Memories of Misfit Cranes

[Kakita Sojiro]

The Misadventures of Mitsouko, Sojiro, and their friends and family.

This thread is a sort of amalgamtion of different character memories in the life stories of Mitsouko, Sojiro, and those in their lives. If you would like to have a place in it, feel free to PM either one of us, as appropriate.

[Kakita Sojiro]

YEAR: 1140, autumn. PLACE: Crane lands, private residence of Kakita Imura close to the Kakita Academy.

Kakita Imura sat in the candlelit room, holding his newborn son with a look of concern on his face. His wife, Mirumoto Oyumi, lays in bed recovering from the birth. A close friend of the family, the aged Asahina Mayomi, attends to the needs of the family, both physical and otherwise.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Imura sat, cradling his new son in his arms and staring with concern and shock at his face.

"Are you certain, Mayomi-san?

"Physically the boy is in perfect health, Imura-san. Better than I expected, given the difficulties in Oyumi-san's labor."

"But his eyes..."

"I can consult the stars again, but I doubt that anything will be different. Yes, he carries an ill omen on his face. However, I can see no stain on his karma, no sign of evil in his soul. I see much in his life that is clouded, though. Much conflict, and much joy, but no details. His life will be one of extremes. He will love deeply and hate bitterly. But I have seen nothing to explain his eyes."

Imura looked down at the infant as he stirred. The baby awoke, revealing one blue eye, and one green eye. His whimper became a full cry.

"My son is hungry after his ordeal. Pass him to me, husband."

"Oyumi-chan, you are awake. You should be resting, love. You need to recover your strength."

The new mother laughed quietly. "I am not so fragile that I can not feed my child, Imura-kun. I will be fine, you know I heal quickly."

Imura smiled at his wife. "I also know how stubborn you Mirumoto women are. Take the boy, then. If he is anything like his father, his appetite will be enormous."

Oyumi took the infant, a smile crossing her face as he quieted in her arms. Imura turned to the old woman.

"Mayomi-san, is there no other way to seek the meaning of his mark?"

"I can ask the kami themselves, but it will take time. But if you are truly so concerned, I will return tomorrow with whatever knowledge they wish to give me."

"Thank you, Mayomi-san. I am once again in your debt."

The old shugenja brushed off his comment. "If you insist, Imura-san. Pay back your debt by taking care of your wife and son."

"Hai, Mayomi-san."

With that, the old woman left the new mother and father, and began to prepare for her ritual.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the sun fell the next day, Mayomi returned to the Kakita residence, her face troubled and fatigue written on her features.

"We have much to discuss, Imura-san. Your son is... unique, to say the least."

Imura and Oyumi both grew concerned.

"What have the kami told you, Mayomi-san?"

The old woman sighed. "Imura-san, may I trouble you for tea?"

"Of course, Mayomi-san." He called to one of his servants, who immediately brought hot tea out for the three of them. Mayomi sipped at the tea, looking a bit better for it.

"You must understand, this ritual is complicated under normal circumstances, and this was hardly normal. It seems that the mark your son bears was given to him by the kami. He is beloved of the air kami, but I have never seen a child with such a strong connection to the void! It is... well, unheard of. It shouldn't be possible. The void just... permeates his soul. I know shugenja who would kill for such a connection!"

"So he is to be a shugenja?"

"No, Imura-san. That is just one of the strange things revealed to me. Your son's path is that of the warrior. He will never have the control or dedication to grasp the fine points of the Shugenja's art. And yet I have no doubt that the kami's touch on him will be evident in other ways. He may even learn some magic, but he will never be a Shugenja. Not in truth."

"So more like a Yamabushi then?"

"If the Crane could be said to have such a thing, perhaps. But I doubt his life will allow for such contemplative studies as the Yamabushi pursue."

"What do you mean?"

"His life will be stormy, marked by conflict and war. When not at war, he will be passionate, full of life. Often to excess. His existence will never be calm or dull, but it will not be simple or easy either."

The couple cast a nervous glance at each other. The Shugenja continued.

"While the air kami favor him, the void kami have marked him as... the best way I can explain it is one of their own. They have claimed him, although that is a poor description. Always will they be with him, if he learns to listen to their guidance. It is they who have marked his eyes."

"The void kami have given my son the evil eye?"

"Yes, but not in the way you mean. The evil eye is an omen of malice and destruction, certainly. And he will be capable of great malice, to be certain. But, his malice is destined to be directed a certain way. It stunned me how direct the kami were, particularly the kami of the void. They are always cryptic when giving advice, and yet they told me that his face will strike fear into the shadows. Your son, Imura-san, will become a great threat to the servants of the dark one. I will not defile your home by speaking his name here. To do this, he will need not just training, but the love of those around him. Without something to balance the darkness and horrors he will see, he will lose his way, possibly even falling to the darkness himself."

Oyumi and Imura looked at each other for a long time, saying nothing. Finally, the mother spoke.

"What must we do?"

"What every parent must, dear child. Love him. Make him strong. Your son is destined to be a warrior, so train him well, but never forget that he must be taught the ways of life and love as well as those of war and death."

Oyumi nodded. "I will never forget this, Mayomi-san."

"I will provide the best teachers and senseis for him. He will be trained at the Academy." At the same time, Oyumi said "I will see to it that my family teaches him all they can, including our Niten style."

The two parents stopped and locked eyes.

"Iaijitsu."

"Niten."

"Enough, you two! By the fortunes, if you aren't fighting then you are making love. I wouldn't be shocked to discover that the boy was conceived on the dojo floor!"

The arguing couple was chided into silence, which was broken by Oyumi's giggle, betraying the truth of Mayomi's words.

"Oh, by the fortunes, Oyumi-san. Truly? I meant that as a joke... although I am not surprised." The old woman grinned. "Not at all. The Omiai did well matching you two."

It was well known that Imura was a talented duelist and kenshinzen, and his greatest rival was his wife. The argument of which style was greater was ongoing between them, with no clear victor. There likely never would be.

"Give the child the best of what you both have to offer. Not just in Kenjitsu, but in all things. There is a reason the two of you balance each other so well. Pass that sense of balance on to your son."

They smiled. "As usual, your wisdom is well founded, Mayomi-san. Thank you for all you have done for us, and for him."

"It has been earned honestly, Imura-san. Someone should benefit from the wisdom of age aside from the aged, I believe. But it is late, and I doubt you two will be getting much sleep for some time to come. Should you need me, you know where to find me."

The old shugenja got up to leave. She was at the door when she turned, face blank and eyes white. When she spoke, it was not in her voice, and the wind blew gently through the room, carrying the words on it as it passed.

"The child's name.... it will be Sojiro, for he will never truly be at peace."

