4Kamui_kun: Your opinion is held in high regards. Your review was the first I read and it truly made my day. Thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy what's to come for SSK (yes, you may call it that). Sono Shuushi Kakumei means "The Beginning and End Revolution." It signifies the beginning of a new chance at life, while enduring the aftershock of the end of something important. In fact, it really could signify a lot of things if you think about it!
AharahMusici: Thanks, and I will!
FireBringer: Thanks 8D
One Last Note: I am SO sorry that this chapter took so long. I'm making up for it in the next chapter with a few few killings and short battle scenes. Anyways, have fun!
Chapter 1: Leaving in the Moonlight
"Hn!" Kaori grunted as she easily evaded a fierce punch sent towards her head. Her gray eyes were narrowed, as always in battle and competition. Glowering at her opponent, she charged towards him. She watched as he positioned a kick towards her shoulder. All his movements seemed to be in slow motion. Kaori dodged the blow by falling back, taking the opportunity while she was on the ground to trip him. She swiveled her right leg past and through her opponent's ankles. He fell to the ground but quickly regained his composure by springing his legs forward and his feet landed upon the ground.
There the pair stood, eyes locked on one another. They both breathed heavily, their breaths were quick and short. It was apparent that neither he nor Kaori could continue the battle for very long. But Kaori was made of different stuff, and she could never give up so easily. Without fair warning, she rushed back in; faking a punch, she spun around to avoid his kick and delivered her own kick to his upper jaw and sent him flying across the room.
Lucky for him, the wall stopped him from going any further and he fell upon the floor groaning with pain and exhaustion. Kaori, stunned at her own ferocity, rushed to his side and pulled off his mask. "Sensei! Jiro Sensei! Are you alright! I am SO sorry!" The young adolescent female frantically began to slap him gently across the face in hopes that he would awaken from his unconscious state.
The martial arts teacher stirred slightly. His eyes flit open and closed as he reached his hand up to rub the spot where Kaori had so viciously kicked him. "Hmm? Yes, I'm alright.." he stated somewhat dazed. "The ground broke my fall." With a slight groan, he willed himself to stand upright, bracing his hands against the wall to support himself.
Kaori helped her teacher steady himself trying to assist him in any way possible to make up for her own strength. "Please forgive me Sensei, I really didn't mean to be so vicious!"
Jiro Sensei waved off her apology. He understood that his student was under a great deal of stress, he understood very well. Anyone who had lost a loved one could understand. Kaori needed to do whatever possible to ease her pains. It had been only two days since the assassination of Kaori's father, and occurrences like that never passed easily. "Oh, I'll be fine Kaori-dono." He stretched his jaw, trying to relieve himself of the excruciating soreness that spread through his face and neck. "Besides, I think you needed that training course. You have a lot of weight on your chest after what happened to your father, and training seems to relieve your stress."
The young woman nodded her head solemnly. She had lost her mother almost four years before, when she was thirteen. And now, with the death of her father, Kaori felt disoriented and confused on the direction that her life was taking her. "Yes, you're right. I did need that. But I suppose we should end my training for today."
Trying his best to smile without sending a jolt of pain down his neck, Jiro Sensei happily complied with his student's decision. "That is an excellent idea, your highness. After all, we have gone an hour overtime." he noted as he glanced out the window thoughtfully.
Kaori's eyes unexpectedly widened. She had never thought about the time. And now she realized how helpful her teacher really was. Knowing how hard times were for her, he took time out of his own day to help keep her mind off depressing thoughts and keep her in high spirits. "You didn't have to do that Sensei."
The forty year old teacher mildly shook his head to disagree. "I beg to disagree Kaori-dono. You need to get those thoughts out of your lovely head. There is no time to think about how unfortunate one's life is. The only time anyone can have is for taking action. This is what you must do."
Despite Sensei's encouraging words, nothing seemed to subside the fact that she had let the assassin escape from her. If she had caught him, Kaori would have at least had the peace of mind knowing that he would be executed for murdering her father. But because she was not thinking clearly, she had let him get away. "Perhaps you are right, but I have failed my father for letting that damned assassin go. And I can't help but feel like I'm a disgrace."
