Haru stood at his post, at the doorway inside the inner chambers of the client's wife. Yudao was supposed to be patrolling the wing, but last time Haru went looking for him, he was playing dice with one of the stable boys. The duo had met with a small slip of a man the previous day who had handed them their uniforms and job details. Despite this not being his real mission, Haru was determined to do it exceedingly well, fulfilling every part of his employment. He meant to leave no reason for whoever was recruiting rogue shinobi to discount him. The best part of this job was that no man in the palace paid any heed to the comings and goings of a woman, never mind an advisor's wife. So far, she had silently kept to herself. Haru likened the lady to a tiny mouse, not the mischievous rodent who scurries in the walls, pilfering under the human's noses, but the small ones. The abandoned baby mouse that stays in a corner when people walk by, keeping perfectly still, terrified of being noticed.
The noble lady, in which Haru learned her name to be Sayonari after the second day, huddled her fragile shoulders down whenever she believed no one to be looking. Her face was the portrait of nubile beauty, and Haru believed she could barely be older than fourteen. The vast room they occupied seemed to shrink her even more, with its grand ceilings, and towering windows that let in natural light. She kneeled on the tatami mat, her luxurious dress perfectly lay in a pool surrounding her, the blue and maroon pattern gave her skin an ethereal glow to it. Sayonari didn't notice, as her attention was on a book, gracefully held in her tiny hands. Haru looked away, still standing at attention.
"Do you want to play cards?"
The small voice, ringing with purity and grace, beckoning Haru to look at Sayonari.
"Pardon me, my Lady?"
"Do you like cards?"
"Are you inviting me to play cards with you?"
She giggled, a light airy sound that completed his view of how tiny this woman was.
"Yes, silly, come sit. You must be tired from standing all the time every day."
"It's the job, my Lady."
"No your job is to protect me, you can do that while you play cards."
Haru sat on the floor pillow opposite the small table as Sayonari motioned her attendant for her hanafuda.
"My Lady, forgive the impudence but you seem at ease with the situation. Are you aware of the threat against you?"
"Hmm? Oh yes, Lord Nakuhei has told me all about his niece. It's not that I disbelieve him, but he can be very grandiose. I am not worried."
"I think that makes you very brave, My Lady." He noted the name of the client. It hadn't been explicitly mentioned until now.
"I suppose so. I should not have spoken so ill of my new husband, but I'll admit I prefer the solitude most days."
"Was it a business marriage?"
There was a coyness to her smile, one side tilted up, marring the perfected pout.
"You can't possibly believe it to be a love match. The man is practically three times my age. I wonder, are you a romantic, Haru?"
Haru felt his face shut down at the question.
"My Lady, I am not sure how to answer your question. I'm afraid I do not have much experience in relationships."
"I find that hard to believe."
"My Lady, do you know anything about the niece?"
"I know what I've heard, I've never met her before."
"Anything you can tell me can help me keep you safe, My Lady."
"Well, I suppose. She apparently came to live here after my husband's sister died. Came to live with my Lord, tried to seduce him, stole most of his money and vanished. Lord Nakuhei is concerned that she will seek revenge against him for marrying, wanting for my husband to suffer all his days."
"Why would she want him to suffer?"
"She is quite mad, apparently. She destroyed the Kagechi temple which had been passed down for longer than people could write about. And terrorizes my husband for the death of his sister."
"Terrorizes him?"
"Yes, sending curses and threats. She embarrassed him in front the Daimyo, I heard almost half a year ago. But I never heard why. He was then snubbed by the feudal lord and now is trying to make up for it. Approaching my family for my hand was a political marriage. My family has money but no connections to the Daimyo. Lord Nakuhei is not wealthy but is an advisor directly to the Diamyo. His niece threatens all of that."
"Thank you for trusting me with that information, My Lady. I see you are very pragmatic about the match."
"What other choice is there?"
