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400 Years Apart	By : Cynthermes Category: +M to R > Mirage of Blaze Views: 4238 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Mirage of Blaze and its characters solely belong to Kuwabara Mizuna. I’m just going to creep into a corner of her sand box and play the part of a wannabe historical writer. No profit has been made in the construction of this story.

Chapter List
- 30
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Chapter 31:

ULTIMARINA, Pearl in the Deep: Part 9

A/N: Loved by her beloved, loved by all men, she weighed herself down the sea; never to return to the land of the rising sun.

Side notes: From here on I will be using the term ‘Bakufu’ to refer to the Ashikaga Shogunate. As much as I want to be historically accurate in the construction of my story it is never possible as I am blending some elements of Heian Period into the era of Mirage’s origin, which is the Sengoku Jidai.

…

“Just how long did you plan on hiding yourself?” Naoe turned to his rather silent companion who was the only one awake in their early voyage while approaching dawn at sea.

Kato Danzo spoke but didn’t turn to him. His gaze was fixated on the rippling surface of the waters. “Long enough until I ascertained your loyalty was no more secure than your resolve. I had to use your true given name so many times to remind you of your duty but all my attempts were ignored.”

Naoe flashed him a grim face. “I don’t forget my duty to the Uesugi.”

“Oh?” The master illusionist was suddenly so close to him. Danzo peered into him with such irritating scrutiny like observing a tiny bug. “But you really don’t belong to the Uesugi. You are Nagao by blood and the one who raised you and shaped your identity is Rennyo-dono. And just like me, Rennyo-dono belongs to the Bakufu. So, who do you belong to again, Saito-Rennyo Musashi-bou?”

“A man only belongs to himself.” Naoe Nobutsuna answered him with tight conviction.

The wayward shinobi practically burst out laughing, uncaring if he caused a stir from their pair of hostages who were both in deep slumber. When he eventually recovered from his emotional high, he sneered, “A man you say? So you have become a man… the war giant of the gods’ descendants has proclaimed himself a lowly creature. And for whom…I wonder?” The look in his eyes spoke eerie, malevolent delight.

The man warned dangerously, “I won’t let you lay even a finger on his hair.”

Gangly arms were raised mockingly in defense. “I would never even contemplate doing so. Though I must say his beauty is quite exceptional. Anyone would be tempted to sample even a little.” Danzo continued to be amused by the ever-changing expressions on the Sohei Master’s face. Nobutsuna only appears to become angrier and angrier every time he would step on uncharted territory. Despite the now murderous glare Naoe was sending his way, he pressed on, “He must be the gods’ gift to ravenous men. A godling born to be a gloriously beautiful male is destined to be adored, lusted over, and ravaged by multitudes of men unable to become pregnant to be able to take all of their seed and make them live inside his insatiable body.” He stepped just out of reach by the time Naoe was enraged enough to actually wring his neck. “Careful, Sohei Master, I do not want to drown and make you face the betrayed retribution of your Uesugi comrades, alone.”

“I would not stand idly by while your mouth continues to spout filth that stain Saburo’s honor. If you want your head to remain attached to your body you would shut your dirty trap, now.” Naoe returned with deadly calm.

“Alright, I am seriously intimidated.” The master illusionist decided to quit playing for now after getting the desired reaction. Though he had complete confidence in his skills he didn’t want to risk losing a few limbs or receiving bloody wounds to test the other’s ‘legendary’ might especially when provoked in earnest. He had heard several retellings of the war giant’s prowess spoken in hushed tones inside the Bakufu’s chambers. According to some of the exaggerated tales, Saito-Rennyo was responsible for killing approximately 200 well-equipped samurai in a single battle.

For a change of air Danzo asked, “So tell me; how do you exactly plan to go about in this exchange?” He gave a passing glance to the reclaimed Kakizaki Haruhie who the Hojo had taken hostage.

“Do not ever think I am easy, you loyal dog of the Bakufu! You keep questioning my standing but it is your disposition I should be worried about. To which side are you really on?” Naoe was already contemplating to draw his blade but his doubtful companion only sighed.

