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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
- 51
- 52
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Chapter 52:

Hokutoshichisei Arc: Part Ten

A/N: When the sickle-shaped seven stars appear in the sky…

Have you ever wondered why Saburo always carried a tanto* (dagger blade) with him and why he was on his immediate guard when he saw the Matsuda twins on the beaches of Sagami Bay?

The mysteries surrounding Ujimasa, the former Matsuda vassals, and their relationship with Saburo is finally revealed in this chapter:

Warning: Some perverse undercurrents bordering on taboo and whatnot;

Violence and child abuse;

If you can’t take it PLEASE DON’T READ.

…

The creak of the slowly opening door made him look up. “What is it, Ujiteru?”

“Ah, Aniue, Lord Father requests your presence.”

“I have been in this room all day. Do you know what he wants to ask of me?” Ujimasa addressed his brother but did not move in the slightest bit from his current position so he would not disturb the small, fair bundle currently nestled at his lap.

“Father neglected to tell.” Ujiteru absently replied while the corners of his lips quirked up indulgently. “I did not know our youngest has taken with the habit of making you his comfortable bed.”

Saburo stirred a little and sought better purchase on his ‘sleeping haven.’ His tiny hands curled at the fabric of Ujimasa’s robes, adjusted his head, sucked his thumb and went back to dozing peacefully.

“Keep your voice down, you will wake him.” Ujimasa chided.

“My apologies,” Said Ujiteru sheepishly. “I will ask Father then if you are needed immediately and that is the time I shall carry our baby brother back to his room.”

Ujimasa affectionately brushed Saburo’s hair. “Since Father has not come here himself, I believe it is not urgent. Why do you not stay for a while?”

Ujiteru nodded and sat down.

“He always pesters me you know? Young as he is. He comes by to beg me to read mythical tales for him. But as soon as I start reading in earnest he falls asleep just like this. Yet the moment he wakes up he would be looking for you. Do you know how much that infuriates me?” Ujimasa relays half-scowling.

Ujiteru laughs softly. “Oh Aniue, do not tell me you are jealous?”

“A little, yes.” Ujimasa admits, surprising Ujiteru.

“Oh come now, Aniue. Saburo repeatedly tells me he misses you when Father brings you along in campaigns.” Ujiteru fondly placed his hand atop the child’s forehead only to frown in concern. “He feels rather warm.”

“Truly? He did play under the rain a while ago.” Ujimasa mirrored his brother’s pinched expression when their youngest did exhibit signs of fever.

Ujiteru’s concern grew when Saburo barely woke at the sound of their voices.

“Let us bring him to his room and request for a physician. You tell Father, alright?” Ujimasa took charge cradling the child protectively.

“Right,” Ujiteru agreed. Both were no strangers to their baby sibling’s bouts of illness.

A handful of attendants, bushi and servants accompanied the sons of their lord as they sought aid for the ailing last offspring.

…

It was the first time they were separated for a long time. In order to nurse the toddler back to health, he had been placed under the strict, meticulous care of Hojo Genan the Hakone Governor and the longest- lived patriarch of the Go-Hojoshi Clan.

Ujimasa had not known what happened then in those brief years of their separation. Saburo returned, now a young boy but much changed. He displayed the reserved behavior of initiates of the revered bodhisattvas that would have been commendable among vassals and subjects. Yet in the eyes of Ujimasa, Saburo came home not as his affectionate sibling but as a detached stranger. Worse, Ujiteru did not seem to be having this predicament with Saburo at all. Theirs was a bond unchanged while Ujimasa could only look on, brood, and wonder.

…

The child, now seven takes hasty joyful steps. In his small hand, he carried a wooden canvass containing basic calligraphy, which earned much praise. Saburo’s level of skill already surpassed his peers and therefore made his teacher proud. The first thing the youngest wanted to do was to show it to his aniue.

A faint blush dusted the boy’s cheeks as he neared his eldest brother’s quarters. He was eager and nervous at the same time.

Yet as he wandered in the walkway, he could see from afar that several low-ranking retainers guarded the outer lobby. There seems to be a meeting or assembly of some sort.

Intimidated and feeling very much out of place, Saburo waited, crouching beside ornamental shrubbery in the garden. Bushi who did their patrols eyed him strangely but he paid them no mind. He remembered that monks and their disciples in Hakone also regarded him this way.

