I was home. And with Jia's permission we had down time. Time to do nothing while we waited for the next ordeal to happen. I spent most of my time at home, sleeping, watching TV and getting food in my system. I liked doing nothing for the first few days. After a while, I could only watch so many movies, soap operas, game shows and music shows. After a week of doing nothing, I gathered myself up and dressed in my not so formal suit and tie, but my dress pants and button down shirt and prepared to go out. As I left my apartment, the man at the front desk let me know I had a letter. I looked at him oddly, knowing that any of my mail was usually put in my mailbox for me to pick up later. I took the letter finding it was addressed to me in my last name alone. I left my apartment and went outside, walking down the street for a while, eventually heading over to Shinjuku Park. I sat down among the benches as I opened the letter, unfolding the white, crisp, rice paper like quality as I opened it. Old fashioned writing told me one thing and one thing only. It was from Kamakura. I sighed, pulling back my hair as I continued reading, the Shinto priest reminding me I had not been around in years. I could almost roll my eyes, since I was busy most of my life. I have been since I was seventeen. I continued reading and I was asked to come back. The priest beckoned. Once I finished the letter, I folded it once again and sighed. I did not want to return to Kamakura..but I knew I had to. The priest was right, I had not been there in years. Eventually I got up and left, the letter tucked away in my pocket as I went to get something to eat.

Later that day, I had dinner with Jun.

"You were locked up for a week."

"I know. I was trying to catch up on some sleep. I have been exhausted."

"I figured as much."

We both ate, dipping our sushi rolls into the soy sauce as he said,

"You wanna do something later on?"

"I can't."

"Any reason?"

"Personal."

I didn't want to tell Jun that I was traveling to Kamakura tomorrow. He would look at me oddly, me, Ghost, traveling to the land of temples and Buddha. I didn't seem like the type and I really wasn't. Jun left it at that however and we finished our dinner.

The next morning I packed a small suitcase and left for a few days. I took a train up to Kamakura, almost an hour of watching scenery go by, sitting in solitude with nothing but music in my ears to keep me from going insane. I arrived almost an hour later at Kamakura station, looking around and getting off the platform, my one bag in hand as I left the station. I looked up and down the street, seeing nothing much had really changed. I put one hand in my pocket as I held the suitcase with the other and began to walk. I didn't mind the walk since I knew this entire town inside out and it wasn't too far from Tsurugaoka Hachiman. As I arrived, I saw tourists walking around, taking pictures of he Great Buddha sitting among the stone steps and shrines. I walked ahead, passing them all as I headed towards the main area of the temple. Once there, I set my bag down and rang the bell, clapping twice and bowing my head in a small respect ritual. I picked up my bag again as I went inside the shrine, taking off my shoes and looking around one of the priests came up to me, confusing me for a tourist for a moment before he recognized me. He bowed his head as he apologized and took me to see the main priest. I sighed as I approached the old man, still wearing traditional hakamas and tabi. I bowed my head slightly as he did the same and I gave my bag over to the priest. I knelt down, bowing my head slightly, my hands near my knees as he said,

"You have not been around in many years Ryo."

I bit the inside of my lip, hating being called by my Japanese name. Instead I only bowed my head slightly and said,

"Hai."

"I am surprised and pleased you showed up so soon after I sent for you."

"I had some free time."

The priest huffed, getting up as he said,

"So nice of you to have some free time to see your family Ryo."

I looked up as I said,

"I have a job now. I can't be expected to come running back here everytime. I'm an adult now. I have been for some time."

"You say you're an adult, but you don't know your responsibilities as an adult. Family should be your number one priority Ryo."

"Otosan, I already told you-"

"You have no respect for your family!"

I sighed, almost rolling my eyes as I said,

"I'm not apologizing for leading my own life."

He huffed at me again and said,

"You haven't changed at all. If anything you got worse."

He then dismissed me as I got up and left. I wanted to loose my patience and just go off on him. But I found I had been too well trained in my form of keeping my head bowed and in silence. I was on my way back to the room I would be staying in when I ran into my mother. My mother was a meek, small woman, which is were my stature came from. My dark eyes also came from her, the only difference was that her eyes were warm and alive. She smiled at me, happy I had arrived me as she untucked her hands from the kimono was wearing as she then pat my cheek and said,

"Ryo, I'm surprised you came."

"I had some time off."

"Saw your father?"

