Samurai Times

Chapter 5

The next day, Shuichi was up and dressed again before his breakfast arrived. He was really excited about the plans he and Tatsuha came up with the night before. If all worked out as expected, Eiri would be taking more notice of Shuichi in no time. The expected knock came right on time and he opened the door, handing the tray of dishes from the night before to the kitchen lady that was there and taking his breakfast tray from her in return. He practically snarfed down his food in his exuberance to get to kendo lessons and see his samurai.

When Shuichi got to the courtyard, the children were already there practicing with one another. He stepped into the yard, exchanged bows with his pupils and started working on his kata, being mindful to do the best he could to impress Eiri when he arrived.

Time flew by and Eiri didn't show for the practice session before it was time for academics. Although he was extremely disappointed, he couldn't let the children see that he really missed the samurai that morning. Trying not to hang his head in disappointment, Shuichi gathered his students and marched them into class. He did his best to be as upbeat as he had the first couple of days of classes. By first recess, he was more ready for a break than the children. He allowed them their play time and went to search out the reason Eiri was absent that morning.

It didn't take long for Shuichi to find out the answer to the mysterious disappearance of the samurai when he ran into Tatsuha in the main foyer of the castle. He had just gotten finished talking to the samurai himself and had received unpleasant news. "Ohayo Shuichi, it’s nice to see you here. What's going on, don't you have class this morning?"

The young sensei bowed to his friend and eyed the warrior walking away. "Ohayo Tatsuha. I was just wondering if you knew where your brother was this morning. He didn’t show up for the children’s kendo lessons.”

“Hai, he was with Seguchi-sama. He will be gone about ten days accompanying the Daimyo to a neighboring province.” Tatsuha started to smile. “It seems that our master found out about your plan to get my brother and is doing his part to help.”

“Help? How can taking him away help me?” Shuichi was really puzzled. In an almost spastic tone he added, “I can’t impress him or get him to notice me if he’s not here!”

The younger samurai patted the hyper little teacher on the shoulder. “There is an old saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder. In this case, absence will give us the chance to do some private practicing. When Eiri returns, you will be well on your way to getting what you want. Remember the plan.”

Shuichi stopped and remembered the conversation from the previous night. “So, you help me with my kendo and when he gets back I impress him with my skill. He will notice that, right?”

“Right. And then you ask him to help you with the swords. According to my sister, Seguchi-sama said that if Eiri rejects your request, he will order it. He will tell him that it’s in the best interests of everyone if you can defend yourself.” Tatsuha was really pleased. His sister had such an influence over her husband, who really was fond of the senior samurai. Being brothers-in-law to the shogun was a definite asset. “Mika talked to our master last night and he said he’d do whatever was necessary to get Eiri back to where he was before Ryuichi died. It’s not as if the master was getting rid of Eiri to help us, he really needs him for this mission. A Shogun doesn’t go anywhere these days without proper protection. It’s just a benefit we can reap from the situation.”

Shuichi relaxed a bit. He would take the time and further his abilities. The only question was how much he could really improve in the next several days. Realizing they had been talking for quite a while, he bowed. “I must return to the children. I will see you after class, right? Then we can get my private lessons started.” After bowing again he didn’t wait for a reply, leaving to return to the class.

Mika came from the shadows around the corner in the corridor and called out to her younger brother. “So, he’s excited now that he thinks he has a way to Eiri’s heart. Let’s all hope that this works. If not, I’m afraid there may never be anyone that will fill the void that consumes our beloved brother.”

Tatsuha turned to his sister and nodded. “It will work, Mika. It has to.”


Later that day, after classes were over, Shuichi all but ran to his quarters, very glad that today he didn’t get stopped by the Lady of the castle. He got to his door, opened it and went it to find his dinner and another tray of food waiting for him. He scratched the back of his pink-haired head and speaking to himself he said, “I guess Tatsuha is planning on eating with me too.”

Tatsuha answered the question meant only as a spoken thought. “That’s right, Shu-chan. We need to take advantage of every minute we have while my brother is away. I will be eating with and sleeping with you so that we can work late at night and early in the morning. I will also be taking over the children’s lessons until Eiri returns.”

