Kazuma's POV:-

A simple way of stating how I felt was 'overwhelmed'. When I used to imagine what I would return to when I came back,a few things were always the same in my head, such as ,Ayano trying to kill me with enrhiha the second she saw me...,Ren not trying to kill me with enrhiha ...,Ayano being the kannagi heir...,Ren not being the kannagi heir...,and so for some reason ,everything I just thought of was wrong .Sure ,Ren didn't try to kill me ,but I could feel the anger fuel him.

After the revealing of the new heir, Ren calmed down and accepted me as his partner...before quickly correcting himself and accepting me as his bodyguard.

Kirika got a call and left after informing me that I was still partially employed by her division and welcoming me back.

Dad informed me that he was wasting his time sitting here and then left to do some work after excusing himself.

When the clock struck 4,Ren leaped up from his seat, asked permission to leave for training, hugged me really,REALLY hard (Dang,he's really grown)while telling me how happy he was that I was back and then left as well.

Leaving me and Jugo alone.I have never been more scared of a kannagi than I was right then,...not counting the days I spent being terrified of them as they brutally tortured me of course,...actually even then.

"Kazuma .."

I looked into his eyes ,they looked weary and tired. He actually looked his age.

"..I assume that you have questions."

I knew that he would understand ,so I asked the question that's been haunting me since I first saw Ayano's pain-filled eyes.

"Was it because of me?"

As I thought ,he understood perfectly .After all he knew about how I felt before even I did.

"Kazuma ,though you leaving did hurt her, the way she is now is not that different from the way she was before your arrival."

"What ...the heck do you mean by that?"

Jugo gave a sigh before he looked me in the eyes , mentally telling me to calm down and listen...which was very insulting ,because given the circumstances I thought I was very calm.

"Kazuma, Do you remember the fight between you and Ayano over enrhiha?"

I simply nodded.

"Do you remember how she was during that time?"

I thought back to the day where my life changed forever. I remembered that day perfectly. I remember looking into those cold ,lifeless eyes as they looked at me with no emotion at all in them as the flames surrounded me ,burning my flesh .How had I never realised it before ? the difference between those cold eyes and the fire that was in them when we met again.

Jugo could tell that I had come to a realisation and he continued to speak .

"Ayano never wanted to be a heiress ..."

My eyes shot up but he just continued talking as if he was telling a story.

"...she never told me that as she feared it would upset me ,...but"

His lips quivered a bit ,but he kept going.

"Ayano and her mother were very close .She would tell her everything and Kushina ,Ayano's mother never kept anything from me. We were not a perfect family, due to my responsibilities as the head ,I was always busy and due to your lack of en-jutsu abilities, Ayano's position as the heir was pre-decided long before it was supposed to. Because of that ,she was forced to undergo training that she was much too young for... but she would do it anyway,she would do it so that she could become stronger and protect everyone ...,that was her goal and she strived for it .But..."

His voice grew darker as his face twisted in shame and anger.

"...that was not what the the kannagi elders wanted ,they wanted a weapon and Ayano's inner talent and high perseverance made her seem like a wish come true..."

My fists clenched as I took in what he was saying.I wanted to believe that he was lying but I knew personally how selfish and heartless the clan was in their lust for power.

"..I myself ..only..found out ...about ..what ...happened,two .years..ago...When Kirika told me"

" Jugo?"

He sighed again ,in pain and regret. But what he regretted ,I did not know.

"Kazuma ,All I can and will tell you is that Kushina would protect Ayano from the greedy members of the clan...But 7 months before the fight ,Kushina... left us ...permanently ."

My breath caught in my throat .'those eyes'.I recalled the way she looked as she burned me.

"Though the flames surrounded me,At one instant ,when I compared it to the way my cousins would torture me, it was nothing and the next ,I felt like I was about to get killed ,then it would reduce again. It still hurt ,but it was like she was trying to stop herself from making me suffer"

Jugo chuckled .(Glad to hear my past pain amuses him).

"She probably held a selfish grudge against you for not fighting back and surrendering so quickly and was trying not to fry you for it, you see ,her initial plan was to lose the fight on purpose , but you surrendering so fast ruined it for her. She said that if you had only charged at her with a fist, she would have pretended to be scared and have dropped the fight.

"...I feel very pathetic right now"

A laugh ,sure it was a strained one but I could tell that the tension in the air had been cleared.

"The events that occurred after Kushina ...left..."

I could tell that it was hard for him to talk about it. His lips never stopped quivering.

"...were kept from me...by Ayano"

"Are you sure Jugo? Ayano doesn't seem like the kind that would lie to her father"

A smile crept upon his face ,as if he was relishing in some secret amusement .

"Ah! Kazuma ,I said that she kept it from me ,not that she lied to me. That's just a trick Ayano seems to have inherited."

I didn't ask who she inherited it from ,didn't want to risk bringing up her mom again.

"..So...what happened?"

He took a sip of his tea while carefully choosing his words . Shame, regret and self-loathing could be heard in every word.

" As I mentioned , I was a very busy man . Not that that would in any way justify as an excuse... When Ayano's mother ...left ,there was no one she could be free around , no one who would treat her as Ayano and not as the kannagi heiress and though it pains me to say this ,I wasn't there for her either. The work had suddenly increased and I had practically no time at all. I had guessed that it was planned by the clan elders to keep me away from her,... But instead of confronting anyone I waited,...I waited for anything or anyone to even hint at a problem,...but nothing came. I would see Ayano return home with injuries so severe ...but never once did she complain to me or accuse the clan and when I would ask her. She would just tell me that she got injured training or that she fell and so on...But they were just half-truths."

"What are you saying? That Ayano was targeted by the clan elders?"

I felt my anger rise and fought to regain my clam .., a fight that I was losing very badly.

" What I'm saying Kazuma..."

I looked at him with impatience .Didn't he say that Kirika told him what happened ?TELL ME , DANG IT.

" ...is that I was unaware of what took place at that time and in a way... I abandoned my daughter when she needed me the most"

The way he said that ,it was as if he had just told me something very important , but wha... Oh!. Jugo then continued, and what he said confirmed my realisation.

" Kazuma , If I remember correctly , Ayano had mentioned that she wanted your help for something the day before your last day with us. No offence, but for her to ask you, she must have been desperate."

"Yeah, I was surprised too , but before she could ask I got a phone call I had to take so she said that she would ask me the next day...but she never got the chance before I called in sick that day."which she knows was a lie. Jugo nodded.

" And the day after that..."

" ...I had left...without telling her".

'So in short...'I put my hands over my eyes and fell back flat on the floor with a groan as Jugo averted his eyes.'... I abandoned Ayano the one time she her-self actually needed me.