Haru saw a flash of pain behind her eyes. Briefly it came forward, Sayonari's walls breaking. But the wall came back into place as the attendant came back and handed her the cards. Haru had barely noticed the attendant before but looked up as her hand lingered on Sayonari's in a gentle encouragement, Soyanari placing her hand right on top looking up with gratitude to the woman. But before anything could be confirmed from the interaction, the companion stepped back, her hand slipping from his client's, and left them. Sayonari's mood darkened again, but she put on a demure smile. She quickly shuffled the cards and dealt him a hand and placed two in the middle.
"Have you played Koi-koi before?"
The courtyard that was designated as the training grounds was merely the land that sat in the centre of the mess of barracks buildings. Yasuhi frowned at the patch of mostly dirt with only a sprinkling of grass. Since the town was at the base of a waterfall, the dirt was fairly moist and Yasuhi was sure it became a mud pit when it actually rained. But without any more complaining, he lifted his knees and did some laps to get warmed up. There was a group on the other side of the 'training ground' and although Yasuhi was not privy to their confidence, he could walk by, certain that most would simply ignore his presence as one of them.
As Yasuhi passed on this third round, he heard a piece of information that was promising. Stopping to stretch his legs, he turned away to give them the sense of privacy.
"Hey so I have a meeting. Of course, he wouldn't say who the client is, but the pay is way more than any other job I've had. I'm meeting them tonight. The tightwad said we'd be leaving town shortly after."
"Are you going to go?"
"Are you shitting me? For that kind of money? Absolutely!"
"Where are you meeting them?"
"At the dive bar, the Crispy Uni, by the border wall."
"Are you sure? Seems a bit fishy."
"For that amount of money, they could put me in a dress and make me dance!"
The friend threw his head back and cackled.
"That sounds like you, Gegawa!"
Yasuhi jogged away, keeping his knees high. Spying was no excuse for a sloppy workout, he thought as he finished the rest of his daily routine. Maybe this would lead to the information he wanted. Curiosity soaked his mind. Gegawa had not been an impressive or accomplished fighter. Yasuhi recalled the sloppy and weak performance from the other night, the match ending in mere minutes to the spectator's dismay. Maybe he had skills not useable in the ring. Shinobi are known for their abilities, but not all are designed for the heat of battle. His mind wandered to his partner Haru. The smaller man had been on his team basically since he started with ANBU, but battle wasn't his strength. What did Gegawa have that would warrant his recruitment. Yasuhi intended to find out.
That night, Yasuhi watched from the corner booth, hidden from view he sipped at his drink, but not consuming any of it. Alcoholism was unbefitting of a shinobi; his father had taught him that. The smell reminded him of the vomit that would crust his father's mouth as Yasuhi would help get him cleaned up. He never wanted his mother to cry over him as he did over his father. His old man died on mission after sneaking a large bottle of spirits with him. An easy target for enemy shinobi to take out. It was a relief when the news came back to him and his mother about his demise in the field. While the shinobi that broke the news looked upon the two of them kindly, Yasuhi hadn't missed the frown that had come when they mentioned that he'd died, or the canned phrases used to describe his father. Loyal, a true leader, a good man. Yasuhi swallowed the bile that had risen with those words being attributed to that man.
The tavern was a rowdy one, filled to the brim with lively noise and music. It was a nice distraction from the dark place his thoughts were heading. He watched an older man drink his son under the table. The faces were strikingly similar with the same curved nose, and thin lips. The thumping of an arm-wrestling match finishing was followed by raucous laughter and clinking of thick glass mugs. A young lady, unfazed with the rowdy crew, approached.
"Do you want another?"
He smiled at her.
"No thanks, I'm still working on this one."
"Waiting for someone?"
"Yeah, an old friend."
The flitted away, checking in on the other tables with a wide smile that elicited deep dimples that Yasuhi found charming.
