Author's Note- Hello! Chapter 2 is here! I'm really excited for this story and I hope everyone likes it. Don't be afraid to review! It fuels my muse Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or the characters from Tail of the Moon that I borrow. Enjoy!

Chapter 2

Hana gasped as she awoke. She was on the verge of total panic until a strong arm wrapped around her waist, holding her steady.

"You're okay, Tsukino-san. I'm protecting you, remember?" a deep voice said in her ear. She looked over her shoulder and was met with Shuuhei's gentle face.

"Oh. Hisagi-san. I'm sorry, I must have had a nightmare," she apologized. Shuuhei felt relieved as Hana started to relax.

'I must have gotten the facial expression correct,' he thought. Hana's body began to tremble. He wasn't sure what to do so he held her tighter against him. "Do you need anything?"

Hana blushed as the arm around her waist tightened, pressing her as close as she could be.

"A drink of water would be nice," she answered. The arm around her waist disappeared for moment as Shuuhei reached into the saddlebag. The water was passed to her and she happily took a couple of sips before passing it back. She waited for Shuuhei to wrap his arm around her waist again, but he just took hold of the reigns. She was a little disappointed but wasn't sure why.

"If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask," he told her. She only nodded.

"We'll rest here for the night," Shuuhei said to the other samurai. They nodded and stopped their horses, quickly getting down and unloading the gear. Shuuhei got down and handed the reigns to Hana. "Stay here next to Lord Ieyasu. When everything is set up, I'll come back and get you both," he told her. She nodded.

"What do you think of Shuuhei?" Ieyasu asked when Shuuhei was out of earshot. Hana was startled.

"Wha-what do you mean?" she asked.

"I want to know your opinion of Shuuhei." Hana thought for a moment.

"He seems like a very good man. Strong, intelligent, kind, handsome." The smile Ieyasu aimed at her made her blush. "I probably shouldn't be saying this. I'm sure he has a lover." Ieyasu's smile widened.

"Quite the contrary. All the women at the palace are terrified of him. They all think he's handsome but say that he's too scary to get close to. You're the first to think otherwise," he replied. Hana frowned.

"How could they think that? He may be a bit serious, but scary? He's too kind to be scary."

"He doesn't treat other women the way I've seen him be with you just today. But then again, he always seems to get nervous around women."

"What are you trying to say, my lord?"

"Oh nothing, my dear. Nothing at all. I'm just an old man spouting nonsense," he laughed. Hana turned to watch Shuuhei as he and the other samurai set up the camp. He was more handsome than most of the men she'd met, even with his scars. She sighed, not realizing that he'd begun to walk toward her while she was lost in thought.

"Are you okay, Tsukino-san? You were staring at me strangely," Shuuhei said. Her face flushed in embarrassment at being caught.

"I'm perfectly fine. And I was not staring!" she said angrily. "Can't a woman get lost in thought?" Shuuhei was confused for a moment but shrugged it off. He helped Ieyasu off his horse and then moved to do the same for Hana. She took his hand but as she tried to swing her leg over Kazeshini's back, her other foot got stuck in the stirrup. She cried out and closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes, she was looking up into Shuuhei's face. Her cheeks warmed as she realized that she was in his arms.

"You need to be more careful," he chided, cheeks pink. She nodded and waited for him to put her down. When he didn't, she cleared her throat.

"You can put me down now," she said quietly.

"Oh. Right." He put her down and walked toward the others. He was completely confused by his own feelings. Having Hana in his arms and having her lay against his chest felt kind of…good. He didn't understand why he was feeling that way. It irritated him. He could tell that she was going to be a distraction that would get in the way of his duties. He shook his head to clear it and began building a fire.

"Shuuhei, could you go look for some more firewood? I fear that we don't have enough," Ieyasu said.

"Of course, my lord."

"And take Hana with you. An extra set of hands means you can bring back more wood." Shuuhei frowned, causing Ieyasu to chuckle to himself.

"Let's go, Tsukino-san," Shuuhei said curtly. He couldn't help the slight irritation that bubbled up in him. Hana frowned at his tone but followed him anyway. They got a little ways out into the forest when they suddenly heard rushing water. Hana looked around, trying to find the source.

"I'm going to find that river or whatever it is," she said and took off. She needed a little time away from the samurai and a swim seemed like a good way to clear her head.

