Hantai Katana
Episode one

The message had come from Zuizan-sama himself to the leaders of the Choshu, and from them to the various dojo master's of the area: The real war was beginning in Kyoto, and the tenuous alliance between Satsuma and Choshu clans was finally called to action. The best were collecting in the capitol. However, the letter's contents, and the reality Kéioko had seen in the boat, and now the carriage, that took her by way of Osaka to Kyoto, were incongruous.

Komatsuzaki-san.

 After so many years, it is unfortunate that my letter to you could not come under better circumstance. Please forgive my reticence. Perhaps after our lands are again at peace, we can meet again, but until then, I am sure you understand the importance of our unity in this war against the shogunate. A letter from Takechi Zuizan-san has called upon us to assist in the movement to bring the rightful emperor back into power. I know you are unable to help personally, though that you would in an instant if you could. Instead, please send your best students. Through them your spirit lives, and through them you can once again be of great service to the Choshu. I will make proper accommodations...

The men and few women with whom Kéioko traveled, however, were nothing more than lost ronin and country farm-boys trying to better their place. Of course, looks could be deceiving. She was given third-class accommodations, not for lack of funds, but for exactly such a purpose. Her master had left her with the admonition that, in war, one is always at war. There were no non-combatants, and even the kindly gestures of a friend could mean your life. He had not been tearful at her departure, rather proud. Even he sat somewhat straighter watching her leave, indeed as though it were he himself. It was the last time she had been recognized as something more than a normal woman.

Her instructions had been simple, if vague. There would be a man waiting for her at the stop in Kyoto. All else was left in purposeful mystery. The carriage from Osaka port to Kyoto would take two hours, and was packed with eight people. All but one other was a woman, who seemed travel-worn and impatient, continually looking into the forest for some sign of the city. Most of the others were ronin, their kimono signifying no particular allegiance with anyone else, much less with any in traveling with them. Mostly, they simply ignored Kéioko. One man, a priest by his bald head, only a little older than her smiled sitting across from her in the kindly, blindly knowing way of the young who look for wisdom. His robes draped loosely around his thin frame swayed with the motion of the cart, the errant dust leaving him seemingly unfazed. As the green mountains swallowed them up and left them in shady gloom, he leaned forward with a short bow and another smile.
"I seem to remember, you were on the same boat as I. It was a long trip, ne. Will this be your first time in Kyoto, miss?" He said in a polite, heavy Kyoto accent. Clearly, he had only been visiting the southern states.

Inside Kéioko’s mind, she was racing; thought verses thought upon worry and fear. Her face was not displayed by this inner battle though, as it was an impassive mask of emotionless ness. She was zoning out, consumed by her thoughts and worries until the young priest across from her broke her from her daze. Her strange blue eyes slowly drifted across the wooden background of the carriage to rest upon the foreground that was the priest. She bowed her head in polite acknowledgement.

"Yes, a very long trip... Very... nauseating." Poor Kéioko wasn't much of a sea traveler, and she got seasick quite well, despite having her own set of sea legs well developed. "And no..." She began after a quiet pause, "It is not my first time to Kyoto." Her accent was not of Choshu, but of somewhere more Southeastern. In truth, Kéioko moved around a lot, so her origins were not widely known. She'd landed in Choshu within the past year, and therefore, was considered a native Choshu.

She flashed the priest a gentle, female smile before returning her gaze to the passing scenery outside the carriage. She was nonetheless nervous about what she was doing, and whom she was going to meet along the way, but she knew it was the right thing.

The carriage again descended into silence, but only for a moment. The priest laughed with a startling cheerfulness to the rest of the group, but it didn't ring false. Even the tired woman smiled slightly, irresistibly with him, and the tense breath of the ronin escaped into the quiet streams of sunlight that struggled through the canopy of broad-leaved trees in brief flashes. Everyone was thinking the same thing as Kéioko, and it became clear by how much they could relax. When the priest spoke again, his voice's warmth filled the room, but the words themselves seemed only able to reach their recipient.

"I'm surprised we didn't meet out hanging over the rail of the boat! My master's advice to understand the water and avoid illness seems not to have taken. No one should travel to Kyoto alone, especially in the spring. The sakura are beginning to bloom, and it is the last chance to enjoy fresh air before the rainy season. Tonight is the sakura-matsuri, and I expect it to be a beautiful night. Please," He looked at her, but his invitation encompassed them all, "Come to the festival at the temple. It will be a peace in your busy lives." The other's nodded with him, smiling at his grandiose behavior, either as though he was a child, or they were. When silence fell again, it was as peaceful as his promise for the night. When he spoke again, it was to Kéioko alone, intently, intensely, private.

"The city is alive. You will feel the change in how it breathes, if you have seen the capital before. Take a care that it doesn't change you as well." The other occupants had faded for just a moment, he had drawn near without moving and the words whispered with vitality. Then it was gone. He too looked out the window in amicable silence, and the others took no notice of anything peculiar. It was as though it had been a dream. The only evidence of its veracity was the esoteric prayer beards that lay in Kéioko’s lap, unclaimed, unacknowledged. The carriage drew to a stop.

The door swung open, and enthusiastically the priest watched the others exit, their demeanors again tensing, the wind carrying the dangerous excitement they had all come for. They had arrived.

Even Kéioko’s own body and mind tensed up as she looked out the doorway of the carriage. She moved to rise, the ring of beads in her lap falling to the ground with a small clatter. Her gaze followed the sound to rest upon the ring of beads. She stared at it for a brief moment before bending down to pick it up. She tucked it into the thin obi of her hakama before stepping out of the carriage.

She glanced around, her eyes eventually resting upon the telltale pagoda of Kyoto, which she knew well. She was back in Kyoto, after so long of being away of travels. She glanced around to the priest, having delayed in answering his request. She nodded with a gentle, somewhat nervous smile.

"Alright, I shall accompany you to the viewing if I am not needed elsewhere at the time." She didn't know where to go presently, so she waited for an instruction.

The priest bowed and smiled in such an easy, appreciative way, she might've been doing him a favor in her acceptance. His sandaled feet pattered softly to the ground behind Kéioko, and with a wave to those who stayed behind, began the trek into the city. The pagodas some were seeing for the first time, his home. The woman was not far behind, though not keeping up with his energetic stride, the tightly wrapped bright red kimono forcing her steps into a dance to maintain properly rigid posture until home. Her upright frame mirrored the tall buildings on the narrow streets that from the outskirts of the city only began to hint at the enormity of the chaotically curving roads. The bright red of her kimono matched the passionate colors of the steep rooftops.

The five ronin milled around the station without much direction, much as Kéioko herself. Strain was already beginning to show on a few in the face of the immense city. It was likely that none of them had ever been this far from home; several had likely never left their hometown. From their accents, she could tell the two nearest her were from Choshu, the other four possibly from Tokyo. Many people were still coming to the city with no allegiance, and hiding one's origins was not yet in their minds. They were paying her little attention, though a few glanced her way as though to ask directions, or for help, then thought better of it.

The silence the priest had left in his wake was broken, shattered, by the crashing of crates behind Kéioko. Several ronin jumped, hands on their blades in readiness for the attack they all expected. What they found instead was a boy, only a few years younger than Kéioko herself lying under the empty wooden boxes. Sheepishly he rose and smiled, chagrinned he scratched his head.

"Nee-chan, I'm late, gomen ne. I hurried as fast as I could. Are you ready?" Oddly, he seemed to be speaking to her, and a few of the men close by smirked at her awkward brother, as much for his actions as to forget their own.

Kéioko herself tensed up as the boy crashed into the boxes, but as she didn't have any weapons with her that weren't concealed, she merely took a defensive stance before realizing there was no threat. She relaxed and straightened up, her hands dropping to her sides. He called me nee-chan... Who is this boy? Maybe he's a Choshu? A few thoughts similar to these were present in her mind as the boy glanced at her. She made a slightly embarrassed face and decided play along.

"Nii-chan, you're so clumsy... She murmured to him with a soft smile. "The journey seems to have caused my memory to be lost within my sea of thoughts, what am I to be ready for?" She tilted her head in her usual feline manner. She folded her arms within the wide sleeves of her black and red patterned kimono, her fingers gently fondling the thin handle of a concealed kunai.

The boy approached with casual familiarity, dusting off his clothes from his fall without a glance at the others. He wore the hakama and kimono of a kendo student; the dark browns complimenting his bright eyes. Darker skinned than Kéioko, it was hard to see how they could be mistaken for relatives, but none of the men who looked on seemed to notice. If anything, they seemed bemused that he could act so freely when they, grown men, feared to. As her eyes took him in, she saw no weapons hidden. He was either skilled, or unarmed. He laughed when she spoke, so easy compared to her restrained, graceful manner, and so plain to her exotic features, they were almost opposites.

"To go home, of course. Father's been pacing around waiting all day for you. Did you bring anything?" He didn't let on for a moment that he might not have known her. "Na, Rin-chan will be upset if you didn't bring her a souvenir." He was definitely from Kyoto by accent. He waited with unquestioning patience for her to decide whether she was going to follow him, or stay behind.

"Oi kid, be more careful next time. You'll get hurt if you keep running around like that," One of Choshu ronin said in a brusque but friendly voice. He was one who had jumped in surprise. The boy just smiled.

"Ah, gomen, ne. I'm so clumsy!" He said with a laugh.

Kéioko smiled and couldn't help but giggle gently. "Don't worry Nii-chan, I brought plenty..." She glanced at the ronin and smiled gently before looking back to the boy. She was an orphan of her own, so she guessed her was talking about Katsura. She was surprised slightly, that this boy was so carefree, but then again, Kéioko seemed that way too. She'd relaxed a bit in her demeanor since the boy had showed up.

She glanced back at the priest and the red-clad woman, bowing politely before turning to the boy again. "Can you help me with a bag of mine? It's quite heavy. I only brought two pieces of luggage, and father's isn't that far away is it from here?"

