Disclaimer: I do not own Taimanin series.
Between The Line - 03
Saika had just completed her individual mission and returned home.
For some reason, the Fuuma Estate had become merrier with the young master's friends forming their "base of operation" in the living room. They were quite a handful group of people that got Tokiko exhausted from guarding the young master's bedroom.
She knew too well that Sakura mischievously invoked the idea and others were pulled into a spiral of curiosity. They couldn't simply get their minds off the made-up fact that Kotaro had a secret hidden under his bed. Saika wanted to object. Childhood friends, closest teammates or not, they didn't know young master that well to assume his personal life.
Fortunately, Tokiko received a helping hand. Su made sure the girls understand they don't have any kind of right or privilege to enter young master's room.
Great work, Su Jinglei.
"Only the Vice Captain can do that."
Except that. Everything was peaceful until Su made such a declaration. Chaos ensured as sleepover party turned into a pillow fight. Again, Sakura came up with the idea, she was the main culprit. One pillow thrown over the table and hit Murasaki in the face. Arms folded and posture firmly stood, she unleashed an intimidating aura through a cough and silenced the whole room. Sakura had to kneel by the wall for an hour as a punishment for disturbing the neighbors' sleep.
Later, they all went to sleep.
Saika saw the opportunity to count how many time the young master's name was uttered from the girls' lips. Either some of them were dreaming due to their worry of his well-being or something else. Saika acknowledged the amount of rivalry potentials didn't stop at a single digit number.
Seeing the box Kotaro took from the Archive was left by the hall, Saika noticed some books were missing upon checking. The young master must have brought them with him. Things in the box were a bit messy, she rearranged everything before bringing it back to Danjou's quarter.
"Saika."
Headmistress Asagi was still awaked, and she was occupying a spot in the dining room to do some paperwork. Saika closed the sliding door behind her and entered the room.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience. The Task Force wasn't supposed to gather here and cause trouble."
"Not at all, Asagi-san. Everyone is on a break, they are welcome here." Saika glanced at the sleeping figures in the living room. "As long as they respect young master's privacy."
"I'm sure they do." Asagi chuckled a bit. "Fuuma-kun has a certain funny charm they couldn't ignore."
"By the way." Saika turned to her. "It's late. Shouldn't you be taking some rest and leave the documents to tomorrow work?"
"I'm almost done."
Sigh.
"Asagi-san. Unlike the rest of us, you don't really have a break so don't overwork yourself. You ought to take care of yourself more."
As the Headmistress of Gosha Academy and the leader of all Taimanin, her duty kept pilling up on each day.
"Thank you for your concern." Asagi smiled. "This is something I have to do though."
"At time like this, you should find an assistant to help filling in the paperwork." Saika suggested.
"Maybe I should. There's a vacant position next to my office. Though I don't intend to open it yet, the timing is not really ideal at the moment."
"Do you have someone in mind for that position?"
"I do. There's one person. But that person still needs some time to learn more experience and become matured on his own."
Her words surprised Saika.
"His? Does this means Asagi-san finally has her eyes on a certain gentleman in town?"
"I wouldn't go as far as to say I have my eyes on him." Asagi set down the pen and clasped her hands together, speaking from the thoughts. "Though, I won't deny the fact that I'm interested in his growth and potential."
Saika made a soft hum, her head titled slightly. She knew who Asagi was referring to.
"You believe the young master is suitable for the position?"
"Well, Fuuma-kun is diligent. Many time, he was willing to offer me his help by sorting out the documents and gave me a report that summarizes all the important details. He can be very thoughtful when needed, I'm sure he takes notes from your previous work as a secretary."
"He did that, huh." Saika mumbled.
Although Kotaro still had a long way to go as the clan's head, she felt a bit proud to know the support he's been giving others.
"Before the break starts, I was planning to have him look over some of these documents in his free time while I take care of other things. But it seems Fuuma-kun's already got a plan of his own."
And now they had no idea where he has gone to. The young master must be having a good time spending his hard-earned break.
"It's a pity." Asagi shared a glance across the room. "The Task Force finally earned a short break and this is how it turns out. Each member has a plan of their own and somehow, it involves him. Quite a strong bonds he's made with those girls."
"Maybe the young master takes his commanding role a little too close to his personal life."
Asagi nodded.
