Day & Night

Stage Three: A Hashira, A Spy, A Yakuza Leader

Tsukie's POV

~1 Month & 2 Weeks After the Incident~

"So you want to be a cat?" My brother asked me from his spot on the floor next to the window.

He was out for the summer and since Kyojuro was in the hospital, my brother decided to attach himself to my hip. I didn't mind it honestly. My brother was one of the few people to keep me grounded. Plus, I vowed to never cry in front of him since I was in middle school.

"The claws are designed to hold poisons and other toxins to better assassinate the targets. I'm getting tired of carrying around opium on missions," I said in the stupid teardrop swing chair Hada set up for me. I refused to tell her that I liked it, mainly out of annoyance at why she hung it up.

"So a cat," he chuckled and a ghost of a smile appeared on my face.

I didn't smile much anymore. The emotional response of being happy just wasn't in my life right now which was fine with me. The only emotions I allowed myself to feel were numbness and sadness. I wanted to feel anger, but I was afraid of how that would affect others around me, and there were days when I was afraid I was going to snap. I'm pretty sure that was going to come it only had to take one person or one comment to set off the bomb building inside me.

While working on the new product in my hand, the soft knock on the door caused my head to perk up.

"Working on new products I see," my father said.

"Tsukie wants to be a cat," Keiji said smiling and I just looked at him.

"I just don't want to carry around drugs anymore that's it," I said to no one really.

"Taking the Rengoku Clan's limitations into your own aren't we?" My father asked and I didn't respond.

He was right in a way. Moving illegal drugs or having it on the person of the clan was against their beliefs and when... if I was going to be part of the family I had to respect that as well.

"Tsukie," my father said sternly. "There's a meeting I need you to be a part of right now. Please come with me."

I handed the mangled device to my brother and followed my father out of my office. We stayed silent as we approached his office doors, but before we walked in he turned his head to look at me.

"Whatever decision you make in this meeting, please know I will support you in that decision," he said and I was actually confused.

When he opened the doors my eyes locked in on one of the last people I could think of sitting in my father's office.

"Ah Tsukie, my dear, good to see you."

Shinjuro Rengoku sat there, and I froze. I was wearing a crop top and workout leggings.

"I'm sorry for not being in more appropriate clothes Mr. Rengoku," I said and eyed my father.

"You're family, Tsukie there is no need to be formal with me. You know this," Shinjuro said his gentle feature hardening. "Tsukie, your visits to my son are not overlooked. Mosu reports back to me about your actions."

That motherfucker I thought he had my back.

"Which brings me to why I'm here," he said, and the thought of yelling at Mosu vanished. "Mosu is Kyojuro's head security guard. The men that are watching you at the house are Kyojuro's men. While you are not officially one of the Rengoku women, I have instructed the men to continue to watch over you for your safety. However, while the men respect you, they are not contracted to protect you. Make sense?" He asked and I nodded in agreement. "For them to be contracted with you, you would need to join the Rengoku Clan another way."