Hiya, guys!
I've finally managed to make something up from my earlier draft list^^
This is something I got some years ago and I'm so glad I'm finally able to execute it now *dance*
Actually, I was going to post this a week prior, but a new idea crawled to my head, and thus, I recreated the whole story o.O, hence the long posting. And seriously, I didn't expect such little change could impact almost ninety percent of this fict!
This fic is related to my upcoming 'My Ninja Brother' and little bit Naruto AU-ish because I borrowed some of its vocabularies. Set after the first battle in Takeda Story—Battle of Kawanakajima, and AU where Nobuyuki and Yukimura could exorcist demons in ninja-ish way.
There's my short Author Note! ^^
Enjoy and review
In battlefield, there's nothing Sanada brothers wanted but to fight together in an uncanny harmony. With their respective weapon protectively crossed before their torso, they nonchalantly stood in their own threatening stances, facing dozens of men that were surrounding them in an asymmetric circle. Without having to pay simple glimpses, Nobuyuki could tell the smirk on Yukimura's face, along with fiery heat of his inner fire within his brown eyes, and the younger man could tell the same subtler smirk on his elder's face, along with the bone-shattering deadliness on his silvery grey eyes.
No need a genius to tell that 50 men held aghast towards the two men before them. The exact two who had taken down their 150 comrades with ease within ten minutes flat and Shingen's disciples didn't even break a sweat! Their weapons were shaking not so subtly in their trembling hands as they mused: so this was the famed Sanada Brothers. They really lived up to their names, the elder as the Silent Death and the younger as the Blazing Fire. Earlier, the soldiers had witnessed with their own eyes the astounding display of the brothers' prowess.
Nobuyuki moved between his enemies so quick that the moment they blinked, Nobuyuki had disappeared and in their next blink, he stroke right into his enemy's vital mobility points before striking their vital organs (or, in some cases, he would strike straight to the vital organs) so delicately, so swiftly that his enemies didn't have the time to gasp for their lives, giving them a torturous silent death. It was also said that the elder's silvery grey eyes were so cold that at one simple glance, they'd freeze their enemies' bodies before they could even think, allowing the elder Sanada to send them straight to death without leaving any traces.
As for the younger brother, he moved so fiery like a single blazing fire among men, every swing of his spear ignited his fire and as he advanced, he burnt his enemies in sight. His attacks were massive and effusive, like he was the living embodiment of fire himself. He spread his fire conspicuously to thread fear into his enemies with 'blazing fire' aura around his body that was also his fear-inducing source. It was said that his aura was so hot that in one simple glance, it'll burn his enemies' warrior courage into ashes, making them an easy target for him.
The elder was ice and the younger was fire; two very opposing elements working together to eliminate their enemies. It was a rather bizarre and breath taking view to see, since usually the ice would trap the fire within and smother it slowly and the fire would melt the ice and turn it into nothing but steam. But here they were, witnessing ice and fire combined their attacks in an astounding balance, creating a whole new level of prowess. What's even more interesting was that their ability to speak with even the simplest gesture; raised eyebrows, small sigh, and eye contacts, making them looked as if their minds were connected with an invisible line of thoughts that enabled them to complete each others' attacks without any words spoken. When the elder stroke first, he would first induce fear right into the hearts of their enemies with his cold frigid eyes, freezing them on spot while altogether cutting their major mobility muscles and joints, and then, the younger would incinerate their souls and finish the job with his blazing aura. Or, when the younger stroke first, he would make sure unresolved soldiers would lose their guts, leaving his brother to cast their souls in ice and shatter it into nothing and brought along death to their mortal bodies.
Back with the two…
A silent plan made, Nobuyuki and Yukimura lifted their weapons. As they stroke together, Nobuyuki spun his blade horizontally above his head for two seconds to ignite a whirlwind above his head. Then, the eldest Sanada brother hurtled his dual katana diagonally to his left, sending a ten feet whirlwind to the twenty-five before him that at contact, hauled them inside it, twisting and cutting them to its top, once it's dissipated, those twenty-five thumped!,piling on the ground bleeding all over their bodies. While Yukimura, on the same time, leaped three feet off the ground, spear's blade facing down, as he was going down, he riveted his strength to it, and once he was one foot from the ground, he slammed his spear full power, quaking the ground before him so strong it cracked right on his spear's contact. Instantly, the other twenty-five were thrown of the ground, landing on a pile like his brother's bunch, with some ground cracks above and under them.
