The Return of The Nameless

Wings gave a gentle flap, keeping the figure they sprouted from aloft as the figure headed towards Tetsumura. The figure approached the village, wings guiding him down, coming in for a gentle landing not to far from the entrance to the village. As feet touched ground, nearly no sound was made, only to see the wings give one more flap--which did have a noticeable sound as the feathers brushed through the air, before all falling apart and fading from existence, sans a single physical feather left where he landed. as the jutsu deactivated. The call of a falcon soaring above echoed through the valley, before it dived quickly. The man's arm reached up, providing a perch. Coming in to land upon the arm of the figure was a Peregrine Falcon, the bird's talons gently gripping his forearm and once comfy, tucking its wings.

"...Been a long time, huh Hayabusa." a deep and hint raspy voice spoke, golden brown hues peering up from under a straw hat, looking forward along the path leading to the village. A labored sigh passed the man's lips, some of his more recently acquired facial hair being shifted by the sigh. This figure was Hagane, who'd for the past year hadn't returned to Tetsumura. But he had his reasons. In that time, he clearly hadn't shaven much, now rocking a beard and mustache combo. Even only being now 36, the man was starting to gain some gray, his once nearly black hair now a more salt and pepper shade--his facial hair matching. His hair was long, longer then it'd ever been, while the top was hidden by his hat, the locks going most the way down his back was rather wild. Yet, still he had his rugged charm to him...even if he was quite a bit more rugged then when he last saw the gates of Tetsumura.

He'd walk forward, his footsteps light as he made his way to the gates. The Samurai had his sensor ability active the entire time, even where he called home could come with its dangers...who knew if Kensei would let an arrow slip Hagane's way accidently. But he also had another purpose...the man wanted to know if Kiyoko was in the village, and if she was--where. He needed to talk to her...surely, she'd be beyond furious with him for having been gone so long. But the man had his reasons...the man's bloody past had come to haunt him once more, his daughter had been taken...and he wouldn't stand for it. Nor stand by and let it keep coming back up. But...he'd have to explain this all in detail to Kiyoko, if she'd give him the chance to. His eyes took in the gates to the Samurai haven of the Land of Iron as he approached, before stopping just outside the gates.

He'd be greeted by some guards, who where quick to realize who it was, and allow him entrance to the village. He entered the streets of Tetsumura, With a whisper, Hayabusa leaving her perch upon Hagane's arm to take off in search of Kiyoko, directed by Hagane. She was here, he could sense her ki. The nameless would continue on further into the streets of the village, making his way towards the familiar signature. Having a literal bird's eye view and moving quicker, Hayabusa would be the first to make to to Kiyoko's location, the Falcon swooping down with an echoing caw as she'd come in to land on the branch of a nearby tree, making a bit of a fuss, flapping her wings excitedly.

Kiyoko was just finishing up her reports after a long day of patrols and overseeing the security of the village. The sun had already set hours before and had turned the region from ‘unbearably cold if you weren’t dressed properly’ to ‘actually unbearably cold.’ She had grown used to the temperature, more through a sense of discipline than out of a love of the icy weather, and now that she had proper fur clothing it made it easier. When she had first arrived she had still been dressed for the deserts of the Land of Wind, now though she had an expertly made kimono style outfit; black silk that allowed for ease of movement in combat while still providing enough airflow to actually keep her warm. Over her bare shoulders she had a fur cloak, a bear that she had taken down while on a patrol. Her long black hair was pulled back in a ponytail and held with a thin strip of leather, on her feet were a sturdy pair of fur lined boots and at her side was strapped the legendary blade Kurosawa. Weeks before she had obtained the sword that had been commissioned for her by the Shogun, Gaikō. The black metal katana hung from her belt, paired with Kurosawa. Despite her small stature, she did cut an intimidating figure.

