"You think the part timer listened to Captain?"

The question was posed in a manner as idle and carefree as only Hakugan was capable of expressing. His mask was pressed at a rather uncomfortable-looking angle against the periscope as he glassed the coastline for what felt like the umpteenth time.

"Dunno." Bepo sounded rather sluggish as he raised his head from his map – a crude sketch of Amenoka-jima's coastline he'd apparently shorthanded during the course of their stay here. From where Azarashi sat, he could see their position marked out in a sloppy red X, just a few ways away from a river delta.

The image of the marker momentarily blurred. Azarashi found himself blinking repeatedly to clear his vision, his eyelids feeling heavier with each passing second. With most of the crew on standby for the time being, he had ventured to the control room to keep the helmsman and navigator company. To his secret disappointment, though, the atmosphere there had been about as monotonous as the engine room where he had left Jean Bart and Kurage behind. With the sub's position long staked out, the sleepy Bepo seemed about as bored as Azarashi felt, and though Hakugan remained alert, he was mostly reticent thanks to his dogged vigilance in accordance with Captain's orders.

And so things remained up until now, with the thrill of the morning's activities having long given away into excruciating boredom. It was to the point where Azarashi was half in the mind to follow Captain's lead and take a nap of his own.

What time is it, anyways? He looked up at the clock. Give or take... thirty minutes to noon?

Azarashi squinted as his mind drifted back to Hakugan's innocent query, then to Captain's call with the part timer. He frowned in spite of himself. Remembering the latent anger in his voice was somewhat effective in dispelling his lethargy, to say the least.

The part timer... I wonder if she did listen in the end.

Captain seemed willing to bet on it at least, so it can't be completely beyond the realm of possibility...

Hakugan spoke up again, his voice still as serene as ever.

"Whatever Shachi and Penguin are up to now must surely beat this."

Azarashi and Bepo automatically fixed their gazes to the miniature Transponder Snail placed next to one of the control panels. It had been left snoozing there since Shachi called to instruct them to depart hours ago.

"They said they would try to call again..." Bepo muttered, his voice dubious.

"Hah!" A small chuckle sounded from behind the grin painted on the mask. "If the part timer's found the weasel by now, no doubt they're getting an earful if they didn't have the sense to sneak out by – ah."

He stopped mid-sentence, hands freezing in place against the periscope. Bepo straightened slightly, and Azarashi blinked.

"What's the matter?"

"Huh. I'm not..." Hakugan adjusted his mask and leaned in again. "Is that... smoke?"

"Smoke?"

"Uh-huh. Take a look."

Hakugan moved aside and motioned them closer. Sharing a look with Bepo, Azarashi stepped in and gingerly squinted through the periscope. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the narrow field of view.

Hakugan had positioned the Polar Tang such that the outer lens was facing the coast face-on. From this angle, Azarashi could catch a clear glimpse of the river mouth to their far right. A pale, straggling sliver of shoreline ringed by the umbrous treeline. The stark, forested swell of the mountainside looming over it all.

Azarashi began to glass the shoreline multiple times, before zeroing in on what surely must have been the subject of Hakugan's concern: a thin, dark trail of smoke snaking up from deep within the trees into the sky. Its source was clearly too far within the forest to see from here, but as a rough estimate he surmised that it must be closer to the base of the mountain than the shore...

"Do you see it, Azarashi?" Bepo pressed.

He pulled back with a frown.

"Yeah. Looks like a forest fire, maybe?"

"In this climate?" Hakugan sounded skeptical. He turned to Bepo, folding his arms. "Did Captain say if this region was inhabited at all?"

"It shouldn't be." Bepo looked down at his map with a thoughtful frown. "I know he mentioned there should be a couple abandoned fishing villages down south, but that's still some ways away."

"You think it could be them, then?" Hakugan adjusted his mask, his voice brightening with excitement. "Should we call Captain?"

Azarashi rubbed his chin, uncertain.

"I mean, he did tell us to alert him if we spotted anything..."

"That's right!" Bepo exclaimed, already on his feet. "We need to tell him right away!"

──────────────────

A short while prior

"Waka-sama...? Waka-sama!"

Even despite anticipating this moment over the past year – even dreaming of it at times – Megitsune still couldn't deny the visceral chill that ran down her spine when she heard Chiyo begin to scream.

Everything seemed to jolt to a standstill in that moment, before lurching back into motion in a stilted, almost dreamlike fashion as everyone around her sought to make sense of the situation.

Despite this initial scramble, the impending reaction seemed strangely muted – eerily even more so after the collective revelation sank in, that they had to stop on account of Waka-sama relapsing unexpectedly. Perhaps such a prospect had been lingering at the back of everyone's mind, garnering dread as the worst case scenario ever since news about the pirates had broken, since Hachinobe Mototatsu had officially declared that they should change routes.

Somebody was ordering the attendants to stay the hell back. It was either Tatsuhito or his older brother, but Megitsune paid no heed to their words. She darted in, weaving past a pale-faced Asa to see what was going on.

It was hard to make out Tatsusada's condition, as her view of the wagonbed was completely obstructed by Yotsuji and two of his students – Koshi and Tsubu, was it? Shiro, seeming to have been sent to retrieve something, came barrelling in from the opposite direction with a nondescript bag clutched in his grip. He nearly tripped over his feet in his haste when Tsubu barked at him to hurry up.

Megitsune tilted her chin in contemplation.

Now which one of you was the pharmacologist again...?

"Ito-chan!"

Snapping back to the present, Megitsune quickly turned to meet Asa's frantic expression. She wordlessly jutted her chin in the opposite direction.