With that last cryptic statement Mayomi turned and left, leaving the young family to ponder at the events of the evening. From his swaddling in the corner, the infant began to cry, demanding yet another meal.

[Kakita Sojiro]

YEAR: 1146 AGE: 6 years old

Sojiro, then known as Sojichi (first son) or simply "Soji-kun" by his parents, is about to meet his first real friend.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sojichi stood, holding his bloody nose and trying not to cry as his father lectured him. He remembered being told that samurai don't cry, but he couldn't remember who told him that. All he could remember right now was how much his nose hurt, and how much he didn't like being called rat face.

"Look at him! He looks like a rat with those eyes."
"Ha ha ha! Rat face! Rat face!"

His parents were attending the court function at Kyuden Otomo, and like the other children, he was being watched in a different room by servants, so as to keep out from underfoot. One of the Otomo boys had started making fun of him because of his eyes, and soon all the rest of the children were doing it too. Sojichi had tried to make them stop, but they just kept going even more when they realized how much it bothered him. Not knowing what else to do, he got mad and punched the Otomo boy in the eye. The next thing he knew they were both on the ground in a tangle of flailing limbs and ripped clothes. Somewhere along the way he had gotten punched in the nose, and then he bit the boys hand. The servants heard all the commotion and separated the boys, and then they pulled his father out of the gathering to address Sojichi.

"Son, we are guests here! You must not behave in such a way!"

"But I tried to make him stop! He kept calling me rat face, and then the others started doing it too. When I told him to stop it, he pushed me."

"And then you punched him?"

"Yes father. I just wanted him to stop calling me names." Sojichi sniffled, which made his nose hurt more. "He said I was too afraid of him to do anything, so I punched him."

Imura sighed. "And then what happened?"

"He jumped on me. And then... I don't know. I punched him some more, and he punched me too. And then he tried to hold me down and I bit him."

Imura tried his best not to laugh. Encouraging his son would be the wrong thing to do.

"You bit him, Soji-kun?"

"He's bigger than me!" Sojichi protested. "He was holding me down and hitting me, and I didn't know what else to do!"

Imura sighed again. This wasn't the first time that his son had gotten teased and started a fight.

"Soji-kun, what have your mother and I told you about being teased and starting fights?"

Sojichi looked at the floor. "That I can't hit someone because they said mean things to me, and that I should fight back with words. But I tried, father! And he just kept going, and then he pushed me and said I was afraid of him!"

Imura was having a harder time keeping a smile off of his face. While his son's fights had been a problem before, he took a great deal of pride in knowing that his son didn't seem to be afraid of boys that were bigger than him. It was a good thing too, because Sojichi was small for his age. He was pondering what to do with the boy when Otomo Kusa, the father of the other boy, came in.

"Have you spoken to your son, Imura-san?"

"I have, Kusa-sama."

"And what did he say happened?"

"He says that your son was teasing him, and then after pushing Sojichi and calling him a coward, Sojichi punched him."

"I see. My son tells a different story, about how your son punched him for no reason." The Otomo chuckled. "I knew he was lying, of course. And now I understand why. He knows how much trouble he will be in for starting the fight and for calling the son of a bushi a coward."

Imura nodded, seeming satisfied. "Thank you, Kusa-sama. Still, my boy needs to learn that he can't respond to words with violence, especially when he is a guest in someone's home."

"I have had the servants separate the children somewhat. After his nose stops bleeding, I'll have them take Sojichi to play with someone a little less cruel than my son."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A little bit later, Sojichi was led to another chamber. There were a few other children in here as well, playing quietly. The servant quickly introduced him and then went on her way. Sojichi had no sooner looked around, trying to see if any of the kids that were making fun of him were in here, when he was approached by a girl a little younger than him.

"Your kimono is torn. What happened?"

Sojichi looked at her. She was about his height, wearing a fairly plain kimono, and her hair was absolutely refusing to stay in the bun her parents had put it in. "I got into a fight."

"Really? I would get in trouble if I did that, I think."

Sojichi looked at her again, trying to picture a girl getting into a fight in his mind. It didn't work.

"What's your name?"

"I'm Sojichi."

"My name is Mitsou," she bowed, and Sojichi remembered his manners suddenly and did the same. "You can come and play with me if you want. The other girls are boring."

"What are we playing?"

"River Pirates!" Mitsou exclaimed gleefully, and before Sojichi could say anything else, she grabbed him by the wrist and drug him along with her.

The next two days were much better for Sojichi. Apparently, Mitsou had decided that he made a perfect first mate, and the "river pirates" had invaded the other children's play areas several times, taking "loot" in the form of toys and then "throwing them overboard" to move on to the next group. Sojichi had a lot of fun, but he thought it was probably not very pirate like to give the loot back to the people after you threw them overboard, which Mitsou always did. The other children played along with them for the most part, hoping to get them to move along so they could get back to playing whatever game they were playing. The only time that Mitsou didn't return something was during lunch. SHe was an observant little girl, and she noticed the Otomo boy made a dirty face at Sojichi when they came in from outside.

"I don't think I like him. Come on Soji-kun, we're gonna throw him overboard."

Sojichi didn't think this was a good idea.... but it did sound like fun, so he played along with Mitsou. She walked up to the Otomo with Soji-kun in tow and announced loudly, "We're river pirates, and we're going to raid you!"

The Otomo boy looked at them and snickered. "Rat face and a girl in a peasant's kimono? Of course you're river pirates. You're too poor and low-born to have a proper occupation".

Mitsou responded by snatching a rice ball away from him. "This is good loot, Soji-kun. And this Otomo doesn't have any soldiers with him, so it's as good as ours!" She put the rice ball up to her mouth like she was going to eat it, taunting the boy without saying anything.

"Give that back!"

Mitsou jumped back behind Sojichi. "Come on, Soji-kun! We have what we came for, now let's make our escape!" She grabbed his wrist again and ran off as Sojichi said "Hai, Captain Mitsou-chan!"

The Otomo ran after them. "That's mine! Give it back or else!"

Eventually, after jumping over a puddle the two "river pirates" stopped. "Do you really want this rice ball back that badly?"

"Yes. Rat face isn't good enough to eat my food. We don't share meals with Nezumi here."

Sojichi balled his fists up, but before he could say anything Mitsou replied. "Ok then, just jump over this puddle and I'll give it back. We're honorable river pirates, after all."

The Otomo boy snickered again and jumped over the puddle - and Mitsou threw the rice ball at him at the same time. Trying to catch it while he was jumping made him loose his balance, and he landed in the mud puddle, ruining the rice ball and his kimono. The other children started pointing and laughing at him as Mitsou took off running with Sojichi again. "I told you we were honorable river pirates, why didn't you catch your rice ball?"

