Chapter 08 | The Lord of the Coastal Province
Aida ordered every one of The Thousand Crane's inhabitants to prepare his establishment for Lord Eishirou's arrival. The hallway floors were washed, the rooms were cleaned, and the futons were aired out and beaten. The Thousand Crane's would have to adopt a feel and look of utter perfection. Once the pleasure house looked its best, the girls were asked to put on their best faces. They were told to wear their most expensive robes and finest jewelry to ensure Lord Eishirou left with a good impression of his brief experience.
Mio was the exception to everything. Izuna had left the establishment with the promise to return for each night that followed, which he had done, increasing the amount of money that he paid to spend the evening in her company with every visit. Aida had been promised a higher pay for as long as Izuna maintained complete exclusivity with her. That had been difficult of Aida to refuse, so he hadn't.
So, instead of running around with all the other girls washing the floors, cleaning the rooms, and dusting the futons, Mio stayed at Aida's side, entertaining him personally. She made sure that when she engaged him in conversation that it was witty and that if wanted a drink, his cup would never be empty. She catered to him as one expected of a personal servant. She didn't mind it. Not until he started to get grabbier the drunker he became. There wasn't much she could do of his advances other than divert his attention long enough to make him forget he was making them, which had become easier as the days passed.
Eishirou was escorted into The Thousand Cranes a week after Mio's arrival to the establishment. He arrived with only two servants, one that accompanied him inside and another that stood in wait at the entrance. Mio caught a glimpse at the man when he was shown inside their grandest sitting room. He was tall with a lean physique, a strong, squared jaw, eyes the color of warm amber, and tousled, sandy blond hair. He dressed in finery, though not in a way that seemed gaudy. He wasn't as old as she envisioned, but he was perhaps ten years her senior, a fact that could work in her favor.
Eishirou didn't cast a second look in her direction, too enthralled with the beautiful courtesan accompanying him to the sitting room. His attendant appeared before Aida as he was standing in front of Mio instructing her on her duties for the night. While every girl in the establishment competed for Eishirou's attention—knowing it meant living in luxury in his castle and being showered with expensive gifts for that short interval of time—Mio would be the one bringing him dinner, drinks, and ensuring his visit was a comfortable one.
"Eishirou-sama would like to share a drink with you," said the attendant, bowing slightly.
Aida looked to Mio. "Fetch our best wine."
Mio excused herself to the kitchen to pick up a bottle of the establishment's finest wine. She walked to the sitting room, balancing the wide bottle with a pair of short ceramic cups on a wooden tray. She sank to her knees, announcing herself at the entrance of the room, and waited for the lord to beckon her in. She wasn't given the most expensive looking clothes to wear as she wasn't expected to participate, but she had been dressed appropriately and her hair had been styled into a high ponytail. Her cheeks were lightly colored pink and her lips were a ruby shade. She wouldn't stand out in a room full of beautiful women, but at the same time, she would, given the fact that she was the only one that hadn't been dressed to impress.
Lords were accustomed to overlook those of lower ranks. She would be entering the room in the role of a servant. She understood that as she slid apart the shoji screens, rising back to her feet to enter, that she would be overlooked. But that was where the pop of red would steal his attention. She counted on it.
When she entered the room, Eishirou was watching one of the girls perform a fan dance. Beside him sat the highest paid courtesan in the establishment, upright and elegant in rich burgundy robes patterned in a seasonal motif. There were two other girls seated behind the courtesan acting as her personal attendants to make her seem more expensive. If she did, the lord would lose interest and choose another girl. Considering the amount of revenue that woman brought into the pleasure house, Aida would be insane to see her leave, so he didn't want to risk her. He hoped that a little overexposure would ruin her chances with Eishirou.
The woman had already tarnished her opportunity by acting coy. Eishirou had shown interest, taken by her beauty after her introduction, but she had shyly averted her eyes as she spoke to him and whatever spark they had vanished. He hadn't so much as glimpsed in her direction. He was entirely taken by the boldness of the fan dancer, who had not spoken to him outright oozed a certain appeal that had piqued his interest.
Mio silently made her way to Eishirou's side, sure to walk around him so that she did not obstruct his view. She sank down beside him, setting the tray in front of herself, and placed a sake cup in his hand, allowing his fingers to brush hers.
Eishirou's eyes flickered in her direction, meeting hers briefly before returning his attention to the dancer. He allowed her to pour him a drink. She left a smaller bottle of sake in the courtesan's care to ensure his cup stayed full and went to Aida's side where she would remain to offer him the same service.
Eishirou dared to look at her once more and she smiled to show that she noticed before lifting her eyes to his amber ones. He took a sip of his sake with his gaze still trained on hers like a challenge.
Aida saw that. "Eishirou-sama, how is business?"
The lord turned away from her to speak with Aida, who dismissed her after asking her to leave the bottle.
Mio accomplished what she set out to do. She didn't need to stay any longer. Eishirou would find her later if he wanted to continue having a stare off.
The old, grumpy woman caught her on her way to the kitchen and thrust a new wooden tray into her hands, ordering her to deliver it to another room. The establishment had not shut down completely for Eishirou's visit, so there were a few women taking customers in the other side of the building.
