Being Okashira

Part Ten:


Aoshi stepped into the kitchen quietly. The others paid little mind to him as they scurried around, preparing orders.

He peered around, here and there, for a few minutes before turning to one of the women.

"I need a glass."

Okon plucked one from a nearby cabinet and handed it to him. He took it and stared at the empty container. Now he needed milk.

He turned toward the two men cooking, causing them both to stop and look at him. Aoshi held up the empty glass.

"I need milk."

They seemed to collectively blink before pointing to a cabinet on the other side of the room. Aoshi moved toward it, pulling it open. Within, he found his treasured milk. He quickly filled the glass and left, thanking them briefly.

"What was that?" Kuro asked.

Shiro shrugged. "For Misao, maybe? Did you know Aoshi drank milk?"

Kuro shrugged and they returned to work.


Aoshi knocked, entering only when he heard the muffled call of permission. He found Misao, not at her desk, but laid out on her stomach on the floor. Her legs were bent, swinging back and forth, elbows propped up, as she looked over a set of papers. She craned around to see him, motioning him inside.

He pulled the door closed, his eyes running up her bare, slim legs. A big pinkish colored bow was located above her narrow little hips. His eyes followed the curve of her spine up to her shoulders where that long corded braid once again got his attention.

"Working still?" he asked, his eyes still staring at the length of hair down her back.

"Mmm hmmm…" she agreed, already back to reading. "Did you want something?"

"I brought you this." He drew his attention away from her hair.

He sat down the glass where she could reach it and where she wouldn't knock it over with a stray elbow. She glanced at the milk skeptically.

"Um…" She stared at the glass. "Thank you."

"If I may so ask, what is the milk for?"

Her response was sudden. She seemed to tense completely, face flushing softly. "Ah, Aoshi-sama, don't ask embarrassing questions."

Embarrassing? He wondered exactly what Megumi had told her milk would do. Although, thinking back to one of their earliest conversations and Misao's… insecurities, he didn't wonder if Megumi had suggested she drink it to improve her figure. He'd heard such tales about milk before, although he wasn't certain whether or not he agreed with such thoughts.

Of course, he thought, those kinds of fears didn't go away overnight.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" he asked.

Her shoulders seem to lower slightly, and she sighed heavily as though resigning herself to something. With some fumbling, she sat up, crossing her legs. She motioned for him to sit and he took a place beside her, placing a reasonable distance between them.

She pointed toward the paper. "It's the contract for the Natsume Clinic. The settling price is higher than I thought and the stipulations are sticky."

He glanced down at the papers, skimming over them and frowned. A small fortune rested on the building, he thought. Could they afford this much? He didn't know the finer workings of the Oniwanbanshuu financing operations, although he'd heard several times about a loan business they had up north. He'd often wondered if such a thing were profitable.

"So, that means it will be less of a money deal and more of you'll-do-what-I tell-you-or-I'll-kick-your-ass kind of deal."

Aoshi raised an eyebrow.

"We already cover more than half of the expenses for the clinic, that's how I got Takani-san here in the first place. I can, despite not owning it, close down the Natsume clinic for short periods. I usually only do so to bully around Takani though."

"The contract states, the owner has the right to terminate the clinic at any time it ceases to be profitable. That means, to Kanryuu, when the opium stopped being made, the clinic went under. How much money does the clinic make?" he asked.

She scoffed. "None, it barely stays open as it is. That's how it was possible for me to take over a controlling interest in the clinic, by covering her necessary expenses. She wouldn't dare jeopardize her patients so she had no choice but to accept my help and my conditions."

He nodded. "I see. Arrange for the doctor from Hokkaido to come immediately."

"I've already done that," she replied, looking smug.

"Then all that remains is convincing Kanryuu's brother-in-law, that selling the clinic is in his best interest."

Misao nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"I assume you still want me to handle it?"

She shrugged, waving off the question. "Handle it however you want, I don't care. Just get it done."

"Aa."

