~Izuminokami Kanesada~
和泉守 兼定

Requested by blackjack363!

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If anyone saw what they did, many would say that Izuminokami Kanesada acts like a year-old kid throwing his tantrums.

Pulling her towards him, she looked up to see his stern face.

"Come on, it's just an outing! Master, please!" Hotarumaru whined, making it even harder for the uchigatana to part with his master. What if something happened to her and he wasn't there to save her in time?

A hand was placed on top of his.

"Izuminokami, I'm fine. Look, it's all healed up." Tugging her sleeve, the long cut had recovered, leaving a dark-coloured scar behind.

He sighed. He can't keep on holding onto her in his little greenhouse environment.

Turning her around, he grabbed her shoulders and squatted down. "Listen, be careful and don't get hurt, okay?"

"Yes!" Letting her join Hotarumaru, the pair soon left the Citadel.

"Kane-san..."

"Nothing. I'm fine, really."

~~

A premonition was haunting his mind.

Sending a finishing blow to the kunai, Izuminokami surveyed the area for any remaining enemies. Being on a sortie was something that he was always looking forward to.

What could his master be doing now...?

A hand slapped him hard on his back which made him lose his balance. Turning his head around, a bright smile greeted him.

"Yeah, what's the matter, Mutsunokami?" Izuminokami furrowed his brows as he leaned against a tree, rubbing his aching shoulder with his free hand.

"Master's starting to dislike you, Izuminokami. You're an obstacle to her."

The latter sighed, gripping his sword tightly. Dizziness was washing over him.

"I see, that's the reason why Master's face darkens every time she sees me in the Citadel. It's no wonder that I'm getting dispatched for almost every sortie." Izuminokami said in a sarcastic tone. He knew her too well in terms of her personality.

Mutsunokami gave the latter a grunt for moral support and turned to face the next wave of opponents. He took down a few tantous easily before widening his eyes.

"Izuminokami! Above!!" He pulled the trigger, only to realise that his gun was out of bullets. Shouting his name out loud again before the naginata could reach him with its blade, Izuminokami just stood there, frozen.

It was too late for him by the time he realised that he was slashed.

~~

Returning back to the citadel, she was expecting the uchigatana at the main gate, but he wasn't. A part of her felt lonely, but at the same time, shameful. Perhaps it was due to her constant warnings to him to not come along whenever she have outings. She really didn't mind his presence when he wasn't acting over possessive, in fact, she enjoyed his company when they were alone and no one was there to make the man jealous.

"General! I need your help!" Yagen sprinted towards her, taking down his glasses and wiping the lenses with his... crimson-stained white coat.

Her blood went cold instantly.

"R-Right..." Knocking herself out from her short-lived anxiety, she followed him towards the infirmary.

Izuminokami.

Inside the room laid the unconscious man and the assistant, Horikawa. The boy's eyes were puffy and red.

Yagen took the sword from the rack and handed it over to her, not forgetting to remove the scabbard. Upon closer inspection, hairline cracks were all over the blade.

"It's my fault, isn't it, Horikawa?"

The latter looked up, trying not to let down tears run down his face again.

"Kane- Izuminokami knew you didn't like him because he didn't allow you to go out with other swords except himself, so..." Horikawa couldn't bring himself to continue.

"So, he secluded himself and left you alone. Not to forget, it seems that he was neglecting his own health as well. It was no wonder he was injured so easily, isn't that right, Horikawa?" Yagen stated bluntly, following a sigh afterwards.

Placing the uchiko down, the blade was repaired, overflowing with her spiritual power.

"Is that so...." Murmuring, she placed the sword back on the rack. She had never felt so horrible to the point that she wanted to scold and punish herself for committing an unforgivable mistake.

"General." Checking on the unconscious sword for one last time, Yagen stood up and went towards her, taking her shoulders into his grip.

"It's not your fault. Please do not forget to take care of yourself as well, for everyone's sake. Izuminokami might take a while to wake up." Taking off his glasses, Yagen said as he knelt down.

"What...? Did the repair fail!"

"No, the repair went well, but the injury is severe since he was dealt with a blow to the head. Maybe he will take days, or even months, I... don't know. I'm sorry, General."

Devastated. Perhaps this word wasn't enough to describe how the sage was feeling now as she broke down again, grabbing his arms tightly.

~~

"Master."

"Go take a break. I'll be here."

"Yes."

Silence returned to the room once Horikawa left for a short break. Sitting beside him, she waited as usual. How long has it been ever since she got to admire his face...?

It has been a month since the tragedy happened.

Gently, she placed her hands under the covers and took his hands, rubbing tiny circles with her thumb. It felt weird in the first place, but it was a norm for her to do so ever since that day. Horikawa soon came back with a bunch of freshly cut flowers and replaced the old ones in the vase. As far as she could remember, hydrangeas was his favourite.

As soon as Horikawa left them for privacy, she brought her lips to the back of his hands, closing her eyes and murmuring prayers for him. That was the least that she could do for him.

Tucking his hands back into the futon, she stood up and was about to leave before she heard noise from behind. As she turned her head, she was sure that Izuminokami had regained consciousness, looking around the room before landing his eyes on herself.

"What's with that sullen face, Master?"

She furrowed her brows, trying to change her current expression to a happier one.

But she couldn't.

"I-I'm sorry...! I-" She knelt down, bringing her hands to her teary eyes.

He sat up slowly, embracing her.

"It's okay, I'm sorry too... I shouldn't have forced you to do things that you don't like."

She broke away from him, caressing a part of his face that was covered in bandages.

"How long has it been...? A week?" He looked around for a calendar, but the sage knew best.

"A month. Everyone's worried sick about you, especially Horikawa."

Izuminokami laughed. "I guess I'm pretty much healed by now. Any souvenirs for me?"

"Idiot, how am I supposed to enjoy outings when you're severely injured..."

Izuminokami was sure to replace the lost memories with their adventures from then on.