When I got back at dinner time, the weasel was nowhere to be found. I figured maybe she went around town to kill the time? No. She’s probably snooping around just like her training had conditioned her to do.
Stopping by the shop downstairs, I balance the tray of Tororo soba and I went ahead and ordered extra takoyaki as the obaa-san said the weasel loved them. I’m not a fan of Tororo soba due to the sticky texture of it but they said it will boost energy when one feels run down. Thankfully tororo is a cold noodle dish and I won’t have to ask the obaa-san to heat it back up for the weasel.
I open the window to the small room and pull out the futon and realize it’s big enough for two but I’m not about to share a bed with an innocent girl like that. Instead I go ahead and have my dinner and sit by the window. Maybe I can go out tonight, see what the Kobashigawa estate is like? I should survey the area and how heavily it’s guarded if at all. Will I find another private army there? Or another group of disgruntled samurai acting as bodyguards? How many?
I don’t finish the soba, I didn’t like the texture after all. I wait for the weasel to return. I’ll go out tonight and then the weasel can rest without having to worry about things that go bump in the night.
I come back with dinner for us but when I come back the room smells like… takoyaki. That old woman!
I put it down but I’m excited about what I’ve managed to find out. “I brought kitsune udon.” I sniff the room, and look at the barely-touched food. “Didn’t like the cooking downstairs?” From the bag I bring out two cups of fragrant liquid. “Have you tried coffee yet? They -just- opened a place for it in Kyoto but it’s everywhere here!” Probably because it’s an overseas food. I also have the fruit that I had to buy while trailing people – an apple, some pears.
“So, what did you find out while I was out investigating?” I sit down at the table.
“Didn’t like the cooking downstairs?”
I shrug. “I bought you takoyaki though. Your favorite.” I grin slightly.
“Have you tried coffee yet? They -just- opened a place for it in Kyoto but it’s everywhere here!”
“Hide usually makes me coffee.” I take a quick look but then notice, the fruit. “Pears… She likes those. Can you leave her some?”
“So, what did you find out while I was out investigating?”
I basically repeat what I told Chief Kanemoto, then I give her the note that Saya had sent via telegraph detailing the connection of it all from Kato and Kobashigawa – their jewelry factory, to their sponsorship of Miyagawa who has been keeping them in business by lobbying and how it’s all collaborated by the prostitutes working for Tanaka back then. (OOC: you can just assume saitou told everything from the other thread).
“Here’s the address of his mother in Suita. I intend to survey the place tonight to see what we’re dealing with.” And if I can find out where Hide is or even get her out, then I can come back to finish the rest like that Asato and the imposter who is maybe Kichisaburou.
“I don’t know what time Kato is going to his mother’s estate or if that’s even where he’s going.” I run my fingers through my hair, “But after eliminating most of the other locations he’s done business in, this is the only place I can think of where’d they’d hide Hide and her “companions”.”
“I don’t like it -at all- and that woman made me eat four of them yesterday,” I grumble. I pop one in my mouth. Yep, they’re worse cold, with the tentacle just sitting there, all cold and rubbery.
And then the coffee and pears remind him of… Hide-san. “I thought I remembered that about the fruit,” I say, quietly. I put the pear next to his plate. He can give it to her, when this is all over.
It sounds like he’s found some solid connections – and I’m excited that something is going to be done about the jewelry factory. But that name… “Miyahawa! He’s the one who told the police that the factory was the business of Customs!” How could these people be so -obvious- but still get away with it? Ugh, this Meiji bureaucracy … but it should be enough that we won’t just be rescuing Hide-san… but uncovering something much deeper.
But after eliminating most of the other locations he’s done business in, this is the only place I can think of where’d they’d hide Hide and her “companions”.
I lean forward on the table. “This is where I have information. I went to the market just to -listen-… firstly, Kato is not liked around here – he’s very aggressive in his business dealings. But most importantly – there’s an event at the Kobashigawa estate tomorrow. It’s big enough that there’s going to be caterers… and I got a job on the crew! Apparently it was moved up at the last minute -and- he pays terribly so they’re desperate for help.”
“I don’t like it -at all- and that woman made me eat four of them yesterday,”
“Ah sorry weasel.” I take a piece of the takoyaki and it’s not half bad. It’s much better than squid.