Seeing that they had no longer enemies in tow, both brothers closed the gap between their feet and without lowering their guard, they stood side by side, eyes planted to the land before them and its orange backdrop. The battlefield was littered with corpses, weapons and banners that were sticking on the ground. Though, there were some men who were still fighting far before them. However, the brothers didn't approach; those men could handle themselves. Now, that their objective was accomplished, it's time to report back to Shingen.
Both turned their backs and headed for Takeda Clan's main camp. Upon sighting a couple of distinctive two red dots in the distance, Yukimura stopped on his tracks and swiveled back, head turning right and left, looking for the odd eyes' presence that had disappeared the moment he looked for it again. He furrowed his brow. He was pretty sure that he had spotted a couple of red glowing eyes of a demon. Or, was it because he had seen too much blood? The younger of the two shook his head. That's absurd. He'd been in battlefield since he was sixteen and his eyes had been accustomed to blood ever since. He turned his head to the left and found Nobuyuki also stopped on his tracks, scrutinizing at the same direction. From what he had read from Nobuyuki's face, the elder brother also noticed what he noticed.
"Who do you think it is, Brother?"
"Frankly, I'm not certain, Yukimura." Somehow, Nobuyuki had a nasty feeling about this. Those dots were demon's eyes. And demons with fiendish red eyes always end up possessing people. "Keep your head in the game, Yukimura. And don't let it unguarded." He warned cryptically to Yukimura and walked off to their lord's camp, leaving a confused Yukimura behind, who quickly stormed to his brother's side while wondering what he meant.
Later on, when both brothers entered the main camp's strategy quarters, a soldier was kneeling on one knee before Shingen Takeda, reporting about monstrosity that wiped out each a quarter of soldiers from both sides. From his slumped, defeated trembling back, and his shaky voice, Nobuyuki knew that something off the grid had happened and it had to be connected with red eyes he and Yukimura had seen.
"Is there anything else?" Shingen asked calmly, although, if you look deeper within the mask, utter shock was crystal in his face.
The frightened soldier shook his head, "No, my lord. That is all."
With that, the soldier excused himself and went off of the tent, allowing the elderly leader shot his attention to his two disciples, mainly to the elder brother. Not that he's playing favoritism, it's just that…with Nobuyuki, he could discuss many things that even beyond stratagem, battle, and life. Also, he saw many similarities within the young adult to himself. And he didn't want the young adult to endure what he had endured.
Instead of calling their names, he stood and walked to them himself to a table in the tent's heart. The table's surface had the battlefield's map with tiny blocks on it; two red for Takeda were placed in the center of battlefield and in the northernmost spot, which was where the main camp set—and one blue for their opponent. There were also tiny cones with same coloration scattered around the map; these represent smaller number of army divisions. Two of them, one each color that was located near the forest's outermost border, caught Nobuyuki's attention. Those divisions must've been ones that soldier's reported seconds ago, he concluded.
"SHINGEN… REVENGE!... WIPE THEM ALL!"
That's how they moaned and yelled. The twenty years old recalled something and it all made sense. His heart skipped a beat and eyelids snapped open widely. He looked up to his lord who at the same time looked to him as well. Both of them grimly nodded. A silent agreement was made. As painful as it was, either Nobuyuki or Shingen had no choice.
"Yukimura," he called to his brother, who stood next to him, earning, "Yes, Brother?" from said young man whose body was now facing him, cross spear stood readily by his right side.
The older of the two turned his heel to face his younger brother. He stared right through Yukimura's eyes; commanding and sturdy seriousness and worry crystal in his eyes, and blatantly spoke, "Can I trust you?"
Huh? Was the first word his dumbstruck mind supplied. Did his brother just ask that if he could trust him? To normal people's ears, who never get to understand the length of their bonds, would've simply thought that Nobuyuki's question was obnoxiously bizarre. Period. However, Yukimura knew better than to jump into conclusions or listen to others' opinion. He just stared deeper and deeper into Nobuyuki's eyes and finally, a realization dawned at him.
"Oh," he baffled. Nobuyuki wasn't really asking if he could trust Yukimura. What he's really asking was that will Yukimura do AS he's told? Because if he screwed up, there would be some heavy price they'd—particularly, Nobuyuki—have to pay afterwards. Deciding that this wasn't the time to doubt himself, he pushed aside his skepticism and drilled more self confidence into his soul and with steeled eyes and resolved guts, he replied, "Yes, Brother."
Nobuyuki nodded, "Good," he was satisfied. "Now," he gripped Yukimura's right shoulder tightly, "listen to me," he didn't budge his silvery grey pearls from Yukimura's hazel ones, "I need you to go and order everyone across the battlefield to return to their respective main camps, otherwise they'll end up possessed like those fifty we're about to face, and we don't need the demon becomes stronger than he is now," Nobuyuki reached into his pant's pocket. "Take my stallion and these," he handed three shuriken to Yukimura, which the latter quizzically received.