There was an awkward silence as the two stood there. Jiro really had nothing to say; he was at a loss for words. He thought for a moment, Kaori always followed a strict code of honor. One that was all her own. Her failure was a cause for humiliation. Even if everyone else in the palace didn't know of her personal failure, she felt like they did. "Kaori, you make it sound like your father's death was your own fault. Which is unfair and untrue. You did what you could, but you were caught off guard. And besides, your eyes were clouded with hate. Surely, there is some way that you can make things alright, but you can't continue on this way if you are going to do that." This was all he could say to be helpful, all he could say to try and console her. Even he, one of her closest friends, could not fully understand the pain and anger she held.
Those wise words seemed to echo inside of Kaori's mind and something became clear to her. Now she knew what she must do. She had let the assassin go, and for that she felt great remorse. But now was her chance to make things right. Now, there was a mission at hand and Kaori would take that mission head on. "Sensei, you are completely right. And you know what? I'm going to do something about that assassin."
Upon hearing such a comment, the eyes of Jiro Sensei lit up with interest. It didn't seem possible that anyone could do anything about the assassin now. He was long gone and out of sight. But maybe, just maybe Kaori could do something. "And what might that be Kaori? Please, do indulge me." He motioned to a pair of chairs near the door.
The princess took a seat and awaited for her teacher to do the same. Her once sullen eyes were now full of excitement. "Well, what you said, about taking action. I am going to go after the assassin!" she declared with a vengeance.
Once approving and helpful, the martial arts teacher now looked very grave and serious. He had known Kaori to be audacious and ambitious, but this was ridiculous. This was going too far. It would be something that even he could not, would not allow Kaori to do. "Kaori-dono, don't you think that's a little over the top?"
Kaori shook her head; she wholeheartedly disagreed with her teacher. No one could ever dissever her from her plans to capture the assassin. Not a single soul on earth. "No, this is something I cannot back down upon." she stated firmly. "And besides you have always taught me to fight for what is right. And this is one of those times Sensei."
Such a statement caught the teacher by surprise. He had said that before and he remembered it well. Jiro always believed to fight for what you thought was right in your heart. But many people understand ambiguous statements like that in different ways. There was no right or wrong way to interpret the statement, but the way Kaori thought of it could get her in trouble. "Yes, Kaori, I admit that I did tell you that," he agreed, "but this situation is not in relation to the way I meant it to be learned. You can only do so much, and you are so young. Kaori you have a whole life ahead of you! And if you believe that the only way to live it fully is to catch the assassin first, then you are sadly mistaken."
Jiro's words seemed to be deflected by Kaori's stubborn personality. Her mind was set, and she would not accept defeat. This wasn't over for her, there was still a chance that she could avenge her father's death if she played her cards right. Kaori knew she was very well capable of catching the assassin, more capable than the samurai guards anyways. She crossed her arms defiantly over her chest, there was no way that she would give up on this plan. "I believe that you are wrong Sensei. This situation fits in perfectly with what you told me. If I am to follow my heart, than I must go and catch the assassin. When you truly believe in something, you put all your energy into keeping those beliefs alive. I believe that I can take the assassin down, I know I can. I believe with all my heart and soul that I can. And if you think that it is wrong for me to follow my heart than you are a hypocrite!"
Somehow, Kaori's words had a ring of truth to them. In fact, it was noble on her part to do something so drastic. Jiro Sensei sighed, wondering what he had gotten himself into. But he now found himself in favor of Kaori's decision. No one was more qualified than her to go on such a mission, and if it was something she wanted to do, there didn't seem to be any wrong in doing so. "Kaori, as much as I hate to say it, you are right in your thinking. And I give you my full support." he testified, a smile gracing his face.
Hands trembling with joy, Kaori rushed to Jiro and hugged him tightly before sitting back down in her chair. She knew he would understand sooner or later if not immediately. Knowing that she had his support, Kaori felt like she was on top of the world and could tackle anything that came her way. Jiro had been her teacher since she was old enough to walk and was like a second father to her, his support was indeed special.
