Chapter Text
"I feel a storm coming." Kazuha said as he leaned against a maple tree, red leaves rustling in the gentle afternoon breeze.
His current traveling companion, Tomo, looked at him in confusion. "Huh? Sky looks pretty clear to me." He looked up to see no clouds, only the sun shining brightly through the scarlet leaves of the tree Kazuha sat under.
Kazuha didn't face him but a clear tinge of certainty could be heard in his tone. "I still suggest we find shelter soon."
"I don't think you should worry about it Kaedehara, it probably won't rain anyway." Tomo shrugged, continuing to clean his blade of bloodstains from a commission they'd finished earlier.
Kazuha sighed, looking into the distance. "Suit yourself. But do not blame me when all our clothes and supplies get drenched. I warned you."
Tomo was yet to learn of his new friend's ability to read the sounds of nature and sense the weather. After all, they'd only met mere days ago, for no reason other than complete chance. They had their many differences, of course — Kaedehara Kazuha, calm and collected, a former noble and last son of the famed Kaedehara samurai clan; and Tomo, outgoing and bold, with an ever-present playful smile on his face, and seemingly not of any noble blood like the other — but, the one thing they had in common was what made their paths cross in the first place. They were both ronin, wanderers, and at the time it was the only reason they decided to travel together, even for a short while.
Ever since the first day, Tomo had been trying to get closer to Kazuha, become friends with him even, but the boy was still noticeably wary of him. He didn't dislike the former, no, but he preferred to keep his distance. He'd met many people on his travels, but not one of them stayed longer than they needed to. He'd eventually have to part ways with all of them, and he assumed Tomo would be no different. Just another nobody he'd met in passing, another temporary addition to his ever-changing life.
They had decided to settle in a field filled with maple trees that Kazuha seemed to be quite fond of, with no particular goal in mind than to take a short rest from their travels for the day. At first it was still too early to tell, but as the day went on the signs of rain to come were becoming more evident. Initially, Kazuha's prediction was met with skepticism, but he'd been used to having his unusual talent dismissed by the many strangers along his path. His new companion doubted his ability, not unlike those before him, but Kazuha didn't mind. He was sure of himself, and he was sure Tomo would see it too, soon enough.
As if on cue, the sky had started becoming gradually darker, and not because of the setting sun only. Small droplets of water soon started to fall from the clouds above, slowly beginning to form tiny puddles on the ground.
"Ah! You were right!" Tomo let out a light gasp as he helped gather their stuff. "Who would've thought you could actually smell the weather." He chuckled, seemingly mocking him, though Kazuha was aware he meant no real offense; he once before learned it was simply his way of teasing, his way of showing fondness.
At first the rain was very light, gentle raindrops only hitting their cheeks every once in a while. Tomo kept his usual cheerful demeanor, and he seemed to be in no rush to find shelter for the upcoming storm. Even as the rain got heavier, he was yet to become concerned.
"What are you doing?" Kazuha stopped in his tracks to look back at his friend.
He simply stood there, raindrops repeatedly hitting his face. "I like the rain." He said with his eyes closed and his usual cheerful smile tugging at his lips.
Kazuha could only stare at him. He too liked the rain, once. Back when he was a child, not a single worry on his mind, he loved to listen to the peaceful sounds of raindrops hitting the ground. Alas, as he grew older those sounds would bring nothing but countless worries to his mind. The life of a wanderer may have been a free one, but, as everything else in this world, it had its downsides. Now he couldn't enjoy the rain any more, not when the only thought on his mind was whether he would be sleeping with his clothes drenched, in the cold storm outside, left at the mercy of nature itself.
"We should go..." He turned away, continuing to make his way through the rain without turning back.
"Hey!" Tomo ran up to him, whining as he tried to catch up to Kazuha's now quickened pace. "Kaedehara, wait for me!"
"I have a good feeling about this next one, promise!" Tomo smiled reassuringly as he pulled Kazuha along with him to yet another house.
It was the fifth (or maybe even sixth; they'd lost count) house whose door they knocked on that evening, in search for a kind villager to let them stay the night. The storm was slowly getting worse and worse but they were only met with another door shut right in their face.
Kazuha sighed, leaning against the wall of the house that had just rejected them. "Give it up, Tomo." He spoke as he started walking away. "We are samurai, we carry blades. Very few people would take in two armed vision bearers, let alone in this kind of storm."
"I guess." Tomo sighed, finally accepting his defeat — maybe not everyone was as kind and generous as he thought them to be.
"Our best bet would be a cave. There should be a suitable one close nearby, if I remember correctly."
The sound of thunder seemed to be nearing by the time they reached the cave. Their clothes were soaked, by no surprise, and it was quite cold. They made a small fire to dry themselves and keep warm as they settled on the cold, hard ground. The storm continued to rage into the night, and there was no sign of it stopping anytime soon. They'd have to spend the night there, it seems.
Tomo stood at the entrance, tempted to step out into the rain. Restless he seemed, most likely out of sheer boredom. Kazuha only sat by the fire, staying perfectly still in an attempt to hide the fact that his body was shivering. In all honesty, he was freezing. Even with the heat of the fire, the weather was far too cold for anyone to comfortably sit outside. He brought his knees up to his chest and closed his eyes; maybe he'd try to sleep through the storm, if the biting cold lets him.
Not long after, he heard Tomo's footsteps as he approached. He probably just wanted to sit by the fire as well, so Kazuha didn't think much of it. He then heard another sound, but again didn't bother to even look up. He finally decided to open his eyes as he felt something... warm? It took him a good minute to realize that his friend had taken off his haori and draped it over his shoulders.
"You looked cold." Tomo said, presumably seeing Kazuha's confused expression. He then smiled kindly at him, Kazuha's face turning a tad bit red from what he at the time assumed was nothing but embarrassment. He nodded, awkwardly mouthing a 'thanks' in response.
"Hey, I've still got a few leftover onigiri from before." Tomo dug through his bag. "You want any, Kaedehara?"
After a short silence, he hesitantly replied "Just... call me Kazuha."