"Kaya, I can cook. In fact, I always prepare breakfast for my brother and sisters, so I don't mind helping out here too." Sho made good her announcement by literally yanking the teakettle out of my hands.

"I don't mind cooking." I'd gotten used to making my own meals while living with Mitsuhide – granted it had started as self defense, but at least I got to control what went into the pot. "You're a personal maid, not a kitchen maid. Which, by the way, I have been, so I know what kind of work goes into that."

"And, as your personal maid, I've spent the last week trying to soften the callouses on your hands, so if you ruin them again, you'll only be making more work for me." With as much as skill over the fire as she had with my hair, she expertly finished my breakfast stirfry and slid it into a bowl. "There you go. Please eat it." She added something under her breath about people needing to appreciate her skills.

Since I sensed a teenage sulk approaching, I knelt at the table. "Only if you eat too." It felt weird eating while she watched me.

"I ate already." She put the wok in a deep bucket of water. Then she set another pot of water on the coals to heat up.

"I'm hungry." A third voice piped up, as all of a sudden the boy I had meet a couple weeks ago – Hiko - appeared at the top of the staircase. He trotted into the eating area. "Feed me, Sho."

They know each other?

Ok, yeah, I got the connection … Hiko worked for Shojumaru, who had been the one to recommend Sho to us.

"Hiko! You can't just walk into people's houses like this. Someone might get upset." She clasped her hands in front of her, and bowed – then bowed again. "Miss Kaya, please excuse my brother. He has forgotten his manners."

"The man downstairs said I could come up." Hiko tossed a small coin purse at Sho. "You forgot your money and I'm going to the docks with Shojumaru, so you were on my way." He plopped down at the table and eyed my almost empty plate. Sho sighed, but she found a jar of umboshi and poured some into a dish. Hiko reached for it, but Sho cuffed him on the back of the head and nodded her head toward me. Belated remembering his manners, Hiko jumped back up and bowed. "I'm Hiko."

I caught myself from reminding him that we had met already, since it was Katsu whom he had met. "Happy to meet you Master Hiko. I'm Kaya."

The hot water steamed and hissed, spitting a bit at the fire, and Sho dumped some of it in the bucket with the dirty dishes. "Thank you for bringing my coin purse. I planned to stop at the market later, so you saved me some embarrassment."

Hiko shrugged. "Well, you could always steal what you want."

Sho gasped and slapped her hand over his mouth. "Miss Kaya, he is telling a joke. We are not a family of theives."

Hoping to keep the information flowing, I just shrugged. "Wouldn't bother me if you were. People have to eat. Although I would rather you not steal from me – if you need something, just ask."

"There." Hiko mumbled around a mouthful of food. "I wish the Kaigoshu would see it that way."

"I haven't been in Sakai very long. Are the Kaigoshu really tough on thieves?" I knew they had set the prices and trade agreements, but aside from that, how much daily governance were they responsible for?

Hiko winked. "If you're caught."

"Which," Sho said as she set a cup of tea in front of him, "you were."

"But that worked out." Hiko turned back to me. "Before I knew him, I tried to steal Shojumaru's money. He grabbed my arm so fast I thought he was going to tear it right off. Figured that would be the end of me-"

"I was prepared to plead for his life for a week if it was necessary," Sho added.

"Was it?" I could imagine the beautiful young Sho might be a convincing advocate, though that could be as dangerous to her as it was for Hiko to steal to begin with.

"I didn't need to. Shojumaru offered Hiko work." She sighed happily as a dreamy look came across her face – the kind of look that wouldn't be out of place on a girl her age at a K-pop concert. "And when he found out about the rest of us, he sent us some sweets!"

Huh. That didn't jive with Shojumaru importing illegal weapons (potentially) but maybe this was a diversion. Or maybe he was truly innocent.

Or maybe, like Mitsuhide, like me – these things were all true and not a contradiction at all. I was both a courier and a (faux) courtesan. I could be both snarky and nice, depending on the company and whether or not they deserved my niceness. Mitsuhide did not deserve it, but it might be… ok, it would be sensible to learn more about him and what makes him tick.

Locks… locks make him tick.

Aaaaaand, more importantly, I should listen to the conversations going on in front of me rather than daydreaming, or risk missing important information.