Mio complied with everyone's requests, finding her evening a little overwhelming before she finally found a small window of time to sneak away to breathe. She admitted to feeling a little anxiety as she stood underneath the pale glow of a lantern with her hands pressed against her stomach.
She took a deep breath and composed herself. Turning, she stopped abruptly because Aida was standing leaning against the doorframe.
"I want you to prepare Eishirou-sama's room," said Aida.
Mio nodded, walking past him when he suddenly took her by the wrist, turning her around to face him. "I would also like to remind you that you belong to another man, one that is paying handsomely for exclusivity," he said. "It would be best not to cross a man like Izuna."
"You need not remind me of my place," Mio replied, gently pulling at her wrist until he released her.
"It is easy for a girl like you to want the freedom that Eishirou-sama offers," Aida continued. "He promises you a place in his grand castle and luxuries beyond what any customer in this establishment can give you. Most women here earn only enough to cover their food for the following day, but not enough to indulge themselves. You have something good going for you with that shinobi."
"Are you so afraid that upsetting Izuna-sama would bring misfortune upon your establishment as if he has nothing better other than to fight over a girl he bought at a whorehouse?" asked Mio, watching as he visibly bristled. "I think he will be content with any woman so long as she's beautiful. I, on the other hand, will be taking whatever opportunity benefits me."
"What is happening here?" snapped the old woman from the end of the hallway, cutting into the tension between them. "Mio! Get back to work! There is food to be served!"
Mio left Aida with a polite inclination of her head and stopped before the grumpy woman. "Aida-san has asked me to prepare Eishirou-sama's room," she informed, walking away. "They will have to wait until then."
The old woman's eyes went wide with anger. "You insolent—"
"Drop it," Aida interjected. "Let her go."
Mio succeeded in avoiding Eishirou for the rest of the night, aware that he would be searching for her after her conversation with Aida warning her about upsetting Izuna. She heard he ended up sleeping with the girl that preformed for him that evening, but that had been after deliberately wasting time taking a tour of the establishment. Aida would continue to deny him if he was set on her because he didn't want there to be any problems as a result.
Once the pleasure house closed its doors at the wee hours of the night, Mio snuck away to bathe in the bathhouse next door. She returned after an hour later clothed in a plain, white robe and her drying hair braided over her shoulder. She entered through the back entrance and noted the presence of another up ahead. She would need to act surprised when she saw whoever they were and braced herself as she walked forward to an encounter.
Eishirou did not wait for her to cross his path he intercepted hers. "You are out surprisingly late."
Mio bowed her head. She needed to choose her response carefully. "I enjoy bathing at night."
"What do they call you?" asked Eishirou, his eyes took in the sight of the white robe glued to her damp skin.
"Mio," she said, pausing to grin, "at your service."
"Serve me a drink," he ordered.
"I will take it to your room in a—"
"No, you will serve it to me wherever it is you keep your drinks."
Mio gestured to her right towards a short hallway. "This way."
She took him to the kitchen, observing him as she took out a new bottle of sake. He moved in tentatively, taking in his surroundings, obvious that he had never been in a kitchen so small before in his life. She set an empty cup atop the counter and poured him a drink, leaving the bottle of sake in the middle between them with her standing opposite him.
"Fetch yourself a cup, you're having a drink."
"I don't drink."
He took her response as an act of defiance and said firmly, "You do with me."
Mio brought out another cup and obliged him. She could handle one drink.
Eishirou leaned forward, eyeing her. "You have been avoiding me the entire evening."
"I was quite busy."
"Yes, Aida made a wonderful job illustrating that to me whenever I asked after you," he admitted. "He would not give me your name, either. So, what is it that makes you so special that he does not want you presented to me?"
"Perhaps, he found that I was not capable of keeping your interest," she answered, taking a small sip. "I am not an interesting woman."
"That is for me to judge, not him."
He drank all of the sake in his cup, prompting her to refill it for him.
"Are you that interested in me?" asked Mio, baiting him. She had his attention. This was her chance to keep it and hopefully secure her place in his castle. "You barely know me."
"I am not here to know you," he told her, moving around the counter to her side. She faced him and he looped an arm around her waist, pulling her up against him. "I am here to pay you to fuck me."
She smiled and placed both hands against his chest, keeping him at a distance. "That is if you can afford me."
Eishirou pushed her up against the counter and took her roughly by the hair, forcing her head back. "I've never encountered a woman this defiant before, I'm impressed."
She chuckled. "Impressed by what?"
"Your audacity," he answered, releasing his grip of her hair. "I do not take you for an ignorant woman, you know exactly who I am and what I can do and yet you stand before me determined to defy me. What is your game, girl? What are you trying to accomplish? You have my attention, now stop wasting my time and tell me what you want."
Mio abandoned all the obstructing thoughts running through her mind. She gave herself completely to this role she was playing, only then could it be believable.
"Everything," she told him, reaching to wrap her arms around his neck. She rose on tiptoe, moving so close that their noses touched. She lowered her voice. "But I worry…"
His grip loosened. "You worry about what?"
"I worry that you might not satisfy me."
