I got woken up by a very unpleasant sensation on my scalp. Chizuru was painfully pulling my hair.
« What are you doing ? » I asked her with furrowed brows, lifting my hat off my face.
« Oh, sorry ! » she blushed « I didn't want to wake you up ! »
« I don't think anyone can keep sleeping with someone else pulling their hair like this. » I objected.
« Yeah, I didn't realize it was painful... Sorry... I wanted to get rid of the biggest knots and I don't have any comb so I used my fingers... »
« Do as you wish. » I told her, closing my eyes again.
Although she had my permission, she didn't run her fingers through my hair again. In a way, I regretted it. I wanted her to touch me, even painfully. She was magic to me. Her sole presence was easing my heart from all the worries and angst I could have. She was even more effective than meditation. She was my happiness, my calm and my reason to keep on living.
« I've been away for a month and your hair is already back to the big mess they were... » she sighed playfully.
« Maybe you shouldn't have gone away, then. » I answered with a smirk.
« That's not funny. » she frowned « At least, your humour hasn't changed. Still as bad as ever. »
I opened my eyes again and looked at her gorgeous round face above me. If it was a dream, I'd like to never wake up. I brought my hand to her cheek and caressed it with the back of my fingers. My gaze avidly studied her every feature, her eyes, her mouth, her cheeks... and stopped at the annoying kamon on her shoulders.
« We really need to get you rid of these. » I frowned, bringing my fingers to the kamon.
« Why are you wearing a peach kamon, Oneechan ? » asked Haruhi, visibly listening to our conversation.
« It's... It's Kazama's. » she replied with embarrassment.
« Sounds strange for a bad guy to have peaches as a kamon... » said Haruhi pensively « doesn't look scary at all ! It should have horns or arrows... »
« Oni and peaches make me think of Momotarô... » I muttered, still frowning.
« It's true » she chuckled « I thought exactly the same thing. »
« What's Momotarô ? » asked Haruhi, puzzled.
I turned my head in her direction and stopped staring at the kamon to look at her with furrowed brows.
« It's a kid's story. » I answered.
« What does it say ? » she asked, curious.
I stayed silent. Even if I knew that Haruhi was coming from a prostitution house, I had trouble to imagine that she couldn't know that story at all. Every child got to hear that story, from their mother, their wet-nurse or siblings. I always tend to forget that she never had the same childhood as the rest of us. A few months ago, she couldn't even read or write and even after months, she was still learning. At nearly ten years old...
« Otousan » said Haruhi « what does it say ?! »
« Otousan ?! » repeated Chizuru, astonished.
I looked up again and met her wide chestnut gaze that grew even wider when she saw the big smile across my face. I think she never witnessed me with a smile that big, even at our wedding.
« Otousan ! » yelled Haruhi, impatient.
« It's a boy born in a peach who goes to fight Oni and wins. » I answered.
Haruhi seemed to think for a moment and sighed.
« It's not a very good story... » she said with deception.
« I think Otousan sucks at storytelling. » chuckled Chizuru « that was the shortest version of Momotarô I ever heard ! »
« The key elements were there. » I replied with furrowed brows.
« Yeah but you took away all the magic ! » she stated, still chuckling « and what about the animals ? »
« Which animals ? » asked Haruhi, her interest renewed.
« Okay. So, once upon a time there was an old couple of poor farmers who couldn't get any children... » started Chizuru.
Haruhi was listening carefully to the story, just like I was, rocked by the melody of her words. I closed back my eyes and let her lead me into her fairytale.
« One day, the old woman was cleaning some clothes in the river when she saw a giant peach, big as a... big as this ! » she showed my round sandogasa « she used a big branch and managed to get it on the riverside. It was very heavy but she made it roll to her house, happy to have found something to prepare for her husband. When she opened the peach, the stone inside cracked open and a little boy came out, they called him Momotarô. »
« Babies don't get out of peaches... » protested Haruhi, crossing her arms.
« It was a magic peach. » answered Chizuru « and it wasn't a baby but already a little boy. »
« Okay... » she said, not convinced. « So he fought Oni ? »
« Let me get to that part ! » objected Chizuru before addressing me « you ruined all the fun of the story. »
I didn't answer and waited for her to continue the fairytale when I felt a shiver down my spine. I opened my eyes and saw that Koan was also alert, sitting up from his nap.
« So, Momotarô was very strong, a lot more than normal people. One day... »
« Shhh. » I ordered, sitting up from my resting position.
I positioned my hand on the pommel on my sword and listened to the sounds around me.
« What's happening, Hajime ? » asked Chizuru and I put my finger on her mouth to ask her to stay silent.
The girls also prepared themselves, hands on the pommel of their kodachi and wakizashi. The forest around us was silent. Well, not that silent, just an usual forest. Still, I could sense a presence, something, someone, was approaching. From afar, I heard the sound of the hooves of a horse on the forest floor. It was coming our way and was coming from the direction we followed. There was a huge probability that it was on our tracks. The path we took after Hakone wasn't as steep as the one we followed before. A horse could follow us without difficulty.
« Haruhi » I ordered « The fire. »
She did as I said and we all tensed in anticipation, listening to the hooves getting closer. The horse wasn't galloping, it was only walking calmly.
« Don't worry, Saito-san. » said Koan « I hid the three of you. If someone comes, he will only see an old man. Please stay still, otherwise, I will have trouble keeping you hidden. »
I nodded and waited, ready. When I could finally see who our guest was, my blood started boiling but I kept my position. Kazama got down his horse calmly and attached it to a nearby tree before turning to Koan.
« Greetings, old man. » he said in a deep smug voice « Something has been stolen from me last night. Do you have any information about it ? »
Hearing his voice made my anger grow bigger but I didn't move, respecting Koan's orders. If I tried to kill him now, I could put Haruhi and Chizuru in danger. Kazama couldn't see them for the moment and it was better to keep it that way.
« I'm just a traveller. » replied Koan, bowing in respect. « I'm afraid I can't help you, bushi-sama. »
« What a pity » said Kazama with a grin « then I suppose this doesn't belong to you, Yasha Koan. »
He threw something furry on the ground. A ginger tail with nothing attached to it.
« I don't really appreciate being underestimated and played with, Yasha-san. » continued Kazama.
Koan kneeled and picked up the ginger tail, running his fingers in the thick soft fur, his face expressing nothing but grief and mourning.
« You killed her ? » he whispered.
« I first cut her tail off then I played with her for a bit. » he replied casually, savoring the pain on Koan's face « and I waited for her to beg before ending her sufferings. I've been merciful, I gave her what she wanted as soon as she fell low enough to ask for it. A quick death. »
Koan's body was trembling and I could see the tears rolling down his cheeks as he was clutching to the ginger tail.
« She called your name a few times, you know. » grinned the Oni « trapped in her human form with no more powers. It was even more enjoyable for me. I wouldn't have had that much entertainment hurting a fox. »
Koan let out a long sound of grievance and transformed into his fox form, even bigger than Kazama's horse. The wind started howling, swirling around us. Kazama took his sword out and it shattered into pieces instantly, leaving him with only the hilt in hand. The ground cracked open between Koan and Kazama, leaving a bottomless abyss.
The enormous fox was panting, from anger or exhaustion, I couldn't tell. He was in a fighting stance, intimidating, ready to rip Kazama into pieces.