He folded the paper, tucking it into his interior shirt pocket.

"Is there anything else I can help with?"

"That depends," she replied, looking over at him intensely.

He waited for her to tell him what it depended on, but she remained silent, just staring.

"On?" he finally asked, seeing as she wasn't going to answer at all.

She blinked and stood quickly. "I just changed my mind."

What? He watched as she walked around the desk.

"Oh, I'm brilliant!" she cheered, reaching for a piece of writing charcoal from the desk. She'd seen them for sale as some kind of art thing, but had decided they suited much better to convenient desk ware. Using brush and ink were so tedious and time consuming.

And staring at the black smudges on her writing hand, it was also messy.

She scribbled something quickly on a sheet of paper and looked up at him.

"I'm going to Tokyo," she declared. "Hannya and I will leave tomorrow morning. While I'm gone you'll handle the Natsume Clinic, Kanryuu's brother, Takeo and Chisato, and the Aoiya." She beamed at him and headed for the door. "Tomorrow morning," she chirped.


"You mean you don't approve! What kind of support is that?"

Okina frowned. "Misao, please calm yourself. I think it's a good idea up to the visiting Himura part. You don't need to be in contact with such a dangerous man."

"Don't be silly, Jiya. Aoshi said he had sworn never to kill again, besides, I'm not an enemy of his," she pouted.

He sighed. "I don't like this, not one bit, but fine. Go ahead, it's not like you'll listen to me. And since you aren't trying to go alone, I suppose everything will be okay."

She smiled. "Tomorrow morning. I'll leave by train, Hannya already said he'd come. So... I guess this is it."

"What are you going to do when you reach Tokyo?"

"I'll head to the Kamiya dojo. Kaoru knows lots of people I'm sure she can help."

Misao perked up at her own idea. This was good for several reasons. She would get to see how Aoshi multi-tasked, an absolute for being the Okashira, she'd get the Kanryuu business settled, she'd get a trip to Tokyo, and she'd get to see Kaoru!

Most importantly, she'd get to see the man Himura Kenshin, that had been Aoshi's downfall. Tracking down and speaking to this man would prove invaluable for understanding the kind of person Aoshi once and perhaps still was lurking underneath that still mask.

She silently cheered herself for being a genius.


As Aoshi stood on the train platform watching Misao smile at Hannya, he wondered how he'd come to be at this point in life. It seemed like not so long ago he'd been on the bottom rung of the Oniwabanshuu ladder, a breath from disgrace.

Not so long ago he'd been battered and bruised, ego and body pursuing vain attempts at grandeur. Not so long ago he'd been wandering around completing mission after mission for direct superiors with no ultimate goal in mind. Not so long ago...

He silently sighed.

Not so long ago he'd been pushed towards the Aoiya by his last commander.

The world was just full of troublesome idiots, wasn't it?

So here he was, staring at a train about to watch his newest leader leaving him alone and in charge. He wondered then, what was he doing this for?

Why?

Why was he bothering with all this?

With the actions he'd taken in the past he had gone back and forth wondering whether or not he'd truly deserved some of the good opportunities he'd had.

The "Okashira" position was one of honor and prestige and besides his non-exemplary record he hadn't done anything to warrant this opportunity.

Misao was really too sweet a girl to be trusted into his care. Her view of life was too soft, too naive.

He was soiled.

He was like a wet, muddy dog shaking off in the middle of a clean, dry room, mudding everyone.

So why?

Why was he doing this?

Why hadn't he gone away from here? Why hadn't he refused the invite to the Aoiya? Why had he involved himself so deeply here?

His faraway gaze abruptly focused when he noted someone waving out a window. Misao was beaming, Hannya at her side. She waved at him and he felt his doubts becoming even denser.

Why her?

Why did her notion of "Oniwabanshuu" and "family" and "trust" enrapture him so? Why did he so vainly want to be a part of that exclusive group belonging to Misao.

