Adult-FanFiction.org : Anime

400 Years Apart	By : Cynthermes Category: +M to R > Mirage of Blaze Views: 4238 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Mirage of Blaze and its characters solely belong to Kuwabara Mizuna. I’m just going to creep into a corner of her sand box and play the part of a wannabe historical writer. No profit has been made in the construction of this story.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
Chapter Fifteen:

War of the Usurpers: Part 3

A/N: The Hojo are caught in a confusing pincer tactic deployed by two unusually cooperating (or are they?) rival/ enemy clans.

Additional Disclaimer: I used some of Asphodel's historical data from her Mirage Glossary so all credit goes to her in reference to Naoe Nobutsuna. (Except the sohei part XD)

Rise and fall…

Rise and fall…

Watching an old man breathe shallowly until he stops was starting to become a bother. This was what he hated about stealth missions. Compared to the field where battles were fought between men vying for honor and glory some missions required killing old men, women and children. Could he have any guilt left after taking so many lives? He believes that wasn't enough to make him hesitate. It was probably distraction in his part. His usual pragmatic and cold-blooded self was unusually absent.

He was considering the consequences of being the receiving end of 'a bloody earful' when he stumped the "poisonous incense stick" off the burning lantern. The physically suffocating, mind crippling, hazy mist dissipates and the old man's breathing gradually returned to normal. It was almost pathetic that he could kill the surviving elder patriarch of the Hojo with some time to spare.

As much as he hated to admit it, the mamushi really did them a rather expensive favor this time. The hand-drawn layout of Odawara-jo had been very useful.

The Sohei managed to infiltrate without incident, which was a little daunting in its ease. They encountered minimal resistance upon choosing floors that have low security as entry points and avoided heavily guarded areas; the second and third bailey of Odawara-jo were practically swarming with musha-tai61.

The man in command of the Sohei ordered his unit to avoid the open castle grounds at all costs. To allow themselves a bit of leverage, they use one tactic he had discovered in his days as an apprentice. His Sohei master was well travelled and had been very knowledgeable in different types of incense. This seemingly religious and aesthetic practice turned out to be an unexpected weapon. Esoteric Buddhism when combined with herbal medicine had its quirks. He didn't think it possible that certain concoctions of aromatic oils, therapeutic herbs, resins and lastly natural extracts of the poisonous variety could produce an array of effects when burned as a single incense stick. Only his own experience convinced him otherwise.

Being the eldest son and the future liege lord of the Sousha-Nagao clan, temple life was the last thing he envisioned until his family's near annihilation at the hands of the Takeda. To protect his identity he was brought to and raised in the company of Sohei along with his brother Kagefusa. His guardians kept his survival a secret in the exception of their overlord, Uesugi-Nagao Kagetora who instantly took a liking to him as a young lad. Kagetora, who was a monk himself, encouraged him to be brought up in an environment of neutrality. Shortly before his coming of age he was offered the position to be one of the Uesugi's Four Ten-ou in the condition that he be adopted as a Naoe. If he declines he could remain as a Sohei favoring none and serving none: the mediating party of their chaotic government.

He was forced to bear the identities of both "Musanaga no Unsui" and Nagao-Naoe Nobutsuna in the aftermath of a bloodbath. It seems siblings born in the Nagao are cursed by fate.

Kagetaka as was his birth name went to study and train under the strict tutelage of his Sohei Master. To strengthen the mind through concentration and focus, his master introduced him to meditation. It was held at a fixed time within the heart of the temple in a simple traditional room. At early dawn just before sunrise, he would wake, light the lanterns and come to this particular room to meditate. His master would always be there first in the lotus sitting position and would acknowledge his presence with one crack of an eye and would shut it faster than he could blink.

Setting afoot on the polished wooden floors the first thing that he noticed was the absence of his younger brother, Kagefusa. Unpleasant punishment awaits the apprentice who arises after dawn so Kagetaka with a strong sense of discipline never crosses that line. He mirrors his master's posture and wills his mind to slip into a trance-like state, ignoring all tangible objects in the enclosed space. As he breathed in and out achieving the desired rhythm to strengthen his ki, a slightly sweet smell pervaded his senses. The disarming scent lulled his sharp focus and a pin prick of cold numbness hit him suddenly.