The two "pirates" darted around a courtyard wall and disappeared, finally coming to a stop underneath a cherry tree where they laughed and panted, catching thier breath.

"That was fun, Soji-kun! that was the best time being river pirates ever!"

"I know! I think we should be river pirates more often, Mitsou-chan."

"Ok, but I'm the captain!"

[Kakita Mitsouko]

The first and permanent memory of all those which where locked to Mitsouko by a potent spell, was the day her mother left them. In the years to come she was able to pass time with Isawa Tisuke, but that sunny day was kind of carved in her memory forever.
Mitsou remind that it was a day so sunny, so sunny that trying to look to above made her eyes to blink and cry. She was a very little girl but her general impression of life was of a scary place to be in. She was scared of dark, she was scared of water, scared to sleep alone, scared of ghosts; she was scared of being alone with her mother, she was scared of the constant fights between her parents; the violence.
Days before, she woke up from a nap in the afternoon with a scream and more fighting but this time, her parents almost destroyed the house (or so she thought). Mitsou ran and hid in the garden it was a imense place for a little girl and she never was able to know everything of it until that day. The gardener, Hisu, found Mitsou and took her to his house until everything was calm again, then returned the little Kakita Shinoburo's daughter to her father by the evening.
That night Mitsou slept in her father's bed, though she noticed he didn't sleep at all and "Su-ninai" (Tsukinai) was unsheathed by his side.
The servant whispers were hard to understand, but she was able to feel the secrecy and conspiratory tone. Mitsouko was never alone and there was a samurai-ko, with a daisho in her obi, whom she wasn't able to remind the name (like a lot of details of why everything happened that way), around her most of the time.
Her mother wasn't seen anywhere in the house.
Then, this morning, her father ordered the servants to dress Mitsou. She used to like her red kimono (but not combing the hair) and thought it was party time. But then a lot of palanquins came to their manor. Her father was knelt, and made her touch the ground with her forehead, pushing firmly her head against the tatami, knelt as well. A lot of people, with fancy clothes and serious faces; her mother wasn’t wearing blue anymore, but a bright orange kimono. And strange enough, she has wraps in her hands. The adults took a great time talking and finally Mitsou got tired of being still and stiff (as demanded) and the samurai ko get her from the hall to the garden.
Then the adult’s reunion finally ended, they returned to their palanquins and horses, and her mother came, in the light of the sun, to talk with her.
But in fact Kakita Tisuke, or Isawa Tisuke, didn’t talk at all. Just looked with huge watered eyes to her, and after some minutes waved her a goodbye with her hand involved in bandages. Then turned and entered a Phoenix palanquin.
Mitsou wasn’t able to understand if her father’s hand in her little shoulder didn’t gather attention to his presence. She looked upwards, but was blinded by the sun.
But Shinoburo’s voice was reassuring and caring:
Mitsou-chan, she’s gone. For good. You will be safe. We will be well, I swear.
She buried her face in his hakama, hugging his leg.

[Kakita Mitsouko]

Let’s kill Kimo.
What? Mitsou! Our parents will kill us instead!
What what? Sojiro… he is a Crab! The 9 years girl was determined. Hida Kimo, son of Hida Tetsuo, a buddy of her father, was announced as her betrothed. Kimo was a tanned boy, with a huge head and feet and hands even bigger. For the first time, though, Hida Tetsuo and his family had came to Crane lands, and was to seal the betrothal of their children. With 8 years Kimo has a childish pride of being a Hida and descending from dedicated defenders of the wall Crab lineage; and also had deliberated deaf ears to Mitsou’s bragging about her own brave lineage, which made the Kakita girl exasperated. After both were forced to hand each other gifts in front of their families, both started to hate one another with the petty malice only a child can have. Kimo and Mitsou started to find outrageous nicknames to one another (like ‘onionhead’ and ‘broomstick’) and he had trampled her cat hurting the poor animal with his ravaging plays in the garden.
After hearing Mitsou’s reasons Sojiro sympathized to her cause, and helped her to plan what to do to get rid of her betrothed. Afterall, they were loyal River Pirates and best friends. And of course, Kimo called Sojiro Nezumi.
They knew the boy was strong…after all he was a Crab. Then they started what they called “scouting reports”. And discovered that Kimo was spending his hours alone feeding the koi fishes in the pool in one of the Kiku no hanayome Manor’s garden.
Then, “the assault” part was carefully planned. Mitosu and Sojiro had good laughs about the good end of Hida Kimo and how they would have time to play and be Duelists in the future. They had just one chance, they knew it.
What they forgot to plan was what to do next.
The afternoon was calm and Mitsou hid in the bushes, near the koi pool. In a firm grip, in her child hands, a bokken “borrowed” from the private dojo . Where’s Sojiro? She thought, but soon she spotted Kimo coming in her direction. The girl crouched behind the bush, and made silence, as if it was possible, as her heart was beating so loudly.
…
Sojiro… she came, panting. I killed Kimo! She started to cry, all mouth. Where were you?
Her friend was baffled, speechless. I thought we were just playing, Mitsu!!! The boy finally spoke. Don’t you…!
Yes, I did! Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
The Kakita boy was blinking, trying to manage the situation. Well, Mitsou, I think we… need to check Kimo. What did you do?
What we have planned Sojiro! I jumped from the bush and hit him in the head. He fell in the first hit so I didn’t need to keep hitting him. Now she was saying and reliving it in her head the thing was just too horrible to be true.
And what?
And what? I pulled his corpse to the bushes! She was in shock.
Mitsou! A samurai don’t touch dead people! Sojiro was disgusted. Mitsou didn’t hide her self-contempt too. The Kakita girl sat in the floor embracing her legs, picturing in her mind a dark future as an outcast and eta.
“Well, when that is the worst thing a samurai can do maybe we have a lack in education here.” Sojiro’s father spoke, a concerned look in his face. Mitsouko chilled with the arrival of an adult.
Fortunately, little girl, Kimo is not dead. But he almost died. I hope your cry is a sign of remorse, because he committed no crime besides being from another clan. Your father is looking for you, you better come, Mitsou. With a bit of healthy terror he spoke. You must be judged for what you have done. And you my son, how could you?
Sojiro shrunk, remorseful as well.
Mitsou's relief was great, that she released all emotion with more crying. They knew they were screwed up but at least they weren’t consummated assassins of Crab boys.
Kimo was concussed but had an excellent recovery, and after the deserved punishment her father gave her, the adults found some fun in the incident. Kimo’s father even spoke that Mitsou would be an excellent wife for his son.
There is also how Kimo had his revenge, but it’s another story.

