OOC: RP for myself, Nero, Kyo, Emerald-Eye and Desol. Enjoy guys!
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Flight of the Falcon

"Form ranks!" The shout from the commanding officer was deafening, he turned his gaze to the man in heavy dark red samurai battle armour and smirked before turning to the man nearest him as he felt a hand on his sleeve.
"W-what's going to happen to us, Hayashida-sama?!"
He looked into the man's eyes and saw only fear, with a firm touch he pulled the man's hand from his shinsengumi uniform and placed it on the hilt of the man's weapon, "I don't know." He replied, honestly. Turning back to face the anti-shogunate forces across the battlefield, they were massing now and a fine rain had begun to fall.
"But, i didn't come here to die..." he added, placing his right hand on the hilt of his weapon and taking a step forwards, "Commander?" He asked, without turning to the armoured leader of the shinsengumi.

"Yoshio-san?" He questioned.
"Permission to engage." He said, leaning forwards.
"Hrm," the samurai looked to Yoshio, he was his personal Yojimbo or bodyguard but also a member of the shinsengumi. He looked out at the other members of the shinsengumi, there were few left and not all of them were still wearing their uniform, but that didn't matter any more. Among them were hundreds upon hundreds of other samurai loyal to the shogunate, despite this, they were out-numbered, "Spill their blood." He said, and as he gave the order to engage Hayashida Yoshio was already halfway across the battlefield.
"Hraaah!!" He screamed as he ran, closing the gap with the last few seconds and used the slippery wet ground to slide and duck under the first sword attack that came horizontally to take his head, he swung around and returned the favour with immediate success, straightening up he sheathed his sword once again and placed one hand on it's hilt as the body dropped to it's knees, the head rolled from it's shoulders and the corpse splattered into the mud.
The soldiers surrounding their now dead comrade freaked and pushed back to get out of the way while the ones at the back pushed forwards to get at the shogunate forces, it was already pandemonium.

He quickly made his way across the battlefield, as a soldier approached him he would deftly dodge the attack and with a single clean draw of his blade the soldier would hit the ground and be dead before he realised what had happened. The rain had soaked him through now, his blue shinsengumi uniform clung to his shoulders and his normally mangled shaggy brown hair slung over his forehead and the wet ponytail slid down his back. The battle went on for what felt like forever, the blood mixed with the mud and it seemed like they were walking across another world, a hell or maybe both. As time went on however, it became clear that the anti-shogunate forces were winning, they had quickly cut down the majority of the samurai and now the remaining few were fighting alongside the ex-shinsengumi members.
Yoshio fought ferociously, surrounded by drones of enemies encircling him, but in the last moment he felt a presence he recognized and turned to see one of his old comrades, "Ah!" He said, grinning, as their backs slammed up against each other and they continued to fight and repel their enemies. "I wondered where you had gone, Goroda-san!" He said, happy at seeing an old friend in the last moments of what would surely be his death.

Something woke him from his daydream, he opened his eyes and rubbed them sleepily, feeling the long vertical scar that was the cause of his milky, blind right eye. Sighing inwardly in frustration, these thoughts still plagued him, he cursed his inability to forget the past, it haunted him. Yoshio adjusted himself leaning against the large old tree in the field besides the main road and looked up through the branches to see the sun seeping in amongst the leaves, dotting his figure with sunlight. He moved his hand through the air, tracing the dancing light. There it was again, the thing that had woke him up. What was it? He closed his eyes and listened intently.

Ring...... Ring...

He turned and opened his eyes and saw just in time coming over the rise an old monk with a tall staff, on it's top was a small metal bell, so that was the noise. He closed his eyes again even as the monk approached, dressed in his light black and white robes. "Good morning traveller!" The monk called to him. "Blessings upon you," he held a small wooden bowl out, "Could you provide a humble monk with a tribute?"
Yoshio grinned, his one good brown eye gleamed and he shrugged, "I don't really have any money, monk." He tapped his simple dark brown kimono, "See, i've just got these rags and--" he leant over to point to the small jug of saki which sat beside his katana.
"Oh, that's a fine sword, wanderer." The monk took a step forwards and Yoshio tensed, "Oh, i'm sorry, may I join you?" He said, smiling, as he did his whole face wrinkled deeply.
"Sorry," Yoshio apologised, "Old habits, please, sit." He offered the monk a place in front of him and picked up the sake bottle and threw it across to him, the monk grabbed the bottle and uncorked it while slipping off his wide straw hat, revealing a bald and mottled head. "Thank you." He swigged for a few seconds.

