jail!fic Chapter One: Significance [POT, various characters]
title: (untitled for now)/jail!fic
fandom: Prince of Tennis
characters: Sanada, Yanagi, Yukimura, Kirihara, Niou, Yagyuu, Inui, Atobe (so far).
wordcount: 2821 words.
summary: Sanada has gotten himself arrested and convicted in his kumicho's place, but Yukimura isn't content for things to stay that way.
notes: prison!au inspired by these chats.
Chapter One: Significance
---
They are eating the evening meal when Yanagi is brought in, and Kirihara's spoon stops halfway to his mouth.
"Master!" He practically shouts, and tries to jump up from the table. Sanada's hand around his arm is fierce; his strength stops Kirihara halfway and slams him back down into his seat before he can get the word completely out of his mouth. Kirihara turns to glare at Sanada, but Sanada isn't even looking up from his food.
"Don't you dare," Sanada threatens into his bowl. "Don't give him away. Yanagi would never get caught."
Kirihara is confused for a moment but his frown changes into surprised understanding.
"You mean he's in here on purpose?"
"Yes."
Sanada waits until Kirihara has settled down and begun to eat again before continuing his own meal. Kirihara is eating with much more enthusiasm now, trying to rush for the evening exercise outside. Sanada knows they will leave at the designated time as always and continues on like normal.
"Yo, Sanada-buchou, do you think he has a message or something? From the Kumicho?"
Sanada doesn't answer Kirihara's desperate question. He can count the number of days he has been here on one hand, while Kirihara has been here going on two months now. If Yanagi is here for anyone, which is the only explanation, it is him. Sanada apologizes mentally once again for getting caught. Someone as high-ranking as him and he managed to get caught, and now Yanagi, just as highly ranked as him has allowed himself to be entered into the system and risked prison time for him. At least that suggests Yukimura isn't out of his mind with rage.
Yanagi completely bypasses the table Sanada and Kirihara sit at, as is to be expected. But his eyes land on another familiar face.
"Sadaharu!" He smiles and sits next to Inui. "I heard a rumour you were in here. I didn't believe you could be so careless as to be caught."
"Set-up," Inui replies through a mouthful of food in order to muffle his words to others nearby. You never know who could have been responsible, or how many of their lackeys are on the inside watching him. "I'm still collecting data."
"You'll know who is behind it eventually," Yanagi assures him. "I wouldn't be surprised if Seiichi already had his suspicions."
"So it wasn't your organisation?" Inui inquires barely above a whisper. It would be sure death to accuse anyone else but he is 75% confident Yanagi will not take it personally. He would be more confident but it has been a while since they last met.
"If it was that information is being well kept from me."
"Then it isn't," Inui relaxes enough to smile a little. "There's no way anything could be kept from you."
Sanada cannot hear the conversation from so many tables away but even without looking directly at Yanagi and Inui he can see that they have a relationship. He frowns, but supposes Yukimura must know about it. Yukimura knows everything. And if he wasn't okay with it Yanagi would certainly never run the risk of upsetting Yukimura by speaking with Inui so blatantly. It is another thing he simply files away in his mind, like when he was thrown into this godforsaken place and cruel, cruel fate made him Kirihara's cellmate and he had to keep his mouth firmly shut while Kirihara in turn gloated, asked stupid questions and insisted he would be getting out soon.
Sanada has only been in prison a few days, and already Yanagi is here. Kirihara's name hadn't even dared been spoken for over a week after he was caught and that was all Sanada had needed to realise to know Yukimura had sworn him off completely. There is no salvation for Kirihara in that direction. To enlighten Kirihara to that fact would cause nothing but trouble, however, so Sanada finishes his soup, puts his spoon down parallel to his bowl and straightens the tray on the table so it is level with the edge.
"Kirihara, Inui, Kaidoh - you're on clean-up tonight," Atobe barks out right on time. "The rest of you line up for your evening stroll."
