"I's been a while One-Eyed Dragon." Keiji whispered fallen on the main path. Saki was waiting with him, trying to ease some of his discomfort. His nodachi was broken and he had been trampled to the ground. It was not something most would endure with dignity. Keiji was holding on, almost too solemn, the man she remembered drowned by a clear layer of sorrow and regret. There was just a shadow of a smile as he greeted Oshu's leader.

Date stopped his army and the horses, dismounting, approaching. Others would have ridden on, uncaring. The men knew Keiji. Those who did not had heard about him. All seemed to feel something akin to pity towards the fallen man. Most likely it was the last thing Keiji would want them to feel.

"Hey since when do you seriously wield a sword?" The One-Eyed Dragon seemed to be the only one immune to such things, approaching and crouching next to him. Saki stood and examined the road. The Toyotomi had taken the main path which meant that the Date army could outrun them by taking a secondary path. They could beat them before reaching Odawara, in one of the fortresses that defended the path to the main castle…

"I'm always serious. Always." Keiji's answer was not unexpected to anyone who bothered to look beneath his wanderer and carefree veneer. "If you use brute strength to settle every little thing conflicts will never end. You know I think if people tried to show some empathy towards others they wouldn't want to hurt each other anymore. Don't you think people are like that One-Eyed Dragon?" Keiji asked directly. Saki glanced at both men, nodding lightly. It was a beautiful view but people were not like that and it only took one, one whose reach and poison could touch others, to destroy such an idyllic view of the world. "He just brushed past me but still... why... why do people always... why is he of all people..."

So that was what was consuming him in those five years. That was the sadness that seeped through his letters and occasional visits. But that also seemed just the tip of what he truly felt, what was truly hurting his heart.

"You didn't run. I just know that." Date stated finally, his voice encouraging but still belonging to a general, letting him know he had earned his approval. "And that guy called Toyotomi Hideyoshi seems he's just the type of guy I thought he was." To cut down, trample and ignore someone who clearly had been his friend, who still thought of him as a friend… "I don't know the relationship between you two but don't tell me thing like he used to be a nice guy." It was the past. For what Toyotomi had done there was no turning back. At least not in the perspective of the One-Eyed Dragon. "Let him rest there." He instructed the guys who had been hovering nearby, hesitating, not really knowing what to do to help. "That gentle man fought with all his might. He was knocked out but he's not a looser."

Saki smiled as he mounted, waiting before signalling the army to leave.

"Are you not going Saki?" Keiji asked in a quiet voice, so different from his boisterous energy and love of life.

"I am. Be well Keiji." Saki knelt and kissed his forehead.

"Yes." He smiled gently. "Love him so he doesn't follow Hideyoshi's path."

"His wife…" the shinobi whispered, the disconnected pieces she had finding their place.

"Yes…" Keiji whispered with sorrow, remnants of his love also clear.

"Then I agree with my Dragon. Who he used to be and who you were friend with is dead. What remains is a husk of a man and a threat to the land. He must be expunged"


The faster path was narrower, more difficult and less travelled. But for the horses of Oshu, used to the mountains and trained to be fast and agile was easy. Now they just had to hope luck was on their side. Saki left them midway through it to scout and pinpoint the location of the enemy. She did not return but they met her where the path converged, before the first fortress that marked the edges of the territory Toyotomi coveted. They had ten to twenty minutes to set a front and a defence that would challenge the march of the behemoth.


"I finally caught with you monkey Toyotomi." Date issued his challenge standing his ground, blocking the path. He had dismounted and the horses added bulk to the defence line. Even though sacrifices did not seem to matter to the Toyotomi there was no way pass that that would not deplete them to the point a siege to Odawara would be unfeasible to impossible. Toyotomi seemed to have reached the same conclusion, dismounting and advancing to meet the Dragon, his unchanging scowl deepening in anger and hatred. "How's this... the winner gets to conquer Odawara. While we sort who gets in the others can storm the castle…" Date assumed a combat stance, one blade drawn. "This One-Eyed Dragon will take it all together, Date of Oshu will conquer the country."

Words. Sometimes they held power, others were just used to shout nothings into the air in hopes the enemy got the point faster than the steel. On the other hand stating one's purpose was just the polite thing to do.

