"Hold," Hanzo's voice was soft, "Hold," He repeated, adjusting her aim very slightly, feeling the tension in her arms as she held the string back. "Careful of your arm, or you'll get a bruise." He reminded her, adjusting her hand gently on the bow. "Now, release!" He stepped back as Jun released the bowstring, the arrow launching quickly and finding the center of the target, sticking securely. "Very good."
"Ha!" She laughed triumphantly, looking down at her hands. "I hit it!"
"Indeed, you are a fast learner." Hanzo complimented, taking the bow from her and knocking an arrow of his own and taking aim, quickly and surely setting the arrow into the target inches from Jun's. "But still have much to learn." He looked to her and noted her sly look, one brow slightly rising as she pulled back the sleeves of her training clothes so that her arms were free to move more easily.
"With a teacher as skilled as you, it should not take me long to catch up." She reached for the bow but Hanzo did not let go of it easily, taunting her with his superior arm strength as she tried to pry it from his hands and failed. "Laugh at me now Shimada, but I will get better!"
"I should hope so!" Hanzo teased, "What would it say of my abilities if I could not teach even you?" He laughed as she tried to pull it from his grasp, but only succeeded in pulling herself toward him in the frozen earth of the garden grass, making him laugh heartily.
"I admit, I see now why you spend so much time with a bow in your hand." She scrunched up her face, not really wanting to admit that, but doing so in a show of good faith and trust in her husband to be. It was the last half of Hanzo's seventieth year and the beginning of her's. "It shows in your sureness of hand, and the quickness of your aim." She smiled at him as he released the bow and gave it to her without anymore teasing, drawing an arrow from his quiver and twirling it around so he could tap the end of her nose with the feathered end.
"I've spent much of my life with a bow in my hands," He tilted her chin up with the arrows end, "So that I can protect my family." He hadn't meant to make it sound the way it did, his voice seemed to have an effect on Jun now, her cheeks darkening with a slight pink blush; her eyes darting away from his quickly.
"You should just kiss and get it over with already." a light voice from above sighed, Hanzo glared up into the tree and quickly spotted Genji grinning down at them, nearly blended in with the leaves and branches. "Hello, Hanzo, Jun-chan." Genji greeted as Jun followed Hanzo's line of sight and smiled when she saw the younger Shimada smile down at her and wave.
"Genji!" Jun scolded, "You are going to fall out of those trees one of these days with your sneaking around!" The younger Shimada rolled his eyes and laid across a branch, propping his head up on his arms.
"While I don't think you will fall," Hanzo added, narrowing his eyes at his brother. "You really should cease spying on me."
"I'm not spying on you," Genji said flatly, his face blank as he swung his feet idly. "I'm spying on Jun-chan."
"Genji~" Hanzo warned as his younger brother broke into a childlike grin.
"I would like to not be spied on Genji-kun." Jun smiled, rolling down her sleeves as Genji pouted down playfully at her.
"But I like to spy on you, it's fun. I don't want to miss it when Hanzo finally mans up and makes his move-you missed an excellent chance by the way." Genji pulled his foot away as Hanzo grabbed for it, trying to pull his brother down from his perch.
"How about you do something even more fun, Harashi-sensei should be with Father and Lord Shimada, why don't you see if you can sneak up on him? I bet you can't!" Jun teased, winking up at Genji who scratched his cheek and thought it over. "If you can, he might put you through some advanced training, it might keep you better occupied." A few moments of silence as Genji looked from Jun to Hanzo with narrowed eyes.
"Hm...I really don't think Hanzo has it in him yet..."
"We aren't supposed to kiss until our wedding!" Hanzo snapped, his cheeks flushing pink. "It's improper!"
"Yeah, he's not going to." Genji laughed as Hanzo swiped at him again and got to his feet like an agile cat, moving along the branch quickly and with sure footing. As quickly as he was found, he was gone, leaving Hanzo and Jun alone and embarrassed. When the branches stopped shaking and they were sure he was gone, they glanced at one another and looked away quickly, unable to look one another in the eye as the thought of the approaching wedding came to their minds.
"Speaking...of the wedding." Hanzo murmured, clearing his throat and pulling his shoulders back as Jun glanced at him. "H-have you decided when you would like to have it? The season, I mean."