Atobe thinks he is so amusing sometimes and Sanada usually wants to strangle the egotistical guard, but tonight he could kiss him. The rota has just arranged to keep Kirihara clear out of the way so that he and Yanagi can meet, and that nosy Inui who seems to know Yanagi won't be able to eavesdrop either.
Sanada falls in behind Yagyuu - who happens to be masquerading as Niou this week. They make small talk now and then just so that nobody gets suspicious. Avoiding somebody ardently is akin to screaming out that you're from the same organisation. Niou is the one who got the jail sentence but Yukimura frequently needs him for jobs and Yagyuu steps in at those times to play his part. Conjugal visits for same-sex partners are unheard of but Sanada figures Yukimura had some influence in that somewhere. Perhaps that Niou had the cheek to enquire about it at all made a Judge agree. That someone would have such dedication to their partner, even as an inmate, that they would push an issue nobody else dared to.
Sanada knows it is partly that, and partly that Yukimura wants it this way. One day someone is almost certainly going to connect all the jobs Niou has been pulling off whilst 'in prison' and while most will cry copycat, some people will start to wonder if they really have got the right man. And those suspicions will undo them all.
Besides, having people on the inside isn't something to be concerned over - it's an advantage. It would be unrealistic to assume nobody would ever get caught. Niou got too flashy with his assassinations. A few big names went down with him at the time for contracting the hits. If it were to be suspected Niou was still out there, suddenly a lot of people with grudges would be under suspicion.
These days all of Niou's hits are on Yukimura's orders, not on the whims of the rich and famous. Not that Yukimura isn't rich and famous within his own circles. Yukimura's own father is in prison thanks to his son overthrowing his own criminal organisation and letting the old man go down for things Yukimura did. It wasn't as if he was an innocent man anyway. Sanada has heard through the grapevine that Yukimura senior speaks about his son with nothing but pride regardless. He is proud to have spawned a son who actually runs his own business better than he did.
Yanagi joins the very end of the line, with no Inui to stand with. Sanada fixes his eyes firmly forward and ignores Yanagi thoroughly. He files into the pen and leans against the wire fence with his arms crossed. He does this every time.
Yanagi moves through the inmates in a manner just right for assuring he won't be singled out. He is neither too confident or too meek, too hurried or too casual. He approaches Yagyuu directly but to the guards it probably looks like nothing more than an enquiry over the length of time he will be in the pen, or who to avoid pissing off. It is what careful people do, after all. Sanada knows in reality he is probably telling Yagyuu that a job is scheduled for him when Niou returns for his next 'visit'. Niou and Yagyuu are not interchangable when it comes to jobs - Niou specialises in assassination, while Yagyuu prefers to pull off a satifying con. If murder becomes neccessary he isn't adverse. He just refuses to seek it out. Yukimura is probably glad that Niou is the one actually down for his crimes because is his warped imagination of what is right and wrong, he has a right to leave Niou in jail if it suits him. He is often harder to control than Yagyuu.
Sanada glances up and catches Yanagi's movements. He stretches and steps away from the fence, walking alongside it towards the corner, where Yanagi is also heading. Between them they have enough skill to make it look like a complete accident of chance, Yanagi the new-guy simply trying to huddle in a corner and remain undisturbed, accidentally colliding with Sanada, who already after just a few days has a reputation for a black temper. Yanagi stops two steps short of them making any physical contact and Sanada just shoots him a dirty glare.
"Terribly sorry," Yanagi says, bowing his head.
"You will be," Sanada replies. He isn't the type to be amused by this farce, and he is glad because he is pretty sure Yanagi has the advantage here, with his head bowed he is probably smirking away. Nobody would suspect they were close friends, except Yagyuu who doesn't just suspect, he knows. Most of Yagyuu's dealings are with Yanagi however. Yanagi understands the workings of a con and has unlimited resources - money, weapons, information. Sanada prefers simplicity. A gun in his hand, a target in his sights. When Yukimura drags him along to deals and intimidations he itches with impatience and his finger on the trigger twitches frequently. It does a hell of a lot to intimidate, which is probably why Yukimura does it to him. That and for his own amusement.
