Chapter 18
You have the right to do it

Just as they agreed, the four of them left the Kaedehara Estate together for Inazuma City. By that time, there was no longer any trace of Katsumoto and his men in the surroundings, almost as if they were never there in the first place.

Ayaka and Thoma walked in front of Kazuha and Tomo, leading the way and the pace. On top of that, the loyal Kamisato Clan's housekeeper also had the responsibility of carrying the still unconscious Ouji on his back.

"Sorry to keep causing you so much trouble, Thoma," Ayaka mumbled from beside him, noticeably embarrassed.

"Don't worry, my lady," Thoma replied, flashing one of his usual friendly smiles. "We couldn't just leave him there after he risked so much to guide us. I think that's the least we owe him. In addition, the trip will not be very long, and luckily he does not weigh much."

Ayaka nodded, more relieved than ever to have the unconditional help of her loyal servant and friend. She was also very hurt by what had happened to Ouji. She hoped that she could somehow make it up to him for this horrible experience as soon as he woke up.

Although, of course, being honest with herself, there was another topic occupying her mind over and above the situation of the swordsman Ouji. And the frequent times in which the Heron Princess subtly turned to look over her shoulder at the light-haired boy who was walking behind her left it quite in evidence. That, and that every time the boy seemed to be about to realize that she was looking at him, Ayaka turned back to the front, disguising, although with her face visibly flushed.

"You must be pleased to have met young master Kaedehara just like you wanted, right?" Thoma commented suddenly, unsettling Ayaka a bit by the suddenness of the comment. Had her thoughts been that clear on her face?"

"Yes, of course…" Ayaka murmured slowly, giving a small nervous smile. She couldn't help but look again at the person in question behind her. "It's incredible that we ran into him on that site, right? It was an extraordinary coincidence."

"I don't think anything that happened in that dojo was exactly a coincidence," Thoma muttered slowly, like a subtle thought on the air.

Ayaka felt a little taken aback by his words.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know," the servant laughed a little. "Perhaps it was the will of the Archons, although most certainly not of our Shogun. But better ignore me; I really don't know what I'm saying."

"The will of the Archons," Ayaka repeated in her head. Sometimes she wondered how much the Gods really got involved in those things. The older she got, the more she concluded that not as much as most people believed.

"And what are you going to do now that you've found him?" Thomas asked curiously.

"First, take them to the tea house and treat Kazuha's wound, as promised," Ayaka replied without much hesitation. "And later…"

She kept silent without giving an end to the sentence. She wasn't sure what would happen later. Maybe for a change, she would give herself the freedom to decide on the spot.

From his position a few steps behind, Kazuha tried to appear unaware of Ayaka's frequent glances at him. That made him a little uneasy. And not precisely because of the glances themselves, but because of what could be going through the young Kamisato's mind at that moment. He didn't distrust her old friend in the sense that he felt she was walking them into some trap (although being objective, perhaps he should since he hadn't seen her in eight years). But both were clear that the pending issues between them would most likely have to be resolved sooner than they expected.

His uncertainty, of course, did not go unnoticed by his traveling companion walking beside him.

"Why so downcast?" Tomo asked slowly, tilting his head a little towards him so that he could speak to him more discreetly. "Aren't you glad to be reunited with your childhood friend after such a long time?"

"You know that if this happened, it's only because there was no other alternative," Kazuha replied seriously. "But as I told you last night, I would have preferred this not to happen… Not yet, and especially with what we came here to do."

"Yeah, yeah," Tomo mumbled, relatively calm despite everything. "I know you were a little scared of having to face her, but it doesn't sound like she's upset with you to me. In fact, I think he's pretty happy to see you. You don't believe it?"

Kazuha didn't answer anything. His gaze was fixed on the young swordswoman in front of him, especially on her long bluish tail swaying with each step. Yes, she seemed happy indeed… But that didn't mean she wasn't upset too.

"Hey, you're not going to try to run away or something, are you?" Tomo questioned him; a bit like a joke, a bit like a scolding.

