Chapter Twenty Nine: Enter Takenaka


Overlooking the Date clan's main house is a small cliff, perfect for keeping an eye on all of the gates at once. However, it is not often used for that purpose, and had been set aside years ago by the Right Eye of the Dragon, chosen for both its strategic advantage, and for the rich soil that can be found there.

But tonight, the only sound is the shrieking of a falcon, alighting on a plant familiar to it. Its yellow eye takes in the many bodies, noticing the one that had so often takes his letters and let him pick at the soil, unconscious and being dragged away.

Talon shrieks again, sensing something very wrong. He does not have time to take off again, because another pair of hands suddenly traps him, snatching the letter away before he can protest. Sayomi's handwriting is soon exposed to the stranger, whose face turns to one of pleased shock, looking at one of the bodies, "So you were not mistaken," He whispers, looking back at the letter.

In his haste to escape, Talon misses the loop of string that suddenly tethers him to the plant, the stranger waggling a finger at him, "Now now, we can't let you warn your mistress before we have time to surprise her, can we? My men were dispatched before you even arrived, little messenger."

The man and what remains of his force leave, and for a few hours Talon is alone, until two of the humans stir and run off, returning with burly men that he is sure he recognises. They gently free him, drawing conclusions for themselves, even as one wraps him up gently, intent on taking him to their leader so he can inspect the falcon. Talon knows little of what his poor mistress is experiencing as he caws for his release.

Unknown Source


After Mizu had announced her attention to leave, Hanzo and I had gone back inside, my arm just closing around my sword's sheath when we heard her yelling for us, "Shinobi!" Barely glancing at each other, we quickly re-tracked our steps, making it into the garden just as the first shadow leapt for Mizu's throat, batted away with a swing of her bow.

Moving to help her, Hanzo was soon distracted by another, and more still intercepted me, their eyes unreadable in the darkness, "Try and leave them alive!" Hanzo grunted, twisting to avoid the ningato aiming for his heart, "We need to find out who sent them!"

Nodding, I kept the sheath of my sword on, swinging it in an arc that crashed into one of the ninja's heads, making him crumple while his comrades looked on in worry. Recovering quickly, another drew his blade, going to bring it down on my head, only for his friend to grip his wrist, staring harshly.

Whatever story was there, I didn't have time to learn it, and simply rammed the end of my sword into their guts, rewarded with a grunt as they fell to the floor. Dodging around them, keeping an eye out, I whipped round when my back collided with others, Mizu and Hanzo raising their weapons likewise, dropping them in relief when they saw it was just me.

The three ninjas that I'd thought I'd dispatched suddenly stirred, Hanzo next to them almost instantly, swinging the large stick he'd been using as a club, the loud cracks echoing through the darkness. A second later and we were huddled again, staring at the bodies around us. Suddenly Mizu laughed, her body rumbling against ours, "That's what you get for underestimating a village."

Even so, we barely moved, unwilling to lose the security of each other's backs. The five ninja were spread around us, arrows in some arms, and they'd definitely have bruises when they woke up, but for now, we were safe from them. "The kids…" Hanzo suddenly breathed, taking a second for air to get to him completely, "Why didn't this bring them out?"

Turning in shock to look at him, Mizu's eyes met mine, ordering me without words. Without nodding, I broke apart from the huddle, stepping over a ninja to get back into the house. It was almost eerie in its silence, undisturbed from the battle that had been happening outside. Yet a phantom wind blew from somewhere, and I edged towards Ranmaru's room, hesitant to be the thing that did wake them up.

Nudging the door open with my shoulder, I felt the breath that I'd longed to release hitch in my throat, sheathed sword dropping to the floor with a clunk. Before me, the ripped screen and empty beds told the whole story, moonlight creeping in to highlight the small drops of blood on the floor.
Shaking my head as though willing it to be a clever illusion, I turned on my heel, angrily returning into the cool evening. Outside, Hanzo and Mizu had begun tying their captives up until there was a long line of ninjas waiting for our questions. My footsteps disturbed them, Hanzo actually taking a step back at my thunderous face, "Wake one up."

"Sayomi what's-"

"While these idiots were distracting us, two others were stealing Ran and Itsuki!"

Eyes wide, Mizu looked to her brother before heading back inside. In her absence, I glared at the prisoners, scrutinising their dark uniforms for any sign of who had sent them. Hanzo just looked between us, not saying a word. About a minute passed before Mizu returned with a bowl of water sloshing in her hands. "Pick a rat."

