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Tales of a Geisha

Chapter 4: The Phoenix

By Kchan Ferrier

March 19, 1868

The night sky was clear and crisp with a full moon lighting the area in front of the teahouse. Yuriko smiled softly to herself as she glanced down at the small piece of paper in her hand and read the neatly written words over again.

Yuri-chan he:
Please meet me outside the teahouse tonight, right after sundown. I would like to talk with you about a few things.
Kiroi yo

Her smile grew slightly as she refolded the note and slipped it into her obi. Saitou had introduced her to Nakasou Kiroi the first night the Shinsen gumi had met at the teahouse. The two immediately found an interest in each other and grew very close, very fast. Now, they were together at least once every two days and oftentimes more than that.

Yuriko sighed. The truth was, she had fallen in love with the young samurai. She blushed slightly as the memory of their night together surfaced in her mind. He was so gentle and caring yet could always make her laugh...

“Konbonwa, Yuri-chan,” Kiroi called softly as he walked towards her.

“Konbonwa, Kiroi-san,” she answered, wrapping her arms around his neck and smiling innocently. But, her smile quickly faded. He wasn’t smiling. He didn’t put his arms around her waist like he normally did. Something was wrong. Slowly, she removed her arms from around his neck and stepped back. “Daijobu desu ka?”

“Hai,” he replied quietly, then took a deep breath. “I won’t be spending any more time with you. Except at the meetings, of course.”

Yuriko’s heart jumped into her throat and her eyes grew large in surprise and horror. “Demo... Naze? Did I do something?”

“Of course not,” he answered in that same quiet manner. It was odd hearing his voice like this. It seemed almost strained, not like it’s usual joviality. “Yuri-chan, I’m sorry but... You have to understand. You above all people should know that a geisha never marries and, well, I want to marry so...” he took another deep breath before speaking the words she was praying he would not say. “Yuriko, I found a woman who will be good for me. She will make a wonderful wife but she is also rather... jealous. I’m sorry but I can’t see you any more. I hope you understand.”

Tears were threatening to rain down from Yuriko’s eyes but she quickly supressed them and smiled warmly at Kiroi. Using her normal, cheerful voice, she lied, “Of course. It’s perfectly understandable. I wish you and your fiancé luck.”

“Arigato,” he replied with a relieved smile, “and may you have luck as well. Sayonara.”

“Domo arigato gozaimasu. Sayonara,” she replied with a graceful bow before slipping back into the teahouse.

That night, Yuriko sobbed uncontrollably as she tried to fall asleep. He might hurt you. In fact, he probably will. Aoi-sama, one of Saitou's men and, now, a friend of hers, had told her that when she and Kiroi had first started seeing each other. If only she had listened to him... As sleep started to take her from her heartache, a geisha song began playing over and over again in her head:

How cruel the floating world
Its solaces how few—
And soon my unmourned life
Will vanish with the dew.
— Ihara Saikaku

March 30, 1868

The cool of the night was just beginning to set in as Yuriko intently watched the small house from her hiding place in the backyard garden. Yet another man was headed towards the front door. She observed him carefully until the house obstructed her view.

Yes, this is definately the place, she thought to herself as she watched the shadow of the front door open and then slide shut. An evil smile slid onto her lips. He was a hitokiri, unless my memory fails me. Well, let’s see what these Ishin sissies are planning. Blending into the shadows, Yuriko dashed to the tree nearest the house and hoisted herself up. Perching carefully on the widest, lowest branch she leaned towards the house, perking her ears.

A slight movement caught her eye. She searched the area from which the movement came and eventually her eyes landed on a young man dressed in black and maroon with his dark hair in a short ponytail atop his head. A smirk slid onto Yuriko’s dainty face. Another spy, hmm? Well then, we must be on the same side... Biting her lower lip and trying to keep from snickering, she plucked an acorn off of a near by branch. Taking careful aim, she let the seed fly.

The acorn struck him squarely in the head and the man whipped his gaze up to stare wide-eyed at her. She smiled and waved in response. With a slightly confused expression on his face, he smirked and waved back. Maybe I’ll talk to him later, she thought to herself, but her attention shifted away from these thoughts as the men inside the house finished greeting each other.

