Into the Dark

That night, they returned to the castle. Yukimura did everything in his abilities to console the people. It was the first time she'd ever seen him look so angry before. Nobuyuki was there too. He wasn't any happier either. Not that she couldn't understand that they'd be angry.

Curious as to how Sasuke was doing, she walked about the halls till she came upon a lit room. Curious, she stood before it in confusion. It was then that the door opened that she saw Nobuyuki. He looked to her in surprise before patting her head with a small smile, "Are you here to see Sasuke and Saizo? They're still resting right now. So, come back tomorrow, okay?"

She nodded in confusion, "Are they all right?"

He nodded in response, "Yes. There's no need to worry, okay? Kamanosuke."

He turned a bit as she saw the two ninjas resting on futons and the other slowly getting up with a yawn, "'kay…"

She watched as he walked over to her. Nobuyuki said, "Since Sasuke and Saizo aren't in any condition to work, we need you to watch over her."

It was then that she heard footsteps and saw Yukimura arrive with two other people behind him. Her eyes widen in surprise as she muttered, "Hideyoshi and… Yuzuki?"

Hearing this, Nobuyuki's eyes widen in surprise before he frowned and greeted them with a small nod. Then, he turned to Yukimura and said, "Saizo and Sasuke are all right now. They'll be able to return to their post tomorrow."

He then turned to the two, "My apologies you had to see us in this state."

Hideyoshi shook his head, "It's fine. We came running as soon as we heard that some kidnapping occurred."

Yuzuki hurried to Rachel and pat her shoulder with a worried expression, "Are you all right? We heard you were kidnapped."

Ray nodded silently. Yuzuki looked up to the brothers, "How is Sasuke and Saizo doing?"

"They're fine." Yukimura smiled, "Seems like they'll be walking around by tomorrow."

She sighed in relief, "That's a relief…"

"Yuzuki, can you go watch over those two for a bit?" Nobuyuki asked with a small smile, "There's something we need to talk about with Toyotomi's supreme commander."

"Supreme… commander…" Ray looked to Hideyoshi with a look of confusion, "Like, Shingen?"

Hideyoshi smiled, "Yup! You didn't recognize me as one before?"

Ray continued to stare at him in confusion. Yuzuki smiled, "Well, I'll go watch over the two, then."

After she had gone and Ray was brought to her room, the brothers led Hideyoshi to the meeting room. As Hideyoshi sat, he finally said, "So, the individual came here too."

"It's not the doctor this time." Yukimura said with a frown, "But he also targeted Ray."

"Well, I have some bad news for you too." Hideyoshi said with a sigh before glancing over to them, "Turns out the doctor somehow survived being stabbed in the stomach and ran off. We're looking for him, but can't track him down just yet. Shingen also returned to his territory to continue the search for others."

"That's not good." Nobuyuki grimaced.

"Your people were okay, then?" Yukimura questioned with a frown, "Did they only come for her?"

Hideyoshi nodded, "Ah. He was more obsessed with her than the people. Why did this one targeted your people, then? I heard that some even returned with just their bodies."

Yukimura grimaced, "I don't know. The folks said that the child was insane and took a nasty liking to making graves. They said that they witnessed him taking a special liking to Ray and promised her a similar fate. What's worse is that he's still out there in Takeda territory. I just sent a messenger to Takeda territory. I'm worried he might try to do the same to the people there."

"Talk about bad taste." Hideyoshi grumbled, "Well, you better make sure that you keep close watch over the herbalist and healers. This doctor has a liking for eyes, especially blue eyes like Ray's, according to Shingen's vassals. At most, he might not hurt your people if he's only targeting Ray, but, just like the child you saw, he's no where near the right mind either."

He then continued, "Have you heard about the building that exploded from her hometown?"

Yukimura nodded, "Masanobu told us about it. Was he from the building, then?"

Hideyoshi nodded, "Ah. According to what Ray told me, I can guess that it must be the boy called Eric, then. Aside from her, he's the only one in the buildings who's the youngest."

After saying this, he frowned, "At this rate, it's very likely that the others are also alive. And, we just finished getting rid of most of the Yakumas too."

He frowned, "Also, there will be another big battle."

Yukimura looked to Nobuyuki who shook his head back with a frown. Yukimura sighed, "Well, we can't sit here either. What if we leave Sasuke here?"

"Then, we'd be one man short." Nobuyuki replied with a frown, "We're in no position to be short on the battle field either."

"I thought you might say that." Hideyoshi said with a sigh, "The people coming after Ray is turning into a problem too, so I wanted you to fight against Date's army. It seems like they would take part in the battle. They could pull an ambush during the battle."