Eventually the gathered samurai dispersed and Saburo stood up expectantly. With a quick glance to the side he saw a pair of armed guards moving towards him. They bore reproachful stances as they loomed.

Not wanting to do anything with them, Saburo bolted towards the crowd the moment he spotted his aniue. Suddenly seeing a fair boy-child hurtle towards them startled some of the men who did not know how to deal with the situation.

Saburo tried to half-crawl and fight his way past them but he was just too small and not strong enough to squeeze through. Indignant whispering and incensed phrases like, “How did a child manage to get here? Where were the guards?” were heard from the beginnings of a disturbance.

Surrounded by so many imposing male adults finally overwhelmed the young boy and as he tries to get back on his feet in a panic he drops the wooden canvass. The object easily gets lost in a sea of tabi-covered feet and rustle of semi-formal kamishimo.

“Saburo-sama!” A male and female minder called in unison. They rushed towards the child and picked him up, away from the disappointingly clueless warrior class.

“Wait! Put me down!” Saburo struggled. “I lost something important.” He whined.

“We apologize for the inconvenience he has caused you but this young one is the Lord and Lady’s last offspring. If he should be punished for any misdoing please make us responsible instead.” This revelation stuns majority of the disdainful kokujin and they wordlessly, awkwardly give way.

Saburo was placed on his feet and he perked up at the sound of his eldest brother’s voice.

“What is all the commotion?”

Ujimasa rose from his sitting mat to watch the retreating forms of the dismissed vassals, trying to discern any irregularity among them. His face was darkened with displeasure. Even a child could tell that he was not in one of his better moods.

The Go-Hojoshi heir and future lord spots a small slab of wood forgotten on the floor. Ujimasa vents his frustrations and embitterment upon it; thinking of such a useless, unadorned thing scattered unceremoniously. He tosses the damned object across the lawn, far out of sight.

Saburo witnesses it sail through the air and tears were already welling in his eyes just as his oblivious brother spots him. Ujimasa’s expression almost softens as he lays his gaze on his baby brother. He beckons, “Saburo,”

The boy-child already hurt and hurting some more met the puzzled eyes of his aniue with a single, tear-filled stare and then quickly turned away. He ran past his minders who scrambled after him but could not find him afterwards.

Ujimasa recoiled from Saburo’s ‘rejection’ as if it were a physical blow and wonders, sinking into a stale gloom.

…

Lulled by Ujiteru-ani’s warmth and mild cradling, Saburo’s tired eyes nearly fluttered closed. He buried his face on the soft fabric of Ujiteru’s robes as he was carried to the sleeping quarters.

Ujiteru continued to hold him and did not set him down or put him to bed. He knew Saburo would not like it, especially since the young one was adorably clingy when in need of comfort. The elder brother patiently and indulgently listened to the tale but spoke not a word in comment. In turn, Saburo found his young mind pondering about the incident that morn.

A sudden realization dawned…

He could no longer get as close as he wanted to his aniue.

Ujimasa-ani was not only his eldest sibling but also his future clan lord.

The distance that separated them grew wider still.

…

Saburo spent the rest of his tender years principally away from his eldest brother and his father. They, who were often engaged in military campaigns and territorial disputes against the Uesugi, saw little to him as well. After all, he was the last scion and the least person to fill a role in the family. It was not uncommon for youngest sons to be given away or to be adopted in another clan to establish an alliance. Hence, Saburo made himself scarce when possible in the hopes that most would leave him be.

He would often stalk away from the castle when internal affairs proved too stifling. On the hill overlooking the sea, he would play the flute to his heart’s content and when fortune allowed, Ujiteru-ani would accompany him to spend some quality time and help perfect his skill. They would climb the biggest tree and weave a fine melody together or simply trade mundane conversations.

The young one was already very happy with his elder sibling’s affections and never asked for more. To be worthy of Ujiteru-ani, Saburo strove to become a diligent member of the Hojo Clan. Since key vassals deemed him too frail to be initiated to the way of the sword, Saburo concentrated on literacy and sharpened his martial aptitude in the field of archery. When he was taught the basics, he preferred to practice alone. He refused to be escorted by family retainers and avoided the other apprentices altogether. His noble status and taciturn personality were some of the reasons why youth of the warrior class felt intimidated and were unsympathetic towards him. Overtly, he was held in high esteem but the moment he turned his back they dropped the act almost immediately. Saburo learned earlier not to trust them especially their elders whose fealty to the Sagami Lord was starting to become questionable.