The boy nodded enthusiastically, and lifted her bag with surprisingly little trouble for his small stature. Hefting it over his shoulder, he made cursory bows to some of the men to move them out of his way and making a path for her onto the quiet, empty street. He was a bustling with energy as he led her away. He turned and smiled.

"No, it isn't too far, and we're definitely in the city since we moved! We're near the temples, so you can almost see across the entire city," He motioned her down the street as though they were out for an walk in the cool afternoon, those she left behind acknowledging them both before returning their own lives. The moment they were out of sight, however, alone on the deserted outskirt's roads, the boy dropped the bag and bowed fully ninety-degrees to her, refusing to move until he almost burst with apology.

"Senpai-sama, I'm sorry for being so familiar! I was told to not reveal who you were, but the method was mine. Moshi wake gozaimasen!" He remained in the stiff bow, not trembling, but willing to accept whatever punishment she gave. Polite as he was, though, he had apparently forgotten to introduce himself in the commotion of finding her.

*Moshi wake gozaimasen - there are is no excuse

Kéioko smiled gently and bowed in reply.

"Actually, I'm glad you chose the method you did. It lightened up the moods of the stuffy ronin I was traveling with...But...I would like to know: Who are you?" She straightened up and smiles gently, folding her arms within her sleeves again after setting down the bag she was carrying.

He had indeed startled her once he became so serious out of sight, but she was glad he did indeed reveal what his intentions were. Her suspicions were correct, at least for what she thought, but she felt like she could trust him. Even if he did turn on her, she could protect herself.

He stood upright, and looked more relieved than he should have. Until she asked who he was, and his eyes went wide in exclamation. "Ah! I'm sorry! I'm Kakou Oka of the Tosa. Please call me Hazu though. I'm your servant. The leader of our group, Oyama Tasuke-sama attached me to you." He spoke as though she would know who that was, or what her official position was. Despite the nervously respectful way in which he approached her, he couldn't help but smile. It seemed irrepressible. "I can't believe I forgot to introduce myself. I'm much more responsible than this!" He laughed helplessly and returned to his explanation.

"I've lived here my whole life, so I can help you find things. My job is to get you anything you need. If you wish, in public we can pretend to be related to keep your cover, though I would never suggest something unless you approved of it." He seemed intent on not offending her in anyway, an odd combination of being casual in danger, and not wanting her to suddenly kill him. Without asking, he lifted both her bags and stood. "Is there anything more I forgot to tell you?" He grinned at his own scattered thoughts.

At the mention of considering the cover of pretending to be related, she smiled, placing a hand on his head and ruffling his hair. "Heh, you're cute enough... I guess we could do that." She giggled gently.

"I didn't know I was to have a servant... I've never had one before... but that just makes you sound like a dog doesn't it?" She gently shook her head, then smiling again. "You have yet to tell me your age... Right Hazu-kun?" She was nonetheless confused about the names he was mentioning, having no clue what was going on at the present moment.

"So then, where are we to go and who do I have to meet?" She glanced down at him curiously, her bright blue eyes locking with his for a brief moment before looking around for a moment.

He bowed again quickly in thanks for her appreciation of his idea, the serious honorifics in his actions and words contrasted sharply with the playful light that danced in his eyes. "Don't worry, I'm happy to serve you, Senpai-sama," Whether he meant it, or it was required for him to say, Kéioko couldn't tell through his cheerful demeanor. When his soft brown eyes met her piercing blue, he looked away with a blush, and turned again towards their destination. He walked by her side at a relaxed pace, carrying both the bags, and chatted with her exactly as though she were a highly respected older sister.

"I'm fourteen. When I was ten, Oyama-sama took me in trained me. I've served him since then. I'll be kinda glad though to serve someone closer to my age though, so I was happy when I found out you were coming!" He laughed, a little embarrassed, but at ease. "Oyama-sama will want to meet you for sure, but I don't know who else will be there. He isn't so strict, but I'll probably be busy getting all day getting you ready" He shrugged. "We all live in the house, so you don't have to worry about a place to live, and I'll always be next door. The other two you work with are a bit more...serious, ne..." He trailed off then rapidly changed the subject. "You're from Choshu, ne. You must be good for them to send you here! If I'm lucky, maybe I'll get to watch you work?"

So he's only two years younger than I... She chuckled softly, shrugging. "Who are the two I'll be working with then? She asked as she walked beside him. She made it look like she was leading, but she was really following his boy language, taking hints on where to go.

"I don't think I'm that great to be summoned, but yes, I'm from Choshu, however not originally. I'd moved there a few months prior to being summoned. I'm surprised they'd heard of me. I wonder if Komatsuzaki-sensei told them of me..."<darkblue> She shrugged, her last sentence was morely directed to herself as an out-loud thought.

<Darkblue>"Maybe, if you behave..." She teased him, playfully sticking out her tongue. "If you want, and if the higher-ups don't mind. I just don't want you to get hurt. "

They turned a corner, really beginning to enter the city. Crowds of people had begun to gather in the streets, making their way to the temple, the joviality of the festival covering the usual tension of the people for this one night. As they trekked up a narrow hill vendors called out greetings to Kéioko. All kinds of sweets and souvenirs were on display. The merchants seemed pushier than she remembered them. The war was beginning, and money was growing tighter. With Hazu carrying her bags, she must've seemed a wealthy woman.

"Ja, Komatsuzaki-sensei is your teacher, ne? We just received a letter that said a little about you, but I had to guess which woman you were at the stop. They didn't tell me you would have...such eyes," He laughed and blushed. "Sumimasen! I didn't mean to point them out...The others, ne. There's Kawa...I don't know what his real name is. He's close to our age. He doesn't talk much, and his servant Rin. She's pretty quiet, but the coolest eight year old you'll ever meet," He laughed, dropping the honorifics for a moment to describe her, then returned to formality.

"The other is Kazuo Matsuda. He's..." Hazu searched for words nervously. "Aggressive. But I think very good at his job, ne." Conspicuously, he didn't mention the last servant.
"Senpai-sama, don't tease me," He said with a laugh. "After all, it's my job to make sure everything goes right, even if it's dangerous, ne." He stopped in front of a narrow, utterly plain doorway crammed between two busy shops and smiled reassuringly. "We're here."

Kéioko ignored the vendors and paid attention to what Hazu had to say.

"I don't think they knew much about my appearance, as unique as it may be, but I don't want to be a boastful child." She glanced around at the area as it was being prepared for the festival, and all seemed so excitable. She'd attempt to keep her word to the young priest and try to visit the festival later on, as she truly did enjoy watching the sakura blossoms.

"And what about Matsuda-san's servant?" She asked quietly, just before they paused in front of the building. She glanced the doorway up and down, then at Hazu, her face become a blank expression as she looked to her fore once more.
"A good servant has many of their master's qualities," He said, uncharacteristically philosophical, "Oyama-sama told me that. Rin and I call Kazuo-san's servant Akutei. He's the evil brother. He's just like Kazuo-san, but at least Kazuo's funny a lot. Akutei's real name is Kazuo Soto. He took Kazuo-san's name...He's probably your age, but I don't talk to him much..." His darkened face recomposed in a smile as he looked up to Kéioko. "I wouldn't say anything except to you. But you don't have to worry about him, ne. You're above him! The crowds were, if anything thickening, until the waves of bright kimonos and rustic-looking samurai threatened to overwhelm them. Hazu opened the door politely, and began to ascend the steep stairs up with both her bags swaying behind him. He turned a last time and smiled encouragingly. "Are you ready, Senpai-sama?"

She was nervous again, looking up the staircase in front of her. Feigning a small smile, she held her breath as she stepped over the threshold and slid the door shut behind her, and then soon following Hazu up the stairs. Her breaths as they started up again were shallow and quiet, as if she were sneaking around, but she was indeed scared, to say the least.

"I guess, then, you were quite the match for me. I see several of my own qualities within you, and vice versa."

Hazu smiled, blushed, and bowed in thanks to her compliment, and continued up the stairs. The upper floor was an entry way surrounded by three non-descript doors. The ambient outside noise was drowned away as Kéioko ascended by the loud sounds of laughter between a man and a woman hidden somewhere in the house. Hazu opened the sliding doors on the left and laid her bags inside. From above a voice boomed out.

"Hazu! Is that you?! Did you bring her? Bring her up here!" Hazu laughed and called out equally as loudly.
"Hai! Oyama-sama, she hasn't even seen her room!"
"Hurry up!" The man called and his laughter boomed again. Hazu just shrugged, and opened the door wide with a demure flourish.
"This is your room, Senpai."

He hadn't been kidding in his act at the carriage stop, the view of the city was beautiful. The seas of steeply curved red roofs were only interrupted by gracefully up reaching trees. The room itself was sparsely furnished: a futon in the corner and a closet for her things. He pointed at the door opposite hers in the hallway.

"That's Kawa's room. Rin and I sleep in the hall," He skittered to the middle doors and flung them open to show the hall. Inside were racks upon racks of clothes, disguises, and weapons. Everything a ninja might need was neatly organized into the cluttered room. If it were ever found, the shogunate would certainly have them all killed. The far side of the room had another set of stairs that Hazu bound towards, growing in excitement at introducing her; he hardly waited for her to follow. Besides the uproarious voices he led her towards, the house was strangely empty.

Kéioko glanced around the room with a curious gaze, her face lighting up some as she saw the room chock full of ninja accessories. She looked over to Hazu with a large, almost excited smile, but decided she should wait until later to explore the many things inside it. Her heart was racing and her legs felt a bit like jelly, but she moved over to Hazu with a smile.

"Let's go see Oyama-san..."

