Disclaimer: Onime Kyo, Yuya, etc. aren't mine; they belong to the more talented Akimine Kamijyo who created Samurai Deeper Kyo. I can only claim credit for my OC's, Hisui and Taka-sensei.

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Intermezzo

Chapter 3: Largo

"...for the sake of this land, help us to defeat this evil."

I wanted it to be a joke. I wanted it to be some fanciful nightmare, dreamed up by a little boy afraid of things that go bump in the night. But Hisui's utter, too-mature seriousness and Migeira's grim expression made it a vain hope. More than that, though, was the manner in which Kyo listened, neither sneering nor frowning, accepting it all matter-of-factly.

I wondered just how much Migeira had told him while Hisui and I had been occupied tending to the wounded.

"From my uncle, you know that my clan has among its line seers to whom it has been revealed the ebb and flow of times yet to come. I, too, possess the gift of sight. Despite the fact that I was still relatively young, four months ago, my elders saw fit that I should undergo the ritual that would reveal the course of the future. The vision I received was all at once horrifying, puzzling, and hopeful. A time of darkness and chaos was rapidly approaching – a gate to the infernal regions of Jigoku would be forced open and the legions of Emma-O would cover the land in the dark of the first new moon of the coming autumn. The city of the Tokugawa, Edo, would be the first to fall, and the chaos would spread outward from there. Even Kyoto and Osaka castle, the seat of the Toyotomi, would not escape destruction. It seemed that the incident of three years ago was repeating itself..."

"But how?" I asked in disbelief, "Who could do such a thing? Kyo destroyed Nobunaga – he closed the gate forever. And Sakuya-san is the only person who can summon a demon gate, and she swore never to do so again!" I paused. "Wait...are you saying Sakuya-san has been kidnapped?!"

Hisui shook his head. "Thankfully, no. The Mibu, led Sakuya-sama, have withdrawn completely from intervening in this world's affairs. By her will, it has become impossible to seek them out, even if we wanted to consider such a course."

"But then...how?" I was at a loss.

"Sakuya-sama is undoubtedly the only living individual with the spiritual power to summon a demon gate. But that does not mean a determined group of individuals cannot create a demon gate of their own. When Kyo-dono destroyed Nobunaga, the immediate threat of the demon gate was also destroyed – you are correct on that assumption, Yuya-dono. However, there still exists an imbalance, a rift in the flow of time, and this will taken advantage of. A castle can be rebuilt on the foundations of the fortress that was destroyed, and so shall this evil come into our world."

I had a headache. "I don't quite follow your logic," I admitted, "but that's beside the point. The way you're talking, I get the impression that this demon gate hasn't been opened or summoned or whatever it is you do with a demon gate to unleash unholy hell. So, I guess the best question is this: who is going to open this gate, and just how do you expect Kyo to stop them? Better yet, why does it have to be Kyo?"

Hisui did not seem to be bothered by my questions. In fact, he became more relaxed, as if he and I were having a friendly conversation.

"As to the identity of those who are inviting this disaster, I know not. I only know that their motivation is deep, unquenchable hatred. These people, whoever they are, harbor enmity for the Tokugawa, and will do anything to annihilate them. Those men who..." Hisui bowed his head. "Those demons we were forced to kill last night, they had once been men. They accepted evil into their hearts and lost themselves for the sake of power, to become perfect killers. They are the agents of those who would call down an evil a hundredfold more terrible. I...we cannot stand idly by and allow souls to be perverted for the machinations of hatred and power."

He paused, reflecting. "Their desperate hate shall be their undoing, for no one can contain the powers of Hell once they are unleashed on this land.

"Kyo-dono must be the one to stop them," he continued, "because he was the one I saw in my vision. He is the hope I spoke of, he and three others. These four are to stand against the vanguard of Jigoku, and their victory or defeat shall determine the future. It is most fitting perhaps, that Kyo-dono is the one destiny has chosen for this task."

"And why is that?" Kyo's tone was deceptively neutral.

Hisui's composure broke for a moment, as though he had said aloud something he hadn't meant to. "Six years ago," Hisui explained carefully, "my uncle received a terrible vision, and set out on a quest to set to right the disruption in the course of the future he had seen. In this venture, he ultimately failed." Hisui paused and looked at Migeira, as if worried his words had insulted him.

Migeira inclined his head, a silent assent for the boy to continue.

"He failed in that he chose not to destroy the source of the disorder. His choice made it possible to minimize the effects, to set things back on a course somewhat aligned with the vision of the future he had seen. By allowing one man who was not truly a man to live, my uncle chose a dark, uncertain future..."

"Now just a minute!" I blurted, smacking my hand on the ground. Hisui's remark about a "man who was not truly a man" had set something off in me. No way was I going to just let that one slide, even if Kyo was disinclined to. "How dare you say that Kyo is not a man! He has just as much right to live as anyone else, dammit! Migeira-san knew that, and that's why he helped Kyo against Nobunaga instead of killing him! If you think we're going to do what you want after you had the gall to call Kyo anything less than human, you can just...!"

I think the violence of my outburst surprised even Kyo. Hisui looked absolutely appalled. "Ah, go-gomen nasai, Yuya-dono!" he stammered, "I did not mean to offend! I was just...I mean, I was saying...ano..." He took a deep breath, clearly trying to collect his wits. "That I judged Kyo-dono before having met him was a failure on my part indeed. I did not mean to insinuate that he was less than human, but I was merely stating the fact that his nature is... is somewhat..."

"'His nature is'...what?" I prompted after Hisui trailed off into incoherent mumbling. I was on my feet now, my arms crossed over my chest as I gave Hisui a hard, cold stare. A small voice in my head was wondering just why the heck I was being so insistent on this point, why I was bothering to defend Kyo when he never needed my help anyway.

I mentally told the voice to put a tabi in it.

"Well, to be perfectly frank..." Hisui looked over at Kyo and bit his lip. His next words came out in something of a rush. "Onime no Kyo came into this world not so much a man, but as a demon from a man, did he not?"

I found I didn't have a response for that. It was true after a fact, if I were to understand correctly what Sakuya had told me years ago. Kyoshiro had submitted to the Mibu's magic to divorce himself from the murderous monster he had created within his heart and his sword. Onime no Kyo had been the result.

"'Not so much a man'?" Kyo's voice was low, almost a purr. He chuckled, a predatory gleam in his eyes as he regarded Hisui. "I think I like this brat's way with words. He's pretty bold to say something like that to my face."

Hisui then did something I would not have expected. "Perhaps you were at first a demon," he said firmly, turning to face Kyo, "but to say you are not human now would be a lie, for clearly you are."

"Oh?" I really couldn't tell if Kyo was amused and just toying with Hisui, or if he was actually getting angry. I had feeling Migeira was just as unsure as I, for his posture was tense, ready for action. "And just how did you reach that conclusion, brat?"