Looking at the clock on the wall, Yasuhi saw the appointed meeting time creep closer. His eyes scanned the crowd, looking for the target. His eyes were drawn to a small group of three sitting just off of the entrance to do the door. What drew his attention was not their traveling cloaks, or their presence. Yasuhi watched as they barely talked, and all the while, barely drinking anything, much like himself. One of the trio kept his gaze trained just to the left of the entrance, unmoving almost like a statue. He's watching the door, he thought bringing the bottle to his lips, who is he waiting for?
One of the men shifted the cloak and Yasuhi caught the glimpse of a metal plate on the man's leg. Armour? Yasuhi shifted uncomfortable as the realization dawned on him. They were shinobi. He began to sweat as he looked down at the table, wondering if they were looking for him. Before he could begin to plan an escape, the curtains in the doorway parted and in entered a man with a low pointed straw hat that obscured his features. Yasuhi watched curiously as the shoulders relaxed on one of the men in the trio as he rose to greet the man. The other two stood with him and they circled the man, shaking his hand and smiling.
Yasuhi dare not blink as one of sidekicks moved his cloak to grab something from his belt and clipped on the belt was a porcelain mask. Yasuhi breathed a sigh of relief as the colours on Gegawa's face drained. His mouth began moving furiously as he babbled to the trio. Soon a scuffle happened as Gegawa shoved one of the shinobi and ran through the opening into the street. He stood from the table and placed coins on the table for his single drink. This lead was a bust, and all he witnessed was a rogue shinobi answering to their village.
Haru followed just behind his charge, Sayonari strode with her attendant along the paths of a garden. They had travelled in a carriage to a grand manor on the east side of the neighborhood. The trees stood tall in its hues of pinks and oranges, interwoven with the strength of the sturdy pine tree. Scattered in a deliberate way to appear natural lay azalea bushes, their leaves like slips silk and just as poisonous as they were beautiful. Haru couldn't help but enjoy the sound of lazy water streams as they approached a red bridge leading to a little island with a carved wooden bench under the shade.
The attendant held an umbrella, with delicate flowers painted on the vibrant red paper, protecting the young lady from the sun which struggled to beam onto the land through the humid clouds that drifted lazily across its view. He kept a respectable distance to allow the ladies to enjoy the beauty of the landscape without his awkward looming. The attendant's name, he learned, was Inamomi. While she was friendly enough, her protective nature of Sayonari was evident. Any time Haru came too close, her eyes would narrow, the black orbs drilling into him.
A lazy wind blew through, sending the leaves chittering. On it Haru sensed the slightest whiff of chakra, so faint he almost missed it. His eyes searched, trying to determine its source, after a beat he realized that it felt familiar.
"Nishira?"
Haru looked over his shoulder to see the two women on the island, unaware of the distance, not noticing his wandering. He whispered his teammates name again, this time more willfully. Haru was still surprised when she materialized in a grove of trees only five feet from him.
"What are you doing?" Haru looked around to make sure they weren't seen. His voice came out a low whisper. She replied in kind.
"Me? I'm doing recon, what are you doing?"
"Get out, you'll ruin my cover."
"Me? I'm doing recon for the captain. You get out."
"What? No!"
"Yes!"
"I can't. I'm on a job."
"I'm working on our mission."
"Nishira!"
"Haru!"
Haru heard footsteps down the path from him, he turned to see people in the same grey uniform they all wore confidently striding towards him. He turned back to hiss a warning but found no one in the grove. He turned to greet the two men who approached. His eyes dipped to the sparrow brooch they each sported. He looked up to see them looking at his likewise. Haru recognized one of them, his fight had been before Haru's, but his name slipped his mind.
"Are you here to protect the advisor?"
The man looked around to make sure no one was present.
"Yes. He's inside talking with the owner. What are you doing here?"
"Guarding his wife."
The man looked around.
"Doing a fine job eh? I don't see her anywhere."
Haru laughed.
"Yeah, she wanted some privacy. Besides, there's been no signs of the niece. Is that who you guys are looking for?"
