Feudal Japan, Free roaming and aspacious. Devoid of contact with the outside world for numerous generations and full of heart wrenching civil war. The Clans of this tiny island roamed its lands well. Crafting alliances and forging wars of heart and greed for centuries they grew together. Many tribes were formed, even more died out and were never seen or spoken too again.

This is the ledger, and recorded history of the Otomo Clan. History dictates we would become the victors of bloody warfare and lead Japan as Shogunate! Other clans, have hosted this honor but the current Shogun is WEAK! His reign is long and power failing! We will drive him from his glistening throne and stain Kyoto in blood, for we are the Otomo, and we will seek to unify this Japan.

1545

++ - ++ Spring ++ - ++

"FIRE ARROWS!" Further cries of disarray and panic spread the troops wide. The Night splitting wide to the flights of the far flung arrows. Piercing 2 soldiers and leaving them scrambling on the floor I picked up my spear and stood tall.

"CARRY ON MY SOLDIERS! THEY WILL NOT HAVE MY CASTLE!" My booming voice carried loud as several heads perked up, a rally cry as they charged back to the fence and gate. Arrows flew steady into the compound, blazoned with the Black feathers of the Shoni. Traitorous pigs, they will cower in the face of Otomo Yoshiaki, Daimyo of the Otomo Clan!

Standing tall, I lifted up another soldier from the ground, fallen from the scaffold above. "Are you hurt, Son?" I asked, pulling him to his feet. His armor is very soiled and his face bleak.

"n-n-n-nnn-nno Daimyo, I am uninjured." He replied, taking up his spear. His armor was worn, but not by him. It was scratched and very unfitted to his body. Trembling he took his spear and attempted to steady his balance.

"It is ok to be scared, they come for our homes. Do you have a wife, children?" Speaking candidly in battle, I leaned against my horse to reassure him that everything was going according to plan. My trusted General Chikaharu had the battle contained.

"Yes, I do Daimyo." He replied, only as eagerly as a newborn calf. I laughed as I put my hand on his shoulder, my white and gold crested armor eclipsing his own.

"Then we shall drive them from our city, they shall not take our home from us!" I cried in joy, leading forth with him in tow. "Go, join your brothers and strike now in your formation. Today we shall make them fear us!" I cheered, a few cheers heard back from the lines as the gritted moans and dying grunts were heard from the castle walls. A batch of errant arrows bounced down the halls over the Yari Ashigaru's head as he choked down his fear and ran forward.

Pulling a flag from under my breastplate, I pulled it above my head and waved it to the right. Instantly a group above me in the 2nd terrace of the castle stepped forward, previously unseen and drew sticks of fire. Metal rods, hollow that launched projectiles as strong and fierce as the breath of a Dragon. Muskets they were called, and a westerner who sold them stepped out with the troup as well, directing their fire. Moments later screams were heard, the loud shots ringing throughout the castle as the flashes banged.

"Magnificent!" I cried out, watching the enemy flee in terror at this new weapon. Their eyes truly startled as some fell tragically to their deaths on the castle walls.

"THEY RETREAT! THIS IS A GLORIOUS DAY!" I cried, spinning around to my bodyguard who had already begun rejoicing.

A messenger boy came bearing his gifts from the other side of the city.

"Daimyo, my master General Chikaharu reports that the enemy has begun to flee, should he pursue them?" The small boy, no older than 14 reported. Stroking at my beard and looking down at the child, garbed in white and blue kimono I laughed.

"No son, tell him to bring his men back to the castle to celebrate. And Bring me the head of the general he defeated, this will be a Glorious victory indeed!" Rising back to my feet, I trotted back, leading my horse back to the Daimyo's castle perched atop the city and overlooking the peasantry of Bungo. The fleeing flickering lights of the enemies torches showed them fleeing the city, heading west to Buzen, the home of their traitorous Daimyo.

Climbing the steps and leaving the horse to my bodyguards to stable, I watched as the last of the lights covered my horizon. Large groups seemingly extinguishing into the Treeline and disappearing.