"Tsukino-san, wait! It's dangerous!" Shuuhei called after her. She kept running and the sound of the water kept getting louder. She finally found it, a small waterfall with a pool at the bottom. She glanced around to make sure no one was around and quickly stripped off her kimono. She quickly climbed into the water and went under.

It was at that moment that Shuuhei found the waterfall. He was absolutely furious.

"Tsukino-san! Where the hell is that woman?" he growled. He hadn't been so angry since he was a kid. "Tsukino-san!" At that moment, Hana came bursting out the water with her back to him. He was so mad that he didn't even notice the fact that she was naked. He went over to the side of the pool and grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the water.

"What are you doing?" she yelled. Shuuhei ignored her and kept pulling her along. "Stop! LET GO OF ME!" she screamed and yanked her arm out of his grasp. He turned and froze as he stared at her. She was glaring daggers at him, her chest heaving. She grabbed her kimono and turned around to get dressed. When she was finished, she turned back to him. "What were you doing?"

"You shouldn't have run off like that. It's dangerous out here," he snapped, surprising himself.

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child!"

"Then don't act like one." That caused Hana to freeze.

"Let's just go get the firewood," she said coldly. Shuuhei didn't say anything, just headed back into the forest. They gathered up plenty of wood and made their way back to the camp. As Shuuhei added wood to the fire, Hana got out the leftover food from the feast that they'd taken with them. The tension was almost tangible.

"Is everything okay?" one of the samurai asked.

"Everything's fine," Shuuhei and Hana said together. Everyone sat in an uncomfortable silence until Hana bowed to Ieyasu.

"My lord, I must apologize, but I'm very tired. If you'll permit me, I'd like to rest," she said.

"Of course. Go ahead," Ieyasu replied. As soon as she was in her tent, the men sighed as the tension seemed to dissipate.

"What the hell is going on?" a blonde man asked.

"Absolutely nothing, Izuru," Shuuhei answered. Izuru frowned but said nothing.

"Clearly, something happened," Ieyasu said.

"I would rather not discuss it, my lord," Shuuhei replied. Ieyasu wasn't happy, but he let it go.

Hana had been laying in her tent, unable to sleep, for hours. She let out an angry sigh and got up. As she exited the tent, she noticed that Shuuhei was sitting by the fire, alone. He looked up at her as she sat on the opposite side of the fire.

"I'm sorry," they said at the same time. They smiled slightly at each other.

"I shouldn't have run off. I know you're supposed to protect me and you can't do that if I'm not with you," she said.

"I could have handled the situation better myself," he admitted. They were silent for a while.

"You're pretty young and you're already lord Ieyasu's personal guard. How did you do it?" she asked.

"I had a good teacher. Lord Ieyasu's previous personal guard found me when my village was destroyed by Nobunaga's men. My parents had been killed and I was sure that I was next. But then Kensei found me. He told me that men don't cry and if I wanted to get stronger, he'd teach me. Even though I was young, I knew that I had nothing left. I followed him and he took me to Lord Ieyasu's castle. From that day on, I trained with Kensei for six hours a day and I did chores around the castle," he explained. Hana's eyes were wide.

"Sounds awful," she murmured.

"It's what made me the man I am today."

"What happened to Kensei?"

"Kensei Muguruma died in battle against Nobunaga. It was the way he preferred. He was a great man and an honorable samurai." Hana smiled again.

"I can tell that he was just by the way you talk about him," she said. His cheeks turned pink. Having a woman smile at him like that made a good feeling bubble up inside him.

"How did you end up in Kita? The head elder said that you showed up in the village one day," he said. Hana's expression darkened.

"I don't want to talk about it," she replied coldly. Shuuhei frowned.

"Why?"

"I just don't."

"That doesn't seem fair. You asked about me and now I want-"

"I don't remember for sure," she interrupted. He fell silent. "I have these nightmares. A burning village, a woman with a face I can't see being decapitated, a little girl with my hairpin. I think they might be my memories but I don't remember anything before Kita. At least not for sure." Tears started sliding down her cheeks. "They're so real. And horrifying," she said quietly. Shuuhei, not knowing what to do, stayed silent. "You're the only one who knows." With that, she returned to her tent, unable to deal with the look of pity and confusion on Shuuhei's face.

