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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
- 35
- 36
- 37
Chapter 36:

ULTIMARINA, Pearl in the Deep: Part 12

A/N: Loved by her beloved, loved by all men, she weighed herself down the sea never to return to the land of the rising sun.

Warning: Mild lemon: M/M, mature content, sexual situations: NaoeXSaburo.

…

Rumbles of thunder, howling winds, scattered rain, and dark heavy clouds briefly split by lightning strikes paint the very portrait of a storm. And it wasn't just any storm for it was a storm at sea. Huge waves formed and crashed at the deck making the ship sway and dangerously surge up and half-plummet down on tumultuous waters. Stomach suddenly queasy, Saburo instinctively clutched the fabric of Naoe's front. The man started and watched the youth pale, wide eyes affixed on the violent seas and slightly trembling at the lip.

'He is afraid', Naoe observed the child-like gesture with a touch of protectiveness stirring inside him.

Saburo thought himself suddenly immersed in a nightmare. The calm waters that previously soothed the inner turmoil in his heart was now a deadly chasm about to swallow the little courage he had left. He imagined himself sinking on cold unforgiving shapeless arms and it was in another time, another scene where he was younger and more foolish. He had succumbed to his eldest sibling's cruel teasing and had raced into the waves. Then he was sinking, lower body unable to push him up to break the surface and his lungs burned… unable to breathe. He reached out with one hand grasping something for support before his consciousness died and instead felt strong heartbeat underneath dark cloth. It shook him back to the present… towards reality and he released his hold on Naoe.

Though gripped with disappointment, the man does not catch the retreating hand and steps forward under the battering rain.

Haruhie ushers the youth further within the cabin to take shelter from the deafening deluge but Saburo's eyes remain fixed on the man's back braving the tempestuous winds and punishing skies. "Saburo-gimi we must go inside, come."

"I don't want to sit this over. The storm is not full-blown yet, is it?"

The lad shakes his head but when he looks up to the ever-darkening skies and the winds roaring louder, he frowned. The constant swaying of their vessel threatened to pitch them off from where they stand but Saburo resolutely held on to the doorframe and still watched Naoe who busied himself keeping the sails firmly folded with tight thick rope. If the sails accidentally released, the winds could take the ship in any direction, Haruhie shuddered.

After making certain they held secure, the man kept by a mere rope stood with impeccable balance and peered at something in the distance.

Haruhie squinted after him. It rained heavily now to see anything. The deck, the surroundings, and even Naoe himself was a hazy blur. It was difficult keeping his feet firmly planted on unsteady flooring. When Haruhie almost fell over, Saburo chose that most inconvenient time to stumble ahead.

Naoe as if sensing the youth turned, his eyes widened as Saburo nearly fell but did not. Abandoning the rope, the man hurried after the hunched form who stubbornly ambled towards him. Saburo readily threw his arms over the larger frame as if his survival depended on it. Naoe caught him and for another oblivious moment, the youth clung to him for support.

Soaked, bunched up garments and slippery skin, warm breaths mingled together. "Speak to me: can we make it, Naoe?" Saburo who eyed him with determined intensity was oddly calm as he voiced this concern.

Naoe sighed; the boy almost made his heart leap up his throat and thus failed to suppress this pragmatic reprimand, "Did Haruhie not tell you to stay in the cabin? It is safer there." He spoke louder for the storm threatened to drown the words.

Saburo shook his head. "I refuse to be a burden. And I wish to see things as they come and not hide in the dark, trembling with fear."

'That doesn't explain why you have come to me to experience the storm firsthand or to know what might become of our fate.' Naoe mused with quiet fondness but did not let that seep into his stern face. More waves splashing over the deck and the perilous tilting of their vessel were enough telltale signs indicating the ship to be no match for the capriciously angry weather. They would have to abandon it soon. "There, up ahead is the island. We are almost there. Can you see it?" Naoe asked pointing towards said direction.

The lordling remembers for the second time to keep his hands off the man like he was some whelp clinging to the hem of his aniue for reassurance. With his back to Naoe, he tried to look to and beyond the obscure distance. But as if the heavens ought to play a little trick, the flooring rolled fitfully beneath his feet forcing Saburo once again to find purchase on Naoe's robe.

