A/N: To my readers, I apologize for the wait. Up until now, I've been posting one chapter a week but now I've reached a point where I have to think a bit more carefully on how I want my fic to go. From now on, updates may be once every two weeks because I want the story to be good. I know I promised to reveal fem!Yuu to Guren this chapter but its turning out longer than I expected so it may have to be split into two, maybe three parts so please be patient with me! Once again, I would like to think my beta reader, ResidentalPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible :)

Chapter 12: Waking the Warrior Within

May 10, 2017

Guren Ichinose sighed and rolled his eyes before looking at the young "boy" who was sprawled on the ground in front of him with a bokken *1* in "his" right hand, in dismay. Since it had been a while since the lieutenant colonel had given anyone combat training, Shinya requested that he go easy on Yuichiro and hoped that for once, his friend would take his advice. Especially since Yuu was the youngest person Guren had ever attempted to train.

The "boy" in question laid unmoving from "his" spot for a moment as "he" attempted to catch "his" breath. Even as a novice, Yuichiro knew she wasn't likely to have the luxury of taking her time to recover from a blow on the battlefield and forced herself to get back onto her feet as soon as she was able, even if a bit shakenly. For reasons of convenience, Guren decided to train Yuu in his own backyard, which was spacious enough; they just had to make sure to steer clear of the bushes and flowers as well as some of the small trees.

Tapping his foot on the ground, Guren patiently waited for his ward to attack him again. He knew he was being far more generous with Yuu than the people who trained him in combat when he was her age. And because Shinya was trained the same way he himself was, Guren could not, for the life of him, figure out why his best friend insist he go easy on Yuichiro, at least for her first few training sessions. As a child, his own trainers went down to business very quickly, the moment they were certain Guren knew how to hold his bokken correctly, something Yuichiro looked quite capable of doing. The child had drive and ambition but lacked technique which she proved once more when she attempted to attack him again.

The second time, Yuichiro tried to strike Guren in the side of his body instead of his head which, at the moment, was impossible anyway due to their height difference. Unfortunately, she still repeated her mistake from earlier, drawing back her bokken with both arms too far behind her, leaving her own side wide open which he easily saw coming and struck her in the right side of her torso with his own bokken before Yuichiro could even get three feet of him, making her yelp in pain.

Even though she still couldn't land a hit on Guren, he was relieved that Yuu was at least able to remain on her feet instead of falling over like she did the first time she attempted to attack him.

"The first rule of being an effective fighter, Yuichiro: 'Never repeat the same mistake and expect or hope for a different result'. It's the very definition of stupidity" Guren said calmly before giving his ward a smirk. "It also applies to all aspects of life as well."

Yuichiro scoffed. "That's very fascinating, Guren, but you don't strike me as the philosopher type."

Before her guardian could reply, Yuu tried to attack him again, this time aiming for his knees, thinking she could bring him down that way.

Knowing exactly what she was up to, Guren grinned and easily deflected Yuichiro's attack, knocking her bokken out of her hand, barely missing her fingers, before sweeping her legs out from under her with his long right. The unexpected movement caught the girl completely off guard and she once again found herself sprawled on the ground with the tip of Guren's bokken at her throat.

"The second rule of being an effective fighter: 'expect the unexpected'."

"Is that how you knew what I was up to?" Yuichiro asked.

"I have much more experience in combat than you do, Yuichiro. And experience is something that can come only with time and practice. And besides, you are quite predictable with your wide swings."

Yuichiro found herself glaring at Guren for his barb even though she knew he was absolutely right. Gritting her teeth for a moment before attempting a good-natured smile, she asked:

"Well then, shall I try again, sir?"

Guren laughed. By now, he knew his ward well enough to know that she was getting angry when she took that tone with him. Now was the perfect time to see how well Yuichiro could control her temper in combat. Stepping aside so that she could stand up, Guren picked up Yuichiro's bokken and handed it back to her before making a mock bow.

"By all means, Yuu, please try! It'll be a miracle if you can land even one hit on me!"