Hazu opened the door with restrained excitement and knelt with a bow. The man inside was huge. Not only over-weight, but over-tall, he seemed to take up the entire room. A beautiful woman with a fine kimono loosely draped over her lay in his arms, shakily pouring sake into the cup in front of him. It was awkward, almost a private moment, but the two just smiled and invited the younger pair inside.
"Keioko-san! Come in. Do you drink sake?" The man who must've been Oyama bellowed and laughed. The woman laughed with him delicately, and smiled at her, not rising from the giant man's lap. Hazu had bowed deeply to them, and sat waited for Kéioko to sit before he did. His formality made no sense in the casual atmosphere, but he studiously remained proper.

Her demeanor went suddenly calm and respectful as she entered the room, kneeling down before the one called Oyama and his lady friend, and bowing to him politely.

"Every once and then..." She replied to his inquiry. Kéioko was a soft-spoken girl, as her voice was even more so gentle in a calm state of mind. She figured this woman to be either a geisha or prostitute, but her behavior didn't seem as graceful, nor honorable as a geisha. She despised woman who had no respect for themselves, but she enjoyed geisha, for lack of a better word, she respected them and their arts. Some of which, Kei had learned to perform and portray in her years of study of the arts.

Oyama laughed, but did not pour her any sake. Instead, the woman rose and readjusted her kimono. As Hazu sat directly behind Kéioko, the woman wandered a swaying path to him, her long thin fingers licking out to touch his cheek and smiled at the young boy.
"Have you been good, Hazu-chan?" She said alluringly. Hazu responded with bashful correctness.
"Of course, Megumi-san," He said.
"Good boy," She murmured and returned to Oyama's side. Even through the man's jovial nature, Kéioko could sense his measuring her every action. The woman sat near him, more formally than lying in his lap, but not with the same discipline of Hazu. Hazu spoke first.
"We had no problems, Oyama-sama. I filled her in on whom she may work with.
"Good boy, good boy," He echoed Megumi's sentiments. "Are you well rested, Keioko-san? How was your trip?" Megumi poured him another cup of sake as he spoke.

"As most trips go, it was uneventful and tiring, but nonetheless pleasing as I arrived at my destination unscathed." She inclined her head politely as she spoke. "And yes, thank you. I am well rested sir." This, of course, was a lie, as she hadn't gotten any sleep during the majority of the trip and she was exhausted. She didn't want to expose her fatigue though, not to anyone by blatantly saying it out loud.

"Hazu-san was very well informative, well behaved and kind to me, so I thank you for sending him along to retrieve me. I would probably be still at the drop-off point if not for him." She smiled gently and straightened her back, her folded hands resting in her lap.

"Hazu is one of our best! If you need anything, he can find it. We have needed a kunoichi for some time. I'm sure with your talents we will succeed as a group, na." He drank his sake down in one swallow and braced himself for his speech.

"I am glad to hear you are rested, Keioko-san, because we have work for you. Do you know of the Aizu? As you probably know, it is they who are our greatest enemy. Other factions are poorly organized, certainly worse than us, but the Aizu have greater numbers. Fortunately we have ferocity, na Hazu-kun!" He almost shouted in his enthusiasm. Hazu responded with equal enthusiasm, but much more grace. "Typically we work as ninja for Zuizun's hitokiris, and soon we will give you your own assignment, but for now, your assistance is required for a simple task." The drunken man suddenly turned quite serious and quiet, his eyes as sharp as Kéioko’s own. It was similar to the moment with the priest, as all grew quiet, but not from a mystical source, this man's size demanded compliance and respect.

"It is your first night here, and we would not expect you to get blood on your hands so early. In fact, my hope is to use your more subtle skills to avoid that in general. We have enough blood thirst in this group. Are you ready to begin with us then, Keioko-san?" As he spoke, the door slid open almost imperceptibly, and a small girl entered without disturbing Oyama. She knelt silently, several feet to the side of Kéioko with a pot and poured tea in a simple, elegant ceremony for an empty place. She set it in the middle of the room out of reach of everyone, and then moved back beside Hazu. They all waited on her.

She remained silent for what seemed like the longest of moment, but seeing as she felt like she had no choice in the matter, she nodded. Right after, nodding she bowed.

"Yes sir, I am ready." Inside, she was groaning, knowing she wouldn't be getting sleep for quite a while. Another part that made her groan was the fact that she wouldn't be able to view the sakuras with the priest as per his invitation. Kéioko eventually straightened up, refolding her hands in her lap and locking eyes with Oyama. Kei's demeanor was bold for a female, as if almost fearless in the presence of a powerful man, or what she figured to be a powerful man. She waited to hear what her mission was.

Oyama looked her over critically and took another drink. He nodded approvingly at her strength under these demands, expecting nothing less. The boisterous air of the room had calmed like a facade being lifted away. He still smiled, but now there was an open grimness to it. This was business.

No door opened, no sound was made, there was no indication at all that the man suddenly seated cross-legged next to her hadn't been there the entire time. The slight rap of the teacup against tatami as he set it down was the alert that he had arrived, compared to Oyama's carelessness with his sake, this man was absolutely meditative. Not much older than Kéioko, he too sat with composure in the midst of the casual room, but even now, in the safe confines of their base, apprehensive tension hung over him. He wore the black of a traditional ninja, his outfit as spare has his attitude. Although he hadn't acknowledged her, there was no enmity. The dark clothes merely seemed to draw him into his own world.

"Well, as you can see, we're a small group. But the best! We need to work together perfectly if we're going to survive this war. For a few weeks, Kazuo-kun has been working inside the Aizu. He will be your starting point for infiltrating them later; unfortunately, two lieutenants seem to have recognized him from his past. That's why Kazuo-kun is hiding out now. Kawa-kun has found that those two will meet their leader tomorrow, so they need to be eliminated tonight. Normally, he could do this job himself; however, these two are rather high ranking and have two guards who stay by their side all night. I will need you to either draw them away, or distract their guards while Kawa-kun assassinates the lieutenants. In our supplies you will find a number or poisons and sleeping powders, if you wish. I'll let you be creative," He laughed. "Don't kill them though! We don' want you to look suspicious too...that's all I need. Hazu will help you get a job at the inn they usually stay at. You'll need to anyway if we're to get close to them." He drank down the rest of his sake and grinned oafishly.

"This should be no problem for you, but take a weapon. No one will be able to help you when you're inside. Do you understand? Do you have any questions?" He asked enthusiastically, as though this were more a fun game than a mission. It was certainly to be a test of her. The little girl again knelt by the silent man and poured him tea.

A small smile graced Kéioko’s pouty lips as she closed her eyes briefly, sensing the presence of the man beside her, who she guessed was either Kazuo or Kawa. She didn't look at him; so much as memorizing the feel he gave her when unseen. As Oyama explained the situation to her, several ideas for executing this mission safely and productively flowed through her mind. Being a quick thinker, several thoughts for each idea concerning difficulty, safety and effectiveness came and went. Upon reopening her eyes, the smile held on her face as she nodded.

"Yes sir, I understand, and I will carry out the mission without fail." Amongst the groans of disappointment and fatigue, there was some excitement and pride sparking within her mind. She had a feeling that this would get interesting, even if in a serious situation. She was proud that they could trust her, despite having just been summoned. However, within the back of her mind, the thought that these could be the bad guys never left, so she was always on her guard, and always thinking of how this could turn out wrong and how she could fix it if such was the case.

Oyama nodded, pleased. Megumi filled his cup with a smile to Kéioko, and the large man relaxed once again. "Ja, Kéioko-san, you'll do fine. There are still two hours before nightfall. Be at the inn before then. The Aizu usually arrive about then, na?" He glanced at the man seated beside her. He nodded once, imperceptibly, not looking up from his cup. "Good. Prepare yourselves then. We will speak more tomorrow, Keioko-san. Hazu-kun will help you with everything you need." The other three bowed to greater or lesser degrees, and rose to leave. Megumi flopped again into Oyama's lap and he laughed, making silly cooing noises at the beautiful, drunken woman. Even powerful men could be made silly by the right person.

Hazu waited for her at the bottom of the stairs, the quiet, clear featured man already calmly prepared himself, the little girl assisting him as though they were the same person. Hazu smiled and gave her a slight bow. "What will you need first, Senpai?"

Kéioko bowed to Oyama respectively before getting up to leave, closing the door behind her. Once the door was closed, she released a heavy breath, but kept it quiet. She was pleased that her first mission in Kyoto was something that sounded simple, but she was almost somewhat disappointed that she wouldn't be doing the assassination. As she passed the quiet man, she glanced at him at from the corner of her eyes, surveying his facial features before continuing on. She stepped down to Hazu, murmuring something almost inaudibly so that only he could hear.

"A nap..." Was what she said before heading towards her room. She needed to grab a few things, and in her mind she already decided what she would need. She beckoned for Hazu to follow as she opened the doors to her room and kept them open, going straight to her luggage from earlier. She kneeled in front of them and opened the one, pulling out a pair of ninjatos, looking almost identical from the distance, save for the two differently coloured wraps on each of the tsukas.

"How will you go about securing me a position at the inn tonight, Hazu-kun?" She asked quietly, pulling out a few pouches, belts, and other strange-looking items.

The unnamed man with the little girl didn't look up from his preparations as Kéioko passed, but he was younger than his bearing would have given away, and the peaceful facade, unlike the feeling of the priest earlier, didn't reach his eyes. There he continually struggled with emotions Kéioko couldn't discern, and even his shorn hair tried to conceal in thick locks. Neither of the two spoke, at first glance, though the physical cues between the two soon became obvious. The girl wasn't a mind reader, they had just been together long enough that preparations began to look like a dance.

Hazu laughed at her dry answer and followed her to her room, waiting apprehensively outside for a heartbeat, and then entered, flopping to the floor cross-legged, casually. His formality in the meeting with Oyama was gone, but he still spoke to her respectfully.

