Read this before you start the story!

First of all, I don't own Samurai Sentai Shinkenger, it belongs to TOEI and the story was written by the marvelous Kobayashi Yasuko-sama.

Samurai Sentai Shinkenger is one of my favorite sentai of all time along with Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger and Keisatsu Sentai Patranger vs Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger.

As much I love the story, I think it could have been a little bit longer and the plot has the potential to be extended. Especially after the big reveal, Kaoru's character was not wasted but could have had more potential and it was shown a little in the crossover movies that followed.

So, I decided to write this AU as a way of exploring more of Kaoru's character based on what we have seen in canon and what I think could have been of her if she was raised in the same circunstances as Takeru but we know that some things would change mainly because of her age and gender, even though she is intentionaly writen as a female Takeru, because the other Shinkengers would react differently: how would Ryuunosuke's and Kotoha's vassal devotion would play out?, how Mako would read the emotions?, would Chiaki still have his competitive rivalry with Shinken Red?, would Genta still be childhood friends with the Shiba heir?.

Is this a story about Takeru and Kaoru trading places?, short answer: no, but sorta.

You'll have to see how the whole kagemusha thing will turn out.

On this fanfic I will not enterely rewrite the whole series but some episodes that I consider that will help the development of the story.

Also this fic will be mainly from the Shinkengers and allies' point of view, I'll be skippiing the Gedoushuu parts.

I accept criticism as long as its respectful and constructive.

Also, English is my second language and this story has no beta (we die like we write) so feel free to correct my grammar if something is off.

So now if you have finished this author note you know what this story will be about.

See you later.

A boy was quietly playing with a ball when accidentaly it got into a gap between the wall and some boxes.

While he was trying to retrieve it a hand suddenly came out of a crevice, then bunch of Nanashi got out from there.

Crevices are the space between this world and the next, the entrance and exit for monsters: the Gedoushuu from the Sanzu River.

The boy crawled back away from the gap while the Nanashi moved closet to the boy until a small red flying lion-like origami flew at them and knocked them back beofre shifting back to its original form, then a man ran over to the boy and pulled him up motioning him to run away.

Then two kuroko walked up and then they both threw a smoke bomb at the monsters.

A fog of smoke filled the area before it revealed a red samurai.

The man who helped the boy walked up to stand next to the samurai and said: "Gedoushuu-domo, listen carefully. Standing before you is the descendant of the samurai who obliterated yourr kind 300 years ago. The 18th head of the Shiba Clan...Shinken Red, Shiba Kaoru-hime!...Now, will you..."

The samurai interrupted "Jii...Too long."

Jii looked at her a little taken aback "But before fighting, you must..."

She didn't listen and then unsheathed her sword and charged forward at the monsers, slicing each of them unil there were no Nanashi left.

Then she unhenshined as she walked towards Hii and the kuroko.

"Hime! Well done. Splendid! It was really worth it, for I, Jii, raise you with all my devotion" The man said proudly while Kaoru accepted the tea the kuroko was offering her, then his demanor changed and said "But, this means their revival is probably near"

Kaoru made a face but quickly hid her discomfort while Jii continued"We should make the first move and assemble the Shinkengers"

Then the samurai turned her back and accepted the cloth that the other kuroko was offering her while saying "Enough, we have talked enough about it"

"But, princess!" Jii said "You shouldn't understimate the Gedoushuu! Someday you will not be able to handle them alone and that's why those four were raised to be samurai, they are waiting for the day they are called and can fight as your loyal retainers"

"I'm fine by myself" She said with a serious tone and returned the cloth to the kuroko " Loyalty and retainers... this is real life, not a period drama"

"But...princess!"

"I can do this alone"

"The Gedoushuu are getting stronger!" He said worriedly "You are good at fighting but you'll soon need their help, now they know about you...and your training is not finished"

"And whose fault is that?" She asked raising an eyebrow as if challenging him to respond, then she regained her cool and said "I'm going home"

Jii wanted to tell her that she should reconsider but decided agains it, he sighed.

Ikenami Ryuunosuke was rehearsing his kabuki act at his family's theater when his father approached him with a resignated expression.

"I hope you are practicing hard...beacuse it may be your last performance"

The young man was surprised and just managed to say "Eh?"