"I wish I could go with you today. Shojumaru always seems so exciting when he's striding around on the docks. Commanding. Powerful." Sho had that 'teenage dream' look on her face again.

"Don't be an idiot." Speaking of facets, Hiko's mood turned sour and he suddenly seemed much older than ten. "Shojumaru is the same wherever he is."

"Yes, but in sunlight. It's like he's being kissed by the Gods." She sighed.

"Stop it, Sho." With a scowl, Hiko pushed away his food. "You shouldn't go there alone."

"We could… all go. Not to get in your way." I hurried to assure Hiko that I meant no harm. "But Sho said she wanted to go shopping, so we can walk you there, watch the ships for a moment, then continue on to the market."

Sho brightened for a moment, then shook her head. "Master Kyubei might not like it. He said you needed to be exquisite tonight."

Well, she didn't have to sound like it would take her hours to turn me into an exquisite creature. "As it happens, I broke one of my hairsticks last night and I need to buy new ones. Kyubei knows. He was there when it happened."

"How did you manage to-" She looked at her younger brother and backtracked.

What exactly did she think we were doing with the hairstick?

"They can be fragile." Especially if you jam them into a lock. I felt warm all over thinking about last night's lesson.

Sho giggled. "Alright. Master Kyubei said he would give me money for any accessories you might need." She hefted the purse Hiko had brought her. "So if we make it fast, we can do this."

Really? He offers Sho an expense account, but not me?

The fourth thing I hate about Mitsuhide. He doesn't trust me.

Unfortunately, asking for forgiveness and not permission only works if you are caught returning from an excursion, and not leaving on one. Granted, Mitshide had no need to work very hard to catch us when we trooped down the stairs en masse – especially as Hiko seemed to have only two speeds when in motion. Fast and faster.

Before we could exit the premises, Mitsuhide called to us. "And where might we be going?" He oozed over to our group and made minute adjustments to my clothing, as if his only care was how my looks would reflect upon him.

Wanting to get ahead of the news cycle (so to speak), I jumped in before the kids could. "Sho needs to find something to help with my hair since I broke a hairstick last night." Just for him, I added a 'don't stop me' smile. "Hiko, her brother, is escorting us, before going on to the dock to meet his employer, Shojumaru." Hopefully he would (a) understand that I wanted to question the two of them, and (b) not offer to join us. I knew both of the kids would be more open to subtle questioning if it were just me.

"I don't like the idea of someone as delicate and lovely as you wandering around in full view of foreigners and rough sailors." He made an adjustment to my shawl, arranging it so I was more covered. Apparently 'Kyubei' is a yandere.

"We won't be going that close," I said, noting Sho's look of disappointment at those words.

After pretending to think it over (or, well, he probably was internally thinking it over as himself too) Mitsuhide he reached into his kimono and pulled out his coin bag. "Buy something pretty for yourself."

Ok. Possessive and indulgent is how we're playing this today. Knowing a cue when I heard one, I bowed to him. "Thank you, Master Kyubei."

He leaned in and placed a very theatrical kiss on my forehead. Then he ruined it by adding, "Be sure to take Sho's advice. She understands what will suit you."

What really sucked was that… he was probably correct. Sho has exquisite taste, if what she was currenting wearing – a simple kimono the color of the sunset over the ocean – was anything to judge by. I refused to dignify that with a 'yes sir' so I nodded slightly to let him know I heard him, then hurried to follow the other two into the bright morning sunshine.

While Hiko ran ahead of us - he would pause every so often to allow us to catch up, then immediately run ahead again, I strolled with Sho at a more leisurely pace, pretending to take in the area. "Have you lived in Sakai all your life?"

"No. We lived in the mountains in the Hida area – our father was killed in a mining accident and my mother thought to move us to live with her brother, who is a fisherman here in Sakai." Sho kicked a stone out of her path with unnecessary force.

"Thought to? I take it he was less than pleased with a sudden influx of family?" What was it that Sho had said earlier? She had four other sisters?

"He said he had no room for all of us. Hiko, he was willing to keep because he could help him on the boats, but-" She bit her lip and seemed so upset that I chose not to ask further. I patted her shoulder instead. With a sad smile she continued. "He had a friend – an old man - who was willing to pay for me. Hiko put a stop to that… and well, that was the end of any of us living there. If it wasn't for Master Shojumaru, I don't know where we would be living. Oh. And of course, my working for Master Kyubei and you now."