"Oyama-sama doesn't let people sleep much, ne. And Kana, the woman who owns the inn will work you hard! I'm lucky to be the servant, Senpai," He laughed, but was distracted by her weapons, instantly by her side, leaning forward to look. "Sugoi! These are beautiful! Kazuo-san said he would find me a katana when I was good enough, but I don't think his are this nice." He sat back, blushing a bit at his gushing. He recovered himself by changing the subject.

"Ja, How will I get you a job? I know some of the...people who work there, ne. Kind of friends. I'll say you're my sister. You'll still have to interview with Kana...she's tough, but I know you'll be fine," He reassured her, then began ticking off his fingers, thinking. "What kind of job can you do? If you have any skills, maybe you don't have to be a waitress, ne. Entertainers don't have to work as hard." He laughed happily, "You could probably even get a nap!"

Kéioko laughed gently at his comments about the weaponry, but didn't boast about them. They had been hers since she began training, and they were her most prized possessions. She listened to his explanations as she continued to unpack her things.

"Well, I've worked at an inn before, trying to get some money to live, but perhaps... what kinds of skills do you think would get me closer to the guards? Surely an entertainer... Or perhaps someone serving tea?" These words could be translated as some out-loud thoughts, or merely asking for suggestions from Hazu. She soon stood and walked to the room full of ninja accessories, searching through and grabbing a small glass vial of some kind of powder, then setting it aside.

She moved to her second piece of luggage and pulled out a box. She opened it and inside the contents revealed a pastel-blue kimono with a white inner-kimono and a white a pink patterned obi. She paused after taking it out, thinking for a moment. She then turned to Hazu.

"Will you please get me a small amount of water and, if at all possible, some hair oil?"

"Hai, Senpai. If you are good at tea ceremony and can play an instrument, probably I can get you into only their room. Are you a geisha too?" He said in awe of his mistress. He followed her into the large room, the other two were already gone, as mysterious in their disappearance as their arrival, and showed her where things were, trying to fill her in as quickly as possible. He sounded nervous about the night behind his energetic behavior.

"One of my friends says they usually have entertainers in all night, and waitresses go in and out. Un, tea ceremony would be best, ne. Chotto..." He raced out of the room, the padding of his feet disappearing for only a moment, changing to a walk. He returned with his arms full, water and hair oil the least of them. He lay them out with care and sat before them. "If you will go as an entertainer, you will have to look...elegant, ne?" There were hair ornaments, makeup, a strange vial, and an assortment of weapons with sheaths made for concealment. He grinned at what he had brought, then took her kimono from her busily, laying it out with the others so everything was neat and easily seen for her approval, and awaited her next orders.

"Can you tie an obi?" She asked after a brief thank you, watching him set things out. She had a small smile on her face as she asked, glancing over the things before leaning down and picking up the vial, studying it.

"What's in here?" She asked quietly before setting it down again. She wasn't a geisha, but she knew how to be one. She knew how to play the shamisen, flute, and do the tea ceremony, but the latter, she wasn't very skilled with. She figured she'd go as a geisha tonight, and slip some slow-acting sleep powder into the guard's tea or sake, and some other concoction (sp?) of her own invention into the victim's drinks. It was a special mixture that made them have to urinate quite urgently. It would get them away from the guards, who would in turn fall asleep. She had a feeling her plan would work, and it could not be traced back to her.

"Mochiron, ne." He said with a smile and slight blush, running the obi through his hands until it was folded in his lap. When she picked up the vial, he nodded proudly.

"It's a family secret. It will make your eyes hypnotic," He laughed. "Only a drop though in each eye, or it will make you sick. I thought of it because they will not recognize you later with your blue eyes, they will just be...amazed," His eyes grew big as he said it, and giggled, then stood up. "I will let you change, ne. Call me and I'll help you with the obi. I'll be outside." He nodded to make sure it was ok, then stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. Kéioko could hear him slide down to sit in front of it, humming a soft tune.

*Mochiron - of course

With a nod, Kei watched him leave, then set to undressing. She stepped out of her hakama after untying it, then pulled off her yukata, folding them both up and setting them aside. She pulled on them an underskirt and then adjusted the bandage wrap she always had around her breasts and upper stomach area. Leaning down, she picked up slipped on the white inner kimono, then the pastel blue outer, making sure the back collar tilted downwards to expose her neck and part of her back. She secured it with a thin ribbon tie, making sure it was closed before calling Hazu in.

"Alright, I need you to tie it!" She called loud enough for him to hear her through the thin paper doors, but not to be a loud nuisance. She was facing the window, her back to him. Her braided hair was resting on her left shoulder and over her chest. She was making sure that she was decent enough for him to see her when she called him.

The door slid open, and Hazu entered with silent, careful footsteps, as though not wishing to disturb the quiet scene that only held out for the peacefully dying afternoon sun. He shut the door softly, and the room was masked in golden shadows from the window. The wind breathed gently over the happy voices of Oyama and Megumi above, and the incessant crowd below. The only noise Hazu made was the soft hum of his song, a melody with no particular beginning or ending, and the steady rustle of the obi unfolding to its complete length. He stopped behind her and slid his arms between hers, pulling the colorful obi around her waist quickly, pausing uncertainly at moments before wrapping it back around, the tall fabric constricting Kéioko’s posture and movement comfortingly, not too severe to stop her breath, but not going to come loose. At last he tied it off in a simple butterfly pattern and broke his song with a contented, "There."

With a last tug to adjust it, respectful throughout, Hazu stepped away and surveyed her with a proud smile. Just barely her height, his eyes shined with the wit of living in the streets that could never be mistaken for coolly intellectual, though his irrepressible smile tempered his cleverness with boyishness, dark-skinned elfin features not yet those of an adult, but certainly not of a child. His own tightly wrapped, clean kimono bespoke a subtle pride in his position, regardless of his status. If he had a kodachi, he could have been a young samurai. Care with his movements he had, grace, however, he would have to grow into. He nodded satisfied with her appearance, but too embarrassed to compliment her, he turned away.

"Megumi-san taught me how to do all this. Ja," He picked up several ties for her. "You can conceal your weapons in your kimono with these, ne. We should hurry before they get busy. If there is nothing more for me to do, I'll help you with your make-up as well, if you want." He moved aside for her. The closer she came to readiness in appearance, the more unearthly, the greater the respect he treated her with. He knelt before the remaining items and waited on her.

She smiled to him thankfully, taking a few deep breaths to test out how easily she could breathe. Satisfied with it, she kneeled down in front of a mirror she set up on a table with some cobs and brushes, as well as the oil and water. "Come over here, and bring a few hair accessories please. Especially those metal hair spikes. Those are good weapons... Also, the vial too please." She said softly, patting the spot next to her on her left side.

Indeed, she'd planned all this not long ago. As she waited, she opened a case of white powder and another of charcoal. There was a brush next to each, along with a tiny bowl of water and a piece of raggy fabric. There was also a small tin of red paste that was open, another brush by that. The glass vial she'd grabbed earlier was at the edge of the table, but it was now mixed with water and swirling as if it'd just been mixed.

Kéioko grabbed the brush by the white powder and dipped it in, soon applying it to her face. It was pale before, but now her skin was white. She applied t not only to her face, but to her neck as well. She then picked up the brush next to the tin of red paste and dipped it in the water before swirling it about in the tin, getting a fair amount on the brush. She applied the red -now liquid- to her lips, going over the borders slightly to make them look fuller and poutier.

Hazu gathered the remaining accessories from the floor and crawled on his knees to her side, facing her as she faced the mirror. He unbraided her hair quickly and it spilled out of his hands and across her shoulders. Careful to not touch her skin, to not interrupt her, he began to re-tie it. Oyama had been serious when he had said Hazu was well trained. He worked the shimmering metals into her hair efficiently, moving around her whole head until her hair was bound in various simple, elegant ties. They worked in silence again, the only communication the accidental touch of hands braiding to pure white face. With her hair pulled back, and the white powder applied, her face was almost unrecognizable in its agelessness, her startling blue eyes like ice in snow over the airy colored kimono, the gold that ringed each iris metallic in tone. Hazu didn't meet her eyes, focused on the back of her neck; he studiously applied white except for one small triangle from the base of her head. He finally looked at her in the mirror and grinned an open, nervous smile.

"She will have to hire you now, ne!" Slipping from the room as she finished with her lips, he returned with both umbrella and shamisen, both with hidden blades inside their necks. He seemed overly careful in providing her a weapon, perhaps unaccustomed to such action himself. Seated behind her, he watched her back and waited patiently, his nerves for what came next cool, but cautious. The sun had begun its final descent. It's lower rim almost touching the horizon.

Kéioko took the vial that was meant for her and dripped one drip into each of her eyes before she would put on her eye makeup, she blinked furiously to try and spread it out. Kéioko then applied the final touches of make-up to her face with a small smile on her lips, happy with how Hazu helped to prepare her. She thought that she would have to do her hair on her own, but she was wrong. She applied the red liquid to her upper-eyes, in a fashion similar to that of a kabuki warrior, without being too over-dramatic. She then lined her upper eyelid with black eyeliner and the outer half of her lower lid. She made sure both sides were even before taking her charcoal stick and applying it to her eyebrows. She stopped and examined herself briefly before smiling and standing up.

Kéioko bent down and grabbed a pouch attached to a belt, in which there were a few kunai. She slipped the belt up her to right thigh, then tightened it in place. Hazu would have probably got a glimpse of the snowy skin of her outer thigh. She adjusted the tails of the kimono once more to cover it and be closed quite well, but to be easier accessible should Kei need to reach her kunai. She turned to Hazu and strode over to him, patting his head and gently entwining her fingers in his hair before removing them and smoothing it out.

"Thank you, Hazu Nii-san. Let's get going." She grabbed her vials and slipped them into her obi before walking towards the door in the small, shuffling steps of a geisha. "Oh!" Kéioko exclaimed quietly as she turned to Hazu once more. "Please grab my geta, I can't go out flat-footed.