Chiyo had already been led away by Koga and was now standing close to the brink of the clearing, her head bent as she whimpered into her sleeve. Mustering her signature mask, Megitsune made a beeline towards her with Asa following doggedly at her heels.

"What's the matter with –?"

The question immediately died at Megitsune's lips. Asa's hands flew up to her mouth.

The front of Chiyo's kimono was splattered over with blood.

"...– just wouldn't stop coughing at first, and then he started gasping for air...!" Chiyo's entire body was visibly shaking. She broke down as Asa stepped in to enfold her in a fierce hug. "A-and then... all of a sudden...!"

"He coughed up blood?" Megitsune pressed anxiously.

Koga could only nod wordlessly in response, her face ashen. At a first glance she seemed surprisingly composed given the circumstances, but the uncontrollable trembling of her own hands betrayed her agitation.

"There was so much blood," Chiyo sniffed, wiping at her eyes. "I-I've never seen him like that before..."

Megitsune glanced over her shoulder at the doctors. Yotsuji didn't seem to notice her and was instead saying something to Koshi, who nodded along while wearing a grim expression which belied his usual smugness. She couldn't quite make out the doctor's words, but caught an unmistakable glint as one gloved hand came up.

A syringe.

Inwardly, she sneered.

So have you caught on, Doctor?

Tch. Not that it matters. It's only going to delay the inevitable.

The corner of her lips giving a barely perceptible twinge, Megitsune turned back away. The best option for the time being, she decided then, was to wait. To obediently play her role and passively gather information until an opportune moment presented itself for her to initiate the next course of action.

And so for the next few excruciating minutes, that was exactly what she did. Chiyo continued to cry and sniffle and remain generally quite insufferable over the whole ordeal (thought that was really par for the course), Asa and Koga consoled her the best they could, and Megitsune did her best to feign concern about it all while keeping an eye on Hachinobe Tatsuhito on the sly. After all, he was by far the most restless of the family members, pacing nonstop within hearing distance of the doctors.

"...I just can't believe it," Asa was saying as she shook her head. "This can't be happening!"

Megitsune glanced up at the patchwork of sky visible through the canopy. The craggy mountain peaks loomed high ahead, wreathed in mist.

"Imagine how much worse it would have been if we'd gone on ahead," she mused absently.

"I don't even want to think about it!" Asa shivered. "Now we'll definitely have to stop here."

"Hmm." Megitsune frowned slightly to herself. "And we're still pretty close to Yuzu-gawa, too... I guess it can't be helped."

Indeed, at this stage it really couldn't. She could only pray that Haimushi hadn't been stingy with his placement of the Horned Snails...

"If only I had noticed sooner that something was wrong...!" Chiyo pressed her hand up to her mouth, muffling another sob.

Koga looked up, her expression hardening.

"No, don't say that!" she admonished.

"B-but he was my responsibility... –" Chiyo's eyes welled up again.

"No, Koga-sama right!" Asa quickly joined in. "Don't you dare blame yourself. It isn't your fault!"

"How can you be so sure of that?" a familiar voice interjected.

Megitsune raised an eyebrow and turned. Chiyo and Asa went silent, their expressions initially going blank with confusion as their eyes settled on the speaker.

"Tsubu-san...?" Asa ventured, only to be cut off as Koga rushed forwards past them.

"Doctor! Did Yotsuji send you? H-how is he...?"

Koga faltered in confusion as Tsubu completely disregarded her, instead fixing his scowl over her shoulder to Chiyo. Megitsune feigned a look of confusion and stepped in, clearing her throat demurely.

"Um, Doctor...?"

Tsubu slitted his eyes.

"Oi, you," he snapped over to Chiyo. "You're the one who served Waka-sama his lunch, right?"

Chiyo had partially shrank back behind Asa, her eyes wide and frightened.

"I... I think I did?" she squeaked, shooting Koga a bewildered look. "What does that have to do with –"

"You think you did? How awfully convenient. When was that, less than an hour ago?"

Chiyo looked like she was about to cry again.

"You're right... I did, didn't I?" she burst out, bowing her head. "Yes, I did; I remember now. I'm sorry! So much is happening all at once – I just got a little mixed up...!"

"Oi, knock it off, Tsubu!" another voice broke in. Megitsune blinked; she hadn't noticed that Shiro had also marched over. He pushed his glasses up his nose, looking uncharacteristically agitated. "Now isn't the time for this!"

"Why isn't it?" Tsubu glared at him over his shoulder, folding his arms. "We need to wait on the blood gas results either way. And I'd say the sooner we get to the bottom of this the better!"

Chiyo's lower lip trembled as he turned back to her with a scowl.

"You didn't notice anything off about the food you gave him?"

"Off?" Chiyo repeated. "I d-don't...- What do you...-"

"His food," Tsubu seethed out deliberately, sounding as if he were on the verge of losing his patience. "Did you taste any of it before you gave it to him?"

"N-no. I..." Chiyo slowly shook her head. "It was j-just onigiri that was prepared this morning, t-that's all I gave him –"

"Are you saying Ta-chan's food was tampered with?" Koga broke in frantically, raising her voice.

Asa drew in a sharp breath. Chiyo froze in place, the color draining from her face. Megitsune caught a flicker of movement from over Tsubu's shoulder and shifted her weight to keep her nerves at bay. She deliberately kept her demeanor as neutral as possible as Hachinobe Tatsuhito drew closer, the look on his face clearly betraying his alarm.

