Hi this is Benji Himura. I am now starting a new fanfic. Is a Sakura Taisen story. I don't own Sakura or any of the characters. Some anime or manga characters might show up in the story I also don't own then. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura.

"Text" Talked or thought sentences.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language. As English when everyone else speaks Japanese.

;Text; Title of the scene song.

:Translations of a sentence in a language that isn't English, and small observations during the story:

Chapter six: Grand Opening

Six months passed since Benji arrived with Charme on the house. The final preparations for the long delayed departure are being done. Charme is on the arena making some money to relax while Benji is packing all the weapons that will be shipped. Marisa walks to him. "What you want?" he asks seeing the woman.

"I am going to go too." She says to him. "I heard all the conversations of your sister and the others and I understand the situation that you are in. I want to help." Benji sighs. "I won't take you. You don't follow orders and you might put all this in danger because your actions." He replies. "I gave up" Marisa says. "I saw you and that blonde more than once on the training area. She sitting over you and you two talking over things. I never had a chance had I?"

"I kept saying that for years." Benji answers her question. "I used to see you as a friend. Not someone to care as a lover. If you don't do anything stupid I can accept another sword on this. But if you plan attacking Maria or anyone else of this group I will kill you so fast that you won't even realize that you died."

She nods with a sad expression. "I guess that after all that I did I deserve this kind of treatment." She whispers. "I will get my things. And I won't be doing anything like I used to." She walks away looking back at Benji who turned back to finish packing.

Two weeks later they are all on a new boat fully unrelated to Benji on the papers but everyone knew that it was his. It was large enough to carry everyone and have space to train. That not adding the large cargo bay with weapons for them. They are also taking an apprentice of a famous blacksmith to forge and repair the weapons of the group.

They make a stop near of Spain. A boat meets theirs and a tall man with Latino features wearing black pants and a black cotton jacket, with long black hair boards the ship. "Yo Benji." He says when seeing the young man. "How you are doing Antonio? How is the family?" Benji replies shaking hands and hugging the older man.

"They are fine. Our house here is great, the restaurant is making money and everyone is happy. But I couldn't help in hearing that you are planning in going into war with one country." Antonio replies. "Well they got my mother and I want her back. Not to mention that they dirtied my sister and her friend's name. So we kind of want revenge." Benji comments.

"Ah! The good and old revenge." Antonio comments. "Well then let me give you some more weapons. You see our old friends of your time as a merc gathered some things that might help you." While they chat boxes and more boxes are being loaded on Benji's ship. "And be careful as you are in there. The last thing that you need is getting more women on you like that Italian was back then." Antonio adds to Benji in a serious tone. "Don't even mention that." Benji replies.

The others are a bit confused but decide to stay in silence. After sometime Antonio and his crew leaves after giving to Benji more weapons. The two ships moves to their own destinations.

Teito harbor May tenth 1931 12:03 AM; Dock 17

"I really don't want to believe that when we return to Teito we in war against the city." Sumire comments as the ship is docking. "I don't like that any more than you do Sumire. But we have to do this." Maria replies in a serious tone. "We have to rescue our mother Sumire. We can't let her stay in prison any longer than she had stayed." Benji says looking at the distant Teito radio tower.

"I know." Sumire replies. "I know that. But Maria and I fought to defend this city before. Now we are the enemies of this city." Benji places one of his hands over his sister shoulder. "We aren't enemies of the city; we are enemies of the empire. But that is unimportant. We won't attack civilians or try to bring demons to the city we only want to clear the name of you two, our mother and rescue our mother." Benji tells to her in a comforting tone. "Bear it for a while."

"Damn Benji have some tact. It would make us feel better if you didn't recall us that we are enemies of the empire." Maria scolds him. The ship comes to a halt and Chloe begins to arrange the cargo to be unloaded from it. Benji leaves the ship and walks to a bar after telling to the girls to stay on the ship.

Benji enters on the bar and easily finds who he is looking for. He walks to a more secluded tabled where a young woman with long black hair is having a drink. "Yo Sakiko. Have been a while since we last saw each other." Benji greets her casually. "It has." She replies while Benji sits down.

