A/N: Hello and welcome to my SenBas fanfic! ^^ This is my first SenBas, but not my first story. I've been doodling around in Wolf's Rain and have written a couple there, but that's not important! Anyway, I re-watched both seasons of this A W E S O M E anime and got inspired! Plus, I can't wait for the movie to be released June 4th! Though it better be subbed -_- I'm not THAT good at Japanese. DX Anyway, as you can see, I'm a Date fan, through and through ^^ He's just totally badass but needs a woman in his life ^^ I guess the creators figured that he'd be too soft and not as hardcore if he had a woman next to him, but I feel differently! So, darn it, I'm gonna add one! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this first chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Plz read and...reviews would be nice =^.^=
Yuuki kicked at a pebble as she stepped past, careful to keep it within a five foot radius. If it went too far, she'd have to expend her precious energy to fumble after it and retrieve it. On top of that, she would just look silly, like a chicken chasing a stray kernel of corn. Yuuki coughed. The image of that blasted chicken flashed in her mind, threatening to cause a giggle. Yuuki didn't giggle. She'd grown up being taught to look and act tough to save herself from unwanted attentions and to seize great power in a world where women were used only as broodmares to men. A lesson well learned. She would not have gotten where she was today without that lesson branded forever onto her mind and into her heart. Her master had done well. She smirked. Possibly too well.
In years past, she'd been the captain of a pirate ship. A grand vessel she'd named Mayonakajikkou, Midnight Execution. She'd glided through the waters like a shark and had eaten everything in her path. Men and enemy ships alike had stood no chance when the Execution had them in her sights. Her sails were of the finest cotton, a bright white with nary a tear or smudge of dirt. She'd made her crew clean them at least once a week. More if it had rained. It had been constructed with oak and polished until it glistened when the waves lapped at the sides and over the railings. Her crew had been hand picked. Men of honor and tenacity. True, some had acquired a few loose morals along the way, but that couldn't be helped. They were pirates after all. However, in light of that, she had trusted every single man and woman on that ship with her life. They'd re-payed that trust ten times over by saving her sorry skin and sticking up for her when sudden deviants arrived to drag her name through the mud. Not that she had actually gone by her real name. For someone to know your name meant they had power over you, and Yuuki was not about to let someone tie a noose around her neck. Not even her second mate, Blythe. He'd always known her as Kage. The Shadow.
She'd kept her real name a secret all these years. She'd even hidden it from her childhood master. Although, she'd chosen a less auspicious name to give to him. He'd always been able to see right through her, so she'd had to choose a simple name. A slave name. She'd chosen Tsubaki and her master had accepted it without even a tick of his eye. So she'd stayed with him until her sixteenth year, learning his tricks and his convictions, until she'd become a mirror image of him, only with breasts and longer, more beautiful hair. He'd come to love her as his own daughter, but had not let his heart soften enough to treat her like one. He'd been tough, sometimes a tyrant, but Yuuki had come to ignore it and take it in stride. It was all to make her stronger, he'd said, and he'd been right. She had gotten stronger. She'd learned not to give in when something seemed tough, and to ignore pain to achieve her goal. Pain made you weak, made you forget what you were concentrating on. It was a noose that tightened inch by inch if you didn't gain the upper hand and control it, stifle it. Thanks to that lesson, she'd gone to bed beaten and bloody, but had not lost an hour of sleep because of it. So now her body was tough and she did not need to hide behind armor like the men in this era. She merely wore it to intimidate, to throw her enemy off guard. It had worked up until now, and she planned to make it work for years to come. Though, loathe as she was to admit it, she'd become rusty the past four years, having left her master behind to start out on her own. Sure, captaining a ship had its moments of ruthless battles and needless bloodshed, but that's what a crew was for, to protect the captain at all costs. She'd stood by and watched as her men fought for her, never having to lift a finger. Stupid. She'd become just another grunt now. Having the know-how but not the will to use it. That would change. And soon. Very soon. She halted as the Date clan's symbol crested the next rise...and then she smiled.