Nobuyuki nodded, "Their army also seems to lack numbers, but they are able to make up for that with strategies. If we're to beat them, then we need to outsmart them."

"I bet that they'd know about Ray too." Hideyoshi said firmly, "Yuzuki said that, when she was taken, their supreme commander personally went before the Uesugi generals and kidnapped her from the castle undercover. I figured things would be different with your army since you work with ninjas too."

That night, everything was quiet when she went to bed. However, like some of the other nights before, it was a restless sleep. Ever since that dream she had after getting a bit of sleep, she could no longer fall asleep. Her nights were as restless as those days when she was in the facility. Her eyes were wide awake. She just couldn't seem to fall asleep no matter what. She was worried about Zack. Even more now that she knows Doctor Danny and Eddie are alive. Finally, she got up and looked around. There was nobody in the room. Seeing this, she finally got up and went to her bag that lay beside her. Opening it, she pulled out her handkerchief. The handkerchief was wrapped around something and she pulled it away revealing it. It was a knife that had a smooth wooden sheathe to it. One the sheathe was a clumsy engraving of her name. This was during that time when Zack had just learned how to read and impressed her with her name as the words he wrote for her. Seeing this, many thought about the man returned to her mind. She really wanted to see him again. A pain spread in her heart with her chest as the source. Ever flowing. She really miss him and wishes that he was there. That they've found him. Quietly, she enveloped it in her hands and quiet wished for his safety over and over again.

That morning, she got herself out of bed and saw that no one had come to get her yet. Quietly, she wrapped the handkerchief around the dagger and slipped it into her bag. Before changing into her original clothes. The she slipped a couple batteries into her pocket and took the lock she stole from Eddie after that night to fasten it onto her bag's zipper where the knife hid. It was something Zack had given to her after all. Something very important and precious to her. Something that is hers and bears the evidence of their oath. However, she wondered if there will ever be a time if Zack would need to give her a knew one. Would they have to renew their oath again? She silently wished that the day would only meant when it really needs to be done so. Till then, they oath will never change. Even if there's no god, she prayed for their sake, for her own sake that he keeps his promise. As long as she is of use to him to the end, then he will kill her. Silently, she sat there with her bag in hand. It wasn't until she heard a knock on the door that she quickly slung it over her and got up. Opening the door, she saw that it was Toyotomi's Supreme commander.

"Hey!" he smiled, "Care for a chat before breakfast?"

"Ah, wait! She must be still asleep!"

She turned and saw Yukimura rushing over. Upon seeing her, he stopped in surprise, "Ah, you're awake… G-Good morning."

She looked to him in confusion before she nodded.

Out on the veranda, she sat down with the two Supreme Commander who were surprisingly calm around her. She suppose that's what it means to be allies, then. Finally, Hideyoshi asked her, "Did you sleep well?"

She didn't reply, but, after a while, he continued, "Well, shall we talk about what happened last night?"

His words seemed to have surprise Yukimura, but what surprised him the most was her nod. Hideyoshi watched her quietly before patting her shoulder making her turn to him as he asked, "Do you remember who it was that kidnapped you yesterday? Was he one of the people in the building the game took place in?"

She nodded, "Yes. His name was Eddie."

"We saw that he was obsessed with graves." Hideyoshi said with a frown, "Can you tell me what he did in the building?"

She nodded again, closing his eyes once before she finally answered, "He was the angel of the fourth floor. He recorded information and kept death records of everyone they killed in the building. He also made graves for them too. He made a grave for me too, but I didn't want him to be the one to take my life."

"You wanted that Zack boy, then?" Hideyoshi asked quietly.

She nodded, "He swore to me. An oath. That as long as I helped him and am useful to him, he'd grant me the favor and take my life."

Her hand on her bag turned into a small fist as she gripped her bag, "But, he still couldn't do it because my face was too boring…"

Hideyoshi thought for a bit with Yukimura's stunned expression on his face. Before he finally continued, "What was Eddie's and Zack's relationship before? What about him and yours?"

She thought for a bit before answering, "That day when we arrive on Eddie's floor, I went to find clues to escape the floor with Zack. Zack gotten annoyed while I was gone and went around destroying the graves that Eddie made on his floor. I think it was because of that that Eddie didn't like him very much."

"Why did it annoyed him?" Yukimura raised a brow, "I mean, those graves belonged to someone, right?"

She thought for a bit with closed eyes before tilting her head and answering stoicly, "Because it annoyed him while waiting for me to come back?"

Her answer confused them, but Hideyoshi nodded, "Then, what about you and Eddie?"

