Hiya peeps. I started this story on another site called Art of War under the name of Harlequinromance.

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai/Dynasty warriors or Warriors Orochi. I do not own Tiger as she belongs to Samurai warriors. I do own Zhen Shao and Noriko (she doesn't play a big part in this story, only mentioned a few times.)

Summary: Falling in love is never easy. Falling in love with a servant of Orochi just makes it worst. How can their love last within the grasp of the most explosive war in history?

The Darkness of Love and War
Chapter 1: Chance Meeting

Tiger knew when things were wrong. It had nothing to do with being a ninja, but it helped at certain times. No, Tiger knew because people were easy to read. Like her lord, Date Masamune for example.

The green claded ninja toyed with the strings of her green and white Kitsune mask, before slowly looking up at her lord. Date Masamune, the famous one-eyed dragon, had not stopped pacing since he returned from battle.

It didn't take a genius to work out that something had rattled his cage.

Tiger hoped it hadn't been Orochi, Da Ji or worst. That Sima Yi had let a comment slide again. Masamune and Sima Yi were always at each other's throats about something or other, but Orochi always seemed interested in what their spats would result in. Placing her mask to one side, Tiger swallow thickly. "My lord? Is everything all right?" she questioned.

Masamune stopped pacing before glaring at Tiger. Any normal person would have shrunk away from the glare of the dragon, but Tiger was use to it. She had become his bodyguard at the age of 19 when she was presented as a gift from Lady Nene.

"Everything's fine. Just...wait outside. Don't let anyone in." Masamune ordered, turning away from his bodyguard. Tiger bow gracefully before turning and walking towards the chamber door. She sent one last glance towards her lord, before opening the door and leaving.

--

Honno-ji temple was cold. Zhen Shao frowned deeply as she stared at her reflection in her tea. She didn't want to appear rude before Oda Nobunaga but that wasn't what was playing on her mind. Her lord, Lu Xun, had been very quiet. The little bodyguard glanced up and cocked her head to one side. While everyone else was celebrating their victory over Da Ji's forces, Lu Xun had remained strangely silent throughout the night. "My lord?"

"Hmm?" Lu Xun looked up, locking eyes with his only connection with his former Kingdom. Zhen Shao frowned again, noticing how dark Lu Xun's honey coloured eyes had gotten. The former Wu officer raised an eyebrow waiting for Zhen to speak.

"Are you okay my lord? You've been ever so quite." Zhen Shao questioned. Lu Xun smiled a little before shaking his head.

"I'm fine Zhen. Just a little tired from battle." He lied. Zhen Shao stared a little longer at her lord before accepting the lie. She watched as Lu Xun stood up, dusting down his trousers. "I'm heading off to bed." he muttered, collecting his hat.

Before Zhen Shao could question any further, Lu Xun was gone from the main hall. The little bodyguard continued to stare at the once open door, chewing on her lip thoughtfully.

Lord Lu Xun. Whatever is the matter?

--

Masamune gritted his teeth as he pulled off his armor. The recent defeat his unit had suffered was not the main thing that played on his mind. Of all the warriors that could have beaten me, it had to be a teenage boy! A friend of that Monkey, Hideyoshi to boot! The dragon cursed.

It had been rather a humiliating defeat, one that would surely linger in Masamune's mind. While Da Ji had gone out of her way to remind Masamune of his defeat, Orochi didn't appear to mind.

The one-eyed dragon ruffled his hair before turning to look out of the window of his chamber. The boy who had defeated him remained in his mind. The small smile, the fight...his voice.

"I am Lu Xun. May I know the name of my opponent?"

Masamune growled to himself, turning away from the window and lying down on his bed. He hoped that the boy's face would leave his mind come morning.

He could only hope.

--

The stench of blood and war hung heavy in the air. Masamune shook the smell away as he searched the area for more of the enemy. He had gone alone, save for his bodyguard Tiger, unable to fight to his fullest with other people around.