“What do you have to report, Yujin-san,” one man asked.

“I have seen the members of the third division of the Shinsen gumi entering Nari-san’s teahouse on a rather consistent basis. They usually enter in groups of two or three but within an hour’s time I have seen the entire division, including Saitou Hajime, enter. I believe that they are using this location to hold meetings,” Yujin answered. A slight murmur passed through the group inside the small house. Yuriko leaned closer, nearly falling out of the tree in her attempt to hear the conversation.

Finally, one of the men spoke up, “I propose that we wait for confirmation of their meeting there before we attack. The geisha have received too much damage from this war already. I don’t wish to further injure that art. Besides, most geisha are trying to stay out of the war as much as possible.”

Yuriko pursed her lips in agitation, They think we’ll just sit back as our world turns upside down? The geisha house thrives on the samurai. If these idiots win, they’ll dispose of all the old ways and with those ways will go the geisha. If not immediately, eventually. Baka.

Sitting back on her haunches, Yuriko waited for the conversation to continue... until a flash over near the other spy caught her attention. Her eyes whipped over as she saw a man silently approaching her “comrade” from behind, sword drawn and ready to kill. Without a thought, she drew her blowgun from one of her numerous hidden pockets and sent a preloaded poisoned dart flying at the man.

He gasped as it landed in his neck, then quickly plucked it out. The spy spun to face his would be attacker as the poisoned man’s attention turned to Yuriko, his eyes full of hatred. Taking advantage of the samurai’s distraction, Yuriko’s counter made a single swing of his nodachi and the poisoned man’s head dropped to the ground. Yuriko leapt off the branch and landed on the grass below. The other spy held his nodachi effortlessly in his hands and Yuriko gracefully drew her ninjato.

“Kusou,” the spy whispered, “If he knows, the others know. We have to get out of here. Now.”

“Too late,” she muttered under her breath. She looked over her shoulder as more men rounded the corner then shifted her attention to the other spy. He seemed to be analyzing the situation as well. Glancing at her, he mouthed “Two against nine. Bad odds.” She nodded in return, butterflies beginning to dance in her stomach. Slowly, she began inching towards the other spy.

The Ishins gaped at the headless man and one of the nine stepped forward.

“You,” he said, pointing his sword at the two spies, “You killed him, ne? Humph. You just signed your own death warrants.” With that, he leapt forward.

Blade met blade in a resounding crash as Yuriko brought her sword up to block his strike. The clang of metal rang in her ears as her erstwhile ally blocked a blow to her back. The man Yuriko was fighting jerked back to prepare another attack. As she stood motionless, awaiting the next blow, her mind raced, trying to come up with a plan. They’re forming a circle, closing in on us. If I move forward, our backs will be exposed... but if I stay here, we’ll be trapped... though if we’re trapped, then maybe...

Her adversary leapt forward again. His blade faked downwards before slashing to her right. Their blades met again, and as he pressed his weapon against hers, trying to force it away, she leaned back against her "partner" for support, and kicked her adversary in the crotch. He stumbled back, gasping for breath and holding himself.

Continuing to lean against the other spy, Yuriko whispered, “When I give the signal, run.”

"What signal?" he whispered back, his blade swinging in wide arcs to defend against the onslaught of attacks - and drawing a cry of pain from one of the men who ventured too close, "Run where?"

“Trust me, you’ll know,” she answered, her blade meeting with yet another man’s, “and when I yell, hold your breath. You don’t want to breathe in any of my distraction. Wakarimasu ka?”

He nodded in response, “Hai.”

She kicked towards her new opponent with her right leg as their blades braced against each other. However, he was expecting this and caught her leg with one of his hands. She couldn’t help but smile, Exactly what I wanted. With the lessened pressure on her blade, she forced his off to the side and then brought her own back up across his chest in one fast, fluid motion. He immediately released her and fell back into one of his comrades.

“Nakasou-san!” one of the men yelled, catching her victim.

