Rain began to splatter against the hut of moss. The smell of dying little house creatures came to the noses. The grass around the hut was greener, the trees wrestled with the winds, and the mist up above clouded the sun. The cold air reached within its creaky floors and into the feet of the two teens.
{Name} shivered and rubbed her scar on her forehead. She hugged her blanket tighter and nudged toward the fire of the abandoned furnace of the hut.
Her companion, the flame breather Kyojuro, was behind her. He rested his back against the cold glass window and looked at {Name}'s shivering figure.
"You know, despite being in the mountains, I never liked the rain."
She said as she watched the flames dance.
Kyojuro only stayed silent while keeping guard of her.
{Name}, however, wasn't please with his silence. She sighed in annoyance and looked towards her partner in missions.
"Kyojuro, you can relax you know... You've been silent since we arrived."
"I'm sorry... Its just that I'm nervous."
Kyojuro said and walked towards the girl.
"What if they've done something to father? What if they hurt him? Both him and Senjuro? I couldn't live with that!"
Kyojuro exclaimed. {Name} huffed and looked at Kyojuro.
"There you go again, jumping into conclusions... Look, I doubt that the clan would harm them, especially since they have no reason to. They're after me and considering they left a letter to my household, I'm guessing that they want me to surrender than they taking me by force."
"But they came to our household so sudden! There is no way that they would know the Rengoku household was associated with you! Its not like Oyakata-sama informed all of us!"
"And the hashiras go by the word of him. If they ever were to release information then they would go against him.."
{Name} continued Kyojuro's thought.
It was kinda suspicious that the clan knew who she was associated with. Her family didn't know off her job and who she works with. Some hashiras were excluded to the information that she worked with Kyojuro. The only ones she recalled being seen with him are Shinobu and Gyoumei... Could they have released the info?
"Kocho-san and Gyoumei-san were the only ones who know your partnership with me. Along with that..."
{Name} trailed off, thinking of other people who could be exposed to her companion.
She then remembered the servant man that she made friends with.
"The kakushi... mainly Itadori who brought me to the butterfly mansion and the headquarters..."
"Wait...You knew a kakushi's name?"
Kyojuro widened his eyes in surprise.
"Y-yeah... He told me to call him Itadori."
"..."
Kyojuro frowned and stayed silent on what he learned. He wasn't someone who got mad if rules about roles were broken, but this was suspicious.
"Hey Kyojuro-san? What's wrong?"
He looked at {Name}.
"The Kakushi aren't allowed to reveal their names to us. All of them are supposed to he aware of this."
{Name} looked at him in confusion.
"They aren't?"
"Yes, its stated when you become one of them. They are supposed to act like servants to us demon slayers. They will help us with missions but not get in the way of it. They are not skilled in fighting, only in helping us if it gets out of hand."
"So they are supposed to be lowly than us?"
"Yes, they are technically clean up after ourselves. "
"I see... But isn't it cruel to treat them like that? As if they were slaves?"
"Yes it is, but they seem to be fine with it. They have never broken a rule from what I know of... Until now.."
"What about the guy who gives us uniforms? Wasn't his name revealed?"
"I think Masao-san is an exception. He is part of the sewing division."
Kyojuro explained.
"I see..."
{Name} got lost in her thoughts. Itadori, he revealed his name but was this even supposed to be tackled? It was at least a year ago and he could've been new.
"But we shouldn't let ourselves get to it."
Kyojuro said and patted {Name}'s shoulders.
"I'll continue scouting for father and Senjuro. You warm up for a bit."
"Yeah, sure... Thanks."
Kyojuro went outside of the kitchen and guarded the front entrance of the hut.
{Name} was alone with the crackling fire. She looked to it again, the way it waves around the air. It almost looked like it was dancing...
Dancing...
Dancing...
Dance...
Traditional Dance...
Hinokami Kagura Dance...
Her family...
Her father...
Her father's dying wish...
{Name}'s mind drifted towards her father. He would've been dissapointed, all he wanted was for her to use the dance for its true purpose yet the first time she used it, she killed someone with it.