Why, the nerve of that bastard! Yuichiro thought as she took the fighting stance her guardian had taught her that morning and made sure her bokken was secure in her hands before sticking it out in front of her.

"Your stance is still too wide" Guren pointed out.

When she heard that, Yuichiro said nothing but lowered her head slightly as she looked down and brought her feet slightly closer together.

As soon as Yuu's eyes left him, Guren smacked her on the temple with his bokken, not hard enough to injure her seriously, but enough to give the girl a small bruise and possibly headache later.

This time, Yuichiro could not help shouting.

"What the hell did you do that for?!"

"Third rule of effective fighting: 'Never take your eyes off the enemy if you can help it'. I know you were trying to correct your stance but you need to learn to do it without looking down. In fact, there are many things you'll need to know how to do without looking and this doesn't apply to just sword fighters" Guren explained patiently.

"Well, thank you ever so much for your wisdom, sir."

The older man said nothing and without warning, struck Yuu hard in her left side with his bokken, making her cry with pain even though he purposely held back his strength so that he wouldn't break her ribs. Still, the blow would leave an unbecoming bruise on the child's body later. In addition to promising Shinya he would go easy on Yuu for their first few training sessions, Guren also promised Sayuri and Shigure not to hurt her too badly because they preferred not to stay up all night treating a half-dead child.

"Hey, no fair, I wasn't ready! And my head still hurt from that blow a minute ago!" the "boy" whined.

Guren chuckled. His ward's childish complaining was amusing him.

"Did you expect battles to be fair, Yuichiro? Your enemies aren't going to wait until you're ready or in tip-top shape before they attack you. Do you think the vampires will simply hand you their heads? They will not be gracious about it! If you want to be a competent soldier, you'll need to learn to fight and defend yourself efficiently, even when you're in pain or running on fumes. You also have to be ready for anything because one mistake can cost not only you dearly, but your allies as well."

Rubbing her sore temple and side with one arm, Yuichiro took her guardian's words in for a moment before charging at him suddenly and before asking if he was ready.

"Attacking head on now, are we? That's the most foolish thing I've seen you do yet!" Guren exclaimed and when his ward came within striking distance of him, he simply moved to the side which resulted in Yuichiro missing him completely and falling to the ground, her bokken flying from her hand and landing on the other side of the yard.

Before Yuichiro could get up, she felt his foot on her chest, holding her down.

"Fourth rule of effective fighting: 'Never let go of your main weapon if you can help it'. You must hold on to it, guard it with your life, even if you find yourself flung across the battlefield."

If she could, Yuichrio would have grabbed Guren's leg and pushed it aside so she could get up. But this time, she knew better than to even try. He was obviously much stronger than her and Yuu had the feeling that she wasn't going anywhere until he allowed it. So the girl finally swallowed her pride and said:

"Fine, I understand, Guren."

Relieved that his ward had at least learned humility, Guren removed his foot from her chest and offered his hand to help her up. When he saw Yuichiro hesitate to take it, Guren sighed and smiled before saying:

"It's all right, Yuu. I'm not going to pull another surprise attack on you again."

When she heard his promise, Yuichiro released the anxious breath she had been holding and finally allowed her guardian to help her to her feet.

"How are you feeling?" Guren asked gently as he watched Yuichiro dust herself off.

The t-shirt and knee-length shorts she was wearing had a couple of tears and grass stains on them from the falls she took but her guardian supposed it couldn't be helped.

"I'm ok" she answered. "A bit sore, but I'll live."

"Good to hear. Now get back inside and take a shower; I don't want you showing up at the dinner table looking and smelling like shit" Guren ordered as he made a gesture for Yuu to get inside.

Yuichiro glared at him. "As if I would!" she scoffed before picking up her bokken and marching inside the house without looking back. The girl knew she had to shower quickly because she needed to help Sayuri with dinner, not just show up at the table when the food was ready. Still, the older woman understood that her young helper could not spend as much time assisting her as before now that Guren had finally decided to train Yuichiro seriously in fighting.

