((Author's note: sorry for taking so long. Google was sending all my alerts to my spam inbox, so I had no idea this story was actually kind of well-received. After the show ended I figured everyone had just sort of moved on to a new series.

Anyway, I think I can safely say that the canon ending was the most disappointing thing I've ever watched. I suppose that, on the bright side, I now have some potentially good news to share: the ending I have in mind for this story is... definitely not the same. So, you can look forward to some actual conflict resolution, if I ever do manage to finish writing this. Hooray.))

- Chapter Two -

Autumn swept across the land, painting the trees a warm vermillion, while the air was chilled with the promise of winter. After finally having returned from their trip into the mountains, Shino was eager to head to the Konaya Inn for a home-cooked meal and some soft bedding. He had adamantly refused Satomi's request to take the commissioned dolls to Finnegan's office at the main branch of the church, and ran off with Sousuke in tow before the blond could get another word in.

"Shino, I'm not sure we should have just left like that... I wouldn't have minded going by myself to the church." Sousuke said, still being led by the hand by Shino, who was practically jogging down the street.

"No way! I am so sick of running errands for that guy!" Shino huffed in annoyance.

"After all he's done for us..." Sousuke sighed, exasperated. Shino could be terribly childish sometimes.

They slowed their pace as they reached the inn. As if only just realizing that he was still holding Sousuke's hand, Shino quickly loosened his grip, and stuffed both hands into his pockets. Sousuke didn't seem to mind, and he went on ahead to announce their arrival.

Shino inwardly cringed at his actions. He had gotten incredibly self-conscious around Sousuke, even though Sousuke showed no hint of being bothered by their closeness or by Shino's withdrawal. Shino knew that he was the only one making a big deal over it, yet still he felt powerless to stop himself.

"Oi, Shino! What are you doing just standing out there? Dinner's already made!" Kobungo called out, standing by the open door with Sousuke.

"Oh, um, coming!" Shino said, and hurriedly took his shoes off to join them. Had he been in less of a rush, Shino might have noticed the extra pair of shoes by the door. But, since he hadn't, as he entered the dining hall, his eyes widened with comical surprise. "What? Why are you here?"

Daikaku, who was seated at the table next to Genpachi and across from Asakeno, looked up at Shino questioningly. "What do you mean? I told Genpachi-san I would be taking the train after yours."

"No one ever tells me anything." Shino grumbled, sitting down in a second booth where platters of food had been laid out. At the sight of the various grilled meats however, his mood brightened considerably. Here was the one thing that would always remain a shining beacon of hope in his life: grilled beef. Shino chirped a happy 'Itadakimasu!' before helping himself to the food.

Sousuke, who moved to sit down beside Shino, nodded politely to Daikaku as he passed the first booth. "It's good to see you again, Daikaku-san."

"Just Daikaku is fine," he replied amicably, and received a smile in return.

The food was excellent, and as they ate, Shino complained about all the so-called 'weirdos' that he and Sousuke had run into on the train. Time passed rather quickly, as it often does in the company of good friends, and before long, the dishes had all been cleared away, leaving only a few cups of steaming hot tea. Just as the conversation began to die down, Genpachi cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention.

"Daikaku-san, I have been dying to ask this all evening," Genpachi began, his words oddly formal. "By any chance, did you bring it with you?"

Daikaku stared at him blankly. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You know," Genpachi pressed on, looking at the other man imploringly. He was for some reason reluctant to give any details, but he eventually sighed, and added in a hushed tone, "The one that Shino was wearing?"

Shino's face paled considerably.

"What are you talking about?" Asakeno asked, clearly curious.

"Nothing!" Shino barked, shooting a dirty look at both Daikaku and Genpachi.

Daikaku seemed not to notice Shino's glare, for his eyes lit up with sudden understanding, and he said, "Ah, that. Yes, actually, I did bring it. It's with my other belongings in my room, shall I go get it?"

"Ah, my good man! Yes, please do!" Genpachi exclaimed enthusiastically, clapping Daikaku on the shoulder as he rose and left for his suite.

Shino looked positively mortified, and Kobungo glanced at him worriedly before he said, "Would someone please tell the rest of us what's going on?"

"You shall see in just a moment, my dear little brother!" Genpachi said cheerfully. Kobungo looked at his brother-in-law dubiously, then glanced at Sousuke, who had been wearing a slight frown on his face during this entire exchange, yet hadn't said a word.