“Throwing your suspicions on me, eh? Let me tell you that my loyalty belongs to myself. Kehehe!” The master illusionist disintegrated into one of his cackling fits much to the Sohei Master’s annoyance. Truly this one… must be sick in the head. When the shinobi finished flaunting his amusement, a serious countenance once again reigned in his ghostly pale features. “Do not worry. I am most wise to conduct myself according to my duties as the elite Shadow Guard of the Bakufu. I do not want to attract the attention of their so-called ‘executioner’ who caused the demise of the previous Sohei Master.”

Naoe couldn’t help but stiffen. His odd companion had struck a hidden nerve and he gnashed his teeth in vile contempt. He wasn’t stranger to this ‘executioner’ Danzo pertained to. How could Nagao Kagetaka* forget about his fellow apprentice, whose whereabouts after Rennyo’s murder were entirely unknown until now?

*Naoe’s Nagao birth name.

‘So he is the true weapon behind their neutral façade. I should have known… all these years of hunting him down has led to nothing because my masters were the ones hiding him in the first place…’ The Bakufu may appear weak especially in this era where the daimyo are the de facto rulers of Japan but in reality the Bakufu did possess military power in the form of the Sohei who pretend to side with the oppressed commoners and exude impartial stance between the daimyo and the Ashikaga Shogunate to preserve a certain ‘balance’ of rule.

The Bakufu also possess a network of Intelligence through countless Shadow Guards who act as the assassins/shinobi working under several daimyo but were actually spies of the Shogunate.

“You don’t happen to know much about this ‘executioner’, do you?” Naoe threw a sudden question to test the waters with his unpredictable companion.

To stick to his previous words, the elite Shadow Guard, Kato Danzo easily obliged. “Only a few know of this most-kept secret and I am one of them… what does Saito-Rennyo-dono wish to know about the current circumstances of his younger brother?”

At first, Naoe was skeptical and suspicious in the way Danzo quickly showed submission to him. But when one did think about rank, Naoe’s position as the Sohei Master did enforce authority over the shinobi. “Firstly, I want to know if this rumored name indeed belongs to him: Jiu-Benkei.”

“Yes, in fact it is now shortened to Jiun-Kei to avoid suspicion. After using the Uesugi previously as scapegoat, Jiun-Kei-dono had gone by several names to protect his connection to Hojo Ujiyasu’s murderer, to the Bakufu, and to the Uesugi. That was how he escaped into obscurity while wiping out traces of the Bakufu’s involvement with the late Hojo patriarch’s death and essentially redirecting the Hojo’s wrath to the Uesugi.”

What a sly, cunning oni⁹⁹… Naoe thought with utter disdain. It would seem his brother had become nothing but the Bakufu’s trained killer. Several conclusions were spinning in his head and so many implications he had never assumed possible threatened to give him a headache. Before this moment, he would not have given any spare time to Jiun-Kei’s activities. In fact, Jiu-Benkei’s actions were a necessary impetus to carry out the Bakufu’s real plan. But having the confirmation that his younger brother had once again taken the life of a man past his prime, who was nearly incapable of defending himself all for the sake of his bloodlust and ‘sworn duty’ rekindled the flames of rage he held at the cold-blooded murder of his beloved master and adoptive father. His fists shook and his face held the terrifying expression of a vengeful demon as he reminisced.

“Kagefusa… how could you? !”

“How could you!”

“How could you be so heartless?”

“This man, he was our parent! He adopted us out of sheer kindness when we were orphaned!”

“He raised us, fed us, clothed us, educated and trained us! He put a roof under our heads and this is how you repay him? !”

Nagao Kagefusa, Nagao Kagetaka’s brother simply regarded his aniue with cold blankness. “It was his time to be executed. The Oda were planning to abduct him for information, I just spared him that fate.”

They were his brother’s last words before he vanished into the shadows for the next few years.

In an odd sort of analysis, Naoe pieced together that his brother was the murderer of both their parents. It was a bizarre connection… a cruel irony of fate.

How would Saburo react once he finds out? Naoe could already picture those stormy eyes burning a hole through his soul. As the murderer’s elder brother he was more than responsible in shouldering the guilt of the crimes committed. He would have trouble gaining the youth’s trust once again.

