Chapter 68: 67 Promotion?

After leaving my bag on my new bed to be totally not inspected by paranoid shinobi, I head out to the courtyard where they have a training field set up. Good thing I only have food and stuffs in my bag, since I have my storage tattoos.

Plus I can actually show them, no need to hide tattoos as a Samurai after all, not that I'm going to show my ANBU tattoo, I'm not stupid... I'm not ???????????????? stupid.

Anyway, when I arrive I see a line of around twenty Samurai, all facing a single Samurai, who I think I can safely assume is the leader here.

He looks really cliche which makes me happy. Black hair in a top knot, a serious visage with a scar going vertically over his left eye, he is also as tall as I am at 180cm (5'11), making the two of us stand taller than the rest here.

When I am noticed, the leader guy turns to me.

"So you are the Ronin." He says, testily.

"Samurai." I correct him nonchalantly, looking around the courtyard instead of focusing on him.

I know I'm supposed to be all serious and honourable and all that, but I just can't help but fuck with people. It's in my nature.

Predictably, leader guy gets upset and puts a hand on his sheathed blade in warning, I accept the challenge and put a hand on my sheathed sword too. We have a stare down for a moment before he scoffs and starts talking.

"Today we will test you, Ronin, stand in the ring, you will fight until you have fought all of us or you lose, whichever comes first. First blood wins."

I don't bother arguing, since this sounds fun anyway and I head over to the ring. As I turn around to face whoever my opponent would be, I see a group of women walk past the side of the training field and towards the garden.

I also suppose I was right then, because two of them are clearly servants while the other is an incredibly attractive young woman who I can only assume is Nobushi's daughter. Our eyes lock as she walks past and I don't look away until she walks past me, to the gardens.

She has a nice smile, I decide as the first of the Samurai steps into the ring. He draws his blade whereas I take up an Iaido stance instead, not wanting to waste time.

Understanding that I won't push the attack, my opponent shuffles closer, before going for a well practiced and fast overhead strike, I however, moving so fast that it seems that I am in slow motion to the viewers, I step to the side and forward, into his guard whilst also drawing my blade and resting it against his throat.

All of that happened in the blink of an eye that by the time I'm stepping back and sheathing my blade my opponent is only just realising that he's lost.

So I spent most of my Samurai training time practising Iaido, so what? Sue me, it's cool. Plus I am a Ninja at heart, I like being able to react and attack quickly and Iaido is the technique most suited to that.

Now that they know the strength of my draw they prepare themselves for it, but it hardly helps, only a few of them lasted past my draw and none of them lasted for very long afterwards. All until Mr Leader steps up to the plate.

Rather than drawing his blade as the others have, he mimics me and takes the Iaido stance. This makes me smile slightly before I school my expression back to indifference and start slowly shuffling closer to him as he does the same to me.

We draw at the same time, blades catching each others in the air and locking briefly before he takes a step back and goes for a top down diagonal slash, rather than blocking it, I pirouette around it and make a horizontal strike to his gut which he manages to bring his blade back fast enough to block, causing sparks to fly as our blades clash again.

I push the offensive by sliding his blade down and then striking up to his face, but he leans back fast enough that my blade only strikes his fringe and then I have to bring it back down to block a strike going for my leg.

I take another step back as he kicks up the intensity and starts using chakra to trike me three times at once, unfortunately I haven't trained for that technique, we are a Ninja village not a Samurai one after all, so I dodge one and block another, letting the third land on me left shoulder, cutting a fairly shallow gorge and ending the fight.

It was to first blood after all, not to the death. Now my kimono is all ruined. I liked this kimono.

Still, I show proper respect this time and bow to Leader Guy to show there's no hard feeling from the fight and he returns the bow, nodding appreciatively.

"You are good, Ronin, what is your name?"

"Hana Kenshin, and you?"

"I am Jin Himura."

A month and change later and I get called into Nobushi's office once again. Rei is still there by his side as always, though I know now that it isn't a lack of trust on Nobushi's side, that's just Rei being paranoid.

Apparently, according to the grapevine, Rei owes Nobushi a great debt of some kind and is thus unerringly loyal.

Also, they are not alone, to the side of the room is another two ninja. I wonder how many he has on his payroll? Ninja aren't cheap and rarely actually do go rouge.

Anyway, I walk in dressed the same as I was when I first arrived, having had my kimono repaired, and I face forward, looking as expressionless as boring Samurai usually do.

"You wished to see me, my Lord?"

He takes his time responding, studying me for a moment, before he nods and speaks with a gravitas I haven't heard from him before now.