"However," Jiro added, "you need your brother's consent more so than mine."
Kaori's large smile faded to a frown. She had forgotten that she needed Haruko's consent before she could leave. Since their father's death, it was his responsibility to fulfill the duties as Emperor even though his ceremony was still a few weeks off. Kaori sighed, the task of convincing her brother to let her leave the safety of the palace would be more difficult than convincing Jiro Sensei, but she would still try.
Resting her hands firmly on the arms of the chair, Kaori pushed herself out of the ornately carved chair she had been sitting in. If she were to leave within the next few days she would have to act now. "If you'll please excuse me Sensei, I must be going." With that, Kaori quickly strode out of the training hall and left her teacher sitting in his cushioned chair biting thoughtfully on his finger nail.
As Kaori walked down the seemingly endless hall she approached her room. However, instead of stepping inside to change out of her sweaty training clothes, she walked right on by and continued down the hall to her brother's library.
Two samurai guards stood watch by the massive ten foot doors, blocking the entrance with their four foot long spears. Kaori nodded her head in silent greeting although she would have rather not acknowledged their presence. Not wanting to upset the princess, the two guards raised their spears and politely opened the iron doors for her.
The air within the library was old and musty while dust floated freely about here and there. Kaori glanced at the shelves upon shelves of books, several of the hundreds of shelves reaching the ceiling. She walked around the library aimlessly and idly wondered how her brother could even consider staying in such a depressing place for a mere minute, let alone the whole day. Kaori could never stay in a place where there was no sunlight and only a lamp here and there to guide her eyes. It was almost odd that she and her brother were so different that they seemed to be worlds apart. In fact, she never really knew much about her brother for that matter, but that didn't matter much to her.
Finally, after searching for what seemed like an eternity, Kaori stumbled upon a dusty old mahogany desk covered in books that lay askew upon the desktop. Her brother sat behind a large old book that covered most of his face so that all she could was his eyebrows. She glanced at the worn cover, trying to make out the title but yielded nothing. The adolescent squinted her almond shaped eyes and tried to read the title once again, but still could not make out the characters.
Kaori took a small step forward, slowly reaching out her hand to pull down the book so she could see her brother's face for the first time since the unsuccessful festival two days before. Before there was time for him to react she had snatche the dog-eared book and placed it behind her back.
Haruko was caught by surprise and gasped as his book was pulled out right from under him. He glared at his sister with contempt, obviously annoyed by his sister's childish behavior. Expecting to receive his book back, the future Emperor extended his open palm out to receive the large book.
The female monarch clenched the book tightly behind her, fiddling with the soft worn leather cover. Kaori knew she had her brother's attention by the way his black eyes glared at her almost murderously. Her lips took the curve of a small smile as she selectively chose which words to address her brother with. "So, what are you reading big brother?" Pulling the book out in front of her, she flipped through the old, crumbling pages and tried not to cough as dust spiraled up off of every page. "It looks rather interesting.." she idly mused out loud.
Not at all amused, Haruko began to impatiently tap the dust covered desktop with his index and heaved a sigh of annoyance. "May I please have my book back?" he hissed between gritted teeth.
A small frown took form upon Kaori's unmarred face, all part of her act of course. This encounter was going very well and she was sure that she would get her brother's consent in a matter of minutes. Glancing around the caliginous library, Kaori seemed disinterested and rolled her shoulders back in a shrug. "Why is it important?"
Immediately, Haruko ceased his tapping and stared wearily at his sister and shook his head to and fro. "No!" he responded rather defensively. After sitting up to his full height and straightening his collar, the stunned heir fittingly reworded himself. "What I meant to say was, Not at all. Just catching up on some reading." Though he tried very hard to sound unobvious, it was quite apparent that he seemed to be trying to hide something.