His face was already red before he could stop it or stutter this reply, "I see it." True, the island was a darker shadow amongst the hues of grey and brackish white in the ever-nearing shore. Nonetheless, the proximity to land did not spare him the embarrassment for (The purity of Benzaiten damn him) scraping the man's nipple as he latched onto the garment. Saburo would have maintained a stoic face if he did not feel the gasp that reverberated on Naoe's wet skin.

Light abruptly flashed blindingly— "Saburo-gimi!" Haruhie's yell did not come through.

Saburo looked up to see the broken splintered mast falling over. Naoe had seen it faster, gathered him protectively within his arms and maneuvered out of the way.

"Are you hurt?" A voice sounded somewhere to his right. The youth found himself half-lying and half-sitting on the battered deck with a crouched Haruhie calling hysterically over to him.

He felt for every limb in his body and did not find pain. Saburo was unharmed: the heavy draping form of Naoe assured that. Why the man was not moving yet was beginning to rouse concern on the youth.

Naoe eventually got up on hands and knees first caging Saburo beneath his body. In the corner of his eye, Saburo spotted a dark stain to his thigh. "You are injured." The youth said and struggled to sit up when Naoe managed to take an upright position.

"It is but a scratch." Their words exchanged clearly this time. The streams of rain had thinned and the winds weakened substantially. The seas continued to rage, however. Large powerful waves broke through and spilled over the deck. Saburo observed that more and more water was getting in and that little was pouring out. It soon dawned on the youth that their vessel was filling with the sea.

"Saburo-gimi, the broken mast punctured through and that is never good." Haruhie spoke gravely, eyes round in fear.

"Haruhie is right. We are close enough." Naoe gestured vaguely and when keen amber eyes followed: the outlying shore appeared. They were almost there. Somewhere on that island was Hanaiin waiting if she had not given up hope. But as Naoe steadfastly brought them closer to the edge of the slowly sinking ship, Saburo was once again submerged in that memory.

The harsh lunging waves soaring higher and higher like hungry walls of water about to trap him forever within their cold embrace to sink in a bottomless end and to be unable to breathe… unable to take one gasp of air… for his lungs to burn in pain until he inhaled stinging salt and swallow gushes of liquid until his eyes bulged… those dreaded thoughts seemed endless. His lips were bloodless when Saburo uttered, "We have to go…?"

If they were not in serious peril, Naoe would have thought the youth's unease and obvious fear of drowning adorable: a soft vulnerability in the impermeable steel of his aloof armor. Only the painful throbbing in his leg prevented him from outright fawning over Saburo. He and Haruhie exchanged a look of understanding. "The ship is lost. We have to swim ashore before the storm intensifies. I can help you stay afloat."

"I can swim, damn it!" The youth bristled batting his hand away.

And without a word, Naoe hurled all three of them at the mercy of the sea.

XxXMOBXxX

Waiting for Naoe to finally gather his wits and regroup with them on the island by the end of several days, little did Nagahide knew would be the last of his worries.

If Naoe Nobutsuna were in fact using his mind, (which he was not apparently) then he would have enough mental acumen to foresee his subordinate sohei would go awry without his direct command. Nagahide had had enough of trying to fit in the role of substitute master to the lot of them. Even a foot soldier would have noticed how samurai and warrior monks do not share perspectives and principles in their respective professions.

Kagetora-kou, he had hoped would understand his plight but even his usually patient and obliging daimyo was troubled and inattentive. Upon receiving his report, Uesugi Nagao Kagetora- no, Uesugi Kenshin, Kanto Kanrei had been in a hurry to leave for the mainland. He had voiced his complete trust on Nagahide to handle their side of the tactical war against the Hojo efficiently. And as if it were the most natural thing, Kenshin-kou had expected full commitment of the sohei to the Uesugi cause.

Fellow Uesugi retainers who had accompanied Kenshin in their brief stay in the island had shared Nagahide's doubt but had chosen not to comment on it. Yet some of them had unintentionally spoken their worries over Takeda-dono's well-being.

The outcome of Mimasetoge (a battle Nagahide had heard little taking place) had crippled the Takeda immensely. Though rumors spread that the Hojo had lost their most valued war commander, Hojo Ujiteru it was inconsequential since their daimyo, Hojo Ujimasa remains alive. The Takeda lordship on the other hand appears threatened. Shingen had suffered not from a grave battle wound but an illness in exacerbation had incapacitated him.

It was sensible, Nagahide thought. If Takeda Shingen were failing in health then it would jeopardize the secret alliance. Dissolving the agreement would be inevitable: The Uesugi and The Takeda would go their separate ways once more.

