly made more sense that way. Especially for him to be going out of his way for her. If that wasn't the case she couldn't see Aoshi getting any closer to her than necessary if he only needed the consent of her guardian.

Poor girl, Megumi thought. Did she know Aoshi was courting her to get to the position of Okashira?


They made camp several hours later by a riverside. Misao was thankful for Kuro catching some fish, proclaiming she was starving. She settled down early though, at the base of a tree and fell promptly off to sleep.

Hannya and Kuro watched, with some concern, their leader across the way.

"You suppose she's all right?" Kuro asked, glancing at Hannya.

Megumi and Okon glanced toward where Misao lay sleeping.

"She has a lot to worry about now, but I'm sure she's just fine," Hannya replied, watching as Aoshi stripped off his coat and laid it over the slumbering girl.

Everyone discreetly watched as he settled down at her side, crossing his legs and leaning back, closing his eyes.

Tomorrow, they would return to the Aoiya.


Misao blinked herself awake, not surprised to find herself curled up beside someone flat on the ground. It wasn't uncommon for her to sleep next to someone, she liked the warmth and the others had not minded. It was a habit carried over from childhood she'd kept if within certain company.

She didn't burrow up to strangers... Like Megumi for instance. That would be a mini-disaster.

She sighed softly, warm and happy, cudling closer to her solid self-warming pillow. She recognized the tough yellowish material near her face as the collar of Aoshi's long off-white trenchcoat. She couldn't see, without looking up, who she was snuggled against, but she really didn't need to.

Her arm was across his waist, she could feel the firmness of him along her arm. He was hard and solid and so... manly.

There was no way the person next to her was anyone except Aoshi.

Hannya never laid with her like this. Sometimes they slept sitting up against a tree, but never snuggled on the ground.

Hannya didn't snuggle. He thought it was dangerous to be laid out that way.

She wondered why Aoshi didn't feel the same... Although Hannya had always been in 'watch dog' mode for as long as she'd known him.

So, being wanted for the Okashira position got her Aoshi-snuggling?

She almost giggled at the thought. Of course, if they married she'd get a lot more of him.

It was still dark, but very close to dawn. The birds had begun chirping.

Beside her, he shifted slightly and then turned to his side, facing her. His arm was curled under her body, and pulled her closer, almost as though shielding her from someone else.

She suspected he was already awake. All the males she'd ever met that so exceeded her in skill always did things like that. They were always awake before her, always alert before her, always a step ahead. It made sense that he fell into that category so completely.

"Aoshi?"

"Hmm..."

She didn't know if that meant he was awake or half awake or still asleep.

"You awake?" she asked, tenatively.

"Aa."

"You remember when you told me you fought a man in Tokyo to prove yourself to the former Okashira?" It had been on her mind a while...

"Aa."

"What did he think?" she asked, curious.

"Of me leaving to fight Himura?"

"Of everything. You fighting, leaving and losing and all that stuff. You did see him before he died, right?"

He paused. She almost thought he wasn't going to answer her at all.

"He told me I disappointed him. That, in my shame, I had lost the ability to think clearly. I was demoted to the rank of foot solider for the offense and for leaving without orders for an entire year."

"He was easy on you... Leaving for a whole year, that's abandonment of duties. Punishment for leaving the organization without approval is..."

Was death, she thought. Those who broke off without permission were killed. She'd flipped out when she'd first discovered this. But Jiya and Hannya had explained why it was sometimes necessary to protect the Oniwabanshuu, that some of the wayward strays were removed. Betrayal of the Oniwabanshuu code, however, was rare.

She had not, thankfully, had that problem.

His voice was gruff and tight as he continued. "He told me I needed more focus and that I should be more social with my fellow ninjas."

Misao smiled against the cloth of his shirt. "And, of course, you didn't."

She thought it over a few minutes.

"If it happens again - if you lost something important to you, do you think you would be the same?"

That time it had been his pride, but what of next time? The age old proverb, 'no matter how good you are, there is always someone stronger', was definitely true. It was only a matter of time then, before Aoshi would meet someone like that again, wasn't it?

Aoshi wanted to pull her closer, but they were already as near to one another as they could be. He could feel all of her against him, and that she was willing and relaxed... And asking pointed personal questions didn't exactly make his day, but it certainly seemed to be going well.

He hadn't had the comfort of someone beside him in a long time.

He remembered the shame of that incident so painfully well. He remembered being reduced to foot soldier, his rank and title, tossed, with his honor. The respect and recognition he'd wanted lost to him, and instead he'd been adorned with his leader's "disappointment". A dark cloud over everyone, he was looked away from and rejected for so long...

