Chapter fourteen
Shinko stood at the platform, farewelling her parents and brother as they boarded the morning train to Tokyo. The station was busy with people farewelling loved ones, or moving up and down the train waiting for their turn to board in excitement.
"Say hi to Kenshin-san and Kaoru-san for me!" She called to her father as he wrestled with the luggage, squirming away from her mother's embrace with an embarrassed grimace.
"Bye, Shinko." Shinya said quietly, inserting himself between Shinko and their mother, as soon as his sister managed to escape. "I'll..."
"Not even bother giving me a half-decent goodbye? Typical." Shinko laughed slightly, before enveloping her brother in a tight hug. "I'll miss you..."
"You too, Shinko," He muttered in her ear, a blush creeping up his cheeks as he hugged her back – he was much too tough for this kind of thing, and people were beginning to stare and mutter at the scandalous public display.
"I know, you big sissy... Here then, have this to remind you of me – it's a piece of gravel the doctor picked out of my palm." Shinko dropped a teardrop sized chunk of mica into Shinya's palm, the flecks of quartz and pyrite glinting where they weren't rusty with blood.
"You have no taste in interesting rocks," Shinya said, regarding the stone with a tinge of horror. "And why were you carrying it with you?"
"It's a memento of my exploits. I was keeping it in my shinai bag, but I thought you might like it because it's kind of glittery, and pinkish." Shinko said cheerily.
"That's because it's got blood on it." Shinya said, scraping a fleck of dried blood off the pebble.
"Well, it'll remind you even more of me then won't it?" Shinko said, poking her tongue out at Shinya and lifting up several of her mother's bags. "Now, which carriage are you in, haha?" Shinya shook his head at his sister's antics, catching Yahiko's eye, and sharing a look as the train whistled in preparation for leaving.
"Good luck with your training back in Tokyo." Shinya snapped his head around so fast it almost cricked as he heard Kenji's voice from a few feet away. He'd come to the train station, at Shinko's urging, but had vanished as soon as polite, allowing them to finish their goodbyes in relative privacy.
"I'm still going after the sakabato, you know."
"I know." Kenji smiled, but the expression had little warmth in it, simply a polite expression to make with a mouth that wasn't talking, but at least it wasn't thinly veiled contempt anymore.
"Well, good luck with your training too then. And I want a rematch when I come back. I'll be better than you then."
"I doubt that." Kenji said, bowing slightly in farewell as Shinya boarded the train, mimicking the gesture.
"Ja, Kenji-san."
"Bye again!" Shinko called, jumping off the train and waving vigorously as the doors closed, and the train pulled away in a screaming cloud of steam.
"Okay, I'm off too then!" Shinko said, laughing, and turning to Kenji.
"Your bag, Shinko-dono." Kenji said, adding the very formal suffix with a faint smile and a bow.
"Don't." Shinko said, with an embarrassed shrug – the only person she knew who used –dono on a regular basis was Kenshin, usually when talking to Kaoru.
"So, where are you going?" Kenji asked, handing Shinko her pair of bokken, and a small purse that jingled expensively.
"South-west I think... Kyushu perhaps. I always wanted to visit one of the other main islands..."
"What a long way... When will you be coming back?" Kenji asked, as Shinko slipped the purse into her gi, and tucked the bokken into her waistband.
"Don't know... will you miss me?" Shinko said mischievously.
"I shall." Kenji said quietly, shrugging but meeting Shinko's eyes calmly.
"... I'll miss you too I guess..." Shinko said, looking away and blushing.
"Ja matte." Kenji said, bowing more formally.
"Ja ne." Shinko said, bowing back, and began to walk down the station. She paused after a moment, running back to Kenji and stopping a foot in front of him, looking as if she wanted to hug him as well.
"Nani?"
"Uh... take care of yourself, okay Kenji...san?" She muttered, adding the suffix almost as an afterthought.
"You too, Shinko-san." Shinko grinned, and bowed another farewell, before turning and leaving, not looking back this time until she was well out of eyeshot.
"Shinko-san!" She blinked and looked around, hearing Natsuko's voice, almost unrecognisable with sobbing terror.
