You guys are getting another double update today because I completely forgot to update before heading to my friend's house for a sleepover. But Five days to go!


Chapter Sixteen: Sayomi's Decision


Kasumi, Noburo and Daisuke had done their work well, even if all three looked ready to collapse from all the running they'd done in such a small space of time. "Great job, you three. We'll handle it from here." Sasuke ordered, rewarded with the grateful sighs of three absolutely shattered recruits.
Watching them go back inside were more than just the Takeda men. Banners from all over the country were before us, all united by a single cause.

Saddling his horse, Master Katakura pulled me behind him, yelling over my head at the army, "We ride for Honno-Ji in the land of Yamashiro! We shall guard Masamune and Sanada's rear, and we will route Oda's forces to the very last man!"

The loud cheer that went up was eclipsed only by the several war horns sounding, officially starting our charge. Clutching tight to the back of Master Katakura's jacket, I gazed all around me, unable to take in the sheer manpower we had.

A few minutes in, Sasuke ran closer to us, his legs somehow keeping the pace, "I've had word from several of the ninja villages that we'll have their aid. This is going to be one heck of a fight!"

"Too bad your recruits have to miss it!" I laughed, rewarded with a cry from Talon above us. Then I caught movement in the trees, Kasumi waving before turning to face where she was going again. "Of course, like they would listen!" Nodding, the ninja began to move away again, almost disappearing thanks to his uniform.

Our charge continued forwards, hearts pounding with every movement of the hooves. "Sayomi, once we get to Honno-Ji, you understand that you'll be fighting former friends?" Kojuro asked, turning slightly to better hear my answer.

"Lord Ieyasu and Gracia are dead, not that I was exactly close to her, and Oichi is a coward who would rather hide than fight. The only problem will be Ranmaru. I was not a good enough general to my men to justify any hesitation on either side." I never did buy them that drink, but I doubted they'd hold that against me compared to my later treachery.

There was a sudden rustle of leaves to the side, Sasuke leaping off to who knows where. Within minutes he returned again, bringing some surprising news,

"Oda Nobunaga's at Mount Azuchi! We're riding into a trap for Akechi Mitsuhide, as Kasuga kindly put it."

"The castle at Azuchi's completed?" I called, then caught onto the latter part of that statement, "Why would they need to trap Akechi?"

"According to Kasuga, they were working off some information given to them by a certain young woman, in retribution for his own attempted betrayal."

Blushing slightly, I remembered my last moment at Oda's side, his hand rooted firmly in my hair and his mouth forming one word which I'd nodded at: Akechi?

As we rode closer and closer to Honno-Ji, I couldn't prevent the grin streaking across my face, even as we saw the burning temple. Looks like I had been right to suspect the Akechi family.

Slipping straight off the saddle and dragging me with him, Master Katakura raced straight into the temple, yelling Masamune's name. He, Yukimura and Akechi were staring off against each other, the sick freak giving me a look of disbelief as we filled the pair in on what Sasuke's friend had told him. "There will never be another opportunity like this, please lead the army outside to the Devil King. You too, Sanada Yukimura."

"But I must settle matters with him!" Yukimura protested, raising his spears higher. With a nod to each other, Master Katakura and I both drew our swords,

"Leave this monster to us. Don't let your personal feelings outweigh the greater cause! What you swore to do for the Tiger of Kai wasn't supposed to be some petty act of revenge!"

"In short, get your arses in gear and to Mount Azuchi now!" I snapped, tossing a glare over my shoulder, meeting Masamune's typical smirk as he put his sword away,

"Then we're gone. We got him nice and warmed up for you."

"It is in your hands, Master Katakura, Lady Sayomi." With a glance to each other, they both hurried out, calling their horses back to their sides and racing off to the cheers of the men outside.

Apparently unmoved by this, Akechi returned to his own sick musings, a small cut on his cheek betraying just how tough his last foes had been, "Azuchi Castle? So it has been completed. For the final banquet, that might just be the most suitable location."

"It's unfortunate then, that you were not invited." We continued staring at each other a little longer, before Akechi performed a drunken lunge with his scythes, narrowly avoiding my unprotected middle, and Master Katakura's protected everything.

The heat of the flames was agonisingly thick, and I couldn't be sure whether the green aura surrounding Akechi was one that only I could see, or if Master Katakura was privy to its existence too. Maybe night had fallen outside, maybe not. All that mattered now was staying alive, and that meant that Akechi had to die here and now, joining his daughter in whatever sick afterlife had been prepared for him.

If that had to come at the price of my own life, then at least Master Katakura would be able to carry the news to his master. That was, if he didn't slice his ears off to rid his head of Akechi's deranged battle talk, "Since you are the Right Eye, I think I shall take your left."

"You are welcome to try," Master Katakura said, simply raising his blade to deflect the next attack, "Even if you take them both, I am Katakura Kojuro, and I will always be the Right Eye of the Dragon!"

Seemingly ignoring me, Akechi centred all his bladed attacks on him, preferring to use the blunt edges to wind me, until I was at the back of the burning temple, covered in bruises forming all along my body.