It was hot. So blasted hot. Yoshinao's armor had begun to become an oven over an hour ago and sweat poured freely off his body. The hands that held his horse's reins slid over the leather and he repeatedly had to wipe them off on his pants, darkening them with moisture. His Elvis hair was becoming limp and stray tendrils curled against his forehead and constantly dripped more sweat into his eyes and onto his nose. Even the horse under him was becoming agitated in the heat. More and more he was kicking his feet and skipping to the sides as if to relieve himself of the burden on his back. But with a firm hand and a couple harsh words, the horse dropped back into order. Yoshinao looked over his shoulder at the men under his command. They were all in the same boat as him. Sweating from every pore on their bodies but dutifully maintaining a straight and watchful patrol. Just as Master Katakura had taught them. Though, nothing every went awry, not under Lord Masamune's strict control. The surrounding rebel states had yielded with hardly a fight and had remained peaceful ever since. Lord Masamune only ever ordered border patrols because of Master Katakura's restlessness. He was always ready for an attack. Yoshinao could respect that. But at the moment, it was a terrible pain in the ass.
A sudden dark mass cresting the hill to his left caught Yoshinao's attention and he swiveled in his saddle to get a better look. The sun beat down on his exposed neck and he had to lift a hand to shield his eyes from the harsh light. It did little to help him see so far into the distance, but he was almost positive that he could make out a lone man wandering closer and closer to their retinue. Yoshinao quickly but quietly, and with as much stealth as he could muster, gestured for his trusted partner Bunshichi to come alongside him. Bunshichi, obviously confused, first checked around him as if to say "what are you pointing at?" but soon realized that Yoshinao wanted to speak with him. So, after much fuming by Yoshinao, Bunshichi finally made his way over, careful to keep his horse from accidentally bumping into the others as they continued in their lock-step march. A difficult feat for the spastic retainer.
By the time he made it over to Yoshinao, said man was close to exploding. His already reddened cheeks were positively glowing with rage, but he quickly let out a long sigh and regained some of his calm. Bunshichi stared at him wordlessly, wondering if his friend had finally succumbed to heat exhaustion. He was just about to mention this when Yoshi gripped his chin with his fingers and forced his head to the left until his neck was straining and he was staring at a man walking towards them quickly. His eyes widened and he tried turning his head to exclaim his surprise, but Yoshi kept his face held perfectly still while he shook his head at him. He put a finger to his lips and leaned towards him.
"Don't say anything. You'll alert the men. This guy may or may not be a threat, but we don't want to go charging down on him if he isn't and scare the shit outta him, got it?"
Bunshichi nodded, as much as he could, and tried to speak once again. This time, he found that he could move his jaw. Yoshinao had released him and straightened in his saddle. "But, Yoshinao, how are we going to find out who he is?" He rubbed his chin. Surely Yoshi had left a mark, even through his chin guard. It hurt like hell.
"That's simple. You and I'll go check 'im out. We'll leave the patrolling to the others."
"Yeah, like Mago or Samanosuke is gonna let us leave them behind."
Yoshinao rolled his eyes. "Well, they're gonna have to. Number One left me in charge, so they gotta do what I say."
Bunshichi sighed but made no reply. If he had, Yoshinao probably would have whopped him upside the head like usual. Even though he had been put in charge of this patrol, he was normally the one the others looked to for leadership and guidance. He was a quick thinker and could be counted on to treat everyone fairly. So they'd left him the unspoken leader of their group, preferring to leave the hard work for him. They were just grunts and grunts followed others, they did not lead. "Fine. I'll go tell them then."
"Good," Yoshinao grunted, already pointing his horse at the approaching figure. Bunshichi sighed again but did as he'd been told. As he thought, the other two were outraged and cursed at him, but in the end they recognized that Yoshinao had indeed been put in charge, so they finally quieted with a few leftover grumbles and continued onward with the patrol, leaving Bunshichi watching them disappear over the next rise. Reassured that they wouldn't try and sneak back, he turned his horse and followed after Yoshi, quickly making up lost ground and pulling beside him.
