The next morning, everyone was relieved when they heard Noka's crying and apologizing to (Y/n) in her normal form.
"Imsorry Imsorry! I'm sorry..." she sobs in her clothes while (Y/n) could only hug her when she did. Noka seems to remember everything that happened to her as a dog and kept apologizing for what she has done.
They were happy to know she was back to normal. But after she finished crying, she didn't talk to anyone anymore and lock herself in her room. They all visited her one person at a time to cheer her up or ask how she was feeling. But like the first time she met them, she hid under the blankets of the futon.
"Noka! I got some sweets!" Sohma says knocking on her door but there was no response.
A few hours later, they tried again.
"Noka, have you packed up? Do you want to play with Ralph and Kermit when we get home?" Mizuki asked but she still hasn't responded.
And again.
"Noka! I got you a new dress to put on!" Goyo says excitedly but as usual, just cricket silence.
"She hates me..." he cries as everyone else was resting at the living room table for lunch as Enya pats his shoulder in comfort.
They were all trying to figure out what to do. They just wanted to talk to her like they use to. Cheer her up. But no matter how many times they knocked on her door, call out to her to eat with them or play, she just doesn't come out or want to see any of them. (Y/n) was worried that she would get sick so she leaves a tray of food in front of her door. Fortunately, she was able to find the tray finished outside the door by the next hour.
"Maybe it's best that we leave her alone for a while," Noritsune says.
"Hey it's clear she's going through something yet she doesn't want to tell us," Hyosuke says defensively.
"Well... maybe she's mad at us that we tried to strangle her?" Benkei suggests with a guilty look on his face.
"That's not true. Noka wanted to apologize to you too," (Y/n) says.
"Yeah, but she told you to tell us," Enya adds. Silence overwhelms them once again that makes it dreary than before.
"Hey Kazemasa say something," Hyosuke raises his voice over to him who was paying more attention to a book than to their conversation. However, he continued to read.
"What are you reading?" Sohma asked this time since he was closer to him.
For a while, he didn't speak as everyone stared at him intently. Finally, he spoke.
"Is Noka Human?" he asks in a blunt tone.
"What... are you talking about? Of course!" Goyo answers.
"Then again, does everyone remember her form as an animal?" Kazemasa adds.
"Yeah, she was a dog..." Enya said.
"But she was huge compared to Pochi and Hachi. Yet they're both adults while Noka is only a child. If the potion works, shouldn't she be a puppy smaller than them?"
"But what if she's a bigger species?" Goyo said.
"All the time I have traveled. I've never seen a dog that big in my life," Mizuki says.
"Shizuka, do you feel any 'spiritual energy'?" Kazemasa asks her as she only had a guilty look on her face.
"....Yes," she replied hesitantly. "When I first saw her in her animal form. She looked too unnatural,"
"How can you confirm this?" Sohma asks.
"You saw the way she acted as a dog. Not even that but the way she fought against all you? Supernatural strength and the way she blew Enya and Hyuga nearly off their feet?"
The group went silent and recalled the event from last night. It took all of them to capture her without harm yet it was still a struggle to stop her from moving.
"What kind of spirit is she then?" Hyosuke asks.
"I... don't know... I know there are canine yokais and shikigamis but never seen description like her before..." Shizuka says.
"What description can we identify her as a spirit?" Kazemasa asks.
"Well... she is a dog but big... and she has a scar around her neck," she says.
"A scar...." he mutters as he looks through the book again.
"Well, how are we reacting right now?" Yoshitsune said as everyone went quiet.
"Whether or not she is, Noka is still our Noka. She needs us more than ever without her brother at her side. She might be feeling lost and alone......" (Y/n) says realizing why Noka was so scared back then when they found her.
"That is true. Let Noka calm down first. If she comes out, then we'll talk to her," Yoshitsune says as everyone agrees.
The next morning, they went with their business. Doing work, running errands and spending their free time whenever they can. Surprisingly, Noka eventually came out but she looked tired. As if she didn't get any sleep last night. And the first person to see her was Goyo.
"Noka~!" he goes over to her happily but she didn't say anything but stare at him with dead eyes.
"Are you okay? Did you sleep well?" he asked.
"When are we going back?" she asks tiredly.
"Oh? Do you feel homesick? We can leave anytime you want! And when we get home I really want to introduce you to Pa-" before he even finished. Noka was already walking away from him.
"Eh? Noka?" he goes after her.
"I'll be busy today," she says.
"Do you want me to help you with anything?" he offers.
"No," was all she said as she left him dumbfounded.
