When I wrote this chapter, I realized something: writing is like running. When I don't know how to continue my fanfictions, it's like standing in the crossroads. And when I read what have I written before publishing and it's not good enought in my opinion, it's like stumbling while running.

Sorry, this was just somekind of thinking... Back to the fanfiction!

Past which resulted in the present

Chapter 7

[flashback]

I opened my eyes and in front of my eyes was the blue sky. I was laying on the open meadow and my home village was some distance away. However, my attention was caught by a single person who sat next to me.

Asahi.

She smiled at me with her usual sweet way and I smiled back. I got up and stretched out my hand to Asahi. Asahi grabbed my hand, her hand was small but warm. Together we started to walk toward to our home village. This is the way I wanted to live, together with my family without worries and fear.

Suddenly I felt how the air turned colder. I turned and my eyes widened with horror. An ominous crack was appeared in the meadow behind of them. Asahi had also notice the crack and she held my hang tighter. I step protectively in front of my little sister while the crack widened. I noticed to my horror that there was somekind of cold black-purple mist. Just when I thought that the situation wouldn't turn worse, it happened. Multiple hands rose from the crack which stretched towards us. I turned and ordered Asahi run. While we were running the sky turned darker, flora withered away, the crack widened...

I yelped when I felt cold hands grabbing my ankle and I fell on the ground. I started to kick hands away without success. More hands grabbed me. They grabbed hold of my legs and arms and pulled me toward to the crack. Asahi noticed my trouble and ran to me, althought I ordered her to escape. Hands were already pulled me in the crack. Cold and dark mist reached to my waistline and hands grabbed hold of my neck and head while pulling me deeper in the mist. Asahi stretched her hand to me, hers eyes full of tears and fear. I tried to grab her hand just one last time but I failed. My sister's crying face was my last flashback before my head was pulled under the mist...

Hideyoshi groaned when he tried to open his eyes. He saw everything dimly and a pounding headache didn't help anyhow.

"Am I dead?" Hideyoshi asked weakly from himself.

"No," here was a voice next to Hideyoshi.

Hideyoshi turned his head to see who had spoken but he regret it immediately when he felt pain. Mitsuhide sat next to Hideyoshi and noticed Hideyoshi's painful expression. "Be careful," Mitsuhide said calmly: "You got quite beating." "Oh really?" Hideyoshi muttered sarcastically. Finally Hideyoshi got the full clarity about his surrounding. He was in the dimly lit room where were just a chest of drawers and a futon where Hideyoshi was laying just now. His wounds were bandaged and his clothes were changed to a white night yukata. "How... and when...?" Hideyoshi asked.

"We saw the recruits who beated you coming from the forest and we found you soon after it," Mitsuhide told: "First we thought to let you die because you had enlist in the army with wrong name but Nobu managed to persuade us to take care for you." After hearing these words a question rose in Hideyoshi's mind: "How long have you known that I'm not Kinsuzu Katsuro?" "Couple of weeks after he got killed," Mitsuhide answered: "First Lord Nobuhide wanted interrogate you immediately but then they decided not to reveal you yet but observe you to know your goal. That thing should had stay as secret and we have no idea how those recruits got to know the truth about you." Mitsuhide got up and said: "Now you are awake, I will go to get the physician to check you. Don't even think leaving this room, here is people observing you." After he said this Mitsuhide left and left Hideyoshi in the room.

Hideyoshi spent his time as convalescent some time. First he wasn't even able to sit but some time later his wounds healed and he was able to move. That wasn't so great thing because Hideyoshi was guarded and wasn't allowed to leave the room.

Finally came the day when Hideyoshi was taken to examinee. Soldiers tied Hideyoshi's hands and took him into the room where Oda Nobuhide waited with his advisors Shibata and Hayashi. Hideyoshi had reason to be nervous. Him original plan was to kill Oda Nobuhide as avenge but luckily Hideyoshi didn't has told about his plans to anybody. Still he thought if they will order him to be executed and if not, then what would happen to him? Hideyoshi didn't also like that here was a servant with bamboo stick in the room.