Their family and clanship ties have become more complicated than ever.

Studying the tension radiating from the sohei master’s countenance, Danzo couldn’t pass the opportunity for a query (or two) of his own. “Would Saito-Rennyo-dono’s sentiments towards his brother affect his better judgment? Or does his great affection for the young master of the Hojo jeopardize the entire plan?”

Naoe was silent for another moment before this response came, “Danzo, if Kagetora-kou did not harbor doubts and ultimately turned his back on you, would you ever serve our current masters?”

The shadow guard’s pale forehead creased and for the first time in years, his youth showed for what it truly was. Then realizing that his elder companion had flipped the conversation to his disadvantage caused Danzo to break into humorless laughter. “Ah, the six days off sleep is finally catching up to me. The trouble for the common folk against shinobi is unchanged. To the daimyo we have no names, no identities, merely tools of war that could be exploited or easily dismissed without a spare thought. It’s no surprise that Uesugi-Kenshin-dono proves to be the same.”

Naoe unexpectedly mirrored Danzo’s morose mood. It was not a secret to him that Danzo once held Kenshin in awe like a worshipper beheld his god. “Our masters… weak as their influence in the country are fond of taking in strays. In the end, gratitude is what maintains our duty to them.”

The shadow guard nodded impatiently. “I can’t say that I disagree. So what brings this subject in the open?”

“I’m saying that simple gratitude alone has worn its charms off me.” Naoe said calmly as he grasped the scar on his chest.

Danzo could only gape at him in shock. “Have you gone mad? You… What is with you? Are you saying that you are willingly shunning your duty… you are abandoning the Bakufu? They will send the executioner snapping at your heels once they get wind of this!”

It was Nobutsuna’s turn to laugh his head off. “That is precisely my intent. After hearing the confirmation from a reliable source, such as yourself, I will have no more difficulty in chasing my target down. He will instead come to me which is more convenient. And that’s why…” Faster than a snake could strike, the naginata was out its sheath and checking the shinobi’s throat. “…I wanted to know where your allegiances lie.”

Danzo pried the curved sharp blade a few fingerbreadth’s off his neck. “After all of my sacrifices and efforts in helping you and this is how you treat me? How mean.”

“Danzo, I am not particularly a patient man. You know that.” Naoe growled.

“Since when did I encounter a person who is patient enough with me?” The wayward shinobi recalled his interactions with Kousaka-Danjo who nicked his palm and Ujimasa-dono who seemingly pricked his brow with the ceremonial sword. “Alright, I understand. You want me to pledge fealty to you or else I would be cast off from this vessel, correct?”

The sohei master shook his head. “Not in one piece. Your head, arms, and legs go separate ways. Oh, I could make your torso into a life raft.” He added with a malicious grin.

Danzo sighed. He could still escape plenty of ways. He was the master illusionist after all but Naoe’s offer had its own appeal. “Haven’t you intimidated me enough? Fine. Since I have long invested in your talents from the time you arrived in Sagami, I suppose it won’t hurt if it’s for life. I’m on your side.”

Naoe was believing none of the words said through ivory teeth, if the nearing edge of the naginata was any indication. The shinobi inelegantly craned his neck away from it and raised both his hands in surrender. “I have covered all my tracks from the Bakufu.” This answer was what satisfied the man who lowered his weapon at last.

“As I thought.” The hostility between them quelled.

As Naoe was about to put the weapon away completely, the sound of shuffling footsteps caught his attention. A glance at the medium-built body frame and he knew immediately that the one woken untimely from his spat with Danzo was not Saburo.

The master illusionist was now nowhere to be seen (probably hidden by camouflage) leaving Naoe Nobutsuna to deal with one unsteady Kakizaki Haruhie wielding a borrowed blade, alone.

“Who are you? Where are you planning to take my lord and me?” Haruhie, looking weak and pale purposely stood guard on the cabin where Saburo slept with one of the lordling’s katanas in his hands.

“Your… lord?” Naoe slowly repeated. With a cold calculating stare, he observes the other lad cast a firmer grip on his weapon. Surely, the lad was not an amateur with swords but he could distinctly tell that Haruhie had never been into a life and death battle. And yet the way he glared at Naoe just now while certainly feeling a little faint and fighting it to stay upright…

'He looks positively murderous to kill me like a bear protecting its cub.' “Who is your lord?”

