Chapter Four

Li loathed masquerading as a half-Japanese merchant. He seethed at the thought of having to act as one of those demons. Staying close to them for any period of time was even worse. Despite his profound hate, his expression showed nothing. He wore the mask of a half-Japanese flawlessly. There was a reason he was good at what he did.

The only good thing, he grudgingly admit, was that he was cleaner and better dressed than he had ever been in his life. Dressed in rich traditional robes, he was the epitome of wealth. This, of course, was all superficial. Just tools he used to get closer to his goal. The stage was set—the only thing missing was the players.

Nevertheless, he was incredibly troubled about this mission. What they wanted him to do was impossible. In fact, most of the missions and tasks the party has given him were usually impossible, but he completed them anyways. This one had to top them all, however, in sheer lunacy.

How exactly was he supposed to convince the deadly Kinomoto Sakura that he was trustworthy? Hell, even if he were trustworthy, how was he supposed to convince her of that? She was anything but stupid. The fact that he had just arrived in Ningbo would work against him. Timing, unfortunately, was everything, and this was ill-timing.

He had to find some way to convince her that he really hated the Chinese, for good reason.

"You are asking me to take a big risk." He told with Shen, chasing after the man while his comrades carried logs for firewood and loot from enemy ranks. He felt ridiculous, clad as he was while everyone else was in rags. The darkness hardly made up for how well-dressed he was.

Li knew that their current plan had too many holes but Shen was just being stubborn. They had went over this numerous times—why couldn't Shen see his point? "Look, the Japs may or may not sympathize, but they would never believe you would beat one of your own to a pulp. So beat me to a pulp."

"And have you completely incapacitated for weeks?" Shen waved his hand dismissively. "Not gonna happen, kid."

"Oh, come on!" Li snapped. This was the best plan they could have under the circumstances. "What else are you going to have me do?"

"There's got to be a more subtle way of doing this!"

"We have to be willing to go all the way." Li smacked a tree in frustration. "This is all the way. You grab a few of your men over, claim I'm some blood-traitor and give me a good thrashing. I scream and curse at you, the Japs storm in on the scene and you guys run for your lives."

"And if they kill us?" Shen looked unconvinced.

"Get a guard to warn you. He can watch. When the Japs come on the scene, you leave me bloody and dying then run away."

"And if they decide to shoot you too?"

Li rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh. "Look, there's no better way to convince her that I am not on your side. We have to establish first that I'm not on your side before we establish that I'm on hers. It can take thirty years to build up that trust with the so called 'subtle' way. China would be taken over by then!"

Shen glared at him. Li glared back. If it was a battle of wills then he would win—only if the mission was that easy.

"I don't like it. You're depending on Japanese sympathy." Shen frown but did not dismiss the idea like before.

"If they don't have any, I don't stand a chance either way."

"I still don't like it."

"You have me firmly in their faith; any flesh wound is fair trade."

"What if they're not flesh wounds?"

"Well what do you want me to do?" Li exploded. "This was hardly risk-free in the first place! I'm asking for your help to give us even the slightestchance of it working. Of course, people might die. Of course, you might accidentally beat me to death. Yes, it all might be for nothing in the end. But if you want rich rewards, you better be willing to give up big sacrifices and this is one of them. They're not gonna buy my story. They'll find my arrival, the date, the timing, all too coincidental for their liking, and it truly isn't something we can afford."

Silence descended after Li stopped to catch his breath. The men stared at each other. In the end, Shen dropped the eye contact and sighed heavily.

†††††††††††††

"Kami-sama." Kinomoto groaned. "How freaking hard is it to dig a hole in the ground?"

"Digging is not the hard part. The foundations are not stable, however," said the engineer.

She sighed again. "Well, figure something out. I want the foundations laid by tonight."

Before the engineer could reply, a chorus of shouts sounded in the distant. Kinomoto turned to the noise. She knew there was training going on, but the sounds this time were not orderly. It sounded like a mob, actually.

"What's going on over there?" She wondered out loud, heading over to the source of the commotion. The engineers glanced at each other before following her.

The courtyard was in an uproar, though apparently it was the trainer demonstrating some move with a wooden pole meant to serve as a bayonet. Kinomoto watched with approval at the fine technique. When there was a cheer, she clapped briskly as well. As expected of a fine Japanese soldier. The Japanese Army was strong and the soldiers loyal. They were the favored children of Kami, unlike those Chinese vermin.

"We need to figure out where all those Chinese bandits are." She muttered to herself. "If only, hm."

"Lieutenant," A soldier walked up to her, not in this shift of training, and saluted. "Patrol has reported unrest at a local shop. Some communist soldiers were beating this merchant, and fled when our troops arrived."

"And this concerns me how?" Kinomoto inquired flatly. Her mood was bad and made even worse by the delays of the project.

"He is half Japanese," said the soldier. "Name's Sato Masato."

"Those bloody Communist Chinamen." Kinomoto felt her rage peak at this news. "They dare assault—where is he now?"

"At the hospital." Said the soldier. "I was ordered to report this to you instantly."

"Very good." Kinomoto thought for a moment. "A merchant, you say?"

