Episode 7 – Calm Before the Storm

"There, that oughta do it," Mitsu sighed as she finished wrapping the bandage around her sister's ankle. Despite their argument, she and Sage had managed to find a couple sticks that looked straight and durable enough to support Sumire's injury.

When they returned, Masaji had anxiously told them he'd found the trailer not far from where they'd landed, and Sage immediately went to investigate. Miraculously, no people were inside or beneath the trailer, dead or alive. Even more fortunate, he'd found a first-aid kit. Although most of its materials had been damaged beyond use, there was a roll of adhesive bandaging that could be used to hold the sticks on either side of Sumire's ankle. Sage could only hope the younger girl wouldn't be as much of a pain as her sister had already proved herself to be.

He knew he hadn't imagined that kanji character glowing on her forehead. Still, with Mitsu already getting on his nerves, it seemed breaking the ice to her was going to be even more arduous than his three-day-long search for her. He wondered if any of the other guys were having such bad luck, until he remembered that pretty much everyone in Japan – as far as he knew – had had terrible luck with this recent earthquake. So he turned his thoughts instead toward hoping the others were at least okay, however their searches were going.

"Getting anything?" Mitsu then broke into Sage's thoughts, making him frown in resentment – even as he chastised himself for zoning out.

He held his phone high above his head until his arm ached, then promptly brought it back down, only to groan at the result. "Nope," he shook his head as he turned toward Mitsu. "No signal here either. It's like the earthquake just blew up the grid."

Mitsu's face fell in disappointment. "Which means we won't be able to call for help – or get in touch with our families." She then hung her head, and Sage heard her mutter sadly, "I hope they're alright, wherever they are…"

For a moment, he felt a string of sympathy tugging him toward her. He'd even felt a bit bad when it was discovered only his phone had made it through the wreckage – something Masaji was very unhappy about to the point where he'd briefly tried and failed to bargain with Sage to give him his. Then he recalled how Mitsu had acted only an hour ago, and decided she'd probably just shove him off like she did then. Clearly, she thought of him as a burden. Unfortunately, however much Sage wanted it to be, Mitsu was too valuable for the feeling to be mutual.

"I knew it!" Masaji exclaimed, dramatically throwing up his hands. "We're trapped! And we probably are gonna die after all!" His eyes then widened with fear, and he gasped, "Or worse! What if we turn into cannibals?!"

"Oh, quit being such a baby, Masaji!" Sumire snapped. "At least you didn't sprain an ankle!" She then winced as she realized she'd moved her injured foot too much.

Mitsu raised her own voice over those of both her siblings. "Okay, everyone calm down! Yes, this is a bad situation. But I don't think we narrowly escaped getting flattened by that trailer just to die in this ravine!"

Sage raised an intrigued – if somewhat sarcastic – eyebrow at her determination. If only she knew where to place it.

"Okay then, Ms. Motivational Speaker," Sumire interrupted, her tone sharp with skepticism. "What do you propose we do so we don't die in this ravine?" With a look of warning, she added, "And don't say we're climbing out! I hate to admit it, but with this bad ankle, the last thing I wanna do is climb or get dragged up."

"Well, I know the first thing we're not gonna do is panic," Mitsu replied. More reluctantly, she admitted, "That is a good point though, about your ankle. And even if we do eventually get a signal, who knows when that'll be?"

Meanwhile, Sage himself had begun mulling over how they were going to escape. And the more he thought about it, the more certain he was that there was only one thing they could do. "We're leaving," he eventually declared, earning himself the wide-eyed gazes of both sisters. "Not right now," he clarified. "I don't like it, and I'm sure none of you will either. But as far as I'm concerned, the only way we're gonna get any help as soon as possible is if we go straight to Sendai."

As he'd predicted, Mitsu was the first to voice disagreement. "Well, as far as I'm concerned," she said in a tone almost identical to Sumire's just now, "what you're suggesting is nothing short of crazy! For one thing, we have no trail to follow."

"Except we do," Sage countered. "It's the Hirose river. If you live in Sendai, you must know it flows through the city. All we have to do is follow it from here until we reach civilization."

"And you think it'd be that easy? Just a simple walk in the woods?" Mitsu protested further. "What if we lost our sense of direction? And may I remind you Sumire isn't exactly fit for such a hike?"