“Hojo Saburo is my lord.” Haruhie stated with the conviction that rivals his.

Well this is really troublesome. Naoe resists the urge to scratch his head. It has only been more than a month later since he learned of Kageie’s son being held captive in the Hojo stronghold and he finds the whelp already ‘conditioned’ favorably to the enemy. Or is that really the case? “Kakizaki Haruhie, I’ll ask again, who is your lord?”

The address of his true name gives the lad pause but it doesn’t win him over. “How… do you know my true name?” The swaying of the sea beneath his feet and the sleeping drug in his bloodstream threatened to take his consciousness away again.

Naoe did sheathe his weapon and as unthreateningly as he could approached the trembling and obviously wavering Haruhie. “I didn’t take you to harm you. I’m here to return you home.”

"Don't mess with me!" The lad hollered, banishing his lightheadedness with an obscure battle cry and soon with katana raised charged towards Naoe.

Channeling the right amount of strong chi into his arms, wrists and palms, the sohei master caught the blade effortlessly with his bare hands. Saburo had done this efficiently with a katana between his fingers while Naoe simply showed that it could be done even without.

“I don’t have any intent to fight you, Haruhie. And the way you hold your sword shall easily get you killed.”

The lad stubbornly wrestled against his apparently stronger opponent until he was able to get free. Haruhie didn’t want to admit that it had taken the flailing amount of strength he had left. “Don’t address me so informally!”

“I apologize. If I had gotten to Hakone earlier then you wouldn’t have suffered so much in the hands of your Hojo captors.” When it seems that the lad was not ready to trust him, Naoe only lingered by a safe distance. “My name is Naoe Nobutsuna but I am not Sanetsuna-dono’s son. I was born as Nagao Kagetaka but was adopted into the Naoe as Kagetora-kou suggested it.”

“You’re Uesugi?” Suspicion still flashed in Haruhie’s eyes. “Naoe Nobutsuna-dono whom I’ve never seen at court… my father’s most trusted comrade… is you?” Haruhie swayed once and then he was falling sideways.

The Sohei Master easily caught him. “You shouldn’t push yourself. The sleeping dart that struck you is a bit potent. Its effects will wear off soon. Why did you risk yourself like that without thinking?”

The suddenly sleepy youth chuckled. “We’re skirting each other’s questions and withholding the answers. I guess we should converse some other time. And Naoe-dono, to answer your question this time: Saburo-gimi’s life was in danger so I had moved by instinct to shield him.”

“You moved by instinct?” Naoe studied the bundle in his arms with a puzzled expression.

Haruhie nodded or was nodding off rather. An unfathomable sadness filled the lad’s eyes. “Naoe-dono why did you have to bring Saburo-gimi with you? I don’t want him to get hurt…”

As the lad’s eyelids were closing he didn’t see the man’s anguished face. ‘I don’t want that as well but I…’

‘Saburo is mine.

You will never understand.’

…

Haruhie was startled at the sudden movement of the one lying beside him. Saburo had abruptly pushed himself upright from bed, was sweating profusely, and with a dazed look and sickly tinge to his skin was struggling on his feet. “Saburo-gimi what’s the matter?”

The youth only managed to crawl away from their futon before he heaved and vomited on the wooden floor. Retching noises soon filled their cabin alerting Naoe who came inside and happened upon a worried Haruhie petting the smaller lad’s back as he tried to empty the contents of his stomach.

“I didn’t know you get sea sick.” Haruhie’s offhand comment made Naoe click his tongue. The man who procured a wash rug and a wooden basin strode over to them and rudely took over. “Whoa—!” Haruhie was pushed aside and could only stare in surprise as Naoe cleaned up the mess, removed Saburo’s restrictive clothing and rubbed the tense muscles soothingly stimulating pressure points so the body’s chi could flow freely.