"You don't have one in a thousand chance of winning against me." Hideyoshi had not yet taken an attacking stance, glaring, observing. "Have you forgotten both your narrows escapes from death? You dare oppose me?" Now he was growing incensed, remembering the events not as a defeat for Masamune but a failure for himself. "Your skull shall serve as a warning when I rule this land." He threatened, now assuming a combat position, readying himself.

Date paused, eye narrowing. He returned the katana slowly to its sheath before tensing, dragging out all six claws. The actions had shocked and confused the opposing army. Saki took a deep breath. If he was this serious from the start there was no going back. His army knew that and waited solemnly for the start of the fight, fists clenched, hoping. Her claws twitched but she forced herself to remain loose and still. She had made no promises but there were some orders that went without saying.

"Looks like the viper finally developed some poison to match his bite. But no matter how many blade you wield your form is powerless against me." Toyotomi acknowledged the shift although it changed nothing in his view.

"Don't get me wrong. Doing this will be no «party»." Lightning built through the blades, sparking and hissing. Saki gestured towards the army, making sure they got out of the way. "And if I'm not in the mood the «party» is over." Date growled before attacking swiftly.


Fury seemed too light of a word to describe the demeanour of the Dragon's Right Eye while he dismounted swiftly and walked unflinchingly towards the enemy whose path he had cut, ready to do battle and to accept nothing less than total victory, seeking to avenge his days of helplessness and the insult he perceived, the affront his capture had placed on Masamune-sama's name and reputation. His own reputation was secondary to that.

So when the guards gained enough presence to attack, Katakura Kojuro just mauled them barehanded, dispatching a handful only through punching and kicking, lightning building and following his movements, fuelled by the frustration he had felt. The rough movements, unpolished and brutal did not stop even when he gained hold of a katana, slashing his path, cutting men down with ease as if they were not an elite, as if they had had no training whatsoever, advancing with a steady, menacing gait.

Kojuro's hair was falling away from its usually neat, slicked back placement, disarray brought by rage and combat. It could not be clearer what had been stirred into that warrior's soul.

Hanbei watched with growing shock his mistake, his folly. In his devotion to Toyotomi and haste to find a suitable replacement it seemed he had forgotten to take into account that there could exist others that displayed the same fierce loyalty towards their lords that he devoted to Toyotomi, that there were people who could not be taken out of their chosen path by the simple promise of power and position.

"I see." Hanbei admitted, steadying his horse, looking down to his adversary who had just eliminated a company of elite soldiers as if they were nothi8ng more than the peasants they had started as. "So in the end we are different. The oath inscribed on you katana is not that of a loyal subordinate. Instead is to seal the darkness deep within of you." He dismounted, uncaring.

Kojuro waited, blade in hand.

"Prepare yourself Takenaka Hanbei. I'll give you that much time." He stated in challenge.

"I have no regrets but my life isn't yours to take." Hanbei answered, drawing his own blade, eyes narrowed, ready to face the general he had held prisoner.


The clash was brutal but not as one sided as the first confrontations had been. But it was still very difficult to withstand the raw power that Hideyoshi used in each strike. Date was keeping up nonetheless. But it was clear it would not be enough. The behemoth's punches were driving the Dragon back as the man's rage build.

"Do you understand your weakness One-Eyed Dragon?" Hideyoshi growled, smashing a wall to bits, the impact sending Date hurtling to the ground, disoriented by the blow and the debris that refused to settle, the drawn claws wavering in his grip for a moment. "If that one eye you have left can see the path to ruin the land now walks prove it with one blow." He struck as Date prepared to slash, gripping him by the throat, hoisting him up. Saki's claws clenched slowly, struck between the need to attack and the lack of leeway around her orders for that moment. "If you wish to howl follow it with a bite." Even when finding it hard to breathe Date did not let go of the katana, did not let go of his convictions and did not stop challenging the man. It served to irk the behemoth further, the grip tightening. "In the land I will create there is no place or need for the weak. I shall crush the powerless with my own hands."

"«Give me a break.»" Date growled, grinning, refuting the most flawed but most vital point of the Toyotomi's doctrine. "After that kind of conquer the land will be fit for nothing but soldiers."

"Strength is absolutely vital to rule this land." Hideyoshi was almost raising his voice above the booming commanding sound he always used. Which meant Date Masamune's words had hit somewhere too close to a vulnerable part. If anything in that armoured monkey could be called that.

"Boss…" the army called, panicking when another blow tossed the One-Eyed Dragon against the stone walls of the frontier fortress, breaking the half-moon of his helmet.