"It doesn't look like he's carrying a weapon," Yoshinao whispered as Bunshichi came close, "But then, we can't be sure. He's still too far away for me to see much."
Bunshichi gulped. "What if he's a master swordsman? We would be no match for him!"
Yoshinao cut his eyes at Bunshichi. "Moron, if he was a master swordsman, he wouldn't be walking up to us in broad daylight!" He huffed and turned his attention back to the man in question. What was this guy doing so far into the Date territory? Did he have a death wish? Or was he just stupid?
"Hey, Yoshinao! Look! He's...he's waving!"
"What the hell are you..." He sputtered to a stop. Sure enough, the man was waving at them. Yoshinao shook his head. "There's somethin' wrong with this guy..."
Yuuki grinned as she noticed two of the men break off and head toward her. This was easier than she first thought. It had seemed like maybe they would continue onward without giving her a second glance, but one of them had become suspicious of her movements. He'd motioned another man over and had talked with him for a minute or two and then had started toward her. The other man left to talk with two others and an argument had ensued. She assumed that he was intending to leave them while he and the other man investigated the wanderer. They had not looked or sounded happy, but in the end they had obeyed orders and the two men left. They were close now, maybe 200 yards. Yuuki decided to alleviate some of their worries and bring them some sort of ease. With a smile, she lifted her arm and waved at them. She chuckled when they glanced at each other apprehensively. Of course, she couldn't blame them. Here she was encroaching on their lord's territory and probably setting off all sorts of alarms in their head, and she had the audacity to wave like a tiny child. Magnificent.
When her arm finally got tired, she let it drop, satisfied that her work was done. The men were slightly less unsettled and were slouching in their saddles and letting her glimpse their fatigue. Only a man without anything to worry about would let someone see through such a weakness. They were also in no hurry, keeping their horses at a slow walk, plodding along with all the time in the world. But Yuuki didn't care. It just gave her the chance to take in her surroundings. Oshu was a beautiful land, full of lush forestry and open plains, rolling hills and crystal rivers. For once she'd actually enjoyed having to walk, her horse stolen from her about three days ago. She'd been careless and had not kept one of its ropes tethered to her foot during sleep like she normally did. And it had cost her. Though, her master had always said, "If a lesson does not bring harm or shame upon you, then it was never a lesson to be learned." A harsh but true reality. One that she would not soon forget, either.
Now the men were only paces away. She could see every bead of sweat glistening on their brows and hear their ragged breathing. So, they'd been in this accursed sun for quite awhile. Judging from their earlier formation, they were a border patrol, so Yuuki deduced that they had most likely been marching since dawn. Excellent. If it came down to a fight, she would easily win. The men looked tough and were certainly in shape, but at the moment they were too tired to even sit properly in the saddle. Suddenly, Yuuki's sword Screaming Winds pulsed against her back, as if eager for a fight. She'd kept it tucked away inside the back of her jacket, out of sight. She didn't want anyone to see her as an immediate threat and try to jump her. No sense in needless killings. She didn't want to kill, it was just sometimes necessary. Besides, she'd left that life behind a long time ago. Still, Screaming Winds pulsed again, more furiously this time, actually managing to set the sheath to vibrating. Yuuki cursed and reached back to strap it more firmly to her so the men would not see it. Unfortunately, they were close enough now that her sudden movement alerted their sharply tuned senses and they tensed, throwing their hands down to the hilts of their own swords. Yuuki cursed again, quietly, and dropped her arm back down to her side. She came to a stop and stared at the two men, waiting to see what they'd do. She lightly tensed her muscles, ready to fight or flee, whichever it came down to.
Finally, the man with the outrageous hair spoke up. He shifted in his saddle and pointed a finger at her. "Who are you? Where did you come from? And what do you want here in Oshu?" His deep voice was obviously bravado. His eyes told her everything she needed to know. He was wary, aware that there was something deadly about her. That was probably why he'd chosen to stay atop his horse. For safety. Yuuki smiled.