Eishirou hoisted her onto the counter harshly, pushing her legs apart to move between them. He practically tore open her robe before taking her by the neck, thumb pressing hard against her throat. "We will see whether I can or cannot satisfy you."
Mio forcibly removed his hand from her neck, putting it against her breast instead as she leaned forward. "Shut up and do it then."
Eishirou kissed her deeply. She moved her lips against his with the same intensity, distracting him from the fact that one of her arms left his neck to reach behind her to pull the bottle of sake close to her back. She wrapped her legs around his waist as his hand greedily pawed at her breast.
His mouth left hers to draw breath and started moving down her neck. She made soft sounds to encourage his advances until he pushed her too far back that she knocked the sake bottle off the counter. It smashed noisily on the ground. The sound of the bottle breaking apart into several pieces rang so loud it was bound to reach the old woman's bedroom, which sat two doors down.
Eishirou pulled back to glimpse over the fallen bottle, but quickly returned to kiss her neck. She untied his robes, pushing them off his shoulders. She was aware of the doors sliding apart nearby and the footsteps that approached. She wanted to compromise Eishirou.
The kitchen's shoji screen open with a loud thwack followed by the old woman's furious screeching. "What do you think you're doing?"
Eishirou didn't bother to disentangle from her, so she didn't care to cover her body.
Aida came rushing to the doorway with a few noisy courtesans at his back trying to peek inside the kitchen. Aida stomped across the kitchen, taking her by the arm and jerking her off the counter. Once she was back on her feet, he slapped her across the face with as much force as he could muster. It barely stung, but she made sure to make it look like it hurt.
"I warned you!" he snapped. "You belong to another, you cannot—"
"That's enough!" interjected Eishirou, reaching around to grab a hold of her, hoisting her onto his shoulder. "This woman is mine. I'm taking her with me."
"That would be impossible. She is the exclusive woman of an important shinobi. It would bring you unnecessary trouble—"
"I can pay triple what this shinobi has offered." Eishirou shouted for his attendant, who answered the call. "Go fetch the money."
"It would be in your best interest not to cross this particular man."
Eishirou snorted. "Who is this great shinobi that I should not cross?"
"Izuna of the Uchiha clan," Aida said, whispering it lowly so the others were unable to hear.
Mio felt Eishirou's arm around her tighten. "Uchiha Izuna," he repeated darkly. "I will pay you four times what that man has paid you. I will double that if you tell him that the lord, Eishirou, of the Lightning Country has stolen his exclusive whore. Tell him that I will enjoy her services."
His attendant returned with a large chest and pulled it up onto the counter, opening it at Eishirou's request. Mio could see the exorbitant amount of money inside from her periphery.
"Keep it all," Eishirou told him. "Be sure to inform Uchiha Izuna. I am not afraid of him."
There was a lengthy pause.
Mio's heart was pounding wildly as she waited for Aida's response.
"Have her things fetched," said Aida seriously.
Eishirou assumed a relaxed stance. "It was nice doing business with you, Aida."
Once Mio received her things, she left with Eishirou that same night. They traveled abroad a larger norimono, a palanquin, escorted by soldiers from his castle. The trip was lengthy and consisted mostly of boring conversation in which Eishirou boasted his riches and influence.
"How long have you been Uchiha Izuna's woman?" asked Eishirou, attempting to seem bored.
They were a few hours from crossing the border into his province. "A week."
"A week?" he repeated with disgust.
"You do not like him?"
"The little brat has caused trouble for me," Eishirou responded. "He's a pest." He raised his index finger at her. "You will do well not to mention him in my presence."
"I would not be so crass, my lord," she said seductively. "I am yours now. My only duty is to pleasure and entertain you while yours is to spoil and keep me satisfied."
Eishirou grinned, thrilled. "We will see."
Mio turned her head suddenly, the humor leaving her expression for a split second before Eishirou's voice drew her attention once more.
"Mio?"
"I thought I heard a noise," she lied.
"An animal," he dismissed.
No. It wasn't an animal. There was someone hidden in the mountain ranges they were crossing, watching them. She sensed their presence because they weren't trying to hide themselves, in part because these roads were used by lords and merchants. Whoever it was did not act against them.
He might have perceived her presence. Would this complicate things?
Izuna and Jouji should have already been aware of Eishirou taking her from the pleasure house, so they should have gone straight to Madara to wait for her signal.
"I didn't think you were the sort to frighten easily," he teased.
Mio feigned a smile. "It's a little embarrassing."
She could still sense that shinobi hidden above the mountain, trailing them, but after they turned onto a long bridge towards a small rest town, they remained behind.
He touched her cheek, rubbing it with his thumb, before his hand trailed down to her neck, pinky peeking under her robes. "You are a little tense," he said huskily. "Perhaps, I should help you unwind."
The palanquin didn't offer much room to move, but one could say Eishirou made it work. He dragged her onto his lap. Although he promised to wait until they reached his castle to show her true pleasure, but it didn't stop him from pawing at her and putting his hands where they weren't supposed to be. She kept her discomfort at bay by imagining the hands that touched her body belong to her husband, the thought alone was enough to make her shudder.