As she squared the corners of the last pile of reports she caught movement out of the corner of her eye and spun quickly with her hand automatically resting on the hilt of Kurosawa. She had been on edge ever since so many shinobi had been allowed entrance to Tetsumura for the so-called ‘kage summit’. If she would have had her way, she would have allowed them entrance and decapitated them all as they passed through the gates. The Shogun had other ideas, and had insisted that they were only to be executed should they break any of their laws. She had obeyed of course, she would never dream of disobeying the Shogun, but it had not ceased her paranoia. She knew that shinobi were always conniving and underhanded, and she had seen nothing so far that had completely changed her mind. The only exception was a girl named Kitsuki, who she had had the chance to get to know and had found her to be less conniving than most. She also didn’t think that the girl should even be in shinobi society, and had often laid awake at night considering a trip to Kirigakure to rescue her from a life of indentured servitude that would end in a violent death.

As she turned to see what it was that was moving she froze, her hand gently resting on the hilt of her sword and her brown eyes wide with shock. It had been well over a year since she’d seen it, but she knew that bird. She still remembered as though it was yesterday when she and Hagane had arrived in Tetsumura, all with Hayabusa flying nearby. Without a word Kiyoko would head outside of the building and out into the snow, the guards she passed knew better than to interrupt her when she was like this. She walked quickly, her eyes scanning her surroundings the second she flung the door wide, the falcon had taken a perch on a tree just outside of the administration building she had been working in and Kiyoko stormed up to the base of it, her dark eyes flashing angrily as she tried to maintain her composure in the face of a very visceral reminder of how she and Aihi had been abandoned. As much as she had trained, she still was hot headed and in the face of extreme emotional turmoil some of that training went out the metaphorical window. She should have been continuing to scan her surroundings, checking for threats, but instead her gaze was fixed on the bird. With a voice that carried easily over the frozen landscape she spoke with an edge to the object of her frustration; Hayabusa. “Where is he? Is he dead? Is that why you are here?”

"Not dead yet..."

A familiar deep, smooth with a hint of rasp, voice would cross Kiyoko's ears, as footsteps in the snow crunched softly behind Kiyoko, not as silent as his steps on the cleared path earlier. Hagane stopped his approach roughly 10 feet away from the female. Golden brown hues stared her way, either to her back if she hadn't turned around yet, or right to her eyes if she had--the man feeling a small sense of relief seeing her. Even if he did feel a hint of dread. He knew how the optics on the past years events looked, and from her perspective--they didn't look good. Still, he'd face her, his lover--former lover--whichever she considered him at this point.

"I'm sorry if you've felt abandoned by me, but that was never the case...If I may, I will tell you everything Kiyoko." the man would say, voice never faltering as he'd keep his eyes locked on her, offering to explain himself, his absence. But still being a gentlemen, and understanding she'd likely have a fury he'd never seen from her, he'd let her speak before he just dives into this. Frankly if she tried to strike him down, he wouldn't be surprised...He might've even just accepted it as his fate. Not like it'd be out of Kiyoko's character to do so. But he hoped he'd earned enough of the woman's trust back then, to at least allow him to explain himself now. Let her understand what happened.

Hayabusa had fallen silent the moment Kiyoko was harsh with her, the Falcon simply perched on the tree, observing the situation with her wings tucked. Hayabusa was highly intelligent, maybe not enough to fully grasp the conversation between the two, but she got the gist of the seriousness in the air. The bird wasn't used to the sharp edge of Kiyoko's tone, but understood emotions enough to not be too worked up by it. Hayabusa's movements was quick, flicky, as usual with the bird of prey, as she glanced back and forth between the duo, and every now and then tucking her beak into her feathers, likely digging for a bug or scratching an itch.

Hagane remained where he'd stopped...part of him just wanted to hug her after it being so long--but the man knew to keep his distance...he knew he'd hurt her. Reaching up with one hand, he'd remove his hat, revealing the rest of his lengthy locks, brushed salt and pupper by time and stress--such artists they are. He'd let his arm drop back to his side, holding the hat by its edge. It was notably more torn up then before, clearly been cut multiple times since she'd last seen it. His whole outfit reflected this...unlike her beautiful new clothes, his outfit was old and in tatters...if it wasn't for the fact the man had the ability to regulate his heat with Katon, he'd probably freeze in the cold mountains of Tetsu no Kuni.

"Not dead yet..."