She saluted him. "Yo!"
The two men glanced at each other then back at her. The second man scratched his head. They obviously weren't expecting such a casual response from her. Her expression faltered when she noticed the utterly shocked visage of the first man. His eyes were wide as saucers, and his jaw and fallen open. He pointed again, his finger shaking and sweat dripping down his face in tiny rivulets. His other hand fell limp at his side, his earlier wariness evaporating.
"Y-Y-Y-You're a-a-a-a-a...!" His lips quivered as he spoke, eyebrows twitching in disbelief. Yuuki stared at him wordlessly, wondering if he was a little touched in the head. Surely they'd seen another human being before?
The second man finally spoke up and rescued his partner. "You're a woman?"
Yuuki's eyes narrowed. So, they hadn't been taken aback by her response. They were surprised because she was...a woman. She snorted. How typical. But then it struck her. They hadn't realized she was a woman because she kept her hair tied up underneath a red bandana to keep it from collecting road dust and to allow the cool air to kiss her cheeks and neck. It was all around more useful. Also, the red armor she wore beneath her slate gray jacket hid her curves and rounded breasts. Though, the armor was only half length on her body, presenting the men with a nice view of her stomach and belly button ring, where it glinted just above her matching gray pants cut off just below the knee. Actually, she thought, I have seen some men wear more outrageous clothes than mine. More feminine, too. She roped in her anger and closed her eyes. They weren't stupid after all. Just oblivious. So, in light of this discovery, she plastered on a fake smile and turned it on the two men. They both sucked in a shocked breath.
"Well, of course I'm a woman! Can't you tell?" She gestured at herself, drawing their attention down to her tanned stomach. They gulped, helpless to break their gazes away from her and perform their duty.
"Well, um, you see, my lady..." Elvis hair stuttered.
"We couldn't exactly discern your gender from so far away, so you'll excuse us if we misjudged you. We're terribly sorry." The man with the chin guard and brown ponytail bowed at the waist even in his saddle. Yuuki decided she liked this man. He reminded her of her second, Blythe. Loyal to a fault and certainly chivalrous. Elvis gasped and followed Ponytail's lead, bowing to show his apology. Yuuki nodded at them and they straightened back in their saddle.
"Anyway, my lady, the questions still stand." Elvis was becoming annoying. Yuuki tried her best to keep her grimace to herself, but a part of it showed through and twisted one corner of her mouth down into a half frown. Elvis narrowed his eyes in suspicion but said nothing.
Yuuki cleared her throat and placed a fist over her heart, sketching a quick bow to hide her annoyance and then straightening back up. "My name is Kagami. I'm from a lot of different places. As for what I'm doing here in Oshu...well," She smiled to herself. "I was hoping to join the grand Date army."
Yoshinao couldn't believe it. A woman! This whole time he'd been afraid of a woman! And she wasn't even armed! He felt stupid just looking at her. Now that he was close, he could definitely tell that she was indeed feminine. Her face was young and slightly tanned from her obvious days in the sun. Her cheeks and nose were dainty and the planes of her face looked as if they were cut from glass. Her lips were plump but weren't so big that they engulfed her entire face and made her cheeks look fat. Her eyes were open and inviting, but there was a sharpness there that was evident. She'd definitely seen some things and had been to some places. This wasn't your average run of the mill woman who waltzed around in lavish kimonos and painted her face. She was deadly. A warrior. Even he could see that. Her eyebrows were black, so he expected her hair to be the same color, but not much could been seen beneath her bandana. Her stomach was firm and just as tanned as her face, seeing as how it was exposed and all. But he couldn't understand why such a woman would mar such perfection with a piece of jewelry. Her belly button was pierced with a jewel shaped like a crescent moon. It was blue and hung from a series of silver beads that looped back up and connected with the hook pierced through her skin. So not only did it leave a scar, it was an easy target for people to rip out, dangling as it was. All in all, she was an exceptionally beautiful woman. But what captivated Yoshinao most of all was the intensity of the color of her eyes. They were so blue! He would have said they were electric blue. They were so bright that it was a wonder you could even look in them. Such eyes were uncommon and were definitely treasured by most lords, who would do anything to acquire a wife with such piercing eyes, so that they could bear him sons with not only valuable sword skills, but with great looks as well.