"This guy was the one barking orders," Hanzo murmured, giving the ninja in question a swift kick, pulling his foot away just as his sister upturned the bowl, managing to get away dry.

Spluttering wildly, the ninja hacked a little before seeing me and Mizu in front of him, "You little whores! You wouldn't be looking so smug if my hands were free!"

Rolling his eyes, Hanzo suddenly yanked the ninja's head back, placing his stick across the bared throat. "Watch the language. Now unless you want a gaping hole in your throat, I'd get talking."

"Showing off for the ladies? There's easier ways to go about it."

Annoyed with how slow this was going, I stepped closer to the ninja, reading him as I spoke, "You know who I am. You know what I can do." I quickly raised my sword, showing that it was still in its sheath for now, "So I suggest you tell me who sent you!"

Startled by my outburst, the ninja didn't hesitate to wisecrack a response, "Sorry, can't remember." Scoffing behind me, Mizu turned away, leaving her brother to watch me warily. "Guess you'll have to let me g-gah!"

"Sayomi!"

"Get off him, you idiot!" I flung my arm outwards, the sheath flying off the sword with a dull ringing. The sound halted the scene, Mizu no longer prying on my fingers to free the ninja's jacket. My other sight hid her and Hanzo away from me, focusing only on the frightened mist of the ninja.

Holding the edge of the blade to his neck, I tugged the ninja closer, staring into his eyes, "If you don't tell me who hired you right now then I won't stop at killing you. I won't even stop at killing the men here. I will decimate your entire clan and then, just as you're mourning, I will come back and rip you to pieces until you finally talk." I pushed the edge further, making sure that he could see his own fear. "Now who ordered this attack?"

"Like you'd really do it." The ninja realised the mistake the second he made it. Flashing him a smirk, the kind Oda himself would've admired, I pulled the blade away from his neck, directing it instead to the ninja next to him as I drew back to my full height. Priming myself into an executioner's stance, I stared down the steel, catching the ninja's weak voice, "Y-You're bluffing."

"Am I?"

"Sayomi, don't do it." Hanzo gulped, reeling back at the sharp glare I gave him. As much as both of us liked to ignore the fact, my past was bloody, and it was all too easy to slip into old habits.

It was even easier to pull my arms back…and swing. "Alright!" Stopping sharply, I heard a collective release of breath go up, my own camouflaged within it.

The very tip of the blade was touching the ninja's unknowing neck, less than a millimetre from slicing into him. "The Toyotomi hired us to snatch your kids. The boss wants them as leverage against you."

"And the boss's name?" Mizu managed to whisper, her face contrasting sharply with her scar. Clearly my little stunt had rattled her more than she was ready or willing to admit. Right now, it didn't matter.

"His name's Takenaka Hanbei." The ninja returned his gaze to me, holding it triumphantly. "He said that you were still a monster. The Demon King's child." In answer, Hanzo slammed his fist against the back of the ninja's head, "Yep, still trying to impress the ladies."

"You know that name?" Mizu asked, turning so that she wouldn't have to see the next punch Hanzo threw to shut our guest up. Pausing slightly, I gave a hesitant nod. It had a familiar sound to it, but I couldn't match a face to the name. He hadn't worked for Oda though, I knew that much for sure, because any Oda remnant wouldn't hesitate to fight me face to face. Not to mention the fact that no ninja clan would work with anyone even associated with Oda, not after what had he'd done to Koga and Iga.

Then there was the fact that we were supposed to be, you know, dead.

Instead, he'd had Itsuki and Ranmaru kidnapped, fully intending to trap me like a bird in a cage. I was dealing with a tactician here, not your run of the mill brute. But where had I heard that name before? "Why's he so interested in me?" I called over my shoulder, beginning to scan the horizon for anything that indicated a camp or army.

"I don't know, but he says that he knows who you are and what you did." Well that didn't exactly help, if anything, it made the matter that much more confusing. But if what the ninja said was true, then Ranmaru and Itsuki were just collateral to this guy, a means to an end. Takenaka would probably keep them until the morning, when there'd be an audience to witness my surrender.

Unless I took the battle to him first. "Where's their camp?"

"The field past the rice farms. He'll have your brats there." Ignoring that last remark, I turned back around, "Hanzo, can you wake Nobu up to deal with these guys? And then bring a horse back here?"