If that were the case, the Takeda were no threat to Uesugi campaigns but Kenshin-kou does not seem to share the same opinion. For Nagahide learned later that the reason for the daimyo's hasty departure were imperial summons. Was the Bakufu against the disbandment of the alliance? If the Hojo would prove more difficult to subjugate then that was most likely.

What Nagahide could not understand despite those heaps of confidential information were the tension and unrest among the retainers.

Irobe Katsunaga-dono had seemed the most unsettled. Several of Kenshin-kou's decisions bothered the commonly composed and sagacious vassal.

Nagahide had inadvertently caught Irobe-dono and Kenshin-kou arguing over something in the stillness of the night camp. Their unrestrained voices were loud enough for him to eavesdrop. Nagahide had shaken his head in dismay over their careless bearings. What snatched his attention and made him freeze on the spot however were words pertaining to the Oda, the Ten-ou and Irobe-dono speaking in defense of one. Kenshin-kou ended the conversation with a strained placating tone stating reassurance. Much to Nagahide's surprise, Irobe Katsunaga-dono had briefly excused himself and briskly left the tent. Their eyes fatefully met: Irobe's in furious disappointment and Nagahide's of shocked guilt.

The Takeda were in danger of losing a capable leader while the Uesugi were having trouble in their chain of command, Nagahide tallied. Those do not bode well. Nagahide still remembered how Kenshin-kou barely glanced at the hostage before boarding the vessel that disappeared in the misty twilight. With the daimyo's departure came the start of discontented idling of the indisposed warriors. The sohei thrived on missions and battles. If it were not a fortress they safeguard, like the strategic occupation in Hakone, the warrior monks tend to lose their motivation to… follow an old command.

Struggling not to lose his place as Naoe's de facto sub leader, Yasuda Nagahide found himself more the guardian of Hanaiin rather than her captor. The sohei were monks but they were not fanatically committed to their cause and insusceptible to human foibles like the shinobi. Without the watchful eye of their true leader, sohei too can exhibit rogue behavior towards a vulnerable bargaining tool. Samurai honor demanded him to prevent such reprehensible occurrence.

When a prominent dividing line of conflicting principles threatened to drive Nagahide and Hanaiin into a corner… He appeared.

Taller than average, of moderate build and broad shouldered, dressed in a single layer of unadorned midnight kimono, no socks… he could easily be one of the island's locals if not for the tsuba* slung at his hip. He had an indifferent almost bored face that was not hard in the eyes. His gaze had a piercing quality that did not match the blandness it exudes. A plain ribbon kept his thick black hair loosely at the nape, which softened his otherwise unsociable countenance.

*A katana without a hand guard;

As contrary to unpromising first impressions, he lifted the weight of misplaced responsibility off Nagahide's shoulders. He set the leaderless warriors stumbling back in tight order. Studying the terrain of the deceivingly remote fishing island, he indicated out strategic points for use in case of a naval siege. He instructed best how to cohabitate with the locals and to attract the least attention from outsiders. His military talents intrigued and made Nagahide suspicious at the same time for there was a certain aura of noxiousness radiating from him. It was like the scent of death and decay heavily smothered by calming incense and bitter herbs.

He seemed indistinct: neither a samurai nor a shadow when he stated that he served Kenshin-kou.

And the worst thing besides Nagahide's disappointed expectation was because he was not Naoe and the sohei readily followed him.

…

"Nagahide-san?" Hanaiin called to him with uncertainty as he took a defensive step.

"Under the orders of Kenshin-sama I came to bring you aid, Yasuda Nagahide-dono." The man who kept Hanaiin discreetly under a watchful eye but addressed Nagahide said in an impassive nonthreatening manner.

"Kenshin-kou had been here himself and he had made no such mention of your arrival." Nagahide's hand rested on the hilt of his katana as a reflex. It was too early to trust. Nagahide had been so used to being on edge since the daimyo's untimely departure that he wore it practically like an armor.

"Kenshin-kou deemed it unnecessary." The man reached for the sleeve of his kimono and pulled it up. There in the inner arm was a tattoo burned to the skin… Nagahide inwardly winced in disgust: being branded in this way almost like an animal was meant for lesser warriors.

In the light of the lantern, the mark of Bishamonten confirmed that this warrior does not serve but was literally owned by Kenshin. "You are a shadow?" Though he did not drop his guard, Nagahide eased his grip on the blade.