"No, wait a second!" Shiro shook his head, grasping Tsubu's shoulder. "Tsubu! This isn't –! You shouldn't be throwing any accusations around when we have no way of confirming with what we've got! Koshi still needs to check –"

"Quit trying to dance around the subject, Shiro-kun," Tsubu scoffed, rolling his eyes as he shrugged free. "Waka-sama shouldn't be experiencing exacerbations this severe with his current medication. You know that yourself. And the timing is too suspicious to ignore – it lines up precisely with when he last ate!"

"We shouldn't jump to any conclusions. It could be some sort of allergic reaction –"

"That doesn't rule out deliberate tampering! And besides..." Tsubu narrowed his eyes at Chiyo. "Don't you think this is too much of a coincidence?"

"What are you talking about?" Koga demanded, protectively drawing an arm around Chiyo as the latter cowered back.

"Tsubu, that's enough...!" Shiro hissed.

"With all due respect, don't you all remember what happened at Takanotsume?" Tsubu challenged, raising his chin. He sneered and leveled a finger at Chiyo. "That maid who was expelled after they found that poisoned dagger on her... you were pretty close with her from what I remember, weren't you?"

Oh, he's talking about Haru. That nagging bitch. Megitsune pressed her lips firmly together, biting back a frown of annoyance.

Oharu had been one of Hachinobe Koga's most trusted confidantes and one of Tatsusada's main caretakers back home. Being older and considerably more experienced than the likes of Chiyo and Asa, the crone had never fully been trusting of 'Ito' from the start. To say that her protectiveness over Tatsusada had caused Megitsune and Haimushi much pain over the course of the mission was a massive understatement.

Framing Haru for the dagger had been a natural extension of the plan since she was the most likely to raise suspicion during the trip. But now of course it had served to backfire, casting Chiyo in a suspicious light over Tatsusada's poisoning instead of Megitsune's intended target!

The Kyōgui gritted her teeth, throttling back the urge to openly glare at Tsubu.

How disappointing. I thought you would've served to be a useful idiot, but in the end, you had to fail at that too!

Meanwhile, the rest of Tsubu's audience seemed to digest his insinuations with varying degrees of credulity. Asa looked completely dumbfounded. Tatsuhito had ceased pacing and was staring intently at Tsubu with his lips sewn together in a hardpressed line. Koga had gone stock-still, a subtle shift flickering over her expression as she turned unreadable eyes to Chiyo.

"I... T-that isn't...!" Chiyo began to visibly tremble, faltering back a step as Tsubu drew closer.

"Could it be that you harbored a grudge against the family for not sufficiently standing up for your friend?" he pressed. His voice darkened. "Or... even that the two of you were working together from the start?"

"No!" Chiyo shook her head and buried her face into her hands. "H-how could you even...!"

Tsubu's eyes flashed, his voice hardening with barely concealed rage.

"So you have nothing to say for yourself?" he snapped, taking another step forward. "Go on. Tell us your side of the story."

Chiyo continued to whimper into her sleeve. A low, tremulous sob welled up her throat.

Damn it, Chiyo. Why react so suspiciously when you're innocent? Inwardly sighing, Megitsune clenched her fists, her eyes shifting back over to Tsubu. You're only going to make it harder for me to make my case!

"You admitted so yourself." Another step. "You were the last person who fed Waka-sama. You were with him when he collapsed."

"No, just stop it...! I-I didn't...!"

"Quit sniveling around and speak the fuck up! What did you do to him?!"

"Tsubu!" Shiro barked.

Megitsune had heard enough. With one swift step, she was in their midst facing the doctors.

"No! Please – you're all wrong!" she exclaimed. "It... it isn't Chiyo's fault!"

She had barely caught a glimpse of Tsubu's shocked expression before she spun around to face Koga.

"Koga-sama, allow me to take full responsibility for this!" she declared, bowing low at the waist.

"Ito...?" Koga sounded aghast.

Looks like this is it then. Megitsune drew in a deep breath. Your final act as 'Ito.'

Better make it count.

She drew herself up with one deep breath and commenced her performance, scrunching up her face as if she were barely holding back tears.

"I-I... I was the one who was in charge of preparing the onigiri this morning!" she burst out in a rush, stumbling over her words as her lips trembled and her eyes welled up on command. "S-so it's all my fault, you see. I r-really should've been more careful, b-but... Truly, I didn't think that Shiori-san would have tried anything, and I... I j-just... I'm sorry!"

There was another dreadful pause as her words sank in. Perhaps the only one in their midst who remained unperturbed was Tsubu, who only narrowed his eyes critically as he assumed a thoughtful expression. Behind him, Tatsuhito remained frozen in place as the look on his face rapidly morphed from one of shock to horror.

"What are you saying, Ito?" Koga uttered in a stricken whisper. Her face had grown dangerously pale. "How could Shiori have anything to do with this?"

"She was here this morning! S-she... she insisted on helping me with the lunches!" 'Ito' let out a muffled sob. "I-I didn't think anything of it at the time, b-but... If what Tsubu-san is saying is true, then she was the only person who was known to have direct access to Waka-sama's food –"

"No! That's completely –!" Tatsuhito pushed past Shiro and Tsubu at this juncture – just as Megitsune had anticipated. "Are you crazy?!"

Megitsune cowered back, imitating Chiyo's beleaguered demeanor as she let out a pathetic sniff.

"B-but she's the only one who could have –"

"Shiori wouldn't do something like that!" Tatsuhito's voice was frantic. "How can you accuse her of such a thing?!"

