For honor?

The tears were the biggest culprit for his unease. He couldn't understand why she wasn't able to understand and be... Reasonable. While initially her expression of grief had spawned sympathy, now it just made Ryuu feel very out of place. He was supposed to make her feel better, this was unusable. 'Can you please stop crying? It's ok, you're safe... I'm fine...'he said, beseechingly and exasperatedly, probably failing to reassure.

He wondered if pulling her into a hug would help, he inched closer as he made up his mind. Before he had a chance to extend his arms, he heard a small sound behind him, making Ryuu tense up. He turned just in time to notice another old man head towards the castle. Ryuu turned to face the wrinkled man, who bowed to the boy, coldly, darting his wary eyes towards Honoka disapprovingly, before walking into the castle and closing the door behind him. 'Honoka, you don' t understand, it is not safe here. I need you to be stronger and smarter right now.'he said in an urgent practical whisper.

When she explained her interest in the castle, his temper flared. 'Are you crazy?' he said out loud, before repeating it in a softer tone. 'Are you crazy? Honoka, don't ever approach the elders without my explicit permission.' he said glaring. She went on about being worried There was a time, when Ryuu would have sat her down and explained, but given the current circumstances, his hands were tied. His fingers reached for his own head as he pulled at his hair in a show of frustration. 'Just, pull yourself together and go back home.' he ordered as another elder walked past them, with a disapproving grunt this time, once the castle doors closed again, he sighed and softened momementarily 'I'll try and explain everything... Just give me time...' he finished.

Kaito cleared his throat once the girl responded, 'I see, something that just happened...' He repeated, as though considering. That wasn't good enough. 'So it might happen again if you get mad?' he asked rhetorically. '...Or maybe scared?' He teased, inching closer to her kneeling figure. She probably missed the gesture since her face was so close to the floor, but he motioned his son to get a small knife from their inventory of weapons. He had nothing too sinister in mind, but it was his duty to make sure the girl displayed her powers again, to ensure the Shimada sister wasn't fibbing. If she really did have the power of the dragon, it could serve the clan well, one way or another. Once his son handed him the knife, he tucked his hand under her chin to raise her face and gently placed the cold blade on the soft cheek of the girl. 'Anything?' he asked, in a cruelly sweet manner, he trailed the tip of the blade down to her face, tracing her jawline and then followed the vein in her neck. 'Clock is ticking dear...' he said as an elder popped his face into the room, looking at the procession with earnest.

Hirosama turned his gaze away, the girl looked desperate and pitiful, he would have stepped in had he not been such a stickler for order. For the greater good of the clan, this was required. His father gestured another instruction, tilting his head towards the girl. The boy wanted to disobey, she was hardly in a position to fight, there was no need to hold her down... But his father was someone who liked to play it on the safer side, so reluctantly, Hiro got behind her and hooked his elbows into the crooks of her arm. He lifted them back and locked his fingers behind her neck and sighed. He earned himself a nod of appreciation from his father.

Kaito wasn't too happy about attacking a defenseless girl, but this really wouldn't be the first time. While he had scared her enough, it had not invoked the power she had displayed earlier, much to his discontent. With more and more elders popping in earnestly to check the progress, his hand was forced. 'Brave little one... But foolish...' He said softly. With her neck and shoulders displayed this way, it was the most obvious canvas for his first slash. With a swift motion, he left a small cut right below her clavicle. A line of crimson and then the blood pooled into a drop that felt down the neck of her kimono.

Kaito had taken a step back, to brace himself for something spectacular... But nothing happened. His eyes opened wider from their partial wince, his eyebrows raised in disappointment, that's when his son gasped. 'Father, the wound... It's almost gone already. Like it was never there...' Kaito's eyebrows fell in suspicion, his eyes narrowed as he carefully scanned her again. Hiro held onto her tenderly, reluctantly, like he wanted to let go. 'No! no don't you dare!' his father called out in Japanese, suddenly excited that the powers had finally surfaced. 'Don't you dare let go, I'll fetch the elders... Its time for the disguise.' For an old man, he was pretty capable of chirping, feeling chipper, he ordered his son.

Hiro sighed and tightened his hold, if things went south, he'd probably have to take the brunt of it. The boy should have been shocked at his father's decision, but he was aware that the clan came first, the clan always came first. So he puffed out his chest and readied himself if things went south. Meanwhile his father and a couple of other elders that had mastered the art of disguises, worked on the girl he held onto. Her hair was undone, her eyes and mouth covered with a thick scarf each. Most of her features were not visible. A dye was quickly smeared onto her kimono, till she looked very very different from the Honoka who was brought here.

'That should suffice, let's hope Master Ryuu does not investigate too much...' Kaito said. If Ryuzaki possessed powers that allowed his wounds to heal that fast, he would be invincible, the clan would be invincible.