Shuichi turned around to see his friend standing in the open doorway. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

Tatsuha put up his hand. “It’s alright. I have a tendency to eavesdrop on people. In this case, though, you’re right. I will be eating with you. And I will move into your quarters so that we can take full advantage of all our free time. By the time my brother gets back, you should be pretty good. You already know the basics. I will teach you the finer points of technique. After that you’re on your own to win Eiri’s heart.”

Nodding enthusiastically, Shuichi motioned his friend to enter. They sat down and ate in relative quite. After the food was consumed, the two piled their plates on the trays and headed to the outdoors where there would be room to maneuver.

The two stood side by side, about four feet apart in the grassy area next to the small hut that Shuichi called his new home.“Okay, Shuichi, let’s start with the first kata.” They took their stances and started through the motions, slowly at first so the form was crisp and concise. As they repeated the kata, they increased their speed.

It took several hours of mostly nonverbal communication before the kata was done with fluidity and grace. If Shuichi made a mistake or form was broken, they would start again. Tatsuha would demonstrate how it needed to be done and the young teacher would mirror him. By sometime after the sun had set, the two men were running though their motions in unison, as if they had been doing them their entire lives. Finally, it was too dark to see clearly, even with the torch lights set around the village, and the men went inside.

Totally exhausted and sweaty, the two sat in chairs in the main room of the hut. Shuichi felt uncomfortable being covered in sweat and dirt. It finally dawned on him, that although he washed up a bit in the mornings using water from a basin in his bedroom, he hadn’t had a really good bath in quite some time. It seemed that Tatsuha, too, was in need of a bath and after a quick question as to the location of a place to bathe, the two men took off with clean clothes in hand.


The next morning, both men awoke early. Tatsuha had slept on a tatami mat the night before, his usual sleeping habit. Shuichi used the only futon in the room. They quickly dressed and, not waiting for breakfast, went outdoors for a quick run-though of the first kata. That went well, and by the time they had done it, a kitchen lady could be seen carrying two trays towards the small wooden hut. Shuichi and Tatsuha went inside, gathered the trays from the night before and met the lady at the door. After exchanging old for new, they sat down and all but devoured their morning meal. Soon it was time for the two to head for the castle school and the morning kendo lessons with the children.

The same routine occurred everyday for a little over a week. The two young men would rise, get dressed, practice, eat and head towards the castle school. Tatsuha led the morning ritual lessons and then excused himself so Shuichi could teach the academics. After the class was dismissed in the late afternoon, the two would meet up again at Shuichi’s hut, eat and then spend a few hours practicing katas. Then a quick bath in the mineral springs and off to bed.

Before long, the time had slipped away and on the eleventh morning, a flurry of activity and voices announced the return of the Shogun. That also meant that Eiri would have returned. Shuichi could hardly contain himself as he saw the familiar cream-colored horse majestically stride in the wooden gates. Eiri sat tall in his saddle and with the morning sun shining on his face; his golden eyes sparkled like citrines. Many of his fellow samurai came to greet the returning Shogun and the other warriors that had accompanied him. Only Eiri distanced himself from the others. He chose instead to guide his horse towards his quarters and a watering trough, dismounted and then allowed his horse to drink.

It was then that Tatsuha followed and approached his brother to handle the care of the warrior’s steed. He waited while Eiri removed his kabuto helmet and the hard outer yoroi armor and had it handed to him to clean and store until needed again.

As Eiri gave the armor to Tatsuha, he turned to see a certain pink-haired young man quickly approaching from the opposite direction. Being more enthusiastic than Eiri cared for, Shuichi bowed slightly and greeted the samurai with a huge smile on his face. “Eiri-san, it is so good to have you back again. I hope the journey was uneventful.”

The samurai warrior glared at the young man as he approached, then he softened his look into a slight grin. For some reason, the new exuberance in the young sensei’s demeanor caught him off guard, and reminded him of… someone. As Shuichi got closer, he allowed his eyes to meet the younger man’s. He stared into violet eyes full of sparkle and a smile that spoke to him like… That was it, not the color but the sparkle and the smile that the eyes had. He had seen it before, only the eyes were bluer. As a single tear involuntarily threatened to roll down his face, he blinked. No, it wasn’t the same person, it couldn’t be. He was dead.