As soon as she had showered and changed into a clean pair of pants and shirt, Yuichiro went into the kitchen to see if there was anything Sayuri needed help with. Judging by the smell of the cooked food, Yuichiro knew the older woman was likely almost finished with dinner preparations anyway. Still, out of politeness, she asked if there was anything else Sayuri needed help with.

"Hi, I just finished training and showering. Is there anything you still need help with, Sayuri?"

"Oh!" she gasped as she turned around and saw Yuu looking at her with curious eyes. "I'm sorry, you startled me. I'm almost done anyway so why don't you just set the table up for me?"

"Sure thing" Yuu said and was about to get the plates when Sayuri noticed the bruise on her temple.

"So how did your first training session go, Yuichiro?" she asked, knowing it was her superior who gave the younger girl the little purple bump. Although not quite pleasing to the eye, Sayuri was secretly relieved that Guren had at least kept his promise not to hurt Yuichiro too much, especially since she's never fought before.

Thankful that the older woman chose not to ask her about the bruise on her temple, Yuu simply said "It was ok. Guren thinks I still have a lot to learn but I'm up to the challenge."

Sayuri smiled. "That's the spirit dear. Go set up the table, Guren and Shigure will be joining us in a few minutes."

"Yes, Sayuri."

SSSSSS

Yuichiro winced slightly as Sayuri gently pressed a small ice pack to the bruise on her temple. After dinner, the younger girl still insisted on helping her wash the dishes before they went back to her room to treat the minor injuries Yuu sustained in her first sparring match with Guren. Asides from the bruise on her temple and sides, Yuichiro sustained some scrapes from her fall to which Sayuri applied some antibiotic before bandaging.

"Does it hurt?" the older woman asked gently.

Yuu shook her hand. By now, her bruises ached slightly but they were nothing she couldn't handle. If she could survive a vampire clawing into her back, then a few bruises should be nothing to her.

"I'm ok, really. You don't have to fuss over me."

Sayuri laughed softly. "You sound just like Guren when you say that. Even when he was badly hurt, he always tried to act tough and pretend he didn't need help."

"But I'm really not badly hurt" Yuu insisted.

"I know, I know. But that doesn't mean you should remain untreated if relief is available, don't you think? Trust me, you'll appreciate any break you can get on the battlefield and I do speak from experience."

"I guess I can't argue with that" the girl agreed. No matter how she looked at it, both Sayuri and Shigure looked too delicate and frail to be soldiers. But her own experience told her that appearances can and are often deceiving.

"Do you have any more bruises?"

"Just two more, one on each of my sides."

"I see. Well, can you lift your shirt so I can see?"

Yuichiro obeyed, this time without hesitation since Sayuri already knew her secret. When the girl removed her shirt, her caretaker saw two larger bruises than the one on her temple. From what Sayuri could see, Guren was very precise with his strikes; the bruises were in the exact same spot on the girl's left and right side.

"Do they still hurt?" she asked as she gently pressed the ice pack to the bruise on Yuu's right side.

The girl gritted her teeth slightly as she tried to refrain from winching. Although not as painful as when Guren struck her earlier, the injury still ached but she was determined to bear it.

"A little. But not that much."

"I see" Sayuri said before moving the ice pack to press gently on the bruise on Yuu's left side, the side where she was struck hardest. And this time, the girl could not help releasing a yelp. Though she knew it was improper, Sayuri could not help chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Yuu demanded, her cheeks growing pink with a little embarrassment.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have laughed. That was rude of me but I can't help thinking how cute you sound when you do that."

"C-cute?" Yuu sputtered. That wasn't right. She wanted everyone to see and think of her as being strong and brave, not cute and pretty.

"I know, it's not appropriate to say that but you are cute, Yuichiro. Shinya and Goshi tell me all the time. I really think you would look pretty if you grew out your hair and started dressing like a girl."

When she heard that, Yuichiro frowned as she placed her hands on her lap. Sayuri swore the child looked like she wanted to cry and was worried that she had said something she shouldn't have.