Daikaku returned all too soon, carrying a wide, flat box in his arms. Sounding genuinely grateful, he held the box in front of Shino, and said, "Shino, since this was purchased solely as reference material, it's no longer needed. I'd like to give it to you as thanks for... helping me find my cat, among other things."

"I don't want any gifts like that!" Shino groaned miserably. "Haven't you been listening at all?!"

Daikaku looked taken aback by Shino's reaction. The slow tension that was building throughout the whole ordeal thickened drastically with Shino's rude response, and it seemed as though an actual fight was inevitable. It was at this time that Sousuke finally said, "Daikaku, maybe you should give that to Shino later."

"Oh..." Daikaku blinked owlishly, as if only taking in the situation at that moment. "Yes, of course."

"No one is going to explain anything, after all this?" Asakeno said, sounding disappointed. Kobungo, despite having noticed Shino's discomfort, found himself nodding in agreement.

In the end, it was Shino who took the box from Daikaku, looking undeniably grim as he opened it, revealing a square of neatly folded, cherry blossom-coloured fabric. As he lifted it from the box, it unfolded into a gorgeous silk kimono. The fabric was a solid colour, but upon closer inspection, there were shimmering floral patterns weaved into the silk, visible only in the shifting light. A few seconds later, Shino stuffed it back into the box, and folded his arms over his chest with a huff. "There. Now you've all seen it. Are you happy now?"

"I don't quite understand. It's just a kimono." Asakeno peered into the box, as if there might have been something he had missed.

"It's a girl's kimono!" Shino squawked, looking terribly embarrassed for even having to explain this.

"Shino, a real man should have no insecurities about wearing women's clothing," Asakeno chided him, and Shino's expression changed to one of shock. A heavy silence fell upon the group, and Asakeno belatedly recognized the double-edged nature of his comment.

"Ah, what Asakeno-san means is—" Sousuke began, but Shino had already grabbed the box and darted out of the room. Sousuke called after him in vain, then sighed, getting up from the table as well. "I'll just go check on him."

"Please give Shino my apologies. I didn't think he would be so upset over just seeing it. It's not as though I was going to ask him to put it on or anything..." Daikaku said to Sousuke before he left the room.

"I suppose I should offer my apologies as well," Asakeno coughed, looking a bit sheepish.

Sousuke shook his head once, offering them a polite smile. "I'll tell him, but you shouldn't worry too much about it. He's... overly sensitive about these things."

"Wait, you weren't planning on asking him to put it on?" Genpachi frowned, looking bemused.

Kobungo heaved a great sigh, and took hold of Genpachi's shoulders, quickly steering him out of the room while muttering, "Aniki, we need to have a talk..."

Upon entering their sleeping quarters, without turning the lights on, Shino promptly tossed the box into a corner, shutting the door a bit forcefully. He sat cross-legged on the futon farthest from the door— the other one having been prepared for Sousuke —and stared at his right arm through the darkness; he could feel Murasame's power pulsing restlessly through it. It was likely that he had been awakened by Shino's anger.

Footsteps could be heard padding down the hallway, and Shino instinctively grabbed his blankets, pulling them over himself despite not having taken off his jacket. The door slid open a moment later.

"Shino?" Sousuke called softly into the dark room. Shino remained motionless, though they both knew that he was only feigning sleep. "Daikaku and Asakeno both wanted to apologize to you."

Shino didn't respond, and after a long moment, Sousuke breathed out a quiet sigh and said, "I'll give you some time."

Relieved, but unwilling to admit that he had been awake the whole time, Shino silently thanked Sousuke as the sound of his retreating footsteps faded in the distance. He waited a few long minutes to see if anyone else would come by before finally rolling the blanket off himself to change somewhat reluctantly into his sleepwear. It was far too early to sleep, but there was nothing else for him to do, excluding going back into the dining hall to make a fool of himself. Worst of all, though, was that Shino still couldn't take his mind off that damned kimono.

Feeling agitated, Shino shuffled over to the box, and anxiously opened it up again. It was still rumpled, and though Shino had never been one for orderliness or cleanliness, he felt compelled to take it out and refold it. The silk was of the highest quality, and it felt pleasantly cool against his fingers.

It was strange, though, to find that the fine fabric still carried the faint scent of cherry blossoms; earlier, it was hardly noticeable, and Shino thought it might have been just a fragment of his imagination. Upon closer inspection, however, he realized where the scent had come from: tucked in between the folds of the obi, which had remained previously untouched at the bottom of the box, was a small handful of sakura petals. Perplexed, Shino lifted the obi up and shook the petals out of the folds of elaborately embroidered fabric, but immediately regretted his decision, for now they were scattered all over himself and the floor around him.

