"It's all because of Ei, the current Raikage! He deceived our clan, promising huge benefits if we participated unofficially in conflicts on Kumogakure's side. But we were nothing more than pawns in the game of the great villages!" Noriko spat angrily, starting to boil with rage.
"And what happened next?" Kenshin asked. His curiosity outweighed any sense of tact, and besides, he knew Noriko wasn't easily offended.
"Next? Next, everything was just great. Our clan got land in the Land of Lightning, and we finally lived well. Kumogakure supplied us with all resources in exchange for rare, unofficial missions. Everything was going better than ever, until we went on another mission, where almost all the strong warriors died..." Noriko muttered, lost in memories.
Kenshin listened silently, letting her decide for herself whether she wanted to continue the story and vent, or not.
"The mission was in the Land of Fire, and everything was going well until we ran into Konoha shinobi led by that one-eyed bastard Hatake Kakashi!" Noriko rasped, pronouncing the name with hatred.
Hearing the familiar name, Kenshin could no longer sympathize in silence and asked again, "Hatake Kakashi was the one who killed the best warriors of your clan?"
"Not alone. But he was the one who struck down my father... When it became clear we couldn't win, my father bought time, allowing me and a few other warriors to escape. That's how I ended up in the Land of Fire, and if not for the wound, they never would have taken me alive!" Noriko rasped furiously. Kenshin clearly felt her anger and was surprised by its physical manifestations. Her long black hair seemed electrified and rose into the air on its own. The atmosphere felt much heavier, and Kenshin had to suppress her rage manifestations with telekinesis.
"Calm down, Noriko!" Kenshin said authoritatively, restraining her, then sat closer and tried to hug her to dispel her sorrow.
Unfortunately, Noriko's temperament was unlike anything Kenshin had dealt with before, and her anger only intensified.
"Let go! Bastard!" she growled, unable to move. However, her attempts greatly surprised Kenshin, as it became harder and harder to hold her with each second.
"Noriko, calm down! No one will hurt you, quiet now..." Kenshin said, but it was all in vain. The girl only increased her efforts until he finally sighed and placed both hands on her head.
After Noriko looked into his eyes, her rampage stopped instantly. All the fury burning in her heart at that moment evaporated in a second, replaced by warmth and serenity.
Kenshin, on the other hand, winced strongly from the flood of emotions. He felt incredibly disgusting, as if he had plunged headfirst into a pit of filth that was hard to wash off.
"We need to get going," he said, picking up the stunned Noriko and returning to the carriage.
Kenshin immediately, without embarrassment, began stroking the short-haired Makoto's head and tried to suppress his irritation until the nasty feeling passed.
For the rest of the journey, Noriko behaved unusually quietly and, for the first time in a very long time, fell into a relaxed sleep. She dreamed of exactly what she had dreamed of as a child: endless green meadows impossible to find in the land of demons, and a multitude of diverse animals, from cowardly rabbits to fierce tigers. However, the cowardice of the former and the ferocity of the latter were completely blocked by this wonderful place from the childhood dreams of a little girl.
Meyumi behaved quieter than water and lower than grass, realizing that the lord was greatly irritated for some unknown reason. She mentally cursed the shameless Noriko several times for angering the lord and happily lay down to sleep.
Makoto, on the contrary, felt quite comfortable. Over time, she gained a bit of courage and began taking initiative in conversations with Kenshin, asking him questions about what she saw out the carriage window.
When a few kilometers remained to the Nakayama Family's domain, Kenshin turned his gaze to Meyumi and said, "I'm giving you one last chance to change your mind and live your own life."
"L-Lord, may I ask you one question?.." Meyumi said timidly, to which Kenshin just nodded.
"What will happen to me if I go with you?" she asked, mustering courage and looking him in the eyes.
"Do I have to convince you?" he said with a laugh, adding, "You'll become a servant of the Nakayama Family and lose your freedom. In return, you'll get food, shelter, and my protection."
Meyumi pondered for a minute, mentally weighing the pros and cons. The only thing that troubled her was the uncertainty. She didn't know what awaited her and feared ending up with bad people. And although Kenshin, despite all his rudeness, gave her some sense of calm, she was afraid he would just hand her over to someone else, and she would have to accept her fate.
"The lord seems to be the head of a mercenary organization, and if he hands me over to his subordinates..." Meyumi thought in fear, but Kenshin had grown quite bored with this long conversation and decided to intervene.
"You'll be a servant in my family, so you don't have to worry about that," Kenshin said, greatly scaring Meyumi.
"WHAT?! D-Does that mean he can..." she thought in shock.
"I can, but it's tiring," Kenshin replied with a smile. He liked the girl's shocked reaction; besides, it gave him satisfaction, allowing him to quickly rid himself of the negative emotions he had gotten from Noriko.
"Ah!" Meyumi exclaimed in surprise.
"Quiet, blondie. Let me sleep..." Noriko muttered sleepily and rolled over to the other side.
"I-I'm in, lord," Meyumi whispered. She was a bit scared by this terrifying ability, but her natural quick wit allowed her to instantly see the prospects of serving such an unusual man.
The remaining ten minutes passed in silence until the carriage finally stopped.
"Well, Makoto, want to see your new home?" Kenshin asked with a smile, ruffling her hair.
"Uh-huh!" she declared joyfully. In the few hours she had spent in Kenshin's company, Makoto had almost completely gotten used to his presence and stopped being afraid to be herself.