Hello, y'all! Ninja here! This idea has been in my head for a while now, and after a bit of research and game playing, I finally did it! Here is the beginning of my efforts to create a story for a new Sengoku Basara character, based on another historic figure. Enjoy!

P.S. This is basically the opening for the character.

Prologue

Sakura opened her eyes, early sunlight filtering in from the many windows of her room. She sat up, then stretched, attempting to awaken from her drowsed state. After sitting up for a few moments, she got up, stretched once more, and gazed out the window, searching for the garden beneath her balcony.

After several moments, her eyes caught sight of a few stray blooms, and as she continued to look, she caught sight of the rest of the garden. Many colorful trees, plants, and flowers grew in her garden, along with her medicinal herbs. Their pungent scent drifted by her balcony, which she inhaled deeply. With a refreshing smile on her face, Sakura began to get dressed, switching from her evening robes into her daytime kimono. As she prepared to change, she heard a familiar voice outside her closed door.

"Lady Sakura? Are you up yet?" Sakura looked into her mirror as she brushed her long, pink hair before replying, "Yes, Sakaë. I'm up."

"Do you need any assistance, My Lady?"

Sakura didn't even need to think before replying. "No, thanks. I can get ready on my own." Being the daughter of a powerful warlord meant a lot, especially when you inherited everything they had. Her father, who shall remain nameless, was such a lord, and he cared so much for his daughter that he gave her everything she could ever need, including a servant, Sakaë. However, unlike most people, Sakura became so close to Sakaë that some might consider them friends. This, along with her self-sufficient attitude, made her usually refuse to be taken care of, even by her servant.

"Are you sure My Lady?"

"How many times have we gone over this Sakaë? I'm old enough to at least dress by my self, aren't I?"

After a moment of silence, Sakaë replied with a sigh, "Yes, My Lady." Very quickly, Sakura added, "And please, call me Sakura."

As she continued to get dressed, Sakaë spoke up. "The men are already up, waiting for you." Sakura stopped brushing her hair, surprised. "Really? This early? I'm not even dressed yet!" Sakaë laughed audibly, at which Sakura smiled at. It was often hard to get her friend to show emotions besides worry, fear, and annoyance, considering her servant status. So, to Sakura, this was a big accomplishment. "Tell them that I'll be with them shortly."

Sakaë left, her footsteps barely audible, while she simply replied, "Yes, My Lady." Sakura sighed, before quietly adding, "It's Sakura." She finished brushing her hair quickly, put it into a bun, then headed towards the door. As she opened it up, she could hear the anxious voices of the men, all simultaneously wondering what was taking her so long. She laughed inwardly as she headed down the stairs, the men's comments reaching her ears.

"What's the hold up? She shoulda been up by now…."

"Maybe she slept in? She works so hard…."

"As if! Sakura is always up early, no matter how tired she is!"

"Than maybe she left? She might've gotten tired of takin' care of us…."

"Don't say such things! Sakura is a kind and caring woman! She'd never abandon us!"

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she caught up to Sakaë, whom she motioned to not yet reveal her presence. Her friend nodded before heading out, a basket in her hands. Sakura quickly grabbed a similar basket, which was filled with herbs and other medicines. She crouched by the doorway, listening in on their conversation.

"Good morning, Lady Sakaë! How are you this fine morning?"

"Fine. How are you men doing?"

"No complaints. Well, except one…."

"We were wonderin' where Lady Sakura might be right now…."

"Yeah; we're getting' worried."

Sakaë smiled faintly, before replying, "Maybe you should ask her that." The men looked around, confused. Then, they looked at the doorway, where Sakura had been hiding. She walked out nonchalantly, as if she hadn't been there hiding. "Oh. Hello guys."

The men smiled as she came in, almost as if the sight of her was the greatest thing in the world.

"Lady Sakura! What a surprise!"

"How have ya been?"

"Were ya sleepin' in late?"

"I wonder if she heard us earlier…."

Sakura laughed as she replied. "I'm doing fine. And yes, I did sleep in a little late. Now, let's get started, shall we?"

The men nodded as the two women walked around the large room, giving food and water to each man. As Sakaë did that, Sakura went around, checking on their wounds and bandaging them up. Some needed to be cleaned, others needed more salve, and a few needed pain killers. Sakura smiled as she cared for them, hearing compliments and words of praise as she went from man to man, helping them out. Each of these men were either soldiers, injured in battle, or villagers who had lost their homes to battle. Sakura's home had been transformed from a palace to a home for the needy. This might have been a shock to some, considering her father was a promising daimyo; no one knew where she got her pacifist ways from, even if she was a woman. Only Sakaë and the men seemed to accept her strange ways.