"Yuichiro, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just that my sister back at the Hyakuya orphanage used to say the same thing when she was cutting my hair."

"You mean Akane?"

"Yes. I know I don't talk about my orphanage brothers and sisters much but I think about them all the time, especially Akane and Mika."

"I understand; I would too if I were in your place. I think it's admirable how you three were able to care for the younger kids when you were living in Sanguinem, especially without adult guidance."

Yuu shook her head. "We had no choice, really. When were taken down there, all we had besides the roof over our head were each other. Mika was kind of like the 'man of the house' so to speak. As the second oldest, I helped him whenever we had to go into the city to get basic necessities for the younger kids. Akane stayed home to watch them while we were out. Another reason why I kept dressing like a boy was so I wouldn't draw attention from the older guys in the city."

"But now you don't have to do that anymore."

Yuichiro shrugged her shoulders. "I know. I just need a little more time."

"That's what you told Goshi months ago" Sayuri pointed out. "I don't mean to rush you but have you seen your body in the mirror lately? It's growing and changing by the day. If the boys in your PE class haven't noticed it in the locker room yet, they will soon."

"I know, I know. I'll try to get the girl thing going at least by the time my body changes too much to hide."

Sayuri nodded and sighed as she took the now-warm ice pack and prepared to leave.

"I understand, Yuichiro. If you don't need anything else, I should get going now."

"I'm good, thank you. Goodnight, Sayuri."

"Good night, Yuu. Sweet dreams" the older woman said gently as she leaned forward and pressed a motherly kiss to Yuichiro's forehead.

SSSSSS

After closing the door to Yuichiro's room as quietly as she could, Sayuri was about to return to her own room when she heard someone calling out softly to her in the hallway.

"Sayuri?"

Sayuri was startled when she spun around and saw her superior officer. He looked as if had been standing out in the hallway for some time, waiting for her with a look of concern on his face. Placing her hand on her chest, she let out a breath of relief.

"I'm sorry, sir. You startled me. What can I do for you?"

"It is I who should apologize." Guren said quietly. "I just wanted to ask how Yuichiro is doing. Is he all right?"

Sayuri nodded. "Yes, sir. He just has a few scrapes and bruises but nothing serious. How did his first training session go?"

Guren sighed. "To be frank, Yuichiro still has a long way to go. I noticed he's quite impulsive and a bit reckless which needs work. However, the good news is that he IS a good listener and smart enough not to make the same mistake twice."

"So in short, Yuichiro has courage, ambition, and drive; he's just lacking in the strategic and technical aspects of fighting."

"Correct. But that's typical of any novice, especially one of his age."

"So what do you propose, sir?"

"As you know, my schedule does not allow me to train Yuichiro every single day. But he must have consistent training. So I would like you and Shigure to assist me by teaching him what you know as well. I'll ask Shinya and Goshi to pitch in too. Between the five of us training him, Yuichiro should become a competent fighter in no time."

"I understand, sir. What you suggest is only logical. But what about Mito? Don't you want her to help as well?"

At the mention of the scarlet-haired woman, Guren fell silent as if he wasn't sure how to answer.

"Sir?"

Guren sighed as he scratched his head. "Mito and I aren't on very good terms at the moment. I take it you noticed she hasn't been coming over very frequently these last few months. And she isn't very fond of Yuichiro either."

Sayuri was confused by her superior's answer. "But why wouldn't Mito like Yuichiro? And why is she… displeased with you? Did something happen?"

"It's… a bit complicated. Even I didn't understand why she was displeased with me for taking Yuu in. I still don't."

"Well, if you like, I can try talking to her. I think it would be good for Yuu to learn some hand to hand combat in case he loses his weapon in battle. And I don't know anyone better than Mito to teach him that."

At the offer, Guren finally managed a tired smile and nodded.

"Please, Sayuri, I'd really appreciate it. As for you, I only need you to help Yuichiro with his basic sword technique and maybe a bit of sparring. I don't want him messing around with magical talismans just yet."

