"It appears as though the young man here is the only one worthy enough to deliver punishment," Kirameku Ha said, exchanging glances from Sesshomaru to individuals of the shocked group of swordsmen. "I'll have to relay this information to your general."
"What the hell gives you the right to do anything, old man?" the leader asked, making Meioshi almost blow a fuse. She could tolerate a lot of things. Disrespecting the elderly was not one of them.
"Well, I have known your general for 15 years, after all," Kirameku Ha answered, raising an eyebrow. "I was his trainer once. He didn't mention a man named Kirameku Ha?"
The men flinched at the name, shivered, and lost color in their faces. They then rushed to bow before him and whimpered, "Apologies, Lord Kirameku Ha! T-th-this woman is your newest pupil?"
"I just said she was," he replied, lowering his eyebrow and helping Meioshi stand. He fixed her yukata and hair before playfully plucking her nose and asking, "Hard to recognize Lord Arimasa's granddaughter when she's all grown up, isn't it?"
"C-ca-cap-captain?" the men questioned, looking to their leader who was more shocked than everyone else. "You were trying to kidnap the maritime soldier's descendant? You disrespect a legacy!"
Sesshomaru could only watch with hidden amusement at the apologies spewing out of the men's mouths. Though he only knew his rival's family history in part, he could only assume that her grandfather must have been a man of great recognition. He knew Kirameku Ha was a man of honor upon their first meeting, and he walked like someone who had a high rank in the army. Perhaps Meioshi's grandfather and Kirameku Ha were close comrades? Meioshi, unfortunately, was none too pleased with the men's reactions. Although she cheered up when Kirameku Ha plucked her nose, she visibly glared at the retreating men. She rubbed her temples a tad angrily before mumbling a soft prayer to herself. Kirameku Ha softly chuckled at the doctor before turning his attention to Sesshomaru. The western lord found Kirameku Ha's laughter to be rather pleasant in sound. It made his ears twitch and head tilt very minutely. The mysterious sensei must've caught this reaction and softened his features in response. Seems like every time he sees the young lord it's because he's defending Meioshi in some way. Maybe that's a sign.
"You may return my pupil's tanto now, young man," Kirameku Ha said, watching Sesshomaru return his gaze then inspect the weapon. He bowed respectfully before saying, "It appears I'll be thanking you often for your interventions at this rate. My gratitude for lifting her weapon. Have you witnessed ceremonial deaths often? You knew of the details quite well."
He wasn't sure why, but Sesshomaru somehow felt at ease around the old man. It was the only reason he could give for bothering to answer his question. "Only twice... partially at best. It has always been the humans that have done them. Demons... have interesting ways of completing these things. Why did that coward have such a strong vendetta against you?"
"I interrupted him from something he wanted from the lady here," Kirameku Ha replied, turning to Meioshi who was puffing her cheeks and pouting cutely. "I don't know what she did."
"I refused to marry him," Meioshi replied, folding her arms. "It is as simple as that. If I knew returning to the Bushido was going to be this much a pain in the arse, I would've refused it as well."
Curious, Sesshomaru asked softly, "Why did you refuse him?"
"I've chosen a life of celibacy for one," she answered.
"Clearly, the men of Heiwa are in mourning for the loss of such a fine pick," Kirameku Ha said, earning a short laugh from Meioshi before she ultimately started smiling again.
"Oh, shush!" Meioshi said, sighing and tilting her head to feel autumn's breeze against her cheeks. "Two, he's more of an ass than you and your petty self. That's saying plenty. How exactly is kidnapping a woman and threatening her to accept marriage supposed to be a romantic or moral proposal?"
"How did he drag you out of the house anyway?" Kirameku Ha questioned, wondering if he's been an awful teacher all this time. She shouldn't have been caught off-guard so grossly.
"I was literally making tea for breakfast," Meioshi said, eyes filled with some annoyance at the memory. "I had food in my mouth, a steamy towel on my neck, my toes were open in my slippers, and my daily bit of news was beside me. I was completely relaxed. Before I could even take a sip, my door was kicked open and I got a lasso whipped around me and a burlap sack over my head! I don't know why I bother to put up with this kind of shit!"
