Natomi Sakauchi walked down the pathway in the forest, whistling a tune and looked around. A wind picked up and blew his long dark red hair into his face. He breathed in the clear and crisp mountain wind, liking it so much better than the bustle of the city. He wasn't happy that Master Yukorite had sent him on that secret mission in the city but he got a lot of information and it was kind of nice to be by himself a little. It was a vacation from Yukorite's moods. Ever since Tsume developed that 'problem' of his and got banished, Yukorite's mood is horrible. Natomi thought with a sad sigh as he reached the opening to Kayoshi Village.
"Natomi!" someone yelled.
He waved and other people began to walk out and say hello, welcoming him back into the village. Yukorite walked out of the large house and met him halfway.
"Welcome back, Natomi."
Natomi put his fist in his hand and gave a bow.
"It's good to be back, Master."
"Did you find out anything?"
"Yes, more than I thought I would."
"Well, go and put your things at your house, say hello to your daughter, and then come to my house to discuss this."
Natomi gave one nod, giving another bow. As he walked toward his own little house, he happened to turn and see someone kneeling in front of a large stake in the middle of the grounds. He turned his head and began to walk over but a hand clapped his shoulder and he turned to see, Mayori.
"Oh, Mayori."
"How was your trip?"
"It was horrible but nice at the same time... What is that?"
"Hmm?" he looked at the clearing. "Oh, capital punishment."
"What for?"
"Going against clan regulations."
"Who was it?"
"Takuma Katanoya, the servant ninja to the Benitone family."
"Takuma? What has he done?" Natomi asked, thoroughly surprised to hear that the meek boy would do anything like that.
"He has been having contact with former clan member Tsume Benitone."
Natomi made a face and brushed past Mayori to take a look at Takuma.
When he got to him he had to hold back his anger as he looked down at the young boy. He was tied to the stake, angry whips marks all over his back and arms. He was also shivering. Natomi knelt down beside him and looked at him for a minute. Sensing someone was beside him, Takuma lifted his head up a little. Natomi's heart went out to the tear streaked face at the looked back at him, eyes red and still brimming with tears.
"N-Natomi..." Takuma hiccupped, sniffing and trying not look even more pitiful than he already did.
"What the hell, Takuma?" he asked, though the tone wasn't harsh.
"I... I just..." He burst into more tears and Natomi sighed.
He began to untie him from the stake as Takuma cried even more and at the same time tried to stop. He felt so foolish, so childish, and so weak. This is not the Shinobi way! he screamed in his head. Thinking of that only made him cry worse as Natomi carefully slid his traveling cloak around him.
"What happened, Takuma?" Natomi asked softly.
"Lord Tsume is out there all alone and I just... I just wanted to make sure he was alrigt... He's not well and... and I told Mayori how sick he is but... Master Yukorite found out and he brought me out here before the next invasion on the castle to 'teach me a lesson'. He said that I should respect those who honor the code by also honoring the code. To show how loyal Lord Tsume was, he decided to show me..." Natomi picked him up gently as Takuma now just cried silent tears. "I called and called but my lord never came. I don't know why I thought he would but... I know now that honor is greater than family except to himself."
Natomi frowned as he carried Takuma toward his home to get taken care of.

**************

"Father! Something- Oh... You found out already..." a young woman about Tsume's age said, stopping in front of him.
"Are you referring to Takuma?"
"Yes... Oh, Father, it was horrible." She said, tears coming to her eyes. "He cried out to Tsume but he never came and every time he cried out, he would get five lashes added on."
"Clear off the table, Inoue." Natomi said.
She nodded and ran ahead to clear off the table. Natomi walked in and placed Takuma, who was half awake on the table and turned him onto his stomach. Inoue came from the back of the house with rags and gasped.
"Go to the doctor and get the herbs to heal deep wounds. Also get something that will take the sting out of these lashes."
Inoue nodded, grabbing her change purse and running out of the house as quickly as possible. While she was gone, Natomi boiled some water and poured it into a basin, setting three rags into it. There was a knock at the door and Mayori walked in.
"What are you doing? Master said-"
"Master can wait." Natomi snarled, reaching in quickly to retrieve the hot rags.
Although he didn't feel the heat when he grabbed the rags, wringing them out was a different story. By the time he laid them on Takuma's back, they were cold, which was the idea. Takuma shivered from the coolness but he was in an exhausted sleep so Natomi didn't fear waking him.
"How could you do this to him?"
"Me? The master was the one who did it. He was teaching him a lesson." Mayori said, his arms crossed as he leaned on the wall.
"And you told him! How could you betray his trust?"
"He is going against the code. As a Shinobi warrior, you should know this as well."
"He was only worried for the only friend he's ever had besides myself. And now look what you've done. You've ruined him and his loyalty to Tsume."
"Tsume is dead." Mayori seethed. "There is no more loyalty to be had."
"Go tell Master that my findings will postponed." Natomi growled, pointing out of the hut.
"You're too attached to these village kids, Natomi." Mayori said, shaking his head. "Just because a kid grows up here doesn't mean he will honor the code. You need to understand that before you get yourself hurt one day."
"Thank you, Buddha." Natomi snarled.
Mayori shrugged as he left and Inoue ran back in.
"I got what you asked for."
"Thank you..."

