He stepped into the alley once more, coming face to face with the Shino. And Hajime, who had sat on top of the box. Although in a way that made her suspect that things weren't so simple. Especially when it came to these two, Shino was unscrupulous in her method and Hajime calculative.
If they guarded anything, he has no doubt that it was anything that didn't grab the attention of many. He opened the lid, and knew that inside contained enough funds for her to do as they wished.
"Did you rob any poor merchant?"
They shook their heads. To be honest, he did think that they could have done better than this. Given both had immense experience in tricking people, he should have expected more from them. If Shino could turn Kisuke into an opportunistic bastard, albeit one of the least intentional. While Hajime was under his own sister's watch, and able to avoid people from finding him a conman.
And if he needed more confirmation, just their devious smirks were more than enough.
Shino gained new bandages and a crutch. And he had the feeling that he knew which was it. It didn't even need to have been said, it was just shown.
"Nevermind, I don't even want to know at this point."
"They deserved it, choosing to take advantage of a poor girl." She folded her own arms against him, not intending to go any further than that.
"In other words, you." Hajime couldn't pass for one due to his incredible height.
"I do look like a poor girl, don't I?" If he had never known her, he will have agreed fully. Sadly he did, and knew what she was capable of. Which naturally made her a lot less of an innocent in many, many matters.
He rolled his eyes, knowing that beneath such a harmless exterior was one of the most calculative and cunning minds that existed.
"We were discussing our next move from here." Hajime looked at him. "Do you want to add anything?"
If anything, finding lodgings will be the most important. He was someone who knew the ongoings around the city, and knew that the place was anything but safe. Even a single location was tough to rely upon for support. And another was to try and look for them as they were fractured and separated from them.
"Why are you asking me in the first place?" Since it seems that it was almost done."
"Because we're about to move. And you seem to be better at this." Apart from coming back in one piece, when he had done a great job in making sure that it will not only be difficult but also impossible to be walking the streets. Although it was not just his fault, albeit he made a decision of poor judgement.
He looked to Shino for any confirmation, where she returned a glance to him that she wasn't clear as well. Unfamiliar with the city, while he seemed to at least know where not to go and what not do. A huge significance if they were in a city where people could get killed if they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"We'll go to an inn." He got up and left. Before the two of them followed.
He walked the streets without much hesitation. Knowing the place had been something that he couldn't boast of, but he has walked the streets before. And knew the locations that were safe, and still was. One of the many lights in this dim city, was a inn called Houkou.
"So, you have walked these streets before?" Hajime came to him.
"I have lived here before but moved away for a couple of years." He led them through a small streets, which was safe seeing as most of the women favoured the streets. A sign that it was safe. And one of the many that he knew, apart from those that must be stayed away at all costs.
He doubted those will have changed anytime soon. Shino didn't show any expression, but he knew that even if she was asked she will not have known either. Hajime had taken to staying with Shino, although having recovered much and able to walk slowly. Just not with a limp.
He knew the inn owner will not have said no, if she was still around the place.
The place was still etched in his memory and recognizable. If he didn't know the inn owner, he will have turned around in an instant. But a middle aged woman opened the doors, taking one look at Kazuho before opening it. She hugged him in an instant.
"My, how have you grown. I knew you were tall but never expected that you will have ended up such a giant." Although he was accompanied by Hajime, who could also pass for one if he was compared. Shino was the only girl, petite by all standards. Although geta gave her an added height.
"This is…"
"Shino, and I'm fine." She took Hajime's hands off her.
"I thought so, because you will have been carried otherwise." The inn owner gave her a raised eyebrow.
The woman gave a bow to them, one so deep that Hajime took Shino and left. "I'm Takara."
He helped her up, being a tad embarrassed at it. "You don't need to do that, I'm just Kazuho."
She looked at him, in a way that he knew now that both will try to pry the answers from him. Or assume that it was just worrying; he knew without a doubt that it will have been the former. They were the sort of people who were taught to see and look deeper, rarely to ever let it go.
"I'll like to have two rooms." Not wanting to impose on her.
"I'll take another." Hajime gave her a couple more coins. They did enjoy being in private, and neither Hajime nor Kazuho had the warmest of relationships in the first place. They were barely acquaintances.