He raised a hand to half wave back at her as the train started and moved away. Okina, who had been beside him one moment was now gone. He glanced around to find the old man chasing a group of young girls down toward the stairs. He watched the old man disappear down the street, following after the girls.

The Aoiya ninjas were Misao's family. In that sense, he could understand her protectiveness of it all.

He turned to go, walking slowly, ignoring the stares he occasionally got tossed in his direction.

He had never had a family in any sense. His parents were both killed when he was young. Being orphaned with no one to take him in he'd wandered.

One evening when he was young, he was caught sleeping under the veranda of an empty house. Face to face with a handful of masked men he'd panicked, and tried to bolt.

"Hey! Aoshi!"

He glanced up. Okina stood several feet ahead, smiling brightly.

"Let's have tea."

Puzzled by the look on the man's face and disturbed at his own trip down memory lane, he followed Okina without protest.

Aoshi regarded the old man with an expression bordering on blank but tilting just slightly toward displeasure. The elderly gentleman was almost dancing in his seat as he sat across from him, winking and smiling at all the pretty girls.

How did Misao put up with this?

"Did you want something?" Aoshi asked.

He was beginning to think Okina had asked him to tea to lure young girls close to them. Okina's grin widened.

No, he was definitively convinced of that, he thought, ignoring yet another blushing, staring young girl.

"I have other things to be doing," Aoshi replied, feeling the shorter side of his temper creeping close.

Okina straightened. "Young people simply aren't any fun anymore." The older man pouted, sipping his tea. "Misao has gone to Tokyo to visit a young friend of hers, Kamiya Kaoru."

"Kamiya Kaoru?" Aoshi questioned, interrupting. "The owner of the Kamiya Dojo?"

"Mmmnh. Do you know of her?"

Aoshi looked away. "We've met."

"Himura Battousai is currently living with her, is he not?"

Their eyes met sharply. "Aa."

"Misao has gone to Tokyo to search for this man. I did not object very strongly because I have heard many things about Himura. Tell me, what kind of man is he these days?"

Okina's attention remained firmly fastened on Aoshi as he waited for an answer. The younger man sat back a bit.

"He is repenting of his war crimes by taking up his sword in defense of the weak. He's sworn never to kill again. He's no threat to Misao's safety."

Okina nodded succinctly. "I see."


Misao jumped, hopping on one foot. "Let's go, Hannya!" she called impatiently.

The man made some grumbling sound of disagreement, but moved along behind her. He followed her, noticeably, as far as the Kamiya gate at which point, when she looked back, he was out of sight.

She frowned but didn't bother trying to figure out where he'd concealed himself. Most times, outside of Kyoto - the few times there were-, Hannya would not travel so openly with her inside of cities. He had received many a strange look, although he claimed such did not bother him, she wasn't completely sure.

He wouldn't, she was certain, step foot inside the Kamiya dojo under invite. He may, from time to time sneak in a window to check on her or generally creep around, but he wouldn't eat or reside there. Hannya was strange about other people's houses. He preferred to be outside unless it was the Aoiya or an inn.

She rapped on the door, smiling brightly as she waited for someone to answer. After an extended wait, someone finally did.

She found herself face to face with a strange red-haired man and an odd cross shaped scar on his face.

He greeted her cheerily asking if he could help her.

Misao stared at him hard, scrutinizing him. "Impossible!" she declared. "There's no freaking way! You're not really the guy Aoshi lost too, are you? But that mark - it can't be coincidence." She paused, looking away. "Unless I'm really lucky or something. Maybe I should gamble...?"

"Um... Miss?"

She turned back. "Who are you?" she asked pointedly, hands on her hips almost accusingly as she leaned forward. "Name and occupation, mister!"

"Oro?"

"Oro? What the hell does that mean? Hop to it!"

"What is going on out here?"

Misao peered around the strange man. "Kaoru!"

She darted past the bewildered guy, dropping her sac at his feet, throwing her arms around the young woman who had appeared behind him.