"Because I know I had nothing to do with it and she was the only other person who was there with me! How does it make sense otherwise? Unless...!" Megitsune put her hands up to her face, suppressing another querulous sob. "If it wasn't her... are you saying I was the one who did it then?"

"I never said that!" Tatsuhito answered, raising his voice in agitation. "All I'm saying is that you're wrong – it can't be Shiori; it just can't! She would never hurt Waka-sama!"

"But what other explanation is there? Tell me that, Tatsuhito-dono!"

There were plenty of others, actually. Megitsune wasn't stupid. But that was far besides the point. She had a role to fulfill – a specific aim to achieve. It didn't matter how hysterical she came across, in how many flimsy assumptions and logical leaps she had to make, as long as she could plant that one seed of doubt in everyone's minds.

Because in times of crisis, that was typically all it took to set things into motion. It really was that simple.

"But then how... Who else...?" Megitsune shook her head and whirled upon Koga again, her voice beginning to waver. "Do you really think that it could've been me or Chiyo, Koga-sama? When we both have served this household for so long?"

"Ito..." Koga cast a tormented look over to her brother-in-law.

Chiyo had long buried her face into her hands, sobbing quietly. She didn't respond much when 'Ito' drew closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders in a supportive gesture.

"We both have stayed by Waka-sama's side since he was first diagnosed," Megitsune urged. "You know this, Koga-sama! We've seen firsthand how much he's suffered, how hard he's fought to hang on for so long! We've stood by him this entire time, and you know very well that we would both gladly lay down our lives if it meant that he could have a chance! Are you really saying that we... that we could have...!"

She let out a broken sob and averted her face, as if physically unable to carry on any further, before recollecting herself with another deep breath and raising her chin.

"I-I understand that Shiori-san is Tatsuhito-dono's childhood friend. But we mustn't let that cloud our judgment when there is simply no other explanation!"

"No..." Tatsuhito gritted out, shaking his head adamantly as he turned to his sister-in-law. "I refuse to believe it! Koga, you know Shiori. She would never even fathom such a thing!"

"And how do we know that for sure?" Megitsune questioned, glaring back at him as she wiped at the corners of her eyes. "Isn't it common knowledge that her father has opposed Amenoka-ji's involvement with this alliance?"

"What nonsense! Do you have any idea what sort of accusations you're making right now? Yanjirō-dono would never –!"

"I never said he would, but what about her?" Megitsune's eyes flashed. "Who's to know if her father's leanings have influenced her.... or if she could have her own reasons to sabotage this alliance? Have you ever considered that, Tatsuhito-dono?"

That obviously struck a nerve; for a split second, she could have sworn to have seen his expression falter.

"You don't know what the hell you're –"

Perhaps Tatsuhito finished that sentence. Perhaps he went on to say a whole lot more. But those words were the most Megitsune consciously registered before a faint whistling sound snagged her attention rightwards, in Tsubu's general direction. She had barely caught a glimpse of his dumbfounded expression – brows scrunching, lips starting to part in confusion – before Asa suddenly let out a peculiar gasp... no, more a choked gurgle.

All eyes snapped over to the young maid. She stood rooted in place with both hands planted against her obi – around the long silver arrow shaft which now protruded from her abdomen.

Oh, for fuck's sake –!

Hachinobe Tatsuhito was already moving towards Koga, his dominant hand flitting down to his katana in a blur of motion.

Two more arrows were airborne by the time Chiyo's high-pitched scream tore through the clearing, both whizzing in over Megitsune's shoulder like their predecessor. The first pierced the upper left portion of Asa's chest the moment her knees hit the ground, sending her body toppling backwards. The second would have found its mark in the center of Koga's windpipe had it not been physically deflected by the sheath of her brother-in-law's katana with a splitting crack.

Megitsune had barely caught a glimpse of the unmistakable sheen of Haki which had started to bloom over his hand before a set of unfamiliar arms locked around her midsection, unceremoniously dragging her down. She hit the ground with a muffled oath as shouting erupted all around them, punctuated with pained screams as presumably several more arrows hit their marks.

"Get down! Get down! It's an ambush!"

"Protect the lord!"

"Koga-sama... Where is Koga-sama!?"

"Fall back to the treeline! Get the family to safety!"

Haimushi, you fool! Megitsune's eye twitched as she began to squirm against the guard's restraining grip. I could have kept it going for a good several more minutes –

"Please, Miss. You need to stay down!" the man hissed into her ear.

Ito...

Ah, that was right. Were it not for the circumstances, Megitsune would have rolled her eyes. Well. Looks like this will be our final goodbye, Ito-chan...

Just a few moments longer, and this ridiculous charade can finally come to a close...

You need to keep up this performance to the very end!

She flailed harder, feigning a desperate sob.

"B-but Asa...!" She hiccuped. "Oh my God, where is Asa?"

"Miss–!"

"I s-saw her go down... They hit her, they hit her!"

"I know. I know. Please...try to stay still! We're going to get you out of here." She felt him stiffen as more arrows hissed overhead. Nearby, one of the cart horses shrieked loudly and reared, hooves slamming down against hard packed dirt like a thunderclap. The entire clearing was enveloped in a haze of dust, all the shouting and footsteps intensifying into a dizzying cacophony around them.

The guard swallowed, breathing deeply as if to allay his nerves. Whimpering, Megitsune cracked open her eyes, peering up at him with teary eyes.

"I'm going to get you to the treeline," he said. "We're gonna have to crawl, alright?"

"What's going on?" she sobbed. "Where is Waka-sama?."

"Can you crawl, miss? You need to listen to me. We're going to get you to cover."