"Sure. Ruri, show them the way." A woman in her mid twenties came to them, dressed in a long blue kimono. Her hair was shoulder length. She had her hands folded as she came over. Bringing them into the place. She gave a nice smile, the sort that will have won over any man within sight. Kazuho gazed away, while Hajime was uncomfortable.
"Follow me." Her voice was sounded like a whisper, bringing them to the end of the hall to their rooms. This was odd if anything was to go by. But this was a city famed for its dangers, it should not be odd that those who survive unscathed had to be a little odd.
Shinrou came to the house again, being the only person here by the end of the day. Tired by it all, but not wanting to do anything else for the night. He lit a small candle, and brought it to the study room. A place where he chose to sleep as well, taking solace in the books, and adopting a small dog for company. He called it Maki, as it remained on the outside.
Looking for some meat to pass to the dog, while cooking for himself. Kazuho had largely left a sum of money here, free for him to use. Since he wasn't sure how long it will have taken them in the first place, and he had the feeling that it will not be soon.
He sighed, as he patted the head of the dog. Which the dog merely sat on the ground as well, before he gazed on the outside. Taking the time to figure out his next step, or where he should head next.
Being one who has been in such a situation before, several times over throughout his life. He needed to know what had to be found, any information regarding Rin had hit a dead end. Apart from Ayakazu, there was no one else who knew anything about her.
As though she has never existed. While he held many reservations about the woman in the first place, but he knew that there was far more than that. Rin was not some girl who locked herself in the room most of the time, and she knew many.
All had left, in a way that made him anything but certain.
That was when he heard footsteps on the roof. He kept a set of blades in his room in the first place in these sort of situations. In hope of finding the person in the first place. Not jumping on the roof, but the closest he could to find someone. A dark figure was there, which was all he could see and know. Nothing else really mattered in this sense, and he looked at the end of it as well.
A figure clothed in black, dressed in all black in the first place. Thinking in the spur of the moment, to think about how he will be able to get around this. Throwing it at this moment just to bring him down might be disastrous just in case it ended up that he had backup.
Better to observe, as he went his way through the roofs and the various sides. As he gazed, stopping at Kazuho's. He gave a smirk, knowing that all of the important documents had been removed, When he didn't manage to find anything, the figure came out before getting onto the roof.
He took the chance to throw a dagger. Before hiding. Maki was a little uncomfortable, and he took the chance to calm the canine down. Before going forward, and looking for any clues. The room had been anything but clear, with everything thrown over. Which he kept to look for anything that identified the figure.
Nothing and he was the only one here. Taking risks was not possible, and he was a man who has seen plenty. Knowing and guessing the situation was easy enough, but he didn't have concrete evidence--or any of it in reality. Any which will make some take it not only as real but also likely.
He will have to find it. And he had not taken a chance to really know anyone, that job was left to Kazuho and Yuki. Both of which only knowing a few as they stayed here for a short duration, and this was a country where social events were few in the place.
And many were to be found in the imperial capital, where princes often wrote poems. Court was held, which he knew that often it was not for the sake of entertainment but self-interest. Okiban barely fared better, being a place with many influences and depended on the policies of a Shogun. Some made great reforms and changed how things were done; others stuck to them as though as they were old as time itself.
The current shogunate had always been the former, not wishing itself to be at the mercy of the imperial family who although held no more power than a mere symbol, was playing in the shadows. In hopes of getting some semblance of their former power back. some were wise to know how much they could take to not destabilize the situation and alienate themselves, while others had done the opposite and found their countries in a decline.
For the shogunate had made deals with foreign nations, and did it well enough that all came to their shores to trade. While the imperial family had none of these things, believing it to have been a taint as compared to pride. Even wives that came from the shogun's clan were viewed with disdain, as their lineage was not nearly as pure.
It seems that someone had knew he wasn't home and took advantage of it. For Kazuho who has only been known by several people in the entire city, and even then not all could pull this off. Which narrowed the suspects immensely, as Kazuho had done everything to not draw any attention to him. Not a single one of them.
Although now he is caught in between, just what should he do next. Without any connections, nor did he have any people that could really hold his back in this situation. All but two, one was Ayakazu who he has never truly liked, and Enyou, whom he had found a nuisance than anything else.
This was going to have him mull over whom he should seek for the entire night.