a/n: hey, so apparently, i miss numbered the chapters and this is actually the real chapter 28, not the one that was up here. sorry about that for those who may be still reading this. i was probably really confusing

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Satuya walked towards the lower level of the castle when he felt someone following him. He stopped, waiting for the person to reveal themselves. When they didn't come out, Satuya growled angrily.

"I don't have time for your shenanigans. Come out or I will force you to."

"My, my, what a temper." A female voice said in the darkness.

Satuya turned as Shintoe eased out of the dark like liquid and gave the boy a smile.

"Hello, Benitone-san."

"Why are you following me?"

"To be honest, you're in my territory of the castle, not the other way around. My workstation is down here and I was curious as to who would be wandering the halls of my apothecary. Not many people come down here, save young Kisola."

Satuya sensed a strange fluctuation in Shintoe and his animal instinct told him to get away from her. He stood his ground, though, smelling the faint small of blood on her scent. His father had been right about who had hurt his sister.

"I'm looking for something."

"Are you? Whatever could it be?"

"A... friend has been hurt badly. You wouldn't happen to know how to help with a deep wound... almost like a stab wound?"

"Hmm... well, I guess you'd need a doctor for that. I'm only a low level physician."

"Too bad, although I wasn't exactly looking for you."

"Indeed, you're not. Your clan isn't here though." Satuya glared at her. "You wouldn't be down here without a reason, boy. Your clan isn't under the castle; too many people to hide and all that. The emperor isn't exactly the smartest but even he wouldn't stuff a bunch of ninja clans below the castle."

"He is the one who believes an army of ninjas is a thing."

"You'd best hold your tongue, boy." Shintoe said, her hair looking like it was about to stand on end for a moment. "Being curt with me or anyone else in the palace is bold but excusable, but speaking ill of the emperor is considered a blasphemy. You can be killed for that sort of behavior."

"Maybe he shouldn't do stupid shit. He's an emperor, not a military commander. He should leave those decisions up to them."

"Treat lightly, boy..." She suddenly gave him a smirk. "Have I agitated you?"

Satuya was about to ask what she meant when he saw that his skin was starting to glow a little.

"Mind your business, witch."

He turned to leave her.

"How are you able to wield Jaakuna without getting completely consumed by it?"

Satuya whirled around. "Who said I wasn't?"

Shintoe shook her head no. "No, it's very clear that you're not being controlled by the sword. You did once but right now, you have complete control. You control Jaakuna, not like your partner, who is being controlled by Jaakuna. It's an interesting talent."

"You seem to know a great deal about Jaakuna and it's abilities."

"I have studied the katana on occasion. My question though, is why exactly do you share the sword with your fellow comrade?"

"Jaakuna took a hold of him before I was old enough to wield it and so there is a connection that the Jaakuna has with Takuma... You're being awfully inquisitive tonight."

"I really haven't gotten the chance to speak with either of the Kaibutsu Twins and now that you're here, I was catching up on some interesting things. In regards to your request, there's nothing here that can help you."

"Of course..."

He walked back down the hallway as Shintoe watched him leave, sticking her hands inside of her kimono sleeves. As Satuya kept walking away, his hair swung in the ponytail and revealed a streak of stark white within Satuya's pitch black hair. Shintoe smiled to herself, going back to her station. The emperor will be thrilled to hear about this.

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Satuya headed for the top of the castle to see if maybe he could grab a scent of Inoue or the doctor or someone in his clan. If they weren't being kept prisoner under the castle then that meant that they were probably being used as slaves. Either way, he needed to find someone who could help his sister or she would die. He also had to show his father that he was not a monster. He touched the eye that still had the small shard of Jaakuna in it that made his eye half blue and half red. If he could get Kisola to have a piece of Jaakuna, then they could let her be in on its secret if only for a little bit. But Jaakuna wasn't going to shatter like it did before... He thought for a moment and then realized what he was going to have to do. It was risky, but it would definitely help until he could find a doctor.

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Isshin held Kisola in the bed as she breathed in hitches. Natomi wiped his hands on a towel he was holding and watched them for a moment. Seeing Tsume hold her like that made him miss Inoue.

"We'll find her, don't worry." Tsume said.

Natomi smiled. "Still able to feel the mood, eh?"

"You were always easy to read." He touched Kisola softly, petting her affectionately. "I failed as a father."

"I think you're handling-"

"Not Kisola..."

"Ah."

"As I suspected, he's confused and angry about why I didn't bring him with me. Good intentions as they were, I abandoned him. That's all he's every really going to see in the long run is that his father abandoned him."

"You did what you thought was best, Tsume, as most parents do. No one could have predicted all of this to happen and anything that happened with him was all coincidental as well."

"It's just... he has every right to treat me the way he does and hate me. I'm closer to Kisola than I ever could be with Satuya. Time and experience make lasting bonds but I have neither of those things with Satuya."

"Papa?" Kisola said softly.