"Of course, sir. But if you want Shinya to train Yuichiro as well, you better be adamant about your wish not to teach him how to use magic talismans. You know how Shinya is. Unless he knows you're serious, he'll probably go against your wishes just to rile you up."

"Oh, I know" Guren agreed. "Don't worry, I will make it crystal clear to him. Goshi too."

"Speaking of Goshi, what do you think he can teach Yuichiro since he doesn't use a standard weapon like the rest of us?"

"Goshi can help him with physical conditioning. You know, running, sit-ups, push-ups, etc. He was always good with those kind of things when we were kids."

"Understood, sir. And you need not worry about Shigure. I'm sure she'll follow your instructions down to the last letter. So will I. Will there be anything else?"

Guren shook his head. "No, that will be all. Thank you for going along with my plan, Sayuri. I don't know what I would do without you. Shigure too."

The honey-colored haired woman smiled, pleased with her superior's praise. Few things made Sayuri Hanayori happier than being assured that Guren needed her, even if he could not return the feelings she had for him since they were teens. The lieutenant colonel had always been good to her and Shigure. And that's really all they could ask for.

"Thank you, sir… Guren. It makes me happy to hear that."

"You're welcome, Sayuri. Good night."

"Goodnight, sir."

SSSSSS

May 11, 2017

"What? You're going to train me today, Sayuri?" Yuichiro asked curiously as she took a pause from working on her homework at her desk and looked at the older woman.

"Yes, that's correct. As I'm sure you already know, Guren is a very busy man and he's not going to be able to train you every single day. So I, as well as Shigure, Shinya, Goshi, and maybe Mito, will take turns teaching you a bit of what we know as well. You will also need to practice on your own as much as you can, just like you do homework when you're not in school."

"Um… ok, if you say so. So what are you going to teach me, Sayuri?"

"Guren asked me to help you with your basic sword techniques and once you get those down, some sparring as well."

Yuichiro was surprised at Sayuri's answer.

"I didn't know you could use a sword, Sayuri. Though I haven't actually seen you fight, I pictured you as being more of an archer or something like that."

Sayuri laughed. "I know, a lot of people think that. I may not be as good as Guren, but I am still a decent swordswoman."

"But the sword is not your specialty, is it?"

Sayuri could not help but smile at the younger girl's question.

"You're right, I'm more of a spell caster. But Guren has given me and the others strict orders that you are only to be taught basic weaponry and combat skills for now. You can learn how to use magical talismans when he decides you are ready."

Yuichiro nodded as she silently took Sayuri's words in. "I see. I was really only interested in learning the sword anyway."

"I know. But Guren thinks it's best for you to be a well-rounded fighter and I agree with him. Every soldier has a weapon they specialize in but we must also know alternative methods of fighting in case we lose our main weapon. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, of course. When did you want to start? I still need a little more time to finish these last few math problems but it shouldn't be long."

"It's alright, Yuichiro, take as much time as you need. I'll go get the bokkens and meet you out in the yard when you're ready."

"Ok."

SSSSSS

"So what are we going over today, Sayuri?" Yuichiro asked as she took the bokken the older woman offered before putting enough distance between them and taking the stance Guren had taught her the day before.

Sayuri cleared her throat and approached Yuichiro until she was standing right next to the younger girl.

"For today, I'm going to go over basic stances and sword swinging techniques with you before we do anything else. Personally, I thought Guren was going a bit too fast when he tried have you spar before you even had your basics completely down."

"But wasn't that the way he learned how to fight?" Yuu asked curiously.

"It was" Sayuri admitted. "But I prefer you not learn the same way Guren did: by constantly getting injured every time you make a mistake. And besides, your situation is a little different; it's not like he's in any hurry to have you join the Demon Army. We do have all the soldiers we need at the moment. Anyway, let's get this lesson started now, shall we?"

"Yes."

"Ok, let's go over the basic stance again. Do you remember how to do it?"

"Yeah, both feet apart with seventy percent of my weight on my rear leg and thirty percent on my front while holding the bokken firmly over the top of my head."

