[Enju's POV]
While I was on my way investigating the estate Goemon was aiming next, I saw a suspicious man following a pair of two men. From the pair of two, one seemed to be a subordinate of the other.
I decided to follow them and see if I could get any information about the Goemon case. I saw them walked to somewhere secluded so I trailed them behind.
The pair of two separated suddenly, and hastily, the suspicious man was about to strike the one man standing in the middle of the road with a knife.
"!"
Since I couldn't bear the sight of seeing anyone get hurt, I threw a shuriken towards the knife out of reflex to block his attack. But right before my shuriken hit the knife, another man from the pair of two already stood there and protected his superior. The man shot me a dangerous glance. I could feel my body shivered by his gaze.
After the subordinate caught the suspicious man who attempted to attack the his superior, he walked towards my direction and quickly pushed me onto the ground.
My face hit the hard concrete. It was hurtful, but I endured the pain and was thinking about how I could escape from this situation.
"Don't move."
He warned while starting to tie my hands around my back. I felt his gaze staring at me intensely.
His arms were so strong, so it would be pointless for me to resist anyway.
As I faced downwards the ground, the smell of grass went into my nostrils. My lips were almost touching it.
I did feel scared of this man, but my mind was calm because I believed I didn't do anything bad to them. I just wanted to protect the man after all. Though, it would be a difficult task for me to explain myself without revealing my identity...
"...I see. You don't resist. Seems you know your place quite well."
The man said plainly.
"..."
I didn't show any signs of answering him.
"Wait..!"
I heard a familiar voice. Even though I couldn't raise my head to look at the person, I could always tell just from hearing his voice.
I felt a sense of security immediately.
The man behind me loosened his grip.
"Choujirou...?"
He questioned. From his tone, it seemed he felt quite shocked about this.
"Please let her go, she is my student."
I heard him said.
Am I causing niisama trouble again?
...I hate myself.
The man lifted me up so my head was facing the front. I then stood up slowly. I could already tell some parts of my face was stuck with grass.
...There must be so much dirt on my face right now.
In front of me, it was niisama. He was bowing to the man while keeping his eyes shut.
I lowered my head while walking slowly towards his direction, I stood next to him, not saying anything.
After he knew I was beside him, he took a small glance towards me. Then he looked back to the front.
"Sorry for causing you trouble, Hanzō-sama."
Niisama apologised. Seeing him bowed again, I lowered my head to the pair of two men.
...But I could not resist myself from talking back to them. After all, it wasn't niisama's fault.
My hands turned into fists, they were shaking. But still, I lifted my head up slowly and retorted.
"Niisama didn't do anything wrong. It was all because of my doing, so please, if anything, I should be the one to apologise, but not him."
I then bowed deeply.
"...!"
Niisama kept having his head lowered down, but he grasped my hand and gave it a tight tug. The warmth of his hand felt "home" and his heat slowly spread towards mine. From his touch, I felt as if he was assuring me it was okay.
"...Girl, Chōjirō is apologising because he didn't teach you well enough for you to cause trouble to us. Can't you understand something as simple as that?"
"!"
I gulped at this words.
"Chōjirō. You too. I can't believe you taught your students this terribly. The quality of your disciples must have been lowered nowadays."
"...?!"
How much more shameless can I be? I am putting even more shame on niisama now. I made him apologised to these men just because of my ignorance and inexperience.
However, niisama held my slightly shivering fist and caressed the back of my hand with his thumb. He used his thumb to rub it gently, back and forth.
...I wonder what kind of feeling this is. My heart flutters every time he touches me. His small warmth sipped through my heart.
"Please lift your heads up. Come on Hanzō, don't stare at them like that."
The other man smiled.
"..."
We did as he told. I then looked at niisama with an apologetic expression and pursed my lips from shaking. I could even feel the tears that were filling up my eyes.
"..."
He then looked at me with a... strange expression. His eyes were slightly widened, maybe slightly shocked. But his other facial movements remained the same, it was just that he parted his lips and closed them again in a second.
"Since you are here, it must mean you are currently undertaking a mission. What's your objective in this, Chōjirō?"
The man named Hanzō asked him seriously.
Niisama looked towards his front again, the slight facial movements he showed me before were all vanished into thin air. Just like his usual emotionless, "work-mode" expression.
"Since it is a mission, unfortunately I cannot tell you my objectives, Hanzō-sama."
"What?"
"Don't be like that Hanzō~ You know shinobis can't tell their missions to others right? Don't push them."
The other man said.
"...Understood."
After our encounter of meeting them, we felt extremely shocked that the man was Lord Ieyasu, Ieyasu Tokugawa. He and his greatest shinobi, Hanzō Hattori arrived at Kyō as they wanted to investigate this place thoroughly before attending here as one of the Gotairō. Gotairō were the Council of Five Elders, the people who would take over the Lord's position in the future when he died. They were all chosen by the current lord, Hideyoshi Toyotomi.
I was also surprised that we saw the greatest shinobi today, Hanzō Hattori. And that he was niisama's acquaintance. I wanted to ask niisama more about it, but... I just felt so much shame of myself today.
I hate myself.
"I am so sorry for earlier, niisama."
I hate myself for always apologising, as if instead of apologies, I can't do anything but to cause burden to niisama.
"No... it is your personality to help people after all. I just don't recommend you to use your emotions when you are in the middle of a mission. Or else there would be other times like this."