Like a marching needle it travelled from his forehead towards his temples worsening as he inhaled and exhaled. At some point even breathing became difficult as certain tightness squeezed his chest. He felt like suffocating but he couldn't break his trance. The sensation was comparable to sinking at sea with weights attached to the body designed to never surface again…

He couldn't even open his eyes as his consciousness starts to fade. His body leaned sideways about to fall in a boneless heap when a hand quickly steadied his neck. Kagetaka opened his eyes instantly, "Master?"

"I said meditate not sleep, boy."

He would never have guessed what was being done to him in that room until several years later. When his master told him the secret, he was already immune to it. Perhaps he wouldn't have known the answer if he ended up dead…

But that happens to those who are weak. They collapse, they wither, and they die in the face of a silent killer. No matter how heavily guarded a fortress is, in the absence of those guarding the vulnerabilities even the most carefully hidden pieces are inevitably exposed.

What am I doing? Nobutsuna couldn't understand the reason himself why he aborted the demise of this man. Didn't his assassination mean the true fall of Hakone in their hands? Still he couldn't have the drive to do it. It was too… easy. Was it some twisted sense of pride that made him want nothing to do with those who couldn't even fight?

That was a lie.

Looking at the merely sleeping face of Hojo Genan reminded him of Saito Rennyo-bou his Sohei Master. Genan was sprawled in the very same way Rennyo was found in his chambers. The Sohei Master died helplessly… probably not knowing he was murdered. The similarity of the situation unnerved him. Perhaps the laughing red moon wished to torment him, to make him remember that night of guilt.

Nagahide is going to be mad unless... they could use Genan as a psychological tool to induce emotional pressure on the Go-Hojoshi daimyo. Having his mental dilemma fixed, he deliberately leaves his target alive, exiting through the window.

XxXMOBXxX

A burst of relief filled him as he finally rid himself of that man's presence. Hojo Ujimasa was truly a frightening opponent be it a battle of swords or of wits. It was the first time Nagahide had met the Sagami no Kami in person but already wishes to let it be the last as well. Ujimasa-dono was so very cold in demeanor but his words alone could burn stone into ashes. Dealing with someone too unpredictable of mood and at the same time so precariously detached was like slicing water with a blade: a futile attempt to one so untouchable.

He couldn't help but feel cheated somehow like getting the bad half of a bargain.

Their targets namely: Hojo Genan and Hojo Hanaiin were handled separately. The former would be assassinated and the latter abducted: it was the most methodical and efficient strategy.

Nobutsuna had decided to separate himself from the group (He couldn't blame him for he stands out like a tree among the unit) and thus Nagahide being the delegated acting-commander was forced to "adjust himself to the majority". He was not one of them. Yasuda Nagahide was not sohei; he was a bushi and such disparity was not easily overlooked in these times. Trust was hard-earned and loyalties could be just as simply, divided.

Sohei for as long as they existed were a neutral part-political and part-religious organization. They didn't follow the samurai code of honor and were even subtly against daimyo rule. The reason that they were willing comrades and even tolerate his leadership (being Nobutsuna's adjutant) could be limited to personal theories. One of which was Nobutsuna's dual succession as both bushi (Uesugi Ten-ou, Yamato no Kami Nagao-Naoe Nobutsuna) and sohei (Saito Rennyo Musashi-bou); a controversial matter he dared not to accept as fact. Another was a much more plausible but equally sensitive speculation. Someone of high position with connections to the reigning emperor was said to govern the Sohei. But come to think of it, wasn't the current Kanto Kanrei* a monk as well?

It makes him draw back on his musings the night before…

…That clanship ties complicate everything.

Nagahide didn't know how tangled this web of relationships could get.