[Kakita Sojiro]

The day after what would be referred to in later years as "The great Crab murder", Sojiro was in the middle of a particularly rough day of training at the hands of his father. He had been practicing his mother's style for a few years now, starting right after he met Mitsu-chan, but his father had insisted that Sojiro be trained in the traditional Kakita timeframe - 100 days of hand, 1,000 days of yari, 10,000 days of katana - and the ten year old boy had just progressed to his Iaijitsu training a few weeks earlier.

He stood in "The Pit", a large bowl shaped depression that was filled with sand. The sand, in turn, was kept constantly wet by the four fountains surrounding the Pit. The result was that Sojichi stood up to his waist in wet sand, not only covering his legs, but also forcing him to "strike" through the wet sand with his boken every time he used an iaijitsu technique. And since he was being trained at the academy, iaijitsu strikes were all he was throwing right now.

His father was wearing a strange type of waraji that let him stand on top of the wet sand rather than sink into it, and was holding a boken of his own. He kept putting it in different positions and telling his son to strike it, only to move it out of the way as Sojichi swung. Each time he missed, the boy got a counterstrike to some part of his body that he had left open and a scathing critique of what he was doing wrong.

"You're swinging with your arms, boy! Swing with your body!"

"Move faster! Do you want me to hit you!"

"You recover too slowly. You should be moving to block as soon as you know you missed your target, not starting to move after your swing ends it's full arc!"

Sojichi did his best to keep up with the instructions and not show how frustrated he was getting. He knew that today was going to be rough. His father was very displeased with him for not telling someone about Mitsu-chan's plans, and today was going to involve punishment. He had seen advanced students in the pit before, and they had weights on their arms or were wearing armor as well as fighting in the sand. It hadn't looked so hard, watching others do it.

Doing it himself, he wondered how he would ever be able to even move if he was wearing armor. The sand was heavy, the boken was heavy, his arms were heavy...

It seemed like each time he tried to strike or block, the boken was moving slower than the last time he tried. His ribs and shoulders were covered in purple bruises, and the pain was distracting him.

"Stop."

"Yes father." Sojichi took a few deep breaths, getting his breathing back to normal.

"You are slowing down more and more with each attempt. Why?"

"I... I'm tired, Sensei. The sand is difficult to move through, the boken gets heavier when it is buried in the sand during the draw stance, and I hurt."

"You are wrong."

"I don't understand, Sensei."

"Then I will explain. What are you thinking about when you try to strike my boken, Sojichi?"

"I'm concentrating on hitting the boken, Sensei."

"Are you certain? Your goal may be to strike the boken, but you are thinking about how sore you are, or how heavy the sand is, or how you failed to strike the boken last time, or trying to determine where my attack will come from. Stop. You have only one thing to think about. Nothing else matters. Focus your mind on that one thing, and don't allow anything else to distract you."

"Yes, Sensei."

"Now, strike!"

Sojiro did his best to follow his father's instructions. He tried to shove the pain, fatigue, and frustration out of his mind and focus simply on hitting the target, but once again the boken moved before he could hit it. It came around in his father's hands, aiming for his head - and without realizing it, Sojichi neatly parried the strike with his boken. His father smiled.

"Again."

They worked for two more hours in the pit. Kakita Imura never landed another blow on his son that day, and by the end of the session, Sojichi had managed to strike his father's boken three times. At last, Imura called for a break for dinner. The two of them sat on the edge of the pit, eating silently, letting the day's lessons sink in. Sojichi was covered in the thick, soupy muck that filled the pit, but he didn't care.

About halfway through his meal, another boy walked out to the pit and bowed to Imura. Sojichi recognized Kakita Alesha, his older cousin and son of his father's brother. Alesha had quite a reputation as an arrogant yet skilled fighter, having already won his first duel a year ago at the age of 12, and yet he had always treated Sojichi with respect, almost like a younger brother. On more than one occasion he had come to the Sojichi's aid when he was being picked on by other kids, and he would always encourage the younger boy to become stronger and believe in himself - when he wasn't bragging about his latest exploits. Recently, Sojichi had noticed that Alesha was always in the company of girls... girls that thought Sojichi was "cute" or "adorable" and that Sojichi thought were gross because, well, they were girls.

The older boy bowed to Sojichi, apologized for interrupting his meal, and then removed his kimono, replacing it with one of the weighted gi tops that the academy had on hand. He then added a full set of armor to the outfit and stepped into the pit, up to his thighs in the same quicksand-like goo that Sojichi was caked in up to his waist. Imura walked out across the sand with his strange waraji and held out the boken.

Alesha struck it. Every single time, he hit his mark. Most of the time, he was able to block the counterstrike. Not only that, but the older boy was actually able to move through the sand, applying the full and proper iaijitsu technique to his strikes. After about 45 minutes of this, Sojichi sat and watched, enraptured, as his cousin climbed back out of the pit, removed the armor, and replaced his boken with his actual katana. Meanwhile, Imura had retrieved a yumi and several arrows with blunted tips. Alesha took the typical iaijitsu stance, and Imura fired. His meal now completely forgotten about, Sojichi watched as at least half of the arrows were cut in two before they could reach Alesha.

Alesha finished up, resheathed his katana, and then replaced the training gi with his kimono, revealing a few welts where the arrows had struck him. He then walked over to Sojichi and grinned.

"Are you going to finish that, Soji-kun?"

Before Sojichi could respond, Alesha had snatched a riceball from the boy and was happily munching it. "Working the pit always leaves me hungry."

"Everything leaves you hungry lately, Alesha-san."

The older boy laughed. "True, Imura-sama. I blame your training though, Sensei." He then looked over to his younger cousin.

"Your father tells me that today was your first day in the pit, Soji-kun. Tomorrow, I will show you what you are doing wrong, how to correct it, and why it is so important." He tousled Sojichi's hair. "I suggest you eat up. You will need your strength tomorrow."

"Hai, Alesha-san."

"That's Senpai to you now."

"Hai, Senpai."

(OOC to be continued after a short break for cold medicine)

[Alesha]

Fateful lessons of Alesha-kun.

Since he was very young, Alesha learned three basic truths that shaped his actions and style into sharp obsidian point. He did not hesitate to teach them to his student when opportunity presented itself, and first of them was Sojiro.

First, from very early age, Alesha was thought to expect a very early death, thus he had to look for a glorious end at every opportunity. In fact this is what made him both heroic and absolutely daredevilish in his approach. If glorious death was involved there was nothing to lose.

Second was - always to have your back towards the sun. It was how he won his first duel, and it was basic stratagem he utilized at every opportunity.

