"What in tarnation is she...!?"

The fisherman's eyes nearly popped out of his skull when he spotted Arisa emerge from the trees around quarter of an hour later, stumbling awkwardly under the weight of the loudly snoring Mink she had slung over her shoulder. He wasted no time vaulting from his vessel and trotting down the ramp to meet them.

"Is that your friend? Is she okay?!"

"Think she's just sleeping... Still need to check though," Arisa gritted out. Reaching the boat, she struggled to haul Riyu's bulk over the side.

"Oi, easy there!" The fisherman quickly stepped in to help.

After a bit of scuffling, they managed to situate Riyu lengthwise across one of the seats. Arisa's Transponder Snail started ringing soon after the fisherman began reeling up the anchor so they could set off again.

She knew who it was from even before she activated the receiver.

"Chidori, did you find her?"

Uncle's delivery suggested he most certainly was not expecting an answer in the affirmative. Arisa tentatively glanced over to Riyu's slumbering form as the fisherman set to work opening the sails.

She sweatdropped as the Mink shifted slightly with another absurdly loud snore, before turning back to the Snail with a helpless air.

"...yes, I have her with me now."

There was a stunned pause, followed by a scrambling sound from the other end of the line.

"...what do you mean?" another voice broke in before Misokatsu could respond, followed by a hissed "Donabe-dono, quiet!" from the background – likely Hokyū.

Arisa flinched in surprise from the volume and moved the miniature Transponder Snail back; she hadn't expected the Tenkū-jō representative to have been allowed to sit in on the call.

"They left her there?" Donabe demanded. "Unbelievable! Is she alive? Wounded?"

"She's unconscious, but seems unharmed otherwise," Arisa answered reluctantly. "...I think they snuck something into her food."

There was a small pause as her listeners digested this. The Snail shifted faces to mimic her uncle's ruminative expression.

"They went through all that trouble, and yet didn't take her hostage," Misokatsu finally said. "Interesting."

"Interesting?" Donabe repeated, sounding appalled. "No, this is-... This is ridiculous – an insult to the Uzuki name!"

"Calm yourself, Donabe-dono!" another familiar voice interjected. Arisa felt herself stiffen in alarm. It was Kurowashi-sensei.

Kurowashi-sensei... who still was completely in the dark about his grandchild's condition. Arisa hesitated, a stab of guilt registering as she thought back to Law's parting words.

The Snail bared its teeth in a crude imitation of Donabe's angry scowl, replacing Kurowashi-sensei's stern features in a split second. This was unexpected; being from Tenkū-jō, the representative's dramatics were all but guaranteed during times like these. Still, that didn't do much to stave off Arisa's brewing annoyance with regards to his calls for escalation.

"You mustn't treat this lightly, Misokatsu-sama!" Donabe exclaimed. "This is unacceptable; you need to make an example out of them!"

Kurowashi-sensei drew out a heavy breath, sounding about as beleaguered as Arisa was feeling herself.

"They must still be nearby. The fact that they left two of their own behind alone should be proof..."

"Indeed." Uncle turned his head. "Hokyū. Call Yanjirō and have him send his daughter to regroup with Himuro. If it comes to it, we'll need her to detain those two for leverage."

"Understood, my lord," Hokyū answered serenely.

Unseen at her sides, Arisa's hands clenched into fists. Law's mocking smile surfaced in her mind's eye, his cutting words needling relentlessly at the furthermost reaches of her conscience.

(Tell him.)

(What are you afraid of? Betraying the parents' wishes? Breaking one of your precious rules?)

(Because I can assure you that none of those things matter in a life or death situation...)

"Will you also give permission for her to release the rest of the ōnamazu?" Kurowashi-sensei was asking.

Uncle thought for a moment.

"I don't think that will be necessary. Iroha should be more than capable of locating that submarine on her own."

Kurowashi-sensei shook his head, looking conflicted.

"But my lord, if they are anywhere near the river, that puts them within spitting distance of Mototatsu's route!"

"That would be a problem..." Hokyū muttered from the background.

"I've been trying to tell you; it can't be a coincidence!" Donabe shouted. "What if they plan on taking Tatsusada-sama hostage?"