"Sure, but what's your plan?" A grin spread across my face, one I flashed to him in the movement, "A pincer attack." Leaving the siblings to stare confusedly at each other, I went back inside, scooping up my sheath on the way.

It was a good five minutes before Mizu followed me in, and by that time I'd pulled out my old dress and my knife, leaving my arm rustling for a pair of leggings that I knew were around somewhere. "What the hell was that?"

"What the hell was what?" I asked, not looking at her. Thinking the leggings were under my yukatas, I made to move them, only to have to suddenly yank my hand away when the draw slammed shut. "For the love of- What the hell was that?"

Making no move to take her hand away, Mizu fixed me with the kind of stare she usually reserved for the twins whenever they did something stupid. And going by how intense it was, I was ranking below them in terms of intelligence.

"The fighting, I get. The anger, I understand. But the threat? Where in the name of Susanoo did that come from?"

With a shrug I said, "It got him to talk didn't it?"

"And if it hadn't?" She hissed, moving her hand finally, letting me open the draw again. "Would you have actually killed the other ninja?" I couldn't answer her, which told her all she needed. I expected her to lash out, probably with a heavy dose of shouting, but instead, her voice came out in a pitying manner.

"You really are a monster, aren't you?"

For the second time that night, my hands stopped moving as I looked at her, "I'm not a monster. He knew where Ran and Itsuki were being held so I scared him into talking. If the other died, then too bad."

"You say things like that and I'm supposed to see you as a human?" Finally finding the crumpled leggings, I lay them out on the floor. "Sayomi, he was unconscious!"

"That's war."

"That's cowardly."

Gritting my teeth against what I knew was the truth, I whirled on Mizu, anger flashing back in my eyes, "We have until morning to get the kids back, or chances are they'll be killed if I refuse to cooperate. That ninja had information he wasn't spilling so I threatened him. Maybe the other ninja would've died, maybe not. Either way, I'm getting those pair back and you can help or hinder, it's your choice!" She froze then, blinking at my outburst. Scowling at her, I returned to setting out my clothes, wondering if the dress would fit after two years, but so long as I could still fight in it, that wasn't a problem.

"Theoretically," Mizu began, regaining my attention, "If I was going to help with your plan, what would I have to do?"

"Well that depends, could you leave your pride behind long enough to pretend to be a samurai?"


By the time we eventually set out on our steed, it was like the past two years had never happened. Ranmaru's bow was strung across my body, and I was riding towards an ambush. Only the curtain of hair resting against my back seemed alien, as well as the tightness the dress was imparting on me. It was just as well the sleeves had been detachable when I'd worn it previously, else I'd be unable to move my arms properly.

About halfway there, Mizu pulled on the reins, nudging me off the saddle, "Remember the plan?"

"Yeah, just don't abandon me when I need it."

I raised an eyebrow in mock hurt, "Would I do that to you?"

"Yes, now go before I shoot you in the arse."

Sharply nodding, I clambered up the nearest tree, and began leaping from branch to branch, pausing when the trees came to an end. A grin spread across my face as I watched the camp, realising that for all his careful planning, this Takenaka had made a rookie mistake in choosing a terrain his enemies knew well.

There were only a few men milling about, dressed in black and red armour, with their face hidden by the shadows cast by the fire. Even so, none of them appeared to be the man I was looking for, and there was a strange kind of smoke rising from the flames. Leaning forwards ever so slightly, I took a sniff, immediately scrunching up my face. It smelled like the paint Gracia had used when she was sealing my empathy, which could only mean Takenaka wasn't as large a fool as I'd first thought. No, he was an altogether interesting mix.

There was no time to dwell on it though, because Mizu rode into view a few seconds later, barely waiting for the horse to stop before she was sliding off his back and threading an arrow, an action I hastened to copy, "Takenaka Hanbei, show yourself!"

Every soldier drew their swords, surprise definitely written on their features. They thought themselves so clever, shielding themselves from my second sight, but now their little plan had gone belly up, and they were facing the consequences.

But if things went wrong on our end, we only had two hits between us, and who knew how many men there really were in the camp? There was no cause for concern though, as another figure emerged from one of the tents, speaking with the kind of calm authority that only confirmed he was our man, "Stand down men, I'm sure our friend here means no harm."

