Reviews:
Spiral Breeze- Thanks so much Spiral! I'm glad I'm doing so well for my first yaoi.
LadyKatatonic- I hope to be able to write tons more SW stories, I actually just got a great idea for another one. Hope you really like this one!
CandleReaper- Thanks Lit! While Conquest is a great game, (Pokemon=Samurai Warriors=Two of my all-time favorite games) you should get an actual Samurai Warriors game to really understand the characters and their stories.
Zephyrsword- Yep, I'll keep posting as long as I keep writing! Though updates will proabbly come a bit slower once school starts again...
Well, that's all the reviews, thanks for all the support! Now, back to the story!
Chapter 2- ...Is a Friend Indeed
"Hmmm... It's rather quiet..."
Mitsuhide, having just arrived back at Nobunaga's camp near Kizugawa, was rather unsettled by the lack of activity around the camp. He saw platoons of soldiers practicing drills and formations, apprentice strategists discussing tactics, and even several officers gathered around a fire, enjoying a meal. It was not at all a camp lacking activity. What it lacked, however, was the presence of any generals. Usually Ranmaru would be eagerly awaiting his return, hoping Mitsuhide would tell him about his travels. At other times, a messenger would bring summons to Nobunaga's tent, for his Lord either needed to know his mission was a success, or needed Mitsuhide for...other reasons. Occasionally it would even be Hanbei or Kanbei who would inquire about an outing's results for strategic purposes. This time, though, no one approached Mitsuhide for any matter at all. After a few minutes of searching the camp for anyone, he found Katsuie sparring against three officers at once. The large, burly officer swung his twin axes in such a wild fashion it was hard to believe he had any control of what he was doing. Yet, as his axes slashed in a frantic flurry, the look on his face showed utmost concentration. After Katsuie successfully flung all three of his opponents away with one stroke, he turned to where they landed and saw Mitsuhide out of the corner of his eye.
"Mitsuhide! You're back!" he shouted boisterously. Katsuie trudged over to him and slapped him on the back rather forcefully.
"Yes, and I'm happy to say that we will have the naval support we need for our battle against the Mōri." Mitsuhide replied, rubbing his back, trying to ease the sting of pain. "The camp seems rather empty today, does it not? Where is everyone?"
"Well, since you were gone, Lord Nobunaga has taken a bit more of an interest in Ranmaru," Katsuie explained with a slight grin. "Knowing our Lord, that boy's probably getting plowed as we speak. Glad that's not you this time, aren't you?"
"Yes, I admit that a break from that was definitely enjoyable," Mitsuhide confessed.
"I'm sure," Katsuie chuckled. "As for Hanbei and Kanbei, they've gone off somewhere discussing some strategy or something. Nothing the rest of us would understand, of course. I swear, it's as if those two have their own secret language sometimes..." Mitsuhide nodded in agreement. Hanbei often joked with the other generals, saying something like "In savage warrior terms," or "For the not so intelligent of us here," before explaining a tactic. Kanbei, on the other hand, made no concession when it came to word choice, which would of course in turn prompt Hanbei to "dumb it down" for them. "And as for Nō," Katsuie continued, "Well, I have no clue what that broad is up to. She could be anywhere right now. Say, Mitsuhide, are you up for a spar? I need an opponent who can really give me a challenge."
"Well, since Lord Nobunaga won't be done with Ranmaru for a while, and since our two strategists can debate for hours, it looks like I have time to kill. I accept."
"Alright boy, prepare to fall before the Devil Shibata! Grab yourself a practice sword, and let's get going!" Katsuie picked up his practice twin axes and stood in a battle stance, his knees bent and his axes held out in front of him. Mitsuhide swept the area for a proper sword, found one that caught his eye, and held it out, testing its weight. Deciding it would suffice, he swung it in a few quick, tight circles before putting it to his side, as if his sheath were there. He stood just a few yards away from Katsuie in his stiff fighting position.
"Shall we begin?" Mitsuhide asked. Katsuie answered by letting loose a guttural roar and charging at him with surprising speed. Mitsuhide barely had enough time to raise his sword to deflect Katsuie's powerful preemptive strike. Katsuie swing his axes again, but this time Mitsuhide slashed with his sword to counter, leaving them in a deadlock. Mitsuhide was no match for Katsuie when it came to sheer power, so he found himself quickly losing ground. What he lacked in power, though, he made up for in finesse. Mitsuhide backed out of the deadlock, leaving Katsuie to lurch forward since there was no longer any resistance to hold him up. Mitsuhide pivoted on his back foot, sidestepped, and lunged at Katsuie, who managed to regain his balance in time to turn toward Mitsuhide. Instead of being hit directly in the back, Katsuie took the blow in his large upper arm, a much less devastating wound in a real battle. Nonetheless, Mitsuhide took advantage of Katsuie's position and attacked with rapid stabs and slashes. Katsuie was subdued for a while, but eventually broke through and pushed Mitsuhide back with just one swing of his axes. Their spar went back and forth like this, both warriors alternating between offensive and defensive standpoints. Soon both warriors were absolutely exhausted and started to make more mistakes. Simple missteps here and there led to careless lunges, which led to both warriors being at the point of the other's weapon far too often. After about the tenth occurrence of this, with Mitsuhide's sword at Katsuie's throat and one of Katsuie's axes at Mitsuhide's side, they looked into each others' eyes, and both samurai decided enough was enough.