"I am neither, Nagahide-dono. But I can tell you that I am very efficient." The man replied tonelessly. His behavior matched those of the shinobi that Nagahide remained in doubt. Something about the warrior was off along with that noxiousness hovering like a shroud.

Nagahide decided not to trust him even if his submissive countenance and his warrior status made it difficult not to rouse sympathy.

If it was the pride of the samurai to be owned by their lord as his honored protectors… it must be hard to be owned in this way: branded similarly like a warhorse. "Tell me, how can you be efficient against my leaderless companions if I myself was unable to keep them in sensible rein?"

If the man was unable to gain his trust and incite only his sympathy (as one who conducts himself (Nagahide) and believes in the philosophies of a cloistered freeman) this answer at least garnered respect. "I do not wish to take their leader's place to pacify them, Nagahide-dono. Rather, I will steadily guide the sohei back on the path of our mission. Perhaps if it were not bushi to acquire their cooperation they will see my attempts as their fellow kind."

Nagahide was stunned.

It was said so pragmatically and all so prudently, at the same time that words deserted him. How had he not thought of that? The reason the sohei became aloof and unpredictable in his company was his inadvertent intention to become their temporary commander.

Who was this man? Certainly, he was not Kenshin-kou's mere tool of war.

Unbeknownst to Yasuda Nagahide he was indeed not.

He was not Kenshin's to begin with.

And he was not mainly truthful either.

But he had been under the wing of the Uesugi for so long, the Uesugi had started thinking he was their own.

With a carefully hidden smirk, the man left Nagahide to play the part of protector to the princess. The snake's skin tattoo had worked like a wonderful talisman to dispel strong skepticism. He had altered and worn it for years to grant him a safe passage over the warring borders. He used it to gain the hard-earned trust of a daimyo who shunned a certain master illusionist but foolishly let a rogue inside his domain.

XxXMOBXxX

The rain came back full force when they finally managed to stumble back on land. Angry waves continued to ravage the shores that they had no time to catch their breaths. Their drenched clothing heavily clung to their exhausted frames as they sought to escape both the turbulent sea and the malevolent skies. Among the three, Saburo lagged behind. His unstable gait and the way he dragged one step after another before falling down his knees quickly made Naoe turn back. The man winced as his sudden movement brought needles of stabbing pain on his injured leg but he ignored it nonetheless. "Saburo!" He grabbed the youth's arm and supported his waist to pull him back upright.

Unsteadily and with ghostly paleness Saburo looked back at him or tried to: his teeth chattered, his lips tinged blue and his eyes were unfocused.

"Naoe-san, is he alright?" Haruhie who naturally took the other side was unable to suppress his worry.

"He is cold and tired. We need to find shelter." Naoe was already attempting to carry the youth but Haruhie stopped him.

"Naoe-san let me. You will put more strain on your wound. Please lead the way instead." The lad positioned the lordling behind him like he was an elder brother giving his little brother a ride on his back. Naoe was amazed at Haruhie's uncanny strength that he failed to articulate any form of protest.

Naoe found themselves still spared by the gods as he spotted a fisher's lodging close to the abundance of trees. If the owner refused them entry, he would have to be thrown out, Naoe thought darkly.

…

"Stop lugging me around. I am not some invalid. Where's Haruhie?"

Naoe had just placed the youth down a corner wall when Saburo's all familiar snappiness had returned. The man fought back a smile. At least the youth had regained a certain normalcy to act his same huffy self. "Haruhie is on the other side of the house looking for firewood. You are shivering."

"You must be a stone if you did not feel cold in those stormy waters." Saburo spat though he vigorously rubbed his hands up and down his arms proving the man's statement.

"A stone doesn't bleed, Ouji-sama. But taking your wet clothes off will help a little." Naoe was already shrugging off his kimono, tearing a piece of it and wrapping it around the smarting sensation above his knee. There was little light in this fisher's lodging since opening the windows would have defeated the purpose of taking shelter. The house was empty when they barged in saving them the trouble of seeking hospitality. Its resident was out for a moment; Naoe already noticed signs of recent occupancy like the pot of uncooked rice, condiments, a bottle of cheap sake and the charred remains at the hearth. Most of the lodging was made of stone so hopefully it would hold out against the storm.

"Lecher." Saburo muttered though his trembling hands fumbled with the knot tying his hakama.

