The next morning...
Kirara opened her eyes to the rising sun. Katsushiro's robe still covered her, and his arm still circled around her waist. Careful not to wake him, she slid out from his grasp to rinse her face in the refreshing water. She smiled at the sight of a small patch of daisies at the clearing's edge and walked to them.
As she picked them, she began to hum, and soon the humming had turned into a song. Her voice rang out clearly, but not too loudly. "Kakurega ni sunda okina ga tada. Tooku wo mitsumeteita. Akanbou wa naku hahaoyakara. Atatakasadake m--" she stopped, humiliated by the sudden realization that Katsushiro was very much awake. He was sitting up with his legs crossed, listening to her and smiling. A crimson color flooded her cheeks instantly.
"You don't have to stop," he said. "It's beautiful." Her blush deepened even further as she turned her attention back to gathering daisies. When the burning in her cheeks had subsided, she broke the silence by asking Katsushiro if he'd slept soundly.
"Absolutely," he retorted cheerfully. "How could I not have slept well on such a lovely night?" In a more serious tone, he added, "Kirara, I want to thank you...for what you said. You really raised my spirits."
As he said this, he took a step towards her and took her hand in his. "You...mean so much to me...words don't do justice to my feelings..." he trailed off.
Katsushiro's eyes seemed to penetrate into her soul, and she wondered briefly what he would say if he could peer into her mind; the thought unnerved her. "We should be getting back soon," she said timidly. Kirara led them back to Kanna, where she finally dropped his hand. He stole a sideways glance at her: She is so lovely...her richly-textured hair, her silky skin, her shimmering eyes, her smooth lips...he swiftly turned his head in the other direction, so she wouldn't see his face redden.
"Sister! I was coming to look for you soon!" Komachi exclaimed, running towards her older sister. "Oh, hi Katsu," she said delightfully to Katsushiro.
A look of comprehension dawned on Komachi's face when she looked from her sister to Katsushiro, then back to Kirara. "Hey...why are you two--?"
Both of them blushed profusely, but Kirara cut her off before she could make any more connections. "Komachi, let's go make breakfast, okay?"
"Okay..." she said, slightly suspicious. The two girls hurried away to their grandmother's house. When they were out of sight, Katsushiro gave a small sigh of relief.
"So, where did you two disappear to last night?" Shichiroji asked with a knowing smirk.
"It's not like that," he told him, becoming increasingly frustrated.
Shichiroji chuckled. "It's not like what? Whatever...I know you love her."
If it was possible, Katsushiro blushed more deeply than he had in his entire life. "Uh..."
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Shichiroji said. "But it won't be hard for the others to figure it out...if they haven't already." He began to walk away, still laughing softly. Then, he added, "My advice to you: tell her your feelings before someone else does."
Katsushiro trudged towards the bath house, still utterly dazed. Why is this such a big deal? I mean, it's not...we just slept. That's it. Why does everyone care so much? He pondered this, soaking in the warm bath. He was completely lost in his thoughts...so lost that he didn't hear the door open or the light footsteps. It wasn't until the surprised "oh!" that he noticed her presence at all.
"I'm so sorry, Katsushiro! I didn't know anyone was in here! I--"
"It's okay, Kirara. Really." When she had stepped outside, he promptly, yet somewhat reluctantly left the comfort of the water and dressed himself.
"It's all yours," he said kindly, stepping aside to let her in. It was early afternoon now, and Kambei was informing the farmers that they should further fortify their defenses. With the bustling movement of the whole village, no one noticed the thug who took Kirara from the bath house.
A few hours later, when the farmers were preparing to eat dinner, it suddenly occurred to Katsushiro that he hadn't seen Kirara since their bath incident, so he set off to find her. To his surprise, she wasn't anywhere in the village, and no one else had seen her lately. The only place left he knew to check was her clearing; however, he didn't find her there, either.
A sense of panic arose within him. "Sensei, sensei!" he called desperately. The other six samurai were sitting in a circle, eating their rice.
"What is it, Katsushiro?" Kambei grumbled.
"Kirara's gone. I can't find her anywhere! I think she's been taken."
"Who would take her? She's a peasant after all—the city folk usually don't deal with 'mere farmers'..."
Katsushiro thought about this for a moment, and then..."Ukyo! He tried to capture her shortly after the first time I met her."