"Truly this was a bad night. Our treaty is broken, my trust is damaged and our name dirtied by the transgressions of a fearful enemy." The missionary said, coming down the stairs to greet us on our return.

"And what a tragedy it was, Father Ouliveryra, to have the enemy scattered and fearing our might and power!" I respond, embracing him tightly and smiling great. "Tonight we feast on the victory over our foe!"

"And indeed you shall Daimyo, and with God's Blessing you should find victory. I take that our new weapons have the enemy fearing your almighty power now?" The Father inquired, turning about, his dark black robes brushing against the floor as he strode behind me.

"Yes, and with them, we shall win the Shogunate, and rule this nation, unifying all of Japan under one banner. A Banner of Blue, a banner of Otomo!" I proclaim, looking out over the gathering crowd at the base of the castle. The last few stragglers of the gate guard coming into the courtyard.

I pull the banner out of the hand of one of the guards and wave it high over my head, the candle and torchlight giving it an eerie red glow as I swung it high over my head.

"THIS DAY! THIS DAY IS OURS!"

Cheering could be heard throughout the village, hopefully loud enough that the fleeing Shoni bastards could hear it as well. Planting the manner back down and ratcheting myself off the stairs and down into my -, several members of our family came down along with General Chikaharu. Turning I greeted each of them with joyous laughter, that we could all enjoy only after such a victory.

"My friend, General! I hope that satchel is the prize I wish to collect!" Smiling I embraced him as well, his smile fading slightly into a grimace as he knelt and pulled the woolen satchel from his side.

"Apologies, Daimyo, but we could not recover his head due to it being lobbed off by a soldier and lost in the fields, but we did retrieve his body." Lifting the bag up, spattered with blood and being offered with blood soaked gauntlets, Chikaharu's face lifted slightly, still bearing flights of blood across his helmet and chestplate. "Instead of his head, I present to you his heart, still beating when we cut it from his decapitated chest!"

Lifting the bag high and spinning around fiercely, I showed it to the crowd that had gathered. Holding it aloft for several moments before turning in victory to the Generals, and my family behind me.

"It is this day, and this hour we are victorious, and as our enemies showed us no mercy, we shall show them none as well! For this is our home, this is our birthright. This, is our HONOR!" At the top of my lungs shouting, the bag swaying in my hands as I turned to the fire pit in the center of the bench tables and tossed the heart on top, watching it set fire and burn, turning to nothing but ash in our sight. Several loud cheers were heard as the heart was tossed with great care into the fire bit.

This day, we were victorious and we could live for another day to fight. This day we are able to survive. I turned, allowing my shoulders to relax finally as the last of the surviving soldiers returned home. Pulling at my heavy mantle, my retainers came to my aid, helping to remove my battle armor and cleanse my body. After a hellish day, the traitor's blood must be removed and the skin cleansed again.

"Draw a bath at the showers, and bring me Sake!" callously, throwing the last of the padding and wadding from the armor down. Both of the retainers assisting in the removal bowed, collecting the last of it to have it cleaned and removing it from the room. Standing there in nothing but the under robe of my garbs, I pulled my hand across my face, pulling a slight smear of blood from my brow, probably from the severed heart of my enemy that had been removed previously.

Passing through the hall and down towards the bath hall, and carefully stepping down into the water, It was with great sorrow I finally relaxed. With my clansmen, they had devoted to our cause. a Christian Japan, and a righteous turn with the westerners who came to help us in our time of need. Without their guns, their muskets, we would have lost the castle. It was now we must muster our strength and spread this influence. I will lead our country into a new age and a new empire!

I will be Shogun!

((OOC: Hey, this is a oneshot chapter that I wanted to write based on the Spring season opening of a game of Total War Shogun 2. It follows the first turn of the Otomo Clan as War is raged vs. the Shoni Clan and the victory I achieved over them in the opening of the game. Fictionalized and Dramatized as well, it was just a passion gig.))