The moment that those words reached Kiyoko’s ears, time stopped. She knew that voice. When she had first yelled at Hayabusa she had been frustrated, and simultaneously hopeful and filled with dread. And once more she felt those same things. In one fluid motion Kiyoko would spin and draw Kurosawa, taking a single step forward and glaring at the man before her. Kiyoko trembled with fury as she took in the visage of Hagane. She had felt this fury once before with her former husband Kome, and that had ended swiftly in a spray of blood and anger. That day in the Land of Rice still haunted her, how she had lost control of her anger and dealt with betrayal the only way her primal mind could; with violence.

She had made a vow to keep her anger in check after that day - a vow that she had mostly kept. She at least had not murdered anyone else since then. To her though, murder was as very defined thing; it involved unjustified killing against an unarmed target. Executions were not, in her mind, murder. The man who stood before her now was a member of the Tetsumura military and without any further evidence had abandoned his post. As the commander of Tetsumura’s armies, executing those who had abandoned their posts was part of her job. And with the rage in her heart it was difficult for her to see past her duties.

The one thing that made her stop advancing, that stilled her hand, was Aihi. The thought of the toddler - their daughter - held her in place for a moment longer. She still trembled with fury, still had her dark brown eyes locked on his form and Kurosawa still remained drawn, but she waited for her daughter’s sake. She studied him, he seemed worn by time, a beard now gracing his face and giving his rugged appearance that much more charm. She could see strands of silver throughout his hair - it had only been two and a half years, but it seemed closer to a decade or more if she was judging by appearance only.

She allowed him to speak, though when he spoke her name her temper flared again. This time it manifested in dangerous levels of Katon chakra that flowed across the edge of Kurosawa. The flames twisted around the sword, masking the metal nearly entirely and curling around to appear as a double helix that stretched from the hilt to just past the tip of the weapon. She held the sword in one hand off to her side and the heat from the chakra created flames melted the surrounding snow for several feet, even causing a faint ’hiss’ sound as the heat quickly evaporated the resulting water. ‘Why does he have to say my name like that? With so much familiarity?’ That was the thing that set her off again - her name. Since he left there were almost none that referred to her as such. She was Commander Fisei, or Commander Kiyoko. Even to her daughter she was ‘Mama’.

She did not advance though, even though the urge to strike him down then and there was near overwhelming. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she adjusted her grip on the now flaming sword, ready to swing should his answer be insufficient. The glow of the fire from her sword gave her features sharp edges in the darkness of swiftly approaching night. She did manage to gain control of her facial expression as she spoke, her face remaining passive as her voice betrayed a hard edge of rage. “Speak then. And quickly.” She was willing to hear him out, but even for all the work she had done since he had left, her patience had its limits.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

This line crossed the man's mind as he could almost feel the anger swell inside of Kiyoko. The woman before him was pretty quick to turn towards the Nameless, and simultaneously draw her blade--not just any blade--but the blade of Legend, prize of the Land of Iron--Kurosawa. The man never flinched, his eyeline never even moved--solid looking straight to the woman's eyes as she brandished the powerful Katana towards him. He of course recognized it instantly, but was not his focus right now--his focus was on Kiyoko. Commander of Tetsumura. Still, Kiyoko stayed her blade long enough for him to speak to her...but this only drew even more anger from the woman.

As if The Diplomat's fury manifested, Kurosawa would become aglow with Katon chakra, which quickly formed into a blazing aura of intense azure flames, shaping about the blade of legend in a double helix. The heat from the powerful technique was more then felt by Hagane, standing at just about 3 meters away now, as she'd taken one step toward him when drawing her blade--the duo now 9 feet away from each other. From this distance it nearly burned, any closer and he'd be suffering as the snow closest to her faded to reveal the wet ground below. The snowline melted nearly all the way to him, the man basically right at the edge of the effective radius. Hayabusa on the other hand had sensed the danger just in time to have flown away before Kiyoko lit this off--otherwise she'd be toast right now.

Still. He stood still, eyes locked onto her's, his golden brown eyes lit with a blue glow, reflecting the sword she wielded's power. He knew she could strike at any moment, in fact he was surprised she hadn't yet--but something held her back--that something he wasn't exactly sure of, but it existed. Hagane's hat, still in his hand to his side, actually began smoking at the front edge, the dry straw actually beginning to smolder in the face of this intense heat. Smelling the smoke, he'd let out a single quiet sigh and drop his hat, letting it land into the still melting snow next to him, which quickly soaked the hat and quashed any potential of burning further.