Eiri closed his eyes and ears to everything around him. His mind started to wander back in time, the last time he had returned from a similar journey. He had come in the front gates and there waiting for him was a familiar mossy colored-haired young man, sapphire eyes sparkling at the sight of the warrior’s return. The smile on his face outshone the sunlight and warmed the weary samurai’s heart. As the samurai got off his horse, the other man ran up to him. He yelled out the exact same two sentences as he threw his arms around his shoulders and gave him a deep, heartfelt kiss. Although normally very unbecoming to a samurai and his apprentice, it was something that the warriors came to expect from the two. These two men were inseparable and very much in love.

That same enthusiasm was in the voice that called out as the young sensei all but ran to meet the returning warrior. “Ryuichi,” was the only thing he whispered as that tear finally broke the barrier of Eiri’s golden eye and slowly slid down his cheek.

Shuichi stopped all movement, caught by surprise at the samurai’s reaction to his approach. The sight of that tear was so unexpected, and then that one word made Shuichi’s heart fall to his stomach. A “No Eiri-san, not Ryuichi, Shuichi,” murmured from the devastated young man who couldn’t contain his emotions any longer.

Eiri looked at the pain and shock on the young teacher’s face and noticed he too was now tearing up. If this kind of thing was noticed by others, the wrong idea could make the rounds of the villagers’ gossip mill. He held his head up high and, extending his hand like a westernized man, approached Shuichi. He kept his voice low as he spoke. “Shuichi… I…”

Shuichi wasn’t up for hearing anything else at this point. He felt like his world was going to crumble around him and all hope for him was lost. As he saw the hand come close, he didn’t know if it was a gesture of friendship or if he was going to be hit. Not wanting to take any chances, he stepped backwards quickly, turned and ran towards his hut, tears flowing freely from eyes that no longer sparkled but refracted the light through a blurred prism of tears.

Tatsuha turned just as his brother mentioned Ryuichi’s name and saw the hurt written on Shuichi’s face. Eiri’s face didn’t look too much better and he knew that, although he didn’t hear everything from that first word on, there was trouble. He quickly tethered the horse’s reins to a nearby post and ran to his brother’s side. Seeing tears, he got really worried. “Eiri, are you alright? What happened, what did he say to upset you so much?”

Instinctively, Eiri brushed away the tears that tickled his cheeks as they made their way from his eyes to his chin. He sniffed back any more tears that threatened to fall from his golden eyes. Looking at the concern on his younger brother’s face he didn’t try to hide what he was feeling. For the first time in almost six months he felt a pain in his heart. Not since the death of his beloved Ryuichi had he felt anything close to this sensation. He started to speak but nothing. He could find no words to describe what had just happened. Instead, he patted his brother on the shoulder and started walking quickly towards Shuichi’s quarters.

At just that moment, the Daimyo turned to see his brother-in-law who had entered last into the castle courtyard. The stance that the other man took as he moved towards the new sensei’s quarters indicated there was trouble brewing. Trying to free himself from the constraints of the throngs of people surrounding him, he walked towards the fast-paced warrior. “Eiri-san. Wait!”

The sound of the Shogun’s voice halted Eiri’s movements. He turned to face his master and brother-in-law with eyes that were red from tears and pain that had lingered beneath the surface for several months. Tohma felt sorry for Eiri. Whatever had just happened had trudged up some memories that he hadn’t wanted to deal with since Ryuichi’s death. He picked up his pace and soon caught up to the warrior. When they were merely inches apart, he placed a hand on Eiri’s forearm and with great concern in his voice asked, “Eiri, what happened?” Tears renewed when Eiri faced Tohma. Not since the day of Ryuichi’s death had he shed so much as one tear, felt any emotion in his heart or suffered at the idea that he had hurt another human being’s feelings. He finally let go of all he had pent up inside for over half a year as he ignored everyone else and buried his head in Tohma’s shoulder.

Several people turned towards the two men standing in the middle of the village and were starting to move forward when Tohma put his hand up in the air, halting their steps. Seeing this, Tatsuha quickly maneuvered between the small crowd and his brothers. Stretching his arms wide, he created a human barricade and he walked slowly towards the oncoming people. “Stand back, everyone. Let the Master have some privacy.”