"I'm right here you know!" Sumire pointed out in annoyance. "And I said I wasn't gonna climb. I never said I wasn't gonna walk. I may have one bad foot but I still have one good one!"

"And I never said it would be easy," Sage retook control of the conversation. "Yes, Sumire's injury will slow us down a little bit. But downtown Sendai is still just sixteen miles away. If we start early tomorrow morning and travel at a consistent pace, we should be able to get there in only a couple days."

Mitsu flared her nostrils. "Only a couple days?! We don't know who or what could be out there! And what about food? We could probably go one day without it but not two!"

"Nah!" Masaji's voice suddenly sounded after a short but remarkable silence. Sage looked to see the boy come around the boulder the trailer had previously hidden behind. "I found some stuff in the fridge!" he grinned, pointing backward with his thumb. "It's not much, but probably enough!"

Sage lifted his eyebrows in unexpected but nevertheless impressed gratitude. Perhaps the boy was more resourceful than he'd given him credit for. "Wait, hold on," Sumire then said. "Only a minute ago you were crying about us becoming cannibals."

"I was not crying!" Masaji retorted indignantly, his fingers bunched into fists. "And when you all started talking trash to each other, I thought I'd see if the trailer was hiding anything to eat." His smile turned smug. "And it was! So you're welcome!"

"Thank you, Masaji," Mitsu nodded rather sincerely, revealing to Sage that he wasn't alone in underestimating her brother. "That was very helpful." Barely lifting the corners of her mouth, she added, "You've been through and done a lot today. I'll bet you're tired."

"Am not!" Yet even as Masaji fervently denied it, he stretched his arms high and yawned. "I could stay up all night!"

He of course wasn't fooling anyone, least of all Sage. But that didn't mean the day wasn't drawing to a close. From where he stood, Sage could see that the sun's glow was now beneath the treetops at the top of the ravine. Dusk would soon arrive if it hadn't already. "We've all been through and done a lot today," he asserted. "And now that evening is closing in, we'd better try and make ourselves comfortable. We've got a long day tomorrow."

"Hang on," Mitsu interrupted him for the umpteenth time. "Who said we all agreed to your plan?"

Immediately after, at the same time, both Sumire and Masaji voiced their shared opinion. "I do!" Just as fast, Mitsu turned toward her siblings and gave them a look that ordered them to explain themselves.

Masaji spoke first. "The last thing I wanna do is wait around here for something to eat us. And it'll be a heck of a story to tell Mom and Dad!"

Sumire was more shamefaced. "Sorry, Mitsu. I hate to say it but, for once I have to agree with Masaji. I know, I sprained my ankle." She then gestured toward Sage and added, "But if it weren't for him, all three of us would literally be flat-out dead now."

Though he didn't appreciate the dreamy-eyed look he knew she gave him from time to time, Sage found it ironic that Sumire seemed to be more grateful for his efforts than her sister. Mitsu herself let out a sigh of defeat, but then her face changed to one of defiance, her mouth a firm line. "Well, the only reason I still don't agree is because we might be missed by rescue workers if we leave."

Sage was reluctant to admit it, but she did have a bit of a point. Had this been a normal earthquake – never mind the fact that earthquakes in general are not everyday occurrences – he probably would've agreed with her. But from the beginning, he knew it was just the start of something far worse sure to come, something he had the power to stop, but only if he could get Mitsu to awaken her own power as soon as possible. And to do that, he couldn't allow for any more hindrances than were necessary.

"It's been at least three hours since the earthquake," he countered. "If a rescue team did search the area earlier and see us, they probably assumed we were dead. And if they didn't see us, the wreckage of the trailer likely convinced them that nobody inside or underneath could've survived."

"And if they haven't come already?" Mitsu raised an unimpressed eyebrow as she lent her voice to Sage's more treasonous thoughts. "Besides, don't they always teach you that if you get lost, you should stay put?"

Not exactly a tried and true tip, Sage thought as he rolled his eyes at what sometimes passed for common sense. But there was another method at his disposal. "We'll compromise then," he suggested in the most civil tone he could muster. "If no one comes by tomorrow morning, we leave." Without giving Mitsu a chance to answer – or argue further – he turned toward the woods they'd emerged from an hour ago. "With that in mind, I'm gonna go and search the place for threats." No way am I falling for any tricks this time – especially not from the Dynasty!

