-Haruka-
She looked into the mirror opposite to her and didn't recognise herself as Yuuko gave her another injection.
"Don't look so worried, it is all reversible." Yuuko reassured her and Haruka couldn't help but chuckle.
"It is just odd to see it, not that the thought had never crossed my mind, but this makes it surreally real." Haruka still couldn't trust her own ears as she heard herself talk.
"I learned and trained with the best, but you know that." Yuuko couldn't help but smile with pride as she indicated to Haruka to get up and to get ready.
Minako entered the clinic with Yaten tagging along and both had to do a double take as they spotted Haruka.
"Ah, that's just the right response." Haruka smirked.
"Everything is ready." Yaten informed her once he caught himself and Haruka finished dressing up.
"That is good. I trust you two to get along while I am gone and to play nice." Haruka addressed Yuuko and Yaten who still couldn't spend a minute alone in a room without a fight breaking out between them.
"Don't worry about them, I am here after all." Satomi chuckled as she entered the room with an assortment of ties. "I can see why your mum always said you'd be a heartbreaker. Lean down a bit, I am not as tall as you are." Satomi instructed and Haruka obliged so that the other woman could put on her tie.
"We won't be long." Haruka assured Satomi and offered Minako her arm. "Shall we?"
"Yes, we shall." Minako took the offered arm with an equally wide grin.
-Kakashi-
He stamped the application for leave and sighed while he filed it himself before returning to his desk. He was getting more and more shorthanded in his department, but he was used to running it on a skeleton crew. Kenji's quiet, yet consistent, snoring could be heard coming from the couch on which the other man was sleeping while Kakashi was reading several reports from different missions that were ongoing when the punctual and familiar knock was came from his office door.
"Come in." Kakashi called out casually as he put the reports aside.
Rei entered, stiffer than usual, and positioned herself demonstratively in front of his desk.
"Meioh-sama is asking if new safety measures have been implemented for the new concert venue." Rei asked him in a neutral tone.
"Yes, I have my best man on it." Kakashi replied and handed her the tablet on which he had uploaded all sensitive reports for Setsuna.
Rei took it, but made no move to leave.
"Anything else, Hino-san?" Kakashi asked her as she seemed to have gotten lost in thought.
"Where is Minako?" Rei blurted out and Kakashi had to suppress another sigh.
"On leave." He replied but could see that Rei was by no means satisfied with that reply. "She handed in her application herself weeks ago. It is filed in her file if you don't believe me." Kakashi pointed at the cabinet where he had only stood moments earlier.
"If I need changes to Meioh-sama' security detail, who shall I contact then?" Rei asked with an indifferent tone, but her eyebrows could not hide her irritation.
"Me." Kakashi replied calm.
"Who is going to take care of your safety?" Rei continued her questioning.
"Kenji is more than enough for my humble existence. Feel free to concentrate all spare resources on Tenoh-san and Meioh-san." Kakashi shrugged easily and Rei understood her dismissal.
He watched her leave and as soon as the door was closed behind her, Kenji shifted.
"You are not going to tell her what Minako is up to?" Kenji asked him.
"If Minako wanted her to know what she is up to, Rei would know." Kakashi just shrugged again.
-Kumiko-
The rhythmic sound of Taiko drums was reverberating through the concert hall as Kumiko watched drummers finishing their last piece before the orchestra would practice their pieces one last time before the concert.
"I didn't think that Michiru would let the Defence Force accompany for her the concert so easily." Kumiko had to admit to Riko.
"She was promised a full house, so she understood that we couldn't leave the orchestra pit empty, also, do you know anyone who would say no to a Tenoh?" Riko chuckled as her eyes were attentively watching the hall, rather than the musicians and Kumiko followed her gaze. "And don't forget, Haruka took her to Hokkaido in the summer." Riko added as her gaze stopped for a moment on one of the balconies.
"Hmm." Kumiko voiced her comprehension of the implications as she watched Michiru following Linda and Allison to do the separate security checks. "She is a fast learner."
"Are you bragging now with your student?" Riko teased.
"Like you haven't with yours all her life?" Kumiko smirked in return.
But Riko suddenly turned pensive as the drumming reached its peak and then died down in an instant.
The drummers cleared the stage as choreographed and the orchestra started their practice.