She thought for a bit before answering, "I don't know if this is a good reason. He said that he loved me when he saw me the first time."

Suddenly, Yukimura had a coughing fit. Hideyoshi sighed and shook his head with a shrug and a smirk, "So, he's obsessed with you, then."

"No, wait!" Yukimura called out nervously after the coughs, "Why did he try to kill you, then? That makes no sense at all!"

"He said that he would grant my wish and make me a beautiful grave." She answered bluntly, "The grave was pretty with nice flowers and butterflies around it, but I didn't want him to kill me. Only Zack can do that. Because, that day, Zack swore to god that he would kill me. Eddie never believed in god, so, in turn, I can't believe him and Zack said that he hates liars. That was why I chose Zack over him."

"What about now?" Hideyoshi asked with his eyes on her, "What do you think about that promise now, then?"

"Even if god isn't here anymore, the oath Zack and I swore is something that can't be taken away. Even if Zack doesn't fulfill it, it'll always be there. If he allows it, then I'll carry the burden of it." She answered, "This is why Eddie can't kill me."

Her words were naïve and simple, but there was weight in them that the commanders detected. Neither of them said a word for a while before Yukimura spoke, "Then, do you know why he made graves for the people last night?"

She shook her head, "In the building, he dug graves for the sacrifices because that was his role. He really seemed like he enjoyed doing it and said that he was nice."

After some silence, Yukimura finally spoke, "Do you remember anyone else from the building? In detail?"

She thought quietly before opening her eyes again and nodded, "The angel of the third floor after Eddie was a woman called Cathy. She was tall, wore black and white suit with a black skirt, and long black boots. Her hair was dyed pink on the end, so they're pink and blond. She had gray eyes, though."

"A woman?" Yukimura answered curiously.

She nodded, "She said that she was the condemner and would condemn us for our sins. She nearly killed Zack that day with her guns. She had them attached to a machine so it would shoot for her. Other than that, she was able to see where we go every time and use torture devices."

"Zack killed her, then?" Hideyoshi asked seeing the quiet look on the other supreme commander.

She nodded, "Zack and I killed her."

"I see…" Hideyoshi said quietly staring up at the sky.

The silence that came after was long till Yukimura said quietly, "I wonder why Eddie did that? He thought he was being nice, but… this is too much. What he did really wasn't nice and it hurt the families back home."

Suddenly, the door behind opened as Nobuyuki stood there with a sigh, "So, this was where you were. It's time for breakfast. Huh? Ah, were you talking about something with Ray? My apologies, Hideyoshi-sama."

"It's fine, brother." Yukimura replied with a smile, "We're just about finished anyway."

Just as she turned to Yukimura, she felt a pat on her head and saw his smile, "Also, Kamanosuke told me that you don't seem to be injured after yesterday's event. Still, you scared me there when I saw your hair."

She frowned in confusion before she suddenly remembered. Hideyoshi raised a brow, "Her hair?"

"Last night, I woke up when Eddie was carrying me." She replied stoicly, "I knew that I wouldn't live since nobody was there, so I used my hair to create a path."

Yukimura sighed in relief, but frowned, "Well, this time I'll let it go, but remember to treasure your hair from now on."

"Treasure my hair?" she replied in confusion.

"Ah…" Yukimura grimaced with hesitation, "Well, anyways, just don't do that again unless you can't think of anything else and take better care of your hair."

"In these lands, hair is considered to be a woman's treasure." Nobuyuki said with a smile, "It's an idea that's been known by the people for a long time. There are very few who don't think so."

She raised a brow, "Why?"

Hideyoshi chuckled, "Well, how about this? Normally, hair is important to most women for many different reasons. We, men, know that. So imagine when Yukimura here saw something he thought you really care about plucked from your head and onto the ground? Of course, we'd panic. In most cases, that'd mean you're close to dying or already dead. Anyone would be worried about you if you'd did that."

Hearing this, she looked to Yukimura with a surprised look. She asked in blunt confusion, "You were… worried?"

Yukimura looked to her with wide eyes, "Of course! You were kidnapped yesterday and could've lost your life. I really thought that I was going to fall into a trap because of that. You and the people are both very important to us, Ray."

Though harsh and sad his voice was, she could feel a bit of warmth of the hand on her head. She had been moved from one place to another, but never had thought that they all cared about her. To begin with the reason why she helped the people was because she had heard that they were all important to Yukimura and she didn't want to see the cheerful demeanor of his sadden for losing his precious treasure. Had it not been for that, she'd have plotted her own escape. She'd never thought that he'd come to save her too. This feeling was foreign to her, but it was too bad that it wasn't anywhere close to Zack's hand.