Kiyoko responded...to the point, she was clearly in no mood to beat around the bush. Luckily for her, Hagane was never the long winded type. He'd keep focus on her, as he spoke--explaining with detail yet briefly. "Akahana was kidnapped. Someone with ties to the group who killed her sister and my ex-wife got her. I had to get her back...and make sure no one would ever bother us again. It took longer then expected." he'd finish, taking in a deep breath after speaking as his his eyes glazed over just a hint. Tears maybe? But if they was, the heat dried them before they ever had a chance to roll. The man was never a liar, something Kiyoko knew, and he spoke as genuinely as he ever had.

Kiyoko was furious. Which was probably the understatement of the century. The white hot flames from her sword even began to singe Hagane’s hat, and it was with no small amount of satisfaction that she watched as he sighed and tossed it into the water to avoid it burning up entirely. Hayabusa had sensed the danger immediately and flown off, which Kiyoko was grateful for, she had no intention of harming innocent animals while she exacted her retribution.

He didn’t move, which was smart. Any sudden movements from him with her Double Helix Blade active would likely not have ended well. Potentially for either of them. As he answered her she felt her blood boil even hotter, the fire light dancing as she shook with rage. He was succinct with his explanation, another wise choice as she likely wouldn’t have had the patience to wait through a story detailing the last two and a half years. When he finished, she would close her eyes and try to calm herself as she thought of what to say. She wanted to scream at him, to slice his head from his shoulders in repayment for all the suffering he had put her through. She also wanted to rush to him and hold him, to cry and tell him how much she had missed him and how sorry she was about his family. She would have done anything to protect Aihi, killed anyone and travelled anywhere - even to the ends of the earth. And as she thought that, it occurred to her that he didn’t know.

She released her chakra from Kurosawa and the spirals of fire winked out of existence as quickly as they had arrived. Opening her eyes she would gesture with her head back towards the building she had stormed out of, indicating that he should follow her. “Not here. We have much to talk about, and I need a drink.” Sheathing Kurosawa she would turn and head inside, the guards making themselves scarce as their commander walked past them, allowing Hagane unimpeded entry. Should Hagane follow her, he would be met with a surprisingly welcoming environment for an office. A large table was surrounded by comfortable seating and there was a well stocked shelf full of liquor on one end of the room. She would take off her cloak, tossing it angrily onto a nearby stool and revealing bare shoulders with an elaborate tattoo design that travelled across her back and down beneath her black silk clothing. The tattoo was of an ever coiling dragon and above it was the kanji for ‘Aihi’ - 愛妃 She would unceremoniously grab a bottle from the shelf along with a glass and pour herself a drink, practically inhaling the amber liquid before she felt ready to turn and face him once more. She would sigh heavily as she looked at him, either in the room or through the window if he had remained outside. She would wait until he was in the room to address him. “Get yourself a drink if you want one. You might need it.”

The woman's fury was more then felt at this point, snow continued to melt as her blade sparked with flames, the glow continuing to reflect in the man's nearly golden hues. Even after he'd explained his absence, the heat of the flames still nearly burned--if the man wasn't used to high heat from his own fire abilities, he'd likely wouldn't be able to stand where he did. Anyone else would've backed up...but Hagane was a man of honor and stood in the face of the fire, even if his perspective of honor differed and others viewed him differently. Surely, Kiyoko didn't view the man as honorable. Not at the moment.

Hagane watched as the woman finally released her technique, the flames twirling about the legendary Kurosawa disapating, and with it, the intense heat that had came with it. Snow around the both of them let off steam as it was slowly cooling back down. Hagane watched as she motioned for him to follow, saying that she needed a drink. Hagane stood for a moment still, watching her turn and head back into the building. Guards making way for the angry woman. Hagane would go ahead and follow, even if a bit behind--picking up his singed hat and keeping it in his hand. The guards made no qualm with his entry, which considering Hagane did outrank them--even after all this time--they would be wise to not bother the man.