"My Dragon…" Saki whispered as Date stood again, determined. The shinobi shook away the weakness. "Stay back." She ordered the guys who were too close to the battle and too close to jumping into the fray. Her voice had the desired effect but it went unnoticed by the two warlords.

"I… We, the Toyotomi army shall sweep away the weakness that plagues the land." Toyotomi was saying, loudly, for show while Date struggled but got to his feet again, his sneer clearly telling the man he would not succeed in his plans.


Hanbei's blade riboned outwards, cutting the ground as it moved closer to an attack. Having fallen for such a trick the first time Kojuro knew what to do, how to avoid, how to deflect. He sidestepped the strike and slashed with the borrowed sword, forcing the strategist to return his own blade to the original form and get close to attack. The strikes crossed, steel against still, bringing neither closer to a decision, to a victory.

"I hate to admit it but Masamune-kun is truly a Dragon." The man dragged out behind a ragged breathing preparing himself to attack once again. "Hideyoshi is stronger than anyone but against him… against that dragon I feel something I cannot comprehend. Someday he will hold out against Toyotomi"

Until the last blow on the crisscrossing pattern of attack and defence there was no way to break the match. A misstep caused Kojuro's defence to falter, the step back he was forced to take for the sake of his balance used by Hanbei who struck, blade downwards like a scorpion's strike. It would have been a successful cut if not for the moment where his own body betrayed him, a gush of blood following a hacking cough, givi8ng Kojuro's his answer of why was he in such a hurry to conquer the land for his lord.

The Right Eye of the Dragon stayed his blade, watching carefully, thoughtful.

Toyotomi's strategist recovered.

"I had come here to duel to the death." Kojuro stated. "But in your condition you could never defeat me. I won't hold back though."

"Very well. In the end no one could replace me." Hanbei moved, making his blade storm out, raining flechettes. It was hard for Kojuro to defend from such a thing and he was forced to fall back, to the ground.

As Hanbei advance to continue the combat he discarded the stolen blade, pulling out of his jacket what remained of the broken claw, wielding it against Hanbei's attack, calling the lightning dragon through Narukami's blessing and what lingering soul of the Date remained within the steel.

The Lightning Dragon struck straight and through, piercing the other man without a mark. Hanbei shouted in pain, his hand going to the harmed area, his eyes searching. Then he simply smiled, resigned, walking slowly backwards, towards the cliffs, falling down. Better to die than be killed then.

Kojuro approached, the edge, watching his enemy disappear into the rock and sea below. He calmed and looked into the distance-

"The Dragon devours even gods. No one can stop Masamune-sama." Katakura Kojuro stated with finality, hiding the broken blade once again, turning away, walking to the horse, riding off to meet his army.


"What are you doing, staring off into space?" Date asked, standing once again. Blow after blow, after blow he was still standing, and stood, again and again, his determination undaunted. Saki watched with the army. The pain was so clearly etched in the Dragon's features that anyone that looked could feel echoes of it. But he would not give up. "You've got things to look around your own feet before you can look at the horizon."

"Cease your howling. If it hadn't sunk yet I'll show you just how much power you foolishly oppose." Toyotomi attacked again, pushing the dragon against the wall again, punching hard enough for the wall to start to crack and crumble beneath Date's body, striking until it collapsed, caging the One-Eyed Dragon. Hideyoshi turned away smugly, even though he disguised it under the usual cold stoic attitude. "You were presumptuous to even attempt contest for yourself." The warlord turned and began to walk towards the army. "This is the fate of the powerless." He announced to the shocked men.

"Leave." Saki whispered to the army, standing in front of them against the shadow of the behemoth that approached. "If Date is dead the army is disbanded. Leave." If Date was dead her duty was to die trying to avenge him. Her claws flared outwards as she took the stage, braid snaking slightly with each step.

It was hard not to see Hideyoshi's sneer of disgust. He thought them weak. Saki glanced over her shoulder when she hear the army move slightly, going for the weapons. She sighed, closing her eyes.

"Leave." She repeated simply and icily. That gave them pause. Even if death was her path she would not let them take it unnecessarily. Before she could attack a blue light came from the rubble, accompanied by the sounds of a storm. Saki hesitated. The stone fell away, the One-Eyed Dragon walking out, smirking, his blades melting into dust, except for the Kokuryuu. The strength of his element had grown, answering to the display of willpower. That did not mean that he would be able to keep it up for long. A second wind, a desperate surge of energy would not be a long lasting experience.