Filled with fresh resolve, Sage set off on a march through the trees, the shadows of which having lengthened considerably since his last venture. Of course, he'd braved far more sinister and darker territory than this – and on his own more than once. But before he could savor the solitude for too long, Sage let out a small groan when he heard footsteps behind him, having already guessed the identity of their source. "Wait!" Mitsu exclaimed. Against his better judgment, he obeyed her, cursing his instinctive politeness.

Even so, he didn't make much of an attempt to disguise his disparaging tone when he did face her. "Now what? Have you come to make sure I don't abandon you three?"

"No, but should I?" Sage was ready to retort, when Mitsu surprised him with a new and unexpected level of civility comparable to his own from before. "Just hear me out, okay?" Regardless of his intentions, Sage's bewilderment bought her enough time to speak. "Listen. I know I already said this." She disarmed him even further when her eyes softened remarkably. "But seriously…thanks, for saving me and my siblings." More sheepishly, she added, "Well, technically you only saved them. I just got out of the way in time. My point is, I was being unfair earlier."

For a moment, Sage could only stare at her in confused curiosity. How could this girl who'd seemed determined to contradict him not too long ago now be expressing obviously genuine gratitude? Whatever the case, Sage soon recovered himself. "Um…y-you're welcome." Recalling where they were, he motioned with his chin in the direction he'd been heading. "Since you're here and we seem to be on good terms again, we might as well make this patrol a little more pleasant than the last."

Mitsu nodded agreement, and soon, the two were walking side-by-side as they'd done that afternoon, but with far less tension between them. Of course, there was a more pressing matter behind Sage's invitation. "What made you change your mind?" Daring to smirk, he added, "I thought you hated my guts."

Mitsu opened her mouth to protest, when she frowned and looked away. "Well, when you put it that way…" She trailed off, then boldly met his gaze. "But that's beside the point. If we are gonna travel all the way to Sendai, we should at least try to get along. But more than that…" She paused again, as if hesitant, then repeated her sigh of defeat from earlier. "The more you talked about your plan, the more sense it made. If anything, you make it sound like you've lived through something like this before."

Sage's throat closed briefly at his loss for words. He had lived through something like this before – when Talpa and the Dynasty first began their invasion of the human world. Even now he could remember clearly the dark desolation of Toyama when the demon emperor abducted its population, placing them in a state of limbo and effectively turning the city into a ghost town until its citizens were restored. Should I tell her? he wondered, until he frowned at himself. No, it's still too early. Still, he had to say something to satisfy her.

"Uh, yes, I have, sort of," he nodded. "It's been awhile, though." Having hoped she'd leave it at that, Sage was disappointed when her eyes remained wide – a clear indicator she wanted to know more. Just choose your words carefully. "See, I'm kind of a…soldier."

Mitsu's eyebrows lifted in curiosity. "Soldier?" she asked in a matching tone. "You mean like for the military?" Her gaze then turned skeptical, as did her voice. "No offense but, you look a bit young for it."

"It's…complicated," Sage replied, ignoring how much of an understatement that was. "Let's just say…I learned early on what to do in these sorts of situations." Indeed, the scene at hand reminded him of how he and Rowen had searched Toyama after the Ronin Warriors teamed up for the first time. Except this time, his patrol partner was way prettier… Why did I just think that?! he asked in silent alarm. But were he willing to be honest with himself, Sage would've had to admit he did find Mitsu even prettier without her maiko trappings.

Without regard to the cuts and bruises she'd sustained in the fall, her messy braid, lack of makeup and jewelry, confident stride, and again her unusual height – which he only now realized made her almost as tall as he was – contributed all the more to her naturalistic beauty. Before he knew it, Sage started wondering what it would be like to see her eyes smile…

"Let me guess, you have something on your mind, too?" Mitsu snapped him back to reality. Cursing his bad luck, Sage searched for a viable explanation, when he saw that the shadows of the trees were even longer now and stars were beginning to dot the increasingly dark sky.