Hazu turned right red as her smooth skin was revealed, eyes trailing after the belt sheath. He turned away in time that he hoped she wouldn't notice the impropriety for a servant, though there was nowhere now he could look without some captivation. He bowed to her thanks wordlessly, his unruly hair springing up behind her gentle hand, and he followed suit, racing to her bag to draw out the barely concealed geta. Kneeling before her, he held one at a time to ease the tabi on her feet into the elevated wooden sandals. When he rose, he was obviously unnerved and fascinated by the elegant beauty brought out in her, but was too well trained to say anything. Instead, he assured they had everything, and led her out, beginning to fill her in on who they would meet.

"Kana-san owns the inn. She'll probably be rude, but if you're polite, she'll let you work there. She needs entertainers anyways, I think. She's only got two of them. The two we're...looking for, are Kotae Tou and Masa. I don't know much about them though... He had spoken rapidly, as if trying to fit it all in as quickly as possible before he trailed off as he opened the door and the noise from the crowd crashed jubilantly up the stairs. Already people were lighting lanterns hung from ceilings or strung across balconies like happily mysterious will-o-wisps. Families carried picnic baskets up the hill to the temple. They would have to fight against the traffic to get to the inn. As the chaos threatened to overwhelm them, Hazu drew close to whisper confidentially.

"If you feel funny, don't worry. Those drops make you hypnotic and disguised, but make everything more vivid too. It should be fun though!" He laughed as if unaware that this was business, and they weren't to go to the matsuri as well. Taking an air of formality, he led her slowly away, within speaking distance, but not to seem familiar.

Kéioko slipped her feet into the geta, walking out in the small steps. She was a little awkward at first, as she'd not worn them for a while, but she eventually got used to them and walked easily. She held her parasol open over her right shoulder, occasionally glancing at the shamisen that Hazu held as she listened to what he said. She paused briefly as they drew closer to the inn, but continued on, voicing her line of thought.

"Define: hypnotic and disguised?" She was still confused as to what he meant about it, as she'd not felt anything strange yet, other than the occasional blurring of her vision as her eyes got used to the liquid, but that quickly passed.

Hazu matched her pace as she adjusted to the awkward shoes and strange gait of geisha amidst the throngs of people walking in the opposite direction. He thought in contemplative silence on her question, looking for a succinct answer but unable to find one he laughed and did the best he could.

"It hides the color of your eyes by making them black, but it changes your spirit, ne. One drop just makes you seem like...from a dream," He blushed, "But two will make your spirit wild. If you can disguise your spirit then it doesn't matter what you look like outside, ne?" His fingers played along the taut strings of the shamisen in unconscious energy, that shown in his contagious smile.

"Of course, you probably didn't need the help anyways, I think. I think you should've been given the job totally!" He exclaimed but looked guilty afterwards at questioning Oyama's judgment. He changed topics in non sequitur. "What did you think of Kawa-sama? The crowds had died down, only a few stragglers hurrying to see the fireworks. Hazu pointed up the road at a small but refined inn: their destination.

Kéioko laughed gently. "So basically what you're saying is that it makes me feel drunk?" She smiled, having a feeling that tonight would be as fun as it would be deadly. She continued on, glancing here and there, then down at Hazu as she heard the sound of her shamisen strings, then his voice as he changed the subject.

Kawa must be that silent man with the female servant, right?" He, other than the woman with Oyama, was the only other person that Kei had seen today at home, so she guessed that the silent man with the even quieter servant.

"Drunk...maybe. I've never drank, but...I hope it isn't as much fun as Oyama-sama has...or we're in trouble, ne." He laughed at his own joke and nodded to her next question. "Hai. That was Kawa-sama and Rin-san. Kazuo-san thinks he's too serious, but Rin loves him. Sa, you can't even joke about him around her," He complained. "With Kazuo-san not here, it's been so quiet. I got bored watching her pour him tea all day! But they're both nice. What'd you think?" He asked as though she too would have an opinion from the few minutes she'd seen him.

They had arrived at the inn he had pointed out, and he handed her the shamisen humbly, as though she were as breakable as it. "Yokattara, I'll bring Kano-san. You'll seem more important then, ne. Do you need anything more, Senpai?" He awaited her permission to go.

*Yokattara - If it is ok/with your permission

"So far, he remains a silent person who I have yet to speak to." She looked his way with a small smile. "I do hope to speak to him someday though." She glanced around, perhaps for any signs of Kazuo, which despite being highly unlikely, she hoped for. She turned back to Hazu, smiling and taking the shamisen with a thankful nod of the head.

"Thank you, and yes, you may bring Kano-san if you so wish. I'll let you do most of the talking to get me in here. Give you a chance to be part of this. I'll even put in a good word for you with Oyama-san." She patted his shoulder gently, a kind smile on her face and in her eyes.

Hazu bowed quickly to her, his smile never leaving his face, and entered the quiet inn on his own. Without his company, the street became quiet, and the enormity of solitude the city, without a group, as the ronin she had left behind just a few hours before suddenly pervaded the air. The danger of the city was as much in the swords of the opposing sides as it was in the isolation was war.

The little girl from Oyama's room, ostensibly Rin, appeared from on of the side streets that bound the inn to the corner. Her kimono, similar in style and formality to Hazu's was understated for the usual girl her age. The cheerful children that had streamed by on their way to the festival had all been adorned in bright, cheerful colors, their hair tied up to emphasize their cute, innocent features. Rin looked more like an adult. Not cold, but matter-of-fact. She approached Kéioko without the obsequiousness of Hazu, peering right into her elder's eyes without fear of reproach. She bowed formally, respectfully, in greeting.

"Matsukaze-san. The Aizu are not here tonight. Kawa-sama requests your help, however. We will still need to find and stop them tonight. But, it will be more difficult, he thinks." She looked up seriously from her tiny stature, and waited perfectly still for a response.

Kéioko stared into the area where Hazu disappeared into the doorway. As her ears caught the sound of little footsteps, she glanced to the side, and upon seeing Rin, turned her way. She nodded slightly, then blinking a few times, her expression turning to a slight scowl of confusion.

"Where is he? And what about Hazu-kun?" Kéioko began to get a little worried about this, wondering why the Aizu weren't there, as they'd predicted. She was starting to feel the effects of the eye drops, but not too strongly at the moment.

"Hazu-san is speaking to Kana," She stated simply. Before she could continue, however, the sliding door was flung open, and Hazu hurried out, moving so fast he stumbled into Kéioko, looking repentant and being chased by a over-weight, angry looking woman. Rin was gone.

"Mou, Oka-chan, you should know we're closed today! And you know I don't just hire people without seeing them first. Just because I need people doesn't mean you can strong-arm me, little man!" Everything about the woman was loud. Her kimono was garishly colored, and accentuated the red of her flustered cheeks. Shooing Hazu away impatiently, she stopped in front of Kéioko and looked her over, hard, as if inspecting fruit for ripeness. Her bow was cursory at best.

"Kakou-chan, your brother has poor manners, and worse timing. Today is a horrible day, and I'll be broke by the end of it! I can't just be hiring girls when my clients suddenly decide to go view the sakura! I tell you, real men don't suddenly choose flowers over sake!" She spoke so familiarly, as though to a child, that it was reprehensible. It was clear who was the employer, and who the server. She turned back to storm inside, but stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Be here by mid-day and I will try you out. Understood?" She waited only for Kéioko’s answer and then stormed back inside. Hazu stood at Kéioko’s side, trying to regain his dignity.

Kéioko was nonetheless to say, taken aback by the woman's loud demeanor. She couldn't say she pitied Hazu, as she was morely amused by the accusations by Kana. She smiled softly and bowed in return.

"Yes Okaa-san, thank you. I shall be sure to punish Nii-kun and teach him better manners." She bowed politely as the woman stormed away; straightened up once the woman's steps were gone from earshot. She turned to Hazu, frowning.

"We should report this Oyama-sama. Rin-san said that Kawa-san needs my help, but she didn't tell me where he was and Rin disappeared."

Hazu looked questioningly at Kéioko and pointed to the spot where Rin had been. Sure enough, she had re-appeared, in the exact position and manner as before. He smiled. "Rin does that sometimes, ne." It may have been the violence with which Kana had come and gone, but things had begun to seem brighter, and Rin more mysterious. She didn't acknowledge the comment about her, but nodded.

"We need to find them at the festival," She said, quite assured. Hazu shook his head.

"Ja, How'll we know what's there? Dangerous..." Hazu scratched his head uncomfortably. For the first time, he since Kéioko had met him, he spoke less formally to the little girl. Rin's solid black eyes flickered to him.

"It needs to be finished tonight. Kawa-sama will protect us if Matsukaze-san can find them. We will know what to do when we are there." Both turned to Kéioko questioningly. Kawa had not appeared, so they waited on her.

Kéioko released a heavy breath. Her plans were already ruined and she needed to think up some more, wondering how to get them again. She breathed a heavy sigh and motioned to get going, handing the Shamisen to Hazu and opening the parasol once again and setting it over her shoulder. She started off towards the festival. Maybe if she were lucky, she'd run into the priest.

Hazu took the shamisen and sighed. "Gomen nasai. I can...carry your geta for you if your feet are tired." It seemed unrealistically silly, but he was just looking to be comforting. Rin followed them, walking beside Kéioko in perfect, silent obedience.

"Ja...maybe it isn't too bad, ne. We can see the sakura...eat! Ne, Rin-san...let's get takoyaki while we're looking!" Hazu's repentance was short-lived. He couldn't help but look forward to whatever was coming, and even Rin's facade cracked at the mention of the desert.

"Takoyaki...suki...but we need to find them first Hazu-kun," She implored, and he just laughed.