"Because that is a direct violation of what you've been taught throughout the entirety of your life, Meioshi," Kirameku Ha responded, quieting his pupil's outrage. "Demeaning another by your actions or your words is no right of yours. What you think of others has no weight in comparison to the way others think of themselves. If that boy had to control things to this kind of degree, he demeans himself naturally and daily. Possibly without knowing it. You are not like most adversaries of a female persuasion to him. He had to leave you with no choice or chance of refusal to get you to listen to him or look at him; otherwise, you always have the upper hand just by saying no. Getting a woman to agree to something by putting her in a situation where her emotions or situation leave her disabled is probably how he typically operates. It is sometimes what men are taught to do in order to be the dominant figure. A man's way of thinking changes when his usual method of attaining something no longer works to his advantage, especially when it involves a woman who doesn't respond in the typical manner. He becomes more susceptible to respecting himself less because he couldn't get someone, who is considered less than him, to bow to him and proceeds to resorting to lash-outs in different ways. This, however, is often dangerous and controversial territory. It is more sinful to undermine a man's self-respect than it is to justify his wants or false accusations. Let him deal with the consequences of that. The more challenging test of the Bushido warrior is his or her respect for those who can be of no possible service to him or her. Can you find something in him that is worth respecting despite his shortcomings as a husband to you? or even as a man?"
Meioshi was quiet but unfolded her arms, let her head drop, and sighed in response. She nodded her head, gasped when Kirameku Ha plucked her nose again gently, and smiled brightly after a childish pout. Sesshomaru was practically a ghost watching them. Kirameku Ha's words were strong in regard to how Sesshomaru felt towards Meioshi. He could even translate some of that to his quest for the Tessaiga in the couple of years that have passed. Though this was a dangerous thought for a demon warlord, Sesshomaru wondered a bit about Kirameku Ha's teachings. The main objective in accepting Tensaiga and obtaining Bakusaiga was to learn to have compassion for others, according to his father, but he wondered if having a teacher like Kirameku Ha in the beginning would have made things different or even easier. Meioshi was no easy opponent to defeat or put in a corner if Sesshomaru had to be quite honest. It's what made him respect her as a warrior in the beginning. As the elder said, Meioshi's emotions don't have full control over her. She allows them to surface, accepts them, and weaponizes them to form a controlled strike. Most warriors are taught not to feel. It's how he was trained. It's how most are trained. Feeling a shift in his hand, he looked down to see Meioshi smiling at him and taking her tanto back.
"Thank you for defending me... again," Meioshi said gently, placing the weapon back on her person. "If you're here, you must have taken Jaken someplace for his antidote. Hope you don't mind waiting for a spell. I have to meet with some very sweet and important ladies. There's going to be a few changes we must discuss for funeral services, it seems."
"Anything drastic?" Kirameku Ha asked, stealing the words out of Sesshomaru's thoughts.
"Well, I wouldn't say 'drastic', but we may need to consider opening a proper shop for family or personal services. It's been requested that I provide a tour of the funeral home including a show of the process. You will be part of this as well with your bouquet expertise, sensei," Meioshi said, looking to Kirameku Ha.
The mention of a bouquet made Sesshomaru think of his mother. Was she still on mortal land? Her scent had disappeared after they spoke to each other at his father's tomb. She had a bouquet that she made resting beside her. She was probably the quietest he had ever seen her since Rakuyama had stolen the Meido stone. She hadn't spoken more than a few words as of late. Her voice seemed to be one with her thoughts: lost. He wondered if he would see her again with another bouquet in her hand. If she did return to mortal soil, would he see her at the same place? Should he perhaps let her see his father's remains for closure? Though his feelings towards her were complicated, she at least was owed some peace of mind. The devolution of his mother was a physical example and gut-wrenching truth about what made him turn away from having emotions. Many simply assumed it was because she was cold - that a child would grow into the personality of the parent they were around or favored most. No. They knew nothing. They had no idea what it was like to watch his mother become cold or lose control of her emotions the way she did. Those days forever closed the doors on what was left of their relationship, but he somehow regained a fraction of hope when he saw her step on mortal soil again after two hundred, long years. She was right. He had no reason to see her at his father's tomb but seeing her there and sitting on the ground in her kimono made him want to find her beloved parting gift from his father.
"Our lordship is lost in thought, it seems," he heard Meioshi say with a playful giggle. He looked at her smiling face and was quiet when she continued, "While I don't want Lady Nakasone to get the wrong idea, I will cordially invite you to the meeting. If you are choosing to simply rest, Ah-Un are in my barn sleeping. It's not far from my farming area where you saw me pick rice. Sensei's been spoiling them with extra fruit from his orchard."
"... they're interesting," Kirameku Ha admitted with an embarrassed grumble.
"Are the ladies you're meeting the same ones who watched us duel?" Sesshomaru asked. "I recall three older women sitting with your sensei at that demon's funeral. One carried a sword. I believe her name was Anju."
