If I owned Sengoku Basara, then we'd be seeing more explosions!


Chapter Three: Duties to the Dead


Gifu's castle town was large and expansive, but with Gracia's directions, we soon stood in front of a modest house, from which a warm smell was emanating. Despite the dying sunlight, a few houses were still lit up, providing life to this small lane.

We'd met no resistance on our way here, too many people recognising the solemn mission we'd come to perform. Whispers had sprung up when we'd finally stopped, people returning with the light heartedness of families knowing their husbands and fathers were safe tonight.

Noticing my hesitation, Gracia knocked at the door, stepping back behind me when it opened. Swallowing the lump threatening to choke me otherwise, I met the little boy's gaze, recognising his father in them. "Yoshi?"

"Yes…Who are you?" He couldn't have been more than ten, and yet here I was, about to tell him the worst news of his young life.

"Yoshi, who is it?" A woman called from inside, another shadow joining the door. So this was the wife I'd never known about until two days ago. Yamato had chosen well, picking a pretty young woman, who wore her hair in the traditional manner, the long tail poking over her shoulder.

"Ma'am, I'm afraid I have some bad news. Would it be possible for us to come in?" A soft gasp escaped her, her hand flying up to meet her mouth even as her head shook. Between us, Yoshi suddenly looked fearful, noticing for the first time the swords Gracia was holding.

"Please, come in." Nodding gratefully, I stepped over the threshold, removing my sandals before taking a seat on the wooden floor, Gracia following close behind me. Yamato's wife, Miyo as Gracia informed with a whisper as she knelt, sat in front of me, Yoshi hovering between running away and comforting his obviously distressed mother.

"I serve under Lord Oda, the same as your husband. He acted as a go between, gathering information fro-"

"I know what he did. He mentioned his general often in his letters. You are Lady Sayomi?" Her question was directed over my shoulder, at Gracia who hesitantly shook her head. The truth hitting her, Miyo's eyes returned to my face, taking in the sight she saw there. "I didn't know you were so…"

"Young?" Gracia provided, a hint of her usual personality coming in.

"Mother thought he preferred his boss to her." Yoshi said, all the wisdom of a ten year old adding to his statement. His mother flushed, embarrassed by the obviously true claim. My heart nearly burst at the thought of how he had held 'our' baby, thinking only of his wife and son in that moment.

"Addressing me directly as such may have impeded his mission, were his letters to be intercepted. He was a very good friend to me in the time I knew him." The coins started to burn again, heating up as I told my final lie to Yamato's grieving widow, "He mentioned you often in our meetings."

Miyo nodded slightly, the worry of her husband's fidelity gone, only to be replaced with a new one. Seeing this, Gracia handed the swords tome, speaking as she laid the sayas across my open palms. "A warrior's soul is in the blade. Yamato, though he may be gone, will continue to provide for you. All of our soldiers are assured of the welfare of their families should anything happen."

"Thank you." Miyo smiled, the tears freely flowing now. Yamato's soul changed hands again, returning to the smoother hands of the woman he'd loved.


"You barefaced liar." Gracia snapped, thankfully having the sense to wait until we were out of earshot of Yamato's family, including Yoshi, who had insisted on seeing us back to the main street, regardless of our protestations.

"I gave comfort to a grieving woman."

"With a silver tongue." Dango bristled at the harsh tones we were using, but thankfully didn't act on them, plodding along at our slow pace. Night was in full control now, and Gracia stuck close, if only to avoid losing me in the dark. "Anything else you require, Sayomi-dono?" The added honorific was a sarcastic reminder, as far as family names went, Gracia was the lady, and I her servant. But the ninja/samurai angle evened us out slightly, however little that was.

It was a rhetorical question and I knew it, but the ninja following Sanada continued to poke at my mind. "I need a name."

"Oh?" Gracia was calming down now, interest piqued. I didn't invoke the help of a shinobi often and the fact that I had come to her was a curiosity in itself.

