Chapter Five: Ambush
The earth trembled.
Hiraya rolled away from the cold towards the intense heat source that had been hugging her back. The smell of citrus and soil filled her nose; she smiled, and blinked her eyes open slowly. Hideyoshi's bare chest, chiseled and covered in rosy love bites, filled her vision. Her heart was bursting with joy and wonder causing her to nuzzle against her loves chest. Hideyoshi wrapped a protective arm around her and pulled her close.
The earth shuddered.
It was morning and the sun's rays were scantily breaking through the blanket stretched overhead. Hiraya kissed Hideyoshi's chest softly and his neck began to take on a rosy blush…..All too rhythmically the ground beneath them continued to rumble.
Then she heard the tell-tale sign of marching.
"FUCK!" she sat up like she'd been hit with cold water throwing off Hideyoshis' loving embrace.
Her shout woke Hideyoshi into a confused panic. He rolled onto his belly, as she disappeared from his side, hands blindly grasping for his sword as the chilly air nipped at his nakedness.
Hiraya snatched the yukata off of Hideyoshi, "I'm borrowing this!" making him curl reflexively into a little ball.
Cinching the oversized garment tight around her middle she grabbed her bow and quiver and scrambled up the walls of the lean-to.
"W-Wait!" he called after her finally coming out of the fog from last night, "Hi-Hiraya!"
Pulling on the only other clothes he could find Hideyoshi stumbled out into the world. It was bright and cold and loud with the sound of heavy marching.
A cold chill ran down his spine.
He knew that sound.
The sound of war.
Hiraya wasn't too far ahead. Like a rabbit to a briar she jumped over fallen trees, weaved around bushes, and slipped over rocks…Her slender naked legs, covered in deep red love marks, was a stark contrast to the deep greenery surrounding her. Hideyoshi blushed as foggy images of last night, phantom heats and trailing fingers, danced through his mind.
Coming to a clear spot on the mountain side, nothing more than a limestone overhang, Hiraya dropped her quiver and strung her bow. Hideyoshi joined her just as she notched an arrow. Down in the narrow, choke corridor, valley below an army-far more than eight-thousand-marched with heavy steps. They were armored and armed.
The Uesugi-Takeda forces were going to go to war NOW.
Hideyoshi felt panic settled in his gut, "Our forces won't be ready in time-"
"Relax." Hiraya closed one eye and drew her bow smoothly, "Nice kimono by the way." She closed one eye and aimed at the shimmering in the bushes on the mountain side opposite of them, "But it isn't your color." She let the arrow go.
It zipped through the air the fletching whistling softly and the string giving a hardy thump against her forearm with the tension released. The arrow disappeared into the mist and out of sight. Looking over she examined her company. The red kimono was much too small for Hideyoshis' broad shoulders and chest. He was practically busting the seams on the sleeves! Hiraya giggled. Hideyoshi shifted away suddenly self-conscience.
Ting-ting-ting…..
"You might want to take cover now." She told him flatly looking across the valley.
BOOM!
The far mountainside exploded! Heat and air and sound shook the earth as if a god were ascending from Hell.
BOOM!
Rocks and trees came raining down from the heavens.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Bursts of fire burned the mist away as if a great dragon was awakening. Hideyoshi, thoroughly knocked back onto his butt, now crawled on hands and knees to peer down into the valley next to Hiraya. Below the soldiers were panicking. They scrambled to keep from getting crushed by the collapsing mountainside and raining boulders. Some fell to their deaths into the cesium, many were crushed despite their efforts, and others were-
Tink-thump.
Tink-thump.
Tink-thump.
Those who were closer to the front, the exit of the valley opposite the falls to Iga, Hiraya picked off with amazing skill. Smoothly she transitioned her arrow, swiveling on the ball of her foot as she crouched, from the far left of the valley to the gaping fangs of the falls.
Thump-zip-Shhh-Ting-ting-ting..
"DUCK!"
BOOM!
Hideyoshi hit the dirt feeling that invisible wave ripple through the air then slam into him like the first time. Hiraya watched as her carefully planted dynamite ignited; a red, hungry, violent serpent slithered along the valley floor. The cesium opened, only a narrow slit, now crumbled away into a gaping void. Dirt fell from the sky. Black powder burned and filled the air like a woman's' fragrant perfume. She inhaled deeply. Men dead, dying, crushed, mutilated, bleeding out because of one thing or another fell away into the crater along with half of the far mountain side that had slid down early. Everything splashed down into a watery grave. He looked over at Hiraya. Like a hawk perched in its tree she watched through the smoke and dust and mist and blood.