The way she'd tacked that on as an afterthought made me again suspect she was spying on us for Shojumaru. Give that she also seemed to have a crush on the man, she probably hadn't needed much convincing to-

Hang on.

Since we'd left Mitsuhide's townhouse, someone had been walking a few paces behind us. I hadn't thought much of it at first. Sakai is fairly big, and the middle of town basically leads everywhere. But as Hiko led us down to the waterfront, I noticed that our follower had not turned down another street, or gone into a shop.

So. We were being followed. The question was, who? And why?

No time like the present to find out.

I accidentally on purpose dropped the coin bag that Mitsuhide had given me. When I knelt to pick it up, I grabbed a fast look behind me, long enough to identify our stalker.

Tall… elegant… carrying a colorful rice paper umbrella in one hand, and a fan in the other.

Yoshimoto.

Specifically, Yoshimoto being not at all inconspicuous between that umbrella and a bright kimono. He was… so not good at this. No wonder I had spotted him.

Well, if he wanted to follow us, it had probably been at Sasuke's request, and if he had a message to pass along, there would be plenty of opportunity to 'encounter me' at when we went to the open air market.

He continued to keep pace with us down to the harbor, where he stood with his fan open and the umbrella half-hiding his face. Hiko, meanwhile, said goodbye to us, then scrambled down to a dock where Shojumaru was already waiting for him. Next to me, Sho sighed the sigh of a Disney Princess about to go off into a musical monologue, and I half-expected the sea birds to provide a chorus behind her. "He's so beautiful. Don't you think so, Miss Kaya?"

It was true that Shojumaru appeared to be in his element as he strolled along the dock, the breeze ruffling his white hair. He looked more comfortable out here anyway. "He seems to fit the setting. Um, I mean, he looks like he's enjoying himself, which is more attractive than bored."

Though Hiko had clearly dismissed us for the day, Sho propelled us closer to the dock. I wouldn't exactly say that she dragged me down there, for I was willing to learn more about the man, but if I had planted my feet on the ground and refused to move, I bet she would have had the strength to yank me further.

Such is the power of young love.

Since he either hadn't noticed her (or was pretending not to), Sho called to him. "Master Shojumaru!"

Ow. Ok. Does anyone know where I can find an eardrum repair service?

He didn't respond to her shriek. He had to be deaf, for she had hit a decibel level and pitch that prior to that moment had only been reached by sea birds fighting over scraps of food.

"Master Shojumaru!" That one was even louder. He couldn't possible ignore that without appearing rude.

He chose option B (appear rude) and strode further along the dock without a backward glance. Beside me, Sho slumped in disappointment. I would have tried to cheer her up, but something curious was happening. A rowboat approached the dock, carrying sailors from a ship anchored off shore. Not a merchant vessel, but an atakebune – a warship. The sailors seemed to know Shojumaru, for they were waving at him. Odd, but not completely out of the question for a merchant to be on good relations with a naval vessel. He could have hired them to protect his trading ships.

Unfortunately the ship wasn't flying any banners so I had no idea if there was a clan association, or if they were mercenaries.

An old man climbed out of the rowboat, and bowed to Shojumaru deferentially. "Who is that?"

"I don't know. I don't get to come down here very often, and when I do, Shojumaru hardly talks to me." She pouted for a moment, and then upgraded her teenage moodiness programing by applying the random act of tears patch.

Wow. Ok. She's a beautiful crier.

However, this was not the place for hysterics, so I wrapped my arm in hers and led her away from the docks, out of the path of any witnesses (aside from Yoshimoto, who had, of course, glided after us in his swanlike Yoshimoto way).

"What's wrong?" The tears seemed excessive. Although what did I know? I'd never had a severe crush when I was her age (Ironman doesn't count).

I glanced over my shoulder, at where Yoshimoto was still lurking. He gave a little nod toward Sho, as if to ask if I needed help. I shook my head. Whatever this was, seemed like it could probably be handled by girl talk.

She beautifully dabbed at her eyes with a creamy hand towel. "It's my own fault that he hardly talks to me." Sniffle. Single tear. "I was so grateful that he rescued us that I greeted him in his bed."

Oh hell. If Shojumaru had taken advantage of this kid, then disguise or no disguise, I was going to hunt him down and dismember him. I rubbed her back. "What did he do?"