*Governor of Kanto

They were now on the run. Rapid and silent footsteps were scaling deserted hallways, narrow joint bridges between bastions, and shingled roofs. The poison incense must have burned more than halfway already. It wouldn't take long for surviving Hojo warriors to get back on their feet. And the last thing they needed were the Fuma snapping on their heels. As much as he wanted to deny it, the absence of the elite shinobi was a crucial factor why the sohei managed to infiltrate Odawara-jo with ease.

That was why he had stayed behind, to ensure that they weren't being followed.

So far they aren't…

He and his two sohei allies were headed for the guard tower located within the northern castle walls. Nobutsuna had chosen to subdue that defensive structure first to serve as their lookout and point of assembly. A sohei was guarding that post to monitor enemy movement centered on the gates of the third bailey.

Even before they left the guard tower to execute their mission they observed an outpouring of cavalry forces from Odawara-jo— it was a pity the infantry all remained behind. Nagahide could only imagine the havoc the Takeda must be causing in the leadership of the so-called Nige-Danjo. Kousaka was one very cunning, unpredictable war commander. In the years of occasionally bumping with him, he was the only high-ranking general who was diligent in his field work to get a good grasp of enemy territory. Few could repulse a siege when Kousaka was behind it. He attacks when least expected and only runs to either save his troops or lead pursuing enemies into a crushing ambush.

Cutting the military force guarding Odawara-jo by more than half truly served its purpose in favor of the Uesugi. The successful capture of Hanaiin-hime was a testament to that. She must be in Nobutsuna's company by now.

"Yasuda-dono, you are falling behind. Is something the matter?" The sohei before him prompts without even looking back.

"Aren't you wondering why the daimyo just let us be?" Nagahide replied, already irked at being physically less adept when compared to these young warrior monks. He might be the more experienced fighter (the only possible reason why they remain compliant under his command) but he was still unable to hold a candle to the sohei's superhuman abilities.

"It means all the more reason for us to hurry. The Fuma are nearby, Yasuda-dono."

But of course… this was dire news. He wasn't about to ask how the sohei managed to know that. Exceptional warriors must have their high-strung senses trained on subtle changes in the atmosphere. Could they pick out the slightest sound of movement of their enemies even from afar?

The guard tower looms ahead. Striving to catch up, Nagahide jumps from a perilous height of the wide-roofed north bastion down the adjacent bridge way. He was thankful he at least maintained his impeccable sense of balance to displace his weight dashing between very steep, very narrow tiles. Being a street performer has somehow improved his martial skills.

But such skills were not enough to detect the alarming presence of one who arrived a little earlier than his peers. The young sohei up front pauses abruptly to survey his surroundings. His rigid posture reminded Nagahide of a wild animal preparing to flee or to fight: all muscles tense, the body itself up to the last strand of hair straining, perceptive faculties on high alert to the slightest whisper in the wind, the weakest tremor in the ground, and the minutest droplet of water. Nagahide deduced that something wasn't going according to plan. "Yasuda-dono, please regroup with Naoe-sama. I shall cover for you."

Nagahide knew better than to argue. He merely watches the sohei leap from his unstable perch before disappearing into the mist below. Where there was smoke there was fire and where there was fire there was incense to be burned.

The northern guard tower they seized was a vantage point past the inner gates opening directly towards the sannomaru, the outermost bailey of the castle. The sannomaru was home to the kokujin or samurai residents. It would have been impossible to skitter on adjoining bridges and rooftops even at night with a nest of enemies directly beneath their feet. The sohei knew exactly how to remedy the situation. They fed the torches with powdered incense enough to last until they have long escaped. It didn't take long for the very air itself on the ground to become saturated with a chi-crippling mist. The vast incense smoke had variable effects but prolonged exposure depresses respirations and could be particularly fatal to those who have a weak body resistance. Only Naoe and the sohei were immune to it.

Nagahide was spared with an antidote he was provided earlier.

Their discreet re-entry couldn't have made their ringleader become less aware of their presence. Naoe's eyes were already trained on all three of them before Nagahide's feet landed softly on the floor boards.

Like an imperious tree burnt ash black, Naoe stood with his arms crossed, stiff posture, brows nearly touching, mouth a thin grim line. The sohei who delivered their hostage remains bent on his feet while the unconscious hime was half-lying on her side. If Nagahide knew better, his friend and superior seems unsettled by something and maybe a little pissed?

