Chapter Twelve:

For Your Information

Three hours and twelve minutes.

That was how long she'd been able to hold onto her wallet. She knew it wasn't a replacement, either, for she checked the hiding place and contents regularly and always made sure that it was money inside of it rather than rocks or some such trick.

Yuya sighed as they trudged onward, hoping there were no brothels or worse between their destination and here. She didn't have a sure-fire way to keep her wallet safe if they ran into a city or even just a town. Now, if anyone wanted to help her kick Kyo's ass in this, well, she'd take all the help she could get.

"Hey Bon-han? How much longer?"

Bontenmaru only shrugged and called out, "Oi! Kyo-dono! How much farther?"

Receiving no answer, he shrugged again as Akira's voice sounded behind them, "Only a little while longer. In fact, we should be there by now."

True to his calculations, the forested road they'd been on opened up to reveal a small village. Small only because it had just one inn, while the rest of the village appeared to be homes. Taking a look around, Yuya saw a swordsmith perfecting a blade, looking for any cracks in the smooth metal. A few other blades hung on the wall, while many more sat in what appeared to be a discard pile. Yuya was suddenly reminded of Kyo. Surely many women had fallen for him; but they'd all been discarded by the heaps.

Would she join them? Or could she rise above them?

"Well, at least there's only place they could be, eh Kyo-han?"

Again the demonic samurai said nothing. He merely scanned the area, shot Akira and Bontenmaru a dark look, and then walked back into the forest. About to stop him again, Yuya halted when Akira put a hand on her shoulder and explained that Kyo would wait there until they came back with Shinda in tow. She scowled, but followed them all the same.

Entering the inn was like coming home to a grandmother's house. Everything about it screamed, "Come! Stay awhile!" A smiling old man came out to greet them, looking to be Tamanori-san's brother. He held his arms open in welcome.

"Why hello, there!" He beamed, "My, my, we must be getting popular. You're our fifth set of guests in two days. That Shirogane couple sure has brought us some good luck. Now, how may I help you?"

Akira answered before Benitora could give his piece, "We're searching for someone, and we were wondering if you could tell us where he is?"

"Sure! I know everyone within a five-mile radius! Just ask me." He smiled.

"A young man, looks older than he is. He calls himself Shinda."

The old man shook his head, "Nope, sorry, don't know a Shinda."

"What about Toge?" Yuya asked, thinking that someone as cautious as Shinda would never use the same name twice, "Do you know a Toge? Probably just got here yesterday."

"Now there's someone I know. Great boy, Toge. He and his wife are just wonderful. They might be down there. Toge-kun!"

"Wife?!" Yuya thought, thinking that a spouse was rather sudden, even if he was trying to cover his earlier tracks. Just what was going on here?!

"Nani?"

"Visitors!"

"Coming!" Toge called as he came out wearing an apron over a pair of blue-gray hakama and a cream gi with a dishtowel draped over one arm. He stopped when he saw the group, only his eyes showing his disbelief.

"I take it you know one another?"

Toge nodded, seemingly in a daze as he stared at Yuya, "Yuya-san… w-what are you going here? It's… I told you in my letter to you that it's over between us. I'm a married man now. Kami, if Ra-chan found you here… please, it's better if you just leave. Save yourself."

She had the dumbest look on her face and she knew it, "M-Married…?"

"I know it's hard to believe, but I couldn't marry you knowing that Ra-chan existed. It was love at first sight. I'm sorry I left so abruptly, but I hope the money I left you was enough? Do you need more? Is that why you're here? I'll give you as much as you want if you leave now. Please, just follow Ryushi-san out the back way."

Bontenmaru's voice was soft, and Yuya wouldn't have heard it if he hadn't been so close, "Play along with him. He won't say anything important in front of this Ryushi-san. The man's practically drooling."

Sneaking a glance over at the elderly man, Yuya had to agree with the One-Eyed Dragon. Ryushi seemed very involved with the story Toge was weaving. Taking another look at the young Toge, she saw that his posture showed every intention of going outback to talk. She decided to vent some of her anger while she had the chance. Plus, she wanted to see Benitora squirm a little.

"I won't leave and you know it," she bit out angrily, "no amount of money can keep me away. I only ever wanted you!"

"But I'm married, Yuya-san. Ra-chan would kill me for even looking at you again. Please, just go. I'll give you five thousand ryo for leaving."

Yuya's mind was reeling at how easily he tossed the number out there. She felt as if he were bargaining with her for Kyo's bounty. In which case…

"No! No, I won't go! I don't even care if you are married! Is she more beautiful than I am?"