Arisa narrowed her eyes, her nails biting deeper into her palms as she weighed her choices.

(Go on. Tell him.)

"Is it really out of the question?" Donabe went on, seeming to take her uncle's silence as a sign of indecision. "There is no such thing as honor amongst pirates! Misokatsu-sama, you must reconsider. Surely it would be reckless not to initiate a kill order!"

(Tell him!)

Gritting her teeth, Arisa finally forced herself to look up.

"Uncle, if I may!" she blurted out.

The Snail's eye stalks swiveled over to face her.

"What is it, Chidori?"

"I..." She faltered, the words tasting like ashes on her tongue. "...I think it would be unwise to escalate things any further."

"Unwise?!" Donabe spat, rearing back in offense. "I think you fail to recognize the severity of the situation, Chidori-dono! What sort of precedent would it set, to allow a group of ruffians to just run wild doing whatever they pleased – "

"Donabe-dono," Misokatsu broke in. His steely gaze settled back to her. "Go on, Chidori."

"Trafalgar Law is a careful man. Perhaps to a fault. So the fact that he left two of his own men here... It's hard to believe that he... I just...!" Arisa flinched, struggling to properly formulate her thoughts, before blurting out rather unceremoniously: "I think I know what he's trying to do."

Another disconcerting silence erupted. Uncle waited patiently as she gathered the courage to speak again – almost failing when she pictured Koga's tearstained face, heard her plaintive voice.

"Please forgive us!"

Blinking back tears, Koga bowed her head low to the floor.

"...we'd like to break the news to the elders as gently as possible once we get to Amenoka-ji... So please, if only you could keep quiet about this until then...!"

Koga-nee. Arisa closed her eyes, giving herself a moment to allow her guilt to fully settle, before drawing herself up in grim resolution.

I'm so sorry for this.

"Uncle," she said. "Hachinobe Tatsusada-sama is dying of end stage lung disease."

She was driven to look away in the terrible stretch of silence that followed as the revelation sank in over her listeners as swift and crude as an executioner's blade hitting its mark. Her insides churned nonstop with anxiety as she awaited their reactions.

"...what do you...?!" It spoke volumes to the collective shock which had befallen them that Kurowashi-sensei had actually dared to speak up before her uncle. But it was the stunned helplessness in his voice which finally pushed Arisa over the line, killing all that remained of her reluctance. "What are you talking about?"

Arisa gritted her teeth and bowed her head.

"I'm sorry for keeping it from you, Kurowashi-sensei!" she blurted out. "Koga and Mototatsu-sama wanted to tell you themselves!"

The Snail glared at her as her uncle's voice came back over the line.

"Chidori, explain yourself."

"Tatsusada-sama is very sick... He's been suffering from an incurable ailment for the past year. Dr. Yotsuji is treating him, but... but his condition has deteriorated drastically, to the point where his heart could fail at any moment now." Arisa hesitated again. "Mototatsu-sama wished to keep it under wraps until they got here, but Trafalgar managed to figure it out with his Devil Fruit abilities. That's how Tatsuhito and I came to find out..."

"...Kijibato also knows about this?" Kurowashi-sensei repeated feebly, sounding more dazed than angry.

Arisa's heart clenched. That his own trusted apprentice had also been in on the secret had no doubt struck another crippling blow...

"Please forgive us!" She balled her hands into fists on her lap as she bowed her head lower. "We thought it would be for the best to abide by their wishes. I know now that it was a mistake –"

"When was this?" Uncle demanded sharply.

"The day that we arrived. That... that would be their second day here...."

"This confirms it then," Donabe declared, shaking his head. "Those pirates must be targeting Tatsusada-sama for their own crooked aims!"

"No, that isn't –" Arisa began.

"Surely you can't be this gullible, Chidori-dono! It all lines up! Was Trafalgar also made aware of the fact that Mototatsu-dono was trying to keep all of this a secret? What if he tried to blackmail them with the information, and is retaliating now after he was rebuffed? That's the only way this makes sense!"