"Everything is ready?" Benji asks. "You know me Uchiki it is done and over with. Everything as you requested plus few extras." She answers with a teasingly smile. "I spoke with a handful of people that showed some interest in joining your side." Benji sighs. "I am not planning a revolution or anything like that Sakiko. This is just a personal war. We won't throw down any government." He tells her in a serious tone.

"None of them think in throwing down the government. Those are friends of ours that are fans of Hina and want to free her." She replies. "Sakiko I appreciate that. But I can't just get more people to join us. We are a small group and three of us are considered criminals. What we are planning can be considered treason. We can't just allow people joining us left and right because one of them might sell us out." Benji tells her still in a serious tone.

"I know that Uchiki. But if you change your mind let me know. Anyway let's get out of here and get you and your unit to the base." She replies. Benji nods and they leave the bar.

Back on the docks Benji sees the ship's crane unloading the cargo in a large steam truck and a steam bus is there waiting. Benji gives the orders to move to the bus. Everyone goes to the bus. Only a man working for Sakiko stays behind to unload the remaining cargo. Sakiko drives the bus thru the city. Maria and Sumire looks at the city with a mix of sadness and longing.

"The city hasn't changed at all." Sumire commented. "Nothing changed since we left." Sakiko chuckled and tells her. "It has changed miss. You will see how much when we reach our destination." Sumire looks at Sakiko confused. And in a short while she would understand why.

The bus parks in front of a large building. It occupy an entire city block, in one side have many buildings and other constructions, but in the other there is a large circus build with stone and metal, but it was so carefully worked and painted that looked like a normal tend. The circus itself is surrounded by a wall clearly to prevent anyone from sneaking inside. The large metal gates are decorated with intricate floral patterns. On the top of the tend there is many multi colored flags.

"Welcome to the Maboroshi no Yoru." Sakiko says with a rather grandly gesture to the buildings complex. "Illusion of the night?" Maria asks. "Well was that or Nocturnal Illusion as Uchiki wanted." Sakiko replies. "I decided to change the name to Japanese to make easier to people recall it."

"You know I fail to see why having us to perform in a circus will help us to stay unknown." Sumire commented glaring at Benji. "I say the very same thing about you acting on the imperial theater." Benji replies. "Besides here we will be wearing masks and heavy make up to disguise ourselves."

"Mind in discussing inside? It is kind of cold out here." Marisa complains. Sakiko leads them to the tend. "WOW! This place is huge!" Chloe shouts and she isn't surprised by the echoes of her shout bouncing back to her. "It kind of recalls me of an arena." Maria comments. "You are staying too much around Uchiki." Sakiko said annoyed.

"Don't mention that they sleep together sometimes." Chloe whispers to Sakiko. The brunette nods understanding. "Anyway the stage is separated from the audience seats by a pit where can be placed props, an orchestra and other things for a show. As you can see there are trapezes on those frames hanging from the ceiling. I leave the spectacle up to you guys." Sakiko says to them.

"The backstage have a main control room where curtains, lights, and everything else can be controlled from. It also has changing rooms, prop rooms and everything needed to store and place people on." Sakiko continues giving them a tour by the facilities. After they leave the circus building they are facing a series of halls with plaques on the. "Each of those halls leads to a different part of the facilities as gym, cafeteria, locker room, bathroom and everything else."

They nod understanding and Benji makes a mental note to map the place. "The base itself is bellow the ground. There is an elevator on the garage where vehicles can be transferred from the surface to underground and the other way around. In the base you can find a map of the city, armory, command room, well I am sure that you guys will find it. I won't list them all. But the base is really big." Sakiko continues.

"No wonder you took so long to gather money you build this huge place! We won't need half of the space!" Chloe shouts to Benji. "Five years to gather money and build this fucking place! You said that we shouldn't set down roots that we might be running away from the country!"

"This way will raise less suspicion on us because people won't think that we are planning to leave soon because we build a place to act and live." Benji replies. "But it is waste of money!" Chloe shots back. Everyone else is busy looking around the huge complex. "For sure is bigger than the teigeki." Maria comments. "You are right. At least twice bigger than it." Sumire agreed.

"By the way Uchiki, I thought that you would like to know this little piece of information." Sakiko says to Benji. "Few years ago a bunch of rich guys decided to build their own arena near of Teito, as you can guess it isn't the usual kind that you are used to see around the world, this one deals only with really high bets from very rich people, the common people doesn't even know about it."