Could their be any fate worse than that? In the entire year he'd been gone, Oniwabanshuu spies had followed him, but no assassins had ever approached.

The Okashira had watched him, but seemed to think he would return. His words had indicated as much.

Aoshi had never intended to leave. He never intended to lose to Himura either and return to the Oniwabanshuu doorstep, his only home, a whipped dog.

He recalled the entire incident with disdain.

But it was different now. The Okashira hadn't been wrong, he now realized. Then, there had been no focus in his life. He was a man with no purpose, no one important to him, simply living by and working by the code of the Oniwabanshuu.

Now, it couldn't be that way. Now, there was her.

Misao, a singular, bubbling force of life that couldn't, in any capacity, be ignored.

He could not again lose his clarity of thinking because of her. She would be one of his chief responsiblities. If he couldn't think straight - Misao would be hurt.

Anything happening to her would be unforgivable.

"No, it wouldn't happen again."

"Why?" she asked.

A logical question, he thought. Somehow, this early morning interrogation had raised his respect for her. Had she been thinking about this a while?

"Because I have to protect you."

He didn't know if she realized what he intended with the words. That she had become the focus his former Okashira had told him he needed, but she accepted it.

She moved to sit up, slowly drawing away and he followed. He expected her to pull away and start moaning about breakfast. Instead, her arms wrapped around his neck as she pulled herself closer, almost in his lap.

"Aoshi-sama, when we're alone, I should call you 'snuggle-bunny'," she whispered to him.

She pulled away giggling.

So, that's what he was, huh? The Okashira's snuggle-bunny. He thought back to the imposing man that the previous Okashira had been and compared him to the light eyed girl now serving in his place.

He pulled himself slowly to his feet to ready for the morning, the others were doing the same. He didn't mind being her 'snuggle-bunny', he thought, as long as he was the only one.

He was already becoming territorial.

Her casual use of 'Aoshi-sama' seemed to indicate she'd become comfortable with saying it. He hoped that meant what he thought it did.


Misao stepped into the Aoiya, immediately breaking off from them and heading toward her office. Aoshi watched her go, wondering if it would be 'his office' soon. He wondered even more if Misao would come there.

"How did the trip go?"

He turned to see Okina in another doorway, the old man had his hands tucked behind his back, a smile on his lips.

"The conclusion was suitable," Hannya replied.

"And Misao?"

"She has returned to her office."

Okina nodded, waving his hand, obviously dismissing them.

"Come, have some tea with me, Aoshi. We have some things to discuss."

Aoshi stepped away from the door, leaving Megumi alone in the room as he followed the old man out.

"How are things going with Misao?"

"Fine."

Okina reached for the tea pot, pouring the steaming brew, a small smile on his old face.

"Before Misao left, Misao referred to you, although it appeared quite accidentally, as 'Aoshi-sama'. How did this come about?"

So that's what this was about. Misao had accidentally called him "Aoshi-sama" when talking to Okina.

"She referred to me first as Aoshi-sama when she told Chisato and Takeo I would be taking over their training."

"And she has used it since then, continuously?"

"No, sporadically."

Okina nodded. "What of the twins? How are they fairing?"

"No notable improvement as of yet."

"Very well, thank you, Aoshi."


Misao pulled the blanket away, walking to her window. She hated nights like these, where it was too warm to sleep.

She peered outside, not expecting to see anything more than familiar landscape, but a figure drew her eye.

Takani-san. Out this late?

Misao stepped away and headed to the door. The others were awake too, it seemed, spotting lights under several doors.

Who could sleep in this warmth? Although several of them were probably gambling. She let it go and stepped outside.

It was a night where wearing anything seemed like too much, she thought, approaching where the lady doctor had sat down.

"Good evening Takani-san."

The woman looked up. "Good evening."

"Sorry, I guess it's been a bad week. I invited you to stay to relax and all. I suppose things aren't any better at the clinic."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

Misao turned to meet the woman's gaze directly. "Underestimating me because of my age is a disadvantage to you, Takani-san, not me. I know all about your clinic's problems with Kanyruu Takeda's men."

The woman released a shuddering breath. "Even dead he haunts me," she admitted. "It wasn't my agreement, the loan. It was a deal made by the clinic owner, the doctor I was studying under. He had a deal with Kanyruu to make opium in return for establishing the clinic.

"He, like Kanryuu, is dead now but the debt of the clinic is a legal debt. I'm now held responsible as propirietor of the clinic."

Misao nodded, having known all such before hand.