Lastly third - surprise. People do not except aggressiveness to come from crane, so it was advisable to be more ferocious then Matsu on period.

With that attitude, it was impossible not to become a legend. Or to live to very venerable edge. It was called Fast Life attitude...

[Kakita Sojiro]

The next day started early for Sojiro. Alesha went over his basic "rules" of combat - aggression, the sun, and not fearing death. Then, he had Sojiro try to attack him.

Every time, before the boy could get his katana more than halfway out of it's sheath, Alesha's katana was already touching something vital. It took half an hour before Sojiro caught on.

"You move faster than me, Sempai. Not just your sword, your whole body."

"Exactly, Soji-kun. If I can see when you are attacking and then strike you before you can attack, I win before you are ever a threat. And that is why the pit is so important - it makes us faster. But to truly benefit from it, you have to know how to strike with your whole being, not just your katana. When you attack, everything must be in harmony. Your sword, your body, your mind, and your chi. You don't move just your sword arm, you move your entire body. You don't just want to defeat your opponent, you focus all of your will and energy into knowing that you will defeat them. Come, I will show you what I mean by using your entire body and not just your arm. And then, back into the pit with you."------------------------------------------

Sunset was approaching, and Sojiro was tired and covered in the soup from the pit again, but he was elated regardless. He had actually been able to put Alesha's training into use right away, correcting his movements as he struck, and after an hour or so he was actually able to move through the muck in the pit, even landing shots on Alesha's boken on a regular basis after awhile. Sore, tired, but happy, his Senpai finally called him out of the muck for a dinner break.

"You learn quickly, little cousin. Tomorrow, we will go over different techniques. But for now, I need to eat and get cleaned up. There are.... people... waiting to see me tonight."

"Ugh, you mean girls."

Alesha laughed at the boy. "Soji-kun, that is not a proper attitude to display towards the ladies! Especially when they seem to think you are so adorable... in fact, I may take you with me tonight. As a reward for being a quick learner."

"You want to REWARD me by making me talk to girls? Can't I just practice some more?"

Alesha laughed again, even louder this time. "Hurry up and get clean. If I'm your Senpai, I'm going to teach you about more that just fighting. You're going to learn to enjoy life while you still have it, because a samurai can die at any moment."

Reluctantly, Sojiro did as his new Sempai asked and joined him soon after cleaning up and changing.

"Where are we going, Sempai?"

"Tonight, we are going to show some very nice ladies that there is more to enjoy in life than the courts. We're going to Tsuma city, Sojiro. And I can promise you it will be an evening you will enjoy."

And thus, Sojiro's love for Tsuma was born.

[Zeure]

And now I draw the stage to the time when Kakita Battou met Kakita Mitsouko for the first time and was totally cock-blocked. Enjoy.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was getting towards the evening and the sun was just beginning to set over the Academy at Shiro Sano Kakita. Kakita Battou was almost soaked with sweat and breathing heavily and at this point the bokken was heavy in his hand, but he had finally done it. He had finally managed to break through Sojiro's guard and land a blow on him while they were really sparring; not when they were just showing moves, but when they were both sparring full tilt. The look of joy was evident on his face, he was elated.

Likewise Sojiro was breathing heavily, but far less fatigued than the younger man whom he had taken to sparring with personally outside of the classes that he was helping to teach as part of his advanced training at the academy. He reached out his arm, having secured the wooden wakizashi in his obi and patted Battou on the shoulder.

"You've come a long way, Battou-kun. Now, let us go and have a drink."

"Thank you, Sojiro-sempai."

Both men replaced the wooden weapons onto the stands in the dojo and left. After briefly washing up to clean themselves off from all the training, then went out to grab a few drinks at Sojiro's favorite sake house. Battou was still not used to drinking the way the Sojiro did, but he was trying. As usual his eyes were wandering around the room to look at the few women that had taken up at this establishment, and his best 'come hither' smile made a couple blush and look away. He was just about to make his approach when she walked in.

Kakita Mitsouko, Sojiro's long time companion, whom he had spoken of often, and Battou's much advanced elder in the school that he was in, he had never seen her before. And she was beautiful and graceful, and everything else in a woman that Battou treasured prior to him having spoken with them.

He got 'that' look on his face. Sojiro knew what 'that' look meant. He had seen a woman that he was determined to "conquer". A woman that he was determined to make his, if even only for just one night; and he was absolutely looking at Mitsouko.

Sojiro watched Battou ogle Mitsouko and smiled into his sake.

This may end up being a lesson in humility for him.

"Do you see something you like, Battou-san?" Sojiro said as he smiled into his sake cup, knowing exactly what was on Battou's mind.

"Yeah, yeah I do, look at that one. She is beautiful; and that body... she would be great in the bed chamber..."

Battou smiled, 'that' way, the smile he used when he wanted to ensnare or entrap the object of his attentions. He folded his arms together and watched her for a moment to try and gauge how he should approach her.

As Mitsouko saw Sojiro from across the room she yelled out to him to get his attention. "Sojiro-san!!" A broad smile lit her face, directed at her childhood friend, now a man. For some years they had to move in different ways, travelling or studying in either different places or techniques, but they never lost contact with each other.

And the realization hit Battou, "You know her?"

As she approached, she bowed casually to her friend, then took a moment to do the same to his student. “Hello! How are you?” As she bowed, Battou bowed as well, from his sitting position. Some of his hair fell into his face, however with a slight, but sudden, motion of his neck, he forced it out of the way and he kept on smiling at her.

In a rush of words, and without really waiting on a reply, she asked if she could sit and if she could have a cup with them. Battou nodded his head at her, sensing that for the moment, all he would be able to get into the conversation was these sorts of nonverbal communications. After she had sat and as she was ordering her drink, Battou nudged Sojiro with his elbow and looked at him full of intent. He was asking Sojiro to introduce them since he was a common link between them.

"Mitsu-chan! It's great to see you!"

Sojiro quickly got up and bowed to his old friend before offering her a seat and a cup.

"Of course you can have some. Battou-san and I had just finished up training for the day, and were celebrating his progress. Which reminds me, I should stop being rude and properly introduce you to each other. Mitsouko-san, this is my newest student, Kakita Battou. Battou-san, this is Kakita Mitsouko, my best friend."

She looked at Battou, he was a handsome young guy, but maybe in her eyes his youth was too noticeable for his attempts at sexiness to be taken seriously. But ...he had something remarkable, intriguing, besides his natural beauty. And as Battou was trying to impress the Kakita duelist she didn't use the -kun for him:

"Battou-san, a friend of Sojiro can easily be my friend too. He has a remarkable taste for friends. Maybe you can say what Sojiro thinks of his fiancée, the Phoenix maiden..." her grin widened, clearly teasing both, but her eyes turned to Sojiro. She thought: would the student be discreet, if he knew something? Or not?