"It isn't!" Arisa insisted. "I... I don't know why exactly, but Trafalgar seems to have a vested interest in this case as a doctor. He confronted Dr. Yotsuji twice over his disagreement of Tatsusada-sama's treatment and –"

The Snail scoffed.

"Ah, so he intends on kidnapping a child to use as a human guinea pig?" Donabe retorted sarcastically. "Forgive me for my ignorance, but I fail to see how that strengthens your precious ally's cause."

He isn't –!

Arisa grit her teeth to stymy back her rising temper.

"Please let me finish, Donabe-dono," she answered in a level voice. "Trafalgar has no intention of coercing an operation on anybody. I... I believe that he did all of this to force my hand!"

"That doesn't make any damn sense –"

"Donabe-dono, quiet," Uncle interjected again, leveling his impassive stare to Arisa. "Chidori. What do you mean by that? He forced your hand?"

"Yes." Arisa swallowed hard, closing her eyes for a beat, before slumping her shoulders in defeat. "By... by getting me to break my promise to Koga-nee..."

Against her best efforts, her voice wavered a little.

"Tatsusada-sama had a very bad episode yesterday on his way home from a walk. Trafalgar would have intervened, but Dr. Yotsuji convinced Mototatsu-sama to have him sent away. I... I was able to speak to him afterwards. Trafalgar, I mean. And he told me all his concerns."

"His heart is going to fail at this rate." Law pushed off the wall, his voice steeling over with a renewed sense of urgency. "I need to speak to Mototatsu-ya again. This time without Yotsuji-ya."

"He isn't here," Arisa answered quietly. "He and Dr. Yotsuji left with Tatsuhito about fifteen minutes ago to meet with one of the elders."

"Where?" Law stopped himself, shook his head with a dismissive scowl, and turned back towards the entrance. "Koga-ya then. She's still here, right?"

"...what, is that what you anticipate they'll say when everything plays out to its logical conclusion? 'It's a tragedy – but at least his doctor was a good man who did the best he could?'"

"That isn't –"

"I despise excuses like that. A doctor's intentions, prestige, decency, even... All of that means nothing to a dead patient."

Arisa faltered, feeling another twist of guilt.

"I think that based on his observations yesterday, Trafalgar deemed today's journey to be too dangerous for Tatsusada-sama's health. And since he knew that Dr. Yotsuji would never listen to him, he decided to take matters into his own hands."

"You're wasting my time." Law glared at her. "If you want to help the brat, then you'll tell Misokatsu-ya everything."

The Snail waited silently for her to go on. Arisa looked over to Riyu's sleeping form, drawing out another querulous breath.

"Uncle, I believe he intentionally caused this scare, betting on the odds that it would compel me to tell you of Tatsusada's condition. That you would use your authority to order Mototatsu-sama to postpone the trip based on that knowledge."

A beat passed, suffocating and seemingly endless, during which she dared to hope that her uncle might seriously be taking her arguments under serious consideration. But her heart anchored to the pit of her stomach soon after a familiar sneer crept over the Transponder Snail face

"...do you realize how far fetched this is sounding to us?" Donabe challenged.

The condescension in his voice was what finally sapped what little remained of Arisa's patience.

"And how else does that explain everything else?" she snapped, raising her chin. "If he had any nefarious intentions, why didn't he take Riyu hostage? Why would he have left two of his officers behind?"

"That doesn't mean anything. Pirates leave their subordinates hanging out to dry all the time –"

Such an idea was so ridiculous that Arisa nearly laughed out loud in disbelief.

"He wouldn't do that."

"And you know this based on what, exactly? Just a single week of interaction?" Donabe laughed. "Come now, Chidori. Let's be reasonable now!"

Arisa glared at the Snail.

"I think I'm being perfectly reasonable. I'm not the one pushing for war with a Supernova and a known –!"

She cut herself off before she shot herself in the foot by disclosing Trafalgar Law's status as a one of Yatagarasu's relic holders to a trigger-happy Tenkū-jō operative.

The Snail mimicked a small cough as Misokatsu came back over the line, shooting her a meaningful glare which told her that he knew exactly what she had been on the verge of saying.