"Oh, I had...uh..." Jun turned her back to him and walked to the target, pulling the arrows free. "I had thought about, spring...when the flowers are all in bloom." Hanzo glanced down at the ground, noting the frost that had started to thaw away. "If that is acceptable-"
"I like it." Hanzo smiled, thinking about the gardens at the temple where their ceremony was to take place. "Spring it is." He walked over and took the arrows from her, placing them in the quiver and watching as she blew hot air onto her hands to warm them, the tip of her nose turning pink with the chill. "How about we take a break for some hot tea?" He asked, tapping the tip of her nose with his finger, making her blink.
"That sounds wonderful, I like the peacefulness that winter brings, but I could do without the cold." Jun smiled, touching her nose with the tips of her fingers. Hanzo felt his heart swell a little at her smile, she had been doing it more lately but it never ceased to make his heart pick up in speed. He shrugged off his coat off and slipped it over her shoulders.
"Cold would not be an issue if you would wear a coat like you are supposed to." Hanzo scolded gently, turning and leading the way back to his home, their shoes crunched on leftover snow from the latest storm.
"It is difficult enough as it is with these long sleeves to shoot your bow," Jun countered, shaking her hands out in front of her to emphasize her point as the kimono and coat sleeves waved in front of her. "I suppose that is why you always run about with your sleeves shrugged off, so you don't have to worry about it getting in the way. Funny," She chuckled as Hanzo helped her climb up on the walkway attached to his tea room. "I used to think that you did it to get attention-or to infuriate me-but now I see it was practical."
Hanzo's cheeks flushed again as he stepped up onto the walkway and hurried into his tea room, leaving Jun chuckling as she followed along. She sat beside Hanzo as a servant brought in the tea set and began making tea for the two.
"Have you any desires for the ceremony?" Jun asked, putting her hands on her lap. Hanzo blinked, his embarrassment forgotten temporarily. "Any flowers or special requests?" Hanzo looked up into the ceiling of the room and mused silently for a moment.
"Peonies..." He mumbled after a moment. His voice just a whisper, making Jun lean in more closely. "Peonies." He said a little more loudly, "I would like to see Peonies at our ceremony." This made Jun smile softly as Hanzo handed her a cup. "I thought that might please you."
"What color?"
"Blue, and purple if they can be found." Hanzo inspected his own cup, "Do you remember why?"
"The plant was blue," Jun nodded, but looked a little lost, "Why purple?"
"The color of your kimono when we met." Hanzo waved away the servant who peeked up slyly with a small smile, he took the teapot and poured for her, "Did you think I forgot?"
"After a meeting as..." She searched for the word, "Remarkable? Strained?...haha," She laughed as Hanzo poured for himself now, his smile relaxed and comforting. This was a side that Hanzo was still discovering, the slow lowering of his walls. "Unforgettable as our first meeting, I don't think I will forget a single detail."
They sat in silence for a while, enjoying one another's company as they drank their tea. During their early teenage years, the silence had been heavy and forced-a silence that prompted both to run in the opposite direction for freedom. Now, however, it was the solitude that they both sought when annoyed and disgruntled. It was toward the other they were drawn when their hearts and minds were heavy. They had grown to rely on each other, since the day of Jun's mothers funeral, and spent as much time together as possible when in company.
Some time had passed when there was a call from the door, it was the rest of the assorted family, come to take part in the company and discuss the upcoming wedding. Genji sat beside Jun, across from Hanzo as the two elders sat at respective corners. The talk was pleasant and without much bother when there was a shriek from the hall setting the three younger fighters on edge.
Hanzo got to his feet and Genji drew a short blade from a hidden sheath on his body, getting to his feet and running to the door, grabbing and tossing Hanzo his bow and quiver when he came to where the servant had placed them. Jun crouched and reached out to Hanzo, she had no weapon on her or in the room as it was prohibited for her to have them outside her training sessions due to her status and gender. Hanzo shook his head and strung a bow as their fathers waited silently, then the door opened to a snickering servant who tried to compose herself.
"Forgive us, Masters-," She bowed to Genji and then again to the others in the room, "Mistress, there was a rather large spider that spooked Ai and she couldn't help but yell out, please do not worry." Genji cast a look to Hanzo, shrugging one shoulder as Hanzo lowered his bow, the elder Shimada looked to their father who chuckled and shook his head.
