9 A caught accomplice.

In the Kamisato Clan's house.

"Ayato, is something wrong?. You have baggy eyes, did you have trouble sleeping?" Ayato's mother, Kayo, asked his son that was looking at his breakfast with a distracted and a nervous expression.

"N-No, nothing is wrong. I had a hard time sleeping with all the insects around" he stuttered.

"Ayato, it's February. The are no insects yet" the one who said this was Asahi, Ayato's father, who had a surprised expression. He knew his son was excellent, too excellent maybe. If it wasn't for the 'Slapping Baby', he wouldn't come out of his room or the library. Seeing his son trying to hide something was something he didn't expect until a decade later.

"It's nothing, I'm feeling tired now" Ayato replied while standing up to leave the room.

'How did I think this was a good idea?. I'm obviously going to get caught, I'm the only person Kenshin interacts with' he thought bitterly.

"Asahi-sama, Kayo-sama, there is a visitor asking to see the both of you" a servant entered the room.

"Please tell him to come later, now we need to have a talk with Ayato" said Asahi, looking worried at Ayato's sudden nervous expression.

"I will do so" and the servant retreated.

"Ayato, is there something you need to tell us?" asked gently Kayo. She knew her son didn't have a single mean bone in his body, and the only reason she could think of was of Kenshin, that rowdy boy. She didn't think it was coincidence that after yesterday's visit Ayato was scared.

She knew Kenshin was not a bad boy, but he was a bit....unhinged?.

"Well, yes..." Ayato started, before being interrupted by the same servant, this time with a pale face.

"Asahi-sama, Kayo-sama, I'm sorry but the visitor said that in that case she should be present for that conversation. And I couldn't stop her, I'm sorry" with that the servant left, feeling scared.

"Hello, I hope your morning has been better than mine" a pink haired woman with a kimono entered the room where the family of three was reunited.

""Guuji-sama!"" they stood up and bowed in respect.

"What brings to our home?" inquired Asahi, thinking that whatever Ayato had done, it was something big.

"Why don't we sit?. It's going to take a while after all" Yae suggested, but the electrifying atmosphere she has was making the family of 3 shiver.

"Please follow me" Asahi guided her to another room where they sat.

"Should I let Ayato leave?" Asahi was not sure of what could they be talking about.

"No, let him stay. Maybe he can shed some light on the mess I am currently facing" Yae answered nonchalantly.

Hearing that, Asahi directed a withering glare towards Ayato. He loved his son, but if the second most influential person in Inazuma was facing some problems and Ayato took part of it, they were screwed. Like kicked from the position kind of screwed, and knowing the inner-working of the noble clans in Inazuma, they would be attacked and eliminated.

He thought that he needed to teach his son about this.

"We apologize for whatever Ayato has done" said Kayo while bowing deeply.

"Don't bow, you are pregnant. I won't ask you to do anything that could put your health at risk" Yae dismissed the need for the protocol.

"*Sigh*, just like Kenshin" muttered Kayo, feeling impressed that the 2 of them were able to deduce her state with just a look.

That muttering was heard by Yae, who had the hearing of a fox, making her tremble in rage. Some clouds started gathering above the mansion.

Ayato was confused feeling the sudden drop in temperature, but Kayo and Asahi knew better.

Guuji-sama was royally pissed off, and hopefully this time, not on.

"While I could try to board the matter slowly and tactfully, I'm afraid my patience won't last until then" Yae spoke with a deceptively calm voice.

"Yes please" Asahi decided to resolve this while their house was still standing.

"I know that the little sh-, the kid was here yesterday. I want to know exactly what happened" she demanded.

"Y-yes" Kayo responded, terrified of having made a mistake somewhere. "He entered our house shouting as he always does and realized that I was pregnant. We had a little conversation where I tried to convince him that we weren't so poor that I had to eat a baby" Kayo's nervousness made her tell something she would have preferred to keep silent about.A brief look of incredulity and disbelief passed through Yae's eyes, contemplating the absurdity of such statement, but that eerie look returned quickly.

"Then I left for my room to get some rest. My health has not been well lately, and with the pregnancy my state has deteriorated even more. He then was left with Ayato" Kayo looked at Ayato, indicating for him to speak.

Ayato knew that he messed up, and readily confessed.

"I was worried about my mother's health so I told him I was reading some ritual books to help her but Kenshin replied saying that he could look at my mother and tell me if a ritual would help or not"

"Ayato..." Kayo was touched that her son was so worried about her.

"He is indeed able to do that" added Yae, much to the surprise of Kayo and Asahi."Continue".