"But I c-can't see anything...!"

He hesitated.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I don't –"

Another telltale whistle. The guard's body suddenly shuddered with a sickening thud of impact. A warm rain of blood scattered across her face.

Her expression falling completely flat, Megitsune just stared up at the man. His face had gone rigid, eyes wide and mouth ajar. An arrow point now protruded from the center of his throat, blood spurting from the puncture wound in thin, dark rivulets.

Good riddance.

Coughing a little, the Kyōgui managed to partially drag herself out from beneath his bulk, before losing her patience and shoving him off of her entirely. The scent of smoke pervaded her senses as she crawled up to her hands and knees, squinting furtively through clouds of dust.

A fire already...? That wasn't good. It couldn't be from the arrows as far as she was aware, so perhaps something in the luggage caught alight in the confusion...

Megitsune coughed again and hid a wince at her body's flimsiness. She rose, still exerting a conscious effort to make the motion seem as tentative and painstaking as possible, and in doing so caught snatches of the chaos ensuing around her. Men and women lying dead in growing puddles of their own blood. Wounded animals shrieking from where they'd been felled. Carts and boxes overturned, all turned into makeshift barriers for stragglers who sought refuge from the barrage...

No sight of Koga, though that was to be expected. Along with the rest of her family, she had to have been among the first to have been whisked away to cover.

Megitsune's lips tightened at the thought.

But that shouldn't make a difference. Not for Waka-sama, at least...

She narrowed her eyes as she watched the surviving guards. Two or three remained cloistered behind a fallen cart – darting out in between barrages to drag nearby bodies to safety – while the rest had already breached the treeline, clearly opting to pursue and directly engage the attackers.

Haimushi. You better have found enough surrogates for this...

"Ito...? Ito!" Someone let out a panicked shriek behind her, and Megitsune closed her eyes briefly. Maybe it was Koga; maybe it was Chiyo. It didn't matter anymore. "Ito, get down–!"

Time slowed to a crawl.

In that moment, she sensed another flicker of movement from the corner of her vision. Later on, she would realize it was one of the remaining guards who'd lunged in to knock her down out of harm's way.

But it was too late.

Oh, how tragic.

Ito-chan. Poor, hapless Ito-chan. You never had a chance, did you?

Whether by reflex or compulsion, Megitsune felt herself partially turn, locking eyes with Chiyo.

The moment the arrow entered her body, she smiled.

──────────────────

"Damn it, why won't it go through?"

Tsubu's face was bright red, almost apoplectic-looking as he began fiddling with the dials again – a stark contrast to the disturbing, unavailing placidity of the miniature Transponder Snail perched on his wrist. In any other context, the sight could have been construed as humorous. But now, all it evoked was a stir of dread so dizzying that it felt almost surreal.

Near the river bank, Shiro was partially doubled over with his hands braced to his thighs, heaving for air as he attempted to catch his breath. He still felt strangely light-headed – whether it was from the exertion or adrenaline, he had no clue.

The sight of dried blood mottling his knuckles gave him pause.

Shit.

That girl... her name was Asa, wasn't it?

He pictured the young girl's frozen expression and felt a stab of guilt. He'd crawled over to her body after the shooting started, harboring a foolish hope that perhaps he had mistaken the severity of her wounds. A guard had been dispatched to evacuate him and Tsubu only moments later, but not before he saw the glazed, empty look in her eyes.

By some miracle, he had managed to stick with Koshi and Tsubu after they'd been rushed from the clearing and corralled away from the confusion. The guard who'd gotten them out had left them with the command to stay together and to get back to Yuzu-gawa as fast as possible – an order that the usually oppositionally defiant Tsubu was quick to accept without any questions.

Shiro had no clue exactly how long it'd taken to get there, but even with the three of them sprinting through the underbrush like their lives depended on it, it felt like a fucking eternity. The thought had even crossed his mind that out of shock, they might have failed to have noticed they'd been hit during the attack, that perhaps one or all of them could collapse at any moment and they would fail to make it after all –

Fighting to ignore the stitch in his side, Shiro straightened slightly, grounding himself in the static-like rush of the river current.

It could be considered a small mercy that that wasn't the case, that they had all somehow managed to make it out of the forest uninjured. But despite now being out of immediate danger, the hope of rescue still felt impossibly remote – Tsubu's calls to the shrine failing to go through ensured that.

Shiro took another deep breath and wiped his glasses with the end of his shirt. He shot a worried glance over to Koshi as Tsubu continued to spew a string of colorful obscenities at his Transponder Snail.

"Still nothing?" Koshi mustered out. He still had a hand braced against a tree trunk as he wheezed for air. "Are you sure it isn't broken or something?"

"Maybe it isn't properly synced up or something," Shiro attempted. "Is there a way to check?"

"I don't know!" Tsubu's eye visibly twitched as he continued to adjust the dials. "Fuck me...!"

"It could be because of our location. If we just follow the river back to the coast and try from there –"

Koshi shook his head in resignation. On top of being the sickliest, he was the heaviest smoker of the three – it was no surprise he still hadn't recovered.

"I don't think I can go any further."

Shiro glanced over his shoulder and thought for a moment.

"...I could go," he murmured.

It was more an idea posed to himself, but of course Tsubu had to be within earshot.

"By yourself?" he demanded incredulously.

"Why not?" Shiro squared his shoulders and flushed, feeling somewhat defensive. "I can just run over, make the call, and lead them back here. It'll be faster that way too."

"Are you insane?"

"What do you mean? This is nothing compared to what they had me do in the Marines!"