As they finished up, Sakura realized they were out of herbs. She turned to Sakaë, announcing that she was going to the garden. Her servant looked at her before asking questioningly, "Why? Are you collecting herbs, or is this an excuse to visit the gardens?" Sakura smiled before going out, replying, "A little bit of both."

As she stepped out into the garden, the pungent aroma filled her nose once more. She looked around, taking in the sights, sounds and smells surrounding her. Beautiful flowers draped the landscape, with many trees and plants towering over them. In the center of her garden, a miniature lake resided. Sakura smiled to herself while she picked herbs, inwardly reviewing each herb's name and usage. After collecting the herbs, she sat by the lake's edge, gazing at her own reflection; the pink-haired blue-eyed girl looked like a flower in a watery world below.

As she continued to look, small pink petals fell into the water, having been knocked off the trees by the breeze. Sakura looked up, her eyes resting on her favorite plants in the entire garden; cherry blossom trees. She smiled as her eyes followed the branches, where many of the blossoms grew like weeds. As the petals rained down on her, she grasped a blossom, which she held in her hand. The fragile flower was held carefully in her hand, as if being shielded from the world below.

Sakura was awoken from her reverie when she heard a loud booming noise close by, and ran towards the nearest wall. She climbed up it, her head barely seeing over the edge. The sight before her eradicated any happiness that was previously in her mind; a nearby field was drenched in blood, corpses scattered across the area. Noticing the flags, she saw family crests and knew what this was about; the war.

Recently, two former pupils of Lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu and Ishida Mitsunari, waged war on each other; the reason for this remains unknown by many. However, once the declaration had been sent, men and daimyo from across the land had gathered to take part in this epic war. Although they fought for honor and recognition, Sakura knew only too well the horrors of war; she lost both of her parents to the war, leaving only her and her servant Sakaë. The two, who had nowhere to go, found the palace which her parents had left for her. There, they began a new life caring for the soldiers and villagers, whom Sakura sympathized with. Perhaps this might be an attempt to fill in a void within her heart, or a simple act of kindness; we may never know.

Witnessing this sight, Sakura returns her gaze to the fragile flower within her palm. The flower was already beginning to wilt, much to her chagrin. We're just like these flowers; our lives are beautiful yet short lived. With lives being discarded as less important as honor and a petty war, it makes you wonder if we are any better than animals, who fight each other for survival. Is this to be the fate of our country?

Her contemplating was cut short by a cry from Sakaë. "Lady Sakura! Lady Sakura! Please, come quickly!"

Sakura put the flower behind her ear, than ran back inside, leaving the basket of herbs behind. As she ran towards the direction Sakaë's voice came from, she saw that the men had become tense, which was not a good sign. This only increased her worries as she headed towards the main gates.

At the gates, she caught the sight of Sakaë, who was waiting for her. "Well? What is it Sakaë?"

"It seems that some of Mitsunari's men are here."

Sakura thought for a moment. Why would he send men to a place like this? She looked at Sakaë, her eyes reflecting her confusion, as she spoke up. "Let me talk to them." Sakaë looked at her, than began to head out, before Sakura grabbed her hand. "No. Let me go alone. You must call the men down." Sakaë looked at her pointedly, about to challenge her authority, but merely nodded and headed back towards the main chambers.

Sakura sighed before she opened the gates slowly, looking out through the crack between the wall and the door. She could see a group of men, bearing the Ishida crest, waiting by the gates. Getting a bearing on her situation, she opened the door fully, clearing her throat as she did, making her presence known to the men. They jerked their heads towards her, their faces giving nothing away.

"Excuse me, miss, but are you perhaps the head of this poorhouse?"

She looked at them pointedly before replying. "I wouldn't call it that, but yes I am." The men looked at each other questioningly before their 'leader' continued. "We have been sent here by Lord Ishida Mitsunari to recover one of your, ahem, 'patients'"

Sakura felt insulted. These men were mocking her! "And why should I do that?" The men looked shocked that she would act so disrespectful to them, but she felt they deserved it. Besides, why should she help with these men? They'd probably just reinstate the soldiers, which she'd never let them do. "Well, we believe that you have a traitor in your midst. We have been sent to collect him."