The crowd turned away and as it dispersed, whispers of speculation were heard coming from several individuals. Although none had actually paid any attention to the exchange between the samurai and the young sensei, there were rumors already starting that there was something going on with the two. A few comments were negative, but most were actually of encouragement that perhaps their protector samurai had finally found someone to replace his lost lover.

Eiri ignored what was happening around him and sobbed on Tohma’s shoulder. At first he was totally unable to stop his tears from flowing, being inconsolable. Two arms wrapped around his arms and back, holding him in a cocoon-like embrace. “It’s alright, Eiri. It’s about time you let someone back into your life. Ryuichi would want you to find happiness again.”

Eiri lifted his head and stared at the turquoise eyes of his brother-in-law. After Ryuichi died, he never allowed anyone to come close to him or touch him in such a manner. He had shielded his emotions from everyone, putting on a brave front, never allowing anyone to comfort him. Only during Ryuichi’s funeral had he let his heart dictate what he was feeling. Since then, it was safer for him to hide his emotions, keep everyone at bay. He studied those eyes, care and brotherly love exuding from them. It wasn’t until right then that he could admit to himself that he had been pushing everyone away, not letting himself live after Ryuichi’s death.

Remembering where they were, out in the open for all to see, Eiri pulled himself up and withdrew from Tohma’s embrace. He knew that no one would ever question the shogun’s actions, but still, he was the senior samurai, and letting anyone see him so vulnerable was not a good thing. Tugging at the hem of his haori he stood up straight and bowed to Tohma. “Forgive me, sire. I should never have broken down like that in public. I assure you it will not happen again.”

The shogun looked at the return of a degree of stoicism to Eiri’s face, but the eyes told the true feelings that were swirling inside his samurai. Speaking more as a brother-in-law and less like the lord of the castle, he consoled Eiri. “It’s okay, Eiri. You are among friends and family here. No one thinks any less of you. If anything, we are all relieved that you are finally getting to be more like your old self. We missed seeing you show any emotion at all to anything or anyone.”

Eiri started to walk away, but was stopped once again by Tohma grasping his arm. “Eiri, you need to talk to Shindou-san. If there is something going on there, you need to discuss it with him. Please do not shut anyone out anymore.”

The samurai turned back, a certain amount of surprise on his face. “What do you mean if there is something going on? I have nothing to do with him.”

“It’s obvious there is something between you two. I suggest you go talk to him now.” Tohma was back to being Shogun and not brother-in-law. “I want you to find out what is going on in his mind and in your heart.”

Two eyes opened wide and Eiri inhaled deeply through his nose, nostrils flaring. “There is NOTHING to talk about, Se-gu-chi-san!” Eiri was adamant and didn’t want to pursue this any further, but he also knew that Tohma wasn’t going to just let it go. “I will talk to him about his public outbursts, if that is what you wish.”

“That’s not what I want, and you know it. Now, do I have to personally sit you two down and talk with you, or can you handle this on your own? Ever since he got here, there has been tension between you two, and that tension has changed.” Tohma was getting hot. “At first I thought you were just annoyed at him because I sent you to fetch him up the mountain. But I have had reports, and those reports indicate that the tension is far more personal. If today’s incident is any indication, I say there is something going on and you will work it out with him.” Before Eiri could protest, Tohma started towards Shuichi’s quarters commanding, “Come with me!”

The two warriors marched up to Shuichi’s front door and Tohma gave three pounding knocks with his fist. As the door barely opened, a violet eye and strands of pink hair could be seen peeking out at the visitors. When he realized that his Daimyo standing outside his hut, he quickly opened the door wide and invited him in. Must to his surprise Eiri nonchalantly followed. The warlord took residence on the chair that faced the door, never liking his back to an opened doorway. He motioned to the other two chairs and merely said, “Sit.”

Eiri looked at Shuichi who had visibly been crying. Although the irises were purple, the whites of Shuichi’s eyes were bloodshot. He felt bad since he knew he was the cause of the young teacher’s current state. As he closed the door and started walking towards a proffered chair, he stopped, motioned to a chair and said, “Please, after you.”