"No, that's out of the question!" Koshi admonished, shaking his head again.. "Quit trying to be a hero, Shiro – that's a sure way to get yourself killed! Who's to know if there are more enemies lying in wait for you? That guy told us to stay together so we might as well –"

He cut off with a sharp inhale, eyes going wide as his attention zeroed in on something further down the bank beyond Shiro's shoulder. Tsubu stopped short as well, the confusion in his face morphing to urgency.

Shiro followed their gazes, his heart momentarily plummeting when he spotted a slight human figure stagger out from the treeline.

Tsubu had already taken off running towards them. Shiro was quick to tear after him, with Koshi reluctantly taking up the rear.

"Chiyo-chan...? Chiyo-chan!"

The young woman truly was a sight to behold, a far departure from her usual refined appearance, with her kimono torn and blood-drenched. Slowly lifting her chin to reveal a dazed countenance, she doggedly began to look up and down the river before straightening slightly when she spotted them.

"Y-you guys... made it out...?" She stumbled forward to meet them, reaching out blindly and latching onto Tsubu's sleeve like a lifetime. The irony was not lost on Shiro, though he wisely held his tongue about it. "Please... You need to come quick! All of you!"

"Hey! You shouldn't be so loud –" Tsubu began to protest, but Shiro swiftly cut him off.

"Never mind that. What's going on?" he demanded. "Did you run here on your own?"

"No... Please, just hurry!" She turned, half dragging him back towards the treeline "You need to come help Dr. Yotsuji! He's with Waka-sama –"

Waka-sama! Shiro felt his insides twist in dread. The three exchanged a panicked look, before hurrying after her without another word.

It certainly didn't take long for them to reach their destination, which turned out to be a tiny clearing less than a scant hundred meters back into the forest.

"Koga-sama. Koga-sama! I found them–!"

Three faces immediately looked up as the trio emerged from the brush at Chiyo's heels. Koga, Mototatsu, and Yotsuji – all bloodied and disheveled-looking, but clearly alive.

So the guards managed to get them out together, too...!

But that initial rush of elation was soon quashed when Shiro caught a glimpse of what exactly they were huddled around.

A small, pale face. A snatch of indigo hair. Limbs limp against hard packed dirt, one small hand slowly uncurling over the pebbles.

That frail, prone body dressed in a familiar navy kimono...

No... No, no!

Yotsuji's eyes sharpened in recognition when he saw them.

"Anyone hurt?" he demanded.

Koshi shook his head.

"No, we can help!"

Shiro was already moving, muscles reacting on instinct. Everything seemed to fall away then – the fear, the panic, the danger... all of it. It was as if Shiro's mind had switched to modes to a previous era in his life, one he was intimately familiar with despite wanting to forget in many ways. He was eighteen years old again. Eighteen years old and wearing a field medic's uniform, drenched in blood that wasn't his own.

Koga's face showed traces of tears, but she was no longer openly weeping. Much like with her reaction to Tatsusada's initial relapse, it seemed the sudden shock of the situation had left her frightfully subdued – perhaps even completely numb. She didn't protest much as Shiro pushed past her to kneel by Tatsusada. Mototatsu also moved aside to give them more space. He too said nothing, though his face was dangerously pale.

Yotsuji had already positioned Tatsusada in a prone position and was probing his windpipe. Shiro knelt next to him.

"What about Tatsuhito-sama...?"

"He and the others stayed behind to find the attackers," Yotsuji answered tersely. He glanced over at Mototatsu's direction. "The lord wished to join him, but... Thankfully, Koga-sama and I convinced him to stay with Waka-sama."

Tatsusada's breathing was dangerously labored, erupting in spastic, shallow gasps.

"Looks like the swelling has only gotten worse," Tsubu muttered, examining the boy's neck with a critical eye. "If it doesn't subside..."

He let his words hang, though the implication was as clear as day to the four of them. Shiro swallowed dryly and shared a look with Koshi.

"He was already unconscious by the time they got him out," Yotsuji said grimly, straightening. "I don't know if he suffered a fall or a blow while they were evacuating him, or if it was from his attack before. Koshi, go check the bag by the tree – that was all I could grab before they got me out."

Koshi immediately rose to his feet.

"What do you need?"

"If there's an emergency surgical kit, get me that. If not, something sharp. A knife or a pen will do." Yotsuji nodded over to Shiro. "Tilt his head back for me and hold it in place."

Shiro automatically complied. He felt Koga's gaze burning into them from behind, but it was Mototatsu who tentatively spoke up.

"Yotsuji..." His voice was weary. "What are you going to do?"

"Right now, we have no way to mitigate the swelling. If we let it persist, there is a good chance his airway will be completely blocked off." Yotsuji paused, looking up briefly as Koshi returned and handed him something. He took the object and shifted it repeatedly in his grip – either due to nerves or conscious deliberation – before drawing in a deep breath and fully riveting his attention to the parents. "We have to perform an emergency tracheotomy to stabilize him. I'm going to open a hole to his windpipe."

His dominant hand shifted, revealing the glint of a razor blade. It was nowhere near sharp enough to serve as a makeshift scalpel... but as with a pen, Shiro knew it would suffice to make the puncture with the proper force.

"You're going to operate... right here...?" Koga choked out.

Yotsuji nodded and turned back to Tatsusada. Shiro straightened to attention, keeping the boy's head in place as the doctor probed his neck for landmarks.

"We have no way of knowing when we'll be rescued, and right now he runs a high risk of respiratory arrest," he continued. "We shouldn't let it get to that point – we can't. This way we'll at least have the option to manually ventilate him until proper help arrives."

