Chapter Eleven:

Yuya's Backfire

"Whaddya mean 'he's not here'! Where'd he go! I'll kill him for what he said to Yuya-han!"

Bontenmaru rolled his eye and he was sure Akira was doing the same. Kyo was having a little morning sake — courtesy of Yuya, who didn't yet know she was buying — and Yukimura was dipping into his own bottle… though he paid on his own, wanting to save Yuya's wallet.

"Do you think we'll see him again?" Akira asked quietly.

"Oh yea. He has to."

"What has you so sure?"

"We're going to Aokigahara. First you tell me that it's gone, and now we're goin' to Aokigahara. It's gotta be Suzaku-san 'cause there's nothin' else I can think of. Plus, Kyo looks almost antsy to get leavin'."

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions, Bon. You know what will happen if news gets out that Suzaku-san is back."

Bontenmaru shrugged while Benitora continued arguing with Tamanori-san. Yuya ate breakfast between he and Sasuke, and Okuni was nowhere to be found. Yuya, who seemed unaffected by Shinda and Toge's departure, was unusually quiet. She wasn't even trying to engage Kyo in any sort of conversation, which was sort of depressing, since Bontenmaru liked to watch the red-eyed samurai evade the blonde bounty-huntress' questions. It was probably the best entertainment he knew of… at the moment. Until news of Suzaku's return got out. Then there would be one more to pick on.

"Well where'd he go?" Benitora demanded, and Yuya looked ready to either plug her ears or punch the tiger… most opted for the latter.

Tamanori-san shrugged, "He told me nothing of where he was going. All Shinda-san said to me was that he had a note from someone and it told him to go meet them somewhere. He told me neither person nor place."

"Was there anything written on the note that you could see?" Akira asked, and Bontenmaru knew the ice-wielder was trying to prove him wrong.

"Hai," Tamanori-san nodded a smile on his face, "it was addressed to a 'Suzaku-san'. Do you know of it?"

Bontenmaru smiled, "Heh, I'm the one that wrote it."

Yuya became more alter at this. Bontenmaru had been the one to write the note that Shinda had? Dating all the way back to… and Shinda—as of last night—couldn't remember anything from before Sekigahara. So maybe instead of it being her that had caused his lapse of memory, maybe, just maybe, it was Bontenmaru's fault? Perhaps Shinda's problem was caused by meeting those from his past? A past he didn't seem to enjoy.

"I didn't ask for this."

That was what he'd said, leaving Yuya to guess at his meaning. Of course, having one's parents killed by other family members probably wasn't the best way to live one's life. Still, how had Shinda and Bontenmaru known each other? Had they met during Sekigahara? Before? After, maybe?

"Ah, this reminds me," Mr. Tamanori began, "I did assign them to visit an inn and to do some work. I'm sure they won't do it, though. Especially under the conditions I set."

"If they did do as you asked them, though, how long do you think they'd stay?" Yuya asked, trying to gauge whether or not they could catch up to them.

"Knowing Shinda, the most amount of time he'll allow Toge to talk him into staying is a week. He never stays any longer than that. This home was the only exception."

"How far away is it from here?" Bontenmaru asked, knowing how Kyo wanted to get going, but they needed to know the basics first.

Mr. Tamanori shrugged, "About twenty, thirty miles. They've probably already made themselves comfortable. Shinda-san always sets a fast pace and Toge hates him for it...among other things."

Grabbing Tenro from where it had leaned beside him, Kyo rose from his seat and began walking, despite not knowing which way the boys had gone.

"They headed that way." Mr. Tamanori said as Yuya and the others followed his pointed finger... which was the opposite way of where Kyo was walking.

"Thank you, Tamanori-san, but it seems Kyo's got his own pla..."

"Bring him to me," Kyo spoke without turning to face them, "Bon, Akira, you know where I'll be."

Akiba and Bontenmaru nodded; Yuya, however, was not going to let this one go, "Whaddya mean by that! If anything, you're comin' with us or we're going with you! End of story!"

Kyo turned and Bontenmaru blinked, "Uh, Yuya-chan...?"

"I told you that I'm not about to let a bounty like yours just walk away!" Yuya snapped angrily, realizing too late that her previous statement had sounded too much like an admittance of some sappy romantic kind. Best keep it as professional as possible.

Professional — ha! — right. If this was strictly business, why did her chest do flip-flops whenever he turned those ruby eyes towards her, like now? It was simple, she tried rationalizing. Rubies were gems, and gems brought riches. Money. There, situation solved.

If that were true, however — and some nagging little voice in her head had the nerve to vehemently insist that it wasn't — why did his voice lull her into calm? Almost to the point where she could fall asleep just listening to him? She'd never have allowed such a thing to happen before, so what had changed? Oh she knew what had changed, but she'd just as soon marry her brother's killer — Mibu Kyoshiro — before she'd admit it.

"Yuya-han?"

She blinked, those scarlet eyes still watching her as Benitora practically danced about her like a starved mosquito, "I'm not moving unless your hitokiri ass is with me so I know where that one million ryo bounty is."

"And just what do you plan to do if I challenge your 'request'?" He asked calmly, still looking at her from over his shoulder.

She squared her shoulders and put a determined look on her face, "I'll challenge you right back."

Kyo wasn't the only one to quirk an eyebrow. The red-eyed samurai even turned to face the bounty huntress, an accomplishment in itself.

"You? Challenge me? You try to pass those poor excuse for breasts as melons when they're only apples. You, who can't even grow proper breasts, challenge me?"

She growled at him, pulling on her kimono as she always did whenever he brought up her "less than proper" breasts, "I bet you that I can keep my wallet away from you until we defeat Nobunaga If I win, I get to turn you in, get my bounty, and live a life without needing to worry about said wallet getting stolen."

"And if you lose?" He asked, using Tenro as a walking stick to lean on cockily.

Certain she had the best hiding place, she shrugged and refrained from smiling, "Set your own terms."

"Uh, Yuya-chan?" Bontenmaru began, taking an uncertain step forward, "Remember that agreement you made with Shinda-san?"

"Hai." She said while inwardly cringing.

"Where do you think he learned that from?"

Yuya looked from Kyo to Bontenmaru and back again. It was no wonder the two were so much alike. If what Bontenmaru was implying was correct — and if Yuya was interpreting it correctly — was true, then Kyo might as well have raised Shinda. Or at least heavily influenced him, just as he'd done for Akira...but at least Akira was nicer...

Her face must have had that "Oh shit..." look, because Kyo only smirked and began walking in the direction Tamanori-san had pointed, apparently agreeing to Yuya's bet.

Best find a better hiding place, and not just for her wallet.

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((Oct. 19th, 2006)) A/N: Hope you like it! I've got big plans for this... dunno how it'll turn out, but at least I've got plans! --O-chan--