"Give me a few days," Yanagi says, bowing his head again as though apologizing even more insistently. "Sadaharu and I will have a plan before the end of the week."
"Inui?" Sanada whispers with a hiss.
"Seiichi knows," Yanagi replies, knowing this is Sanada's biggest concern. "He is a mastermind rather like myself. We trained together. Between us we cannot fail."
"I'll be out," Sanada says in wonder. Although he hasn't been in prison a week yet the idea of escape still has to sink in. He always knew Yukimura was capable of almost anything, but this-
"I don't think he has decided yet whether to reward you for your heroics, or cut off a finger for your impudence."
Sanada has to fight not to hang his head in shame. Of all the things in the world, the only one he cares about is not letting Yukimura down. And he has.
"Genichirou, I'm joking," Yanagi says before walking away. Leaving Sanada to wonder just which part was the joke.
When Sanada returns to his cell Kirihara still isn't back, which he is thankful for. He waits until Atobe has passed him by and kneels down on the floor beside the tiny window, bows his head and places his hands flat on the top of his thighs. He can't imagine how Yukimura is handling things without Yanagi and himself. He doesn't think Yukimura is incapable by any means, but it must be a blow to have your two right-hand men away from your side after so long. And if it weren't for himself they wouldn't be in this position.
Sanada can still recall the moments with vivid clarity, like rewinding a tape in his head. His only thought had been that Yukimura was going to be caught, discovered, and he could not allow it to happen. Yukimura has been off the radar for years - everybody knows he exists but nobody can pin down who he really is. According to the official records he died in his teens. Yukimura likes it that way - he likes to call his ascension to power a 'rebirth'. A new life - one in which he has never, ever lost.
If that had been it for Yukimura at that moment, Sanada would have killed himself in shame. So he took the fall and was arrested, and Yukimura escaped unscathed. It is possible Yukimura would not have been caught, but Sanada is sure they will never discuss it between them. Either Sanada was wrong, and should accept his mistake and die honourably, or Yukimura would have been wrong. And nobody would ever say that to Yukimura willingly.
"Sanada-buchou!" Kirihara says as he is shoved back into their cell. "So, what happened?"
Sanada ignores Kirihara. He hasn't even waited for the guard to leave - as if Sanada is going to speak freely in front of him. Not that he is going to speak freely anyway. If he had just been left alone a little while longer he would have been able to attain a state peaceful enough for meditation throughout the night. Now he has to begin again.
"Jeeze, ignoring me again," Kirihara mutters and hops onto his top bunk. "How am I supposed to find out anything when-"
Sanada blocks out the rest of Kirihara's entitled ranting. He focuses on his every breath, listening to the sound change as it comes in and goes out. The moon moves across the sky and still he sits with his feet tucked beneath him, hands steady, breathing in a set pattern. He does not register it when Kirihara gives up and fals asleep, too wrapped up in his own vigil.
As morning breaks Sanada steadfastly ignores Kirihara until breakfast time. And then he waits until Kirihara has sat down and chooses a different spot. It isn't completely unusual for Sanada not to sit with Kirihara - he is an annoying brat after all, but it manages to piss the kid off every time anyway. A pleasing side-effect. It seems Kirihara has figured out that he won't be getting any answers from Sanada any time soon anyway, and has given up pestering him for the time being. Sanada eats in peace for a change.
"Sanada, Niou, Yanagi - clean-up duty. The rest of you get lined up."
It is as if it were arranged by Yukimura himself - all three high-ranking members of his organisation in this cellblock on clean-up duty. They aren't even directly supervised, just shut in the kitchens with a guard outside watching TV. They don't even use knives at dinner, and the guards assume they can't make very useful weapons out of spoons or bowls.
They obviously have never seen Niou operate.
Yanagi claims the spot at the sink and plunges his hands into warm running water. Sanada snatches up the dish-cloth for drying up, and Yagyuu is left with the job of scraping the bowls and plates before Yanagi washes them. He has perhaps the easiest job, but it leaves him as the only one without his back to the door. He is look-out, as well as the fact that anything he says could be lip-read if the guard chooses to turn around and watch them.
