Listen, before you read this, I suggest you go to animfreak (dot tv) (slash) oda-nobuna-no-yabou-episode-1-online. Also, I suggest you check out the translated light novel of Oda Nobuna no Yabou over at baka-tsuki This will not only enable you to recognize the three series that I am crossing here, Ranma should already be familiar so I'm not adding in places to look it up, but will help you get more enjoyment out of reading this, I hope. Also, minor cameo for the history teacher, I know she didn't cover that subject in her canon, but hey, its a cameo.
Also, in this story, names will be put in the usual manner of the Japanese, clan name first, then the personal name. This is because, well its for my own amusement, and it fits for the era that Ranma will arrive in.
Enjoy.
Things were definitely... odd. That was the only word Ranma could currently think of to describe the sheer absurdity of his current situation. Up until several moments ago, he had been walking home from school with Akane, and then the next thing he knew everything went black on him. Though to be fair, he had been expecting something strange and potentially dangerous to happen to him for a while now, and to be fair, he had been hoping for something to come along and add a little excitement into things.
When he finally managed to regain his senses, he found himself standing in the middle of what appeared to be a late-sixteenth century Japanese battlefield, complete with combating soldiers who obviously failed to appreciate his presence, if they way they were jabbing at him with their spears was any manner of indication.
Hmm, something about his surroundings didn't seem to be quite right, even including the fact that they were as far as possible from his previous environs. Oh that was right, the various soldiers were attacking him. His eyes widened as he bounced away from the approaching spears. "Oh crap!"
Ranma rolled backwards into a handstand that he sprung upwards from, to his amusement in a manner very similar to way Ryoga had when they had first fought in Nerima. Coming back to the ground, he kicked an offending spear upwards, before twisting to avoid a thrust from behind, one arm grabbing onto the spear as he turned and ripping it out of its owner's grasp.
Twirling the spear like a baton, Ranma snapped off the tip before tossing it in the air. He bared his teeth in a death's head grin as the soldiers' eyes predictably followed the spears upwards flight, a fact Ranma capitalized on as he slipped into their guards and began to systematically eliminate them before they realized what was happening.
As the last soldier fell, Ranma stepped back into the center of the circle of fallen bodies of both sides, one arm snapping out to catch the spear, more of a staff now, before it hit the ground. Ranma surveyed the field of fallen opponents with a smile. "Damn I'm good." He shook his head in amusement, that hadn't been exactly true, as his opponents were simply so unskilled that he hadn't even required more than the barest amount of ki reinforcement.
Smug in his victory, and the fact that his opponents had all been far too untrained to ever even dream of standing a chance against him, he let his ki sense lapse to save energy. Unfortunately, it was at that time that two of the Imagawa elites found Ranma standing over the fallen bodies of their comrades. Moving in surprising silence for the armour they bore, the pair circled around and leapt towards Ranma from behind, their katanas ready to strike.
The sound of rushing air was Ranma's only warning, and it came too late, as by the time he turned to face the pair, he was well within reach of their blades. With a curse for slacking in the middle of the battle, Ranma pushed as much of his ki towards reinforcing his skin as possible, in the hopes that he could at the very least reduce the amount of damage he was about to take.
As much as his instincts were telling him to do so, Ranma kept his eyes open so that he could see everything, in the hopes of finding an opening he could capitalize on. And it was this fact that allowed him to see what happened next, as had he not seen it himself, he would have found himself hard pressed to believe that the older man with his hair done up in a samurai's topknot could have killed the two Imagawa soldiers with as much ease as he did, or with as good timing.
Ranma heaved a sigh of relief as the bodies of the two soldiers limply fell to the ground. While Ranma disliked killing, he knew that he was, as Hinako-sensei had drilled into him, 'definitely not in Kansas anymore', and he could more than appreciate someone saving his life. The other, shorter too he noticed, man smiled as he bent down to wipe off his sword on one of the bodies.
"Hey kid, you're one of the Oda shinobi, right?" Ranma blinked in surprise, before wincing. He bit off a curse, there wasn't any reason to believe that this was his fault, but he'd be damned if this wasn't the definition of be careful what you wish for. Unaware of Ranma's inward bitterness, the other man continued on. "I worked for the Imagawa, but considering how unlikely it is for me to be promoted with the way the current head of the clan dislikes those of low birth, I figure I have a far better chance if I defect sides. So could you introduce me to the Oda lord?"
