Chapter 1: Kendo

                                    

                                          
"Horse keeping: Yamatonokami Yasusada and Kashuu Kiyomitsu, Field Duty: Izuminokami and Kasen Kanesada, Sparring: Ookurikara and Mizu ni Gekkou!" the Saniwa read aloud. 
                          
The touken danshi exchange glances of surprise. The lone sword warrior they spoke of—Mizu—nods silently. Ookurikara stiffens, Shokudaikiri raising his eyebrows curiously. 
                          
"If it's what aruji-sama wants," his voice is soft spoken and smooth. 
                          
They broke for their duties, Shokudaikiri dragging Ookurikara away quietly. Ookurikara grunts, not surprised nor content. 
                          
"I need a favor," he hums. "I want you to get Mizu-San to open up, please? Or at least more information on him?"
"Tch, I have no intention of getting along," he hisses. 
                          
Mizu reaches a dainty hand to grasp the shinai version of an uchigatana. While waiting for the man with the dragon tattoo, he sliced the sword through the air with his left hand, keeping his feet planted firmly on the ground. 
                          
His movements were swift and fluid, like he was water. He continued swinging the shinai until it collided with a new object—Ookurikara's shinai. 
                          
His golden irises search Mizu's moonlit water like ones, calculating. With a burst of strength Ookurikara sends Mizu backwards, approaching him. Mizu switches hands holding the shinai. 
                          
Mizu leaps off the wall, swinging his sword at Ookurikara. The intense sparring was a ritual dance; back and forth. 
                          
Ookurikara performs a uchiotoshi-waza, knocking Mizu's strike to the left. Mizu sways, off balance. Ookurikara sees his opportunity to knock the blade from Mizu's hand to the left, and he is almost successful. 
                          
Mizu tuts him as he grasps the wooden sword with his left hand and parries Ookurikara's sword away, attacking him in the right side. 
                          
In his daze, Mizu knocks him to the ground, planting a firm foot on Ookurikara's chest. His smug smirk soon fades, noticing the crowd drawn. 
                          
Mizu releases Ookurikara and leaps away from him, walking back to hang his shinai back on the wall. 
                          
"I want to have a go!" Mutsunokami challenges. 
                          
"S-Sorry Mutsunokami-san, but I'm exhausted," he mutters, disappearing from the dōjō. 
                          
Ookurikara raises his eyebrows, turning away and briskly walking off. He passes a suspicious Tsurumaru, who was doing who knows what to Shokudaikiri's food. He found Shokudaikiri gathering herbs from one of the saniwas gardens. Ookurikara approaches him in a rigid manner, scowling. 
                          
"He's ambidextrous," Ookurikara informs a confused Shokudaikiri.  
                          
"What? Who?" His eyepatch comrade looks up in confusion. 
                          
"Tch, Mizu." He watches as the said sword slipped into one of the two saniwas rooms. 

                          
    Mizu pulls off his jacket, pulling his long hair out of the ponytail and starts unwrapping the cloth that pressed his chest flat. Or at least, most people think she's a 'he'. 
                          
She slips on her kimono, pulling her hair over her right shoulder and donning a kitsune mask. Saniwa-San, or aruji-San, As the toudans and saniwa would call her.
She slides open the door and as she steps outside, she collided with not something, someone. She goes rigid, almost moving her mask that blocked her sight. She steps back, realizing who this was.
                          
"Ookurikara?" She whispers. "What are you doing?"
                          
"Nothing," footsteps walk away from her.
                          
He wanted to tell her, something was urging him to, but he ignored it. He was leaving tonight, whether he told her or not. She turns, activating the camera in her mask to allow her to see. His eyes followed her around the corner.
                          
What is this feeling...?
                          
—
                          
It was around midnight. All was silent, Shokudaikiri, Taikogane, and Tsurumaru were asleep in their futons, much to Ookurikara's liking; He preferred to leave without bothering anyone. He slid the door shut mutely, before walking down to the transporter. When he reaches the device, he's greeted by the main sage, whom most called aruji-sama. 
                          
"...Tch. So you found me. I had intended to leave without telling you," he glares at the saniwa.
                          
"I own the damn citadel, Ookurikara," the saniwa pinches the bridge of their scrunched nose. "You didn't even tell saniwa-san?" 
                          
The tsukumogami remains silent, his posture tense. The saniwa raises their eyebrows, a hint of a smirk in their ebony eyes. Ookurikara turns the nobs on the machine to his desired location, slightly bowing to the saniwa.  
                          
—
                          
Mizu lost track of the amount of time Ookurikara had been gone. She sits beside the saniwa's futon, impatient. When will they wake up...? In her hand she was clutching a papyrus note, worn from the times she looked at it. 
                          
A golden light appeared before Taikogane and Shokudaikiri whom were working out in the field. Before them materialized a familiar face.  
                          
"Kara-chan!" Taikogane shouts gleefully. "Took you long enough!" 
                          
"Ookurikara," Shokudaikiri smiles, golden eye warmer than he had felt in a while. "Welcome home." 
                          
"Where's aruji-sama and aruji-san?" He inquires.  
                          
Taikogane and Shokudaikiri exchange knowing looks. Ookurikara steps forward, brows furrowed.  
                          
"What is it?" He interrogates.  
                          
"Aruji-sama, well"—Shokudaikiri takes a deep breath— "aruji-sama is in a coma."