Isshin's heart filled with emotion he forgot he had. It had been the first time since he gave Kisola over to the emperor as a ward that she had called him 'papa'. He had refrained her from doing so for so long while she was younger and now...

"Ye-yes?"

"I'm cold..."

Tsume frowned as he looked down at her and Natomi came around to get a look at her too. She had paled significantly since he had come in. He wasn't qualified for being a doctor...

"My expertise isn't going to work, Tsume."

There was a knock on the door and Natomi went to see who it was. He opened the door and was surprised to find Satuya with an eyepatch on his eye.

"What's with the eyepatch? I thought you were going to get something help the situation... is the eyepatch magical?"

"No. Move..."

He walked past Natomi as Tsume looked over at him as Satuya stood there silently. Tsume finally moved to look at him more.

"Why are you just standing there?"

Satuya grabbed the hilt of his sword and pulled it out. It was Jaakuna. He laid the blade on his forearm and then got down on one knee, bowing his head.

"I believe Jaakuna can help."

"You want that possessed thing-"

"I think you'll be surprised. Please, let me try this. If it doesn't work then I'll just leave you alone forever."

Tsume looked skeptical but sighed and motioned for him to go and help his sister.

"If that sword does anything to make it worse..." Tsume forewarned.

"I promise you it won't. Please trust me on this..."

Tsume watched his son for a moment but could tell he genuinely wanted to help his sister out. He stepped aside and Satuya raced over to Kisola's side.

"Grab onto this." He said, pulling her hand to the hilt of the sword.

Once her hand touched Jaakuna, Kisola sat up so quickly that she almost stopped holding the hilt. Satuya grabbed her hand before she lost contact with it and held her grip tightly to it.

"If you let go you'll be in a worse state than you were. Please trust me on this... I'll make it so we can at least find a cure for your injuries. Don't worry, you won't be in pain anymore."

"Sa-Satuya-san, I can't believe you're here!"

"Nii."

"Huh?"

"Satuya-nii... We're twins but I was born first."

Kisola laughed a little. "That's... not how that works."

"I'm going to give you something very important to help you. Just trust me on it and I promise I'll help you get better."

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Tsume and Natomi watched from afar as Satuya spoke gently with his sister. They weren't listening to what they were saying and Kisola had her back to hem so they couldn't see what was going on. After a few minutes, Satuya stood up with Jaakuna in hand and walked over to the door.

"What did you do?" Tsume asked as she crossed his arms.

"I saved her for now. It will give me time to find Inoue or another doctor somewhere. But for right now, she's safe."

He walked past them as Tsume watched him leave. He drummed his fingers on his arm and then headed to the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Natomi asked.

"Something doesn't feel right. I need to talk to Satuya alone."

He left the room as well, leaving Natomi and Kisola.

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As Tsume stepped out of the door, he noticed there was blood on the floor. He followed the blood almost for an hour when he finally ended up on a balcony of sorts. Satuya was standing in the middle of it, looking like he was waiting.

"Were you leading me here?"

"Yes. I knew you were following me."

"Satuya, what did you do to Kisola? I don't like what I've seen so far..."

"You don't have to worry about it, Father. As long as Jaakuna hasn't been destroyed, whatever effects it carries won't wane. In other words, if you wield Jaakuna or have a piece of it with you, it will keep you from getting hurt. You don't die if you fight with Jaakuna."

"Then... why is Jaakuna on your hip?"

Satuya smiled sadly. "Because I wanted to make sure Kisola lived. Jaakuna will never explode again and chipping at it is difficult to gain a piece... so, I let her have mine."

Tsume swallowed a little. "And... where would that be for you?"

As if waiting, the eyepatch Satuya had on began to ooze blood from under it and then a whole bunch of cuts and wounds started to appear all over Satuya. Tsume realized what he did and walked over to him, grabbing his shoulders.

"Are you crazy?! Why would you take that out?!"

"It was the best thing I could give to her."

"I never said I wanted to forsake one child for another! Satuya, I never wanted you to think I loved your sister more than you!"

Satuya backed out of Tsume's hands and continued walking backward.

"Don't worry about me. I've gone long enough with your worry, so I don't need it now. Just know that Kisola's safe..."

His skin started to glow faintly and Tsume walked after him.

"Satuya-"

"Don't worry... I'll be f-fine..."

"Satuya, I didn't want you to kill yourself in the process of helping us. I mean... is that what you think of me? Do you believe that I want you to die?"

Satuya gave a humorless laugh. "Don't all monsters need to be eradicated?"

"You're not a monster, Satuya." He noticed they kept inching backwards. "You're going to fall over the edge if you don't keep from walking backward."

Satuya's skin started to get brighter and brighter as his hair started to stand on end. He clenched his body as he felt shivers run through him as blood seeped from his clothing and his eye.

"My body is trying to compensate for the loss of blood... I have to go now..."

Before Tsume could grab him, Satuya had let himself fall over the edge of the castle.

"SATUYA!!!!" he screamed in agony.

Tsume ran to the railing, looking down. Fear and pain gripped him as he practically melted to his knees. No! My son... my son...