Ranma blinked as he realized the question was directed at himself. "Sorry, but I'm just a traveler actually. Was just minding my own business when I got caught up in all of this." Ranma waved a hand around to illustrate what he meant. The other man gave an understanding nod.
"I see, I'm sorry about that. But, you do have to admit, they way you fought is simply not normal." The other man gave his neck a twist as he stood up, giving a small sigh at the crack. " Maybe we can find the Oda lord together then, since your already as deep into this as I am, and I highly doubt the Imagawa would like to meet the person who took out so many of their soldiers."
Ranma shrugged, it did make sense, but considering the kind of crazy he had been involved in, he was just wondering when the other shoe would drop, because so far things had been pretty tame. "Ah, why not. It's not like there's anywhere else I can go right now."
Ranma looked around quickly, before gesturing over towards where a large knot of Oda soldiers, judging from their banners, had gathered. The older man gave a nod as he and Ranma began to quickly head to where Ranma pointed. As they did, Ranma spared a moment to give his companion a quick and curious look. "So why are you fighting anyways? I mean, that armour your wearing is pretty decent, and most soldiers don't have a katana, so you definitely aren't a conscript, so why?
The older man blinked in surprise, one hand drifting down to the sheathed blade at his side. "Actually, I'm just a son of a farmer. But with the chaotic world we live in, there are limitless opportunities to prove yourself on the field of battle and rise in the world, my aim is to become a lord of my own domain." He laughed as his eyes drifted off into the distance.
"Finally, I will be able to achieve my dream, as well the dream of my father, and his father before him. Once I become a lord and possess my own castle, I shall become popular with the ladies! It's proven fact that possessing a castle improves your attractiveness, you know." The older man turned to Ranma and added the last part with a wiggle of his brow.
Ranma sighed as he shook his head in amusement. He couldn't necessarily blame the other man, to most guys that would be the ideal dream, but considering his own problems with the opposite sex, he could do without being a more attractive target. Ignoring the other man's fantasies for the time being, Ranma concentrated on the map of the region as it was during the Sengoku period, something he'd have to thank Mizuho-sensei for when he got back.
Now considering that they were in the midst of a battle between the Oda and Imagawa armies, they were most likely on the border of the Owari and Mikawa provinces. And since the lord of Mikawa was Matsudaira Motoyasu, a loyal vassal of the Imagawa, then the pair were best served heading towards the west, towards Owari, the home province of the Oda clan.
It was as the pair were exiting a thicket of tall grass that things began to fall apart. The first sign that things were about to go tragically wrong, was the sound whistling air. Ranma had half-turned to face the source of the sound, when it pierced the shorter man in the back, the bullet exiting out his chest with a spray of blood. The older man tumbled forwards, twisting midair to end up lying on his back. Ranma was by his side in a flash, but even having seen only a modern day bullet wound, thanks to one of his father's ill-conceived schemes, he could tell that wound was most assuredly fatal.
The older man grit his teeth as he pressed a hand to his wound. He hissed in pain as he gingerly felt out the size of the wound, before withdrawing his hand as he resigned himself to his fate. He looked up into the sky and spat out a curse. "Damn, done in by a stray bullet. How much more ignoble a death can there be on a battlefield."
His breath hitched in his throat as the pain of the wound spiked. Feeling his life slipping away from him, he turned and grabbed Ranma's arm. "Boy, I can't continue my dreams, but please, as a dying man's wish, complete them for me. My companion shall be yours, so please, become a true feudal lord for me."
Ranma gave the dying man a grim nod. While he wasn't sure if he would be around long enough, while he was still in this time he would do his best. "You got it old man." Ranma was about to turn away, and let the man die in peace, when something struck him. "What's your name, so I can make a grave for you once I can."