"Yuya-san…"

"Is she?" Yuya demanded, now feeling as though she were speaking to Yukimura or Okuni about the mysterious Lady Sakuya.

He seemed to be at a loss for words, and Yuya wondered what he was thinking about to stop from laughing or otherwise, "Of course not, but… she'll be coming down soon… ten thousand ryo."

"But Toge…"

"One hundred thousand ryo."

"I can't leave…"

He went to her in two strides, shoved something into her hand while whispering in her ear, and by then she was so stiff with shock that Bontenmaru carried her away like a sack of potatoes just in time. Benitora stayed a little longer, watching Ryushi's face as he looked ready to take first prize at the gossip lines at the market not too far away. He was even licking his lips in anticipation. Not liking the look in the old man's eyes, Benitora appointed himself to watch the old man in the future.

"I heard something going on down here."

"Nope, nothing going on, Ra-chan. Just havin' a chat with Ryushi-san."

She cocked her head, green eyes puzzled as a piece of dark red hair fell over her shoulder, "I thought I heard a woman's voice?"

"No women here," Toge smiled while fidgeting with his hands, "except for Imari-san, of course."

She nodded, saying nothing until she walked past him, "Nice try."

"…my gun…where's my gun?" Yuya asked, still in her daze or else she'd be ripping each one of them apart looking for it.

Benitora looked around, noting that Yukimura had gone missing, leaving their group comprised of Kyo, Yuya, Bontenmaru, Akira, Sasuke, and himself. Dammit, if Yukimura was going to leave, why couldn't he take the punk with him?

A door clicked shut and they looked to see Toge walking toward them wearing a look that suggested he'd just seen something unbelievable, "So… why are you all here?"

"You know why we're here. Where's your friend?" Bontenmaru asked, leaning on his Bokken() and looking almost as menacing as Yuya had ever seen him as she clutched Toge's gift in her hand.

Toge seemed unfazed by this, despite the fact that Bontenmaru had been one of the four Emperors… maybe he didn't know that, "I don't know who you're talking about. I have no friends here."

"What about your wife, then?" Akira asked with an almost musical lilt to his voice, "Where is she?"

"Inside."

"You think we won't find your Shinda friend?"

"First of all, Shinda-sama isn't my friend. He is my leader and my teacher," Toge said calmly, his eyes giving the two Emperors a level look, "second of all, Date Masamune-sama, Akira-sama, Shinda-sama won't go back with you."

They blinked simultaneously, and a bored voice cut through the tension, "So you know us."

Toge fixed his gaze where he thought the voice to be in the woods, "I know if you, yes. Shinda-sama used to refer to you as the Four Riders of the Apocalypse, with the War God Himself to lead them."

"Flatterer…" Bontenmaru muttered.

Akira looked thoughtful, chin in his hand, "Do you agree that yoru Shinda is the same as our Suzaku?"

"Hai."

"Then how did Suzaku-san — a woman, mind you — become a man?"

Toge smiled, "Shinda-sama's always been a man."

Bontenmaru looked as though his other eye were about to pop right out of his head as he turned to Akira, "Who's gonna tell K…?"

"What are you all doing out here?"

They all turned to see a beautiful woman standing in the rear doorway of the inn. She had dark red hair that fell to her waist and wore a simple violet kimono patterned with pink cherry blossoms. She was slender of build with beautiful green eyes and a soft voice. She held a broom close to her body in a sort of defensive gesture.

Toge smiled again, "Ah, Ra-chan, did you make it down okay? The day isn't too bright for you?"

"No, no, Toge-kun. The light is just fine. Now, what are you all doing out here? Why don't you come inside and have some… Toge, give the young woman what you stole from her. Go on, give it back."

Reaching into his apron, Toge held out Yuya's three-barreled gun to her, "Sorry about that… nervous habit is all. That's what happens when you're a pickpocket."

"Oh come now," his wife smiled, "you're getting better. You hugged me without taking my earrings yesterday. That's a big improvement. Oh! I'm Tashira, by the way. We just got married not too long ago, not used to introducing myself as anyone important just yet."

"Tashira? Interesting name…" Yuya thought as she tucked her gun back into her obi.

Akira took Tashira's extended left hand and smiled, quickly shoving the kimono sleeve back to reveal the bandages that started in the middle of her hand and extended all the way to her elbow, "Care to explain these?"

"Not at all. In fact, those bandages are to help me do this," she smiled, bringing her right hand around to punch him just beneath his jaw, "Toge, don't stand there like an idiot! Run, damn you! And for your information, I was born a girl!"

()can't remember if that's what Bontenmaru's weapon is called; please correct me if I'm wrong… checked online & that's what it said… O-chan