33 Shizuha 

Shizuha woke up, in an unfamiliar room, in an unfamiliar place, confused, the last thing she remembers is green eyes, and someone telling her everything would be okay…..Miu! Where is her daughter?

While she was in her thoughts, the room's door opened, there she saw a small woman, late twenties, blond hair, and a pixie cut. The look on the woman's face confused Shizuha even more. Shouting at her visitor, "Who are you? Where am I? Where is my daughter?"

To say Ilona was surprised would be an understatement, the woman who has been sleeping for almost nine years just woke up. What was she supposed to say? She didn't know about her daughter, only Azuma knew. She was here because Azuma asked her to keep an eye on her, also considering that Shizuha was her patient.

"Okay Shizuha, take a deep breath, you need to…." Trying to calm the woman Ilona started talking.

Shizuha was many things at the moment, but calm was not one of them, "Are you with the traditionalists? Have they kidnapped me?" Shizuha jumped at Ilona, noticing her lack of strength. Thankfully for Ilona, even if the woman trying to attack her was an advanced grandmaster, not moving for nine years tends to decrease the strength of a person.

The fact Shizuha could stand up was a testament to her previous strength. Quickly evading the attack, Ilona did the best thing she could think of, calling Azuma.

Still dodging the increasingly tired attacks from Shizuha, who was starting to lose strength she called him, "Jesus Azuma! Your crazy sister-in-law just woke up really confused, and now she's attacking me, for the love of god, come and talk to her….." Dodging a punch to the face, she continued, "Azuma? Azuma?"

Noticing that Azuma was not answering she thought he might be rushing here. Ilona kept dodging Shizuha's attacks until the woman tired herself out. Kneeling on the floor, with a clear lack of breath Shizuha wondered what happened for her strength to fall so low.

Seeing Shizuha finally stop, Ilona approached her slowly, hand raised, and said, "Did you finally relax? Someone who'll explain everything is heading here, meanwhile, come with me, I need to make a few checkups on you."

Shizuha, with no other alternative, but still quite suspicious chose to heed Ilona's words, trying to stand up, but failing, Ilona quickly supported the weak woman, directing her to another room.

._._._._._._._._.

A few hours passed, and Azuma almost reached the house, quickly entering the house he saw Ilona, in the kitchen cooking, while Shizuha was in the living room, head down, muttering, "Nine years….."

Hearing the front door open, Shizuha and Ilona quickly glanced at it, Ilona, realizing who it was continued cooking, while Shizuha, at first confused, not recognizing the man, noticed his deep green eyes, that was the last thing she remembered, "You! You ate the one that saved me that night, could you explain what happened. Where is Miu? Where is my husband?"

Azuma remembered he still had the Sephiroth looking mask on, forgetting to take it out due to Ilona's call, quickly removing it, Shizuha was surprised the man was wearing a mask, his green eyes quickly changing to blue.

"Sorry about that, I forgot I was still in disguise." Azuma apologized to the shocked woman.

Noticing some similarities between the man in front of her and her husband a still shocked Shizuha needed to ask, "Who are you really? Why save me?"

Relaxing his posture, with a calming smile on his face Azuma told her, "Ah well I was not about to let my brother's wife die, was I? Saiga might have mentioned me, I'm his half-brother, Azuma."

Her shocked face quickly changing to astonishment, "You are Saiga's little brother? How? Why?"

"Ah well let's see, I'll talk while you eat okay." Glancing at Ilona Azuma asked. "Hey, little Ilona how are you? How long until the food is ready."

Ilona only indignantly huffed ignoring his first question and insult, answered, "Five minutes."

After five minutes, Shizuha was devouring the food, Azuma started, "It all began when rumors of the Kuremisago clan going into a civil war started, at first I ignored them, but when the same rumors started saying that Saiga was out there killing his own companions, that's where I got worried."

Noticing Shizuha was still paying attention, he continued, "My brother never mentioned you or the Kuremisago business to me, probably fearing I would try to get involved, but when the rumors started, I realized his situation, Saiga never killed and to my knowledge still hasn't, so it didn't make sense that the rumors out there were saying he was killing people left and right. Someone was targeting him."

Nodding at Azuma's words she asked, "But how did you find me, or the Kuremisago clan?

Waiting for the question, Azuma was ready, "Well, it would surprise you what one can find with enough money, especially if you ask members of a clan in the middle of a war. Once I got the general location of the clan, I headed towards it, disguising myself, and asking some of the remaining members about your location. They looked like they were attacked, so they didn't look too much into it."

Remembering the attack on the liberationists Shizuha sighed, wondering if they were still alive. "I neared your location, there I saw you with Saiga, but that wasn't right, the news I got said Saiga was on another part of Japan on a mission, so that man must have been the one framing my brother. Realizing the man was about to attack you, I tried to intervene, thankfully, I was able to change the attack's direction, regretfully it still struck."

Recalling the attack and the ripped mask, it was Senzui, their friend, how could he betray them? Trying to get the full picture, she asked Azuma, "How were you able to make him retreat, I know you were strong at that age, according to what Saiga had told me, but still, Senzui must have been too strong for you at the time."

Shaking his head at the question Azuma answered, "You are half correct, I did make him retreat, but I avoided a direct confrontation, he knew he was stronger, but I overheard some members talking about how you called dad for help, threatening him with the fact dad was on his way, and the fact that our battle would take at least enough time for him to reach us, he retreated. Thank god he didn't confirm the kill."

Yes, this made sense, she did call her father-in-law to help, and by what she remembers he wasn't far at the time, Azuma's story checked out.

"As I said, regretfully Senzui's attack still struck, I needed to get you out of there. Once we left I rushed here with Ilona who operated on you. You were healed but for some reason, you fell asleep and wouldn't wake up, until now."

Shizuha weakly stands up, walking to Azuma she hugs him, tears falling from her eyes, "Thank you, thank you so much, thank you for saving my life."

Azuma gently patting her back, "It's okay sis, I did what I needed."

Quickly breaking the hug Shizuha asks him, "But Miu? What about Miu? And Saiga, where is he? Does he know you saved me? Does he know I am awake?"

"Relax Shizuha, yes I told him I saved you years ago, and I called him as I was running here, I did not know if he was near, but knowing him, he should be running here as his life depends on it." Taking a deep breath Azuma follows, "About little Miu, I think it would be better for Saiga to tell you."