The Forgotten Samurai

Shinjiro and Samira slunk underneath the hazy red lights dotting the back alleys, watching carefully for more yakuza as Samira tried to retrace her steps to the bar she'd met the doormaker at.

"So what's all this about, anyway?" Shinjiro asked, careful not to touch the sword which he was nursing a headache from simply from sheathing in his belt. "If you're a yakuza boss, why are you all alone, running away from yakuza grunts?"

"My father passed away a month ago," Samira replied, looking straight ahead. "He was the head of the Nanagumi yakuza, which controls Shinjuku. He named me successor before he died, but other top ranking members took the opportunity to seize power. They've put a hit out on me, my brother, and even my mother who lives in Egypt. When I got his letter predicting his death and all that followed, I dropped everything in order to become a yakuza boss, to follow in my father's footsteps."

"Sounds complicated…"

"No, that's a pretty good summary actually."

Shinjiro sighed. "So, that letter is what told you about the doormaker, huh? Actually, why is he called a doormaker? Wouldn't it be easier to just call him a carpenter?"

"That's just what sounded right to me," she said, looking back with a shrug.

He sighed again. "Whatever. So if the top brass put out a hit on you, these grunts chasing you are part of your own group then, right?"

"No idea."

He couldn't even muster a sigh this time. "You should probably know that much. Anyway, we just killed two of them and left a third naked."

"Yeah?"

"I'm assuming your goal is to take back power and win over the organization?"

"Of course."

"So how do you expect to win over the footsoldiers if we're killing them?"

"You killed them, not me!"

"I was protecting you, idiot!"

She whipped her head back round, but not before he caught her cheeks reddening. "Well thanks for that," she muttered. "It is your job, though."

"I didn't sign any contract," Shinjiro said. "I'm not just going to let you be shot right in front of me, though. But it won't be my problem once I get him to send me back.You can be filled with bullets then for all I care."

"Gee thanks," she replied, shooting him a dirty look. "I can't believe I pulled a one star servant when I was shooting for Musashi Miyamoto."

"What did you…"

"Maybe I can trade you in. Even Kojiro Sasaki would be fine. Oh, or my third choice, Ryoma Sakamoto."

"Ryoma…?" Shinjiro tripped over his own feet, and fell face first into the dirty asphalt. Samira swiveled around, too shocked to help him up.

"What's wrong?"

"Ryoma is that famous…? If you know Ryoma, then you should know me."

"Why's that?"

"Because I grew up with him."

"So you're from the Tosa Domain?"

"Yes," he replied, climbing to his feet. "I thought you were just uneducated, but there's no way you could know about him and not me."

"Well I know everything about him, up to how he died," she said, blinking at him. "You weren't there. He was one of the last people that could even be considered samurai. So you're either lying, or…" She tapped her lips with her finger, and fluttered her long lashes. "Oh! maybe me pulling you here erased you from history!"

Shinjiro sat back down in the asphalt, rocking back and forth while holding his head. "Please don't say something like that so casually. What am I going to do? If this means I can't go back, will I just become a nameless ronin? Was I banished here for abandoning Musashi's seven principles, for giving up on the samurai way?"

Samira looked down at him with curiosity, before reaching her hand out. "It's not too late, I guess. I'll give you another shot. As thanks for saving me."

Shinjiro cocked his head and twisted his brow at her, before chuckling. "You already paid me back for that. You're just saying that because you know you need me, aren't you?"

She grinned, averting her eyes as she stuck her tongue out.

"Fine," he said as he took her hand. Despite his worries, the warmth in her palm gave him a sense of security. So much so that when she turned to continue walking, he forgot to let go.

"Huh?" she muttered, glancing back. It seemed she'd forgotten as well, or was waiting for him to let go, but instead she reached the end of their man-made rope, pulling her back. This time, she caught him red-faced, but hers was quick to follow. Before either could acknowledge it, a gleeful giggle sounded from the shadows of the alleyway.

"If you're that insistent on knowing every little thing, you'll have to buy me a drink-hee!"