Battou looked her up and down and then back over to Sojiro to attempt to gauge what, if anything, he was expected to say at this point. Receiving no sage advice from his sensei, Battou went on instinct alone.

"Honestly, it is difficult to remember the words of my sensei in regards to any woman other than you, Mitsouko-san; you are taking up a lot of my concentration and focus. He does talk a lot about you though, you little river pirate you."

He grinned back, obviously teasing her with that tid-bit of her past. Sojiro had often told him of the "glory days" of his "pirate life" with Mitsouko. He moved a little bit to allow Sojiro more room to sit on the other side of the table, across from Mitsouko, which consequently moved him closer to her; a "side-effect" that was as intentional as it was pleasurable.

"Oh I see. We were terrible brats at that time. But unless we get a ship our pirate days will turn to "climb to the shrine" to Sojiro and "hold the wall" for me... " Obviously there was a hint of longing for their glorious childhood days. Then turning to Sojiro. "But they say you were lucky..."

She gave room to Battou at her side. And she was suspecting of what was coming... Though it was interesting for a change. "We probably drank more often together when we were children than we do nowadays, Battou-san. But don't let me be at a disadvantage, you should tell me an embarrassing fact of your past. " Mitsouko toasted with her cup in the air: " Kampai! Because I am not the only betrothed in the table."

Sojiro cuffed his student in the back of the head with an open hand.

"Be respectful. Mitsouko-san can usually best me in a sparring match - meaning she could likely split you in two before you knew what was happening if you offended her." He grinned and winked at his childhood friend.

Battou rubbed his head at Sojiro's admonition, but he raised his glass up with hers and Sojiro's and then they all drank together. He put his down and breathed out heavily.

"The longer this keeps up, the more chance you'll hear something like that, Mitsouko-san. I am no where near as stout as Sojiro-sensei when it comes to drinking. He is far my superior in that respect; I have no chance of over-taking him."

He laughed after saying that. He was openly ogling Mitsouko. Clearly he had an interest in her.

Sojiro brought the conversation off of Battou back to Mitsouko’s earlier questions though, for which Battou was relieved. "As for Reina-san..." Sojiro said and then paused for a moment, an almost bashful grin on his face. "Well, what would you like to know?"

"Please Sojiro! Everything!" she narrowed her eyes pretending be angry at him, but then chuckled. "Your father tells me you are planning to spend some time as her yojimbo. And that's... Well, what can I say... " Mitsouko dropped a slandering insinuation to tease her best friend a little more. "Well, you have to tell me. At least all the basics. Have you ever seen her? When you will marry? Etc. Etc."

"Oh yes, I've met her. Mitsu-chan, do you recall the time I got in trouble for setting a girl's hair on fire when I was visiting my relatives in the Dragon lands? Reina-san is that girl. I've teased her off and on for most of my life, until the past few years..."

Sojiro actually starts turning a little bit red at this point.

"Then I started noticing how pretty she was. And we started talking."

Battou listened to both of them. It was invigorating to see two old friends talking so openly; even though the humor was a bit rough. He laughed with them.

As Sojiro turned serious about her and blushed, Battou patted him on the back.

But he didn't really feel qualified to speak on these matters. Marriage was not something that he was a part of or interested in at this point.

Mitsouko stared on as he spoke, and a smile blossomed. "And some parents have a strange way to choose ideal matches for their children, right? Breaking the head of one, 'arsoning' a girl's hair... guaranteed methods of success to get approval for an omiai... By the way, Hida Kimo and I will be in the same Daidoji unit for one year before our marriage. I met him last week and I can say he is grown and we laugh about our past "grudges". But then, Reina-san and you... Ara! What I am seeing here, Sojiro?! " Mitsouko raised her head noticing the gleam in his eyes. "Confess!"
She turned to Battou. "Do you know that? Is he in love?"

It suddenly hit Battou that he had been drinking waaay more than he meant to as the world started to shine and spin just enough to make him laugh a bit more obviously than he would have otherwise.

"I'm going to be honest, Sojiro is truly smitten with the girl. Has no eyes for all the fine beauties around him because of it."

He laughed and elbowed Sojiro a bit.

Sojiro got a bit of a vicious grin on his face when Kimo was mentioned.

"Am I in love? Mitsu-chan, I think I have been in love for awhile now, to be honest. Reina-san.... she has a soul that is every bit as fierce as mine, and yet she can be tender and caring as well. She's a gifted shugenja, she understands me in a way that few people do... and she put up with me when I was a boy."

He grinned after that last comment, and then downed his glass of sake before refilling his. And Battou's.

"If you're happy I'm happy too! " She filled her own cup, savoring the drink before saying: "So this yojimbo thing is something real... But Sojiro... when are you leaving? And will she be a Kakita or you an Agasha?" for an instant a depressed feeling started to grow but she tried to not think about that big something that was about to happen to both of them. Adult life. More than gemppuku, marriage would change everything. Though maybe it was just the alcohol.

"She will be a Kakita, but her family requested that I study the way of the Phoenix Yojimbo if that is to be the case, and also requested that I spend some time in phoenix lands assisting them with a few things before the marriage."

"And... if you’re in love that's really a reason to celebrate right? Hey, why don't we come to my house? I totally have a gift for your bride-to-be Sojiro! And we can reach Battou in the sake. My father has bottles of Scorpion sake, Crab sake and... What do you think?"

Sojiro got up, giving an arm to Battou as he did so.

Mitsu-chan, does your father happen to have any shirokaze?" he said with a wink.

"Probably. Do you wanna a bottle for your lovely lady?" she winked in reply, and got up as well. "Battou, you shall learn to drink like your sempai here. Well, tonight is definitely and opportunity to do so." Mitsouko led the way.

As they walked back to Mitsouko’s place, Battou had a vision of sorts:

[In Battou's Mind]
He was walking after Kakita Mitsouko, but in a way that he had never before, he was hunched over and for some reason he thought that he was a hunter stalking prey. Oh, but she was tricky and elusive, she had already cleverly sidestepped many of his traps.

[In the real world]
Sojiro was helping Battou move along, who was shamelessly staring at Mitsouko's butt as it swayed while she walked. Once or twice he reached out a hand as though to grab it, but Sojiro was quick to bat it away. Battou muttered "It's a trap. Shhhhhhhhh." No one knew what he was talking about.

Battou laughed.

The trio made their way to the Mitsouko's family ancestral manor where the servants accommodated Mitsouko's guests in a hall that had its shogi sliding panels opened for one of the gardens magnificent view. Sake and food was served. More sake than food, it seems.