His father showed the Ryuu Origami that had been passed down by each generation of the Ikenami family and Ryuunosuke grabbed it looking at it with amazement.

"Our family had served the Shiba clan for generations" He made a pause "When the time comes, no matter when" He made another pause before saying with solemnity "You have to go and become a katana for your lord"

"I understand" Ryuunosuke said with a faint smile.

"All your unkown comrades probaly feel the same way and have been taught the path of the samurai"

"Mako-sensei, come play with us!" A little boy said grabbing Shiraishi Mako's hand while she was playing with him and his classmates.

"Everyone, let's play together" She said amused while she tried to avoid making her Kame Origami fall.

She had been keeping the Origami since her grandmother gave it to her when she became 21 and left her family's ancestral home as her grandmother considered that her training was finished.

The young woman loved working at that kindergarten and hoped she could enjoy it a little bit more before being called to resume the fight her family had against the Gedoushuu.

Tani Chiaki was playing Tekken 5 at the arcade with his friends as he always did after school, that day was special beacuse he was finally finishing his last term at Moboroshi High and would soon graduate.

He didn't know yet what he wanted to do after that.

"You're awesome" One of his friends said after he had won his 10th round on the game.

"Right?" He said without looking away from the screen "This is my special training"

His training as a samurai was limited at what he had learnt when he was a child, but he still kept Kuma Origami by his side.

Hanaori Kotoha was at her family's bamboo store playing her flute after training.

She was wondering about how her sister was at the hospital, about when she would be called to seve the Shiba clan and if she was ready for it.

Saru Origami was firmly put on a necklace she always had on.

Shiba Kaoru was back at the Shiba Manor's yard playing with Shishi Origami when Jii approached her with a bow and some arrows ready.

She mentally prepared herself for what he was going to say.

"Hime" He started to say "It's the Gedoushuu...but this time it's not only the Nanashi, Ayakashi are now active" He made a pause to let her assimilate the news before adding "Please, let us summon the samurai-tachi, we cannot wait more"

The girl stood up and looked at him with decision before saying "I said that I'm fine by myself, I have been managing well this last year, haven't I?"

"This is no time for being stubborn" He said getting the arrow and bow ready to shot the first one.

"Stop it"

"You should know how powerful Doukoku is!"

She breathed deep and said "That's the reason...why I'm against it, I cannot let them risk their lives, they may not know how dangerous this fight can be?"

"Have you forgotten your mother's words?"

She closed her as she remembered the night her mother's died, that had not been too long ago.

"From now on you are...Shinken Red!" She had given her the Shishi Origimi, she had been keeping it since the previous Shinken Red had died, as she put it on her hands her mother added "Don't run away, no matter what"

That seemed to start to convince her and Jii kept on "Their fate was born to be samurai, they surely have to come to terms with this and...as painful as it is, this is a burden they must bear" He made a pause and added "Just like you"

This time he didn't wait for her response as he shot to the sky the first arrow with the kanji "Gather".

Kaoru just closed her eyes and sighed while she clutched Shishi Origami on her hand.

Then, Jii showed her a cage that had four other Shodophones while he said "The samurai-tachi will surely come"

Shee took them with resignation and put them oon a bag before going to meet her new team, she wrote the kanji for horse with her Shodophone while she heard "The Princess is going to battle"

Ryuunosuke arrived to the place they were summoned to, it was fairly close to the battle and he quickly approached the black kago that was being landed by a pair of kuroko.

"Head of the Shiba clan!," He got down on his knees and lowered his head" I have come from the Ikenami clan. My name is Ryuunosuke..."

Mako, who had been the one on the palanquin, was surprised to she the man in a traditional attire and make-up and started to say "Wait!I-"

"I had no idea you were a lady, my lord"

"What I was saying, you are wrong"

Then Kotoha arrived and said "Tono-sama" as she bowed to Ryuunosuke, who in turn was cleaning the make-up with a tissue.

"No, I'm not-"

"Are you my comrades?" The three of them heard and turned to see Chiaki who was making a face while saying "You are...kinda amazing"

Ryuunosuke and Kotoha bowed to him which made him wince before he said "What the hell?"

