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DAME DAME DAME.

Chapter 1

By The Fox Lady

Machi chuu doko demo uso bakari Hyaku nen mae kara shouchi da yo
Ima sara aki kankeru kurai Dare demo dekiru
Ai wa nagu same no Dou gu nanka ja nain da shi

Lies come rushing in from everywere
I know it's been like this for 100 years
it is not that easy to kick over an empty can
Love is not just for comfort

Dame! by Izumi Yo.



Like a slender black cat, the ninja fell loudless in the roof. From her position, Yuri can saw clearly Mike waiting in the street like watcher: Takashi waiting for her to give a signal before to enter the house, and Kiri ready to back up her from the near roof if something goes wrong.

As usual, Mariko has been right in her planning. The house of the chief of Yokohama was almost empty, except for a light in the window of the bedroom. Yuri kneeled, hook one foot in the roof and let herself hang face-down, to work in a window.

Two minutes after, the window gave a soft click and Yuriko rested her hands in the frame and soundlessly jumped inside. There she crawled to the front and opened the door to Takashi, who sneaked inside without a sound. The both goes upstairs quickly, from shadow to shadow, and waited a second in the second floor, looking a door from where light shone in the wooden door.

Sounds echoed till their sensitive ears.

Sounds of passion.

As usual Shinobu has been right too. The chief of Yokohoma’s port was a really hungry man. Takashi managed to hear three distinct female voices. Whores, obviously.

He was red as a crab.

Yuri sighed.

"Well, I’m sorry for them, but we have to kill that man with no witness. I’ll help you."

"Yuri-san, onegai, matte," Takashi looked at her pleadingly. "We shouldn’t kill those poor ladies. Please. Please."

"And what we can do, Takashi-sama?" Yuri blew her bangs with exasperation. "You’re so soft-hearted."

Two fluffy black ears appeared in top of Takashi’s head and he grinned, taking off his cherished big aquamarine gi. "Listen to me." he giggled.



"A-HA!! I’ve finally caught you, unfaithful son of BITCH!" Yuri, hair up, enveloped in an aquamarine loose kimono, put her hands in her hips and yelled, showing the terrorized foursome a tanto. "I’m gonna kill you!! I’M GONNA KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!! And to think I’ve almost MARRIED YOU!!" she wailed, waving her tanto in fury. When Yuri gave a scream of rage and jumped over them, the three girls ran for their lives grabbing their poor kimonos in the way and stumbled downstairs. As soon as they were gone, Takashi entered the room and eyed the still- half-drunk man, who tried to unsheath his sword cursing.

"Arigato, Yuri-san." he laughed quietly. "You have must been a Noh actress. Please, let me take care of this, you had made the biggest part of this assignment."

Yuri nodded and going outside of the room she took off the gi. Curious, she thought. It smells like azahar and Takashi...

SWWIZZZ-CLAAANG-THWACK.

"It’s done." Takashi emerged from the room, the light lining his bare-chested figure. He put on loosely his gi and followed Yuri out to the roof, stealing some papers in the way. When they were out, he smelled the gi.

Now, it smells like Yuri. Wisteria?



"Believe me, I’ve laughed my head off." Kiri clapped her hands sat by Ayumi, who listened at her as she bandaged Yuri’s bad-treated hands for the wooden roof. "That girls ran as they had seen the devil."

"Takashi-sama is so mischievous." smiled Yuri. "And too soft hearted."

"But you agreed easily, neeh?" Ayumi pointed to Yuri. "Don’t play the bad girl with me, you geisha!"

Yuri smiled and then flexed her fingers, checking the well-bandaged hands. " Where are Takashi-sama and Soushi-sama? Saitoh said he wanted our inform at breakfast."

"They are playing in the bath. The boy is going in mission to Kyushu at ten."



Takashi was soaking happily. He was sunk till the nose in the hot water, enjoying the big bathtube that was one of the luxuries Saitoh most loved. Being remarkably tinnier, he managed to even sink completely, and to come out with his long hair floating like a black nenuphar around him. He was singing a cheesy romantic song, as the smell of the herbal essence he usually uses in his hair surrounded him. Nothing like a good bath, a good hair-massage and a breakfast after a mission ended successfully, he thought.

"Are you died in here?" wailed Soushi, taking off the soap from his naked body with a bucket of warm water, his long hair glued to his shoulders. "I want warm bath too!!"

"That’s plenty of space." Takashi sat, making room for the impatient Tenken, who jumped inside and splashed wildly laughing. "Soushi! Yamero! Geez, my shoulder hurt."

"So you where climbing roof with the Ninja Pair last night?" Soushi elbowed him. "You pig..."

Takashi stirred and told him of the trick Yuri and him had made. When he ended, Soushi was laughing and pulling his hair.

