Akane took the guard position while he entered inside the house. And right in the room. Was the Shogun. He was not dressed in the ceremonial clothes, neither the grand robes he had a.s.sociated with it. It was all he remembered when it came to his father. As much as he never saw much of him in childhood. Today, there was none of that. Something simple, but still well made.

The same sort of memory he had when it came to his uncle. And sat down across the man. Where food had been brought in. Served on a place had been steamed eel, with tea by the side. "I"m sure you"re hungry." Though he had eaten he took it up to take a chance to bite. Even as eel had been common in the country he was from, he had eaten it countless times. But he knew that it was a tradition here. The eel was difficult to catch and even tougher to prepare. And why only the richest could have afforded it.

"What is it that you want from me?" There was no need for Kazuho to ask the obvious questions. Besides, it was clear that he could have appeared before him anytime and still be accepted. No one will doubt him. No one wanted a child Shogun, in such times. Unless there was a string regent who could not claim the t.i.tle for him. That went to his uncle or a member of the Saitou clan.

"I"m just curious about my nephew"s wellbeing." His uncle did have that. Even as he knew that this meant that he was going back to the family. It was an almost expected reaction. "And where have you been these past few years?"

"Giornatta." The city of his mother"s land. A place which he had visited before, and spent his childhood there. Even as his uncle knew that to collect information there was difficult, mostly because of the fractious nature of the people. Where lords could be chased out of their own domains, and fortunes can pa.s.s from one family to the next. With a ma.s.sive church proclaiming the right to rule and appointing lords to help govern. But only so long they remained loyal.

"Of course." He knew why he never sent a letter down here. Because he had no wish to really come back and take his birthright. He had no wish to really a.s.sume the t.i.tle, or claim that he was a Tok.u.moto. And his uncle knew that he had taken upon his mother"s surname. Both of them were distinguished clans, one was a clan that was only a shred of its former prestige, while the other had its name increase but were now facing struggles.

It was a moment of silence. His uncle was pushing for him to open up more, and it was clear that it would be heading nowhere. This could be stretched as long as a regular tea ceremony. And if Miyo or Tatsumi decided to make their appearance, things could get complicated. Even as his uncle knew that he was alone.

Which meant that no one had any idea just where was his sisters at all.

"I came back to find someone. I owe her a great deal."

"I could tell." That he had not wanted to become the Shogun. His uncle knew, perhaps from the moment he stepped into the room why he had not made his appearance until now. Until Sasaki had revealed him.

"You didn"t want to be found. But I"ll appreciate a letter or a visit to know that you"re still alive." It was not sarcastic, there was no danger in there. He had been familiar with that, having spent time in the presence of Daishin. Where subtle threats had been his nature, and it was always never clear just what he was going to do to punish him.

As much as Kazuho felt like he was a child again. When he was sitting here for a family reunion, with his sisters and cousins. It was a feeling which he could not shake, even as he tried to tell himself that he was now an adult. Someone who was more than capable of doing it.

"You know how difficult is that, am I right?"

"Of course. But there is one thing that you need to know, about your father." Something that regarded his father. He knew it. It was the only thing that could catch his attention at this point. The only thing which he needed to pay attention to.

"Your father had been in correspondence with the Emperor while it happened. They were planning for a meeting, in an effort to negotiate the situation which surrounded the new reforms he was introducing to the country." The a.s.sa.s.sination. He knew it as his father worked tirelessly then, having to head down to f.u.kusei personally.

"It was also not a happy one. The Emperor wanted him to scale it back, in one clause in particular. The one which was on religion, which tolerated anyone to live under them." The same sort of protection that extended to members of the tribe. In his childhood, he knew that it had been established for centuries. From the times of the first Shogun who had left the country to tour, and married a foreign woman. Who brought home this tradition, because of how her own country had been torn apart due to the same exact differences.

And with the rising number of people who converted or changed their religion, as a result of opening their sh.o.r.es to the world. Their clan had never found such things a necessity, they followed it in public. And preferred to view religion as something more personal, and their beliefs their own. As long as they served the country loyally, it didn"t mean much for them what they believed in.

This was an affront to the imperial family, who based their influence solely on the fact that they had been the descendant of the G.o.ds. It also meant that they were undermining their power by encouraging such changes and using it to boost their own power. As only the Shogun had real power in the country, with the Emperor having been reduced to mostly a figurehead. There were exceptions, but those often ruled with the Shogun than claiming the power on their own.

"I"m not really interested in hunting that man down." And he was certain that as long as he had kept his head low, he would be able to keep himself away from the imperial court. They were people who excluded many, and they would rarely think that a merchant from foreign sh.o.r.es would be the son of the Shogun. Or that the son of the Shogun would stoop so low and lower his status.

He sighed. "Looks I can"t force you at all. Then while you"re here, keep yourself on guard." In case the Emperor knew about it, as he could guess that it meant that he was in danger.

"It isn"t just the Emperor who partook in this, am I right?" He looked into his uncle"s eyes. Who gave a nod.

"There were others, and rumors. But none of them have a basis. It is a murky area, but it means that should anyone grab hold of your ident.i.ty-"

"It means that I"ll be having enemies on all sides." And that he was unprotected, or rather largely so. He wasn"t a.s.suming his ident.i.ty, which meant that he was in danger. Neither had he been more certain about it.

"And right now, the Saitou clan is getting too powerful. Which could also mean another thing." That they may seek an alternative Shogun, whom they could be regent for. Or they break the system entirely.

