Chapter 30
Now we can talk calmly
Like her previous visit, Kozue did not allow Chisato to Hiiragi to walk past her into the teahouse, and she didn't care much that the Hiiragi girl was accompanied by General Kujou Sara. However, Kozue agreed to pass on a message to Lady Kamisato that they were both there; that was progress or something like that...
"Can you believe it?" Chisato whispered to Sara, looking over her shoulder at the woman in front of the door. Both girls, and the two guards accompanying them, had moved a few steps away as they waited for Ayaka to come out. "Isn't that too much of an exaggeration for a simple teahouse?"
"This is only so when Kamisato family members are in town," Sara replied matter-of-factly. "This is usually the place where Commissioner Yashiro and his sister stay, so it's normal for them to take shelter accordingly."
"Okay, but… why in a teahouse?" Chisato questioned, incredulous, looking again at the store's facade. "And besides, we're not two complete strangers to be locked out like that. We are the daughters of the Hiiragi and Kujou clans, after all."
"I'm not one to judge another clan's security procedures," Sara replied nonchalantly, shrugging. "In fact, I like it when the people in charge of these stand firm in their duty, even though they have to oppose people of a supposedly higher rank."
Sara also discreetly looked toward Kozue. Although on the outside she had the appearance of just another waitress, her posture, the intensity of her gaze, and the short sword that was well hidden on her back made it clear that she had not been put to guard the door by mere chance.
"She would make a good Tenryou soldier," Sara declared suddenly, taking Chisato by surprise.
This is the last straw; now it turns out that she likes that waitress more than me...
Ayaka didn't take long to come out, looking splendid in her kimono and hair ornament and inevitably immediately catching everyone's gaze. Even the two Kanjou guards accompanying the two visitors were clearly dazzled by her appearance.
"Sorry if I took too long," Ayaka said, slowly approaching both of them, a radiant smile on her lips.
"Ayaka, you look…" Chisato muttered, looking her up and down. "Wow... Now I see where that Princess Heron nicknamecame from."
"You flatter me, Chisato," the young Kamisato muttered, discreetly opening one of her fans in front of her face, trying to hide her blush. "You also look beautiful. It's a gorgeous print on your kimono."
"Oh, thanks... But that hair ornament, where did you get it?"
"I ordered it to be done with a custom design. Do you like it?"
"Of course! Let me take a closer look..."
Chisato moved closer to her, so she could better appreciate Ayaka's kanzashi. They kept murmuring among themselves, commenting on each part that made up their outfit, with cheerful voices and friendly smiles. All this while Sara watched them in silence. And even though she was only a few steps away from them, she felt like she was several, many meters away…
Sara peeked at her own outfit, her usual General's uniform, including even her bow and arrows. Totally distant from what the other two girls wore.
Should she have opted to wear something different, as Chisato had suggested? At the time, she did not find the case, but... If before she felt totally out of place in that matter, that feeling had tripled. Even the things they talked about felt like totally foreign topics to her as if they came from a world other than her own.
What was the cause of this abyss of difference that existed between those two girls and her? Was it because they had been born into their clans while she had only been adopted? Because she was a tengu? Or was it just something that had to do merely with her…?
What am I doing here…?
She questioned herself, weighing the possibility of just leaving.
"General Kujou," she heard Ayaka's voice say, drawing her attention to her. The Kamisato daughter watched her with a kind look and smile, perhaps too kind. "Nice to see you again and on a better occasion than last."
"Yes, I'm saying the same thing, Miss Kamisato," Sara replied with a serious and firm voice. "You will be pleased to know that the man from the other day was duly treated for his injuries and released."
"I appreciate it, General," Ayaka declared, bowing her head slightly as a sign of respect towards her. She had no interest in letting her know that she already knew what had become of that man and even a little more.
"What are you talking about?" Chisato inquired curiously.
"The other day, a ronin with a pyro vision refused to abide by the Vision Hunt Decree," Kujou Sara hurried to explain. "We were forced to use force to subdue him, and unfortunately, he was seriously injured. Fortunately, nothing endangered his life. Ms. Kamisato intervened at that moment."