The whole day, the others manage to see her running around the inn. But she acted so distance towards them. Just earlier today, Kazemasa was writing another message to the Wind Village until Noka came into the library he was in.
"Noka-" he wanted to talk to her but she grabbed a few books and searches through scrolls until she found the right one before leaving.
Kazemasa could only blink at that moment.
Other than that, Noka kept doing strange things like begging (Y/n) for another room even though they were leaving soon. She eventually, did and after that, she disappeared the whole day completely. Until evening, Hyuga couldn't take it anymore and go into her room. He finds her sleeping in her futon despite being only noon.
"Hey Kid..." a stern tone could be heard from his voice as he walked over to the futon she was sleeping on.
"Hey, wake up," he pulls the blanket which to his surprise, she didn't pull back. Instead of a white-headed brat, only a pillow was acting in her place.
"Brat? Where are you?" he looks around the room before laying his eyes on the window that was open. Inspecting the outside, there were traces of bare footprints that showed leading straight into the forest.
Without hesitation, he followed them. For a while, he searched frantically for her while calling out her name.
"Hyuga?" a small voice called as he quickly turns around to find her peeking behind a tree.
"There you are..." with relief, he hugs her. It surprises her since he sounded gentle and not mad.
"Aren't you mad?"
"Yes, I am," he says as he looks at her with an angry look. "But at the same time, I'm sad you know,"
"Sad?" she looks at him weirdly.
"Yeah. Let's talk for once on the way home, okay?" he gives her his hand as an offer to take. Noka hesitated but finally accepts it.
Walking hand-in-hand, she eventually speaks without looking at him "...You can drop me in an orphanage you know?"
"Hey don't say things like that," he scolds her but still with a gentle tone.
"Everyone's worried about you. You're not talking as much as you use to. You barely even eat properly or play around,"
"But I hurt Benkei... and (Y/n)... has a broken arm......" guilt could be heard in her tone and she kept avoiding his gaze.
"You couldn't control it. We're happy you are back to normal and we're sorry for nearly suffocating you,"
"You can still put me in an orphanage. I feel like a nuisance..."
"See, we also wanted to talk you about it. (Y/n) and I are wanting to have a family for a long time. Since you and your brother don't have parents...... you can live with us," he smiled as he looked at her for an answer.
Despite a surprised look on her face. It didn't last long when it transforms into a pale and blank expression.
"Can I... think about it?" she says bluntly.
"Uh.. yeah.. sure..." he agrees and she lets go of his hand to go up ahead with him only following behind now.
That night, (Y/n) made sure Noka was in her room as usual before looking for Hyuga. He was drinking with Enya and Kazemasa feeling depress while they try to cheer him up.
"What did I do wrong...?" he hangs his head over the cup with still filled sake.
"Hey don't worry too much about it," Enya says drinking along with him. But even he feels sad for the kid.
"If it assures you. Noka will make a decision on her own. After all, she's much more mature than Enya," Kazemasa says.
"Hey!"
Hyuga sighs. "Can one of you look out for her secretly?"
"She may not be a ninja but she is smart. I know someone best for the job than any of us," Kazemasa smiles as he whistles at the window. There a brown falcon lands on the edge.
"Jasper!" Enya exclaims.
Jasper let out a happy squawk as Kazemasa walks over to him. On Jasper's leg, there was a letter tied to him which Kazemasa takes.
"Jasper, can you do me a favor?" he asks.
he let out another happy squawk in agreement and without hesitation.
"Can you keep an eye on Noka tomorrow? If anything happens, protect her. Until she comes home, report back to me," Jasper nods at Kazemasa's rules.
"Good boy, Rest for today," Kazemasa smiles as he pets Jasper's head lovingly before he flew off.
"Thanks," Hyuga said.
"No worries, we all want to look out for her. She's precious to all of us,"
The following day, Noka disappeared again but that was after breakfast. Like he was told to, Jasper kept a sharp eye out for Noka and saw what she was doing. She was setting out traps of all kind but simple hand made ones. Laying down boards with nails, rope traps and many more. It was plenty suspicious but Jasper continued doing his job. To make his job easier, she would go back just in time for lunch. While she eats, Jasper was able to report to Kazemasa.
"Traps? In the forest...?" they discussed in secret but learning more caused worry to stir inside him and decided to tell Hyuga later.
Later that night, Noka finally returned to her room. Hyuga prepared the words in his head before knocking on the door.
"Noka, can we talk?" he asks.
"....no..." she answers behind the door.
"Hey come on now," Hyuga wanted to open the door but it was as if it was stuck.
"Come on now JU-" he took a moment to regain his composure by taking a deep breath and closing his eyes before looking at the door.
