A/N: Sorry everyone... I did post a big ass chapter yesterday, but I wasn't pleased with it. I broke it down into two different chapter. The other one will be posted in two day (not a lie this time, I swear). Thank you all who read this and those who leave me some love.
AnythingFromTheTrolly: Yeah Riboku dropped the ball on his talk with Sakura by making assumptions. It makes sense that Kaine would still feel something for the general after wanting to be with him for literally years. Every time I think about the masturbation scene my face gets all red and I'm like, did I really write that...but I did. I get embarrassed after I post stuff like that even though I'm by myself. Kanki... He's much more cruel in the manga than in the anime like x100. He always wants to do something horrible to people whether it's ripping out eyes (his trademark) or setting them on fire. the next chapter will have some POV for him.
Angelofdestiny16: I'll have a pit of POV of Kanki's in the next chapter, so it'll be a little insight. I was thinking about making a separate one-shot off of a situation that's going to happen in about two chapters. I'm like 85% sure I'm going to do it.
VeronicaLee00: Thank you!
Diao: You'll have your Kanki fufu.
Ecstacyharlot: Shin hmm... He might be in this one fufu. There's an explanation about what happened with Riboku. He's not weak, he just got a smackdown he wasn't expecting...in a way.
ALibra: Futei really killed the moment for everyone and their mother with his big mouth. And Riboku hurts himself with his, though unintentionally. I have a love/hate thing with Kanki. I love his character in the manga, but he's such an asshole!
Sakuracherryblossoms: Thank you and I hope you stay for the ride!
Kihoko-san: Yeah Kaine is a little nasty behind closed doors and Futei needs to shut his mouth sometimes haha. I will have more about Kanki in the next chapter, so keep an eye out for it!
Guest: Yes, but I did it to fix some things and break the chapter into two parts. it was over 18k all together and I figured it would be an eyesore.
'Run.'
Sakura eyed the woman in front of her cautiously. There was an aura around the strangely dressed person that screamed dangerous and every instinct was telling her to run and run fast. The pinkette froze, not sure who this person was or what they wanted. She was dressed in a strange white and red outfit, that looked foreign and concealed her face. It was only the voice that had given her away, otherwise it would have been easy to be mistaken for a man.
"You... You're the one who made that ointment..." The woman's gaze was piercing as she eyed her, making the pinkette all the more uncomfortable.
"What are you talking about? Who the hell are you?" The princess stayed on guard, not knowing what this persons intentions were.
"The ointment the Zhao woman had in Qi. It had chi infused with it. Do not play me for a fool." The woman reached back, grasping the hilt of her sword drawing it out slowly. Taking a stance Sakura had never seen before, she started chanting and bouncing on one foot.
The pinkette could feel bullets of sweat running down the side of her face. 'I don't know what the hell she's doing, but I need to get out of here quick... I don't even have a weapon, but even if I did it would be useless against her. I just know it. The feeling she's giving off...this aura...it's as enormous as it is frightening. What in the world is she?!'
"Ton...tan, tan. Ton...tan, tan." The chant was simple, yet deep. The princess could feel raw power emanating from not only the swords-woman, but the sword itself as well. A terrifying combination.
"Ton...tan, tan. Ton...tan, tan. Ton-" Within a blink of the eye, the woman bounced and jumped in the air, twirling so fast it was almost impossible to see. Out of pure instinct, Sakura jumped out of the way, flinging herself onto the tiled path as the blade just grazed her arm.
'Holy shit! She's really trying to kill me. What am I going to do... How am I going to survive against that speed, especially without a weapon?!' Gasping for breath and grabbing for her arm, the pinkette looked around frantically for the woman whose speed was clearly beyond normal human limits. It was like nothing she's ever seen before.
At the least second, she looked up seeing the warrior woman and her blade swinging right for her head. Sakura rolled out of the way as she came down and gracefully landed where the pinkette had just been laying.
"...tan, tan. Ton...tan, tan." She continued her chant while bouncing on one foot like she had before attacking. The princess stared at her in awe and fear. The way she fought...looked so much like a dance. It was beautiful, yet so deadly. She just couldn't understand why this woman was trying to kill her, they've never even met before...
"Why the hell are you doing this?! I don't even know you!" Sakura got up as quickly as she could, not knowing what to do next. This was impossible... Not only was she unarmed, but also entirely outclassed.
"S-Stop! I know this woman, she's an acquaintance of mine!" Hearing a familiar voice, Sakura glanced over quickly trying not to take her eyes off of the "would be assassin". Actually given five more seconds, there's no doubt she would be dead... Looking to the side, a familiar face ran out of the shadows of one of the paths and foot steps could be heard coming from behind her.
Sakura's eyes widened seeing her rescuer. It was the concubine she had met when getting ready to perform at the solstice festival. Unfortunately, she hadn't caught her name...
"Oi, Kyoukai! What the hell you doin?" A loud voice boomed over the scene, making the pinkette jump. A man with dark messy hair stomped around the concubine and the others who were starting to gathered, probably from the commotion. Among those who showed was the other concubine, Kou, who was said to be King Sei's favorite among his enormous harem.
The man was adorned with blue armor and a sheathed sword strapped to his back. Thin scars were scattered here and there across his youthful face and strong arms, evidence of a life full of struggles and fighting. The strong aura surrounding his muscular, yet lean frame and the fire in those dark eyes took the pinkette completely off guard. Although it was quite different from the woman who had just tried to kill her, it was strong and quite impressive. While hers was darker and intimidating, his was powerful, yet possessed a warmth she lacked.