"Yuya-dono has remained with you," Hisui replied simply, as if that settled the matter.

And it did; Kyo opened his mouth, but nothing came out. I certainly wasn't in a position to say anything.

"Surely the woman my uncle described would not bind her heart to a creature without one," Hisui said to me, "That is why I am confident that Kyo-dono will agree to..."

"Agree, nothing, brat," Kyo interrupted. He sounded pissed. "What makes you think I'm some sort of hero?"

Hisui blinked. "But, your destiny..."
"Nobody decides my 'destiny' but me," Kyo growled, "Migeira tried forcing destiny on me, and I sure as hell am not going to let some little snot-nosed pantywaist try the same thing." He glared at Migeira. "So, is this the big revelation you had to skulk around about? I would have thought you knew better than to try this shit again, Migeira."

"I am not here to force you to do anything," Migeira replied softly, "My choice has led to this; it is now your choice that will determine what will come after. But I must ask you Kyo, if you do not take a stand now, how do you expect to protect Yuya-san later?"

"Is that a threat?" retorted Kyo, sounding bored. I noticed that his grip on the saya of his katana had shifted.

"A warning," said Migeira, "Advice, if you will. Hisui speaks the truth, for he can do nothing else. The world Nobunaga envisioned shall fall far short of what is to come. Can you truly protect Yuya-san amidst such chaos, even with your skill? I think not. But I know the folly of trying to force Onime no Kyo to take any course of action he is not first freely willing to accept."

"Then leave Yuya out of this," Kyo said, "or the brat's going to have one less uncle to wipe his nose for him."

Was it my imagination, or was Migeira smiling beneath his mask? "As you wish," he said with a slight nod. He straightened. "Let's go, Hisui."

"Wha...?" Hisui was looking slightly dazed. Migeira swept past him and out the door; the poor boy had time to give me and Kyo one last, hurried bow before running out after him.

Silence followed on the heels of their departure. The lamp nearest me flickered and went out, but the grey light of the approaching dawn had diminished the darkness to twilight. Other than the breeze rifling lightly through the eaves of the storehouse roof, the quiet was absolute, the world hanging between sleep and wakefulness.

I went about the room, dousing the rest of the lamps, until only the one hanging beside the door was left.

"Kyo, can you get that lamp for me?" I asked him, returning to my medicine chest to do one last run-through of its remaining contents.

When there was no reply or sound of movement, I looked over at him. Kyo was sitting there with his eyes closed, slouching back against the wall, his katana held loosely in a relaxed grip. I sighed; of course he was exhausted. I don't care how indestructible Kyo thought he was - that spear had inflicted a nasty wound. "Honestly, I have to do everything," I muttered, swiping my bangs back from my eyes.

I got to my feet and crossed the floor. Standing on tiptoe, I opened the wind-cover and blew out the dying flame. Kyo didn't stir. I stood there a while, looking down at him, thinking about what Hisui had said. Did it matter to Kyo whether or not people thought of him as a man? His life-long hatred of Kyoshiro, his determination to be something more, something apart – was it all because he sought to define himself as a person? Or did he still think of himself as a demon, without human heart or care? True, he could hurt me more deeply than any brigand's blade with mere words... but why was it I felt lonely in a town full of people until he was with me once more?

I sighed, feeling the weight of the last few hours reassert itself. What I wouldn't give for a hot bath and a clean futon right then. But I just couldn't leave Kyo like that. Perhaps the best thing was to find the nearest guard patrol and have them send word to Dazai-san and his family not to worry, that Kyo and I would be returning in a couple of hours...

Kyo reached up and caught my hand just as I took a step out the door. "Where do you think you're going? You're about to collapse on your feet."

"None of your business, and no, I'm not," I shot back, pulling vainly against his restraining grip, "Now let me go!"

"It wasn't your fault."

"Excuse me?"

"How many times do I have to say it before it sticks in that head of yours?" Kyo responded irritably, "It wasn't your fault. Your screaming had nothing to do with it."

I bowed my head. "I-I know... I got it," I said.

"No, you don't," retorted Kyo.

"Yes, I do," I snapped, trying to jerk my hand free.

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do!"

"You don't."

"I do!"

"No."

"Yes!"

"Then why are you still trying to get away from me?"

"I..." Well, I really couldn't say I wasn't, now could I? The situation was silly enough as it was. With a tired groan, I flopped down on the ground beside him. "Fine, whatever." I leaned my forehead against his shoulder and clenched my eyes shut against the all-too-familiar prickling sting of tears. Maybe if he thought I was tired, I could pretend to fall asleep and...

Kyo wasn't fooled. His fingers trailed softly down my cheek, intertwining with the locks of hair that had escaped my ponytail. "Why do you insist on worrying about me?"

"I dunno," I said hoarsely, "Guess it's just in my nature." Augh, dammit, my throat was burning – since when did I break down like this so easily? "Why do you insist on being a jerk when I do?"

"Because it pisses me off when you cry."

"Well, excuuuuuse me, Onime no Kyo!" I hissed, pulling away from him, "I'm sorry I'm not all hard and cold like some people! I'm sorry for not being some ultimate warrior who can fight no matter the circumstance! I'm sorry I c-can't hide what I'm feeling! I'm sorry I...!" 'Shit! I'm going to start crying again!' I wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of there, as far away from Kyo as I could.

"It's frustrating..." He made no move to stop me, but I was held in place all the same. "When you cry, I can't..." Kyo wasn't looking at me; he seemed to have all his attention on a knothole in the wooden floor. Dawn's light cast deep shadows on his profile, hiding his eyes beneath his red bangs. "It's as though, no matter how strong I am, if I'm the reason you cry...I've..." He grit his teeth. "Tch! I can't be helpless, dammit!"

"What?" "Surprised" couldn't quite do justice to how I felt just then. I was floored. I didn't even think there was a word for "helpless" in Kyo-speak, and certainly not one he'd ever apply to himself! No wonder he'd lashed out the way he had. 'Little by little, I'm beginning to understand you.' "Kyo..."

"What?" he grunted.

I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

He stared at me. "What are you talking about, woman? Thank you for what?"

I smiled and kissed him again, this time on the lips. "That's for me to know and you to find out." I got to my feet and brushed off my yukata. "Come on now, Dazai-san and everyone else will be wondering where we are."

"Hn."

I retrieved my medicine chest and we departed the storehouse. The town was waking up around us, but the activity in the wealthier quarter where Dazai-san had his residence was slow to catch up. I was grateful, because that meant no one was around to see what had happened to poor Kuniko's splendid yukata. I hoped the dirt and blood would eventually come out, and that Kuniko wouldn't be too upset. After all that had happened last night though...

"Ne, Kyo?" I ventured as we turned down yet another empty street.