"Damn you… you're just like that damn pirate. Why won't you just die!" Toyotomi lost it this time, turning, shouting. The army cheered. Saki allowed a sigh to come out, easing a bit of her tension.

"Looks like having that brown-noser around wasn't good for you at all." Date stated, discarding the useless handles. "«No limit»! Even if it kills me I will not let you conquer this land." Lightning, strength, conviction, the oath etched into the sword glowing with its own kind of power. The armies were overwhelmed, looking on with awe. Saki smirked and her hands began to move. If she had to play a support role there were still some tricks to be used.

"So you intend to rule it yourself? You're nothing but the boss of a few punks. How could you handle the whole country?" Toyotomi was still spewing his hatred and doctrine.

"That's what will make it so fun." Date was unaffected, smirking, the katana pointing towards his enemy. Soft wisps of shadow reached him, mingling with his armour, touching the skin underneath it, expanding to cover it.

"Fool!"

"Don't think so hard about it." Date said, dismissively. "As long as I know what I want to protect everything else will fall into place." The shadows were in place now. If she could not pin nor control Toyotomi she would control Date. Keep his body from collapsing, keeping her shadows in the way of the blows. Saki closed her eyes slowly, giving everything to him. "«You see»"

"I won't let someone like you have this country." Toyotomi finally snapped.

"Then the boss of Oshu, Date Masamune will fight you." Date shouted, the blue glow of lightning covering him, the shadow on his skin, the trust, love and loyalty of his army, of his people behind him. He jumped, going upwards to gain momentum, to build the final strike, slamming it downwards, blade against armoured fist, the lightning seeping through, shattering the behemoth's armour.

Saki flinched. It was burning her too and she could feel the strain in him. She kept the justu in place despite the tremors and the pain. This needed to be done. Toyotomi needed to be ended. She moved her arm, feeling Date's tension, helping him to be faster, breaking the stalemate, hopping away from Hideyoshi, building and blasting him off, away against what was left of the fortress,

Though the blade was in rough shape and everything around was in ruins there was a peaceful silence now. Saki sighed deeply and allowed the shadows to leave him, slowly, her vision swimming for an instant. Just another thing to add to her pains… but she smiled for a moment as Date placed the blade back into its sheath.

"Now I can finally get going." He was saying to the silence. "You've made put off this party for long enough." She shadowed to his side before the army had time to move, catching him as the One-Eyed Dragon collapsed, holding him against her. The guys shouted in worry, approaching. She cradled his head against her shoulder, kneeling.

"He will be fine." Saki stated, helped by the foursome. She stood and looked around. "Get the horses. We'll return to Oshu and force him to rest properly this time." She looked around and approached the former enemy that stood still, dumbstruck. "You… Toyotomi army. Disband. Your leader is defeated."

Proof that nothing but fear held them to the man was the speed with which they abandoned him in the ruins. Saki shook her head, approaching. He was not dead, just very injured and close to it. If no one found him he would be gone by sundown. She felt doubt. She should kill him for the good of all but there was no order given or lifted… It was really not her place? Should she just eliminate the threat?

"Hesitating child?" Nobuko said, approaching.

"Is it my duty or am I being selfish?"

"Neither. It's your choice. What will he do if he returns?"

"Hanbei is surely dead by now. Katakura-dono would not fail to do so. He has other generals but the main problem was the strategist. After this defeat he will think himself weak and strive harder to force his brand of strength onto the world. But by the time he is found… if he survives this time of exposure, that is, most of his conscripted soldiers will have disbanded and the doubts we seeded into ever mind will have a stronger place to take root."

"You believe he will collapse from within. If he survives and returns."

"Yes." Saki wobbled for a moment. Nobuko supported her.

"What is wrong?"

"Tired and hurt." Saki answered. "This has been a trying time."

"You will leave him?" Nobuko asked.

"I… know what I have to protect." Saki smiled in response to her mother's chuckle. "He was defeated by my Dragon. That is good enough for now."

"What will you do?"

"Return and rest." Saki answered, stopping, puzzled. It was rather obvious, wasn't it? "Why?"

"If you're anything like me koneko you'll need ginger tea every morning." Nobuko said, still chuckling. "I'll catch up with the Right Eye and tell him to go home."