"Actually," he said as he turned to face Mitsu, "given we don't have time to patrol the whole area, I think it would be best if we set up a night-watch, to look out for either threats or rescue workers."

Mitsu shrugged her shoulders. "Sounds good to me," she agreed. "But I don't think Masaji or Sumire should participate. Masaji is too young and Sumire is hurt. I could watch for a few hours and then you could until morning." She then turned around and proceeded to travel back the way they'd come.

At first, Sage wanted to protest that he should take first watch. But he didn't, not only because he couldn't say why without revealing he was a Ronin Warrior, but also because he'd found another reason Mitsu was attracting him more than she should. In all the time they'd been in each other's company since their formal introductions, not once had she ever gawked at him from afar or hit on him when in close proximity. And while she did seem unreasonably determined to find fault with him, she at least was honest about it and didn't send any mixed messages.

As Mitsu headed back, the wind lifting her braid just as it had in the dream that'd sent him on this mission, Sage also realized with puzzlement that the more he learned about this young woman – bold, opinionated, assertive – the less she fit his image of a geisha-in-training – reticent, shy, diffident. Indeed, it made him wonder why on earth she should train to be someone she was clearly not. Suddenly, Mitsu halted and looked over her shoulder at Sage – rendering him momentarily stunned at the similarity between this scene and the one in his dream.

But this time, rather than remaining stubbornly silent, the girl he'd been pursuing spoke. "Well?" she asked, eyebrows raised again in curiosity. "Are you coming?" Then, as if from nowhere, Mitsu smiled and added, "Or are we gonna have another staring contest?"

Having engaged in one too many for today, Sage snapped himself out of it and nodded. "Coming." He then hastened to rejoin her, and the two began heading back to the ravine. And while Sage maintained his usual outward composure, he couldn't help but inwardly grin not only at how Mitsu had finally smiled at him for the first time since they met, but also at how that same smile had met her eyes…

Knock it off, Sage, a sudden, silent voice urgently warned him. You're here to recruit a new Ronin Warrior, not a girlfriend. With the reminder of his mission, Sage quickly heeded the voice and shoved the image of Mitsu's smile into the back of his mind. Yet no matter how deeply he tried to store it away in the shadows of his memory, the brightness of her beauty in those few seconds couldn't be dimmed.

Mitsu yawned as she stared with tired eyes into the near-mesmerizing distance of the dark – and totally not spooky – nighttime woods beyond the ravine. At this point, she would've welcomed anyone or anything, friend or foe, if it meant the tedious monotony of this watch would just end already.

For hours now – having stopped counting long ago – she'd been standing guard while Sage, Sumire, and even Masaji slept behind her, her only companions being the moon, stars, the black expanse of the sky, the occasional firefly, and of course the crickets who at least broke the silence with their chirping. When am I gonna get to sleep? she silently complained, even as she reminded herself that she'd volunteered to take the first watch. Still, maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she closed her eyes, just for a minute…

Mitsu's eyes then flashed open again when she heard a beeping noise coming from her pocket. She fished out Sage's phone – which he'd graciously let her borrow for this purpose – and saw it was two in the morning, the agreed-on time for swapping shifts. Thank goodness! Mitsu's sigh of relief turned into another yawn as she turned around and strode quietly over to the spot where Sage slept.

Hoping he wouldn't get the wrong impression, Mitsu knelt down next to the young man. Rather than gently shake his shoulder, she instead lightly cleared her throat. Sage stirred, then opened his eyes. But due to the already awkward appearance of the situation, Mitsu didn't quite meet his gaze. "Your turn," she said softly. "It's two o'clock." Fortunately, Sage didn't seem to either notice or care what this all looked like.

"Alright," he nodded. "Good job. I'll take it from here." Mitsu felt a blush bloom at the compliment, and thanked the night for lending its darkness to hide it. When she then realized her companion had gained his feet, she did likewise – only to look into both of Sage's eyes as the wind lifted his hair, and feel her heart pound briefly at how the pale moonlight reflected in them rendered him even more handsome. She looked away again, but only slightly. "Six more hours," he reminded her. "No help by then, no more staying put."

This time, Mitsu gave only a silent, understanding nod before going to join Sumire where she slept. But when she laid down at her side, she was surprised to see her sister staring at the starry summer sky in wonder. "How long have you been awake?" she whispered.