"You can think about it and tell me whether you want to return." And make use of the name that he has to achieve his goal. Even as he knew that it was difficult to shake it off. Whether he was admitting that he had no care for it, or whether he would need to admit his own death.

"Chichiue, what did you mean by Kazuya was here?" Only to realize that he was looking at his cousin. Even as Miyo trailed behind, with a little more composure than her brother. Kazuho braced himself, either for questions or some sort. Only to find Tatsumi sitting beside him.

"Welcome back." He blinked as Tatsumi had hugged him. Once he released it was time for Miyo to do the same.

"I"m not going back." He had stated the truth. He had no intentions even as they looked in surprise. It made almost no sense for him to not go back. For him to not be with them. He was an orphan, but he was with the family that he trusted. The family which he had known since he was young and knew where to look.

They had stared at him bewildered. He didn"t want to elaborate any further. This had been something he would not have relented on, either if they wanted him to do so or otherwise. He had no intentions of truly returning at any point in his life. This was something he had resolved himself to, something which he would never fully budge on.

He had to be clear on this, he would not remain here. He refused to be a part of the Shogunate. A question that none of them must know. Before he stood up, having gotten no more than just a third of the food. He had stood up, intending to not follow. Intending not to do anything.

The Shogun said nothing of his leaving. Tatsumi chased after him. "If it"s something that chichiue can"t hear, I can bear it."

Before all of his own deeds flashed before his own eyes. There was no resentment, just relief, and worry. He had tried his best to cut off his emotion, to let them think that he was merely afraid. But they knew that it was an illogical choice of him, for anyone else it might have sufficed. But they knew better. They had known him in childhood, and this meant that their understanding of him would always be far better than that of many.

"I"m no longer Kazuya." It was the simplest way, perhaps to tell them that these past few years had changed him. It had taken his entire world, plunge into different pits of h.e.l.l. He had been beaten down by so many things, that his ambition had waned, he no longer had any wish to truly pursue anything. All he sought was for a quiet life away from politics, away from the intrigue.

And away from the country who had taken his father, and forced his mother to kill herself. Even as it so went against her beliefs. And leaving him a child to witness all of it. To the time when he was Kouya, seeking to avenge his father. The time when he was so fixated on a goal that he had gotten burned by them.

He had not been willing to make those sacrifices. He did not want to make them at any point. Many could have called him a coward, to not have born the duty that he needed to do. Honor demanded blood for blood, but he could not really do it. It was a pointless cycle, one that now he must pay. He had to pay for killing Misaki"s father, one of these days he knew that it would come back to him.

Tatsumi was pensive, not saying anything else. Even as he avoided a sword being plunged into his chest. Barely. Though it had not missed his shoulder. Tatsumi went forward in that instant, even as Kazuho reached inside for the gun. While Akane leaped above into the attacker, keeping busy while Kazuho shot the man in the leg.

He winced, as Tatsumi swung his arm over his shoulder. Bringing him inside. Kazuho wanted to protest, he had someone he needed to meet. Someone he had waited so long, and painstakingly waited to meet. "Get a physician!"

Someone had quickly gone to fetch a physician. He knew that any of his ideas at this point will be shot down. They would not let him try any of it when a doctor was merely a summon away. Even as Tatsumi was even more nervous than he was, despite the fact that he had been the one injured. They didn"t know what to do, although a servant had pa.s.sed them some cloth they found. Enough to stave off the blood and keep him from losing too much.

He hasn"t lost enough to become lightheaded yet. It was close, but the sword had never gone through. And with his sudden movement, it had gone in deep either. So he took it out, while Miyo had taken the cloth and pressed it over. All the while Tatsumi was unwilling to because of nervousness.

"Aniue gets like that when he sees blood." He would have been the same way too if this had never happened to him. "You seem rather calm."

"I"ll tell you a secret. I"ve been like this before." Something that she nodded, clear that no one else should know if it was preferable. As the physician entered the room, bringing most of his tools. She had taken off the cloth, and gave them s.p.a.ce to inspect the wound on a deeper level. As well as allowing him to treat it properly.

He worked quickly, cleaning it before bandaging it swiftly. Even offering Kazuho something to ease it. Which he refused, he couldn"t really get drowsy in such a situation. If anything, the man was more bewildered on how he had been calm during something like this. He wasn"t really, but he had something urgent to attend to. No matter what others would have said.

Once he was done, he had gone back to see his uncle and Tatsumi. Even as he was about to step through the door. "Where are you going?"
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"I have somewhere I need to go now." He was almost out the door. Even as Tatsumi held his uninjured shoulder.

"Are you sure that you"re in good condition to really do this." It wasn"t that he wanted to, but rather he needed it. Even if it was in the middle of winter, he would face it. He had grasped his hand, trying to put it down. This was something that he would not budge himself on. This was something that he would not compromise on.

He had waited eight years for this. Eight years to meet with her again. He won"t let anything stop it. "Kazuya, if you have to, take a palanquin there." His uncle must have known how important this was to him, or at least guessed that he would not concede. Regardless of how his body really was. On any other day, he would have heeded their advice and perhaps stayed.

"Thank you." It was something that he did appreciate, even if he had planned on walking there.

"Why?" Tatsumi had asked his father.

"Because those eyes of his, those were determined to head there. Even in his condition, you noticed how he had tolerated all that pain. He would have made it there, whether by walking or otherwise."

"I noticed that too. Didn"t you see how calm he was? While you were already on the verge of a nervous breakdown."

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