Author's note: OMHLAFG! IM SO SORRY! ITS BEEN SO LONG! I was hoping to put these chapter up a long time ago but that didn't happen at all im sorry TT-TT but here you go chapter 11

Chapter 11: water witch

The morning of a new day was here. Kambei was the first out of the house, he walked around the newly built village seeing the detail he didn't have the time to pay attention to when the first arrived. The homes where larger even the outer sides of the huts had the workmen ship of a master carpenter. Kambei wonder of how the inside looked of each home he passed.

"nice isn't it." Kambei turned to see himself standing next to one of the samurai that now lived within the walls of kanna.

"would this be your craftsmen ship?" Kambei asked

The stranger nodded and he placed one hand on the wood frames of his work. "sure is, made everyone of these with my own hands." He smiled and held his hand out to Kambei. "namesrikuhida, great shimada Kambei."

The said man chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "really there is no need to address me as 'great' after all I gave up the blade after kanna village was saved."

Riku patted Kambei on the on back. "come now Kambei-sama after all if it wasn't for you kanna wouldn't be here to begin with, it's a place I love to call home and on top of which our lovely Kirara-sama over there." Riku pointed to the said woman's home

Kirara was seated out side with 3 young girls around her. One was showing her pictures, that she obviously drew herself, the seconded was seating on her lap playing with kirara's bangs, and the third was playing with her long brown hair, placing flowers and bradding a few strands here and there.

Kambei marveled this beautiful scene that lied before him, after all he forgot the last time he saw a more beautiful smile. But the one thing that broke his heart and that was the site of the two swords that rested at her hips. He knew it was a burden to have a blade but for her to have them… he wish there was something he could do but knew it would be useless to try.

"Kirara-sama are you going to teach us about herds again today? If you're feeling better." The girl how placed flowers him kirara's hair asked.

Kirara smiled and turned to around just enough to see the girl behind her. "If I have time that its rin-chan."

Rin smiled and opened her mouth to say more but the smallest girl that was seated on kirara's lap beat her to it. "really!? Can I come this time huh Kirara?" Kirara patted her head .

"don't I always take you tsuki?" tsuki smiled and nodded her head and hug Kirara.

"what about me?"

Kirara smiled and graded the drawing that was placed in between her and the girl "well you are part of my class sai"

Sai smiled and handed Kirara her picture and walked down the stairs. "thank you Kirara-sama." Then she left with a large smile on her face.

"huh? Hold on sister!" tsuki jumped off kirara's lap and was followed by rin.

" bye Kirara-sensei!" rin waved goodbye as the girls ran back to their home.

Kambei and riku both smiled. "yup always great with the kids." Riku said and left.

Kambei took this moment to walk over to the elder of the mikomari family. " LadyKirara."

"huh? Kambei-sama?" the said woman was busy pulling the flowers out of her hair. "what brings you here?"

Kambei looked over at the walls that went around the village, as he thought of her question. Yes, Why was he here he could of just kept walking and asked others that lived in the villaga surely enough they had the same stories she did. "information."

Kirara gave him a suspicious look of disbelief. Kambei hide behind a cold sweet and he realized his lie sounded just as it seemed… a lie. "Information on what?" Kirara got to her feet and watched as the light of the sun began to case over the dark sky. "its time."

Kambei and Kirara stood looking at the gates as they began to open. "im sorry but I wont be able to answer your questions." The former water priestess walked down the steps pass kambei.

Hetoshi was ready at the gate standing next to shichiroji and katsushiro. He looked around all the men were at their pots, soon the sound of a horn was blown on the other side of the gate.

"OPEN THE GATE!" kirara positioned herself at the entrance as she commanded the men to open the gate.

" Open the gate!"

"Hurry open the gate!"

As the men waited to see what lies behind the walls. Kambei walked down to the side of Hetoshi. "now what?"

Hetoshi didn't bother to turn around. "now we get ready and pray for the best… its all we can do."