"So you enlisted with the name Kinsuzu Katsuro, what isn't your right name, in the army?" Lord Nobuhide asked strictly. "Yes..." Hideyoshi answered while trying to hide his nervousness. "Tell your right name and your connection with the Kinsuzu family!" Lord Nobuhide ordered. Hideyoshi gulped before he answered: "My name is Hideyoshi. I'm a servant of the Kinsuzu family. Kinsuzu Hirokazu and Kinsuzu Kiyoko ordered me enlist in the army instead their son Kinsuzu Katsuro-OUCH!" Hideyoshi had hardly had time to stop his answer when he got hit by the bamboo stick. Lord Nobuhide glared at Hideyoshi: "The Kinsuzu family told us that they don't know anything about the person who had elisted in the army with theirs son name. How do you explain it?" "What?!" Hideyoshi exclaimed with disbelieving tone: "B-but... They ordered me-Ouch!" Hideyoshi yelped when he got a new hit by the stick. "Speak the truth if your life is important to you," Lord Nobuhide ordered. "I'm speaking the truth!" Hideyoshi shouted: "Hirokazu-sama and Kiyoko-sama ordered me enlist in the army with Katsuro's name while the right Katsuro would leave away from the war!" Again a new strike.

"You wretched!" Shibata shouted: "Do you know that you are speaking against the one of well-known family of the Owari?!" "He is lying," Hayashi said rudely: "He is possibly a spy." "That's possible," Lord Nobuhide muttered and he said to Hideyoshi: "If you tell us who you are working for, you may live a little longer." "I told already. I'm a servant of the Kinsuzu family!" Hideyoshi said. "Kinsuzu Hirokazu told us that nobody of his servants was sent in the army," Shibata informed.

The bad suspicions hitted in Hideyoshi. The Kinsuzu family had denied sending Hideyoshi instead Katsuro in the army. It was possible that they even denied Hideyoshi ever been their servant. "This is the last warning. If you don't tell the truth, we will execute you sooner than later," Lord Nobuhide informed. "But I'm speaking the truth!" Hideyoshi shouted sounding already hopeless. "Oh really..." Lord Nobuhide said with suspicious tone: "Do you have any evidence that you have been a servant of the Kinsuzu family?" Hideyoshi fell silent. He really hasn't any kind of evidence that he had work for the Kinsuzu family. When Hideyoshi didn't answer, Lord Nobuhide said to guards in the room: "Take him in the prison. I will decide the time of execution later."

Just when guards were going to grab Hideyoshi, a voice stopped them: "Wait!"

Everybody turned their gaze to the door of the room and they noticed Nobunaga and Mitsuhide standing at the door.

"What do you want, Nobunaga? Don't you see that we are interrogating the prisoner?" Lord Nobuhide said strictly. Nobunaga walked in the room and stopped next to Hideyoshi. "I already know what is happening," Nobunaga stated: "And I want to say that you shouldn't execute him because I want him to my servant." Silence fell in the interrogate room when everybody in the room stared at Nobunaga.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Lord Nobuhide shouted to Nobunaga: "He might be a spy and you tell us that you want him serve you! You fool!" Nobunaga listened calmly his father's furious shouting until Nobunaga said: "How do you know that he is a spy? It's possible that he is just a hick." "Thank you for the compliment..." Hideyoshi muttered actually to himself. Just then Lord Nobuhide looked remembering Hideyoshi's presence and he shouted to guards: "I ordered you take him in the prison! Do it now!" Guards obeyed and pulled Hideyoshi up and took him out of the room while Nobunaga continued arguing with Lord Nobuhide.

Guards took Hideyoshi in the prison and left him in the prison cell. Hideyoshi sighed, leaned against the his prison cell's wall and sank into his thoughts.

Hideyoshi was so deep in his thoughts that he lost his sense of time for some time. He thought how the fight between of Nobunaga and his father would end and would Hideyoshi meet Asahi and their parents in the after life if he is executed.

Suddenly the door of prison cell opened. Hideyoshi flinched and turned his gaze to the door.

Nobunaga and Mitsuhide were standing at the door.

"Hello, Monkey," Nobunaga said with smile: "Looks like they put you in the monkey cage." "Very funny," Hideyoshi snorted darkly but he added sharply: "And my name is Hideyoshi." "Hideyoshi..." Nobunaga said thoughtfully: "Not bad name... but I still call you as Monkey." Hideyoshi was going to say something irrelevant but somehow he managed control himself and asked instead: "What do you want?"

Nobunaga leaned against a wall of the prison cell and started: "I talked with father-" "I know. I almost heard your "talk" to here," Hideyoshi noted. Nobunaga continued without paying attention in interruption: "And we managed make a deal." Hideyoshi frowned while asking: "What kind of deal?" "We decided that we are not going execute you... yet," Nobunaga told calmly: "But if you want avoid the execution surely, you must win a match against the recruit who my father will choose."

Hideyoshi moved away from the wall and he stared at Nobunaga for a moment before he said: "Do I understood right? I must win against a recruit in match and if I win, I'm not going to be executed?" "You understood correctly," Nobunaga answered but then he raised his index finger up: "But on one condition!" Hideyoshi tensed when he heard that. It didn't promise anything good. Nobunaga pointed his index finger to Hideyoshi: "If you win the match, you must become my servant. I you refuse, we will execute you even if you would win."

