Author's Note: This chapter covers the game chapters 4.5 - beginning of chapter 6.


We started off again through the mountain woods toward Iga. I kept a little back from where Goemon and Hanzo led the group, preferring Kotaro's silent company. Goemon turned around and looked back at Lord Ieyasu and his retainers.

"We aren't making much progress," he observed.

"It can't be helped. We've got elderly and injured people with us." Right as Hanzo said it, one of the oldest retainers collapsed to his knees. Lord Ieyasu was there at once.

"Are you all right?"

"Please, lord, I beg of you, leave me behind," the old man pleaded.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Lord Ieyasu said sharply.

"Please…I cannot stand to hold you back, sir…!" But Lord Ieyasu grasped his arm firmly.

"I won't leave a single person behind. Now lend me your arm." Lord Ieyasu wrapped his retainer's arm around his own shoulder. "I've only come this far because of your support…and now it's my turn to support you. I swear, we'll all reach our home together."

"Soon we'll reach Ujitawara," Hanzo interjected. "There's an inn and district there. We can rest for a while." Lord Ieyasu frowned.

"An inn…won't it be too dangerous?" Hanzo shook his head.

"I can go ahead and make arrangements with the innkeeper. At this rate, we won't be able to make much progress anyway." He looked over at the rest of us, and I avoided his gaze. I could feel Goemon's curious stare as well, but I kept my eyes down. Argh, I didn't want to make things worse, but I couldn't seem to look Hanzo in the eye.

"Master Hanzo, please go ahead with Reika," I heard him say.

"With the Princess?"

"I told you, didn't I? Reika will help you blend in better." Hanzo didn't reply, but Goemon gave him a reassuring clap on the shoulder. "Kotaro and I will protect the rest and join you at the inn later."

"I see. Princess?" I looked at him unwillingly. "Is that all right with you?" he asked.

"Of course," I said faintly. Come on, girl, I told myself. Get it together. He doesn't owe you anything. I shook my head to clear it, and stepped up to join Hanzo.

"Master Hanzo, please take this," Lord Ieyasu said. He took a bag from his breast pocket and handed it to him.

"Thank you," Hanzo said. He nodded to Goemon and Kotaro, and then we split up.

We made our way into the small town, and headed toward the inn district. Curiosity got the better of me, and I tried to break the awkward silence.

"Is the manager in charge of the whole district?" I looked up at Hanzo, but he kept his eyes straight ahead.

"People of all types gather at these inn districts. Not just travelers and merchants, but also robbers and wanted men. It's the manager's job to make sure nothing too inconvenient happens. If we pay them enough, we can buy their silence."

"I see. I hope our group can rest here," I replied. We got to an inn, where Hanzo asked for the manager. After a while, a sliding door opened, and an older, tough looking woman came out.

"Welcome," she said. Her eyes roved over us, sizing us up. Hanzo spoke first.

"I wanted to secure a place to rest for my noble lord. There are several injured people among his followers. We hope you can provide us with shelter and medical help." The manager's shrewd eyes bored into Hanzo's.

"I don't want to have any difficulties… who is this nobleman, anyway?" Hanzo's face tightened. Before he could say anything rash, I spoke hurriedly.

"It's a monk!" I blurted.

"A monk?" the manager repeated.

"Yes, a very noble monk. He is travelling in secret, but we were attacked by bandits, leaving some of our group injured." The manager still seemed suspicious. "Shall I recite a sutra for you?" I offered. She grunted her assent, and I took a deep breath. The sutra flowed through my lips clearly and smoothly. I'd been reciting it for as long as I could remember, and when I was finished, the manager seemed convinced.

"Of course, it won't be free," she said finally, and Hanzo smoothly pulled out Lord Ieyasu's bag. Her eyes lit up as she looked inside.

"I see. This is ten times the usual price. Alright then, I will take in your noble monk and his followers. I'll also arrange for the best doctor to come as well." We thanked her politely and let her know that our group would be joining us shortly. In the meantime, one of the inn workers showed us to our room.

After we settled down, and Hanzo turned to me.

"That went well thanks to you, Princess. I thank you." He inclined his head.

"Oh no, please don't bow to me. I just said whatever popped into my head," I protested.

"If it hadn't been for your quick wits, this wouldn't have worked out so well."

"I did nothing," I murmured. He straightened, but didn't meet my eyes.

"The others should arrive by tomorrow. I'll lay out a futon, so please get some rest tonight, Princess."

"Master Hanzo…" I started to reach for him, but I stopped myself.

"Yes, Princess?" he said. He seemed so distant.

