by Sessha Batto
“That was amazing,” the Shuhan managed as he pulled himself upright, hair in tangles and come spattered across the front of his robes of office.
“You are going to be the death of me,” Souta muttered as he helped his boyfriend off the desk before staggering into the bathroom to clean up and change.
“Are you trying to tell me you didn’t enjoy that?” Daisuke asked. “Because you weren’t very convincing if that's the case.”
“No, no, I enjoyed it. Of course, now I won’t be able to look at the Shuhan's robes without getting hard.”
“Good thing I’m the Shuhan then. But, I’m afraid it's back to work for me.” Daisuke kissed his bemused lover thoroughly and headed back to his desk.
****
Kazuki paced as he waited for Kenta to return with the results of his latest tests. “Well?” he hissed the instant his apprentice stepped through the doors.
“My lord,” the younger man began, “I am afraid you have less time than we thought. Your body is weakening at an increasingly rapid rate. We will have to make the energy transfer within the next two months. Fortunately you have several candidates to choose from.
Not that I want to use any of them, the spell-caster thought. “What news is there from Kobayashi shuudan?”
“Rin is locked in the dungeon awaiting Sasaki's return. Genki is in town as well,” Kenta explained.
“And the new Kobayashi no Shuhan?” Kazuki prodded. “I need to know who it is.”
“This must be wrong,” the apprentice read with a frown. “It says they chose Sato Daisuke, a weapons instructor. That can’t be right, he must be a figurehead to hide the real power in the shadows.”
“Maybe Genki?” Kazuki mused. “Kenta, I believe it is time for you to pay them a visit and see what you can find out.”
“Should I do anything about Lady Rin?”
“I doubt the opportunity will present itself. I’m sure she has devised a plan, although I would expect you to help her if she requests it. I imagine she's merely biding her time until Takahashi returns. We should hear about her escape very soon.” Kazuki smiled briefly before adding, “I expect you back in three days with all the information you can dig up about this Sato Daisuke. I need to know what he holds dear. Then, perhaps, we can ferret out who really holds the power.”
Kenta bowed deeply. “As you wish master,” he replied before grabbing a light pack and heading off at a run.
****
“Junko,” Genki gasped as he sat bolt upright in bed. “No one mentioned her at all.” He jumped out of bed, suddenly certain there was something critical they had been overlooking in this whole affair.
The sage barged into the Shuhan's office, startling the man behind the desk and causing the hidden guards to flank their leader in a show of strength. “Good morning, Genki.” Daisuke greeted him with a smile. “What are you in such a hurry about? Did you find something about the ki binding spell?”
“Where's Junko? Is she in custody too?”
“Bring me Rin's assistant Junko at once.” The Shuhan ordered before locking gazes with Genki. “Why are you so concerned about her?”
“She's more than she appears. She's stronger than you'd imagine and sneaky. I’ll feel more confident of your ability to keep Rin under guard if you have her in custody as well,” the sage explained.
“I think it's high time Rin and I have a little face to face.” Daisuke peeled off his robes, leaving him clad in simple black pants and shirt. “Wait here for me.”
The Shuhan descended the stairs, relaxing his face and plastering on a cheery smile as he rounded the corner to Rin's cell. “Good morning, my Lady. How are you feeling this morning?”
“Daisuke,” she breathed. “Thank god it's you. This place has gone crazy. Let me out of here please.”
“I can’t do that Lady Rin. I don’t have the key,” he replied with a smile. “What happened anyway? Did you streak through town or something?”
“It's all Hayashi Hoshu's doing. He's had it in for me since we were teenagers,” she insisted.
“That was a long time ago,” Daisuke pointed out. “I’m surprised Hoshu harbored a grudge for that long.”
“Anal retentive bastard,” Rin grumbled. “Has a memory like a fucking elephant. The Hayashi are as bad as the Takahashi.”
“Where's Junko? She should be able to straighten this out.”
“I haven’t seen her. I assume she's in her quarters, unless they arrested her, too.”