"Only a little while," Sumire shrugged her shoulders, then directed her gaze toward Mitsu. "And it wasn't my ankle. It just happens sometimes." Mitsu rolled her eyes in lighthearted sarcasm, until they widened when Sumire added all of a sudden, "Told you he's cute."

Mitsu stiffened as she waited for a sign that Sage had heard. But other than the regular sounds of the night, all remained quiet. Still, she said sternly, "Forget it, Sumire. He's way too old for you."

But Sumire only raised an eyebrow, and spoke daringly once more. "But not for you."

Whereas before, Mitsu had frozen for fear of embarrassment, this time she flinched as her sister's words struck a nerve, unintentional though she knew it to be. Regardless, whatever Sumire thought she'd seen between her sister and their rescuer, she was treading some seriously rocky terrain, despite her encouraging smile. "Come on, Mitsu. It's been, what? Three years? I mean, I know you haven't had the best luck with romance but, don't you think it's time you moved on?"

Mitsu's eyebrows furrowed in indignation. "For your information, I have. It's just not something I think about – especially not now, given the situation we're in."

Continuing to defy her attempts to shush her, Sumire gave a cheeky grin. "I figured. If there's anything I've learned from you in terms of relationships, it's what not to do."

Like judging someone based solely on what they look like? a silent, almost taunting voice whispered in the back of Mitsu's mind. Ignoring it, she urged her sister, "Just go back to sleep. Out of all of us, you need rest the most."

"Oh, quit whining!" Sumire jokingly brushed her off. "It's not like I'm fragile or anything!"

Once again, she couldn't have known it, but her words hit a mark within Mitsu – one that sent a wave of guilt crashing over her as she recalled how she'd endangered her siblings, herself, and Sage in the first place. "Yeah, about that…" She sighed as she stared at the ground, ruing the part she'd played in placing them all between a literal rock and a hard place. "I'm so sorry, Sumire. I…I feel like this is all my fault. I know – it would've been way worse if I hadn't gotten you and Masaji out in time. Still, I put us all in the line of danger. And now look where we are…"

Her sister then placed her own hand over hers, causing Mitsu to meet her sympathetic gaze. "Girl, don't beat yourself up like that. I mean, sure, it sucks having a sprained ankle. But like you said, if you didn't get us outta that trailer, we'd have kicked the bucket, not just the cliff."

Mitsu felt a smile tug the corners of her mouth. Despite their differing interests and their fair share of squabbles, the two sisters did love each other; and even though Mitsu still felt apprehensive about the coming trek, she was now more confident in Sumire's ability to cope. With a chuckle, the younger girl added, "I know I said earlier that we'd have all died if it weren't for Sage. But really, he only did half the work." And just like that, Mitsu's thoughts changed course yet again.

"Yeah," she nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah, I guess he did…" She trailed off as she remembered why she'd originally volunteered to take first watch – having wanted to sort through what she'd learned about Sage Date in the twelve hours since she'd met him, not to mention the weird feeling she got whenever she was around him now. It was nothing short of confusingly ironic. How could a total stranger somehow seem so familiar? Even more unsettling…could she have been wrong about him?

Of course, it's impossible to know all about anyone after knowing them for only a day. But whatever Sage thought, Mitsu had meant every word she'd said during their second patrol together, hard though they were to get out. Certain as she'd been that he'd be nothing but trouble, the more he elaborated on his surprisingly rational plan, the more she was taken off guard. And it was only when Sumire brought up how much they owed Sage already that Mitsu had realized he was still going out of his way to help them, despite being under no obligation to do so.

Far from being an uptight pretty boy who cared only for himself, he had a strong sense of responsibility, a level head that focused on the bigger picture, and even compassion to a degree. And vague though he was about his career as a "soldier," Mitsu was sure Sage had faced circumstances like this before. Yet in spite of feeling more at ease around him now, she'd only known this man less than twenty-four hours regardless. It would be unwise to let her guard down too early – if at all – especially considering the foot wound she was still hiding.