"Got a description or am I asking every peasant out there?"

"It was dark, I didn't get a good look." We drew close to a dango stall, the conversation trailing off as I counted out a few coins, receiving sugary skewers in return. Packing them into my saddle bag with care, I pressed my memory hard, trying to reclaim the moment my sword had entered the fake's head. "Whoever it is, they're a ninja. I didn't hear them coming."

"Alright, list is narrowing."

They had a deep voice. "Male, with…" I squinted, trying to grab at colours from my remembered vantage point, "Brown, no red, no brown-"

"Russet?" Gracia interrupted, eyebrows furrowing at the fuzzy image my description was conjuring up.

"Possibly, and he followed someone called Sanada."

"Name rings a bell. I'll look into it tonight. Meanwhile, try not to let Yamato weigh too heavily on your mind. It happens." Stretching her arms behind her, Gracia took me as far as the stable door, before turning on her heel and barrelling into a run.


The night welcomes one of her children with open arms, embracing Gracia with the shadows the girl walks in everyday, even if they have to race to catch her. The sensation of falling, only to grab another branch and continue to fly through the trees is better than any drug she's ever heard of, and well worth the rough callouses it leaves on her fingers.

Perhaps making the night sweeter is the mission she'd been given. Spying on other clans was her specialty, and Oda had yet to discover information contrary to what she gave. When he did, it could easily be proven fake.

Occasionally adding a spring to her steps with a push from the dark, Gracia finally halts, staring down in the compound that belongs to Takeda Shingen.

From here, she can see nearly every movement made by a resident, be they general or soldier. But none of them are the man she was looking for.

No, he's behind her, wondering at this intruder, gauging the threat she holds to his castle and Lord. Turning her head slightly, Gracia cocks a flirty smile, adjusting her posture to lean against the trunk instead. "Relax, I swear on my Lord's life that I mean no harm. Tonight."

"You seem the type to switch loyalties swiftly." Even so, the other ninja steps closer, his shuriken already in hand. "So what brings you to Kai if not an assassination?"

"Information." Gracia's eyes rove over him, committing each detail to memory. His hair certainly seems closer to russet than brown, and there are green stripes on his face, at the side and across his nose. And no wonder Sayomi had had trouble seeing him in the dark, his black and camouflage clothes and armour steal away the shaded forest for himself. "A friend of mine is curious about you."

"And she couldn't speak to me herself?"

"It's past her bedtime. So, can I get a name for her or…" Gracia freezes when the tip of the shuriken edges near her neck. Forcing herself to move her gaze from the blade to the eyes watching hers, she pointedly ignores how her hands suddenly splay against the trunk, palms beginning to line with sweat. Trying to swallow, Gracia realises that this was the closest she had been to her own death in a long time.

Just as the other was about to ask his own question, a door in the house below him is shoved open, a young man stepping out.

"Sasuke, are you there?" The ninja curses, his brief slip in attention giving Gracia the time she needs to slip away, rushing home as though Hell itself is on her heels.

Unknown Source, Year 1582


It was all very well and good for Gracia to tell me not to let Yamato weigh on my mind, when she didn't have to sleep tonight. She was free to gallivant around the forests, gaining intel and hunting her dinner to her heart's content. It was one of the more curious things about the Akechi family, they never ate, unless it had been killed and gutted by one of their number, as though we were all out to poison them.

Meanwhile I was stuck inside, seated at my desk with a large pile of books in front of me. If I got through tonight and tomorrow without collapsing, the mission reports would have been sent out for filing or whatever Ranmaru did with his. And then I could sleep, and forget everything.

Perhaps helping me was the giddy excitement over disobeying the strict bedtime rules put into place by Lady Noh, and enforced by Lord Oda. He wanted his soldiers in top shape at all times, which meant getting enough sleep, enough training and enough food. Were this any other night, then I may have been able to slip into the dojo and train on one of the dummies. But caution was something never thrown away, and everything was tightly locked up, including the generals.

