Minori Ishida (1 Month Before the Incident)
The day was practically over. The sun barely peeked over the horizon. I'd been sitting outside, watching it set for a while. The sky turning different shades of orange and purple warmed my heart. It was beautiful. The man who allowed us to rest here tonight had requested a meeting with my father. They'd been in there for hours. Kicking my feet back and forth, I sighed.
The sound of horse hooves beating on the ground very quickly made me stand to my feet, ready to run inside if there was an enemy. Fighting had never been a strong suit of mine. A few moments passed and a rider came into view. My shoulders relaxed. He's one of Hideyoshi's messengers.
"Lady Minori, I have an urgent message for Lord Mistunari," he said, out of breath. He must be exhausted.
"He's currently in a meeting. What's the message?" I asked. The man who lived here made it clear that his business was important and private. If I'm going to interrupt, the reason must be a good one.
The words tumbled out of his mouth. My eyes grew wide. This is not good. I instructed him to wait here and rest. My heart raced. Remain calm. Knocking on the door, I slid it open. "I apologize for interrupting, but Hide… Lord Hideyoshi has sent a messenger with an urgent message." It felt strange calling him lord, even though that was his title.
The owner scoffed, sending a glare. "Urgent? This is important business."
Stay calm. "Yes, I understand that. It cannot wait, I'm sorry," I said, keeping a smile on my face.
Father rose from his spot on the floor. "Allow us just one moment." He shut the door behind him, looking down at me. "Minori, what's so urgent?"
Thankfully, he didn't seem angry with me. Lowering my voice, I relayed the message, "Hideyoshi says there are rumors about an assassination attempt happening tonight at the Honno-ji temple. That's where Nobunaga is tonight." And Nadia! I couldn't bear the thought of her being harmed.
Father nodded his head, a plan of action already formulating. "I'll explain the situation. Get everyone ready to leave immediately."
After delivering instructions to his men, I went to gather my own things, and prepare my horse. Honno-ji temple wasn't too far away, but we could be going straight into a war zone. The thought worried me greatly. Nadia had been taught basic self-defense, sure. We all had. But like me, she had no desire to fight, and that had affected her lessons.
"Minori, everything is going to be alright," Father said from behind me. His calm tone soothed my nerves. He's always right. "It's time to leave."
The pace we set was faster than usual, but not so much that I struggled to keep up. My usually chatty Father was silent, thinking about all the scenarios. If this assassination attempt succeeded… with a shake of my head, I shoved the thought aside. No, it wouldn't succeed. Nobunaga wouldn't allow it.
"Fire up ahead!" Someone shouted.
In the distance, smoke rose above the tree line. By the time we reached the temple, the whole building was in flames. Some soldiers were sent to check the area, but as we rode up, Nobunaga and a woman emerged from the building. With a relieved sigh, I smiled. "They're safe."
"Mistunari? Why are you here? Where is Hideyoshi?" Nobunaga asked.
"Lord Hideyoshi sent me ahead. He should be here shortly," My father answered, taking in the sight of the burning building with a frown.
"Where is— ""
My words were cut off by my father. "We received information about an assassination attempt. It appears to have been true. I had my men search the grounds, but whoever it was had already fled. If I may ask—"
Turning my attention to the surrounding area, I searched for Nadia. She seemed to be nowhere in sight, worrying me. The flames in the temple grew higher.
"I came from 500 years in the future," the woman named Nori said, sounding a little crazy.
Nobunaga laughed. "And a story-teller too."
"You poor thing. The smoke from the fire was very disorienting, I'm sure. Sit down over here and get some fresh air. Minori, bring a change of clothes."
A little anger and desperation swelled up inside of me. "Where is Nadia?"
All three adults stared at me for a moment, but my father moved first. "I'll find her." And he was gone.
As I was told, I brought Nori a change of clothes. Finally, father emerged from the building with Nadia in his arms. Thank goodness! I felt so relieved that she was alright. Fetching a second pair of clothes, I tried to be rid of my worry. Smiling bright, I said, "Nadia! I'm so glad you're okay! I brought you a change of clothes."
"Thanks," Nadia said. She looked out of it. Who can blame her? She just survived an assassination attempt!
It took both of us to change her into fresh clothes. Her body had some burn wounds that would need attention when we returned to the castle. "Nadia, is your leg bothering you?" I asked, watching her struggle to stay standing before she gave up and sat back down. It looked swollen and red.
She waved her hand dismissively. "Yeah, but I'm alright. I'm madder than anything."
"I'll get Father to look at your leg, okay? I don't think Ieyasu is here," I said with a wink. It was no secret that she had a little crush on him. And who can blame her? Ieyasu is… I blushed just thinking about it. He has a soft side that no one gets to see very often.
There were more soldiers here, meaning that Hideyoshi and Natsu had arrived. There isn't much I can do to help Nadia, but I should tell Natsu that his sister is safe. Searching for him, I found him with Mei and Hikaru, laughing because Mei had outsmarted Hikaru again. Those two were always fighting.
"Minori, how is Nadia?" Natsu asked, silencing the other two standing beside him. He'd grown so much over these last few months, becoming a strong leader like his father. The slacker he had been a few years ago had disappeared. It's still unclear what sparked this transformation, but I knew it most likely had to do with Iri. Those two were together a lot these days.
Iri and I weren't close, but I knew well enough that she had a problem with the way Natsu acted. Iri was a hard worker, and she wanted to be named the heir of the Tokugawa Shogunate. It wasn't common for a woman to take over, but she knew that if she proved herself to be worthy, that Ieyasu would consider her. Natsu, however, had no real reason to work for the title, because he was Nobunaga's only son. It was his right to be the heir of the Oda clan.
I smiled softly. "She's alright. A little shaken up, and her leg is injured, but overall, she's alright."
Natsu nodded his head in thought. "I should go see her."
"That isn't necessary, Natsu. We are leaving as soon as Masamune and Hideyoshi return with Nori. Ready your horse. Nadia will be riding with me," Nobunaga ordered on his way past. He looked back at Hikaru. "Hikaru, accompany the in the search for Nori, I've been informed that Mai might be lost."
Mai… oh dear. She and her identical twin were a mystery to me. We'd all known each other since we were young, but those two… Mitsuhide raised them to be interchangeable. Sometimes, I had a very difficult time telling them apart. Mai had told me once that they could imitate each other without a single fault. It's a little scary to think about.
The darkness of the night began to fade. Had it really been that long? A small yawn escaped my lips. That's right, I haven't had the chance to sleep yet. All this happened so quickly, and there is still much to do. On top of all that, we'll be leaving for Azuchi at any moment. The thought of having to ride that far made me groan a little. Things like this happened all the time, though, because I was the daughter of a warlord. But, I wouldn't trade it for any other life.