"What takes you on the road to Kyoto?" He asked with genuine interest as the bottle was passed back to him and he took a single swig before recorking it and placing it beside him.
"Well, if you must know, i am escaping." The monk said with a solemn face.
"Oh?" He raised one eyebrow.
"Mmm," the monk nodded slowly, "It seems nowhere is safe in this country any more, I heard of a swordsman who was violently taking over every major or minor dojo in japan, i thought it was a myth."
Already, Yoshio's face was deadly serious and he was nodding, "Yotunoba Goroda..."
"Oh!" The monk's face turned pale instantly, "I-I was just passing through a small fishing village to the south, the bodies, they were everywhere!!" Tears now streamed down his face.
"I know, I was there..." Yoshio grabbed his katana and the bottle of sake, placing the bottle in the monk's lap as he passed him, "I'll be on my way then, monk." He said finally.

"You survived?!" The monk said in a shrill voice, grabbing the sake bottle and pulling himself up and hobbling along after the wanderer as quickly as he could, "You must be a great swordsman!!"
"No," he said casually, quietly. He had just not arrived in time, the village had already been slaughtered and those responsible had already left. They walked in silence for a while, side by side until eventually the monk spoke again.
"I hope you don't mind me travelling with you, samurai." The monk said, "Only--"
"Don't... call me that." He said, standing still for a moment, "I'm just a ronin."
"Apologies, swordsman!" The monk bowed, "But i'll walk with you for protection if i may."
"The only person i'll be protecting is myself, monk." He said and quickened his pace, the monk struggled but did keep up with difficulty. He had to get to Kyoto quickly after all, there was business there he had to see to.

He strided with an arrogant confidence, moving quick enough to catch up to the only two people in front of him, a scruff bag and a monk. He moved with a intentional sway in his step, an undisciplined swagger of sorts. He was definitely not a sight that blended into a crowd. His feet clicked as he walk, the dull sound of the metal plating attached to the sole of his wooden Geta. He was wearing baggy brown shorts and a navy blue, waist-length Kimono with short, wide sleeves. A Wakizashi sat sheathed on his left hand side at his hip. As he neared the two travellers he did not slow. In fact if anything it quickened. He brushed past the month and with little diplomacy he barged into him.
"Watch it!" He growled as his hand dipped into the reaches of the monk's clothing with a hidden speed and skill. He buried the stolen, oval-shaped coins into his own Kimono and the monk seemed none the wiser. Nor was the thief remotely perceptive enough to wonder why a monk was carrying money. Grredily his eyes were set on his next target. Barging again into the next traveller he pulled the same technique. Something felt wrong. This man did not buckle, he barely flinched. Before the thief could move the scruffy traveller had a firm grip on his hand.
"What the-" The boy spat looking to the man. He didn't seem angry. He didn't seem pleased either mind you.
"The hell you think you're doin'!?" The boy snarled and went to pull his arm from the man's grip but found he could not.
"Let me go, shit-head!" He yelled angrily, considering going for the sword at his waist. He thought better of it. This guy wasn't playing around. Finally the man released his grip without warning and the boy fell back a bit, stumbling before maintaining his balance and quickly walking ahead, keen to avoid any further association with the two of them.

His stride slowed as he got out of sight of the travellers he had robbed, or attempted to. That guy may have been wise to his game but the stupid monk had at least parted with a few coins. The thief, happy with his pirze, reached in to grab it. However as he felt around inside his kimono he found nothing. He patted his chest and still he heard no jangling of coins. He was sure he had taken them. He was positive. Unless. He looked back to the road he had travelled from, and then he looked down to his chest. Slowly, ever so slowly, the cogs began to turn in his head. And then finally.
"Hey! That piece of shit robbed me!"