"That depends," Mizu bit, watching with the very eyes that helped her select the best prey, that made her arrows fly straight, "Hand them over and this arrow stays away from your throat. Your choice."

Takenaka laughed, the sound oddly chilling, "I'm afraid I can't."

"Can't or won't?"

"Both. This deal is exclusively for Hiroto Sayomi, not an imposter." Freezing on my perch, I was mildly aware of Mizu snarling a reply, but was too busy thinking about what he'd just said. He knew my name, the one I doubted even Ranmaru knew about. I was just Sayomi or Yomi to him, and it was the general public opinion that Oda had passed his surname to me, a rumour I never disputed or confirmed.

"Prove it. Why would I pretend to be someone I'm not?" Resisting the urge to slam my head against the trunk at Mizu's overconfidence, I settled for groaning quietly, still covering my mouth to smother the sound.

"Simply put," Takenaka replied, his tone betraying his grin, "Wrong hair colour, wrong age and no facial marks."

"Considering I'm hiding from people like you, dying my hair seemed sensible and you know what country air dies for a girl."

"And of course the marks were removed by Master Sarutobi whilst you stayed in Kai." How much did this guy know? Suddenly a fresh round of fear hit, wondering how he had gotten my location, considering Master Katakura had sworn on his Lord's life to keep our survival a secret, and considering Masamune was the landlord, I knew he was still alive. That could only mean my letters had been intercepted somehow, or that something had happened to the Right Eye.

Down below, Mizu was still arguing when her voice trailed off, her eyes moving from Takenaka to fearfully watch the soldiers moving towards the tent that Takenaka had previously emerged. For my part, my mind only allowed me to register that they were reaching for their weapons as they walked.

A tense moment passed before they appeared again, one clearly struggling with the boy he was struggling to keep restrained, the other having a much easier time of things, but still feeling the need to tighten his arm around Itsuki's neck as a warning to Mizu. Takenaka had turned to look at them, a patronisingly fond smile on his face, "I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of asking them a few questions about their big sister. Itsuki here was quite certain that you'd face me yourself rather than send a proxy. Ranmaru here was even more certain that by the time the night was over, I'd be lying in ten pieces. How do you intend to do that with a bow?"

"Like this you bastard." I whispered, finally letting the arrow fly into the shoulder of the guy throttling Itsuki. As he fell forwards, Ranmaru took the initiative, breaking free of his captor's hold and grabbing her hand. The pair of them charged across to Mizu, while I pressed myself firmly against the trunk, wincing at the various thunks and breezes the multitude of arrows flying past me caused.

None hit me in any vital areas, but there was a sharp sting as one landed in my thigh, the blood flow minimal for now. "Hold your fire!" Takenaka yelled over the twangs of bowstrings, showing more emotion in those three words than he had all night, "I need her alive!"

Grinning despite the arrow wound, I took glee in the fact that his little plan had almost been wrecked by his own men. Unfortunately, the feeling evaporated when I heard a familiar kind of creaking, my perch dipping forwards at a rate not so much alarming as scream inducing.

As I clenched my teeth against the sound, the branch snapped from the trunk, pulled down by both my weight and the amount of arrows weakening the joint, causing both of us to land in an undignified heap on the floor, Ranmaru's bow lying in pieces around me.

Reeling off several unladylike curses (that may or may not have been taught to me by a certain ninja), I snuck a look at my leg, regretting it when I saw the arrow's shaft had snapped completely. If we got out of this alive, Chiyome would have her work cut out for her, and considering Mizu would 'offer' to help...I was looking at a nice, painful treatment. Thankfully, no bones had been broken, so I was at least able to kick one of the guards Takenaka sent after me in the manhood before his friend restrained me.

Other than that though, they were relatively unharmed when they dragged me towards Takenaka, forcing me to face him, one even snatching Gracia's armguard off my hand and showing him the scars on the back before dropping it at his nod. The ugly sneer I was throwing at him appeared to have no effect, not even staining his white military uniform or curly hair.

Instead he drank in my face hungrily, purple eyes washing over every detail before finally breaking into a smirk that made me want to rip that mask off his face and ram it down his throat. Considering the iron grip on me, I discarded the idea, putting my attention on the lack of hostages or Mizu in the area.

Meanwhile, Takenaka had finished his examination and with a snap of his fingers, had my sword in his hand, another guard having grabbed it while his buddies collected me. "Yes, you're the real Hiroto, I can tell." He whispered, inspecting the blade, "This was your father's was it not, Botan?"