"Of course not," said the swordsman Kaedehara sharply. "I will fully accept whatever she has to say to me."

"Like a gentleman, huh?" Tomo mumbled with a mischievous smile.

Kazuha again didn't reply and just turned his gaze away.

It didn't take them long to reach the city. For those hours, the streets were already almost completely deserted. There were still a few passers-by, some apparently already drunk, and groups of Tenryou guards making sure everything was calm. The latter made Kazuha a little more nervous. However, Ayaka's timely intervention freed them from any problems.

"Good evening, gentlemen," Princess Heron greeted one of her groups of guards, a wide, carefree smile on her lips.

"Good evening, Lady Kamisato," one of them murmured, looking curiously at the two men in capes and kasas, especially at the man passed out on Thoma's back. "Everything is okay?"

"Perfectly," Ayaka answered without hesitation. "My friends and I are taking this poor man to his home. Apparently, he drank a little too much.

"Do you want us to help you?"

"It's not necessary, thanks. As representatives of the Yashiro Commission, we already have everything under control. Have a good night."

And given that explanation, she began to walk again, causing everyone else to resume their pace simultaneously.

"Likewise, Ms. Kamisato," another of the guards replied, and as Ayaka walked away, they all bowed to her.

Kazuha noticed that one of them glanced explicitly at him and Tomo, with slight mistrust in his gaze. Quite a valid reaction, considering that, without a doubt, they must have looked quite suspicious. But of course, Kamisato Ayaka's words outweighed their mistrust.

Besides, it was remarkable how apparently good Ayaka had become at inventing explanations, not to call it directly "lying." Kazuha remembered that as children she was so well behaved that the thought of telling a lie made her extremely nervous.

Some things never change, and some things do, Kazuha concluded.

After walking a little further, the group arrived right in front of what Kazuha and Tomo alike thought was just a simple restaurant; or a teahouse as the sign just outside indicated. Was that the safe place that not even the Tenryou Commission was allowed to enter?

In front of the entrance was a woman with long dark hair and a purple kimono, arms crossed and staring impassively down the street. Kazuha watched her curiously. Her appearance was essentially quite ordinary, but... the air around her felt strange. It didn't feel like an immediate threat, but… it did feel like a potential one. And as he glanced at Tomo, the mere expression on his face was enough to realize that he had seen it too.

"She's not just a waitress, right?" the wandering samurai murmured softly. Kazuha just discreetly shook his head.

"Good evening, Kozue," Ayaka greeted the woman gently as they stood in front of her.

"Good evening, Lady Kamisato," she returned the greeting, slightly tilting her head forward. Looking up again, she looked fixed like daggers on the two strangers behind.

"Hello, good evening," Tomo greeted her with a smile, waving a hand almost playfully.

The woman's brow furrowed a little more, and her eyes reflected a marked suspicion.

"These two men are my guests," Ayaka stated tepidly, waving her hand at them. "Please let them through."

"As you order," answered the woman, apparently named Kozue, bowing her body respectfully towards the young Kamisato. Then she stepped aside, leaving the way clear for them to pass.

Ayaka and Thoma first entered the door, followed by Kazuha and Tomo.

"Thank you very much, miss," Tomo whispered jovially as he passed her. "If I may say so, I can tell that you are someone I wouldn't want to anger."

Kozue didn't reply directly, but her gaze turned quite menacing again. That was Tomo's signal to quicken his pace.

"I think I could fall in love," the samurai murmured jokingly, although it wasn't exactly just playing.

Immediately entering the establishment, they found themselves in front of the counter. And on top of it was what appeared to be a Shiba dog, wearing a vest and headband. And off to the side down the corridor, two waitresses approached, wearing purple kimonos similar to Kozue's.

"Good evening, Lady Kamisato," they greeted, leaning towards her. The dog on the counter accompanied them in their greeting with a couple of barks.

"Good evening, everyone," Ayaka greeted them back affably.

Suddenly, the dog on the counter, who had been docile and friendly until now, stood up straight on all fours and started growling at Tomo directly. He reflexively raised his hands in a position of peace.