Her hand darted to one of her pockets, producing two tiny bombs as she lifted a scarf over her mouth and nose. Pulling her arm back, she let them fly to her left, away from the house.

“NOW!” She screamed, grabbing hold of her partner’s shirt, and half dragging him behind her as she ran after the bombs that had exploded in a cloud of dust. She held her breath, praying that her friend remembered to do the same. The air was filled with pepper and the caustic fumes burnt their eyes as they dashed through. Finally, they were out of the cloud and he was running beside her. They continued their flight, Yuriko in the lead, winding and weaving in and out of streets and alleys until they reached the relative safety of the woods.

Yuriko slumped to the ground against a tree, breathing hard, as the man, also panting for breath, stared in the direction they had just come from.

“Apparently, we lost them,” he finally managed as he sat down by her.

“I hope so,” she muttered tending to a scratch on her wrist. Sometime during the fighting, she’d received a small cut, though she wasn’t sure of when or how. With a sigh, she looked back at the man, then gasped, “You’re injured!”

He looked down at his left arm and nodded, “I’ve had worse.”

Pursing her lips in agitation, Yuriko untied the scarf from around her neck, “Of course you have, but the bleeding still has to be stopped. Let me see your arm, kudasai.” The young man nodded and held it out as she gently wrapped the cloth around his wound, carefully tightening it before tying it off. “There,” she said with a satisfied nod, “That should hold you until you can properly clean and bandage it,” she paused briefly and asked, “ …Ano… Sumimasen, Demo, onamae wa?”

Gingerly touching the cloth on his arm, her companion looked up at her and smiled slightly, “Mimeino Mikeru. Onamae wa?”

“Kanamo Yuriko desu,” she answered with a formal bow, her geisha side taking over, “Hajime mashite, dozou yuroshiku.”

He nodded in reply, “Hajime mashite, dozou yuroshiku onegaishimasu.”

“Gomenasai,” Yuriko said as she stood, finally sheathing her sword, “I must be leaving now. I have a report to make, but I’m sure we will meet again sometime.”

“Hai,” Mikeru answered standing as well, “to arigato.”

She blushed and bowed deeply, “I did nothing. My sensei taught me all I know.”

Mikeru couldn’t help but chuckle, “If I couldn’t see that you are obviously a ninja, I’d guess you to be a geisha. Well, arigato anyway, Yuriko-san. Ja.”

“Sayonara,” she answered as she slipped off into the woods.

March 31, 1868

The streets of Kyoto were bustling with their normal activity as Yuriko flowed through the crowds. On the outside, the geisha was as perfectly calm and beautiful as always. However, inside her head was a storm as her thoughts came in agitated growls, Why must you be so hard to find, Saitou-sama!

With all the grace her training had taught her, Yuriko stepped into the small shop that Saitou bought his cigarettes from. As she had expected, he was not there. She had already checked the places she could normally find him, but to no avail. With a heavy sigh, she headed back to the teahouse.

Mikeru walked silently with a few other members of the Kagetai through the streets of Kyoto. The people seemed so... normal that day. One would never guess that there was a war going on. He sighed and shook his head.

“It’s getting late,” Mariko said quietly, “We’d best hurry.”

Manji, Hiro, and Mikeru nodded in agreement. Saitou had ordered the four of them to be at the teahouse before dusk. They were to keep an eye out for Ishin spies and kill any that they found. Slowly, Mikeru became immersed in his thoughts once more. If what he had over heard the previous night was true, there would be much blood shed this evening. But, what if—

He was startled from his thoughts as a young geisha bumped into him.

“Sumimasen,” she said quietly, bowing in embarrassment.

“Don’t worry about it,” Manji answered for him, grinning widely at the flower, “Daijobu ka?”

“Hai, domo arigato gozaimasu,” she answered with another bow, then smiled slightly at Mikeru, “Gomenasai, I must be leaving now but I’m sure we will meet again sometime.”

A smirk slid onto Mikeru’s lips as he recognized the girl, “Hai, matta ne.”