"Hey, Misao!" Kaoru smiled, chirping in response to seeing her younger friend.

The two females exchanged pleasantries while the man watched curiously. After several minutes of blatantly ignoring him, Kaoru, clutching Misao's hand, turned back to him.

"This is Makimachi Misao, from Kyoto. Misao, this is Himura Kenshin, he's a house-guest here."

Misao shot him a withering look. "Another freeloader?"

Kaoru laughed. "Actually, he's more like my live-in maid."

The two women shared a chuckle, leaving Kenshin to carry in Misao's forgotten bag.

They chatted about everything from western styled jewelry to the weather while Kenshin tottered around in the kitchen. When he finally did sit with them over a steaming meal, he was still smiling pleasantly.

"So, Misao-dono, you are from Kyoto?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I live at the Aoiya, ever heard of it?"

He nodded in reply. "That I have."

"You know Aoshi, don't you?" she asked directly, sipping her soup.

He paused, staring at her. "Shinomori Aoshi?"

"He told me he fought you twice and both times you refused to kill him. How much do you know about Aoshi?"

His pleasant face returned. "Do you mean about his ninja connections? There is someone with you, is there not?"

Her tension faded. "Huh? Oh, he's around somewhere. Anyway, this is good," she proclaimed, sitting up straighter. "I came all the way here just to talk to you."

As Kaoru shot her an indigent look, Misao corrected. "Well I came to see you too."

Kaoru looked away and Misao continued.

"So, tell me. What kind of person is Aoshi?"

"Oro?"

"You know... What kind of person is he? Aoshi is being considered to take over as our group leader. "

He blinked, clearly surprised. "You seem like a good, warm person, Miss Misao, that you do. Be patient and warm and welcoming to Aoshi and I'm sure he'll open up some. I think, all he needs, is somewhere to feel welcomed."

She just stared.

"Oro?"

"You always talk like that?"

Kaoru giggled, waving the matter aside. "Doesn't he cook amazingly though?"

Misao turned back and nodded in agreement. "Better than me," she admitted glumly.

Aoshi stared, watching the two children as they ran up to him. They went back and forth between being cheerful and being gloomy.


"When is Misao-sama coming back?"

"Soon," Aoshi promised. "Go and help in the kitchen then wash up when your duties are over."

"Yes, Aoshi-sama," they chirped in unison and trotted off.

He watched them head over toward the building and sighed. Misao had been gone barely two days and the place felt dead. Despite the fact she seemed to spend most of her time locked up in that corner office, everyone seemed to have a certain bounce in their step when she was around.

When they weren't, feet seemed to drag.

How long was the girl going to be gone? Couldn't she come back already? He cursed his own impatience as he headed for somewhere quiet to sit. Maybe he should head down to the Temple for some thoughtful meditation time.

Passing by, he spotted Okina seated at the table reading a paper.

"Okina..." he called.

"Hmm?" the old man replied without looking up.

"Are there any books about?"

"Misao's office," he replied. "She has a shelf of them in there you will probably find interesting. I don't think she'll mind."

He headed back in the other direction, pausing outside her door.

Her door.

The plain wood door wasn't painted and held no decorations. Just plain. But somehow the very fact he knew it was hers, made him hesitate. Was it appropriate for him to invade what was still, at this moment, her personal space?

He slid the door open and stepped inside, closing it promptly behind him. It was exactly as it had been before she left. Spotless and neat. On the back wall was a thin strip of paper and a line of text running down it. Was that new? He couldn't' recall noticing it before.

He moved forward.

"Fall seven times, stand up eight."

How suitable for Misao it seemed, the epitome of determination. He glanced at the desk, noting everything was stacked neatly in its own proper place. How did she maintain such a clean work area when she seemed, at times, like such a wind storm?

He turned away looking for the shelf, finding it on the other side of the room, stacked from top to bottom with books. There were even books on top laying on their backs one on top of another three or four high.

He would never have guessed from the look of her she was such a reader.

