"Open your eyes damnit!" The blue clad warrior cried cuddling the body of his rival. "Don't die on me Sanada Yukimura...! This isn't over yet...!" The One Eyed Dragon of Ōshū cried out squinting his eyes closed tears flowing down from the only eye that worked. Kōjurō stood not too far away from his master with a grim look on his face. Next to him was Sasuke Sarutobi and Kenshin's personal ninja, the beautiful Kasuga.
After the defeat of the Tiger of Kai, Takeda Shingen, his poor tiger cub was thrown into a meaningless war with an alliance with the Echizen and Tokugawa. Hearing this news Date took his entire main force to help the cub regain Kai, but ultimately... He was too late. They had won the battle and Kai was won over but the most precious item was lost...gone forever. "Masamune...dono...?" The faint voice of Yukimura was all Date needed to raise his head and peer into those beautiful chocolate eyes.
The cub was covered head-to-toe in blood not only of his but others as well, such was that of war. Masamune couldn't stand to he him like this. It was too painful! "Shh, Yuki, it's okay now..." The dragon cooed holding back the shakes in his voice as he addressed the latter by his nickname. He cupped his cheek with Sanada instantly leaning into the palm of his hand. "I know...you came to save Kai...thank you-,"
"No," Masamune said through gritted teeth, "I came to save you...!" He confessed and put their foreheads together. Both of them closed their eyes as their foreheads touched, Date not having his helmet on and Yukimura's headband torn to shreds in the battle. His hair was sprawled out across Masamune's folded legs and drenched in blood, even then Masamune thought he looked absolutely beautiful. They parted and now both of them were crying. "Masamune-dono... I...I'm sorry I didn't win..." he tried to apologize for losing the battle but Masamune quickly cut in, "No, don't apologize... Don't apologize...!" He repeated in grief.
Yukimura mustered up all of his strength and raised his blood covered and bruised hand to rest on Date's cheek and using the pad of his thumb to wipe away the never ending tears that raced down his cheek. Date held the same hand. "Masamune," their eyes meet, both bleeding with love and yet one very near and the other close to the end. "I never got to say this too you...I have regretted not telling you for years now and yet at this moment I find myself with enough courage to do so..." Masamune nodded signaling for the man to continue. The cub dragged Masamune's face towards him and whispered to him the last words he ever spoke and left the world of the living to live on with the rest of his family, comrades, and master.
Back on Earth, Date Masamune knew for certain that his young cub had grown into the true Tiger of Kai.
Several days after the battle, the clans of the Date, Ishida, Uesugi, Tokugawa, Chōsōkabe and the Maeda held a funeral for all of the warriors that fought for the return of Kai. That day it was snowing. Beautiful fluffy snow. "Mister Dragon...where is otosan?" a young boy asked the general. He was clutching the necklace that he wore...the symbol of the Sanada. This little boy with dark brown hair wearing a black yukata who stood next to the dragon wore the crest of the Sanada proudly on his back.
A gloved hand propped itself on the little one's head, "Don't worry kid, you're otosan is in a place he deserves..." the dragon said, "Will I be able to visit him?" The child asked causing the dragon to raise his head to the sky in pain, "Yeah, one day," The ceremony took place on that day, in the snow white plains of Kai, where the Tiger of Kai was buried alongside his soldiers, friends and master before him. "Come on, little one, let's go." The boy nodded and took the man's hand, "Say, Mister Dragon?" He hummed in response, "Are we going back to Ōshū?" A nod, "That's right."
Behind the crowd the two trotted away from the graves of the Sanada when Masamune took one look back stopping in his tracks. "Mister Dragon?" He turned back to see the boy staring at him with his big chocolate brown eyes, "Are you coming?" He asked, "Yeah, I'm coming," he said and took the boy's hand again, "Let's have a party when we get back,
What do you say... Yuki?" the young boy nodded and ran ahead to pounce on Keiji. Masamune took one last look at the grave and then the sky above him. It was clear without any clouds with snowflakes drifting down in the wind, "I'll take care of your son, Yukimura. I promise you that, also..." He put a fist to his heart and raised it up to the sky outstretched as if wanting a handshake, "I love you too...I just wish we had one more handshake..."