"Why haven't you met my eyes all day?" I asked. He looked away and remained silent. "Is it because I said too much this morning?" Ah, it was no good. His face was stern as he stared down at the tatami. The now familiar feeling of rejection…

"Am I a bother to you?" I asked softly. Despite my resolve, my voice shook a little. Even if he wouldn't accept my feelings or even acknowledge them, I hated the new distance he forced between us. He wouldn't even look at me… The silence stretched on, and my eyes dropped to the floor. I bit my lip, trying not to feel more hurt.

"Of course you're not…a bother," Hanzo said quietly, almost sighing. I looked up to see his eyes full of remorse. "Please, I hate to see you cry or be sad." I opened my mouth, but he cut me off again.

"You are the Princess. Of course I want you to be happy. So please…don't get any closer to me." For a moment, I thought I saw something like vulnerability in his eyes, but the next second his stern mask was back. I had no words to counter his plea. I sank slowly down to the floor with the weight of his rejection.

"Now let's go to sleep. We have to get as much rest as we can." He stood and went into the bedroom. I heard him take out the futons and set them out. For a while, I just sat there, dazed, unable even to summon tears.

Have I fallen in love with someone I shouldn't have? If I was troubling Hanzo so much with my feelings, it would only make things worse between us. I desperately wanted to rid him of his mask, to return to our relationship before I'd ruined it all. It felt like just yesterday when we were joking about his "frightening" face. I wanted to spend the rest of my time with him comfortably like before. The rest of my time…yes, I would only be making it worse by forcing my feelings on him when we would have to part ways. After all, I wouldn't be his "Princess" anymore. I'd return to being a simple temple girl, and he, as the head of Iga, would return to his home and his life there. I wanted to be able to say goodbye with a smile.

These thoughts whirled through my head, and I resigned myself for another restless night. Hanzo had already lain down. I stared at Hanzo's back from where I sat, wondering if he was asleep already. I'd always been safe and protected behind that back, I mused. Even though we were in the same room, he seemed so far away. And that's how it will always be.

My thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Hanzo got up noiselessly and answered it before I could get up. It was the manager.

"I contacted the doctor, and it seems he can come early tomorrow morning," she said. "When will your companions be arriving?"

"I believe they'll arrive in the afternoon," Hanzo replied.

"I see. Then the timing will be perfect," she said. She paused and gazed at me before turning back to Hanzo. "You two seem very tired from your travels. I made some tea, so please have some." She reached down and placed the tray with two steaming cups on the table.

"Thank you," I said. I only took a small sip, though; I felt slightly unwell already from the day's events. Hanzo drank his tea quickly, perhaps so that she would leave sooner.

"The preparations have all been made for tomorrow, so we can greet your noble friend in privacy," the manager went on. As she spoke, I felt a curious numbness permeating my body. My fingers stiffened, and the tea cup slipped through my fingers to crack on the floor. Hanzo immediately looked up and made as if to come to me, but he fell to his side with a groan.

"—and they'll find you dead!" she finished. The tea was drugged! My eyes found her, and I watched, horrified, as she tore off a mask and her outer kimono to reveal herself. Oriku, the beautiful Hachisuka ninja who we'd confronted before Oda's death, stood before us.

"…you…!" I heard Hanzo grit out. She let out a peal of delighted laughter.

"You must be surprised to see the woman you assumed you'd killed!" Hanzo tried to reach for his blade, but failed. The poison must be strong if he was affected to this extent. Oriku smirked triumphantly as she stood over us.

"You may be Hattori Hanzo, but you still can't resist the Hachisuka numbing drug!" I whimpered.

"Oh, don't worry, girl, I won't kill you yet. You'll be bait for your Lord Ieyasu, and after you've served your purpose, I'll take my time and kill you both slowly!" She laughed again. With soft thuds, several other ninjas dropped from the ceiling to surround us.

"Oriku-sama, what should we do with these two?"

"Tie them up and roll them over there. We'll have our fun tomorrow." She left without a second glance. The ninja tied our hands and feet together and roughly pushed us to the corner of the room. I was still rigidly paralyzed, and could not even speak.

How much time had passed? It must have been a couple of hours. It was dark outside. I gave my hands and feet an experimental wriggle, and discovered that the effects of the drug were wearing off. I'd only had a small sip, after all. I couldn't quite turn my head to check on Hanzo yet. A few minutes later, I could feel my arms and legs again. I needed to cut myself free. My eyes alighted on my shattered tea cup. How careless of Oriku, to leave the shards. She must have had confidence in the drug. I scooted myself forward and grabbed a shard with my teeth. I spat it to the ground where I could reach it with my fingers, and painstakingly sawed at the ropes until I was free. My movements were still sluggish, but I was free! I turned to Hanzo. He was still frozen in his bonds, but his eyes found mine.