"Hey, calm down…" he murmured slowly and calmly.

However, at that moment, the white kitten hidden in his kimono peeked out, focused her blue eyes on the dog, and began to hiss back, even waving one of her claws in the air threateningly. That evidently annoyed the Shiba dog even more.

"Tama, be good," Tomo murmured scoldingly, and with one hand, he pushed her back into her hiding place.

Then he hurried to catch up with the others, who had already moved down the hall. The Shiba dog never took his eyes off them.

"Please prepare a room for Mr. Ouji to rest," Ayaka asked one of the waitresses as they walked down the hall. "And bring the healing kit and special medicine for wounds to my private room."

"Right away, my lady," the two girls replied and hurried quickly to complete both errands.

"Thoma, please accommodate Mr. Ouji," the young Kamisato then indicated to her loyal servant.

Right after, guided by the inertia of giving all those instructions one after another, she turned to Kazuha. Her lips parted with the clear intention of giving her "guest" one more indication. However, she stopped on the spot as soon as her eyes met the red ones of the boy, and she was reflexively forced to look away.

She cleared her throat a couple of times and took deep breaths to calm down. Then she stood up straight and, as calmly as possible, murmured:

"Follow me, Kazuha. Please."

Sounding more like an invitation than an indication or order. And before waiting for any kind of response, she turned on her feet and began to walk slowly down the hall.

Kazuha hesitated a bit, but it didn't take him long to react and start walking behind her again, following her rhythm.

"I don't think you need me to heal that wound, do you?" exclaimed Tomo, who had deliberately stayed where he was, letting both old friends walk away on their own.

Kazuha glanced over his shoulder at him for a second. His friend's evident intention of leaving him alone with Ayaka didn't strike him as particularly amusing. But the sly smile on Tomo's face made it clear that it was just the opposite for him.

He then walked towards Thoma, who, just as he had been told, was taking Ouji to the room where they would prepare him to rest.

"I think instead I'll help my new friend..." he paused thoughtfully, his gaze fixed on the ceiling as he walked forward. "What was your name?"

"Thoma," the housekeeper answered with some apathy.

"Ah, look, what a coincidence," the samurai burst out with unusual joy. "We are Thoma, Tomo, and Tama. Do you know any Tamo?"

"Huh …?"

Ayaka walked with a firm and sure step towards the stairs that led to the establishment's second floor, guiding her guest towards her private room. She had not looked at him again throughout the journey, nor did any of them say a word. In seconds, they were alone, and none of them seemed to know quite how to deal with it yet. So, in a way, they welcomed the silence for the time being.

"This way," Princess Heron instructed once they reached the room to the right of the hallway.

Kazuha gazed curiously at the space. It looked like one of the other private rooms in the teahouse, like the ones downstairs. It had its table in the center, cushions, and a window through which the starry sky could be seen. Yet it seemed to have been fitted out like someone's room at the same time. A blue kimono with pink and gold details hanging on one side, a folding screen, and a small bookcase with various books (some very colorful). There was also a closet on the left side, in which he suspected that if he opened it, he would find a futon, perhaps some clothing, and even some swords.

It reminded him fleetingly of Ayaka's old study room at the Kamisato Estate. That place where she remembered that her old friend used to lock herself up for several hours to study.

One of the waitresses appeared at that moment. Only then, Kazuha realized that he had remained standing in the doorway, blocking their way. He stepped quickly to the side to allow her to enter. The young woman in a purple kimono entered the room, carrying a large wooden box in her hands.

"Here's the first-aid kit, my lady," she informed the young Kamisato as she placed the box on the table in the center of the room. "Do you want us to help you heal your friend's wound?"

Kazuha was a bit surprised to hear that. At first, he wondered how she knew he was the injured one, especially since his makeshift bandage was still hidden under his cape. However, after a few seconds, he deduced that it might be evident if anyone noticed his slight hesitation in moving his injured arm as he walked. But… those kinds of observational qualities were usual in a simple waitress?