Yoshio turned the coins over in his hand, staring at them as they walked, the monk seemed focused on the road ahead but he had been unsettled and now, this had confirmed his suspicions. He yawned and wiped some of the sleep from his eyes, he really didn't feel like fighting right now, of all times. The sun is shining and it's a fine day, what's wrong with people? He thought to himself, "Hey Monk!?" He said, with a short tone in his voice.
"Hmm?" The monk said, smiling as they walked.
"Here!" He replied quickly turning and throwing the coins at the monk who snatched them from the air instantly but in that same moment Yoshio disappeared in a flash, the expression on the monk's face changed from gentle serenity to intense concentration and he leapt up into the air using the staff as a support.

As he landed he lifted up his grass hat to see Yoshio stood infront of him again, resheathing his sword. "I've never seen a monk accept alcohol, nor carry money on him. What are you, an assassin?" Yoshio turned to face the so-called monk and put his hand back on the hilt of his blade again, the silence between them was tense.
The yell was distant but still booming, "Hey you bastard!!!"
Yoshio raised an eyebrow and watched as the young thief came running back up towards them, "Gimme back my money!" He roared, treading dirt at a sprint. More problems, he thought to himself, this is all I need this morning.

He turned to look back at the monk who was pulling his grass hat off, or more precisely had unfastened the string to find that it split in two, having been sliced apart by Yoshio's battojutsu attack. The monk held his staff in one hand and stretched, making his back crack several times and then without warning he leapt at Yoshio grabbing the staff with both hands, at the last moment he pulled on the staff at either end and it split in two just as he drew his sword and attacked lightning quick, the attack missed the staff as it had already parted and was in the form of two long-handled katanas now, his attack had been too shallow and had only been intended to break the monks weapon, he had not expected this at all.

Yoshio deftly rolled to one side, deflecting blocking one katana with his own blade and whirling around to block the second in the nick of time but he was unprepared yet again, the monk spat from his mouth a single long needle, there was nowhere for him to go and it was too late, the needle flew into his right eye and entered his brain, without so much as an exhale of breath he collapsed to the ground, a trickle of blood and fluid flowing from the fatal wound. The assassin posing as the monk smirked, "Goroda said it was going to be difficult to kill you, ronin." The old man chuckled, "I disagree." He clicked the parts of his staff together and looked at his ruined grass hat beside the dead swordsman, "Peh, i'll buy another one with the fee i'm being paid." He chuckled again, looking over at the now silent thief, "I got my money back..." He said grinning wickedly.

"What kinda monk are you!?" The boy said, looking alarmed at the monk's ability to dispatch what had seemed like an experienced swordsman. The monk straightened up and held his staff in one hand, and slowly walked on. As he passed the boy he stopped beside him and grinned with a serene expression on his face.
"One you do not want to cross." He said quietly, and then bowed, raising his voice with a cheery, "Blessings on your journey!!" Before walking down the road and out of view, leaving behind the gruesome body of the swordsman.

The thief sat in a small sake house, now finally having reached Kyoto. He sat alone, laying lazily along a mat on the floor, occasionally pulling a bottle of sake to his lips before placing it on the table in front of him. In his other hand he softly held a Katana, though it was not his own. Although simple looking he was hoping that Katana was of good quality. As he lay there he thought back to what he had done. Even scum like him felt a little guilty for what he had done.

------

He stared at the blank expression upon the dead swordsman's face.
"Damn...crazy monk got you good, huh?" He said to the body as he squatted over it showing little regard for respect of the deceased. He examined the traveller however he really didn't look like he was carrying anything valuable at all. He'd found some money but it wasn't a lot. Not nearly enough for what he needed. For a moment he felt like giving up until his eyes fell upon the sword. His eyes almost seemed to glint as he looked at it.