He reached for the book on top, but it slipped and hit the floor. From the pages several thin slips of paper drifted out, feathering themselves down to the floor.

He reached for the sheet, scanning the page, curious. Was it a book mark?

"Being the Okashira is such a difficult job - I can't go outside anymore. He barely lets me out of this stupid room to eat and I swear if I have to hear him tell me to keep this room clean one more time I'll scream."

He blinked.

Was this ... a ... diary?

"Why do I even have to do this? I don't want to be responsible for everyone else."

He glanced at the page, noting the date at the top from several months previous.

So... Okina had made her take this position then? That was interesting. It made more sense to them then, if she hadn't wanted it, to be rather willing to give it up. He hadn't seen much reluctance on her part to hold onto it, other than the fact she wasn't sure she trusted him.

It, consequently, also explained why she kept this room so clean. If he constantly bugged her about it she had probably adopted the habit to keep him from scolding her.

He could've smiled at the thought.

Imagining her stacking books on this shelf while muttering angry curses at the old man, ready to throw a couple at his head seemed entirely possible.

Beyond possible even.

He tucked the paper back into the book noting there was no text upon its cover. Peering inside, he found more than half the pages blank.

Inside, the first title paged read only "Makimachi - Misao."

It was a journal then. He picked up the other pages, stacking them together, unable to keep from glancing at the top page.

"Totally unfair. Jiya took down my kitty calendar! He said it was inappropriate for the Okashira's office. I'm going to kill him, seriously this time! Stop messing with my stuff!"

Training Misao must have been difficult, he thought, tucking the papers into the book. She must have matured a great deal since taking over in place of the former Okashira.

He sat the book up on the shelf and kneeled down, looking at the titles.

The contents thereof surprised him. Misao, it seemed, had something of an interest in medical books. There were books on everything from bandaging to medical herbs.

A lot of herbs, he corrected. He flipped it open. He read a small snippet about the ancient belief of magical properties held by mint before he snapped it closed and replaced it a moment later.

Behind him, he heard the quiet slide of the door and turned halfway to view his visitor.

"Ah, you found it," Okina smiled. "Interesting selection of books, isn't it? Since Misao became the Okashira several members have died or become seriously ill. After the first, she became extremely distraught. Up to that point she hadn't taken her job very seriously. Now she seems to worry if she is anything but too serious when it comes to work, more people will die.

"That's why she's so quick to hand off the mission details to me. She's afraid of doing something wrong and causing someone to be hurt."

Aoshi nodded.

The man smiled. "In any case, I brought this. We had just about all the information we could have on Kanryuu, but we spent little time on his relatives.

"We do not believe, at this time, Kanryuu's brother-in-law, knows about Kanryuu's involvement with opium. His name is Sadojima Houji. I brought the report for you. When Misao arrives be sure to discuss the matter with her."

Aoshi took the papers without comment. Okina was at the door before Aoshi thought of something else.

"That paper there - on the wall. Is that hers?"

Okina turned back and Aoshi pointed toward the single strip of paper behind her desk tacked up on the wall.

Okina nodded. "Saitou Hajime told her she was probably harder to get rid of than a tick. When she found that saying in a book she put it up there on the wall. She told me it reminded her of him."


"Oh, come on, Kaoru! Don't be so un-fun!"

"Misao, I have work to do today. You'll just have to entertain yourself," Kaoru replied.

"What work? Himura does all the work around this shack!"

Kaoru stopped in her tracks. "Did you just call my dojo a shack?"

Misao put her hands on her hips and stuck out her tongue. "So what if I did?"

Kaoru growled and charged, waving her bokken. Misao just ran, laughing. The two females shoved past two equally stunned males at the doorway and one smiling Kenshin kneeling beside a wash bin.

It seemed like an ordinary day around the dojo.

Misao panted, Kaoru was several feet away doing the same, her bokken having been dropped along the way. Misao fell back into the grass, staring up at the sky.