That afternoon, Yukimura brought her and Yuzuki out to the fields. Yukimura had just finished discussing with the victims that morning and wanted to take a breather. Yuzuki volunteered to help and they wanted to bring Ray along. She wasn't given much of a choice, so she and Saizo followed them through the field. Along the way, their voices seemed to grow louder as if they were excited or something was wrong, but it wasn't all bad. At least, that what she felt. So, she looked up and saw the two blushing as the two elderly women walked by with one of them patting her head.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, Ray." The woman said with a bright smile.

Surprised, she nodded quietly, "S-See you…"

As they walked on, she and Yuzuki helped gather a lot of white radish, or what Yuzuki called Daikon radishes. On their way back, Yukimura had to make a quick stop somewhere and soon returned with a small wooden pin decorated with a delicate white flower. Seeing this, she looked to them as Yuzuki smiled, "I remembered that your birthday was a week from today. June tenth, right?"

She nodded quietly. Yukimura smiled, "We probably won't have the time to celebrate it with you, so here's your birthday gift in advance."

She looked to him curiously before taking it in her hands, "This is… mine?"

Yukimura nodded, "It's not real porcelain or anything special, but I hope you like it."

She thought carefully before she nodded, "Thank… you…"

"What?!" Saizo said with wide eyes, "Yukimura, you knew about this but not me?"

"Well, I did try to tell you since I thought you might be interested, but you were busy admiring yourself." The Supreme commander replied with a sigh.

They talked for a long time along the way before Hideyoshi came to pick them up. The voices were loud, but not unbearable for her. Instead, it kind of reminded her of back in the house with the old man, Zack, and her. The three of them around the dinner table as Zack complained for the meal to be ready. It was really… nostalgic. She only wished that Zack was here with her.

That night, after seeing that she had gone back to her room, Yuzuki and Hideyoshi sat across from Yukimura and his brother. Yukimura smiled, "It seems like Ray has shown a lot of improvement today."

Yuzuki nodded with a bright smile, "Yes. She got along really well with the people too. When I first saw her, she never responded as often."

"This is probably because we were there with Yuzuki today." Hideyoshi said with a disappointed frown, "You saw it too, right?"

As he said this to Nobuyuki, Yukimura raised a brow, "Huh? What do you mean? Brother?"

Nobuyuki shrugged with a sigh but smiled, "Well, I won't deny that. It's likely that, in the presence of Yuzuki with either of you two, she seemed to have portrayed the role of the daughter and the two of you became the parents. Seems to me, she was just reliving the days when her life was better."

"What?!"

Suddenly, Yukimura's entire face went red as Hideyoshi sighed, "This time, I'll let it go for Ray's sake, but, next time, don't get so close with my wife! You hear that?"

"Hideyoshi…" Yuzuki replied with a weak smile knowing that her intervention would be useless.

However, her thoughts drifted to something else as she whispered, "Her parents, huh…"

Hideyoshi looked to her as they could see the trembling frown on her face.

"I…" She said quietly.

Hideyoshi was quiet before he finally pat her shoulder and looked up to them. Yukimura and Nobuyuki nodded before Yukimura yawned and said aloud, "Let's get some sleep tonight, then. We had a lot of work done today. I'm also planning to teach her housework tomorrow too. You'll be leaving tomorrow, right? Spend the night in the castle, then."

"Got it. Thanks!" Hideyoshi replied.

"Oh! Ah… A-All right…" Yuzuki managed with a surprised look and gave them a small bow, "Th-Thank you!"

As they left, Yukimura spoke up with a frown, "I didn't think she was there listening to all that. If brother hadn't stopped us when you did-"

"Even then, that wasn't enough." Nobuyuki replied with a grimace, "Now she knows."

"Hideyoshi explained it to her in the end, then?" Yukimura asked.

Nobuyuki nodded, "At least, as much as he thinks she could handle."

Yukimura nodded too, "We don't want anything to happen to Yuzuki again. And, Ray…"

"Yukimura." Nobuyuki said with a frown, "You can try, but I doubt this would change her mind. She… seems to bear a lot of guilt on her shoulders."

"I know." Yukimura grumbled with a grimace, "But, she was only a child and just protecting herself. I just can't believe they'd so easily throw her aside without trying to help her…"

Seeing his rare anger, Nobuyuki was quiet for a bit before he said, "There will always be children who take the fall of the parent's actions, Yukimura. Not everyone is as fortunate as us. Though she may not have known what was right from wrong, she knew about it after, regardless of the source. The fact that she is just trying to reestablish herself regardless of the method proves that she still desires to do the right thing. For that, I believe that we can trust her and give her a chance."