He strode over towards the assassin who finally stopped chanting and bouncing, making
Sakura thank Kami-sama that she still had all her limbs where they belonged. Looking from the young man to her, she finally sheathed her sword after sighing deeply. Whoever this man was, the pinkette was truly grateful to. Whether he did it intentionally or not, he saved her from being mangled and butchered, along with the concubine who she had met on that faithful night in the palace.
The woman ran over to Sakura giving her a look over to see if she was okay. "Are you alright, Sakura-hime? My, my... What are you doing roaming around so far from the compound at this hour? It's unusual to have guests at this time... Oh no! You have a cut on your arm! We'll have to have someone look at that..."
"N-No, that's alright. Thank you for your concern... I was just walking to clear my head and was tired of only seeing inside the compound wall, so I ventured out a bit... Unfortunately I got lost and couldn't find anyone, until this person showed up." Looking over, she could see the woman talking to the armored man, but couldn't make out what they were saying.
The concubine smiled, sympathy written all over her face. Her dark eyes trailed over her scantily clad form, mirth and amusement dancing in them. "You must have been in some hurry, you're definitely not dressed to be out in this weather. You cannot possibly return to the compound like that or you will catch death before you even arrive at the gates."
Biting her lip, the woman seemed to be thinking about something. "Hm... Actually, Sakura-hime, if you're not busy...would you like to accompany me to a small gathering that Sei-sama is having out in the courtyard? I did not get the chance to speak with you after the festival last time and I would love if you came along with me. Honestly, I feel a bit out of place there and I'd feel much better having another female like you join us. I can give you a change of clothing beforehand...?"
Sakura's eyes widened at her request. After all, she came out here to clear her head after finding out that...Riboku...slept with another woman.
"... I'd love to." There was nothing left to do, nothing left to lose. It was all already gone. The concubine smiled, wrapping her arm around the pinkette's as she led her away from the scene. Before turning, she noticed the man in blue and the person who attacked her just minutes ago, staring intently as she started walking away.
Sakura had no clue what this was all about or what was going to happen, but all she did know was that it was a hundred times better than sitting at the compound crying over the betrayal of the man she loved and the people she considered to be like family.
Futei hummed a tune as he walked down the corridors of the manor, carefree as ever. Despite the little hiccup he had with Kaine a few hours ago, they made up...many times. Ever since that incident happened in Qi, he couldn't help feeling used by the woman. After all, he'd been pining after her for years and she only gave him the time of day during her lowest hour.
Kaine had tried seducing and pushing herself onto their lord and betrayed his betrothed and the princess of our homeland, Sakura-hime. She knew that Riboku-sama was in love with the pinkette and he could understand why. The princess was as beautiful on the outside as she was the inside and treated them all with the kindness and humility that most would not expect from someone of her station.
Since returning from that turbulent campaign, Futei had been spending more time with the female commander. It wasn't enough just having a sexual relationship. No, he wanted the whole package. It was tiresome being alone for so long and just having a "fling" would not do it... He loved Kaine for a long time, now he had to show the veteran beauty that he was serious about them being together.
Riboku-sama had asked him earlier to comet o his study to discuss some things. Honestly, while the masked commander would do just about anything for him, he wanted to get this over with so he could meet up with Kaine again. She was always on his mind. Her voice, face, the images of them taking each other, the things she does... The dark haired woman had him curled around her little fingers and probably didn't even realize it.
Turning down the corridor towards his lords study, his eyes widened seeing Riboku-sama leaning up against a wall, and as pale as a fishes underbelly.
"Riboku-sama! What the hell happened?! Are you okay?" Rushing towards his lord, he could see sweat dripping down his face and neck. The top of his robe seemed to be soaked with it as well. 'What the hell...?!'
The general looked up at his masked lieutenant who was trying to question him. After practically dragging himself all the way here, his patience was at an all time low, especially after what he just went through with Sakura.
Grabbing Futei by his robe, he pushed him up against the wall, gripping him up. "What the fuck did you two idiots tell Sakura! Huh?!" Screaming in his face, the commander's face turned just as pale as his own as his eyes widened in fear. All the blond knew was that Futei and Kaine mentioned what happened in Qi, Sakura found out and must believe he cheated, they got into an altercation, and she ran off. He had no idea where his beloved was at this moment. Was she safe? Could she be hurt?
"Riboku-sama!? What are you doing?" Kaine ran down the hall towards them, shock etched all over her face. Perfect, just the other person he wanted to see.
Dropping Futei on the floor, he turned towards the woman with a scowl on his face. "Kaine, the two of you have some explaining to do. Right. Now. Somehow Sakura heard about what happened in Qi and now she's gone. Thanks to both of you, I have no idea where she is!"
Kaine took a step back as he roared just inches away from her. This was a side of her lord she wasn't use to, not that he cared. Both commanders looked to each other for an answer, not knowing what to say to the enraged general.
"Stop looking at each other and spit it the hell out! I'm running out of patience and fast. If I were you, I'd start talking." Riboku glared from one to the other, though he still felt shaky from what happened in the room.
"I-I'm so sorry, Riboku-sama... Things just happened so quickly. Hime-sama and I were training together as usual, then I took her to the spring. I knew it was your personal spring and we had no right to be in there, it was all my idea. Then Futei walked in on us and I chased him out. One thing led to another and...we ended up messing around in one of the guest rooms... But that's the only time what happened was mentioned and we thought it was only the two of us. That's the only time the princess could have heard anything and we had no idea the she was around."