It happened one afternoon when he was preparing to leave the archery training grounds. Collecting his equipment, he slung the quiver over his shoulder only to pause at the sound of voices.

“That lord brat…! Who does he think he is boasting to become Taisho so quickly! His field experience is second to none! How does Ujiyasu-sama expect him to lead the army?”

“But he is a brilliant Shogi Master and the tactical strategies he suggested to the vanguard were applied and earned us a victory.”

“That was a fluke! Some juvenile luck! How dare he order us around like he knows what is best? We have been veterans of war alongside the rightful heir! He is just some sad replacement lacking any potential whatsoever.”

“What do you mean?” The other retainer who actually served Ujimasa quizzically asked.

“Oh? Did you not know? Shinkuro-sama, the firstborn son and true heir of the daimyo died in some sort of accident… A horse riding accident to be exact and right when Zuikeiin-no-kata was having her last child. I heard it was covered up but Ujimasa-sama was somewhat responsible for the death of his eldest brother. However, Ujiyasu-sama worried for the delicate wellbeing of Her Ladyship and thus ordered the witnesses to swear an oath of secrecy. The incident was considered to be some sort of evil omen for the Hojo Clan!”

Saburo jumped from his hiding place in the corner. He gasped and in his rattled state, dropped the few arrows he had not finished putting away. The clattering noise alerted the men, instantly.

“Who goes there?” The kokujin who spoke the revelation, demanded.

There was nowhere to run and Saburo bravely stepped in plain sight. Just like the other samurai who were unaware or did not bother with the mysterious lastborn, no trace of recognition showed in their faces. “A child overheard!” He exclaimed.

“You do not expect a young boy to prattle about matters hardly comprehendible in his years.” Ujimasa’s retainer said coolly. But Saburo did clearly understand their discourse and the long stare he bestowed on the guilty one was indicative enough that they were dealing with no ordinary whelp.

“No! We must make sure the boy does not tell anyone or I could be executed!” The elder seized the child’s arm roughly.

“You do not even know whose child he is. What do you plan to do to him?” Ujimasa’s retainer queried disapprovingly.

There were scuff of sandals from the entryway and more bushi who met them in the eye approached.

“Toyama-dono, what have you stashed there? Do not tell me he is a male concubine and a very lovely one at that!” The most boisterous of the group remarked.

“He is too young even for a concubine, you demented fool!”

Toyama angrily shushed their outrageous statements, declaring, “He is a boy who dared to stick his neck in the matters of honorable men. I wish to serve him a lesson he would never forget.”

“Toyama-dono,” The other retainer intoned warningly.

“What do you want of me?” Saburo tried to pull his arm back. His demeanor and eloquence almost deterred them. It would seem that he was not the offspring of some mediocre man.

“Matsuda-dono, I ought to teach this brat not to meddle in the affairs of Bushi. And if you continue to disapprove and run off to that master of yours then you are truly nothing but his lap dog!”

Matsuda Katsuhide stormed away so as not to associate himself with lowlifes.

Saburo watched him disappear through the wooden gates still innocently unsuspecting of the danger that lies ahead.

“So what do we do with him?”

“We inspire a little fear, nothing overly harmful…” Toyama chortled maliciously.

“Stop! No!” Saburo protested as they dragged him back indoors. Toyama uncaringly threw him against the wall and the boy stumbled.

“A pretty, malnourished whelp is not going to be the end of me! You should have known better, boy!” Even after the violent manhandling, the kokujin was still furious. He strode forward and almost strangled Saburo settling instead by grabbing his chin. Toyama looked him in the eye but the boy held his dark amber gaze, unflinchingly. “Your eyes have a strange color… must be a bastard born from those pale outsiders who wanted to take our lands!” He slapped the child across the face, “How dare you stare back at me with those filthy eyes.”

Saburo’s head turned to the side with the force of the blow but he did not cry out in pain. With an intense scrutiny that was unnerving even for a grown man he regarded his assailant silently. Provoked, Toyama raised his hand about to hit him again but was halted by his fellows.

“Toyama-dono, be at ease. Do not ruin his lovely face.” The bushi held the elder back but not before doing a visual feast on the lithe frame of Saburo. “We are here to teach him a lesson so let us do so.” He whispered a suggestion, which his peers not only approved but also Toyama himself.