"Hana-san, I have reason to believe that my enemies may be increasing in activity, or preparing some kind of attack."

Ok? I don't speak, because I don't really know what I'm supposed to say here, and as a Samurai you can always just fall back on stoic silence.

"Because of this, I fear for my daughters safety, that they will use her to get to me is not something that would surprise me. With that in mind, meet Ichi and Ni."

He gestures to the two standing to the side and they both take a step forward and give me a nod that I return before focusing back on Nobushi.

"Together with these two, you will guard my daughter, you in the open and them from the shadows. From now on, you are to stay by my daughters side at all times, never let her leave your sight."

Is this a bait? This feels like a bait. Eh, whatever, I don't mind hanging around with beautiful women, certainly beats hanging around with sweaty men. Still, I have to play the part.

"If I may ask my Lord," I continue only when he gestures for me to, "Why me? Would Jin not be a better choice? I have yet to win a single duel against him."

That makes Nobushi chuckle lightly and turn to Rei.

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"That's exactly what I said, tell him what you told me."

Rei nods and I hear him speak for the second time ever.

"Jin is better in a fight, but your Iaido is better than his. As a bodyguard, defending against sudden and unexpected attacks is more important than winning a protracted fight."

I pause to digest this for a moment before nodding slightly and bowing to Ichi and Ni.

"I look forward to working with you," I say before turning back to Nobushi and bowing yet again, "Your daughter will not leave my sight, my Lord"

Wait but what if she's taking a shower or something? Also where even is she?

My last question is answered by the girl herself as she walks into the room.

"You wanted to see me Daddy?"

Bad brain, bad brain, daddy is a perfectly normal form of address for a child to use for their father. Stupid perverts on the internet ruining perfectly normal words.

Nobushi gives her a loving smile and stands up so he can walk around his desk and give her a hug that she gladly returns. How touching.

"Indeed, my dear Suki, this is Hana Kenshin, your new bodyguard, Kenshin-san this is Suki, my dear daughter."

"Does this mean I will be allowed out the house more often? You always said it wasn't safe, but with a bodyguard that isn't a problem right?" Suki thankfully just seems to be excitable, it would have been annoying if we did the 'I don't need a bodyguard' type of cliche.

Nobushi sighs the great sigh of a man defeated and gives his assent to Suki.

Also where the hell did Ichi and Ni go to? Subtly looking around I spot them both hiding on the ceiling. Huh, guess he doesn't want her to know about all of the protection. Probably worried she would feel stifled.

Anyway, Nobushi tells her that she can go out tomorrow and to wait outside while we have some final words. After she leaves Nobushi puts his hand on my shoulder and looks me in the eyes.

"I understand you are a young man, so I want to make something clear. When I say she is to never leave your sight, there are exceptions, all of which involve nudity. If you try anything funny with my daughter then you die. Understand?"

I almost smile at his protectiveness but I stay stoic.

"Of course my Lord, I wouldn't think of it." I say, totally thinking about it. Well, what he doesn't know won't hurt him, and I really won't do anything, but that doesn't mean I can't think about it. They are nice thoughts after all.

"Good, now go, your effects have been moved to the room opposite Suki's should anything happen while you sleep."

I nod and step out to be greeted by Suki's bright smile.

"Heya, my name is Suki Nobushi, but you can just call me Suki if you want, let's get along!"

Her enthusiasm is almost infectious, but I only give a small smile as I return the greeting with a bow.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Suki-sama, shall we adieu?"

She pouts as she turns to start leading me away.

"I told you, you can just call me Suki, anyway let's go, I need to get to my classes before Oba-san gets mad about me being late and lectures me, I mean, even if I'm only a minute late she lectures me for hours! She spends more time lecturing me than I would have missed by being late! Can you believe that?"

"I can, Suki-sama."

"It's just Suki."

"Of course, Suki-sama."

"Humph, fine then, be that way."

She really is just adorable, the way she puffs her cheeks and crosses her arms under her meagre bust just compounds with her look. She has long brown hair that flows down her back and similarly almond coloured eyes.

She is less 'sexy', like Kumiko is and more 'cute', though she is around nineteen so I don't think she's going to grow out of it either.

I follow her to her lesson and as she expected, we were late, though the lecture was only short since there was a good reason this time, the reason being that her father called for her.

The day ends peacefully, though I do learn that Suki doesn't stop talking, either with anyone around her or when no one else is here to talk at then she talks at me.

Honestly she's to cute for her constant yappering to even be annoying, instead it's just endearing.

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A/N: He~llo! Dear readers!

I haven't even written anything today cuz i was finishing a fic :( this is why i can never have a backlog :<

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