Shino stared at the delicate flower petals, not knowing what to do with them. Then, suddenly, he realized where the sakura petals must have come from. His heart seemed to leap into his throat, and Shino quickly settled for brushing the petals off of himself before lying down on the futon again. He draped an arm over his eyes, and exhaled slowly. There was no doubt in his mind about how they had gotten into the box: someone had obviously put them there. Shino bit back a groan of annoyance. 'Someone, indeed.'

It was his own fault, but Shino dearly wished he hadn't shaken the petals onto the floor. Their sweet perfume, now diffusing slowly into the air, was hauntingly reminiscent of a scene he would have preferred not to think about.

'A small favour, huh? If I had known it would be this, I wouldn't have agreed to it at all!' Shino thought bitterly. His eyes shifted to where Daikaku was seated, calmly sketching his profile. It was true that Shino had felt a little guilty for being so insensitive about Daikaku's cat, but that didn't mean he would happily proceed with the task at hand. His legs were already going numb from having been in the same position for such a long time.

"Don't make that kind of face," Daikaku said, his voice flat.

"I can't help it!" Shino wailed in frustration. When was the last time he had been made to wear a girl's kimono? He didn't recall it ever being quite as humiliating as this.

At that moment, the doors slid open, and Shino dared not look at the expressions worn by Sousuke and Genpachi. A faint blush spreading across his face, he mumbled threateningly, "Don't say a word."

"Could it be, Shino, that you were really a girl all along?" Genpachi exclaimed, his eyes glinting with a certain light.

"Ah, so you're modelling for Daikaku-san?" Sousuke raised a hand to his chin thoughtfully. An innocent smile on his face, he mused, "This is really nostalgic, isn't it, Shino?"

"I can't wait for you to grow up, Shino," Genpachi continued, sounding serious enough to warrant looks from both Sousuke and Daikaku.

"You guys..." Shino growled menacingly, his patience already stretched to its limits, while his mind cried indignantly, 'They're completely oblivious to my suffering!'

Without any warning, Murasame's seal activated, black tendrils spreading like wildfire down Shino's right arm. With Daikaku seated to the left of him, Shino turned quickly in order to hide the unsettling sight from the dollmaker.

"I just remembered, I um, dropped something really important in the forest! Bye!" Shino said, getting to his feet and hastily shoving past Sousuke and Genpachi.

"Oi! Where are you going?" Daikaku called after him, but there was no reply. He sighed. "Well, I suppose this is enough to work with..."

Running past the gates, Shino didn't stop until he was safely out of sight of anyone who might be in the garden. Panting hard, he braced himself against a tree to catch his breath. Murasame had reacted to his bitter emotions, no doubt. The seal was still flaring hotly under Shino's skin, and he closed his eyes, concentrating on the rhythm of his own breath and heartbeat. The sakura trees, still mysteriously in full bloom, saturated the air with a pleasant, hazy sort of scent. Shino breathed deeply, relaxing as he felt Murasame settling back into a passive state.

He opened his eyes, gazing up at the blossoms. As comforting as the sight was, there was something unnatural about it, and it left him with a feeling of subtle unease.

"Ah, now this is truly a rare sight."

Shino jumped, startled by the voice, and turned around quickly. His gaze hardened when it fell upon the source. "... It's you."

"What a disappointing greeting. If you aren't going to call me by my real name, then I suppose I have no choice but to make one up. Let's see... how about... Ao?" The Shadow said casually, wearing the same pensive expression as Sousuke had earlier. "But really, what are you doing in that outfit? Not that I'm complaining."

"It has nothing to do with you," Shino replied coldly, and he managed to keep his tone was perfectly even, despite his slowly reddening cheeks. He lowered his head slightly, in an attempt to hide his face, and muttered, "Go away already."

"Hmm," was Ao's only response.

Shino could feel the other man staring at him intently, and his skin tingled as if electrified. He kept his eyes fixed upon the carpet of pink petals below them, doing his utmost to repress the memory of his last encounter with the Shadow. But, the more he tried not to think about it, the more rapidly the thoughts came flooding in; the sensation of the kiss they shared was burned into his memory anew, and Shino subconsciously lifted a hand to his lips.

"Oh? What are you thinking about, Shino?" Ao murmured, taking Shino's wrist in one hand and lowering it slowly, while using the other to tilt Shino's chin upward, forcing their eyes to meet. Shino didn't resist the movement, but glanced away almost immediately. Yet his gaze returned after only a few seconds of hesitation, and he peered at Ao with half-lidded eyes, before letting them slip shut completely.