They arrived in the evening. Eishirou welcomed her to his castle after the grueling journey, guiding her through its polished halls until he left her side to tend to some pending business.
"Have a bath prepared for the lady," he had ordered, leaving her in the company of a teenage girl, who obeyed his command.
The castle was situated on a hill overlooking the vast blue sea. The province he governed was a hardworking one filled with fisheries and anglers. There were several shops and thousands of homes. It was a highly congested area, which made it that much easier for Madara and his group to hide amongst them without drawing unnecessary attention. People were busy, sometimes too overwhelmed to notice any new presence.
Eishirou's castle was daunting, four stories high and filled with more rooms than she cared to count upon entering. There were soldiers amongst his servants and a clan of shinobi working alongside them that eyed her with interest. Their instinct likely telling them to beware her presence, but she merely inclined her head and smiled sweetly. She took notice of all potential exits and entrances, counted all the staircases she encountered as she followed the young girl to a room somewhere on the third floor.
"Can I have a look around? I've never seen such a large castle," said Mio enthusiastically, finding the girl reluctant. "I promise to return straight here. I won't get you in trouble. I just want to look around, please."
The girl was weak to kind words and a kind smile. "But please come back. Your bath will be ready in a few minutes."
Mio nodded, leaving the room behind the girl, who went to bring buckets to fill the round, wooden tub in the room. She took advantage of the next ten minutes, exploring the rest of the third floor before moving onto the others. She scouted the location of all the soldiers and shinobi inside the castle before returning to have her bath.
The girl beamed at the sight of her, happy that she kept her promise and left her to fetch a change of clothing. Mio went to the window at the end of the room, opening it and peering out. There were soldiers walking a narrow pathway alongside the castle, distracted by small talk. She knew there were at least three shinobi on the rooftops looking out for anything out of the ordinary.
She brought her thumb to her mouth, biting into it with her canine until she tasted blood. She concentrated her chakra as she formed the hand gestures required of the Summoning Technique before placing her hand on the floor watching it activate, black circle and all before a poof of smoke filled the corner. A deep rumbly voice emerged from within the smoke before it spread to reveal a raccoon, standing bored on two legs as it stared up at her as unenthused in her presence as she was of his.
Kuri. Damn.
"You again?" said Kuri, disgruntled.
"We can have this discussion when you do me this favor."
"I don't work for free, lady," he said, holding out his little hand and making a gesture. "Pay up."
"A man called Uchiha Madara will cover your expenses," she answered. Admittedly, that was a little nasty on her part, but she didn't care. She'd deal with Madara later, not that he could get angrier. "But you have to relay a message to him first. He won't pay you unless you do."
"Uchiha Madara?" questioned the raccoon gruffly.
Mio nodded.
"What's the message?"
She relayed all the information she gathered about the layout of the castle and the amount of opposition. "I will make sure you are paid double if you help them infiltrate this castle."
"Fine," he grumbled.
She handed him a piece of jewelry she found lying around in the castle to keep as insurance for his trouble before he quietly climbed up the window and climbed down. He landed swiftly, glimpsing up at her for a moment, and scurried off under the cover of night.
Mio made a contract with the raccoons out of necessity when she had gone on her journey. She needed someone to guide her through it. After how that ended, she swore not to use their services unless she needed them. This wasn't life-or-death, but it was necessary. She only felt bad she hadn't given everyone prior warning to that one's arrival. If he found an opening, he would steal anything of value in sight.
She trusted nobody would think to bring anything valuable on a mission.
She sighed, allowing relief to spread over her, but Yayoi suddenly came to mind.
That poor woman would be robbed blind.
When she linked Kuri to her, she would be livid. She would never let her get away with an apology. She would have to replace ever stolen piece of jewelry she would lose to that raccoon. She didn't possess the funds to do that. Not to mention she owed her for that sash she ripped.
Mio turned to the entrance. She was supposed to be doing something right now. She released Kuri to deliver her message. As soon as the information reached him, the invasion would be set in motion.
She needed to secure Eishirou.
Mio followed the instruction that was expected of her and bathed. She was soaking in the round tub when the servant girl returned to deliver a beautiful set of robes.
"They are Koike Tetsuo robes," said the girl, staring wondrously at them.
Mio had an appropriate reaction to the sight of them, happy that she knew who Koike Tetsuo was to offer a believable expression. "They are stunning!"
Koike being one of the more desirable kimono makers in the world, deserved every ounce of recognition. He made beautiful clothes and she was not saying so because he made her ceremonial robes, but because she had seen him working on them, though they had only been minor adjustments. She appreciated his dedication to his craft.
"Quite."
Eishirou probably made it a custom to gift his women Koike Tetsuo made robes when they first entered to show them the level of luxury he was willing to provide. It was an impressive move on his part and spoke volumes of his wealth. Koike's pieces weren't cheap, which was why Yayoi owed everyone money.
Mio dried off with a soft towel and dressed in the silk robes. The girl had run off on an errand, but promised to return as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Mio closed her eyes and concentrated on pinpointing Yayoi's location through the Time Sphere. The pulse of her artifact echoing back to her came with a cacophony of whispered voices that filled her head all at once, threatening to drown out the sound of her own thoughts.