Yukimura nodded, "She's not a bad girl, just lost. It's only after reading a religious scripture that she got better in her moralities. Which is why… I want her to live."

"You're not the only one." Nobuyuki said with a small smile, "This morning, all three ninjas came to me asking if they could guard her personally while she's here. Even, Kamanosuke looked awake for once while off-duty."

"Kamanosuke too?!" Yukimura spun around with wide eyes.

They were talking about the ninja that doesn't like to do much work, but nap and get lost in the garden, right?! The news surprised Yukimura before he finally chuckled, "It seems that her presence and resolve actually got through to someone. Looks like we weren't the only one that wants her to live in the end. But, that raises another question."

Nobuyuki looked to him with a raised brow as the Supreme Commander continued, "Does this Zack guy really wants to kill her or does he just want to postpone her death?"

That morning was normal, she got out of bed and saw her bag still locked. Then, she would have breakfast with everyone. She didn't necessarily have to talk, just be with them. However, even that felt a bit sad to her. It was then that she got to move about after the meal was over. It was then that she saw it. The pretty white bird. The bird sat on a large bonsai tree in the gardens. Curious, she got closer to it only to watch it hope away.

"Ah, wait!" she called out to it.

However, as if a mischievous child, it flew out the open gates! Quickly, she gave chase after it. She thought she heard something cry out, but she brushed it off as another bird's cry. Desperate to keep it in sight, she ran as fast as she could, but soon found herself in the forest. It was then that she felt a hand grab a hold of her. She spun around and breathed a sigh of relief to see that it was Sasuke. However, the teenage ninja wasn't happy. He frowned and scolded, "You shouldn't be leaving the castle grounds without permission! Geez… What if something happens to you?"

"But, the bird…" She spoke up desperately.

"The bird?"

He looked up and saw the white bird.

"Ah, I've never seen a bird like that in these parts of the wood…" Sasuke raised a brow, "You want it?"

She shook her head, "I think it might know where Zack is…"

Sasuke slightly stiffened at her answer till his ears twitched and he grabbed a hold of her before jumping into the trees. Startled by the sudden movement, she nearly screamed before Sasuke quickly covered it shut with a hand.

"Shhh…" he whispered.

They looked down from the trees and saw it. A tall white figure holding what looked to be a gold birdcage. The man grinned before opening the bird cage. There was a sudden screech as a storm of white feather flew around them. Suddenly, Rachel felt herself being pulled into it. She panicked and grabbed on tighter to Sasuke's shirt while he held on tight. The wind was strong and the force around her grew. Suddenly, the doctor smirked as his sharp tongue rolled out, "Come out now, Ray. Be a good girl now."

Suddenly, a burst of white feathers appeared as loud chirps filled the air. Before them, they watched in horror as the small white bird was pulled into the gold cage.

"What?" the doctor frowned in confusion as he saw the white bird in the cage, "You…"

Rachel held her breath as Sasuke took this chance and jumped from the trees to trees while carrying Rachel in his arms.

"Hold on…" He grumbled slightly.

Rachel couldn't say a word. Instead, she was just quiet throughout the entire run back. It was when they got to the front gate that the bumped into Yuzuki and Hideyoshi, who were all about to return to the castle in Toyotomi territory. The look on the ninja and the girl's face brought shock to the two while Yukimura and Nobuyuki rushed out in surprise. Even when asked question, she couldn't find an answer to them while Sasuke told them everything that happened not sparing a single detail as ordered. Upon hearing this, Hideyoshi frowned, "The doctor was here too?"

Yuzuki was quietly still with her hands around the girl's shoulders. However, the child was quiet. Her eyes were also dark. Seeing this, Yukimura grew worried. He had never seen her like this before. Sasuke nodded, "Yeah. That creepy freak with the two messed up eyes, right? We saw him. He had this strange birdcage and tried to steal Ray."

"Looks like he's no longer waiting for her consent." Nobuyuki said with a frown.

"The messenger still hasn't returned." Yukimura said with deep concern, "Could he have something to do with this?"

Yuzuki muttered quietly with a grimace, "The battle is coming soon too. At this rate, there will be no safe place for her."

It was then that a black bird landed on top of Sasuke's head. Annoyed, the ninja swiped it away only for it to peck at its hand.