"...your decision, my lord?" Kurowashi-sensei finally asked, sounding about as thoroughly defeated as one might expect for a man in his position.

There was another pause as the Snail's impassive expression remained motionless. Arisa held her breath. Then Uncle cleared his throat again and turned aside.

"Hokyū. Call Kijibato immediately and have him put his brother on the line."

"Understood," Hokyū piped up from the background.

Arisa straightened her posture as Misokatsu's eyes flickered over to her.

"If what Chidori is saying is true, then I will instruct Yanjirō to send a few scouts to escort them back to Hidamari Village."

Donabe made a sound of protest.

"But Misokatsu-sama, the meeting –"

"We will make the necessary arrangements then. A child of that constitution has no business traversing the pass." Uncle narrowed his eyes and turned to Arisa. "Chidori. I want you to get Kamome back to the mainland and rejoin Himuro as soon as possible. I will confirm Hachinobe Tatsusada's condition with his parents before I finalize my instructions for you both."

Her shoulders slackening in relief, Arisa bowed her head low in gratitude.

"Yes sir. ...thank you."

──────────────────

"Here you go! You must be starving, right?"

Megitsune glanced up from where she was knelt refilling her water gourd at a brook. Craning her neck over the foliage, she caught a glimpse of the clearing where they had stopped to rest. Chiyo had knelt down next to Tatsusada, unwrapping a bamboo bark parcel to reveal three onigiri nestled within. She held it out to him with a kind smile.

Megitsune waited to see if the boy would take one, before breathing out slowly and looking away again.

Judging by the waning shadows cast by the trees and surrounding shrubbery, it was getting close to noon now. They were now probably within a stone's throw from the northeastern border of the Isseki fiefdom, meaning they had made good progress into their journey all things considered.

Just a little while longer and they would reach Yuzu-gawa, one of the Amenoka-jima's three major rivers. Sourced from a natural spring nestled high in the snowy peaks, it partially transected the central mountain range and flowed out into the Grand Line from the eastern side of the island. For travelers unaccustomed to Amenoka-ji's terrain, following this river was considered the safest way to reach the principal mountain pass.

Though they had taken many short breaks up to this point, this was the first one so far where Hachinobe Tatsuhito felt sufficiently reassured to allow them more than a half hour of reprieve. Along with his older brother, he seemed to be dead set on putting as much distance between them and Hidamari Village as they could within a reasonable timeframe.

Megitsune hadn't been present during Trafalgar Law's interactions with Dr. Yotsuji, but she had heard plenty enough about the exchanges from Asa, who had been eavesdropping for both. If those rumors held any weight, then of course it made perfect sense why they were so keen on whisking Tatsusada away to Amenoka-ji as soon as possible.

Megitsune glanced up again, smiling a little as she watched Tatsusada take a tentative bite of his onigiri.

How ironic it was, knowing now that their efforts to protect the heir would only serve to hasten his inevitable demise...

"Ito-chan!"

She looked away as she capped the gourd. Asa stood over her, holding out a half-opened parcel of her own which contained two untouched rice balls.

"Here, take one," she urged. "I know you haven't had anything all morning!"

Megitsune hesitated, then reached for one with a smile.

"Thank you, Asa. Are these the ones Shiori-san made?"

"Uh... I'm not so sure?" Asa tilted her head with a self-conscious laugh. "How would you know, exactly?"

"Oh, did I forget to tell you? I made the umeboshi-flavored ones, and she did the salmon." Megitsune took a bite and began to chew, nodding to herself as the taste of salted meat quickly pervaded her senses. "Ah, looks like these are hers then."

"Ah... I see!" Asa glanced down at the last onigiri. "Maybe I should save this one for Chiyo then..."

"Chiyo-chan likes salmon onigiri?"

"No, more like she hates umeboshi with a passion." Asa snickered. "I don't mind it though!"

"Me neither..." Megitsune trailed off when she saw Hachinobe Mototatsu stride into view from the opposite end of the clearing. The grim look on his face had given her pause.

Asa, too, seemed to notice something was amiss. They watched together as Tatsuhito made a beeline to where Koga was sitting with Chiyo and Tatsusada and whispered something down to her.