"Hai."

"He could be useful." She noted before address the men. "Carry on with things here. I am heading over to the hospital to look at this Sato Masato."

†††††††††††††

"I feel like a complete motherfucking son of a bitch." Wang muttered, spitting a mouthful of phlegm at the ground. He hissed when he aggravated the bruise on his stomach. "Man, Syaoran pack a mean punch."

Feng carefully wrapped a bandage over the bullet graze on his shoulder. "Syaoran certainly made it easier." He winced. "For a moment there I actually thought he was one of those fucking assholes."

"You think we went too far?"

"Had to make it look real." Feng had his doubts but he wisely kept them to himself.

"But we bashed his skull in!"

"He tried to bash ours." Feng reminded him. "Ain't called 苦肉计*if you don't self-inflict actual wounds to trick your enemy."

"He fell unconscious though. What if he gets stupid because of that?"

"I don't know," sighed Feng. The future was unsure but he trust Li. The kid was strong.

Wang spat another mouthful of phlegm. "Look over there. That's the Kinomoto woman. She's in that jeep."

"They're heading to the hospital? Already?"

"Got it hand it to Syaoran. Smart as hell."

"What if she's going to kill him?"

"Would hardly commission the execution in person."

The two men fell silent.

"Well, Li Syaoran, I sure as hell hope you know what the fuck you're doing." Wang mumbled.

†††††††††††††

Sato Masato looked genuinely injured alright. There did not seem to be a single inch of him that was not bruised or bleeding. She did not really listen to the doctor's nervous reciting of his various injuries, instead looking upon his features. Unfortunately, his face was swollen and covered with cuts and bruises, making it hard to perceive what he looked like.

"How long before he wakes?" She asked.

"A couple of hours, at least," the doctor replied in Chinese.

"Ring me when he awakens." The lieutenant instructed before turning towards the door. "I will leave him for now."

"Yes lieutenant."

Sakura sniffed a little at that, much preferring the brisk, clarity of the Japanese. She was not just a little irked that one of their own was in the hands of these less than flawless Chinese healers. Still, a Chinese healer is better than no healer at all.

Several hours later, Li stared, his eyes somewhat intense and glassy, at the woman who had, several times, nearly ended his life. He somehow managed not to spit at her. It was nothing short of a miracle.

"Sato-san," said the lieutenant. "I am Lt. Kinomoto Sakura. You are at the Ningbo Hospital. I heard you had quite a round. How are you feeling?"

Li looked at the badge, because he knew that was where Sato would look. "I am well." He said quietly. "Ariga—thank you." He changed his words at the last minute.

He saw the lieutenant smile. "There is nothing wrong with using Japanese here." Her voice was unusually kind. "You are safe here. You are with your brothers and sisters. They cannot punish you for being who you are."

Oh hell.Li realized. Who could have thought—Kinomoto Sakura had a soft spot for anything Japanese. Even half-Japanese would do. What luck! He managed to muster a smile, though it looked like a grimace.

"Arigatou gozaimasu." He settled, not wanting to start anything complicated.

"Can you tell me why they attacked you?" Lieutenant Kinomoto inquired.

Li tried to adjust his position, only for pain to shoot through his body. Ow…they really were not merciful. "Vengeance."

Kinomoto frowned. "For what?"

"They think I killed one of their squad leaders." The script was all planned in advance.

"Did you?" The lieutenant asked with a hint of curiousity.

"I don't know." Li replied. "He was rushing at me. I sidestepped and he fell off. . ."

Kinomoto raised an eyebrow. "Fell off what?"

It was not hard, actually, to fake feeling a bit groggy. His injuries were paining him and his eyelids felt like lead. "Fell…" Li blinked tiredly. "Fell off."

He had discussed the story already, but it was a bit hard to remember, beaten as he was. Getting away with nothing worse than a concussion is pretty good in his book. Thankfully, Kinomoto seemed content to leave that detail alone.

"Why was he rushing at you?"

"Recognized me." Li closed his eyes. He was tired but he must stay conscious enough to fool her.

"Ah." Kinomoto frowned. Silence descended for a while. He used the moment to collect his thoughts. Then, "How about you help us help you get back at them?"

Li did not need to fake his enthusiasm either—even if he was concentrating on a different reason. His eyes shot open and seemed, to Kinomoto, to fill with an inner glow. She smiled with approval. No matter that he was half-Japanese.

"Rest now." She patted his hand before Li could say anything. "We shall talk when you have fully recovered. And you will recover, I will see to it."

As she departed, Li wondered, through closed eyelids, at the irony. How could someone who had so ruthlessly slaughtered civilians, tortured comrades, and caused such devastation, seem so loving, so kind and compassionate to her own.

What utter rot. Li thought wearily before sleep claimed him.

†††††††††††††

Sato ended up being a very handsome young man, much to Kinomoto's chagrin. Once he recovered sufficiently to head back to his shop, every time the two encountered each other, she found herself distracted by his features. He was tall, amiable enough, and exerted such a calm aura that she found it hard to maintain the appropriate aloofness she usually conducted herself with.