"Need help?" Naoe offered before he could stop himself. He turned his face away. "I did not mean it that way." He said quietly.

"You did not mean what? Undressing me or helping me?" Saburo asked nonchalantly and Naoe almost stiffened at the effect those words spiked through him. How could the youth be so utterly sultry without actually being aware of it?

"I want to help you." He dared with tight rein on his suddenly wayward thoughts.

"It's just five steps. The wound has not caused you to be unable to cross such a distance, has it?" Saburo's head was slowly spinning from the fatigue but he cannot understand how he was able to come up with wry phrases.

"Saburo."

"Nobutsuna?"

Naoe's heart hummed and he could not stop the half-smile this time. It pleased him to have his beloved call his name so informally. "I assure you, I will not take advantage of you."

"Thank you." Saburo whispered.

Naoe paused midway from pulling the binding free. He looked inquisitively at the still pale face of his cherished one. "I have not thanked you yet… for saving my life. The broken mast would have crashed down on me and you got me out of the way only to be hurt in my stead." Saburo would not meet his gaze now. He tried to pull away and awkwardly crossed his legs when his hakama sank to the floor with a 'slosh' noise.

The man did not notice at first but an instinctive hand traveled down to cover its shame. "I… have not mastered control of this yet. My urges disgrace me." The youth said, embarrassed.

Saburo was hard… Naoe realized. Did his closeness cause the youth such a natural bodily reaction? Naoe cannot help but feel gratified if it did. To provoke such a reaction from his mate heightened a man's ego. But it would destroy the youth's reestablished trust in him if he would act on impulse. "My master used to tell me that in youth the body's desires often overcome the mind's sensibilities. It is normal."

"You do not find me hypocritical, do you?" Saburo bit out with a small frown.

Naoe chuckled. "Not at all." He disrobed his sodden kimono yet a glimpse of the predator escaped against its leash. "But there is also the body's way of relieving stress through completion. Upon ejaculation the blood circulates well and the chakra points are stimulated to release invigorating chi." The man whispered on his ear.

Heat crept on the youth's face and spread on his neck, up to the tips of his ears. "You are not alleviating the problem!"

"There is still one article of clothing left." Naoe said practically.

The source was getting close to the problem… And not only did it not alleviate the problem, it worsened. Saburo stared in horror as Naoe slowly knelt until his face was almost between his legs. "It is taking considerable time to start a fire and keep you warm. This is a faster and more practical method to stimulate your blood to provide insulation."

"Do not think your logic will fool me. I… I…" His witty mind chose to give out and play dead at this crucial point that he came out stuttering. Saburo wanted to curse himself. He was not exercising proper self-restraint and he would be damned if he would allow the man to do the same after he said he would not take advantage…

Naoe rested his head on his thigh. "I am desperate but I am content if it will be my mouth to bring you pleasure and release your tension. You will rest better and your body will forget the cold. However if you tell me you do not want it… please tell me."

The man's words caused the youth's heart to skip a beat and if it were possible made him harder. "If it discourages you… you are acting very much like Kotarou right now."

Unfazed, Naoe easily counters, "He is not here. I am the one you are with and I believe you will choose me in the end."

'Confident, are we?' Saburo mused but his thoughts scattered when Naoe began to rub his cold leg up and down. Naoe might only be providing warmth but his every action communicates several underlying intentions that could prove to be least innocent.

"Haruhie might walk in on us!" was his miserable last resort.

"Let him watch." A dark gleam in Naoe's eye was the only warning before the man licked him through his undergarment.

"No…" Saburo groaned in denial but felt himself trickle wetly in reaction. "Oh…" He was defeated when Naoe grasped him firmly sans the linen and stroked him languidly, taking the time to feel his burgeoning size and trace his shape.

After a short sensual massage, Saburo lost the remaining strength in his body and slid further down the floor. Naoe followed close, spread his legs but instead of going for the object of his desire, Naoe planted his lips on slender inner thighs. "Nn…" The youth shivered not of the cold but in anticipation. His hand drifted over Naoe's nape.

"!" Saburo jerked when the man's tongue teased his sac. He was just about to grab the man's head and push him down his aching flesh. He was acting so depraved… 'What is happening to me?'

"I have missed this." The man said smugly eying the twitching flesh that begged for attention.

"You… what?" The youth's face twisted in pleasure when thick fingers played with his sensitive tip.

"Your taste." Naoe's gaze had darkened considerably before parting his lips and finally devouring Saburo whole.