Silence fell in the prison cell. Nobody of youngs said anything, they just stared at each others. Finally Hideyoshi got up and asked: "Why?"

"What 'why'?" Nobunaga asked in turn.

"Why do you want me to serve you?" Hideyoshi asked with hint of suspicion in his tone. Nobunaga sneered before he answered.

"I can't deny that you impressed me during our training match. Very few people manage hit me," Nobunaga answered. Hideyoshi flinched when he remembered the scratch he hit on Nobunaga's cheek. "Did you tell... about that scratch to anybody else?" Hideyoshi asked little bit nervously. "No, we didn't. And nobody ever asked, maybe because of Nobu's nature," Mitsuhide stated calmly. Hideyoshi sighed in relief.

"My dream is an absolute domination and that's why I want persons who has guts to act in different situation and distinctiveness to be different from the masses," Nobunaga told to Hideyoshi: "That's why I want you to serve me and my clan."

Nobunaga pushed himself away from the wall and said to Hideyoshi: "I wait that you have made your decision if you win. Until then you will think about it. See ya later."

Nobunaga and Mitsuhide left the prison cell and left Hideyoshi to think about the recent conversation.

"Nobu? You are serious about this?" Mitsuhide asked. "Yes. He is impressive... in his own way," Nobunaga stated while he remembered a certain event which happened weeks before the training match between of him and Hideyoshi...

[flashback in flashback]

The group of recruits marched through the city. Nobunaga and Mitsuhide were ordered to go with them because Nobunaga, as the heir of Oda, must acquaint himself with war things and Mitsuhide look after him and took care that Nobunaga focused in essential things. Suddenly Nobunaga stopped and before Mitsuhide managed to say anything, he noticed Nobunaga staring on the certain street. Hideyoshi, who was left himself away from other recruits, stood on the street and talked with three starved-looking street children. Unfortunately the commander of recruits noticed that Hideyoshi had left the group and he shouted Hideyoshi to return in the group or else... Hideyoshi said something to children and then he ran back to the recruit group. Before Nobunaga and Mitsuhide followed them, they noticed children holding half of bread, some rice balls and an apple in their hands what definitely were from Hideyoshi's lunch bag.

[flashback in flashback end]

Most of his time Hideyoshi spent in the prison cell practicing to the future match but he was allowed to practiced outdoors. Six soldiers guarded Hideyoshi when he was outdoors. The message was clear: if Hideyoshi would even try something like escaping, they would kill him. However, this didn't disturb Hideyoshi much because he had already decide that he wouldn't escape from this situation. Where he would even go although he would survive from guards?

Sometimes Nobunaga and Mitsuhide came to observe Hideyoshi's practices. Usually they just watched but sometimes made notes and gave advices. Mitsuhide also worked as Hideyoshi's sparring partner couple of times. When Hideyoshi didn't practice, he though about Nobunaga's suggestion.

Finally after the two weeks, which seemed like eternity, the day arrived when the match took place. The match was fought without weapons and was placed in the training field of Owari's castle. There were Nobunaga and Mitsuhide and in addition to them Lord Nobuhide, Shibata, Hayashi, Nobunaga's younger siblings Ichihime and Nobukatsu and some high-ranked persons of Oda's army.

Hideyoshi observed his opponent Taro who stood on the other side of the field. He was a head taller than Hideyoshi, he had short black hairs and he was visibly muscular. Both Hideyoshi and Taro were wearing the recruits's clothes of Oda's army althought Hideyoshi doubted little bit if his opponent was a recruit at all. In spite of his worrisome thoughts Hideyoshi bowed to Taro who did same.

The gong boomed as the mark of match's start.

Taro started. He aimed his fist towards Hideyoshi's head but Hideyoshi dodged it. Taro continued aiming a kick towards Hideyoshi but Hideyoshi grabbed Taro's leg, jumped off on the ground and tried to kick his opponent. Taro managed to block the kick. Then he grabbed Hideyoshi's ankle and threw him over his shoulder. Hideyoshi didn't have to worry, he landed on the field and took some distance away from his opponent with couple of backflips. Both of them stood still, observing each others.

This time Hideyoshi attacked. He ran towards Taro but when Taro took a defensive position, Hideyoshi jumped aside and aimed a kick towards Taro in profile. Taro turned to block but when Hideyoshi's kick hit Taro's blocking arms, Hideyoshi changed his position and aimed his fist towards Taro. Taro noticed this and he tried to dodge, but still the fist hit his cheek.