Tugging one of the bokken from her waistband, Shinko ran down the nearest side alley, following the sound of Natsuko's voice. She'd been at the Aoi-ya early that morning, saying a blushing goodbye to Shinya under the pretence of coming for an early training session with Misao. It had been revolting.
"Help!"
"Natsuko-chan?" Shinko rounded the corner, seeing Natsuko struggling against the grip of a wiry Japanese man clad in loose, dirty Western clothes. He had a sharp wakizashi held against her throat.
"Get off me you brute!" Natsuko cried, her struggles increasing as she saw Shinko.
"Please, do not approach any closer, Shinko-san." The wiry man said calmly, holding Natsuko easily, and training a gun on Shinko from under her arm. "I wouldn't wish to have to harm you."
"What do you want with her?" Shinko demanded, holding her bokken ready, her eyes flicking around the alley, searching for any sign of movement that could indicate backup.
"Nothing, Shinko-san. Tanuki-sama wants nothing from this girl, he simply wanted to use her to get to you." The man smiled, clutching Natsuko tighter as Shinko twitched back in surprise. "My name is Toranaga-des, and if you want to fetch back this girl, you can meet me at the Ume-no-nemu-ya, by the docks this evening."
"Ume-no nemu-ya? I... I went there!" Shinko said, her eyes wide as she remembered the dingy little dockside tavern she had spent the night, only a week ago.
"Yes. Isn't coincidence a strange thing?" Toranaga said with a smile. "Now I must be going."
"Wait-"
"Let me go!" Natsuko screamed, struggling again.
"Quiet." Toranaga said, slapping Natsuko across the face with the back of the hand holding his gun. Her head snapped back, and a sob of pain escaped her, as blood began to trickled from the corner of her mouth where her teeth had ripped the flesh of her cheek.
"Shinko..."
"Please step aside." Toranaga said, training the gun back on the fifteen-year-old girl. She stood frozen. She could have attacked when Toranaga had slapped Natsuko, the moment he was distracted, and had loosened the pressure of the blade at the older girl's neck, but...
This man is truly cruel...
"Goodbye." The wiry little man left, Shinko watching him with stunned eyes.
"Misao-san! Get me a pigeon! I need to contact Shinya!" Shinko ran into the dojo, barely pausing to kick of her dusty sandals.
"What happened? You're still here?" Misao caught the girl by her shoulders, forcing her to calm down.
"Some-one kidnapped Natsuko-chan." Shinko said, taking a deep breath.
"Eh?!" Misao let her hands fall to her sides in surprise. "Nani?"
"Tell Shinya." Shinko said harshly. "And do you have anything heavier than a bokken?"
"How long do you have? Misao asked, grabbing a sheet of rice paper, and hastily writing four words on it. Natsuko kidnapped, come back.
"Yuki-chan!" Misao shouted, and moments later her daughter came running.
"See if you can write Shinya-kun's name on this, carefully, once it's dried, and then give it to Hachi-chan to take, wakata?" Misao said, handing her daughter the folded sheet.
"Hai!" Yuki took the letter solemnly, bowing to her mother.
"Good girl. Now come with me, Shinko-chan. We'll find you something with a bit more weight." Misao smiled grimly and left the Aoi-ya, Shinko following close behind.
"Kaname-san, you still make ornamental swords, ne?" Misao said cheerfully to a middle-aged, burly man with ruddy cheeks. Who was leaning on the counter of a small, well-furnished shop.
"Hai, Misao-dono, why?" Kaname asked in mild surprised. "Although you know that 'ornamental' hardly does them justice."
"I know you were one of the best smiths in Kyoto before the ban, and still have craftsmanship even in blades that aren't made for killing." Misao said with a smile and a slight, respectful bow.
"My blades would still take a fine edge if one were to sharpen them."
"Good. I need one. Quite light, not too long. Shinko, go pick." Misao gestured to the racks of katana and wakizashi on display around Kaname's shop.
"You want a blade for the girl? Why?"
"For strictly non-violent purposes, ne?" Misao said with a wink.