She then decided to hunt down the man her father requested she finds. She then made an excuse to her family that she was gonna sell her things for her and her family, she lied about her true intentions.
She met Mitsuri, who introduced her to Kyojuro, and the rest is history...
Now, her sin was coming behind her. Ready to grab her at any moment. She bear to witness that other people were getting sucked into her mess.
She had Kyojuro protecting her, and Senjuro and Shinjuro doing God knows what with the clan. She felt guilty, what if they were harmed? What if someone was killed? What if her family was killed because they couldn't find her?
She wanted to surrender. Maybe If she would just surrender, she could prevent all of this from happening...
An abrupt thud interrupted her thoughts. The door of the front entrance opening loudly and a bunch of footsteps stepped among the wood floorings.
"Kamado-san?"
A squeaky tone voiced out behind her. She turned around and saw Senjuro. The young boy carried 2 baskets and a familiar trinket. He looked alright, but a bandage around his neck made her alert.
Her gifted music box
{Name} raised her brows in a startle.
"Senjuro..."
"F-father said to bring in some food for you i-incase you got hungry during your wait."
"Oh...How thoughtful of you, but why do you have my music box and why do you have a bandage on your neck?"
Senjuro looked at the box in his hand and looked at it in astonishment. He seemed to ignore her last question though.
"So this is what it was? I-i thought it was a storage box for you! And for why I have it..."
Senjuro trailed off, he asked if he could sit down with her to which she nodded. He put the two baskets of food by the floor and sat beside her. He held out the music box as she took it.
"I-its a long story... But I saw it fall down when they burned it..."
"Burned it down? You don't mean your house right?!"
Senjuro immediately shook his head.
"N-no! I'm sorry! It's something else... Something important..."
Senjuro looked at her in guilt and continued to talk.
"T-they...burned down your cart... Along with the stuff inside..."
{Name} stared in disbelief. Burned? As in by the fire? They wouldn't! They wouldn't go that far!
"A-and what's worst is that- is that... is that-!"
"Senjuro, thats enough. I'll tell her, go to your brother and rest."
The eldest one of the group interrupted his youngest son. Senjuro and {Name} looked at him, Senjuro looked as if he was gonna faint and {Name} looked petrified.
"Y-yes father..."
Senjuro shakingly got up and looked at {Name} in pity with sadness before walking to his brother.
Shinjuro grumbled and sat where Senjuro last sat and looked at {Name} in a stern manner. A terrifying silence came to them.
Shinjuro cleared his throat and looked away from the eyes of the young kid.
"So?"
{Name} shot an arrow of sound to the silence.
"What's the worst of it? What was Senjuro talking about?"
"..."
Shinjuro stayed silent before sighing. He readjusted his position and laid his right foot on his top knee while crossing his arms.
"Their wrath was much more worse than we thought..."
{Name}'s frown buried deeper.
"Wrath?"
Shinjuro nodded and hesitated and chose his words carefully for his news...
"They dismembered your horse."
{Name}'s blood ran cold...What did he just say?
"What?"
Shinjuro bit his lip and cursed himself at his bluntness, he carefully chose his words more into sugar coating to calm the girl down.
"They...were angry that you weren't there. Me and Senjuro denied their accusations that you had gone by. They found your cart..."
"What is this?!"
An official said as they grabbed the lead of Tsunami harshly.
Shinjuro was rattled at the sight of Tsunami being pulled.
"Don't touch her! She's our family horse!"
Shinjuro lied through his teeth but the officials only ragged on.
"Non sense! The informant told us she travelled on a horse!"
"Yeah well news to you that horse is ours! So leave it alone and leave us alone while at it!"
Shinjuro barked but the Soma Clan wasn't having any of it. The official with Tsunami ordered the guards to grab a hold of Shinjuro and come inside the house.
Shinjuro was smart, however and elbowed the guy who was grabbing a hold of him. He took the weapon the guard wielded and used the hilt of it to injure some guards.
The guards were alarmed and attacked him in by orders. Some were successful on hitting him but some were taken down.
Shinjuro was about to knock out another guard when he heard his youngest son scream for someone to let him go.