The man's eyes were already beginning to drift closed, his voice much quieter than it had been as he answered. "My... name... Kinoshita... Toukichirou." With that, his eyes closed entirely, and his hand fell limply to the ground while Ranma knelt by his side, stunned. His history teacher, one of the few he actually payed any attention too, due to the fact that she covered a subject Ranma could actually appreciate, often commented on some of the great figures from Japan's past. And one of them, Kinoshita Toukichirou, the man who would later go on to become Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the three great unifiers in Japanese history, was dead from a stray bullet right in front of Ranma's eyes.
Ranma stood up from the cooling body as he stared blankly at his surroundings. Without Toyotomi, Ranma had no idea whether or not Nobunaga would be nearly as successful. Whatever was going to happen, history had taken one hell of a wrong turn, and Ranma couldn't help but feel more than a little responsible for that. As he took a few dazed and halting steps around, he was snapped out of his reverie as a horse and its rider swept past him. Dropping into a battle stance, he watched as the rider leaped from its horse, a brilliant crimson cloak trailed behind them, towards another horseman, this one bearing the banner of the Imagawa. Ranma was both surprised, that wasn't a move one saw everyday, and considering the fact that the Imagawa rider failed to raise his spear in time to block the Oda's soldier's disemboweling strike, it was obvious that he wasn't the only one impressed.
The Oda rider came to a rolling stop, and as the rider stood, Ranma got his first clear view of them. About as tall as he was and with long golden hair, with a most decidedly female body. Now Ranma was all too familiar with women and their potential as fighters, and if the way she dealt with her first opponent was any measure, then she was most likely in higher skill range of those he was familiar with. He caught sight of movement out of the corner of his eyes, and turned his head only to duck as a blade came swinging towards his head, the Imagawa soldier at the other end focused on the dismounted Oda rider.
The Imagawa soldier made his mount leap towards the sky, before jumping himself, using the height to land a devastating blow against the Oda rider, who only barely managed to block with her own sword. But the Imagawa soldier's strength aided by gravity, could not be denied and the Oda soldier's katana snapped in two, the tip and upper half of the blade flying into the air. The Oda soldier disengaged herself from the Imagawa soldier with a fierce kick to the chest, the two separating to recover, one his breath, the other her thoughts in the hopes of finding a way to victory.
Ranma stood quietly off to the side as he observed the two combatants, he wasn't about to interrupt another's fight, especially considering that the last time he had done so had caused him no end of troubles. His eyes narrowed he noticed another horseman approaching. With a muttered curse, he moved to place himself in front of the Oda girl. "Why don't you two just head back to your boss now."
The dismounted Imagawa horseman snorted in disbelief. "Oh, so the little Oda soldier thinks he can stop us? Where are your weapons then, boy?" The soldier, as well as the other horseman, shared a boisterous laugh at Ranma's expense. Ranma could feel the girl behind him getting angry, and he couldn't resist a smirk, maybe this place wasn't as different from home as he thought it was.
With a casual roll of his shoulders, Ranma dropped into his usual combat stance, one hand extended towards the Imagawan horsemen. Still smirking, he waved them on. " Who said I need a weapon? " He shook his head in derision, though he made sure to keep his eyes on the horsemen. "I mean, its not like your worth it after all. Hell, I won't even need my hands to beat a sucker like you."
The horsemen and the girl stiffened at Ranma's words, before the dismounted soldier let out a roar as he charged towards Ranma, the still mounted horseman following a moment later and quickly overtaking his unmounted ally. And then Ranma moved. One moment, Ranma was standing casually in his stance, the next, or so it seemed to those watching, he appeared midair in front of the charging horseman, who only had time to give a shout of surprise before Ranma's roundhouse kick slammed into his helmet, the blow knocking him backwards off his horse.
If the other Imagawa soldier cared about his compatriot, he didn't show it as he charged towards Ranma in the hopes of striking him down before he could recover from landing. Unfortunately for him, if there was one thing that could be said about Ranma, it was that he was never caught off guard during combat, at least by non-ki based moves, and even then, after he had seen them once or twice he wasn't likely to off his feet for long.
So as the remaining Imagawa soldier brought down his sword in what should have been, if used on any other target, a devastating vertical slash that would have torn his foe in twain, Ranma did something that defied belief. Twisting his body in midair, he managed to turn into a backwards roll that let the soldiers blade pass, a little closely to something near and dear to Ranma's heart, safely between his legs. That, while still impressive, was not the part that was truly shocking. No it was when Ranma continued his spin and, having carefully maneuvered himself, landed lightly on the rising blade.
