Complete

What was a few months of travel turned to years, Shigure and Azuma enjoying each other's company, Azuma visiting both Shigure's father's graves, and talking to them, about their daughter, and how he would take care of her.

In the year, a lot of things happened, Azuma worked with Shigure on her form of speech, finally figuring it out, and after a lot of time, he was finally able to make her talk more normal, with fewer pauses between words.

Shigure met Mikumo and Chikage, at first Mikumo looked at her like a hawk, examining her son's girlfriend, ending on a satisfied nod from her, Shigure is a strong woman, capable of taking care of herself and her son, if the need arises.

While Chikage was in love with, as she called Shigure, new big sister. Shigure had a high affinity with children, much like Apachai, if you don't consider the fact that for a present she tried to give Chikage a pair, of what appeared to be, extremely dangerous, sharp, deadly knives.

One thing that didn't change was Shigure's lack of common sense, it had gotten better, but nowhere near what both Azuma and Tōchūmaru would call satisfactory. Azuma learned that Shigure had an unnatural disliking to triangle-shaped rulers, quoting, " Because they look like weapons... but they are not weapons." Much to Azuma's amusement.

On another note, they finally shared their first kiss, and it would happen that besides kissing, and after a lot of kissing, some light over the clothes action, nothing happened between them. Differently to how Shigure first reacted when Azuma first saw her naked, outside of battle Shigure was extremely shy, passing out after the first kiss, and the following hundred.

Good thing Azuma was not pushing her to anything, but after her meeting with Mikumo, Shigure did start becoming much more proactive in her relationship, almost giving Azuma a heart attack when she entered their hotel room in some sexy lingerie. To Shigure's complete satisfaction, after seeing Azuma's reaction, she pumped her fist in the air, with a smug smile on her face, seeing the foaming mouth of her boyfriend after looking at her.

Over the months, Shigure also started acting more spoiled with Azuma, playfully demanding more of his attention, she had quite the childlike side, one that unless you really knew her, wouldn't normally come out.

._._._._._._._._._.

While they were traveling, an interesting development occurred, news that Hachirobe Kōsaka had passed away finally reached Akisame, who upon discovering it went looking for Shigure, to invite her to join Ryōzanpaku.

Regretfully he couldn't find her, as at the moment they were in America, visiting the Amazon, where Azuma became a grandmaster. Since they were in another continent neither of them realized Akisame was looking for Shigure, or that Shizuha had joined Ryōzanpaku.

Akisame momentarily gave up on his search, but believing Shigure was out there, traveling, he would sporadically go out in search of her.

After trying really hard to, for some reason visit as many countries as they possibly could, they returned to Japan. Azuma was about to tell Shigure that he had bought a home and wanted to invite her to live there with him, but remembering one of the few important events he wanted to change, he had to leave, separating from her for the first time in two years.

._._._._._._.

In one of his sporadic searches Akisame would eventually meet with Shigure and invite her to Ryōzanpaku.

Akisame, glad to finally meet her. "Ahh, Shigure, glad to finally be able to find you. I searched everywhere for you."

Shigure was surprised Akisame showed up in front of her, "Why…were you looking….for me?"

The man was slightly surprised at the speech upgrade she showed, "Some time ago I learned of Hachirobe's death, and looked for you. I wanted to invite you to live with me and a few other masters, at a dojo, Ryōzanpaku."

At first, Shigure wanted to decline, believing that Azuma would not take long to return, but then she recalled the conversations she had with Mikumo and Chikage, about how Azuma would tell them he would go out for a few months, and at the end, it would usually triple in time.

Oh, how fondly she remembers the next conversation, Azuma told her he loved her, the moment his words left his mouth Shigure felt an alien feeling invade her, but she liked it, a lot, forcing Azuma to repeat it again and again. And she was lost in her thoughts…..

Besides that incredibly important part, the conversation was Azuma telling her, that, although he loved her, she needed to make more friends, that, Tōchūmaru and him were not enough, Tōchūmaru agreed on this one, one was her boyfriend, and the other her life's friend, she needed other friends.

Azuma had told her the truth about who he was on their first month of traveling, about his father, mother, and he also told her not to say anything yet, explaining his reasons, Shigure agreed, her childish side showing.

"I..agree…it may be..fun, but only….for some time….I….will need to move out a little..after. " Shigure agreed to Akisame's invitation.

At first, Akisame was happy about her agreeing, but then confused, "Why would you move out after?"

Shigure only mysteriously smiled, "Surprise."

Now Akisame was really confused, what would Shigure's surprise be? Oh, the face he would make, invaluable.

Shigure was ready to go, all her clothes, necessities, or otherwise already on her, seeing this Akisame and Shigure departed to Ryōzanpaku.

There she met with the elder, Azuma's father, she knew about the man, from the legends to what Azuma had told her. Hayato instantly took a liking to the stoic naïve woman, treating her almost like a daughter, a dangerous, deadly, daughter, if only he knew.

Shigure also met with Shizuha, Azuma also told her about the woman, and her tragic past, a couple of years ago Shigure might not have been able to understand her, but now that she had a man she loved, Shigure couldn't imagine the pain she must have felt when she believed Saiga had tried to kill her, even if for a moment.

Shizuha, much like her father-in-law, took a liking to Shigure, almost adopting her like the little sister she never had.

Next came Kensei, a man Azuma had warned her about, telling her all about his perverted tendencies, the instant Shigure had eyes on the short man, the only words that left her mouth were, "Pervert."

Astonishing the group, Akisame asking her, "Why would you said that Shigure?"

Her only reply was, "He smells like a pervert."

Causing the group to laugh, and Kensei to get a resolute glint on his eyes, what he didn't know was that once Azuma returned, his revenge would come in the form of his 'magazines' suddenly disappearing.

Now came someone Azuma talked extensively about with Shigure, little Miu, the twelve-year-old girl, being enthralled at the idea of a new woman entering the mix. Azuma talking so much about his niece that Shigure probably knowing the girl better than she knew herself.

Instantly, and not at all due to Azuma's subliminal messages, Shigure, much like how Shizuha had taken her as a little sister, did the same to Miu.

At last, the newest two additions to Ryōzanpaku's roster aside from Shigure, Apachai Hopachai, an extremely tall man with a powerfully built, tanned skin, short spiky silver hair, wearing a yellow tank top and red shorts and a mongkol around his head with bandages wrapped around his hands and feet.

Despite not knowing anything about him, or the fact his Japanese was below standard, Apachai and Shigure instantly clicked. Apachai shares a lot of similarities to Shigure, he has a very childlike nature, which is why he is good with kids, much like Shigure, while he also looks out for any people he deems his friends.

The only difference between them being Apachai childishness is more in the open than Shigure's and different from Shigure's normally stoic expression, Apachai wears his emotions on his face.

The last addition being Shio Sakaki, a tall and largely muscled tan-skinned man, short eggplant-colored hair with a longer strand hanging over his face, a long scar that runs horizontally across the bridge of his nose. Shirtless while wearing a brown leather jacket and blue jeans with bandages wrapped around his forearms. Shigure notices that the man comes off as threatening and scary, but once looking deeper she sees a somewhat caring person.

Shigure wonders about this weird conglomeration of people, meanwhile Tōchūmaru, stealthily watches from his usual spot, between Shigure's breasts, something Kensei instantly notices as that was one of the areas with most of his focus.

Tōchūmaru thinking Shigure would fit right in, even after Azuma's return.

A/N: Well, there you go, the actual full Ryōzanpaku's roster, I did add Shizuha into the mix, as that seemed the most logical conclusion.

I hope I didn't make you wait too long.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Ciao