"My name is Suki and I came here looking for my sister."

"Why did you think your sister would be here and how did you even come to that conclusion?" Sasuke asked.

"She went missing about three months ago, she was on a trip to Kyoto." Suki answered. "And I am a police detective for a living, so I started investogating and looking into her disappearance. That was when I learned you had disappeared around the same time she had. Even though I had taken personal and vacation time, I used my authority to speak with your Professor Sakaki."

"And what did he tell you?" Sasuke asked.

"He let me look at your research...told me you were brilliant. He looked at it with me and that's when we discovered your notes on time travel. We saw your notes on when you hypothesized a wormhole appearing and the dates lined up." Suki explained. "It all sounded so crazy...but I had nothing else to go on. So we started doing calculations and research of our own."

"And you found the time a wormhole would appear."

"Exactly." Suki answered. "You wouldn't happen to have met my sister, would you?" She was then reaching for a purse which was sitting beside her. She opened it and pulled out a picture. She held it out to him.

Sasuke looked at the picture, though he already had a feeling he would recognize the face.

"Her name is Ava." Suki said.

"I know her." Sasuke said. "I consider her a good friend."

Suki smiled, relieved. "So, she is alright?"

"Yes." Sasuke answered.

"Is she close by?"

"It will take a couple of days, but we will get there." Sasuke answered. "I can take you to her. I was actually on my way to see her."

"Thank goodness. Hopefully, once I find her we can get home. Do you think you could figure out when another wormhole might appear? So I can take her home."

"I could figure out when one will appear, yes." Sasuke answered. "Though...you may have to talk to Ava about those plans."

"What do you mean?" Suki asked.

Sasuke shook his head. "It is not for me to tell...you and Ava will have a lot to talk about when you reunite."

Something about what Sasuke said left a nagging feeling in the pit of Suki's stomach. "Is she alright? Is she in some kind of trouble?"

"She is fine." Sasuke answered. "She stays in Azuchi under the protection of Nobunaga Oda and his forces."

"You mean he who kills the bird who does not sing, Nobunaga?" She asked.

Sasuke nodded. "Yes, the one and only."

"That is...quite terrifying."

Sasuke had to hide a smile. Ava had felt similarly about Nobunaga once. He remembered when he gave her the smoke bomb and round spikes to defend herself from Nobunaga...then later she used those very same ninja tools to defend Nobunaga. "I assure you she is safe. As I said, she is under his protection."

"How did that happen?" Suki asked.

"Once again, it is a story I will leave for Ava to tell you."

The next day, Sasuke and Suki set out for Azuchi. Sasuke had gotten Suki a kimono to wear so that she would blend in better and now she rode behind him in the saddle of his horse. She clung to him, not used to riding.

As they got closer to Azuchi, Sasuke formulated a plan to get Suki to Ava. He knew that he couldn't go up to the castle gates and that security would be increased. He also knew that anyone who would show up out of nowhere claiming to be close to Ava would be under suspicion.

From his conversations with Ava, he knew that Nobunaga knew the truth of where she came from. It stood to reason she had told him about her family as well. Sasuke had made sure that Suki kept her modern items with her, tucked away in a package. They were her proof of her words.

Once he had his plan, he explained it to Suki who nodded and agreed. She would do whatever it took to see her sister again.

It was the next day when the pair arrived at Azuchi. They were able to get into the town. "This is where we have to part." Sasuke said. He then gave Suki directions to the castle.

"Why aren't you coming?" She asked.

"I can't explain, but we'll just say I am not exactly a welcome guest of the Oda forces. Just remember what I said and while it may be scary for a moment, I am sure things will be fine." Sasuke said, giving her a reassuring pat the shoulder.

Suki nodded. She wasn't sure why, but she trusted Sasuke completely. "Thank you for all of your help."

"It is my pleasure. I am sure Ava will be happy to see you."

They parted ways, Suki heading for the castle and Sasuke heading for an inn. Suki followed Sasuke's directions and found herself at the castle gates of Azuchi. Intimidating guards looked at her. "Just what are you doing here?" One guard questioned her.

"I came here to see Lady Ava." Suki answered.

"What business do you have with Lady Ava?"

"She is my sister."

Nobunaga...

Nobunaga sat in the middle of council. They were going over reports from recently acquired territories. There were a couple of reports of unrest in one territory, but it wasn't anything that Nobunaga needed to go and personally settle. He assigned one of his vassals command over a contingent of troops to go and settle the issue.

"Have we received any word from Mitsuhide?" Nobunaga asked.

"Not since his last report, my lord."Hideyoshi answered.

It was quite irritating that whoever had been behind the attempted poisoning of Ava remained hidden. No one liked the fact that Ava had been nearly killed nor what the culprit had truly intended, to start a war.

It was then that one of the guards was entering the room. "I am sorry to interrupt my lords, but something has just happened."

"What is it?" Nobunaga asked.

"A woman has showed up at the gates asking to speak to Lady Ava...claiming to be her sister." The guard answered. "She refused to leave when we asked her to. She is adamant that she speaks the truth and that she has proof."

"Bring her before me." Nobunaga ordered the guard.

He bowed. "Yes, my lord." He then left and soon returned with two more guards and a woman.

The woman did have similar features to Ava. Her hair was the same shade and her eyes were a similar honey gold color. "What brings you to Azuchi?" Nobunaga asked.