"If promises are kept and requests are accepted, of course there will be the expectation of fulfillment. Fuuma-kun has the responsibility to catch up with the team's expectation. Spending time together is another way to forge a better connection."
And they knew he was trying his best as the Captain.
"That would mean…" A thought came to Saika. "You also want to spend time with young master?"
A thin smile formed on Asagi's lip, leaving no noticeable trace of subtle hints. But the answer was never given.
Being a veteran Taimanin, Saika could see through an intentional expression made of minimum muscle movements. A skill like that is often used when a Taimanin is impersonating during an investigation. Her smile was almost unnatural.
"I suppose working together on the missions doesn't count based on what you're asking."
"No. That's not the case, Asagi-san." Saika confirmed, showing a smile using the same skill. "I'm talking about those moments. Something along the line of personal level."
"Ah, I did ask him to meet up on a regular basic for mission briefings and report duty. The relationship is mutual."
"Hmm." Saika raised an eyebrow at that her answer. Still vague.
"But…"
Of course, there has to be a "but."
"Sometime, Fuuma-kun also showed me a certain side of him that I find to be…" She trailed off, not sure on purpose or she was trying to think of the right word. However, Saika noticed Asagi's unnatural smile became genuine. "Endearing."
Seconds after Asagi finished, there was silence.
"Uwah, so cold!"
Sakura mumbled in her sleep while the girl rolled to the side of her futon, pulling the blanket. It was weird that the cold air came from the dining room.
"Maybe I should play the role of an overprotective mother. Don't you think so, Asagi-san?" Saika cheerfully said.
"I think I've already took part of that role when the Task Force was first established. We all have opinions, Saika. Like you and the rest of the Task Force, I also shared some for Fuuma-kun." Asagi replied, her smile lingered. "Regardless, I'm certain about myself."
"An interest and not a reminder of the days once past, eh?"
"It's nothing like that. I've put those days behind me."
"Very well. If the Headmistress Asagi-san said so." Saika shrugged.
Asagi noticed the box Saika's been holding, she pointed at it.
"By the way, what's in that box?"
"These are books Danjou-sama once used, we're storing it in the Archive. The young master often read them."
Asagi looked over the content out of curiosity. She knew some of them.
"Fuuma-kun was reading these, huh."
The Use of Hand Seals, a traditional method to activate ninja arts.
"Hm. After the Sengoku era, Taimanins rarely used this since they discovered other means that provide better practical advantages and reduce activation timing. Memorizing the system of hand seals based on the natural element of each ninja art is proven to be complex even for today's standard. The only good thing we know about hand signs nowadays is the exact calculation of Taima particles consumption."
The Lost Practice of Breathing Techniques.
Once upon a time, this was a skill exclusive to the samurai. The records that illustrated and described these techniques were all lost at the end of Kamakura period due to unknown reasons. What written in the book was merely based on speculations and the old myths.
"Still, a fun read nonetheless."
History of the Forbidden Arts.
"This is one of the many alter versions of the original book. I have one copy in my room. Some details of the jutsu were left out or changed to prevent those with ill-intent."
That explained why no one was worried when the book fell into Danjou's hand.
They noticed something was sticking out from a book near the bottom. It looked like a piece of paper. Upon checking, Asagi found out the book was fake. It was actually a container. The piece of paper was part of a scroll, hidden inside the hollow space of the book.
"Saika?"
Asagi shared the confused look with Saika who shook her head. Even the former head clan's secretary knew nothing about the existence of this scroll, Danjou always kept many secrets to himself.
The scroll was old, the green paint on the outer fabric had faded at most parts.
"A mission scroll?"
It was the type of scroll the Taimanin had used to deliver the mission objective of all kind, widely issued before Gosha Village officially integrated technology into all aspects of the operation at the beginning of twenty-first century. What she saw was a green scroll, depicting a B-ranked mission, forgotten and never completed. Neglection had left it in dust. This could be an issue since the status of the given mission had remained unchanged over an extended period.
"This signature…"
Asagi opened it and saw the red stamp of approval. It had a name she recognizes.
"This belongs to one of the Elders who used to support the Fuuma clan. They fled from Gosha Village when the revolt failed. It seemed they had assigned this mission to Danjou years ago. Hm, I can't make out any of this."
She couldn't read the words written on it. The objectives, the details and what appeared to be a picture were made into groups of symbols.