“Matta ne,” she answered before hurrying ahead of them and disappearing in the masses of people.

Manji raised an eyebrow at Mikeru, “You know her?”

Mikeru simply smiled, “We’d best hurry, ne?”

Yuriko was barely restraining herself from pushing through the crowds. She hadn’t expected to see Mikeru so soon, but fate had a way of throwing people together. She just wished that he hadn’t been with company. She could have used his help, but knowing nothing about the people he was with, she dared not ask. With a sigh, she turned onto the street the teahouse was on.

Relief filled her as she saw the tall man leaning against the side wall of her home. “About time,” She mummered as she rushed to him, then cursed. The sun was setting and she knew the rest of his division would already be gathered inside.

“Where have you been,” Saitou asked coldly when she finally was in hearing distance.

“Looking for you,” she replied, her voice just as icy as his. He cocked an eyebrow at her tone before she continued, “We have a serious problem, Saitou-sama, but first I have to admit something. I lied to you when we first met. I knew that Makachito Satoshi was a ninja from the day that I met him and in truth, he was more than a friend to me. He was my sensei. I have been spying in order to get information for you.”

Saitou nodded, “Of course. The information you have gathered was far too detailed – and secret – for you to have simply overheard it, so I knew you were doing some sort of spy work.” Yuriko blinked in surprise before he continued, “Now what’s so urgent. If you’re worried about the Ishin spies, I already have some of my people stationed.”

Quickly, she recovered from the shock. She could contemplate that subject later. “There will be no spies here tonight,” she answered quietly, “As you know, Nakasou Kiroi-san is very close to his brother, Hipezu. In fact, they’re so close that I have seen the two walking here together before the meetings. Normally, I’d think nothing of this but last night, when I was spying on the group of Ishins, I saw Hipezu there. I didn’t make the connection of who he was until late this afternoon. Saitou-sama, he is working with them and he knows of your division’s meetings here. There is no need for them to send spies; they will be sending warriors.”

Saitou’s brow furrowed in thought before he stood strait from his position against the wall. He flashed his hand in a quick movement –it looked to be a code, perhaps - then turned his attention to Yuriko, “When this battle is over, I need to speak with you, Yuriko.”

“Hai,” she answered as a woman stepped out of the alley. Yuriko’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. This woman was one of the people she had seen with Mikeru earlier.

“Assemble the others, Mariko. The Ishin are going to attack” he ordered the woman before turned his attentions back to the geisha as Mariko dashed off, “Let’s get inside.”

Yuriko nodded and turned from the alley to head to the front entrance, then froze. Holding out her hand for him to stop, she crouched, allowing him to lean over her and observe the goings on at the teahouse entrance.

“Gomen nasai,” Nari was saying with an apologetic smile, “but the house is already full. If you would like to come back tomorrow night...”

The man she was addressing snorted in return and glanced back at the other men behind him - nearly thirty in all - before returning his attention to the older geisha, “Sumimasen, Nari-san, demo we have been informed that your house is no longer staying neutral on the current political issues.”

The man continued to babble on about the houses neutrality, or lack thereof, but Yuriko’s attention turned to one of his men. The man was leaning against the wall of the house but kept shifting so that he was gradually getting closer and closer to the window.

Yuriko felt her jaw tighten, “Saitou-sama, the man on the wall...” she whispered.

“I know. We’ll wait a few moments longer. Perhaps Nari can get them to leave,” Saitou answered but Yuriko heard the doubt in his words. If that man overheard the men inside, there was no doubt that a battle would ensue.

Hikegami Aoi sat silently in the tea room with the other's from Saitou's division of Shinsen gumi. His ice blue eyes seemed colder than normal as he stared at Nakasou Kiroi. As he had expected, Kiroi had broken the heart of that lovely young geisha, Yuriko.

He silently sighed as he glanced around the room. Yuriko still had not come in. His brow furrowed. Odd... None of the geisha are in here. Concern welled inside him as he stood to try to find at least one of the girls who normally served them during their meetings. Outside of the tearoom, the house was dark and eerily quiet. However, as he walked towards the front entrance, the quiet dwindled and the sounds of a heated argument filled his ears.

