Chapter 1: Prologue
In the middle of writing a new chapter, I found myself disinterested in what I was writing. I thought, how can I keep writing something I don't even enjoy writing? It was a difficult decision, already thousands of words into the story, but it's been made and here is Hidden Ninjas revamped.
Please let me know what you love and hate... and anything in between :)
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS or any of their characters.
A gentle breeze danced through the sky as if with purpose.
It brushed past the tree, bringing down some petals along with it.
It went through the window and landed softly upon the newest member of the clan.
She looked out the window at the blossoming cherry blossoms and exclaimed, "Sakura. Sakura Kinomoto."
"My little sister Sakura! Touya and Sakura." said a little boy snuggling up on the bed with his mom.
"Our baby Sakura. Nade, she's beautiful!" said a man with chestnut hair.
"Sakura. That's a lovely name Nadeshiko. Quite fitting the season, isn't it? Grandpa look, she's waking up!" said a woman with red-brown hair.
The small audience of five circled around the newborn as she opened her emerald eyes.
"Whoaa.. " said her older brother Touya.
"She truly is special, isn't she? You two did a wonderful job raising Touya, now it's time to raise your second child. I'm sure she's to blossom beautifully as you two have" he looked at both Nadeshiko and Sonomi.
The door slid open. "It's time for the baby's feeding time." said a woman ushering all of them out.
"Paku! My baby sister's name is Sakura!" exclaimed little Touya.
"Oh is it now? Oh little Sakura, our precious baby!" said Paku picking up Sakura from the arms of her mother.
"Well shoo! shoo! Little Sakura needs to eat, don't you little one? Ohh your eyes... I could get lost in them."
Little Sakura's infant cries quickly filled the air. "See? She's hungry. Now everyone out!"
She allowed for Nadeshiko to get comfortable in bed and placed the baby back into her mother's loving arms.
Given the birth of Nadeshiko's baby, it was time to for her to leave.
As her cousin came closer to her delivery day, the day of her departure also drew near. Even though she was always eager to start new missions, this one she put off until the birth of her newest nephew or niece. Now that Sakura was born, she had to catch up to the group that went ahead. While most missions were short and easy, this one she felt would be different.
They were headed to the villages on the other side of the mountains. It seemed the war was drawing nearer, making it difficult for the villagers to go out and trade for necessary medicines. It was also a chance to see up close the conditions of the war. They needed intel and the little information they were receiving suddenly stopped.
Packing up her things, she quickly checked in with her beloved cousin, a sister to her, gave her goodbye and left with a small group towards their mission.
Nine weeks, and four days.
That's how long they'd known each other and he was sure she was the woman he wanted to marry. There were so many reasons he loved her. Being in her presence made him feel safe and protected. He didn't feel that way but with a few others. Her wisdom constantly amazed him. At the beginning, he watched her from afar learning to love her little quirks, when she'd wipe the sweat from her brow during surgery, how she'd carefully cut up the herbs for the medicine, and the way she played with the children of the village.
She healed his deep wounds and brought to life a something new. Now he was able to carry buckets of water from the river to the village, cut wood, and help transport some of his men that still needed time to fully recover as he had.
He knew once a majority of his men were healed, they would leave once more to the war. But he couldn't do that. Here was this woman who was his constant thought, and she remained unclaimed. He needed to act fast if he were to secure the woman of his dreams.
And he did.
He joined her at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Joined her during her evening walks. Nursed her when she caught a cold and made sure she never felt the cold night again.
In a twisted fate, the more he helped her, the faster his men healed. By early summer, his troops were ready to leave. There was a war to fight. And he was a general.
On their last night, he prepared a special dinner for just the two of them. They laughed and sang, talked and moped. In the end, he declared his full love for her, in the form of a golden brooch. The only thing he asked was for her patience while he returned from the war.
"We'll marry when I come back. Invite all our friends and family. We can marry in your village! You'll wear the most beautiful kimono. And we'll have our children and grow old."
She laughed happily at his forward thinking. "Yes! Let's!"
In the morning, he left. But not before leaving her a tender kiss and a whisper,"Be Strong, Be Safe, my love."
Weeks passed by and the soldiers now having reached the main camp, realized everyone else was fatigued by the war. While they were sent South West to protect the river, the rest of the troops fought head on with the enemy. Jin met with the other generals, telling the story of the advanced medics in the village and why his troops were so well rested. The unknown Amamiya Clan saved them from their deaths.
In confidence, Jin told his best friend, General Li, the story of his great love and the woman waiting for his return.
"There are too many injured! We can't keep up like this. We need her!" yelled a medic pressing on a soldier's bleeding wounds.
"No! She just had her child! I will not call her to be on the front line of whatever this is. " said Sonomi cleaning up the severed leg of a soldier.
"If the Li fall, we're next Sonomi." he said again.
"I said no! I will not call her away from her children! We can do this, just keep going." she insisted.
"Sonomi, listen to him. Nobu just came back with the scouting group. Jin's men joined the main force. The men left behind to protect the river will not be enough next time. That was a scouting troop. They know now this is the weakest link. We're just caught up in this mess. If these men aren't healed, and if we don't get reinforcements, we'll all be dead. I don't think the Li even know they're coming."
"Send word to the men at the bridge. Tell them to request back up."