With cruelty and motivations fitting that of Oni, they restrained Saburo, stripped him of his clothing, and watched slowly as the child trembled in shame and the cold. The others who could not resist ran their hands on pristine silken skin but as dusk drew near, they opted to leave sooner.

Toyama and another stayed behind to tie Saburo’s hands around one of the low-lying wooden slats of a backroom window. Without a backward glance for the poor child they left him and slid the lock behind them, guffawing all the way.

Saburo shivered and ached in the dead of night with crystal snowflakes falling like tears, his only companion.

…

Matsuda Katsuhide discreetly winced as Toyama grunted in pain with another brutal blow to the gut. In all his life, he had never seen the future clan lord this enraged. Ujimasa graced the vermin currently writhing by his feet with a frightening, icy countenance. He was deaf to pleas for mercy or pledges of redemption. Worse, Ujimasa was beating the former vassals of his Lord Father with their own swords of honor. Sometimes, he would strike with the sheath but more often he would ruthlessly batter them with the blunt edge of the blade.

They arrived almost too late. The boy was no longer moving save the telltale rise and fall of his chest. Saburo was paler than paper, lips cracked and bluish and there were bruises around his throat. His exposed skin was as cold as a corpse. Ujimasa all but slashed the ropes to pieces, fought with his cloak and outer robe to wrap his limp baby brother in them. He rubbed vigorously almost frantically to restore some warmth to the boy. “WHO DID THIS?” He roared wrathfully.

Katsuhide and his twin had flinched. They could not answer and in a fit of rare temper, Ujimasa threw his katana at them. “Get out of my sight you useless cur! Bring someone who can build a hearth and heat a bath this instant!”

Before Katsuhide and Takahide could leave in haste, he witnessed their lord weeping… reduced to this because of a child… they turned away in time to hear the boy wake at last as he croaked softly, “Aniue?”

They had not seen the final look on Ujimasa’s face nevertheless it must have been as vindictive as it appears at this moment.

“Toyama, which do you prefer: an honorable death by your blade or death by my blade?” Ujimasa asked as if he was talking about the weather.

“Uji…Ujimasa-sama… I… I swear I never knew he… he was your youngest brother.” Toyama blathered uselessly.

“How so?” Outwardly, the future clan lord’s demeanor was in complete contrast to how he was seething infernally inside.

“His eyes… it was… it was such an odd shade… I was certain he was an outsider!” Toyama cried out as Ujimasa nonchalantly hit him on the side of the head.

“He is flesh and blood of my own mother and father. He was born with eyes like the leaves in autumn. Wait, are you implying Saburo is a bastard child?”

“No. No! NO!” The last word rang out with the sound of gunfire. Ujimasa had shot Toyama with the rifle point-blank.

Toyama’s comrades whimpered in fear knowing they were next.

“Matsuda Katsuhide,”

“My lord,” Shaken to his core, Katsuhide bowed and knelt immediately.

“Protect Saburo from the likes of Toyama and his fellows.” Several more gunshots, cries of agony… of men being beheaded and blood splattering followed after the formidable command.

“Understood,”

…

‘Ujimasa-sama was behaving irresponsibly.’ These were the thoughts of Katsuhide when he reluctantly agreed with the orders given. And while his twin brother, Takahide remained by the future clan lord’s side, he in turn was tasked to serve and protect the insignificant lastborn of the Hojo Family. In those first few months, Katsuhide had wondered what he had done to deserve such a subtle verdict of disapproval.

To be apart from one’s master is possibly the greatest punishment a sworn samurai could suffer.

Was it because he was with Toyama-dono before the incident and therefore could have averted the succeeding events? He himself was unfamiliar with Ujiyasu-sama’s youngest child who the elder retainer clans paid little attention. Truth be told, Katsuhide was certain that Ujiyasu-Tono-sama would not react in such an excessively violent manner in the way, Ujimasa-sama just did. However, he had duties to fulfill and as a loyal vassal of Hojo Ujimasa he did not want to disappoint.

There was nothing spectacular about the boy as Katsuhide had observed. Hojo Saburo was mostly meek and he keeps to himself. If there was any redeeming quality about him it was that he did not want to trouble those around him. Katsuhide finally understood that the boy deliberately became such an enigma because he did not wish for others to be concerned about him. Saburo chose to isolate himself so he would not be a burden to his parents and brothers. Thus, they could focus all their energies in protecting and governing the people of Sagami. As the youngest child and at a very tender age, Saburo had pondered hard about his purpose in life. Katsuhide recalled that when Saburo had suffered in the hands of arrogant retainers he had neither cried nor complained to his Aniue. He never demanded to be avenged. It was all Ujimasa-sama’s actions and prerogative, which angered some of the highly conservative relatives of Toyama-dono.