When she mentioned Ayaka's intervention, it was not clear if there was recrimination or not in it.
"Oh, I see," Chisato murmured slowly. "What a terrible situation that must have been..."
"It's what has to be done," Ayaka murmured slowly, with a much more serious tone than usual. Her blue eyes fixed on Sara. "It's all for that Eternity, isn't it, General?"
Kujou Sara's gaze narrowed as if trying to get a better glimpse of what those words actually meant.
"Yeah... everything is to fulfill the will of our Almighty Shogun."
Chisato suddenly felt a dense air revolving around her two companions, which was particularly uncomfortable for her, considering that she was practically in the middle.
"Okay!" she pronounced forcefully, high-fiving her palms once with each other to get her attention. "Let's get going, okay? After all, I know you are both very busy women… Ah, won't you be taking any kind of escort, Ayaka? Not even that cute blond boy who always follows you around?"
"No, he has other duties to attend to," Ayaka denied with a smile. "Also, it is not necessary. Inazuma is a very safe city under the protection of the Tenryou Commission and, of course, the Shogun. And if something were to happen, well…" She turned at that moment so that Chisato could see the wakizashi that she had attached to the back of her pink obi, where she also carried her Cryo vision. The young Hiiragi was slightly surprised. "I'm sure General Kujou and I can take care of it."
Sara also seemed a bit surprised. She hadn't expected that she could carry a weapon in an outfit like that, especially one so well concealed. That made her feel a little better about going with her bow.
"I guess you're right…" Chisato murmured. "In that case, I think I won't use your services this afternoon, Shinnojou, Kenzaburou," she added, turning to the two guards in purple armor that accompanied them. "Take the afternoon off, please."
"What?!" one of the guards exclaimed, stunned. "But… Lady Hiiragi … we can't leave you alone…"
"I won't be alone, Shinnojou," Chisato corrected him gently. "You heard; with Ayaka and Sara, I'll be safe, so you don't have to worry. Besides, now that I think about it, this is a girls' outing, and it can't be if two guys are hot on our heels all the time, right?"
Both guards looked at each other, at first glance quite doubtful of that indication. However, there wasn't much they could say or do to contradict Hiiragi Chisato. They had never been able to do it, actually...
"If you're sure of that, my lady…" the other guard murmured.
"I am," Chisato stated firmly. "Now go, go. Have fun, and do whatever you guys do. I insist."
Still hesitant, the two guards walked away down the street, glancing over their shoulders a couple of times, waiting for their mistress to instruct them to return. That, of course, did not happen.
"Where would you like to go first?" inquired Chisato, turning back to Ayaka and Sara. "I actually wanted to go see the kimono shops. I need to find some new outfits for the festival."
"Are you going to stay for the festival?" Ayaka asked, curious.
"My father still hasn't said how long he intends to stay, but I'll convince him we should stay at least until the first day. I've always known how to convince him to do things, even if he doesn't want to," she laughed slyly, hiding her mouth behind her fingers.
"I'm fine with going to see the kimonos," Ayaka replied. "I know a perfect place where you will surely find something you like. However, if you don't mind, I'd like to move on to Yae Publishing House first. Yesterday I was informed that the new issue of a series I am following was coming out today."
"Ah, I didn't know you read light novels, Ayaka," Chisato mumbled, blinking a few times in amazement. "What type? Historical? Romantic, perhaps...?
"A bit of... everything... only sometimes..." she murmured slowly. Her cheeks turned reddish, but she hurriedly hid behind one of her fans again. "If it's a bother, I could go later…"
"No, no, not at all," Chisato denied quickly. "I don't have any problem, and you, Sara?"
The tengu jumped a little at being mentioned suddenly. Without noticing, she had remained again as a mere spectator of their conversation.
"No, of course," Sara answered quietly. "I go where you prefer..."
"It's decided," Chisato exclaimed effusively. "Go on!"
The three young women began walking down the street toward their first afternoon stop.
— — — —
Tomo heaved a sharp sigh of relief when his body plunged into the hot water. He immediately began to feel light, as if the steaming water was slowly ripping away whatever worries or burdens he had on his shoulders, even those that the samurai did not know.