"Correct. The overall body position is determined by the orientation to the opponent, the ground, whether it is uneven, and various strategies of attacking and defending. But for now, we'll go with the most basic katana stance, the Hidari Jodan No Kamae." *2*

"How many others are there?"

"Almost two dozen. But before I can teach you any more, you have to get at least this one right, Yuu" Sayuri answered before looking down to check the positioning of the younger girl's feet. They were spaced just the right distance apart.

"That's perfect!" Sayuri exclaimed. "I don't know why Guren said your basic stance needed work."

"Oh, well I had to get it right pretty quick if I didn't want another smack to my temple" Yuu said quietly.

Sayuri sighed at the younger girl's revelation. Although she disapproved of Guren's teaching methods, she had to admit that they were effective. Still, the older woman believed she could find other ways to get Yuichiro to learn and remember things quickly without unnecessary pain and suffering.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that with me, Yuu. But it's inevitable that you'll be training with Guren again and if he's going to strike you for making mistakes than I'll just have to show you how to minimize them."

"Please. I prefer not to get hurt if I really don't need to be."

"I'm glad. Well, you've at least got the right attitude. Another way to learn things quickly is to pay attention and stay focused on what you're being taught."

"I have no problem with that."

"Good. Now that I know you at least have your basic stance right, let's practice some sword swings. This is the most basic, yet fundamental Japanese sword training cut. From an overhead position, with the sword perfectly vertical, cast out, much like casting a fishing rod by pulling with the left hand at the bottom until it makes contact with the head or shoulder of the opponent and then simply drop down to stop vertical again. The action should be done without 'power', allowing the blade to drop down. A common mistake is to use too much force in the right hand, which is really only just guiding the blade. One way to minimize this is to practice the casting movement holding the sword in the left hand only."

Yuichiro listened carefully to Sayuri's every word before obeying her instructions to the best of her understanding. After checking to make sure the younger girl was holding her bokken in the correct position, Sayuri gave the next step.

"Good. Now imagine your opponent in front of you and swing like I told you. I'd like to try it, say, thirty times. We'll do it together, ok?"

"Yes, Sayuri."

Together, the pair swung their bokkens and counted their swings. "One, two, three…"

When Yuichiro completed her thirtieth swing, she found her arms aching slightly and released her right hand from the bokken to wipe her brow.

"Phew, that took more energy than I thought. My arms ache. What about you, Sayuri?"

The older woman smiled. "Not really. I can do this up to a hundred times a day but I've been practicing the sword longer than you have so I'm used to it. If you keep practicing, you'd be able to do it too. Now, let me show you how to do the basic side swing. It's similar to the vertical swing except you swing from one side to the other and since you're still new to this, you can use both hands. When you become a bit stronger, you should be able to swing in almost any direction with one arm. Do you think you're up to doing thirty swings on each side this time?"

Yuichiro grinned. "You bet!"

"Ok, let's go then! One, two, three…"

Excited by the thought of being able to eventually swing a sword with ease if she kept at it, Yuichiro did her best to follow her instructor's lead, performing thirty side swings with her bokken on each side. When Yuu and Sayuri were finished, the older woman checked her watch for the time before turning to her pupil.

"Great job, Yuu! It looks like you've got your basics down. I'll show you a few more stances next week but it looks like we better get started on dinner since Guren will be home soon."

Yuichiro was confused. "Next week? We aren't going to be training every day?"

"Well, yes, you are. But Guren instructed me, Shigure, Shinya, and Goshi to take turns training you one day out of the week so you can practice different fighting techniques. I also promised him I'll try to convince Mito to chip in too."

"Mito? You mean that red-haired lady who yelled at Guren when she first saw me? You don't have to, really, Sayuri. I can tell she really doesn't like me."

Sayuri laughed and leaned closer to the younger girl.