"Jackal is handling everything for you for now," Yanagi says to Sanada. He knows Sanada well enough to realise that is his worry right now - who is doing his job? Who is handling his men and his territory, and who is there to support Yukimura?
"I'm thankful he's so reliable."
"-And once Yagyuu is out of here he will handle my side of things. Niou has no idea of what is going on, which is the way we wanted it, but once he is back in here I'm sure he will figure it out."
"What about right now while Yagyuu is still with us?"
Yanagi smiles at Sanada.
"I took provisions before coming here. My stay was expected. For a week or two everything will run itself and nobody will even realise I am gone."
"You're a little scary sometimes, Yanagi-san," Yagyuu mumurs. "I take it everyone will expect to follow my orders after that?"
"I'm sure Yukimura will make his wishes on the subject known."
"Are you going to tell Niou when you see him?" Sanada asks Yagyuu. Yagyuu shrugs.
"Am I being ordered not to?"
Sanada looks to Yanagi for that answer.
"I don't care either way," Yanagi replies. "There's no damage he can do once he is back inside. Although the unpredictablity of his ambitions mean there is a possibility he will simply refuse to switch with you, Yagyuu, in order to return and take temporary control of my operations. He wouldn't fool Yukimura for long, however. So I don't know if it would be worth the risk. Besides, I've never known him to be interested in territory, or responsibility."
"I wasn't going to tell him anyway," Yagyuu replies. "Let the bastard walk back in and get the shock of his life when he sees both of you. I wonder if he is good enough at dissembling to hide that."
He might say the word, but calling Niou a bastard is nothing new. Sanada and Yanagi both know it doesn't mean the two of them are having problems, just having their usual competiton of one-upmanship.
"Yagyuu, if the games you and Niou play begin to interfere with this situation there will be repercussions."
"Understood, Yanagi-san," Yagyuu says with a sweeping bow. It's gestures like that that have given him his nickname, 'The Gentleman'. That and his foul mouth. In that case it's an ironic statement - Yukimura appreciates irony.
---
fandom: Prince of Tennis
characters: Sanada, Yanagi, Yukimura, Kirihara, Niou, Yagyuu, Inui, Atobe (so far).
wordcount: 2821 words.
summary: Sanada has gotten himself arrested and convicted in his kumicho's place, but Yukimura isn't content for things to stay that way.
notes: prison!au inspired by these chats.
Chapter One: Significance
---
They are eating the evening meal when Yanagi is brought in, and Kirihara's spoon stops halfway to his mouth.
"Master!" He practically shouts, and tries to jump up from the table. Sanada's hand around his arm is fierce; his strength stops Kirihara halfway and slams him back down into his seat before he can get the word completely out of his mouth. Kirihara turns to glare at Sanada, but Sanada isn't even looking up from his food.
"Don't you dare," Sanada threatens into his bowl. "Don't give him away. Yanagi would never get caught."
Kirihara is confused for a moment but his frown changes into surprised understanding.
"You mean he's in here on purpose?"
"Yes."
Sanada waits until Kirihara has settled down and begun to eat again before continuing his own meal. Kirihara is eating with much more enthusiasm now, trying to rush for the evening exercise outside. Sanada knows they will leave at the designated time as always and continues on like normal.
"Yo, Sanada-buchou, do you think he has a message or something? From the Kumicho?"
Sanada doesn't answer Kirihara's desperate question. He can count the number of days he has been here on one hand, while Kirihara has been here going on two months now. If Yanagi is here for anyone, which is the only explanation, it is him. Sanada apologizes mentally once again for getting caught. Someone as high-ranking as him and he managed to get caught, and now Yanagi, just as highly ranked as him has allowed himself to be entered into the system and risked prison time for him. At least that suggests Yukimura isn't out of his mind with rage.
Yanagi completely bypasses the table Sanada and Kirihara sit at, as is to be expected. But his eyes land on another familiar face.
"Sadaharu!" He smiles and sits next to Inui. "I heard a rumour you were in here. I didn't believe you could be so careless as to be caught."