"This isn't bad at all, is it?" he asked in a sleepy tone, looking askance at his companion sitting next to him in the large wooden bathtub, which they also shared with two other men, although they kept their distance at the other end. The four of them were currently the only customers in those public baths.
"I guess," Kazuha muttered slowly. He had his head thrown back over the tub's edge at the time, with a wet towel on his forehead and his eyes closed. "But I thought the idea was to stay away from Inazuma these days."
"That sounds like you're not allowing yourself to relax, my friend. You must loosen up, leave your worries at the door, and clean up properly if you plan to see your princess again soon."
"I won't see her again until the festival begins," Kazuha stated thoughtfully, to which Tomo smiled discreetly. Apparently, his friend didn't even bother to deny that she was his princess. "And it will only be to say goodbye," he added right after with a neutral voice.
"It's a shame," Tomo murmured thoughtfully, looking up at the ceiling. "Well, if fate wants it, you could meet again sooner rather than later."
Tomo took some of the water with his hands, rubbed it against his face with some force, and then ran his damp hands through his hair.
"How's your shoulder?" he asked curiously, glancing sideways at the young Kaedehara's recent wound, which was a barely visible mark on his skin then.
Kazuha instinctively raised his hand to his shoulder, pressing his fingers lightly against that scar. He still felt a little pain, but it was already much less than the day before.
"I think it's good. Ayaka's medicine really took effect."
"Or rather the delicate fingers that applied it," Tomo corrected shrewdly.
The samurai was waiting for some annoyed look on his part or perhaps some hostile comment that would prompt him to stop bothering him with it, similar to how it had been the previous times. However, to the wandering samurai's astonishment, Kazuha remained silent for a moment, his thoughtful gaze on the water. And after that time of meditation, from his lips, he released slowly, like a small whisper:
"Maybe it was..."
Tomo blinked a few times, clearly surprised, though Kazuha was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice his reaction. Tomo could question him more about it, but he preferred keeping it that way and quiet. Perhaps thinking about it would allow Kazuha to relax for a change.
After a suitable time, the two travelers got out of the tub and prepared to dry themselves and dress again. Kazuha couldn't deny that the hot bath was actually quite nice. He wouldn't say he had left all his worries in the tub, but at least he felt cleaner and more comfortable.
Still, being back in town so soon made him uneasy. He was constantly looking over his shoulder, trying to detect if any of the other customers or the workers were looking at them suspiciously. And especially the fact that they had had to leave their visions and their swords with their clothes bothered him; the first ones carefully hidden inside the lining of their kimonos, away from prying eyes, but not so effective to the touch if someone happened to rummage through their belongings. When he got dressed again, however, he was relieved to see that his vision was still there.
The memories of that master swordsman and that ronin, both stripped of their visions and practically of their sanity, were still quite present in his memory. And he was not at all interested in finding out what state he would end up in if he found himself in the same situation.
"I feel pretty good," Tomo exclaimed enthusiastically as he pulled his hair back into a high ponytail. "So much so that I think I'll take advantage of the fact that I'm so clean and in a good mood to take a little walk through the red light district. I've heard awesome things about a courtesan named Yukiko, and I'm curious to know if all the rumors I've heard are true before we leave Inazuma."
"You're not serious… are you?" Kazuha muttered in complete disbelief, looking at him over his shoulder as he finished putting on his clothes. Tomo didn't reply, but his sly smile didn't leave much to the imagination.
"I would invite you to accompany me, but it is evident that your heart, and all the rest of you, already has an owner. And that reminds me of a question I've wanted to ask you for a while. Have you ever…?"
"I'm not going to talk about it here," Kazuha snapped, not even letting him finish his question. "And definitely not with you..."
Saying that, and already dressed and with his sword at his waist, he hurried towards the exit before he asked any other importunate question. But although he overflowed with security and firmness, especially in his step, the blush that spread on his cheeks did not go unnoticed by his friend.
"So that's a no, huh?" he muttered slowly to himself, cupping his chin with one hand in a thoughtful pose.
