"Love is as much of an object as an obsession, everybody wants it, everybody seeks it, but few ever achieve it, those who do will cherish it, be lost in it, and among all, never... ever forget it."

-Curtis Judalet-

"Third Desire"

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

Chapter 5: "Restlessness"

Onime no Kyo returned to the inn, an unconscious and feverish Yuya riding on his back. He noticed the door to his room opened as he was passing by. Yukimura and the rest of his mismatched group stared at him, millions of questions in their eyes. Kyo glared but said nothing. Not losing a stride, he continued onwards towards the next room, his murderous aura revealing that his calmness was naught but a mask.

Some of the men must have been about to follow, because Kyo heard Yukimura suggesting, "Let's wait for him here." Sanada's voice lacked its usual cheer and Kyo knew he'd failed to fake nonchalance.

"What could have happened?" Benitora's voice traveled through the thin wall, his worry almost rivaling Kyo's.

Kyo ignored them all for now. Slowly, he maneuvered Yuya off of his back. He lowered her onto the futon, noticing how lightweight she was, despite all the times he'd called her fat. He scanned her room minutely, searching for whatever had caused her current state. Unfortunately or fortunately, he had yet to decide, nothing was amiss.

He growled in frustration and combed his hair back with flexed fingers. How could this have happened to one of his servants? His hands fisted and he fought the urge to break something. He cursed under his breath. He shouldn't be this restless! He shouldn't be this upset and that was the heart of the problem, wasn't it? Yuya's condition shouldn't bother him as much as it did. She was only his servant! She was a person who could be easily replaced; a person who shouldn't be looked after. On the contrary, she should be the one tending to his every need!

"How dare you get sick on me," he hissed, leaning over her form -his mouth brushing against her ear. "How dare you get sick without my permission, woman!"

His hand moved to the hilt of his sword. He pulled the blade free and brought its shiny edge to lie across her neck, barely touching it.

"I should end it all right now," he growled. He was aware of how crazy he sounded, of how stupid he was acting. His anger was not directed at her and he knew it. Yet, she wasn't a passive bystander either! She was the cause of his flaming rage. The problem was that he didn't -he couldn't hate her. All he could do, instead, was be furious at himself!

Kyo chided himself for growing complacent. He blamed himself for allowing someone to get so close to him. He should have known better! More than that, he hated the realization that he hadn't been able to get rid of her -or at the very least protect her. To top it all up, he hadn't paid attention to what was happening and, therefore, he had let something like this take place right below his very nose!

Though this was partly his fault, there was only one person who he would hold responsible for what had happened. The same person he now regretted not killing when he had the chance.

"It is not too late," he whispered, clenching and unclenching his fingers.

Mind made up, he was about to stand up, when a warm touch stopped him. His heart skipped a beat and jumped all the way to his throat. Her hand was on his arm, gripping him weakly.

"Kyo," she called in a voice barely above a whisper, "help me."

Damn it! How it hurt to hear her voice as low and weak as this! How he missed -even if he would always deny it- her loud complains and reprimands. Her eyes so full of life where now lost under closed eyelids, and he knew that if he looked at them right now, he wouldn't like what he would find there. Or, rather, what he wouldn't find.

"I'll come back," he promised her, pulling her hand away more gently than he'd intended. "Just wait, damn it!"

Kyo left the room shortly after. Damn that woman! Her fragile plea had just changed his priorities big time. He made his way out the room, closing it behind him. He stripped his face of all emotions and then proceeded to the next room, where he knew Yukimura and the rest were waiting for an explanation.

"What happened?" Yukimura asked as soon as Kyo had stepped inside.

"Yuya is sick," he answered, his eyes jumping from one person to the other, "but I believe that our morning visitor may have had something to do with it."

"You mean that Sakaki guy?" Sasuke's eyes become slits. At least Kyo wasn't the only one harboring suspicions.

"What makes you think he's the one responsible?" Benitora's voice suggested he might be skeptical. Kyo fought the urge to punch him.

"A mark on my servant's hand," Kyo informed drily. "It wasn't there last night or the days prior to coming here."

"The result of a spell perhaps…?" Akira joined in, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"That's what you'll find out," Kyo's told Yukimura. It wasn't a question. Kyo was unwilling to leave this task to anyone else. If there was someone astute enough to get something done efficiently, it was Yukimura.

"I'm surprised, Kyo," Yukimura's lips quirked with clumsily concealed amusement, "I would've thought you would want to take care of this part."

"I've something else I have to do," Kyo shrugged, his eyes warning against further questions in that regard.

"What should we do?" Benitora pointed at himself and then at the silent figure of Akira, who had yet to move an inch.

"Akira will take care of the woman," Kyo decided in a tone that left no room for arguments. "Servant number 2, you'll follow me."

With that the group split, each to accomplish the task Kyo had given them. God helped whoever failed him.

-o0o-

Benitora followed Kyo into the fourth store they'd come across. It had herbs and other ingredients displayed on the front and it had been that which had prompted Kyo to march inside.

"What are we looking for?" he asked, scrunching his nose at the smells that had laid siege to his nose. They weren't all pleasant. Some were even making him a bit woozy, so that he ended up walking like a drunkard.

When silence was his only reply, Benitora turned to look at Kyo. It drew on him –as he inspected his tight expression closely- that he was not the only one feeling restless.