"And the fighters?" Benji asked curious, it doesn't matter how well trained everyone is or how much money they have on their vault there is always place for more money and training. "Anyone that knows can enter paying a fee, is the usual deal you pay a certain amount and if you win you doubles it." Sakiko answered. "Knowing you as I know you I already got you some passes to go there with all your crew to train."

"Good job Sakiko." Benji praised her. "Anyway I will leave you guys to get used to this place; you know how to find me." She said, Benji nods and the Japanese woman leaves the building. "I still think that this is a waste of money." Chloe says to Benji after Sakiko leaves. "Chloe we have more than five millions dollars in cash, gold and precious stones, this place only costed five hundred thousand dollars." Benji replied. "We have rivers of money to use. Besides Sakiko told me that there is a arena in Teito and you know what that means." He added with a smile. "More training on the arena and betting." Chloe replied. "Exactly." Benji said. "SO chill out we have a lot of founds."

Benji, Sumire, Maria and the others stay on the Maboroshi no Yoru for one entire week getting used to the lay out of the buildings and locations inside them. In the command room Benji, Maria, Sumire, Chloe and Charme are looking at a map of the city. "As you requested I stalked the members of the Imperial Theater on this passed week and using Sakiko's information I found that they aren't doing anything other than acting on the years that followed the escape of Maria and Sumire." Charme says to Benji on a serious tone, the former thief found the reasons of the entire battle too serious to fool around or screw up, so during her training she worked her hardest to be on Benji's standards.

"You mean that they aren't acting as the defense force anymore?" Sumire asked confused and shocked. "From what I have collected and checked it seems that part of the defense force is getting less and less founds each year in a steady rate." Charme answered. "And the man that you two called taisho left the theater and he is now in a high position in the navy's rank and he doesn't seem to care with the theater or the inhabitants."

Maria and Sumire try hard to hide their feelings, they knew that on the beginning Ogami didn't liked being there and he was tricked by everyone and Yoneda to believe that they was just a theatrical troupe, but time passed and he seemed to love being there. "There are more." Charme added. "I don't know what the cause is, but more than once he voiced his disliking of the defense force and that the defense force was waste of money and time and that what the capital really needed was an army able to defeat the evil not a small team of women."

Sumire bites her lower lip in frustration; Maria clenches her fists angry with what she just heard. "He also said that the koubus should be turned in something really useful in combats that any soldier could use in any situation." Charme continued. "I fear that the top dogs agree with him and the worse is that there is few rumors that some really powerful generals or something like that are interested in beginning a war against a neighboring country and they might actually try to find a way to turn those koubu things into machines for open wars."

Sumire leaves and Maria follows. Charme is about to call them when Benji motions to her let them go. "Those words have hitted them hard, they was part of that defense force and they don't want to believe that the man that they followed said what you said that he did and that he is supporting the use of the koubus in a war." Benji says to Charme after Maria and Sumire leave the room. "They might deny but they still have feelings for everyone connected directly to the defense force." Charme nods understanding.

"It just get worse boss." Charme says to Benji. "I have checked all the information that Sakiko gave us and there says that there is rumors of the government making some secret experiences and that Ogami guy that you said that you have cutted his arm, well he is with both arms I am guessing that if the government is doing experiments he might have be part of one that was successful and somehow he got his arm back."

Benji sighs, he knows that it isn't good and all the information that they got didn't said anything about the reasons that caused Sumire to be hunted by her commanders and why they were so determinate to get her or kill her so much that they made Maria also be a criminal and arrested Hinako. "Moving to something else about my mother?" Benji asked.

"Taking out mentioning that she is being considerably well treated in some secret military prison our information doesn't say anything about her." Charme replied. "Boss I am guessing that they are just keeping her alive to lure you, your sister and Maria to try freeing her."

"Trap or not we are going to find a way to free her." Benji said, Charme sighs. "I knew that you were going to say that." she said in a mock disappointed tone throwing her arms up. "What else you need me to do?" she said in a serious tone. "For a while nothing, let's leave to Sakiko the information gathering since we are here now she can begin a more aggressive way of collecting it." Benji answered. "Just get ready to the opening day of the Yoru; you know that we are a stunt circus." Charme nods and leaves.