"What is it?"

I bit my lip. "About what Hisui-kun and Migeira-san said..."

"What about it?"

"Well..." I stared at the blank wall to my left as we walked along. "If what they were saying is true, you're the only one who can help, right? And the other night, you did say..."

"I never said I was going to do anything about it. Why should I? Peace doesn't suit me."

"You don't mean that do you?" I demanded, turning my attention on him. I forgot all about trying to keep him out of it. "Kyo, you can't...!"

"On the other hand..." Kyo interrupted, continuing on as though I hadn't spoken, "That little brat made it sound like an interesting fight – the 'legions of Emma-O' might actually be a diversion worth my time."

I rolled my eyes. "Here I was worried that your poor ego was bruised," I harrumphed, "Kyo, this sounds like it could be serious trouble. If this new enemy has powers even more terrible than those beast-men last night..." I cast a surreptitious glance over at his left leg. "...don't you think it's a pretty big risk?"

"Tch!" Kyo laid a hand on my shoulder, forcing me to stop. I looked up at him questioningly. "One little scratch doesn't mean shit," he growled, "It sure as hell doesn't mean I'm not going to fight."

"But...!" I met his gaze and saw something there that told me that anything else I could possibly say would only make him angrier; convincing him not to fight was simply out of the question. I bowed my head. "I'm not going to try and stop you."

"Good. Not that it'd make a difference if you did." He started walking again.

"I'm coming with you," I said, running to catch up.

He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye.

"And don't even think about trying to stop me from coming," I continued determinably, "You can say anything you want, but I'm coming. And don't try disappearing either; I might not have my revolver anymore, but I'm still a damned good bounty hunter, and I will find you, got that?"

"Are you threatening me, little girl?" Kyo asked, smirking.

"You bet your ass I am, Onime no Kyo!" I responded, folding my arms and glaring at him.

"Yare, yare..." He rolled his eyes. "Stubborn wench."

"Egocentric jerk," I said, poking him in the side.

He responded with a very inappropriate groping of my anatomy.

"Hentai!" I shrieked, getting ready to smack him silly.

Good thing we reached Dazai-san's house just then and Kuniko was standing in the open gate, or things might have gotten out of hand.

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Saying good-byes are always hard, but saying "sayonara" to little kids just plain sucks. Aiko started crying and clinging to my leg, and Fusako, always the impressionable little sister, followed suit. Gasuke was more determined to act like a grown up, so he compensated by acting surly and hiding in his room until his mother scolded him about being ungrateful.

I think Gasuke was a more upset about seeing Kyo leave than me, but then, a healer has nowhere near the hero-appeal compared to a samurai in a little boy's eyes.

"And do not worry about the yukata, Shiina-sensei," Kuniko reassured me, wiping away a trace of suspicious moisture from her eyes as she smiled at me, "It is quite salvageable. It was an honor for me to repay at least the smallest part of the debt I owe you for saving my son in some way other than money."

"Aa," agreed Dazai-san, nodding his head, "Only now, we owe you the debt of the lives of the townspeople you saved, you and Kyo-dono both."

"Actually..." I couldn't help but look at Kyo. He was taking everything in with an air of impassivity, but I could sense his impatience. "It was the only thing Kyo could do, considering," I said, hoping Dazai-san would be satisfied.

Nobio arched an eyebrow, but said nothing. I think she was still hung up over the other night's conversation.

"Take care, both of you," Kuniko said, bowing.

"We will, thank you," I replied, returning her bow.

After a little more sobbing and pouting, the girls let me go and said their good-byes.

"Sayonara!" I called over my shoulder, giving them all one last wave as Kyo and I walked down the street toward the marketplace.

"Did Migeira-san tell you the inn where he and Hisui-kun were staying?" I asked Kyo. I noticed we were bypassing the main market center, weaving our way through crowded and ramshackle dwellings of Tokubo's poorer quarter.

"Hn?"

"Well, we are going to meet them, aren't we?"

"If that brat's fortune-telling is worth anything, they can find us," Kyo said after a while, "I'm still going to Kudoyama."

"Why?" I wanted to know, "Yukimura-san's not a seer, even if he does have the best intelligence network on the Kii peninsula."

"Hn." It was very annoying, the way Kyo ended conversations sometimes.

We reached the outskirts of town without running into Migeira or Hisui or anyone else for that matter. I felt like we were criminals on the run, sneaking out the way we did. I even held my breath as we passed the guards stationed at the gate opening out onto the west road, and felt silly after I let it out.

As we walked, an uncomfortable tightening knotted in my stomach – we had just left behind the friendly familiar world and were once more about to walk head-on into danger. What's more, apparently there were even worse things to come. I think most people would have said I was being paranoid, that there was no way some little kid could really see a terrible vision of Hell outside of his nightmares. But then, most people haven't lived the life I've lived for the last several years, even before I met Kyo. Staying alive after onii-sama's murder had been a battle all of its own, and a lonely one at that.

The thing that made the difference now was that I knew Kyo wasn't going to let anything happen to me. Or himself, for that matter - I would see to that.

'That's right. I have Kyo.' And just like that, my anxiety disappeared.

"So, how many days do you think it will take to get to Kudoyama anyway?" I asked Kyo as the road led us into the cool green shadows of the evergreen forest surrounding Tokubo. The terrain to the north and especially west of us would become pretty mountainous, but if we took the main roads, at least some of the way would be smoother.

"It depends..."

"On what?"

"On how fast a certain brat can walk."

"I shall do my best not to slow us down."

I stopped short and whirled, staring out into the concealing forest. Migeira and Hisui stepped onto the road before us, Hisui giving me a broad smile of greeting.

"How did you...?" I asked him.

"Because we are also on our way to Kudoyama," Migeira responded.

"If you recall, I said that Kyo-dono is the foremost of four warriors," Hisui added readily, "One of the others is a certain Sarutobi Sasuke-dono, who is..."

"I know who Sasuke is," Kyo interrupted rather rudely.

"Well, yes, of course you do," flustered Hisui, his cheeks coloring, "What I meant was that..."

"Who are the others?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Kyo rolled his eyes. "Who are the other warriors you're expecting to fight for you, brat?" he said with sarcastic slowness.

Migeira narrowed his eyes at Kyo while his grip tightened on the haft of his shakujou. Kyo ignored him.

"Oh. They would be two of your former comrades-in-arms," said Hisui, "Akira-dono and... Hotaru-dono."

I noticed the way Hisui seemed almost reluctant to mention the latter name, and how the honorific was tacked on as an afterthought. 'Why would that be?' I wondered.

Kyo wasn't fazed in the least. "At least you have some intelligence when it comes to picking people to fight for you," he observed, "I also see why you had to come to me first." He grinned mockingly. "You're pretty much shit out of luck unless I agree to help you, ne?"