The concert hall was once again filled with precision, dedication and passion that only a military orchestra could muster with so little time to prepare.
"The only way to stay on top of the game is to never stop playing." Riko mumbled lost in thought and Kumiko stepped up behind her and pulled her, with a hug from behind, deeper into the shade of the balcony on which they were standing.
"Do you think we are doing the right thing?" Riko asked quietly as she leaned deeper into the hug, with her eyes still focused on the scenery in front of them, not letting anything escape her sight.
"Only one way to find out." Kumiko replied and gave Riko a reassuring squeeze.
-Minako-
They arrived, as arranged, at the infamous Myamoto estate that sported a security of class of its own.
Several guards had opened them the gate to drive to the inner parking space and they had to walk a path that seemed to be longer than all the ones that Minako had ever taken before to reach the buildings in the inner sanctum. Walking in a respectful distance behind the tall blonde gave her the chance to observe all of her surroundings with more attention without drawing any to herself and she noticed that a lot of servants were going about their tasks, including covert armed guards walking big Akitas on the ground. Minako now understood better why Yumi preferred her own little sanctum over the official estate.
Two guards with dogs joined them to walk them to their designated meeting spot, but not out of their kindness, but for the dogs to have a sniff.
They eventually reached their destination and were greeted by the head of the family himself, as well as Katashi standing to his right, who dismissed the guards with a hand motion before they could come any closer to the door, while Yumi stood to his left who didn't even twitch as she watched them come to the door.
"We have much to discuss. Yumi, please take Tenoh-san's assistant with you to discuss the catering." Hiroto dismissed is granddaughter while he led the others to another tearoom for discussions.
Yumi bowed obligingly and walked ahead of Minako to a tearoom right across of the one the others sat in, well hidden behind the trees and bushes of the small centre garden.
They settled opposite to each at the small table on which sweets and tea lay ready and Yumi dismissed the servant that had waited for them in the tearoom.
"Do we have anything to discuss?" Minako asked Yumi.
"Not really, but you know how it is. The men prefer to talk amongst themselves as not to bother us with things we could not possibly understand." Yumi smirked with sarcasm before both women looked across garden and between the bushes to watch the other three fall into a rather one-sided discussion where Hiroto did most of the talking while the other two mainly nodded pensively.
"Nonetheless, these are the plans for the small party after the concert." Yumi focused back into the room and slid Minako a well-arranged file with everything just the way Haruka liked it. "You'll need to step up more if you want to sell this right. You might fool most, but you can't fool me. For that, I know her too well." Yumi spoke quietly before she took a sip from her cup of tea.
"What do you suggest?" Minako asked in return as she put the file back down.
"You need to step up to the levels that Taiki is used to if you want to be taken seriously as Tenoh's right hand woman and just tell her that she needs to complete the set, if she is doing what I think she is thinking about doing. She'll know what to do." Yumi proceeded to offer Minako a sweet.
-Michiru-
Michiru walked with her beloved violin safely in her hands out of the changing room to find her Riko and Kumiko quietly yet heatedly discussing something in the darkness of the hallway. They stopped talking the moment the light of the changing room broke the darkness, but didn't turn towards Michiru.
"I will catch the ride with Linda and Allison to debrief with them. Go ahead without me and enjoy dinner." The tall woman smirked but before she could turn around and disappear in the dark hallway Riko pulled her back.
"Be safe." Riko said quietly, distress only slightly noticeable in her eyes, but her voice was as steady as ever.
"You, too." Kumiko kissed Riko on the forehead before turning to Michiru.
"Watch your back kid, don't let the old ones play you." Kumiko winked and gave Michiru a reassuring squeeze on the arm before disappearing around the corner.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Michiru asked Riko puzzled.
"Looks like we will have an official dinner date today." Riko sighed as they made their way through the artists' path and exited the building.
They immediately spotted a black car waiting for them.
Kakashi was leaning against it and was about to light a cigarette when they approached him and he put the cigarette back into its box and the box back into his pocket. Without another word he opened them the door and they were greeted by friendly smiling Miyu and an ever so grumpy Takashi.
"Come in quickly girls, the evening air is too cold for an old lady like me." Miyu urged them in and Riko and Michiru climbed in quickly and sat down opposite to the two older people with their back to the driver.
They all exchanged polite nods with Takashi, who remained silent.