"I'm really worried... I don't know anything about you or your brother at all after that night. Yet I still want to help you. So please let-" he stopped when he felt something off.
The room felt empty when he was sure he felt Noka's presence in there a while ago.
"Noka are you there?" this time he forcefully broke open the door to get in.
And just as he suspected, no one was inside. But the window seemed to be completely wide open.
"Not again... why at night!?" he mutters as then went out to search for her.
Carefully going through the woods. He made sure to look out for traps Jasper had mentioned to him. Nails on boards and anything else. Just as he was careful, something flew across his face and near his neck that struck a nearby tree.
"What the-?" looking at the bark. There were familiar looking long, sharp and thin needles.
Hearing something moved in the trees, he steps away from his previous spot to find more of the needles struck the spot he was before. Hyuga countered by blasting small fireballs into the trees. A couple of bodies fell belonging to the masked Geishas. In a panic, he wanted to look for Noka quickly but two other Geishas appear before him. Blocking his way.
All he had was his knife so he withdrew it to prepare to attack. One Geisha was about to stab him but he manages to grab her by the wrist and twist her in a lock. Putting some distance between him and the other Geisha. The other had a cleaver for a hand and without hesitation, she slashes at him. Hyuga decided the use the Geisha he had as a hostage as a shield now and the shikigami continued slashing without any care since she practically was cutting her all down just to get to Hyuga.
After a few slashes more, the Geisha Hyuga was using as a shield was about to fall apart. So he threw it at her partner then kick them both down. Taking the chance while the cleaver-wielding maniac was on the ground with her dead partner, Hyuga then struck her mask into her head with his knife. Somehow it manages to stop her for good.
He let out a sigh of relief but then he felt someone else was nearby. Grabbing his knife again, he prepared to stab the monster but realize it wasn't one.
"Woah hey it's me!" Enya exclaims as he raises his hands in the air.
"Idiot! Even by seeing your face I would've tried to stab you!" Hyuga yells.
"I'm guessing we're at a bad time," Goyo spoke, appearing behind Enya.
"Why are you bozos here?" Hyuga asks.
"Well the door to Noka's room was broken and she was nowhere to be found," Goyo says with a worried look.
"Is Noka in danger?" Enya said. He was inspecting the kimonos and mask of the Geishas Hyuga fought.
"Yeah," he responded.
"Well then let's hurry," they all nodded as they went in different directions.
On the way, they encountered many Shikigamis; the Onis and the Geishas. But they all had the same tactics as before which makes it easier for the three of them to fight while searching. There were getting less of them the deeper they went but many traces of their clothes and mask on the ground could be seen on the way.
"Looks like some were stupid enough to fall for Noka's traps," Hyuga says looking around together with them.
"Did Noka set these traps specifically for them?" Goyo asks.
"So Noka knew she was in danger....." Hyuga thought about back the mansion where they had their previous attack. But these traps were harmless to kill and only trap them but he remembered the knife Hyuga gave her back then so she must've taken each down while they were stunned.
"...Hey, do you smell something burnt?" Enya says sniffing the air.
The others smelled it too and rush over to the area where it came from. There, traces of Shikigami had burnt mark on their clothes and they were many on the ground all smoldered or burnt.
"Noka!" Goyo exclaims upon seeing with happy tears filling his eyes but realize she was being held by a man.
"Hirosawa??" Enya and everyone's eyes were wide to see him here.
Among the shikigamis lying around, Hirosawa was standing there with Noka in his arms. He was hugging her while she was hugging him back with fear in her eyes and shaking.
"My sweet Noka... you're finally in my arms...." he whispers but the three of them were able to hear. However, Hirosawa then looks at them with serious eyes.
"We need to talk. Are (Y/n) and the others with you?" he asks.
"Y-yeah..." Hyuga answers.
Back at the inn, (Y/n) served tea for him as everyone gathered beside Yoshitsune facing directly across Hirosawa. Noka was also right next to him sitting with manner.
"Noka sent me a letter yesterday and luckily I manage to come here in time. Honestly, I didn't know it was her back at that mansion and thought that she was yours," he jokes.
"What connections do you have with Noka, M'lord?" Yoshitsune asks with a straight face.
"I knew her father. We grew up together since he was my familiar but he was like a brother to me," he smiles as he talked about him.
"So Noka-
"Is a spirit? Indeed..." his answer made everyone completely speechless. They were looking after a spirit the entire time.
"Her father was an inugami. So before I met him, he had committed multiple crimes in the spirit world so he came to the human world in dire condition. There I helped him and offered him to be my familiar. He accepted of course,"
"If you're her uncle. Then where were you when she and her brother were traveling alone?" Hyosuke raises his voice.