Riboku folded his arms trying to take in what Kaine was saying as she quickly spit out her words, trying not to jumble them up. "So neither of you told her? She must have over heard then... Sakura also mentioned that a guard, Kon, had told her about it as well. He was patrolling with another man at the palace and both disappeared after their shift was over. I still haven't gotten any reports of their whereabouts..."
Futei shook off his fear of the general, seeing as he was beginning to calm down. "During my talk with Kaine earlier, we hadn't gone into much detail. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I made a comment about her being on her knees for you. I meant about her apologizing, but if someone was eavesdropping then I can see where they got it all mixed up."
"You fucking fool! It was your big mouth that cause all of this trouble. If it was just a guard who told her that, Sakura would have been less likely to believe any of it. Hearing comments like that from the two of you only would have only confirmed it for her. I didn't know what was said... I assumed only the fighting was mentioned, otherwise I would have handled our argument differently. Now she's run off and I sent guards to look throughout the compound for her."
"Forgive me, Riboku-sama. If I knew this was going to happen, I never would have opened my mouth... But for a guard to go out of his way to do such a thing to his own lord is very questionable. What motive would he even have? Where would he even go after betraying you? He'd have almost no where to run." The make commander tapped his finger against his chin in deep thought.
"Riboku-sama...please allow us to aid in the search for Hime-sama... We owe her that. I-I know that she will hate me for this and probably wont have anything to do with me after this. I shouldn't have gotten so close to her these last few weeks, yet I don't regret doing it. I will always hate myself for betraying her... She even told me before that she thought of me like a big sister..." The woman's green eyes welled up with tears, wishing she had the ability to go back in time and erase the mistakes of the past. "There's nothing I can do about it now, but try to make up for it. Even then, I don't think it's possible."
The general sigh, thinking it would be better for the pinkette not to see Kaine at all for the time being, but he needed all the help to find her. That was most important right now. They could deal with what happened in Qi later, because the princesses safety comes first. Not knowing where she was or if something could have happened was tearing him apart. It was agonizing.
Despite their fight, he loved her more than anything and refused to let something happened to his beloved over an incident that never should have happened that others had forced him into by their selfish actions. It was the truth of the matter. Kaine had cause all of this to happen because she let her personal feelings get the best of her knowing that he did not want to be involved with her.
The dark-haired woman had tried to be a home wrecker and become his mistress despite the fact that Sakura was his betrothed and knew how he felt. Yet part of the blame was also on himself for not coming clean to the princess and trying to cover the whole fiasco up. He thought it would be the best for everyone, including Sakura. The pinkette had grown quite fond of the female commander and began to look up to her as a role model in a sense, something important for a woman pushed into a "man's world" as they say. It wasn't easy being female in a military environment with only men around. Riboku thought it would do good for her to have another woman to speak to and be friends with, which had been the case until a few hours ago.
Futei put his hand on Kaine's should and pulled her into his chest, letting her cry it out. "Kaine is right that you will need our help looking for her. With all of our efforts combined, we have a better chance of findin' her... By the way, Riboku-sama... What happened to you? You look so pale. And not to make you angry, but how was Sakura-hime able to get away from you. I don't think she's strong or fast enough to get outta here by herself..."
Kaine smacked the masked commander hard on the chest. "You don't know shit about that. She's a lot stronger than you think and faster than you can imagine. Given enough time, she may even be able to surpass you. Do not estimate her. As the person who's been training her for these last few week, I know better than anybody of what that woman is capable for!"
"Calm your shit, Kaine! Don't get your panties in a bunch..." Futei folded his arms, irritated by the way she jumped down his throat. He wasn't trying to insult the pinkette, but there was no way. In hell that she was faster or stronger than their lord...just no way.
"Even I don't understand exactly what happened to be honest." Both commanders looked at him in puzzlement. "I came into the room and could tell she was upset about something. After she confronted me with what she heard and tried to leave, I wouldn't let her. This whole situation was getting out of hand far too fast. One thing led to another and she ran off after smacking me."
Futei raised his eyebrow after hearing what his lord just said. "All she did was smack you and you couldn't stop her?"
"Futei!" The female commander never like it when anyone questioned or talked back to their lord.
"Technically he's right, Kaine. I'm ashamed to say that, but it wasn't like she smacked me that hard. Honestly, I know she could have put more force into it." The blond reached up feeling the spot where the pinkette had smacked him, lost in thought. As he looked up, he knew the two were waiting for an explanation from their confused and worries expressions. "This may sound weird, but it felt like there was more to it then that."
Futei tilted his head to the side, questioning his word. "Riboku-sama, I understand that's it's probably embarrassing getting smacked around by a woman, but Kaine's done the same thing to me. It's nothing to be ashamed of or make excuses for. Sometimes it just happens, ya knowing?" The masked man held his hands out as he explained, feeling like an expert on this subject since he had always been of the receiving end of the dark-haired woman's abuse.
Kaine on the other hand, didn't seem as convinced. Ignoring Futei's comments, she had questions of her own. After talking to that Shiyuu, something had been bothering her. "You said Sakura-hime hadn't hit you that hard, yet there felt like there was more to it. I know that you're a strong man, Riboku-sama, and the princess is no where near the point where she should be able to cause you serous harm... Could you explain what you meant?"
"Well...after she smacked me, I tried to go after her, but I started feeling lightheaded. It's hard to explain... I've been hit plenty of times before, yet this was nothing like it. The room started spinning rapidly and I couldn't even stand up straight without almost vomiting. It...it felt like something was passing through me...in waves. I've never felt anything like that before and couldn't even control my own body. The only thing I could do was sit on the floor until it passed." Just thinking about it was making the generals stomach turn. He couldn't understand why that happened from a simple smack. Much worse things have happened to his body and nothing like that had ever happened before.
