38: The Shelter Sought

A procession of five made their way up the paths to the Yamakuni complex, frequently wandering through confusing illusions and strange spatial distortions.

In the dimming light, whistling winds weaved through barren tree branches and swaying undergrowth. To trek here alone would surely inspire a sense of ominous foreboding and hapless confusion.

Kana was grateful that her natural reticence had served her well in recent hours.

Soon after they had last talked, Fuzō had slumped over on Kana's shoulder and her breathing became ragged. Likely the result of resisting her injuries and the accumulation of stress and fatigue all day.

By the time the purported welcoming party arrived, Fuzō had barely been able to manage a smile in response to them calling out for her in the distance.

These were the three men who accompanied Kana and Fuzō in procession now, an older man and two younger professional-looking medics. All three wore multiple layers of dark grey and long-sleeved robes, some sort of servant's attire? The two medics also wore cloth wraps that bundled up their  hair, whereas the greying older man leaned on a long walking cane. They all carried a variety of bags and medical equipment.

Kana's mood had calmed right down when the situation demanded it. A stray thought occurred to her, that the presence of strangers or new people so easily brought out her more reserved nature. It still felt a bit difficult to keep track of all her concerns at even the best of times, but she tried her best to focus and be ready to react in the moment.

The older man had seemed to recognize Fuzō immediately, stopping to bow a respectable distance from where they stood and call out in a somewhat raspy voice, "Fuzō-sama, it truly is you! We greet the young lady."

His eyes, however, immediately traced the woman's bandaged and limp form, concern and pain wrinkling his face. These wrinkles grew ever deeper when it became apparent that Fuzō was struggling to respond. One of his hands formed a two-finger handsign and pointed off into the woods, where a few shadows flickered away.

Kana watched this all warily, curious but unafraid. Fuzō said these people would help, after all.

With another sharp hand gesture, the old man's two silent and grim-faced companions began to assemble some kind of field stretcher from items in their satchels. Extendable metal rods and a thick canvas unfolded into a rapidly deployed stretcher.

They approached Kana and Fuzō, beckoning to lay the by-now-trembling woman down on it. Meanwhile the older man discreetly scrutinized the masked and veiled figure that was Kana as she supported Fuzō's body.

After laying down on the stretcher with a labored sigh and a chuckle, Fuzō managed to speak, albeit in a wry and weak tone,

" 'Fuzō -sama' ... Genpaku, you old man... am I really still the young lady of the house to you, that you address me so?"

The greying man, thus identified as Genpaku, seemed to go through a rapid sequence of emotions as his face twisted and his eyes watered. It seemed he struggled to say something, but before he was able, the woman had already succumbed to slumber.

A defeated sort of gaze momentarily distracted all three men as Fuzō's words sunk in. Whatever had gone on between Fuzō and the people here, Kana suspected there was a lot of heavy emotions involved for the servants to react like this. She raised her guard even more in response. Some of these people may bring... complications, but for now their aid would be necessary. Her eyes narrowed on each of them in turn, trying to memorize their faces.

However, Kana also made certain to keep hold of one of Fuzō's limp hands, crouching to the side and mildly channeling her chakra to grant the woman peace while she slept.

Her mask tilted to face Genpaku; her words sounding unusually cold and clear, "Due to her condition, I must remain in physical contact with her as much as possible. This is critically necessary until she can be treated more thoroughly."

Genpaku paused in turn and speculatively looked the girl up and down once more, mumbling "Black Ops, huh...", before seemingly coming to his own conclusions... from her words and appearance?

As such, he merely nodded and gestured for them all to get moving with his long cane.

He didn't question anything nor linger any longer. Though intrigued by his vague mumbling, Kana liked it that way. For in situations like this, it meant she didn't have to come up with any excuses or worry about what to reveal all by herself.

It was much less stressful this way. Best to let either Fuzō or her own appearance do the talking, and one was unavailable right now. Kana pondered furiously about what she might say if she was questioned further, planning ahead just in case.