"It's not that Mito doesn't like you. She was just a bit upset that Guren hasn't been paying much attention to her since he took you in and misunderstood his intentions. But I'll let you in on a little secret: Mito is a bit of a diva. All you have to do is flatter her, kiss up to her a little, and she'll warm up to you quick. She's especially proud of her red hair and loves getting compliments on it. Even more than her fighting skills! And if, for any reason, flattery doesn't work on her, we can use the foolproof last resort: Mito has a sweet tooth and absolutely cannot resist a delicious quality cake, pastry, or piece of chocolate."

Yuichiro giggled. "That kind of sounds like me. Whenever I got mad at Mika, he would always bring me a sweet and I couldn't stay mad at him no matter what he did. Why didn't Guren do that? You know, give Mito a sweet?"

"Well, I did say Mito loves quality sweets which Guren has no idea where to buy or how to make. But I do. When we were teens, Mito loved my baking. Why don't we try baking some blueberry muffins while making dinner tonight?"

"Yes, I want some muffins too!"

"Ok, well, we better go inside and get started then!"

"Sure thing!"

SSSSSS

"Hey what's that? It smells delicious!" Mito exclaimed when she stepped inside Guren's home after Shigure opened the door to let her in.

As soon as Sayuri and Yuichiro went back inside the house to get started on cooking, Sayuri pulled Shigure aside and requested that they invite their scarlet-haired friend over for dinner. When Shigure asked why, Sayuri whispered her secret plan to get Mito to help train Yuichiro in her ear.

As soon as she heard her friend's proposal, even Shigure Yukimi, who was not known for her sense of humor, could not help stifling her laughter. Both she and Sayuri knew that for all of Guren's intelligence, he would've never thought of such a brilliant plan to convince Mito to train Yuichiro in hand to hand combat.

"I swear, even I never knew Mito was that weak against something like sweets. I think it's a great idea, Sayuri. I'll call her right away."

While Sayuri and Yuichiro were baking the muffins in the kitchen, Shigure made sure to tell Mito to arrive before six 'o clock, just before they knew the treats would be ready.

"Oh, you're just in time! Sayuri and Yuichiro were baking some blueberry muffins in the kitchen. Though I prefer we not get Yuu into the habit of eating her dessert before dinner and spoiling her appetite, we can make an exception tonight since you're here."

"Oh my god, please! I gotta have one now!" Mito squealed, her excitement making her sound like a hyper-active little girl instead of the grown woman she was.

Hearing her newly arrived friend raise her voice from the kitchen where she and Yuu were taking the freshly baked muffins out of the oven, Sayuri took a spatula to pry one out of the pan.

"Psst, Mito's here, Yuu" she whispered. "Take one of these and give it to her; she especially loves them fresh out of the oven. Here, it's a bit hot so let's put it on a plate first."

"Right" Yuu said as she pulled a small plate from one of the cupboards before Sayuri placed a muffin on it.

Once the sweet was ready, Sayuri gave Yuichiro her cue.

"Go now, Yuu. While Mito's still in a good mood."

The girl didn't need to be told twice and obeyed, taking the plate out of the kitchen and into the living room where Shigure and Mito were waiting. As soon as the scarlet-haired woman saw the younger girl coming out of the kitchen with the divine treat, Yuichiro could have sworn she saw Mito's eyes sparking with excitement as if she had just won a huge cash prize instead of being offered a simple dessert.

Here goes… Yuu thought as she walked up to Mito, hoping Sayuri wasn't exaggerating when she said her friend couldn't resist a sweet.

And she wasn't.

"Oh! Is that for me?!" Mito squealed when Yuichiro offered the muffin to her while Shigure watched with amusement.

"It sure is!" the child answered happily. The look on the older woman's face when she took the plate from Yuu's hands made it look like Mito had forgotten that she had ever even disliked her.

For a few moments, both Yuichiro and Shigure watched as Mito finished the warm blueberry muffin in just two bites, something Yuu had never even seen her younger orphanage brothers and sisters do.

"So how do you like it, Mito?" Shigure asked. "Normally, we don't serve dessert before dinner but since you're here and we all know how much you love freshly baked muffins…"

Mito laughed as soon as she swallowed the second half of her muffin.