"Thanks, but I can take care of that," Ayaka replied with a small smile. "Leave us alone, please."

The waitress nodded, bowed a little towards Ayaka respectfully, and then left the room. She was, of course, careful to close the door before she left.

Ayaka crouched down, sitting on the floor on one of the cushions next to the table.

"Have a seat, please," she asked her guest, extending her hand to the cushion closest to her.

Kazuha removed his kasa hat from his head and his sword from the waist. He allowed himself to put the first one on the table, but his weapon rested on the floor just to one side of his seat. Sitting up, he tried to remove his traveling cloak. Still, again the pain of his wound prevented him from moving freely enough.

"Let me help you with that," Ayaka hurried, leaning forward and reaching out her hands to untie the front knot that held the cloak together.

"Thank you," Kazuha answered slowly, letting her take over. "Is this really a teahouse? Or is it just a facade?"

Upon hearing that question, a small, almost mischievous giggle escaped the young Kamisato's lips.

"You noticed it, right?" she whispered slowly as she managed to untie the cloak and remove it from his shoulders. "You could say that it is both. Do you remember that once I told you that there was a group of ninjas who worked as spies in the service of the Kamisato clan's head?"

"I think so," Kazuha muttered, frowning slightly as he vaguely remembered that childhood conversation. "I remember I thought you were just playing with me when you said that."

"When my brother and Thoma told me, I believed it too. But it turns out it wasn't a game at all."

Kazuha blinked a few times, visibly confused. Was she telling him that place was the secret base of a group of ninjas? So the workers, including the woman at the door, were all of them…?

Ayaka folded the cloak and carefully placed it on the table to the side.

"Do you need me to help you uncover your shoulder too?"

"No, I can handle that," Kazuha answered calmly.

With his left hand, he undid the bandage that Ayaka had placed on him; he felt a little guilty when he saw the beautiful bluish silk stained with red. He removed the scarf around his neck right after and finally moved on to lower the right part of his kimono, revealing his shoulder and part of his arm and chest.

Ayaka's eyes fell directly on the uncovered area. But not only in the wound but in the rest of his fair skin, illuminated by the light of the candles from the lamps around them and the little light that entered from outside through the open window. Ayaka was a little surprised to see that although his build had seemed slim and petite at first glance, she could now see that Kazuha's body was shapely. The muscles in his arm and pecs looked broader and thicker. More robust than they seemed at first.

Yeah, he was definitely no longer the little boy she remembered...

"Is something wrong?" murmured Kazuha after a while, making Ayaka jump, almost scared by such a question. "Does it look that bad?"

Ayaka's face quickly flushed red. She didn't realize how long she had stared at him, but it promptly embarrassed her intensely.

"No, no. I'm sorry…" she answered quickly. Without waiting, she turned completely towards the wooden box on the table to open it; and hid a bit of the red in her cheeks until she calmed down.

The first thing she did was clean the wound. She took some clean clothes and moistened them with clean water. She moved closer to her patient, sitting directly in front of him. The closeness did not go unnoticed by either, and as soon as their eyes met, almost at the same time, the two turned their faces in opposite directions.

They behaved like two children, embarrassed by everything, and they were both aware of it. They had to get over this awkwardness between them quickly...

Ayaka took a deep breath and concentrated on focusing all her attention and effort on the task at hand and on nothing else. She began to run the damp cloth over the wound as gently as she could, although a bit of force was needed from time to time to make sure it was okay.

Kazuha kept me calm the whole time, only showing slight winces of pain a couple of times. Although more than the pain of the wound, what disturbed him even a little more was the pleasant aroma that arose from the lady before him. Due to its proximity, it permeated his nose. She had been fighting and walking through the woods, and yet she still smelled like sweet flowers. In contrast, he must surely smell of sweat, dirt, and blood. This usually didn't bother him much, but it made him deeply ashamed this time.

"Doesn't look like it will need sewing," Ayaka muttered slowly as she cleaned up. "It's not very deep. It must be more uncomfortable than painful, right?"