Instantly, the lithe back arched. Saburo threw one arm over his mouth to muffle his overwhelmed cries. The way Naoe sucked like a thirsting man and took him deep down his throat nearly drove him insane. "Mmh…! Uhh…!" His body jerked involuntarily and his head thumped uselessly against the wood. He was almost out of it. 'My… he is tasting my…!'

"Is it good? Making noise is good too." Naoe cajoled seductively now sucking just the head. His mischievous hand was also preoccupied stimulating the puckered hole.

Carefully thrusting one slick finger in…

"!" 'That spot… It's on fire…'

Saburo winced. It felt so good… so very good that it bordered on painful. 'My body… is not my own. I have been… seduced like a wanton fool.' His hips were shaking uncontrollably now and his flesh throbbed madly.

'It's too soon… something… help me… it's going to…!' A dreadful thought hit him like a wave.

'The poison! The poison in my body!' "Na…Stop!" He tried to pull away and grappled with his body's delirious desires. "No!"

Naoe unexpectedly obliged though without a parting flick on the slit. "What is wrong?"

Saburo took desperate gulps of air. He exhaled, "The poison… you were about to…"

"I want to drink your poison." Naoe finished shamelessly.

"You… are mad!" Saburo attempted to flee from him but his fatigued body refused to cooperate. He resigned to shaking his head in denial. "What a fool…"

Naoe took those beautiful hands and placed them loosely around his neck startling the youth more out of his wits. "You have poisoned me already. A long time ago even without myself getting a taste of you." The man started licking his excited manhood again.

"Ha… Ahh…!" Saburo's head spun even wilder as if he were drunk. He was powerless against the man's eagerness… his madness.

With the youth's arms around him, Naoe thoroughly impaled himself down the youth's fevered need. As he sensed Saburo's urgency, he swallowed faster and suckled roughly until the hard flesh pulsed erratically.

The youth kept uttering wounded moans as he spilled his seed. Naoe took all of it like an addict unable to get enough.

Startled eyes rolled at the back of his head as his body burned out in tortuous ecstasy. In the afterglow, Saburo's eyes remained wide and he could only pant heavily as the petrified form of Haruhie dropped his armload of firewood one after another.

Naoe's body, uncaring or unaware of Haruhie's presence covered the youth's own.

Saburo and Haruhie who continued to regard each other dumbly could not break the awkwardness of the situation with a single word.

…

"I'm going to sleep on this side. If anything happens, shout and I'll wake up." Haruhie's voice was strained even as he tried sound offhand. He lied facing the other wall with his back to them.

The abundantly kindled hearth crackled in reply.

Naoe and Saburo looked at each other… their silence was unable to hide their guilt. At first Saburo wanted to yell at Naoe in indignation, "It is your fault!" but the youth knew he could only stretch his immunity to hypocrisy so far and shut his trap.

Haruhie had acted as if he had seen nothing and had taken it upon himself the full responsibility of building a hearth to keep everyone warm. After sharing a simple meal in uncomfortable silence, all three decided to sleep early. Outside, the storm finally showed signs of letting up. The rain had been a mere drizzle by the time they settled for an early night.

"You should sleep." Naoe said softly to the blanket huddled Saburo who glared at him for good measure.

"How about you? Do you not get tired, man of stone?"

The man chuckled and could not resist patting the youth's head. "My wound keeps me up, I'm afraid. So much for being a stone."

Immediately, the irritation in those tiger's eyes vanished, replaced by concern and sorrow. "We have not dressed it properly. There may be splinters."

He stroked an adorable cheek. "I will attend to it in the daylight. So sleep."

"Hmph. I fell asleep after you…" Saburo trailed off, blushing. He scrunched his face back into an irate scowl.

"After you and Haruhie finished staring each other blind, you told me." The man laughed quietly.

"You know, if you're not wounded I would have hit you by now." Saburo grumbled burrowing his head under the blankets as if to dismiss Naoe.

"The truth is I cannot sleep because it's only two steps."

"What? You do not make sense. Has your mind slept before you?" The youth snapped.

His considerable amount of cheek already won the man over. Naoe had moved closer and had taken the usual irritating habit of whispering on Saburo's ear. "It is only two steps and yet you do not close the distance between us."

Could he hear a pout in there? Saburo bared his teeth, "Try to negotiate with the hearth. It will concede to you nicely."

"Saburo,"

"What is it this time?" He growled.