"So bro what we should do about the defense force?" Chloe asked when they are alone. "First we will see how deep they are on this mess and if they are involved we get rid of them, if they are innocent we just let them be." Benji answered in a serious tone. "And if they are ordered to fight us?" she asked. "Then we fight back." Benji replied. "If they fight us they are our enemies and if they don't come to our side we deal with them as we do with the other enemies." Chloe nods understanding exactly what he meant.

Teito June second 1931 10:03 AM; Imperial Theater

An eighteen years old Iris runs on the theater halls wearing a summer dress. "Hurry up Sakura!" Iris calls the older woman while knowing on her bedroom door. "We will be late for the grand opening of that circus!" "I am going Iris-chan." Sakura said opening the bedroom door; Sakura is wearing her usual pink kimono and hakama.

"Why you took so long?" Iris asked annoyed to the brunette. "I was taking out from my purse things that I wouldn't need and making sure that I wouldn't forget my ticket." Sakura replied with a small smile. Iris and Sakura arrived on the entry where the remaining members of the hanagumi and the members of Paris kagekidan where waiting for them.

They leave the theater chatting excitedly about the circus opening and the fact that they won't be the single show in the city anymore and because of that they will be able to finally get a break of acting so much. In front of the Maboroshi no Yoru the hanagumi can see a really long line of people who are eagerly waiting their turn to enter on the circus that is already allowing the costumers to enter.

Inside the circus there isn't a single empty chair after everyone entered and is waiting for the beginning of the show. The hanagumi and fleur division are very excited looking around the ample stage and the filled rows of seats. "I can't believe that so many people came for this opening." Kanna commented in awe, the circus easily held ten times more people than the theater.

"Everyone is very curious." Reni commented in a normal tone, with the years Reni became more open and stopped suppressing her emotions. "It took years to this place be built and everyone wants to see the show." Orihime nods agreeing, she too was very curious at this new spectacle it was a good change from being the spectacle.

The light dims and a strong feminine voice break the excited chatter of the audience being transmitted by many well disguised loudspeakers. "Welcome to the Maboroshi no Yoru it great delight and pleasure we welcome you all to out grand opening!" Chloe said from the center of the stage, she is wearing a tight purple ringmaster outfit. "For this very special time our opening act will be the stunning Natasha's archery!"

After Chloe's words Maria who is wearing a black and white outfit composed of loose white trousers, brown knee high leather boots, a closed black jacket, brown leather archery gloves, a light armor on her chest, a mask that covers the lower half of her face and a leather hat finishing the outfit, Maria's long blonde hair is loose and moves as Maria's black horse rides on the large ring.

Maria is holding a black long bow on her left hand while her right hand is holding on the reins, on her right side hanging on a belt is a quiver filled with arrows. Maria rides around the ring while Sumire wearing a very tight black, purple and red long sleeved leotard enters on the ring; Sumire's well shaped legs are painted with tribal styled golden dragon that coils around her right leg, on her leotard the dragon continues to move upwards, wrapping around her slim waist, passing diagonally on her stomach under her right breast, crossing her back and passing over her left shoulder, its mouth appears to be open, ready to tear Sumire's left breast to reach her heart. Covering her head is a semi-transparent veil mask covering a mask covering the lower half of her face, Sumire's long hair is loose over her shoulders, casketing on her back.

Sumire is pushing a cart loaded with apples, shooting clays, disks and several other targets to Maria to shoot. Sumire moves to the center of the ring while Chloe moved away without being noticed, the spotlights were on Sumire and Maria.

Sumire throw an apple far from the center of the stage and Maria snaps two arrows in a nearly instant succession at the apple piercing the fruit with both arrows. The crowd goes wild and Sumire throws a shooting clay on the air, Maria snaps an arrow at the disk shattering it.

Sumire holds a cigarette on her slim fingers and hold her hand near of her face as if she was going to place the cigarette on her lips, Maria shoots at the cigarette cutting the thin roll with her arrow. Once again the crowd cheers at the feat, the hanagumi and fleur division cheers as everyone else, they haven't ever seen a show like that.

After two hours the show ends and the people start to leave the circus, the hanagumi and fleur division are walking away from the circus, Kanna, Iris and Orihime are happily eating candy apples sold by the circus's food stands. "I loved the show." Sakura commented still excited. "That act with the silks was just breathtaking."