"So we barged into mother's room to let Kenshin take a look at her. I think it's better my mother takes it from here, because I think I missed a few things" Ayato didn't how to retell the whole pink and purple woman thing. And Kayo suddenly looked nervous, feeling that her son had sold her.

Yae didn't say anything and looked at Kayo, waiting for her to speak.

"Yes, after a few comments he said that I-".

"I want to know the comments" interrupted Yae. "Maybe hearing it would help me understand this whole situation I have to face".

"Y-Yes. He said that he was able to see if something was ailing me, he then said...." Kayo looked nervously at Yae, but seeing that there was no place to run she gave a resigned sigh and continued. "That even the pink woman thought so".

Asahi looked scandalized at Kayo, and then at Yae in worry, but Yae didn't react, and prompted to Kayo to continue.

"After a while he looked at-" Kayo was interrupted by the sound of crackling electricity, and Kayo realized that she couldn't omit what she thought was the worst part.

"He told us that he came here hoping to avoid facing the pink woman's punishment for interrupting her meeting with the purple woman" she said in one breath.

Ayato looked as confused as he was the first time he heard it, and even Asahi mirrored his son's confusion.

"Yes, I was in a meeting with the Raiden Shogun herself" Yae admitted. Now that Asahi understood he prayed that the child, who had puked all over Ayato in his Blessing Ceremony, didn't say anything that could have made the God of Thunder angry. While Ayato looked worried about him messing with the Shogun and God of Inazuma, but not realizing the severity of the situation.

"Continue" instructed Yae, looking towards Kayo.

"Y-Yes, so he told us how he messed up your meeting and" Kayo didn't want to continue, but she was afraid of angering the already furious Head Miko in front of her.

"He insinuated that he somehow, for some reason said that he called our Excellency dumb?" she ended with an question, expecting some reaction from the woman in front of her.

Asahi looked ready to faint, cursing Fate for allowing that child to be born the same week as Ayato.

"That he did" answered Yae. "I still don't understand how he is alive. I think even the Shogun was too surprised to act".

Kayo looked relieved that the worst already passed, and continued with a lighter voice.

"And then he told us that he patted her head and left the shrine to come here. He told me that a portion of my soul was darkening but that I was not cursed. Then I told him that my illness was a family thing and told them to let me rest" she summarized the rest.

"Then" continued Ayato. "We went to the library to find more about my mother's illness, but we only found something about an Ancestor who puked worms and an adeptus was able to heal him, so he told me that maybe an adeptus could heal my mom" Ayato slipped back to his less formal words because of the intense stare he was receiving.

"I.....don't think I like where this is going" muttered Asahi.

"I can assure you that you indeed won't like it" agreed Yae. "Continue".

"So..so.." Ayato stammered for a while before sighing and confessing. "Kenshin thought it was a good idea to go to Liyue to find an adpetus and run from his punishment".

"What else?" asked Asahi. Kayo looked confused at Ayato. How does this explain how angry Guuji-sama is?.

"What you need to know" started Yae, in a calm and slow voice. "Is that that's exactly what Kenshin did. He is not in Inazuma now".

"Huh?" was all Asahi could say.

"D-Do you mean that Kenshin left for Liyue, alone?" Kayo couldn't believe how a kid the age of his son could think of something that stupid.

"Why don't we ask your son" Yae looked at Ayato again, prompting him to continue.

"He told me that he knew that Guuji-sama had a friend in Liyue and judging how Guuji-sama wasn't human, her friend probably was an adeptus.

Kayo and Asahi looked scandalized. They obviously knew about that, but it was a secret that less than 10 people in the whole Inazuma knew.

"Continue" was all Yae said.

"Then we started picking herbs for your friend as Kenshin thought it would be a good way to get in 'good graces' with her. And we left for Ritou where he told me that I would only hinder him persuading a sailor to carry him to Liyue. I gave him my savings for him to be in Liyue for a few days and he gave me a letter for you. After that I left" Ayato looked relieved after coming clean, but looking at his parent's furious glares he quickly got nervous again.

"What have you done!?. We don't even know if the sailor didn't kidnap him. You don't realize the state Inazuma is in right now!. It's the worst moment for this to happen" Asahi shouted, fearing that Ayato may have killed Kenshin with his participation in this stupid plan.

"Don't worry about that, Kenshin is in Liyue with my friend. Kenshin is very stupid but his special ability is more useful and dangerous he can imagine" Yae reassured them.

"Thank goodness" Kayo sighed, feeling relieved at not having to explain to Kenshin's parents how their son participated in his disappearance.

"I think you should read the first letter her wrote. The one your son gave to a miko at the shrine" Yae handed them Kenshin's first letter.