"And Kanryuu's brother-in-law wants to collect the cash. Yeah, I know all about that. I was thinking about it and you know what...?"

Megumi glanced at her.

"I'll take care of it for you."

"W-what?" The woman rose to her feet.

"There's a doctor by the name of Gensai in Tokyo, he's looking for an apprentice to work in his clinic. Go there, leave all this behind. I'll take care of it."

"But.. the clinic, I have patients."

Misao waved it off. "Don't give me excuses. I was told you wanted to leave Kyoto, I'm giving you the chance. I'm not going to shut down the clinic, I'm going take it over. The Oniwabanshuu could use it's own clinic. There's a doctor up in Hokkaido, who needs a place to live and a job, I'll have him brought down..." she mumbled, losing herself in her plans.

"You mean it? Truly?" Megumi's voice was so hopeful, it touched Misao's heart.

"I'm not a fan of your personality, but you seem like a good person, just a gloomy one. I'm sure there's good things awaiting you somewhere. Go to Tokyo and find them," Misao encouraged. "Besides handling bad-guys is my job, woe is me," Misao pouted. "Oh, I love that expression. I have to say that more often. Waaaah! I hate not being able to sleep."

Megumi smiled reaching into her pocket. "Here."

Misao eyed the small package. "Is this dangerous? 'Cause that stuff you gave Aoshi made him hallucinate and fall over and I really don't think that's such a good idea. And I was being nice to you, too!"

Megumi's smile turned mirthful. "Never know till you try. It could be some amazing aprohdisiac that has you crawling in Aoshi's futon..."

Misao blushed, not sure what an aphrodisiac was, but getting the picture with Megumi's description."Oh! You are bad! Go! Go to bed, Takani-san."

Laughter followed Megumi as she walked back toward the Aoiya. Misao watched, noting her shoulders were much more relaxed. She sighed, Megumi would be okay. That relieved her.

"You worry too much."

She jumped, whirling around. "Ah, Aoshi! You deserve to be slapped around sometimes. Don't come up behind me like that, especially when I'm distracted in the middle of the night."

Her cheeks flushed as she recalled Megumi's words about the little paper package in her hand and she hurriedly tucked it away. Had he heard that? With her bad luck, he probably had.

"Eh, what are you doing up this late? Couldn't sleep?"

He shook his head. "You're going to take over the clinic?" he asked.

"Nope. You are. It's your next assignment but it'll be a week or two before you can go. Maybe less, I'll talk to Jiya in a few hours."

Silence was her reply. He just stood there a moment before approaching closer, his form becoming more clearly defined, separating from the darkness.

"From what I've learned about the debt on the clinic it's a set amount of cold currency. I'm not too certain on the stipulations of the loan, though, all that stuff went way over my head. Problem is, Kanyruu was absolute scum so I'm sure there's more to it than a simple pay off. That's why you're going to settle it. Then you get the fun job of threatening Kanryuu's brother's physical parts and all that if he refuses to cooperate." She paused. "I bet you're good at that, too."

The darkness hid his amusement.

"If it works out, I'll ship down the doc from Hokkaido and we've got a clinic!" she chirped happily. "Unfortunately, this whole opium business is more likely than not to complicate things to extreme levels."

He couldn't fault her reasoning. It was a good idea. Exceptionally good. She was not as simple minded and immature as she appeared upon one's inital meetings with her.

That, he realized, was probably invaluable to her at certain times.

Aoshi sat down on the opposite end of the stone carved bench. He recognized it as a foreign piece, but didn't wonder enough to ask where they had procured it.

Misao rubbed her eyes, but didn't seem anymore tired than she had been before. After a few more minutes of silence, she stood up.

Her yukata was thin, but not transparent, and fell almost to her ankles. He wondered if the garment had belonged to another. He stood, following her inside.

"So, want to try this stuff from Takani-san?"

She held up the little package and he faltered, and declined. He didn't trust that woman at all, especially when it came to anything that didn't involve one's personal health.

She smiled and waved as she walked toward the kitchen.

"Night then."

He let her go alone and headed upstairs.


"So you're going to go?"

Megumi turned, meeting Aoshi's cold stare. What a thing to see first hour of the morning, she thought.

"Go?" she asked.

"To Tokyo?"

Her smile surprised him. "I haven't felt so good about doing something in a long time." She looked past him toward the still quiet Aoiya. "I don't know if she'll ever know how much her doing this means to me. " She raised a hand, holding it over her heart. "I'm not sure I could put it into words if I tried."