"Saitoh-sama is going to bang you for that, but how I wish to have seen Yuri in mad-bride mode!! Hahahahah!"

"Hey, Soushi, I’ve heard you laugh and I thought..." Yuu stopped in mid sentence when he entered to the bathhouse in a rush. "Oh, gomen, I thought..."

"Come here come here!- ordered Soushi. "So you were in mission too last night, neeh? How was? Come here and tell me!"

"Hai, I’ll like to know how the Jounan incidents are going. Please, Yuu-san... and here is plenty of space if you want to share a bath with us."

"Well, no, erh… I think the bathtub is to little for..."

"In that case I can start my hairwash now..." A very naked Takashi half rose from the bathtub.

Soushi was snickering.

"DAME DAME DAME!--- I mean it’s Ok, I’ve just bathed," Yuu waved his hands frantically. "Stay there. I’ll tell you all you want to know in the breakfast, but I need... I need... I need to see Ayumi, I’ve got a life-threatening wound!" Yuu stumbled out the bathhouse, as Soushi laughed so hard he sunk in the water making bubbles.

Takashi looked dumbstruck.

"Did I say something?"

* SPLASH *

"Cold water war!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!"

"Soushi, stop that!"

"HAHAHAHA!!!! Suman, suman!! HAHAHAHAH!!! You’re so silly, kit!!!"

* blink blink *



Shinobu as just arrived at the house, and she can’t help but smile at all the noise that always seems to erupt from Saitoh’s home, at any hour. She gave to her tiny steps a little more spring, and rose her face to the caress of the early sunlight: she was eager to see Ayumi-chan and Tokio-sama, whom she hadn’t seen lately.

"Ohayou, Shinobu-san!" Ginny patted the wooden porch next to her. "Place reserved for you! Place reserved for you!"

"Good morning, Seta-san. I’m very glad to see you doing fine." Shinobu arranged her kimonos around herself and sat peacefully next to the joyful Ginny, who looked rather happy. "How are our partners?"

Ginny counted with her fingers.

"Mike is revising the papers Kiri brought last night. They’re eating inside with Soushi and Yuri, because they were in mission last night. Yuu-kun is with Ayumi because he peeled his hands, and Mariko-sama is helping her. Aa, and Takashi is being petted and getting a hairbrush from Tokio-san." she giggled. "Think I’ve not forgot anyone!"

"I see." Shinobu smiled pleasently. "I’ll like to talk with Mike-san if I’m not interrupting nothing important. I’m pretty sure I have some interesting information for them."

"Me too." came a groan from the garden’s door. They both saw Kazuo, his white jacket dirty and his arm bandages stained with blood, enter the garden with a truly scowl in his face. "Where’s Midori and Tenrou? I have to talk with them."

"Seems someone gave you a good fight!" smiled Ginny, bouncing up and down happily. "Who ? Where ? When ? Why?"

"Stop jumping, you hyper psycho..." Kazuo grinned. "Well, where’s the lucky wolfie?"

"He isn’t here." Ginny pouted, disappointed. "But Mike and Mariko are inside. And Ayumi too, and for the looks of it, you need her more than them!"

Kazuo pulled her braid when he entered the house. "You unrespectful child..." he shrugged.



"Ayyy!"

"One more stitch and we’re done!"

"AAAYY!"

"Stop complaining, Yuu! Be brave!!"

"AAAYYY!!"

"Done!" Ayumi placed her needle in her bag again. "We’re done. And for to be a man, you wail to much." she smiled. Yuu stuck his tongue, and licked his hand.

"Let that be! Don’t lick it, that you’re not a bloody cat!!"

Mariko and Yuu stared at her.

"Rrrr-niaoh!!" the both said at unison. Ayumi laughed, but she interrupted herself when Kazuo entered, sat at her side and silently extends to her his arm.

"Wha… Oii baka, you hadn’t cleaned this cut! Is going to infect, surely!!" she disenveloped the bandages, and cursed. A lot of red points and scratches in the muscled arm showed he had been the target of shurikens or kunais, surely he had protected himself with an arm.

"What were you in last night?" Mariko looked at him with suddenly alarmed eyes. Kiri stared to the cuts, and then looked at him with eyes too bright.

Kazuo cursed, and said in the same second Takashi and Soushi entered to the room drying their hair:

"Brawling with the Oni."

"NANI KA?!"

Kazuo’s looked at him. Takashi was sat with wide eyes, but a frown of quick thinking.

"What part of the words “slave trader” you didn’t understand?" he said with an amused tone. In fact, he was enjoying this a lot less what he had expected. Hang Aoshi from a tree is fun, but not breaking the kit and the kitty widow heart in the process.

"It has to be an error." Mariko had rose, her hands fisted.