"Set-up," Inui replies through a mouthful of food in order to muffle his words to others nearby. You never know who could have been responsible, or how many of their lackeys are on the inside watching him. "I'm still collecting data."
"You'll know who is behind it eventually," Yanagi assures him. "I wouldn't be surprised if Seiichi already had his suspicions."
"So it wasn't your organisation?" Inui inquires barely above a whisper. It would be sure death to accuse anyone else but he is 75% confident Yanagi will not take it personally. He would be more confident but it has been a while since they last met.
"If it was that information is being well kept from me."
"Then it isn't," Inui relaxes enough to smile a little. "There's no way anything could be kept from you."
Sanada cannot hear the conversation from so many tables away but even without looking directly at Yanagi and Inui he can see that they have a relationship. He frowns, but supposes Yukimura must know about it. Yukimura knows everything. And if he wasn't okay with it Yanagi would certainly never run the risk of upsetting Yukimura by speaking with Inui so blatantly. It is another thing he simply files away in his mind, like when he was thrown into this godforsaken place and cruel, cruel fate made him Kirihara's cellmate and he had to keep his mouth firmly shut while Kirihara in turn gloated, asked stupid questions and insisted he would be getting out soon.
Sanada has only been in prison a few days, and already Yanagi is here. Kirihara's name hadn't even dared been spoken for over a week after he was caught and that was all Sanada had needed to realise to know Yukimura had sworn him off completely. There is no salvation for Kirihara in that direction. To enlighten Kirihara to that fact would cause nothing but trouble, however, so Sanada finishes his soup, puts his spoon down parallel to his bowl and straightens the tray on the table so it is level with the edge.
"Kirihara, Inui, Kaidoh - you're on clean-up tonight," Atobe barks out right on time. "The rest of you line up for your evening stroll."
Atobe thinks he is so amusing sometimes and Sanada usually wants to strangle the egotistical guard, but tonight he could kiss him. The rota has just arranged to keep Kirihara clear out of the way so that he and Yanagi can meet, and that nosy Inui who seems to know Yanagi won't be able to eavesdrop either.
Sanada falls in behind Yagyuu - who happens to be masquerading as Niou this week. They make small talk now and then just so that nobody gets suspicious. Avoiding somebody ardently is akin to screaming out that you're from the same organisation. Niou is the one who got the jail sentence but Yukimura frequently needs him for jobs and Yagyuu steps in at those times to play his part. Conjugal visits for same-sex partners are unheard of but Sanada figures Yukimura had some influence in that somewhere. Perhaps that Niou had the cheek to enquire about it at all made a Judge agree. That someone would have such dedication to their partner, even as an inmate, that they would push an issue nobody else dared to.
Sanada knows it is partly that, and partly that Yukimura wants it this way. One day someone is almost certainly going to connect all the jobs Niou has been pulling off whilst 'in prison' and while most will cry copycat, some people will start to wonder if they really have got the right man. And those suspicions will undo them all.
Besides, having people on the inside isn't something to be concerned over - it's an advantage. It would be unrealistic to assume nobody would ever get caught. Niou got too flashy with his assassinations. A few big names went down with him at the time for contracting the hits. If it were to be suspected Niou was still out there, suddenly a lot of people with grudges would be under suspicion.
These days all of Niou's hits are on Yukimura's orders, not on the whims of the rich and famous. Not that Yukimura isn't rich and famous within his own circles. Yukimura's own father is in prison thanks to his son overthrowing his own criminal organisation and letting the old man go down for things Yukimura did. It wasn't as if he was an innocent man anyway. Sanada has heard through the grapevine that Yukimura senior speaks about his son with nothing but pride regardless. He is proud to have spawned a son who actually runs his own business better than he did.
Yanagi joins the very end of the line, with no Inui to stand with. Sanada fixes his eyes firmly forward and ignores Yanagi thoroughly. He files into the pen and leans against the wire fence with his arms crossed. He does this every time.