Kayo and Asahi read while holding their breath. The first part where he wrote his plans was not bad, except when for some terms like 'grass-eater' and the possibility of poisoning an adeptus.

That was very bad.

But they felt dismay when they read the second part. It was nothing but mockery to the second most powerful person in the whole Inazuma, and was in cahoots with the first one. They didn't understood very well their relationship where Kenshin called her pink woman, but this was nothing short of insulting. They looked discreetly at Yae, now understanding why she was so angry.

"A-At least he should be back in a few days right?. We don't give Ayato that much money after all" Kayo tried to calm Yae.

"Ayato how much money did you give him?" asked Kayo, praying that her son didn't have some sort of black money business.

"30000 Mora (~100€)" Ayato answered honestly. He didn't know what the letter had written, but from his parent's faces, it was nothing good.

"With that amount of money he should be back by tomorrow. And if he is with your friend, she will send him back with some trusted people" Asahi said with a cramped smile. They needed to make Yae understand that they didn't support this.

"You underestimate Kenshin" was all Yae said while handing them the other letter.

Kayo and Asahi felt dismayed knowing that there was more. They took the letter Yae was handing them with trembling hands.

This one was even worse. If the first letter was mocking this one was just ridiculing Yae. Reading about Kenshin's plans to immortalize Yae's most embarrassing moments was something as devious as alarming. NOW they understood Yae's anger.

"What do we need to do?" asked timidly Asahi.

"As Kenshin so kindly explained, we can't do anything now. But of course, you son took part on this so I think it's unfair for me to suffer alone. I will bring Kenshin's daily letters here, so you can enjoy them as much as I do".

Asahi and Kayo resigned themselves to experience this suffering for every day until Kenshin came back.

"Now boy, let me talk with your parents" Yae instructed the quiet Ayato, who left the room looking down.

"What will you do Guuji-sama?" asked Kayo, worried about Kenshin.

"I will not take action against your house or your son. While I'm fuming, I understand that your son got led astray by Kenshin. Kenshin has a mind not belonging to that of a 5 years old, as I'm sure you have noticed. Even if his plan was full of holes, it's not something a 5 year old could have devised alone" Yae mused. While she didn't want to admit it, she was impressed by Kenshin's plan.

"That's true. We think our son is very smart, but what Kenshin did is just in another level. Even if he is a bit extremist, if I'm allowed to say that" confesses Asahi, looking at Yae to see her reaction. After those letters the fact that Yae hadn't send a member of the shuumatsuban to catch him spoke volumes of how complicated their relation is.

"Kenshin is not normal. While is brain makes me worry about his puberty, I can somehow see how he thinks, even if I find myself with these" Yae gestured at the letter with disgust. "But his ability is truly worrying".

"Is there something we can do?" Asahi asked now seriously. He is the head of the Kamisato Clan, he is obviously going to notice that Yae wanted something from them that Ayato shouldn't hear.

"As I said, Kenshin is special" Yae repeated with a meaningful gaze. Asahi was stumped, but Kayo realized what Yae was implying.

"It's dangerous to be special in Inazuma nowadays" she commented, letting her husband understand what Yae was trying to say.

'So Guuji-sama is worried that he may attract unwanted attention. It's the Fatui?. I can't think of a clan so eager to die that they would target Guuji-sama's protegee'.

"I had a conversation with an important person about these kind of special people, but the other party thought differently to me. I believe these kind of talents are to be nurtured" Yae said succinctly.

'Important person.... there is only 1 person more important than Guuji-sama. While I know that the Shogun is somewhat extremist, have things gotten this bad?' was all that Asahi could think, saddened that being talented in some inordinated ways was a reason to be oppresed or persecuted.

"I hope Guuji-sama understands that our hands are tied in certain matters" that was all Asahi could promise.

"Ara, what happened to 'is there something we could do to help'?" teased Yae. Asahi could only smile wryly at that.

"What I ask you is to keep a secret what happened with Kayo's illness. Now that Kenshin is in Liyue I will ask my friend to keep an eye on him and when he gets back, after punishing him of course, I will start teaching him the dangers of his ability"

"We can do that. I hope Guuji-sama understands that we can't defy the Shogun, so in the worst case we will be a third party as much as we can" Asahi looked pained saying that, but there was nothing they could do. Talking otherwise was treason.

"That will suffice for now. Now I need to leave to prepare for my increasing amount of work, so I will leave you with your son" Yae said and disappeared in a purple flash.

"Darling, what should we do?" Kayo looked worried. Even someone as powerful as them were terrified of the immense power of the Shogun.

"For now, talk with Ayato" replied Asahi with a dark face.