Apparently, someone had been waiting for the right person, he thought, amused as he while walked behind him. You are quite a romance novel hero, my good friend.
In the reception area of the public baths, they found Tama leaning on the counter while the young lady serving slowly ran her hand along her smooth white back. The little cat seemed to pleasantly enjoy the touch.
"We're back," Tomo announced cheerfully. "How did Miss Tama behave?"
"Pretty good, sir. Don't worry," said the young woman with a smile. "There are many cats around here in Hanamizaka, but none as tame as her."
"Oh, don't be fooled," Tomo pointed out, his voice almost menacing. "When you least expect it, this lady can throw a treacherous scratch at you. Right, little kitty?"
Tomo took the white cat in his arms. She did not oppose significant opposition, as she seemed too sleepy to be worth the effort.
"Thank you for taking care of her for me."
"You're welcome," the young lady replied. "I hope you enjoyed your bath. Come back whenever you want."
"We will surely return. See you later," Tomo crooned goodbye, and both swordsmen walked out the door onto the street. "Would you mind taking Tama with you? I don't think a brothel is a suitable place for her. She is so adorable that it would surely catch the girls' attention and won't let them work."
"Were you being serious about the red light district?" Kazuha murmured, still skeptical. "We shouldn't expose ourselves so much, especially for… reasons like that."
"What are you talking about?" Tomo laughed, amused. "If you want to hide from the law, that's just a place you should go to. Don't worry, I'll only be away for a couple of hours… Maybe a little more."
He extended Tama to him at that moment, and Kazuha received her somewhat reluctantly.
"As you wish," the wanderer mumbled, tucking the kitten inside his kimono. "Then I will return to our camp."
"If you insist," Tomo replied with a shrug. "Although you could also take the opportunity to see your princess, you know?"
"She told me she was going to be busy these days," Kazuha replied, again not bothering to correct him. "I don't want to disturb her."
"I don't think she sees it that way, but it's okay."
Tomo turned on his feet and started to walk up the street.
"Take care," the samurai muttered aloud, holding up a hand and waving it in the air as he walked away.
Kazuha watched him for a while. Sometimes it was just impossible for him to understand what was going on in his head, so it was better not to try too hard and just trust him to know what he was doing. Kazuha then headed in the opposite direction, towards the outskirts of Hanamizaka.
— — — —
Tomo's easygoing smile faded once he was far enough away from his partner. His purple eyes, with an unusual stoic expression in them, were fixed on the road ahead of him, the people passing by, and the pink cherry blossom petals floating in the air. His ears picked up the sound of people's voices, the sound of wooden wagon wheels on dirt floors, and the slight swaying of nearby tree branches as they moved in the wind. His nose caught the smells of food from the stalls, the slight trace of wet earth from a distant rain, and the salty water of the sea not far from where he was.
All his senses perceived each of these small impressions and several more. But they were also capturing something else, an irregularity that moved between all those figures, sounds, smells, tastes or sensations. He somehow knew something was there when it shouldn't be. And although it was difficult for him to identify it at first, he knew in the end that it was not a sensation unknown to him: someone was following him.
But it was not like other times when he had felt something similar. Whoever they were, was good at hiding their presence; not even Kazuha, with his enviable attunement to the wind, had noticed. Tomo perceived it almost by chance when they were going to the baths, as if it had been a small slip on the part of this unknown individual. He decided to separate from Kazuha to be able to focus and verify which of the two they were actually following; apparently, he was the winner.
But where exactly were they? He knew they were there; he could feel their eyes on him, but he couldn't quite make out from which direction. It was a feeling that he had to admit was annoying. All he could do was try to force the stranger out of hiding and face him.
After taking a few more steps, he made a sudden movement, moving with astonishing speed, and plunged into a narrow alley. And there, out of sight of any prying eye, he jumped up and, aided by electro energy, began to propel himself between the walls of the buildings around until he rose towards the roofs; all this in a fraction of a second, aided by the speed that his vision gave him.
