Chapter 1: Behind the Scenes-Aname
"Another day another pain in the ass training session." Aname sighed and sat down in the grass next to Karia. The red head smiled at her like she always did. Karia always had a nice smile; it was always warm and kind. "Well you're the one that makes it a pain in the ass Aname." Aname shrugged her shoulders. She didn't say anything else she just laid back with her hands behind her head. Aname didn't like talking much although she could go for hours in a strategic debates and arguments with other people especially Karia.
Then Karia grabbed her helmet and swords and lightly kicked Aname's foot. "We should probably head back to camp before Samanosuke starts reporting us missing again. We should probably get some sleep to we've got a date with Takeda and Uesugi tomorrow." Aname sighed, "What does it matter we're just going to wind up watching as the boss fights the Sanada guy like we always do." Karia laughed. "Yea but you said yourself that listening to their battlefield banter it pretty funny." Aname smiled. She got up and walked back to the Date army camp with Karia at her side. That what Aname liked about Karia; when they fight each other they were heated rivals but put them on the same side they were trouble with a capital T.
They walked back into camp just as Samanosuke was about to walk out. He stopped and shook his head. "Were you out of camp training again Aname? You know I freak out when I do a head count and someone's not there." Karia thumped him on the head and laughed. "Samanosuke chill out it's not like Master Katakura would yell at you for not knowing where we are every second of the day." Aname walked past them and went to the tent that Karia shared with her.
Karia set her Katana down and laid out her bed roll. She laid down and started thinking about the battle that would take place the next day. Unless they actually started fighting Takeda and Uesugi they would just wind up sitting on their horses waiting for the boss to take town the Sanada guy. "I hope I actually get to do something tomorrow," she whispered to herself. Then she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep not waiting for Karia who was still probably talking to Samanosuke.
The next Day the Date soldiers got up early to take down camp and continue moving to the battle field waiting for them at Kawanakajima. Once at the battle field Aname saw that the Takeda and Uesugi had already started fighting. Then she looked ahead to the front of the army to see a red clad warrior anxiously awaiting they're arrival. "Eh Masamune your late that unusual." The boss got down from his horse and to Aname's surprise drew all six swords out to begin the long awaited skirmish.
They started clashing steel as Karia said, "Well Aname I guess you were right we're just going to wind up sitting here cheering for the boss like we normally do." After Karia said that Master Katakura turned his head to the army and said, "Alright lord Masamune's victory in this battle is our signal to move towards the battle field. The guys called out their excitement with enthusiastic comments and Aname sighed in relief. Then Karia nudged her side and said, "I guess we might get some action after all." Aname smirked at the idea of finally getting some real action. The red clad warrior looked like he had reached his limit and Master Katakura must have thought so as well since he gave the motion to move out. Aname charged down to the battle below and they clashed into the sea of red and light blue. Aname was off of her horse in seconds with Karia fighting at her back.
Aname was attacking soldiers left and right and she saw that Master Katakura was still at the top of the hill watching the battle take place. What shocked Aname the most was to see him looking directly towards Karia and herself. Aname wondered if the second in command of the Date army was watching them fight specifically or if something else was going on around the area they were in that she couldn't see.
All of a sudden the battlefield got quiet as everyone stopped fighting and looked up at Saito Mountain. Aname lifted her head to see two figures at the edge of the mountain. Then she looked around and saw men in black and red uniforms that had surrounded the battlefield trapping all three armies. What seemed like a million brigades surrounded the area forming a large circle. Aname looked back up at the two figures atop the mountain and declared that they were the leaders.
The smaller of the two men was dressed in a white and purple uniform with a purple X shaped mask across his face. He had curly white hair that came to his shoulders and if Aname hadn't known any better she would have mistaken him for a woman. The other man was almost five times the height of the purple masked man. He was wearing black and read like the rest of the army except his armor was redder than the army's. He had grey hair and a grey beard and had on hell of a nasty glare about him.
As the purple masked man started going off about how everyone at the battlefield should surrender to the almighty Toyotomi clan Aname had gotten back on her horse and was headed for master Katakura. She made her way to the top of the hill to see that Master Katakura and the boss had already started making their way up Saito Mountain.
The Sanada guy was still out cold on the grass and as she approached him to make sure that he was okay she was stopped by the Sanada ninja. "Sorry man but I think I'll take it from here." Aname raised her hands to her shoulder telling him to back off. She looked back up at the mountain just in time to see the boss's attack collide with Master Katakura's and the big guys causing a spectacular explosion. Then Karia rode up followed by the rest of the army. Aname looked around to see that everyone was retreating back to their own lands. Master Katakura and the boss came riding back to join them as they made their way back to Ōshū.
Once they arrived back home Karia and Aname went back to their rooms to rest up for a little bit. As soon as Aname closed the door to her room Yoshinao was knocking on it. "What is it Yoshinao?" He opened the door and said, "Aname come on master Katakura requested to see you and Karia." Aname walked out of her room and soon Karia was walking right beside her. "Aname you don't think master Katakura is going to yell at us for sneaking out of camp so much is he?" Aname shook her head as she remembered master Katakura watching them fight at Kawanakajima.
They stopped outside of the door and knelt down before knocking on the door. "Come in." it was the boss's voice that allowed them entry. Aname stood up and opened the door with Karia right behind her. Calmly she sat down across from the boss and master Katakura. Then Master Katakura spoke. "You can take off you helmets." Aname felt like an idiot, how could she forget that she was still wearing her helmet. She removed it quickly and shook her head so that her hair didn't look completely messed up. She saw the eyes of her commander grow wide as Karia and Aname sat there with their helmets off.
Then the boss said, "Kojuro did you know we had female samurai?" Aname was surprised that they didn't know that the two of them were women. Master Katakura shook his head. "No I didn't. I especially didn't know we had such talented female samurai." Aname was caught off guard by his praise. "Thank you master Katakura." Then he asked, "Have you ever considered being a ninja?" Everyone was looking at him know. "Why do you ask sir?" Aname's memories went back to the time she lived in the ninja village. She had trained to be a ninja but her village had been burned down. Master Katakura said, "Well I've seen you fight and your style reminds me much of the way Sarutobi Sasuke and Kasuga fight." Karia then spoke up, "Well you see she was a ninja once."
Then the boss said, "Oh really? Well today is turning into something really interesting first the Toyotomi bastards and now I have a female samurai and a ninja what next?" His tone was humorous as he looked at Master Katakura. Then the boss said, "Well now it's time to get to the actual reason we had you come here. Based off of your performance Kojuro suggested that we making you higher ranking officers. But first you have to prove you skills against Kojuro and Myself."