The female commander thought about what the lieutenant of the Hi Shin Unit had said back in Qi and wondered if there had been any truth to it. "Riboku-sama... Do you remember how I was trying to replicate that ointment Sakura-hime made for some time?" The general nodded his head wondering why she brought that up now of all times.
"When we were in Qi, I noticed Ten had a small would and used the ointment on it. The Hi Shin Unit's lieutenant, Kyoukai, questioned me about what it was. When I mentioned that I was trying to replicate it, she said that it wouldn't work because the ointment had been infused with chi. To be honest, I thought such a things was ridiculous... She said that whoever made it was a manipulator of chi and it was throughout it. Also that being a Shiyuu made it was possible for her to tell and that maybe Sakura-hime was doing it subconsciously, but that it would be surprising because it takes years of practice and concentration to do it. I just dismissed her words, since it just seemed so...unrealistic."
Riboku stared at the female commander, letting her words sink in as the dots in his head started connecting and linking to one another. It made sense... If the Shiyuu was able to feel it, then there was no reason to doubt it.
"I wish you would have told me about this before. It would have been helpful. Anything you hear outside this manor that has anything to do with the princess should be reported to me, okay?" Chi...that hadn't been something he considered. He had just presumed she was highly skilled in the art of healing, which was still true. Yet the fact that his betrothed was able to wield chi had stepped it up a few notches, perhaps a few dozen.
Being able to utilize such a thing was considered to make a person something beyond human. Just like Houken the Bushin... His strength was out if this world. He had broken through so many formations of men in the past, all by himself at that. He famously smashed through the defenses of Qin Great General Kou. That "man" cut his way through the 100,000 soldiers around the female generals tent in order to slaughter her.
"It all makes sense when you put everything together. The way she healed so fast...the way her ointments and medicines work faster than any other I've ever seen... Her mother must have been of the same nature. King Tou Jou feared her and insisted that she must die or he couldn't obtain Sakura. Perhaps he knew she was able to utilize chi and knew if he took Sakura, her mother was too great of a threat and needed to be dealt with, in his eyes."
Kaine gasped, shocked at the revelation. "W-Wait a second... I thought her mother passed away from an illness!? That's what everyone said, I've never heard anything about her being killed off."
The blond closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. This was something he kept to himself for many reasons. "Of course you didn't, only very few people in the top know about it. The king had Tsunade-dono assassinated in her grief after they had taken her daughter from her." He didn't want to tell Sakura the truth. She had already accepted that her mother had passed on due to sickness and didn't want to open old wounds.
There seemed to be quite a bit of things they were hiding from each other and Riboku didn't like it, not one bit. How can they start a life and family together when both of them were with holding secrets? Would they be able to trust each other if things keep going this way? This was no way to begin their marriage.
'After we resolve this "issue" regarding what happened in Qi, I wants to sit down and both of us get everything off of our chests... No more secrets, no more hiding.'
"Sakura-hime, there's no need to be so embarrassed. We're all women here. We do this all the time." The concubine tugged the paper-thin robe out of her hands leaving her bare to their curious eyes. Quickly she covered her breasts out of embarrassment.
"Hehehe you're so cute! You were right about her Sui-chan." Another concubine with dark hair that was put up into a circular hairpiece on each side of her head laughed. "Right, Kou-chan?"
"Y-Yeah..." Kou was been the concubine Sakura had met on the path leading to the palace before. She seemed more humble and was the quieter one out of the group.
The one she had just met with the circular hair was You. Apparently she was longtime friends with Kou and was another concubine of King Sei's, yet from the conversation she overheard, there was no sexual relations between the two.
You handed the pinkette an expensive looking blue robe that looked similar to the ones she uses in performances. Tonight they were having a small gathering at the palace in one of the courtyards. It was more closed in than most so it wouldn't be as cold. Sui, the concubine she didn't know the name of until now, had invited her and she accepted. They were to be celebrating a units return that was close to the king himself.
"That's odd... There's no cut on your arm. The cloth was definitely slit open and there was blood, yet there isn't a wound. How strange..." Sui pointed out as she gave the pinkette a look over.
Looking down at her arm, Sakura noticed noticed she was right. There was no wound. Shrugging it off, there was no point in worrying over spilt milk. After all. She wasn't going to complain about not having a wound.
Sakura quickly covered herself and then put the new robe on. It was a bit thicker to keep her warm outside. Sui had said there would be tons of alcohol so that would warm her up even more if necessary. The men who were the center of the celebration were in Sui's words, "a wild bunch who part like animals and drink like fishes". Honestly, the pinkette felt as if she too would be very out of place at this small event. She barely knew these women and didn't know the unit who was coming at all.
'What the hell am I doing here? Perhaps I should just go back to the manor...'
Thinking about facing Riboku after all that happened made her stomach turn. Maybe it would be better to stay here after all. It wouldn't hurt to make a few friends, no? Already she felt a sense of camaraderie with these three women. They were humble for the most part and funny.
Despite the lavish clothing and appearances, they just seemed to be average girls trying to find their place in a competitive and bloodthirsty world of the king's royal harem. From what they told her, it reminded the princess a lot of how the palace was in Kantan living with all the other princesses who were always at each other's throats.
Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad night after all...
It was chilly outside, but thanks to the new clothes, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. When Sakura walked out to the courtyard, she stumbled in shock at how many people were present.
'Small gathering my ass! What the hell is this?!'
Seeing the pinkette's bewildered expression, You hung back as the other continued into the crowded area. "The look on your face is priceless fufu."