"Right. Her father soon fell in love and wanted to... 'start over'. We had to go our different ways. I visit him every year however until one day I found him slaughtered along with his loving wife...." the way he tells the story was so eerie that it sent chills down the spine.
"But I couldn't find the body of their children. So it was hard for me to find them," he answers while taking a sip from his teacup.
"So you manage to find Yoshi- Yoritomo but not your own brother's children?" Sohma asks.
"Well, a man with a known name will always be found. But who would want to know about orphans?" Hirosawa adds.
"My brother always kept us hidden so we wouldn't be sold during the war," Noka spoke so that she could back up his story.
"So.... what do you plan to do?" Benkei ask.
"Well, I'm planning on adopting her of course. The rules of the spirit world are absurd so those shikigamis will continue to hunt her down because she's the daughter of a criminal. But I can protect her," he says with a supposed assuring smile.
"But we can protect her too!" Enya said.
"Will you? What if they go after your beloved (Y/n)? You do remember what happened to Lady Rui?"
They went quite at his words. Looking at (Y/n), she was trying to stay strong so she sighs and kept looking at him.
"Remember, Noka is a spirit. One that many could also call her a monster. While some can be loyal there are those that can go out of control and eat their own mas-
"Enough!" Mizuki raises his voice. He had taken notice that Hirosawa was also making Noka uncomfortable that she looked like she was about to cry.
"My mistake," he apologizes by slightly bowing his head.
"Hirosawa," (Y/n) spoke. "Noka has grown on us and we would like to take her as our own,"
Noka looked up at her alarmed and with a surprise looked. But (Y/n) just smiles honestly and kept looking at Hirosawa.
"How wonderful! What do you think Noka?" he looks at her.
She was trying not to cry so she took a deep breathe while closing her eyes. A dead look appeared in her eyes again as her pale face formed a blank look.
"I want to go with Uncle," her answer made the whole room speechless except for the sound of Hirosawa drinking his tea loudly until the finish.
"If I go with uncle... t-then... I can look for b-brother..." she stutters.
"Hm. Looks like our princess made her decision," Hirosawa proudly smiles and pats her head to comfort her.
"B-but Noka. Are you sure!?" Goyo asks in a desperate tone.
"Yes... please let me go..." Noka gave them a pleading look that weight a stone in their hearts.
"...well she made her choice," Hyuga was the only one that was able to speak. But he had a blank look as well as he looks away from her.
"Hyuga!?" Hyosuke looks at him questioningly.
"What? It'll be dangerous for both of us if she stays here. This is her 'uncle' and she trusts him. More than us..." he mutters the last sentence quietly.
The others were in complete disbelief as they looked at each other wondering what they should do.
"Noka finally made her decision," Kazemasa says. "The best we can do now is support her like we always do,"
The room was silent again.
Suddenly, (Y/n) stood up from her seat and went to Noka's side.
"Noka, I'm glad you found your home. So remember to be happy okay?" she smiles warmly. Saying so, (Y/n) gives Noka a kiss on the head and a long tight hug while she just stayed there paralyzed.
"I'm happy we met you...." she gave her another warm look while wiping her own tears before letting go.
"Lord Hirosawa. Is it alright if I pack her clothes and some food on the way?" she requests.
"Take your time! It's clear even she has taken a liking to you," he says.
Later that night, (Y/n) was preparing her things in her room with her. They didn't talk and (Y/n) was sure Noka didn't want to talk at the moment. All she could do was smile since this is their last moment before their goodbye. But she couldn't help but cry a little behind her back.
Once they were done, they all met outside where Hirosawa was waiting for Noka with a horse.
"Be a good girl... okay Noka?" Sohma says petting her head.
"Take care of yourself and eat a lot so you can grow into a fine woman!" Goyo adds clutching his fan tightly from sadness.
Noka mostly nodded at their words in a promise.
"Come now, Little One. Let's go shall we?" Hirosawa says as he then lifts her onto his horse and takes her away.
They continued to wave at her as Noka wave back until she was completely gone from their sight.
"Mmmm...." Goyo moans as he tried his best not to cry by biting his lip.
"Come now, she has found her home," Noritsune assures by patting his back.
"I... have to admit I'm going to miss playing with her," Enya mutters blushing.
"Well we should head inside," Hyosuke said turning his back on them.
"Hyosuke, you can cry if you want to," Mizuki spoke eyeing him with a smile.
"S-shut up!" angrily yelling, he wipes away his tear stained eyes.