"Can you talk?" I whispered. I took the cup shard and began working on the ropes restraining him.

"I can, but my body…" He grimaced. "But how are you able to move so well?"

"My body is a bit stiff, but I can move," I replied. "I only had a little sip, that's probably why."

"This drug is so potent that even the slightest bit will immobilize the strongest man…" He seemed puzzled for a moment, and then realization spread across his features. "Your ancestor Master Kusunoki was resistant to poison. You seem to have his blood in you." The corners of his mouth turned up in a small smile. "You really are the Princess who inherited the powers of the strongest ninjas."

"Master Hanzo…" He became serious again.

"All the more reason. Please leave me here and escape."

"I can't do that!" I whispered. I attacked his bonds with more vigor. The last snapped free. "There, you're free now!"

"I can't move my body," Hanzo said. "You must escape. You should be able to leave without them noticing you."

"I can't leave you here and only save myself…!" I protested.

"If you stay here, we'll both be killed."

"But…" We had only just reunited from the mansion's explosion, and he was telling me to survive without him again. I searched for words, but as I watched, desperation filled his features, something that I'd never seen before. To see such a strong man look so helpless…panic sank in. I tried to pull him upright to no avail. He interrupted my futile attempts, his voice urgent.

"Run away…! Please, I beg of you, run!" When I hesitated, he closed his eyes tightly, gritting his teeth. "I cannot stand to see someone so important to me killed in front of my eyes… please, please run!" I met his eyes when he reopened them, and nodded firmly.

"I understand, I will run. But I promise you I will come back for you, Master Hanzo." I let myself take his paralyzed hand and squeeze it once, and then I stood. I had to get away and somehow find our allies. I listened for the ninja, but I couldn't hear much. I silently got to the back window and peeked outside. The coast was clear. The darkness of the night provided cover, and I slipped away. The stiffness of my limbs was easing away, and I was running as fast and as low as I could up the mountain path. Within the heavily wooded path, everything was pitch black. It was good news for me in regards to my captors, but I could barely see in front of my own face.

Then I remembered Hosuke, and desperately prayed that he had returned from sending the message to Saizo and Sasuke. Taking a deep breath, I cupped my hands around my mouth.

"Hoo, hoo!" Silence. I tried again, and then suddenly heard the soft flap of wings. I could just make him out as he landed on my shoulder.

"Hosuke, take me to your master!" I whispered. He hooted softly in reply, and took off. I was barely able to follow him, and made my way back to the camp. I was more than relieved to see the surprised faces of Goemon, Kotaro, Saizo, and Sasuke where they sat around a small fire.

"Reika!" Goemon hurried over to me. I gasped out our plight to him, catching my breath.

"I see…Oriku…"

"When they realize that I've gotten away, they might kill Master Hanzo!" I insisted.

"No, they won't do that. They need him still as their bait. And besides, they won't expect you to find us in the dark like you did. They don't know about your curious ability to communicate with animals."

"I hope you're right," I said. Hanzo was still immobilized in the room, though, and I hoped he was all right. Saizo mussed my hair.

"You did just what you should have, so don't look so desperate."

"Saizo…"

"Thanks to you, things certainly won't go as they've planned. You've saved Lord Ieyasu's life." He turned back to the others.

"I have an idea…"

...

The next afternoon, we arrived at the inn. I was dressed in a men's kimono, hiding among Lord Ieyasu's retainers. An arquebus was tied to my hip and dangled down next to my leg under the cloth. As we walked toward the doors, Goemon turned to Lord Ieyasu.

"My lord, please pull your hood down lower."

"Ah, yes, of course," he said, tugging his hood down so that his face couldn't be seen. "Is this the right inn?"

Goemon turned and knocked on the door.

"Is anyone here?" He opened the door, and suddenly we were surrounded by a large group of Hachisuka ninjas. One of them appeared behind Lord Ieyasu and pinned his arms behind his back.

"What are you doing?" he protested.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here." I looked up to see Oriku, her face triumphant, as she stepped out from behind a tree. To my mixed horror and relief, I found Hanzo, tied up and suspended from one of the branches. She held a throwing knife against his neck.

"Master Hanzo!" cried Sasuke. Her smile widened nastily, and she flipped the knife and then drew it lightly across Hanzo's skin. I saw a thin red line appear in its path. Sasuke bit back a protest.

