Our Family, Our Strength

Three

"Ren... I'm sleepy," Seijuro whispered and leaned over to his brother. Feeling a weight on his arm, Renjiro looked over to his baby brother and chuckled. Taking the napkin his sister offered, Renjiro gently wiped Seijuro's face. Cleaning every grain of rice that is sticking to his cute face.

"I'm going to take him home; I'll be back after dinner," Renjiro says and picks up Seijuro carefully. The eldest of the three siblings nods and watches as her brothers leave.

A few minutes after her brothers left. Kana put down the empty plate at the table near the bed and stood up.

"I'm going for a walk, Father; I'll be back in thirty minutes," she whispered, leaning over to kiss his cheek. Closing the door as quietly as she could, Kana walked down the hall, came near the side yard, and sat on the porch, watching the three young teenagers train.

"Kana-san!" One of the girls, Kiyo, greeted her bye, waving her hand. Kana smiles and waves back.

"Hello," she said as the girls walked closer.

"Are you coming here to train?" The other one, Sumi, asked.

"No, I'm just going to enjoy the weather. Mother said I need more sunlight touching my skin," Kana answered.

"Then the water hashira is right! Kana-san looked a bit pale! You need a lot more sunlight!" Naho jumped in while fist bumping the air, and Kana gave the girls a shy smile and looked over to the sky. Enjoying the sunlight touching her skin and also ignoring the loud noise coming from the training area.

•••••••

Renjiro walked inside the fire estate and was greeted by the sight of his grandfather drinking a glass of sake at the door.

"Grandfather," he said, lowering his head at the older Rengoku matriarch.

"Where did you go, and where is your sister?" The older male asked. Sipping his wine, he glared at both of his grandchildren.

"We just came back from the butterfly estate, and my older sister is watching over Father there," Renjiro answered. Seeing his grandfather nod, Renjiro watched the older man turn around and go inside the estate.

"Get inside; Seijuro won't be comfortable sleeping like that," the older male says. Nodding his head, Renjiro followed after his grandfather. Walking to his brother's bedroom, Renjiro carefully held Seijuro with one arm, and his other arm reached over to his drawers where their mother put away his futon.

Setting down Seijuro's futon with one arm. Slowly, Renjiro set down his brother and covered him with the blanket. Closing the door slowly, Renjiro walked to the kitchen and found his mother, who had just returned. The black-haired woman, who is still in her uniform, turned around and gave her son a smile.

"You're back," she said with a small voice, and Renjiro nodded as an answer.

"How is he?"

Renjiro knows that his mother is asking about his father's condition. She had been called for a mission a week ago; that day, back then, Renjiro watched his mother reluctantly go. He did offer to take her place, but she said that he needed his rest.

"Fine, Shinobu-san said all of his wounds healed perfectly, and now we just need to wait for him to wake up," Renjiro answered immediately.

"Tomorrow, your uncle will watch over the three of you while I'm watching your father; I've made curry just before I leave, and darling, I love you," Giyuu says in one breath, and then she leaves using the back door. Watching his mother leave, Renjiro then walks away to search for his grandfather, knowing his old man would already be on his second tokkuri somewhere in the estate.