Turning the page, I smothered another yawn, looking back at my waiting futon with a grimace. Maybe if I was just exhausted enough…Closing the book and slipping it back onto one of my haphazard piles, I slipped my legs from under the surface, crawling onto the mat with a light thump. Pulling the cover over me, I turned my head to the side, blowing the candle out with a sigh.

I was scolded as a child, warned against seeing the enemy as people. They were, as Mitsuhide adored pointing out, little more than pawns on a chess board, protecting their king who could easily fall. When I'd tried to point out that the same rules applied to our side, he'd only ruffled my hair and agreed, but swapped the king and queen around, proceeding to clear the entire board.

And yet, as blood ran down my katana for the first time, dripping onto my hands and up my arms, it had near killed me. The soldier was as scared as I was, whimpering when I started to pull the blade out of their stomach. After the battle, I'd thrown up in the bushes, and ran crying to Lord Oda.

The bad dreams went away, gradually becoming less and less until I stopped having them altogether. But as I lay down, nuzzling into my pillow for security, Yamato's screams echoed in my ears, a sound I hadn't heard, but could easily imagine. His face, accusing me of leading him to his death and leaving his family destitute. Miyo, unable to provide properly for her son, forced into a position no woman should ever have to endure.

A rough shaking me caused my eyes to snap open, Gracia standing above me with shadows flickering over her face. Quickly checking around the room told me she'd been busy with my candles. The hand still gripping my arm was freezing cold, a sharp contrast to the sweat covering the rest of my skin.

Sitting back to wait while my breathing came back under control, the ninja launched into her report the second my back was straight. "You really know how to pick enemies."

"You've got a name for me?"

"Oh well that depends." Getting back to her feet so she loomed over me, Gracia pulled her knife from her sash, "What's the information worth to you?" I coolly stared her down, avoiding the near hypnotising wink of her knife as she twisted it,

"How about me not telling Oda why Yamato's dead?"

"Only valid once, and you dragged me off to his weepy widow. The debt's building, Sayomi." This time the light caught her grin, her intentions laid out perfectly in front of me. One wrong move, and she'd take her fee in my blood, or she'd reclaim the favour at a later date.

"I want to hear what you have, and then we'll agree on a price." She shrugged, moving to stand by the windows.

"He's very handsome, your friend. But not worth your attention."

"And a name?" I pressed, unable to keep the frustration from my tone. Trust her to play games at a time like this.

"Sarutobi Sasuke. That much I had to get from my contacts, whereas he was all too willing to tear out my throat. I'd watch yourself around him, he's worked with Takeda and Sanada for twelve years, and he's more loyal than you are."

Briefly glancing at my chess board, I returned to watching Gracia, jolting slightly to see she'd moved. Desperate to sniff her out, I added to the conversation, cautiously watching the corners. "The Sanada are a dead clan. Have been for…"Twelve years.

"Oh see that's where you're wrong." Gracia's voice came from my desk, the Kunoichi flicking through one of my books with disinterest in her features.

"Sarutobi was hired to protect their heir, which he did quite well. Took him all the way to Kai, where Takeda took over custody and his contract."

Contracts. I knew a little about how they worked. A contract went through to one of the many villages, where a ninja was selected for the task. "Gracia, what happens when a contract ends?"

Much as I hated them, it was best to know your enemy, and I'd long wondered what happened to masterless shadows. "They return to whatever village they came from and wait for a new contract."

Noticing the sun creeping over the horizon, Gracia went to leave, tossing my book back on the pile with little care. As she did so, her eyes hovered on my marks. "I wonder, what's it like to have a choice?"

Letting her words hang between us, she opened my door, stepping into the corridor as though she regularly paid visits to the generals first thing. Then I remembered her family ties, and quickly dismissed that last thought.