Regardless, others could come to whatever conclusions they must if it meant properly leaving Kana alone. Perhaps for now it was best for Genpaku to assume that Kana was indeed 'Black Ops', because that in and of itself seemed to be a satisfactory reason for silence. Kana resolved to act under that assumption until she had more information. They would likely need Fuzō to clear up any misunderstandings anyway, and she needed more care than Kana knew how to provide.

And so their procession was formed, traveling in silence up a route Kana could make no sense of. She had tried to track their progress for a while, but eventually gave up when scenery seemed to start repeating. It was headache-inducing. Fuzō's words about the barriers and paths being merely 'tricky' was a sore understatement, in Kana's estimation.

Her impromptu companions made no comment for the entirety of the way, so Kana merely closed her eyes and concentrated on her chakra flow while she thought and prepared herself mentally for what might come. Of course, her senses maintained a healthy awareness of her surroundings too, just in case.

Eventually they came upon another Torii gate, wherein passing through revealed drastic changes in scenery.

They appeared amidst a wide and cobbled square, bounded by rising stone-and-wooden walls that sported watchtowers and ramparts at least fifteen meters high. Various buildings of indeterminate utility spread around the Torii gate and formed a sort of plaza, gaps and alleys in the constructions forming streets of a sort. Their procession had undoubtedly arrived at Yamakuni's main complex.

Kana didn't even have time to pause and take it all in, for the procession and stretcher kept right on moving, forcing her to keep pace. As such she scrutinized everything she could see as they rushed onward.

The direction they headed was lined on both sides by well-tended winter Sakura trees, the white and pink flowers of which bloomed even in the brisk air. It lent a soft and warm color palette to the surroundings, making the atmosphere markedly different from the gloomy forests from which they had just emerged. The occasional petal floated down and landed on the cobbled streets below, inspiring a very peaceful feeling within an observer. Kana certainly enjoyed the sight as they progressed.

Eventually their path formed into a ramp upward, and then into stairs. Kana and the two medics had to balance carefully in order to keep the stretcher stable, but Kana kept pace and formation with them effortlessly.

Her physical abilities and agility were plenty able to allow her to handle something like that, which seemed to convince the two medics of something as well, for they no longer tried to sneak suspicious glances at her. That was a bit relieving, for Kana was starting to suspect them in turn as well. Anyone eyeing her up was cause for concern, and Kana was planning several scenarios on how she might have to handle them. She tentatively set those ideas aside for now.

Further up the stairways, Kana chanced a look out and behind her, catching a startling view of the landscape from her newfound elevation.

It didn't feel like they had traveled much at all, but a wide sweeping view of the hills and forested lands all around suggested otherwise. This must be nearly at the top of the mountain formation, the upper three hills or peaks upon which Fuzō said the compound resided! Maybe her sense of time and distance was warped by her preoccupied thoughts? Still, if this was the work of the barriers here...

Kana's respect and wariness for the barriers and illusions grew tenfold as she pondered more. These were dangerous and effective tools, and Kana began to feel a desire to learn more about them. This place had to be the most secure and well protected she had ever seen. Caution and respect were both at the forefront of her mind now, as this place definitely held secrets.

Still, just as Fuzō said, this place was... startlingly empty. There were no other people anywhere in sight. No one visible, yet the sprawling compound was well maintained. Rarely any sound save the idle creaking of wood or the whispers of winds.

The procession arrived at a large raised platform, a platform dominated by a massive rectangular shrine complex with a vaulted ceiling that soared dozens of meters above. The temple's first floor interior was surrounded by a terrace as far around as was visible, sets of massive and evenly-spaced wooden pillars forming a sizeable walkway roofed with an overhang before the actual entrance doors. This roof and overhang was covered with an impressive number of reddish ceramic tiles, some of which still faintly wet from the recent rain.

Making their way inside, the even cobbles of the outside paths turned into a cold polished stone of some sort, a speckled blackish-grey color. After a notable journey through no less than five long corridors, the party reached a four-way juncture.

Genpaku turned to face Kana, bowing slightly and speaking to her for the first time since they met at the outer gate, "Down the left corridor here lies the grand medical suites. As Fuzō-sama is in need of urgent treatment, we shall take her there for now. I request that you accompany me down the central corridor to inform the Master and Mistress of the circumstances of your arrival. I have no doubt that you all will have words for each other."

