The day came for Sayuri and Miyu to return to the base as well.

They had completed their training at the Ninjutsu Academy and graduated as their final year had come to its end. Sayuri had received a message from Ichiro Haga telling her and Miyu to stay at the Academy for a little longer as they couldn't send anyone to receive them. The clan had been attacked again and most of their people were fighting off their enemies.

Sayuri got worried to hear the news but did as she was told, talking to their head trainer to let them stay at the Academy for a few more days. The trainer agreed on the condition that she and Miyu would look after the new recruits and take part in training them.

Sayuri noticed that year there were no recruits from the Sasuke clan. That in itself was a sign that things were bad and she should return. But she knew if Ichiro had asked her to stay there, it had some valid reason behind it.

A week later Tanjiro came to the Academy in order to take Sayuri and Miyo back to the base. Sayuri wanted to ask him what was going on but he looked extremely battered up and exhausted. 

She was also worried that he had come alone.

"Is everything okay at the base?" She asked before getting into the carriage.

"We have a long journey ahead, Sayuri San," he replied tiredly, "please keep the questions for later."

Sayuri exchanged a glance with Miyu, nodding her head at her. They could both see that Tanjiro needed to rest too but he was pushing himself to the limits, in order to follow the order he had given.

They didn't say anything to him after that but when they were in the forest, Sayuri asked him to stop the carriage. 

"Tanjiro, you must rest," she spoke up, "I don't know what happened to you on your way here but if you keep going like this, you will collapse."

"I have been through worse," he replied stubbornly.

"This is an order," she repeated with her voice firm, "Miyu and I will take over from here. Go and rest in the carriage."

Miyu knew the way back to the base and Sayuri was determined not to hear no for an answer from him. Tanjiro was stuck as he couldn't disobey her orders and yet he knew they had to keep her safe even at the cost of their own lives.

"Tanjiro, don't make me force you."

At that moment, it was clear to Tanjiro that she was no longer the shy girl they had met back when she came to the base years ago. She was ordering him like a leader would and would not hear anything from him in resistance.

Miyu took him back to the carriage, finding out that he was injured as well and needed patching up. "Sayuri San, he is hurt. His bandages are all red."

"Look after him," Sayuri replied, "and don't worry, I will manage. Just keep checking that we are on the right path."

"If they see who you are, they will kill you," Tanjiro spoke up, his voice lowering due to the pain.

"I know," Sayuri replied, covering her face so that her features would not be visible, "I'll be careful."

There could be ambushes on the way so she kept her eyes sharp on the lookout as she rode the horse that was dragging the carriage behind. Her sword was attached to her belt and ready to be pulled out in case anything went wrong.

After patching Tanjiro up, Miyu came out of the carriage, her features covered too as she mounted the other horse. From there, she directed the way and they continued on their journey.

"Did you ask him what happened?" Sayuri asked Miyu as they stopped in a clearing when the darkness increased as the night deepened. They checked the place carefully before settling down.

Tanjiro had passed out from exhaustion and his state was worrying both of them.

"He said there had been an attack again but he didn't tell me more," she replied.

"And why did he come alone? I thought Ryuu would come too," she was worried that something bad had happened to Ryuu or else he would definitely have come. 

So she didn't want to stop to rest either and go back to the base as soon as possible. But it would be difficult to travel in the dark.

"Ryuu Sama is probably needed back at the base. He's a Healer and if there was an attack, people must have gotten hurt. He must be busy looking after them," Miyu remarked, helping her set up the fire.

"We will take turns keeping watch then and leave at the first ray of dawn," Sayuri told her, sitting up to keep watch, "I will keep watch first."

Miyu nodded, going back to check on Tanjiro.

By morning as Sayuri was resting and Miyu was keeping watch, Tanjiro woke up. He was frantic to see that he had passed out and had not been looking after the two.

He quickly came out of the carriage but saw Miyu sitting by the fire and Sayuri resting.

"Why did you not wake me up?" Tanjiro came to Miyu, "go rest. I will keep watch."

"Sit," she mumbled, "and be silent. She has just gone to sleep."

Miyu gave him a bowl that she filled up with the stew that was left then gestured for him to eat. He took the bowl but looked deep in thought.

He was thinking that Sayuri was not the kind of leader he had thought she would be. The way she had kept his recovery a priority and made him rest taking the reins herself even though he was merely a warrior lower in rank to her, showed that she cared for the people without any discrimination.

She was like Ryuu in that sense.

But thinking about Ryuu made his brow furrow in concern. 

"Is Ryuu Sama alright?" Miyu asked, recalling that Sayuri had been concerned about why he hadn't come to get them.

Tanjiro took in a deep breath but shook his head, "he's doing his duty but he's not well."

"Why? What happened?"

"The chief got killed in the attack," he told her, his voice low so as not to disturb Sayuri.

But it seemed as if she had been listening to them because Sayuri sat up immediately, looking at the two of them in shock, "wait what?"

Her grey eyes were full of shock and disbelief. If the chief, Sota Ishikawa, had been killed that definitely meant Ryuu was going through a lot at the moment.

"I was not supposed to tell you until you reached the base," Tanjiro lowered his head in an apology.

"Get up," she ordered, standing up herself, "we are not waiting till morning. We must leave right now."

***