Name: Aiko

Position: Shinobi Corps. leader.

Clan: Zakura

Element: Earth

Hair/style: Long waist length black straight hair with chin length side swept bangs that frames and cover the right side of her heart shaped face.

Body shape: Curvaceous with an even light peach skin.

Faults: Scarred up back.

Height: Five foot four inches.

Eye color: Pale green.

Likes: Dragons, blades, fighting, planing, children, playing, sleeping, cooking, bathing, dancing, teaching, honorable fights, necklaces, and hair combs to keep her hair pinned back.

Personality: Is a very kind and caring woman unless her 'pride' is hurt, then she becomes cold and heartless. Mostly she tries and solves things without mindless blood shed as she likes to keep the peace between lands much like her Lady. Aiko can also be easily embarrassed when people complement her, or flirt with her. Also she becomes very uncomfortable when she's without some coverings of her upper torso, and as such has low self-esteem because of her scars.

START STORY

•Date Masamune's Point of View•

Sighing I leaned back on the futon I was placed on as my fingers touched the bandages that were wrapped around my upper torso. "Damn, what a pain in the ass." I swore calmly. I blinked my one eye as the shoji screens divided to show the Tiger of Kai himself. He smiled.

"Looks like you're healing nicely. Your right eye and three of your men are back along with Yukimura and Sasuke." The old man told me. I couldn't help but smirk.

Distant yelling could be heard inside the room. It sounded like a woman. "How many times do I have to tell you?! My Lady Miko Zakura sent me and the members of my corps." Now that sounded like a pissed off woman. I felt sorry for the poor sap who was arguing with her. All of a sudden was there as loud THUNK. "Do you have no honor? How dare you stare at my chest?!" both the old man and I started laughing. "Now take me to the Tiger of Kai. I desire to speak to him." The old man left the room.

"Who is it that wishes to speak with me?" came the deep, calm voice of Takeda Shingen. Grunting I slowly stood up on my feet and walked towards the splited shoji screen.

Standing there in front of Takeda was a beautiful young woman dressed in a black and silver tunic top with a silver silk belt around her slim waist and long bell sleeves that went past her hands and form fitting bottoms. Around her shins were guards and on her feet were a pair of small heeled boots. Strapped to her left hip was three katanas. One had a dark earth-y green hilt, another black, while the last had crimson hilt. The woman bowed her head. "I am Aiko; leader of the Shinobi Corps. for the Zakura Clan under Lady Miko Zakura. Our lady is with child so she sent me, her right hand, to assist in the battle against Oda."

Now I could understand why the poor man kept ogling at her chest, she sure had one unlike most women I have met. A woman dressed in black appeared right behind the woman, now known as Aiko, bowing. "Mistress Aiko, nothing seems out of place around the outer part of the domain of the Tiger of Kai."

"Good. Now go call for the others and tend to those with wounds. Have some of the others go looking for herbs that we might need to use."

The woman in black disappeared just as quickly as she appeared. "You know you shouldn't be standing for long. Blood is already seeping through your bandages." My eye widen slightly as Aiko looked over at me.

"Heh. This?" I gestured towards the wrappings, acting as if it was nothing. "This is nothing." She just rolled her pale green orbs.

"Right. Did anyone remove the bullet or is it still lodged in you? That slows the healing process greatly you know." The old man shook his head.

"I think I'll leave Lord Masamune in your care Mistress Aiko." And with that the old man left. And with that I went back into the room I was staying in for the time being.

"Do you mind if I took a look?" I turned my head so I could see her with my single eye. I just shrugged my shoulder; not really caring if she did or didn't. This is when I took notice of the white case she brought with her as she kneeled down by the futon that I was laying on again; my elbows propping me up. Her fingers were cool and felt nice against my heated skin as she un-did the bindings around my torso. "You need to relax. If you keep on moving while this bullet is still in it could really hurt you in the long run." She explained while prodding around the small wound track. She pulled a small knife and lit a candle. "This will help get the bullet out and slow the bleeding that'll start shortly after. This will hurt," she warned.

I hissed in pain as she started digging the metal ball out of my body. The burning of the hot blade against my flesh was painful. As quickly as it came did it vanish. "Damn." I cursed as she wrapped my upper torso again. Aiko held up a tiny metal ball in front of my face with blood stained finger tips. "That little thing caused all this?" I asked while cupping my burnt wound. I looked up toward the shoji screens as the parted. "Hey Kojūrō. How's it goin'? I see you brought my swords back." I greeted my second in command.

Quickly was a blade pointed at Aiko's face. I looked back at Kojūrō to see a knife pointed at his throat. "If I were you I'd lower that blade from my mistress' face or face death," hissed a woman dressed in black with a black silk cloth wrapped around her eyes.