When she checked on it during her shift, Mitsu had been relieved to find it no longer bleeding, but unsure if it was actually healing. Still, not wanting to search the first-aid kit, she instead simply rearranged the cloth belt she kept using as a bandage. Even now, Mitsu knew it probably wasn't the smartest decision. But if she was going to remain cautious about Sage and help her siblings, putting herself in a vulnerable position was out of the question. Besides, I can take care of myself. And that was the last thought she was aware of before finally drifting off to sleep…

The following afternoon, Sage did his best to stifle a yawn. Since early morning, he'd been leading the Tamuras at the front of their makeshift formation, ever watchful for any threat – especially from the Dynasty. Meanwhile, Mitsu and Masaji took hourly turns assisting Sumire in the middle, along with looking out for everyone from the rear. Now Sage was standing at the halfway point of a short but steep and rocky incline beside the river he and the others had been following for the last six hours.

Though not used to being short on sleep, he'd been mindful not to utter a single complaint ever since the trek began at daybreak – partly because he wanted to set an example. And while there was the occasional gripe and moan, they were mostly from Masaji. As for Sumire, she was coping surprisingly well with needing near-constant aid. But the one Sage remained focused on most was Mitsu. Despite expressing hope yesterday that they'd be found by rescue workers, she didn't show any disappointment when morning came and they were still on their own.

For his part, while he knew it was a bit selfish, Sage had been glad that nobody had come for them, good or bad. It meant less barriers to work through in order to reveal his true mission to Mitsu. Of course, there was also the challenge of finding the best time and place to do that. He couldn't risk her siblings overhearing them. Yet it was possible their parents would be waiting for them once they made it to Sendai…

Suddenly, Sage was snatched back to the present when he picked up the sound of someone slipping on rocky soil. "Look out!"

When he looked up and saw Mitsu and Sumire close to losing their footing, Sage instinctively leaped forward and grabbed hold of Mitsu's elbow. "Gotcha!"

Trying to ignore Mitsu's startled gasp and the surprise in her wide eyes, he then asked the girls, "You both alright?" Sumire – who was gripping her sister's other elbow with both hands – nodded despite the pained look on her face, as did Mitsu. Not wanting to meet the latter's gaze, Sage instead focused on the foot of the slope. "Okay, we'll go down together. It's not too far. Just hang on." Holding firmly onto one another, the three of them slowly descended to the bottom, each watching every step they made, until they were on flat ground again at last.

Yet even then, Sage didn't immediately let go of Mitsu. Although he'd done it to help her and Sumire, this was the first time he'd touched her since they met, and it was affecting Sage – and apparently Mitsu as well, judging by her rapidly reddening face – in ways he didn't want to think about. The two glanced at each other, then at Sage's hand on Mitsu's elbow, and back again, until Sage finally forced himself to release his hold. He then looked away, still reluctant to meet her gaze, even when she said, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he hastily replied. I really gotta put my head back on my shoulders. I'm not thinking straight. I'm not focusing on the mission. Hearing again the sound of feet slipping on soil, Sage lifted his head, and nearly sighed with relief when an answer to his wish for a distraction came in the form of Masaji making it safely down the slope by himself.

Jabbing his thumb in the direction of a nearby tree, the boy proclaimed, "I don't know about you guys, but as fun as this is, I'm about to eat the bark right off this tree here – I'm hungry!" With a noise that was half-sigh and half-groan, he then dropped the backpack he'd been carrying onto the ground beside him.

Sage rolled his eyes, given Masaji's backpack was holding passable food they'd salvaged from the trailer. Still, he could see the point, particularly when he turned and saw how tired Mitsu and especially Sumire were. Sage himself had only had six hours of sleep, and it was starting to catch up with him. Ignoring the temptation to yawn again, he declared, "Okay, I think this is as good a place as any to stop and rest. But we've only traveled about six miles, and we still have ten more to go. Thirty minutes, and then we move on again."

"Uh-uh, I don't think so," Mitsu shook her head sternly. "We've been walking since eight-thirty and Sumire's exhausted. Besides, I need to replace the bandaging as well as the sticks to make a new cast. We need at least an hour."

Sage exhaled in exasperation. It was what he'd come to expect from her. But unlike before, he didn't have the energy to argue. "Alright then. Let's compromise like we did before. Forty-five minutes. No more, no less."