"I am looking for my sister, Lady Ava." She answered, though her voice remained calm, her eyes burned with a defiant fire, similar to Ava's. "I was told she resides here under your protection."

So, she does not know that Ava is my wife...or so she claims. Nobunaga thought.

"You could use that term for it." Masamune said from his seat.

"How can we know you speak the truth?" Hideyoshi questioned the woman. "Ava has never mentioned a sister."

"Probably terrified of all of you." The woman muttered.

An amused smile came to Nobunaga's face. "Tell me, what is your name?" He asked her, recalling the conversation in which Ava had mentioned her sister to him.

"Suki." She answered.

That was the name she had spoken to me that night. Nobunaga thought. No one else here knows that. No one could have slipped her that information.

Ava...

I was walking through the halls fter departing from my guards after my delivery in town. I was informed that Nobunaga and the other war lords were in the middle of a council and that I was welcome to join since there was a chance we may hear something from Mitsuhide.

I decided to go. I needed to know who was truly behind trying to kill me. I wanted the truth. I made my way to the main hall. As I did, I heard Nobunaga's deep voice. "Tell me, what is your name?"

"Suki."

I paused, my hand on the door. No...that couldn't be her. I thought. But it sounds just like her. I had to know, so I pushed open the door and stepped into the hall.

I saw a woman standing in the middle of the room, three guards around her. Everyone's heas turned to face me at the sound of the door sliding open. That's when I saw the woman's face...a very familiar face. "Suki?"

"Ava!" She said, a smile coming to her face. She was about to run to me, when the guards on either side of her grabbed her arms.

"Hold on there..." One of them said.

"Let her go!" I shouted. "That's my sister."

The guards looked astonished and so did everyone else, but the guards did comply with, "Yes, my lady."

I was then rushing over to Suki and hugging her, tears of joy and surprise coming to my eyes. "I missed you, so much." I whispered to her.

"I...missed you." Suki replied, her voice sounded surprised.

"So, this woman speaks the truth?" Hideyoshi asked.

I let go of my sister and turned to the gathered war lords. "Yes, Suki is my sister." I answered.

"Then we shall prepare a room for her." Nobunaga declared. "Your old room should work fine."

I smiled. "That will be perfect." I agreed. I looked over at my sister who clearly had a million questions in her eyes. I then looked at Nobunaga and the others. "If you'll excuse us, I think we have a lot to catch up on."

"Of course." Nobunaga agreed.

I am glad that I told him about Suki. I am sure the others are quite suspicious. I thought as I took Suki's hand and led her away. I took her to my old room, which would now be hers for as long as she wanted it.

Once we were alone, Suki began her questions. "What the hell was that?" She asked.

"What was what?" I asked.

"Those guards...they listened to you and Nobunaga and his war lords took your word on me...and the guards called you my lady..." She began, her eyes not leaving mine.

"Yes." I answered. "You know, I have my own questions. Like how did you get here? How did you find me?"

"I arrived here in the Sengoku the same way you did, via time travel." Suki answered. "Though I did it on purpose." She then went on to explain to me how she connected me with Sasuke and decided to investigate his disappearance as well. "Then when I arrived, I was found by Sasuke."

"That's fortunate." I replied.

Suki nodded. "He told me you were here in Azuchi living under Nobunaga Oda's protection."

"Well, that is one way to put it." I said.

"That's what Masamune said earlier before you walked in." Suki replied. "But seriously, I need an explanation. Why are you here? How did you end up in Nobunaga's care? And why exactly are you comfortable around him anyways? I'm not intimidated by much, but there's definitely something frightening about him."

I smiled. "You're used to doing the intimidating." I agreed.

"Hey, don't turn this around. I need answers." Suki replied.

I nodded. "The night I arrived was the same night of the Honno-ji assassination...or rather an attempt in this timeline. I stopped it and saved Nobunaga's life."

"So, he's given you shelter and such in return?"

"It kind of started out that way a little bit." I answered. "But now things are a bit different."

It was then that Suki really looked at me. Her eyes went straight to the gentle swell at my belly. "Wait...are you...are you pregnant?" She asked her eyes wide.

"Yes, I am." I answered with a smile.

"Is...is Nobunaga..."

"The father, yes." I answered again, this time feeling a bit hesitant. I knew how she would react.

Anger flashed in my sister's eyes. "What the hell? That bastard took you in and then forced himself on you? And now he's keeping you here to carry his spawn?!"

I shook my head. "No. He never forced me." I said. "I mean...he did try to order me to bed with him once, but well that didn't work for him."

"So, what are you his concubine now?" Suki asked.

I shook my head. "No...his wife."

"What the hell?!" Suki seethed. "How can that even be? And you...you willingly slept with him?"

"I willingly sleep with him pretty much every night." I answered. Somehow, I was always able to be a bit more candid with my sister than anyone else.

Suki shook her head as she sank to the floor. "I don't...I don't understand at all."

I walked over to sit down beside her. "It's simple...I fell in love with him."

"But he's Nobunaga Oda. He KILLS the bird that doesn't sing."

"I know." I replied. "But that's not all there is to him." I then began to tell my sister of my relationship with Nobunaga, from our bet to now.

"So wait...you...you had a chance to come home and you didn't take it?" She asked, clearly furious.

"I know it seems bad, but...I couldn't leave him." I said. "I...from what I thought...if I returned I'd never be able to return here. And I couldn't stand that thought."

Suki shook her head and stood up to look down at me. She was shaking with anger.