PROLOGUE

She hurried to the enemy stronghold. Surely that's where everyone was. There's no way we could have lost. She whispered to herself more assuring words, before jumping through a castle window. The long narrow hallway was empty except for the various dead bodies and blood that smeared her way. However, this did not affect her in anyway. She pushed herself forward, every step claiming a more desperate declaration.

He can't be dead, he can't be dead. She whispered to herself. It's an impossibility.

She found herself aching from the pace she had set for herself. Her lungs gasped for air, but she dared not slow. Any moment he could be in trouble, and she would not tolerate it. She only slowed when she came to the main base. "Lord Nagamasa!" She called, and pulled herself around the doorway.

She felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach at the sight before her. Bodies lay everywhere on the ground, looks of agony on their porcelain faces. The green uniforms were all splattered red and torn from battle, faces twisted by the screams of war. Then she saw him. She thought her heart shattered. He was lying on the ground, in the middle of the floor, his helmet on the other side of the room. She walked over slowly, afraid that any faster and her body would fall apart.

His eyes were still open, but glazed thoughtlessly. His usual glossy blond hair was messy and uneven, some trapped in clumps of blood. The girl felt her body shake, as she closed his eyes.

A sense of fury then overwhelmed her. He had known, he knew this would happen. He lied when he said everything would be fine. He lied when he said nothing was wrong. Those words were a sweet soft tale from his lips to distract her and she felt stupid for believing him. Her whole life she had served the Azai clan, and now she had nothing. He took everything with him and left her with nothing. She remembered practicing archery when they were young. Even later she was appointed as his personal bodyguard for her well doing in martial arts, and later still the marriage of him to his beloved Oichi.

Biting her tongue was all she could do to prevent herself from crying. Ninjas don't cry. She assured herself again and again, finding herself kneeling with his head near her bossom. She took a deep breath and ly his head in her lap, then looked around.

"You've left me no choice my lord." She laughed. It was hard to, but she knew he was watching her as her own ancestor. She stood up and pulled off her headdress and her armor, neatly stacking it at her feet, then removed her warrior's skirt. She felt naked wearing nothing but bandaging, but to who did it matter? She held her wakizashi out in front of her and admired it, thanking it for its service.

"Okami... Okami please don't." The blade seemed to cry, but Okami repressed it with the thoughts of her failure. The blade settled. Se spun it for good measure, then whispered a soft pray under her breath. Footseps broke her concentration, and she looked up. There was no one in sight, which was good because she was not about to be captured by the enemy. She would die, honorably as a kunoichi by her master's side. The footsteps quickened and she felt her heart race. She took a deep breath.

"This is it." Just as she went to cut across her abdomen, something hit the back of her head. There was a lot of shouting, but it was inaudible to her. She saw the blurred version of a man, but the shocking pain that rocketed through her body conquered her and she felt herself fall into a blackness.