36: A Troubled Path

Kana's feelings and the understanding between the two had grown... ambiguous in recent hours.

In Kana's mind the initial results of her reveal were acceptable, so she had taken another slight risk and revealed a little more. That may have been a bit premature, Kana worried, as it was about some of her abilities.

Still, the situation had called for it. But that didn't make it any less uncomfortable. It had seemed like a logical and natural progression at the time, which was all the more disturbing in retrospect.

Having previously resolved to make their way towards Yamakuni as soon as possible, Fuzō had provided Kana with more detail about her childhood home and how to get there. Their target would be a prominent rock formation comprised of around eight distinct hills. These hills looked roughly like stairsteps when viewed from afar and the Yamakuni sanctuary was supposedly built atop and around the highest three. There were plenty of identifiable landmarks too, if you knew where to look, so it seemed that their way forward was clear.

Fuzō had also mentioned that the sanctuary complex was well-equipped and quite extensive, though despite its size was only sparsely inhabited. So, there would be no problems with staying there for a while.

Kana had privately wondered why such a large villa would be in such a remote place... and only to be sparsely inhabited. It got her thinking of the temple atop Mt. Shumisen again, though by all accounts the Yamakuni complex ought to be around four or five times the size of even such a large temple. Considering that the mountain temple was so far the largest building she'd ever seen, Kana found herself... quite eager to see how Yamakuni compared. Her own thoughts had grown complicated anticipating the change in environment, among other things.

The cold and drizzly rain had let up somewhat by the time they finished speaking and were ready to move out, after a short meal of rations for Fuzō from Kana's storage scroll. This had prompted a brief comment from Fuzō about Kana's surprising resourcefulness... and again comments about her secretive nature. Sometimes it almost seemed as if Fuzō's eyes could peer right through her mask, a most unnerving delusion.

So to those comments, Kana replied with not but an awkward silence, though Fuzō seemingly accepted her unwillingness to speak. She even handily changed the conversation topic, as the issue still arose with regards of actually getting to Yamakuni.

Kana continued to grow ever more confused by Fuzō's actions.

But the older woman moved right on to business, and seemed to think it would take weeks on foot to continue up into the hills. She expressed worry that it would be too much for Kana to carry her that whole time. She had insisted on attempting to walk herself, only borrowing Kana's shoulder to lean on. All reasonable thoughts if one was going off the assumption that Kana was merely a weak young girl.

But Kana again responded only with silence at first, letting the blankness of her mask conceal her troubled thoughts. This was where she faced a dilemma... and where she decided to reveal a little more of her capabilities. Truly, it felt like she ended up having little choice. Again, a disturbing feeling.

Fuzō waited patiently for Kana, always allowing her to think in silence. Stoically waiting for Kana to think out the problem by herself. Patient, accommodating, but always watching her. This behavior was... decidedly different from before her reveal.

And it would indeed take much longer to reach their destination at a walking pace, especially if Fuzō would have to limp alongside the whole way in her condition. And it was Fuzō's condition... that gave Kana pause the most. No matter how calm or normal Fuzō acted, Kana could see that the woman's physical condition had worsened, her recovery had slowed.

Kana was perhaps the most intimately familiar with how severe Fuzō's injuries were, and knew how delicate she ought to be treated. The strenuous travel for weeks on foot would undoubtedly be too much for her... it might even kill her.

All the while Kana was capable of traveling much faster, even carrying Fuzō all by herself, if only she'd be willing to reveal that.

Again, Kana fretted with the decision. What did Fuzō actually see during their flight from the wagon crash? What did she suspect? How long was she actually conscious? But ultimately Kana knew it was a non-choice. The best option was clearly to reveal some of her strength and speed, if only to spare Fuzō from further deterioration.

And so she had refused Fuzō, tightening her grip on the woman and carrying her in her arms. Fuzō merely nodded in a mysteriously knowing way. On her face, she wore a decidedly... sad smile? It made the hairs on Kana's neck rise and bristle, the fear she felt warring with the vague inklings of trust she had built with Fuzō.

Trying her best to keep her nerves under control, Kana thus darted her way among the treetops at a moderately fast pace, enough to clearly show that she was far stronger and faster than she let on during her travels with the Yuka convoy. Not only that, but she displayed superb balance and agility as she dashed from branch to branch while totally avoiding the muddy and intractable land below.

She said nothing about it, speaking no words to explain what was obvious. Kana felt that if she put it into words, then she would be cajoled or duped into revealing more than she wished. So she decided that silence was best until there was something else to distract their attentions.

Despite Fuzō's enduring patience, it was clear she was deliberately saying nothing about it, even though it looked like she wanted to. That she either knew or suspected more of Kana. It showed in the way the woman met her gaze whenever Kana looked at her, that knowing but silent gaze, somehow lonely. Kana almost wished she was imagining it.

In some respects, Kana was glad she was coming to understand and interpret the behavior of other people a little better. On the other hand, it made her somewhat paranoid that Fuzō was backing her into a corner about her past, that sooner or later she would feel obligated to reveal more.