------

And now the sword lay in his hands, far away from the road where it's master was likely still lying. The young boy grimaced and ran his hand over his forehead. Apparently he stole from the dead now. A new low. He didn't have time to process it for long though as the silence in the sake house was broken abruptly as two men entered, pushing over a young women carrying cups that were sent crashing to the floor. Kariya looked up absent mindedly and his eyes locked with the men.
"Kariya!" One of them bellowed, "The Boss has been lookin' for you!"
"heh!" Kariya laughed briefly, "Your Boss can come get me himself"
"You piece of shit!" The man cried as he drew a katana from hise side. By the time he had lifted it Kariya had leant up on to his arm and spun his legs round on the spot before leaning back on both of his hands and kicking off the table in front of him, sending it forwards and crashing into the man's partner and sending him crashing through the window. The man screamed loudly and ran across the short length of the sake house, drawing his katana to strike at Kariya. He held it above his head and brought it down as Kariya arched backwards and caught the blade aginst the metal soles of his geta, pushing them back before vaulting to his feet and and drawing his own wakizashi and quickly cutting his enemy across the torso, sending blood spraying along the floor and the men collapsed into the tables behind him, screaming loudly in pain. Kariya turned casually and lifted the stolen katana off the floor and held it balanced on his shoulder as he casually walked out of the shop and on to the street in time to see one of the men picking himself up after being sent through the window. As he lifted his head he saw Kariya's blade pointed at the end of his nose, right between his eyes.
"Hey dumbass, where's your boss?" Kariya snarled
"Kariya...I'm not telling you where Boss Kanonji is! All you need to know is he wants his money"
Kariya raised his blade and swung it sharply as the man flinched and whimpered, though quickly he realised Kariya had simply cut off the end of his ponytail with the cut.
"Take this to Kanonji" Kariya said as he dropped the stolen katana on the floor along with a pouch of coins, "That should make up about half of my debt, tell him he'll get the rest when I get it. And tell him to stop sendin' his goons to their death"

Tsuguto's eyes were closed and his head tilted back slightly, warm sake cup clasped in his hands, when the boy entered. He thought nothing of it. Just another customer. He opened his eyes and rose his cup to his lips but it froze part way there, his eyes falling on the sword the boy was carrying. His eyes narrowed but the cup continued on its way after the pause to his mouth, tilting slightly to let the warm almost tasteless beverage slide down his throat. He probably drank too much now, but after paying for room, board and whores, what else did he have to spend the money he earned on?

His eyes bored into the boy's back, watching him, and the sword. Even when the new comers came in and roughed up the waitress a little his eyes didn't rove. He did, however, allow a small smile to cross his otherwise blank face at the sight of the boy's undisciplined yet strangely effective fighting style. A skilled swordsman, such as himself, would probably be able to see and utilize the holes his clear lack of training left but unfortunately there were precious few of those left in this world thanks to the new government and their systematic slaughter of all who's beliefs differed to their own.

It was only after the boy finished his fun and left the building that Tsuguto got up to follow, paying for his meal wordlessly as he left. As soon as the katana was tossed on the ground, Tsuguto scowled and, finally, acted. He leapt forward and drew his katana in the same fluid movement, resting the tip bare millimeters from the man's left eye. "I don't think so," was all he said. He slipped his foot under the cross guard of the blade on the ground and kicked it up, catching it in his left hand, before kicking the money towards the men. "Now piss off. I have business to attend to," he said, turning his gaze to the boy, dismissing the others (though still aware of them so should they attack he would be ready and able to defend himself). Sword still drawn, point downward but still ready, he said in a very calm voice, yet one that held a tinge of something deadly, "Now you will tell me how you came to obtain this sword. And then you will help me return it to its owner."

"No need for that." The voice made both the thief and the samurai turn.

Yoshio held one hand out, "You can give it to me now." He said, opening his hand to recieve the sword. For a moment the samurai hesitated and withdrew from the thief and chucked the sword, with a casual snatch Yoshio pulled it from the air and held it by his side once again, looking at each of them in turn. The thief had frozen with confusion and fear while the samurai seemed pleased, he nodded to him, "I remember you... Kadoma Tsuguto. You've become a man now, I see." Yoshio smiled slightly, the last time he had seen this boy was when he was 20, and he himself had been about... he tried to think, 37? So that made him... 43... had it been that long? 7 years....
"You haven't changed a bit, Hayashida-sama." Tsuguto smiled.
"Hmm, well, time has been good to me." He smiled back, but inwardly suppressed his sadness, the last time he had seen Tsuguto it was at the battle of Toba-Fushimi, a lot of good men had been left to die that day. But, it filled his heart with peace to see that somebody had survived.