"But it makes sense." Yuu smiled from ear to ear. "They need income! That Aoiya has the worst food I’ve ever eaten!"

Mariko looked at him.

"It HAS to be an error. Am I being clear???"

Yuu disappeared behind Kazuo.

"But sounds just like the Onis! I mean, to buy slaves to send them abroad sound like the ice-cube boy to me!! Gee, he is such a pervert, he even corrupted the kit!!" Soushi laughed. "Haha, I knew I shouldn’t said that, but I’m mean!!"

"Shut up." Mariko’s voice was frozen. And I mean that ice with a lot of sharp edges.

"Mike..." whispered Takashi.

"Just a moment. I'm reading." Mike put apart the documents Kiri and Takashi had brought last night.

"I have to say, it’s no surprise to me. The Oniwabanshuu have been always the shame of the ninja-do. They must had sold, finally, and I’m not strange with that piteous and no-morals Okashira they have..."

"You’re talking about my brother, Kiri-san." said Takashi in his softer voice. Mike lifted a hand, and everyone looked at him.

"Please, calm down. As Kazuo said, we knew was a strange flood of Japan slaves to abroad from some months ago. Were no ties from it to the government, but Saitoh-san suspected that’s a hidden connection. Kazuo followed the thing from the docks up, and Yuri, Kiri and me from the politicians down. Shinobu as been listening to the street chatter, and we have the following facts: Last night, Kazuo discovered a unregistered ship where the slaves were been shoved in. And he was attacked with unmistakable Oniwabanshuu style. I trust in his appreciation completely."

Kazuo nodded. "Sorry, kit, Mari. I’m positive about this, and as much as I’ll love to see your friend in the sea bottom, I’ve never lie about something like this."

Takashi nodded to him, sadly.

"The documents you bring last night shows clearly how strong amounts of money had been sent from the government to an intermediary to buy the slaves and sell them to the foreign slave traders. The name of the intermediary doesn’t appear, but is signaled like a group, not like a person." Mike sighed. "And finally... Shinobu-san, can you explain to everybody what did you discovered?"

Shinobu was carefully sat next to Ayumi, her kimonos sprawling like petals around her. She shyly covered her hands with her long sleeves, and she tilted her head, shadowing a bit her exquisite face.

"I’ve heard that some slaves has been bought last night and sent to the Aoiya for a certain man who seems to resemble Shinomori-san."

"Oh, please." growled Mariko. "Who can believe it!? Aoshi will not taint his hands with all this no sense!"

"I’m just answering Mimeino-san question." was the placid answer.

"So desu, dear." Mariko eyed her. "But we need more than rumors to accuse anyone!!"

"We’re not accusing, still." Ayumi groaned. "But even you both has to agree that are circumstances!"

"I’m agreeing with you there, Ayumi-san, but I think..." Takashi started with his face troubled.

"Oh, c’on! Don’t be cynical! Everyone here know you’re more Oni that Kage, at least in what relates to that cursed man! He is just a slave trader, and I’m surprised if he is not something worst!" exploded Kiri, her temper finally dominating her. Ayumi pulled her sleeve, but Takashi’s answer was quick and cold:

"And I think you’re being far more Kuroyaki than Kage, Kuroyaki-san."

Kiri grabbed Ayumi’s tanto and send it directly to Takashi.

"Watashi no kuni dewa souiumane wa shima sen. (That is not proper behavior where I come from.)." Yuri said calmly, having caught the blade in mid air.

"Kiri, get a hold in yourself!" ordered Mike. "I know all this is very stressful for you all, but we will NOT take this personally!"

"I suggest to keep the place under vigilance." Yuu added. "I volunteer, but I think that maybe..." Yuu scratched his head. "Weeell, maybe… ‘ttaku..."

"To keep you three out of this.- Kazuo said calmly, looking to the still boiling Kuroyaki, the cold kitty widow and the frowning kitsune.

"No way in hell I’m out of this if I can get a piece of Shinomori."

Mike groaned. "Mari, Takashi"

"If she is not out, neither do I." Mariko eyed the girl.

Mike sighed.

"Takashi."

"I’m going to talk to him. If it’s something wrong, I will know, Mike." the kitsune added with a whisper. "I will tell you all I get to know."

"Awww, and you’re going to cover him then, neeh? Is not too stupid, to let him know he’s being cornered?" growled Kiri.

"I’ll not tell him about our suspicions. I promise."

"I agree." Ayumi stirred next to Shinobu. "If he is guilty, is no good to let him know we’re on his mark. And if he is innocent, why to bother?"

"I’ll go too." Mariko said defiantly.

"But, Mariko-chan..." Kazuo pulled her sleeve, but he earned a cold stare.

"You didn’t understand or I have to draw you a pic?"