"Ow! You little…"

"Wait!" Yukimura called out and carefully picked the bird off his head. It was a large black raven. Hideyoshi looked at it in astonishment, "Look at the size of that. Didn't think you'd have such large ravens in these parts…"

"We don't." Nobuyuki answered with a frown before raising a brow, "Yukimura, that…"

At his gesture, they saw the white paper attached to its leg. Quickly, Yukimura took it off as the bird suddenly took off! He quickly unrolled it and frowned, "What is this?"

"What? Let me see!"

As the ninjas said this, he looked over Yukimura's shoulder and frowned in confusion, "What's this?"

Hideyoshi frowned in confusion, "What is it?"

"I-I don't know." He said with a frown and handed it over to the Supreme Commander, "I don't understand the writing."

Hideyoshi took it as he and Yuzuki looked at it. Hideyoshi wore puzzled expression while Yuzuki's eyes widen in surprise, "This…"

He turned to her, "Do you recognize it?"

She nodded, "Yes, but I can't read it. It's a language from another country. I'm not as familiar with it."

"Another country." Nobuyuki frowned, "Then, why would the bird have it?"

Sasuke grumbled, "I knew I should've caught it right there."

"That's right!" Yuzuki gasped and turned to Hideyoshi, "The writing is English and Ray came from that country!"

Hesitantly, she turned to Ray, but the child was quiet. Hideyoshi and the others weren't as certain, but, finally, Hideyoshi sighed and handed the paper to her as Ray looked up in surprise, "We can't read this message. Can you read it for us, Ray?"

She was quiet, but slowly nodded quietly. Taking the paper in her hands, she opened it. Suddenly, her eyes widen in surprise as a small rare smile appeared on her face, "I see…"

Yukimura grew nervous upon seeing the change in her eyes as it start growing bright, "Ray?"

She looked to them with a small nod, "'Zack is safe' is what it said."

She frowned as she continued, "But, it said that everyone is resurrected and that I should head into the night."

Hideyoshi frowned, "Who was it from?"

She and Yuzuki looked to the sender only to find a small winged symbol as Ray whispered, "The bird…"

"There's the winged symbol on this…" Yuzuki said with a look of confusion.

"Into the Night…?" Hideyoshi said with a frown.

"What could that mean?" Yukimura grumbled.

"More importantly, it seems that someone is keeping close watch in her movement." Nobuyuki said with a frown.

Yukimura nodded, "They know where she is. At this rate, they'd be coming after her more often. A huge battle is coming up too and we need to prepare for that. Hiding her would be no small feat. Now that those people are back for her life, this will make it all the more difficult."

"Nobody will be in the castle, then…" Yuzuki muttered quietly.

She looked to the girl who was staring at the night quietly. At the very least, she was happy that the child was feeling a lot better.

Still, with the war on its way, the two left for the castle to prepare for the war. Ray, however, was quietly busy in her room as she filled the bamboo bottle with the hot water that she prepared ahead of time. Yukimura came to check on her once, but was soon called back out by his brother. The day went by and, by the time she finally went to bed, there was a loud ruckus outside, but Sasuke could be seen sitting next to her door as a silhouette before the light of the torches. She silently pulled out the little note from her bag and hugged it tightly in her hands before she finally drifted of to a light slumber for the first time.

When it was morning again, Saizo was to be her guard this time. Together with Sasuke and Kamanosuke, she followed them deep into the woods. It was then that they gave her large dark cloak and told her to wait under the root of a large tree. Being her guard, Saizo patted her head and smiled, "I'm not too far, so if you ever miss me just give me a shout, okay?"

Saying this, the man gave her a wink and a small flower. It was the rose he normally use in his poses. After that, they were gone. She then covered herself with the dark cover before she could hear the first gun shot. The first shots she's heard in days.

As she awaited for them, she suddenly heard some rustle in the distance. Quickly, she threw the blanket over her and waited motionlessly behind the covers. However, instead of voice, she heard quiet groans and frantic movement in the woods. Her eyes widen in surprise, but she stayed motionless and still just as the ninjas had instructed her. She stayed quiet under the light of the sun. It was then that she heard something whizz past her.

"What are these things?!" An unfamiliar voice called out.

"Nevermind that! Where's Ray?!"

She, then quietly, peeked out from behind her cover and saw the familiar backs. Her eyes widen in surprise as she saw Saizo with them.

"Under the tree roots!" Saizo called out.

The man turned around and spotted her as he rushed over. He pulled away the cover revealing her from underneath.

"Masanobu… Masakage…" She muttered quietly.

Masanobu nodded with a small smile, "That's right."

He reached out and carried her in his arms, "Hold on tight, okay?"

He turned around and shouted, "Pull back into the woods!"