"Don't worry about me! Protect Lord Ieyasu!" Hanzo gritted out. Goemon made an extremely uncharacteristic worried face.

"But…" I almost snorted at his terrible act. Just as I thought I saw Hanzo's eyes narrow, I heard a scream. Lord Ieyasu had whipped out a sickle and chain and cut down the man behind him. Oriku's eyes widened in surprise. In lightening speed, Goemon and Sasuke had cut down several of the ninja. In the confusion, I grabbed my hidden arquebus and swung it up to aim straight at Oriku's chest.

"Don't you care about your precious leader?" she began shrilly, the knife in her hand glinting.

Bang! Bang!

Two shots rang out. I felt the kickback punch me in the shoulder as the gun recoiled. Hanzo fell to the ground, his rope cut by Kotaro's shot. Mine had found its target. She staggered and then fell, blood blooming across the front of her kimono. Amazingly, she began struggling for where Hanzo lay, her knife still grasped tightly in her hand.

"Rin, pyo, to, sha, kai, jin, retsu, zai, zen!" Hanzo's hands moved almost imperceptibly as he recited the syllables, and the ropes binding him fell away. A split second later, Hanzo's shuriken buried itself in her throat. Her ferocious expression frozen on her face, she crumpled to the ground beside him.

Sasuke gave a small cheer. "We've done it!" he exclaimed proudly.

"Are you all right, Master Hanzo?" Kotaro ran over to his leader, still holding his arquebus. Behind me, I heard Goemon and Saizo congratulating each other. My knees felt weak, and I dropped the gun from my shaking fingers.

"I'm fine. The Princess…" Hanzo turned his gaze towards me and stretched out a hand from where he lay. He didn't seem fully free from the effects of the drug. "Princess…" I wrenched myself out of my shock and hurried to him, kneeling. I gripped his hand tightly with both of mine.

"You constantly surprise me," he said with a wry smile. I felt tears of relief flood my eyes as I pulled his hand up to my face.

"Master Hanzo…" The man I loved was alive. My heart felt so full. "Thank goodness…thank goodness," I heard myself saying over and over again through sobs. I had to drop his hand to wipe at my tears, to no avail.

"Oh, don't just freeze up," I heard Goemon say from behind me. "The drug's mostly worn off, right? Just hold her!"

"N-no, it's fine—" I began to protest, but Hanzo pushed himself up and his strong arms were pulling me tightly to against his chest. I gasped slightly and then began crying again in earnest. I wrapped my arms around him and held him close, and I felt him stroking my hair as he murmured reassurances in my ear.

He was safe, and all was well.

...

We found the real inn manager tied up in the storage, and she immediately came to our aid after we freed her. The doctor was called, and he tended to the injured. Goemon joked with Saizo, and Sasuke sweetened up the spunky old manager, much to all of our amusement. Kotaro congratulated me for my use of the arquebus. For the first time in ages, I was surrounded in a happy atmosphere. I knew, though, that this was just a brief rest before we started for Iga again, and after that…

"Where did Master Hanzo go?" Sasuke asked suddenly. I hadn't seen him since the doctor had taken him aside.

"He's taking a long bath," Saizo replied. "He wants to sweat out the rest of that numbing drug." Goemon gave me a sidelong glance.

"Reika," he said. I straightened.

"Yes?"

"Go check on Master Hanzo. He might be drowning in the bathtub from the aftereffects of the drug," he drawled. I squinted my eyes at him, suspicious. No way…but I didn't know how the drug affected others, so I got up. I wanted to talk to Hanzo anyway.

"All right, I'll go." As I left the room, I heard their whispering voices.

"There's no way he'd be drowning in the bath, come on. I'm surprised she even went," I heard Sasuke say.

"We all know that, you idiot. They need some time to talk," Goemon said. "Ahh, sometimes I'm so kind I just hate myself." I hid a grin as I walked down the hallway, but I slowed down.

Yes, we had to talk. I had to make up my mind and set things right. I'd let myself go when we rescued Hanzo, but I was determined not to push my feelings on him any longer. It was the least I could do.

I made my way over to the baths, and waited a bit before knocking. I didn't want to disturb him, but I did want to talk to him… I debated with myself for a few minutes before knocking softly.

"Um, Master Hanzo?" There was no reply. "Master Hanzo, it's Reika." Still no reply. No way, he's not actually drowning, is he?! "Master Hanzo!" I opened the door in a panic.

"Uwah!" Hanzo was dripping wet, in the middle of wrapping a towel around his waist. I shrieked in embarrassment and whipped around, covering my face.