“I’ll see what I can do for you, Lady Rin. I’ll come back and check on you later.” Daisuke turned and strolled away, stopping just around the corner to press a hand to his mouth as the implications of her words sunk in.
The Shuhan slammed the door behind him as he flew back into his office. “It's worse than we thought,” he croaked, causing the sage to look up from the papers he was perusing with a start. “Apparently she's none too fond of the Hayashi either. The part that worries me is the fact that she wouldn’t tell me where Junko is. By the way, I didn’t tell her I was the new Shuhan. Let's keep that our little secret, shall we?”
Just then the guard returned empty-handed. “I am sorry, Shuhan-sama, Junko-san is nowhere in the village. I checked with her neighbors. The last time they saw her was the evening Rin was arrested. They believe she left later that night and hasn’t returned.”
“I think it is safe to assume that Junko is no longer loyal to the shuudan,” Daisuke decided. “So, Genki, who would Rin turn to for help?”
“Kazuki,” was all Genki said, face falling at the thought of his former friend. “But she would never…”
“Never is a very long time. I’ve found out about a lot of things I thought could never happen this week.” The Shuhan rubbed his nose absently as he paced, before finally grinding to an abrupt halt and ordering the black ops to fetch Koga Aya. “I have to at least try to locate Junko,” Daisuke decided, “and the Koga are my best trackers.”
****
The shadow wolf ground to a halt about ten miles outside the boundaries of Kobayashi shuudan's territory. “Sasaki-san, who knows?”
“Eh?” the interrogator grunted as he dropped his pack and stretched. “Who knows what?”
“About me, who knows about me?” Yoshi prodded.
“I don’t know. The only people I told were the clan elders,” Makoto explained. “I tried not to give them your name, but they wouldn’t act without specific facts. Are you very mad at me?”
“No, not really,” the elite ventured. “What will they do to me?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve disgraced the shuudan by my actions.” Snowy hair flopped over Yoshi's eyes as he studied his feet. “I merely wondered if you’d discussed my punishment.”
“You won’t be punished,” the torture master assured him. “None of this is your fault. In fact, I’m sure they’ve been trying to decide how they can make it up to you.”
“You don’t really believe that do you?” the shadow wolf asked, scrutinizing the larger man with narrowed mismatched eyes.
“Of course I do. I promised you no one would hurt you. Do you really believe I’d walk you into an ambush?”
“No. But that doesn’t mean I don’t deserve punishment, I’ve compromised the safety of the shuudan by my actions.”
“You're wrong,” the interrogator said, grasping a pale face in his hand and wrenching it towards him. “Rin is the one who endangered us. I swear to you there will be no repercussions for what you were forced to do. The elders were all very worried about you.” Makoto paused for a moment before he concluded, “I was very worried about you, and I won’t let anyone hurt you, ever.”
Yoshi studied the heavily scarred face for a moment. “Alright,” he declared, once again taking a large hand in his. “Let's go home.”
Two hours later they were outside the main gates of the walled enclave. “Walk or jutsu?” the interrogator asked.
“I don’t have the ki to teleport,” Yoshi conceded. “Although I’d ra
ther not be seen.”
“Fine.” The torture master wrapped an arm around the slender figure and traced the kanji needed to move them to his house. They reappeared in Makoto's living room with a slight pop. “You wait here while I go check in,” the interrogator rumbled. “Make yourself at home, I promise I’ll be back soon.”
I might as well shower. Yoshi headed off in search of a bathroom. Whatever happens I’ll handle it better if I’m clean.
****
The last Takahashi emerged from his shower feeling much more like himself. Now, to get rid of these damn piercings. He easily removed the nipple rings and studied his reflection in dismay. “Guess I’m stuck with the holes,” he muttered before turning a wary eye on his penis.
Yoshi took a deep breath before starting to remove the first barbell, fingers scrabbling to maintain their grip when the little balls proved slippery and hard to unscrew. The more he fumbled, the more his body responded, and the pulsing twitches of his hardening cock only exacerbated the problem. By the time the last bar landed in the sink he was fully erect, silent tears of utter mortification running down his cheeks. I am so sick, Yoshi decided, unwilling to see his response as the inevitable reaction to so much handling. I can’t believe I enjoy this.