"This is bull shit, woman!" Aoi heard a man's voice growl. Wasting no time, he head towards the front.

Mikeru could feel his back turning into a mass of tension as he watched one of the Ishins inch closer and closer to the window. There was nothing that he, or any of the other Kagetai members there, could do to distract him that wouldn’t draw a fight. Besides that, he would never be able to get over there in time to stop him from overhearing what was being said inside of the teahouse.

With growing concern, Mikeru slowly unwrapped his nodachi as he eyed his surroundings. Manji was leaning against the wall of a restaurant to the left and nodded slightly as they made eye contact. Saitou was watching the events at the teahouse entrance from the shadows of the alley directly across from Manji. Hiro and Mariko had gone to the back side of the building so there was no way to see their locations. With a sigh, he turned back to the teahouse. Damn, he wished he could do something about that Ishin by the window.

Suddenly, an idea popped into Mikeru’s head and he stood, having finally found a way to distract the man without causing a fight. However, a movement in the side alley across from him caught his eye. From the shadows, Yuriko, still in her geisha attire, emerged. The geisha-ninja smiled and winked at him before rounding the corner and approaching the man who was now dangerously close to the window.

Mikeru watched with amusement as the girl batted her eyelashes and smiled at her quarry, quickly drawing the other samurai in. When it was quite obvious that he was no longer a threat, Mikeru turned his attentions back to the leader of the Ishin group and the owner of the teahouse. Sliding his hand down the hilt of his nodachi and gripping it firmly in preparation to fight, Mikeru listened to the heated conversation between the two.

“This is bull shit, woman!” the leader of the Ishin group was saying, “Let me just see how full this teahouse really is.” The man stepped forward, pushing by the elderly geisha.

Mikeru’s eyes darted to Yuriko as the ninja turned geisha’s –or was it geisha turned ninja? –eyes narrowed in icy anger. The man, to whom she had been speaking, gave her a confused glance before following her gaze to his leader, who was now entering the teahouse.

Yuriko’s eyes met with Mike’s again, her face a portrait of worry, as she slipped around the corner of the house and into the shadows of the alley. The man by the window turned back to speak to her only to be met with a blank wall. He blinked in surprise before one of his comrades snatched him by the back of his shirt, dragging him with the rest of the group towards the entrance of the teahouse.

Shouts erupted from inside as the opposing sides met. The shadows from the rice paper window depicted the beginning of the battle. Mikeru cursed silently as Saitou darted to the door, motioning for the two hidden Kagetai to follow. Gripping his nodachi firmly in his hands, Mikeru slipped from the shadows of his hiding place, meeting Manji halfway to the house.

The two men strode quickly towards the teahouse, their swords gleaming in the light of the setting sun. However, before they could reach the entrance, the battle erupted out through the door and windows. Mikeru glanced at Manji as the man smiled and leaped into the fray, quickly laying into the Ishins.

Mikeru snorted slightly at his comrade’s actions before he began to swing his blade in the rhythmic pattern of defense as an Ishin charged him. God, whatever happened to “Let’s check it out fist”? he thought dryly as an Ishin’s arm fell under his sword. The arm cut off cleanly just below the man’s elbow and he dropped to ground, screaming in pain. Mikeru quickly finished him and turned his attention to the rest of the battle.

The battle became heated quickly. Bodies fell near him every now and then, some from his blade, some from another’s; some from their side, some from his. Every once in a while, Mikeru caught a glimpse of Yuriko wielding her ninjato against an Ishin; a Shinsen cutting down an Ishin; Manji smirking at a man who was soon to be dead; Hiro, his cold eyes reflecting the blood around them. The problem was: most of the Shinsengumi and the few Kages who were there seemed to be in worse condition every time he caught a glimpse of them. This was not good. They were losing.

Mikeru cursed once again as he blocked a slash to his stomach. Using all the force he could muster, he pushed off against the other man’s sword. The Ishin’s katana spun off to the side and Mike’s nodachi slashed down through his shoulder and into his chest. Pulling his long, heavy blade free from the man’s corpse, he raised his eyes only to see Yuriko’s back as an Ishin locked blades with her. The man was pressing harder and harder on her sword and she was starting to lean back under the pressure.

