Disclaimer: Manyuu Hikenchou and its characters belong to the creator, writer and illustrator Hideki Yamada. GrimGrave does NOT own any of the franchise.

Blades of Warriors, Hearts of Maidens

Chapter 1

The reign has gone.

In the Tokugawa shogunate ruled Japan, there was once a clan who held true control over the land, with a certain philosophy that was beyond normal – the value of human beings, or rather women, lied in their assets; their breasts. For men, the rule of the clan was unchanged and they kept their ordinary lives.

However, women had it differently. The philosophy of the clan was simple; if a woman has large breasts, she was promised fame, popularity, wealth and power. If you're at least of somewhat noble birth.

If a woman doesn't have an ample chest, she is looked down upon. She is equal to trash if not lower. Bottom-line, they are not even considered human. Having big breasts means everything, and this clan, the Manyuu clan, consisted of a well-organized and perfectly structured hierarchy around this philosophy that have held true reign over Japan. A clan that knew the secret arts of cutting a woman's breasts without cutting the flesh, thus reducing them in size for those that had been dishonoured or simply peasants that didn't deserve to wear such proud bosoms.

At least that's the world they used to know. These days, it's only a memory of how their land was usually ruled. The clan was still functional, but its power over the Shogun has been rendered non-existent.

::::

In a quiet village near the mountains, the renegade ninja from formerly the Manyuu clan, Chifusa Manyuu had taken up a temporary residence. It was a beautiful autumn day, the leaves of the trees now orange and yellow with the season's arrival, grey clouds dwindling in the sky above. The air was lightly clothed in a cold blanket, but the atmosphere remained calm and relaxing, as autumn days tend to do.

The inn Chifusa was taking shelter in was simple, but it offered a breath-taking view over the forest below, and the ocean in the horizon. It was a quiet little village, but nonetheless filled with life that had fortunately remained untouched by the law of the higher-class cities, and as a result breast-size didn't matter.

The raven-haired ninja sat on the floor, a small, low table with a single bottle of saké and a half-filled cup. Normally she didn't drink, but this was an occasion she felt she could treat herself with the nectar. It had been a whole year since she had managed to change their land for the better, and disrupting the chain of command in her former clan – with the Manyuu clan's hold over the Shogun gone, Chifusa had set out to give every woman a decent-sized chest, thanks to her mastering of the Breast-Flow Technique. At least, in a sense; she had mastered it well enough. Her road to perfect remained unfinished, but in the end she had managed to reduce the size of her own chest which was a literal weight off her shoulders.

She lifted her cup and took a sip. The liquid was cool on her tongue, as it swirled around the petite mouth before being gulped down with earnest. A faint breeze swept in from her open balcony, lifting up the ends of her black locks in its way and washing over her gentle face in its ethereal caress.

She was at peace.

She took another sip of the saké. It was a taste she still had to grow used to, but so far it was not too shabby. As the second mouthful of the wine slipped down her throat, she heard the wooden frame slide open – someone stepped into her room.

Chifusa didn't waste a second. The cup was clumsily flung back on the table as she reached underneath it, unsheathing her katana in a single, flawless motion. She pointed it at her intruder, ready to parry and strike that might have been unleashed.

However, it wasn't an enemy – or at least not to an extent. The person before her was a familiar face, and chances were that the person wouldn't be after her life anymore. Chifusa lowered her blade, confusion clear in her hazel eyes.

"Ouka-dono…?"

"So this is where you've been hiding, Chifusa-sama…" The woman said. Her name is Ouka Sayama, and she had a history with Chifusa dating back to when they were only children.

After all, Chifusa had, albeit accidentally, stolen her breasts in their match when Ouka was going to earn herself a chance to marry someone from the Manyuu main branch. Granted, their last encounter had left Ouka with her breasts returning to normal when Chifusa, once again accidentally, performed the Breast-Flow technique on her.

Standing tall at the threshold, Ouka was clad in the similar attire she had worn in their previous encounters; a pink kimono-top tied with a white sash, with black armguards and simple sandals and her usual white cloak that hid the bottom portion of her face.

Only her clear blue eyes were visible along with her long black hair that was still kept in a long ponytail.

But those eyes – they remained sharp, narrow yet not as cold as Chifusa had remembered them to be. They were softer now.

"… I wasn't hiding, Ouka-dono. I simply needed to be alone. This is my goal, and mine alone to bear."

"Your crusade you mean? I've heard. You're trying to give every woman in Japan a decent-sized chest." Her eyes averted Chifusa's for merely a second, but the action was nevertheless noticed by the renegade ninja. "So how is that working out for you, Chifusa-sama?"

"You can drop the honorific Ouka-dono. I disbanded from the Manyuu Clan long ago; I don't hold any position worthy of that title."

"Then I'll stop, on the condition that you'll drop mine." Ouka replied. Chifusa eyed her for a second, curiosity lingering in the look before she nodded.

"Very well, Ouka."

"We're agreed then, Chifusa."

Chifusa narrowed her eyes again. "Why are you here Ouka? Still not satisfied with your revenge despite that you've gotten your breasts back?" Slowly, Chifusa raised her sword at the woman, pondering why Ouka didn't do the same – her nodachi could easily give her an advantage in this situation.

