"Die whore!"
A giant axe head came down at Mei. A single strike, even with that brute's strength, could cleave her in two if she weren't careful.
"Huh?!" The bandit fool blathered, confused at what he was witnessing. Mei stood before him, unscathed, her silk blue bedlah shimmering under the moonlight, perfumed as a rose—with his axe caught effortlessly between two fingers. "How is— ack!"
Her foot found his mouth and sent him flying head over heels. The brute crashed atop some of the mercenary guards that served their entourage and a blade instantly found his throat. As the blood spurt the sounds of battle overwhelmed Mei's distracted thoughts, centering her focus in the moment.
"Ugh, can't go five miles…" She groaned, then turned to the carriage she'd been protecting. In there sat her cowardly, lecherous employer and the reason she was in this—admittedly fine— dress. The young merchant was curled up, knees to chest, clutching a ridiculously expensive butter knife like it was a legendary weapon.
Mei's eye twitched. "Stay here. Do not come out."
At the front, two carriages were under siege—bandits fought tooth and nail to claim them, the pack animals already dead in a pit trap. Thankfully, the guards Mei had stuffed into those carriages as bait were putting that advantage to use.
In the rear, single-handedly taking on at least twenty of the bandits, was her one and only subordinate, a shinobi she sent back there to spare her the sight of him and the thought of him.
No, don't think of that right now. Just sort this out and get to the nearest waystation. Snapping herself out of a spiral before it could begin, Mei shot forward, trusting her subordinate to keep the rear safe.
With a sharp inhale, she shot forward.
Her foot smashed into the face of a mace-wielding thug mid-swing, sending him flying. She spared a glance at the mercenary he'd been battering—a heavy-plated idiot who had no business wearing so much armor if he couldn't even fight properly. The man murmured thanks and scrambled to retrieve his crossbow but she was already on to the next fool.
The merchant's guards, having travelled through countries, had been whittled down to all but two dozen competents. The rest were either too injured by previous encounters for her to even consider as manpower or were like the encumbered man she just saved— in over their heads.
Those two dozen faced off a bandit horde smart enough to prepare a trap that eliminated two of their carriages and capitalized on the roadblock by enclosing on their target. Mei bit her lip. She'd anticipated this tactic and ensured none of the merchant's prized goods were included in the front of the entourage, swapping them out with the mercenary guards he'd hired alongside shinobi.
But it wasn't enough. Against the horde the mercenaries at the front were quickly outmanned two to one. The barbarism of their opponents and their numbers would soon see the end of more lives.
She launched herself forward, planting her foot into another bandit's ugly face. Teeth cracked as she rode his skull like a board, surfing into the battle.
She crinkled her nose. Disgusting. Still, she waved cheerfully to the bandits as they turned to face her. Thirty, maybe more. Ripping off her silk veil, she exhaled slowly and smiled. "You guys… do you really want to fight a shinobi?"
The mercenaries, used to her presence and respectful, even grateful of her strength, wisely fell back behind her. As they disengaged the bandits regrouped around the two pit-trapped carriages, some already pilfering despite the threat in front of them.
Her eyes glanced over her opponents, of the thirty before her some were of average size but a few were clearly muscle brained battle addicts with nothing to lust over other than money and, by the lecherous looks they were giving her as they foolishly approached, women.
"Shinobi? Where?" One cackled at his own dry joke, a handful of others chortling along.
A second laughed, licking his bloodied cleaver. "All I see's a babe." His hand lingered on his crotch. "Come 'ere, let me give you a good time."
The mercenaries jostled behind her, only seven of them but all gentlemen in her opinion. Mei inhaled, her fingers twitching as chakra surged through at a particularly violent thought. "I'll ask again, do you rea-"
An idiot lurched forward, his hands heading straight for her breasts— The last mistake he'd ever make. Mei sidestepped with ease, his stunned face just catching up to what had happened—
Schink.
His skull split open. A mercenary she hadn't even ordered had taken care of him.
"Thank you," Mei said smoothly, brushing non-existent dust from her silks. "I'll handle the rest. Go help the rear." Mei ordered the mercenaries just as the bandits charged in earnest.
She ducked under a head-sized fist as she slammed her palms against the earth, "Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"
As the bandits made their charge they began to sink and quickly as the ground beneath their feet was transformed to sludge. One above her still remained, the brute, fortunately too close to get caught in her jutsu's effective range but too foolish to take the escape. He punched forward, an attack Mei deftly dodged as his comrades cried for help. She landed a palm strike on his sternum, sending skidding back but not toppling over.
"I'll kill yo— huh?!" Before he could continue any more of his foolish display the last standing bandit found himself being dragged into the muck by his own. "What are you—let go of me!"
A smirk found Mei's lips as she brought her fingers together to seal her trap and the fates of some thirty bandits. "You can't say I didn't warn you."
***
"Oh thank the gods!" Kozu cried as he shot out of the carriage, finally free to roam as what was left of his merchant convoy arrived at a Land of Hot Waters way station.
Mei stepped out after him, having taken a moment in the aftermath of their latest bandit encounter to suit up in her shinobi gear she surveyed their movements in through the gates of the way station. The mercenaries, armoured and very much on edge from the battle, guarded the damaged carriages as they came in hauled by some of the borrowed pack animals her subordinate had gotten from the way station's chief.