It was barely dawn, and the Aoiya residents still slept. Megumi was never one for goodbye's. He had seen the note she left on the door.

"She's a good person, take good care of her, Aoshi."

"Aa."

He watched her go, waiting until she disappeared down, around a street before heading back inside. Never looking back, Megumi never did.


"Stupid, louzy, free-loading doctor, who does she think she is? Drink milk everyday..." she scoffed.

Aoshi watched, amused as Misao walked past him dazedly, mumbling to herself. In her hands a tall glass of milk.

"Bah!" she growled, halfway down the hall before slipping back into her office. "Woe is me!"

He'd been watching Takeo and Chisato since they'd woken some time ago. Just ten minutes ago he'd ordered them to fetch firewood for the kitchen and then to start on the dishes in the back.

He stood, pushing away from the wall, heading down to Misao's office.

He wasn't sure yet how they were coming along, but he hoped with a little more pushing, they would be okay. He could sympathize with their situation, he had lost his parents young also.

He raised his hand, knocking on the wood frame of the door.

"Yeah?"

He slid open the door a peek. "Am I disturbing you?"

"You don't disturb me, Aoshi-sama, but you do occasionally make me batty," she answered without looking up

'Aoshi-sama', he thought again.

"Chisato and Takeo have been assigned chores for the kitchen."

She yawned. "Sounds okay. What brings you to my dungeon?"

"I thought you might use a break."

"Break?" she looked up.

"What's the milk for?" he asked, staring at the now empty glass.

"Ah, Takani-san's advice, but I don't think it works. Such a silly woman. Doesn't explain, however, what I'm doing drinking all this milk though, does it?"

Her eyes dropped back down to the table where a set of papers was spread out. He wondered what she was reading, but didn't dare approach close enough to read.

"Take a walk with me, Misao."

She looked up again. "A walk?"

"I haven't had time to look around Kyoto since I got here. I was told there was a temple nearby, could you show me?"

"Well, I could, but I promised Jiya I'd finish reading through these things before lunch. If I go now there's no way I'll make it."

"I'll help you with whatever you need done, if you so approve. You look like you need a few minutes of peace."

She sighed and gave in. "Okay, let's go."

She followed him out the door, yawning. He stopped her at the base of the stairs. "Will you grant me a request?"

"I'm granting you a walk," she replied sounding indignant and frowning, but not looking severly disturbed.

"Another request."

"What?" she asked, sounding resigned. Already, he knew she'd agree.

"Change into a plain yukata. Your attire is not suitable to visit a temple."

She dropped her eyes to his clothes. He could almost feel her eyes slide down the parted cloth revealing an expanse of his chest beneath.

She didn't question, probably only because a delicate blush had tinted her cheeks at his watching the path of her eyes.

When she was up the stairs he turned.

Now...

Where was Okina?

He found the man in a small side room, a book spread over a table.

"Can I help you, Aoshi?"

"You wish to speak to Misao about reports she's looking over at lunch?"

Okina looked up. "That is correct. Why do you ask?"

"Could it wait until this evening?"

Okina stared. "Why?"

"I wish to teach Misao how to meditate at the Temple."

A howl of laughter was Okina's reply. "Meditiate. Oh, that's good."

The old man stood up, snapping the book closed. He walked over to the shelf beside Aoshi, and elbowed him in the ribs. "Medidtate, eh?" He grinned lecherously.

"There is nothing impure about my intentions."

Okina's amusement faded. "I have no doubts about you, Aoshi. Misao is notoriously fidgety, never has liked meditation, always hated it when she was younger. But maybe she needs a new teacher."

Aoshi nodded. "Thank you."

"What are-
" Her voice just barely registered in his ears before Okina caught sight of her.

"Ah, there's my pretty Misao!" Okina swept his arms around Misao crushing her to him. "My sweet little girl, all grown up. Now, now, Misao, no naughty stuff in the Temple. It's God's house."

She shoved him away, glaring. "Jiya!"

He just laughed. "On your way could you grab me something sweet? I've been itching for a cake all day and Omasu served it all to the customers."

"No problem, I'll grab some on the way home. Is there anything else I can bring back for you?" Misao asked, standing by the door. Aoshi was a step away, she could feel the heat radiating from his body.

Okina grinned. "Grandchildren!"

Misao blushed. " Jiya!"


It wasn't uncomfortable at all, the white yukata she was wearing. Her bright red obi cheered her up a bit though, she always liked the color. She didn't wear yukata's much. To her they were something you wore after a bath and something you wore to bed, not something to walk around in.