Naoe opened his mouth, "Explain."

Nagahide almost gaped at him. Naoe rarely used this tone on him and that was reserved on the battlefield when they were about to argue fiercely about something going wrong among the ranks. Time was not on their side, he decided not to fan the flames of the other's anger. "What is the matter?"

"You were assigned to capture Hanaiin-hime. Now tell me why this young woman is brought here, instead."

The steel in his voice was like no other. He was being addressed as a subordinate, not as a friend, and not even a comrade. It makes Nagahide simmer a little inside. He thought they were through this. Those days of enmity were gone he didn't want to return to them. Without answering he crosses the room and looks at the hime closely. Recognition finally sinks in and he stifles a gasp. There was no mistake; this young woman was the very same companion of Tsune who watched their performance. She was… Hana.

Hana… a flower. Nagahide wanted to laugh. A peculiar feeling rose in him. It felt like he was a subject of some Buddha's sick jest. He shook his head to dispel it. It would do them no good if they would hastily base their judgment on loose conclusions. "We captured her in her chambers, which happen to be in the daimyo's palace."

Naoe took a deep breath. There were several thoughts swirling in his head and they all point to one undisputable fact. He tried his damnedest not to compare the girl's features to the boy's and to ignore the similarities in the shape of their faces, or the slenderness of their limbs. He focused on Nagahide's words and understood his logic… which unfortunately continues to erode his doubts in defense of Tsune.

"Is it true that the hime of Hakone constantly hide her face with a veil?" Naoe addresses the sohei prostrating before him.

"Yes, Naoe-sama."

"Therefore, what are the chances that you have brought me the wrong hostage?" The leader of the Sohei asks testily.

Nagahide frowns. If they couldn't settle this quickly the enemy would regain their bearings and surround them right here. It was partly their fault why the identity of the hime was such a mystery. They didn't stay long enough in Hakone to find out and see for themselves; they had to delegate it. Opportunity presented itself to join a troupe of travelling performers as not to arouse suspicion on their way to Odawara.

"None, Naoe-sama. She is Hanaiin-hime. I swear with my life." The sohei's confirmation was the final wave crashing against his mountain-pile of doubts. Yet it only irritates him further. When did he become this deaf to reason? He could feel Nagahide's disapproving stare on him.

Are you hesitating again, Nobutsuna? This is unlike you. "Naoe-dono, what are your orders?"

Their eyes clash. Nagahide meets Nobutsuna's glare with a force of his own: Ice shards versus molten iron. Sometimes he wonders how this prideful scion of the Yasuda clan became his adjutant. Perhaps he needed someone to keep him in check: To assuage his cold-blooded nature as a sohei and rein him back to being the honorable samurai he wants to be. Nagahide has never failed to keep his dual identities into a harmonious balance. "Nagahide, take the hime to our naval base as discussed. We will construct our next plan of actions there."

His friend's reply was a lashing whip. "Are you telling me to leave you here? No. Not a chance. We will leave. Together. NOW."

"WHO is the commander here? Take the hime and be prepared to report our progress to Kagetora-kou in my place! I shall tolerate no further arguments!" I have to make certain… Tsune, you can't be…

"Bastar—" Nagahide bites his tongue. "By your command, Nagao-Naoe-dono." He hisses. Don't you elope behind my back, you mongrel! He doesn't say it in Naoe's face and secures their hostage. On his way out, an explosion was heard.

They were in trouble.

Nagahide instinctively casts Naoe a worried glance.

"GO." For both their sakes, he doesn't waver and obeys a direct order.

XxXMOBXxX

"Saburo-sama! Saburo-sama, slow down!" Akito yelled in alarm at the pace his charge was going on horseback towards the goten62.