Massaging her sore neck, Mei surveyed the rest of the station. It was large enough to host three separate hostels and two stables. There was a large building on the far off side that the way station guarded as its residents most precious items. She considered asking Kozu if storing some of his more valuable assets there was in his interests but reconsidered.
She wanted to talk to him as little as possible, especially now. Mei strutted up to him, a young, cute man outwardly but not at all a pleasant person to be around for extended periods. He was dressed in fine white silks and carried a silver fan decorated with peacock patterns. Anyone, civilian child, bandit or shinobi could tell he was worth something at a glance and upon closer inspection a person could tell, if only from the dangling gold bead earrings, that he was royal as well.
Not too royal.
"Hey, you should get inside now. They'll have your bags and goods sorted, I don't want you exposed." Mei said, making a subtle point to stand between him and the men and servants working late to accommodate their arrival. Give Kozu the chance to lord over someone and oh will he lord.
Kozu smiled, "Oh, Terumi-chan, you only needed to say the word." He attempted to grab her hand but she placed it on his shoulder instead.
Applying a firm grip to his clavicle as she smiled ever so sweetly, Mei ordered, "I'm done being friendly now, Kozu, get inside. Now."
Although she didn't need to leak out even a little of her Killing Intent, it certainly sped things up and saved her a back and forth with the entitled royal. As Kozu skittered away to the lodge prepared, Mei massaged her neck some more, letting out a sigh that turned into a moan as she kneaded the strained muscles.
She couldn't know when they'd gotten so sore. They'd traveled across the ocean— on a ship— and through numerous borders to get to the Land of Hot Waters and sleep wasn't the most comfortable, not with the responsibilities of keeping him safe anyway.
"I should take the first watch tonight," Mei's heart sank at the voice, she turned and found her Chuunin subordinate. Grey haired, tall and pupil hidden red eyes was San Karatachi. "You must be exhausted from dealing with Kozu."
His offer to watch came with that bright, ever ready to please smile that made her heart skip when she thought of San as him. She bit her lip, turned away and reminded herself that he would never be at eye-level.
For weeks, she'd agonized over why, of all people, San had been assigned to this mission. As a Jounin, she could have taken on one more shinobi, a third or even fourth, to help escort their client. But this was only a B-rank—more about the merchant's deep pockets than any true danger. She hadn't needed more than one Chuunin to accompany her and so she forfeited the choice for one. A decision she came to regret.
San hadn't been her choice. And that wasn't the problem. The problem was that he looked exactly like Yagura.
Taller. Weaker. Red-eyed.
But the resemblance was still gut-wrenching. His face was gaunter, age taking the softness that had lingered in Yagura's—distributing that annoying, familiar baby fat in a way that made it all the worse.
On any other week, or month even, taking a mission with San Karatachi would be no problem. But this? This came right after she'd…
Mei clenched her fists. Her Killing Intent leaked out. Oh, goddamn it, Mei. You kissed him. On the cheek—but it still counted.
And how had Yagura responded?
By turning around and sending her on a mission with his lookalike and an unbearably lecherous client. Her nails dug into her palms. She clenched her fist instinctively as even more Killing Intent leaked out.
"Oh, I'm sorr-"
"No." Mei cut him off before he could say anymore. She gathered herself and let out the undue frustration in a steamy sigh, "You're right, I should take a break tonight. I got a room for us this time so we'll at least have four walls. I'll head in first, wake me as soon as you need to, got it?"
San nodded, an annoyingly cute smile growing, "Yes sir! I'll carry out the usual scout rounds and set up any willing guards along the perimeter."
Mei actually smiled back this time, pleased that even though she'd mostly had him do those scout tasks, he'd taken a shine to them and learned where, when and how to optimize. At least something good came out of it.
With San on the task, she spared one last look at the mess of animals and goods being fed and hauled respectively, before heading into the lodge. She mumbled a greeting to the receptionist and collected their room key, "This is the one I asked for, yes? Right next to—"
"Yes kunoichi-sama, right next to your prince Kozu."
"Prince? Oh, nevermind, thank you."
Kozu called himself all sorts of things, but "prince" was new. He was just a lucky bastard—literally. His noble father hadn't even bothered legitimizing him, but Kozu had still managed to inherit a fortune.
Mei found her room at the end of the ground floor's hall. She'd specifically asked for ground level accommodations because of its ease of exit but there really was only one other floor to the lodge. Can't be too cautious.
Spacious—deceptively so—with two awkwardly sized beds crammed into the space. Not that she cared.
She resisted the tempting pull of the mattress long enough to do a thorough sweep of the room. Checking for traps. Noting hideaways. Marking entry and exit points. The room had three windows—two here, one in the bathroom.
Could take a bath. Change clothes.
Mei shook her head. No time.
Kozu was here for business—the final stop. Tomorrow morning, they'd head out early to meet whoever he was buying and selling from. Besides, San's watch would end soon. Instead, she splashed hot spring water onto her face, feeling the warmth chase away some of the day's weight.
In the end, Mei threw herself, gear and all onto the mattress and let its pillow smother her to sleep.
…
…
…
"Aahh!!"
"Oh, for fucks—!" Mei began.
"Mei-taicho! It's Kozu, they're—!"
Where San's words died began the clang of metal and the roar of mercenaries. Mei was already on the move.