Self Validation (1)

"Yukinbo sama's wife, Sasori- sama is waiting for you in the office," Kyoko hurried to me the moment she saw Maruni's staff dropping me off at the lobby on my return from the hospital. 

Sasori is Sojobo's daughter-in-law, the first wife of Yukinbo, his second son, and Kanamura's mother. She was not a yōkai to show her face easily in public. Neither was she easy to deal with. 

Why she stayed with Yukinbo until now amazed me. Like Sojobo, Yukinbo had his own harem. 

After all these centuries, it did not seem plausible that she would come after me for destroying Kanamura's villa room.

"What does she want?" I walked towards the lift and pressed the button. "And give me an update on the rejection team preparations."

"Oh for the rejection of the target doctor, they are sending in one of the ghosts - you know… those with a grievance against hospitals. The client is just a fraudster. No onmyoji or exorcism skill," Kyoko said.

"Good. So let me know when he withdraws the request."

"Yes. As for Sasori-sama, she said she has some business to discuss with you. She is waiting in your office now. I think she might want the usual because she was asking for the prices for the job to be personally overseen by you."

I raised my eyebrow at Kyoko as we entered the lift. Money was not a problem for Sasori. What was it so urgent that she had to make a trip down from Kyoto to look for me?

The Tengu will carry all Tengu-related matters out. Patriarchy is long entrenched in their ranks. Not their wives. They excluded females from delving into Tengu business matters.

Sasori ran her own legitimate business of selling traditional Japanese crafts like kanzashi, the hairpins, and sometimes handbags made of the silk obi, the kimono belt or even bottles of reserved sake from the Tengu's sake business. Not a shady business which required rivals to be executed. 

"Did she mention a name? Like Kanamura?"

Kyoko shook her head as we got out of the lift into the corridor. "She only said that she will discuss it with you in private."

That can't be good news.

"I gave her the price listing," Kyoko said. "She did not even blink at the cost."

"Anything else on my schedule today?" I asked as my footsteps slowed towards my office. 

Sasori's presence was overwhelming. There was a seething anger in the air. Like a war was about to break out. 

"Nothing much except for some investment documents and payroll to sign off on before the new year. Just bills to pay for our subsidiaries' website and internet cost."

At least, it was mundane paperwork left for the Japanese new year shutdown. Christmas was coming in a few days. I inhale deeply as my hand turned the knob. 

Greeting me when the door opened was the formidable Sasori sitting on the leather sofa in my office. Still in her pristine, well maintained human form, Sasori has a beautiful youthful look of a 20-year-old. Belied by those dark doe eyes was a deadly scorpion yōkai. 

She got up as I bowed to her. "Kuro, it has been a long time. Quite an entrepreneur I see."

"Just a small business, nothing really," I coughed politely. "I could have gone up to Kyoto if you asked."

A wry grin appeared on her face. "Oh don't lie, I know that you avoid Kanamura. Everyone knows that."

She paused for a while as her eyes sized me up from head to toe, and then she sighed. "I do like you. You remind me of my younger days when I had spunk."

"Um. You are too kind…"

"Quit the modesty. I have business for you and you might find it interesting," she cut me off. 

"I hope it has nothing to do with the Tengu," I replied. 

"Nothing to do with Tengu business. I know the rules but everything to do with my son," she said. 

"Which one? Kanamura, Masamaru, Shomaru or…"

"Kanamura," she uttered the dreaded name, and I cursed my luck. 

"You do know that with the rest. I am okay with them. But Kanamura and I don't have a good history."

"Just remember that Kouki is getting half arsed training if Kanamura's situation…," she pursed her lips and said, "not resolved."

"Kanamura is quite a powerful Tengu. So if you want me to assassinate someone… am I dealing with some daiyōkai because I hate fall outs in the yōkai world? I have never taken a case involving one."

She scoffed. "You think highly of him. If his personality was different, I wouldn't mind you being my daughter-in-law. But both of you are just loggerheads."

"So, who is the target?" I asked as she reached into her purple ostrich Hermes Birkin and pulled out a folder for me. 

Handing the folder over to me, Sasori said, "she is human, and by that you would not have a problem."

I opened the folder to see photographs of a young lady with Kanamura. With her powers, Sasori would have no problems disposing of a human being if she wished. Even a strong exorcist. 

What is a young lady to her? Just an easy picking of a mere mortal. Only a rare few we couldn't touch.

"Any reason you don't wish to show your hand in this matter?" I asked. 

"My son has been avoiding me and each time I go near her, he appears to take her away."

"Have you tried to kill any of his interests before?"

Sasori shook her head. "Being married to a Tengu, I know their tempers. You can't touch the human women in the harem, but you can make their lives a living hell. As for Kanamura, not once have I touched anyone close to him or those whom he has an interest in…"

Leaning in closer to my face, she added, "not even you."

Our eyes met. Her gaze was piercing and hypnotic, but mine can be match their deadliness. No way, any female would have an easy time dealing with such a future mother-in-law. I could only wonder why Kanamura would shield this girl from her, assuming that she was the actual reason. 

"He doesn't let any of us near her. Not even his own grandfather, Sojobo, who doesn't like to hurt females. Sojobo is the one who suggested your services."

"You know that your son and I don't get along. What if he tries to come after me or my staff," I pointed out. 

"Not if you do it my way. I don't want you to pull a gun on the girl or send your staff in." A wry smile was growing on her face. "Just do what I instruct and I will guarantee you from retaliation."

"Anything I should know about the girl?" I asked, in curiosity. 

"Just be aware that an onmyoji may be the backer of this the little gaslighting manipulative self validating bitch," she spat with a deep vehemence. "There is a spell on him. And that is something intolerable in my eyes."