"I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed. "You weren't replying, so I thought…" I heard him chuckle behind me, and felt my face heat up. I tried to feel for the door with my eyes tightly closed.

"Please, take your time!"

"Wait, Princess!" He stopped me and grabbed my wrist as I made to leave. I involuntarily yelped in pain as he gripped right where the ropes had been tied. He immediately let go.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But I wanted to talk to you. Will you wait for me in my room?" I nodded quickly, trying not to look at him, and escaped. As the door closed behind me, I let out a breath that I'd been holding. I had tried not to look, but I couldn't help but remember his toned chest, the rippling muscles shining in the steam, his scars… I covered my face again in embarrassment. Girl, get a grip! I thought giddily. I made my way over to his room and opened the door slowly. The room was a quiet one off in the corner. I sat down by the low table to compose myself while I waited.

It wasn't long before I heard him slide the door open, and he sat down across from me. I broke the silence first.

"Are you all right, Master Hanzo? Has the drug worn off?" He nodded.

"It seems that the last of it is gone." He flexed his hand experimentally before looking at my arms. "More importantly, you have marks from the ropes…" I glanced down and was surprised to see dark red lines wrapped around my wrists.

"They must be from when I was tied up. The ropes were quite tight," I said. I hid the ugly marks with my sleeves. "So what did you want to talk to me about?" I asked, meeting his eyes firmly. He took a deep breath, and then began.

"I've carried out the most severe missions before in my life. I've been taught not to show my emotions under any conditions. That's my responsibility as the leader. And yet, when we were both captured by Oriku, I was unable to control my emotions." I remembered the look of desperation on his face as he begged for me to run. It was true; I'd never seen him afraid before.

"I couldn't do it. I didn't want to have to see you hurt or killed in front of my eyes." He closed his eyes, his expression pained. "I didn't know what I'd do…I thought I might go crazy." When he opened his eyes, they were tormented.

"Master Hanzo," I began. I tried to search for words that would be safe, but honest. "I…I also wouldn't be able to stand it, if I saw you hurt. To have to leave you there and escape on my own…" I trailed off before my voice could tremble. "But thank goodness we were able to rescue you," I said, looking back up and smiling. I was caught off guard when I found his expression soft with some… deeper emotion? My heart stuttered unevenly as we stared into each other's eyes. He spoke again.

"Just earlier, in the bath…I was thinking of my future. What I'd do from now on. And…" I leaned forward despite myself. And…? "If we reach Iga, and are able to escort Lord Ieyasu to his home unharmed…then I have something to ask you," he finished. He looked into my eyes again, searchingly. "It's important. …Can you wait until then?" My heart was beating fast in my chest. Don't let yourself be carried away, Reika, I had to remind myself. I forced myself to calm and nodded.

"Yes."

"Thank you," he said. I decided that I was dismissed, and started to get up. "Wait." I glanced down at him, and he gently pulled me down to sit next to him. "Show me your wrists," he said. I pulled my sleeves down again, self-consciously.

"They're fine—they will be gone soon," I began, but the look in his eyes shut me up.

"Show me," he commanded. I held my arms out nervously towards him. He took my arms and then slowly slid the sleeve of my kimono up to reveal the ugly marks, looking at them carefully. Maybe he'll suggest a medicinal herb salve, I thought distractedly as I tried to ignore my pounding heart. Then he brought my wrist closer and pressed his lips softly to the rope marks.

"M-master Hanzo…?" I gasped, blushing furiously. I almost pulled my hands away automatically, but he kept a firm grip. He took my other wrist and kissed it, too. I felt like my heart had jumped up to my throat as I felt his lips move gently over the delicate skin.

"Master Hanzo, please…" What in the world was I begging for? For him to stop? Or go on? My head was a mess. He pressed one last kiss on my wrist and looked up at me. His gaze seemed darker than before, and unexpectedly, I felt something inside of me clench.

"These marks are my fault," he said, his voice a little rougher than usual. "I wanted to apologize for allowing them to mar your skin." He abruptly let go of me and stood up.

"Please forgive me for taking so much of your time," he said, and he disappeared down the hall before I could reply.

I sat there, thunderstruck, unable to believe what had just happened. Tingling heat seemed to pulse from my wrists, where I could still feel the soft caress of his lips, and spread through my body.

What? What in the world did my future have in store?


In the next chapter: Our ninja crew finally gets to Iga, and preparations for a battle with the Akechi army begin. Reika also prepares for the battle, and Goemon offers some advice.