"I think I'm going home now."

Kaoru sat up. "So soon?"

"I have work to do; it isn't fair for me to stay away so long. Besides, I have information to gather on Aoshi still," Misao grinned. "Omasu and Okon are watching him for me."

Misao cackled.

"This guy, Shinomori, the one who came here to fight Kenshin..." Kaoru paused. "Is he really... I mean, when I last saw him, his eyes were so dark. Has he really changed?"

Misao's eyes flickered toward the woman. "That's what I came here trying to figure out. Himura says so, so it must be true, right?"

Kaoru didn't reply and Misao stood.

"You're leaving right now? This second?" Kaoru asked, also pulling herself up.

"Yeah. I don't like sitting around and there's nothing for me to do here and my work is done. So I might as well go."

Kaoru brought a hand up to her face, but not close enough to cover her smirk. "Oh? Maybe you have a secret crush on this Shinomori guy? He was rather good-looking, wasn't he?"

Misao stopped cold. "Eh? What do you mean 'rather good looking'? Isn't your main-squeeze supposed to be that girly-man Himura?"

Kaoru's smirk vanished. "Girly-man?" she managed a miraculous find of her bokken and set off chasing Misao once again, the younger girl laughing her head off.

"Hannya! The Okashira is in danger - save her! Wahhhh!"

The mask-clad guardian watching in the treetop was not amused.

It took more than two hours to settle both females down enough to actually prepare for leaving. By the time Misao was ready to head out, the sun was already setting.

"Won't you wait until tomorrow morning, Misao-dono?"

She smiled at him and shook her head. "Nah, I wanna go home. Besides, what street thug could dream of taking out a beautiful ninja like me?"

Kenshin sweat-dropped and said nothing. "Always better to be safe than sorry, that it is, Misao-dono."

She shook off the suggestion. "Nope. Thanks for letting me stay; I'm sorry I showed up without warning."

Kaoru smiled. "That's fine. It was nice to have company for a while."

"I'd invite you to the Aoiya, but it's probably not a good idea right now. When the chaos settles maybe we can have a party or something." Misao paused glancing back and Hannya leapt down from the tree.

"Are you ready?" her guardian asked.

The girl nodded in response to the query and they walked out the gate.

"Thanks, see you guys!" Misao waved, until she and her companion vanished into the emerging shadows.


"That guy, Aoshi, I like him."

Okina looked up, but Misao was facing away, leaning against the shoji doorframe, staring out over his garden. The sun was setting in the background casting orange and pink hues across the sky.

She had returned home just a short time ago. The several day return trip she and Hannya had taken had passed with no incident, the same way all of their traveling went.

In complete, utter tedium.

She'd been told Aoshi was out at the temple... meditating. She couldn't imagine why he subjected himself to such boring torture.

"I mean," she added. "I could accept him as the Okashira. He seems so easy to depend on, like... Nothing could surprise him. He would always know what to do. But..."

She turned back to him, face full of uncertainty.

"What if it's a burden to him?"

Okina's smile widened. "You look so little standing there like that. Reminds me of when you were knee high asking me about teaching you to be a ninja."

She didn't smile, clearly unhappy at the memory and his changing the subject.

"You needn't worry over such things. Aoshi is ten years older than you - he has more experience. That he would be able to handle situations you cannot is to be expected. That's why I brought him here."

She sighed and sank down to the floor.

"Yeah..."

A curt knock on the far door had both perking up.

"Yes?" Okina drawled.

The door slid open a quarter panel length. "Okashira, Aoshi has returned from the Temple." She could barely see the ninja kneeling with his head toward the floor on the other side.

Misao stood. "Oh, that's good. Where is he?"

"Your office."

She nodded, pushing the door open, past the nameless foot soldier. She thought, as she walked to her office, she couldn't remember who that young guy back there was.

She shrugged it off as she stepped into her office.

Within, she found Aoshi standing by her window. Did he know she was back?