Behind her mask, Kana grimaced slightly. She wanted to have one more discussion with Fuzō about her parents before directly asking but... Kana felt her priorities were frustratingly conflicted again. She really did want to know more, and she had long since prepared the questions she wished to have answered.

She contemplated while studying the solemn faces of all three men around her, not yet letting go of Fuzō's hand. While staring at Genpaku, she found words to say, formal and serious in tone,

"I am loathe to leave my charge, having survived with and brought her all the way here..."

That much was certainly true. Kana's experiences and learning led her to feel that she would struggle less with conversations if she spoke truly, but generally and vaguely. That way, she didn't have to focus on remembering or managing lies within her words so much as the phrasing them discreetly, which cut out a lot of the frantic worrying she faced when dealing with conversation. If there was always room for doubt... she could admit to nothing.

The old man eyed the situation and squinted at Kana's grip, then looked to the two medics, who shrugged in response.

"The young lady of our house is of course our highest priority, but it is likely that the Mistress herself will be treating Fuzō-sama. She will wish to ask you of the circumstances of her daughter and her condition," he conceded,  "Nishi and Amano here will need to prepare the medical suite for treatment and then any amenities you might require during you stay here, so once again I must ask you to proceed with me urgently. Fuzō-sama will be in the care of the best hands you could find in this country."

Kana reluctantly released Fuzō's hand, figuring that she would end up speaking with the woman's parents imminently regardless. And Kana was also all-too-acutely aware that Fuzō needed proper care again, and soon.

Kana also knew that, now that she was here, her ultimate goals lay with Fuzō's parents and not the woman herself. Somehow that thought felt a bit dirty when she considered it. There was a sort of twinge in her heart and she glanced back at Fuzō as the two men carried her stretcher down the side corridor.

Despite all of the logical reasons why she should or shouldn't accompanying Fuzō right now, Kana still felt a strange and discomfiting desire to go with her anyway. If only to be sure... that she was alright??

Kana shook her head. She didn't know what she wanted from Fuzō anymore. Maybe it would be clearer when they saw each other next. After she had some answers, perhaps.

Finally turning away, she followed Genpaku down the central corridor to a large but unassuming pair of double doors. The old man pulled a rope hanging from the roof by the doors, causing a series of complex symbol and patterns to glow all over the door.

Behind her mask, Kana's fascination swelled as she traced the intricate and flashing symbols with her gaze. While she knew not what they did nor what the mechanisms behind them were, she still locked her eyes upon them, trying to identify any she might know or recognize.

She had stared at it for just long enough to start feeling a faint sense of recognition when the lights died away and the doors creaked open.

Blinking to refocus her attention, Kana stepped inside at Genpaku's prompting.

Inside was a large stone chamber with a slatted wooden floor, at the center of which was a massive and solid square table seemingly carved entirely out of one piece of stone. Its surface held intricate carvings and flashing symbols just like the doors had just moments ago, and some of those symbols spilled out in a line to the left and right, running across the floor and up onto the two opposite walls.

On the carved platform of the table, two people clad in red-and-white robes sat cross-legged, side-by-side with their backs facing her. Both looked to be in some kind of deep concentration or meditative state.

But just as Kana was thinking that, the doors creaked closed behind her, slamming unexpectedly loudly and flashing once with a bright blue light.

Only then did the left figure on the table stand up and turn around. This figure was slighter of stature and build, robes composed of some sort of stylized shōzoku 1Examples (some imply rank and significance, but that can be ignored): vestments.

Even when they turned around, Kana could not see the figure's face, since it was covered by a square cloth that hung from a headband. The center of the cloth veil held a singular swirling circular symbol comprised entirely out of smaller '山'2'山' == 'Yama' == "Mountain" kanji symbols.

Staring at the cloth veil, the characters that made up the symbol almost seemed to move. Kana mused absentmindedly that nobody in this room was showing their face. Though, the other figure remained seated and meditating on the carved table.

"Dear Guest of the family, I do not believe we have met, but please pardon our rudeness in not welcoming you sooner. You must understand our duties have precluded us from doing so." The voice resounding from the figure was that of an older woman.

Presumably, this was Fuzō's mother.