Hello again. Figured as a treat I would get two chapters out so not to leave my readers hanging. Again, not a great chapter. I feel like I'm on a flat roll. The wheels are spinning and nothing interesting happening. These chapters don't tend to be very descriptive but a lot of dialog is being said. Hopefully through their words you can understand their feelings. If not, let me know. I pushed out two chapters in two days practically and will go to focus on my other book. Hope you enjoy the read. Take care!
It had been four days since Samantha had gone missing. Almost three since the famous warlord Date chased after those, whom, he thought responsible. The fight that the famous One Eyed Dragon had prepared diligently fell apart a few hours after he set the Sato woman free to deliver his message. A hail of bullets from western weapons ripped through the trees. It wasn't something he was expecting. The foliage offered some shelter from the hail of bullets but the fact they used fireworks to light up the night sky told the commander that they had planned for the worst.
Yukimura's forces were the ones that came to the rescue this time. His own fire lit arrows shot back; setting the field and surrounding trees on the other side of the battle field on fire. Despite the opposition having superior fire power, they were no use against charging horses and fresh armed men. Being caught off guard, the new Lord Higa's forces had to withdraw and fall back. That night was a terrifying night of fire and pain. The one eye dragon could still hear the men screaming in pain as flesh was lit on fire and his men were shot. It wasn't until Kojūrō touched his lord's shoulder with a firm hand and pulled him out of that moment.
A dark eye blinked rabidly as his memories faded to a blur after that. The two lords were now sipping sake and nibbling slowly on provisions offered up by the local women. During days after their confrontation, Masamune felt the weight of defeat on his shoulders. His body was numb despite the bullet that caught his shoulder. He pulled one of his men out of the line of fire and put the man behind himself to protect what was important. 'What was important', kept repeating in his mind. The agony of missing a woman he had come to realize he cared more for then initially thought, tore at the man's heart. The lump in his throat burned and the only way to soothe it was to wash it down with sake.
Sanada, Kojūrō, and Masamune sat near a cherry tree. The evening sun was casting over with oranges and red light. Its pink blossoms fell like gentle snow, gathering in their hair and shoulders. Despite the beautiful surroundings outside a village, the men sat in silence. Not a word or sound would escape their lips. All of them deep in thought. The air was thick. It would normally anger the dragon to have such an ominous aura around him but he was too deep into guilt to care. With a glint of movement the men stood withdrawing their weapons. The only one who didn't move was Date. He remained sitting with a porcelain sake cup pressed to his lips.
Kojūrō was the first to speak. "We saw you, no use hiding. Come out." His voice was deep and demanding. He too felt the effects of losing his men and touched with fear of nearly losing his lord. The man was in no mood to doddle or entertain spies. He'd rip them apart with his own hands if he had to. The squeezing sound of his leather glove over his hilt caught the One Eyed Dragon's attention. "Easy Kojūrō, they're not here to attack. I figured it'd be time they'd start feeding us evidence that Lady Yamamoto is alright. This way they can use her as bait or a puppet string." His gaze towards the new comer became very dark and threatening. The trained assassin even shivered.
A dark eye traveled over to Sanada who had his spears out and ready to defend himself. The young Cub winced at the mention of Sam's name. The Dragon scoffed. Meet her once and he turns into a boyscout. Typical, Masamune thought of Yukimura. Something about the other liking her didn't sit well with the man in black armor. His eye traveled in the direction of the person who stepped out from behind the tree like a lingering shadow.
It was easy to see it was a woman. She had attractive curves but not like Samantha, the warlord thought. Sam was much shorter and top heavy with a curve to the hip. Masamune wasn't going to deny he enjoyed watching his servant move. The short stack had his thoughts and feelings scattered across Japan, he swore. The man took another calm sip of his drink while his comrades remained on edge.
"I'm sorry to intrude my lords", the tall woman in a black uniform spoke as she knelt on one knee as custom dictated. "I offer a letter from Samantha Yamamoto." The female, whose face was half masked, offered a neatly folded white paper with lines on it. Sam never used the parchment they had offered. It was too thin for her pen, instead she used spiral note book paper. It was small in the folded square but it also made it easier to deliver. Sanada moved forward to grab it. He took the paper into his hand with lightning speed. The loyal retainer tried to argue but the young lord was too quick. The man in red felt responsible for the other two's safety since they too had come to his aide earlier. When Yukimura had the paper, the other disappeared. Used to the presence of a ninja, he was unfazed by the quick disappearance.
Sanada turned on his heels and offered the letter to Masamune as he returned to his cushioned seat next to the field table. Kojūrō sheathed his blade and sat himself slowly to his lord's left side. Yukimura picked up a rice ball and nibbled on it while the One Eyed Dragon snatched the letter with quickness from the other lord's fingertips. His nimble fingers felt the corners of the paper before opening it slowly. He saw no traces of blood and figured he'd wouldn't but it still brought a sense of relief. The Fuma clan, responsible for taking Sam, would pay dearly. They wouldn't want that kind of heat from him and the Sanada.