With a frown and clenched jaw, Kyo moved through the store. He kept grabbing different herbs; smelling, touching and inspecting each container in search of something. Benitora wanted to help but didn't know where to start. This wasn't his area of expertise.

So he followed his leader, trying to not think about how pale and lifeless Yuya had looked. Every item Kyo smelled something, Benitora did as well. He grabbed a plant after Kyo had dropped it back on its box. One whiff had him coughing and gagging.

"What are you doing? Come here!" Kyo snapped.

"Sorry!" Benitora hurried towards him, almost running over an old lady in the process.

"Pay for this," he ordered, handing him a list of the ingredients he'd selected as well as the amounts.

Benitora frowned as he tried to read the paper. Kyo was in dire need of tutoring. If he didn't know any better, he would think the man had been joking. He was just about to ask what one line said, only to notice he was alone.

"So I'm not the only one worried, huh?" he muttered with a strained smile, massaging the back of his neck. Yuya-han, please be alright.

-o0o-

Sanada Yukimura stood up, gazing at empty garden that lay across the hallway Kyo had disappeared into.

"Sasuke. Saizo," he called.

This caused the former to walk towards him while the latter jumped out of the branches of a nearby tree. Both ninjas knelt in front him, awaiting his instructions.

"Sasuke, if I am not mistaken, Sakaki Kenji is also staying in this Inn. Find his room and look for anything that can gives us a clue as to who he is or what he has done to Yuya-san," he instructed.

Sasuke nodded in understanding before he rushed down the corridor, disappearing around the corner.

"Saizo, gather as much information about this man as possible. Ask around town. He seems to be known by many, so I do not think it will be a difficult task."

"Understood, Yukimura-sama!" Saizo bowed and left soon after.

"Sakaki Kenji," Yukimura murmured into the fading afternoon, crossing his arms thoughtfully, "why does your name sound so familiar.

-o0o-

Onime no Kyo stopped. His danger sensor was going haywire, alerting him to several hostile presences nearby.

"Onime no Kyo, the slayer of a thousand men," he heard a husky voice coming from somewhere up ahead.

Kyo's right hand came to rest on the hilt of his 'muramasa' in warning. He scanned the area around him in search of the owner of the voice. Above, the sun began to disappear behind a mountain, giving darkness a perfect chance to help his enemies.

I have no time for this, he thought frustrated. He clutched the small paper bag with the medical ingredients with fierce determination. This was not good. He was aware that he needed to get to the Inn and prepare the medicine before something else happened. The fact that, while he was losing his time here, Yukimura could be on his way to fight his opponent, only served to increase his fury.

Kyo deliberated for a moment about what to do. Multiple presences were by now gathering around him, he could feel them more than see them. Kyo cracked his neck. They'd taken the decision out of his hands. There was no other choice. He would have to fight them and end it all.

He moved the paper bag from his hand to his chest and tucked it between the folds of his black kimono. His concern wasn't whether he could beat them, but whether he could do it fast enough to keep Yuya's condition from worsening.

"I would never have thought that I would find you in such a peaceful place," came another voice. It was a man's, yet it held a tingle of unmistakable femininity. The low-spoken statement was followed by various chuckles that seemed to come from all around him.

"Aim for his head," said the first voice mockingly.

"No," interrupted yet another voice; this one grave and mysterious. "Aim for his heart… It is a small target, but I believe it will hurt him more."

More snickers, this accompanied by the sound of steel clashing against steel in a rhythmic war symphony. They were preparing to attack, but Kyo was more than ready. In fact, he was eager to draw some blood.

-o0o-

Sarutobi Sasuke glided through the Inn, careful to keep himself concealed within the shadows. He had found Kenji's room -and although it seemed to be currently empty- he resolved to play it safe and move with caution.

He stopped when he reached the door to his room and fell to a knee. Golden eyes skimmed the area around him in search for any hostile presence. He found none.

With nimble fingers, he picked the lock. The click indicating his success came soon after. He allowed himself a smile of triumph, before pulling the door open just enough to enable him to slip inside. On hands and knees, he treaded the wooden panes of both floor and walls, careful not to set up a trap.

"There is nothing there," he heard a feminine voice state from the opposite side of the room.

His spun around with sword out and ready. "Who are you?" he enquired, trying to make out something from among the darkness that lay ahead. He couldn't.

"A servant," she replied. Sasuke cursed. She sounded closer than before -too close. "His servant."

He jumped away just in time to avoid the sharp blade of a dagger that would have painted a bloody smile on his neck if he had hesitated a second longer.

"Are you scared?" she taunted playfully.

He smirked, "In your dreams."

Sparks followed the collision of blade against blade, a symphony of war ringing through the entire room. Nobody was ready to give any ground. Sasuke had a mission, and he would be damned if he didn't accomplish it.

-o0o-

Sakaki Kenji stopped in the garden. He raised his eyes towards the darkened sky. The moon sparked, full and bright amidst the twinkling stars. Its usual color was replaced by a ruby shade that draped the garden with an ominous glow.

"A red moon," he stated, reassuming his night walk. "Blood will be shed tonight."

To be Continued…

Story's Notes: Kenji's last dialogue came from "The Lord of the Rings," in which Legolas points out, "A red moon… blood will be shed tonight."