Even so, I was not about to get in the way of what had to be the fiercest fight I had ever seen, Master Katakura's attacks sending thunder at the reaper, only for it to be batted away in the next movement. But we also faced a bigger foe, the temple itself was collapsing and I doubted it would hold much longer.

When I turned to yell this to Master Katakura, I was met with a truly horrifying sight, one that Akechi caught as he paused for breath. Ranmaru had appeared in the doorway, toting a sword far too large for him, and his movements sluggish. He had barely taken more than a few steps before collapsing, his small cries only just audible, "It's hot…so hot…Nohime, Lord Nobunaga…"

Taking advantage of the distraction, Akechi wasted no time in rushing to Ranmaru's side, not to aid his clearly suffocating form, but to hold him up, much like he had done to Imagawa so many weeks ago, dangling him as though a toy.

"Ranmaru!"

"Fiend!"

"Don't tell me this isn't fun for you." Akechi purred, moving his shield back and forth, toying with him. My muscles were frozen to the spot, and Master Katakura wasn't exactly fidgeting himself.

Enjoying our expressions, Akechi gave his poisonous laugh, "'He wouldn't kill a child would he?' What will you do? Look how weak he is."

My sword instantly went back in its sheath, and I was silently pleading-begging for Master Katakura to do the same. "If you don't do something soon…" Akechi moved the scythe slightly, tugging Ranmaru higher, causing his head to fall to one side. Distract him, distract him, distract him!

"Tama's dead." I whispered, but it was enough to catch Akechi's attention, his eyes narrowing with cold hate at the mention of his daughter's long abandoned birth name, the gaze growing stronger when I showed him the protector on my arm. "You told her to kill me, but I got there first. That's why she isn't helping you right now, because she's in Kai, laid out for her funeral."

"Then it shall be yours that follows, treacherous Blade." Akechi hissed, his eyes promising me a very painful death indeed. As deranged as they were to the rest of us, Akechi did love his daughter, and the feeling was returned, if a little unconventionally.

What neither of us expected was for Master Katakura to do something, his sword glinting as he stepped closer, intents clear. "He is not just some child! That boy has taken countless lives, he serves the Devil King!" Charging his sword with lightning, the Right Eye ruthlessly charged, calling over his shoulder, "Sayomi, catch him!"

Unable to understand his request at first, I soon did when Ranmaru went flying off the end of Akechi's scythe, Master Katakura's hand just releasing the back of his shirt in time. Gathering my strength, I scooped him from the air, charging outside with him the second a gap opened in the fight and allowed it.

The sounds of battle followed us out, Ranmaru dropping from my grip to lie on the ground, coughing sharply, my hand occasionally pounding his back to aid the process, "Sayomi, what are you doing here?" He whispered, flinching when the temple collapsed behind us.

"I could ask you the same thing, little saru." The relieved smile on my face didn't last long, footsteps crunching in the gravel behind me.
Whipping round and drawing my sword in the same movement, I glared into Master Katakura's eyes, never dropping my blade, "You were prepared to kill him." I accused, keeping myself between Ranmaru and him the whole time, "Those things you said about him, they could easily be applied to me too!" The tip of the sword was wavering, and Master Katakura caught it, asking me aside without words.

Withdrawing a small pouch from inside his jacket, he knelt down, offering it to a terrified Ranmaru, "Oda will be annihilated; you no longer have a home to return to. You're on your own now. Find a new lord, serve him and do not waste this life." As he turned to walk away from us, Master Katakura did look at me, "Those words could be applied to you, but they weren't. You made the right choice in life, teach him to do the same."

Still holding my sword, still planted close to Ranmaru, I found the strength to speak, making my choice. "We died here, in the flames. The temple collapsed before you could get any of us out." My words actually halted the Right Eye, who again turned on the spot, taking in the determination I knew I was wearing.

"Very well. Send word when you are able to. Farewell Sayomi."

"Farewell, Master Katakura." Still shivering from fright, Ranmaru got to his feet, taking hold of my side. "We're free now," I whispered, wrapping an arm around his shoulder, "Talon!" The falcon dove down again, perching on what was left of a stone lantern, "We're going far away from here, got it? You remember that man's scent? You're going to need it soon, got it?"

Titling his head, Talon took to the skies again, leaving us humans on the ground. Kneeling down, I felt Ranmaru's weight settle on my back, seemingly lighter than it had that night. "Dango should be around here somewhere." He whispered, lying his head against my shoulder. "Lord Oda let me have him after you vanished."

A familiar whistle worked its way from my throat, the sound of whinnying coming a second later. As the horse came closer, I gave a chuckle, lifting my burden onto his saddle. "Is there anything you didn't steal from my room?"

"You had a horse in your room? No wonder it's always so messy."

Ruffling his hair as I climb behind him, I was rewarded with a small sigh, Ranmaru drifting off as we started forwards. "And I thought I'd had a bad day. To Gifu, Dango, we'll want supplies for this last journey."