The two men looked between them, torn on answering the question when all involved in the powwow knew they were explicitly forbidden to. It seemed the one Haru didn't know was willing to break the rule.
"No, we're looking for the Gokayama Shrike."
"Who?"
"Word is, the Doromisu Organization had this secret weapon, a spirit that would steal souls. And it's back."
"Steal souls? I heard she'd seduce you then rip your heart out and eat it while you died."
"Really? I heard she's more like a vampire, feeding on her victim's blood."
Haru watched them exchange rumours about this person. The name sounded familiar. It was worth looking into it, even if it was only a local tall tale.
"Why does the client care about this woman?"
"He's worried the Doromisu will use her to backstab him. He wants us to find her and kill her."
"How? Isn't she a vampire or succubus or whatever?"
The one Haru did know crossed his arms, emitting a sigh.
"Honestly, we have no idea what we're doing. The client's crazy. So, we just patrol the areas he says looking for anything strange. So far, nothing."
Haru filed this piece of information away to report later.
"Good luck! I should go find the girl, hopefully we'll bump into each other again. If I hear anything, I'll let you know."
He knew his charming smile was working. The two men laughed easily, turning their bodies to face him as he parted their conversation. But the name stuck with him. Maybe it was worth investigating this legend.
As Haru crossed the bridge and rounded the thick ancient trunk of an oak tree, he stumbled upon the two ladies embracing. As a twig snapped under his foot, deliberately on his part, the two women frantically parted. Haru looked to the blushing face of Soyanari, the shoulder of her robe down, the hem of it yanked to the side to see the white undergarments underneath. Inamoni glared at him, her face a dark puce colour. Haru nodded before turning around and leaving their sight.
He casually sauntered across the bridge, rapid steps approaching chasing behind.
"Haru!"
He turned at his name to see the attendant, still scowling, but in her eyes lay the tiniest ice of fear. That was the first time she'd addressed him directly.
"What are you going to say?"
"About what?
"About Soya and me. You can't do that to her!"
"Why not?"
"You selfish man! It would kill her if you reported this, they'd send me away and then no one would be there to protect her."
"What about me?"
"You can't! Not when you're on his payroll."
"Aren't you on the payroll too?"
Inamoni stopped, the rage seeping away to leave an embarrassed flush.
"It's different."
"What do you protect her from?" Haru peered at the woman, she usually stood taller than him, but at that moment, she seemed huddled and vulnerable. Her voice came out barely more than a whisper.
"I love her, and she loves me."
"What about her husband? Does she love him?"
Haru was not prepared for the seething laugh that Inamoni gave.
"How could she love such a- a criminal. Conceited, disgusting lackey who licks gangster's shoes. That worthless, dickless rat of a man."
"Ina!" From across the bridge, Soyanami stood, the blush still present. "Ina, please stop."
"No, he's going to tell, and then I'll be sent away and you'll be alone with that pig. We need to run, get out of here and never look back. Let's just go, please Soya, please let's leave."
Soyanami wrapped her arms around Inamoni's waist who simply rested her forehead on the smaller lady.
"We can't Ina, we can't run, they'd find us. But I won't let them send you away, I'll never let that happen. I promise."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Haru stood there, feeling like an intruder in their embrace.
"What do you want? Money?"
The loving voice Inamoni had just had to talk to her lover turned hard and cold as she addressed Haru.
"I don't want money."
"Then what? Promotion, status, sex?"
Soyanami gasped at the last word, but Inamoni's gaze hardened.
"If you want sex, I'll do it."
Haru decided this had gone on long enough.
"You don't have to worry. I wasn't going to report you."
Inamoni's eyes raised, untrusting.
"Why? What are you after?"
"Well, first off, neither of you are my type. Second, I'm actually here for something else and I think you can help me with it."
"I'm listening."
"All I want is information. Everything you know about Nakuhei and his dealings with the Doromisu gang."
"And what will we get in return? You've already said you won't report us."
"No, but I can promise you'll be free when I'm done."