Their first dealings after the first meeting at the hospital were strictly business. Kinomoto wanted to know if Sato objected at all to the imperial base using his shop as a means of transporting some goods. Sato was only too delighted to help.

A few weeks later, Sato actually invited her over to his home for tea. This was done with all the respect she was due, of course, especially as a pureblood Japanese. If she had paused to think for a moment, she would have realized that Sato says exactly what she expected him to say. He was too perfect. But she had not even considered it at all.

Kinomoto did not suspect at all.

The merchant's home was very clean and tidy, and glaringly empty. He had servants who did work for him, but they were full Chinese and seemed to regard their work with distinct displeasure. Nevertheless, it was evident that Sato kept a good eye on them, for they served both their master and the lieutenant with the proper efficiency as they should.

"You live alone, Sato-san?"

"Hai."

Kinomoto smiled. "It must be lonely here."

"It is well enough." Sato replied easily.

The lieutenant paused for a moment. "Have you no family at all?"

This seemed to bother Sato a little. Before she could wonder why, Sato replied, "I did."

"Oh? What happened?"

"They were killed." Sato hesitated. By your kind. "By the Communists."

"They do seem to single you out, Sato-san." Kinomoto stated.

Single me out. Li allowed himself to sigh so that he would not be overly anxious. Murderous thoughts swarmed in his head. He could kill her right now. He could slip something into her cup, right this second. He would succeed, too, in poisoning her. That bitch is right here.Right in front of him. Completely unsuspecting. Easy to kill.

He took another deep breath.

"My father was a very capable man." He tried to look nostalgic. It was not hard as he pictured his real father in his head. "He had originally remained in China because my mother had to take care of my grandmother, who was frail and may not withstand the journey to Japan. When he heard news of Japan's rise to power, he left my mother, my sisters, and I to contribute to the Japanese Imperial Army. Originally all was well; we intended to wait for the Japanese to reach our village, perhaps his squad, even. But the Communists reached us first."

Kinomoto was listening intently, her eyes keen and sharp the way they always were when she was concentrating. Green, like jade. Except jade is a warm stone, filled with life.Syaoran pulled his face to the side harshly to keep his mind on track. Later when he was alone, he would analyze he reaction . . . maybe.

"Ugh. They knew. They knew who my father was. Their spies—they beat my mother and my sisters and set fire to our property. Hmph." For a good measure, he blinked back tears, because what he said next was true, no matter the other lies. "I was a coward. The only one to survive." Then, he glared at the lieutenant with real feeling, using words that could refer to two very different things. "But I will have my revenge. This they know. They've regretted letting me get away ever since, and they'll keep on regretting." Then, abruptly, he swallowed his rage. "Gomen nasai, Lieutenant. I did not mean to bore you with such tales."

"Iie." Kinomoto said firmly, but her voice unusually warm. "I am glad to learn more about you, Sato-san. And I do not believe you to be a coward. A coward would have stayed on the run. But you are fighting back."

A genuine smile. She almost looked beautiful. The bitch.

Li swallowed. "I think of it more as attempts to repent. It is the best I can do."

"And that is all the gods ask." She replied and sipped her tea. Her actions held a natural grace. "It strikes me, then, that you have a good foundation for the business you run, given the circumstances."

"The Communists, fortunately, do not run China." Li smiled wryly, his acting skills on full display. "My business prospered whenever they were not around, and I did what I can to thwart the Communists, though whenever they have identified me before, I had been forced to relocate."

"You did not rely on the Imperial Army to defend you?" Kinomoto asked, concerned.

"I was down South." Li replied. "I had no Imperial Army to defend me. Not to mention," He added, for good measure, "I would not wish to weaken the army's forces for my sake. If it is the gods' will that I die so that I am less of a burden to my father's country, then I shall submit. I can do no less."

"You speak with an honesty becoming of our people." The lieutenant said with approval. "Most say it to please, but rarely do they mean it."

Oh, I mean it alright.Li thought. I mean every word of what I say.But Kinomoto does not have to know what exactly his words meant. She was only too willing to believe he was supporting her vile Japanese 'empire'.

"You are serving your country well." Kinomoto went on. "Let no one doubt that you are Japanese at heart, Sato-san. And indeed, it is no burden to care for one of our own, especially not with the services you provide." She clasped her hands in salute. "You are an honorable man."

Li did not know what to say to that at first, but he clasped his hands together as well after a moment. "Iie. I merely strive to do what is right."

She smiled with more approval.

Who is this hussy? Li thought, incensed, as she looked down at her tea again. He drank some of his to calm himself, but the hot liquid seemed to fuel the rage building in his stomach.

He kept it repressed under an icy blanket of nonchalance, but when the lieutenant left and he saw her to the street where a car took her out of sight, he could not help but feel a sense of wonder when he reflected on their entire conversation that night. Somehow, despite all that he feared, he had Kinomoto Sakura completely wrapped around his finger.

AN: It seemed that more of my writing style is slipping through as the characters continue to develop. For now, I hesitate to change too much of the original. Can't wait to an actual chapter instead of editing.

*Ku rou ji or Body trick—using self injury to win someone's confidence