Trying to shake it off, the princess scratched the back of her head with a nervous laugh. "Y-Yeah, well when Sui-chan said it was a small gathering in one of the smaller courtyards, this was not what I had in mind. There's nothing small about this at all!"
Covering her mouth with the sleeve of her robe, the concubine giggled at the princesses reaction. "I can see why you're so shocked, but Sui-chan wasn't exactly wrong. This is one of the smaller courtyard, but this unit is a bit big... The Hi Shin Unit is what they're called. It's actually comprised of a 5,000 man and a 3,000 man unit that make up a whole. The commander is Shin-kun, the man in the blue armor from earlier and the other, smaller unit belongs to his lieutenant, Kyoukai... She the new friend you made out on the path."
Sakura sweat dropped as the brunette giggled again, not exactly amused with her wording. Just knowing that the would-be assassin was lurking about here was unnerving in itself and the fact that she had 3,000 men at her command...sent a shiver down her spine.
"Well, I'm going to join Kou-chan up on the balcony with Sei-sama. You're welcome to come up if you like. There's tons of food and liquor down here though." Leaning close, she whispered in her ear, not wanting anyone to hear her. "Not to mention literally thousands of men who haven't been able to get much action for months, if you know what I mean." With a wink, she turned and bounded off towards a large set of steps that led to a balcony that oversaw the whole affair. She could easily make out the king as he sat perched on what resembled the throne in the royal hall. There were guards and retainers surrounding him, along with the concubines who came along.
Looking around, Sakura realized she was completely surrounded by men who spent their lives on the battlefield. There were literally thousands of people all around the courtyard doing various things. There were multiple bonfires to keep everyone warm, while others were roasting whole boars and other various large animals above them. Large jugs filled to the top with liquor were everywhere. There were people talking and laughing, others were stuffing their faces. Some were drunk singing tunes that didn't make sense, while some danced around the bonfire.
The pinkette walked around, feeling completely out of place among these people. Even if she were to go up to the balcony, it would be the same case. 'Maybe I should just leave?...'
"Oi!" A male voice that sounded familiar yelled. Looking around, Sakura berated herself realizing there was no way someone would have been calling out to her. After all, she didn't even know anyone here.
"You with the pink hair! I'm talkin' to you!" Whirling around, she saw the source of the voice. 'That's the man from earlier! What the heck does he want?' The man with dark hair and blue armor walked towards her carrying a jug of liquor with him.
Seeing the way he strode towards her, Sakura felt nervous and a intimidated. Taking a few steps back, she thought maybe it would be best to hightail it out of there. It only took a few seconds before he was standing right before her, and the pinkette lamented the fact that her legs didn't move they way she commanded them too.
"What's the matter? Ya scared or somethin'?" Leaning towards her, the man put a hand on his hip and raised an eyebrow.
Realizing how stupid her face must have looked at that moment, Sakura quickly shook it off, trying to grasp at the last straws of confidence she had left. "What? Of course not! And I have a name you know..."
He grinned, scratching the back of his head. "Heh, sorry about that, but I didn't know it and you looked like you were about to run off for a moment there. I wanted to get yer' attention before you left. As you probably already knew, I'm the commander of the Hi Shin Unit here, Shin." The man pushed out his chest, pointing to himself with a proud expression on his face.
'What a ham...'
"Sorry, but I've never heard of you." Shin looked like he had been shocked as he stilled and a sweat drop ran down the side of his face.
To be honest, it was a lie. The pinkette had heard of him and his unit but she wanted to take him down a notch.
"Hahaha! Shin, you dumbass! Quit trying to look cool in front of the ladies!" A smaller man compared to the others put his arm around the commanders shoulders, laughing his ass off and clearly wasted. He didn't have the toned body Shin had and was quite goofy looking, especially with his buck teeth that seemed to be his most distinguishing feature.
Walking up to the princess, he reached down and took both of her small hands into his, with a flushed face. "Sorry about this one here, he's always tryin' to show off. I'm Bihei, I grew up in the same village as Shin. He was a dumbass back then too... What's you're name? You're so pretty..."
"It's Sakura..." The pinkette noticed a vein popping out on the commander's forehead as he clenched his fist towards the other man.
"Oi, you buck toothed bastard! Get the hell out of here!" Shin punched Bihei in the head, making him stumble as he grabbed the growing lump where he was hit .
"I'm sorry about those two... They're always like this." A young woman with short brown hair walked up next to her. She was dressed in a tan and brown outfit that looked similar to those worn by mountain folk with a costume owl head attached to the back with a cape. Folding her arms, she looked up at the pinkette with a smile. "They just act like kids sometimes, so just ignore them... I'm Ten, the strategist for the Hi Shin Unit. Nice to meet you."
"Um, nice to meet you too..." She reached a hand out to shake, which Sakura accepted. It was so unusual to see women in the military, yet there was at least two in this unit... How strange.
'And I thought Kaine was one oft the he only ones...' Thinking about the female commander made her scowl, remembering that she hated her... That traitorous whore.
"Alright, enough you guys. I came over here for a reason and all of you are gettin' in the way!" Shin pushed Bihei aside, making him fall on his ass and walked away.
A younger man tried helping him. "Come on, Bihei-san. You'll get trampled if you lay here like that!"
"Kou, don't start worryin' about that moron..." The commander waved him off without giving the man on the ground a second glance.
'That guy has the same name as that concubine...and looks so young! He looks even younger than me!'