The three figures froze for a moment, stuck in that impossible tableau. The Imagawa soldier, wide eyed in shock as his arm was frozen in incredulous awe, the golden haired Oda soldier, equally shocked, though it was mixed with respect and pride, for having one of her fellow soldiers, though she was quite unfamiliar with this one, having come so far and with such skill. And Ranma, perched almost mockingly on the back of the blade, his feet balancing on the back of the blade, seeming as if he was only a mere feather that had landed upon the edge for all the strain that the Imagawa soldier was displaying.
Then Ranma's smirk slipped as the sound of approaching voices broke the stillness of the moment. The Imagawa opened his mouth to express some form of anger or hatred, only to fall silently backwards as Ranma's fist darted out and impacted him right between the eyes. Ranma back-flipped off of the falling soldiers katana, incidentally flying over a group of Oda cavalry who would later go on to get extremely drunk in order to forget about that moment, and landing in front of the still stunned golden-haired Oda soldier.
He gave the second fallen soldier a terse laugh. "Sorry, guess I used my hands after all." Still chuckling, he slowly scanned the surroundings for any further threats, after all, he had been caught off guard once already, and he didn't want to have a repeat of that disaster without any substantial backup. From what he could tell, things seemed to be going pretty well for the Oda army, if the way their banners seemed to outnumber the Imagawan standars was anything to go by.
Ranma cocked his head to side as one of the Oda cavalry broke off from the rest and headed towards him and the other Oda soldier. As the rider got closer, Ranma felt his eye beginning to twitch as he noticed the heavy western-styled plate armour, the armour molded to fit over curves that most knights were not in possession of, and the halberd likewise unusual for a samurai to bear. The halberdier drew her horse up in front of Ranma, giving him a quick look over and appreciative nod before turning to the other woman.
"My lord, are you unharmed?" Ranma gave a surprised blink as he gave the blond another, more calculating look. Unaware of his stare, the blonde shook her head as she observed the battlefield quickly.
"I'm fine. Keep pressing forward and rout the Imagawa. We can't afford to pass up an opportunity like this." The mounted soldier gave a tight nod as she turned her horse and charged forwards, shouting terse commands to soldiers as she passed them. The golden-haired woman stared at the battlefield for several moments before turning and offering a surprised Ranma a bow.
"I, the head of the Oda clan, offer my deepest gratitude for saving my life." Ranma's mouth dropped as he tried to bring up all the knowledge he had of the era he was most likely in, yet could not for the life of him think of a time when the Oda clan possessed a female head. Maybe when he got back to Nerima he'd talk to Mizuho-sensei about the accuracy of her history books.
"The head of the clan? I though the head was Nobunaga?" The woman straightened and gave Ranma a curious look.
"Nobunaga? I have never heard a Nobunaga." She took a pose and flared her cape triumphantly, as well as unconciously pulsing her ki, Ranma noticed. "I am the ruler of Owari and head of the clan of Oda. Oda Nobuna. Come, we should return and I wish to learn more about the man who saved me, and his strange skills." With a royal wave of her hand she turned and passed him, heading towards the main Oda camp.
Ranma stood there, silently staring at her receding figure with incredulous eyes. Then, his eye twitching, he turned his head towards the sky and curse as many gods as he could recall the names of, because he was sure as all hell that someone up there was screwing with him on purpose for their own sick amusement. How else did he end up in these kinds of situations?
On the subject of the how of Ranma's travel, well, considering there is only the first season of the Oda Nobuna no Yabou anime produced in Japan, and only part of volume one of the light novel's translated, I'm working on limited knowledge of the series. But, that just means I'll have to get a little bit creative and mayhaps a touch complex, but when has that ever hurt anyone? *cough* Steven Erikson *cough* Also, expect to see a lot of references to Sengoku Musou (Samurai Warriors over here) because I really enjoyed the game and it has some interesting ideas that I might add in.
And lots of thanks to all the guys over on the FanFictionFederation boards for their input. Dumbledork, TerraBull, fitzgerald, Chikubi2.0, Dark Schneider, and of course, Ozzallos.
Laters,
Fellgrave.