"Even if they send the message out now, their massive army is not capable of moving fast enough to get here on time."
"Aagh!" cried out Sonomi. "... Send word South. Tell them we're in. We need supplies, food, ninja, more medics, but DO NOT ASK FOR HER! Go!"
"Nadeshiko it's too dangerous! Stay here and care for Sakura. She needs you here with her." begged Fujitaka.
"She needs me to protect her Fuji! I know Sonomi wouldn't call for me, but they have called for a most urgent back-up. Our friends are out there! We're about to send our most skilled ninja, and I need to be there with them... She will understand." Signaling at the sleeping baby. "Touya will understand. I need you to understand. Please Fuji." Nadeshiko cried out.
"This is not our war Nadeshiko."
"No. Not today. But if they get past the mountains protecting the Li, it's only a matter of years before they attempt the same on our homeland. I trust our medics and ninja, but I need to be there. You know it as well as I do, if I am not there to heal them, we run the risk of losing the defensive line. I won't go into battle with them. I'll stay in the town."
Realizing she was not going to give up, he volunteered to go as well.
They gave their goodbyes to their son and their daughter and rushed through the woods with the most elite ninjas to reach the town.
The Li general deciding to advance, found it easier than he expected. Most of the enemy's troops were eliminated. It was almost too easy.
"Sir! An eagle messenger!" cried out a soldier.
Pull back. Main attack on river. Too many injured. Limited fighting soldiers. Southern villages helping. Not enough. HELP.
Breaking through the woods, the reinforcement team pushed further North hoping to reach their comrades in time. The moment they sighted black smoke rising from a large town fear filled them. The war was closer to home than they thought. The town hospital caught fire, and people were rushing to and from the river hoping to put the fire out. With the help of everyone, the fire was put out. Nadeshiko looked for her cousin, but was nowhere to be seen. Their comrades had last seen her going past the village with some other Amamiya medics taking medical supplies. The hospital was overrun with injured soldiers, and Nadeshiko went straight to work, as the ninja and the other medics left to the battlefront.
As the Amamiya ninja reached the Li's soldier's camp, they were met with hostility until Sonomi caught sight of them. "Stop! They're with me! They're Amamiya ninja.
""Fujitaka? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be home with Nadeshiko?" she asked.
"She persisted. She's in the village healing everyone at the hospital." said Fujitaka with a grim demeanor.
"No.. She wasn't supposed to come." she said, feeling a chill go down her back. "The Tara Clan has launched a full attack. They're attacking the Li from the side. We're about to receive the biggest blow of the war and we are not prepared."
"What else do you know?" he asked.
"Scouts have seen the troops advancing our direction, about two day's journey."
"What? Then how have the Li soldiers been wounded?" asked another.
"That was just them testing us. They caught us by surprise. One of the their archers was able to get the hospital. He must have retreated and told the news to the troops. That force was meant to take out the remaining soldiers protecting the river. The Tara must have figured out we're barely holding on over here, and moved most of their troops this way. They're coming." She said grimly.
"This is not good." said Fujitaka.
"You brought more herbs with you? Supplies? Bring them over here." said Sonomi taking her comrades into the Li camp.
After introducing the reinforcements from the Amamiya to the Li General in charge of the river protection, Fujitaka and Sonomi went back to the village to check on Nadeshiko at the end of the day.
When they arrived the entire room that was filled with wounded men was cleared out and cleaned, as if there hadn't been any sick. Instead, the large room next to it was filled with sleeping soldiers regaining their health. Nadeshiko was found sleeping in one of the rooms in the building as well.
Later that day:
"With her help the soldiers from the Li Clan will be able to fight once the Tara get here.. but it won't be enough," said Sonomi. "The message was sent off to the front lines asking for help. Do you really think they will get here in time?"
"Honestly, we need to start evacuating women and children from the village. Get them out by tonight. Send them North to the Li Empire." said the Li general.
Everyone in the room was tense. The village elders, the top Li soldiers, and the top Amamiya ninjas as well.
"Send them to our lands. Nadeshiko can lead the way home. Sonomi do you mind pulling up the rear?" said Fujitaka looking at Sonomi with pleading eyes.
He wants to protect her. Make her go home.
"Of course. Village elders how fast can you get everyone gathered in the courtyard?" she said.
"We will have everything prepared at Twilight. It is only the beginning, but allow us to thank you all for your generosity now and in the future."
The entire village along with the Li soldiers, the Amamiya medics and ninja found themselves gathered together listening to the plans of the leaders of the clans. The Li soldiers, along with the Amamiya ninja would stay behind and confront the Tara soldiers. Although they knew the main force of the Li Army were days or hours away, they couldn't depend on them. Without them it was a suicide mission to stay.
But if they didn't stay, the innocents had no chance at escaping.
"We're staying too. Said a young man from the village. This is our home that you both have done your best to protect. Let us join you." And several other men stood forward with him. Women let out cries as all their men declared to protect the village.
Turning to Nadeshiko, Sonomi noticed her cousin's will was unbroken. Nadeshiko embraced Fujitaka and smiled at him. As if it were another day back at home.
If only it were.
There you have it!
And to those of you who have read the earlier version of this, things will change. So I hope you won't feel like you are reading the same story. :)
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