"First thing."

She smiled sadly as she said,

"He means well."

I shrugged as she walked me to my room.

Later that evening, I had dinner with my family, my mother, father, and younger brother. My younger brother was growing up in the Shinto temple, biding by tradition and family virtues. Since my own escape when I was a teenager, my father has kept a much tighter grip on my brother. Dinner was quiet, wrapped in silence with only clinking of wooden chopsticks to porcelain and the flickering of candle light around us. When my father was done and he began drinking his tea, he said,

"Ryo, what is this job of yours that keeps you busy?"

I couldn't just out right and say I was a yakuza. That would end this little family reunion rather quickly. Though as tempting as that was, I said,

"I'm a business man."

"Oh, another salaryman that keeps Japan functioning huh?"

"Something like that."

My mother looked at me and then my father as she bowed her head and kept eating. I continued eating, noticing I had undone the button to one of my cuffs, but not the one where my syndicate name was. I was a touch worried if my other tattoo could be seen, but so far, nothing was said.

"And...your wife and children?"

I almost choked on the tea as I said,

"What wife and children?"

"You have not married?"

"No. I don't think I should be."

My father scoffed again as he said,

"You look like a child, but that does not mean you are. Even your brother is planning to be wed soon."

I took a glance at my younger brother who was nothing like me. He was much more alive, more active, his hair short, kept back much like my fathers. I then said,

"I'm not my brother. I'm not kept under lock and key."

"You look like a hoodlum."

"I probably do."

I kept drinking my tea as my mother then said,

"How long do you plan on staying?"

"Just a few days. I have to return soon."

"Back to your job?"

"Yes."

I gave my father a side glance before going back to eat.

After dinner, I excused myself and returned to the room I was in. I saw the plain room, the rice paper walls and wooden frames. The bed which was a small flat mattress on the floor with its pill box pillow were awaiting me as my bag sat near the door next to my shoes. I slid the rice paper door behind me shut as I picked up my bag and sat on the floor which was to be my bed as I opened the bag and pulled out my gun. I checked the clip before putting the safety back on and returning it to my bag as I then was about to lay down for the night when I saw a shadow outside my door. I got up and opened the door to see my younger brother.

"What are you doing lurking around my door?"

"I haven't seen you since I was little. I was trying to think of an excuse to ask to come in."

"Just ask."

I let him in as I slid the door shut again and he said,

"What's it like in the city?"

"Better then here."

"Is that why you left? Because the city was better?"

I couldn't really answer that. The truth of why I left home was always something that concerned me and me alone. I left because I never wanted to stay here and not because it was basically the country side, but because my father was pressuring me into too much. To him family and religion were all that mattered. So he wanted me to quit school and become a Shinto priest like him. I didn't want to. He damned me because of my decision and so I skipped out of Kamakura and never looked back. I wrote to my mother every now and then and through her, I made something of amends with my father. But he and I never really connected.

"Yes. The country life is not for everyone."

He smiled at me. Though he was only younger then me by ten years, he still had that child like quality about him. He looked nothing like me.

"I would like to go and see. But otosan says there's nothing good in the city."

"He's scared you'll think on your own."

My brother looked at me confused as he said,

"Ryo?"

I sighed, still hating that as I said,

"What?"

"What is on your arm?"

I looked at my arm seeing I had rolled up my sleeve once I was in my room and the black flame inked on my skin was exposed. I rolled it up the rest of the way as I said,

"A tattoo."

"Of what?"

"Black flame."

"Why do you have it?"

"No reason."

"Otosan will be very displeased."

"I don't care. It's my arm. I'll tattoo the whole damn thing if I please."

"Otosan was right about you. You don't care about anything but yourself."

"I had no one but myself. Why don't you go to bed? It's late for you isn't it?"

He frowned as he then excused himself and left.

The temple my father owned and maintained had something of history to it. When I was younger, I was reminded of this history everyday. I was in charge of tending to the temple's maintenance and guiding tourists...but that was when I was younger, now I watched my brother do that as I sat among the steps and admired the scenery. The sakura blossoms were blooming already, fresh flowers were growing and it was about the best time to be in the country. Of course, not for me. I was already planning my trip back to Tokyo when my mother came up beside me. I looked up at her from the steps I was sitting as she asked,

"Why are you just sitting here?"

"I'm bored."