Slightly surprised at such a change of character and display of disarray, Kaori's brow rose though she was unaware. Her brother was never caught off guard like that, it seemed that she had come across a secret. And if her theory was correct, than such secretive behavior had something to do with the book held in her very hands. "Well then.. If it's not so important, than I suppose you wouldn't mind if I borrowed it for awhile.."
Before Kaori could get in another word, Haruko had snatched the book from her grasps and held it tightly to his chest, a triumphant and smug smirk was spread upon his face. He moved with such celerity and shrewdness that Kaori couldn't help but be impressed with her brother's dexterity. Despite his scrawny and pale appearance, he was surprisingly swift and agile.
Haruko gently placed the aged manuscript on the floor underneath his cushioned mahogany chair before placing his hands neatly upon the desk before him. He eyed his sister with suspicion for she never went to his library under any circumstances, and yet here she was. "So sister, what brings you to my domain?" he questioned.
Kaori pulled a chair up to her brother's desk and daintily seated herself upon it. This meeting could take longer than she had suspected, and she was prepared to make herself as comfortable as possible before their kind conversation became a heated, cantankerous caterwaul. "Well brother, I was thinking."
With a slight roll of his eyes Haruko motioned with his hand for Kaori to continue. She was wasting his precious time that could be spent reading and planning, but instead he would have to listen to his sister drone on about impudent matters.
Aware of her brother's impatient and selfish attitude, Kaori decided that she ought to get straight down to business. She had no time to waste if she were to leave by tomorrow as she had planned while walking to her brother's library. "I thought it would be ideal if I left the palace on a journey to go out in search of our father's assassin."
Kaori's proposition was met with a blank stare and a gaping mouth. And then, out of nowhere, a fit of cachinnation emitted from her brother's throat. There he sat, laughing and laughing while clutching his stomach. His laughing fit even went to the extent of tears running down his face, which was not at all favorable in the eyes of his little sister.
Clearing her throat, Kaori stood up from her seat obviously enraged at her brother's disrespectful response to her proposal. She was not one to get laughed at or disrespected, and she would not take such shameful crap from her brother. "May I ask what is so funny?"
Haruko managed to cease his fit of laughter, but he still continued to slap his hand upon the top of the desk which stirred the dust up even more. "Oh, nothing dear sister."
The sixteen year old monarch clenched her fist as she impatiently awaited for her older brother to get serious. Kaori absolutely hated her brother, she loathed him beyond compare. He never took her seriously and during the rare times where he would listen to her, he would just shrug her ideas off like yesterday's news. iI swear I'm gonna kill him someday../i Kaori angrily thought.
Finally, at long last, Haruko regained his composure and straightened up from his slouched and relaxed position in his seat. Kaori was obviously angered, and his sister's discomfort meant his pleasure. It was so easy to irk his sister. He stretched his slender arms outwardly as he opened his large mouth in order to emit a rather long yawn. "As you were saying sister?" he stated in mid-yawn.
With a slight roll of her eyes, Kaori struggled to regain her train of thought. She mentally cursed at herself when she couldn't remember her exact words. Damn that Haruko! Kaori had planned out a whole speech for her proposition. One that would guarantee that she would stay calm and cool without displaying the least amount of annoyance or displeasure. And as always, Haruko just had to ruin the whole thing. Kaori decided that she would just have to wing it. She cleared her throat once before continuing on. "As I was saying before, I thought it would be a good idea if I went out to find our father's assassin, but I'll need some provisions first and- "
Haruko cut Kaori off just as she was about to get to another important matter. First, she wanted to go out on her own, and now she wanted "provisions?" Though he was to be Emperor, Haruko didn't really think he looked like a gold mine. After all, he knew himself to be stingy and he was damn proud of it. "What the hell do you mean by provisions? I'm not exactly the giving type. And besides I already know that you won't succeed in the first place..."
Laughing at her was one thing, but saying that she was incapable? This was going too far for Kaori. How could he allege to know that she would fail? Kaori leapt out of her seat, and firmly placed both palms upon the desk, deaf to the table's groans and squeaks from holding so much pressure. Unaware of the murderous glare decorating her face, Kaori raised her voice so that even the guards outside of the library's walls could hear her reprimand her brother. "You don't know me, Haruko! How could a self- righteous bastard like you EVER know me?! You're always in your damned library reading your pathetic books. So don't say you know me because it is very clear that you do not, and will not!" the teenaged female fumed. She would not tolerate her brother's insolence towards her and her abilities as a fighter and a woman.
