Part IV:  Free Will Versus

    Megumi fell exhaustedly into the cot in her closet of a room.  Too much more of this and she would lose all touch with reality, lose herself and her entire identity.  As matters stood, she had lost track of how many months -- surely it was at least half a year -- she had been Kanryu Takeda's opium whore.
    For that was effectively what she was.  Constantly he demanded she make him opium; more and more he forced her to share his bed.  His touch revolted her, his preferences sickened her, his methods left her bruised and weakened and shamed.  Never were there any scars, no permanent physical damage could be inflicted on her in his bed, for that would spoil his fun.  His women must be perfect beauties, and strong enough to last through his ardent ministrations.  He was neither kind, nor gentle, and his love of money was equaled only by his penchant for the pain of others.
    Yet, tomorrow he had told her she might take a brief excursion to gather herbs; a brief walk under heavy guard, at least not his Oniwa Banshu.  They would never let her escape.  She lay awake far into the night, laying out her plan.  She had nothing, there was nowhere to go and no one to whom she could turn.  She fell into a dreamless sleep pondering what she could do.
    The next morning started out as any other.  Kanryu gave no sign he had remembered the promise as he told her how much of the drug she must make that day.
    "My dear, I want you to use the new formula today.  I have need of enough for many new clients.  You will have five hundred packets ready for me by tonight."
    "That's impossible!  I will not have it done if I am to go out as you promised, not today and possibly not even tomorrow!"
    "You will have it if you must stay up all night, my dear Megumi."  Kanryu's smile was a mockery of sympathy.  "And I suppose we shall have to postpone your little excursion, hmmm?"  He snickered and Megumi knew she had no choice.  She glared at him defiantly.
    "I won't use the new formula."
     A figure flickered into existence next to her, his demonic face as unmoving as ever.  Hannya turned his mask towards her, and the cruel visage seemed to grow even crueler.  He said nothing, but the determination in his stance said it all.  "You will do as you are told."
    He stood over her, hours later as she began packaging the opium.
    She was beginning to resent his hovering presence.  "You are not so cruel as he is!  You have honor!  Why do you work for such as he?"  Megumi had never asked the question before, though she had often broached the subject in a more roundabout fashion.  He had never answered her directly.
    This time, however, Hannya had a ready answer.  "It is my own leader I follow. Aoshisama is the only man I take orders from.  It is not my place to judge his path,  Kanryu tells him things, but I only act on what Aoshisama himself says."
    "But why --"
    "I cannot answer for him.  No more talk.  I am Oniwa Banshu, and Aoshisama is my leader."
    Megumi worked in silence, barely noticing when Hannya placed a tray of food he must have gotten from one of Kanryu's regular guard next to her.  She shook her head when he indicated she was to eat.
    "You will eat.  There is no point in starving yourself.  Either you will escape, or be broken, but destroying yourself will only make either one more difficult.."
    Slowly it dawned on Megumi that this distant man, hidden behind masks both figurative and literal, was not completely heartless.  She was a person to him, even if not to his boss' employer.  She paused in the tedious wrapping of the deadly little packets.  It occurred to her, also, the fact that he even mentioned the remote possibility of escape told her that he was not without honor -- and he believed in her own.  Perhaps it would be possible.  Perhaps there was a chance.  And if there was...
    "I suppose I must eat, then.  If I am to survive, I must keep up my own strength."  Nothing in her behavior indicated the ray of hope dawning within.  She smiled wistfully, tired and haggard but still beautiful.  "I don't suppose you might help me with these?"  She gestured to the unwrapped drug and the little papers she used to make the innocent looking triangles.
    "You would suppose wrongly if you did."
    So much for that idea.  Megumi ate the mediocre fare quickly and resumed wrapping.  She smiled a secret little smile of relief at Hannya, who remained as impassive as ever.