Before he could make a move, a blade slid cleanly through the Ishin. Yuriko side stepped and the corpse fell in front of Mike. Manji smiled at them from behind where the Ishin had previously stood before he returned to the battle. Yuriko looked to Mikeru who shrugged in response. Then, they were back in the battle, swords striking the enemy at any chance they got. After a moment, the two found themselves back to back. Here we go again... Mikeru thought as his nodachi swung at the Ishins.

Aoi leapt into the air above a group of Ishins, his sword swing in eight perfect arcs, making a full circle of slashes and blood. Full moon, one of his trademark moves, claimed six Ishins' lives and five Ishins' ability to move. He landed, panting heavily, and admired his work for a brief second -though he was angered that he did not kill them all- before his eyes met with the site that lay beyond his masterpiece.

Yuriko was standing with her back pressed against Mikeru's, a ninjato held gracefully in her delicate hands, blood covering her. Suddenly, she dashed forward, slashing her blade across one man's chest and slamming her foot into another's. Aoi's eyes widened in shock. He had always seen the girl sweetly serving tea and sake or laughing at one of the men's jokes. She had always been so dainty, so wonderful and now she was killing along side the men she had waited on.

Quickly he shook the thoughts out of his head. This was not the time to be thinking of such things, he scolded himself silently. There was a battle raging around him and he was staring at a woman fighting.

He turned back to the battle, recovered somewhat form the fatigue he had incurred with his last attack. Manji and Hiro were taking out swarms of the enemy along side the rest of the Kagetai. Good he thought to himself with everyone else here, the battle should be over soon. A sudden warmth caressed his back and he turned to see the teahouse now engulfed in flames.

"NO!!!!" Yuriko's screaming voice reverberated in his skull as she ran past him into the flames.

With an audible curse, he sped after her. Inside, the heat was nearly unbearable but he pushed himself on. He had to find her and get that crazy woman out of there before she was burned alive. Screams filled his ears as he neared the geisha's quarters. Some were already laying on the floor, dead from the smoke. Ahead, he heard people coughing and crying loudly, and above it all, Yuriko's voice trying to coax her fellow geishas to move. Pulling the cloth of his gi over his mouth and nose, and staying as low to the ground as possible, Aoi quickly made his way towards the women.

"Yuriko-san!" He called as he neared them, "Haiyaku! We must get out of here!"

"Hai!" she answered as she placed one of the geisha's arms over her shoulder to help her out. Quickly, Aoi grabbed up the other two and held each under one arm as the five ran to the front.

As they neared the entrance, one of the beams crashed down in front of them, blocking their path. "THIS WAY!!!!" Yuriko screamed as she turned and dashed down the hall, nearly dragging the other geisha alongside her.

Aoi turned on his heel and followed. Moments later, they crashed out of the house into the back alley and continued running until they made they're way to the street. There, they carefully helped the three geisha to sit. The battle had ended and the members of the Kagetai were trying to help the Shinsen gumi and the other people there put the fire out before it spread to the other buildings.

Finally, the fire died and the warriors began tending to the injured. The Ishins were no where to be seen, except for the dead and severely injured.

Turning his head to where he could see Yuriko’s face, Aoi softly whiped a tear from her cheek, "Daijobu desu ka?"

She nodded as she stared at the burned house. Only four of the geishas had survived. This must be so hard on her, Aoi thought as he turned to survey the damage. Then, he turned back to her but... she was gone. Quickly, he scanned the area and saw the geisha-ninja walking gingerly towards Kiroi who lay now on the ground in a pool of blood. With a silent sigh, Aoi turned to find Saitou and speak with him.

Yuriko knelt silently beside Kiroi. His wounds appeared to be mortal, his breathing was ragged and his skin was paler than normal, most likely from blood loss. Yuriko cursed silently, her eyes filling with tears as screamed inside her head, Don’t die! Don’t you dare die on me!