She shut them all out, opening her eyes as the servant returned to inform her that Eishirou had summoned her.
Yayoi was on the move.
They were close. Madara and his group would reach the castle in a few minutes.
She needed to be quick about things. If she didn't make it into Eishirou's presence before Madara arrived, she wouldn't be allowed to go near him and she'd rather not blow her cover so early on.
Mio followed a servant's directions to Eishirou's private quarters. They were lux, screamed finery. Eishirou was present to greet her, wasting no time to corner Mio against a wall, his hand searching to memorize the curves of her body.
The Fate Sphere's pulse was strong, rippling in her mind's eye, when Eishirou's tongue tasted the skin of her neck.
She commanded his complete attention, partly due to his desperation to bed her when all other opportunities had been shot to the ground, which made it easy for the first sounds of the invasion to fall short of his interest. Her feigned sounds of pleasure were enough to shield his ears of the softer noise.
There were footsteps above and below, rushing steps followed by loud thuds and pained screams. That finally startled him out of his lust-driven trance, that and the abrupt entrance of two shinobi he employed.
"What is that ruckus?" he demanded, as she adjusted her robes.
"We are being attacked," one shinobi informed.
"We shall take you to safety, Eishirou-sama."
Eishirou stepped towards them, not bothering to look back in her direction or to order her to follow. He would abandon her.
Mio exhaled deeply, reaching for the ribbon she tied to her wrist. She used it to pull her hair into a low ponytail as she watched Eishirou's retreating back. The two shinobi did not give her a second glance, not after a passing curiosity upon entering.
She sprang forward, taking Eishirou by the back of the collar and jerking him backward, letting him slam onto the floor with an exclamation. She elbowed one shinobi in the face, catching him off guard, while the second reacting quickly by pulling out a kunai to secure an advantage. She evaded several of his swings by centimeters before she caught his wrist, twisting it far back until she heard it crack nastily. She grabbed him by the face and slammed her head into his. He dropped to the ground with his stirring partner, unconscious. He didn't get a chance to react to the broken wrist.
Mio kicked the first shinobi across the face to ensure he wouldn't regain consciousness and run out to seek help.
"M-Mio?" sputtered Eishirou, moving backward on the floor. "Who do you think you are?"
She faced him. "Uchiha Mio," she introduced, enjoying the horrified look on his face. "A pleasure to formally meet you, Eishirou of the Lightning Country. Now, if you'll drink this, I won't have to hurt you." She produced a small envelope of sleeping powder and approached him, only he backed away with every step she took forward. "Yes?"
"What is that? I won't drink anything given to me by a blasted Uchiha!" he shouted, slapping the powder from her hand.
"I imagined you would say that." Mio punched him across the face hard enough to render him unconscious without killing him.
Mio tied Eishirou up against a wooden beam on the same floor. She encountered a few shinobi and soldiers that wandered upstairs to ensure their master was protected, but she was able to fight them off without many complications. She did ruin her clothes and she was certain she would have a few bruises on her in a few hours. She received a cut on her arm that she bandaged with a strip of fabric she tore from the skirt of her robe, but the blood was still seeping through the silk cloth.
Izuna was the first to storm into the room. He sheathed his blade, his eyes going straight to her bandaged arm, and he approached her quickly, ignoring Eishirou's body on the floor.
"Are you hurt badly?" asked Izuna, taking her arm by the elbow to inspect the bloody bandage better. "You should find Yayoi. She should be downstairs with Keigo."
It stung a bit and felt somewhat uncomfortable, but the shallow wound was staunched and no longer bleeding. "It can wait. Has the castle been secured?"
"Just about," said Izuna. "I cleared the entire floor below us. Madara stayed outside to cut off any reinforcements. There was a number of shinobi on standby, but we've encountered worse thanks to that raccoon of yours."
"Admittedly, I expected more of the shinobi clan guarding this place."
"I'm a little disappointed," replied Izuna, moving to Eishirou's side. "So, did he take the sleeping power?"
"No."
"I can't wait to see his stupid face when he wakes up."
"It shouldn't be long," she said. "I didn't hit him too hard."
Izuna leaned forward to have a better look at Eishirou's face and snorted. "Mio, his nose is crooked."
"He's fortunate that the only thing crooked on his face is his nose."
He laughed.
One of their shinobi appeared to report that the remaining force was contained inside the castle with several remaining enemies surrendering. With that piece of information, they were allowed to relax.
A medic-nin treated her wound while Jouji circled Eishirou, eyeing him curiously, as the aristocrat came to his senses all at once.
Eishirou panicked, his chest rising up and down with every struggled breath he took. When his eyes wandered hurriedly in his confusion and caught sight of Izuna's smiling face, his entire body tensed with fury. There was blood drying down his chin, which had flowed freely from his crooked nose.
"You insufferable bastard! Have you nothing better to do?" he cursed, bloody spittle spraying from his mouth. His narrowed eyes found Mio's quickly. "And you, you traitorous whore! You did this to me!"
"I offered you sleeping—"
"Shut up, whore!"
"I wouldn't recommend all the insults, Eishirou," said Izuna with a humoring smile.