I watch as she puts it near my plate. I suppose one of us can give it to her later. Because she -will- come back and I don’t care who she comes back with.
“Miyahawa! He’s the one who told the police that the factory was the business of Customs!”
“He was, unfortunately he’s in Tokyo but the Kyoto police will conduct a raid tomorrow afternoon. I think Toshio-san had been sniffing it up but until we had solid evidence and without the backing of the Central Police he had his hands tied. Not anymore.”
She tells me about what she found out investigating and it’s very useful. And she does confirm it’s Kobashigawa estate. Things are aligning -finally-. I got a job on the crew! Apparently it was moved up at the last minute -and- he pays terribly so they’re desperate for help.
“That’s… excellent.” I think for a moment, “I still have to survey the area tonight… Then I’ll trail Kato myself, just to be sure he doesn’t have anything else up under his sleeves. And you… What time is the gathering? Do you think you can locate Hide first before I move in?”
I want Hide out of there. I can provide the necessary distraction to let them escape. Until Toshio-san is able to conduct his raid and get the evidence we need, we’re going to have to act without the assistance of the Osaka police.
He was, unfortunately he’s in Tokyo but the Kyoto police will conduct a raid tomorrow afternoon
“Are the Tokyo police aware of this? To keep tabs on him?” Does he have a Saya-san in the TMPD?
Do you think you can locate Hide first before I move in?
“I was told to meet at an address at three and we’d take a boat to the estate then. So I don’t know when it starts. Or when I’ll be able to sneak away. But what’s your plan? Go in and start mowing down guards? If he can afford to keep -guns- on his men in Kyoto, he should have them at his mother’s place. I think we know enough, now, about how those fights go.” I look down, and say, quietly, closing my eyes for a moment. “It doesn’t go well. You know I know.”
“I hate guns… we can only be smarter. Deliberate. Look at all of the angles.” He knows this, doesn’t he? But then I put down my coffee and -look- at him.
“You have that… gloomy look that Aoshi-sama gets. The ‘it doesn’t matter if I die’ look.” I can’t look at Saitou-san and not see him, sometimes – they’re -very- different men but they have some similar qualities. “Your curse is really doing a number on you, isn’t it?”
I remember … to the days years ago, the days that changed me from a carefree girl to Okashira. “We don’t know what she’s had to endure since she was taken. But there’s going to be -one- person she’ll need to see to feel safe again. And it’s not me.” I throw the pear at him. “Because if this -curse- is making you talk like this… don’t be an ahou. Curses aren’t worth dying for.”
“And…” it’s hard to look at him, and tell him this. “Her and I once, you know… had a connection – she called it being roommates. It’s been gone for a long time, since she choose you over the rest of us, and the wilderness. But… I heard her scream. Earlier. That’s all I… all I know.” I let out a long breath. I don’t understand all of that. That was her thing, those paths beyond the world in front of me.
I stand up, and with one strategic tug at my obi, my kimono falls off and I’m in my ninja garb that was underneath this entire time. “I’m going to go scout out the area. Two can scout better than one, but I need you present – after all, we could not only save your wife, but also bring down someone who needs to come to justice.”
“Are the Tokyo police aware of this? To keep tabs on him?”
“Not yet but the head of the department had made it his career to combat graft and corruption in the Meiji government.” Do I trust Kawaji? In that sense yes.
“I was told to meet at an address at three and we’d take a boat to the estate then. So I don’t know when it starts. Or when I’ll be able to sneak away
“Understood, but at least we know when preparations start. At 3.”
But what’s your plan? Go in and start mowing down guards? If he can afford to keep -guns- on his men in Kyoto, he should have them at his mother’s place. I think we know enough, now, about how those fights go.”
I glare at her a little. “That’s a rather crude plan even for me, don’t you think? But if it comes down to it. I do have this little thing.” I hike my left pant leg up, showing a small pistol. “Came in handy when I took down Tanaka. But I can’t start a full on fight there, not until Hide has been secured.”
“You have that… gloomy look that Aoshi-sama gets. The ‘it doesn’t matter if I die’ look.” “Your curse is really doing a number on you, isn’t it?”
I can only look at her. She doesn’t understand of course. “Itachi, I’ve had many brushes with death. You don’t get to win a fight that you don’t stake your life on. The curse has nothing to do with it.”