"When I tried to embrace him, he looked horrified and he pushed me away!" Sho seemed to be at least trying to keep her voice down, but I suspected that Yoshimoto was still close enough to overhear.

Ok. The rejection was a little over the top, but at least he hadn't taken this very young girl up on the offer. "Did he say anything?" I still wasn't sure what to make of Shojumaru, but at least I could cross "takes advantage of underage girls" off the list of potential crimes. And, yes, I knew that in this time period, Sho wasn't underage – there were no laws governing this, and at sixteen many girls of the warrior class would already be married. But even though I lived in the Sengoku, my brain grew up in modern Japan, and to me, Sho just seemed too young.

"Only that he had no need of a concubine, and if he wanted pleasure for a night, he knew where he could find a woman of experience." She abandoned delicacy and blew her nose in the hand towel. "He didn't have to be so mean about it!"

"No. He could have chosen his words more carefully." I tried to figure out more careful words myself. "Maybe he meant that he didn't want the good deed he had done for your family to become a transaction?"

That was the moment when Yoshimoto decided to enter our conversation. "I agree with the lady." Yoshimoto bowed to me. "A good deed needs no reward and you giving your innocence to him would have negated the act."

Sho clapped her hands to her face, in obvious horror at being overheard, but Yoshimoto continued to smile at her. His own attractiveness seemed to guide her past her initial embarrassment. "My apologies Princess. I could not help drawing closer to your beauty, and once I was near, like a moth to flame, I could not stay away, even as I rudely listened to your conversation."

Geez Yoshimoto. There's a concept called punctuation. Look into it.

"I'm not a Princess," was all that Sho managed to say, even as in the back of my mind, my brain added 'hime' to her name, and it seemed so appropriate, that I couldn't shake it.

Yoshimoto swept a grand European style bow over her hand. "Every girl is a Princess to someone. Imagawa Yoshimoto."

Seeing that she had lost her power of speech, I supplied her name to him, then added, "I'm Kaya," since I wasn't certain if Sasuke had given Yoshimoto my current alias.

"Two beautiful flowers of Sakai. Would you brighten my day and allow me to escort you to wherever you plan to go?" When I informed him that we were headed to the temporary stalls set up by the traveling merchants he pronounced himself thrilled as that had been his destination as well. From what I know of Yoshimoto it probably had been.

We made our way toward the outskirts of Sakai, where the merchants were set up along the interior of the city wall. Along the way Yoshimoto kept up a steady stream of light flirtation designed to balm a hurt teenage ego. It wasn't until we reached a stall selling feminine accessories that Sho gave in to exploring the wares, and Yoshimoto and I had a moment to chat.

"That was kind of you." I watched as Yoshimoto held a silk handkerchief up to the light. "And possibly kind of Shojumaru as well."

"I've little experience with him, though I once saw him conversing with an agent of Yoshiaki, which does not speak well of him." He folded up the handkerchief as neatly, more neatly in fact, than it had been and picked up another.

"The deposed Shogun?" OK that was interesting. "Are they allies?"

"Yoshiaki doesn't have allies. Only pawns." He shook his head. "I have little time, and I doubt Yoshiaki is your objective. Sasuke said that your father is missing. Yoshiaki is more concerned with returning to power, and I cannot see a connection between him and one missing man."

Would he go so far as to kidnap Mai and Hideyoshi, though? It seemed that Sasuke had not told him about that part of it. "I'm not ruling out anything yet, although who knows where our search will lead. Do you have a message from Sasuke?"

"After you left, Kaya," he gave me a significant look, indicating that he had finally realized (or been told) that 'Katsu' was as much of a disguise as 'Kaya' was, "Sasuke did some research and he thinks he's pinpointed dates and locations where there will be events that should allow you to return to your home… village."

Ah. So Yoshimoto also knew about the time travel. He handed me a paper, which appeared to list dates, and either 'Honno-ji' or 'Togakushi.' Wow. Apparently, a moderately awesome ninja got no sleep that night. I would probably need to memorize this as I doubted I could figure out a hiding place that Mitsuhide wouldn't find. Unless I kept it tucked in my kimono – he wouldn't dare scout around in that, although the idea of him trying made me feel— nope! "Thank you." I put the letter in my obi for the time being.