Naoe’s ministrations seem to take effect when the youth finally stopped being sick, coughed a little and panted heavily afterwards. In the crook of the man’s arms, the slender body rested and after some time drifted once again to sleep. Naoe was contemplating bathing his beloved to provide more comfort and eradicate the traces of ‘that man’ when Haruhie interrupted his thoughts, “That wasn’t just motion sickness, was it?”

Naoe bluntly replied, “No.”

Haruhie pursed his lip. Seeing Naoe’s actions toward Saburo was starting to change his mental grasp of the situation. Naoe handled the youth tenderly with concern and affection, with much consideration and care he doubted an abductor would ever grace his captive no matter how much value the latter possessed.

Saburo on the other hand, despite how ill he felt would not let another touch him without reserve. If Naoe was just another abductor merely concerned of the well-being of his hostage given the lordling’s infernal temper, Saburo would have lashed out the moment he was stripped of his garments. But the youth acted like he was not being attended by some simple stranger. To him, Naoe’s hands almost seem familiar… too familiar. He was practically leaning towards the man who held him regardless of the stains.

Witnessing the couple’s interaction made Haruhie wonder: what exactly were these two to each other? The implications confused him because he knew even though he did not manage to walk in on them that Saburo-gimi and Kotarou-dono were in a Shudo relationship. Could it be that those three…? He shook his head. Sticking his nose to where it doesn’t belong would only complicate things. His curiosity however was another matter entirely. “Naoe-dono is Saburo-gimi going to be alright? If it’s not motion sickness then…”

“Do you really want to know about my treachery, Haruhie-san?” The man asked very quietly with a strange gleam in his dark eyes.

‘Is this really the man who my father trusted with his life?’ Though cold fear raced down his spine in seeing Naoe’s expression, Haruhie held his ground. “If you did something to Saburo-gimi I won’t forgive you.”

“Really now?” A hint of amusement laced Naoe’s voice. “It’s strange how you became so attached to Saburo in such a short period of time. It reminds me how I was captivated by him as well.” The deadliness in his tone vanished as he said this confession.

“What did you do to Saburo-gimi? You said I was struck by a sleeping drug. Then shouldn’t Saburo-gimi be awake before me?” The lad’s impressive deduction provoked Naoe to bare his cruel honesty.

“I did not do anything to him directly. It was the effects of what I did that made him sick. Do not worry. Now that Saburo is free of contact with the source of the toxin, he will gradually recuperate in no time.” The man’s words both puzzled and troubled the lad more. Naoe’s choice words indicated malicious undertones that made Haruhie’s skin crawl.

Contact?

Source?

Toxin?

These three did not paint a pretty image in Haruhie’s head. “You still did something! You should be apologetic! You… you’re so…!”

“Shameless? Unforgivable? Heartless? Yes. I am. I will take Saburo with me no matter what. He might have agreed to come with me for the sake of his cousin but I need him. He belongs to me.”

The way Naoe admitted to his treachery so willingly nearly set Haruhie off like an explosive. “YOU STOLE HIM FROM HIS FAMILY!”

The man shot him a pointed look. “He is ill-treated by his family.”

“That still doesn’t give you the right to take him away!” Haruhie was sure blowing off a lot of steam. He couldn’t help but feel that he and Saburo were suffering the same circumstances.

“Haruhie-san, you heard it yourself. He had made up his mind. He willingly gave himself away to me.”

Haruhie truly felt letting a fist fly in Naoe’s direction. Why can’t this man understand? How could he succumb to such dishonorable acts? “If he had no other choice, I don’t think Saburo-gimi would agree to this!”

The prospect of Saburo’s noncompliance to their agreement never crossed Naoe’s mind. If Hanaiin wasn’t in their custody… would Saburo never have agreed to come with him? This probability petrified him in fear.

‘Is it true? If not for your filial duty would you have stayed with that Fuma and would have completely forgotten about me?’ Thinking about this almost made him weep. The dreadful feeling it brought him was worse than dying in the most horrible way.

Haruhie could not believe what he was seeing. Naoe Nobutsuna, a grown man appears like his world was crumbling around him. To his shock, the lad never realized how much his accusing words affected the other to this degree! ‘Is Naoe-san really…’

“You’re right. Perhaps Saburo won’t go to me if I had not done those things. And for knowing this I have no regrets Haruhie-san. I will not apologize.” The man’s next statement stunned him. “I would have done anything in my power to bind him to me. By the way, you are Saburo’s page are you not? Judging by his appearance when he came into my lodging, you did not happen to walk in on a scene, did you?”