In the length of time spent as Saburo’s guardian, Matsuda Katsuhide found that he was developing more conflicting opinions within himself. Before, he merely tolerated playing the role of protector to the insignificant youngest but now… Katsuhide witnesses a butterfly hatching from its chrysalis.

Saburo was growing more and more beautiful each day.

And as his radiance shone too bright to be ignored, Katsuhide also became aware of those who watch Saburo behind kerchiefs, paper fans, and screens… and one in particular outrivals the others with the intensity going beyond the edges of reason.

Matsuda Katsuhide could never have expected himself to be among the likes of them…

…

When the summons came, he was not in the least bit prepared but Katsuhide always wore a few composed masks to conceal his true nature.

“Ujimasa-sama,” Katsuhide prostrated before being given leave to rise.

“How are you adjusting to the role of guardian?” The daimyo’s heir asked casually as he sipped his tea.

“Reporting to you my lord, no malicious incidents have occurred since then. Saburo-sama is in the best of health and well-being.” The vassal dutifully answered.

“Is that all?” Ujimasa hummed. He set his tea bowl down, rested his chin between his interlocked hands and regarded Katsuhide inscrutably.

“Yes, Ujimasa-sama.” The small hairs at the back of his neck tingled for no reason.

Katsuhide never knew the trap laid out until it snapped at his feet.

“Has Saburo never shown signs of aversion towards you? After all, he must know that I sent you.” Ujimasa spoke contemplatively.

“What do you mean, Ujimasa-sama?”

“That child hates me, Katsuhide. I do not know why but…” Ujimasa shook his head and fell silent.

“Saburo-dono hates you… his eldest brother?”

“Aye. I hate him very much as well. He is weak, unable to defend himself and thus might cause shame to the family if one is not vigilant that is why I placed him under your care. But you say that he has behaved well in your presence… laughable!”

Katsuhide flinched at the sound of dark mirth coming from the heir’s lips.

“Katsuhide, you were not pleased about your appointment before, correct? You can be honest with me.” Ujimasa goaded with the gesture of his hand.

“Yes,”

“Ah, but you seem content… almost satisfied serving my brother. Do you want to offer your pledge to be Saburo’s first retainer?”

Ujimasa-sama had mood swings before but Katsuhide observed that it was such a dramatic sway from cold to dark and vice versa. He shivered inwardly.

“No, Ujimasa-sama.” It was a very feeble response.

Ujimasa threw his head back and laughed harder.

“Aye that is right. That is what happens to those who get too close to him. Surely you have noticed that I myself have been infected with this malady?” Too many vague words, riddles, and statements that held double meanings were threatening to shatter the calm that was Katsuhide’s mask.

“Katsuhide, I will never be like you. I will never allow this malady to fester inside me. I will conquer it… continue to fight back with my hate. But you… you are far gone, lost, and defeated. I apologize if I would not be able to return you to the way you were before.” Ujimasa had eyed him mockingly, pitifully.

After he was dismissed, Katsuhide felt something inside him writhe, crack and then break free. He had fled, waded unseeingly in the snow-covered path as Ujimasa-sama’s mocking stare and dark laughter echoed repeatedly in his thoughts. In his mind’s eye a butterfly’s wings fluttered madly spreading poison as it went.

A poisonous butterfly…

A beautiful poisonous butterfly… he was entranced by its magnificence.

…

He found the boy diligently reading in his study with a lone lit lantern.

“Saburo-sama,”

The young one had innocently looked up at him, “Katsuhide?”

“Saburo-sama, you are shivering. Are you cold? Do you want me to tell the servants to draw you a warm bath?”

“Ah, that would be pleasant, I suppose.”

“Is it alright for me to accompany you inside… to wash your back?”

Initially, Saburo had given him a puzzled look but eventually agreed.

They both entered the steaming bath and Katsuhide had helped disrobe him. The more naked Saburo became, the more Katsuhide’s gaze lingered… hungered.

Obliviously, Saburo stepped away from the layers of clothing and climbed inside the tub. He sighed in bliss, closing his eyes but when he opened them, Katsuhide hovered closely in his field of vision.