Her face turning pale, Koga immediately rose to her feet as Mototatsu and Dr. Yotsuji joined them.

"Huh." Asa blinked in confusion. "I wonder what's going on..."

Megitsune craned her neck, hiding a genuine frown as her eyes zeroed in onto the miniature Transponder Snail in Tatsuhito's grasp. The creature appeared to be snoozing now, but...

Could it be that the leadership at Amenoka-ji suspect something?
Inwardly, she swore. There was no way, right? Surely they couldn't be this unlucky after having made it this far!

"Oi, both of you."

The pair started and turned at the brusque voice. Megitsune's grip tightened spastically over the neck of the gourd as soon as her eyes fell upon the familiar countenance scowling down at them.

"Oh... Tsubu-san!" Asa hastily stood up and held out the half-open parcel with a nervous smile. "Would you like an onigiri?"

The young man shot her a withering look.

"As if we have time for that!" he snapped, turning on his heel. "Quit dilly dallying around and come help. We're getting ready to leave."

"Already?" Megitsune asked, shooting Asa a puzzled look as they hurried after him.

It certainly seemed that way. That much became apparent as they neared the clearing. Attendants were milling about readying the horses, and the small team of scouts Isseki Yanjirō had assigned to escort them were grouped up near the luggage carts, heads bent over a map of the island as they murmured amongst themselves.

"What's the matter?" Asa ventured.

"I don't know! I'm just listening to orders, alright?" But the ominous clench in Tsubu's jaw surely suggested otherwise. Sticking his hands deep into his pockets, he swerved away to rejoin Koshi and Shiro before Megitsune could follow up with any more questions.

"Ito!"

Koga had caught her eye and was frantically beckoning her closer.

Megitsune shared another look with Asa, before gathering up the trailing sleeves of her kimono and hurrying over as Koga caught her eye. Dr. Yotsuji stepped aside to give them room, and Megitsune was keen to note that he too looked uncharacteristically agitated.

Koga's distraught gaze fell to Asa as they approached.

"Asa... Why don't you go help Chiyo with Tatsusada?"

Asa looked crestfallen, but she wordlessly acquiesced with a bow and broke away.

Megitsune folded her hands in front of her, masking her curiosity with a look of concern as she peered around at the solemn faces attending her.

"...did something happen?" she prodded.

Mototatsu's face was grave.

"Tatsuhito-dono just got a call from the lord. Trafalgar and his crew departed Takanotsume without permission this morning."

"Without permission...?" Megitsune widened her eyes. "To where?"

"We have no clue. Shiori-san was ordered to deploy Iroha to search around the island."

"Arisa-san also informed him of Waka-sama's condition." Yotsuji held one hand braced against his face as he seethed out a breath from between clenched teeth.

Koga's face was ashen.

"It's an emergency. I don't blame her for it at all, but..."

An icy feeling shimmied down Megitsune's spine, her expression falling flat as a terrifying realization dawned over her.

"And what was Misokatsu-sama's decision?"

"He wants us to head straight back to Hidamari Village....!" Tatsuhito shook his head and turned to his brother. "I don't understand any of it. What if those pirates show up again? How can he not see how dangerous that would be for Waka-sama?"

Head back there...? Unseen, Megitsune gritted her teeth. No, that would ruin everything!

How am I supposed to get away then?

"The timing makes this too suspicious," Mototatsu agreed. He hesitated and chanced a look over his shoulder. Chiyo and Asa had helped to lift Tatsusada back into the wagon bed, and Shiro was now checking in on his breathing. "But at the same time, knowing that the most difficult leg of the journey still lies ahead..."

Megitsune snuck a look at Yotsuji. The doctor looked conflicted, but Tatsuhito broke in before he could speak up.

"We can't go back to a place that's known to those pirates – Trafalgar is sure to try something again! The sooner we get to Amenoka-ji, the better off Waka-sama will be!"

"But can he really handle the altitude of the pass – especially in this state? That was Misokatsu-sama's main concern..." Mototatsu wiped at his brow and turned to Yotsuji. "What do you think, Doctor?"