His father instinct kicked in and was distracted, leaving a guard to creep up behind him and pin him to the ground.
He groaned by the weight. He struggled against his captors 's gripped and looked towards the entrance of his home.
A guard was holding Senjuro by his arms and pointed a sword at his neck. Shinjuro's actions came to a halt to see his son in a state.
"O-oi!'
He shouted at the guard who held Senjuro but the guard ignored him.
"If you don't tell the truth Rengoku-san, my guard here will not hesitate to slice your son's neck."
"Y-you wouldn't! He's a child! Leave him out of this!"
The official ignored him and continued on.
"After my guard kills him, I'll have the whole army of the Soma Clan to hunt down your oldest and kill him just like how the girl you are lying about did to our heir."
"Hng-! L-leave my sons out of this!"
"Guard."
The blade to Senjuro's throat went in a little deeper. Senjuro screamed in pain.
Shinjuro struggled more to save his son. He screamed aloud to the guard to stop it.
"STOP IT! Don't harm him!"
"Its your word for your son's life!"
"Hng!"
The father of two struggled and felt his tears pour down his face.
"F-fine! Its her horse alright?! Its Kamado {Name}'s horse! Just let my son go!"
The official seemed satisfied to his answer. He nodded to the guard to let the little one go and shouted to his companions a bone chilling speech.
"This horse! Is tainted with the touch to our heir's killer! We must bring back the karma our lovely heir had perished! Behead the creature!"
Senjuro's blood ran cold. He looked at his father in fear.
"F-father, please stop them!"
He whispered shouted. He winced at the pain at his neck.
Shinjuro only looked horrified and couldn't do anything. He hugged his son to make him turn away at the gruesome sight.
He couldn't describe it. It was disgusting... It was bone wrecking...
"After that... They were sent away by the mayor of the town. There was an arguement between the officials and the mayor as they were distrusting the entire town and made... a show... Then they burned the cart down...Senjuro saw something fall out and quickly grabbed it. Guess it was your music box..."
Shinjuro finished his story and looked at {Name}. The teen had her head down and was shaking.
"P-please don't blame yourself for this..."
She mumbled
"Y-you did the right thing... If something would've happened to Senjuro I..."
She stumbled to the ground. Shinjuro looked alarmed and caught her right on time.
"I-I would've never forgiven myself! Never!"
She exclaimed. Shinjuro's heart broke into million pieces. Like he always said...
She is too young...
She is too innocent...
She is too young to feel this pain...
She is too innocent to have her hands with blood...
She never meant any of this...
He understood...
She protected herself yet she was being punished...
The world was cruel...
Shinjuro knew the world was cruel. From when his wife died, he knew the world was cruel. Making the one, who never deserved it, to suffer and punishing them as if they committed the biggest sins ever.
He thought this girl was another brat yet here she was, thanking him that he saved HIS son's life than something he knew meant everything to her.
"...Hey kid..."
{Name} looked at Shinjuro. Her face was recoiled to hold back evident tears. He returned a stern but pitiful look.
"..It's okay to cry..."
{Name} out of no where cried her heart out.
Shinjuro only looked at pity. She sobbed into her attire as she had lost one of her precious loved ones.
Kyojuro looked at the scene with a heavy heart. He stood by the doorway, viewing {Name}'s crying state.
He wanted to hold her yet, he knew she wanted to be alone. He met his father's gaze. He motioned for him to take his place.
He and his father switched places but before he could sit down, his father whispered something.
"Take care of her alright?"
Then his father was gone. Kyojuro kneeled infront of {Name}. She looked up and ran into her close friend's arms.
She sobbed into his chest for a second time. He patted and glided her hair as a way to comfort her.
"I-its not fair... Its not fair!"
She screamed and Kyojuro only shushed her gently.
"I know {Name}-san... I know..."
She cried and hiccupped as tears kept coming down. Her screams were heard across the mossy hut...
.
.
.
{Name} fell asleep on Kyojuro's chest while her fresh tears were wiped away by the said boy.
He held her closely and laid his head on top of hers as a way to console her, even in her sleep.
