"My hands gave it away," Tetsuido knew Kanae was thinking about the same thing so he said out loud.
"Hands?" Kanae looked a little puzzled.
"Last time I covered everything except for my hands," Tetsuido being a swordsmith had taken a lot of care of his hands because they were as important to him as his life, So…
"I have hands that look like they belong to a young man even at my age," That is why Tetsuido was confident in playing off as a young Kakushi when he came before.
"But, looks like I was wrong," Tetsuido felt that the moment Yuu walked in, he had already figured out who he was. He had done this before with Shinjuro and it worked on him, But that was a while ago.
'He has a keen sense of observation and a great memory, Not to mention…'
"He works very hard, doesn't he?" Tetsuido muttered as he remembered the used wooden swords he got from Kanae.
Tetsuido asked for it since he could use it as a reference to see how Yuu holds a katana but what he got was unexpected.
'I don't think saying he works hard cuts it, it is borderline insane,' Tetsuido had seen Yuu's hand printed into the wooden katanas that he had used, not to mention the blood he found on some of them. And Yuu had gone through a few hundred of them in the time he has been here.
Even then…
"It must be a goal worth doing that much," Tetsuido blew out smoke from his mouth as Kanae smiled hearing that.
"Then I'll be on my way, tell the boy that if he needs something he should send a letter, No need to be reserved with an old man like me," With that Tetsuido stood up and left the Butterfly Mansion.
"I pray that you kids don't die before this old man," Tetsuido muttered as he walked away, he knew what they were about to face, and praying was all he could do now as he had done what he could with the weapon.
And things got a little busy for a while in the Butterfly Mansion for some time since Yuu and Shinobu seemed to be running around the place all the time, but it soon calmed down as an order came from the headquarters.
"CAW* CAW* Kocho Kanae, head to the Yoshiwara Pleasure District with Tachibana Yuu ...I repeat, Kocho Kanae, head to the Yoshiwara Pleasure District with Tachibana Yuu," Kanae's crow brought the news when Kanae, Yuu, and Shinobu just finished their morning training.
"You're going on a mission with Nee-sama?" Shinobu was surprised at the news, she didn't know where the two were headed yet.
Yuu nodded to that as the time has come.
"Ask her if you don't understand anything," Shinobu wasn't being sarcastic even if her tone suggested otherwise.
"If I need to," Yuu wasn't one to worry about such things anyway.
"Well, I'll do my best to help Tachibana-sama, so please don't be polite," Kanae said and Yuu nodded.
Then an hour later Kanae and Yuu left the butterfly mansion.
The other Pillars also found out about the orders through their Kasugai crows.
The Flame Pillar's Residence,
"The Corps actually let him go, They are really trusting that outsider," Shinjuro was drinking his sake while hearing the news.
"Father, I heard that this person helped the Flower Pillar against the Upper Moon 2, is that true?" The person who came to tell Shinjuro about the news that came from the crow asked.
He looked just like Shinjuro but younger and full of spirit.
"What he did doesn't matter, But Kyojuro, Why are you still in the Corps? I told you to quit, didn't I?" Shinjuro looked at his eldest son Kyojuro and scowled.
"What this person did in fact matters, Father, he is strong and he deserves respect, also I won't quit being a Demon slayer, I'll become a pillar like yo-BANG*" Unable to hear any more of Kyojuro's words Shinjuro threw the sake bottle across the room, it barely missed Kyojuro and collided with the wall behind him.
"It has been three years since you joined the corps yet you are still a Tsuchinoto, You have no talent, so stop when I am telling you to," Shinjuro glared at Kyojuro but the latter was unaffected.
"I know that I am lacking, but I'll work hard to make up for it, Father I'll become the Flame Pillar just like you, I'll make you proud,"
"Just get lost," Shinjuro shouted and Kyojuro went out of the room quietly.
'When will he understand that we are nothing but crap compared to the original,' Shinjuro picked up another bottle of sake as he remembered the words Yuu said in the meeting.
'The family you are searching for…'
SMASH*
"Damn it!!" Shinjuro shouted in anger as he smashed the bottle of sake as well.
The Sound Pillar, Uzui Tengen.
"Things are going to be really flashy soon," That was all Tengen said as his three wives looked at him from behind.
The Wind Pillar, Shinazugawa Sanemi.
"Damn it!! Damn It!!" Sanemi was pissed off.
'I am really far away from the location,' Sanemi was on a mission in Okutama village (Current name: Ome) and he knew that by the time he finishes the mission and goes to Yoshiwara, it would be too late.
"If something goes wrong, you better know that I'll hunt you down till my last breath fuckface," Sanemi's face had a crooked grin as he walked.
"Mommy that man is weird," A kid walking nearby pointed at Sanemi.
"Don't point at people," The child's mother pulled the kid away from there as fast as she could.
It was the same for the other people on the road, though Sanemi didn't care for it.
The Stone Pillar's residence,
"Come back with a victory," Gyomei was doing his prayers when the news came in and he just prayed some more, so that the mission can go smoothly.
The Water Pillar, Giyu Tomioka.
'Why does it feel like I am being left out?' He didn't get the message as his crow forgot to relay it to him.
And now back to the Kanae and Yuu who were speeding towards the Yoshiwara pleasure district. It would take them a good amount of time since the place was quite a distance away from the Butterfly mansion.
He was wearing a light blue Yukata and hakama pants, Yuu was also carrying his straw basket, A.K.A the bag on his back.
'I have everything that I'll need today,' Yuu thought as the plan for attacking Daki and Gyutaro had already been made today, all he needed to do was...
'I have to make sure that there are no mistakes,' Kanae took a deep breath; she wasn't thinking of anything else but the confrontation that will take place tonight.
Yuu had even thought her about his corps training method which had helped her tremendously, so she didn't want to let it go to waste.
As both of them were lost in their own thoughts as they were about to reach their target but, before going there they had to stop by at a house with a wisteria crest, and here...
"D-Do I look weird?" Kanae came out of the wearing men's clothes with her hair tied in a ponytail.
"Try to speak more confidently and clear your throat a little, also don't use I (Watashi = female pronouns, it is gender neutral but mostly used by females)," Yuu said since Kanae currently looked like a man or more accurately a feminine man because her chest was hidden using a sarashi.
Currently, she had changed into a white Yukata with black hakama pants along with a flower-printed Haori.
But even then her feminine traits were still showing which can be a problem, since someone can suspect her of being a woman.
"So, how should I talk?" Kanae asked in confusion.
"…Like Shinobu," Yuu said without hesitation.
"Ah, Like Shinobu-chan then I (Boku = typically used the men but also used by some females i.e. Tomboys,)" Kanae was listening to Yuu properly as she tried it and there was a good amount of difference.
After a few more tries Kanae was able to play the part of a cute feminine boy to a certain extent.
"Thank you for your help," Kanae thanked the people at the Wisteria house as she and Yuu left after having a meal.
The sun had already set by the time they arrived at the Omon gate (Front gate) which was located on the east side of the Yoshiwara pleasure District.
Now one of the main questions should be, Why did Kanae decide to act as a man?
Well….
....
See you next week.