Masamune is wanting to skip more school and spend time with Hana, including futon time. Kurikara drags him away. Before they leave and Hidetsugu leaves with Mikoto, they chat about Iemitsu and his oni and how it will mean war if Iemitsu wants Nobunaga’s corpse and Mara.

Chikahito, Sakura, Tachibana, and Hana are eating at a restaurant and promises the depressed Hana that he’ll make more uumen for her, if there are any of the noodles left. This cheers her immensely, though Tachibana still doesn’t like Chikahito. Sakura decides to switch from addressing Chikahito as “Chikahito-kun” to “Chika-chan,” which Chikahito agrees to.  With that, Sakura asks if he finds Hana’s face pleasing. He’s embarrassed and flustered and says Hana’s face is pretty, but there are a lot of pretty people in Kyoto. He then recounts his encounter with Iemitsu to them, though Chikahito did not know the boy’s name. Sakura, Tachibana, and Hana immediately know whom Chikahito encountered, so Sakura and Tachibana leave Chikahito in Hana’s care, who promises Chikahito to protect him.

Sakura and Tachibana race to the area where Iemitsu was, but there’s no sign of him. However, there were five people that went missing and the two of them know they were eaten by Iemitsu’s oni. Tachibana is frustrated that they cannot track Iemitsu but Chikahito was so easily able to find him. Sakura reminds him that Hana summoned Chikahito and that Hana wouldn’t do something pointless.  Further, Chikahito’s arrival somehow made it so that they learned a way to obtain the oni Mara, which had been a mystery to them until then.

Apparently, Tachibana’s twin sister Sugihime is under the control of the Tokugawa clan, which is why Tachibana joined up with Hidetsugu.  Apparently Sugihime had some kind of powerful seeing ability and Tachibana is determined to rescue her and the two oni.

A week later, Sakura, Tachibana, Hana, and Chikahito travel to Osaka for “business” though the jobs in Osaka are usually handled by the local hanamachi. Chikahito knows something happened with Tachibana and Sakura after they left the restaurant and figures the disappearance of the tourist were related but he’s being left in the dark.  Sakura and Tachibana ask Chikahito to let them know if there is anything that catches his eye, especially if it is the boy with purple eyes (Iemitsu).

As Hana drags Chikahito off, Sakura tells Tachibana that Chikahito can track Iemitsu’s movements and that when they move, Iemitsu will as well. However, they have a mission to do and that means meeting with someone, not doing battle. Arriving at a kindergarten, Hana announces they’ve arrived.  They encounter a flustered and timid teacher who appears to be well-liked by her students, but is also not in control of them. Her young students go home and the teacher is the one Hana and company are to meet. The teacher returns to the school building as Hana and the others pass through the gate, where Chikahito finds they are again within a barrier space.

The teacher quietly appears and asks if she can help them. Tachibana and Sakura tell her they’ve come to deliver a message from Hidetsugu to the Ho family to not discuss Nobunaga, Mara, nor how to “obtain” them, meaning placing them as subordinates serving a master. This is because Iemitsu is killing oni wielders and stealing their oni, thus increasing his power. Sine Iemitsu’s oni eats humans, Sakura says that this topic is related to the teacher, whom he identifies as SANADA Yukimura.

Did I mention how difficult this manga is to slog through? Egad! I decided that I actually need to keep my own notes on who’s who because there are so many cast members that roll in and out. Plus, so many of the characters are historical in nature because they are reincarnations of famous Japanese rulers from the feudal period.  CLAMP’s need for extensive exposition for things isn’t always the best thing to clear things up, though the official translations may help a bit there.  When that’s not going on, there is certainly a dark and interesting element to the Gate 7 story as well as humor elements.

Anyway, yet another reincarnated person has appeared, this time the samurai Yukimura. I’m going to guess that the bumbling, timid teacher routine is a front and that woman or not, Yukimura is going to end up being fairly powerful.  What Yukimura’s relationship with Iemitsu and the oni Mitsuha?  Man, I hope she hasn’t been feeding that thing children. *_*

So, Tachibana has a twin sister.  Naturally, I immediately heard Darth Vader saying, “Yes, your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong. Especially for… sister. So, you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her, too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the Dark Side… then perhaps she will… ”  *lol*

Anyway, what Sugihime’s role in all this is still to be determined.  Why is she with the Tokugawa and why is Tachibana talking of rescuing her and taking two oni?  Well, we now know what Tachibana’s interest with the Tokugawa is.

So, Chikahito’s role becomes a bit more clear now that it is revealed that Iemitsu cannot hide from him as he does from the others. I wonder what else Chikahito will be able to do.

Whew!  There were 45 pages in this chapter, but I find there’s not a great deal else to comment on.  More pieces are needed as well as a complete education of Japanese historical figures and warriors from the Warring States period in Japan. ^_^;;;  We’ll see what is in store next month.