"Asagi-san, allow me."
Saika laid out the scroll on the table and pushed her bangs behind the ears, revealing her left eye.
"This is an encrypted code invented by the Fuuma clan. The teaching of how to decrypt it is known only to the clan members, especially those who's already awakened their Evil Eye."
"I see. In order to read this, you would need the vision of an Evil Eye."
"Yes. And it's the only way you can understand these texts. However, there's also a catch. Not everything will be clearly showed to you as not all clan members are allowed in the secret of these codes. There are selective words placed under a visual jutsu. Basically, it will trick your vision, enhanced or not, by making the words appear backward or blinding it. You need to pick them out, dispel the illusion and rearrange them to form a complete sentence."
"Like a puzzle?"
For a clever trick, Asagi thought the solving process was complicated. But Saika believed otherwise, this was just a natural thing to learn for an Evil Eye user.
Left eye shone as Saika began scanning the scroll. The symbols became normal words in her view. At the place where a picture was encrypted, parts of image gradually aligned together. She saw a the shadow of a large tree hunching over a small town.
"Eh? Isn't this picture…?"
"What's wrong?" Asagi asked.
"This picture resembles the postcard from the envelope young master's taken before going on his last mission. The date on this scroll came before the time of the Revolt."
The Fuuma Revolt was thirteen years ago, and the message on this scroll predated that event. It must have been around the time when Fuuma Danjou was still active as an Elite Taimanin.
"Objective." Despite the confusion, Saika continued. "Head to the hidden town of the Great Ashen Tree. Location coordinate is included in the envelope. Investigate the rumor about a family's heirloom said to be one of Senketsu's crafts. Retrieve by any mean necessary."
A scowl briefly formed on Saika's expression and went away as soon as she heard a sigh from Asagi. They expected no less from the Elder who referred questionable courses of action when it comes to highly regarded and well-made weapons such as the Senketsu's Collection.
"There're other objectives here."
Second objective. Contact the inside man using the info from the made-up advertisement letter. Look into the cause of the town's declining population over the decades.
"Made-up advertisement letter? There's Danjou-sama's hand writing next to it. Encrypted, too."
"He did that? You're not supposed to write anything on a mission scroll. It could disrupt the flow of information."
"Apparently, he was not interested in the mission." Saika let out a light chuckle. "'Too much hassle, old man!' is what he wrote here."
Final objective. Retrieve the flower at the top of the Great Ashen Tree.
What written in the scroll had the two veteran Taimanins wondering.
"Hidden town of the Great Ashen Tree, so that's the name. The Elder who left Gosha seems to know more about this town and the great tree."
"You said Fuuma-kun is keeping a letter with the same picture on the postcard?"
"Yes." Saika nodded.
Looking at the scroll, Asagi raised her head as a thought came to mind.
"Could it be that this is where he currently is? From the surveillance records, we saw Fuuma-kun brought a luggage with him and took a bus to the next town. Maybe he was planning to spend his break on a vacation and it happened to be the place mentioned here."
Which means…
"The young master was actually following the instructions on the fake advertisement without ever realizing it was part of a mission from years ago!"
They arrived at a shocking fact. Unlike Asagi who was having very little traces of a frown on her face. Saika's eyes widened, the urge to reach for her phone boiled quicker than she could handle to keep the usual calm expression. She was about to contact Amane and her team to open a thorough investigation and get more info on the routines their young master had taken.
There was a reason a location name includes the term hidden. This town was one of those places that secluded itself from public due to undisclosed operations management.
A hidden facility where the most precious resources of Gosha are processed to make the best quality of equipment and fabrics for Taimanin's bodysuit.
A hidden town where few blacksmiths work on the knowledge to forge an otherworldly metal into weapons for high-profile Taimanins.
A hidden valley where the ancient Gosha Village once stood before it was relocated.
A hidden forest once housed a Taimanin clan and over a hundred sub-clan members who vanished without a trace when a dense fog appeared, all paths leading to it have been sealed off till this day.
Any hidden location all has something in common to the characteristics of those places. Either a secret best kept from the world or a potential danger that has never been dealt with and was left alone until a solution is found.
Hidden town of the Great Ashen Tree is that kind of place.
But there was a problem.