Sakura looked at them, her anger boiling up inside her as their words cut into her heart. "And who is this 'traitor' that you speak of?" The men talked briefly before the leader replied, "The man who goes by the name of Sōsuke." Sakura felt her heart skip a beat; Sōsuke was her favorite patient, whom she enjoyed listening to stories and jokes he told.

Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her, making her jump. "I'm sorry, Sakura. They're right. I'm nothing but a traitor." She turned around, noticing Sōsuke standing behind her, his eyes sad. She was thunderstruck at this; how could a man like him be a traitor?

She looked at the men, who had grown excited at seeing the man they were supposed to collect. "What did he do?" They merely replied, their voices thick with contempt, "He ran away, abandoning his post." She looked at Sōsuke, who merely nodded his head. She turned back to the group of men, her eyes filled with shock and sadness. "Then, will he be….?" The leader finished for her, seeing as she could not. "Yes; deserting is a capital offense. Once he is collected, he'll be publicly executed."

Sakura felt as if her world was falling apart. I can't let them do that; even if he is a deserter, he's in my care. She looked at her feet, trying to calm down. After a few breaths, she looked back up, her sadness and shock replaced by pure rage. "You'll have to take him from me than!"

The men looked surprised as she pulled out her fans from the sleeves of her kimono, using the wind to push them as far from her as she could. After flying for nearly a minute, they landed 50 meters away, the breath knocked out of them. As they caught their breath, Sōsuke looked at her, his eyes filled with a mix of shock, confusion, terror, and relief. "Lady Sakura…?" She looked at him, her eyes giving away nothing. "Get inside, Sōsuke, while their still out." Before he could reply, she grasped his hand and pushed him inside, closing the door behind him.

"Why did you do that?" She turned around, seeing the group of soldiers back on their feet once more. She merely looked at the leader, replying, "This man is on my property, as well as yourselves. So long as he remains in my care, I will not allow you to touch a single hair of his. If you do…." She twirled her fans, the wind gusts emanating from them tossing the men again. They quickly rose up, fear in their eyes.

As the rest of the group ran away, the leader looked at Sakura, his eyes filled with rage and fear, which Sakura inwardly laughed at. "Protecting a traitor has made you one in the eyes of Lord Ishida. Be prepared to face the consequences…." With one last glance, he took off, his fellow soldiers far off in the distance.

With a sigh of relief, Sakura turned around and reentered the palace, glancing back one more time before she shut the door. As she walked in, she heard many booming voices reaching out to her, making her ears hurt. At first they were unintelligible, but they soon became clearer, and Sakura began to notice that her men were crowing around her, trying to help her.

"Lady Sakura, are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

"Of course not! Lady Sakura did 'em in, all by herself!"

"Really? Why, good for you, Sakura! I never doubted you for a minute…."

"Ya did to, ya moron! Never doubt our Lady Sakura, or I'll take you out!"

Sakura smiled briefly, appreciating their voices of concern and words of praise. She began to walk forward but fell down, being weak with exhaustion. The men closest to her bent down, attempting to lift her up. She tried to wave them away, weakly protesting. "Please, guys… I'm fine, really… You don't have to help me… I can do it by myself…." She attempted to get up, but fell back again. As the men began to lift her up, she became still, allowing them to carry her off towards the infirmary. Once there, they placed her on a cot and left, each man wishing her a speedy recovery.

"Well, I see that you had a rough time, Lady Sakura." Sakura turned her head around, and noticed Sakaë standing behind her, the herb basket clenched within her hands. Sakura smiled faintly, replying, "Yeah; Mitsunari's men can be pretty brutish, even if a lady is present. I just wanted to teach them a few manners before they hit the road."

Sakaë walked towards a small table, placing the basket onto it. She reached in and grabbed a few herbs, mixing them up in a small pot. Steam rose from the pot, with water boiling within it. "I know what happened, Sakura." Sakura felt slightly surprised, but acted calm as she replied, "Really? And how is it that you, along with the entire household, found out?" Sakaë turned towards her, her eyes filled with worry and fear. "Sōsuke told me everything, including the fact that he's a traitor."