"As you say, Kyo," Migeira said, his voice sounding as though it was being forced through grit teeth.

"Just when were you planning on telling me that you expected Sasuke, Akira, or Hotaru to take part in your little adventure?" Kyo asked.

"When you asked me for the names of the other warriors, for only then would I know whether or not you would choose to join us," said Hisui in a calm, matter-of-fact voice that only seemed to irk Kyo all the more.

"Wanting to know names means nothing," Kyo retorted, "Stop trying to be clever, brat."

"But I am not..." Hisui began to protest.

"That's enough, Kyo!" I told Kyo.

"That's enough, Hisui!" Migeira interjected at the same time.

There was a prolonged moment of silence in which Kyo rolled his eyes, Migeira held his face in his hand, and Hisui looked confused.

'Hoo-boy...' I sighed, thinking that this probably wasn't the best start to any journey.

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"...but I do not understand; if the extract of poppy is so conducive to relieving pain, why can it not also be used in the course of surgery to diminish the agony of the patient?"

"Look, Hisui-kun," I sighed, "You'll just have to trust me when I say opium does more than just take away pain. I'm not saying I'm a surgeon or anything, but you need to understand its properties. Used properly, it can indeed be used to ease suffering, but it can also be quite destructive. That's why any healer worth their salt would be very reluctant to give it to anyone, except in extreme cases."

"Why?"

"Because opium is highly addictive," I explained, recalling my lessons with Taka-sensei, "It relieves pain, yes, but there is always the danger that the patient will become dependent on it. It becomes like a hunger that overwhelms everything else, every thought, instinct, memory. My sensei told me that she has seen people kill other people just for the sake of a few copper coins to buy more opium."

Hisui's eyes were so wide I could have sworn they were about to fall out of his head. "It is that dangerous?!" he gasped, "Then why do you use it at all? How can you be sure that you will administer it correctly, or that your patient will not be poisoned?"

"Like I said, you need to learn respect for all of its properties, not just its harmful or helpful ones. 'There's good and evil in everything, you just need to learn to tell the difference,' as my sensei told me more than once," I said patiently, "The principle applies to practically any medicine. I watched my sensei for a long time before I even tried mixing medicines, and even then, I studied constantly."

Hisui took this in with a grave expression that was far too old for him. "I see," he said, "I am obviously limited by my own experience. I have not seriously studied medical matters as you have, Yuya-dono, nor have I had the opportunity to test that knowledge in the wider word. It was foolish of me to question you."

"What? No, it wasn't," I protested, surprised by how seriously he took it, "You need to question things, Hisui-kun, that's the only way you learn. You also have to try things out for yourself and make mistakes and learn from them."

Hisui bit his bottom lip and sighed. "It sounds quite difficult; I wonder if I will have the time," he said, but his voice was so low, I wasn't sure I heard correctly.

"Hisui-kun..."

"Migeira-oji-san," Hisui called over his shoulder, "The sun is setting; are we going to make camp soon, or are we going to look for a village?"

"There's nothing around here for li," Kyo snorted, speaking up for the first time since we all started out together, "And there's still plenty of daylight. Why, are you tired?"

"Yes, somewhat, but if you feel that we need to continue, I will keep walking," Hisui responded stoutly, not even rising to the mocking tone of Kyo's question.

I had to admire his maturity, or maybe it was that he was simply too innocent to know better. Either way, Kyo has a special talent for picking a fight, and Hisui seemed pretty adept at deflecting derision. Throughout the day, he had kept up a running conversation with me, asking all sorts of questions, not just about medicine and healing, but also about my travels through Japan. The kid was quite intelligent, I could tell that right off, but most of his knowledge seemed to come from things he had read or heard about second-hand. I began to get the impression that he had been practically cloistered for most of his life and that this was the first time he had ever ventured beyond his clan holdings. It was a remarkable contrast to Migeira, who I was still having a hard time visualizing as an uncle. Just what kind of family was it that they had come from?

"Hisui-kun, if you don't mind me asking, exactly what sort of training have you received? You seem to know the basics of practically every branch of medicine and healing you've asked me about," I said.

"Oh, I was supposed to be training to become the next guji of my clan's shrine," he replied, "But the world is so fascinating, I wanted to know all about...are you all right, Yuya-dono?"

So the kid didn't just dress like a Shinto priest, he actually was one?! "'Guji'?" I echoed after I recovered myself, "But you're just a kid! How can you be in line to be a chief priest when you...?!"

I'm no expert on Shinto hierarchy, mind you, but don't chief priests have to be, you know, older?

"Well, it is rather odd that someone my age would be chosen for that station. As a matter of fact, I do not recall a single record of such a thing taking place among my clan's archives," Hisui said, taking my remark in stride. He pulled idly at his topknot. "The current guji, my great-uncle, appointed me as his successor last year and his word was accepted as law. He never did explain why."

"Hiroaki-oji-sama has never been one of the most forthcoming of men," Migeira observed. He sounded displeased for some reason.

"Is that so?" I asked softly, wondering what I had started.

"If I had had my choice, I would have become a monk like Migeira-oji-san," Hisui said blithely, "That way, I would have been allowed to...Yuya-dono, are you certain you are all right? Perhaps we should stop for the night."

"Migeira-san, since when the heck were you a monk?!" I demanded, ignoring Hisui.

Migeira blinked, as if puzzled by my question. "I have always been a servant of Amida Buddha and follower of the teachings of Eisai-sama, Yuya-san," he said stiffly, "Surely you don't believe that an ordinary secular warrior could summon the houriki necessary to use his soul for a weapon without ill effect."

"Oh..." That would actually explain a few things, now that I thought about it. Hadn't Migeira said he used his soul for ammunition in his Muramasa cannon? And here I had been thinking he'd chosen a shakujou for a weapon on a whim!

Migeira raised an eyebrow at me, but made no further comment. I noticed Kyo seemed to be lagging a bit behind us and slowed down to let him catch up.

"How's the leg?" I asked softly.

He didn't answer; instead, he seemed quite a bit more interested in the trees on either side of the road.

"Kyo, didn't you hear me? How is your...?"

"Quiet, woman," he muttered, hardly moving his lips. His eyes darted to the road ahead, cloaked in deepening shadows with the approaching night.

'Something's coming,' I realized, taking Kyo's hand by instinct. I looked up at him, wordlessly asking what he wanted me to do.

He inclined his head toward Hisui and then glanced at the far side of the road, where the cleared ground made a sharp dip before melting into the trees. His meaning was obvious enough: when the fighting starts, grab Hisui and take cover in the ditch.

I squeezed his hand to tell him I understood, then let go to catch up to Hisui.

Only six paces separated us, but the attack came before I had time to cross half that distance.