"It was good but I enjoyed more the tightrope act." Glycine replied. "That man is just insane and skillful. I still can't believe that he was doing somersaults and acrobatics on that height with out even a safety net." "I enjoyed the fire show." Erica commented with a smile while eating some of her chocolate candied popcorn. "The burst of flames and the fire breathing. Mister Clown! Fire!" All the girls chat about their favorite acts excitedly it their day off started perfectly well.

End of the chapter six:

Please read and review. And I would like to thank everyone that have read and reviewed and to everyone that is reading this story.

Sorry for the really long gap in updating this fic, I placed this fic in the backburner because a block on this story. Most of this chapter was written 11/11/05 at the time of the last update, so style changes, grammar improvement and other things that changed since then won't be present in most of this chapter.

I apologize to everyone that waited for this new chapter and the development of the story, I can't promise that the next update will come soon but for sure won't take as long as this one.

Bonus scene …

"I can't believe that we got a full house." Chloe commented to the others in the dinning hall, they are having a small celebration over the success of the show, even the show being just a cover. "After nearly five years of mysterious construction it is just normal." Benji commented casually. "Everyone wanted to see what we have done here."

"I am happy that everything went fine and no one was hurt." Charme said in a serious tone. "I can't even count how many times any one of us could get killed on this show. Especially the two of you on that stupid knife throwing act, if any of you missed the knife would be dead."

"We are very used to the dangerous game of grabbing a knife on the air." Chloe commented casually. "I lost the count of times that we did that in combat, the one that throws at us usually dies with the knife that he used against us." "And we practiced a lot before the show using dummies just to make sure that everything was fine." Benji added. "Everyone is performing what they can do to prevent accidents."

"Shooting arrows at Sumire is dangerous!" Charme exclaimed. "I trust on Maria with my life." Sumire said to the dark skinned girl. "I know that she will hit only the target and not me."

Charme sighs annoyed, her own act was dangerous but not as dangerous as the others; Benji was on the tightrope performing all kinds of stunts on it, Chloe's act was the knife throwing with Benji and Sumire, with Benji they would throw one knife at each other as trying to kill the other with the knife then grab it on the air and throw at the other, with Sumire the act was the most common knife throwing around a target.

Sumire's act was a very dangerous but very graceful and beautiful act on the silk and paired with Benji on the trapeze. Charme's act was the illusionism and escapism acts, it was followed by Sasha's act of small magic and sorcery acts, mostly fire related.

Maria pulls Benji to a more secluded spot on the busy dinning hall. "They were here." Maria said to him in a serious tone. Benji nods understanding what she meant, he also noticed the girls on the VIP stands. "The other girls with them are the fleur division of Paris." Maria explained. "And we weren't noticed by any of them."

"I told you that masks and the long hair would make you two pass unnoticed by them." Benji commented seriously, since they escaped from Teito Maria and Sumire began letting their hair grow, both girls kept their hair on their hip level, Maria however still kept some shorter bangs that cover the left side of her face part of her hair was still styled as it was when she kept her hair short; Sumire's styled her hair in a way that her hair style is just a longer version of the style that used with her hair on the shoulder length.

"I am not all that confident about moving around the city." Maria said in an honest tone, for her just the longer hair, a more tanned skin and few facial differences from the five years passed wasn't enough for her to believe that she could walk around freely; her face was slightly more mature with the years and her body also was slimmer, fit and mature; the same happened with Sumire.

"I can understand your worries." Benji replied in a sympathetic tone. "Use a hat and a pair of shades that will help." Maria nods and looks at Sumire. "And her?" she asked while Sumire is happily chatting with Charme, Sumire was happy in being back to a stage. "Sumire has a beauty mark under her left eye."

"Make up or shades." Benji replied. "Or she can just style her hair as you do and cover her left eye." "Don't tease me." Maria hissed embarrassed. "What you plan on doing now? We are officially on business." "We are still gathering intelligence." Benji answered seriously. "They hid mother's location very well; we still don't have much information about her whereabouts." Benji sighs running his hand on his now long hair. "We might be forced to take forceful measures to get information about her."

Maria nods in silence, she knows that the true reason of their entire quest is rescue Hinako from her prison, everything else including discovering the truth about the orders to kill Sumire is only secondary and not as important, even Sumire agreed on that, her mother is much more important than her own name and the truth behind the orders of her assassination.