"Thank you! Do you have any more?"

"Yes. But Sayuri says dinner will be ready soon and she doesn't want us to spoil our appetites. But if you want, I'll pack some in a box for you before you go home" Yuichiro offered.

"Oh, you'd do that for me?" Mito asked curiously.

"Sure, why not? If you're important to Guren, you should be important to me too."

"Oh… Well, I'm really glad you think so, Yuu."

"You're welcome. I gotta go now, Sayuri needs my help setting up the dinner table."

"Go ahead, Yuu" Shigure said gently. I need to talk to Mito for a moment. We'll join you later."

"Yes, Shigure" the younger girl obeyed and went back into the kitchen after holding out her hands to take back the plate Mito ate her muffin off of. As soon as Yuu was out of earshot, Shigure took the chance to do her part.

"I'm glad you could join us for dinner tonight, Mito. Sayuri and I missed seeing you since you haven't been coming over as often. I'm sure Guren does too even though we both know he would never admit it."

"Oh… well, the reason I haven't been coming over as much is because I thought Guren was too… preoccupied with taking care of Yuichiro and didn't want to bother him."

"You're not bothering him, Mito, really. In fact, he told me he's going to be needing all of our help to train Yuichiro."

Mito was puzzled. "Train Yuu? But why?"

"Because Guren wants her to join the Demon Army when she becomes of age. So, it's important that we start training her now. He wants each of us to teach Yuu a bit of what we know so that she can be a well-rounded fighter even though the weapon she appears to like most is the sword."

"She? So is it true what Shinya said? That Yuichiro is a girl?"

At the mention of the younger girl's true gender, Shigure made a quick gesture for Mito to keep her voice down even though she knew that Guren wasn't likely to be home for another hour or so.

"Shh... not so loud, Mito. Yes, it's true: Yuichiro is a girl. Out of our entire squad, Guren is the only one who does not know. At least not yet."

"But if Yuu's female, why does she have a boy's name?" Mito asked in puzzlement.

Shigure rolled her eyes. "Long story, Mito. The short version is that Yuu's parents wanted a boy and were disappointed when they that saw she was born a girl so they tried to make her into the son they've always wanted."

"Oh…well, I guess that explains the boyish get-up then; she completely fooled me the first time I saw her. Why doesn't Yuu just tell Guren already?"

"Because she isn't ready to yet."

"I see… well, Yuichiro did go out of her way to make me this muffin, even if she did have Sayuri's help. I guess the least I can do is teach her what I know. That is, if she can make other great desserts too."

Grateful that Sayuri's plan had worked, Shigure quickly made her proposal before the scarlet-haired woman could change her mind.

"I'm really glad to hear that. Do you mind coming over again on Saturday? It's going to be my turn to train Yuichiro tomorrow. I'm going to show her how to throw kunai."

"Is that all? What about magic talismans?"

"About that, Guren has specifically given instructions that Yuichiro is not to even touch a magic talisman until he deems her ready."

"I see. Ok, then. I'll come back on Saturday then. Just let me know when."

"Well, since Yuu is off school for the weekend, you can come at your earliest convenience. I'll make sure to let her know. For now, why don't you come to the table? Dinner should be ready soon. I'm sure Guren will be back any minute now."

"Right. I almost forgot about dinner when I ate the muffin!" Mito laughed.

Footnotes:

1. A bokken is a Japanese wooden sword used for training, usually the size and shape of a katana but is sometimes shaped like other swords like the wakizashi and tanto. Bokken are often used as a safer alternative to real swords in combat training, especially for beginners.

2. As one of the most basic postures, jōdan-no-kamae is common to virtually all schools of kenjutsu. The primary attribute of Hidari Jōdan-no-Kamae is always the weapon lifted above the head of the practitioner. One of the only significant variations is the relative position of the elbows. Some styles, such as aiki-ken, prefer the elbows to be as far inward as possible. Many others insist on the elbows being open.