Yoshio looked at the thief just as he opened his mouth, "W-what the hell?! I saw you die!!" The thief stormed up towards him and Yoshio started patting himself on the chest with wide eyes, "I don't feel dead." He muttered.
"In your blind eye!! The needle went in that eye!!" The young boy grabbed Yoshio and stared into his eye, looking for a sign of some wound, but there was none, "What the hell...?"
"You saw me die?" Yoshio grinned and patted the boy on the head, "You should have your eyes examined."
Kariya smacked Yoshio's hand from his head, "Get the hell off me!" He yelled, before muttering to himself, still looking at Yoshio in disbelief. Without warning Yoshio grabbed Kariya by the shoulder and looked him right in the eyes.
"Listen, boy..." He said sternly, "You're almost half my age, don't get so worked up over every little comment, that's a good way of getting yourself killed, now listen..."

"Tch," Kariya crossed his arms irritably.
"Where did the man dressed as the monk go?" Yoshio raised an eyebrow in question.
"He just walked down the path to, i dunno, here in Kyoto I guess." He paused for a moment then jabbed Yoshio in the chest with one finger, "After I saw him kill you!!" He stormed off without another word.
Yoshio sighed and rubbed his chest before turning to Tsuguto, "It's been a long time since i've seen you, Tsuguto, but before we part ways I should warn you there are forces in revolt now, and the one leading it won't stop until he's covered this country in the blood of the innocent." The silence after his words left a gaping hole that could have stretched on endlessly, the people around them went on their lives in ignorance.

"Goroda." Tsuguto said finally.
"Oh?" Yoshio pushed his katana into his freyed belt and crossed his arms, "So you've heard then?"
"Just what I hear from rumours, he's already assumed control of 4 of the largest dojos in Edo and has used their members to cut a path towards Kyoto."
He sighed, then nodded, "I assumed as much." He turned and started to leave, walking down the path into the pleasure district of Kyoto, "Have a drink with me, Tsuguto." He said, without looking over his shoulder. As he walked his mind wandered to that thief, but it passed quickly and by the time he'd pulled himself out of his daydreams he was upon a pleasure inn, "Excuse me, mister!!" A young girl dressed like a geisha, but was almost certainly just a prostitute, called to him, "Mister, we have new girls in and sweet, hot sake!!"

Yoshio walked in not bothering to see if Tsuguto had followed, a girl inside with long dark brown hair and equally brown eyes, "Evening mister, what can i get you?" She said smiling with a hint of perverse pleasure.
Yoshio looked over his shoulder just once before he was pulled into a private booth, he didn't have time enough to see if Tsuguto had followed, "So, can i get you anything else?" The woman said, slowly unfastening her kimono and letting it drop to the floor, she stood there, the warm candlelight bouncing off her slim, voluptuous figure.
He crossed the small booth, stood right in front of her and as she wrapped her arms around his shoulder he leant down and grabbed the kimono off the floor, pulling it back onto her, and covering her in it.
"Just the sake, please." He said quietly.
For a moment it didn't register but she quickly tied the kimono tight again and stormed out indignantly to fetch his drink. He could not have told her that she reminded him of his daughter. He sat back on the small padded bench inside the booth and rubbed his scar thoughtfully. That girl seemed to have been gone for an awfully long time.

"But Mr. Kanonji he didn't want me!!" The girl said both fearful and yet exasperated by her boss's ignorant refusal to accept this, he slammed his fist on his table and pointed at her.
"I was paid a great deal of money to see that man dead and if you can't get him distracted what the hell do you expect me to do?!" He paced back and forth in his luxurious kimono, "I know, i'll have that rat vagabond Kariya kill him, i'll tell him his debts are cleared and then everyone wins, that'll be fine, my boys keep coming back beat up or dead, anyway." He threw the remains of his thugs' ponytail at him, who didn't move and accepted being hit with it in the hopes that the less he and the other men said nothing the more likely they would get out unharmed.
"Better yet," Kanonji added, chuckling, making the ripples of fat under his chin jiggle, "Give him this." Kanonji reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial of liquid that was feintly tainted pink.