His brown eyes took in the office as he entered, a quick glance about the room would give him the overview. It was nice. Reminded him just a bit of Azayakana Castle, where he had taken Akahana after getting her back. His attention was quickly back on Kiyoko though, watching her angerly toss her cloak onto a stool--revealing her ink covered skin. He was quick to notice the difference since he'd last seen it, a name, which almost caused him to raise an eyebrow--but he didn't. He'd watch as she practically inhaled her drink, before she'd even look back at him...the fury was still there, even if she'd pulled the reigns back a bit. Seeing the woman he loved feel such resentment towards him tore the man apart inside, but this only manifested in him averting his eyes, glancing off to the liquor shelf for a moment. But as she turned back towards him, his eyes once more would meet with her's. She'd offer him the chance to grab a drink himself, if he wanted, but Hagane simply closed his eyes and shook his head, declining it. Normally, he'd accept--but he was here to talk to Kiyoko, this was important to him, and he wouldn't drink when he was here on such serious terms.

"No, thanks..." he'd say, taking a few steps across the room, a bit closer to Kiyoko, but still coming to stand a fair distance from her. The man wanted to run up and hug her, he'd missed her so much during his time away...but at this point, she could've lost feelings for him. Hagane still loved, Kiyoko...he had no idea--all he could feel from her was the anger, frustration, the feeling of betrayal, even if it never was meant to be that. Frankly, the man was barely holding himself together at this point...with what he'd been through, and now returning to this. It was too much for Hagane. He kept a cool vibe about him...but mentally, emotionally, the man was screaming on the inside.

"I should've told you, but when I found out what was happening, I had no time." he'd say, voice a bit quiet now, but still without weakness, no hesitation or falter. He finally broke looking into her eyes after she'd faced him again, glancing down and to the side a bit as the urge to tell her everything rushed over him. Tell her his journey...his pain...his longing to be in her grasp again. But the man held it back, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly through his lips, as he fought back his own emotions. The man was good at keeping up the face that he was okay, but the emotions flowing through him right now was breaking him down on the inside. "...I know it won't mean much. But I'm sorry, Kiyoko..." he'd say, one small crack in his voice, he meant what he said--but by now, his mask was cracking, and his emotions was trying to slip out. The wash of wanting to break down nearly floored Hagane...but he still stood, finally bringing his eyeline back to her's, looking in her eyes. With more determination, he said it again. "I'm sorry."

Kiyoko was a little surprised that Hagane turned down a drink. But also she could see that he might want to keep his wits about him for the time being, especially since she had very recently pulled out a fairly lethal technique just because he showed his face. She would shrug as he declined and pour herself another drink, this time allowing the amber coloured liquid to swirl lazily in the glass for a moment before downing it. She was a heavy drinker all things considered and her drinking this much was not exactly unusual, but today she was trying to numb herself. Seeing Hagane again was painful, and now she had to deliver some news that he might be less than excited to hear.

She would sit on a chair and lean back, a bottle in one hand and her glass in the other. She kept her brown eyes on Hagane as he spoke. She felt the armor around her heart crack as he apologized. She could see that he meant it, but she was still wary. She had been betrayed by someone she loved once before, and letting her guard down was exactly what had almost gotten her killed, and in the end had gotten him killed. It took a considerable amount of self control for her to not get up from where she sat and either smack him or kiss him. But she stayed where she was and gestured to the seat across from her, indicating that he should sit down.

“I am not going to kill you. I am sure you will believe me when I say that I considered it. Often and in much detail. But I will not, so please sit.” She fully expected him to decline again, so she would carry on speaking without worrying about whether or not he chose to take a seat. While she spoke she poured herself a third drink and slowly sipped at it between sentences. “I did not expect you to leave. Suddenly or otherwise. And I would have told you had you stayed, but as you said, there was no time. When you left, I was pregnant, only just. And. . . I wish you would have been here, I wish you would have told me what was happening. I would have come with you. Hagane, you have a daughter. Our daughter. She is. . . perfect.”