That small act of submission was, to Ao, a breath-catching, tantalizing invitation. He took his time in closing the distance between them, captivated by the enticing image of Shino, dressed as he had been five years ago, quivering almost imperceptibly in anticipation. When their lips finally met, Shino froze, a tiny gasp escaping in full realization of what he was doing. In that moment, Ao deepened the kiss eagerly, wrapping an arm behind Shino and firmly pressing their bodies together, as if wishing they could be closer still.

And Shino melted into the sheer intensity of the kiss; he was able to lose himself in the moment, forgetting the world, forgetting his past, and forgetting whom he was with. He gasped for air as they separated, as though finally having resurfaced from the bottom of a lake.

A little dazed, he staggered forward into Ao's embrace, and it was warm. It was warm, but it was also noticeably different from Sousuke's embrace. Sousuke had a faintly earthy scent, not unlike wild mushrooms or summer rain. Ao, however, seemed to have no scent at all; even pressed against him, all Shino could smell was the sweet aroma of the cherry blossoms. It was, in a sense, as though he wasn't really there at all...

"Hmm, so that's what was on your mind," Ao said teasingly, playing with a long strand of the wig Shino still had on. "I need to get going, but I'll come visit you in the Capital."

Shino didn't reply, so Ao continued, "You should grow your hair out, Shino—"

"Stop acting like that," Shino cut in, drawing back from the taller man, his mouth pressed into a thin line. "We're not friends, Ao."

"... That's fine with me," Ao shot him a sly grin, and turned to leave. "You can be Sousuke's friend."

Shino blinked, staring at Ao's retreating figure in confusion for several seconds, before stammering, "W-we're not anything else, either!"

Shino rolled onto his stomach, burying his heated face into the pillow. Why was it that whenever he didn't want to think about something, he inevitably ended up thinking about it? He squeezed his eyes shut. 'Stupid flower petals! Stupid Ao!'

Ao... the very name itself invoked the image of the brilliant blue gem which Shino was certain had been stolen from him. Was that the reason why he had chosen such a name for himself? To link himself inextricably to the one thing Shino couldn't possibly get rid of? Shino scoffed to himself. He wouldn't put it past the man to play such mind games.

At the very least, he could assume that Ao would keep Sousuke's gem safe... if only to blackmail Shino with. There were still three others that Shino had to locate, and then there was the matter of finding out exactly what had happened to Sousuke's memory... Not to mention his newest dilemma: without Satomi's financial support, he was badly strapped for snack money...!

His mind filled with worries both large and small, Shino remained awake long into the night, and he didn't quite know when he had drifted asleep, but at some point he had. All too soon, a new day had arrived, and he was woken up by a hand resting lightly on his shoulder. It felt as though he had only closed his eyes for a moment, and Shino resisted the pull of consciousness stubbornly.

"Still sleepy?" Sousuke said, a touch of amusement in his voice. "It's time to get going, though. Satomi-san sent word for us to come by right after breakfast, and if you sleep in, there won't be any breakfast to speak of."

"Okay, okay, I'm awake," Shino grumbled, forcing his eyes open blearily, before blinking a few times and letting them fall shut again. As much as he loathed going without breakfast, going without sleep was even worse. "Nevermind, I give up."

"Shino," Sousuke sighed. He had no choice. In one smooth movement, Sousuke pulled the blankets off of the boy, leaving him shivering at the sudden lack of warmth.

"No! I'm going to die!" Shino complained loudly, curling in on himself reflexively. He was definitely awake now, whether he liked it or not. Moments later, he drew himself up into a sitting position, and resentfully watched Sousuke fold up his blanket. "You're paying for breakfast."

"I always pay for breakfast," Sousuke pointed out.

"And you'd better not stop now," Shino said gravely as he got dressed, glancing about the room and noting that both the kimono and the sakura petals were missing. 'Best not to think about it...'

Sousuke chuckled, but nodded dutifully in response, and on their way to the mansion, he bought a bag of fragrant meat buns from a street vendor. Murasame joined in on the feast as well, making off with an entire bun, much to Shino's chagrin.

To some extent, Shino realized that he was being a little too lively, considering all that had happened the previous night. It was in some ways a coping mechanism, but more importantly, it was a protective measure; for Shino feared that without this facade of being his usual energetic self, he would be consumed by his own thoughts and desires— and for Sousuke's sake, he simply couldn't let that happen.