She felt much the same about kimono's, but only because she wasn't as adept in moving in them as Omasu and Okon.

They had assured her, however, that if she practiced she'd be as good at them as they were. She'd shrugged it off.

She didn't have time for such practice. She barely had a life at all. She rolled her eyes at the notion.

"Misao?"

She looked up, realizing she hadn't said a word to Aoshi the whole time they'd been walking. She'd simply followed the path, and... She stopped. She was going in the wrong direction!

She growled silently, grabbed Aoshi's sleeve and started off in the correct direction.

She waved a hand at him dismissively. "Sorry, not thinking today."

"Something on your mind?" he asked.

She made a non-commital sound. "Nothing more than usual I guess. It's boring sitting through mission reports. How do you even begin to fake an interest in the newest precautions against disease and foreign medical advances. I know they're important, but... It's just all words to me. I don't really understand any of it."

"Can I help?"

She glanced up. "Can you help? I guess so," she replied skeptically. All too quickly she pointed. "There's the Temple."

She pointed, extending her arm toward the building. He followed her direction obligingly and walked ahead of her up the stairs toward it.

It was dim and practically empty inside. Misao stepped in after him, staring at his back as he looked around the darkened interior of the small building.

"What do you think?" she asked.

He sat, calmly, folding himself down onto the floor, motioning for her to do the same. She supposed that was his approval of the place. She groaned, but did as he asked, sitting down beside him.

"This is going to be boring, isn't it?"

She didn't see Aoshi's reaction. She didn't need to, he didn't bother giving her one. She kept her eyes ahead of her, straightening her back, folding her legs neatly beneath her in a womanly fashion.

This was the worst. She wasn't going to be able to concentrate. She couldn't do it when she was alone and she knew she wasn't going to be able to do it with him sitting right next to her. They were sitting too close, she thought.

She could feel the cloth of his yukata at her elbow. Maybe she should move away a bit? Would he be insulted if she did?

She sighed, lowering her head, eyes fluttering closed. There was less than five minutes of silence before she straightened up.

"Why am I meditating?" she asked, exasperated, already tired of it.

"It can be invaluable for relieving stress."

She accepted this reasoning, something she'd heard before. So, Aoshi thought she was stressed. Fine, she thought, and resumed her position for several more minutes.

"I don't think this kind of stress relief. I like hitting things. And massive destruction, I also like that."

She watched his eyes open, and then his head turned so he could peer down at her.

He didn't immediately reply, just staring and she squirmed under the intensity of his stare.

"Try it for a little while longer," he encouraged.

"How much longer?" she whined, looking and sounding very childish, and not caring.

There might have been a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Just a while longer," he replied vaguely.

She twisted her expression unhappily, but closed her eyes, lowering her head.

Aoshi found meditating with Misao beside him to be impossible. Although he had claimed to want to be here expressly for that purpose, he now realized the futility of the idea. No one could meditate with her around.

Just as well though, he supposed, watching her shift, an arm raising to itch her elbow. She wasn't still a moment longer before her hands rose to her braid, fiddling with the clump of hair beneath the gold pendant at the end.

"You meditate in such an interesting way."

Her eyes flew open and she turned defensive. "You do it your way, I'll do it mine!"

She looked away defiantly, but knew nothing would get done. She'd rather be back at the Aoiya reading reports before she'd subject herself to boring "self" time at the temple.

Blah!

Whoever thought this up wasn't her kind of person.

She sighed and stood. "Figures you'd like this boring kind of stuff, but I can't do it. I'll catch you later."

She turned to go, leaving him alone there. She didn't look back to see him watch her, or even to see if he intended to follow. She didn't expect he would. After all, he wanted to meditate didn't he? Clear his head and all that silly nonsense?

She walked back to the Aoiya alone, not bothering to change her clothes when she arrived, heading back to her office.

Only to stop abruptly once inside. She'd forgotten Okina's cake! With a hefty sigh she turned back around and headed out the door. The streets were buzzing with activity, she watched the a few ladies pass in elaborate western dress. It never ceased to amaze her, the foreign fashions. There was so much material... and the odd shape.

But, she determined, it was pretty. They were so shapely and feminine. Sometimes it made her quite jealous. She didn't have the kind of figure for a dress like that...

She hadn't realized she'd come to a stop until she felt a hand press down on her shoulder. She turned back, startled, only to find icy blue eyes staring down at her.

Aoshi.

Funny how he showed up all the time, wasn't it?

He didn't say anything, he just stepped past her, a hand surrepticiously slipping around her waist to tug her along, and so she just went.


End Chapter Nine.