Kyojuro Rengoku Ice Heart And Flame Soul

| Chapter Fifty-four | A Mission

"I'm sorry, my love. He... he isn't himself. I can promise you that he was once a great man, and I only wish he could be himself once again."

"What's in there?" I asked.

"Shinjuro brought it. It's... for you. I don't know what it is." He said.

I turned to the packaged and grabbed it in my hands. It was something soft. I opened it and pulled out a jacket. Gakuran. It was my uniform.

"Why did Shinjuro have this?" I asked.

"I can only assume it was sent there because they thought you would be there." He said.

I nodded. That did make sense. At least Shinjuro was nice enough to bring it to me. He seemed to really hate me.

"Why does your father hate me?" I asked.

"He doesn't hate you. He only misunderstands our situation."

"Situation?" I asked.

"I used the wrong word. I mean the misunderstanding we had long ago." He said.

"Oh."

I pulled the rest of my uniform out and it was pants rather than a skirt. I didn't mind. I would wear either of them.

"Rika!" Korin called.

I went to the window, opened it, and Korin sat on the edge of the window.

"Lord Kyojuro!"

Kaname also flew into the window and landed beside Korin. She got mad and tried to shove him from the window, but he plucked at her and they started to argue.

"Hey! Korin, stop that!" I said.

"Kaname, please be gentle." Kyojuro said.

"Lord Kyojuro!" Kaname said.

"Quiet!" Korin said.

"What's going on? Korin why are you behaving so poorly?" I asked.

"Rika! A mission! A mission!"

I looked at Tenjuro lying there in his bed and I didn't want to leave. My gaze moved up to Kyojuro, and he smiled. He approached me and put his arms around me.

"I'll stay with Tenjuro." He said.

"No! Lord Kyojuro your assignment matches!" Kaname said.

"We can't both go. We can't leave Tenjuro." I said.

"Perhaps Tenjuro can stay at the butterfly mansion. Fo you trust Kocho and her girls?" Kyojuro asked.

I did. I trusted Shinobu. And then my eyes widened as I looked up at Kyo.

"This mission will be the one that turns me into a Hashira..." I said.

"You don't sound pleased, my love." Kyo said.

I wasn't so sure I wanted it anymore. I stared down at Tenjuro and didn't want to spend any more time away from him than I did now. And then a thought struck me.

"Stay here with Tenjuro a minute, Kyo." I said.

My feet took me from the room and I ran outside. Mura and Shinjuro were still fighting, and Senjuro was standing in the yard talking to a crow.

"Enough fighting!" I shouted. Mura hit Shinjuro one more time in the face and backed away, looking at me.

"Mura! How many demons have you killed?" I asked.

"Hell if I know." He said.

"Kareno? Are you here?" I called out.

The large crow flew down from the tree and landed on Mura's shoulder.