He grasped the throbbing shaft in his left hand, wiping his eyes angrily before attacking the piercings through the head. As he tugged at the stubborn rings his mind suddenly bombarded him with an image of Jubo toying with them. The shadow wolf was overwhelmed by the image, clasping his hand hard over his mouth to stifle a scream as echoes of the earth-shattering orgasm he'd experienced tore through him and the tiny spark of arousal he’d felt built instantly to an engulfing flame. The lanky ninja let out a hoarse cry as he suddenly came hard, splattering his seed across the mirror and onto the heavy steel rods resting in the sink.
Yoshi sank to the floor and wept. I wish I were dead. I’m not fit to be around decent people. Eventually he drifted into a restless sleep, tossing and moaning on the hard tile floor as he remembered all the times his body had responded over the years, further proof of how worthless and wrong he was.
****
Makoto paced restlessly outside the Kobayashi no Shuhan's office. I wonder who they chose. He ran the prime candidates through his mind. Probably Hoshu, he decided just as the door opened.
“The Shuhan will see you now,” Souta announced, standing back to let the interrogator enter.
The robed figure was standing at the far end of the room, staring out the window at the village. “Where is Takahashi-san?”
The torture master tried to put a face to the voice. I know that voice, who is it? “At my house, Shuhan-sama. He was uncertain of his reception and I felt it best to make him comfortable.”
“Then we will talk there,” Daisuke said as he turned, noting the shocked look on Makoto's face. “Surprised, Sasaki-san? The clans decided humanity was more important than strength. I am doing my best to live up to everyone's expectations. I hope I can have your support.”
“Of course, Shuhan-sama, I am yours to command.”
“Fine, take us to your house then.” Daisuke grasped the interrogator's arm as the gestures were made and they disappeared.
The pair found themselves in Makoto's empty living room. “Wait here, I’ll go find him.” The interrogator headed toward the back of the house, peering into the empty study and bedroom before stopping outside the closed bathroom door. Makes sense, he was filthy.
“Takahashi-san,” he called. “It's me, Makoto. The Shuhan is here to talk to you. Could you come out, please.”
Makoto waited, but no response came. “Takahashi-san,” he called again, banging on the door. “Please answer me.” When there was still no reply his patience ran out and he forced the door.
The interrogator took in the scene with practiced eyes, noting the pile of cum-spattered metal in the sink and the tear tracks apparent on pale cheeks. “Oh 'shi-san,” he muttered as he scooped the sleeping man into his arms, “you couldn’t help it.” He walked across the hall to his bedroom, pulling back the covers and laying the lithe form down, tucking the blanket in carefully around him.
What am I going to do with you. He studied the slumbering shinobi for a moment before kissing the top of his head and heading back out to talk with Daisuke.
“He’d fallen asleep in the bathroom,” Makoto explained. “I put him to bed.”
The Shuhan studied his head of covert operations. “You like him.”
“Of course I like him, why wouldn’t I?” the interrogator countered.
“No, you like, like him,” the Shuhan stated. “As in, you want to have a relationship with him.”
“What I want is of no importance,” Makoto said with a shrug. “Whatever he wants, if it's within my power to do so, I’ll give him. It's the very least I can do.”
“Because?” Daisuke prodded.
“Because Kobayashi-sama used him to get me released from Iwagashi shuudan. He was hurt because of me, he's been hurt so badly, so often and I … understand.”
“Fine,” Daisuke said, “I will leave his recovery in your hands then. If there is anything you need?”
“Yoshi said he was being evicted, do you know if his things were thrown out?” the interrogator asked.
“I believe Tatsuya took care of it, I will make sure and let you know. You said Yoshi was worried about his reception?”