We don’t know what she’s had to endure since she was taken. But there’s going to be -one- person she’ll need to see to feel safe again. And it’s not me
I nod. “I know but don’t breathe a word about the curse to Hide. She takes everything so damn seriously and she will need to recover.”
“Her and I once, you know… had a connection – she called it being roommates. It’s been gone for a long time, since she choose you over the rest of us, and the wilderness. But… I heard her scream. Earlier.
My eyes can only narrow. A scream. That means she’s alive. I’ve been tempted to find her, in the other ways I know how. “I know about the connection.” I say quietly, “I haven’t been able to hear her unlike before, but thanks for letting me know. If anything at least that means she’s still alive. And Itachi, she didn’t choose to abandon you nor the rest – after all you live your -own- life. It’s unfair to blame however it turned out on others.”
“I’m going to go scout out the area. Two can scout better than one, but I need you present – after all, we could not only save your wife, but also bring down someone who needs to come to justice.”
“Fine. I was hoping you’d rest easy for the night. You have a harder job than I, infiltrating.” After all she was right, I planned to wipe the place clean of scum.
Not yet but the head of the department had made it his career to combat graft and corruption in the Meiji government.
“It’s nice to know that’s still there.” I smile a little. “Saitou, when this is all over… I think the Oniwabanshuu is going to have to make sure we’re as aligned with the TMPD as we are with the group in Kyoto. This situation shows that a cancer rotting one part will spread.” And then I grin, “and I’ll have to come to Tokyo then, and see those girls. I bet Makoto-chan would like to meet a ninja.”
He does have a gun. I still don’t like them. But I have plenty of my own – and Western dress, with those big skirts, allows a LOT of room to hide “goodies”…
Itachi, I’ve had many brushes with death. You don’t get to win a fight that you don’t stake your life on. The curse has nothing to do with it.
“And there’s a difference in accepting that death can happen as a part of the path you walk- and not caring if it does,” I say back. That’s what keeps me going, taking the dangerous assignments that I won’t let the others do anymore.
know but don’t breathe a word about the curse to Hide. She takes everything so damn seriously and she will need to recover.
“Don’t forget to take you medicine,” is all I say. “You should do it before we head out tonight.”
I know about the connection. I haven’t been able to hear her unlike before, but thanks for letting me know. If anything at least that means she’s still alive
I nod. I knew he could handle hearing… but it was still hard to tell.
And Itachi, she didn’t choose to abandon you nor the rest – after all you live your -own- life. It’s unfair to blame however it turned out on others
I smile. “That’s what she told me, at the time – that compared to her, there’s more to me and that I’ll always live on, but she couldn’t miss her one chance to live.”
Fine. I was hoping you’d rest easy for the night. You have a harder job than I, infiltrating
“Oh, don’t worry about me – I’ll sleep for three days when this is all over,” I tell him. “So take your medicine so we can go – it’s dark now.”
(OOC – you may close)
“Saitou, when this is all over… I think the Oniwabanshuu is going to have to make sure we’re as aligned with the TMPD as we are with the group in Kyoto. This situation shows that a cancer rotting one part will spread.” And then I grin, “and I’ll have to come to Tokyo then, and see those girls. I bet Makoto-chan would like to meet a ninja.”
“You’ll have to do a lot of convincing. My boss is not one to listen easily but I’ll help however I can.” I let out a frustrated sigh about the ninja bit. “Didn’t you hear me about my daughters? I’d like them to just have a soba restaurant. Now if you’d introduce yourself as a restauranteur – I -might- let you meet them.”
She tells me about the difference of not caring. I do care. A lot but I’ve made up my mind, if this mission requires it, Hide would do a much better job keeping the house together. So I merely nod at that.
She tells me to take the medicine…
“That’s what she told me, at the time – that compared to her, there’s more to me and that I’ll always live on, but she couldn’t miss her one chance to live.”
“The world has changed and left people like us behind. There’s not much opportunities to “live” like before… Even I -feel- it. We’re not exactly the same creatures.” It’s hard to explain, I know what I’m supposed to be or should be and I am but at the same time I’m not. And Hide? She thinks she’s just a two page introduction in some book tied to Okita – but to me she is everything.
She tells me again to take the medicine! This is the second time now. “Stop treating me like an old man.” I tell her and take damn thing. It hardly passes the throat.
(Close)