The gate began to open as the morning light shined through the crack made but its opening and only grew bigger with each passing second. Kambei's heart started to race as he watched on. He wanted to knew what was going on and without anyone to answer his questions he was eager to find out. And as he watched on he noticed the uneasiness in kiraras form, and the reason for this, he found out why.

"wellwell, it seems you aren't taking any percussions to my arrival."

"of course not, I wont, none of us wont forget what you had done the last time you arrived here in kanna village."

Katsushiro, shichiroji, and kambei watched on in horror. "itcant be…ukiyo!"

"hm? Ukiyo? Who dares compare me to that fool."

"stay out of this!" kiraras anger snapped at the 3 men who stood gazing at the man in front of them. " this is not ukiyo. Yes its true, he is one of the amanushis clone, but-"

"but I am takamasa… enemy of kanna village, leader of the seku clan." Takamasa was truly different from ukiyo. His hair cut short, he wore no makeup, and he eyes were even colder and darker. :"hmph, so who are they new recuts?" takamasatruned his attention back to kirara. " or are they newly fed lap dog my dear water witch…"

Kiraragrited her teeth and held back her rage as she heard those words. He dare mock her here and now, he will pay, but this meeting was meant in the name of peace. "takamasa…" she hated how he was abl to bring out this deep hatered from him so easily.

"the bitter words you speak makes me question if this is truly for peace, or do you just hate me that much?"

"tch, I will do what is best for my people, even if it means putting down my sword infront of the enemy." Kiraramoved her hands from her sword, but the look in her eyes did not fade.

"such noble words coming from you, I wonder how long they will last water witch." Takamasa advanced a step closer. "well then, shall we?" his hand held out to the direction of rikichi's home.

Kirara nodded her head as she lead him to the head of the village. Rikichi waited at the door of his home, he thought of what was about to happen, the enemy of their village was going to enter his home.

"sokambei-sama what do we do now?"

"we wait, its all we can do." Shichiroji was interrupted by one of the other samurai.

Kambei looked behind him. "I hope your right." The thought of something going wrong hit to the pit of his stomach, after all, outside the village gate five men stood tall. Kambei examined each one. The first was a young boy, perhaps no more than thirteen. His kimono was just above his knees, his dark brown hair tied in the back to form pony tails which resemble katsushiros long ago. But this young boy, his eyes head a deadly and sinister look, one that reeked of the desire to kill. The second was an older man with white hair, he wore a silver kimono that draped to the ground and a long black obi. Though he seemed frail do to his age, kambei saw to large hammers at his waste, showing that this man was stronger than at first glance. The third was a another young man, around the same age as katsushiro. Black hair and dark blue eyes sent a chill down his spin, from his appearance kambei felt the only one who could have any chance with this man was kyuzo. The scars that lined his body were evidence that that man enjoyed close combat, an with only one short sword at his back kambei knew he was a worthy opponent. The forth, well at first kambei thought this person was a women… long black hair, bangs push to one side covering the right eye and soft plush lips… to bad this was a man… kambei thought back when he first saw huygo… he brushed him out of his mind and continued to examine him. He looke for weapons but found nothing, he searched the outlines of his black kimono and fond only the long sleeves and gray trimmings. Even so there was an uneasiness to him, and kambei dislike it. Finally his attention turned to the the last man in the group short green hair and gray eyes this man stood firm, the top of his kimono had no sleeves showing the scars from old battles, his leggings were much like gorobeis. He had a small pouch full of daggers at his side. Kambeifelt nothing form him he had no desire what so ever nothing came of him that should seem alarming. Kambei watched on, and as time passed he failed to realize that takamasa had felt rikichis home leaving behind the said man and the former water priestess behind.

Well wellwell now we get to see the threats that oppose kannahehe. Yeah I also notice that I haven't put much of kyuzo into this story, hey its not my fault the guy hardly ever talks I mean hes just there until all the fighting starts! :o any ways im going to post chapter 12 soon and this time it wont take me a year to do it aha again sorry about that no internet were I live hahaha burger king and McDonalds wifi sucks out here too agh I need to get wireless internet somehow