Shuichi just stared into the passive features of Eiri’s face. He had expected some sort of reaction to the incident in front of the other warriors, but he didn’t expect Eiri to be so calm. He was still a bit wary of the samurai but inched past him and took his place in the closest chair. Eiri followed and sat down, their chairs merely a half foot apart. Both men stopped looking at each other and turned their attention towards Tohma.

Tohma watched the brief interaction between the two other men. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembered something similar that happened a few years back when another young man and the renowned samurai had first started working together. Eiri hadn’t been too fond of the idea of taking on the novice, and there had been a bit of friction between the two. A small grin crossed his face as he further remembered that it was only a scant few months later that those two men became lovers. His revelry was broken when an impatient “Ahem” was heard. Tohma blinked twice and stared back at a set of golden eyes that were squinting at him. Knowing this was not going to be easy, he sat with his back rigid and dove right into subject.

“I am here to iron out the feelings between you two. I know you got off to a bad start the first day that Shindou-san arrived.” He looked to Eiri and then Shuichi and continued. “Shindou-san, I have been given daily reports on your progress with the children and am well pleased. However, it has also been reported back to me that you have some definitely feelings towards Eiri-san. (Tohma purposely did not refer to the samurai warrior by the more proper family name.) And Eiri-san, I believe your insistence on travelling with me to the Hokkaido Province was not so much for my safety, but to get away from Shindou-san since his name was mentioned in our meeting several times. The other warriors were more than capable of protecting me, and I am not unable to care for myself. Besides, Hokkaido’s lord is one of my best friends. I had no reason to feel my life would be threatened. Now, you two tell me what is going on here?”

Shuichi heard that his name came up in the briefing the day the men left and was shocked. He turned to Eiri to speak, all but ignoring the shogun for the moment. “Eiri-san, why would you want to get away from me? Until today, I did everything to my abilities to do my duties and stay in your good graces. What did I do wrong?”

Eiri was pissed. The warlord discussing their meeting with the sensei was definitely not proper form. He was about to say something to the warlord when he saw the stern expression on Tohma’s face and heard the plea in Shuichi’s voice. Wisely, he chose to remain silent and gather his thoughts. Finally, he turned to face the young man sitting beside him. “Shuichi, I did not say you did anything wrong. It’s just…” He stopped midsentence.

The fact that Eiri called Shuichi by his first name and no honorifics was not lost on Tohma or Shuichi. Still, neither said anything while they gave Eiri time to finish.

Eiri saw the look on Shuichi’s face and realized what he had said. He immediately tried to change his wording when he slumped slightly and hung his head. Several minutes of dead silence followed as no one moved or spoke. Finally, he looked up and directed his words towards the shogun. “Sire, I believe it would be better if I spoke to Shuichi in private. I believe that your point has been well taken.”

Tohma’s facial muscles relaxed and a very slight smile formed on his previously terse lips. “Very well, Eiri. I will leave you two to discuss this matter privately. But when you are finished, I expect the two of you to come to me. I want to be certain that there are no harsh feelings left on either of your parts. Is that understood?”

Shuichi looked at Eiri and then to Tohma and nodded. “Hai, Seguchi-sama.”

Eiri’s eyes met Shuichi’s and, not taking his eyes off the young teacher, he also said, “Hai.”

“Good, then we will meet later at the castle.” The shogun pushed his chair back and stood up, motioning the others to stay seated when they started to rise. “And gentlemen, take your time and completely talk this though. I expect that at the meeting you two will be able to tell me that your differences have been resolved.” With that he walked past Eiri, placed his hand momentarily on the samurai’s shoulder, and then opened the door and walked out. He pulled the door shut behind him leaving Shuichi and Eiri alone in the room.

Tohma no sooner left the hut when he was approached by two people who had been waiting for him, his loving wife and the younger brother-in-law. Both had worried looks on their faces. Tohma walked to them, put his hands on their shoulders and turned them back towards the castle. Walking between the two he lowered his arms and merely stated, “It is all working out as planned. Now, let’s go get something to eat, I’m famished.”

TBC