“Katsuhide?” Saburo uttered his name before the man’s form warped into something wicked. A hand suddenly shot forward and grabbed him by the throat. “Katsu…hide?”

He squeezed and felt his body stirring at the helpless sounds issuing forth Saburo’s lips. Saburo gasped and choked while Katsuhide drew his face closer. He opened his mouth.

Saburo thrashed spilling water everywhere.

A woman shrieked loudly. Sayori dropped the basin of bathing essentials and yelled for the guards, for anyone to help. Katsuhide’s face was obscured in the dimness of the room and the bushi who belatedly stormed in had never gotten a good look at him.

Matsuda Katsuhide escaped to retire for the night but he knew for certain that he would either be expelled from the clan or executed at dawn. Before he would be collected and bound in the morn he confessed everything to his elder twin brother, Takahide who had a bizarre tale of his own to share.

The expulsion and the execution never happened.

A few years had already passed when Matsuda Katsuhide had an audience with the daimyo. Ujimasa now reigned over Sagami and had been widowed by the maiden he truly loved. His marriage was said to have been blissful and thus peaceful. Katsuhide and Takahide had concluded together that it was the only time that they had seen their master as sane as he would ever be. When the Lady Obaiin disappeared from their master’s life forever, the malady returned much greater than before.

Katsuhide shook himself from his petty reflections as Ujimasa’s eyes bore into his kneeling form. “And for what punishment have I been called for this time, my lord?”

“Finally, the real Katsuhide is staring me in the face.” The daimyo replied, unperturbed as ever.

“Will I be tortured before seppuku* my lord, just like Toyama-dono?” Katsuhide had little reason to keep the subservient façade.

*Ritual suicide;

“No such thing. It would be a waste for second-rate retainers like you.”

“What?” Katsuhide had bristled openly for the first time in his life. His fists clenched but he could only glower in defiance.

Takahide on the other hand, muttered curses under his breath.

“Again, Saburo had not asked for retaliation in his part so I suppose it is useless to put you through such an ordeal. Listen carefully; I called for your measly appearances to demand that you serve me until you die on the battlefield. That is all.”

“You mean you are not letting us go? !” Takahide had stood up but Katsuhide tugged him back into order.

“Why no. You have lots to atone for. I deemed your stay as the best punishment possible.” Ujimasa unceremoniously dismissed them. And the humiliation further stung as Akito ushered them out when they tested the daimyo’s patience.

“Damn you! You are worse than us! Do not think we are unaware of how you look at your own brother!”

“Ujimasa-sama, should I silence them?” Akito had calmly inquired.

“Just shove them off my abode until they fall on their asses.”

“Brute force then, my lord.” Akito affirmed and obeyed the command in detail.

Ujimasa had smirked in satisfaction.

XxXMOBXxX

Staring and still not touching the statue, Ujimasa’s expression was void of anything. He merely waited for his lady cousin to wake from her stupor.

Hanaiin had finally seen the physical manifestation of his madness but she has kept her silence.

She had approached him boldly without any escorts to speak in private but he had already known what it was all about. Her eyes had said it all. “Not here,” He had said. “If we are to discuss your concern then there is nothing more safe and sacred than the place I know.”

They rode together on horseback to reach the alternate shrine he had made for Obaiin. It took them quite a while to reach the sea cave for it had always been faster to take a boat and travel along the coastline. He wanted to let Hanaiin think long and hard before coming up with the final decision to declare complete withdrawal from the arranged marriage.

Upon their arrival he had immediately shown her around the natural landscape. “This is Obaiin’s resting place that I have built for her. The Takeda denied me her ashes and so this is the least I could do to honor her memory.”

“I am sorry to hear that,” Hanaiin had said empathetically. “The Lady must have been a very special person. And I do not think I could ever replace her in your heart should I become your spouse, Ujimasa-sama.”

Ujimasa had perceived that her decision was resolute and secretly admired her. However, he wondered how she was going to remedy the situation where neither of them would be humiliated before the Go-Hojoshi retainer families. “This is where I keep stone figures of the most significant to me.” At that point he did not know what drove him to reveal his secret taboo. It was perhaps her innocence despite the misfortunes she had suffered that provoked him.