"Indeed, you gave me back my breasts, but I would still have to hunt you down for the Manyuu Clan. Had it not been because you severed their seat of power."

"So, why are you here? How did you even find me?"

"I've been tracking you for a while now. But you seemed to be one step ahead of me until now when you finally settled. As to why…" Ouka's voice trailed off and her eyes – they once again averted from Chifusa's, something said ninja noticed yet again. It wasn't the fact that she averted her eyes that caught Chifusa's attention, but how she did it. It was her whole body-language, the way she seemingly shifter her weight from one leg to the other, how her whole head turned to the side, taking advantage of her cloak to cover her face.

It was disturbingly familiar.

"… May I join you for a cup of saké?"

"… Very well."

With the approval of her company, Ouka walked over to the small wooden table and immediately took on a seiza-position(1) while disrobing her cloak and weapon. With her face now clear, Chifusa took the opportunity to give it a glance as Ouka poured up her cup with saké.

It was slightly red. They still didn't look each other in the eyes either.

"As to why I am here…" Ouka said, still not looking at Chifusa. "There are a few reasons. One is that I am no longer in Muneyuki-sama's - …" She stopped herself. "Muneyuki's service."

"What?! You're not longer- what happened?" Chifusa said in surprise.

"…It was because of you, you know. With the Manyuu Clan no longer needed, or wanted in the new Shogun's reign, the clan have become pointless. Just like my service…"

Chifusa saw the sorrow in Ouka's eyes. This was no lie, and a slight sting of guilt struck the renegade ninja. "…I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise… It won't do me any good." She looked up from her lowered face. "Not your words anyway…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Ouka quickly replied, coldly. "I also left because of him. I don't know if you ever found out, but your brother… I loved him."

Chifusa didn't reply, but nodded whenever Ouka gave her a glance. The former body-guard took a sip from her cup as well, gulping down its contents in one swig and promptly filled it back up.

"I was very devoted to him… After all, he took me in, hiring me even though I at the time lacked breasts. He ignored the social status I was forced into and gave me a purpose to live… I owed him very much…"

She took another swig. "And yet I didn't mean anything to him. He never harboured the same regard I held for him… Long story short, I left once it was clear that I would only be his bodyguard, despite that it alone felt enough at first..."

Chifusa eyed Ouka warily, pouring some more saké into her cup before taking a light sip. While she was glad to hear that Ouka wasn't her enemy anymore, and grieved her that she suffered from heartbreak, there was something that didn't add up to her tale. It gnawed at the back of her head, and the answer simply didn't come to her. Against better judgement, Chifusa put down her cup and waited for Ouka to finish talking.

"Ouka, how does this relate to you looking for me? I… I still don't understand why you're here."

The silence that occurred after those last words could be best described as unearthly. Ouka had tensed up to the point that she barely moved, and once again were her eyes not meeting Chifusa's. Only the faint sound of the first few raindrops falling onto the world below could be heard.

Eventually, Ouka put her half-empty cup down on the small table. Her hands slowly balled up into clenched fists, trembling against the wooden surface.

Her blue eyes met Chifusa's hazel orbs. "I don't have a home anymore, Chifusa. The only place I had was with Muneyuki… And it's gone now. I don't have any hope left in that place… or him."

"Ouka… What are you saying?"

The former bodyguard slammed her fists on the table, her eyes now bursting with the same cold malice she had always directed at Chifusa. "Do you have to be so thick-headed?! I was once again alone Chifusa! Something YOU started all those years ago! When I lost what I thought was my last shred of hope, it was you who came back in my head!"

The table was violently knocked aside, the bottle and cups now spread out on the carpeted floor along with the contents. Chifusa attempted for her sword but Ouka had already dashed over at her, pinning her down on the carpet with all her weight. The renegade ninja grunted out loud at the sudden impact, hazy eyes quickly meeting the widened orbs of her former(?) enemy.

The falling rain increased – it was now lightly pouring.

"It was you! You started it all! And yet… And yet in my time of sorrow, you came back as if as an answer!"

"O-Oi! Get off me Ouka!"

"No… Not until you realize what responsibility you have." Letting go of Chifusa's right arm, Ouka quickly grabbed it by the wrist and guided it towards her left breast, forcing Chifusa to grope the ample breast. It was as big as Chifusa remember it to have grown that day. The touch, even though it was through clothing didn't lessen the sensation – Ouka let out a quiet, involuntary whimper of delight as Chifusa was shocked into a paralysis. It was clear to her now what Ouka was on about.

"Chifusa…" Ouka gasped out, continuing to knead her breast through Chifusa's hand. "This is your own fault you know. So take responsibility… Before the others show up…"

"O-Others?" Chifusa stuttered. "Who else is- No, just let me go!"

"No…"

"Let me go Ouka! Snap out of-mmph!" Still gazing deeply into Ouka's clear blue eyes, the former bodyguard crashed down on her.

The rain was now violently falling down. A single roar of thunder echoed in the distance.

To be continued...

(1) Seiza position means literally "proper sitting" and is a traditional formal way of sitting. It consists of the person first kneeling on the floor and folding their legs underneath their thighs as to rest their buttocks on their heels, followed by their ankles now are turned outwards so the tops of the feet are lowered in a V-shape. Look it up on wikipedia for further info and picture for reference.