They weren't on horses this time, but that didn't seem to affect the speed in which they charged at Kyo and Migeira, who had turned to meet the ambush. I yanked Hisui off the road with me as I ran for the ditch, ignoring his startled protest.

"Just stay down!" I barked, practically shoving his face into the dirt. I shrugged the bulky medicine chest off my shoulders and carefully placed it on the ground beside me. I needed to be able to move fast, if it came to that. Reaching into my obi, I pulled out my poisoned needles, not because I thought I would have to use them, but because it was reassuring to have some sort of weapon on hand at times like these.

"What might those be, Yuya-dono?" Hisui asked as I raised my head to the level of the road to check on the fight.

I didn't answer him, as I was far more concerned with how Kyo and Migeira were faring. The road had been dry and covered with a layer of dust; the battle had stirred up such a thick cloud, I could barely see. There seemed to be an awful lot of the enemy though, more than last night. Lots more... "Shit, this isn't looking good."

"Are they hard-pressed, Yuya-dono?" Hisui asked breathlessly, grabbing my sleeve. I noticed that he hadn't bothered to look for himself. His face was pale, and his hand on my sleeve was shaking.

"Hisui-kun, are you scared?" I asked him.

He shook his head, paused, then nodded.

"Don't be," I said, trying to be reassuring, although a blood-curdling shriek that died off in a choked gurgle rather spoiled the effect. Hisui dug his face into my arm. "It'll be all right; Kyo and your uncle will protect us."

"I am certain they will, but it is what I must do that terrifies me..."

'What?' "Hisui-kun, what are you...?"

Hisui slowly shook his head, and then drew away from me. He reached over to his bag, untied the strings and pulled out the shakuhachi I had seen him play last night. To my amazement, he got to his feet and walked out onto the road.

"Hisui-kun, are you insane, get back here!" I shouted, jumping up.

The kid ignored me and raised the instrument to his lips...only he didn't see the warrior who burst out of the dust cloud, bearing down on him like a wolf...

"HISUI!" I unleashed a flight of needles, aiming for the man's face and torso...but he wasn't a man, he was a demon like before and he didn't stop...he would reach Hisui unless...!

"NO!" I jerked Hisui out of the way and threw another handful of needles right into the slavering, bestial face of the demon.

I want to say my attack was what stopped him, but that would be wishful thinking. The sonorous, beautiful, mournful wail of Hisui's shakuhachi pierced through the chaos of battle, washing over us like an invisible wave. The demon had just grabbed me by the shoulders and was closing in for the kill when he fell to his knees, howling his anguish. His blunted black claws dug into my skin, as though responding to his last murderous intent. In a sudden spray of blood, his head was gone, the corpse falling to the ground as I stared at Kyo through the crimson haze.

"The...I..." There was a bit of disconnect between my brain and my body. Near-death experiences tend to have that effect on me. Kyo only glared and slewed around, his blade dark and flying with blood as he and Migeira dispatched those demons still unfortunate enough to be alive.

It took only moments.

"I told you to stay down, dammit," Kyo said angrily, returning to me. The gentle way he drew me to him belied his tone.

"Sorry..." I mumbled into his haori, pressing my cheek against his breastplate. The attack was over, the enemy reduced to nothing more than lifeless bodies. "But Hisui-kun was about to..."

"Tch! Don't be stupid enough to risk yourself like that again," Kyo interrupted. "Stop playing that damned flute, brat!" he snapped at Hisui.

The shakuhachi's song stopped abruptly. "Yuya-dono, are you injured?" Hisui asked anxiously.

I turned and smiled at him. "No, I'm fine," I said gently, wanting to make up for Kyo's brusqueness. Then I took a good look at him. "Hisui-kun, are you all right?"

His skin was grayish, his eyes half-closed, his entire body trembling. "Do not be concerned, I..."

Migeira caught him before the kid fainted. "Kyo, I am certain I heard the sound of a stream or river a short distance ahead," he said, picking up Hisui's limp body in his arms, "I ask that we stop there for the night."

"Whatever," Kyo said with a shrug.

I touched Hisui's forehead – no fever, but the cold sweat that coated his skin was just as bad. He was in shock, but why? "Migeira-san, just what is going on?"

Migeira sighed heavily. "When we stop for the night. There are certain...details Hisui did not, or rather, could not, speak of."

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"He's sleeping now," I told Migeira as I sat down between him and Kyo beside the campfire. The way Kyo was glowering at Migeira, I thought it was a good idea. "I want to keep watching him through the night, just to be sure though. Has Hisui-kun always been troubled by fainting spells?"

Migeira shook his head, staring into the fire. "No, that is a recent development, and a side effect of the use of his spiritual power in battle."

"Spiritual power?" I echoed, "Are you talking about his flute-playing?"

"Yes...and no," Migeira replied, "As you have likely guessed, Hisui's flute and the song he plays renders those inhabited by demonic spirits powerless. But in themselves, they are nothing but notes from a bamboo pipe if Hisui does not also send out his spirit into those who hear the song. They are the tools by which manifests his ki and directs its purification power into certain individuals."

"Don't tell me that brat does the same thing you did with your cannon," Kyo said.

"I suppose it is rather similar," Migeira allowed, "but for Hisui, it is much more dangerous, as you have seen. Hisui's power can destroy the evil in the souls of those demons who once were men, but only if they are willing to let go of the power they have received. If there was any measure of free will in the acceptance of the infernal power, Hisui can only bind them until death by another's hand gives them the release he could not. He is now forced to use his power for the purpose of killing, ending life, to save men from their own foolish ambition.

"Hisui told you he was appointed to be the next high priest of our clan, but..." Migeira paused, as if weighing whether or not to continue. "Hisui was not so much appointed as he was born for the role. I cannot divulge to you the methods by which this was determined, but trust me when I say that Hisui was born to be an instrument of mercy. To even indirectly be the cause of another's death goes against his very nature. His soul rejects what his mind knows is right – sometimes, he is able to win the struggle, other times..." Migeira looked over at Hisui's still form and sighed. "I can only hope he finds absolution at the conclusion of all this."

I bit my lip to keep myself from voicing empty assurances; Migeira hardly needed them now, and it would not help Hisui.

Kyo, on the other hand, had no qualms about speaking up. "'Instrument of mercy'? Sounds like a coward's excuse. If that brat's committed to what he's set out to do, that's the only 'absolution' he need ever look for," Kyo sneered. Migeira glared at him. "There's no point in coddling him, Migeira," Kyo bludgeoned on, "If you insist that he needs to remain innocent, you're going to get him killed."

"I am his protector," Migeira said lowly, "I will die before I let harm or ruin come to him."

"Tch! Then you'll be helping him cross the Sanzu-no-kawa," Kyo retorted, "A nice ending for both of you, ne?"

"Kyo!" I wanted to clap a hand over his mouth; antagonizing Migeira would be of no help to anyone!