Then Mako heard the sound of horse shoes approaching and looked to the side and saw a girl on a black horse, she thought "So this Ryuunosuke-guy was right, the Shiba clan Lord is a Lady"

"Are you the samurai?" Kaoru asked while showing them the Shishi Origami as proof that she was the Shiba Clan head.

"You are...our lord" Ryuunosuke said and then coughed a little as he corrected himself as he kneeled in front of her and bowed "Our lady"

"Pardon us" Kotoha said as she bowed too.

Chiaki just looked at her with curiosity as he had been expecting someone older and this wo-no...girl looked around his age, just like the yellow-girl.

Kaoru got off the horse with ease and started to say "Let me say this" She made a pause "If you go ahead, you will not be able to turn back. Defeat the Gedoushuu...or die" The samurai didn't wait for their response and showed them her Shodophone "I'll give you this device, if you stay and fight, that's 't choose this because of things like "retainers" and "loyalty" She then added with an even more serious tone "Be resolute on your decision"

She knew that they would have been raised as retainers, that was what Jii had said, and that they had been waiting for this day but she wouldn't force them to follow her.

There was a silence that cut deep and she almost turned her back to get back onto the horse. They were taking their time to take their decision on whether ot no they were prepared to fight.

The first one to speak was Kotoha who vowed once more and said "I'll try my best, please allow me to fight with you"

The kabuki actor tightened his grip on his costume and then let go, then said with resolution "My lady. I would not have come if I were not willing..." He made a pause "Allow us to fight alongside you!"

"Well..." Mako considered it "I've been ready for this ecer since I was little"

Chiaki scratched the side of his face and walked in front of them and looked at Kaoru for a moment before saying annoyed "You guys are making this too much of a deal of this, let's just do this already, we just gotta take care of bussines,right? " Then smirked a little bit and added "My lady?"

Kaoru just walked back to the horse to get the other four Shodophones and tossed them at the other samurai, she then just said "Let's do this"

Right after some kuroko holding a long white banner with the Shiba clan crest on it jogged around the group while other kurokos started to assist the Samurai change into their attire.

The army of Nanashi and Kagekamuro, the Ayakashi, that was leading them, were going around attacking and killing people, when the Ayakashi was about to strike a civilian with its sword a faint sound of drums were heard and so it looked up at the stars and saw on the top of it some kuroko holding banners of the Shiba clan, then they moved a large banner away to reveal the samurai standing behind it.

"Gedoushuu, that's far enough"

"The crest!.Then you are..."

"Exactly" Kaoru took out her Shodophone and then said "Ippitsu Soujo!" then wrote the kanji for "Fire"

Then the other four didi the same writing the kanji of their element: "Water", "Heaven", "Wood" and "Earth".

Each of the five samurai transformed into their Shinkenger form and color.

"Shiken Red, Shiba Kaoru"

"The same in Blue, Ikenami Ryuunosuke"

"The same in Pink, Shiraishi Mako"

"The same in Green, Tani Chiaki"

"The same in Yellow, Hanaori Kotoha"

Shinken Red stood with her blade in front while the other kneeled on one knee with their blades held behind them.

"The Samurai Sentai authorized by Providence!"

"Shinkenger!"

"Mairu!"

The army of Nanashi charged forwoard as the Shinkengers did the same, and so the fight started.

The samurai fared well on battle, ones more than others, but then some Nanashi started to shot arrows at Shiken Red, who stopped them with her ShinkenMaru, while Shinken Blue and Shinken Yellow jumped in front of the Nanashi archers and sliced them before running to stand in front of Shinken Red.

Then Shinken Green and Shinken Green joined them.

"Man, look at this guys!" the Green samurai said.

"My lady" the Blue samurai looked back at Shinken Red and held out his arm in front of her "Stay back"

Shinken Red moved his arm out of her way and spun the disc attached to her katana as it changed into a huge blade "Rekka Daizantou!" then took out the shishi disc and attached it to the blade, she just turned and said "Protect yourselves"

The other Shinkenger quickly ducked as ther leader swung her blade and sent a wave of fire at the Nanashi and then charged forward.

"We should do the same, we shall assist!" Shinken Blue said.

"Amazing!" Shinken Yellow muttered.

Then they all used their own signature weapons and after there were no Nanashi left to fight, they noticed that their leader was fighting Kagekamuro and destroyed it.