Date opened the letter. The paper made a crinkling sound forcing the other two men to watch with dark visions. The letter was long and just seeing the familiar hand writing had his breath hitch. He didn't know why he was a bit nervous. Maybe because in the back of the man's mind, he didn't think it was an actual letter from her. His dark thoughts summed up that it could have been a ploy until he saw the introduction calling him an asshole. That was his Sam alright. A smirk crept upon his lips as he leaned his back against the rough bark and stretched out a leg to make himself more comfortable. His expression softened. He was happy for one brief moment. He prepared himself for the worst but she was alright or at least alive. That single thought released a lot of tension and his passion sparked once more. Sam had seemingly breathed life back into the sulking dragon. The man would have to pay her back later.
To Date Masamune and Kojūrō.
First off I'm still calling you an asshole. I haven't forgiven you for dragging me to bed and putting me in weird situations! Though I am still sorry I haven't made you a good omelet yet. With that out of the way, I think you'll know it's me and by the way say hello to Kojūrō for me and keep an eye out for Youji. Make sure he's not doing anything to get himself into trouble.
I don't like saying this but I think there is trouble brewing in all of Japan. It's the water. Many have become sick. Symptoms include discoloration of the flesh, yellow eyes, severe stomach pains, unable to keep fluids or food down for any length of time, fatigue, blood in the urine and horizontal lines on fingernails. Black spots or warts will develop on hands, feet and sometimes on the face. Not to forget, fever, miscarriages, and anyone who doesn't have a strong constitution will often either become gravely ill or even die.
My suspicions, its arsenic. A heavy metal that is odorless and colorless. It contaminates water and soil if found in great quantities. Fish and wild life are nearly effected immediately in heavy arsenic areas. Please check your streams before watering horses. Dead fish and lack of birds are the first few things I noticed when I started treating people in your area. I wanted to tell you this before but never had a chance. Something was always happening and you always had to be away.
I ask you to ask Yuki-kun about Takeda. If those are part of his symptoms begin treating him with a lot of garlic boiled into water. Have him sip it nearly a small sake cup worth every half hour and double it after four hours and so on and so on. If his eyes are yellow and he's sensitive in the stomach and lower back region, use leeches every four hours for ten minutes over his kidney and liver through the back. Don't try going through he abdominal region. I know it's really gross. It's really old fashioned and later I will explain why it works. I doubt you want to hear about red blood cells, white blood cells, amino acids, lactic acids, and anticoagulants.
If this is happening in Yuki-kun's area and yours, who else? That is the question. Please, please, talk to him. Also take care of yourself. Remember a deal is a deal and it's no use making it if you can't go through with it. Take care of each other.
The information thrown at him had the lord blinking and touching his shoulder where he had been shot. The wound made him flinch as his own words echoed in his thoughts. The man shivered and let out a light chuckle. "Damn short stack, I'll get her for that." Then his mind began to try and reel in all the information thrown at him. Date couldn't keep up. He noticed the odd spacing between characters. The man also took note of her whimsical writing on certain letters but figured it was her type of hand writing. The man paid little mind to it and handed it off to the spearman.
"Kojūrō, she says hello. She also has information regarding Takeda. You might want to take a look, Sanada." Date's eye moved over to his right hand man who was still in his traditional battle attire. They all were. Fighting on the edge of another's land with heavy losses wasn't a time to really relax. The Tiger's Cub took the letter slowly and began reading it. It wasn't for a short bit when his jaw slowly dropped and he stood up like someone kicked him. He mumbled something to himself as his eyes began to slowly grow larger. The other two glanced at each other and back to Yukimura. "What is it", the Dragon's Right Eye asked while refilling his lord's cup.
"M..My lord's encryption!" The retainer looked shocked. They all did at that moment. Even the One Eyed Dragon had his lips frozen over his drink before taking another sip. "Where did she learn this", the man in red continued to ask in awe, unable to look up at his temporary comrades. "Are you sure, Lord Sanada", Kojūrō asked in a formal tone. "Yes", he bellowed out but soon calmed himself as he scratched his head. The man put the piece of paper on the table and sat himself down again.
"Lord Takeda and Lord Uesugi kept in contact because many of the smaller lords refused trade with my lord. The two wrote letters to each other. Encrypted of course with smuggled food to my lord's kingdom. The people were suffering with the lack of supplies going in. My lord took Lord's Uesugi's advice and defeated the other lords bringing back balance to the people."
The young man paused to look down at the paper once more. "My self and a few others have only learned this technique from my lord so I wonder how she knows about it. Maybe she's related to one of our own." That thought sent a shiver up Masamune's spine, let alone the surprise had him spit out his sake in shock. "I doubt that", he defended quickly as he cleaned up the mess he had made with a stray cloth he pulled off one of the rice balls. "Maybe you're right. This is a little different but I can figure it out."
