37 Interlude – Shizuha

One year has passed since Shizuha woke up, and it would appear it was time. Saiga has come to fetch her, Hayato and Miu have returned to Ryōzanpaku, the moment she has been waiting for has arrived.

Saiga wearing a disguise, not wanting to be seen at Ryōzanpaku left with her wife at nighttime, the least people saw her, the better.

Shizuha was trembling in anticipation, while Saiga was a nervous wreck, he would appear in front of his father, his daughter, after more than eleven years.

Sneaking into Ryōzanpaku instead of knocking, for some reason was the choice they made, Miu was asleep, while Hayato and Akisame were talking, Kensei nowhere to be seen.

Ryōzanpaku had an interesting layout, the place is separated into three buildings, a dojo, for practicing, the main dwelling, where Ryōzanpaku's members usually spend their time and eat, the Elder's room being on the first floor and Miu's on the second. And a second dwelling, where Kenichi's room would be, as well as the other masters.

Currently, Hayato and Akisame were on the dojo, not wanting to wake Miu. Their voices were heard.

"No, she is perfectly fine, even considering her childhood and great Dou ki, she demonstrates no indication on, going into the wrong path." Hayato's voice is heard across the dojo.

Akisame in relief said, "That's good, I wouldn't want Saiga's daughter to become a killing machine."

"It's weird to be honest, in her early years, she entered a berserk stage when deeply agitated, needing me to knock her out to calm her, but in later years she has begun to calm down, for no apparent…." Ending his conversation, the elder's look changed, some anger showing on his face, Akisame was confused by this.

"It's really rude to eavesdrop on an old man you know, what would you two want on this old man's home I wonder." Anger more evident in his voice.

A few moments passed after his waring when the dojo's door opened, there was a man in his mid-thirties and a woman in her early thirties.

Not recognizing the man, but instantly knowing who the woman was, both masters were shocked, out of breath, not believing what they were seeing, Hayato had seen her in person, and Akisame in pictures, but this didn't make sense, by all accounts she was either missing or dead, the latter being the most likely after eleven years.

A small tear started falling from the elder's eyes, he had done the best he could for his granddaughter, acting as guardian, parent, and friend, but in no way could he replace the girl's parents.

Disbelief filled his voice "How?"

Shizuha smiled widely at him, "Father-in-law."

Akisame as much as he would want to stay, knew that this would be a deeply personal conversation, so he stood, ready to leave, not before the man standing next to Shizuha patted his shoulder on the way out, and whispered, "Thanks" to him.

Quickly realizing the only person this could be, Akisame did not respond, he just smiled softly and kept walking, an invisible weight off his shoulder, his friend was back, and he never left, they only thought he did.

Hayato was still in total disbelief, not noticing the small interaction between the man and Akisame, when the man moved he finally reacted, glancing at the man, he noticed he grabbed his face and removed a mask, seeing his son, shocked him even more.

"Son" he weakly said, not believing what was in front of his eyes, half of his family was here, the half he thought he would never see again. "What is happening? Have I really gotten so old I started hallucinating?"

Hearing this Shizuha giggled while Saiga scoffed and his old man's antics. "No father-in-law, this is really me."

"But how, I searched all over for you and could never found you."

Now both husband and wife sighed in their hearts, remembering the great debt they owed, their brother/brother-in-law, and started telling him the story. "It all started when Senzui attacked me…."

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By now the famous elder was loudly laughing, tears threatening to fall even more, "Damn brat, I will give him the scolding of a lifetime for keeping this from me." After saying this the elder did something that left both Shizuha and Saiga open-mouthed.

He walked towards Saiga, stopping in front of him, kneeled on the floor, and bowed, his voice filled with regret and shame, "You don't know how sorry I am son. For not looking deeper into things. For not believing in you." Tears finally started falling, his deepest regret in life, being false, lies.

Saiga, with tears in his eyes, quickly went to the kneeling old man, standing him up, saying, "I forgive you dad, everyone but Azuma thought I did it."

After hearing this Hayato finally hugged his son, and then his daughter-in-law, wiping his tears, telling them, "I'll go wake up Miu."

It was finally time, both parents were nervous, excited, and everything in between, after what felt like hours, a voice was heard, "Grandpa, why did you wake me up, I was having a nice dream about the flowers."

The dojo's door opened, a little girl, blond hair, sleepy and scratching her eyes appeared in front of the pair, looking at her, Shizuha broke and started crying like never before, Saiga's teary eyes were not only teary anymore.

Miu, was confused, who were the people in front of her? And why were they crying? Until her grandpa told her, "Those are your parents little Miu."

Miu's eyes instantly became a broken dam, running at them, she yelled, "Mama, Papa, I knew."

Shizuha and Saiga instantly caught the girl in a hug, Shizuha finally able to hug her little girl after that night, after at least ten minutes the girl's parents finally broke the hug, wishing it could last hours, if not days more.

"What did you mean you knew little Miu?" Hayato asked the still crying girl, between sobs of happiness Miu answered, "Uncle Azuma didn't lie to, he always told me papa did not leave Miu, and that Mama was alive and would meet Miu one day."

Hayato was stomped, not only did his son hide the fact his daughter-in-law was alive and he rescued her, he even told his cute granddaughter things behind his back, the mouthful was starting to transform into a beatdown in the man's mind.

After answering the question, Miu climbed on her mother's legs, trying to find a comfortable position, once she found it, Shizuha's arms wrapped the little girl, embracing her, while Saiga was holding one of Miu's hands.

The elder asked the reunited family, an enormous smile on his face, "So what will you do know that you are back?"

Saiga told his father his plans on staying on Yami, keeping watch over them, after relentless convincing, Hayato finally agreed, but made Saiga promise to visit his daughter, Saiga didn't need to promise anything, there was no way he would not see Miu now that they've reunited.

Shizuha asked her slightly sad daughter, after hearing her dad would not live with her, "Are you not sad love?"

Miu sadly nodded her head, "Yes, I'm sad dad will not be living with me, but he said he will visit often, Uncle Azuma also told me papa was too good for his own good, border...borderin…bordering into being stupid."

The girl quickly grasped her mouth, knowing she just said a bad word, while Saiga was clenching his fist, cursing his brother for what he's been teaching his adorable daughter.

Shizuha and Hayato laughed, knowing that Saiga was exactly that, not that any of them could complain, the elder was exactly the same, and this was one of the reasons Shizuha fell in love with the man.

After the small laugh, the elder asked Shizuha, "And you dear? What will you do?"

"I will be staying here with Miu if it's not an inconvenience."

The elder laughed loudly once again, "Not at all dear, not at all. I was already thinking on settling down for Miu to have a stable life, now with you here, it would be better."

In their story, Saiga had told his father about his plans and worries for Shizuha reintroduction into the world, remembering the conversation the elder added, "And relax dear, with me not going out for the moment, I would love to see who dared enter my home and threaten my daughter-in-law."

As he said that his aura changed, almost asking the world, who would be stupid enough to come looking for trouble, Shizuha's and Saiga's backfilled with sweat at the man's aura, Miu only tilting her head, not understanding what was happening.

"Thank you dad/father-in-law," The pair told Hayato.

Miu was confused about why her parents were thanking her grandpa also said, "Thank you, grandpa."

Today was the happiest day for Shizuha, and for the family, finally being reunited.