"He seems to be adjusting well to the medication from last night, but we'll need to remain vigilant in case of another event. As long as we don't get stranded up there..." Yotsuji hesitated and scowled. "In either case, I would like to minimize the time he spends on the road and have him settled in as soon as possible."

"At this point, it would be faster to go back to Hidamari," Koga began nervously.

No! Megitsune bit back an oath.

"But if what you're saying is true and those pirates are targeting Ta-chan..."

"It's far too risky." Tatsuhito shook his head stubbornly and turned to his brother. "And remember exactly what Trafalgar was proposing to do! A donor and recipient operation... so I can guarantee that he is targeting you as a test subject as well!"

Mototatsu furrowed his brow.

"Are you suggesting that we disobey Misokatsu-sama's order?"

"To protect Waka-sama, we should." Tatsuhito straightened, meeting his brother's dubious gaze with a resolute frown. "You don't need to worry about offending anyone, Brother. I can take full responsibility for whatever happens!"

"If I may..." Megitsune ventured demurely, donning the most diplomatic smile she could muster as she stepped forwards.

Not a flinch perturbed her expression as four pairs of eyes riveted over to scrutinize her.

She dipped her chin in a courteous bow.

"I'm sorry to interrupt... but I do have a suggestion to make."

Tatsuhito seemed as if he were about to speak up, but Koga silenced him with a meaningful look.

"What is it, Ito?" she asked in a tired voice, turning to the maid.

'Ito' smiled gratefully and bowed her head again.

"Well I do agree with Tatsuhito-sama, for one. It would be too risky for Waka-sama to go back to Hidamari, knowing full well that those pirates could return to antagonize him. However, I also think it would cause an unnecessary strain on his health to continue up the mountain. We all know how sporadic his episodes can be, and it would be a disaster if he were to suffer one while we were traversing the pass..."

She ignored Tatsuhito's disapproving frown and carried on.

"My suggestion would be to move further inland towards the base of the mountain, away from Yuzu-gawa, and to wait there until the elders at Amenoka-ji are able to confirm the pirates' location. We know that the pirates are on a submarine, so we should stay away from the coast to avoid detection in case they are looking for us."

That would put them precisely in the region where Haimushi was waiting for them. He would have finished planting the Horned Snails by now, meaning once they got there, they would be cut off from all outside communication.

Koga bit her lip and cast a skeptical look at her husband.

Tatsuhito shook his head.

"What if they aren't found by sundown? Are you proposing that we have Waka-sama spend the night out here?"

Megitsune inwardly sneered.

Oh, no need to worry, Kijibato-dono. It won't come to that.

"I don't see why not," she answered prudently instead. "He'll be safer here in the woods than up in the mountains or anywhere along the path back to the village, where they could easily get their hands on him. The weather is milder down here anyways, and besides..." – she motioned to the luggage carts – "...we have more than enough on hand to keep him safe and comfortable here for a day or two."

Koga still looked rather doubtful, but Mototatsu seemed to be receptive to the proposal.

"It would be better than taking our chances with the mountain passage," he slowly relented.

Even Yotsuji lowered his hand from his face and gave a slight nod, though the troubled sigh he let out seemed to betray that his tacit acceptance was more out of a lack of any other feasible option than anything else.

"Should we notify the lord?" Koga asked wearily.

Tatsuhito thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"I doubt he'll take our refusal lightly. We'll move first, then I can call him once we have Waka-sama settled in."

"Fine." Mototatsu nodded grimly. "It's decided then."

A small twitch came over the corners of Megitsune's lips.

Perfect.

──────────────────

Several meters away, Hachinobe Tatsusada had finished the last of the onigiri Chiyo had given him. Absently swiping at the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, he sat there blinking in idle curiosity after his parents for a moment. Then he leaned over to pick up his notebook from the floor of the wagon, letting out a small dry cough as he fished around for his pen.  

Translation(s)

- Yuzu-gawa: Yuzu River.

...so this arc is basically everyone very slowly coming to the realization that Law is a Good Guy, despite him doing everything he can to not come across as one. xD

Arisa has finally caught on, so that's some progress. We'll see who's next lol

Thanks for reading & see you next chapter.

-shiba