Haruhie was already flushed in a deep shade of scarlet before any form of denial could leave his mouth. He thought to himself, silently panicking. ‘How could he know such a thing?’

“The way his body smelled and hints of another’s essence would not be on him if you as his page draw a bath for him, correct? Unless the incident was so recent you had no time to make him presentable enough?” Naoe continued maliciously when Haruhie failed to answer.

‘This man truly knows his way around, vengeance.’ Haruhie mused and could only gape uselessly at him.

When the lad seems to be almost traumatized by his indecent words, Naoe eased. “Ah, my near-nonexistent temper has gotten the better of me. Please pardon my earlier behavior, Haruhie-san. Unfortunately, Saburo would be irritated if he wakes up unwashed. He prefers to be clean all the time so I need to bathe him with the meager water we have¹⁰⁰. You can stay or leave if seeing me touching him offends you.”

“Meager water?” The lad swallowed. He was feeling thirsty all of a sudden.

“Oh did I say meager? I forgot to tell you that it had rained. We have sufficient amounts in those barrels.” The elder man pointed out and acting as if Haruhie was an insignificant bystander, busied himself to prepare the bathing essentials.

As his hands move on accord he couldn’t help but worry. ‘Will I be able to really touch him without my weakness affecting me?’ Though his nightmares were now but flashes in his dreams he couldn’t quite trust himself. But… Haruhie was watching. He hasn’t left and watching him intently. The look in those eyes seem to admonish him. ‘If you do something inappropriate to Saburo-gimi I won’t hesitate to intervene.’

‘Is that a challenge, lad?’ Haruhie’s presence was unwittingly giving him caution and a restriction he couldn’t quite fathom.

With Haruhie doing strict vigilance Naoe draped a blanket on the futon and placed Saburo’s body on it. He firstly removes the ribbon tying the youth’s hair and combed his fingers on the lustrous strands. The soft mane of Saburo always fascinated him and he resisted the urge to bring it towards his lips. Doing so would only incite a familiar bodily response. So he immersed himself in admiring his beloved’s natural beauty.

When Naoe fully divested the youth of his clothing the sounds of trickling water could be heard. Using a soft washcloth he tenderly and meticulously cleaned the body of his beloved while maintaining tight control of himself. Already the sight of his cherished one’s naked porcelain skin was making his heart thud loudly in his ears though outwardly he showed none of it.

As he washed Saburo’s slender neck and chest he accidentally brushed a peaked nipple, which was unusually very sensitive due to its previous exposure to oral licentious torture.

The youth did one thing that could undo any man.

“Nn…” Saburo moaned, softly.

Naoe froze. His eyes were caught by the sight of the erect bud growing harder at his touch. He had unconsciously stroked it with his thumb. The youth trembled, instinctively bit his lip as if the sensation was too much for him and turned his head to the side.

The man would have been completely enticed, his restraint forgotten if not for the love bruises he spotted dusting his beloved’s flat breasts. He was certainly not the one who made them. They became a stark reminder why he was sponge bathing the youth in the first place. It swiftly reinforced his failing self-control.

Much to his expectation and anger, there were several marks of possession that littered the youth’s body. Majority of them were placed in the most mischievous places like the inner thighs or the delicate skin close to the groin; it made Naoe see a bloody red. Some were recent while others were nearly faded, confirming his earlier suspicions that his beloved has been copulated by another more than once. However none of the marks or bruises had any indication of a struggle or any sign of unwillingness…

Naoe closed his eyes, took a deep breath and didn’t want to contemplate that the appearance and consistency of the bruises were all made by the same man… that man… the protector: Fuma Kotarou.

It never dawned on him that his jealousy with Saburo’s contract was the least of his worries when it came to finally getting rid of said remnants.

Haruhie shot him a chiding look, silently demanding him to stop whatever he was doing.