"This is a very powerful poison, you give this to that Kariya, and tell him to find the one-eyed samurai in Kyoto, if he does that..." Kanonji bit his fat lip for a moment, effectively biting a bullet, "Then i suppose i'll release him from the debt, but oh!" He pointed at the girl again, "Tell him if he doesn't come back with that samurai's head i'll take his own as payment!! NOW GET OUT!!!" He screamed, and threw a mostly empty sake bowl at her, which narrowly missed. She squeeled and grabbed the vial from the table and ran out.
"You've played your part well," The voice came from the shadows once the woman had left.
"Hmph," Kanonji scoffed, "What about my payment?"
"Money?" The shadowy figure replied, coming out of the shadows at the back of the room, "Here." He said, throwing a large bag of money onto the table, it was the assassin that had dressed as the monk, "I know he's not dead, but that poison will hopefully do the job, and even if it doesn't it will give me enough time to take that samurai's head while he's in searing pain. Like i should have in the first place, I won't fail Lord Goroda this time..."

Another opportunity taken from him, Kariya was walking down the street thinking of ways to get more money. His thoughts of the past events with the Samurai were distant, barely something that mattered in the scheme of things. He swaggered amongst the common people of Kyoto, a skewer of yakitori in his hand that he swiped horizontally across his lips, dragging all the meet off of the skewer and into his mouth before chomping it down and swallowing, finally tossing the skewer on the ground. He carried on, though his eyes narrowly shifted to the left. He turned off suddenly down a thing alleyway. Two men followed round the corner. The first was yanked forward and slammed into one of the walls before being hurled on across the length of the alley and crashing out the other side into a pile of clay pots. Kariya spun around and grabbed the other one before he had the chance to do anything and pinned him against the wall, drawing his wakizashi and pressing the blade against his stalker's throat.
"What the hell do you want?" He snarled, "And I'd be pretty to the point if I were you"
"Uh-uh...Boss Kanonji...he's offering you a d-deal!" The petrified subordinate gasped
"Deal? Like I'd trust that guy twice..."
"He says he will clear your debt!" The subordinate protested
"Oh yeah?" Kariya asked sounding half interested, "What's the catch?"
"He wants you to kill some guy...a swordsman...with one eye! He's at the brothel!"
"One eye huh? Well tell your Boss my debt is as good as gone" Kariya said finally before letting go of the man and walking off.
"Wait...he gave me this poison to-"
"You know where you can stick that!" Kariya barked as he continued walking off.


--- --- --- ---

At the brothel Kariya had stepped in to curious looks from the prostituites and innkeepers inside. All of them under Kanonji's watch, they knew exactly who he was. Without a word he passed through them, looking around for his target. It didn't take him long to find him in this hole.
"And they say fate's cruel huh?" he piped up as he caught the attention of the two Samurai from before. "Looks like it's my lucky day"
Kariya drew his sword casually and held it at his shoulder.
"Listen old man" He said, looking to the Samurai with only one eye who he well remembered from their previous run ins. "I'm not gonna beat around the bush. I don't care what I saw earlier, I'm going to make sure you die this time. Nothin' personal. I'm not afraid of goin' to hell but I'll be damned if I let Kanonji send me there. So looks like its kill or be killed."
Kariya turned and went to leave the brothel
"I don't have no code of honor, but only shit bags stab a guy when his back is turned. I'll be waiting outside when you're ready to fight me one on one"

Tsuguto turned slowly at that all too familiar voice, a small hint of a smile touching the corner of his lips. He tossed him the sword without a second thought, though still distrusting the kid and his cronies, left his own sword unsheathed.

"I remember you... Kadoma Tsuguto. You've become a man now, I see."

"You could say that," Tsuguto said softly. If becoming a man meant becoming embittered and losing one's home and livelyhood, then yes he had become a man. "You don't look a day older, Hayashida-sama," Tsuguto said seriously. Truly it appeared as though the man hadn't aged a day. He knew his former superior officer had an uncanny nack of pulling through the worst injuries so hadn't believed that he was dead as the kid seemed to claim even if he might have been severely injured. He wondered vaguely how he had fared during the Battle of Toba-Fushimi. Tsuguto had gone down, from what he guessed gathering information on it afterwards, around half way through the battle. To this day he remembered very little of the event itself though from time to time his old wounds still ached.

Tsuguto's eyes narrowed when Yoshio questioned the kid about some monk. Though it turned to a self-satisfied smirk when his old friend warned him of the unrest that was forming in Kyoto. True, this time he hadn't had a part of it, well not much, but he couldn't help be a little pleased by the fact.