"You speak thus because you do not and cannot understand," Migeira retorted coldly, "Nor do I expect you to. I accompany Hisui because I swore to protect him. Why, if you are so scornful, did you agree to aid him?"

Kyo bared his teeth. "When did I ever say I would do something like that? The only thing I've agreed to so far is to let you tag along with me to Kudoyama. Perhaps if I'm bored enough, I'll fight those legions of Hell your little nephew was so concerned about."

Migeira probably wanted nothing more than to wale on Kyo with his shakujou, but he showed remarkable restraint. "You mock me, Onime no Kyo, but you will soon see that you have done so only out of sheer ignorance," he stated, as though that ended the matter.

There was a breath of silence, but Kyo wasn't finished. "I seem to recall the brat saying something about not knowing the identity of the enemy," he remarked, "Why is it then, that you've been attacked twice in as many days? Could it be that your enemies know who you are?"

I breathed a sigh of relief – at least Kyo wasn't trying to pick a fight anymore. As a matter of fact, it was quite a good question.

Migeira seemed to think so also. "I do not believe that is the case," he replied frankly.

"Hn? What makes you say that?" Kyo pressed, when it seemed Migeira wasn't going to elaborate.

"Because there have been numerous attacks on shrines, temples, and holy persons throughout Japan," Migeira said, "Even as Hisui and I were setting out from our clan holdings a month ago, we received word of a sudden outbreak of systematic desecration and murder. The description of the attacks, some of which we investigated along our way, all followed the same vein: a horde of murderous bandits would invade a town or village shrine, or assault a monastery, or waylay a journeying monk, priest, or miko. Survivors spoke of cruel slaughter and desecration of relics and sanctuaries. Bodies of holy persons, if they were ever found at all, bore the marks of inhuman but deliberate torture and murder. To the undiscerning eye, it would seem as though rogue bands of brigands had suddenly taken it into to their heads to persecute holy people and loot sacred places."

"And you aren't so undiscerning, ne?" Kyo drawled.

Migeira shook his head. "The coincidences are too plentiful to be such. We, too, have been attacked in the manner you have witnessed. It is not by design so much as instinct, it seems, for these demons to seek out and destroy their antithesis. And from those attacks, Hisui recognized the signature of the evil his vision had warned him about.

"That demons are behind the ruination of all that is holy in this land cannot be chance. Surely you reached the same conclusion, or you would not be going to Kudoyama in the first place."

Kyo's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about, Migeira-san?" I asked, mystified by his reference and Kyo's reaction.

"The shrine in Kashikojima had been utterly destroyed when you arrived, had it not?" Migeira asked, looking at Kyo.

"Well of course," I interjected, "Half the town had been put to the torch by the Akaisora-shuu by the time we got there."

"The miko in charge of the shrine had been executed," Migeira continued, as though I hadn't spoken, "When you pursued the band, you noticed that they seemed to travel faster and further than humans had any right to. And when you finally caught up with them, you realized the truth: your quarry was not human, at least not anymore. You fought well and defeated them, but not before recognizing a demonic kidifferent from, but akin to your own."

'What?' I thought in disbelief. 'Kyo knew about the demons even before we met up with Migeira and Hisui?' My heart sank. 'Why didn't he think to tell me about it, or did he just think it didn't matter?'

Kyo was glaring now. I reached out and put a hand on his arm, willing him to stay calm. "I suppose I should congratulate you on your detective skills," Kyo said sarcastically, "and your strategy. Letting me find out for myself there was another bastard hell-bent on chaos was rather devious."

Migeira shrugged. "It is best that you had some idea of what was going on, or Hisui would not have been able to convince you without proof. Anyone hearing him without witnessing for themselves would have dismissed him out of hand."

"Hn," Kyo snorted. Migeira conveniently interpreted it as agreement, for he did not press the issue further.

I got to my feet. "Thank you, Migeira-san, for being so frank with us," I said politely, "It is best for allies to be less secretive with each other, to avoid any chance of misunderstanding or suspicion"

"No truer words were spoken, Yuya-san," Migeira said with a polite half-bow, "I ask pardon for my reticence."

"You're not alone when it comes to keeping secrets, Migeira-san," I replied, deliberately not looking at Kyo, because I'd probably lose it if I did.

"Where are you going?" Kyo demanded as I started walking away.

"To the river!" I tossed over my shoulder before stomping off, my face burning with anger. Yes, I know, it wasn't the most mature reaction, but what did Kyo expect, hiding something like that from me? 'Jerk! Asshole! Did he think I couldn't handle the truth?! That I was going to break out in hysterics or something?!'

A series of loud splashes as I neared the river bank startled me out of my internal rant. I reached automatically for my needles, and then realized I had probably just scared off the entire frog population for a good distance on either side of river. 'Paranoid much?' I thought disgustedly, finding a convenient log and sitting down on it.

I slumped forward, my elbows on my knees, my chin in my hands as I stared out at the black and moon-silvered water. Cicadas and crickets were singing loudly and obliviously amid the thick stands of fuzzy cattails; the river chuckled and burbled over rocks invisible beneath its dark depths. The full moon overhead was so bright that I cast a sharp, dark shadow on the ground.

'You'd think with everything we'd been through together, Kyo would know he shouldn't not tell me things!' True, Taka-sensei had said, more than once, that Kyo was about as forthcoming as a rock (and just as bright), but I still couldn't fathom why he thought it necessary or appropriate to hide things from me! 'And here I was thinking that we had reached an understanding the other night. Just when you think you've gotten a bead on him, how he thinks and feels, he pulls a stunt like this!'

I wasn't getting any calmer, which had been the entire reason for storming away in huff in the first place. Bad enough Migeira and Kyo were at odds and that Kyo seemed to have become more instead of less antagonistic toward Hisui; our little group wasn't going to come together well if I decided to throw a little "me-Kyo" tension into the mix.

"How long were you planning on sitting there?"

Make that a lot of "me-Kyo" tension.

"Until a trout leapt onto the riverbank and started speaking to me in Chinese or I felt like it," I snapped, sitting bolt upright, my hands clenched in my lap.

Kyo's hand settled on top of my head, impelling me to look up at him. "You should know better than to wander off, little girl," he said blandly, "You heard Migeira; he and the brat draw those damned rabid dogs like moths to a flame. If they found you out here alone..."

"If they found me alone," I interrupted, pulling away from him and getting to my feet, "I would fight them; I can fight, you know."

Kyo cocked his head to one side. "Aa, you'd fight," he said, "And then you'd die, very quickly."

I clenched my teeth so hard my jaws hurt. It wasn't as though he was lying – Kyo doesn't lie, whatever his faults. I knew how overmatched I was against those monsters, but he did have to put it so bluntly?!

"Besides looking for Chinese trout, why in the hell did you come out here?" Kyo continued.