Standing in front of the pinkette again, Hi Shin Unit's leader brushed some dirt off of his shoulder before looking down at her. Shifting uncomfortably, Sakura wished she would have headed up to the balcony with You when she had the chance.
"Anyway... I came over here to apologize about my lieutenant, Kyoukai. For tryna'...kill you and all..." As he looked away from her, the princess raised an eyebrow at his awkwardness. Maybe the buck toothed guy was right about him being a dumbass.
"Shin! What the hell kind of apology is that?!" Ten smacked the back on his head with a dumbfounded look on her young face.
"Shaddap! It's not like I'm good at things like this! Look, I talked to her and she said she wasn't tryna' kill you." Folding his arms, he squinted like he was trying to remember something. "She said somethin' about never meeting another woman with chi who wasn't a Shiyuu...or something along those lines."
"I don't know what you're talking about, but it's over and done with. Just tell her not to do it again. That really gave me a scare." The pinkette didn't know what else to say to him. She didn't know any of these people, yet was smack dab in the middle of their celebration.
"Haha. Yeah, Kyoukai sure can be scary, especially when her swords out. I'm surprised you're still standing... She said you were able to evade her swing. That's not somethin' many can say with all their limbs still intact..." Sakura visibly gulped, making Shin and Ten chuckle, understanding what it's like to be at the opposite end of the Shiyuu's blade. "The plain palace girl and You told me your a friend of theirs. Any friend of Sei's family is a friend of mine. Here, I grabbed a jug as a peace offering. After all, this is a party to celebrate our unit coming back, there's no room for harsh feelings. Come on, join in on the fun."
"I-I don't know... To be honest, I really shouldn't even be here..." It was the truth. Her home life was now in shambles, just like her relationship with Riboku. Would it really be okay to drink and party with these strangers?
"I can see your point since we just met, but I can tell you're a good person. Kou and Sei have given you the stamp of approval, so that's all you need. It would be nice to be able to talk with another woman too. Everyone here might look mean and rough, but they're actually pretty good people. There's nothing wrong with getting to know new people, so let's have a good time. It's the first time in a while since we've been at the palace." Ten smiled, pointing towards one of the bonfires the others were sitting around.
"Well said, Ten. Okay, then that settles it. You're coming with us!" Shin smiled, gripping Sakura's wrist and dragging her off with him to join the others. The pinkette's eyes widened and the heat rose to her cheeks as the commander whisked her away.
Riboku felt like tearing his hair out as he searched all over the compound for his betrothed. It was driving him insane not knowing where the pinkette was. Was she hurt? Lost? Did she try running away for good? So many different scenarios ran through his mind, making him panic more every minute her whereabouts were unknown.
The thought of losing his beloved over some petty drama was unbearable... If something tragic happened to the princess or he lost her for good, he would forever blame himself and hold Kaine and Futei accountable as well.
It was like there was a huge hole in the strategist's heart. With Sakura gone, it felt like there was a part of him missing... His other half. She had easily become his life, everything he did was with her in mind. Riboku couldn't imagine what he would do if she didn't come back...
"Riboku-sama!" Turning around towards his retainers voice, he felt hope spark within him seeing the man's elated expression. "I've received word of where Hime-sama is. An informant claims that she is within the royal palace with a few concubines. Apparently there is a celebration taking place there and that is the place she was last seen."
The general felt so relieved hearing that she was at least spotted and hopefully safe. A breath he didn't realize he was holding in was slowly let out as the blond tried to calm himself down.
'Thank you, Kami-sama for keeping her safe.'
"Good work, you have my thanks. Please summon Kaine and Futei right away." The man bowed before running off to do as his lord ordered.
Now all that was left was to go to the royal palace and retrieve what was his.
Sakura laughed hard enough to bring tears to her eyes as Ten recalled some old stories of living with Shin in his hut back when he was just starting off in the military, long before him and his units name spread far across the lands in China. Taking another swig from the jug the commander handed to her, she could feel her face heating up as well as her body from the strong liquor. The cold was having no effect at this point.
Thinking to herself, the pinkette mused how she had been drinking a lot more recently than she had her whole life. Perhaps it was due to the weather, or maybe the celebrations that had been taking place the last few months? Oh well, it's not like it mattered right now. Why? Because she felt good.
Sitting around the bonfire with these people had been more fun than she had initially thought. They were funny and told great stories. Some were of their days growing up, others were about adventures, and some were about battles and places they had been. The one who seemed to enjoy it the most was Shin.
As she sat next to the commander, he took to telling her his own stories in an excited manner, even bringing others in to corroborate or act out the part with him. Sakura couldn't help laughing at the way he brought others into it, which sometimes ended up in a fight depending on how he put them into their tale. There was a child-like excitement as he talked about his dreams of becoming the greatest general under the heavens. His eyes were so full life and determination as he spoke of it, that Sakura felt someone like him probably could make it come true.
"I'm telling ya... I'm gonna work my way to the top. It's been my dream since I was younger. My best friend was a guy named Hyou and we use to practice everyday in order to follow that path. We were both slaves, so bein' something like a general was unheard of. But look at me now. I'm just one step from becoming a general..."
Shin was wasted for the most part. He was slurring his words and his face was flushed, but that didn't stop him from rambling and leaning against the pinkette. Sakura was well over her limit, yet what the commander drank was something beyond her. He kept going and going. It was nice though... From what she could tell, he was a good man who took care of his unit and treated them as if they were family, something that left her with a sense of longing. Those who she believed were her family had stabbed her in the back.
"So what about you? What's your dream?" Snapping back to reality and out of her thoughts by his voice, she turned towards him and jumped back, not realizing how close to her face he was.