Concealed from his perch, it didn't take long for him to see the presence of his elusive stalker. Wrapped in dark clothes and moving stealthily through the shadows as if he were part of them. Tomo barely noticed that he was standing in that alley, but in other circumstances, he would not have been able to detect his presence any more than a simple piece of paper blown by the wind would have done.
And there wasn't even elemental energy accompanying him. It was all just physical skill.
Tomo only knew of a particular type of individual who could accomplish such a thing.
A ninja...
The moment the individual stopped in the middle of the alley, possibly searching for him with his eyes, Tomo fell squarely against him from above. The dark-robed individual barely managed to raise his gaze when the sole of Tomo's left foot was already less than a meter away from him. However, the stranger managed to jump to the side to avoid it, although he couldn't get too far due to the narrowness of the alley.
With his feet on the ground, Tomo quickly unsheathed his sword, directing it as a charge against the stranger. He did not stay still and immediately pulled his two hands forward, and in each one, he held two knives, which placing them crosswise in front of him, managed to cover the swordsman's attack at the last moment.
"Not bad," Tomo muttered, smirking.
He pulled away just a few inches, instantly lashing out again. The black-robed man managed to parry each of his attacks with remarkable agility, though Tomo still left him no room or opportunity to counterattack.
Although the idea of going head-to-head with a ninja appealed to him, Tomo knew that if it went on too long, their confrontation would end up drawing the unwanted attention of some passerby or, even worse, from some Tenryou commission guard. So, at the risk of being disrespectful to his opponent, he would have to finish that as quickly as possible.
After clashing their weapons for several seconds without backing down, Tomo separated, moving backward, planting his feet firmly on the ground, and then his opponent watched in surprise as his eyes suddenly shone with an intense purple glow, and small flashes of light began to jump out of his body.
"Do you have a...?" the ninja muttered, unable to hide his astonishment. His thought, however, failed to fully materialize in his mind before the figure of the swordsman was covered in elemental energy and, in a blink-to-blink, appeared directly in front of him, his face only a few inches away from him.
The ninja tried to react as quickly as possible to step back and raise his weapons to protect himself. Tomo's glowing sword lashed like a bear claw straight at him, and the shock of its electro energy nearly ripped the man in black's weapons from his hands.
The samurai's entire body practically went up in lightning, leaping from his position against the wall on one side, then slamming down right behind the ninja. He was unable to register the movement, even with his keen senses. And before he could realize the new position of his opponent, Tomo pulled the scabbard from his waist, and in a circular movement, he stamped it against the side of his head, pushing him hard and causing his face to crash against the wall.
The impact ended up leaving him quite dazed and almost on the verge of unconsciousness. Tomo instantly lunged at him and tackled him, knocking him hard to the ground. The ninja fell chest-first to the ground, and the samurai quickly positioned himself on top of him, sitting on his back and pressing all his weight against him so he wouldn't even try to get up. Then Tomo raised his sword hand, blade pointed down, and let it fall.
The man on the ground was sure that the sword was going straight to his head, and he even seemed to feel vividly how the weapon's edge went through him from behind. However, the blade actually passed to the side of his head, digging into the ground. From his position, he managed to peek at the gleaming metal so close he could see his own reflection and the mist of his breath on the smooth surface. He also felt on his skin the small traces of electricity that jumped from the blade, tickling and stinging him.
"Okay, now that we're calmer, we can talk," the swordsman muttered, his tone reassuring that was actually even more disturbing, and a carefree smile. "Who sent you?"
The man on the ground turned his gaze to the other side, as far as his position allowed him, and remained silent; absolute silence.
"Ah, you're a guy of few words, huh?" Tomo muttered, sounding almost amused.
He raised his gaze, observing from the alley's shadows the feet of some people passing by on the nearest street. It was not safe to stay much longer in that place.
"It seems that instead of spending my afternoon with the beautiful Yukiko, I will have to spend it with you," the wandering samurai declared suddenly. And on this occasion, the threat present in his tone was much clearer.
Author Notes:
As you must have already realized, these chapters will have a lot of Sara,who is, in fact, another of my favorite characters, and whom I hope I could capture correctly. But there are also missing others that will be protagonists in this little "arc," and we will know if everything goes well in the next chapter.