Sojiro opened another bottle of sake and took a pull straight from the bottle before handing it to Mitsouko.

"So, I've told you a lot about Reina. Any other questions for me?"

"Yes." She drank from the bottle too, for some strange reason she wasn't able to remember how many bottles of sake they had consumed this evening so far. She looked askance for Battou, who had a permanent grin in his face, and laughed.

"Yes, Sojiro... I'd ask you if she is a good kisser but... I doubt you know that. Your father told me you have nice-cool-new stances for iaijutsu... created by yourself."

Battou stood, and wavered for a moment, and then he struck a pose somewhat similar to the Ha no Arashi first form, but with sake bottles in his hands rather than swords.

"Sojiro-sensei is like this with his new style."

He dropped the bottles in favor of the new one that had just recently left Mitsouko's grasp. He drank straight off the top, and wavered for a second before stopping drinking long enough to stand still and he offered the bottle back to Sojiro.

"I'm not good at it though. I'm still learning one sword, I can't possibly master two."

"She is an excellent kisser, Mitsu-chan. And she excels at other things as well."

He winked at her as he said it. It seemed the alcohol was loosening his tongue a bit. Then he saw Battou brandishing the sake bottles and nearly fell over laughing.

"That's actually not bad, for your first try. With bottles. Hell Battou, I might take you with me the next time I feel like getting into a bar fight."

"But, it's not just for iaijitsu. There is more to a fight than just the draw, often times. What if your enemy already has their blade drawn? What if they aren't using a katana at all? I love iaijitsu. I live and breathe it. But, the system has holes in it. As does the Niten style, which I also love. What I'm working on is a fusion of the two."

Standing straighter than you would imagine and with his finger extended as if to lecture Sojiro, Battou began reciting:

"Kakita teaches us that the position of our opponents weapon is only relevant to ours in accordance with where we strike. He also teaches us that if you can not defeat your opponent in the draw, then you have not mastered your technique as well as you should. He never struck more than once, and we all strive to match that. I will someday match that."

He fell back onto the cushions that were there in the room and began laughing. His gaze fell to Mitsouko.

"Someday I will be a man who gets everything he wants."

Sojiro continued to defend his position though: "This is true. But, think for a second. Who has to move their blade further, the man striking from the sheath, or the man who has already drawn his blade and has his guard up? What happens when your iaijitsu strike is blocked because you had to travel feet with your strike, and they had to travel inches with their block? Granted, in a duel this is not as much of a problem. But what about an opponent with a yari? They can block with one end and strike with the other."

"Every style has something to offer. Iaijitsu has a great deal to offer. But, we are human, and our fighting styles reflect our imperfection. Every style also has flaws. I expect that I will meet a lot of resistance to this idea, but I intend to take all that works from the styles I study, and discard all that does not."

Mitsouko burst in at this, offering her view: "See? You both speak of great things. Like yourself, my father also created his own style...and that's why he is a kenshinzen. This is your destiny, Sojiro!"

Of course Mitsouko was taught by her father in what she knew of iaijutsu and kenjutsu, while traveling with him through the empire as he was testing and improving his techniques. "He says... oh damn... I cannot remember what he said... " she put the bottle on the table with extreme care, frowning for a moment. "Well, I will probably remember when it's not important anymore. Like when I am dead."

"But... But..." She got up and started to speak a bit too loud, then corrected her tone. "Battou-kun, my father says something else I remember very well... "Don't be ashamed for being human. Be ashamed of being a mediocre human. Don't be ashamed for feeling, be ashamed for being guided by feelings. Don't be ashamed for desiring, be ashamed for not attaining what you desire."

Sojiro interrupted and said: "But enough of this for now. Mitsu-chan, we have spoken in length about my betrothed, but not at all about yours." He snickered, and the snicker held more malice in it than one would expect from Sojiro - obviously he did not have a great opinion of the man in question.

"How is Kimo....san?'

" Sojiro..." she turned to him, starting to feel a bit dizzy. "Kimo... I don't know what happened, but he seems changed. I can see there is hope for our marriage. We have even promised not to make attempts on each other lives anymore. And well, there's a rumor Kaneka will be nominated the Shogun... "It will be funny to serve under Kaneka's banner, we don't need to live at the Wall if you don't wish, Mitsu-san"." she tried to mimic a huge man with grave voice, but lost her balance and fell over the cushions as well.

"He's actually learned to talk about something besides himself? That's amazing Mit-"

His commentary was cut off as Mitsouko began to topple over. Sojiro's first reaction was to jump up and try to steady her. He realized this was a bad plan when the room seemed to start moving by itself, and Mitsouko grabbed his arm as she fell. His second reaction was hardly better - feeling that he was falling as well, he reach out and grabbed the first thing he could find - which was Battou.

The three drunken Cranes toppled over in a heap of clumsiness and laughter. Had anyone seen them, they would never have believed that the three of them were each accomplished kakita duelists, given that they couldn't stop laughing long enough to even untangle themselves or stand up. Sojiro was now covered in sake from the fall.

"Look what you did, Battou-san! You spilled all the sake! You're the reason that the sake is gone!" He tried to say more, but whatever words had come out of his mouth were lost to his and Battou's laughter and Mitsouko's giggling.

"Ok ok ok! Enough! Come Sojiro, let's check your new st...st...stances."

Mitsouko got up with some difficult, disentangling from her companions. "I am maybe not able to remember all my father's words but at least I remember his... technique."

She motioned to the garden, and then remembered she was bearing neither katana nor bokken.

" Mimi... " she called her personal servant. "Bring me something I can beat Sojiro. I mean...I mean... my daisho."

"But Mitsouko-sama... you are..." the woman tried to argue, but Mitsouko dismissed her with a wave of hand.

"Dear Fukurokujin, protect this girl! the servant mumbled. I will call your father instead."

"NO! You will bring my katana." With a kiddish smile Mitsouko completed. "Please Mimi-dear."

The woman just bowed and left them, bringing what was demanded soon after. Mitsouko tucked it in her obi and with her hand signaled to Sojiro and Battou to join her in the garden.

"Now we can test your new kata, dear Sojiro."

Sojiro looked with drunken disbelief as Mitsouko struggled to get her daisho to cooperate with her obi.

"Mitsu-chan, are you certain you want to do this now? A second ago we were all having trouble standing up. I really don't like the idea of sparring with you with live steel while we're both this drunk."

Although he tried to put some gravity behind his words, the seriousness of them was lost in a series of guffaws as Mitsouko continued to struggle with tying her daisho on. He knew this was a bad idea... why couldn't he stop it?