I got up, dusting off the back of my pants as I saw she was holding a tray full of cups and a tea pot. Her black hair was pulled up and back, her eyes looking at me in question. She smiled slightly as she said,

"Maybe you should leave then Ryo."

"I just got here."

"But you're not happy here."

"I was never happy here. But don't take offense to it...I'm never happy anywhere."

I felt her sigh as she said,

"You've changed so much."

"I don't remember being any different."

"You have changed. And I could tell...you're so unhappy. Maybe you should return home soon."

I nodded as I said,

"I will after another day."

She sighed to herself as she then excused herself and went to bring the tea to whoever needed it. I sat on those steps for most of the afternoon, moving whenever possible...usually whenever my father was around looking for me. The last person I wanted to get in contact with was the Shinto priest that would nag me to death about my responsibilities to this shrine. I stayed for three days before I finally had enough. I packed up my bag again, tucking my hair behind my ears as I then went to find my mother. I said good bye to her, promising I'd write to her soon. I thought about just leaving since I had the clear way...my mother didn't even pressure me to say anything to the priest. I started to leave anyway, going down the steps, my bag in hand with full intentions to go to the train station. I started to walk down the stairs, passing tourists as I saw my brother, sweeping the stair case at the bottom. He saw me as I walked past him.

"Are you leaving?"

"Hai."

"Did you say good bye to otosan?"

"Iie."

"Naze?"

"I didn't want to."

He frowned as he walked over to me and said,

"I know what you are."

I looked at him in the eye since my brother was about my height. I then said,

"Oh yeah...? What am I then?"

I glared at him, giving him the look I had always given any one of the people I had to shoot. He flinched back, the coldness obviously scaring him as he said,

"You're no salaryman..."

"So?"

"You lied to us."

"What's your point?"

He shrunk back as I then turned away and began walking back to Kamakura Station.

I bought a ticket and waited around at the station, bored and growing anxious to return back to Tokyo. I had never missed my apartment more. Once the train arrived, I boarded and found a seat by the window as I sat down and began to wait. Once the train began moving, I felt relaxed again and all I did was patiently anticipate the arrival to Tokyo. As the hour went by I found myself thinking about my home life. It wasn't bad or brutal...my father never raised his hand at me, just his voice and though we got into conflict, I know he meant well. It was just his own upbringing that made him think that family and religion were all that was important. It never dawned on me that those things should be important. I was never really religious and more often then not, I stayed in school longer, even if it was to be just by myself, then go back to the temple and sit there among the tourists and maintenance of the damn place. The only one in my family that ever meant something of anything was my mother. She was the doting kind of mother, that often tried to shield me from my father, but never really could. I had learned silence from him, patience and how to say no and mean it. My mother was probably the one that instilled some feelings in me...whatever few had remained through my years. I sighed, brushing my hair back, thinking of when my father called me a hoodlum. Ha...had he seen me when my hair was blonde and to my waist. I shook off my thoughts, sitting up slightly as I continued watching the scenery and I changed the song on my MP3 player.

When I arrived back in Tokyo, I saw the skies were darkening and not because of the time. It was only four in the afternoon. I called Jun once I got in a cab. Once he answered, I said,

"Is anything going on?"

"Not that I know of."

"I just got a bad feeling."

"Why?"

I shrugged, looking out of the window of the moving cab to see the skies darkening again, clouds rolling in from the East as I said,

"I don't know...I just did."

"Nah, nothing is going on. So where you been?"

"Personal."

"Sou ka. You wanna get something to eat?"

"Is that all you ever think about?"

"Anything else you'd like to do?"

"Play pool?"

He sighed as he said,

"Okay. But we'll eat first."

"Fine."

"Where should we meet?"

"Give me like twenty minutes then come by my place."

"Hai."

We hung up as I leaned back in the seat, my neck hurting slightly from sleeping on hard, flat surface and a square pillow. Once I got home, I paid the fare and then returned to my own apartment. I showered changed and once Jun arrived, we left.

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Definations and Refrences

Kamakura- A small town about an hour away from Tokyo. It is very religious having over 70 temples and shrines. It is a big tourist attraction.

Tsurugaoka Hachiman- The main and most popular shrine in Kamakura. It's know for it's rich history and dates back as far as the 12th century.

Hakamas- Traditional men's gi.

Tabi- Split toe socks.

Salaryman- A business man that spends most of his adult life working.

Otosan- Father

Naze- Why