"What? Is she your woman?" asked Eishirou, the string of laughter that followed was mocking. "You should ask her the things she let me do to her!"
"We should kill him," Izuna suggested.
"I agree, I have grown tired of his yapping," said Jouji, pushing his glasses up.
"We can knock him out," the medic-nin offered.
"It won't do us any good to even silence him," Mio replied, arms folded over her chest. "It took this long for him to regain consciousness. We shouldn't waste too much—"
"Mio-san!"
Mio felt someone jump at her back, wrapping their arms around her neck tightly. She would have fallen, if they hadn't given her prior warning to the sudden assault.
"Keigo!" snapped Izuna. "You can't jump on people's backs like that!"
"You're just jealous Mio-san won't carry you on her back!" retorted Keigo with childish flair.
"You little—"
Jouji frowned. "Murakami, we are in the middle of work."
Mio turned slightly, Keigo's cheery face quite close to hers. There were two scratches on his cheek and some dirt on his face. She was happy to see he was unharmed for the most part.
"I protected Madara-san with my life, Mio-san, just like you wanted," he said brightly. "Not that he needed any extra protection! You should have seen him, Mio-san! He fights like a demon! A demon with a mission! It was incredible! I have never seen anyone so skilled!"
She reached up to set her hand atop his dark head. "Thank you."
Keigo jumped off her back. Although, she half expected him to be dressed in full samurai garb, he was dressed modestly in black trousers and a high collar shirt under a white kimono top. His two swords were sheathed at his side, hanging off a leather belt.
"Where's Yayoi?"
"Mio!"
She spoke too soon. The priestess pushed everyone aside to make her way to hug her, but she stopped halfway there, her face quickly twisting into one of horror as she reached for her robes with a stricken expression.
"What have you done to this beautiful robe, you monster?"
"I am happy you are looking well, Yayoi," said Mio, ignoring her comment blatantly.
"They are just robes—"
"You can be so ignorant, Keigo! Those are not just simple robes! Those were crafted by only the greatest—"
"Yayoi!" called Jouji strongly, silencing her. "Someone take the children out."
The medic-nin took it upon herself to approach Keigo and Yayoi, gesturing them out the door. The two looked to Mio expectantly, but she asked them to go. They left the room practically dragging their feet.
Mio stepped out of the room, watching the three disappear down the hallway, and yawned. She focused so much of her chakra into her sphere that it left her exhausted. She heard a quiet set of footsteps come to a sudden halt a few feet from her and looked in their direction, her heart squeezing tightly.
"Madara," she breathed, wanting nothing more than to run into his arms. She stopped herself, comforted with simply speaking his name and seeing his face. She moved towards him, struggling for words.
"You did well, Mio," he praised.
"Eishirou is in there," she said, pointing to the door.
Madara placed a hand on her shoulder briefly before walking past her to enter the room. She asked her heart to calm itself and followed him inside, sliding the door shut behind her.
"You must be the demon?" questioned Eishirou, spitting to the ground.
"If you cooperate, there need no more harm come to you," Madara started, ignoring the rude gesture. "We are aware of your connection to the Sun Country."
"You wasted your time," Eishirou responded, glaring. "The connection of which you speak of is pure gossip."
"Lie all you want, Eishirou, but we have proof," said Izuna.
"We would be more than happy to show you if you wish to continue to deny it," added Jouji. "Rather, we can have Mio force it out of you."
Eishirou scoffed, locking eyes with her from across the room. "Are you to display you other talents to me? How will you think to make me speak, whore?"
Madara crouched down in front of him, seizing Eishirou by the throat. Eishirou made a strangled sound, struggling against his binds, but Madara commanded his attention. "You will cooperate, you fool."
He tightened his grip on his neck a little more. Eishirou's entire face turned red with the strain.
Madara released him.
Eishirou looked as though all the fight in him abandoned him. The room was stagnant and heavy with tension.
"Jouji, I leave him to you."
"Yes, Madara-sama."
"Izuna, find information from the captured soldiers and shinobi."
Izuna nodded.
Madara faced her. "Mio, go to an inn and rest. Take Yayoi with you."
"But—"
"Go."
"I will," she complied.
"Send Murakami to me."
Mio nodded.
She followed Izuna out of the door. He offered her a comforting smile before leaving her to find Yayoi.
Yayoi and Keigo were sitting on a stone bench outside with the medic-nin that escorted them out watching that they don't get up to leave. Mio relieved the woman of her duties.
"What? Jouji kicked you out of the room too?" asked Yayoi. She was never going to live that down.
"Keigo, Madara asked for you upstairs," Mio told the young samurai.
Keigo jumped to his feet. "But I didn't do anything wrong! I promise you!"
"Don't jump to conclusions, he's not going to scold you for anything," she replied, looking at him rather suspiciously after his outburst. "Did you do something that would upset him?"
"No."
"Did you do something?"
"No, Mio-san. I promise I didn't. Whatever he tells you are lies and slander because I would never!"
"Never what?"
"Nothing! I didn't do anything!"
"Keigo, just go find Madara."
"Yes, Mio-san!"