******************

Tsume was tired but couldn't go to sleep. He'd been up all night. Something had happened and he wasn't exactly sure what it was. He had felt it in his gut and it wasn't from his child that the sensation came from. He didn't dare go back, but he knew something was amiss... Plus, it was 4:00 and Takuma hadn't come. Not that Tsume needed his help or expected him, but foregone conclusions said that he'd come for the past two months at 4:00 on the dot, so he should expect him. Usually unable to move about due to being so sick, Tsume automatically threw a throwing star in case it wasn't Takuma and was an enemy that was coming to take advantage of his delicate state.
The slight shaking of leaves let Tsume know that someone was near and even though he was fatigued and exceptionally sick today, he still threw his throwing star as best as he could.
"What the hell?!" a different voice said.
Tsume turned his head at that when the door opened and instead of Takuma, Natori walked in.
"Ah, shit, he wasn't kidding." Natori said as he walked in.
"How did you find me?" Tsume asked softly.
"After I convinced Takuma that I wasn't going to hurt him, he told me."
"Why isn't he coming?" Tsume said with a wary look.
"He's recovering."
"Recovering? From what?"
"I don't know, losing his pride, losing his loyalty."
Tsume made a face. "What do you mean?"
"He, being as naïve as he is, told Mayori about your condition, thinking he would help him. Mayori told your father and so he made an example of him to show what loyalty looked like and what happens when you don't follow the code. He called for you but you never came."
"I see..." Tsume said, turning on his side. "So that's why..."
"Why what?"
"I felt that something was happening but..."
"Yeah, well... Apparently only defying the code goes to you."
"If I had come, it would have showed no one anything. It's for the best anyway... He shouldn't have been coming out here."
"So you'd have rather died?"
"I'm already dead."
Natori put his satchel down and walked over to Tsume, putting his hand on his forehead. He then grabbed at Tsume's arm, noticing the definition was gone and was starting to get skinny.
"You really aren't well."
"Well I can't do anything, now can I?!" Tsume yelled, surprising Natori. "I'm stuck here in this hut, sick and weak, and I can do nothing to defend myself or help myself. I'm just... stuck..."
Natori thought for a second and knelt down beside the bed.
"I have an idea that I think might work. Would you like to hear it?"
"It won't do any good. I can't move. Every time I try to walk, it's like I'm dragging a large boulder behind me. I can't keep anything down, not even what little bit is given to me... and I'm harboring something inside of me that has gotten me banished from my friends and family..."
"Well, then hear me out, and tell me what you think. It might help..."
Tsume struggled to turn over so Natomi helped him and they looked at each other.
"As you know, I'm half Laota, which is where I get my red hair, right?" Tsume nodded. "I'll make a deal with your father that if he lets me take care of you for now, once you get your strength, you will take up residence there and never come back to the clan. He can make up his own story as to what happened, but you are banished, so there is nothing we can do about that. But I can't see you like this. You are a Shinobi warrior and you are doing your duty by honoring the code, but as a father, I can't leave you this way. I can't let Takuma's pain be in vain for you to die."
"He'll never allow it."
"I think he'll surprise you."
Tsume turned over again, without Natomi's help this time. He didn't say anything for a while until he held out his hand. Natomi took the pendant in his hand and Tsume curled up into himself.
"Give that to Takuma. He'll know what it is... It's my apology..."
"What he went through-"
"Just," Tsume seethed. "Give it to him. He will understand it better than you... and do what you want."
Natomi nodded and began to leave.
"Your food is on the table if you can eat it."
He left but Tsume was in tears. He just wanted to preserve a life; he never meant to hurt anyone. He wished these feelings would go away but he knew that his condition wouldn't allow for it.