Impressed, Meioshi's eyes lit up with surprise and said, "Your memory is astounding! Yes, that's who we're meeting."
"What wrong idea did one of them have?" Sesshomaru asked, narrowing his eyes.
__________________________________
"Little one, this is becoming less of a coin~cid~ence," Nakasone said in a sing-song manner.
Shit... Meioshi thought with that long drag.
"Madame, this is not the time," Meioshi said, eyebrow twitching.
The funeral home was actually a lot larger than Sesshomaru thought and quite beautiful. No doubt, Kirameku Ha was in charge of the landscaping. He was tending to the plants while the two older women were tending to other things. The one called Nakasone was currently focused on Meioshi and hiding her face behind a fan made of leaves and feathers. It was a fabulous accessory that seemed to match with the luxury of the woman's fashionable attire. Judging from her clean face and the curves of her figure, she had to have been stunning in her younger years. Her gray hair and wrinkles hid very little of her aged beauty from the western lord. To older men about Kirameku Ha's age, she was probably gorgeous. They were seated at an outdoor luncheon area that was covered by an outstretched and colorful parasol extending from the roof. From it, the stream where Meioshi dances could be seen splitting off into three directions. One tributary of sorts snaked under a bridge leading to another open area. It seemed to be larger in size than where they were and housed a more intimate viewing of funerary urns.
"And when, my darling, would it be an appropriate time?" Nakasone asked, fluttering her lashes.
"Preferably when I'm not in the middle of a business decision!" Meioshi argued.
"As long as there is something to barter, there will always be business. What are you bartering with this young man here?" Nakasone asked, narrowing her eyes to show a twinkle in them.
"Her life," Sesshomaru answered, hardening his features to show seriousness of their situation. "Her actions within the Netherworld have been deemed declarations of war and my homeland was attacked as a consequence. I require proof of her innocence forthwith; otherwise, she faces sudden death."
He thought for sure that would shut the woman up. He was confident that would startle or concern her. Nope. Nakasone simply closed her fan, put it against her lips, and said with glee, "That is quite the beginning to this story. Might I ask you a question then, young man?"
Shit... Meioshi thought with the long drag, stiffening at Nakasone's tone of voice.
"How did the Netherworld demons know where you lived in such detail if they didn't necessarily fight at length with you?" Nakasone asked. "You said her actions caused such grief in your territory, but I know a majority of the same people she knows. You are not among the number. They shouldn't have become acquainted with you at all, and your home should've been untouched. There is a loose end to your claim."
It was an innocent question and an astute observation of facts, but the woman's face said otherwise. Against his better judgement, which seemed to be a growing problem around the doctor, he replied, "I fought against the same demons she was fighting against both as a temporary ally and alone. If they recognized my scent or kind, they could have found my stronghold in this way."
"Netherworld demons, from what I understand, recognize the scent of fresh blood and specific herbs better than one's odor or perfume. If you did not bleed during these battles or have a distinguishable scent like sage on your person at the time, these demons wouldn't have recognized you or your home enough to invade it. If you have some clue as to how your home was invaded, you should've had more than enough proof of my darling's innocence," Nakasone deduced.
He was beginning to like this situation less and less. He may not have known about that detail for Netherworld demons, but he shouldn't be receiving a lecture from an old human woman anyway. His eyes narrowed considerably at her words until he said, "The fact remains that she has influence over certain territories that may contain demon territories in the west. This is stealing land from me. Furthermore, a precious item was stolen from me during the attack. If the doctor is so innocent, why is such high-profile theft linked to her time in the Netherworld and beyond?"
"Know ye of the lands she has such influence over?" Nakasone asked, twinkle staying in place in her eyes.
"That is part of our agreement to prove she is faultless. She must locate my missing item for the House of Inu or be executed for its invasion," Sesshomaru replied, beginning to growl.
Nakasone was silent until she started smiling. It went from just a simple upturn of lips to a revealing of teeth. She then said, "This item you must seek, are you familiar with its powers assuming it has any?" Sesshomaru didn't reply to her this time. He knew of its resurrection capabilities since it was similar to the Tensaiga, but he couldn't honestly say that resurrection was all it was capable of. His silence was all Nakasone needed for her to say, "You've chosen quite a length of time to prove yourself to her."
"What?" Meioshi questioned, not looking at Sesshomaru or catching him slightly parting his lips to bare his teeth at Nakasone. Probably a good thing since she was already upset from those men disrespecting Kirameku Ha.