While staying with Hanzo-sama and Usagi-sama, I helped Usagi take care of her patients. I was no Usagi, but I knew enough: medications and dosage, stitch up wounds, deliver a child, etc.

Days passed, and Hanzo-sama still didn't mention Watari-chan's situation. I was on my toes, but he just continued to play his pokerface. I couldn't bear to ask him outright.

Mamezo-kun was obviously worried, and wasn't doing any jobs at the moment. I guessed Hanzo-sama had him on house arrest. If Mamezo-kun went out on a mission, he'd probably go to Koga to find Watari-chan and bring her back himself. Recklessness was something we could never afford.

I attended Goemon-kun's class on seduction. I threw up on him when it was my turn, and he let me out early.

I cried behind a tree in a secluded area behind his house.

I jumped into a dense tree and hid my presence as people left. They talked about how great Goemon-kun was, or how cute he was, or what a pathetic little girl I was, and badmouthed me in every way possible because I was apparently engaged to Kazuya-sama now. When they all left, Goemon-kun walked up to the tree. He couldn't see me, but knew I was there.

"You can come out." He said.

Arguing or pretending not to exist was futile. I jumped from the tree. He had changed his clothes. He grinned, and hugged me. He led me back to his house.

"I wish I could say that was the first time a girl has puked on me."

"I'm still sorry."

"I know you are." He let go, and ruffled my hair, "Still not a woman yet?"

"Why is everyone so fixated on that?!" I snarled.

"You probably broke the record of the oldest person in the village to still be a-"

"Don't say it. For the love of God, please don't say it."

He hugged me again.

"The problem would go away if you married Kazuya-sama."

"Shut up."

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and led me back to his home.

"So Watari-chan's still missin', huh?" He said.

"No talking about the mission." I replied.

"Hanzo told me about it."

"I fell for that one before."

"Hanzo told me about that, too."

"Damn that Yamato to Hell…" I grumbled.

"It can't be helped. That man was always a smooth talker."

"How would you know? You didn't grow up here."

"I met the man before he turned traitor."

We sat at his table.

"Where's Yuri?" I asked.

"Out with the kid somewhere."

"Ah." I said, and started crying again.

"Stop crying." He said.

"But it's my fault if Mamezo-kun gets hurt."

"He's a big boy. We're in a dangerous line of work. We'll do our best, but it might be impossible."

"It can't be impossible!" I said, and stood up, "I will save Watari-chan!"

I left his house.

Hanzo-sama didn't tell me to go, and probably would stop me from going if he knew. I hopped over the wall when nobody was looking, and gunned in the direction of Koga. Night fell soon after, but I didn't stop. I had to keep going. Any minute passed meant Watari's closer to possible death.

I ran all night. Dawn rose when I was about halfway there. I hid in a tree when I saw a group coming. I watched as they walked under me. Someone was bound and tied up, walking with weapons prodding their back. Watari-chan!

I waited until they were 50 feet ahead of me when I changed course, and followed him. I would get Watari-chan back.

I followed them for a couple days to the former Azuchi land where Nobunaga used to live. I heard a new warlord had taken over, but I didn't have much involvement in those assignments.

The land was now called Itoga, and I think the warlord's name was Koichi Watamaru or something. The guards took Watari-chan in beyond the giant wall.

I couldn't return to Iga. Hanzo-sama would lock me up, and refuse to let me out. But he needed to know this information.

I decided to go to the Capitol. It was closer to the Capital than to Iga. There were Iga ninja safehouses, and I could send a messenger.

It took me a few hours to reach the Capitol at top speed running. I went straight for the Eri Bakery, a bakery ran by Iga ninjas in disguise. An older couple used to run this bakery. There was a younger couple here now. I was hesitant, but they welcomed me into the store warmly, telling me about their sale.

"Where are the old owners?" I asked, as I picked out a pork bun.

"They retired and passed the store onto us."

I didn't know how to ask whether or not they were ninjas, and if they were allies to Iga. But the former owners wouldn't sell to traitors, right? Wouldn't it be most likely they sold to someone who they could pass on the responsibilities of the Iga to?"

"I'm originally from Iga." The woman said, a mere passing comment as she handed me the bun, "I was here on business when I met my husband. I decided to stay here."

I took this as confirmation of where her loyalty stood. Nothing was suspicious about telling someone about where they're from, especially on the first meeting. She would have been asked a lot by the local customers.

"Oh, that's good. I'm here on business too." I said with a smile. She understood what I was implying.

"I can help you." The man said. His wife manned the store as he led me to the secret door that held one of the Iga headquarter.

I wasted no time telling him what I saw.

"You're in luck. We have another ninja here. He was just resting here before he returned to Iga." He said, "I can get together a scouting crew before Hanzo-sama decides what to do next."

I quickly wrote down everything in a note, handed it to the ninja, and he left straight away.

I kind of stood there, dumbfounded. I didn't know what to do now.

The man led me back to the front of the store.

"Oh, aren't you the fiance of Kazuya Hattori?"

I groaned. I hadn't even agreed yet (even though I didn't have much of a say in the matter), and everyone already knew, even in the Capital.

"The Hattori clan is well known and respected here. News about their relationships spreads fast." She said.

I smiled.

"Here, as a congratulations gift, take a box of baked goods." The woman said, taking out a couple boxes, and filled them with various baked goods- meat breads, sweet buns, virtually everything they offered.

"Thank you." I said, "That's very generous of you."

"We'll be seeing a lot of each other." The man said, shaking my hand.

"Well, I should go." I said, hoping I didn't sound impertinent. I just needed to get away from the embarrassment.

They bowed as I left, and I walked a few blocks away, standing lost, unsure of where to go next.

"If you eat all that, you won't fit into your wedding dress." I turned around and Kazuya-sama was standing there.