"Where are we going mum?" Riko asked conversationally and Miyu replied ever so cheerful
"Takashi-san was so nice to make reservations for us at my favourite restaurant in the city and Kakashi-kun and Kenji-kun volunteered to drive us because Kenshin-san is still busy preparing my quarters in the Tenoh estate."
Michiru noticed a familiar looking cane resting in Takashi's hand as the old man silently focused on the scenery outside.
Her aunt and her grandmother continued their cordially trivial conversation, but that didn't cover subtle tension between the older men in the car. Ken drove unperturbed nonetheless carefully and smooth, but nothing like Haruka. Just when they stopped at another traffic light Ken turned to subtly to Kakashi and whispered "silver Audi", who shook his head and they continued to drive towards their destination.
This was not the first night where the silver Audi followed Riko and Michiru after practice, but Kumiko usually lost it within few turns. This was Michiru's chance to find out who was driving the Audi, as the driver was always close enough to follow them, but not close enough to spot the driver him or herself.
As she concentrated on finding out who the driver was, she noticed how Takashi suddenly shifted and seemed to relax a bit and she recognised how they turned into a street with one of the Myamoto's well hidden restaurants that her grandmother liked so much.
The Audi didn't follow them into the quiet street but changed lanes and disappeared in the evening traffic.
A small gate opened and the car drove into a beautifully lit garden and parked discreetly in one of the bays. Staff was already waiting to guide them inside and they quickly exited the car. The atmosphere was serene and only the light clicking of Takashi's cane echoed with the calming sound of the fountain.
Once inside, the attendees split.
"Please follow me, Takahashi-sama, Okamoto-sama, Tenoh-sama has made arrangements for you in another room." The attending on the left announced and the two men followed them while the rest followed the other attending and Takashi into another dining room.
"That was nice of you to give the boys some privacy." Miyu addressed Takashi who had been silent all this time.
"I didn't." Takashi just grumbled as he wiped his hands with one of the hot towels that were provided to them.
"Ah." Riko and Miyu said in unison that amused Michiru to even chuckle.
Their attending returned with their first course and they all settled to eat.
"I heard you are doing a particular big show this year Michi-chan, that must be so exciting." Her grandmother commented as they enjoyed the delicate sashimi.
"I am mainly busy with practice that there is not much time to be excited. I am mainly focused not to disappoint." Michiru replied between bites.
"Oh, I have no doubt that it will be amazing as it has been every year." Miyu beamed while everyone continued to eat.
Their second course of crab hot pot came in and Riko was visibly delighted and Miyu took a particular big piece of crab and put it into Michiru's bowl.
"You have to eat properly if you want to have enough energy for your concert. You seemed to have lost weight since the last time I saw you." Miyu continued to dote on Michiru and Michiru could tell that, while she was used to being doted on by the older woman, that her grandmother did it particularly obviously to rile Takashi, who frowned ever deeper with every gesture of tenderness and care that Michiru was bestowed with.
"Thank you, Miyu-baa, but I really have enough here to eat." Michiru replied.
"Nonsense. You are young and need the extra energy and you are the only granddaughter that I have that I can spoil." Miyu laughed. "Speaking of granddaughters, did I see right that Hiroto's little girl is here tonight?" Miyu addressed Takashi.
"Do you want me to agree or to ask for her to make us tea?" Takashi asked in return.
"Both." Miyu replied and Takashi obliged and reached for the phone in the room to make the request.
Michiru was surprised how pliable the usually disagreeable man in front of her was, but she also knew that neither of the people would make requests that would tolerate refusal.
The dinner continued with the same tension in the air as it started, and were it not for the delicious food, it would have been a draining endeavour.
Eventually they only waited for the tea, and indeed, Yumi joined them in her usual professional manner and served them tea. Just before she was about to leave them again, Miyu held her back for a moment
"Excuse me Myamoto-san, will you do me the favour of calling Tenoh-san the younger for me to thank her for the request for Takahashi-san and Okamoto-san?" Miyu asked.
"I would, if she were here, but, no offence Tenoh-sama, we have a policy of no more than one Tenoh at this establishment at a time. Too many Tenohs at one place mean more unrest that even we can handle. I will however let her know." Yumi bowed in apology before she excused herself.
Now it was Takashi who sported a smug face.