"Women and their arbitrary fears." This earned a chuckle from Jun's father as the boys lowered their weapons and Jun settled back into her seat, the annoyance at the comment by her future father in law blocking out the battle ready edge brought on by fear. She reached for her teacup when she felt a drop of liquid on her head, like a raindrop. It made her shiver, she put her hand on top of her head and drew the attention of the men in the room. Hanzo picked up a napkin from the table and tried to give it to Jun when she felt another. She looked up and gasped when she saw the pool of red liquid staining and seeping through the mats that covered the ceiling.
Hanzo followed her gaze and heard a creaking as more droplets fell into Jun's face, she yelled in shock and got to her feet, wiping it away with her hands as the ceiling gave way and several bodies dropped into the room. Hanzo grabbed Jun by the waist and pulled her from out under the men dropping from the ceiling, yelling for guards as the room flew into action.
The men that dropped from the ceiling were dressed in greys and blacks, their heads covered with hoods and their feet bound in the same shoes. They looked like the same man multiplied by five. A sixth body fell too, one that sent shivers of fear through Jun and then anger like she had not felt before. Harashi's body lay in a heap, his throat slit wide and blood soaking his clothes.
"You have your orders!" One of the copies yelled, drawing a blade from his hip, the others doing the same.
Hanzo stepped in front of Jun and drew his bow, taking aim at the closet man, Genji had already crossed blades with one of the copies keeping him occupied. Jun tried for the small dagger Hanzo kept on his back in case of such a situation but he moved away to block an attack directed to Jun.
"Genji! Blade!" Jun yelled as he forced his opponent to drop his blade by using his own to twist it out of his grasp. Genji grabbed the hilt and threw it Jun's direction, not fearing for hitting her. Jun caught the blade by its hilt, whipping it around and charging past Hanzo as he turned, shooting three arrows into the back of a man trying to follow after his father and Daiki as they made their way to the door where guards were beginning to file in.
The remaining three attackers fanned out, trying to dodge between the three teens to head off the two older men. The men were running side by side, deflecting attacks to protect one another as they closed the distance to their targets. When they were within striking distance, Jun's father shoved Lord Shimada out of the room and slammed the door closed as he was ran through by the three attacking blades.
"Father!" Genji yelled as he saw Lord Shimada disappear out the door.
"Genji! No!" Hanzo yelled and followed after his brother as the younger shimada rushed to the door, the intruders turning and brandishing their bloody weapons.
Jun watched as her father sank to the floor, one of the blades had pierced his heart and he faded quicker than she could get to him. When she reached his side, oblivious to the fact they turned their attention solely on Genji as she turned her father over onto his back. Hanzo and Genji struggled to keep back the three attackers as they turned more ferocious but less deadly. When they had Genji surrounded, Hanzo tried to disperse them with arrow attacks but they were rendered useless with simple blocks by the blades of two while the third hit Genji in the back of the head with the hilt of their blade.
"GENJI!" Hanzo and Jun screamed in unison as he slumped into the arms of one of the attackers, Jun jumped to her feet and rushed to help Hanzo as he rushed after two of the murderers as they ran to the walkway outside the room. Jun tackled the slowest of the men and knocked him to the ground, pinning him under her as she drew the blade and pressed it to his throat.
"Name!" She demanded, the man under her laughed as she heard Hanzo's panicked call for his brother in the garden. "Give me the name!" She cursed and cut the mans neck threateningly.
"May the world crumble and burn around you, orphan." The man cursed as he pulled a small pick like knife from his belt and stabbed her in the side with it repeatedly making her howl in pain, which prompted Hanzo to run back to the room. "Die as a no-one!" He cursed and Jun stabbed him, plunging the knife into his throat and gagging as he chuckled once more, sending Jun into a git of rage. Cursing without thought she removed the knife and stabbed the deadman's chest over and over in fury, the helplessness she felt turning to rage.
It wasn't until Hanzo's father had returned to the room and witnessed Jun stabbing a fresh corpse repeatedly that Hanzo was able to remove the blade from Jun's hand and pull her into an embrace and calm her from her rage into one of despair for her loss of her father, and the kidnapping of Genji. Hanzo looked to his father for guidance, for some sort of sign that he surely would know what to do next to retrieve his little brother. But the elder Shimada's face was hard to read as his old and tired eyes scanned the room and took in the corpses.
"We must," The older man took in a long, deep breath before sighing heavily, "Make new arrangements."