It had taken some time but mizu and ringo  had finally arrived at their destination , the town that housed the shindo dojo.

Quite the bustling town it was too, from the moment mizu and ringo made it past the gate keeper m, she could see how peaceful and busy things lied inside.

Mizu who had dismounted after entering held kaorus reins to out to ringo. "Find a good place to tie her, not to tight should she feel the need to run." Mizu spoke firmly gently rubbing the underside of kaorus snout.

Ringo smiled and took the reins. "Of Course, cmon girl." Ringo spoke to kaoru petting her head and motioning her to follow.

"Neigh." Kaoru sounded allowing ringo to lead her.

"Well, No time to waste." Mizu thought as she began waking beginning her search.

She eyed the vendors serving food as well as the children playing and the sparring sessions between some men.

"Excuse me. Would you perhaps be able to tell me whe... "Mizu trailes as a the person she started asking didn't pay her anymind. "Excuse me. Could you help me find the... " the same result had a occurred and before she could try again, she saw a group of mean a approaching on horses. "Watch it, asshоlе." The leading man spoke in irritation as he and his men slowed to a halt.

Mizu resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Apologies. I'm looking for something, but Kyoto's very big. ( she sighs ) Do you know where I can find the Shindo Dojo?" She asks politely

"Shindo? That's our dojo. You're gonna apply?" The main samurai asked in amusement.

"You look like a blind beggar." The right samurai said as he used a rod to swat mizus hat , wich made her glasses fall off her face but she quickly caught it.
The men laughed, and mizu once again just let it pass over her.

She placed her glasses back on with a sigh making sure to keep her eyes low. " If you would please show me how to find your dojo, I would be grateful."

"Sure. Follow the road to the shrine. Once you go around the gates, you'll see the sign across the puppet show. Good luck."The left samurai spoke giving her nonsense directions.

They rode off laughing and Mizu merely regarded they fleeting forms with irritation. "I try to do things the easy way..."Mizu thought annoyed as she flicked some snow off of her shoulder and continued in her way.

Mizu walked around the road hoping to get the information she needed elsewhere, as she did so she took a glance at a puppet show, with little children huddled together enjoying it. A small smile grew to her face, the sight reminded her of the village back home, oh how y/n loved to bring smiles to the kids faces.

Thinking of y/n always gave her this sad yet warm feeling, longing to feel him again yet grateful to have him in her thoughts.

" i wonder....if we would have gotten that far..." Mizu thought letting her mind wander to an untraveled road.

Mizus smile wilted away and she pushed away the image and clenched the hilt of her sword, she couldn't think of such things like that, they only served to bring pain, maker her weak, and she needed to keep her focus.

Mizu kept walking until she was face to face with a brothel. "Plenty of gossip, but not the kind i need." Mizu spoke as she turned around to look elsewhere
However it seemed some of the patrons of the brothel had other plans.

A couple of women gently grabbed Mizu by her shoulders." You look lost , lost boy, come on inside, rest a while." The petite woman spoke pulling mizu in.

"Im looking for the shindo dojo." Mizu said not wishing for them to get the wrong idea.

"Ugh"

Mizu saw a man get shoved out of a room from inside a brothel, and began walking out in shame. "Which...this i see is not." Mizu said slightly bewildered.

"This is better, this is the shindo house." The plump woman spoke holding mizu by her cheek. " if you wanna show of your sword skills, you can do it here."

"We can polish the tip up for you." The petite woman suggested seductively while tenderly rubbing her fingers on mizus neck.

"Polish the tip? Oh no." Mizu thought suppressing a blush immediately realizing what that meant.

"I...must decline." Mizu spoke moving away from their hands. " my business is urgent"

"Most men grab first, ask prices later." The plump woman spoke in amusement glancing at her petite friend who smiled as well. " your different... polite..." she spoke taking a few steps closer. "Sweet.." the plump woman said reaching for Mizus groin.

Mizus eyes widened slightly and quickly grabbed the womans wrist and lifting it up, unamused and catching both woman by surprise.

"But firm." The plump woman said getting the hint, and mizu let go. " okay lost boy, walk east to the kamo river, take the bridge to the temple with a thousand creepy statues, its on the hill just past." The plump woman said proving the needed directions to the shindo dojo.

Now this was helpful. " i wish you a successful day of business. " Mizu spoke gratefully while bowing to the women.

"Smash!"

Suddenly just behind her , the old mans puppet stand was destroyed and when mizu looked , she damn near groaned.

"Uh oh." Ringo thought in embarrassment, he then looked hp to see mizu up ahead. "Oh!" Ringo sounded happily waving to his master.

Mizu sighed in annoyance " you mean well but you're just gonna be in the way." Mizu thought as she didn't need ringo with her at the dojo." She then looked to the two woman. "How much one night?" She asked to which the plump woman held up five fingers.

Mizu glanced back at ringo who had the attention of the kids and the old man, which made her reconsider. " How much for three?" Mizu asked.