Kiyoko would stop and down the rest of her third drink, and then look to fill her glass again. Her eyes went back and forth from the bottle to the glass for a second until it seemed as though she stopped with some internal struggle and released the hold on her glass, opting to take a swig directly from the bottle itself. Kiyoko was not good with social situations, but she was trying. She had spent the last two and a half years learning about how to be friendly and personable from Oda, and she at least had a rapport with Yuka, Aihi’s nanny. Now though she felt like she was all over the place. She wanted to scream at him and also rush to him so he could hold her again. She wanted to bring him to Aihi and also tell him to leave her alone. In short, Kiyoko was confused. And like everything else she did, she voiced her thoughts without too much regard for how they would come out. “She is two years old, her name is Aihi. It is why I am so angry. . . so hurt. You did not just leave me behind, you left her.” Kiyoko would wait now for Hagane to say something, this was the most she had spoken at once in a very long time. Usually she was just giving orders or more likely she was completely alone left to her work. Her hand trembled slightly as she waited, evidenced only by the subtle ripples in the surface of the amber liquor in the bottle she still held.

The Nameless Samurai would watch the younger woman shrug as he had declined the offer for a drink, as she went on to pour herself another--before after a moment chugging it down too. They'd been in there what, maybe a minute, if that, and she'd already had a couple shots. Did reuniting with him push her to drink more then normal? Likely the case he figured--just another thing to tear him down. She always been one to drink, but it still pained him to see that his present brought her such frustration that she'd rather numb herself with alcohol. Hagane's golden brown orbs followed her as she went to sit down in a chair and lean back, bottle in one hand--glass in the other. She'd gesture to the chair across from her, him listening as she said she wasn't gonna kill him, even if she'd heavily considered it...this wasn't exactly reassuring. But she also wasn't a liar, at least never with him.

But he'd go on to step closer, the man proceeding to take the seat offered to him across from Kiyoko as she poured herself another drink, and continued to speak. Hagane listened to her as he sat, he barely had his butt in the seat by the time she got to the big reveal. Straight to the point. As Kiyoko told the man she was pregnant at the time he'd left, his eyes opened wider, looking into Kiyoko's eyes as she continued on. 'Hagane, you have a daughter. Our daughter. She is. . . perfect.', these words echoed through his soul. It was evident with first the look of shock of hearing this, but...it was followed up by a smile. Despite the negativity of his return, this overwhelmed the man with emotion, hearing he had a daughter he hadn't known about. But it was brief. The guilt once more flowed through him, and the smile subsided--about the time Kiyoko ditched her glass and decided to just drink from the bottle.

He was speechless at first, giving her the chance to finish what she had to say, which only reaffirmed the guilt he had wash over him. But still. He had a daughter...Aihi. A beautiful name. He'd glance to Kiyoko's hand, noting the shaking, even if subtle, the perceptive man noticed. With taking a moment to process this info, Hagane would slowly stand, and move a bit closer to Kiyoko...hopefully she meant what she said about not killing him, cause now he was in striking distance, as the man would kneel, coming down to a knee in front of Kiyoko. He'd bow his head to her, shutting his eyes for a moment as he replied.

"I have failed, time and time again, to be a good father...To be there for my kin, ever since I was set on the path I've walked for years. The same path that kept me away for all this time. Kiyoko..." as the man said her name, he'd look up, eyes open to look up to her eyes. "...If given the chance, I want to change that. I want to be here for Aihi...for you. If you'll give me that chance..." he'd say softly as he looked up to Kiyoko's eyes from his knelled position, even at his height it left his eyeline a hint lower then her's while sitting.

Kiyoko was blunt and to the point, as usual. It was the main reason she had been jokingly named ‘The Diplomat’ by the Shogun, much to her chagrin. She had managed to weave in a couple feelings on the matter, which for her was fairly significant. Speaking on her feelings was not something she normally did, at least not before Aihi.

When at first Hagane didn’t speak she was concerned that he was perhaps uninterested in what she had to say, or worse he was angry with her. But when he knelt in front of her she knew that neither was the case. She had promised not to kill him, and it seemed that he believed her or was at least willing to risk it. She was still angry, but as he spoke of failing and how he wanted to be there for her and Aihi, her heart softened.