Aa, see. He is fed up of me too.
"I must act crueller then. Because I want to become a great professional shinobi."
Like you, niisama.
"...If you aim for that path, yes, you indeed need to train yourself like that.."
Niisama spoke each sentence with hesitation, as if he wasn't sure of himself, which was unusual.
"Though, I like you acting yourself more..."
He stated quietly.
"...?"
"Ah, don't put so much thought to my words. Just concentrate on your objectives when you are in a mission. Do not care other meaningless things."
"...And Enju."
He stopped on his tracks in the middle of the secluded alley.
He looked at me, but I was lowering my head as I felt so much shame on myself. I felt something warm and wet forming in the corner of my eyes.
I embarrassed niisama today. I am really so immature as a shinobi... I have been training myself so hard but still I am so useless. I even made nii-
His hand landed on my head again.
"Don't be upset."
He slowly lifted my chin up with his hand in a gentle manner.
"!"
I immediately attempted to hide my face. I didn't want niisama of all people to see me like this.
"Aa!"
I slapped his hand away out of reflex.
"!"
Niisama stood there with his hand still in the air, the area I just slapped to. He didn't move, but he seemed to be slightly shocked.
"!!! S-sorry!"
"..."
"Niisama, I-"
"?!!"
He lifted up my face with both of his hands with force this time and looked straight into my eyes.
"!!"
I immediately shut my eyes.
I can't! I can't let him look at me like this now...!
But the adrenaline flowed through my body just wouldn't listen to me, it triggered my tears even more. Even how hard I was trying to close my eyes, a tear slipped out from my eye.
Even though how strong I knew niisama was, even though how futile I knew it would be if I tried to resist against his strong hands, I did that just to hope there would be a rare chance which I could win over his power.
"..."
And of course, I failed. His strong hands were still gripping mine. He didn't even seem to use much strength to hold my face in place.
He raised his thumb and wiped my tear away silently. Then, he rubbed my cheeks that were still stuck with a few strands of grass and dirt.
I finally stopped my meaningless resistance and let him do as he pleased, my arms fell back to my sides.
But I remained my eyes closed.
He stopped his movements.
Then, suddenly. He lifted me up bridal-style with his muscular strong arms.
I immediately opened my eyes with shock with some of my tears flew to the air.
"W-what are you..."
"Finally, you opened your eyes."
He said that calmly as he held me inside his arms while stopping in the middle of the secluded alley.
"Don't... look at me. Please."
"As expected. Enju, you are ...ble."
He muttered something more, but I couldn't quite catch them. Unexpectedly, his voice and eyes were so soft.
"Niisama, I am so sorry for today. I am really sorry!"
I apologised again.
"Please, let me go now."
He let go one of his arms, so that he was lifting me up with only his other arm.
His other hand reached to his face, starting to untie the purple rope around his neck and released his black hood.
"?"
He then put it over my face.
"This would do, right, Enju?"
"?!"
"No one will look at you then."
"But! I don't want YOU to look at me! Niisama!"
"I am not looking at you now."
Despite how much I hit him inside his embrace, I couldn't see anything because of the hood and he wouldn't let me down.
"You seem quite rebellious today. Are you not listening to your teacher anymore?"
Nonsense.
He started to walk.
"Everyone would ask what happened we went back to our headquarters like this! Please let me down!"
"Don't worry. We are not going back to the headquarters."
"Ha...?"
I could not fathom his intentions at all.
"We are here, Enju."
Niisama lifted up the black hoodie from my face. I looked at him with big watery eyes while pouting at him.
"..."
He was lost for his words again.
I wonder, why he is making this expression again now.Hischeeks are slightly red. Is he getting too hot because of carrying me?
"Where... are we...? Nii..sama."
I stuttered, somehow.
"...the riverside, away from our headquarters. Now come, sit beside me."
He lifted me down so that my feet touched the ground.
"Hai."
We sat near the riverside.
"Is there anything you want to say?"
"Nothing in particular."
"Then why did you bring me here?"
"..."
He paused for a moment before he answered.
"...I thought you might calm down more if you are here. This is a nice sky view. A great sight with the small river. It shall make you feel more relaxed."
"...Thank you."
I answered softly.
"..."
Though, it didn't seem he would talk to me anymore after that.
I was used to this already. Niisama and I. We only ever talked about things related to missions. Our conversations never lasted long.
So I decided. If that was the case, I would talk more to him then.
"Someday, I would like to visit the big ocean."
I looked at the small river in front of me. The wind caressing my cheeks felt gentle and soft.
"I have seen it during a few times in my missions. When I saw it the first time, I thought you would like it too."
"..."
Did he think about me... when he was carrying out his missions? I never knew that.
He turned his head to the right and looked at me with a rare, gentle gaze. His emerald eyes softened, it was as if they were smiling at me...
"If you get better at accomplishing your missions, I will bring you there someday. During one of our missions. In the future."
"Our" missions...?
"R..really?"
"Aa."
He turned his head back to the front.
"Have you relaxed a little?"
"Yes."
"What happened earlier... I am really not bothered about it, Enju."
"...Mm."
"So please don't be bothered about it too."
"...M..m."
He patted my head again.
As I looked up to see his face, I smiled at him while enjoying the pats he gave me. He looked gentle and unusual today.