Keigo scrambled in through the castle doors, following close after him, Mio spotted Kuri. The raccoon paused to look at her, inclining his head. She did the same.
Mio turned to Yayoi. "We're going to find an inn to stay in."
"Oh, so Madara kicked you out?" questioned Yayoi.
Mio lifted her eyes to the darkened sky, black clouds rolling in to shield the moon from sight. She took a deep breath, the air crisp and sweet. "Rain is coming. We should go now."
"Why can't we just stay here?" asked Yayoi, following her.
"We should trust Madara's decision to see us accommodated elsewhere."
Mio and Yayoi found an inn within a lively town three miles south of Eishirou's captured castle. Their accommodations were separate as there were no larger rooms available, situated across one another in the same corridor. The two were of ample space, furnished sparsely with a narrow wooden bed, a pair of long drawers, and a square table in one of the corners.
Once they settled into their rooms, Mio and Yayoi went to the inn's baths, spending a great deal of time talking of everything and nothing at all. Mio was happy that Yayoi did not press matters concerning her dispute with Madara or bothered her for details about her missions. She appreciated the quiet conversation. They followed their bath with a dinner together with other guests of the inn inside a large hall. It started to rain before they finished their food.
Mio and Yayoi parted ways to rest when thunder rumbled across the skies.
She fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes, but she found her slumber disrupted by the quiet opening of the door. She pulled the dagger from underneath the pillow to find darkness. Her room was empty.
In the silence, she heard movement in the room next door, meaning that was where the noise that woke her had emerged. She rested her head back into the pillow after tucking her weapon away.
She exhaled deeply, closing her eyes, wishing that Madara walked in through that door to spend the night. She wanted to be with him, to speak with him, to feel him, and kiss him. She understood they wouldn't have time to speak personally for some time. She wanted to clear things up between them.
Mio dreamt of her husband after drifting off to sleep.
Mio entered the room where Eishirou was kept prisoner, sliding the shoji behind her shut quietly. Although, she had wanted to continue sleeping through the morning, Madara had woken her to inform her that Eishirou was willing to speak if his conditions were met. The first and foremost condition was that he would only speak to her.
She advanced towards him, noticing that even though his nose was straightened, his face was battered and his clothes were dirty and torn. Jouji interrogated him properly until he admitted to the connection Madara mentioned last night, but that's he went silent afterward.
Madara asked that he be starved until he felt a little more generous with his information. It wasn't prudent to invade, force him to take them to the Sun Country without receiving confirmation that he was allied with the Sun Country. They found proof in his office of documents sealed with the Mikazuki clan's crescent insignia.
She heard Izuna had shown it to him that morning and tried to shove it down his throat, but his reasons had been a little muddled so he had been asked to leave. Eishirou had decided after that encounter that he had conditions involving her.
"Good morning," she greeted politely.
"I should thank your husband for the rough treatment," Eishirou responded bitterly.
"You should be grateful for his kindness," she corrected. "He would have had no qualms killing you." She went to have a seat in front of him. "We wouldn't have suffered any loses. You're not quite as valuable as you have been led to believe. We know the location of your ships, we can forge your handwriting to employ your sailors to aid us, and we know the route that you take to get to the Sun Country."
Amber eyes narrowed, fixed upon her expressionless face. "Then what reason have you to keep me?" he spat. "Why are you keeping me here? Beating me for information and resources you have already taken from me?"
"I am here if you believe there is any value left in your life," she said, offering him a light smile. "You asked to speak with me, so I expect you to do so and I hope that whatever it is you say is the reason why you think yourself deserving of life."
Mio rose from her seat, walking around him to release his binds. He brought his hands in front of him, rubbing his reddened wrists, as he turned to her, eyeing her with suspicion.
She set a foundation for him to build up from if he could be persuaded by her taunt.
"Should I beg for my life?" asked Eishirou, looking at her from over his shoulder. "Is that what you want? For me to degrade myself, throw myself at your feet and ask that you spare my life?"
"If you think that will spare your life, I will not stop you."
Eishirou faced her. "Tell me, Mio," he began, and it was in her understanding that he had would bribe her. She admired his determination. "I heard your name a few times over the years." Slowly, the man advanced towards her, walking with his back straight and an air of quiet sophistication surrounding him. He was standing before her, leaning forward until she craned her head back, disliking his proximity. "The first time had been from you husband, your first husband."
His mention brought back the horror of his memory.
"I never quite understood the Mikazuki clan's obsession with one girl," he said, his finger running up her neck to her chin, lifting it. "I can see it now. Quite clearly if you were as charming with Mikazuki Gouki as you were with me."
"You are wasting my time."
"I have a proposition for you, Uchiha Mio."
"What?"
"You are welcomed to all of my loyalty, to my secrets and theirs," he said, pausing briefly as his fingers curled underneath her chin. "You may have all that you desire if you become mine."
She didn't answer. She was a bit stunned that he had the audacity to proposition her in such a manner knowing the likelihood of her agreement was slim.
"Yes, it is in my understanding that you are married to Uchiha Madara, but what can your husband give you?"
She pushed his hand from her face and took him by the chin. "Do not insult my husband."