Mitsu glanced at Sumire. When her sister gave a nod of approval, the older girl faced Sage again and did likewise. "Deal. Come on, Sumire, let's sit over there on that log. It looks comfortable enough." Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Sage spotted her brother trying to make a sneaky getaway. And he wasn't the only one who noticed. "Hey! Where do you think you're going, Masaji?" Mitsu asked with a raised eyebrow. "We're supposed to stick together."

"I'm not gonna go far!" Masaji half-whined. "I'm just a little curious, geez!" He then turned back around and vanished from sight as he slipped through the trees.

Even if the kid had a bit of an annoying streak, Sage felt an unexpected twinge of sympathy toward Mitsu's brother. Wanting to get her input, he turned toward her, and was met with a concerned gaze that silently asked him a favor. "I'll keep an eye on him," he assured her with a slight smile. Mitsu nodded her thanks and then redirected her attention back to her sister, while Sage discreetly followed in Masaji's footsteps through the adjoining forest.

Though he remained alert, Sage couldn't help but appreciate how green and lively the environment looked. The trees stretched tall as they likely had for ages. The twittering of all sorts of birds echoed from their branches. And the breezes that rustled their leaves reached Sage as well, giving him a much-needed cooling reprieve from the summer heat. Having always loved and respected nature, he felt reassured knowing that, despite the evil he'd felt during the entirety of yesterday's earthquake, the natural world seemed to continue on living as usual.

Sage then heard someone huffing. Looking left, he spotted Masaji sitting on the edge of a boulder at the top of a small slope leading down to a stream. From there, he half-glared at Sage, his elbows on his knees and his chin on the heels of his hands. "I shoulda known Mitsu would send you to babysit me."

His tone grinded, but Sage quickly figured Masaji was just trying to provoke him – and it wasn't going to work. Even so, he once again felt a measure of sympathy toward the boy. He was after all the youngest in this party, likely no more than twelve years old despite his remarkable height – which brought the boy's oldest sister to Sage's mind, as well as those feelings for her that he shouldn't be feeling at all…

In an attempt to both regain control of his thoughts and encourage Masaji, Sage tried to smile. "Give Mitsu a break, will you? She's just worried about you. Besides, she's got enough to handle as it is with your other sister." In spite of his efforts, Sage frowned guiltily. With all his focus on helping Mitsu and her family, he hadn't really taken the wellbeing of his own into consideration. Now wishing to distract himself from worrying for his loved ones, he forced a smirk. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm the only son in my family, too."

Masaji raised his eyebrows, and Sage felt pleased to have cheered the boy up at least a little. "Really? You have two sisters, too?"

"Yes, I do," he nodded. "Although, one is older and one is younger. Yayoi, my older sister, is a doctor. And my younger sister, Satsuki, just recently graduated from high school." Right then, Sage heard the distinctive snapping of a twig. He looked in the direction of the sound, only to frown when he saw nothing. Of course, that didn't mean there wasn't someone – or something – out there. But when he still didn't sense any evil in this area after awhile, he eventually decided it wasn't worth dwelling on.

When he then picked up a sigh of emotional exhaustion, Sage turned back around to see Masaji staring blankly at the stream. "I really do feel bad that Sumire got hurt. She is my sister. Still…I just wish I didn't feel so helpless."

A mask of concern crossed Sage's profile. "What do you mean?" he asked, choosing his words carefully so the boy wouldn't immediately shut him out. "How do you wish you could help?"

Masaji turned his head to face Sage directly. "If my mom and dad would let me, I'd take kendo lessons." He then rolled his eyes, adding, "But Mom thinks it's 'too dangerous.' Even when my friend Taro invited me to watch him train at the Date Dojo, Mitsu's 'big debut' was coming up, and my parents said no."

"Your friend trains at the Date Dojo?" Sage asked, newfound interest in his tone as he thought up an idea he was sure would cheer the boy up even more. "You know, my family owns that dojo."

Masaji's eyes stretched wider than Sage had ever seen them before. "No way!" he exclaimed in excitement as he leaped down from the boulder. "You know anything about kendo?"

"Sure do," Sage smiled at the boy's lifted spirits. "My grandfather taught me, since I'm supposed to inherit the dojo after him. If you want, I could give you a bit of a crash course."