But Naoe wasn’t doing anything… at least nothing inappropriate yet. He merely started wiping dried traces of passion between the youth’s legs. But the moment he made contact with nubile flesh, the boy squirmed and groaned helplessly. Anyone not close enough could mistake this scene for far more what it truly is.

“I’m sorry, am I causing you discomfort?” Naoe gently asked as he continued with the task. He couldn’t stand the thought of his beloved squirming for someone else other than him. It was not surprising that his loved one was extremely sensitive and taking advantage of it while in this state would just prove he was a shameless lecher like in his nightmares. “It will be over soon, I promise.”

The youth whimpered in his sleep as his intimate place was thoroughly cleansed but soothed by Naoe’s voice he soon quieted down, surrendering himself in the man’s care.

The man only indulged himself by wrapping the youth back in his haori and warming him up with his body heat. When Saburo was tucked in the comfort of blankets, the man put the soiled garments in a dry basin and moved away.

Haruhie watched him walk to the door in surprise. “Where are you going?”

“It’s only a few more moments before another dawn. Go sleep some more, Haruhie-san.” Naoe’s face had a gentle serene expression as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

What… happened? “I’ve already slept too much.” The lad said irately.

The man nodded. “Alright, I will do the laundry while we have extra water. Unlike yesterday, the weather’s going to be fair today… good enough for the clothes to dry. Afterwards I’m going to cook breakfast. Another hand is not bad though I won’t force you if you don’t want to help. I have sons of noble birth aboard with me after all.”

Haruhie was already rolling up his sleeves. “I wasn’t raised to be lazy. I’m going to help out and keep an eye on you while I’m at it.”

Naoe chuckled. “You still don’t trust me.”

“Your mood swings faster than the sea winds.” Haruhie hastily countered.

A vein in Naoe’s forehead throbbed. “You will get into those moods once you’ve found the one who owns your heart.”

The door slid shut between them. Haruhie moped at the man’s words and eyed his fellow youth’s oblivious face. “Saburo-gimi how did you manage to snatch the heart of someone with such a bad attitude? Even Kotarou-dono’s flat demeanor is—” A memory flash of the shinobi’s equally murderous aura effectively silenced him.

‘How can you be deeply involved with such dangerous men and still be alive…?’

“I don’t want to be accidentally killed by them. Tell me, what’s your secret?” He whined to a peacefully snoring Saburo.

XxXMOBXxX

A white speck in the sky and the flapping of wings alerted a slender man who was lazily watching the waves to look up. On his outstretched arm a pigeon landed with a small rolled paper tied at the base of its talons. As he pulled the letter free of its twine, the pigeon comfortably perched on his shoulder.

“I am at sea and will soon meet you.”

The man snorted almost in annoyance. “About time! What took you so long, bastard?” He muttered curses under his breath.

A young woman in a plain kimono approached him carrying a wooden bowl. Inside were pretty shells and some live crabs. “Is something the matter, Nagahide-san?”

‘I am getting sick of seafood. I want ume rice, some roasted game, and fine sake.’ Yasuda Nagahide mused with a pout. “Oh nothing. My jealous lover’s coming to check up on me. I’m so relieved he hasn’t eloped with his latest fling.”

She giggled and believed none of it. “How do you like your crab? You know I’m getting really good at cooking seafood.”

“Yes, your cooking is divine and you’ll make a very good wife one day.” Nagahide commented offhandedly.

The smile on her face remained fixed but it was lacking its previous warmth. “But until I’m free that won’t happen right?”

~TBC

The Ashikaga Shogunate – The period of their reign was known as the Muromachi and were said to be the weakest among the three Shogunate that governed Japan. Their predecessor the Kamakura Shogunate and their successor, the Tokugawa Shogunate were said to have held more power in their respective times.

99 – Demon;

100 – One of the things that made Naoe doubtful of Saburo being a peasant is that even though the youth wore shabby tattered clothes, his body was always clean and smelled quite nice. A peasant could never afford to have a bath every day.

Post A/N: I hope Naoe wasn’t too OOC as I depicted his character here. Now you can see a little bit as to where his original allegiances lie. Let’s see if he’ll stick to them or pitch them to hell for “the one who owns his heart.”
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400 Years Apart