"To get away from you!" I spouted before I could even think about what I was saying. Kyo raised an eyebrow and I could feel the heat rush to my face, this time out of sheer embarrassment. If a large enough rock had been available, I would have crawled under it. As there wasn't, I had to stand there like an idiot while Kyo looked at me like I was off my nut.

"If I didn't know better I'd think you were mad at me for something."

When in doubt, be sarcastic. "Excellent deduction, Onime no Kyo," I muttered, "You could work for the bakufu."

He frowned. "I thought what I said last night was over and done with," he said. Angry, confused, amused, it all sounds pretty much the same from him when he wants it to.

"That's what you think I'm angry about?" I asked in disbelief. Did he really think I'd be that petty?!

"It's not?" Kyo replied, still in the same tone.

I rolled my eyes and turned away. "Never mind," I told him, "Just leave me alone, all right? It's nothing important, so don't concern yourself." Folding my arms around myself, I stared out over the river, waiting for him to leave.

He didn't. Instead, I heard him walk over to the log I had abandoned and sit down. Kyo didn't say anything, of course – I could feel his eyes on my back like focused heat from a lens. It was a waiting game, and the loser would be the one who broke first and spilled their guts.

Even I knew that I had lost from the outset.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked softly, conceding defeat.

"Tell you what?" To his credit, Kyo managed to not sound too smug.

"That you had fought those demons before? That you knew what was going on even before Migeira-san and Hisui-kun showed up in Tokubo?"

"Why should I tell you something like that?"

"Because...!" I whirled around, my temper piqued by his deliberate obtuseness. "Don't you think something like that is kind of important?! Would it have killed you to say, 'Oh, by the way, Yuya, there are rabid beast-men running amok throughout Japan, thought you might like to know' or something?!"

"You didn't need to know," Kyo said simply.

"I'm not stupid, Kyo!" I raged, "I'm not a coward either! I wouldn't have been scared...!"

"You didn't need to know," Kyo interrupted, "You're neurotic enough with everyday things to worry about."

"I am not neurotic!" My voice sounded shrill even to my ears. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. "Kyo, I wouldn't have flipped out if you told me, I wouldn't have become hysterical, so why...?"

"You heard Migeira," Kyo said abruptly, "Are you telling me that you'd believe me if I told you that demons and not bandits were marauding through the countryside?"

"Of course I would," I told him. He blinked. "I know you. You wouldn't say something like that unless it was true. Besides, have you forgotten the kinds of people you've fought against? If they don't qualify as demons, anything direct from Emma-O himself couldn't either!" It was a lame attempt at humor, to cover up how much his doubt hurt my pride...and my heart. "Kyo, why don't you trust me? Haven't we gone through enough together?"

"It's got nothing to do with whether I trust you or not." For the first time, Kyo sounded frustrated. "I'm here to protect you, that's all you need to know. Why can't you trust me that much?"

'But I do, Kyo I do, it's just that...' I sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. He obviously didn't, or couldn't, understand. Maybe it was because I trusted him with my life, that he thought he needed to protect me from everything and anything? Then again, it never used to be that way. 'It's remarkable how much Kyo has changed,' I thought to myself as I regarded him, sitting there with his Muramasa katana propped up on his shoulder, battle-ready and alert as always, 'I wonder if even he can tell.' I was surprised I really hadn't thought about it myself until just now.

"I do trust you Kyo," I said at last, with gentleness that seemed to catch him off guard. I walked over to him and smoothed my hand over his cheek. "I just want you to know that you can trust me, too. It also helps to know that you don't think of me as some frail, wilting waif who can't take care of herself."

"Tch, as if I'd be that stupid," Kyo commented, as though it should have been inherently obvious, "You're far too much of a wench to be a waif."

"Oh, gee, thanks," I said sarcastically, "Who knew Onime no Kyo was such a flatterer."

"Flattery nothing." Kyo reached around and pinched my rear. "Waifs are hardly interesting."

"Eek! Dammit, Kyo! I'm trying to be serious he...!" Kyo wasn't interested and promptly pulled me down into his lap. "D-don't you dare!" I gasped as he leaned over me, effectively caging me to him with his arms, "Kyo, you're wounded!"

"Tch! I thought I told you to stop worrying about stupid things like that," he said, sliding a hand up my thigh underneath my kimono.

"At least let me make sure you didn't split any of the stitches," I insisted, grabbing his wrist.

Kyo rolled his eyes but withdrew his hand. I clambered off him as quickly as possible so as not to give him an opportunity to change his mind, and crouched on the ground beside him. Rolling up his left hakama leg, I saw that the bandage was as pristine as it had been that morning.

"Told you so," Kyo said.

"Hmph, you can't be sure about these things," I said, getting to my feet, "We need to get back to the camp so I can look at it properly. The dressing needs to be changed in any case."

"Oh, really?" Kyo sounded skeptical. "Sure you're not just playing hard to get?"

"Maybe." I smiled sweetly and stepped out of arms' reach, "But before we do go back..."

"Hn?"

"I'm going to collect some of this cattail pollen." I always keep a small cloth collecting bag in my obi, courtesy of Taka-sensei's admonitions that you can never know when you might stumble on a useful herb. I took out the bag and began shaking the dusty brown fluff into it. It was quite rare, really, to find cattails like these so late in the summer; by now they should have been little more than tufts of grey fluff. Cattail pollen is a binding agent in an ointment Taka-sensei taught me for wounds that won't stop bleeding.

I had a feeling I was going to need a lot of it in the near future.

I filled the bag to capacity in record time. "I think Hisui would be interested in learning about these when he wakes up; I'll take one back to him," I said to myself, reaching mid-way down a thick stalk to break it free. I turned back to Kyo. "All right, let's go!"

"How much of that crap did you actually manage to get in the bag?" Kyo asked, coming forward and brushing cattail fuzz from my bangs.

"Enough," I said primly, side-stepping him and heading back toward the camp.

Kyo's hand around my wrist halted me in mid-stride. "Yuya..."

He sounded deadly serious. I glanced over my shoulder at him worriedly.

"...there are rabid beast-men running amok throughout Japan," he told me with a perfect dead-pan expression, "Thought you might like to know."

I had to replace the cattail I had planned on bringing Hisui. If Migeira thought it odd that we both came back covered head-to-toe in pollen and grey fluff, he didn't say anything.

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Narrator here. Yee-gads, that was a hard chapter to write! A couple of times, I was ready just to scrap the whole fic, especially when it came to the Kyo-Yuya interactions. They are a difficult couple to write, if one is trying hard to keep them in character. I hope managed to do that.

I do not doubt someone will inform me if I did not...

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Music for this chapter:

Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30 (Second Movement)

Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Oboes in D Minor, RV 535

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Dictionary:

"yare, yare" – loosely, "Oh, brother," or something to that effect.