Protectiveness aside, he really couldn't blame him. Entering past the outermost gates, they found the final "reinforcements" heading supposedly to join Ujiteru's army. The armored horses were in disarray while their riders were all knocked out on the ground. The bushi were barely breathing and didn't stir when shaken. Oddly, not a single inflicted wound could be found on their bodies. Akito quickly got the impression that they were sedated by some unknown means strangely similar to their63 ways… He had a sinking feeling that his fears about the castle being susceptible to stealth attacks just came true.

Sensing his worried vibe, Saburo had insisted on immediately going to the palace. He might not say it but the boy was anxious about his family. The lordling wasn't expecting to find the castle in this state. Entering past the inner gates of the sannomaru64 a peculiar sweet scent wafted in the air. Akito instinctively drew back. "Saburo-sama, stop! Going further is dangerous!"

Fortunately the lordling listened and pulled the reins to a halt, "What is that scent? It makes my head feel odd."

As a response, the shinobi guardian immediately reached his side, swiftly lifted him off the saddle, and covered his face with protective clothing. "Don't breathe deeply. The substance would make you dizzy very fast."

Akito knew it was only a matter of time before their horses were affected and instantly dismounts taking Saburo with him. It was then that the geldings started acting up, behaving wildly, whinnying and snorting excessively.

"What is wrong?" Saburo worriedly asks behind his human shield. Akito doesn't reply and keenly observes the animals becoming more out of control. He takes a weapon hidden beneath his sleeve and aims. With lethal shinobi precision, two small darts were shot to disable two moving potentially dangerous targets. The horses gave short whimpers before their limbs collapsed in a heap.

"You didn't have to hurt them." Saburo rebukes and slips away from Akito's protective hold. He sees to the horses and strokes one gelding's muzzle. It snorts softly at his touch.

"There is nothing to worry, Saburo-sama. I merely helped calm them down." Akito says gently. It was rare to see a boy of noble birth care so much even for animals.

"Calm… them?" The horses were pliant under his grasp until one suddenly reared up trying to stand. Saburo regards the frightened gelding in confusion and looks up into the sky.

Beneath the red moon, scarcely obscured by tree leaves was an outline of a man hovering on the edge of the north bastion's tiled roofing. Face hooded, Eyes wide, breathing sharp: a wild animal that has just sunk its fangs into prey. Saburo couldn't have noticed the trespasser if not for the brightly colored bundle he carries. The familiar Chrysanthemum-embroidered kimono was almost radiant in the moonlight. The lordling's eyes narrow into slits —Hana-san!

"Hana-san!" Saburo's feet move on their own leading him to where Hanaiin disappeared to.

Akito fought the urge to shout as well. The mist was still in effect, he must not let his charge be continuously exposed to it. He runs after him through the hazy air and catches the boy before his feet buckle under him.

"Saburo-sama, you are tired." The shinobi guardian kneels on the ground, supporting a barely coherent Saburo.

"Why… am I…" so weak…?

"It's the effect of the 'poison mist' we must neutralize it before we can proceed." Akito answered, cradling his head.

"Being treated… like… a child… I hate…

–Hana-san, she's… been taken… we must…"

Akito's brows knit. So that was why the lordling just bolted on him without thinking. This was getting worse by the minute. "The hime has been taken?"

Saburo nods weakly. "The guard tower… over there." He shuts his eyes and Akito panics a little. The guard tower was the sole structure standing between the bridge and the north bastion of the sannomaru64. And behind the north bastion hides the entire fighting force of Odawara-jo. Akito knew the musha-tai61were in full control of the area. If they could just alert the kokujin of the disturbance happening right outside their home!

The enemy was a clever one, he thought. They concentrated on using smokescreen tactics to mask their presence and deter any direct defensive approach. Choosing to subdue the northern guard tower allows them the advantage to monitor who goes in and out the castle. He wouldn't be surprised if the enemy were already in the know of their whereabouts. Still, this could have been prevented if some of the Fuma remained.

Aniue, where are you? Akito could only hope desperately. "Saburo-sama, don't sleep."

"Ah!" Saburo jerks awake when he felt two fingers push painfully against the pressure point of his palm. "That… hurts."

"Forgive me, Saburo-sama. That was necessary." The shinobi was pleased to receive his glare. It was fortunate that the lordling was still receptive to stimulus. Anyone would have gone numb. The boy was resilient after all.