“Ujimasa-sama please let me get to the heart of the matter. After some deep reflections I have come to realize that I will never be able to fill the role of your wife. Therefore, to defend Ujimasa-sama’s honor, I will become a Buddhist nun to dissolve the prospect of marriage.” In spite of her courageous display, Ujimasa was not fooled with the way her gaze slightly wavered upon his.

Apparently, she dreaded for his response and the consequences that might follow if he refuses.

To Hanaiin’s surprise, Ujimasa concedes without complication. He simply agrees.

“I understand,”

But that was also when they entered the innermost chamber of the shrine. Hanaiin’s eyes had gone very round seeing the statue at the center.

The fine sculpture made no room for doubt as to how much the upper half resembled Saburo: eyes closed, hair unbound, lips slightly parted, arms spread, palms open… but below the chin, another head emerged almost unnaturally. It belonged to that of a woman who faced sideways. Her expression was serene as she protectively held her globular belly.

The two individuals were grotesquely fused like lovers drafted in the same body, expecting their first child. It was in such a deranged manner that the maiden’s stomach seamlessly aligned with the male counterpart. It made the impression of a single vessel sharing a womb.

Hanaiin was petrified. She paled as white as a sheet and she could not look away even if she desperately wanted to.

Familiar footsteps make her snap from her reverie. She turns towards the sound and gapes, “Saburo-sama…”

Saburo,

Alone,

His anguished face looks at her firstly then lifts his gaze to witness the statue. His reaction was no less profound than that of shock but he struggles to recover quickly. “Aniue…”

The firm amber gaze invokes the most unpleasant within Ujimasa. “Saburo, what brings you here? I am surprised Kotarou is not with you.”

The youth suppresses the trepidations creeping up his spine. He directs himself towards Hanaiin instead, “Hana-san, are you unhurt?”

Ujimasa bristles but it was a small ripple in the preternatural tranquil surface.

She forces a smile but the relief was genuine. “I am alright Saburo-sama but I have chosen not to marry your brother.”

“You already told Aniue?” Saburo’s alarm was pacified by the weight of her earnest, reassuring gaze.

“I wonder what your wild imagination has conjured to fly all this way, Saburo. Did you think I would have the reason to hurt our cousin after all the risks I had taken just to rescue the both of you?”

Saburo heard the escalating temper, the darkening mood in his eldest brother’s voice. “No, Aniue. I just wanted to serve as an envoy to clear any misunderstanding.” After the curt response, he addresses Hanaiin.

“Hana-san, please wait for us at the mouth of the cave. Kotarou will ensure your safety and keep you company for a while.”

Despite her instincts nagging her to stay, his pleading look was difficult to resist. “Very well,” She concedes in the end.

Hanaiin leaves the chambers betraying her conscience.

“Kotarou said you wanted to see me very badly. What for?” The formidable figure demanded.

Saburo was already very intimidated by the tomb-like silence, the convoluted fixture (of himself, if he could go past denial), and the contemptuous aura surrounding the lord of the realm. “I… Aniue,”

Ujimasa’s eyes narrowed.

“I have always wondered what you think of me, Aniue. Your actions and your words have confused me all the time. I do not know how to act properly towards you. I do not know anymore…” The youth kept shaking his head miserably.

“I hate you Saburo.” The daimyo hissed, strode forward and grabbed his young brother by the front of his kimono.

“You ruin me! I abhor your very existence! You make me feel the most repulsive creature alive! I will never be at peace for as long as you linger in the land of our forefathers!” Ujimasa had clasped him around the jaw almost violently.

“Why…?” Saburo asks faintly. Tears were flowing endlessly down his cheeks. He was at a loss.

The young one’s pitiful form enrages Ujimasa further. He furiously throws Saburo against solid stone.

The youth utters a grunt of pain as the impact knocks the wind out of him. He tries to get up but something at the course of the fall made him too weak to do so. Stubbornly, he lifts himself on his elbows.

Ujimasa advances and unsheathes a dagger shorter than a tanto but similarly sharp.

“Let us put an end to this…” A dazed countenance had overshadowed Ujimasa’s face. With tears unknowingly dripping down, he takes one step and another towards his paralyzed sibling.

“Saburo,” Ujimasa calls softly. He straddles him and caresses his face gently. The ominous edge gleams in the candlelight.

Saburo could only stare, stock-still as the dagger descends slowly. The serrated tip catches at the neckline of his kosode yet it continues slashing the fabric almost too easily. His fair upper body was steadily exposed until the dagger point reaches his unprotected stomach.