He paused, piercing Hachinobe Mototatsu with a questioning look.

"Do I have your permission, my lord?"

Mototatsu closed his eyes briefly, letting out a shuddering breath of resignation. His voice was barely audible when he finally spoke up again.

"...do what you must."

Koga only buried her face into her hands again, her shoulders starting to shake with silent sobs.

Shiro caught Dr. Yotsuji's eye and moved aside for him with a solemn nod.

"Whenever you're ready."

Yotsuji nodded, leaning in. What felt like an eternity elapsed as he positioned the point of the blade over the lower center of Tatsusada's windpipe.

That's right... Above the suprasternal notch...

Shiro swallowed again, nerves racing as Dr. Yotsuji finally raised the blade. And for a split second, he could have sworn to see his hand tremble around the handle.

"...I'm sorry for this, Waka-sama."

The blade started to arc downwards –

A tattooed hand darted in from over the doctor's shoulder, stopping Yotsuji's wrist in place.

Shiro froze in shock as Koga let out a small gasp. He felt his heart plummet to his stomach as his eyes slowly trailed upwards to take in the tall, dark-clad figure who had materialized behind the doctor.

"I never took you to be of the hasty sort, Yotsuji-ya," a familiar voice rang out.

"You...!" Yotsuji's face immediately darkened. Yanking his hand free, he twisted around to scowl up at his addressor.

The corner of Trafalgar Law's lips tugged upwards ever so slightly, though not a glimmer of warmth was harbored in the expression.

"Move."

"How did you...even...?"

"I said move."

Not even sparing a glance in the parents' direction, the surgeon brushed past the internal physician and came up by the patient's side. Koshi and Shiro hurriedly scuttled aside to make room as the surgeon knelt to examine Tatsusada. It was hard to describe, but something about his aura evoked an almost primal instinct to just back down, much akin to the feeling of being doused in ice cold water in terms of sheer potency.

Even Tsubu seemed to be struck by the same sense, because he actually held his tongue for once, though the look he wore confirmed that he was still very transparent about his hostility to this new development.

"...what are you doing here, Trafalgar?" Yotsuji asked, his voice wavering slightly. "How... how did you find us here?"

Law ignored him.

"Room."

Shiro hid a flinch of surprise as a dome of pale blue light materialized from beneath the pirate's fingertips, spiraling outwards to completely envelope Tatsusada's prone form.

"Ikkaku." Law glanced over his shoulder. "Gloves."

"Aye, aye!"

The shift of movement which accompanied this new voice snagged Shiro's attention rightward. It was only then that he realized that the pirate was accompanied by two other boiler suit-clad figures, with one easily dwarfing the other in size.

He recognized the smaller figure as the young woman who had accompanied Law when he'd first confronted Dr. Yotsuji several days ago – Ikkaku, if he remembered correctly. The larger one – a polar bear Mink, mind you – was unfamiliar to him, though he could have sworn to have remembered seeing a wanted poster featuring him some time ago.

A polar bear, huh... Isn't that the crew's pet?

At least that was what the papers seemed to indicate...

Yotsuji remained unheeding to Law's Room. He took another deep breath to recollect himself and narrowed his eyes, clearly not intending to back down.

"Do you think we were left ignorant of the antics you pulled this morning?" he snapped, voice hardening. "Is this all part of your plan to kidnap Waka-sama?"

Law continued to ignore him.

"Scan."

That seemed to be the final straw for Tsubu. He leapt up to his feet, bristling with rage.

"Oi, quit ignoring Dr. Yotsuji and explain yourself! Who the hell do you think you –"

Law looked up so swiftly at this juncture that Shiro half-expected him to respond to Tsubu. But as it turned out, he was actually looking beyond him, in the parents' direction.

"There's a buildup of air in the brat's pleural space," he stated in a brisk, businesslike fashion. "Right side, so it's affecting the less damaged lung primarily – hence his difficulty breathing."

Yotsuji's expression changed abruptly, his brow furrowing in intrigue as he digested the information.

"A pneumothorax...?" he muttered beneath his breath.

"We can restore some of the volume with a needle thoracocentesis," Law went on calmly. "That should buy us time to get him out and properly intubate him." He partially turned to the curly-haired woman. "Ikkaku. Syringe and cannula. Also two percent lidocaine."

"Understood!" The young woman knelt next to him and opened her bag.

Mototatsu turned bewildered eyes to Yotsuji.

"A needle what, exactly?"

Yotsuji started to speak, but Ikkaku cheerfully beat him to it.

"Put simply, sir, your son's lung has collapsed. So Captain's going to use this –" she raised a plastic packet containing a disposable syringe, "– to draw the excess air out the chest cavity. It's an emergency decompression technique."

Law flicked a glance at Shiro.

"Hey, you."

"Hah–?" Shiro stiffened in surprise when the surgeon tossed something over to him, barely catching it midair. It was a balled up pair of gloves.

"Put those on and help. I need you to hold his clothes out of the way."

"O-okay, sure..." Shiro hurriedly complied. Law leaned in and palpated the upper part of the rib cage with two gloved fingers. Then he uncapped the needle and started to position it.

"Oi, what about anesthesia?" Koshi called out.

Stilling momentarily, the pirate only shot his audience an indifferent look.

"No need," he answered. "As long as he's in my Room, I can keep the local pain receptors immobilized. He won't feel a thing."

Shiro couldn't help but suppress a wince as Law turned back and slowly began to insert the needle. But true to the Supernova's word, Tatsusada remained completely motionless.