Kazuha smiled a little and nodded.

"I think I was lucky to get out of that duel with just this."

"I don't think the result of that duel was luck, did it?" Ayaka muttered suddenly, and Kazuha felt it almost like an accusation.

Once the wound was clean, Ayaka dried it more gently with a dry cloth. She then took a small dark porcelain bottle out of the box, which, when uncorked, released a strong and pungent aroma that Kazuha could perceive from his position. Ayaka tipped the bottle over the fingers of her right hand, covering them with its contents. It was a thick greenish liquid.

"This is a special medicine that the priestesses prepare at the Narukami Shrine," she informed him as she turned back to him. "It will help keep it from getting infected and heal faster."

She then brought her fingers closer to the wound, beginning to smear the greenish liquid all over the shoulder area. As soon as the liquid was in contact with the injury, Kazuha visibly flinched, jumping on the spot, his eyes widening. Although he had managed to resist the pain almost entirely up to this point, it seemed that it had overcome him a little.

"I'm sorry! I should have warned you it would burn a little," Ayaka murmured, embarrassed.

Just a little? Kazuha thought inwardly, though outwardly he was striving to remain as calm as possible.

"Don't worry," he answered slowly as she continued applying the medicine. "I'm sorry to cause you so much trouble, Ayaka."

"It's not a trouble," added the young blue-haired girl, smiling gently at him. "You know, it feels a bit… strange, hearing someone other than my brother simply call me Ayaka."

Kazuha flinched, surprised as he realized what he had been doing himself.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, looking down. "I did it without thinking about it because… how we called each other when we were kids. But we are no longer kids, and we are neither still of the same status..."

"No, no, you forgive me," Ayaka hurried to clarify. "It wasn't a complaint or anything like that. Just… it's been a long time since someone did it."

Although that wasn't entirely true because Chisato did it anyway. But with Kazuha, it was a bit different; it felt good if he was the one doing it.

Once the medicine was applied, Ayaka wrapped the entire shoulder with a more suitable bandage than the torn fabric of her kimono. Upon contact with the bandage, Kazuha began to perceive a warm sensation on his skin caused by the medicine. At first, it was annoying, but it became actually quite pleasant little by little.

"That'll be fine," Ayaka pointed out optimistically. "In a couple of days, it should be healed."

"In a couple of days?" Kazuha exclaimed, amazed. "It really is a special medicine, after all. Thanks again, Aya…"

He hesitated then, uncertain as to what name he should actually use. She said she didn't mind him calling that way… or so he understood. But was it really okay for him to do it? He looked at Ayaka as if waiting for some implied signal from her. And this part did come, in the form of a candid and friendly smile, like all the ones she showed him when they were children.

"Ayaka," he finished pronouncing slowly. And though it wasn't the first time he'd said it, not even that night, doing so caused a sensation in his chest as pleasant or more than the medicine on his shoulder.

"You are welcome, Kazuha," Ayaka replied, immediately turning back to the table to put the medicine, bandages, and everything else in the box.

While she took care of that, Kazuha adjusted his kimono again and his scarf. Right after, he took his sword and stood up.

"Kazuha," Ayaka muttered simultaneously, drawing his attention back. She finished putting things away, closed the box's lid, and sat back on her cushion, her back straight; besides, her gaze had turned quite serious. "If it's not too much trouble... could you sit with me a little longer? There are… some things I'd like to ask you."

The young Kaedehara breathed slowly through his nose, closed his eyes, and without any objection, sat back down on the same spot, his sword back on the floor beside him.

"I know," he murmured slowly, opening his eyes again and meeting his hostess's again. "And you have the right to do so."

And with that said, they had both agreed to have this conversation, already over eight years overdue at that point.

Author's Notes:

There is not much to say this time except that we will finally have many chapters of Kazuha and Ayaka interacting together. In the beginning, of course, it's all discomfort, pending issues, things to clarify... But we'll see how their friendship is rekindled and, of course, something else... So I hope you enjoy the following chapters that, I think, will be more fun.