"Eh...uh... I don't really have one..." It was the truth, yet she hadn't taken the time to think about what she really wanted out of life or wanted to be. She had just resigned herself to marrying Riboku and raising children with him, since that was expected of her.
"What? C'mon! Everyone has something they wanna do or some sort of dream... What are you good at or like doing?" Sakura normally would have felt uncomfortable with how close he was and how much he was prying, but the alcohol relaxed her enough and with everything that happened throughout the night, she just couldn't find it in herself to care anymore.
'Don't think about Riboku... Don't think about Riboku...'
"No, not really-"
"Actually, she's a very good dancer!" Sakura whipped around in her seat to see Sui and You standing there, grinning. "Getting quite comfy there you two, huh?"
Sakura frowned at the implication, but didn't get a chance to clear her name as You grabbed ahold of her hand and tried pulling her up. "Sui-chan says you're a great dancer, let's have some fun!" The pinkette could smell the liquor coming off the young concubine, yet had no room to complain as she was drunk herself.
"No! Not here." She didn't really want to dance. The last time she had was at that damned winter solstice festival and after that, she told herself no more.
"If you go, I'll go... I've never danced in front of people like this, but it wouldn't be as bad if the two of you do it with me." Ten stood up, trying to steady herself the best she could.
With a sigh, the princess relented... After all this time, she still had a hard time saying no to people... "Fine, but not too long." Taking a large swing, she got up on her feet and started to sway as she lost her balance. Two arms caught the pinkette around the waist before she made a fool of herself.
"Kuku, you okay there?" The princess blushed as Shin helped her stand straight, embarrassed by her own blunder.
"Yeah, thanks you. I guess I had a bit more to drink than I should have, haha."
The commander sat back down, a grin plastered onto his face. "It's nothing, don't worry about it. I get wasted and end up sleeping in other people's tents all the time. Right, Ten?"
The strategists face turned red as she called him an idiot, before walking off and motioning her and You to join her.
'I hope I don't make a fool out of myself.''
Walking to an open space, the three of them started dancing to the beat of the drums that were being played by the mountains folk members of the unit. They each danced differently having different experiences when it comes to that.
They weren't the only ones either. A group of large men were dancing around one of the fires naked and shaking their butts back and forth, until Shin yelled at them. "You damn Kakubi guys again?! Gets some clothes on for crying out loud!"
Sakura started dancing in the new robe the concubines had given to her. It billowy in all the right places as she sashayed and spun. She twirled the long sleeves around and let the beat take over like it use to so long ago. For the first time in a long time, she danced freely. No inhibitions, no men paying her father to watch, no expectations, no restrictions, no nothing. It was empowering and made the pinkette feel alive, something that had been lacking in her life and missed badly.
'This feels amazing.'
Shin watched as the three women danced to their heart content. It was unusual to see Ten so eager to do something that would seem a bit out of character, but maybe the alcohol was giving her the opportunity to let loose a little. After all, she's always cooped working on plans and the units next moves that she doesn't really get to relax and enjoy herself. It was nice to see her finally having fun.
His eyes roamed over the other two women. They were both quite the lookers, that's for sure. More than he'd admit, he found himself staring at the pinkette. Despite that he'd just met her, he felt like he knew her already just from talking the last two hours together. She was easy to talk to and friendly. Not only that, but he'd never seen someone with such a crazy hair color. It made the woman stick out like a sore thumb, but made it easy to find her among the others.
Seeing her dance had immediately caught his attention. The way she moved was something you didn't see everyday. Despite the amount of alcohol she consumed, it was shocking that she would be able to move with such grace. The only other one he'd seen move like that was Kyoukai during her priestess dance.
"See something you like?" Looking up, the commander noticed one of the king's concubines standing right next to him. It was Sui-chan, mother of the crown prince. With a 'hmph', he looked away, not letting her tease him like she usually does in the palace.
"Oh, come on don't be like that. I see you eyeing up Sakura-hime like that..." She looked away, playing coy as Shin realized what she said.
"-hime?!" He was surprised, yet now that he thought about it, made sense. After all he couldn't imagine someone like her living in a village or as a concubine.
'Hmm... Sakura-hime...'
It had taken sometime, but Riboku finally got access into the courtyard where the Hi Shin Unit was holding their celebration with the king. The unit wasn't suppose to return for some time, so he was fairly surprised when he found out the king had pulled some strings for them without informing him.
Kaine and Futei had come along to help, so they hopefully grab the pinkette and get out of there. There was lots of ground to cover and over 8,000 people to maneuver around.
Going from bonfire to bonfire, his green eyes widened as he finally found her...and he felt as if his heart stopped. Sakura was sitting by one of the bonfires next to the commander of the Hi Shin Unit, Shin, who had his arm around her.
Anger coursed through his veins as it look every logical thought inside of him to stop himself from up sheathing his sword and cutting the bastards arm off. Freezing on the spot, he couldn't make his limbs move from the spot as he saw the two talking a laughing as if...as if they were a couple or something. How could she?... Didn't she know how much he loved her?
No...she was under the impression that he had sex with Kaine behind her back in Qi. Perhaps this was why she was doing this. Even if that was the case, it didn't make it hurt any less seeing her having a good time with another man.
An emotion he hoped he wouldn't feel while he was with her, gripped his entire being. Jealousy. The general couldn't help the feeling jealousy watching them together. It should have been his arm around her. It should have been him who was making her giggle like that. Rage welled up inside his chest as he stomped over towards the two, who had no idea the general had shown up.
