The Waning (GojoHime) - Part 2

A New Strong(est) Duo, Part V

The Zen'in clan's central main room reeked of stale bodies and booze. The storm outside had begun in earnest, a heavy curtain of rain drumming a relentless staccato on the rooftop. Into the air that hung thick with tension, Naobito belched loudly, then followed it up with a throaty sigh that seemed to deflate him like a punctured tire.

"This is a big, stinking mess," he declared, his bloodshot eyes settling on his son.

Naoya's face contorted in a grimace, resembling someone who'd just been forced to swallow a particularly sour lemon. "It wasn't us," he defended himself heatedly. "Why in the Nine Heavens would we kill our own guards? This fucking bitch..."

Naobito's head snapped up. "Shut your mouth, you incompetent fool!" he roared. A vein bulged on his temple, his face turning a dangerous shade of crimson as he gasped for air. "Whose idiotic idea was it to bring this woman here in the first place?!"

Naoya clamped his mouth shut so tightly his lips turned white.

Gojo couldn't see Utahime who was seated behind him, following the rigid Zen'in traditions of rank and deference. She was unhurt physically, but far from okay. The air itself vibrated with her barely contained anger.

Turning his head, Gojo stole a glance at Utahime, her flushed cheeks and disheveled hair lending her a wild, untamed air. He focused on conveying silent reassurance. Some fear flickered in her eyes, quickly chased away by a spark of defiance and unwavering determination. He offered her a small smile and a barely-there nod, a silent promise that he knew what needed to be done.

Of course, this clandestine display of affection didn't go unnoticed. Ogi Zen'in cast a sharp glance in their direction. "The Gojos send their women to cause problems in other clans now?" He snapped.

"Not to cause problems," Gojo countered, his voice smooth as silk, "to solve them. The woman you kidnapped sent for my wife's help, begging to be saved."

Naobito scoffed. "Proof," he demanded.

Utahime yanked her phone from her pocket and shoved it towards Gojo after tapping furiously on the screen. He passed it on to Naobito. A smug smile twisted his features as he studied the screen. "Suicide," he declared triumphantly. "That's what it was."

Utahime's laugh was a sharp, disbelieving sound. "Suicide?" Her voice dripped with cold fury. "Chia's throat was ripped out! It was no suicide!"

Naobito's smugness evaporated, replaced by a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Zen'in women," he snarled, "do not speak unless spoken to."

"We Gojos have no such problem with women," Gojo countered, his voice taking on a warning edge, "unless they end up murdered after a rival clan kidnaps them. I demand an inquiry."

Naobito groaned in frustration. "What, another one?"

"As many as it takes," Gojo nodded. "What caused her desperation, I wonder? What were you about to do to her?"

Heads turned towards Ogi, in whose household the Gojo widow had been placed. He shrugged, his face disdainful. "Don't look at me, nobody touched the vicious bitch after the wedding night. And who says she's the one who sent this message?"

Utahime made a strangled sound and Gojo congratulated himself on sending Nanami away with Utahime's Zen'in student. Having shown a weak spot for Chia before, Nanami would have lost his composure entirely at this point. Gojo doubted that Chia had willingly married into the Zen'in clan, but at least it sounded like she had fought back, however she could.

"The second message she sent," Utahime pressed out. "It's proof."

"A shame for the red car that burnt in vain," Naobito read slowly. "What's that supposed to mean?"