I own nothing. Stan Sakai created these characters.
Kurukaze moved. Thus the sunlight he'd been blocking shone in making Usagi blink. He had frozen at the sound of the voice calling his enemy away.
Uh-oh, she'd called him "Ronin." He was still in trouble. Lord Noriyuki practically sang behind him though, "Tomoe Ame is here!"
. . .
Even without the necko ninja's instructions and the deer path, Tomoe Ame would have been able to find the place fairly easily. Her guides had indeed stopped leading her on at a large boulder. Just after passing it, though, she had heard Usagi's scream. He'd demanded the Komori not to come in or his sword would pierce the heart of the first who tried to grab him or Lord Noriyuki. She forgave him then, a little bit, at the sound of his fury. But he was still in trouble.
. . .
Kurukaze couldn't believe it. After letting them stay in better shelter and serving them better food than he had even provided for himself, after taking them without bloodshed, and after offering the ronin a way out even one that would have provided great happiness for him, Miyamoto Usagi still refused to stop fighting him even when cornered like this. He had even heard, and thought it must be true, this cub had offered over and over to make Usagi "his" samurai, but the ronin had refused in order to honor his own deceased Lord Mifune. Yet, he was being more true to this cub playing at being a powerful Daimyo than many samurai were to their own, living daimyos.
To serve a mighty and unforgiving daimyo and shogun like this made some sense. Hikiji and Hebe would do all in their power against his clan should they set free this stubborn ronin and young ruler. Yet, Usagi had chosen the weaker ruler to guard with his life. Kurukaze suspicioned Tomoe Ame was the reason why.
She was beautiful, fierce, and almost as skilled as this ronin himself. Indeed, she was much like his own daughter and her mother before her and many females in his clan that way. Fine females all, and any male might be forgiven for so desiring any of them, but the ronin did nothing to satisfy such a desire within himself. He neither let the cub's offer give him leeway to live in the same house as the object of his obvious longing, nor let the cub die, so he and Tomoe would both be ronin together. He must be treating his own lord's memory as more sacred than satisfying such a lust, but then why was he here?
He had already treated this strange ronin and cub as gently and generously as was wide. Their destination fear-inducing, yes, and for good reason, but could the masterless Samurai really believe the cub could escape that fate altogether? Could the ronin know so little of his enemies?
Hebe and Hikiji were well-connected, wealthy, and ruthless. Their plans were also far ranging. Only Tomoe Ame and this ronin had prevented Noriyuki from falling into their clutches sooner. His own success at capturing them both proved, despite the ronin and Onna-Bugeisha's efforts, their daimyo's luck could not last much longer. Why not then surrender the cub's and their own lives to him, who at least treated them with a modicum of respect on the journey? Instead they wanted to be free until those who would not so treat the cub or them so well captured all three of them instead? Why be so honorable as to not escape with his own life as he'd offered the ronin already instead of staying with one who was not his own lord and whom he'd refused to make so? Still, he had humored Usagi until now.
He finally made the threat of the smoke bomb. Hebe wanted the cub as full of life as they could deliver him. Weighing Hikiji's own desire to take Usagi's head himself into consideration, however, changed things. Hikiji's offer made the risk of displeasing Hebe more than worthwhile. After all, Hikiji was Hebe's master now ... The ronin's reply to his threat was not altogether unforeseen, but still annoying. The Onna-Bugeisha's shout from the edge of the woods though was far more than that …
He turned. There she was, charging him. The rhino bounty hunter and all the samurai he'd seen still standing during their last attack were there too. He raised his metal edged wing toward them and shouted, "Ninja attack!"
. . .
Chizu waited in the trees unseen. This was going better than she'd hoped. She'd been a little bit afraid taking the time to lead the Samurai to her enemies was a mistake, but the ronin's stubbornness and Kurokaze's weakness in arguing with him rather than driving "Long-ears" out immediately had the impact of giving them far more time to find the Komori here before they took wing. Of course, they could have shot them from the sky, but that carried risk of damaging the prize.
She, unlike Kurokaze, would not make the mistake of also trying to take Miyamoto Usagi alive. It could not be done. Between his skill and his honor, the best she could give him was an honorable and swift death if he got in her way.
Tomoe Ame she felt less inclined to be so kind to. But if she managed to kill both this day, it would elevate her greatly in the eyes of many not the least of which were Hebe and Hikiji themselves. If she killed the Komori who killed them, or her ninja did, the effect would be lessened, but still there. And if her clan killed Miyamoto Usagi, Tomoe Ame, "and" Kurukaze, chief of the Komori Clan this day, well … she and her clan would be legend.
. . .
Tomoe Ame went straight for Kurokaze. To her own surprise the winged-ninja went right over them instead of attempting to stop her form attacking their cheif. A few gathered before the den's entrance, however.
She smirked. "That" was a mistake. Indeed, she saw a sword-point break through one of those facing that cave entrance now.
Ignoring that, she gave a war cry right before bringing her katana down at the crossed wings of the ninja clan leader, who slid one of his metal edged wing's along the length of her sword dodging her blow and coming closer to her at the same time. She pulled away even while edging around him and toward the den entrance herself. As he got farther away from it, though, he stopped once out of her immediate reach.
She drew he second blade as she faced him. He stared back and spoke. "I am impressed, Tomoe Ame Sama. Even with the days of waiting to fly we endured here, I did not think you had enough time to catch up to us.
Tomoe Ame leapt at him with a shout bringing both blades down on his re-crossed wing-blades. When they were almost nose to nose over their blades she answered through gritted teeth. "Your mistake!"
. . .
Usagi watched through the hole carefully. Not all the bats in the large tree flew out to meet the Samurai charging them. Four landed in front of the hole he watched through. Two landed with their backs facing him. In the moment he gathered himself to spring out,two more landed behind them facing him.
The ronin grit his teeth. Still, he said to himself, Now or never. He sprang.
With a shout, he stabbed one through their crossing, but not yet fully crossed, wing-blades. At the same time, he raised his shorter sword and blocked the blow of the guard beside the komori he'd just killed. While disengaging, he kicked out at the wing of the komori turning toward him then, who'd been facing the battle before. Instead of hitting metal with his foot, he hit the bare skin and bone of the wing behind its blade. He heard bones snap. Usagi then jumped back the way he'd come to place the uninjured, live Komori who'd been facing the cave entrance between him and the injured and non-injured one who'd been facing away from it. Now they all face him except the dead one.
He glanced between his living enemies. He was one ronin against two non-injured and one injured komori ninja. It was better odds than he started with, but not good. The komori ninja were famous for a reason, and surprise was no longer on his side unless he took full advantage of Kunichi's unique style. He intended to do, but he still tensed and waited in silence quieting himself as they also paused. All of them seemed to be planning their next move.
Then a snowball landed crashed against the side of the komori face nearest him. The ronin stared stunned and open-mouthed till he heard a familiar young voice cry from his left toward the cave entrance. "Get them, Usagi!"
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ScribeofHeroes