"Riboku-sama?" Looking next to him, Kaine jumped seeing the scowl on his face. He looked down right mean and he knew it. "W-What's wrong?" Following his line of sight, the female commander covered her mouth as she gasped, shocked at the scene in front of them. "I'm sorry milord..."
Turning around, she waved towards the masked commander, who was across at a different bonfire. Luckily they hadn't separated too far before finding the pinkette. The woman's lover started running over as soon as he saw the signal.
Running up alongside the dark-haired woman, she pointed in the direction their lord was looking and as soon as he spotted the princess, he almost fell over at the the sight before them. They were all shocked seeing her with Shin. It was completely unexpected...
Finding no reason to hesitate any longer, Riboku stormed towards the unsuspecting couple, unable to stand it any longer. His commanders followed closely, not knowing what exactly he was about to do.
Walking up beside the two, the blond had to hold back the urge to punch the commander off of his betrothed and pummel him to death.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" The pinkette jumped, recognizing the voice immediately.
"Riboku...what are you doing here?" The way she tried to say so casually infuriated him even more.
"To get you and bring you home. All of this was just a huge misunderstanding..." That all he wanted, he just wanted to take his woman home and fix everything.
"Riboku!? What the hell do you think you're doing here bastard?!" Shin jumped up out of his seat, instantly reaching for the hilt of his sword.
Not even sparing the commander a glance, Riboku answered sternly with a finality that made the former slave even more agitated than his presence alone did. "I've come to take back what belongs to me. Let's go, Sakura...now."
Shin looked from Sakura to Riboku, his dark eyes narrowing at the latter. "Oi, Riboku... Who the hell do you think you're talkin' to like that? Don't act like she's your property, she's a human being, not a horse or a cart."
It didn't take Riboku more than a second to realize how Shin misunderstood what he meant by saying that Sakura belongs to him. After all, the younger man had been a slave growing up. "Mind your own business Shin, and learn your place. I know she is not property, but that doesn't mean she doesn't belong to me, because she does. So keep your filthy hands off her if you know what's good for you..." The venom was clear in the generals voice, just as much as the anger and jealousy.
"You bastard...!" Unsheathing his sword, Shin took his fighting stance ready to clash with the other man. The other members of the unit saw what was going on and started circling around the small Zhao group.
Riboku reached for his sword, preparing for the inevitable fight that was bound to happen. After all, the two of them had bad blood between them for years.
"Enough!" They all looked towards to the pinkette, who hollered at two warrior, stopping them before it got ugly. Turning towards the young commander, she smiled softly, trying to get him to put his sword away so there wouldn't be any fighting. "Shin, I had a great time tonight with you and the rest of your unit. I hope I get to see you guys again. Riboku is right about me being with him. I'm his betrothed." Shin's eyes widened at that, the information taking him completely.
"I'm going to return home with them, so there is no fighting... Thank you for everything. It was a lot of fun..." With a smile towards Shin that made Riboku's scowl deepen, she turned away from the disappointed group and headed towards the exit with the general and his commanders in tow.
Sakura was stumbled along the path towards the manor as they walked over the ice, still drunk. Almost slipping Riboku had Futei throw the pinkette over his shoulder as he led the way back home. It was clear as day he was livid about what happened with Shin.
"Put me down, I don't want your help. I don't want any of your help!" She yelled and kicked, making it difficult for the commander to carry her.
"Please calm down, Hime-sama. We'll return home sooner that way." Futei didn't want to struggle with her, but orders were orders.
"I don't want help from any of you! You all betrayed me, every single one of you." The pain in the drunk woman's voice was apparent to all three of them making them all cringe.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about Sakura. I would have preferred doing this in private, but I don't think you'll give me that chance to clear this up. I didn't have sex with Kaine. There was a big misunderstanding with what I believe you knew."
"Oh, sure.. I'm gonna believe that, you lying bastard! I ha-"
"No. He's telling the truth, Hime-sama. This is all my fault, Riboku-sama had nothing to do with it." Sakura looked up at her along with the other two, surprised that she was being so forward after all that happened.
"We were in a city right outside the capital of Qi... Riboku-sama was alone in his tent after being wounded, so I paid him a visit with some of the ointment you gave me. As most people who know me very well are aware of, I've cared for our lord for a very long time... I-I tried to seduce him when he allowed me into his tent to tend to his wound... Without missing a beat, he yelled at me and Futei came in. Nothing had happened and I fled embarrassed at my actions. The next day, I went back to his tent to beg for forgiveness, that is what Futei meant about me on my knees, because I was putting my forehead to the floor, not from something else. Riboku-sama is innocent. He not only scolded me, but expressed his feelings and dedication towards you."
Sakura stopped struggling on the commanders shoulders as she took everything in. They were closer to the manor than she had realized...
"Riboku, Futei...is this true? Are you lying to me?" Her voice was quiet, a big change to the yelling she was doing just minutes ago.
"Of course, Sakura. That was what I wanted you to know, but the conversation didn't go how I expected. I would never cheat on you." Something in his voice made the pinkette feel like he was really telling the truth, just as she knew Kaine wasn't lying either.
'That still means Kaine betrayed me.'
Wiggling out of Futei's grip, she walked up the the dark-haired woman, cocking her fist back and punching her straight in the face. The blow was hard enough to knock the commander off of her feet and into the snow off the path.
"Kaine!" The masked commander ran towards his lover as, he pulled her up against himself and noticed blood was trickling down her chin from her busted lip.
Sakura grinned feeling like she got payback for the drama she caused. She yipped as Riboku grabbed her by the back of her robe and threw her over his shoulder, briskly walking towards the manor without glancing back.