The next morning, after breakfast and packing up the camp, Hana was back on Kazeshini with Shuuhei behind her. For some reason, she was now oddly conscious of him. She felt his chest rise and fall as he breathed. The smell of wood, metal, and something sweet that she couldn't name permeated her nose. It took her a moment to realize that it was Shuuhei's scent. Her talent for cooking was partially due to her sharp nose so she was surprised that this was the first time she noticed it. It was pleasant and somehow made her feel safe. She found herself staring at his hands. They were rough and covered in calluses. She found herself wondering what it would feel like to have those hands caress her. She shook the thought from her head as her face burned.

Shuuhei cocked an eyebrow as Hana shook her head. She'd been quiet all morning and he hadn't tried to start a conversation. He thought back to the previous night when she told him about her nightmares. He'd had the strong urge to hold her in his arms but, because his own feelings were confusing him, he didn't. Now, he figured that the position they were in at that moment would be as close as he would get.

"Hisagi-san?" He looked down and saw Hana looking up at him.

"What is it, Tsukino-san?" Her eyes were full of determination.

"Will you teach me how to use a sword when we get back to the capital? I know it's a selfish request. I also plan to ask Lord Ieyasu if you agree," she said.

"Why do you want to use a sword?" he asked.

"If Lord Ieyasu continues to take me on these trips, I can't always rely on you to protect me. I want to be able to fight for myself," she explained.

"A woman shouldn't use a sword."

"Don't give me that. I need to be able to defend myself. Even if you don't teach me, I'll find some way to learn," she said, anger creeping into her voice. She hated being treated like she was weak just because she was a woman.

"You're not going to give up?" She shook her head. "Fine. I'll teach you. But not the way I was taught. We'll practice for two hours a day, not six," he sighed. She beamed at him and he blushed.

"Thank you, Hisagi-san!" She was genuinely happy for the first time in a long time. Shuuhei frowned, upset with himself for actually agreeing. The look on her beautiful face had made it where he couldn't deny her. He sighed but was slightly content to know that he'd have a reason to see her every day once they returned to the capital.

"Ahh. I've missed Iga," Ieyasu sighed happily. Hana looked around eagerly.

"This is where the ninja used to live?" she asked.

"One section of them, at least," Shuuhei answered. "There were also the Kouga Ninja, the Hachisuka, and the Fuma."

"Wow."

"I made sure Shuuhei was well educated in areas other than the sword as well," Ieyasu told Hana with a wink. They rode up to a large house. Out front stood three teenage girls and a young boy that all looked almost identical. A stern-looking man and a smiling woman walked out of the house and joined them.

"Lord Ieyasu!" the woman called, waving.

"That's Hanzo Hattori, his wife Usagi, and their children," Shuuhei explained. Hana's eyes widened. As a child, she had heard the stories about Hanzo and even some about Usagi. They got off their horses and walked up to the family.

"Usagi, Hanzo, I would like to introduce Hana Tsukino. She's my new head cook," Ieyasu said. Hana bowed.

"It's an honor to meet you," Hana said. Usagi smiled.

"You don't need to be so formal. If you've managed to get Lord Ieyasu to like you this much, you're practically family," Usagi laughed. The oldest of the girls walked up to Shuuhei.

"Father says he married Mother when she was 15. I'm already 16. You should marry me soon," she said to him. Hana's eyes widened and she felt a pang of jealousy.

"I thought you said that women were afraid of Hisagi-san," Hana whispered to Ieyasu.

"Well, Ouka is not exactly what you'd consider a normal woman. She had her father's straight-forwardness and his deadpan attitude. It can be kind of disconcerting. She's also very attracted to strength. She's been after Shuuhei since I brought him here for the first time when they were children," Ieyasu answered. Hana frowned.

"How old is Hisagi-san exactly?" she asked.

"21," Ieyasu replied. "Why?"

"No particular reason," she huffed.

"Hana-chan! Lord Ieyasu! It's time for dinner," Usagi called. Ieyasu smiled to himself as he watched Hana angrily follow Shuuhei and Ouka into the house.

Hana stepped outside after she'd finished her meal. Darkness had fallen and a cool breeze blew. She was angry. At herself mostly, but also at Shuuhei and Ouka. Ouka had been by Shuuhei's side since they'd arrived and it was driving her crazy. It didn't help that Shuuhei hadn't even tried to shake the girl off. She was angry at herself for being jealous. There was no reason for her to be feeling that way. She had only met Shuuhei a couple of days ago. Ouka had known him since they were children. If they wanted to marry, Hana had no right to stand in their way. But she wanted to.