"I guess it's been...too long since I've last...had a real challenge," Katsuie panted.
"Agreed," Mitsuhide said, gasping for breath as well.
"So I guess it's a draw then?"
"Draw." They dropped their weapons and bowed respectfully to each other, the usual etiquette after a spar. "Well, I think Lord Nobunaga and Ranmaru should be done by now, so I think I'll go report the results of my mission."
"Alright lad, see you later then." Mitsuhide turned and walked away from the sparring area toward Nobunaga's tent. He smiled to himself, satisfied with his performance in the spar. At last he reached Nobunaga's tent, which was on the other side of the camp. Mitsuhide stepped inside, and his jaw dropped. Nobunaga and Ranmaru were lying next to each other on the bed, completely naked and not at all covered by the sheets. They were awake, but didn't notice Mitsuhide. That is, they didn't notice him until he gasped rather suddenly at the sight of his Lord's length halfway inside Ranmaru's ass. Nobunaga and Ranmaru sharply turned their heads to face Mitsuhide.
"L-lord M-Mitsuhide!" Ranmaru stammered nervously. "Y-you've returned!"
"Ah, Mitsuhide, while I'm glad to see you back, your timing is less than perfect," Nobunaga said, a bit unhappy he was interrupted. "Why don't you get something to eat and meet me back here in a few hours after you're done? You must be starving after your journey."
"Will do, my Lord," Mitsuhide replied, mortified to have walked in on Nobunaga. He backed out of the tent slowly, and when he was out of sight, turned and ran, knowing how hard he tried, he wouldn't soon forget about what he just saw.
"I want that mental image gone forever."
Mitsuhide tilted his head back and gulped down another glass of wine, marking his fourth that night. He couldn't stop thinking about what he saw, so as soon as he finished dinner he took the advice of Katsuie and tried to erase the memory the only way the old general knew how– drink. The two of them sat around a fire with Hanbei and Kanbei, who were also quite stressed from discussing strategy for the upcoming battle. "You sure you're alright there, boy?" Katsuie asked, concern somehow showing despite his inebriated state. "You're usually not one to drink this much."
"Yeah, Mitsuhide, you're a total stiff sometimes," Hanbei slurred. "S-T-I-F, stiff!" He threw his head back and laughed uncontrollably, his mind completely riddled with alcohol.
"Stiff has two f's, fool," Kanbei corrected, rolling his eyes. Even though he had as much to drink as the others did, Kanbei acted as if he were still perfectly sober. It always seemed as if drinking could never affect his thoughts at all.
"Well, you know what, Kanbei?" Hanbei said rather loudly as he stood up. "I don't give two f's!" Mitsuhide and Katsuie couldn't help but to burst out laughing, while Hanbei himself fell back down and continued to giggle like an idiot. "Hell, I don't even give one f! So I guess that makes you a sti, Mitsuhide! Get it, cause it's stiff with no f's?"
"You're a riot," Kanbei muttered sarcastically.
"I swear, I'm perfectly fine," Mitsuhide assured. "A little wine never hurt anyone."
"It's certainly hurting this one's brains," Kanbei noted, gesturing to Hanbei, who was pretending to shoot Katsuie with his finger. Katsuie, pretending as if he were actually hit by a projectile from the gun, fell backwards and convulsed on the ground for a few seconds.
"Quit being such a bore, will you?" Hanbei whined, redirecting his finger gun at Kanbei. "Pew pew pew! You're dead!"
"You're such a child." Kanbei shook his head, not at all amused.
"You can't say anything, you're dead!" Hanbei taunted.
"Katsuie, say something and prove him wrong," Kanbei urged.
"I can't, I'm dead," Katsuie said with a straight face, not knowing any better.
"See? I told you!" Hanbei began to laugh uncontrollably again, until he fell back on his head with a thud.
"Ha! Got you!" Katsuie cheered, his finger gun pointed at Hanbei.
"Is he okay?" Mitsuhide asked, noticing Hanbei wasn't moving.