Mitsouko focused on putting in the daisho properly and grumbled. "Once this thing is done... You should know a properly educated dulist...duEList...can do it in any adverse moment. Drawing and striking is like brith...breathing." She laughed.

She straightened her body and stared at him. "I hope you are not afraid. I can see you drank a..." (an actual hiccup may have followed that, or maybe not) "... lot less than me. I am waiting Jiro-kun."

This, is a monumentally bad plan, Sojiro.

Against his better judgment, he followed Mitsouko out into the yard. The world was slowly spinning around him, but he did his best to steady himself. Pulling the tie that held his hair in place out, he quickly wrapped it around his daisho, placing the wakizashi outside and slightly lower than the katana, but parallel to it.

"Very well Mitsu-chan. I am ready."

He inhaled a deep breath, sliding into a stance that was very similar to the traditional Kakita stance for iaijitsu, with a few minor differences - his back leg wasn't as far back as normal, and his left hand gripped the sheath of his wakizashi instead of the katana sheath, even as his right hand rested lightly on the hilt of the katana.

He closed his eyes, exhaled... and when he reopened them, he was focused on Mitsouko - the only thing in the world that wasn't spinning right now.

"I am ready."

Battou rose and then fell again.

"This, don't do it."

He got up again and grabbed the bottle as he rose to his feet. He stumbled first left and then right. If only the world would quit spinning he knew he would be able to walk perfectly. He took a few hesitant steps after them and this broke into a full lumbering charge for the doorway; which he smacked into the side of. His shoulder holding him up pressed against the door he looked outside at them still hurriedly trying to reassemble their gear.

"When you've got an arm off, I'm totally going to say I told you so."

He gulped from the bottle, trying to maintain that this was just his drunken imagination and if he kept drinking the channel would change. He swooned but kept his balance against the door.

Damn, If I fail I m gonna kill him... But by other side, if I win, he 's gonna bleed... And why this idea makes me wish to laugh?

"Jiro, just don't die ok?" She yelled, but noticed it was not really necessary, as they were steps apart.

Just reminding herself to not look down, or the world would spin out off its axis again. Now she KNEW exactly where her friend was, but it was completely different from where he SEEMED to be.

Then Battou said something. Uhn seems they both missed the part of a duelist education about how to plan and how to refuse a duel.

"Let's go Jiro-kun."

But Mitsouko didn't lose any of her lessons about LOOKING focused and with a perfectly impossible to read expression while she was in fact... well, whatever. She never did anything special for this moment, her father never believed in transcendental focus anyway. Her face as was blank as one of a statue. Though, one has to consider, that it is very easy to do this face when you are that drunk.

Ok, she's drunk out of her mind, so this shouldn't be too hard. Stick to the basic plan...

Sojiro remained in his ready stance, waiting for Mitsouko to make the first move.

"Ready when you are."

He emphatically ignored the fact that the world was still moving around him.

Well, Sojiro was obviously planning to parry the strike, so the things weren't as bad as they could be. If her intention was to test his technique in development, though, she should do it right. This had better work Sojiro. she prayed.

Then draw and strike was exactly the same thing and movement, just a half heartbeat, perfect... if in the charge forward she hadn't slipped in the dew-wet grass and fell backwards onto her butt, completely out of reach but embarrassingly sprawled and pathetically drunken as well.

"Oh! C'mon!" She cursed and laughed.

Battou looked down from his vantage point on the thoroughly drunken Mitsouko; and his natural reactions were something that he had to hold in check. This was the type of situation that he often found himself in and often enjoyed, but even he had to realize that his normal plan in these circumstances, was most likely a bad idea to follow. One could almost see him internally slapping his hand.

Sojiro of all people would be aware, more than likely, of what was crossing his mind at that very moment.

But, then again, luck favors the foolish. Battou took a few steps forward towards them. In one of those rare moments during drinking where the sway that one gets turns into a sort of grace, he moved towards her specifically.

One second, she was the picture of Kakita focus. The next, she was flat on her butt. Sojiro couldn't help it. His own focus shattered, he burst into laughter, staggering over to try to help Mitsu up from the ground as he did so.

"What... what did you do?"

He actually managed to make it most of the way over before he had to collapse down to one knee, holding his belly from laughing so hard and trying to maintain his own balance while doing so. That's when he noticed Battou, somehow managing a good impression of a graceful drunk, as he made his way over to Mitsu.

And he still couldn't stop laughing.

"Battou! Battou!" There was more there, but it was lost in drunken laughter and giggling... an odd thing to hear from Sojiro, at any point in time.

Mitsouko was giggling as well, and poked Sojiro in the belly with the tip of the sword, "Hey don't laugh at me! "

Her eyes diverted for a moment from her friend to notice Battou's "feline" expression, as a cat stalking a rat. But before she could say something, a clap of hands was heard by the three of them:

"Very well, children. Such a display of control in so adorable a trio of Kakita duelists is astonishing."

Kakita Shinoburo, the kenshinzen and Mitsouko's father, was leaned in the door frame, looking at them with a sarcastic expression. "Mitsouko, on your feet please!" He was concerned and displeased but still able to find fun in the situation.

Shinoburo was not properly combed, his kimono was absolutely out of order and there were visible make up stains in his neck. In the end of his thirties, he was a masculine version of his daughter (or perhaps, she was his female version); the only great difference in their features was the color and shape of eyes, and of course, the manly lines of his jaw.

"Sojiro-kun... If I recollect you mother told me once you and my daughter together meant problems. Why do I think she was right?"

Then looking at Battou: "Ahh ... Are you son of Atsumei-san? Sure you are! Her face is unforgettable.. even in her son. How has that adorable lady been?"

Battou turned, slowly to face the older man. He took a moment to look at him before he bowed. As he rose up their eyes locked in that way that can only happen between two men who are so distinctly similar and both know exactly what the other was up to.

"Shinoburo-sama, my mother is fine. I presume that she is home with my father and younger siblings."

A smile crossed his face as he stood there between the Shinoburo and the other two who had almost fallen apart for all their drunken hijinks. Battou was fixed, not wanting to move from his place for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is that he was not sure how well he would balance himself if he didn't have the stare of Mitsouko's father to hold him up.

"Shinoburo-sama! Sojiro yelled.

He drunkenly scrambled to his feet and bowed to the older man.

"Well sama, my mother was a wise woman. But at the very least, we haven't tried to kill any Crabs tonight." He shot Mitsu a grin as he helped her to her feet.

"You should train a bit better to not have such an accident, tough. Or you drink less than your opponent, or you learn to deal with that." Shinoburo added, when her daughter was on her feet. It wasn't a lesson only to her, though.

And that was the beginning of an interesting training regimen on how to adapt the Kakita techniques for "drunken" iaijutsu combat.