Ichigo can't Fight

The night air carried the scent of damp earth and burning firewood, curling through the alleys of Sakai like a restless spirit. The wind howled, rattling the thatched roofs of the mud-brick houses, slipping through cracks in the walls where time and poverty had eaten away at the strength of their structures. A baby cried somewhere in the distance, its wails swallowed by the groaning of the wind, and the occasional bark of a restless village dog.

Yet, in the grand home of Mayor Akimasa, the cold was of a different kind. It slithered in not from the wind but from the weight of the fear gripping his chest. The fear of a power that had come not as a mere nuisance but as a storm, one that threatened to uproot all those who had once held Sakai's fate in their hands. Many had come before, some with empty threats, others with sharp blades, but this one—this man—was different. His presence alone stretched the mayor's nightmares longer, made the darkness feel heavier, more suffocating.

A knock echoed through the grand chamber, bouncing off the carved wooden beams and polished clay floors.

"They are here," Fuyu announced, pushing open the heavy wooden door.

Akitsugu and Yu stepped inside, their figures illuminated by the flickering glow of oil lamps, their faces half-shadowed, unreadable.

"Gentlemen," the mayor began, his voice smooth but laced with unease. "Thank you for honoring my invitation."

Yu scoffed. "If this is some sort of trick—"

"I assure you, Master Yu, no tricks." Akimasa's smile was thin, forced. "You have claimed Futushi's territory, and we acknowledge you. That is why we invited you. This matter concerns us all."

Fuyu glanced at Akimasa before stepping in, as if anticipating the tension in the room. He had not been sure they would come, nor what kind of mood they would bring with them. Crime boss Arashi had already fled, leaving his territory to Akitsugu without a fight. That much was understood.

For a long moment, no one spoke. The fire in the room crackled, filling the silence. Yu, unbothered by the weight in the air, helped himself to the golden bottles of palm wine on the mayor's table, filling his cup greedily. He had never stepped foot inside the mayor's house before tonight, and he had vowed to make the most of it.

"What do you have in mind?" Akitsugu finally asked, breaking the stillness. "We cannot accept his terms. Each day draws us closer to the deadline."

Akimasa nodded. "If we had no answer, we would not have invited you here. We have discovered something—something about the identity of the man we are dealing with. Fuyu will explain."

Fuyu straightened, his voice calm but firm. "While I await more information from my informants in the capital, I have uncovered something closer to home. The girl—" he paused for effect—"I believe she is Mizaki Haruichi."

Yu stopped mid-sip, looking up. "Haruichi? You mean the same—"

"Yes," Fuyu cut in. "The same Haruichi."

Akitsugu's expression darkened. "How do you know this?"

"My spies have been watching her, tracking the places she frequents. She visits two locations—one, a flower shop where she buys wild cherry blossoms, and two, the burial hill where Itomori Haruichi and his wife are buried. This leads me to believe that the one called Toni is none other than Daizen Haruichi."

A cold silence settled in the room.

Akitsugu exhaled sharply. "So this is revenge?"

"If it were, you know who would already be dead." Fuyu's voice was steady. "But the boy is after more than vengeance. He wants conquest. I believe he plans to make Sakai his base of operations."

Akitsugu leaned forward, his fingers drumming against the wooden table. "Then what do we do? Open war would be reckless. His allies are not ordinary men. They are strong—perhaps even as strong as Ten-Kai or Master Haido himself."

Fuyu smiled knowingly. "Excellent. Then it is time we measured their strength."

The heavy door creaked open once more, and Fuyu stepped aside. The air in the room shifted.

Master Haido and Ten-Kai entered, their presence immediately commanding attention.

Yu's eyes widened. "What? Since when did Master Haido—"

Haido silenced him with a glance, his posture unshaken, his presence like an immovable tree in the midst of a raging storm.

"I can assure you," Ten-Kai said, his voice deep and measured, "we share no alliance beyond ensuring Sakai's safety. If I had my way, I would—"

"Ten-Kai," Haido interrupted sharply. "It is enough. We are here. We will listen."

Akitsugu, ever the strategist, smiled as though pleased. "Master Haido, it is an honor."

Haido ignored him, lowering himself onto a seat with the deliberate grace of a man who had seen many battles. His expression remained unreadable, his eyes carrying the weight of unspoken wisdom.