"hentai" – "pervert" or "perverted." Either way, an apt description for Kyo...

"sayonara" – "goodbye" but to a degree that is rather more permanent than the standard Western connotation.

Oji-san – "uncle"

Tokaido-cho – A main coastal highway that ran from Edo (Tokyo) to Kyoto.

Li – a measure of distance of about 3.2 km.

gujiAs Yuya mentions, the chief priest of a Shinto shrine (or local network of shrines, if that is the case). The other rankings, in descending order, are: gon-guji(the "second-in-command" or assistant to the chief priest); shin-gon-guji (junior assistant chief priest); negi (senior priest); gon-negi(assistant senior priest); shuten or kujo (just your average, every-day Shinto priest)

Amida Buddha – "Buddha of Infinite Light," the principle deity of the Jodo(Pure Land) school of Buddhism, founded by the scholar Honen and his disciple Shinran, that emerged in Japan during the Kamakura period (12th and 13th centuries). Migeira says that he is also an adherent of the teachings of Eisai, the founder of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism which came about in the last decade of the 12th century. Zen Buddhism, a form that developed independently from the Jodo school, was the Buddhism of choice for samurai because it was not nearly as "intellectual" or ascetic as Jodo. It was also easily assimilated into the reigning Shinto religion. While this may sound contradictory, in reality, Migeira essentially anticipates the founding of the Ōbaku sect of Zen Buddhism in 1654 by the Chinese monk Yin-yüan (Ingenin Japan), which recognized Amida Buddha as its deity. Given that Migeira saw into the future all the way to the twentieth century (at least!), I figured the slight anachronism would not cause too much trouble!

Houriki– spiritual power that is supposed to come directly from Buddha, possessed only by Buddhist monks and nuns of the highest piety.

Ki – also "chi," this is a concept (borrowed from the Chinese) of one's life-force/spirit/soul as being something that affects one's internal and external environments. Ken-ki (lit. "sword-spirit"), which will come up later, is applied to samurai like Kyo.

Sanzu-no-kawa – a river/river bed the dead must cross into the land of Yomi. Sort of the Japanese equivalent to the river Styx in Greek/Roman mythology. It even has a Charon-like guardian, a crone named Sodzu-baba.

Opium – this narcotic, extracted from red poppies as Hisui mentioned in the chapter, has long been known for both its medicinal properties as well as its more nefarious applications. Its dark side is probably best summed up in the Opium Wars in China in the early nineteenth century.

Bakufu – "Tokugawa Ieyasu's central concern was the restoration of peace and order to war-ravaged Japan; in order to accomplish this, he turned to China and Confucianism. In the bakuhan system of government, the bakufu, or military, government of the Tokugawa shogunate reserved the right to inspect the 250 or so autonomous territories, or han under the control of various daimyo. In order to oversee all these territories, about three-fourths of Japan, and autonomous daimyo the Tokugawa shogunate established an elaborate bureaucracy modeled after the Chinese imperial bureaucracy. Although Confucianism had been rooted in Japan since the sixth century A.D., it had largely been confined to Buddhist monasteries; however, Tokugawa Ieyasu turned to Confucianism, particularly Neo-Confucianism, as he began to build the bureaucracy which would eventually bring about over 260 years of domestic peace." - Quoted directly from the Washington State University website.

Additional Sources: Ancient Cultures: Japanese Gods and Myths Chartwell Publishing Co.

The Encyclopedia of Ancient Myths and Culture Quantum Publishing Ltd.

Encyclopedia Britannica Micropaedia Vol. 10 (1979 :8000/dee/TOKJAPAN/NEO.HTM

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To My Reviewers: All of you are so wonderful!

kitsune55: Yes, thank you; I know I'm evil. (grin) But I think I left you off at a better point this time around. As for Kyo's treatment of Yuya... well, I hope this chapter helps to set the tone I'm going with to explain their relationship.

luna-magic-2005: We don't want Kyo hurting himself, you know. I can't imagine anyone learning how to express themselves having lived a life as guarded as his right off the bat. As Yuya has realized, it's going to take time... a lot of time, since Kyo is something of an idiot.

LadyWater2010 and Moony396: Here's your update; enjoy!

Placid Snowflake: I was rather upset to find out that Migeira wasn't in the manga; that's the main reason I decided to go with the anime storyline (despite my personal preferences) - he's too cool a character not to use (and he's hot, too!). Hope you like how I'm portraying him so far, even though his role will be rather limited. It's too easy to use him as something of a deux ex machina, so I wanted to "ground" him a bit. And sorry about the cliffhanger - it's a cheap literary device, but an effective one, ne?

nekozuki1776: Thanks for saying you like my OC! And please, ask whatever questions you want - enthusiasm is ever so much more appreciated than apathy when it comes to artistic liscence. As for the seer thing skipping a couple of generations... well, I vaugely remember Migeira alluding to that, but as you'll come to see, Hisui is a very special case. I hope I managed to keep up with my consistent charaterizations of Kyo and Yuya in this latest chapter. And do please update on I Would Never Hurt You and Touch of Faith soon!

vegita-dis:I got praised, I got praised, I got praised! (capers madly) I'm glad you're enjoying the educational aspect of my work - I did rather much use this fic as an excuse to research Edo-era Japan and it's nice to know the extra work is appreciated. No sense in writing/reading historical fiction if you aren't going to learn something worthwhile! Please update Midori no Me soon; I'm in something of a tizzy, wondering what will happen next!

Starian Princess: Hai, ninmu ryoukai! (salutes) Will lighten up immediately, ma'am! Anything you say, ma'am! (spazzes) Only, now I have to get serious again to write the next chapter... Oro, Narrator is confused!

animegrl1047: Kanashimi has since placed one of her Bishonen Subjugation collars on Saitou, so if your imouto goes after him, she must realize that she's not going to have much luck making him her own pet. Gomen, ne? And I hope this chapter answered some of your questions!

Lady of Genesis: I do hope your exam went well, and thank you for remembering to write your review!

Arin Ross: I think my propensity for detail stems from the fact that I'm a bit of a type-A personality... make that ueber type-A. At least it pays off for those who enjoy descriptive embellishments. By the bye, so far, you're the only one who's picked up on the meaning of Hisui's name - and yes, I did that on purpose.

Genjy0-Sanz0: Peachy? Hisui's just predicted blood, death, and destruction... which are Kyo's pasttimes now that I think about it. Hm, you're right, he might enjoy this too much!

Triste1: I do hope it wasn't too confusing - part of it has to do with the fact that I'm having Yuya telling the story. Since everything's happening from her point of view, without the benifit of third-person omniscience, it can get a bit muddled. But that's how battles are; you focus on one detail or everything just sort of whirls around you in a chaotic spin cycle. Thanks for the critical review!

Salute!