"I have this castle, I have my fortune," he told her in a saccharine tone. "I can buy you everything that you need and anything that you can think to want."
"I hold no interest in your castle or your fortune, what I need and what I want I have," she replied evenly, releasing him. "I do not need you to provide me with any of those things. You have nothing in your possession or in your being that would tempt me to accept your proposition."
"You seemed quite enthusiastic before," he said playfully. "Surely, even in your game, you felt desire well up in you. I know you did."
She smiled, reaching for the dagger she hid at her back. She unsheathed it, drawing it between them. His eyes were steady on the menacing blade.
Mio seized him by the collar of his robes, pulling him close with the point of the dagger a centimeter from his eye. Every muscle in his body tightened, amber eye widened and red. Anticipation was evident in his frozen expression.
"Your life cannot be bought through bribery," she informed him, threatening him with the idea that she would thrust the blade through his eye when both of his hands grabbed hold of her wrist. He tightened his grip uselessly, though it wouldn't be enough to stop her from sinking the dagger through his eye.
"Ishiki!" he shouted.
"Ishiki?" asked Mio, lowering her blade. "What about the Ishiki?"
"I'm not helping the Mikazuki clan!" he continued, his chest heaving from the scare. "I'm helping the Ishiki isolate and destroy them."
"What reason do they have to destroy them?" demanded Mio, raising her dagger to his face once more. If she eased the threat of an imminent death, he would grow slack and his information would die away into another idea for self-preservation. She was tired of his games. She didn't have the patience for them. "Answer me!"
"They know things! Secrets of this world!" he blurted, words strung together so close together they were almost incoherent. "How selfish of them to claim them for themselves? They are seizing it for themselves even though it means keeping them hostage and massacring their people when they continue to deny them information!"
She threw him back to the post, bound him, and exited. Facing him while she reached to close the shoji, she told him, "Perhaps, I will not kill you yet."
Mio walked downstairs to find Madara, standing at the foot of the staircase with Izuna and Jouji at his side.
"What did he ask of you?" asked Madara, arms folded over his chest.
"He claims the Ishiki clan are not allies of the Mikazuki clan, they are their enemies," she started. "They are after the Mikazuki clan's secrets and have gone through great lengths to extricate them by keeping everyone in the Sun Country hostage and massacring the innocent."
"Then the secrets that they are after are the Kuronuma clan's," said Jouji, "and given the attack on Saori, they were given what they wanted."
"We shouldn't trust this information," Madara said.
"No, we shouldn't," agreed Mio, "but we cannot disregard it completely. We don't know the circumstances that brought the Ishiki and Mikazuki clan together, so we cannot accuse one of being guilty without having proof of their guilt."
"Well, will Eishirou take you to the Sun Country?" asked Izuna.
"He doesn't have a choice."
Madara asked Jouji to guard Eishirou and dismissed Izuna for the sake of privacy.
Once they were standing alone in the empty corridor at the foot of the stairs, he spoke, "We cannot go to the Sun Country."
"What?"
"It's likely a trap."
"You promised Yayoi that you would help save the remnants of her clan," she reminded forcefully. "You cannot go back on your word! If Eishirou has said the truth, then Ikki is in danger—"
"We cannot risk walking into a trap, not even for her broth—"
Madara stopped abruptly, his eyes looking past her. She turned as Yayoi emerged from the corridor. The priestess' eyes were wide with dread and she quickly scurried out of sight.
"You are not doing this to her," Mio said, rounding on him. "We are going to the Sun Country."
She turned away from him to chase after Yayoi, but he grabbed her wrist. He pulled her back. "You understand that if this is a trap, it is a trap for you. You are the last person that should be going to the Sun Country."
Mio jerked her wrist from him. "Yayoi might not be capable of fighting and she might not be the greatest medical specialist in the world, but she has been your friend and she has supported everything you have done up to this point! You cannot promise her that you are going to go this far for her to suddenly change your mind!"
"There are lives at stake, Mio!"
"There are lives at stake in the Sun Country, too! One of those lives is her brother! And if it was yours, you would not have thought twice about going!"
She stormed off down the hallway to follow Yayoi.
"Mio!"
She whirled around to see him pursuing her. "That is a double standard! He is not less important than Izuna!"
"If we are trapped in the Sun Country—"
"We have found ways to overcome obstacles. This situation is not going to be any different. If you believe it's a trap, then we must approach it knowing that it might be and we must be prepared to counter everything that is thrown our way, but we cannot leave Ikki in the Sun Country! We won't abandon him or the rest of the Motou clan!"
She didn't wait for his response. She needed to find Yayoi.
xl: Stop fighting already!
So, I want to take the time to thank any new followers for finding this story worth the trouble. A special thanks to FlameCore, Misora Asuka, Loteva, torikai, SilverRider09, and blob80 for the lovely reviews! :)
I'll be alternating between All I Wanted and Ivory Lies. Whichever one is completed will be update this coming weekend. If you're a fan of either, look forward to one or the other. haha.
I don't know when the new preview will be posted, but check my journal in like a week or something. I don't know if I'll have time to organize my current scraps into anything resembling a preview, but we shall see.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend!