“He believes he should be punished, that his actions endangered the shuudan,” Makoto explained. “He's very confused and depressed. I think this particular assignment damaged him psychologically in a way the others didn’t, although I don’t know why. He was in terrible shape when I arrived. He didn’t even recognize me until we were well on our way here.”
“And now?” Daisuke pressed.
“He seemed better, lucid, on the way here. Worried about what would happen to him now that his secret is out, but not desperate,” the interrogator decided. “I thought he’d be alright or I would never have left him alone.”
“I spoke with Rin today. From what I’ve managed to glean, this all started when Yoshi's father rejected her. A woman scorned is, apparently, nothing to trifle with. Yoshi just had the bad luck to be born his father's son.” Sad chocolate eyes met shuttered ebony as the Shuhan continued, “I’m at a loss as to how to punish her. Aya's out tracking Junko as we speak. I fear Rin may have sent her to Kazuki for aid.”
“I'll have a chat with her tomorrow,” Makoto said with a grin. “That is, if you wish it, Shuhan-sama.”
“For now just concentrate on taking care of Yoshi,” Daisuke decided. “I need him back at full strength. Genki's researching the ki-binding so we can remove it. Neko's more than happy to question Rin. In fact, you’d be surprised at the people who want a crack at her. Takahashi-san's more popular than he knows.”
“He should have a prettier nurse.”
“I think you’ll be good for him. You have much in common and he seems to trust you. Maybe you can help each other,” the Shuhan suggested.
The interrogator pursed his lips. “That's not likely. I’m sure Takahashi-san will be happier with someone else now that we’re back.”
“Because?”
“He's beautiful,” Makoto offered by way of explanation. “Not to mention a genius and the shuudan's strongest shinobi. Believe me, no one would turn him down. Why in Kami's name would he want to stay here?”
“Those are all wonderful qualities, and it would be easy for someone to accept them. However, you’ve seen Takahashi-san at his very worst, yet you didn’t reject him. I imagine he feels safe with you. After what he's been through that's more important than something as superficial as good looks. Besides,” Daisuke continued, mirth apparent in his voice, “your scars are sexy as hell. The elite have been running a betting pool about you for years; who, when, where…” He trailed off at the stunned look on the interrogator's face. “What, it never occurred to you that a big, strong, silent type with sexy scars and an intimidating personality m
ight do well in an enclave full of ninja?”
The torture master made a strange gurgling sound. I must have misunderstood, it almost sounded like the Shuhan was flirting with me. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, having no clue as to what to say.
Daisuke noted the look with glee. Idea planted, he thought with a smirk as he rose. “I’ll leave you to it then. Check in with me tomorrow. Tell Takahashi-san I’d like to see him.” The stunned interrogator finally shook off his stupor and headed to the bedroom to check on his charge.
Makoto perched on the edge of the bed, gingerly running a hand through silky strands as he attempted to soothe the restless shadow wolf into a deeper sleep. He was startled out of his thoughts when long fingers wrapped around his wrist and a hoarse voice whispered “Stay with me, please.”
“If that is what you want.” The torture master moved to stretch out on the other side of the bed, still fully dressed.
Yoshi let out a snort, “I don’t bite.” He scooted over and threw an arm across the interrogator's broad chest, snuggling into his side before drifting back to sleep. It took Makoto much longer, but after a time he began to relax, bringing an arm up to wrap around the lithe figure and tangle in soft snowy strands as his breathing slowed and he, too, passed into sleep.
THE SECOND GATE
SHIFTING SANDS
Makoto woke before dawn, the soft rays of moonlight dappling the room with a cool, hazy glow. He wrapped his arms more tightly around the man currently curled up on his chest, admiring the wintry picture the elite shinobi made, long pale limbs and sparkling icy hair splayed across dark sheets. The stoic head of covert operations let out a short bark of self-deprecating laughter, the last of his resistance melting away as he studied the handsome face in repose. “What do you want from me Yoshi?” he whispered while his hands stroked silky opalescent skin.
He was startled when sleepy eyes blinked open. “Everything,” the elite rasped. “Everything I’m not allowed to have.”