Lost in his reverie as he was, he didn't notice that he'd been impolitely staring at her this whole time. Bunshichi elbowed him roughly in the ribs and brought him back to task. Though he figured the elbowing could have been avoided. Yoshinao rubbed his sore ribs and sent Bunshichi a scathing look, hot enough to melt metal. Bunshichi shrugged but gestured with his head at the woman before them.
Yoshinao coughed into his hand. "Right. Well, I, uh..." Great. Now he couldn't remember what she'd said. He deflated like a hot air balloon. Bunshichi saw this and groaned, facepalming as he did so. Yuuki simply waited, knowing what Elvis had been up to this entire time she'd been waiting for a response. She smirked. It wasn't uncommon and she was most definitely used to such attentions, even though her lethal visage kept most men from doing more than looking.
Bunshichi nudged his horse toward her. "I apologize for my partner. But we can't just let you join like that. We're only retainers. We'll have to bring you before Lord Masamune and Master Katakura."
Yuuki nodded. She'd been expecting such a response and was prepared for it. "That's fine. I understand. You can-"
"But it'll be a cold day in July before Lord Masamune lets a woman join his men!" Yoshinao had finally come back to life, and he was about to teach this little girl a lesson. Yuuki cut her eyes at him and stared him down until he blushed and look away. So, that's how it was going to be.
"Whether or not you think he'll let me join, I'd still like to meet with him if at all possible. You might not know your lord like you think you do." At her subtle but firm reprimand, Yoshinao's face warmed and his cheeks turned red. He was about to unleash his vast knowledge of useful curses when Bunshichi elbowed him again.
"Fair enough," Bunshichi declared, turning his horse back to follow after the patrol. "You'll have to finish our rounds with us, though. I hope you don't mind. We're almost finished."
Yuuki nodded. "Fine with me." She grasped Bunshichi's proffered hand and allowed him to boost her up behind him. The horse skittered a few paces but soon held still after a warm caress of Yuuki's hand. Bunshichi shifted to look back at her.
"Hold on, my lady. We've got to ride hard if we're to catch up to the others." And with that, he dug his heels into his horse's sides and they shot forward like a rocket. Yuuki barely had time to grasp his armor with her fingers before she was rocked harshly against him. Yoshinao was left behind, still grumbling about the crash way "that stupid girl" had treated him. His pride would surely never recover. He tried pumping himself up by listing all the ways he was better than her and telling himself that he was Lord Masamune's favorite over everyone else. Spirits lifted, he finally decided to follow after Bunshichi. He yelled and kicked his horse in the sides, but instead of taking off like Bunshichi's had, it decided to buck wildly, throwing Yoshinao clear of its saddle and into a pile of horse shit. His horse's shit. The horse bolted, leaving Yoshinao behind to wallow in his grief and a nice, steaming pile of fresh manure.
LoLpOpSiClE: *gush* Oh Yoshinao, you big baffoon! But! You can't help but love the guy...and his stupid conch shell -_- What is with that thing, anyway? Can't he just have, like, a trumpet or something? Oh wait...this is ancient Japan...of course all they had was conch shells. -_- Soooooo, I hope you guys like my OC Yuuki ^^ I know, the name is so cliche and overused, but I happen to love love love this name! It's simple but beautiful! Kind of like Yuuki herself! So! After that good note, I would very much like it if you guys left me a couple reviews telling me what you think! I'd be UBER happy ^^ And, I have chapter two in the making so maybe a few reviews would help speed it along *nudge nudge wink wink* ^_^ Flames are ok, though it'll make me sad :'( Structured and helpful critique would be more welcome and appreciated over flames. But if you also wanna tell me just how awesome you think I am, that's cool too! *wink* Ok, that's it for now! Hope to see you guys laterz!