Author: Look! Two updates in one day! These will become much more infrequent, unfortunatly, as classes begin again soon. To my immense displeasure. ah, well.

Kyuuzou sat in his room later that night, and thought. Had he acted rashly, in dedicating himself to Kanbei? He didn't think so. But, then again, since it was his idea, and since it had achieved the goal of getting rid of the demon,it indeed seemed as if it had been a good plan. Kyuuzou tensed, feeling someone approaching from the secret corridor, but slowly unwound when he felt it was Kanbei. At the same time, an irrational discomfort slowly wormed its way into his mind. He tried to calm himself, but found that as Kanbei came closer, it became worse.When Kanbei stepped into the room, he figured out what was wrong.

Ryuu had come that way so often to drag Kyuuzou away somewhere, sometimes for harmless reasons,others...quite different. So now any male presence coming through that door brought him back to the time he was distinctly vulnerable, to memories of a time and situation that he had been fighting against and seeking to bury since then. He breathed in softly, steadily, until he found the unemotional shell that he had created for himself...and found it was flawed.

Kanbei stood a few steps away from the entrance, and had watched as the short, mental battle had taken place.

"Kyuuzou?"

The younger man turned towards Kanbei's voice, and Kanbei was mildly surprised. He hadn't seen Kyuuzou this withdrawn and emotionless in a while. at least when they were together.

"Why did you step in on the duel I was fighting with Toshiyo? I was quite capable of handling myself."

"..."

Kanbei walked over to Kyuuzou, and could have sworn he saw Kyuuzou flinch as he knealt next to him, though to anyone else it would have seemed he had remained still.

"Kyuuzou."

Kyuuzou had never heard his name spoken with such concern, and he looked over at Kanbei. Their eyes met, and Kanbei could read in them things that Kyuuzou would never voice: experiences, thoughts, and feelings that had been buried inside him for years. He found himself not looking at the hardened eyes of an assassin, but the wounded eyes of a young man who had experienced horrors and withdrawn to protect himself.

"What happened here?"

Kyuuzou immediatly looked away, and went back to the demenor that Kanbei had always known.

"Nothing."

A silence stretched out between them,and Kanbei sighed.

"I'm getting no answers from you today, am I?"

Kyuuzou gave Kanbei a small,knowing smile. "No."

Kanbei stood, sighed, and looked at Kyuuzou. 'One day, I'll get him to tell me what happened here.' He turned and left the same way he had came, having forgotten the reason why he had orignally come in the first place.

---

Toshiyo was put into a heavily guarded cell, surrounded only by the most trusthworthy of the Lord's men. Toshiyo's wrists and neck were chained to the wall as an added precaution. Toshiyo knew better than to struggle, for that would only wear himself out and harm himself. So he thought, and tried to plan a way out. But how? These were no ropes he was dealing with, but steel! And they had taken away his sword. He could see the keys hanging from the guard's hip, tantalyzingly close, teasing him with the promise of freedom and revenge. Even now, he replayed his battle with Kyuuzou over and over in his mind. what had he done wrong?

It hit him with a sudden clarity.

Kyuuzou had not been trying.

KYUUZOU HAD NOT BEEN TRYING!

He had offered himself up as a distraction, merely something to keep him occupied while his supporters were either rounded up or killed. No! NO! He was NOT this dumb! This could not be! He squirmed, the chains rattling as his body vibrated in fury and shame. Now he had double reason to get his revenge of Kyuuzou. For killing his brother and for humiliating himself!

What are you willing to do?

'What?' Toshiyo became very still at the voice that echoed somewhere between his ears.

How badly do you want your revenge?

'I'll do anything! Just give me Kyuuzou! Let me humiliate him! Destrouy everything he holds dear! Deliver Kyuuzou to me, and I'll do anything!'

Is that so?

'YES!'

We have a deal. I will lend you my strength; my leigons, my skill, my power, so that you can establish the ideal you desire and capture Kyuuzou. Just one minor thing...

'Yes?'

Do not kill Kyuuzou. Just give him to me.

Toshiyo frowned, but nodded slowly. 'As long as I can torture him as he has tortured me, tear me apart as he has done to me.'