Sakura sighed as Sakaë continued, the fear and worry emanating from her voice. "I told you this would happen! I warned you not to let these men into the palace, that we'd get into serious trouble, but what did you do? You turned around and let in every villager and soldier within a mile of here!" Sakaë's tone became more scolding and worrisome as she continued, and the pot began to boil over, along with Sakaë's anger. "And now Mitsunari's men will be after us! All because you let a deserter into our home! This was supposed to be a home fit for royalty, not fugitives!"

This pushed Sakura over the edge, and she shot straight up, anger replenishing her energy. She began to shout, her loud voice matching Sakaë's tone for tone. "Shut up! It's not my fault that this happened! Besides, these men need me, and I will not abandon them! If Mitsunari wants to get revenge, than he can hang me instead! I will not allow these men to be in danger ever again! Now shove off!"

Sakura saw Sakaë recoil, looking at her with hurt in her eyes. Sakura felt guilty for upsetting her, but she was not going to forgive her for her vilifying comments. These men were her family now! She would stand up for them till the end! Isn't that why she risked her life for a so-called traitor?

Exhausted from her yelling, Sakura fell back, barely landing onto the cot beneath her. Sakaë looked at her, her hurtful gaze being replaced by one of pity and concern. She went back to her medicine pot, putting the final touches on the concoction before turning around. She bent down to Sakura's level, using one arm to hold her up as she poured the liquid down her throat. Sakura made no attempt to break free, but merely looked at Sakaë, her eyes blank.

As she finished the last bit, Sakura could feel the energy returning to her once more. She sat up, watching Sakaë put the remainder of the mixture away and gather the herbs. "Uh, thanks, Sakaë… I'm, um, sorry for yelling at you like that…."

Sakaë looked at her, forgiveness in her eyes. "That's quite alright, my Lady. If any of us should be apologizing, it should be me. Ever since I became your guardian, I have tried to make sure you stay safe. I just want you to be happy, but safe as well. You just make it hard to do both…." The two friends laughed at that, the tension between them evaporating instantly.

"I'm sorry for being so difficult. I really like helping out these people. It makes me feel as if I have a purpose…" Sakura looked around, her eyes resting on the door. The small crack allowed her to see a few of the men gathered around Sōsuke, all seeming entranced by something. Sakura could tell that he was telling on of his famous stories, and as she listened more, she realized that it was one of her favorites.

She smiled nostalgically, then turned towards Sakaë, her eyes bright. "I think I have an idea." Sakaë looked at her, worry returning to her eyes. "And what exactly is this idea?" Sakura looked at her, a smile lighting up her face. "I'm gonna stop this war!"

Sakaë looked shocked. "Why are you gonna do that?" Sakura replied, "Because people are dying everywhere do to this war. If we stop it, than no one else will have to die, right?" Her friend nodded reluctantly, knowing that was obvious. She looked at Sakura, her gaze worrisome. "And how exactly are we going to do that?"

Sakura thought for a moment, but had no answer to give. She looked at her servant, replying, "I really don't know yet. However, when I do know, I'll be glad to tell you!" Her friend looked at her, incredulous. Sakura ran out, bursting the door open. All of the men turned around, looking at her confusedly. She looked at them joyfully as she exclaimed, "Men, were going to end this war, once and for all!"

They looked at each other excitedly. Sakaë ran in, calling Sakura forward. As she came up, Sakaë whispered into her ear. "Buy my Lady, you have yet to come up with a plan! Besides, neither you nor these men have much experience in battle. It would be a catastrophe if you entered battle this unprepared!"

Sakura looked at her, thought for a moment, and replied, "Then maybe we should seek some advice. But from who…?" As she continued to think, her eyes light up with revelation. "I know who to ask!" Sakura turned around, her men already on their feet. "Get ready to set off, men! We leave for Ōta immediately!"

That was sooooo long! It may be longer than most of my chapters, but I felt that this prologue deserved to be a single chapter! I'll let you know right now that my Sakura has NOTHING to do with the Sakura from Naruto! They may look alike, but she has abilities similar to Kagura of InuYasha. However, as you can tell, she is clearly her own character.

She is based off of the historical figure Okuni of Izumo, who was a shrine keeper of the Izumo region. I suggest looking her up to find out more. I will try to update soon, but, seeing as I have neglected another story to make this chapter, it might take a while before I do. I appreciate any comments, critiques and reviews, so long as they're not too mean. I hate meanies!

Also, I have begun a project based off of the Sengoku Basara series, which should hopefully help me learn even more about these famous figures. Wish me good luck!

Until next time, Ninja is out; Peace!