Nene could not believe what she just heard, Kotarò, her oldest ninja under her command knew the legendary phantom ninja Hanzò Hattori, then again neither could anyone else in the room, Masonori inhaled a bone and was now choking on it hitting his chest to try and get the bone unstuck and out of his body and Kotarò was being Kotarò, "tell me Kotarò how do you know this legendary Hanzò?" Ranmaru asked not knowing who they were referring to "shut your mouth boy to not say his name so casually" Mitsunari snapped but all he got was the blunt side of Kiyomasa's scythe to the head "oww" Mitsunari exclaimed rubbing his head Nene ignored this and looked to Kotarò then to Yukimura "you two my chambers if you'd please excuse us Kiyomasa" Nene said politely as she stood up "of course mother" Kiyomasa said respectably to his adoptive mother as he to stood up the bowed to her out of respect and she bowed back, then Nene, Yukimura and Kotarò left to Nene's bedroom.
In the land to the east sat a man in his castle, he looked down at the trembling man before him, rage and disgust were clearly seen in his eyes "what do you mean she refused!" he roared "I am sorry Lord Motochika but she just told her best ninja to remove me and I could not hold the disguise up any longer" the man cried as Motochika sat and thought his hand on his chin in a thinking position 'if I don't marry Nene before Hideyoshi or Ieyasu I will not be Lord Nobunaga's heir' Motochika thought as a messenger barged in shouting "my lord, Lord Hideyoshi is making his way to the kingdom of the south" at this news Motochika fumed "get me my horse at once" Motochika yelled as the peasant before him jumped to his feet and ran to the stables in fear 'if that bastard Hideyoshi is going that means Lord Nobunaga sent him, this is not good I must speak with Lord Nobunaga about this so I and I alone can be his heir to the throne of the kingdom of the east' Motochika thought as he readied his strategy to convince Nobunaga to give him Nene.
Back in the Land of the South Nene was listing to Kotarò's story of how he and Hanzò followed the Daimyo during the Old Days As Kotarò called it, by the way Kotarò described it, it sounded like Hanzò was her age, 25 Nene could not help but ask "um Kotarò how old is Hanzò?"
"hmmm I would say 25? 26? Most likely 25 though milady" Kotarò said his hand on his chin showing he was thinking, at this Nene nearly fainted, the war started 15 years ago that would mean that Hanzò served the Daimyo as his best Ninja at the age of 10! "So that would be our only option to recruit this Hanzò?" Yukimura asked Kotarò taking Nene out of her trance "yes…" was his reply "ok then when do we head out?" Nene asked Yukimura "tonight would be the best logical time" Yukimura answered "it would be unwise for us to travel in a group bigger or smaller than three" Kotarò cut in "oh and why is that?" Yukimura asked "Hanzò has a saying: one is not enough, two is ok, and three is the number I trust" Kotarò explained "ok then Kotarò, Yukimura and I will be heading out at dusk I leave Mitsunari in charge is that understood?" Nene asked the maid to her right as she nodded and replied with a 'yes milady' as the two ninja's and one samurai went to their respected rooms to prepare for the long trip.
In the east kingdom again sat Lord Nobunaga of the east, before him was three of his four best generals Ieyasu, Mitsuhide and Motochika "milord I am here to tell you that Hideyoshi is trying to steal my bride" Motochika exclaimed "oh and who would that be?" Ieyasu asked "lady Nene of the south" Motochika answered, at this the other two in the room laughed "last time I heard she rejected you" Mitsuhide laughed "well she did but I will have her not Hideyoshi" Motochika yelled shaking a clenched fist as the other two kept on laughing, Nobunaga's anger reached boiling point "ENOUGH" he yelled as the three stopped and settled down and knelt back on their respecter cushions, a blue on for Motochika, a grey one for Ieyasu, a purple on for Mitsuhide and an orange one for Hideyoshi which was currently empty "so what you are trying to tell me is that I should stop Hideyoshi from marrying this Nene of the south even though she has rejected you how many times?" Nobunaga asked "20" Motochika sighed "20 you say before you said she rejected you once are you lying to me?" Nobunaga asked as the room started to fill up with killer intent "n...n...No Lord Nobunaga I am not lying to you" Motochika stuttered "good don't let me catch you lying or I ill skin you alive is that understood by all of you" Nobunaga asked as the three nodded their heads "good now about Nene, no I will not stop Hideyoshi because I was the one who told him to try and marry her" Nobunaga said his eyes closed "but why would you do that lord Nobunaga? If you will just give me more time Nene would have been Mine... I mean ours milord" Motochika said as he stood up from his cushion "are you arguing with him Motochika?" Mitsuhide asked "no I am not Mitsuhide so shut up" Motochika yelled "enough I am not stoping Hideyoshi from trying to get Nene and that is final now dismissed" Nobunaga ordered as Motochika stormed off back to his part of the land and Ieyasu and Mitsuhide bowed in respect and they too left for their respected parts of the land.
When they were all gone Nobunaga sighed "what am I going to do with Motochika" HE asked himself he turned to the corner "what do you think Oichi?" Nobunaga asked his sister who emerged from the corner "I think you should just give him some time to think brother" Oichi spoke as Nobunaga nodded acknowledging that his sister was right and that he will give Motochika some time to clear his thoughts "well on the plus side dinner is ready and Lady Nò has given us the honour of cooking it again tonight" at this Nobunaga laughed his sister could always cheer him up no matter what mood he was in with that innocent personality she had, he stood from his chair stretched out his back and followed Oichi to the dining hall where his beloved wife was waiting with their dinner.
It was dusk, Kotarò and Yukimura were waiting for Nene to come to the gate while they were having a conversation "evening" they both turned to see Nene walk up to them "ready?" Yukimura asked Nene nodded and Kotarò well he was just being him "well then let's go" Yukimura said as the three started their journey to find Hanzò Hattori the Phantom Ninja.
In an unknown location in a small wooden hut sat a man by a fire, his eyes closed, his long black hair relaxing on his shoulders, he heard a creek and he opened his eyes to see the fire in front of him, it gave a little spark, the man grunted at this "it's time huh" he said to no one in particular as he grabbed a bucket of water next to his chair and tossed the water into the fire extinguishing it with a hiss, once the fire was out the man put down the bucket and retired for the night.