…

"I love you."

It was so unexpected, the youth's eyes shot wide open. He opened his mouth to speak but not a sound came out. Saburo stared bewilderedly at the man.

Naoe let the fire in his eyes convey all his honest emotions. Saburo tried to look away but he could not do that as well. Wordlessly, the man brought his arms around the slender body and hid his heated face on the warm pale neck. Having said it, Naoe was utmost vulnerable. 'It matters not if your heart is owned by another. My heart is yours… One day, I will make your heart beat for me,'

"Naoe?"

The man seemed asleep. His soft breaths lull the youth to sleep. "Nobutsuna." Saburo whispered his name in the stillness of dusk. Tugged by a strong unknown emotion, the youth wrapped his slender limbs around the man. They slept together, entwined.

XxXMOBXxX

They have idled enough already. On the third day of their stay, there was still no sign of the lodging's owner but they had to leave. It was inevitable but Naoe had to go and meet Nagahide not to regroup but to make an agreement with him. His friend and adjutant would be furious no doubt but this was his decision. He would abandon the Uesugi… and the sohei… they would have to elect a new leader.

He knew it would not be easy. The last sohei master and his late adoptive father named him the heir. They would not just take his 'change of heart' lightly. There would be protests and there might even be bloodshed.

Danzo could be right. Speaking of which, he had not felt the master illusionist's presence lately though he was certain, the shadow arrived in the island with them. Naoe at least hoped if the shadow intended to betray him that he would have the chance to kill him first. However, if his instincts were correct… the shinobi had a new allegiance and it did little with the previous ones.

On the second night of their stay, Naoe had voiced his plans to both Haruhie and Saburo. He had said that he had intended to trust Haruhie's safe return to Nagahide while they collect Hanaiin if all goes to plan. Surprisingly, Haruhie had expressed his intention to remain with Saburo. The lad had bristled in outrage. 'You held no claim over me! I am not a war piece to be traded without my knowledge!'

'Haruhie-san, you are of eligible age. If circumstances have been different, you might have been chosen as a hostage for an alliance.' Naoe had countered so callously that it threatened a duel.

Saburo quickly came in between the two before either could draw their blades. Naoe with his strategist's mind at full swing had asked Saburo's opinion. It might rip another rift but for Naoe there was no other way. As much as it hurt him, he let his beloved choose between Hanaiin and Haruhie.

The lordling shot him his deadliest glare but in the end, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Powerless over Saburo's will, Haruhie eventually, reluctantly agreed. 'Haruhie, your father needs you more than I.' these words hit Haruhie's conscience the hardest.

Past the thicket of wild grass and towering broad trees, Naoe, Saburo, and Haruhie trudged on to reach the Uesugi camp.

Saburo who had never seen strange flowering plants, insects, and animals in his Odawara home often wandered off like an excited curious child, much to Naoe's constant worry and disapproval.

He walked a little ahead of them with a wild, enthusiastic twinkle in his eye. On the way, he would often pick things that struck his fancy and studied them closely. Naoe would oblige with a tired sigh of defeat and shake his head while Haruhie would laugh in amusement.

By near noon they traveled the deeper part of the forest, whose old trees blocked most of the sunlight. It had rained a little and the soil was slippery along with the fallen leaves and protruding tree roots. Naoe warned the youth for the umpteenth time not to 'wander off too far' but the lordling barely nodded when a beautiful giant butterfly fluttered past.

Saburo was off chasing it even before Naoe could start with his mantra of cautions. The youth followed the dazzling winged creature even to the area where wild grass and bushes grew densest. Slowly waving its enchanting wings, the butterfly had rested for a bit on a tall flowering plant. He paused, completely awed, admiring its hypnotic movements when a shadow fell silently behind him.

The youth's sharp senses immediately registered the danger but even before he turned, a large hand clamped over his mouth, took him, and swiftly retreated to the shadows.

He was pressed against a tree trunk before the suffocating hold finally relented.

Saburo's eyes widened as he saw the dark figure approach. The mysterious abductor suddenly dropped to his knees and bowed low before him.

~TBC

Post A/N: Someone is in for a very big surprise! Oh, make that two. *Evil grin. Deadly warriors collide. Also, please don't hesitate to tell me what you think through your reviews they mean so much to me. I still need them to keep going. Is my writing too boring? Giving out pointers/ constructive criticisms would really help. Thanks in advance.
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400 Years Apart