Fuyu exhaled. "I had begun to lose hope that you would show up, Master Haido."

Haido's lips barely moved. "A thousand times."

Yu blinked. "A thousand what?"

Haido scoffed, the sound low, almost amused. "Daizen would practice every technique—every punishment—one thousand times. He would only stop once he had broken through the limits of each move. That is what makes him special." His eyes darkened. "When Daizen sets his sights on something, he takes the very best that thing has to offer. He will bleed Sakai dry to reach his goal."

He looked at them all now, his voice steady, unwavering. "Believe me when I tell you, I would not be here if I did not see the need to be here ."

A heavy silence followed.

"Then let us enjoy this little alliance while it lasts," Fuyu concluded.

Akitsugu leaned forward, a smirk playing on his lips. "What's the plan? With Master Haido and Ten-Kai involved, I must admit—I'm eager to see how this plays out."

Fuyu nodded. "We need your help with something. I've managed to infiltrate the ship through its sailors, and it seems there are only three real threats aboard—Daizen and his two comrades, Master Payne and his associate, Kento. The third has been absent for some time. The crew suspects he may have been sent elsewhere, but that's irrelevant. With Master Haido and Ten-Kai on our side, we can finally make our stance clear to this so-called 'boy dictator.'

"I've also sent messages for reinforcements, but there's a problem. Since we can't let the Emperor know what's happening here, smuggling weapons from overseas will be nearly impossible. In other words, I can bring in more men, but someone else needs to—"

"I may have the perfect solution," Akitsugu interjected, his tone laced with amusement. "A few weeks ago, my men hijacked a mysterious cargo ship. They expected to find drugs, but instead, they uncovered a shipment of weapons—enough to arm a small army. A stroke of luck, really. I'd planned to find a buyer, so I left the ship anchored at sea, making it hard to track. But if I give the order, we can have it docked at Sakai Port in no time."

"Then it's settled," Fuyu declared. "I'll provide the men; you'll supply the weapons."

"Daizen is mine," Haido said abruptly. His words cut through the discussion like a blade.

Ten-Kai, who had been poised to say the same, stiffened. "May I be excused, then?" he muttered, his voice betraying his frustration. Without waiting for an answer, he turned and strode out.

The silence followed them from the mayor's house all the way back home.

"I should fight him," Ten-Kai finally broke the stillness. His voice carried a quiet determination.

"It's not your fight," Haido replied.

"Because I'm not ready?" Ten-Kai asked, eyes flashing. "I know that's what you think. But someone has to stop him. I can stop him—if you let me try."

Haido exhaled deeply, his expression unreadable. "I've made many mistakes in my life. Daizen is the only one that still haunts me. I won't lose two for the sake of one."

Ten-Kai clenched his fists. "I know I wasn't the perfect successor. I know, by the mantras of the Tiger, I don't deserve to master the Tenth Form. You trained me out of fear—out of desperation. But you trained me nonetheless.

"This fight isn't about me. And it isn't about you, Master Haido. It's about the honor and virtue of the Ten Tiger martial spirit."

Haido studied him in silence, then gave a slow nod. "I am proud of how far you've come. Fine. When your moment comes, make your stand… and I will be there to watch you win."

It was clear that Haido had no intention of letting him face Daizen one-on-one. Yet Ten-Kai had made a vow. If the opportunity arose, he would take it. If he couldn't prove himself to Haido, he would at least prove himself to Daizen—prove that he was the better student, the better warrior.

As he retreated to his old room, wrestling with his thoughts, far from the shore, someone else drifted into a strange yet beautiful dream.

"Hey! What are you doing lying around, staring at the sky?" Teigen's voice cut through the sound of crashing waves. "Baker Ba will be furious if we don't get the nets set up in time."

Ichigo sighed, making no effort to move. He had given up on setting the nets long ago—he had never cared for fishing or anything remotely related to it.

"Don't worry about Baker Ba," he said lazily. "We'll get the nets in before the others arrive. Besides, this is a secret spot—only the Pit Gang knows about it. And judging by how busy they've been, I doubt anyone will come snooping around.

"Besides, it's not like he really expects us to catch anything for him."

Teigen, leaning on his crutches, shook his head. "Still… we should at least pretend to try."

Ichigo smirked, stretching his arms behind his head. "You go ahead. I'll keep watch."