Taro staggered a little bit from the impact force and Hideyoshi landed on the field and took some distance.

"This is going well," Hideyoshi thought to himself. Unfortunately Hideyoshi became little bit too confident and careless. He ran towards Taro and aimed a new kick. Just like previously, Taro blocked the kick and grabbed Hideyoshi's ankle. But this time he didn't threw Hideyoshi but – as a surprise to Hideyoshi – he slam Hideyoshi on the field. Hideyoshi yelped when he hit his head on the ground but Taro didn't stop yet. He held still of Hideyoshi's ankle and twisted it. Hideyoshi yelped in pain but he still managed to escape from Taro's grip when he kicked Taro's chest.

After freeing himself, Hideyoshi decided took some distance from his opponent. But when took a step backward, Hideyoshi stopped when he felt a pain. He glanced at his ankle and understood: Taro had broken his ankle.

Meanwhile when Hideyoshi's attention was in his ankle, Taro made his next move. He twisted Hideyoshi's arm behind the Hideyoshi's back and wrapped his arm around Hideyoshi's neck strangling him.

"What a he-?" Nobunaga exclaimed: "That guy is strangling Monkey! This should be a match, not an execution!" "Lord Nobuhide has possibly plan this beforehand," Mitsuhide thought aloud. Nobunaga glanced surreptitiously at his father: "So he wouldn't need prepare execution individually if Monkey would win the match and refuse to serve me. That shrewd man..." "Not necessarily," Mitsuhide stated quietly to Nobunaga: "Maybe he just want to see how Hideyoshi would survive in situations like this."

Hideyoshi tried free himself from Taro's grip before he would lost his consciousness or worse, Taro would break his neck. The idea of death appeared in Hideyoshi's head and then he came to think of Asahi, their parents and his teacher Ogikaze. What would they say in the Afterlife if they would hear that Hideyoshi had died in the match against the recruit? Would he dishonor his family and teacher?

Would he dishonor Asahi?

No. Hideyoshi wouldn't let it happen. Hideyoshi couldn't dishonor everybody important person of him dying the way like this, especially not Asahi.

Ingoring the pain in his ankle and the strangling grip around his neck, Hideyoshi gathered his strenght and swung his body so he kicked Taro in his face (A's note: I'm not 100 per cent sure if this is physically possible, so don't try this at home) . Taro yelped and let go of Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi turned and hit his fist in Taro's face which caused Taro fell on the field. However Taro soon got up and attacked towards Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi blocked the attack, grabbed Taro's arm and hit his head to Taro's forehead. Taro fell on the field and didn't got up. The referee ran to Taro and checked his condition. Soon the referee walked to Lord Nobuhide and informed: "Taro is unconscious. Hideyoshi won this match."

Hideyoshi sighed in relief and sat down on the field. Now when the match was over, Hideyoshi felt his body – especially his ankle – aching. "Can you get up by yourself?" somebody asked suddenly. Hideyoshi turned his head and noticed Nobunaga and Mitsuhide standing next to him. "That was a great match, Monkey. Congratulations," Nobunaga said with smile. Hideyoshi decided to get up but unfortunately his ankle wasn't able to carry him. "Wait. Let me help," Mitsuhide said while he helped Hideyoshi got up. Hideyoshi accepted help and let Mitsuhide led him out from the field.

"Ouch!" Hideyoshi yelped. "I'm sorry," Mitsuhide said while bandaging Hideyoshi's ankle: "I will try to be more careful." "No. Everything is alright," Hideyoshi lied.

Just then the door opened and Nobunaga entered in the room. "Hello. How are you?" Nobunaga asked from Hideyoshi when he sat next to him. "I'm alive," Hideyoshi stated with slight smile. "Good," Nobunaga said: "It's time to tell your decision." "Nobu, I think that you should let him rest little while," Mitsuhide said when he finished the bandage. "You're right but father want know Monkey's decision right now," Nobunaga said and turned back to Hideyoshi: "So what's your decision?"

Hideyoshi had thought about it since then when Nobunaga had submit his suggestion. He had thought good and bad sides about the suggestion but here were things who had bigger effects on his decision.

Nobunaga had persuade others to take care for Hideyoshi after he was beated by other recruits.

Nobunaga arranged a chance to avoid execution to Hideyoshi.

Nobunaga even praised Hideyoshi.

Hideyoshi changed carefully his position so he sat opposite to Nobunaga. Then he knelt and said:

"I, Hideyoshi, swear through my life and my honor to serve faithfully you and the Oda clan to the end of my days."

[flashback end]

Okay everyone! This was the last flashback of this fanfiction. The next chapter is going to be the last chapter and the end of this fanfiction.