"Goroda." Tsuguto said, acknowledging what Yoshio had said.

"Oh? So you've heard then?"

"Just what I hear from rumours, he's already assumed control of 4 of the largest dojos in Edo and has used their members to cut a path towards Kyoto," Tsuguto explained. It was only a half truth of course. Tsuguto had been trying to figure out a way to work himself into Goroda's good graces; he agreed whole heartedly with what the man was doing, simply not his methods. He would rather recreate the old Shinsengumi methods than this brutal man but at least he wasn't alone in his inability to let go of the past.

"Have a drink with me, Tsuguto."

Tusguto sheathed his sword and with a final backward glance at the kid, curious but not so much that he cared, he followed Yoshio, his eyes glinting with amusement though his face remained carefully blank seeing the brothel he chose. He followed him into the private booth, an amused glint in his eyes watching Yoshio refuse the woman's attention.

"Anyone would think you fancy the boys," he teased as he caught the woman around the waist when she went to leave, pulling her into his lap. "Come by later and we can have some fun, eh?" he promised. Letting her go he sat back watching Yoshio.

"So," he said. "I think it's about time you told me about this monk character who tried to do you in."

But, naturally, it was only after he said that this that the kid turned up. Curiouser and curiouser. After he left, he turned with a somewhat nostalgic look. "Tell me I wasn't that young and energetic at his age," he said, even though he knew he used to be almost exactly like that.

"Hmm, that was so long ago." Yoshio reached down and took a sake cup and brought it to his lips, downing the hot alcohol in one go, "Ignore the kid, he wants a fight he can wait, i want a drink." He smiled, tipped some more sake into his cup from the jug on the table and raised it to Tsuguto warmly before drinking it all again, "Aaah!"
The minutes turned to hours and the day whiled away until it was coming to sunset, as Yoshio was leaving the building the sky was a deep orange, he waved goodbye to the hostess and turned for a moment to Tsuguto.
"You should know, if this monk is after ex-shinsengumi, you should watch yourself." He smiled, and bowed slightly to his old comrade before turning his back to him, and waving goodbye, "See you around then!" He called, which as he did woke the kid who'd been propped up against the inn, sword in hand, but snoozing.

He quickly looked around, realising it was almost evening, "What the hell?!" He shouted angrily.
"Relax, would you? You're being a nuisance now." Yoshio sighed as he walked down the dirt path and Kariya leapt up to follow him, still holding his sword in his hand.
"Come back here and fight me, ya coward!!" Kariya yelled.
"Hmm," Yoshio yawned as he walked and just waved one hand off dismissively, "Is honour so important that you throw your life away, kid!! Like it matters..." He yawned again, but he felt the attack coming before it even happened, "Let's not okay?" He said, and heard the footfall scuffle as the boy backed off suddenly.

"If you really want to fight, let's not do it with all these people in the way, hmm?" He added, without turning around and continued to walk down the dirt path, "This way," he said, and turned a corner and lead them to the outskirts of the city. When they finally reached a reasonable, wide open spot Yoshio turned around and stopped, looking at Kariya with his eyes, the one that could see anyway.

"So what's got you all fired up then?" Yoshio asked.
"You lied!!" Kariya spat.
"Sometimes the truth is harder to believe than the lie, kid." He replied, "So this, Kanonji was it? He's the one controlling you, he your boss or something then?" Yoshio frowned.
"Wh--no!!"
"Well, seems like he is, only he told you to kill me, and here you are." Yoshio shrugged, and loosened the top of his kimono so one side fell off his shoulder and he pulled his arm free of the sleeve.

"So, when you're ready..." Yoshio said finally, putting his hands to his side, standing upright normally, he didn't move an inch and waited for Kariya to make the first move. Kariya ran, blade drawn directly towards him, raised the sword into the air and swung vertically down and blinked in confusion as Yoshio had moved quickly and accurately enough to grab the blade from either side with the palms of his hands, stopping it completely.
"Wh--" He pulled backwards and brought his foot up, and he hadn't been ready for this kind of attack and Yoshio pulled to try and dodge the attack, but his chin still connected with the wooden sandal, and he lurched backwards, letting go of the blade.