Yukimura folded his hand under his sharp chin and read through the letter nearly three times before figuring it out her intensions. His dark eyes slowly rose to meet the Dragon's. "Kotaro Fuma, is what her message spells out." Sanada sounded surprised but the other two at the table were not. "So that's why she didn't put down the name of her captor", the One Eyed Dragon added. "Hmm, I don't follow Lord Date", Sanada voiced. "Because they wouldn't let me read that if she had put in any valuable information that could lead her back to them or anyone responsible. It would buy them time to keep her and hide her further if they wanted."
The Tiger Cub blinked with large eyes. "It's a horrible situation for Sam-chan." Masamune shot an alcohol induced glare. He didn't care for the nick names they had given each other. "Cleaver girl to get it passed him and let us know who was responsible for her kidnapping", the loyal retainer spoke up to catch his lord's attention. "Tch, damn Short Stack. How does one find someone who can disappear in the shadows?" A crease developed between his brows. Despite his relaxed posture, he was still clearly frustrated. His tone revealed how angry he truly was.
With a shrewd breaking of tree limbs the female from earlier, hit the ground. Her body was limp and lifeless. The three commanders were on their feet. "No need getting alarmed", a familiar voice to Yukimura spoke up. In surprise the commander blurted out the name Sasuke. The other two looked at each other and returned to their cushioned seats in a bit of annoyance. The other took a few steps forward to see an auburn haired shinobi actually hover over the dead body, rolling her on her back.
"You should be more careful my lord when speaking of encrypted letters. She stayed behind to listen to what was said." He paused to ensure she was dead by cutting deep into the flesh of her throat. "Anyone else?" "No my lord but Lord Shingen woke briefly. He ordered me to find you and insure of your safety." "That's why you're here?! Our lord is too important to leave Sasuke!" The man knelt on one knee and lowered his head. "I am merely following his orders my lord." "Either way it is good to see you", Yukimura said as if he was defeated. None of them paying much attention to the dead body at the assassin's feet.
"Forgive me my lord but I overheard the conversation. If you allow me to, I can send my men to look for this person you are looking for." "Hmph", was all that escaped the lips of Masamune. "No, I want you to find her. Here is the letter. Tell your men to move swiftly and spread the word to the local healers. I want a report to see if anyone else is becoming ill. Besides I think if she's right, then she may be able to save our lord's life." Yukimura sat on his knees with his gaze down. His fists balled over his thighs. The tick in his jaw as clear of his own frustration.
The shinobi in green and black attire appeared surprised. His lord was making an actual decision that would be deemed worthy. He was speechless for a brief moment. Sanada was putting the people first for a change. Sasuke really had to meet this woman or girl that put his lord's head in the right place. With a heavy sigh, he agreed against his better judgment. No one in their right might ever invaded Fuma territory. It was nearly suicidal.
"Alright but she's not going to immediately trust me. Who would an absolute stranger?" The man stood back on his feet and scratched his temple. "Is there something I can take with me to prove that I'm not the enemy and a short description of the woman, would be useful." Masamune smirked. The idea of Short Stack trying to beat the hell out of the famous Sarutobi was quite entertaining in his mind. "She's short, fast on her feet, smart ass mouth, and her eyes are green. Greener then the tree leaves. Her hair is dark with a slight curl at the tips. Short Stack wears odd clothing most of the time. She's one that is really out of place and if you see her, you'll know it. Just ask her what she calls me, she'll tell you."
"Sasuke", the man in red armor spoke. His voice cracked nearly at his name. "Sam-chan is important to everyone here. She's a good person. Find her and bring her back." Sarutobi blinked. He was wondering if his lord was feeling alright. He had never seen his cheeks lose their color over anyone other than his beloved lord Takeda. It couldn't be that his lord was infatuated with the woman?! The man shook his head. That would be an odd day. He would never imagine him fawning over another.
Sasuke's gaze caught the attention of the retainer in the long brown over coat. The ninja cocked his head to the side and quickly shifted to his eyes to Masamune and then back at Yukimura who were both being silent. Kojūrō just simply gave a quick nod when their visions met and filled with the feeling of displeasure, the man sighed. He rubbed the back of his head, he closed his eyes and quickly thought about how he was going to infiltrate Fuma's territory. With a right hand on his hip, he cocked his left leg against the other one. It then occurred to him and in a flash he disappeared.
Traveling through the trees, landing on every limb he would let his worries about Masamune and Sanada rest. When the time came, he knew they'd dual it out anyways but over a woman would seem petty. As others joined him, he'd inform his own clan to fall back and speak with his lord about the instructions this new healer left. If it would save Takeda, he would do anything. He cherished both men like brothers, annoying obnoxious brothers, but brothers none the less.