"Ne, Senpai-sama. This is even better! When you are done, I'll get you the best food, I promise." In his enthusiasm, he drew the shamisen and began plucking notes while walking, somewhat poorly, and singing the same tune he had before. Rin looked mortified.

"Hazu-kun! Respect your mistress's things," She admonished quite seriously. He put it away with an apologetic bow to Kéioko.

The road again began to crowd with jubilant revelers, and now Kéioko could see the effect of Hazu's mixture. Men watched her, fascinated with slight awe while women demurely gave way to her. Everyone seemed to notice her, and yet look past her. No children bumped into her, though many played in the streets, and the streets themselves began to come alive of their own volition. The gentle breeze pushing hung lanterns back and forth more soothing than she had remembered it, the covered lights hinting at something just in the shadows. Men's expressions became easy to read shifting through a hundred tiny emotions in a breath. It was not as though her senses had been heightened, but that she now noticed everything within them.

The street terminated in a park before the huge, open aired temple. Rows of sakura were in perfect bloom, their proud white startling even in the evening moonlight that caught their tips. In a pond floated hundreds of tiny ship-lanterns, all flickering with a greater resonance that pulsed through the crowd and comfortingly into Kéioko’s ears.

Through the dark, she could see three areas where people were beginning to gather: the temple, with throngs of women and young men tossing coins into the prayer box and clapping their hands together to send their wishes on to their respective gods, the bar, where mostly men and a few women entertaining them gathered to eat, drink, and forget the conflict of the city, and under the sakura trees, where groups picnicked, more to themselves, but happily content nonetheless. There were swordsmen throughout, but no tension. Kéioko seemed to feel the mood of the crowd, and the potential violence of her group contrasted sharply.

"They'll be wearing light blue," Rin said with quiet confidence.

Kéioko didn't seem to mind Hazu playing her shamisen, but she would occasionally glance at Rin, noticing the contrast between the two servants. She was actually quite pleased with Hazu, seeing as he fit her personality much better. From what she experienced, Rin fit Kawa's as well.

Then, the mixture started kicking in full-blast. She stopped walking for a minute, getting used to the newness of things around her. The crowds were more define, the texture of the flowers, the fires, the lanterns, even the public's kimonos. She smiled, liking this very much. She should inquire about getting more from Hazu, as she rather enjoyed being able to be more observant with this mixture's help.

Kéioko should be able to sense the intentions of the Aizu they were looking for. She nodded at Rin's words, her eyes beginning to gaze around for the light blue colour she was said to find.

"Arigato, Rin-chan. Both of you, keep your eyes out, tell me if you seen them, as I've never before..."

Almost immediately Rin pointed towards the bar area. "There." The group of blue kimonos huddled around a low floor table, elevated to allow them to watch the passers by, was immediately apparent. Rin pointed again towards a dark alley, without looking up. "Kawa-sama is there. That them there one at a time," She said simply, and was lost in the busy crowd. Hazu touched her arm once and she could feel the heat of human flesh linger as he caught her attention.

"Senpai, they're also there," He directed her towards the groups lounging under the sakura. "I don't know where the lieutenants will be though...I should go before we look like we're together, ne," He didn't explain why that was important, but Kéioko could hear any of multiple meanings in his voice. "If I find out, I'll let you know." He gently turned the shamisen over to her, and he, too, disappeared.

She was alone among the swirling mass of people, hundreds of conversations caught in snippets that defined the whole of the festivalgoers rather than the individual who said it. A sensuality pervaded the crowd to mask the stress of the battles that had begun to increase in frequency in the beautiful old city. People forgot their struggles in talk of pleasure and love, of food, friends, lovers. The sakura canopy hid the dark oppressive night above them, and from Kéioko’s vantage point, danced in the breeze in rising waves with the moon. In the distance, her sharp eyes could pick out a last small group of four Aizu talking and throwing coins in prayer at the temple. Oyama was right, they were many.

Kéioko frowned slightly as she nodded, watching Hazu as he left for a quick moment before reverting her gaze to the crowds. She began to step towards the men at the table, hoping that this would be the first and last group she'd have to seek out. She stopped however, five strides from the table, pretending she was admiring the blossoms as she tilted her parasol back. Maybe they'd invite her over? No man could resist the beauty that was standing alone without an escort. Again, this was a hope, as her previous plans had been dashed. However, she did occasionally glance around for Kawa, hoping for at least one small glimpse of him in action.

People did notice, including the Aizu. It was difficult to not draw comparisons between the boldly delicate flower and the geisha-like woman gazing at them. A brief silence passed through the men, and as Kéioko drew near, she could make out the details of the group from the corner of her eye. There were five men and one woman, somewhat worse dressed than she, but serving tea to one of the men. They occupied two tables. Even the man served tea, however, looked over in almost poetic appreciation. Without seeing, she could feel their gazes switch behind her, and out of all the commotion in the park, a set of confident footsteps approached and stopped, just a pace behind her. A collective breath was held, and then a voice.

"Beautiful, ne? Even prettier at night. Ja... Sumimasen. I am Shinritsu Kangen of the Aizu. Miss?" The stranger said, flustered. Unlike Hazu's genuine innocence, this boyish embarrassed honesty was a well-practiced facade that Kéioko could hear as if seeing the colors of the voice play out in front of her. Vanity, pride, and lust undercut every tone, and though she had not seen him yet, the image of youth held past its time, not effeminate but childish sprang into her mind. There was no cruelty in it, however, a strange kindness or loneliness in the self-absorption. They were things she would have never heard on a normal night. The two tables of Aizu watched like a spectator sport.

Kéioko turned her now dark eyes to gaze at the man from behind a mask of powder and makeup. She smiled, her cherry-red lips tilting upwards at the corners, causing the smile to look somewhat sad. An Aizu... She thought, A shame I don't know the names of the two I am to be distracting. Kéioko politely inclined her head, turning her parasol out of the way so she didn't block him out. One hand was resting at the base, her right, the other, left hand was just above it.

"Shizuka." She smiled that sad smile, then returned her gaze to the sakura blossoms before her. She wasn't completely disappointed however, that she was able to see the flowers tonight. "And yes, they are quite beautiful. I don't get to see them often, especially in this brilliance."

The young man smiled, though it was unclear whether it was in agreement with her, or just a leer as he caught sight of her face for the first time. He hung motionless, swaying on his feet looking into her eyes. One hand lay around the base of his katana, not threateningly, almost showing off for her. His every motion carried a testosterone-laced attraction that carried through her blazing senses in an almost over-bearing scent. He stepped closer without thought.

"Shizuka-chan," He breathed the name familiarly. If he had been trying to restrain himself, he was failing in the face of her vulnerable smile and dark pooled eyes. "It is too nice a night to be out alone. Would you like to share some tea with me and my friends?" He pointed towards the two tables, but his words and motions were mechanical, stilted, revealing his intentions without a thought to being manipulated. His obviousness took even him by surprised. He shook his head as though to clear it and smiled.

"Do you play?" He pointed to the shamisen. "I would love to hear..."

Kéioko smiled and inclined her head politely. "Only if your comrades allow me to join you. I'm sure I am not worthy to be in the company of higher-ranking officers. If they are at all, I'm a mere young woman out to enjoy the scenery." She smiled almost shyly now, taking an almost invisible step back to look at the man through a greater perspective. She resisted the impulse of shaking her head to clear his intentions from her mind, or what she figured his intentions to be.

"However, A nice cup of tea would be pleasant in the slight chill of the evening, and through the noise of the crowds the plucking of a shamisen would be most soothing. Do you not agree, Shinritsu-san?" Her demeanor fitted her name, Shizuka meaning quiet. Her words were soft and shy, almost to the point of purring after each syllable.

"Shizuoka-chan, shinpai nai. I'm sure they will all enjoy your company. " Shinritsu smiled patronizingly. That every word she said agreed with him was written on his face. That it was going better than he had hoped pulsed through the hand that touched her arm to turn towards his group, as though she had neither the strength nor focus to do so herself. The others watched, impressed at his bravado and dominance. When they approached the table, the group greeted them, somehow all looking the same in their features as well as proud uniforms. Shinritsu walked close to her, directing her towards a close by, empty table. As he introduced them, one name stood out, the man closest to her, but served by the other woman, who didn't seem pleased with Kéioko’s arrival.

"Shizuoka-chan, my lieutenant, Masa-san." Masa had serious, piercing eyes, but where Shinritsu treated her like an innocent child, he bowed to her with the respect due a young woman, but without fear.

"Hajimemashite." While the others drank sake, he drank tea. The names of the rest of the group were unimportant, but this lieutenant turned to speak with her for just a moment, twisting hideously the woman's face into jealousy. No one else seemed to notice. "A friend of our Kangen-kun, na. Will you be playing for us?" It was more an order than a request. Through his stoic features, she could see him testing what kind of woman she was.

*Shinpai nai - don't worry

She accepted his invitation to join them gracefully, taking the usual small, shuffling steps towards the empty table. She paused before it as she was introduced, smiling shyly and nodding her head to those in turn, but when the Lieutenant’s name suck out, she bowed deeper.

"Hanjimemashite, Masa-san." As she straightened up, she moved around to her given spot and slid down into a kneeling position. Upon his request, she demurely smiled and nodded, closing her eyes briefly. "Hai. I was invited over to play for you sir, by Shinritsu-san." She laid her black lacquered shamisen over her lap, checking the tuning of the strings and the security of the concealed blade inside the neck. It was tightly secured and didn't budge, good.

As the notes bent into pitch, another three men sat next to her, all of them Aizu, and the closest to her, one of the others mentioned as Kotae Tou. He had a kind face, and hushed the other two in order to better hear Kéioko. Unlike the leer of Shinritsu and the piercing hawk eyed stare of Masa, she could see nothing but friendliness in this man, perhaps some weakness from it, but none of the anger of the others strained his gentle features. The others quieted at his command, and he smiled encouragingly to her, already as much entranced as the others. Now both targets were sitting near to her, and it was just a matter of getting them to leave the others.

