Wasuren hated feeling uncomfortable. He particularly hated it when a family member made him feel uncomfortable. These people have ostracized him all sixteen years of his life, so when ever he gets riled up because of them he hates it. And the person who provokes this feeling the most is Hoshigami Daiki.
Daiki never explicitly made contact with Wasuren, but neither did he condemn him. You see, Wasuren perceived the feeling in his gut that the reason Daiki never spoke ill about him was because he pitied him. Although some would have a feeling of relief that within this family of cold hearted devils, one showed a semblance of pity. Wasuren was not one of those, he didn't know what to make of it but it bothered him, why? He does not know.
Wasuren was not one to judge people merely by their looks, but if he were to judge his uncle based on his appearance, he'd draw the conclusion that Hoshigami Daiki was a sly fox and only pretended to be hearty and easygoing in the surface, he would propose the notion that underneath Daiki's smile there was an animal ready to let loose. But.... Wasuren does not judge by the surface. He is a hunter.
It does not help that there already are rumors going around about an uprising. Some of the samurai believe that Daiki is preparing to overthrow his elder brother. What causes rumors like this to spread is because when Hoshigami Harunobu proposed to his sons the title of banner men Raizen accepted wholeheartedly but his younger brother, Daiki refused. That little incident caused a rift between the brothers and birthed the rumor that Daiki was all but happy about his brother's position as heir to the Hoshigami clan. But ... That's all rumors.
"You may sit Uncle" Wasuren said to Daiki.
Daiki chuckled softly, as if amused by Wasuren's choice of words. He lowered himself onto the cushion with that same foxlike smile, folding his hands neatly on his lap.
"You've grown sharper with your tongue," Daiki said. "Your father's fire, your mother's silence. A dangerous mix." His eyes, golden-brown like autumn leaves, seemed to study Wasuren rather than truly look at him. "I wonder, do you resent me as you resent the rest of them?"
Wasuren didn't answer immediately. He knew better than to play into Daiki's games. He simply held his uncle's gaze until the older man sighed and leaned back.
"The Hoshigami name is a heavy one," Daiki continued. "Even heavier when half the clan wishes you'd never borne it. I don't blame you for your suspicion—your father's bloodline is full of wolves. But if you have the patience to listen, you may find not all wolves are out for your throat."
That made Wasuren tilt his head slightly. The words were careful, as if Daiki was weighing each one before releasing it.
"You've heard the whispers, haven't you?" Daiki's voice dropped lower, smooth as oil. "That I aim to cast your father down. That I prepare an uprising. Dangerous rumors."
Wasuren cut in almost immediately. " To be honest Uncle, I care very little about district politics, and if you wish to bring down Raizen Hoshigami then by all means do what needs to be done, but I see no reason for you to speak to me about it."
Daiki cocked his head, his smile broke as he silently acknowledged Wasuren's witty reply. "The Miharagi tribe." Daiki allowed the silence rest between them, allowing the weight of the name sink into Wasuren's mins.
The name was a spark on dry grass. Wasuren narrowed his eyes. The Miharagi were cousins of the Hoshigami, a rival branch that had often eyed their seat of power with hungry ambition.
"They smile at us at banquets," Daiki went on, "but behind closed doors they count our weaknesses. They see you as one. A boy without a place. But I…" He leaned forward, voice quiet, coaxing. "I see a weapon. If you are willing to sharpen yourself, Wasuren, you could prove to them that even a boy born of whispers can cut deeper than steel."
Daiki's words slid into Wasuren's ears like a serpent. Helpful. Encouraging. Yet carrying venom.
Wasuren forced a smile, thin and humorless. "And why would you care whether I sharpen myself or not, Uncle?"
Daiki's smile widened just a fraction. "Because, my dear nephew, sharp weapons cut both ways. And when the time comes, it is always wise to have one hidden in the sheath that no one expects."
Wasuren scoffed. "You expect me to work for you. To fight for you when the time is ripe?"
Daiki refuted Wasuren softly. "No Wasuren, I expect you to fight with me."
Wasuren grew wary of his uncle's approach. "Surely there are others more ambitious than I am. Others with hatred for Raizen. Men that would leap at a chance to humiliate him, but you chose me. His son. Why?"
Daiki nodded approvingly at his nephew. " I am pleased to see that lack of proper parental guidance haven't dulled your mind. You are sharp. You see Wasuren, ambition is good, but too much ambition can blind a man and lead to his down fall. One man with ambition is good, but two or more with the same ambition can only work with one another for so long before they are at each other's throats. That is why I have come to you my dear nephew, because I do not see a collision of our ambitions."
Wasuren remained quiet all this while listening to Daiki speak, he spoke with so much conviction that Wasuren was almost convinced to side with him... almost.
"At your return from Aoshima, Harunobu, my father will step down as chief vassal of Hinokagura capital and its seven districts. There will be a banquet and all lesser chiefs and their bannermen will be present. It is one of the biggest gatherings of the province, only second to the coronation of the Daimyo of Tsukihana. At the banquet.... things will happen.
There's a storm coming my dear nephew, and and I'm merely seeking your assistance in making sure we're not on the bad side of it."