"We can't jump to conclusions," Kambei pondered. "But I suppose we can't leave her in danger, either. Are you sure it was Ukyo who abducted her?"
"I can't think of anyone else who pursues her like this...and I have a strong feeling about it."
"Very well, then. Go to the city and bring her back. Kyuzo and Gorobei will go with you."
"Ah, dearest Kirara! You've made it here at last!" Ukyo said with welcoming arms as the thug deposited her at the young master's feet. She refused everything he offered her with fire in her eyes.
He tied her hands behind her back—her feet were already bound—and shoved her against the nearest wall. "My patience is finite, girl," he said fiercely. She continued to thrash violently as he tried to kiss her. She felt momentarily relieved when he backed away, but the feeling did not last. Her eyes went wide with shock as he bent down and slid her skirt down her hips and legs.
"No!" she screamed.
"This will be much more enjoyable for both of us if you cooperate, darling." he said cajolingly.
"How can I cooperate with someone who's trying to rape me?" she said fiercely.
"Well, if you feel that way..." He frowned, grabbing a piece of cloth from the table, and promptly gagged her.
The three samurai made their way through the city to the palace. Kyuzo, most familiar with its layout, led the way. They aimed for stealth, killing only when absolutely necessary.
Finally, they found themselves in a deserted corridor, where high-pitched muffled screams were distantly audible. Katsushiro ran towards the sound, calling Kirara's name; Kyuzo began to follow, but Gorobei held him back. When Kyuzo looked at him questioningly, he explained, "This is something he must do by himself." They waited outside for what they hoped would be Katsushiro's triumphant return.
"Mmph!" She screamed and struggled, but essentially she was powerless. She closed her eyes, hot tears starting to flow from her beautiful brown eyes. His hands should not be allowed to touch me like that...those hands should be Katsushiro's, she thought. She kept her eyes closed tightly. She was still aware of Ukyo's filthy touch, but she could hear Katsushiro's voice in her mind...or was it closer?
Suddenly the door burst open, and the young samurai charged inside. Ukyo was genuinely surprised at first, but his face soon contorted into a look of cocky amusement. "Here to save the girl, hmm?" The two began circling each other.
"Hell yes," he said, sword drawn, with an angry glare. "You think you can abduct women and turn them into your personal sex slaves?"
"Of course I can," he replied arrogantly. "That's all women can ever be."
"I disagree," Katsushiro growled, plunging his daito into Ukyo's chest.
Ukyo sunk to the floor, blood starting to pool around him. "It's a shame...Kirara...we could've had so much fun..."
Kirara...Katsushiro spun around to slice her bindings. She hugged him tightly after fixing her clothes. The two emerged from the room to see the two other samurai waiting for them. "Good," Gorobei said, seeing her alive and more-or-less intact. "Let's go."
Once again, Kyuzo led the way safely out of the city. They were silent on their journey back to Kanna until Gorobei spoke. "How were you captured?" He asked Kirara.
"I had just stepped out of the bath; a thug grabbed me and tied my arms and legs. The villagers were busy strengthening their defenses, so no one noticed."
"Well," Gorobei smiled, "I wouldn't say no one noticed. If Katsushiro hadn't detected you were missing..."
She turned her head to face her savior. "Katsushiro..."
"Don't mention it. It was nothing," he said humbly, blushing for what felt like the thousandth time that day.
Katsushiro saved me, she thought. He noticed I was missing and alerted the others. He killed Ukyo for my sake. I've burdened him so greatly, yet he demands nothing in return. What is it I feel so strongly for him? Admiration? He is a samurai, after all—it's only natural to admire him. But is there something else I feel? Love, perhaps? Do I love Katsushiro? While she processed these thoughts in her mind, they arrived back at the vilalge.
As Gorobei and Kyuzo veered towards their sleeping quarters, Katsushiro walked with Kirara to her grandmother's house. It was empty, which was surprising because it was just after midnight. She found a not on the floor, saying: "Kirara—Komachi and I are sleeping at Rikichi's house tonight. I thought you might like some privacy with the young samurai."
She was embarrassed and quickly stuffed the note between two books on the nearby bookshelf. "They're alright, then?" Katsushiro asked.
"Oh. Yes, they're fine. She just wanted to tell me that she and Komachi are staying the night at Rikichi's."
"Why?"
"Who knows..." she said vaguely, not wanting to reveal her grandmother's true motivation.