"He'll be fine," Kanbei dismissed. "He'll wake up really hung over, but after a few hours he'll get over it. I might as well go put him off to bed." Kanbei rose, picked up his unconscious friend in his arms, and carried him off to his tent. He came back after a few minutes, a perplexed look on his face. "I just ran into Ranmaru. He was coming out of Nobunaga's tent and told me to tell you that our Lord wishes to see you. Any reason Ranmaru would still be there, or why he wouldn't tell you himself?"
"No reason, no reason at all," Mitsuhide said quickly, trying to avoid the subject. "I better get going then!" He got up shakily and headed toward Nobunaga's tent before anyone else could protest. All cautiousness ebbed away by his drinking, he stumbled inside and half-knelt, half-fell before his Lord. "You called, my Lord?"
"Yes," Nobunaga replied, "thank you for actually coming after what happened-"
"Please, let's not bring that up, okay?" Mitsuhide blurted out. "I want to forget it ever happened."
"I see... I take it that's why you're drunk then," Nobunaga observed.
"A little..."
"Alright then, let's discuss your travels. Do we have an ally?"
"Damn right we do!"
"And just who is he?" Nobunaga noted that Mitsuhide was definitely more than just a little drunk.
"His name is Motochika Chōsokabe. He leads the Chōsokabe Clan on the island of Shikoku, and he's willing to lend us his big-ass navy for the upcoming battle."
"Is that so? Well, this is good news. I'd call for a celebration, but it appears you've already had quite enough to drink, so we'll have to hold off on that for now."
"Have not!" Mitsuhide argued.
"That's an order."
"Oh, fine..."
"Good. Any more questions?"
"Just one. You want a drink?"
"Umm, no, I think I'll pass. You are dismissed, Mitsuhide."
"Thank you, my Lord. And seriously, consider having a drink." Mitsuhide got up a bit unsteadily and left Nobunaga's tent, returning to the fire, where he, Katsuie, and Kanbei shared another few glasses of wine. Meanwhile, in his tent, Nobunaga poured himself a glass of wine from his own personal bottle.
"Hell, why not?" he thought.
Up until the arrival day of Motochika and his navy, nothing else interesting had happened around the Oda camp. At last the day came where Motochika was scheduled to arrive. Nobunaga and his generals waited anxiously by the shores for the boats of the Chōsokabe navy to appear in the distance. It was Ranmaru who first noticed them when they came.
"My Lord, I think they're here!" He announced. Sure enough, the ships gradually came into view, sailing closer and closer until they were only a few feet from the shore. Standing at the helm of the lead ship was none other than the shamisen-wielding samurai himself. The wind tossed Motochika's shaggy cyan hair as he stood, tall and proudly, and everyone couldn't help but stare at him.
"Your knight in shining armor has arrived!" Motochika called out to Nobunaga's army. He dove off the side of his ship gracefully, his head surfacing above water a few seconds later. He shook the water out of his hair, then swam to the shore, walking up to where the water lapped at his waist. "I am Motochika Chōsokabe, and I am here to assist you in your upcoming battle. These fleets are yours to use."
"Excellent," Nobunaga mused. "We shall have no trouble against the Mōri, thanks to your aid."
"Glad I can be of assistance," Motochika said. He turned to Mitsuhide and noticed he was staring at the water as it washed against the sand. "Hey, Mitsuhide! No greeting for your old pal?" Mitsuhide looked up at him and took a step forward, but still did not set foot in the water. Motochika couldn't help but wonder if he were afraid of the water.
"I am sorry for being rude, Motochika," Mitsuhide apologized. "Welcome to the Oda army. It is an honor to have you here." Once again, his eyes shifted nervously toward the water. Motochika now knew for sure that his friend was afraid, for the rest of the army seemed to notice his discomfort as well. Nobunaga and Kanbei wore patronizing smirks, while Ranmaru and Katsuie seemed more concerned. Hanbei, yawning like he often was, simply seemed elsewhere. Motochika decided he had to spare his friend from otherwise inevitable embarrassment.
"Come into the water, Mitsuhide," he beckoned. "I promise, it won't hurt you."
"Are you sure?" Mitsuhide asked warily.
"Trust me, I wouldn't lie to you." Motochika assured. He watched as Mitsuhide slowly lifted his foot and placed it into the warm ocean water. He took another step with his other foot, then another, and another, until he was up to his knees in the calm sea, and a few feet away from Motochika. "It feels good, does it not?"
"It does," Mitsuhide admitted. "I apologize for doubting you."
"No need to apologize," Motochika said. "But remember, I'm here for you." The two warriors stood there, letting the water caress them as it swayed gently, ignoring the others who had gone to splash around in the water, and just delighting in each other's company.