"For you, jou-san, try these ones. It would be best if I could make it to measure, but here." He handed her a blade that was perhaps half a centimetre longer than a bokken, with gold and black binding about the hilt, and a black-lacquer scabbard resting below it on the stand. The blade had the faint rippling of masterfully crafted steel.
"It's heavy." Shinko said in surprise, hefting the blade. Her father had always wielded the sakabato, which was significantly larger and heavier-looking, as if it were as light as a feather.
"Swing it. Does the balance feel right?" Kaname asked, inspecting her with a professional eye. "You have an unusual stance. What style do you use?"
"Um... I sort of mix-and-match..." Shinko said blushing. "But mainly it's a combination of kamiya kasshin and Hiten... Himura-ryu." Shinko stopped herself just in time – hiten Mitsurugi-ryu had a significant reputation even now, not always good. She smiled at the weight of the blade in her hand. Even though, it was heavier than a bokken, as she swung it, she knew she would be able to use it – it was much lighter than the sakabato had been. Still, she hoped that if she had to fight at the Ume-no-Nemu-ya – not much of an 'if' really – she would be able to finish it fast.
"Never heard of either of them." Kaname said dismissively.
"Is that one suitable?" Misao asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, um how much...?"
"Dozo, Kaname-san." Misao said, handing him a heavy purse. "Nice to have a chance to do legitimate business with you." Kaname laughed, as the two women left the shop.
"How do you know him?" Shinko asked, hefting the blade and tying its scabbard to her waist with the handy tasselled string, thanking the petite kunoichi.
"Since none of the Shakku line still make weapons, Aoishi-sama has been going to Kaname-san for years whenever he needed his kodachi repaired," Misao said, smiling. "So, do you want me to come with you, or is this a matter you have to settle by yourself?" She nodded before Shinko had time to fumble for an answer. "Well, Good luck then."
"Thank you, Misao-san." Shinko said smiling before wandering off through the streets. It was still hours before sunset, but she was too nervous to wait at the Aoi-ya. This wasn't like a training duel, or even fighting her father. Toranaga could, and would, kill her the instant it suited him, and against a gun, there wasn't much she could do about it.
"Shinko-san?"
"Ke-Kenji-san?" Shinko stopped in surprise, seeing the red-haired young man walking down the street towards her. It was late afternoon, and she had been about to turn back towards the docks, when she had heard his voice. The sword from Kaname-san was tucked into her Shinai bag after it had started drawing suspicious looks.
"You are still in Kyoto?" Kenji asked, stepping closer, his eyebrows drawing together as he noted her expression. "Why?"
"...Natsuko-chan is in trouble." Shinko said, looking away. With a jolt, she realised that she was close to Hakoshi's dojo, Kenji was probably on his way back to the Aoi-ya...
"Do you want help?"
"...I don't know..." Shinko said hesitantly. Kenji hadn't even asked what was wrong – Shinko wasn't sure if it was because he thought he knew approximately what kind of trouble, or if he would have offered his help to her no matter what she needed. Although it was amusing to imagine him offering to help if Natsuko had been in the kind of trouble that was generally associated with pretty seventeen-year-old girls...
"I could wait outside, in case something goes wrong?" Kenji offered, and Shinko smiled, nodding.
"Domo..." Shinko murmured, taking Kenji's hand and squeezing it as they began walking through Kyoto towards the docks together.
I'm so sorry!!! (Goes and mimes seppukku - if I actually did it then I'd cook for never getting all my stories finished. I HATE it when people do that...) Anyway, I was going to update a week ago but the internet died and I can't update at dad's, and so I stuck you all with a month-long update-wait again... I will try and put up another chapter at the end of the week though...
About Tanuki (the namesake of our currently elusive Tanuki-sama): Most of you probably know this. Tanuki is a Japanese racoon(spirit?) (not necessarily like Kaoru though) and is generally considered a rather benign trickster that can change its shape, as well as being the mortal enemy of the Kitsune or fox (demon). They're a little more occult than your garden-variety fluffies though. But still cute.
Also, does anyone have any idea if I've mentioned a season? I think it seems to be late summer, but I could have mentioned something else...