A waitress appeared with sake bottles, and the wind struck the gong of the temple in the distance, just a whisper of accompaniment for the natural, subtle pitches of her shamisen. The crowds’ murmur of conversation formed a gentle rhythmic thrum. Everything seemed to support and suggest song. They all waited on her. The men's sake was left unpoured.

Kéioko paused from her tuning for a moment, smiling and bowing politely to the three men, and once more deeper to Tou as he shushed everyone. "Thank you for coming to listen." As usual, her voice was soft and somewhat shy.

She closed her eyes as a gentle breeze blew through the area, carrying with it the scent of the flowers, the spice of the several lanterns, the gentle chatter of the crowds, the small splashing sounds as people set their boats on the stream. All this seemed to mold into one minute as she struck the first note, the sharp tune ringing peacefully and cut off as the next was struck, lower in tone, the next, a tad lower. She started playing a favorite tune of hers called Suzume, or Sparrow. She opened her eyes to make sure she was playing correctly, so she did not make a mistake so it seemed. The airiness of the tune seemed to mimic the girl's appearance of pastel blues and pinks and white.

As she played, she would begin her thought process of trying to figure out a way to seclude the Lieutenants. This would not be so easy with so many others around.
It was apparent from Tou's rapture at her playing, and supportive smile to her bow that he was much more susceptible to her suggestion. Although Shinritsu did not seem to want to give her up, and glared at Tou, the lieutenant's admiration of her demure innocence was obvious. The sounds of the night supported her as though she belonged among the sakura blossoms, and her reflection in his steady gaze did not seek to claim her as Shinritsu desired, but nonetheless marked an interest that, given his position, others might not try to take from him. He was lost in her song.

The second lieutenant, Masa, was more reserved. Unlike the other Aizu, he wore a dark kimono, and his drink was tea, not sake. He drank quietly, shifted about to see her without turning fully around. Less stimulated than those driven by lust for her, or celebration for the innocence she conveyed, the song calmed him, and his sharp eyes turned introspective. The woman beside him watched in cold calculation, her eyes, in the corner of Kéioko’s vision, turned hard, the color freezing up again and again like water suddenly frozen in motion. She was the true obstacle. She carried no weapon, but the danger inside her loomed like a dark cloud to shut out the peaceful swaying of the sakura, and the happy clamor of the crowd.

Kéioko could feel the woman's venomous gaze upon her, and she looked up at the woman with an almost provocative smile, as if urging her to start something to get her thrown away from them. If this didn’t work, Kei had another idea. Not long after, her song came to an end and she smiled at the Lieutenants, bowing her head in thanks for listening, and sending another smile in the woman's direction.

Kéioko laid her shamisen across her lap as she glanced over at Tou's sake cup, noticing it was empty. She glanced over at him with a shy smile, motioning towards the sake bottle as she spoke. "Would you like some sake, sir?" Her hands in her lap, she uncorked the vial with the urine-inducing liquid inside, hoping he would want some sake so she could slip a drop into it. A drop was enough to cause him to need to visit the men's room urgently very soon.

They were all encouraging, even Masa, as she finished her song, much to the woman's disgust. She began to talk more insistently to the lieutenant, trying to pull his attention away from Kéioko. He looked a bit annoyed at her rudeness, spoke curtly under his breath to her, but didn't send her away. She poured him more tea, disgruntled.

Tou nodded enthusiastically and moved his cup in front of her quickly. "Hai, arigatou," He leaned back, talking easily with the others, laughing with them as she filled his cup, as though she was simply a beautiful servant, though he looked back and engaged her. Shinritsu watched her intently the whole time, but said nothing, the lust in his eyes restrained only by his superiors’ interest in her. Tou turned back to her. "That was perfect, na. You're very good. Where did you learn to play so well?" He smiled. Masa grunted in half-agreement and then turned away.

She smiled in satisfaction as she poured the man a glass full of sake, a single drop from her mixture of clear liquid mimicking the last drop of sake into the glass. As she withdrew, she corked it and slipped it into her sleeve before setting the sake bottle back onto the table and sliding the cup back over to the lieutenant. The movement was so smooth it was unnoticeable to anyone who hadn't been looking for it, which was highly unlikely. Even if that were the case, it would have been very difficult to see. She bowed politely and sat back on her legs, her hands returning to her lap, folded neatly.

She could sense the strong lustful emotions coming from Shinritsu, and it caused her to feel slightly uneasy, though she ne'er allowed herself to express it in these men's presence. Upon hearing the question, her gaze switched from her hands in her lap to meet the eyes of Tou. She replied. "My mother taught me back home. She was a very skilled woman."

"Sou ka, I'm sure she was. Back home? So Kyoto is not your home then? You are a strong woman to be here on your own, ne. I'm sure you're very successful," It was unclear what he thought she did. He drank the sake down easily, contentedly, almost glowing angelically in his relaxation. The thoughts of danger were far from him. Not even Shinritsu had seemed to notice the replacement, his eyes trying to bore a hole into her. The woman scowled and whispered something nasty to Masa. He turned and watched her, again judging her now as he while she played, and then mumbled back a response. Though she could see through the twisted features of the woman, Kéioko could not see the thoughts of Masa. Tou had nearly finished the cup of sake by the time she had responded to him.

She bowed, smiling. "Yes sir, thank you. She was. And no, my home is not Kyoto; I am merely visiting for the festival. I am to be leaving within the next week." She smiled warmly and offered to pour him another glass.

"Neh... Shall I play another tune for you?" She thought of something embarrassing and allowed herself to blush, her body language producing the feel of embarrassment through her as she smiled that same shy smile of hers. However, she was thinking of a way to get to the other lieutenant. She glanced at Tou. "However, I am hesitant, as the woman sitting with Masa-san seemed to be quite discontent with my presence here. As well as quite critical of my skills of the shamisen."

"Mou, anta! You rude little girl!" The woman looked as though she would slap Kéioko if she could reach her. Tou waved his hand and laughed easily.

"Ja, Haruko-san, she's young, calm down." Masa actually laughed, cynically in sudden outburst, and even the woman who sat with him looked astonished.

"Shizuka-chan," He said, looking directly into her eyes with a boldness that seemed to penetrate the veil the eye drops had created between Kéioko and the rest of the world. When she blinked, his eyes stayed in her vision. "You are not very good at pouring sake, but your honesty is an art." Haruko stood up and snubbed Kéioko with a toss of her head.

"I'm going to get more sake before that silly child spills it everywhere on you, Kotae-sama!" She stormed off and Tou laughed as she went.

"Don't mind her. She's a little high-strung, ne." Tou said. Masa turned fully to be her audience, reclining against the edge of the table, his tea held lightly in one hand. "Tonikaku, please play another for us, ne."

*Mou - sound of annoyance
*anta - disrespectful word for 'you'
*Tonikaku – anyways

Kéioko smiled, seemingly unfazed by the woman's outburst. She turned to Tou. "You are right, my true skills are with the shamisen, but I shall further my studies in the art if pouring sake." She declined her head politely, then did the same to Masa.

"Yes, I shall for you Masa-san. However, I would like to ask, do you, or Tou-san, or anyone have any requests?" She asked this as she pulled the shamisen back up from the ground and settled it into her arms, adjusting her grip on the pick (I'm unsure of what it's called). However, through this, Kéioko was glad she had patience and barely a temper, or else she would have shouted insults right back at the woman, just to spite her.

"Yasuna," Was all Masa said, and the Aizu collectively groaned.

"Ja, Masa-san, is it necessary to make every woman we meet play that song?" Tou laughed.

"There is no other song. Kiyomoto was the only true composer," He said defensively.

"That doesn't mean we have to listen to songs about madmen every night, does it?"

"Yes. It does" His hard face cracked a slight smile, and motioned for her to continue. Tou had begun to look uncomfortable, his face tensing just enough for Kéioko to see. He would excuse himself before long, but seemed determined to hear her play a last time in the entrancing way she had before. They all approved of her demure handling of Haruko, sitting in a loose circle around her. Masa closed his eyes to take in her playing more fully, his cup on the floor in front of him, her rapt audience.

Kéioko smiled gently and nodded her head as she raised the pick to strike the first note before continuing. Her playing was just as fluid as her speech and the entire aura surrounding her. She seemed delicate as she played, her body seeming not to jerk as much as most as she played each note. She noticed the look on Tou's face, knowing her mixture was working. She smiled demurely as she glanced down at the instrument for a quick moment before closing her eyes and continuing on. She knew the song and when it would end. She had a feeling Tou would need to leave just when it ended.

The notes poured out in a story violently contrasted to the peaceful grace of the woman who played them. The melody traced the story of a madman's revenge that would have sounded hollow from her innocently sweet lips. As the song worked its way through thrumming, dissonant melodies, the discomfort on Tou's face grew, though no one but she could notice in the midst of the trance that descended over her listeners. Masa didn't move a muscle. He would have seemed asleep if his mouth didn't quirk at parts, in either agreement or argument with her playing style. As it finally drew to a close, the group remained silent for just a moment before cheering Kéioko on. Her light kimono a gentle blossom in the sea of dark blue men. If anything, they had grown all the more enchanted with her.

"Not bad, Shizuka-chan," Masa said after a long moment to escape his reverie. The others were more effusive, but Tou rose the moment the last note was done, the pain in his face evident now.

"Sumimasen, Shizuka, Masa." He gave a bow and hurried to his feet to leave suddenly. Masa gave him a measured look of subtle humor and merely nodded.

Kéioko released a soft breath as she finished; quickly opening her eyes as she heard the hurried rustles of Tou's kimono. She looked at him with a curious expression and a feline tilt-of-the-head. She knew and was glad nobody looked anything but honored or entranced. As he excused himself, she bowed and set her shamisen aside.