Masamune slowed his breathing down, watching the dark shadows of the battlefield before hearing footsteps. Masamune honed in on them, darting off to find the source. Tiger was not far behind.

Masamune continued to follow the source, counting out how many people he could hear. 'A small group. I wonder where they're heading?' Masamune questioned. Wasting no time, Masamune took a short cut. As he appeared in a clearing, the group arrived in front of him. Masamune snorted.

"Figures. It had to be the monkey." he hissed. Tiger was by his side, her mask hiding her face. Hideyoshi took a step back frowning deeply at the young boy.

"Date Masamune. What are you doing here?" He questioned. Masamune could sense that Tiger was eager to fight, but she would have to wait for a while. Masamune smirked back, one gun pointed at the gold claded warrior.

"I'm here to serve Lord Orochi. If you want to face him, you'll have to go through me." He laughed. Hideyoshi let out a low sigh before a second figure stepped forward. By his side was a smaller figure.

"Lu Xun?" Hideyoshi called but the figure, a young boy, did not back down. Masamune cocked his head to one side, looking the figure over.

The boy wour red and gold. The only other colours that boy wour was a pair of brown arm-guards and a pale blue sash round his waist. The smaller figure was a young girl, also dressed in red. Masamune chuckled to himself. Did the boy honestly think he could defeat him?

"Master Hideyoshi, you lead the unit on. I will hold off this boy." The red fighter stated, keeping his honey coloured eyed on Masamune. The one-eyed dragon felt his blood boil. He gritted his teeth as he drew both his pistols.

The boy looked back at Hideyoshi, a small smile on his face. "Please Master Hideyoshi. The plan must succeed." The boy pleaded. Hideyoshi nodded his head, before ordering the small unit to leave the boy behind. As they took off, the red fighter turned to face Masamune and drew two sabers. "I am Lu Xun. May I know the name of my opponent?"

Tiger sensed her master's anger and readied her weapon. She was surprised to see that the small female by Lu Xun's side was also armed. "I am Date Masamune! You will regret ever referring me as just a boy!" Masamune yelled before running into battle.

--

Lu Xun let out a sigh, one he seemed to have held onto in fear of waking Zhen Shao. His bodyguard had returned from the party not long after he had left. She had perched herself in the corner of the room, her bow loaded and waiting on her lap.

Many of the officers thought she was a heavy sleeper but they were quickly mistaken. Naoe Kanetsugu had been asked by Nobunaga to wake Lu Xun. Instead, the white claded warrior had gone to wake Zhen Shao.

Xiao Qiao had tried to warn him but Kanetsugu found an arrow being pointed at his face. From then on, every officer under the Oda command thought twice about waking Zhen Shao up.

Lu Xun rolled onto his back, his mind focused on the battle. The young boy he had faced, Date Masamune, was just like him in appearance and stature. However that was were the list ended. Unlike Lu Xun himself, Masamune was brash and hot-headed.

Lu Xun stared harder at the ceiling of the room. The former Wu officer couldn't work out why Masamune had not left his mind. Deep down, Lu Xun felt like he was betraying his former kingdom.

It had been decided within the Wu kingdom that Lu Xun would marry Sun Ce's daughter. Now that Orochi had seperated Lu Xun from his lord and his future wife, the warrior didn't know what to think. He knew deep down he did love Ce's daughter, but with the ever present image of Masamune in his mind, Lu Xun had become a ball of raw emotion.

Things were not looking up for him at all.

--

Masamune was breathing heavily and he wasn't the only one. Both he and Lu Xun had been fighting for sometime. Even their bodyguards had faced off against each other. Lu Xun's eyes were trained on his opponent but his mind's eye searched the ground behind Masamune.

'Where is Master Hideyoshi? He should have returned by now.' Lu Xun panicked. Masamune picked up on it effortlessly, a cocky smirk playing on his lips.

