Abari removed the bandages from his hand awkwardly with his teeth, exposing the still periodically bloody digits on his hand so he could pull his shirt back over his body. They weren't yet healed, but there was little he needed to do with them. This was a time he would need his skill, not his body. It had been three days in the home of the Tetsukens. Two days with no news, and no message sent to Maguro. He had to return to the camp.

He had no weapon of any sort any more, but wouldn't need it. He would evade the patrols. He would escape any encounter. This wasn't a time for war. That would be soon enough. Moving to the front door, Abari planned to put on his shoes, then call for a servant to say his thanks before leaving. He meant no disrespect, but the Tetsukens would be much better off with no further interaction from him. They had done nothing wrong...

In the initial plan, it was expected by Daisuke that they'd have minimal involvement with others here. He didn't mention the part about Maguro though: as far as Daisuke knew, the Tetsuken family was not affiliated with either the Shogun or Hito. This seemed to proof true so far, as well; it didn't seem as if anyone knew Daisuke or his family's name as someone to search for, either as an enemy or an ally. Likewise, Daisuke was missing a few facts . . .

But it wasn't important now.

Faisung, with whom Abari had been the most acquainted with during his stay, had been the one informed of Rizuka's departure, and with a low bow, returned to her mistress to inform her of the news.

It wasn't long after that Daisuke Tetsuken was aware of this, too. Abari hadn't been on the path from the Tetsuken state for more than a minute, and he'd hear someone approaching--jogging, for that was all he could do at the moment. Daisuke was better better bandaged than he had been the other day, with more bandages around his arms, chest, and forehead, all of which on his body he was generally able to conceal within his orange kimono. He stopped as soon as Abari Rizuka was in his sight.

"Hey, Rizuka!" Daisuke called out, trying to get Abari's attention, hopefully to halt him for the time being--and again ignoring the honorific titles, as he did with most.

At hearing his name without any sort of honorific, Abari would tighten up slightly, but didn't say anything to Daisuke. He was still young, after all. Abari was young as well, but he held himself to a higher standard purposefully. Turning to Daisuke, he would bow slightly and address him.

"Hello. What do you wish to discuss?"

Abari had an idea of what Daisuke wanted, but wasn't entirely sure. He had been quite a help in the city, after all. Maguro may not have been the correct man for him to follow, though. No matter how he may dislike the Shogun...

"I know where you're going, and . . ." Daisuke trailed off, mumbling incoherently.

Truth be told, he wasn't a rare person to find. Certainly uncommon, but he wasn't rare. Not using honorifics if he didn't feel the need to . . . it was something that common laborers did when they had no real interaction with anyone other than common laborers. Even then it was uncommon, just due to the ideology. It was rare to find a noble's son that thought the same way though . . . that he owed respect to no one.

And it was undeniably a self centered belief--but that didn't make or break a potential ally in this sort of situation.

"You don't need to tell me everything. I just want to know one thing," Daisuke began, pausing only for a moment as he approached by a few more steps, "What's going to happen next?"

A fairly loaded question. So much had happened so fast, after all. What next? Rebellion? Self exile? They had talked briefly about it on the way to the estate, but it was nothing concrete, just talk of motivation and will. If Daisuke was to think about all of this, he needed to know what next. He needed to know if Maguro planned for something or not, because he had only received so much information from Chujutsu; urgent matters required their discussion to be broken up. Urgent matters in the form of a full out riot.

Abari smiled a sort of wan smile, his eye looking over Daisuke as he talked. He seemed unsure, undedicated... Lost without a cause. At least, without a healthy cause. Hate for the shogun was not a healthy cause. It was not an emotion he harbored, nor one supported by Maguro. Gardini had been chosen by the spirits, and now, Maguro was chosen.

"I do not know. Many things will happen. I will fight. Others will fight. The spirits will decide who was right. Maguro will lead this country. Or we will all perish honorable deaths."

Abari wasn't going to lie to Daisuke about what would happen. He knew things would not be simple. There would be death and suffering, no matter what happened. But with Maguro's leadership, the country would be healthy again.

"I see . . ." Daisuke trailed off, his eyes wandering from Abari's face.

Fighting, huh? Well, I'm good at that . . .

". . . well . . . I might see you again, I don't know," he mumbled under his breath, not sure if he was declaring fact just yet or not. For all intents and purposes, Daisuke planned to fight alongside of these people. He was going to get to the Shogun Gardini if it was the last thing he did, and it didn't matter who he had to fight with to get him that far--just as long as he did. A revolution, though . . . was that really something he wanted to get involved with? The only thing that could make him alter his path (although the end result would be ideally the same) were the best interests of his mother and sister.

"In the meantime--don't get yourself killed," Daisuke stated bluntly, almost like some sort of demand, "I'm not going to be happy if I find out the guy whose ass I saved turned out dead, in the end."

"I cannot promise you that. My life does not belong to you or myself."

Abari didn't say who it belonged to, but that wouldn't have been difficult to figure out. Abari strictly believed in the old ways. His life was Maguro's. If the path required him to lay it down, he would. And if he had to protest Maguro's order, the truest form of protest was honorable death...

"Daisuke. Perhaps we will meet again. Please remember. You will not be rewarded for your acts. You will be rewarded for your service. A true cause is much superior to a true desire. Please live well."

Daisuke had told him about the anger and the grudge he kept. Abari didn't want to see him act on it. Gardini was divinely favored, much as Maguro would be. He didn't want to see either man dead. Maguro was just a better lord and a better leader for Cizok. Turning, he would continue, prepared to make his way to Maguro's camp...

"I can't promise that, either," Daisuke replied in discontent.

It was a conflict of interests, and not one of new ways versus old ways, either. If a man thought his father was wrongly murdered, he avenged his father--and Daisuke felt that his father was wrongly murdered. It was as simple as that. Daisuke felt strongly for his father's honor, and it was for that which he fought--and it was not an unfounded belief, not even in the old ways. In fact, hundreds of years ago, it wasn't uncommon for duels between men to occur just for the honor of their mothers and fathers. Likewise, men who swore their lives to their lord--in the old ways--lived for their lord, and not for themselves.

An ancient conflict of interests . . .

Nonetheless, Daisuke turned as well. He figured that perhaps someday he would see Abari again, but it was unlikely that they were ever going to agree on the justification for fighting. No matter--he knew he had to get back home, as well, or else he'd have Taniko and his mother worrying about him. After all, Daisuke wasn't supposed to be outside without someone else with him, just in case his injuries got the better of him and left him in an even worse scenario--stranded and injured.