"Masanobu!" Masakage shouted, "Just leave this to us and take her back!"

The man hesitated, but, after seeing more strange skeletal figures with grotesque bearing teeth, he finally looked back to her before he nodded, "Got it. Be careful!"

It was then that he turned around and quickly ran for the bushes. Curious, Ray looked around as the dashes of light and greenery flew by. She asked, "What's going on?"

"We're retreating from the battlefield." Masanobu responded with a grimace, "We don't have time for a battle. Do you recognize those figures?"

Remembering the deathly pale skeletal figures, she shook her head, "I don't know who they are. More Yakumas?"

Masanobu strained a smile, "That's the least of our problems now. Now, stay quiet, okay?"

She nodded as he carried her through the woods. It wasn't long before they finally reached closer to the town that the man suddenly collapsed with sweat coming from his forehead.

"Argh!"

He tumbled to the ground as Rachel tumbled a short distance away from her. She got up and looked to the man and saw him lying down on the ground with an arrow to his back and his leg. They were bleeding. She looked up and saw it. Two men on horsebacks running after them. One had light blue hair and green uniform while the other had an eye patch and dark blue hair. She watched in confusion and determining what she should do when Masasnobu shouted, "Run!"

She tried to do just that, but was stunned when she saw a figure jump at the two. It was one of the skeletal figures. She froze in fear as the two tried to fight it off successfully killing it before seeing that their horses were soon devoured by another. She wasn't certain what to do, but it was then that another arrow flew into their direction killing off the monster with an arrow to the neck. The corpses lay on the ground as the two men rushed over dodging more. The taller one scooped her up as the other hid Masanobu under a bush. Seeing this, Masanobu shouted, "Wait! Where are you taking her? There's no way for certain that she has the same blood as the other girl."

"Are you in any position to say that?" the other short werewolf with light blue hair smirked, "Just so you know, we're letting you live because Masamune said so."

"Why are you…" Masanobu frowned in confusion.

"My enemy's enemy is my friend, is it not? I'll only go this far for now." Masamune grumbled, "Shigezane, we're leaving."

"Understood!" the teenager called out and hurried after him before turning around and smirked, "Consider yourself lucky this time."

It was then that they rushed through the woods as Ray looked up to him in confusion, "Who are you?"

But the man didn't respond. Instead, they rushed through the woods till they came upon a rather small squad as another man taller than them appeared and said with a raised brow, "Masamune-sama, your horse-"

"There's no time to explain." Masamune responded, "Listen. Those things are attracted to anything that moves more than sounds. They'll most likely attack us on our way back. We'll have to go through that path back."

The werewolf with dark green hair responded with a nod. It was then that they continued quietly through the woods with the man, Masamune, carrying her. Rather than questioning everything around her, she looked around moving just her eyes. It wasn't long before another group of soldier saw them and handed some extra horses to them. Now she rode on the one thing that gave her cramps a few days back. It was annoying, but she had nothing to complain for now that she was on something that wasn't his arms. She didn't know why she was taken, but that didn't matter much to her either. Instead, they soon arrived at a small town with a castle in the distance. She was confused by all this, but was quiet as well. She watched as the man rode the horse through the town and didn't stop till they came to the inside of the castle where she was brought down and thrown into a shed. When she looked back she saw the tall man close the door behind him. She looked at the door and in confusion and tried to slide it open before seeing that it was locked from the other side. Curious, she looked around till she saw the bar window near the ceiling of the shed. The floor wasn't as rough since it was wood, but she was curious as to where she was. Looking around under the moon's light, she saw the numerous boxes around her and turned to one of the boxes that was large and sturdy. With great effort, she pushed it under the window before climbing it. With a light jump, she was able to reach the window as she grasped the bars. She slowly lifted herself up and saw what looked like a garden and a rundown castle. She looked around curiously before seeing the tall werewolf walk out with a tray. It wasn't till he looked up and saw her looking at him from the window that he nearly dropped the tray of food.

"Get down from there." He managed to say, "It's dangerous, you know."

As if not being able to hear his words, he saw her eyes shifting to the house curiously and the garden before she asked, "Am I in another territory?"

"I won't tell you unless you get down from there." He replied slightly annoyed.

However, she didn't seem to hear him before he repeated himself, "I won't tell you unless you get down from there."

"Oh…" She replied after seeing him, "Ok-!"