It was made into a tourist attraction, and Asagi had never heard of the name despite being the leader of all Taimanin who gained access to all the records in Gosha. Something like that was enough of an issue to be concerned. Now, with Kotaro being there for a vacation without the slightest idea, Saika had a feeling something could go terribly wrong.
"Wait."
Surprisingly, Asagi stopped her when the phone was already dialing Amane's number.
"Asagi-san, why?"
"Fuuma-kun took the address with him. It's going to take at least half a day to fully track down the exact location of his whereabout."
That made sense. Still, Saika couldn't afford to wait even if she had to chase after him through the trail of breadcrumbs.
"Then, isn't urgent the keyword in this case? My young master could be in danger."
"He is also my student and captain, Saika. You were going to rush over there ahead on your own once Amane sends you the result, correct? This isn't just the Fuuma clan's personal issue anymore. His well-being is the Task Force's responsibility, too."
Saika awkwardly shifted her view to the floor. In the spur of moment, the overwhelming worry made her forget that the young master had been whole-heartedly supported by his teammates on various missions. He became strong only when he was with his fellows. And thanks to him, his friends strengthened their ninja arts through his strategies.
"Share it with us. We will go get him back."
They are worried about him as much as she does. It's only right for them to do this.
"Alright. But what about the break?"
"Worry not, Fuuma-kun is included in everyone's break plan. Of course they will be eager to cut it short if it means bringing their dear captain back safely." Asagi smiled, making her way to the living room where the members were asleep. "Am I right, team?"
She slid the door to the side. In the dark, multiple shadow figures hurriedly jumped back into the futons. Some shuffled inside their blankets in a failed attempt to pretense they didn't awake. Only one shadow sat still in the open.
Asagi switched on the lights, revealing Emily who gave her an embarrassed giggle as she didn't react in time like the others.
"I know everyone's up for some time. Saika knew it too."
"Ehehe. Sorry onee-chan." Sakura replied from underneath the blanket. "We didn't mean to eardrop the conversation."
"I'm truly sorry, Asagi-sama. I tried to stop them."
"It's fine, Murasaki. That would save us time to explain things." With a clasp of her hand, Asagi's voice shifted to a firm tone. "Everyone, you heard it. Fuuma-kun might have got himself involved in a dangerous situation. We wait until Amane finalized the surveillance records review and give us the map to the hidden town of the Great Ashen Tree. This could take until morning, for now get some rest as you should do."
"Roger that!"
"Yes!"
"Will do!"
"Asagi…...a question….."
A half-asleep Noah pulled on Asagi's sleeve.
"What is it, Noah?"
"Is Asagi…..going to….sleep, as well?"
"Uhm. After I'm done sorting out the documents."
"It's….a lot?"
"It shouldn't take long."
"Kotaro, often…..helps?"
"He often does. What's about it?"
Noah slow-walked back to her makeshift bed and pulled out an object. No one in the room could fathom her action until they realized the thing she was holding.
It was a plushy. The soft toy resembled the appearance of a certain one-eyed someone. It looked like a chibi version of that young man.
"Asagi…..take this." Said Noah as she handed it to Asagi, who was just as surprised like the others. "Better motivation…..and…...and…..good, sleeping charm."
Where in the world did she get this plushy!? Saika and Tokiko wanted to know! The Task Force wanted to know!
"Noah-chan! Noah-chan! Where did you get that!?" Sakura voiced out everyone's thought.
"Hm…" Noah cutely titled her head. "It's a…..secret?"
"B-But how!? Why!? What!? When!?" Yukikaze was confused, so did others.
"A-Anyway, thank you, Noah." Asagi spoke up. "I guess I'll just borrow this from you for the time being."
"Um. Imagine, Kotaro blend a hand." Noah shot a thumb up. "Works….wonder."
"Is that so?" Asagi stared at the plushy's face. And with a smile, she hugged it to her chest while feeling a little warm by the cheeks. "It's so soft, and so cute."
While watching Asagi's reaction to the plushy, Noah noticed a sharp change in temperature. A breeze brushed her by the neck. The sensation in the atmosphere was like the edge of a sword grinding against a whetstone.
"Cold."
Noah muttered softly before going back to bed. She couldn't care less while feeling sleepy.
On the wall, the clock pointed at one in the morning.
/
Author's Note: While Kotaro is in deep trouble, the Task Force is on the roll back home since his solo vacation was not part of their plans!
Thank you for reading. Take care!