"Aww. Now this spot feels cold without Tou-san's presence filling it with his good-natured warmth." She said with a tiny pout upon her bright red lips. She sighed gently, folding her hands on her lap and staring down at the intricate designs on her kimono.

Masa nodded seriously. "Hai. He is...yasashii." For a moment, he was lost in thought, glanced around in sudden realization that Haruko hadn't yet returned, and looked back. "Shizuka-san, I should find Haruko, so if you would like some accompaniment to find Tou-san, you may come with me." He rose and looked down on her. While seated it had been difficult to tell, but he was a large man, and with her vision changing the world to slightly surreal, he seemed to tower over her and his voice echoed in her ears as his eyes had done in her mind. It was not a request for her to follow him; it was permission to be allowed into his presence. The force of his personality threatened to overwhelm him. The cool calculation in his eyes had the look of the madman in Yasuna. There was an invincibility to him.

Kéioko had a feeling that this man would be difficult to distract. However, getting him away from the group would be a good thing. She smiled softly, nodding and picking up her parasol in her left hand.

"Thank you sir." She bowed politely before standing up and glancing at him before turning to the tables and bowing politely to them. She turned back to Masa and made a slight motion that he may lead the way. She was ready to go. She opened her parasol and set it over her left shoulder.

Masa nodded and confidently led her from the bar. The others gave a bow and returned to their conversations, almost as if she had just been a dream floating through their minds. Masa wound his way through the crowds, leaving a furrow of bystanders in his wake for Kéioko to walk through freely. They entered the open space of the park, and he let her catch up. Scanning the area, he shook his head.

"I don't see either of them," He grunted. "Perhaps they went off together," He laughed cynically, not apologetic for his roughness. "Tou will be back soon though. I've never known him to leave a woman even for this long." On cue, the other lieutenant appeared looking much relieved. He caught sight of them immediately and approached somewhat bashfully.

"Shizuka, Masa...I had to leave for a moment, gomen ne. Are you still looking for Haruko then? It is such a nice night under the stars...would you like to walk as we look?" He didn't address either of them particularly, though his eyes rested on the young girl's face with a friendly smile.

Kéioko smiled and bowed politely to the other man as he came back. She wondered however, where Kawa was and what he was doing, as well as the two servants Rin and Hazu. Mentally shaking this thought from her head she returned Tou's friendly gaze and replied.

"Hai, we are indeed looking for the elusive one. But tell me Tou-san, why did you leave so urgently?"

Tou looked uncomfortable for only a moment but it magnified itself in Kéioko’s eyes to utter humiliation. He quickly passed it off. "Ja, I saw someone I thought I knew, ne." He turned again towards her and nodded in the direction of the temple. "Shizuka-san, you have such a sweet voice. Do you also sing when you play?" As he moved closer, bumping into her gently, Masa trailed behind, enjoying the walk without any chatter.

The world began to turn. Her guise seemed false, though only to herself, when she saw Hazu tracking them from twenty feet away, his bright eyes intent, not missing a flinch from any of them. Rin was visible from nowhere. Straight ahead of them, she stood in quietude next to an alley. Hazu had marked them, and Rin was leading them. Kawa was nowhere in sight, so the two were all she had to direct her. Tou's hand brushed against hers, pointing out the features of the temple.

Kéioko mumbled a gentle apology as if she had bumped into him, but then gently shook her head. "No, I'm afraid I sing about as well as a crow caws." She put on that embarrassed smile again, looking at Tou with a fake admiration. She saw Hazu from the corner of her eye, then glanced around quickly and spotted Rin. They were like the two orange markers directing her where to turn, where not to. She was thankful to them. It was obvious to Kéioko that she would not find Kawa.

To Tou's comments, Kéioko would reply with her own about the artistry and symbolism of the mentioned matter, then would occasionally ask Masa for his opinion to keep him distracted. Slowly but surely, she was leading them in Rin's direction towards the alley. She could feel Tou's affection for her, judging by his familiarity and seemingly innocent and accidental brushings and touchings.

It was like leading a stubborn mule. The three wound their slowly towards the black alley, ever looming over all three. Rin stood steady, no longer making eye contact as they approached. With the pass of a crowd, she disappeared, the darkness of the alley ever more ominous. Masa lagged behind, something behind his eyes sensing the impending danger, or missing Haruko, yet still he went on, as if led inorexibly towards the gaping maw between temples. Within feet of it, the wind died and the crowds grew still. They waited on the three to step past the threshold. Tou, ever talkative, walked with her playfully. Hazu stood like a phantom directly behind them, waiting, watching.

"I'm sure that isn't true, Shizuka-san. I would love to hear you sing," Tou said lightly then, for the first time became conscious of the alley Kéioko had seen staring them down the entire time. "Saaa...that's a spooky street, ne. What's it doing on a night like this?" He laughed, and Masa grunted.

"There's something in there."

"Of course there is, Masa," Tou grinned wickedly and took Kéioko’s arm. "Are you scared too, Shizuka-chan? Want to see what's lurking back there?" He pulled her gently; expecting resistance, the over-tones of his voice said that all he thought was lurking in there for her, was himself. Masa crossed his arms and said nothing.

"Ahh, Tou-san... This alley way is creepy..." Her voice whined a tad as she was yanked in that direction, which she promptly tried to resist with a little bit of a yank in return. She pouted childishly, sticking out her lower lip, but her eyes showed a hint of playfulness. She knew what was down that alleyway and if things kept going the way they were now, Tou and Kei would go down there, and Masa would follow. However, she didn't want to jinx herself.

He pulled her closer with an avarice-laced laugh. "Don't worry Shizuka-chan, I'll make sure you're safe." He lifted her as though a child by her arms, his hands gentle but forceful. He swung her around suddenly and half-carried half-pulled her into the alley, indiscriminately pawing at her drunkenly. All she could see was Masa watching the two somewhat bemused and his co-lieutenant's antics, and her playfulness. A few steps behind, he followed them.

His eyes went wide, and something had gone wrong. Tou, too busy trying to grope her as he entered the darkness had noticed nothing, but his sharp-eyed friend rushed forward with a guttural curse, his hand flashing to his sword as he realized the betrayal. It was too late for him. An arrow drove straight into his eye and he crumpled to the ground instantly, nervous twitches wracking his body. Tou was not slow either. As he noticed, he pulled Kéioko to the side protectively and lay his hand on his own blade to rush forward. It was then that Kawa was finally revealed to her. A short bow just fired still quivering in his hand, he hurried for a second arrow. Actions slowed down for her, and timing became apparent. There was no chance he would get a shot on Tou. Tou's whole body tensed to spring and draw his blade. The confusion and chaos not giving him time to think who was enemy and who was friend. Kéioko’s foot makes a sickly sound stepping into the puddle of blood coursing from Masa's eye.

Kéioko gritted her teeth slightly, stepping away from Masa and closer to the back of Tou. She slowly pulled the concealed blade from the shaft of the parasol, making sure it was silent. Tou would be preoccupied with Kawa to make sure she was alright. Once the blade was completely drawn Kéioko quickly stepped from her high-leveled geta to give herself easier movement as she flashed the blade across the back of Tou's neck. This severed instantly all the spinal cord's connections to the brain and it paralyzed the man, who in turn, fell straight to the ground. Kéioko was careful not to get any blood on her kimono, so during the movement she swiped the blade away from her.

Once he was down and fallen on his back, staring up at her with half-dead awe, Kei's face was a cold mask as she held the blade vertically over the man's heart. She thrust it down, and then retracted it, pulling a cloth from inside her obi and wiping it clean before re-sheathing it into her parasol. She released a heavy breath, stepping back into her geta and creating some distance between herself and the bodies. It was a shame that she had to kill Tou; he was such a nice man.

Eventually, Kei turned her gaze up to Kawa, staring at him and studying him. He was quite elusive and well trained for a ninja, so far. And for now, he had her respect. She declined her head politely. "Kawa-san." She said quietly, acknowledging him.

The hole that gaped from Tou's chest overflowed with blood, staining his uniform. The two bodies finally lay still. After such brief violence, that both were dead was almost too sudden. Kawa relaxed, regarded Kéioko with neutral eyes, nodded once, and faded wordlessly into the alley's dark night. She was alone with the two corpses.

Hazu crept behind her. He had watched the entire thing. "Sugoi, Senpai. Let's go, ne. Don't forget your geta!" He skipped around the bodies to her as though they weren't there at all. He led her from the alley, walking backwards to talk with big gestures, excited eyes about her skills.

"If you hadn't been there, Kawa-sama would've been killed, ne. I bet you're as fast as Kazuo-san! He uses a katana, but that woulda surprised even him, na." He had forgotten his formality in his enthusiasm, and walked backwards right into the young priest, who smiled down at him, Hazu blushing, embarrassed at his own effusiveness. The priest bowed in greeting.

"Matsukaze-san. I'm glad you could make it for the fireworks." He had seen through the strange hypnotic aura that surrounded her.

Kéioko quickly left as Kawa disappeared, her mood had dropped slightly since having to kill Tou. She ignored Hazu for the time being. She was already in her geta, and she once more opened her parasol and set it over her left shoulder. When Hazu bumped into the priest, she recognized him and smiled, bowing politely, but wondering how he recognized her. Either way...

"Thank you." She said politely with a respectful bow. "Nii-san, you should be more careful, bumping into people like that." She said with a gentle voice to Hazu, no true admonishment in it. "As much as I'd like to stay for the fireworks, I have to get back home, as I'm being expected and I must get some rest. Thank you for the invitation, but I did come, for the short time as it were. Please, excuse us sir." She bowed once more and ushered Hazu along, heading back home.

---

- Hantai Katana Episode 2
-Return to [Kéioko Matsukaze]'s House