"Lower your blade Jun. And that's an order." With grace I've never seen before did Aiko push Kojūrō's blade down while standing. The other woman pulled her blade away, only to get slapped across the face. "I know you're still young, but I thought I taught you better. Now say sorry and go clean this." She gave the knife to the smaller woman who then fell to her knees and touched her forehead against the wooden floor.

"I am greatly sorry. Please forgive my stupidity." She stayed like that for awhile before Kojūrō accepted. She got up, keeping her head lowered, and made her leave. Aiko took out a cloth that was tucked away in her long sleeves and wiped off the blood on her finger tips.

"If I were you I wouldn't make any rash movements unless you want to reopen that burnt wound trail. I'll go prepare you some jasmine tea along with something to eat." She then left.

I laughed as Kojūrō just blinked. "Well I'll be damned. I never thought I'd see the day where a woman would be giving me, of all people, orders before cooking me a meal!" Kojūrō chuckled softly along with me.

"I also never thought I'd see the day when you get bossed around by a woman Boss Masamune."

Crossing my arms behind my head I laid back down and looked straight up. "Man, she sure is something." I stated as Kojūrō sat my swords by my side. Kojūrō nodded his head in agreement.

"Slow down will you? Baka, you're as bad as that bake neko. Usagi, get back here dammit! Go find some one else to bother. The Tiger of Kai's cub is about your age. Go play around with him for a bit, maybe he could help you use your spears better. Watch it! I'm carrying tea here." I tuned my head and watched as the shoji panels parted to show Aiko balancing a tray of food and a tray of tea.

"Hey Kojūrō, go help the lady out." I elbowed said man in the side from my position. He got up slowly and went to take the tray of tea. Aiko walked over and placed the tray of food down next to me before going and grabbing more pillows. I cocked an eyebrow at her.

"I said it before that you need to relax. And that's what these are for." Grabbing a hold of my shoulder she helped me sit up and placed the pillows behind me. I leaned back against the mounds, only to feel something warm and soft behind my head. I was aware of a speeding heartbeat. Oh boy. I wanted to move away but my body was relaxing even more. "Eh. C-c-could you lean forward a bit please?" I just relaxed back even more against her chest. I could feel her heart beating hard against her breast that rested against my shoulders and neck.

"You told me to relax and that's exactly what I'm doing." I stated plainly while crossing my arms over my wrapped torso and closing my one eye. Again were the rice paper screens parted. Standing there was Sanada Yukimura. "Hey, Yukimura. Thanks for the help with bringing my men back along with my swords."

"Lord Masamune!" the loud teen yelled. I could feel my head throb at how loud he was. "My Lord Takeda said you were up and about earlier. So I had to see if it was true. I am greatly delighted that you are feeling better so soon!" I only seen a flash of bright red before the kid was taken down hard by a giggling mess of black and bright red with hints of orange.

"Do I get a prize now? I found the cub! Usagi wants a carrot as her prize!" I chuckled as the kid looked mortified as the girl sat on top of him. "Can Usagi have her carrot now? Or can she play with the cub? Please let Usagi play with the cub! He's cute~" without waiting for an answer from anyone did the bundle of energy pick up Yukimura and dragged him out of the room. I felt myself falling back as the woman I was leaning again shot up.

"Usagi! Get the hell back here. Your definition of the word Play is different from that of an innocent child!" Aiko ran straight out of the room to follow the rabbit like girl.

"I'll be damned." I sighed while relaxing back into the mountain of pillows. "Mind leaving Kojūrō? I'd like to rest a little longer." Kojūrō nodded and left as I got comfortable. But my stomach growled. Scowling I sat back up slowly and looked over at the food. It looked well put together and thought out.

"My mistress would be angry if you eat that now. It's too cold. She'll be back with something warmer that'll be better for you." I looked up to see a woman hanging out of a hole in the ceiling. "I am known as Kage, silence is my thing." Her hair hung down and looked to be a paling navy blue that blended into the darkness of the corner. She then vanished back up and replaced the tile.

"Oh wow. Three strange women have visited me today."

"Oops. Maybe I should have knocked?" a woman giggled melodiously. Tilting my head did I see Aiko holding onto another tray. "From the look on your face I would have to guess that you have met my personal shadow. She's harmless for the most part. Kage mostly does spying and scouting. But she is good at silent kills." Aiko knelt down and placed the tray on my lap. "But let me appologize for Usagi. She gets that way when she meets new people. And once she got word that we'd be helping fight against Oda she went insane. It was because of that man, no, that demon that Usagi didn't have parents growing up. So this is her chance to get back at him for the pain he put her thru."

A sad smile grace Aiko's pale lips. "You really care about them, huh?" I asked before eating some rice. She giggled again and nodded. I smirked and continued eating. A touch of red graced her cheeks and nose.

"Is it to your liking, Lord Masamune?"

"This is pretty good." Again did her face heat up as she sat there. The silence was comforting as I ate. Completely different from what I was used to when eating with all my men.