"You're not right for him. You know that, don't you?" a voice said behind her. Hana turned to find Ouka standing there.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Hana replied.

"Of course you do. I've sensed your anger since I first spoke to him. Shuuhei is a strong man. He deserves to have a strong woman at his side, a kunoichi like me. Not some cook who was tossed aside by her village," Ouka said. Fury burned through Hana.

"That's enough, Ouka," came a deep voice. Ouka turned to find Shuuhei behind her.

"I'm only telling the truth."

"I said that's enough. Don't speak about things that you know nothing about," he said, an angry edge to his voice.

"Whatever." Ouka walked past Shuuhei and into the house.

"I'm sorry," Shuuhei said.

"Why? It's not like I can stand between you two," Hana replied coldly. Shuuhei frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"If you want to marry her, you should." She started to walk past him but he grabbed her arm.

"I don't want to marry her," he said, getting more irritated. Hana scowled up at him.

"Why not? She's strong and she comes from a good family."

"I want to marry someone I actually love. She could be weak, sickly, and have no family, but I would still marry her if I loved her," he said somewhat loudly. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Well, you may want to tell Ouka that," she said, yanking her arm out of his grasp and walking into the house.

Shuuhei scowled as he practiced with his sword. Once again, he was angry because of Hana.

"Stupid woman," he growled. He was completely confused by her behavior towards him. There were times when she was sweet to him and then she would act coldly. She was the most confusing woman he'd ever met. "Make up your mind!"

"Having some problems?" Shuuhei pointed his sword at the voice. Hanzo held up his hands.

"Lord Hanzo! My apologies," Shuuhei said, bowing.

"You seem troubled," Hanzo said, straight to the point as always. Shuuhei sighed.

"Yes. I am very troubled," the young samurai replied.

"What troubles you?"

"Women." Hanzo chuckled quietly.

"Women are a trouble to all men, but they are a wonderful trouble to have," Hanzo said. "Come sit." Shuuhei followed Hanzo to the wood porch and sat next to him.

"I don't think it's wonderful. It's confusing, annoying, and it's interfering with my sleep. The next thing will be my duties."

"Tell me what's going on."

"We've only known each other for a few days. Lord Ieyasu has assigned me to be her personal guard for this trip so we're together every day. Sometimes, she acts very sweet and it causes me to feel things I haven't felt before. She's shared information about herself with me that she hasn't ever told anyone else. Other times, she acts coldly towards me. But I still wish to protect her. Not just because Lord Ieyasu ordered me to but for selfish reasons as well. I catch myself watching her," Shuuhei explained. His cheeks warmed as he thought about the time he saw her naked.

"Hmmm…sounds a bit like how I once was with Usagi," Hanzo replied thoughtfully. Shuuhei frowned.

"What are you implying, Lord Hanzo?"

"There's a chance that you have feelings for Hana but do not want to admit it. Have you ever been in love?" Hanzo asked.

"I've never even had a woman catch my eye before. My entire life has been devoted to the sword and protecting Lord Ieyasu," Shuuhei replied.

"But now one has. I wish you luck." With that, Hanzo returned to the house.

"That doesn't tell me how to fix this," Shuuhei muttered. He walked into the house and to the room he was supposed to be sharing with the other men. He opened the door to find all the men sprawled out across the floor. There wasn't a single space left for him. He frowned as he tried to figure out where to sleep. The only other rooms that had been prepared for them were Ieyasu's and Hana's rooms. It would be disrespectful to sleep in Ieyasu's room but he didn't actually want to share a room with Hana while he was feeling so confused. He eventually decided that Hana's room would have to do. He walked to her room and slowly slid open the door. Hana was tossing and turning in her sleep. Shuuhei quietly entered the room and Hana let out a whimper. Before he realized what he wasn't doing, he'd knelt beside her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, sleepy and confused.

"Hisagi-san? What are you doing in here?" she asked sleepily.

"The other men didn't leave a place for me to sleep. Do you mind if I stay in here?" he asked in returned. She yawned.

"There's only one futon here," she told him.

"I can sleep on the floor."

"No. It's a big futon," she said. She moved to one side and pulled back the blanket. Shuuhei felt himself blush as he climbed in next to her. He knew it was improper for a man and a woman who were not married to sleep in the same bed but he shoved the thought to the back of his mind. He lay with his back to her and felt her back pressed against his own. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."