"The battlefield is vast and we have to move fast," because Nobuyuki's midnight steed was a lot faster than his chestnut one. D*mn, had I had asked Brother before I chose my own horse, I would've had a faster horse too, he grumbled. Then, he recalled perfectly how... (almost literally) back-breaking Nobuyuki's efforts to tame his horse and how easy Yukimura's efforts were and they tamed their horses when they were twelve. While Nobuyuki's horse was a lot faster, he also demanded respect from his soon-to-be-rider, and Yukimura's? Well, he and the boy practically had bonded in their first eye contact and Yukimura didn't even need to tame it at all. His wandering mind then switched their positions, had Yukimura stood in Nobuyuki's shoes... his spine shivered at the thought. Ehh, on a second thought, I'm satisfied with my own horse.
"Before you advance, throw them into three distinctive different directions of the battlefield. Make sure you don't go to either of directions, otherwise people will see two of you in the same place." Even without Nobuyuki's further explanations, Yukimura already knew what the elder's implications and shivered at the thought of seeing another Yukimura right in front of him, concrete and alive, even when it's just a mere copy.
"And most importantly, I need you to herd the possessed soldiers together and restrain the demon fractions inside them so they won't multiply and possess other soldiers." Yukimura's heart skipped a beat at the tasks given to him. If both of them had been alone in their private sanctum, Yukimura's jaw would've dropped to the ground at the tasks' dubiousness.
You want ME to herd and contain them? Herding is one easy thing, but RESTRAINING them is another different matter altogether! You sure you want a rookie like me do such advanced techniques, Brother?
As if he had written his musing all over his face, Nobuyuki gripped his shoulders and injected warmth and reassurance into his eyes, "I know you can do this, Yukimura." He supported, "all you have to do is to think cherished memories in your head and ignore everything the demon shoves at you." That easy? He really couldn't help but to wonder.
"No, it's not that easy, but it's that simple..." okay, right now Yukimura didn't know whether he should be grateful or got creep-ed out of his mind by the fact that Nobuyuki could probably read his mind. Regardless their connection and bond, it's still creepy as all hell... and comforting, in a sort of way he couldn't really fathom.
The twenty years old tightened his grips, eyes vehemently staring at his younger, "And I mean, ignore everything he shoves at you, be it insults, taunts, challenges, whatever it is, just..." he stopped for a while and threaded the words carefully, "in this case, don't listen to your warrior's sense, Yukimura. Trust me." The nineteen years old frowned visibly. What the? Okay, now this is absolutely bizarre. How in the world I mustn't listen to my senses?
But Yukimura knew better than to interrupt his unfinished brother, "This demon is a lost cause, and unlike us, he had lost his honor as a warrior and would do anything at cost to reach his goal. Even if he has to sink below our codes."
Incredulous, Yukimura made a mental note to ask Nobuyuki to explain things to him, when the battle's over, of course. Long story short, Nobuyuki gave Yukimura more elaborate instructions; as how to effectively keep his mind guarded, how to effectively herd and contain the demon's fractions so they wouldn't multiply and possess other poor soldiers. Also, the older of the two reminded his younger again NOT to fall into the demon's taunts. After sending the brunette on his mission, Nobuyuki gave him one (last? Why did he felt like it would be one? Oh, shut it, he shoved that thought away) strong protective and worried grip on the latter's retreating right shoulder, making him turned his back to Nobuyuki, saying, "Yes, Brother?"
In his eyes, Yukimura could see mixture emotions that he couldn't describe, but he was certain that Nobuyuki was very concern of him and wanted him to be more careful on this task. Antsy as he was, Nobuyuki had no doubt in his eyes and that moment Yukimura knew that despite his past recklessness, Nobuyuki never doubted his seriousness. And somehow, despite his continuous self-doubting, the comfort, warmth, security, and encouragement he saw in his brother's eyes, were more than enough to assure himself that he's adequate for this task.
"Be careful, Yukimura. I'll be next to you when you need me." Yukimura firmly gripped Nobuyuki's hand that gripped his shoulder. Somehow, a smile managed to form itself on his face as he replied, "I will, Brother. And I trust that you always will be," with that, both released their hands, bade farewell to Shingen, and set off to respective missions, hoping that none would go wrong and after all of this were over, they'd be laying under their second favorite tree, half sleeping and enjoying each others' company in silence.
There!
Done is the first chapter!
Wait for my next updates, dear readers! ^^
Thanks a lot for your time and review!
See you in next update :D
Sincerely yours,
SanadaJoZhao
