Tense Negotiations

This article, , follows on from Death of a Shiba and again features Kentaro Hiroshi. Kenji, Kusaka and Akiye serve as support with Suitai Shiba featuring as well.

The atmosphere could have been cut by a knife. Kenji had already left the room they where in twice to cool his temper, but it did little good. He was too emotional – and drunk – right now to properly control himself.

“Idiot.” Kentaro whispered, though loudly enough that he was still heard by all present.

"You think you're too old to get your backside tanned? Don't push me son." Kenji replied.

"Come in here and try it!"

“... You guys need to stop!” Akiye exclaimed.

Silence greeted her outburst so she turned on her heel and left. Though by no means was she finished. Right now only one person could stop this degenerating into a father-son-brawl. She flash stepped off into the night.

The cause of Kenji and Kentaro's feud was struggling to walk.

Kentaro watched as his great-uncle walked into the room. He was more steady on his feet now and seemed to carry himself with a less defeated air, but even so Kentaro saw the depression in the man's eyes; the once proud Shiba was no longer the man he had been, and it was obvious to all who looked upon him that this was so. The man once feared as Suitai of the Northern Wind was nowhere to be seen. All that was left was the defeated shell of a man Kentaro saw struggle to his seat. Kenji, however, saw something a lot of different and that was what angered Kentaro. Suitai was a lion in sheep's clothing and it was clear to his experienced eye that he was using his current state in some scheme to further his advantage. He already had Kentaro baked into an emotional corner but Kentaro was too blinded by his emotions to see that.

"Harsh words are needed... but I'm only doing this to protect you." Kenji thought before settling in to play his role once more.

“... What?” Suitai asked, looking at Kentaro in a disapproving manner.

“Nothing.” Kentaro answered.

“Bullshit. But whatever, it matters not.”

Kentaro lowered his head with a degree of shame though he hid that look by feigning tiredness; he brushed his hand as if to rub his eyes, though in truth he was wiping away the beginnings of a few tears. Kenji clenched his fists; Suitai's brief smile was missed by Kentaro.

“You can't hide from me, boy. You may have broke my body and my fighting spirit but my mind is another thing completely.” Suitai whispered. “You look at me and wonder 'why did I do this' and 'how can I put it right', correct? The simple answer is that you cannot... but at least you feel remorse for your actions. I know I wouldn't if I had put you in my position.”

Kenji lost it for the third time.

“Broken your fighting spirit? You're talking through your ass!”

Kenji stepped into the room. His clothing, unlike Suitai's rags, where neat and tidy. Tonight he wore a loose kimono that showed a good bit of his chest and a pair of equally loose hakama completed the dress. His attire struck a very prominent clash with Suitai. Cigarette smoke hung heavy around him and in his left hand was a glass of raw whiskey.

“... Kenji... How are you?” Suitai asked.

“I'm good, thanks for asking.” He spat the words. “Though I'd be doing better if you hadn't shared the existence of the Kikkasho with my son.”

“What else was I to do?” Suitai responded.

“Come to me you and ask for my help you old fool!” Kenji answered, fists clenched. “I know all about you and your past; and I mean the bloody truth! Dastan Shiba was a tyrant who raised his hand to his own children, abused his own wife, and treated his own subjects like shit on his shoe and you were the only man who stood up to oppose him. I know that!”

Kentaro – and Suitai too – looked in utter shock.

“That's the only reason I didn't jump across the realms to kill you myself.” Kenji said at last. “Right now you've brought the Kikkasho down on my household after I purged the bastards, so give me one reason why I shouldn't gut you right now? Because I'm finding it difficult to restrain my sword-arm.”

“You didn't think to share this with me?” Kentaro asked, diverting the conversation away from Suitai. “What else haven't you told me old man?”

It was just like Kenji to keep such information to himself and it was exactly why Kentaro was annoyed. His father had a very annoying habit of finding things out and sharing it with no one but Ino and Kusaka, stuff everyone else. It didn't half rub Kentaro the wrong way.

Kenji's face flashed his rage for only a slight spell before some semblance of calm returned to his features.

“... And what would you have done had I told you?” Kenji asked. “I'll tell you: You're so damn confrontational that you'd have run off to find out the truth yourself, and then you wouldn't have been fit to defend yourself if that mouth your so fond of opening at the wrong time happened to land you in the shit. It was only after your training with Garian that you were fit to lace Suitai's boots!”

Kentaro's earlier sadness turned to rage and he rose to his feet.

“Sit on your backside!”

The declaration was followed by a massive surge in spiritual pressure that very nearly drove Kentaro to his knees!

But it wasn't Kenji who had spoken. Kusaka Kori, with Akiye following at a distance, walked into the room. The aura of command was immediately apparent. Kusaka was in no mood for arguments or trash-talk it seemed. The look he cast both Kentaro and Kenji was so withering that the two stood with their mouths agape, though what transpired after shocked Kentaro even more. Kenji was about to reply when Kusaka's fist caught him square in the jaw!

“I meant it. Sit. Down.”

Kenji – after a silent tussle of wills between two old rivals – did. Kentaro soon followed suit.

“So good to see you again Kus-” Kusaka grasped Suitai by the throat and slammed him against the nearest wall! “What now?” Suitai asked.

“The only reason that you're still breathing is because I allowed it. Kireina begged – begged! – me to end you all those years ago, and the only reason I didn't is because we didn't know the whole story and the only man who could divulge it all was you. So start talking!”

“... Or what?”

Fire had returned to Suitai's dead eyes which prompted a slight smile from Kusaka.

“You only think these two are merciless... I'd deliver on you horrors the likes of which you've never thought possible. Kenji's soft at heart and Kentaro rarely goes that extra mile. The fact he let you go showed that clearly. What Kentaro did to you was tame; I'd end you in so many ways you'd be used as an example for future generations not to fuck with me. So unless you want me to start cutting off the things that make you a man, I'd start speaking.”

“... Badass...” Akiye whispered from the sidelines.

“... Very well, you win. But I will not give this information freely. You-” he pointed at Kenj. “You will arrange my immediate healing. If I return to my old self I'll not only tell you all you wish to know... but I'll also tell you where Bansui Amatsuki can be found.”

“Bullshit!” Kentaro roared.

“I'm inclined to agree with my son.” Kenji replied. “Bansui is dead.”

“I killed him before Averian waged his war.” Kusaka supplied.

“Of course that is what you would say. If the Kikkasho had not discovered me so quickly in the Human World I would disappeared, so do not doubt that Bansui is not capable of the same. But those are my terms. Even if you chose to disregard my claims about Bansui you will still gain information regarding the Kikkasho, which is what you kept me alive for in the first place.”

“I'm glad we've got everything out in the open... I just regret the fact you've got a better hand.” Kenji remarked.

“Deal.” Kentaro said. “I don't like it... but it's our only choice.”

When Kusaka walked towards the door he was met halfway by Kenji who merely grinned. The look of seriousness dropped completely off Kusaka's face and it was only then that Kentaro realized what had truly happened. The old bastards! They had acted that entire scenario out; Kenji's seemingly uncontrolled anger, which was tempered by the threat of Kusaka. It had put Suitai in a position that he had to bargain otherwise he'd face the chop, leading to the revelation of Bansui's apparent survival.

“You've still got a lot to learn.” Kenji said to Kentaro, out of Suitai's hearing. “I'll be at home if you need to talk.”

End.