Diligent.
Observing.
Searching.
With arrow at the ready in one hand. Now he understood why Hiraya was Nobunaga's prize. Her attention snapped towards the falls on the right and soon he heard it too.
The Iga shinobi were coming.
"We need to move-"Hiraya stood up, "the next targ-"
Thump.
Something sharp hit her in the shoulder and the force nearly sent her over the edge! Quickly to his feet Hideyoshi grabbed her by her wrist only to witness two more arrows sink through her.
"Hiraya!"
Hideyoshi steadied her on her feet, both of them toeing the edge of the overhang-ZIP!-He drew his sword, turning to face the threat from the forest, but in the blink of an eye he found Hiraya's tiny hand blocking his face…Protruding through her hand though was a barb of silver metal and it had only stopped a few millimeters from his nose. Crimson color began to drip from the wound the shuriken had made.
A ninja emerged from the shadows, the forest that had been to their backs, "Nice catch, Evolet."
Hiraya dropped her hand; Hideyoshi blinked in disbelief, and stepped around him acting as his shield. Pulling the throwing star from her hand with a sickening slush she began to feel sick.
"Or should I call you Hiraya?"
The man cloaked in forest greens and browns removed his face covering.
"V-Victor!?" she gasped yanking an arrow from her forearm.
Hideyoshi looked between the two. They could easily bet twins with the same fair complexion, hair and eyes.
"Surprised?" Victor drew up a crossbow and fired another shot into his sister hitting just beneath her collarbone.
The power of the strike sent Hiraya stumbling back into Hideyoshi; he kept her on her feet.
"You look better as a pin cushion-"
"What the FUCK VICTOR?!"
Hiraya, who'd seemed to be in a trance-like state, was back and VERY angry. Blood began to soak through the yukata where the arrows had pierced her.
"You think you're the only one with the Sight?" he sneered.
"Are you crazy?!" Hiraya snapped back.
She'd thought, grown up, thinking that ALL of her family had been killed that day. Below in the valley the shinobi of Iga were searching for survivors or enemies.
"I thought…."her voice cracked, "I thought you were dead!" tears blurred the vision of her brother.
Hideyoshi glared threatening at the man while putting a protective arm around Hiraya. Victor snorted.
"It would have been better if it had ended that way."
"Vict-"
"That day that bastard sold me to keep you safe!" he snarled, "All because you had the Sight! You were special! You were worth far more than even your brothers' lives!"
Hiraya recoiled, "No…..That can't-Father wouldn't-"she was beginning to feel warm and lightheaded.
"Hiraya we need to go." Hideyoshi hissed in her ear as he watched the opposition multiply in the shadows of the forest.
"You are fucking stupid!" Victor yelled at her, "You were the only loved child. The only valued, protected, precious child! The rest of us were just born the fodder to protect you!"
The shadows of the forest drew bows.
"Victor-"
"It's Sasuke. Now."
Hiraya shook her head, "No you're Victor!"
"I was sold, like a beast, to save your sorry ass! Now you will pay me my full recompense." He smiled incredulously, "Goodbye, Evolet."
Hideyoshi grabbed Hiraya to himself and plunged them both backwards over the edge of the overhang. The wind around them howled and screamed as they plummeted towards the earth below. Several arrows zipped by, following their path, but never finding a mark. Hiraya drew her bow, shakily, and loosed one last arrow.
Ting-ting-ting-BOOM!
The mountain before them, the one they'd just been standing on, erupted and began to pursue them down towards the valley floor. Hiraya inhaled sharply as her vision went fuzzy at the edges-
-she saw them falling, Hideyoshi clinging to her back to protect her, and when they hit his skull exploded like a bloated tick-
Hiraya, energized by adrenaline, knocked Hideyoshi's arm away and twisted him around mid-air.
"HIRAYA!"
He watched over her shoulder as the ground was approaching fast! They hit, him slamming into her, and a painful crack filled his ears as it echoed out of her breathless, gaping mouth.
Hiraya screamed in pain.
The mountain side they'd been on was sliding towards them as the last blast echoed like an angry roaring beast. Beneath them the earth shuddered with violence, Hideyoshi shielded Hiraya with his body against the landslide, and then the ground gave way. They tumbled down into the mouth of the gaping maw and splashed down into its gut.