Pulling her tanto from what was left of her obi, Yuriko used the blade to half cut, half rip her kimono off to mid thigh. After setting the piece of cloth carefully aside, she gently peeled his blood soaked shirt away from the wounds on his chest.

“Yu-yuri-chan?” Kiroi asked in a ragged voice. His eyes opened to slightly and seemed to focus on her. A weak smile crossed his lips, “I left her. I ... I couldn’t stop thinking about you so… I left her... for you.”

Yuriko stared at him in shock. It was all she could do to keep from sobbing as she gently placed her fingers over his lips, “Shhh... Save your energy,” a sad smile slid across her blood stained face, “You can’t die on me after telling me something like that.”

He smiled sadly in return. With the utmost care, she lifted the other side of his shirt, the blood that had saturated it dripping onto his chest. His hand gently wrapped around her tiny wrist.

“Sumimasen, Yuri-chan. Yamate,” he said quietly, his nearly closed eyes staring into her wide, tear filled ones.

“Nani!? Demo—“ her voice failed as he coughed, sending a trail of blood down his cheek. “Kiroi-san…”

“Yuri-chan... I fear I must leave,” he answered, his hand still limply holding her wrist.

“Eh? Iie! Doko ni?!” Yuriko exclaimed, gripping his hand tightly in hers.

With a heavy sigh that caused him to cough slightly, Kiroi looked up into the star-filled sky, “Dearest... Boku wa... I’m going to die. Sumimasen, demo, please leave. Haiyaku,” as he spoke, she could hear his voice weaken with each word he enunciated.

Yuriko could feel the tears pouring down her cheeks, mixing with her own blood and the blood of those she’d killed. “Demo... Naze? I... I can’t just leave you like this,” she replied, freeing her hands from his and beginning to bandage his wounds with the cut off piece of cloth from her kimono.

“Yamate, my love,” his voice had been reduced to a pain filled whisper as he took both of her hands in his, “onegaishimasu. My wounds... they’re too deep. I won’t make it. ...Please, just leave... I don’t want you to... to see me die.”

Yuriko gripped his hands firmly in hers as tears poured down her face like a flood. Sobs threatened to wrack her body but she held them at bay as she spoke, “Iie. As long as you still breathe, I will not leave your side. ... Kiroi-san,” her voice faltered for a moment before she pushed herself on, “Why... why do you keep calling me ‘my love’?”

A sweet sad smile slid onto Kiroi’s face, “I... never told... you did I... Ai shiteru. ... Yuri-chan, “he whispered with a weak version of his devilish grin, “You... aren’t... smiling...” The words fled out of his mouth upon his final breath.

Yuriko’s sobs broke free, making her thin frame shake as she threw herself across him, wrapping her arms around his limp body. “Kiroi,” she whispered desperately, “Don’t leave me. Ai shiteru, Kiroi, ai shiteru. Don’t leave me...”

After what seemed an eternity, she slowly raised up and stared at him. He had died with a slight smile on his on his face. He had died smiling at her… Yuriko gently caressed his cheeks with her blood stained hands, then took his hand in hers. Trembling, she raised his hand to her lips and tenderly kissed it.

“Sayonara, my love,” Yuriko whispered as his limp hand fell from her grip. She then stood, silent as always, and stared at him a moment longer before disappearing into the nearby forest.

"I have decided that her talents will be a useful asset to the Kagetai, Aoi. Don't try to argue with me," Saitou answered Aoi's question with a deadly look in his eye before turning and leaving the young samurai standing alone.

With agitation welling inside of him, Aoi turned to look for Yuriko. The girl was soon to be the newest member of the Kagetai but he wished that she would simply leave her sword and remain a sweet geisha... or perhaps find another way of life.

His eyes scanned the street filled with wounded and dead men. Most of the Kagetai had already left before questions could be asked of them and, thus, only a hand full of people who were standing on their own remained. Finally, his eyes landed on Kiroi who was growing pale with death. Yuriko was no where around. Cursing, he headed down the road in an attempt to find her.