An obligation...a decision she did not want to make, but just made the most sense. A decision made of circumstance... one that let her think it was her own idea to do so.

Could Fuzō...

Could other people... read her thoughts or feelings well enough to gain an advantage over her?

Now that she had trained some ability to read others herself, Kana figured that she might be vulnerable to manipulation by those with more experience at it.

She could certainly see how understanding the other party could lead to opportunities, especially when she lacked so much information and context that other people seemed to have. It was a world of knowledge and skill that was entirely new to her who had escaped isolated captivity. But the idea of someone leading her around and toying with her feelings left Kana feeling repulsed.

And mulling around the idea that Fuzō might be doing something like that...silently pressuring her, silently analyzing her... made Kana balk at lending out anymore trust. Conversely, it made her reinforce her vigilance.

Behind her looted mask, Kana's face itself hardened into a mask of neutrality. She didn't like to be surprised nor made to feel like a target of attention. All the more so when talking about herself.

And so that discomfort and stoic silence continued, in the brisk and drizzling weather of a dismal and wintry landscape... until they came across the path leading upwards. Casting her sight upwards, Kana could see the eight stairstep hill formation rising in the near distance.

Fuzō glanced up and called out that they were nearing the right way, but that she wasn't certain since the paths were always tricky. She neglected to provide any more detail, instead gesturing to continue onward.

Kana registered that it was odd... phrasing, but didn't know what to say. In the end she just figured that Fuzō simply didn't remember the exact path since it had been a long time. So onward they went, Fuzō looking up attentively from her position resting in Kana's arms. She didn't seem very surprised that Kana was strong and swift enough to travel this way. Concerning.

Following the path soon led them up and around into what appeared to be the first hill in the stairstep formation. The issue was, the path seemed to just end there with a dilapidated wooden Torii1Staple of Japanese architecture: gate, behind which it seemingly dispersed into the wilderness.

Seemed to, but...

It was faint, but Kana could see something there. Something obstructing her senses, but not quite good enough to fully deceive them. It was, it was... almost the same feeling she felt when discovering the hidden hotsprings and garden at Mt. Shumisen.

"Fuzō-san, do you see something strange about this path, that gate?"

Fuzō's gaze narrowed, but the corners of her mouth ticked upwards ever-so-slightly. But she nodded, saying,

"I do not see anything special, but I told you the paths are tricky. I myself am not certain what all they have changed in my absence, but I expect it won't be anything like what I remember. It certainly wasn't like this before."

She chuckled to herself about something, but continued on, "Even so, as long as you have found the barrier, we should be able to pass through. Even if I have been gone this long, I should still be allowed access. Please, let's try and enter."

The woman then suppressed a bit of her smile, returning to a rather normal and attentive gaze, and gestured Kana forward.

Kana was hesitant, but walked up to this... barrier that Fuzō mentioned. It was called a barrier, hmm? It reminded her a lot of the hidden entrance she knew from Shumisen.

Struck by a the memory, Kana glanced down to find a loose rock nearby the barrier's edge. Striding over to it, she kicked it lightly into the barrier, but it bounced off somewhat forcefully. Indeed, just like the secret gardens at Shumisen.

Turning to face Fuzō, Kana tilted her masked head questioningly.

Having witnessed everything, the woman still just obligingly gestured forward, giving a sweeping wave towards the Torii gate with her good hand.

Her lips twisted somewhat wryly though, "Welcoming, isn't it? Still, we should be fine."

Well, she had managed to make her way past a similar barrier once before. Whatever happened, Kana was relatively confident that they would be fine. Mentally shrugging, she made her way to the gate before sliding a foot through it. There was a very vague tingling sensation on her skin, but she ultimately met no resistance. She stepped through fully, thus the woman in her arms also entering with no problem.

The scenery hardly changed, it was just that a path upward was now clearly apparent. Odd, but not incomprehensible.

However, Fuzō suddenly let out a deep puff of breath, one she was seemingly holding in for a while.

"Hah! We're allow- I'm allowed access... after all." She had a pleased smile on her face and similarly beamed at Kana, "I'm truly glad, for I think our stay here will be most welcome!"

Kana frowned in confusion behind her mask, somewhat unsettled by the abrupt reaction,

"Was there... any doubt of us passing through? And welcome...you were the one who seemed so sure we could enter." Kana didn't mean for her tone to come out so accusingly, but Fuzō merely laughed it off. It was a light and kind laugh, one that Kana was actually somewhat glad to hear. That there could be laughter like this amid the circumstances they'd suffered... was somehow relieving.

The woman's laughter continued, as if they hadn't been in mortal peril the day before.

"Ah Kana-chan, don't pout." she said gently, wiping a bit of moisture from her eyes, "I can almost see the expression behind your mask. Perhaps I haven't been entirely honest with you, but everything I have said is true. I couldn't bear to act for much longer; I see now how worried and uncomfortable it makes you."

Now Fuzō had Kana's full attention.