"And though Sasuke didn't think to ask, I will. Are you safe in your situation? The man you were with the other day seemed rather cruel." He reached toward me, then stopped, his hand frozen in the air, before redirecting, and plucking a chrysanthemum from a flower vendor. "Though some call me a paper prince, I have enough resources to protect you, if that is your wish."

"I'm fine. The man's attitude is as much of a necessary disguise as these clothes." I was less clear on why Mitsuhide had chosen that particular persona. "In private, our relationship is far more businesslike. Um, I mean, we're stuck working together, but at home he mostly ignores me." Which was a slight exaggeration, as I had been the one to initiate the ignoring, but I didn't need Yoshimoto hanging around the machiya and cluttering up our investigation. (Although he would be beautiful clutter.)

Was I making light of the situation? Mitsuhide had purchased me. Technically, legally, I was his to do with as he pleased. But I didn't feel like I was a prisoner. Not exactly. If I truly felt the need to escape, I would have found a way. Heck, if I had been desperate, I would have returned to modern Japan with Sasuke.

"Though that is a relief to hear, I cannot trouble believe that anyone would wish to ignore you. You are far too lovely to languish unseen." Yoshimoto's co-spy persona was dropped in favor of the flirtatious prince I had met the other day.

I glanced over at Sho to make sure she still wasn't listening. "No languishing happening here. I don't like him. He doesn't like me either. But we are each other's best chance at achieving our goals."

"Ah." Yoshimoto was silent a long moment, during which he shred the few petals from his stolen flower. "I suppose I have been in similar situations. Necessity makes for uncomfortable alliances. My cousin, in face, is allied with a man he has gone to war with on eleven prior occasions." He tossed the flower merchant a coin, then tucked the remains of the chrysanthemum in his sash. "They claim it is temporary."

"As is my situation. A temporary alliance." Once I have found Aki, and Mitsuhide has located his friends, we'll happily go our separate ways. And if I am lucky, I will never encounter him again.

Yoshimoto looked at my face for a while before nodding. "If you are certain." He looked past me as his expression flipped from sincere to acquisitiveness. "That bowl is exquisite. I must have it."

Conversation over, Yoshimoto flitted over to a craftsman's stall.

"You look lovely Miss Kaya." Sho stepped back, comb still in her hand, with the attitude of an Olympic athlete who has just finished a marathon. Apparently getting me to the point of "lovely" took serious effort.

"Thank you, Sho." I reached up to pat my hair, which apparently was in a complicated bundle of knots, and she diverted my hand just in time. "Uh. I will take your word for it."

I didn't own a mirror, as space was more important than vanity when you spend much of your time crossing the country on horseback. I could at least tell that the kimono, one of the first ones I had ever owned that was made specifically for me, a lovely pale blue with tiny pink (sigh) flowers and butterflies dyed on it, seemed to fit me in all the correct places.

"She is acceptable." In his Kyubei wig and attitude, Mitsuhide stood at the doorway. He also was dressed in an expensive looking formal kimono, with gold and silver embroidery making it look like he was wearing precious metal – probably exactly the effect he was going for. "That is all we will need from you today, Sho. It will be late when we return."

Sho bowed to both of us, then in moments I could hear her feet lightly pattering down the stairs as she made her escape in order to enjoy a the extra time off.

Mitsuhide waited until we heard the door rattle as she left the building. "That is a very talented maid."

"She seems to enjoy the work." I picked up the shawl she had set out and hung it over my shoulders. Mitsuhide immediately adjusted the way it draped. Of course. "By the way, apparently Shojumaru saved her whole family from starvation and homelessness, so if it turns out he is our villain, her loyalty and affection is to him. Oh and also-"

Mitsuhide held up his hand. "One thing at a time, brat. You may tell me in the palanquin on the way to the shrine."

Palanquin?

A box?

We're travelling in a box?

Oh no no no no.

"Can we not walk? Or ride?" I ignored the hand he extended to me.

"Kyubei would not." He gave me one those looks he generally reserved for when he was 'in charge' and expecting his orders to be followed.

"Kyubei can have the tiny box. How about this? He can force Kaya to walk beside it… and really, those things are only made for one person. It's not fair to the men carrying it to have two people and – hey!" Mitsuhide had gotten tired of my protests and had simply hauled me to my feet.

"Your weight is negligible." He propelled me out of the room, just as easily as Sho had dragged me to the docks earlier.