Misao looked at the people in front of her and then down at their offer.
"The head of the Jurei family died recently and his final wish was to pass on this inheritance to his children," the messenger said. "All have been found with the exception of single daughter."
"It seems a straightforward mission," Misao said consideringly as she looked at was really too much money for such a simple task. "You only wish to find this daughter and deliver this scroll to her?"
"That is all," the messenger said, bowing.
Misao glanced toward Aoshi, questioningly. Her husband nodded imperceptibly.
"The mission shall be accepted," Misao said. "We'll need a name and description."
"Of course," the messenger said. "And...the message in the scroll is...personal, for the eyes of Jurai-sama's daughter only."
"I understand," Misao said.
****
Kenshin looked up from the pot toward Misao as the ninja-clan leader leaned on the wall in a fairly undignified manner that her subordinates would have fits over.
"You wish to ask something, you do," Kenshin noted.
Misao looked embarassed as she glanced from Kenshin to the dojo where Kaoru was in the process of leading a class.
"I need you to help me convince Kaoru of something," she said, tapping her fingers.
"What is that?" Kenshin asked.
"We've been commissioned," Misao said.
"Your clan is handling five missions already, is it not?" Kenshin asked. "You have enough shinobi for another?"
"It is a simple find and deliver," Misao said. "But, I only have one shinobi I can spare for a mission."
"Ah, Ashiko is talented," Kenshin said. "What is it you need from Kaoru?"
"I need...a student," Misao said hesitantly, drawing a sharp look from the samurai. "Simple or not, it is too early for Ashiko to be attending to missions on her own."
"You think there is some danger on this mission, you do," Kenshin noted.
"There is danger on any mission," Misao said. "And doesn't have to relate to the mission specifically."
****
"You want what?" Kaoru asked.
"It is merely a matter of finding a woman and delivering her inheritance to her," Misao said. "There is nothing more than that."
"Then why are you so nervous?" Kaoru demanded.
"It is reasonable that a parent should be fearful for their child," Kenshin noted. "We both know that well."
Kaoru nodded, reluctantly accepting the logic.
"There is a problem though," Kaoru noted. "You need an advanced student, all mine have their own obligations."
"Ashiko needs someone to watch her back," Misao said.
"I could go," a new voice noted. All eyes turned to look at Jiraiya.
"You're not an advanced student, Jiraiya," Kaoru said sharply. "You've only recently mastered the intermediate techniques."
"So," Jiraiya asked. "I've also been learning from Misao-sensei."
He nodded toward the ninja-clan leader and folded his arms proudly.
Kaoru looked to Misao who bit her lip in consideration as to whether she should say how far he'd advanced on that path or not.
"He is stronger than you may think," Kenshin whispered to his wife.
"Look," Jiraiya said. "I'm seventeen, I'm old enough to be leaving on my own anyway. And while I'm out there I might find something that leads me to my family."
The adults looked among each other cautiously as they considered that.
"Besides, it's Ashiko," Jiraiya said, shrugging.
"A simple mission, right?" Kaoru asked. "All you're worried about are bandits and such?"
"That's right," Misao said. "We're just delivering this scroll to a minor noble. It's an inheritance of sorts."
"See, not a problem at all," Jiraiya said.
Kaoru frowned but eventually nodded.
"You have my permission to take this task then, pupil," she said, ignoring the "yatta" and small jump from her student. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to write down a training regimen for your trip so you don't fall behind."
Kaoru turned about as Jiraiya seemed to deflate at that comment.
Kenshin chuckled faintly at the little scene.
"So, what's the task?" Jiraiya asked.
"Ashiko has the details," Misao said. "You'll receive them from her. Now, if you excuse me, I have to talk to my daughter."
As Misao left, Jiraiya smirked and darted into the training room to grab his bokken as he practically danced about the hall.
"One thing," Kenshin noted to Jiraiya.
"Yeah?" the young purple-haired warrior asked.
"Be sure that you do not harm Ashiko's mission in following your own," Kenshin said seriously. "The samurai code is service first, and in this, you are serving her."
"Hai, Kenshin-sensai," Jiraiya said shaking his head.
****
Ashiko looked over at her traveling partner and smiled beatifically.
"So, you're my yojimbo for this trip?" she asked.
"Yeah," Jiraiya said, pausing as Ashiko laughed at the idea. "What's so funny?"
"I'm a ninja," she said. "You're samurai."
"So?" he asked.
"How often is it that a samurai guards a ninja?" she asked. "Usually the situation is reversed."
"Well, you guys keep reminding me that my heritage is apparently ninjutsu," he said. "So nothing wrong with a ninja guarding another ninja."
"True," she agreed, brushing back her dark hair from her face.
"So what are we doing?" he asked.
"We're traveling north to the Kaminari no Kuni," she said. "There is a village there that is the last known residence of Nodoka Jurei, now Saotome. Then we give her this scroll?"
"That's it?" he asked.
"Well, we have to cross half of Kawa no Kuni, all of Hi no Kuni and then into Kaminari no Kuni," Ashiko said, adjusting her paired wakizashi. "The distance alone is going to be challenging."
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(Posted Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:37)
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