No time left to waste, Akito focuses on his surroundings. Searching with his mind's eye he allows himself to 'feel' the chi flowing in the atmosphere. A substance was stifling life energy, distorting the balance, causing the very air to become poison in each breath. He grasps the substance through its sweet scent and locates its source. He could hear fire crackling in the distance. By the sound of its popping and snapping, something else was burning along with ordinary oil and dried wood. The torches along the castle walls were contaminated.

They were the very objects used to generate the mist!

And that wasn't the only problem. A set of footsteps was rapidly making its way towards them. Judging from the slightly heavier footfalls, this one wasn't shinobi. An enemy just spotted them and was intent to suppress before they could take action.

Eyes sharper than any blade snaps open. Caution and concealment be damned, Akito throws smoke bombs over the main torches set to explode upon impact. The strong shockwave from the explosion instantly put the fires out. The loud bang echoing within the sannomaru becomes a double-edged sword alerting anyone within range of a commotion. That was exactly Akito's intentions: to disturb the anthill, chasing the ants out into the open.

With the source of the mist destroyed, the air clears and it was safe to breathe again.

"Could you… Could you let go of my hand?" was the first coherent thing Saburo said to him. Akito belatedly realizes he has held on and quickly unclasps their fingers.

As his strength returned, Saburo could only think of one thing. Hanaiin has been taken to the guard tower. He must go there immediately. Before he could inch a step away Akito prevents him.

"Saburo-sama, please listen carefully. You are to head for the South Bastion. Alert the kokujin that the castle is under attack. Do not leave their protection until I could reach you."

The lordling's protest was predictably immediate, "No! Hana-san is…!"

"You are too exhausted to rescue her on your own!" His retort reminds Saburo of him. Ever-pragmatic and fiercely loyal shinobi were. Their ability to strictly follow their code and ignore all else angers Saburo because he knew that Akito thought of him first, being the priority and dismisses the real one at stake.

"You value a woman's life so little!" Just like my mother. The instant he uttered the words, a blade flashes and Akito pushed him away to receive an incoming blow.

Blood drips from the cut on the Fuma's arm. Inspecting the horribly shallow wound, Akito sneers at his opponent as a means to provoke him. "This doesn't even hurt."

His foe, a sohei as he had guessed grits his teeth, incensed. Akito was relieved to catch his full attention and evades the lethal descent of a dagger blade. Hurry and escape, Saburo-sama!

Saburo finally comprehends the meaning behind Akito's instructions. The enemy (unknown in number) was close by. He could only be nothing but a liability. Pretending like he wasn't even there, the lordling grabs the opportunity and slips away from the scene. Because of his peasant clothing and face covering the sohei doesn't pay him any heed as he runs past.

However his stubbornness will eventually lead him to the forbidden guard tower. Every moment counts. If he waits long enough for assistance, he might not reach Hanaiin in time. He was determined to save her. It was the least he could do for all the kindness she willingly offered him. With unshakable courage, the youth unsheathes his reserve dagger blade and cautiously approaches the single sliding door.

Meanwhile, a duel between a shinobi and a sohei ensues. Metal slams against metal with repeated clanging and swiping noises. A single kunai was already soaked with blood. Its handler's proficiency far exceeds that of the other. Carrying only one wound, the former seems more likely to walk away from this battle alive.

XxXMOBXxX

Bracing for an attack, Saburo peers only once through the crack and upon seeing nothing he flings the shoji violently open.

Blade raised he storms inside a surprisingly empty room. He wildly looks around searching for his cousin. When he couldn't find her, his eyes stray towards the window near the ceiling. Illuminated only by a single lantern, a torn piece of bright cloth was caught on fettered wood. Despair quickly saturates his heart. He had arrived too late. Hanaiin was already taken away.

Just then the floor boards behind him creaks. It alerts him of another presence in the room.

He swiftly turns to deflect the katana aiming for his head with a blade of his own. With the same technique he used with the Matsuda twins, Saburo bends to the stronger force of his unknown foe and slides free. He leaps a few steps back to behold his assailant: a towering figure cloaked in the color of night.