He looked at the girl. He couldn't describe on what he felt. The Soma Clan was out to get her and he feared for her safety...
But after what they could've done to Senjuro, he feared for his family's safety as well.
Kanroji and Iguro were also involved with her. He also feared for their safety.
However, he will not leave {Name} behind. He was aware of how many people she could loose. She couldn't go back to her family and her pet, who she also loved, had perished under the wrath of the clan.
Mitsuri could've been harmed and she would go crazy.
Senjuro could've been dead and she loose her sanity...
And he doesn't know what she would do If he himself was faced with the clan.
He knew she cared for him...
"Kyojuro..."
His father's voice called out to him.
Kyojuro turned around. He was greeted by the throwing of a particular book.
"That book..."
"She'll need it more than I will..."
Shinjuro said. He nodded to her sleeping figure.
"Don't take advantage of her."
"I-I wasn't going to!"
Shinjuro chuckled
.
.
.
"Its better if Oyakata-sama doesn't hear about this yet."
Shinjuro said to Kyojuro and {Name} while sitting down. It was already morning and they were talking about what they should do next.
"We don't want the demon corps against a powerful clan. Besides..."
Shinjuro looked at {Name}.
"We still don't know who the informant was."
"We might have an idea on that."
Kyojuro said.
"During {Name}'s trial, she interacted with a kakushi who revealed his name to her. He went by the name 'Itadori'. {Name} wasn't able to observe him fully but he was present at the trial and the kocho mansion."
"I see... I'll talk to Iguro to spy on him for us. I won't reveal to him what's happening for {Name}'s safety."
"I agree. Iguro would be best for the job. I can protect {Name} from here."
"U-um brother? What about the missions?"
Senjuro interrupted.
"If Oyakata-sama doesn't know what's happening, he'd assign missions right?"
"Y-yeah..."
"Maybe we should tell Oyakata-sama about it."
{Name} uttered her first words of the day. They all looked at her.
"B-but what if-"
"I'll ask for him to not get involve until I can't handle it. I'll write a letter to him about taking a leave."
"But they will kill anything they see that was associated with you. We were lucky that Senjuro wasn't harm but-"
"Senjuro WAS harmed. You were harmed. Tsunami was killed and they could be doing something to my family on God knows what."
{Name} boomed. Her tone was dark and angry.
"I....I can't risk Kyojuro's life for my own. I would never live if anyone were to take a scratch for me again. I know its annoying, but I'm paranoid. My family could be killed right now and I wouldn't know! I...
I refuse Kyojuro's assistance!"
Kyojuro' eyes widened and argued with her.
"{N-name}! Its too dangerous to ran away! You need someone who can protect you!"
"I told you I can handle myself"
"Its not about whether you can handle yourself! I am aware that you are independent but I only fear for the part you can't protect!"
"I've wield a sword, that doesn't mean I could do it again. Beside, they would hunt you down too!"
"W-wait! I-I have an idea!"
Senjuro cut on their arguement.
"They don't know what {Name} looks like exactly right? All they know is features that isn't rare to find on people these days. If we can disguise her as a normal civilian then maybe she can roam around the streets without getting caught."
"But she'll be interrogated many times. The clan would also get the informant to recognize her."
"That's why we'll change her face everytime with make up!"
They all looked at him confusedly.
"I read somewhere that make up can make you unrecognizable. Mitsuri-san once said that she thought her mother was another woman because she wore make up!"
"So for every interrogation, I'll cake my face? That sounds... umm.."
"Don't worry {Name}-san! You can trust Mitsuri-san right? We can contact her! I doubt she would be... you know."
{Name} frowned and thought quietly. Kyojuro then placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it.
"I doubt that Kanroji-san is the informant so we can trust her right?"
"But what will she think about my crime? Would she think differently? I don't wanna loose a friend..."
Kyojuro only sighed and rubbed her shoulder.
"Time...would tell. All we can do now is trust for her to go with the plan..."
"We can do this {Name}... Don't be selfish...
We aren't forcing ourselves to help, we wanted this and we are gonna get it."