"That'd be great!" Masaji nodded eagerly. Without stopping, he added, "Let me show you what I know already!"

As he then went off a little way to search for a suitable branch or stick, Sage found himself perplexed. If he'd heard right just now, the boy said he didn't have his parents' permission to learn kendo. Was he getting lessons in secret? And if so, who from? Whatever the case, once the boy returned with a stick almost as long as a kendo sword, Sage couldn't find it in himself to bring him down from his new enthusiastic heights. Instead, he leaned back against a tree, arms crossed, and silently motioned for Masaji to begin his demonstration.

As he watched, it soon became obvious to Sage that, despite Masaji's lack of formal training, his anonymous tutor must've had at least some of it themselves. Indeed, with lessons from an actual professional – and permission from his parents – the boy could eventually become "well-versed in the art of kendo" as Sage often heard his grandfather put it. "Not bad," he said sincerely as he stood up and then walked over to stand next to Masaji. "But you could use a few pointers here and there – no pun intended."

"Alright," Masaji chuckled, his smile resembling Mitsu's so much that Sage had to actively look the other way to make sure his mind stayed on track. Still, Masaji held out the stick toward him.

Grateful for the diversion, Sage politely declined. "Before that, your form is just a little bit off. You don't wanna be too stiff but you don't wanna be too relaxed either. Try to copy me." He then took a stance that'd been ingrained into his memory ever since he'd first learned it as a small child. With a little help from Sage, Masaji was soon mirroring his position. "Good job." He then reached his hand out for the stick, which Masaji promptly handed over.

"And when you strike with your sword," he continued, "don't try to jab it or be too forceful." Sage then proceeded to give a brief demonstration of his own. Even though it was a stick, he still struck down his imaginary foes with ease that'd become second nature to him. "Don't think of your weapon as something separate from you. Treat it like an extra limb. That'll make it a lot harder for your opponent to just knock it out of your grasp."

"Thanks, Sage," Masaji grinned as he respectfully bowed, then added, "You're almost as good as Mitsu." Suddenly, the boy's eyes went wide and he gasped with shock before clasping his hands over his mouth as though he'd accidentally said a bad word.

But he'd already done Sage in. "What?" he asked. "What's wrong?" Masaji shook his head, obviously wishing he hadn't spoken that last sentence, until he let his hands fall away with a sigh.

"Man, I'm such a moron. It was meant to be a secret." Whether or not he picked up Sage's prompting, he elaborated. "Mitsu's been giving me lessons in kendo lately. Yeah, we're kinda going behind our parents' backs, but…" He shrugged his shoulders. "She knows I wanna learn it. She was actually already learning from a friend of hers so, she offered to teach me." His smile then returned slightly, this time in unexpected admiration. "Don't tell her I said this, but Mitsu is the coolest sister a guy could have."

For a moment, Sage could only stand where he was, momentarily motionless with surprise. Mitsu knows kendo? But how? Isn't she training to be a geisha? And even if her brother isn't allowed, why all this secrecy around learning it for herself?

Before he could completely tune out the boy in front of him, Sage heard Masaji's voice echo in his ears. "Hey, Sage, you alright?"

Snapping himself out of it, Sage quickly settled on a decent excuse. "I just remembered. I said at the beginning of our break that we'd set off again after forty-five minutes. Now we have probably less than half an hour." He then jutted his chin in the direction they'd both traveled to get here. "We must be getting back."

Fortunately, Masaji didn't argue. If anything, Sage could see how eager he was to tell his sister about the crash course he received from the "young master" – an unofficial title his grandfather had bestowed on him as heir to the dojo. Wanting to take the opportunity to think through this new information about his potential recruit, he allowed the boy to go on ahead of him.

Although Sage had failed to stop thinking about her, Masaji had revealed – if unintentionally – a side to Mitsu that he couldn't have imagined before. But this wasn't necessarily bad news. Even if she was fitting the image of a geisha less and less, what he'd learned about her so far had her fitting the image of a Ronin Warrior more and more. By the time he rejoined the Tamuras, Sage had reasoned that the best way to introduce Mitsu to her new destiny would be to coax her out of her traditionally feminine shell. He just had to wait for the right time and place.

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