Yanagi moves through the inmates in a manner just right for assuring he won't be singled out. He is neither too confident or too meek, too hurried or too casual. He approaches Yagyuu directly but to the guards it probably looks like nothing more than an enquiry over the length of time he will be in the pen, or who to avoid pissing off. It is what careful people do, after all. Sanada knows in reality he is probably telling Yagyuu that a job is scheduled for him when Niou returns for his next 'visit'. Niou and Yagyuu are not interchangable when it comes to jobs - Niou specialises in assassination, while Yagyuu prefers to pull off a satifying con. If murder becomes neccessary he isn't adverse. He just refuses to seek it out. Yukimura is probably glad that Niou is the one actually down for his crimes because is his warped imagination of what is right and wrong, he has a right to leave Niou in jail if it suits him. He is often harder to control than Yagyuu.
Sanada glances up and catches Yanagi's movements. He stretches and steps away from the fence, walking alongside it towards the corner, where Yanagi is also heading. Between them they have enough skill to make it look like a complete accident of chance, Yanagi the new-guy simply trying to huddle in a corner and remain undisturbed, accidentally colliding with Sanada, who already after just a few days has a reputation for a black temper. Yanagi stops two steps short of them making any physical contact and Sanada just shoots him a dirty glare.
"Terribly sorry," Yanagi says, bowing his head.
"You will be," Sanada replies. He isn't the type to be amused by this farce, and he is glad because he is pretty sure Yanagi has the advantage here, with his head bowed he is probably smirking away. Nobody would suspect they were close friends, except Yagyuu who doesn't just suspect, he knows. Most of Yagyuu's dealings are with Yanagi however. Yanagi understands the workings of a con and has unlimited resources - money, weapons, information. Sanada prefers simplicity. A gun in his hand, a target in his sights. When Yukimura drags him along to deals and intimidations he itches with impatience and his finger on the trigger twitches frequently. It does a hell of a lot to intimidate, which is probably why Yukimura does it to him. That and for his own amusement.
"Give me a few days," Yanagi says, bowing his head again as though apologizing even more insistently. "Sadaharu and I will have a plan before the end of the week."
"Inui?" Sanada whispers with a hiss.
"Seiichi knows," Yanagi replies, knowing this is Sanada's biggest concern. "He is a mastermind rather like myself. We trained together. Between us we cannot fail."
"I'll be out," Sanada says in wonder. Although he hasn't been in prison a week yet the idea of escape still has to sink in. He always knew Yukimura was capable of almost anything, but this-
"I don't think he has decided yet whether to reward you for your heroics, or cut off a finger for your impudence."
Sanada has to fight not to hang his head in shame. Of all the things in the world, the only one he cares about is not letting Yukimura down. And he has.
"Genichirou, I'm joking," Yanagi says before walking away. Leaving Sanada to wonder just which part was the joke.
When Sanada returns to his cell Kirihara still isn't back, which he is thankful for. He waits until Atobe has passed him by and kneels down on the floor beside the tiny window, bows his head and places his hands flat on the top of his thighs. He can't imagine how Yukimura is handling things without Yanagi and himself. He doesn't think Yukimura is incapable by any means, but it must be a blow to have your two right-hand men away from your side after so long. And if it weren't for himself they wouldn't be in this position.
Sanada can still recall the moments with vivid clarity, like rewinding a tape in his head. His only thought had been that Yukimura was going to be caught, discovered, and he could not allow it to happen. Yukimura has been off the radar for years - everybody knows he exists but nobody can pin down who he really is. According to the official records he died in his teens. Yukimura likes it that way - he likes to call his ascension to power a 'rebirth'. A new life - one in which he has never, ever lost.
If that had been it for Yukimura at that moment, Sanada would have killed himself in shame. So he took the fall and was arrested, and Yukimura escaped unscathed. It is possible Yukimura would not have been caught, but Sanada is sure they will never discuss it between them. Either Sanada was wrong, and should accept his mistake and die honourably, or Yukimura would have been wrong. And nobody would ever say that to Yukimura willingly.