Holding the cannula in place with a steady hand, the surgeon dipped his chin in Ikkaku's direction. She shot him a reassuring grin and handed him a syringe partially filled with a dilute serum. Law took it, then affixed the tip to the plug and began to retract the plunger.

Very slowly, one by one, tiny bubbles began to creep up along the translucent tube through the thin fluid layer.

Koshi and Tsubu leaned in, the doubt on their faces quick to give way to genuine interest. Yotsuji merely folded his arms, his expression still unreadable.

"It's...actually working...?" Tsubu muttered beneath his breath.

Shiro looked over to Law in amazement, before shifting his attention to the clear blue perimeter of the miniature Room Law had summoned over Tatsusada's body.

So that's how his Devil Fruit works – he can sense everything within that domain. No, more than that – he must have complete control.

He knows precisely how deep to insert that needle without damaging the lung.

No wonder it's considered the ultimate medical Devil Fruit... It completely negates the need for imaging!

Once the plunger was fully retracted, Law twisted the valve shut and disconnected the syringe. He wordlessly passed it over to Ikkaku, who handed him another syringe she had prepared. Keeping the cannula secured, he connected the end back to the plug and commenced drawing out another tubeful of air. He repeated these steps again and again, the motions swift and methodical as if he had performed the procedure hundreds of times before.

Eventually, he let out a satisfactory hum and stopped the valve for the final time.

"This should be enough for now."

He disconnected the syringe and placed it in Ikkaku's gloved grasp, before turning back to Tatsusada and fully sliding the needle out from between his ribs. His Room slowly dwindled and faded.

"Ikkaku, resuscitator."

Ikkaku produced it from her bag in an instant and quickly handed it over. Law positioned the face mask and secured the straps around the boy's head. He glanced back over to Shiro as he connected it to the bag valve unit.

"You can take it from here."

"Y-yes sir!" Ignoring the bewildered frown Tsubu sent his way, Shiro hurriedly accepted the bag and began manual ventilation, mentally counting to himself as he squeezed the bag in a brisk, regular rhythm.

Koga tentatively ventured forwards as Law removed his gloves and rose to his feet.

"Will... will Ta-chan be alright?"

"This is all I can do here – he should be good to transfer now, at least. He'll need to be intubated before I can properly treat him."

"So he isn't out of danger yet?" Mototatsu pressed.

"It'd be wishful thinking to assume that – even Yotsuji-ya can probably attest to that." Law shot a knowing look over to Yotsuji, who openly scowled back. "Besides, I'd like to evaluate the extent of alveolar damage to his left lung in particular." He glanced over to the polar bear Mink. "Bepo, take him back to the sub."

"Of course, Captain!" Bepo began to step in.

"Oi... no, wait a second here!" Tsubu burst out, jumping up to impede the Mink's path. "What do you mean, take him?! As if we'll lay back and let you hijack the situation!"

Law merely blinked at him. At the very most, he almost looked mildly impressed at the prospective gumption of a man of Tsubu's stature who was so willing to throw his weight against a literal polar bear.

"If you want to stay here, be my guest."

"That isn't what I...!" Law didn't bat an eye as an accusatory finger was jabbed in his face. "What I'm saying is, you still need to fucking explain yourself! How the hell did you find us here? What are your intentions?"

"Tsubu-dono," Mototatsu began.

"I'm sorry but I can't let this up, my lord!" Tsubu set his teeth, narrowing his eyes back at Law. "Don't take us to be fools! How can we trust you when we have no way of knowing if you orchestrated what happened back there?"

"Quit yelling," Law answered, sounding mildly exasperated. "I don't know what you're talking about –"

"Yeah, of course you don't," Tsubu retorted sarcastically. "You really expect us to just accept the fact that you... what, just so happened to pop in here right when it's the most convenient for you, huh? As if you aren't trying to kidnap Waka-sama!"

Law looked at him for a moment, rubbing his temple as if to ward off a headache, before letting out a small sigh and glancing over to Bepo and Ikkaku.

"What is it with people from this island and their overactive imaginations?"

"Hah?!" Tsubu slit his eyes further. "If you're so innocent, tell us what you and your crew were doing up to this point then! We already know you were up to something this morning–"

"I was taking a nap."

"A nap?!" Tsubu, Koshi, and Shiro shouted in unison, jaws dropping.

What do you mean, a nap?!

Is this guy being serious?

"Yes. A nap." Law shouldered his nodachi, already on the verge of turning back towards the trees. "Bepo."

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Bepo stepped in and scooped Tatsusada up into his arms, taking the bag valve from Shiro in his free hand. Ikkaku shouldered her bag and followed at his heels as he set off through the forest at a light trot..

"Oi, wait up –!" Tsubu was the first to go tearing after them.

Law re-shouldered his nodachi and glanced back at his remaining audience.

"So are you coming or not?"

Yotsuji remained rooted in place, even as the parents hurried past him with a tearful Chiyo in tow.

"Trafalgar..." he seethed out. "If it turns out that you had anything to do with this –"

But the Surgeon of Death was already walking away, clearly unwilling to subject himself to the impending lecture. Yotsuji gaped after him for a moment. He then shook his head in disbelief and followed the pirate out of the clearing.

Shiro and Koshi couldn't help but sweatdrop slightly before they took off after them both.

Notes: I don't know at what point in this story I came to the realization that this rendition of Law = Snarky Surgery Man, but you know what I've just embraced it at this point xD

Thanks for reading & see you next chapter!

-shiba