Suddenly, there was a snap as he suddenly heard a thud. Rachel had fallen down from the window and was unable to move for a bit after her leg hit the box. She just lay there for a while before she slowly got up and saw the wooden bars in her hands. There was a sting of pain in her leg as she looked at saw that it was heavily bruised already. The door, suddenly, swung open as some people rushed in. One was the teenage boy she remembered was called Shigezane, the second was the tall man, and the third was the man they called Masamune who came in holding a lamp in his hand. The tall man pushed the tray into Shigezane's hands before rushing over to her, "Are you all right?"

She looked from them to her leg before she slowly answered, "I won't die. I think I just broke my leg."

She then saw the bars in her hands and brought them up with a frown, "I broke the window… Sorry…"

The tall man's eyes widen as Masamune furrowed his brow.

"Just broke your leg?" Shigezane said with wide eyes, "Say, just who are you?"

"Shigezane." The tall man quietly scolded the boy before Masamune approached her.

"How bad is it?" Masamune asked the man.

He touched her leg as a sharp pain. She held her breath in surprise as she barely muttered, "Ow… It hurts…"

"Obviously…" the man said with a sigh, "She broke it, but it's not as bad. Applying a splint and give it a few weeks will probably do the trick. However, the blood…"

"I can stitch it back up…" She replied quietly, "I have a sewing kit with me."

They looked to her with a stunned expression before the tall man frowned, "I'll go get the splinter and bandage. Make sure she doesn't escape, Shigezane."

"Got it!" the teenager replied.

Once he left, she looked to the man called Masamune who stared at her before asking, "Rachel Gardner, was it?"

Shigezane grumbled in confusion, "Lay-shell-?"

"Ray is fine…" She replied.

"Oh! Well, that's a lot easier." He said with a child-like grin, "I'm Date Shigezane!

"Can you not feel pain or fear?" Masamune asked.

She shook her head, "I can feel the pain, but I'm not afraid since I'm not going to die from a broken leg. The bleeding isn't bad too."

"Talk about a tough girl." The teenager said with a small smile.

It was then that she looked to him in confusion, "Um… where am I?"

"Date Territory." Masamune answered bluntly.

"Date?" She questioned with a look of confusion.

"Girl." The man asked, "How old are you?"

"Fifteen." She replied.

"What's your relation to the monsters, then?" He asked.

"Monsters… As in the Yakumas?" She asked in confusion.

But there was no response as she thought of the attack back in the town. It wasn't until she felt a hand on her shoulder that she saw them staring at her with the tall man already back. He turned to her with a look of confusion as the Masamune asked, "What is your relation with those monsters back during the battle today?"

"The battle?" Ray frowned, "I don't know. I was told to hide under the trees roots today and wait for them to be finished with the battle."

"Why were you in Sanada territory, then?" Masamune asked.

She thought carefully before a bit in silence before she looked to them and answered, "Because… I was being chased."

Their face changed into confusion as the tall man froze with the stick in his hand.

"Chased? By who?" Masamune asked cautiously.

"By my former counseling doctor and everyone who was suppose to be dead." She replied bluntly.

Her straightforward reply brought confusion to them all as Masamune frowned, "Listen, if you don't tell me the truth, I'll kill you right here."

"But, I'm not lying." She replied bluntly without fear.

After some thoughts, the man with the blue hair and dark uniform along with the droopy blue dog-like ears, Masamune frowned before handing the lamp to the youngest of them and left without a word. After leaving, the tall man finished tying the splint to her leg. They watched in shock as she personally stitched up the wound with a needle and a thread before they finished wrapping it with bandage. The tall man then took the tray of food from Shigezane before placing it next to her. They then left the room leaving her alone. She looked to the food before she started eating her food.

Outside, Masamune was soon followed by the two soldiers as the youngest spoke with a frown, "That was a little creepy, right? Honestly, Yuzuki was better."

"Kojuurou." Masamune said as the tall man looked up, "Gather intel about the girl. Start from the Takeda clan. That was where she was first sighted. Find anything that associates her involvement or occurrences. Especially about this counseling doctor."

"Understood." The tall man bowed.

"Hey, Masamune?" the youngest called out, "If she had a counseling doctor, that means that something is wrong with her, right? Like her thinking is different?"

Masamune turned to Shigezane, "Shigezane, keep a distance from that child."

"Got it." The teenager replied with a sigh.

YueTian: Hey! I'm back! I was worried since I had no idea of a plot here, but now I've figured something out and now I hope you all like what I have in mind. Ray have traveled from Takeda, to Toyotomi, Sanada, and finally, Date Territory. This was not part of the plan, but it's going along well. For now, I plan to continue this path without much of an idea of what will happen next, but I've figured out a new plot that incorporates new characters. I hope you all enjoy the up coming chapters that's to come!

3/25/2019 12:43 AM