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Yasuhira spent much of the following days in isolation. He needed time to return to the rhythm of being back home after so long an absence. Things had changed within those walls. But he also noticed how some things remained the same. He felt eyes all around him. The man discovered early in his life that every corner of his home was filled with spies. That no one could be really trusted. So Yasuhira determined that he had two choices in how to conduct his life. One was to live in perpetual fear of every soul around him. And the second choice was simply to live life on his own terms and judge men as they were. If he was wrong so be it. Death comes for everyone, from Shogun to the wife of a village magistrate. Yasuhira reflected on Mariko. He recalled her beauty and her sense of honour. She was a fine samurai in her own right. Then he thought of her husband. With that he decided that it was time to go for a walk. So he set down the report that Akako had made of the goings on behind closed doors during his absence and set to clear his head and maybe talk to some of his countrymen.
In a far corner of the castle, well away from Hikiji's own wing, there was a meeting room for Counsellors, Advisors and Village Magistrates. They met rather irregularly, as they were all aristocrats and loathed anything that hinted of clerical work or took them away from own selfish pursuits. Most were content to let Hebi dictate the direction that the clans' fortune would take. But as could be expected there is always one ram amongst the sheep and his name was Kenichi. His ideas were logical, reasonable and would benefit everyone, unfortunately they would also be either too maudlin for Hebi to endorse or diametrically opposed to his views. Their arguments were legendary. The only reason Kenichi remained in the land of the living was that even the Shadow Lord understood the usefulness of Kenichi, and secretly enjoyed anything that pricked the skin of that Viper. So, as much as Hebi wanted to kill him or create a scheme to undermine his position he knew that it would go nowhere. Yasuhira waited outside the council chambers and could hear that the two were deep into some quarrel. After several minutes of heated words there came a shout of disdain.
"Enough."
Seconds later, Hebi burst from the room, and so quickly that he nearly ran straight through the sliding doors. Thankfully servants managed to open them just in time, though one man was knocked down by the Viper's tail for his trouble. The Viper quickly vanished to his own rooms, with his vassals in close pursuit. Slowly, by ones or in groups, the other participants departed. Some looked as if they had just been through a hot battle, other were as furious as Hebi was. Still more smiled, thinking the whole business to be good fun, as it wasn't their head on the block. Yasuhira paid no attention to those men. He waited for one individual, who seemed reluctant to leave. Stepping into the threshold, Yasuhira noticed the man he waited for, still seated, and looking weary. Kenichi sat cross-legged, with his elbow perched on his knee and his hand rubbing his eyes. He seemed to have trouble breathing, as he was forever inhaling vast amounts of air. But all of that effort didn't seem to enliven his disposition. At long last Kenichi rose slowly to his feet and turned to leave. Only to stop dead and then drop back down to his knees.