Haruko sat in his chair, completely taken aback by his sister's heated comment. Sure, the pair had gotten in fights and arguements before, but never had Kaori raised her voice to such an extent. He could plainly see it in her eyes, the boiling hatred inside of her. In fact, he could practically envision and hear the blood-curdling screams and faces of angst and hate sealed tightly away beneath her outer core. Never before had his sister been so angry or at least shown it anyway. Obviously, the little sister meant business. Hard-core business. "Well then. Suppose I do give you these 'provisions.' What exactly are these provisions and what do you plan to do with them? Hmmm?" he almost curiously inquired.
Kaori emitted a small sigh of relief and calmly sat back down in her cushioned chair, crossing her left leg over her right knee. Now she could get down to business in a much more civilized way. "All I need is a little money, some clothes for the outdoors, a weapon or two, and a horse fleet of foot. That's all I ask for and I'll be on my way and out of your life." The last few words she decided to add in, knowing that the sound of such a lifestyle would be appealing to her older brother who was constantly annoyed by her.
He really had to hand it to her. Kaori was much more tactful than Haruko had thought. Her needs were simple and would be deemed easy to take care of. And to think, Kaori being out of his life! What a deal! Haruko thought it over, considering the situation and weighing out the outcomes. There weren't really any setbacks, however she wouldn't be in his grasps if he wished to permanently get rid of her. But then again, he could let everyone else out in the world take care of that for him if he really wanted such a thing to happen.
The prince thoughtfully rested his index finger and thumb along the curvature of his left cheek. His sister's proposal was all too tempting and tantalizing to refuse. Haruko stood up from his chair and swiveled his neck to the side, grinning as he heard the satisfying crack as the result. "My, my.. You sure know how to strike a bargain sister. So.. When do you plan on departing from us?" he asked as he cracked his knuckles.
Running a nimble hand through her hair raven-black hair, the female monarch smirked and rose from her seat once again but in a much more calmer manner. Now for the ultimate shocker. "I was about to get to that. I'm leaving tonight." she replied matter-of-factly.
A look of surprise crossed Haruko's face. Why would she leave so soon? Several questions ran through his mind as he quickly contemplated upon the things she had said. Avenging their father was something he understood, but to leave so soon? Perhaps she wanted to catch the assassin as soon as possible. He shrugged his questions off for the time being and decided that they were unimportant at this point. "You want to leave tonight? Without a banquet to celebrate your departure on to an adventure? Wait a few days and you can leave with our blessings."
With a shake of her head Kaori pushed her chair off to the side where she found it. "No, I've made up my mind, I'm leaving tonight." Finally gaining her brother's consent, the princess couldn't help but grin widely from ear to ear. There was no way that she would lose the assassin this time, he was as good as dead.
Haruko knew that his sister would remain undeterred no matter how much he tried to convince her to leave later on during the week. "Very well, you have my blessings. Do as you will. Pick whatever horse you want, choose your clothing wisely, get as many rations and currency as you need. Will five thousand yen suffice?"
Kaori nodded her head, still grinning happily. With her brother out of the way, getting everything she needed would be an easy matter. "Thank you brother. You will be hearing from me shortly when I catch that assassin." She thought for a moment and then brightened abruptly. She added, "I know! I'll send you his head!" And with that she opened the door and was about to leave.
Before he could let his sister leave, Haruko had to get the last word in. "Before you get your things gathered and leave, I suggest you bathe. Just a tip to make sure you don't get funny looks." To justify his statement he waved his right hand in front of his face and scrunched his nose in a most distasteful way.