"Worried about the monkey?" he laughed, launching himself into another attack. Lu Xun parred the attacks, cursing his emotion to show. "Don't worry. He's probably dead by now." Masamune taunted. Something stirred inside Lu Xun and he gritted his teeth.

"No he's not!" he hissed, pushing the one-eyed dragon away. Masamune stumbled back, surprised at the sudden spring of strength that had come from Lu Xun. "Master Hideyoshi is a worthy warrior. He would not just surrender to the likes of your lord." Lu Xun shot back, clutching his sabers tightly. The air was silent and tense. Lu Xun's bodyguard glared at Tiger who had removed her mask and let it rest on the side of her head.

Suddenly the ground shook as an explosion lit up the night sky. Masamune whipped round to look at the orange light, a feeling of dread washing over him. That was too near the main camp and if Da Ji was hurt...

"Our lady is injured. Fall back!"

Masamune cursed under his breath. He turned to glare at Lu Xun who merely smiled. His bodyguard seemed awfully pleased with the turn of events. Masamune just wanted to smack the grin right off her face.

Tiger tugged at his arm. "My lord, we must leave. Now." she whispered, pulling Masamune away. The warrior's good eye remained on Lu Xun as the slightly battle damaged fighter stared back.

"Mark my words Lu Xun! I will have a re-match with you and I will win!" Masamune swore. Lu Xun nodded his head as Hideyoshi appeared from the forest and stood by Lu Xun's side.

"Very well then. I shall look forward to our match. May we meet again on the field of battle Date Masamune."

--

Masamune's good eye shot open as he woke from his restless sleep. Lu Xun's final taunt wouldn't leave his head causing the memory of the fight to become a nightmare.

Masamune sat up, rubbing his eye. The more he thought about it, the more Hideyoshi's attack seemed flawless. Attacking the enemy main camp would mean certain victory. If the enemy commander was hurt, the enemy would have no choice but to flee.

"Stupid woman. Getting herself in trouble." Masamune grumbled, lying back down on his back. Da Ji's antics reminded the dragon of another female he knew. Noriko was the only female within the Date clan and had proven herself to be a powerful fighter.

However, when Orochi had arrived, Noriko was lost and the other members of the Date clan had not been able to find her. "Good. We don't need her anyway." Masamune concluded gruffly.

He was tired and sore from the battle. His pride had been severely damaged at the hands of Lu Xun and Masamune wasn't about to let the fighter forget about it. Either way Masamune was going to make damn sure he would win the next match.

Shaking his head of the thoughts that filled his brain, Masamune attempted to sleep again. He needed his strength for tomorrow. No doubt Sima Yi would join in with Da Ji's taunts and jeers.

--

The soft jiggling of trinkets had caught Tiger's attention first before Orochi's little fox had made herself known. Tiger lent against the wall, next to her lord's chamber door, her head bowed and eyes closed. Da Ji stopped in front of the door, eyeing Tiger over before lifting her fist to knock the door.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Lady Da Ji."

The fox jumped a little at the sound of Tiger's voice before looking over the ninja. Tiger opened her eyes, a solemn look directed at Da Ji. The fox frowned a little. Tiger's glances were un-nerving at best, but what was worst was the fact her hair covered her right eye. The very same eye Masamune was missing himself.

"And why not?" Da Ji asked snottily. Tiger straightened herself up and bowed respectfully.

"My lord is asleep. He gave me strict orders not to let anyone in. Even you my lady." Tiger replied. Da Ji huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. She pouted sourly as Tiger straightened up. The corridor was silent for sometime before Da Ji decided to reply.

"Very well then. I suppose I should have some rest too." Da Ji faked a yawn before glaring at Tiger. "You just let that little dragon know. Lord Orochi wishes to see every general in the throne room tomorrow for a meeting." Da Ji spat before heading off down the corridor.

Tiger watched her leave, feeling a deep hate for the woman. The ninja shook her head and returned to her post.