They were al amazed by it on different degrees but Shinken Green then said "I was pretty amazing too, better than I thought I would be"

"Well, we managed to pull it off but..." Shinken Pink started to say.

"Keep your guard up" Shinken Red said walking towards them while Shinken Blu bowed, then she added looking up "Ayakashi have to lives, there comes the second"

"Second life?" Shinken Green walked up to stand by her side and was about to ask what she meant until he looked up "How is this possible?"

"I have heard of this"

"You have neglected your studies!" Shinken Blue got Ryu Origami out and showed it to them "Origami. It's he embodiment of each of our powers, by combiningn them..."

"Too long" Shinken Red scolded him and took out her Shodophone and Shishi Origami, then wrote the kanji for "Giant" over it which made it grow.

"My apologies-"

"Let's get done with this"

Then the other did the same with their own origami.

Kagekumaro started to shot beams at them Shishi, Saru and Ryu Origami charged forward first with Kame doing it later but gettting caught by the Ayakashi's second mouth.

"Hey!, let go!"

Then Kuma Origamim started to scratch the Ayakachi until it let go of Kame Origami, both then rolled away before Ryu Origami shot a water blast which made Kagekumaro get distracted before Shishi Origami flew at the Ayakashi while it got into flames and then destroyed.

When they got back into the ground the group of samurai gathered at a bridge near the place they battled the Gedoushuu, they were happy and relieved by their first victory.

"We did it" Kotoha said smimling while looking at her origami "Thank godness"

"Piece of cake, we-" Chiaki said while playing with Kuma Origami.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that" Kaoru interrumpted him in a serious tone "You have to learn to be more aware of your sorroundings, this time you got lucky" Then she crossed her arms and was about to say something else when Jii ran towards her, bowed and then said "Hime-sama! Such and splendid battle!"

Mako watched the scene curiosly while Chiaki asked "Who's the old guy?"

"I'm going home" Kaoru said walking away while ignoring Jii compliments.

"Please wait!" Jii said trying to catch up.

Kaoru turned her back and said to the samurai "What are you waiting for?, come on, the rest of you"

Ryuunosuke and Kotoha were the first ones to start to follow her, the yellow samurai said "My lady, let me accompany you!"

Chiaki and Mako shared a look before deciding to follow them.

The kuroko accompained Mako and Chiaki to their houses to gather their things since they had gone to the gathering point without their stuff. Ryuunosuke's father had sent the things he considered necessary to the Shiba Manor while Kotoha said that everything that she needed was on the bag she took with her from Kyoto.

While the Blue and Yellow samurai got settled on their new bedrooms, Jii and Kaoru were drinking tea and talking at a reunion room in another wing of the Shiba Manor.

"Hime-sama" Jii said in a happy and proud tone "Great first battle!, see?, I told you that it would be easier to defeat the Gedoushuu with the assistance of your retainers"

Kaoru crossed her arms and closed her eyes, she seemed to consider it and then said "Ikenami and Shiraishi are good, Tani is reckless and Hanaori is too young for this...you told me that Shinken Yellow was older"

Jii nodded and then said "Hanaori Mitsuba is too sick to take the role..."

"Understood" She interrupted her.

"And she is only one year younger than you, hime-sama"

"That's different"

Jii just nodded and kept silent before drinking another sip of his tea, he then bowed and was about to stood up before he said "You should try to get to know your retainers..."

"No"

"It would make easier the team work..."

"That would held me back"

"Please, hime-sama"

She looked away and bit her lip, then said "I'll...consider it"

Jii smiled.

Then a kuroko entered the room and signaled them that the Green and Pink had arrived so they both went to receive them.

"Good night" Mako greeted them and gave Kaoru a polite bow.

Chiaki just looked at her and nodded his head as a way of greeting.

Kaoru knew that he was going to be trouble but she liked Mako well enough, at the moment.

Meanwhile Jii just said "Get settled in your rooms, dinner will soon be ready"

I hope you liked it, leave reviews and follow this story if you did.

Thank you for reading, you can also check up my other stories if you want to, you can also find me on Archive of Our Own and Wattpad, I publish there some stories that I haven't posted here yet or can't (*coughs in Archie Comics*).

Send me a PM if you have any suggestion or critic.

See ya' later.