The man's stature was enough to intimidate and he was giving off an aura of supreme confidence that made the hairs on Saburo's nape stand on end. This one was not to be challenged.

Saburo swallows the lump in his throat and musters his fiercest glare. He shrugs the little tremors climbing up his spine and struggles to hold his weapon firmly.

The assailant merely watches. The only visible part on his face was an unreadable gaze. The man gives nothing away, seemingly unaware of his agitation or his fear. Yet the blank gaze pierces him, trapping him in place. Saburo was holding his breath, unsure how to react. His eyes remain fastened on the man's form: One hand on the long blade; the other unarmed. Saburo was not fooled: It was a loose deceiving posture for someone very skilled. He had seen his family retainer and kendo master, Ishimaki Yasumasa adopt this stance.

Meeting the force of his tiger's eyes, something flickers to life behind the man's dark orbs. It brings a shard of transparency into previously opaque ones. A bizarre emotion crept into Saburo with this searching gaze. It's as if he wasn't looking at a stranger at all.

"Who are you? What are you after here?" Saburo demands; making an attempt to stave the fight. His body reached its limits a little while ago. Hanaiin wasn't in this room; it was pointless to linger here.

The assailant keeps his silence and continues to regard him with unnerving scrutiny. It strikes a nerve on the lordling. He hates this kind of attention. "If you won't answer, it's the same as admitting guilt." Saburo said in a low provocative hiss.

His words appeared to have some effect on the assailant. The passivity vanished and rage seems to finally leak through. In a flash he was upon Saburo, his katana swings an oblique slash, which the youth barely blocks. With a slower reaction time and an unsteady grip, Saburo manages to catch the katana blade on the hilt of his tanto instead. The dagger handle fails to absorb the blow and it tumbles out of the lordling's grasp.

Effectively defenseless, the assailant doesn't even let the youth recover. He swings again with a power of a thunderstorm but just as the tip of his sword touches a hair on Saburo's head—

A shadowy lithe figure falls from the ceiling and puts himself in between Saburo and the assailant thrusting his tsuba65against the other's katana.

The familiar back of his elite shinobi protector makes Saburo realize he was unharmed.

Garb almost unrecognizable due to tatters and nicks and carrying the reeking scent of a bloodbath, Fuma Kotarou half turns to regard Saburo with the same expressionless mask. Dark rings beneath the visible eye, a cut lip, and ashen skin mars his previous immaculate face. "Are you alright, Young Master?"

A sob threatens to spill from his lips, but the young master of the Hojo yells instead, "Don't get distracted!" Saburo sharply turns to retrieve his tanto on the floor when the tear rips the tenugui off his face. The cloth falls, unveiling his face.

The assailant's eyes widen with genuine surprise.

Kotarou makes a move. He must prevent this man's escape more than ever. The shinobi attacks the now fleeing assailant with a steady stroke but the other grabs another weapon hidden on his back. A long pole appears hitting Kotarou by the shoulder. The shinobi protector falters. While the enemy withdrew Saburo suddenly appears from behind Kotarou and stabs the man right on the chest.

For the second time that day a hard object deters the complete penetration of his weapon. The assailant merely pushes Saburo away before finally marking his hasty retreat with a dull thud.

Something was rolling slowly on the ground.

A broken wooden flute stops by Saburo's feet.

XxXMOBXxX

Naoe was already miles away from Odawara-jo before he felt something was oddly missing. He grasps the now empty space on his bloodied chest sleeve. With a sarcastic laugh he understands why 'it' was missing.

'You' have stolen it…

My heart…

~TBC

61 – Infantry or warrior troops;

62 – Palace or the main residence of the daimyo.

63 – Akito obviously knows about the Sohei and how they operate.

64 – Third concentric bailey in a Japanese Castle where defensive structures and buildings for the kokujin are situated.

65 – Sword without a hand-guard unlike the katana.

Post A/N: Tiger, wolf, giant, complete… *Phew!
- 14
- 15
- 16
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

400 Years Apart