    Some time later, Hannya reappeared beside Aoshi.  "She is sleeping.  She has strength beyond what he surmises.   He cannot hold her forever"   The halting speech was not like him, but Aoshi had more impersonal matters on his mind.
    "It wouldn't do to have her die by his hand, Hannya.  Whatever is going on here, she is far more than he.  I respect her strength, such as it is, but he is the one giving orders."
    "Yes, Aoshisama."
    By late morning she took the deadly load to Kanryu's office.
    "Ah, Megumi my dear.  How nice of you to drop in.  I'd been hoping to see you this morning."  He smiled coldly.
    Megumi repressed a shudder.  "I have done as you asked.  Now I ask that you fulfill your promise to me.  Let me gather my herbs."
    Kanryu sighed.  "Very well.  Be ready in five minutes."  He flicked a hand at her in a dismissive gesture.  "Aoshi!"
    The quiet man in a white trench coat was never far away.  "Yes?"
    "Find someone to escort Megumisan into town.  Several people, in fact.  And don't let her out of sight for an instant."
    Aoshi nodded, glaring at the hateful creature who paid too well.  He made no secret of how poorly he regarded the honor of the Oniwa Banshu.  If that was the way this man chose to think, then it would serve him right.  Soon, he would get what he deserved.  Aoshi smiled.  Let the source of Kanryu's downfall be his own blind refusal to see that true loyalty was not won with money.  The lesson would be learned sooner or later; Aoshi just wanted to be the one to teach it.
    Megumi was opening the door just as one of Kanryu's Yakuza flunkies arrived to bring her out.   "Come, then.  Let's make this quick, ne?"  He was impatient and obviously thought his time was better spent doing just about anything other than playing nursemaid.  If only...
    They were met at the door by several other men, one of whom led the way into Tokyo, taking up a position close behind Megumi once they were in sight of the market.  She wasn't aware of Beshimi following them, though her guards knew he was there.
    They traveled into the heart of the crowds as Megumi sought out first common, then increasingly rare and bizarre leaves and roots for her medicines.  Some were ordinary spices, others could only be found at certain herbalists and then not often.
    Swords had been outlawed now in Meiji era Japan; it was a time of peace.  Only certain people might carry a blade through many carried bokken or shinai.  Physical fitness was not outlawed, and often lessons with a wooden blade improved strength and coordination.  There were other weapons than swords as well.  Beshimi, for example, preferred his own poisoned spiral darts.
    Megumi's escort, however, was armed, but not entirely alert.  She had just made another purchase, and had taken so long that several of them had wandered off a little way.  The remainder were barely paying attention.  She seized the moment when a large group passed, hiding among their number briefly
    She slipped away into the crowds.  She must rum, hard and fast.  The most expensive and rare things she had purchased she carried herself inside her kimono; no sense losing them to chance.  Everything else was relatively expendable.  It hadn't been her money.  After slipping though another knot of people, Megumi looked around and ran blindly.
    Moments later, Megumi ran, long black hair streaming out behind her.  There must be somewhere she could hide.  Strange how so few people seemed to notice a woman running for her life in their midst.  Minutes seemed to be hours.  Her every breath began to sear.  She had seen her captors; they were catching up.
    Wait, what was that?  There was a door, ajar.  She ran towards it.  It seemed to be an abandoned apartment; with any luck it would be empty an she could hide in there.  Despairing, she flung open the door.
    The room was not empty.  Five men were rolling dice, and they looked up in surprise.
    Three of them were so nondescript as to be nearly invisible.  One looked promising.  He was obviously strong and quite tall despite his slouched posture as he sat, but he didn't look all that trustworthy.
    There was a sword next to him, and next to that sword...
    She barely noticed his long red hair and the cross-shaped scar on his cheek.  She barely registered much beyond the presence of the sword next to him.  And even if she had, surely he was no fighter; his skills could not possibly surpass the Oniwa Banshu even if he could use the sword.  Yet she had no choice.  She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his shoulder.
    "Help me, please!"