Ujimasa suddenly pushes down—

“Ah!” Saburo gasps as sharp, vibrant sting explodes through his body. Warm liquid trickles away from the angry wound.

Ujimasa cries a mixture of disbelief and pain himself. He yanks the dagger away and staggers upright. He takes tortured backward steps and covers his mouth in horror. The blood-tinged blade stares him in the eye and he starts to shake uncontrollably.

“Saburo… what… have I…?”

..

“Aniue?” Saburo sits up clutching the shallow injury. He sees his brother wavering between himself and the weapon.

“Saburo, I love you. Forgive me…” His head falls despondently and all body movement ceases. “I am unfit to be your brother… to rule Sagami… I have already buried my aniue to his grave. I… I cannot believe I was about to do the same to you…”

“Aniue… what are you saying?” With a bit of difficulty Saburo stands up only to watch Ujimasa’s limp figure come alive again.

“You will be my rightful heir. My Saburo…” Ujimasa speaks monotonously, raises the dagger again aiming for himself.

“ANIUE!” Saburo jumps in time. Heart fluttering madly, he seizes the blade and flings it aside. Their bodies collide and they collapse to the ground.

“Aniue, stop this! Come back to yourself! Return to us, please!” Saburo wraps his eldest sibling in a tight embrace.

Ujimasa weeps, inhaling the precious warm scent. He was incoherent for a while just lulled by the selfless affection of Saburo. If there was anything that could cure him it was this. His fingers trace the bleeding wound and he whimpers as if he were aching twice as much. “I have hurt you. Forgive me.”

“I have. I love you, Aniue.” Saburo whispers and sighs.

..

“Saburo!” A voice interrupts the siblings’ reconciled bonding.

Alongside the out-of-breath, desperate Naoe was Kotarou and Hanaiin-hime.

“I tried to stop him Young Master but he persisted,” Kotarou said in a manner deceptively like ennui.

“Saburo, you are bleeding!” Naoe astutely discovers what the pale youth was obstinately trying to hide.

“Quiet Naoe, before I hit you.” Saburo snaps and feels Ujimasa-ani withdrawing from him.

Nothing must have been more humiliating for a daimyo to be seen in such a wretched state.

With his back to them Ujimasa spoke, “I trust my chosen to treat Saburo’s wound. All of you leave. I want to be alone for a while.”

…

As they drew farther from the shoreline, Saburo’s eyes remain fastened to the sea cave. His face was filled with sad longing but Naoe who possessively held his beloved on his lap reckoned that Saburo stays beautiful even in sorrow. Meanwhile, Hanaiin who sat close by finally pieced together why it was impossible for Saburo and herself to wed. She had been right all along.

Kotarou pauses rowing the boat and uncharacteristically breaks the silence. “Are you worried for Tono-sama, Young Master?”

“Does he not always do so for me?” Saburo shuts his eyes finally remembering all the times Ujimasa had forsaken the company of a protector just to ensure his safety in return… Sayori-san… Yuri-san… Katsuhide-dono… Kotarou… Akito… Haruhie… Hideharu-dono… Naoe… and the names go on.

But why does he send them to me?

Is it to protect me or to protect himself from me?

Ujimasa-ani…

I still do not understand you…

XxXMOBXxX

“Tono-sama for how long are you going to sulk in here?” Danzo kneels behind Ujimasa’s motionless form.

“This better be urgent Danzo or I shall stake you to that statue.”

The master illusionist cackles. “Another letter supposedly from Ujiteru-sama has arrived.”

~TBC

Post A/N: Phew! That was long… At least I did not drag it further to the point of excruciating. So how did you like it? Did it clear some confusion in your minds, dear readers? Please tell me what you think. *Bows

~Extra…

Naoe: How dare you do nothing to protect Saburo! You useless ninja!

Kotarou: I was there camouflaged in the shadows. I was trying so hard not to interfere. And you? You’re always late to arrive.

Naoe: That’s because! That’s because…! (Stunned speechless for a moment) Saburo always leaves me behind! Saburo… your pets do not like me… and you would not even say you love me! (Weeps)

Kotarou: Poor canine. Good thing I do not have the ability to cry or laugh. It must be tough to be so emotional. (Shakes head) Emotions make a man mad.

Ujimasa: Hmm… (Cold murderous stare)

~End of Extra…
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400 Years Apart