Not for the first time that evening I froze, thoughts whirring around my head at lightning pace, all linked by a single question: Who was this man? Spotting the thought process as it spun, Takenaka gave a hollow laugh, "Of course this must seem a tad confusing. I'm here to give you a deal."

"And kidnapping my friends means I can't refuse." I hissed, eyes narrowly dangerously. Even under Oda I detested bullies, hated the way they used their power to make others feel helpless. Time had done little to calm that peeve, but it had made me less oblivious to them.

And if the only thing they understood was force, well, I had no problem with that. "Sorry, but I gave that up." Barely giving anybody time to react, I drew my leg close to my body, making my foot fly into Takenaka's chest before my balance was compromised. The reactions around us were instant, him reeling away and dropping my sword, and the men around him pulling their weapons back out.

But they hesitated, wanting to wait for the order before actually striking. Takenaka however was doubled over, coughing roughly into his palm. My morbid fascination with the action prevented me from making another move. I hadn't kicked him that hard...There was something else here, I was certain of it.

Just as he straightened back up, checking his glove briefly, Mizu came running back into view, bow fully strung and focus clear, "Let her go, Takenaka! She's got nothing to offer, nothing worth all this trouble."

Too stunned with her reappearance, I nearly missed how Takenaka's original demeanour came back into place, as though he'd never slipped. "The only one making this difficult is you. This isn't your fight, and Sayomi here knows it." Oh how I wished I could've slapped him silly for that. Not even because he was wrong but because he was right, annoying as it was to admit it.

Mizu's part was over, and if she left now, there was a chance, however slight for her life to go back to normal. Surely my surrender to Takenaka was in her best interest? All the same, her bow remained level with us, not quivering in the slightest. "Mizu, go! I'll be fine."

"Not happening. This stopped being your job when you left Oda."

Shaking his head at the pair of us, Takenaka drew his weapon, carefully stepping over mine that was still lying in the grass. "Please leave, it's rude to stay so long after being dismissed." Stubborn to the end, Mizu merely released her grip, the arrow closing the gap between them. Not fazed in the slightest, Takenaka simply flicked his wrist, the edge of his rapier slicing the projectile down the centre, both pieces falling with the sudden loss of momentum.

Shocking as that was, the next few seconds refused to pass in a blur, slowing down instead. Seeing the rapier split into several smaller pieces joined by a razor wire, I knew Mizu didn't stand a chance. The two guards either side of me were confident in their boss's victory, neither of them noticing when my fingers closed around the handle of my knife, the holster of which had been tied to my leg this entire time.

Yanking it out, I buried it in a neck, then whipped round and forced the butt of my hand directly up the other's face and nose, smirking when he crumpled suddenly. With enough power behind it, an attack like that sent the bones of the nose directly into the brain, killing the victim near instantly.

While I'd been dealing with them, Takenaka's wrist flicked again, the pieces of the sword wrapping around Mizu's bow and yanking it away from her, shattering it into pieces. Unable to move from fear, Mizu could only watch as he pulled the sword back to send it careening for her.

Charging forwards, my fingers wrapped around my sword's handle and my voice broke the stunned silence as I threw it at the razor web, "Mizu, get out of here!" Several segments caught on my sword, reducing the range they'd had and pulling the entire chain to the floor instead, Mizu completely untouched by them. With a final look to me, she fled back into the forest, leaving us far behind.

Watching her leave, Takenaka finally turned to face me, slivers of rage entering his eyes. Initial adrenaline gone, I registered my injury again, crumpling to the ground and wincing at the pain. It was worth it, I told myself, watching the white haired son of a whore flick a catch on his hilt, causing the pieces to come back together and my makeshift anchor fly back into the air, sadly landing without hitting him.

For a second we regarded each other, silently complementing the other's skill. "Let her go." Takenaka murmured to the men about to run after Mizu, punctuating his next sentence by resting the point of his sword at my throat, "We've got what we came for."

"Yes, Lord Hanbei." One of the men answered, suddenly turning around and ordering his comrades to clear up the camp.

This just left Takenaka to crouch closer, smiling a little at my defeat, "How like your father you are, Botan." Before I could rebuke the statement, or ask how the hell he knew enough to make it, the blunt edge of his sword slammed into my skull, forcing me into a sleep so deep the throbbing in my leg practically disappeared.