Setting the bottle down on the table, she would move her hand to attempt to touch the top of his head, a small sigh escaping her lips as she moved. She kept her eyes on his and her shoulders slumped just a tiny bit as she felt some of the anger leave her. “I want to give you that chance. It worries me though, to think that you might leave again. What we had once was beautiful and you were my whole world. But since you left, Aihi has become my whole world. I cannot bear the thought of her heart being broken, so if I give you this chance you must swear to me that you will not abandon her.”

Neck pretty much literally on the line with a woman who had it in mind to slice his head off with a sword of burning fury, the man had giving Kiyoko his word--word he meant to keep. Lucky for him, she wouldn't relieve him from his duty in life, as he had more to live for beyond this encounter. A young daughter...a younger sister to his eldest daughter. As he watched her, he'd see tension in her shoulders release a bit, a sign she was calming down from the fury she held only moments ago. Hagane watched as she moved to put down the bottle, and would reach out...touching the top of his head if she continued her movement, him not pulling away at all. The man would listen closely as Kiyoko would respond, expressing her worries, and that to be given the chance to be part of their lives--he'd have to swear to her not to abandon them. Not again.

Hagane's golden tinted brown eyes kept looking to Kiyoko as he'd reply...short and to the point, but with determination and meaning. "I swear to you, and Aihi both...on my life, I will be here for you two..." the Samurai would say, before reaching up slowly with on hand and taking her's into his, if she'd allow him, running his thumb gently across the back of Kikoyo's hand if she had allowed him to take hold of it. Standing up, he'd keep his eyes on her. A faint smile grew on his lips at the thought, that he'd express quickly. "May I meet her? Where is she?"

Hagane could have stayed where he was, Kiyoko wouldn’t have faulted him for it. She was a very angry person on the best of days. And today was not the best. Just seeing his face had evoked such an emotional response that it had taken considerable effort to restrain herself and not do anything rash. Having been gone for so long, Hagane would have had no way of knowing the amount of effort she had invested into developing patience. So when he knelt in front of her, easily within reach of her and her blade, she saw sincerity. It was also entirely possible that he had forgotten how dangerously emotional she had once been, and what might have been sincerity could also have been forgetfulness. But she chose to interpret it as showing that he cared more about her and Aihi than his own safety. And that meant the world to her in that moment.

She looked into his eyes as he swore on his life to be there for both her and their daughter Aihi. The problem was, Kiyoko wanted to believe him, so she did. There was little, if any, critical thinking involved. And as he held her hand she easily found herself back in a cave with the man she loved. “I believe you.” Was all she said to his vow as she gripped his hand gently and smiled. She would stand when he did, still holding his hand as she answered his question. “She is at home with her caretaker Yuka, it is late so we will have to run. She will be going to bed soon.” It wasn’t actually late, it was dark but that wasn’t precisely what Kiyoko meant. It was incredibly late for a toddler, but that wasn’t even what brought a look of concern to Kiyoko’s face. “She will not know who you are. I never lied to her, but she is too young to understand and, well, I thought you might be dead and never coming back. I did not tell her about you because I wanted to spare her that pain.” Kiyoko looked miserable as she explained her reasoning for not telling Aihi about her father, Hagane. She really had thought that he was never coming back, so her plan had been to avoid the problem for as long as she could.

The Samurai who'd knelled to the woman he cared so much for found he hadn't lost his head--and would while grasping her hands, feel her grip his hands--listening to Kiyoko as she spoke. The smile the young woman gave, even if brief or faint, melted Hagane on the inside...he'd missed that smile. Hagane listened as she brought up the caretaker, someone named Yuka, and that it'd be time for her to go to bed soon...but still left enough time it seemed like. He'd nod in response as he looked into Kiyoko's eyes.

This would be about the time she'd explain to Hagane that Aihi wouldn't know who he was, that she'd never told her about Hagane, in case he was dead--never came back--or otherwise. This drew a deep breath from the man, let out in a quiet sigh as he nodded. "I understand...that was likely for the best, with what happened. Was a decent chance I wouldn't have survived to make it back...But still. I'm sorry Kiyoko...and I'll make it up to you by making sure Aihi knows her father and has her father in her life." the man spoke with determination as he looked to the woman. She of course had looked miserable when explaining it all, but he couldn't fault her for how she'd felt. How she handled it. She handled the situation well, and Hagane was proud of her, even if he kept quiet about it for now.