"Sanada-buchou!" Kirihara says as he is shoved back into their cell. "So, what happened?"
Sanada ignores Kirihara. He hasn't even waited for the guard to leave - as if Sanada is going to speak freely in front of him. Not that he is going to speak freely anyway. If he had just been left alone a little while longer he would have been able to attain a state peaceful enough for meditation throughout the night. Now he has to begin again.
"Jeeze, ignoring me again," Kirihara mutters and hops onto his top bunk. "How am I supposed to find out anything when-"
Sanada blocks out the rest of Kirihara's entitled ranting. He focuses on his every breath, listening to the sound change as it comes in and goes out. The moon moves across the sky and still he sits with his feet tucked beneath him, hands steady, breathing in a set pattern. He does not register it when Kirihara gives up and fals asleep, too wrapped up in his own vigil.
As morning breaks Sanada steadfastly ignores Kirihara until breakfast time. And then he waits until Kirihara has sat down and chooses a different spot. It isn't completely unusual for Sanada not to sit with Kirihara - he is an annoying brat after all, but it manages to piss the kid off every time anyway. A pleasing side-effect. It seems Kirihara has figured out that he won't be getting any answers from Sanada any time soon anyway, and has given up pestering him for the time being. Sanada eats in peace for a change.
"Sanada, Niou, Yanagi - clean-up duty. The rest of you get lined up."
It is as if it were arranged by Yukimura himself - all three high-ranking members of his organisation in this cellblock on clean-up duty. They aren't even directly supervised, just shut in the kitchens with a guard outside watching TV. They don't even use knives at dinner, and the guards assume they can't make very useful weapons out of spoons or bowls.
They obviously have never seen Niou operate.
Yanagi claims the spot at the sink and plunges his hands into warm running water. Sanada snatches up the dish-cloth for drying up, and Yagyuu is left with the job of scraping the bowls and plates before Yanagi washes them. He has perhaps the easiest job, but it leaves him as the only one without his back to the door. He is look-out, as well as the fact that anything he says could be lip-read if the guard chooses to turn around and watch them.
"Jackal is handling everything for you for now," Yanagi says to Sanada. He knows Sanada well enough to realise that is his worry right now - who is doing his job? Who is handling his men and his territory, and who is there to support Yukimura?
"I'm thankful he's so reliable."
"-And once Yagyuu is out of here he will handle my side of things. Niou has no idea of what is going on, which is the way we wanted it, but once he is back in here I'm sure he will figure it out."
"What about right now while Yagyuu is still with us?"
Yanagi smiles at Sanada.
"I took provisions before coming here. My stay was expected. For a week or two everything will run itself and nobody will even realise I am gone."
"You're a little scary sometimes, Yanagi-san," Yagyuu mumurs. "I take it everyone will expect to follow my orders after that?"
"I'm sure Yukimura will make his wishes on the subject known."
"Are you going to tell Niou when you see him?" Sanada asks Yagyuu. Yagyuu shrugs.
"Am I being ordered not to?"
Sanada looks to Yanagi for that answer.
"I don't care either way," Yanagi replies. "There's no damage he can do once he is back inside. Although the unpredictablity of his ambitions mean there is a possibility he will simply refuse to switch with you, Yagyuu, in order to return and take temporary control of my operations. He wouldn't fool Yukimura for long, however. So I don't know if it would be worth the risk. Besides, I've never known him to be interested in territory, or responsibility."
"I wasn't going to tell him anyway," Yagyuu replies. "Let the bastard walk back in and get the shock of his life when he sees both of you. I wonder if he is good enough at dissembling to hide that."
He might say the word, but calling Niou a bastard is nothing new. Sanada and Yanagi both know it doesn't mean the two of them are having problems, just having their usual competiton of one-upmanship.
"Yagyuu, if the games you and Niou play begin to interfere with this situation there will be repercussions."
"Understood, Yanagi-san," Yagyuu says with a sweeping bow. It's gestures like that that have given him his nickname, 'The Gentleman'. That and his foul mouth. In that case it's an ironic statement - Yukimura appreciates irony.
---