"Hello," she smiled. "How are things?"

He nodded. "The report on the Natsume Clinic has been gathered."

"Oh?" she sat down at the desk. "Did you go over it already?"

"Aa."

"Good - save me the trouble of reading. Just tell me what it says."

He paused. "How was your trip?"

She blinked and then shrugged. "Wasn't bad, wasn't great."

The last thing of current interest to him was petty Sadojima Houji, and the Natsume Clinic affair.

He was much more interested in her opinion of Himura Kenshin and his 'no-killing' outlook on life.

"Did you meet Himura Kenshin?"

He was sure she had. She'd gone to Tokyo to stay with Kamiya Kaoru, amazing coincidence that that was. Consequently, Himura Kenshin lived with that woman. Their meeting was inevitable.

"Yeah, he was there," she replied, rather evasively, he thought.

"What did you think of him?" he pressed, seeing as she wasn't volunteering answers to his deep seated, unspoken questions before he spoke them.

She sighed and shrugged and sat back in her chair. "I don't know. For him, and his life all that non-killing stuff, I guess, it sounds okay. Here, it would never work."

No, he hadn't wondered what she thought of it as a policy.

"I mean, what do you think of how he lives?"

"Isn't that the same question?" she asked, exasperated, looking miffed at having to answer it twice. "I think it's good. I've seen people die, I've seen people kill other people - there's nothing good about that. Living so that you try to prevent that - it's nice. It's seems strange and unrealistic, but nice."

She had seen people die? Okina had let her see that?

He wondered then what the circumstances she'd seen the aforementioned 'deaths'. Her answer was short tempered, and rushed as though the topic disturbed her and she wanted him off it.

She snapped her fingers. "Report. Do you have it?"

He leaned forward, the papers sliding from his hand onto the desk surface. He pressed his fingertips down on it, holding it to the desk, preventing her from taking it.

"Have you ever killed anyone?"

She turned her eyes up to his instead of to the report she'd been trying to snag from under his fingers. Her half-hearted pulling on the papers stopped.

"Not on purpose, but because of me..." she trailed off not wanting to go further and he decided not to press.

He lifted his fingers allowing her to take the papers and he sat down across from her.

"Sadojima Houji is Kanryuu's brother in law and currently proprietor of the Natsume Clinic. We've managed to locate him. I was waiting until you returned to go meet with him."

She flipped open the papers and groaned at all the text. "Torture... Torture..." she mumbled. "Do you think he'll agree?"

"... It's possible."

She crumpled the papers down. "No. No! What was that pause right there? That '... it's possible', thing you just did." She threw her arms up. "Yes or no question."

"Ever heard the expression 'shades of gray'?"

She made a ghastly face. "Oh no! Don't you start with that black and white and all the stuff in between stuff! I don't like thinking like that anyway. Yes or no, black or white - nothing else."

"Very likely not."

She frowned. "That is not a- Never mind that. Fine, go talk to him. Give him a good dosage of bad-personality Aoshi and change his mind." She paused before leaping up from her chair, pumping her fist. "And if he still doesn't agree, beat him into submission! Ah ha!"

She laughed, something a kin to an evil cackle and he felt himself smirking. He stood also, and then leaned forward, sliding his fingertips against her cheek. Her maniacal expression vanished.

"Huh?"

Misao jumped as the door slid open abruptly. Aoshi ignored it.

"Oh, ho, ho! Am I interrupting?"

Aoshi slide his fingers down her cheek to her jaw before drawing his hand back. He walked to the door without a word before he turned back.

"I'll be leaving now."

The girl nodded numbly, blushing. Okina was silently laughing.

Aoshi stepped out and the door was pulled closed behind him.

Not halfway down the hall he heard her again.

"JIYA! SHUT UP!"

He grinned.


End Chapter Ten.

AN: Okay, completely caught up. This chapter was a new addition to the story. I didn't post them all at once because I hate Quick Edit provided by and going through looking at it inserting my dividers.