"Oh shut up!" Kaori growled as she closed the door gingerly behind her. But his reminder was a good one, she realized now that she still was wearing her training clothes which were wet and dripping with sweat. Nevertheless, Kaori made her way to her room and shut herself in her bathing room to take a dip in the tub and scrub the sweat from her porcelain skin. It would be only a few hours before she departed from the palace, her home, and Kyoto.
The water in the tub was pleasurably warm and soothing. Relieved from her stress and worries, Kaori stood up out of the tub and carefully stepped onto a pale cream towel that lay on the floor beside the porcelain tub. She reached for another matching towel, wrapping it around her thin hourglass figure while simultaneously swinging the door open to reveal Yasuo placing a small package upon her bed.
Caught by surprise, the teenaged female gasped as one of her hands flew to her chest, however she was careful enough to keep her grip around the towel as to not let it fall.
Yasuo, full of embarrassment, turned his head off to the other direction blushing furiously at the sight of his superior with such meager means of covering. He began to shuffle towards the door and continued to stare in the opposite direction of the princess. "I am very sorry for disturbing you. I just left you some clothes and a little memento from your mother." Before Kaori could question him he was out the door and scurried down the hall, she had a feeling he would never be able to look at her again after that experience.
With her skin and hair dry, Kaori began to fit herself into the clothes sent to her by her brother's command no doubt. The design was definitely foreign, most likely American with a few Japanese variations and commentaries. Her outfit consisted of a black long-sleeve shirt which was covered by a gray almost translucent silver long-sleeve vest. The pants, like the shirt, were black as well with silver lining along the sides and bottom. They were very comfortable and made of durable materials though she couldn't name them at the top of her head. She rummaged through the pack that Yasuo had left on her bed and dug up a long black cloak made of a light but resilient material which she greatly admired.
Satisfied with what she was wearing and what remained in the pack, Kaori decided to put the outfit to the final test and glance at it in the mirror to check for any wear and tear. The clothing complemented her porcelain skin and matched her elegant black hair. There appeared to be no problems with the outfit except that her feet were bare.
To Kaori's pleasure, she found a pair of black boots. Along side of it were a lighter pair of sandals for less vigorous duties that she may have to fulfill out in the world. As she shoved one foot roughly on her left foot, she reached back inside the package to make sure that she hadn't looked over anything. Her hand brushed against an unfamiliar object. Kaori was unsure to what it was, but wrapped her fingers tightly around the metallic object.
Kaori pulled the object out of the pack and stared at it wide-eyed. What she had retrieved was an ornately carved silver dragon medallion with matching chain. She sighed softly as memories flooded back to her. Kaori's mother had once adored the very medallion held in Kaori's hands, she never left without it. In fact, the medallion could be seen wherever the Empress was seen and was soon considered a trademark of hers. Kaori had always thought that her mother would want to be buried with it, but it turned out that she really wanted her daughter to have the beloved object.
Cradling the medallion with one hand, Kaori searched for a more suitable pack to place all needed items in. Her gray eyes grazed the room as she silently searched for a reasonable pack. At long last, the princess found what she was searching for and skipped across the bedroom to scoop up the leather pack off the floor.
She placed the leather pack on the bed and dumped the contents of the less sturdier satin pack into it. Smiling with satisfaction, Kaori wrapped the hooded cloak around herself and swung the leather pack upon her right shoulder. The pack had plenty of room left for food and money which would be added to the clothing shortly.
Before Kaori could leave, she took a glance back at her room to see one last look of the comforts she would leave behind. The vanity, still messy and disorderly was propped in a corner, her massive queen sized bed in the center, almost all her belongings were in the room. The medallion was still clenched firmly in her hand, a reminder that it was time to go. Kaori spread out the chain and placed the medallion around her neck so she wouldn't lose it or forget it while she traveled to God knows where.
This was it. Heaving a sigh, the adolescent grabbed the doorknob, turned it to the right, and left her bedroom behind her.
Now all that was left to do would be to grab some food and money, then go and get her horse. The sun was already beginning to set behind the hills, displaying a melancholy harmony of hues and beauty in the sky. Kaori stopped at the kitchen where her food and money, of which she quickly scooped up and placed in her pack, lay in a neat pile upon the granite countertop.