"Hmm," he smiled, rubbing his chin, "Funny way to fight." He remarked.
"Yeah? And what the hell do you call that!" Kariya replied irritably.
"Battojutsu, kid." He placed one hand on the hilt of his sword, "Sword technique, the art of drawing and attacking with your blade, in one strike." He shrugged, "That's just how my father did it, my teacher did it, and how i do it."
"Bullshit." Kariya replied, and launched another attack.

This time Yoshio reached for his weapon, and slightly surprised that the boy was almost on top of him, the least he could say was the boy moved quickly, but the second Yoshio pulled his blade the difference was immediate. He drew the katana from it's sheath and in a fluid upwards motion blocked Kariya's attack, twisted around Kariya's side and brought his blade around so that despite now being back to back, his blade was at Kariya's throat.
"--the hell?!"
With a powerful backwards kick and simultaneous block of Yoshio's blade Kariya knocked him forwards and rolled to one side, leaping up and slashing wildly in every direction. The attacks were misplaced and very messy, but fast. But because of their inaccuracy, he was able to block them easily. However, in that same respect when he attacked he found the boy's movements were so out of form or fluidity and at such speed, that they were difficult to predict, and he hadn't landed a single blow.

They fought back and forth for some time, but as time wore on he could see the boy was getting tired, it looked to him that all that extra movement was expending a lot of energy. "You're tiring."
"I'm not!!" Kariya panted.
Yoshio smirked as he easily blocked another strike but this time he fell to one knee, drew his blade and struck at the very base of the blade, just above the hilt, the strength of the strike sent the blade flying from Kariya's hand and embedded into the ground several feet away.

They looked at each other for a moment and finally Yoshio sat down and placed his sword back in it's sheath, "I give up." He said suddenly, making Kariya flush a whole other colour entirely, stood there in disbelief.
"W-what?"
"I give up." He said again.
"But, you knocked the sword outta my--"
"Yeah, well..." Yoshio shrugged, "You'd get it before i could stop you anyway, and i really don't wanna spend all evening fighting you, so if you're going to kill me, you might as well do it so i can sleep." He patted his chest and closed his eyes and yawned again, "Too tired to fight right now, anyway..."
"What the hell are you sayin'?" Kariya frowned.
"I'm not fighting you," Yoshio opened his good eye, "Alright?" He closed his eye again and sniffed, "So, kill me." He said finally, and yawned again, wholely disinterested in the entire event now.

"Hmph!" Kairya snorted as he ambled towards his sword and pulled it from the ground, resting it on his shoulder.
"Damn Samurai! You ought to know!" He snarled as he pointed his blade at Yoshio, "When you draw a sword at someone either you kill them or they kill you! There ain't no in-between! So quit talking like a coward and fight me!"
Kariya launched himself forwards, his body almost horizontal the way he ran so close to the ground, his sword dragging behind him. He reached Yoshio in seconds and his grip tightened on his blade as he brought it forward, swinging it upwards towards his opponents unguarded neck. He could see it all happening before it actually did. He'd cut straight through and watch as the poor bastard's head rolled along the floor. He'd really this time. However despite all of this making perfect sense in his head he found himself staring at Yoshio, filled with a mixture of frustration and anger. His hand had froze, his blade less than an inch from Yoshio's throat.
"...Bastard!" he snarled, "You didn't...you didn't even try to avoid it!"
His fist were physically shaking now. Why didn't the guy move? Did he have a death wish? It didn't matter. He couldn't fight someone who wouldn't fight back. He couldn't cut down someone who wasn't giving his all. It felt lower than he was willing to sink. He was happy to steal and happy to kill but to cut down someone who was not prepared to fight just did something to him, made his guts churn.
"Damn it!" He roared as he forced the sword away from Yoshio's neck. He swung it in the air twice before hurling it to the ground in anger. "Damn it! DAMN IT!!"

Throughout this Yoshio appeared calm. he raised his brow as if curious of Kariya's actions.
"What's your name?" he asked suddenly
"Kariya" he replied quickly without even thinking.
"That it?" Yoshio asked
"Yup" Kariya said with some finality, "and I don't give a shit what your name is"