Of course, of course. Just don't kill him.

'Alright.'

Toshiyo winced as he felt something burn into his hand, but was thrilled when he heard the tiny sound of the locks on his neck- and handcuffs release. A smile played on his lips and he slipped out of the restraints, making no sound. It was too dangerous to go after Kyuuzou immediatly. He would most likely still be on guard. Genma trained him, afterall,and he had always emphasized caution. Toshiyo carefully, quietly, knocked the guards out, fished out the keys, and let himself out. He'd return for Kyuuzou...once he had all his strength back.

---

Kyuuzou was jolted out of an uneasy doze, and shifted the weight of his swords to his other shoulder. He had felt the demon nearby. But it wasn't concentrating on him...or on Kanbei. Which was unsettling and relieving at the same time. That meant that he had his eyes(?) on someone else...and that could be dangerous. He stood and was about to pace, but decided that there were more constructive ways of getting rid of nervous energy. He left his room via the normal hallway and began to walk down the hallway. He wound his way to the practice rooms, and walked in on the soldiers practicing. He watched them for a few minutes before turning away, mildly annoyed that he hadn't a way to dispel his energy.

"Wait."

Kyuuzou stopped at the sound of Kanbei's voice.

"Why don't we practice together?"

Kyuuzou turned, and was unable to hide the interest in his eyes.

"You and I?"

"Yes."

Kyuuzou's eyes flickered in amusement, and he reentered the room. The soldiers cleared the area for Kyuuzou and Kanbei, and the two of them drew their swords.

"This isn't a duel. Just practice." Kanbei reminded him.

Kyuuzou nodded in agreement. He just wanted to exercise,anyway, and work out his tension. Kanbei could keep up with him, for a while at least.

The two began to spar, back and forth, simple moves, warmups, before gradually progressing to harder and harder techniques. The other people watched in awe, amazed at how fast the two were moving, at the sheer level of skill they were demonstrating. eventually Kanbei backed off, breathing heavily, shirt soaked through. Kyuuzou's breathing was a little deeper than normal, but aside from that, he seemed unaffected by the practice he had been through. Kanbei smiled and softly murmured a phrase that made Kyuuzou's mouth twitch into a smirk, but none of the other soldiers understood. Kyuuzou sheathed his swords, then looked sharply at the door as a pair of soldiers ran in.

"The prisoner...he's escaped!"

This created an immediate reaction on both Kyuuzou and Kanbei's part, Kanbei ordering that a search be started, and Kyuuzou went to the cell where Toshiyo had been held. The moment he entered it to look for clues, he flinched. So the demon had made a deal with Toshiyo. This was bad. Kyuuzou left abruptly, startling the soldiers that had followed him, and returned to the Lord, who was awaiting him anxiously.

"How is this possible? I put my most trustworhty guards around that cell!"

Kyuuzou merely stood there and let the other bodyguard take the burden of the rant, and Kyuuzou thought. Toshiyo was obviosly the kind to hold grudges. But against who, this time? Would it be the Lord for routing his supporters? No, what was he thinking? He'd come after him. After all, it was he, Kyuuzou, who had deprived him of his older brother, and now his honor and his reputation. It would be he who Toshiyo came after. But how? Kyuuzou snapped to attention, feeling that he was being addressed, and caught the question.

"What should we do, Kyuuzou?"

"Wait."

"WHAT!"

Kyuuzou merely shook his head and the other bodyguard caught onto his idea.

"We wait for him to strike again, this time, m'Lord. Intellegence has it that this man, Toshiyo Yamada, is vengeful. There will be a next time."

The Lord thought this over, his whole demenor bespeaking nervousness.

"Please, Lord, trust myself and Kyuuzou to protect you. We will not allow harm to come to you."

The Lord still looked mildly nervous, but he took a deep breath and tried to ease himself with the thought of how well both of his guards, especially Kyuuzou, could fight.

"Very well. We will wait," the Lord said with conviction, then deflated, doubt swamping him again. "But the waiting will be so difficult."

Kyuuzou understood very well what the Lord meant.

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