Happily strolling out of the kitchen's backdoor, Kaori silently made her way to the stables where her steed awaited her arrival. She already had in mind the perfect horse for her journey, a gray, almost blanch white yearling. Within a matter of minutes Kaori had made it to the stables and impatiently waited for the stable keeper to arrive.
From the palace a stout man in his mid-forties and balding was slowly jogging to the stable where the female monarch stood. "Kaori-dono! Gomennesai, I apologize for my unpunctuality."
Kaori waved off the apology with her hand for she had no time for apologies and the like. "No need to apologize, you're here and that's all that matters." She rolled her eyes while Sasuke, the stable keeper, wasn't looking.
Sasuke bowed and flashed a smile as he motioned for Kaori to follow him into the stable to pick out her horse of choice. Kaori obediently followed and eagerly glanced at the stalls from left to right in hopes of finding the horse she wanted. In the very back, in the last stall, there he proudly stood. Kamikaze, the purest bred horse that belonged to the royal family. His brown eyes seemed to flash dangerously as the pair approached him, but he showed no sign of aggression whatsoever.
Clearly impressed with the muscular build of the stallion, Kaori stood in awe seeming to not breathe at all. The sound of Kamikaze snorting brought her back to the present and she smirked as she watched his steamy breath float through the air. Kaori turned to Sasuke, a smirk still plastered upon her attractive face.
The stable keeper looked at her incredulously. Kamikaze was a mere yearling, and still very unruly. It would be total suicide for Kaori to take him out on such a journey. "Oh no. No, no, no! Not in this lifetime Kaori. You are not taking Kamikaze of all horses! He's strong-willed and very unpredictable." he affirmed.
In spite of Sasuke's advice, Kaori just shook her head. As always she remained undeterred from her own ideas and beliefs. Once she had made up her mind, that was that, nothing could be done. "You forget Sasuke, so am I." Kaori took a small step towards the yearling and placed her hand towards his nose to let him get a whiff of her scent. Kamikaze gently nudged her hand with his muzzle and let her scratch him between the ears to the surprise of Sasuke.
Defeat was inevitable. Sasuke very well knew that it would be pointless to continue to argue with the princess and went off in search for saddle and tack to adorn the stallion. He returned with a single saddle, blanket, reins and a harness with lead. Knowing that it would take a while for Kaori to place all the equipment upon Kamikaze herself, Sasuke wordlessly assisted her and showed her how to take the best care of her horse.
The whole process took only thirty minutes and Kaori was sitting tall in the saddle with Kamikaze stood bewildered beneath her. "Well then," Kaori began, "I guess I should be going."
Sasuke handed the leather pack to Kaori, which she strapped upon her shoulders. Finally, it was time to leave the palace.
Kaori inhaled the cold air and watched her breath form a steamy cloud as it was exhaled. She smiled at Sasuke, who led Kamikaze out of the stable and onto the path leading out of the palace gates. "May your journey go well. Remember to be cautious, and always be aware of your surroundings. I will see you later someday. Now you go and catch your assassin." With that, he slapped Kamikaze's left haunch and sent the yearling off into the night, Kaori's cloak flailing like a mad man behind her.
A figure, concealed in the darkness of the stable yard peered at Sasuke who turned to meet him. "She is off?" the figure hissed from his hideaway.
Silently nodding, the stable keeper turned around and began to leisurely stroll back to the palace while the concealed figure followed on his heels. "Yes, tell Master Haruko that his sister has left. It seems that all operations may continue without disturbances."
"I will." the figure stated before disappearing just as suddenly as he had appeared. Sasuke thought to himself, wondering when Haruko had gotten ninjas in his service. He shrugged off his stomach churning feeling and continued on to the palace.
Meanwhile, Kaori galloped down the path out of the city of Kyoto totally oblivious to what was happening back at the palace with the moon shining through the haze of clouds. A small town lay ahead of her, and she was determined to reach it by morning. Thus the beginning of Kaori's journey to catch the assassin that took so much from her and the country of Japan itself.