Elswhere.

Y/n had informed his master of his marriage, and what ultimately led to his "supposed." Demise, hiko wished to sleep on it as it had been very late , now it was they were walking along the beach with hiko asking curious questions.

" so she was really half-white, truly?" Hiko asked in interest.

Y/n nodded. " yes, one wouldn't know immediately but her eyes were a give away that they were." Y/n spoke, wishing he could look into mizus sapphire eyes again.

"Hm...i suppose i can't be to surprised." Hiko commented.

That, rubbed y/n the wrong way and slowed to a halt. "I don't get what you mean master." Y/n said,
The lack of amusement clear in his tone.

" don't misunderstand you fool, what i mean is you would find yourself in a marriage that would be frowned upon, you always had a way of making people talk one way or the other." Hiko said with an amused smile.

Y/n couldn't help but chuckle, thinking about it he wasn't exactly wrong, he had never followed the norm over the course of his life. " Hm, that i do master."

"Hm, so tell me, what is she like?" hiko asked curious to know what attracted her to him beyond beauty.

Y/n closed his eyes in thought. "When i met her it was clear the marriage was the last thing she wanted, she was guarded, having dealt unfortunate cards in life,
but as we grew closer  i began to see the layers, she was kind, she held this almost child like curiosity , as though never having the chance to ask such questions...perhaps because she wasn't allowed to."
Y/n said sadly as he remembered mizu telling her that she was extremely sheltered as a child to ensure her survival.

"And i got to see help her feel joy, and she has the most wonderful laugh, and quite the temper that she does." Y/n chuckled remembering the knots on his head he got when Mizu felt irritated.

"And she was a warrior master, fighting to her was as natural as breathing, if laws were different she would've made a truly remarkable samurai." Y/n thought thinking back to Mizus skill, being one of the few warriors to hold her ground against him.

"You did mention her having a sword yesterday, but to hear she can keep up with you? Il have to see it to believe it." Hiko spoke as he yanked the fishing rod back. "And she truly made you happy?"

Y/n smiled warmly "more than i ever thought possible, i can only hope she felt the same that i do."

Hiko didn't show it but he was glad his student had managed to find peace, at least for a while "And things were going well until yorinobu tried  to coerce you back into his service, a situation that arose because of your traitorous mother in law, did you not think her capable of such a thing? Hiko spoke as  he the line of the fishing rood had a decently large fish at the end of it.

"I was aware Miwa wanted more than what i could provide, but i had hoped she would outgrow that desire for her daughters sake, i see now it was naive of me to believe that, that i do." Y/n said disappointed in himself.

"You couldn't have known she would go that far, you cannot take the blame for trying to see the good in a family member." Hiko spoke firmly.

"Perhaps, but if I didn't none of this would have happened." Y/n spoke as he looked of into the ocean. " I can only have faith that Mizu is doing fine without me."

Hiko turned to face him. " you truly believe she survived?"

"I do." Y/n spoke without wavering

" you spoke of her goals....to slaughter the white men that wronged her....can you be certain she hasn't decided to continue her quest? That she will be the same woman you have come to know? You may be alive but that anguish she must've felt will not go away?" Hiko spoke as he walked up to y/n. " will you he prepared for the possibility, that the woman you knew will be to far gone"

Y/n looked down, there was truth to his masters words, as there usually was, He is aware of how determined she was continue here quest, she gave it up because of their marriage, but he is gone now, and with no one to turn to, she could have decided to walk the path to vengeance once again, but he cannot let that be.

" I wouldn't put it past her to begin her quest once more...but such a path will bring her no peace." Y/n looked into his masters eyes. "Mizu is my wife...and i would sooner take my own life than leave her alone." Y/n spoke with conviction.

Hiko sensed no hesitation in his students words, no doubt, and hiko grew a smirk. " settle down my foolish student,  a simpler answer would have sufficed."

Y/n chuckled sheepishly. "I didn't want you to doubt me that I didn't."

"Well, if you are deadset on searching for you who am i to stop you, however..." hiko tailed before delivering a weak blow to y/ns midsection.

Y/n wilted at the contact, a ache going over his body and nearly losing his balance as a result, he was doing better than yesterday but it was clear he still hadn't completely recovered.

"You aren't in any condition to search for anyone, a stray bandit would get the best of you at this rate, lets get you back to full strength and then we'll see about getting you that horse." Hiko spoke walking to the next fishing rod.

Y/n let out a breath and glared at his master in annoyance. " you didn't have to hit to tell me that you didn't!"

"Quit your whining, now cmon we still have more fish to catch." Hiko said stopping at another fishing rod.

Y/n pouted but followed nonetheless.

——

Boom!

Something to make up for the april fools prank lol

I know it was preety short but this is how it will be going foward so i don't experience burn out

The finale of the prologue was 11k words....that was not part of the plan at all lol

So between 2-3k words will be the norm, 4 if i have the energy for it.

Let me know your thoughts!