Auother's Note: PETTA! SAMANOSUKE IS HERE! Fanfare music he's Hyuga....
I had to give him a new name because I didn't want tit to be a total rip
off. Only seven more chapter in the story, Y'all. It's getting down to
it.
Enjoy!
Part 4
Fall of the Flaming God
Chapter 48
Only a True Samurai
"ZHANG HE! ZHAAAANG HE!" For some reason Mitsuko had come to Zhang He's home and was waving around a piece of paper down in the courtyard. Zhang He sighed. Things were just quieting down again. . . Zhang He thought disappointedly. It had been a week since Guan Yu and Zhao Yun had joined their forces. They'd all returned home to find Zhuge Liang, Jiang Wei ad Yue Ying. Zhang He took an instant Liking to Yue Ying, who reminded him very much of Rai Tso.
She was short and had a tiny frame, but you really didn't notice that because of the clothes she wore. Clad in silver and green armor and wearing a helmet, she looked like a warrior ready for battle. Her hair was relatively short and a soft brown color, seeming to move effortlessly on the hair. Her eyes, a startling green, were always alert and curious. Zhang He found she was extremely intelligent and that she had learned it all when she was a small girl. This was the main reason Zhuge Liang had loved her. Zhang He and Yue Ying became friends quite quickly and one night she told him the story of how her and Zhuge Liang had come to be.
When she was sixteen, Yue Ying had no intentions of being married at all. She was quite unlike the other girls and studied war, geography, strategy and riding, while they were learning how to be polite and make themselves look nice. One day her father invited Zhuge Liang (who was seventeen at the time) over to hear of his intelligence. The first time Zhuge Liang saw Yue Ying he promised himself he would go to any feats to woo her. But Yue Ying was rude to him on purpose, trying to shake off the strange feeling she got when she looked at him.
But Zhuge Liang didn't give up. He knew the smartest woman in all of China would be his, as he was supposedly the smartest man. He sent her all the gifs his money could buy, but she still rejected him. Yue Ying was not so cheap as to get married without loving someone; she was not some prize to be won. Finally, she offered Zhuge Liang a challenge. If he could defeat her on a battlefield, then he would gain ownership of her. He agreed and the battle was on.
Yue Ying, certain there was no way he could win against her juggernauts and trained lady guards, waited at the top of the hill. But Zhuge Liang did get through them all without injuring a single one. He got to the top and fought with Yue Ying, never striking her but blocking all her moves. He was purposely tiring her out. Finally, When Yue Ying could fight no more, she dropped o her knees and admitted defeat. "Very well, Lord Zhuge Liang." She had said with rage. "I will be your servant." But Zhuge Liang's expression had softened. He brought her to her feet and pulled her close.
"I never wanted you to be my servant, Yue Ying, I wanted you to marry me. Please . . . I'm quite certain I love you . . ." And Yue Ying finally saw and finally realized he loved him as well and they were married.
Zhang He also met with Jiang Wei, Zhuge Liang's 'son'. At first, Zhang he was confused as to how a twenty-two year old man could have a fourteen-year- old son, but Yue Ying told him that Jiang Wei wasn't actually their real son and that Zhuge Liang had found him orphaned in a destroyed village when Jiang Wei was ten and, taking pity, decided to 'adopt' him. They were more like brothers, in fact, but they decided to call him their son. One reason for this is Yue Ying was incapable of bearing a child. Her and Zhuge Liang had tried, but the time Yue Ying managed to become pregnant, it ended in a miscarriage, which had almost cost Yue Ying her life as well. Jiang Wei was a tall and thin boy with very sleek hair he kept in a ponytail, he was still learning the finer points of fighting, but was eager to impress Zhuge Liang, whom he addressed as 'Prime Minister'. In Jiang Wei's book, Zhuge Liang was God. To him, Zhuge Liang knew everything, could handle anything and was the person to go to first if anything unusual happened. He was always alert around Zhuge Liang and eager to prove himself time and time again. Zhang He supposed this was because he wanted to repay Zhuge Liang in some way, but he could never be sure.
The next person that had joined their merry band was Zhao Yun. He was tall with perfect hair that always seemed to flip in the perfect way. He was so handsome that you couldn't even call it that. They only way to describe it was pretty. Zhang He half expected a sparkle to shine of his perfectly straight teeth. His body was the perfect mixture between muscular and thin and he only wore the finest of silk robes. Zhao Yun was beautiful. He had done amazing deeds, like fighting his way single handedly through the entire of the Wei forces to save a kidnapped child and emerging with not even on scratch. He was noble, chivalrous, kind, good-natured, almost sickeningly charming and, as Zhang He soon saw, horribly perverted. The second he'd set eyes on Diao Chan he was standing in front of her, his hands on her shoulders, flashing his sparkling smile.
"My, my. Who is this lovely creature?" He asked, staring hungrily at her body. Diao Chan struggled a bit.
"Umm . . . I'm Diao Chan." She smiled, trying to pick of his hands. When she finally got it off, Zhao Yun just replaced it on her backside. She screamed and Zhang He raced forward, punching Zhao Yun on top of his head.
"Don't touch my wife!" He yelled at Zhao Yun, who apologized in a very charismatic way. Zhang he thought he'd cured Zhao Yun's wandering hands, but sadly this was not true. After Diao Chan, he went in search of all the other women in the house. He grabbed the rear of Da Qiao, the chest of Zhen Ji, tried to kiss Xiao Qiao, and said some naughty things to Sun Shang Xiang. As they say, every action must have a equal and opposite reaction, so he was pummeled by Sun Ce, nearly cut in half by Zhang Liao, beaten to a bloody pulp by Zhou Yu, and cursed with dark magic by Sima Yi (Needless to say, Sun Shang Xiang helped, too).
"Are there no single women in this entire kingdom of Shi?" He asked exasperatedly.
"Well, there's Mitsuko, but-" It was too late, Zhao Yun had already gone. This pervert learned his lesson for a while with Mitsuko. Enough said.
Mitsuko herself was now screaming up to Zhang He excitedly, still waving around her paper with Kawaii-Sama still on her shoulder. Zhang He ambled down to her, eager to see what the commotion was about.
"Zhang He! Zhang He!" She squeaked as she raced up to Zhang He. "I got a letter from my big brother!" Zhang He plucked the letter out of her nearly trembling hand and looked at it. It was in Hiragana, a Japanese alphabet.
"Could you read it to me, please?" He asked, still feeling confused. She nodded and took back the parchment.
"It says: Dear little sister,
You had better hurry back to Japan. I've found where Jiten is, and your not going to be happy about it. Nobunaga – Oh, Nobunga was the Lord that wanted me for his bride." Mitsuko informed and went on reading. "Nobunaga captured him that day you escaped and still has him in his fortress. There's also something else you should know, but I don't think it would be good to tell you in a letter. What we need to do is storm that damn Nobunaga's castle and take back Jiten. I've hired to strongest warriors I could find. We've got the rebel Yukimura Sanada and his partner Kunoichi, the mysterious Mitsuhide Akechi, the powerhouse Keiji Maeda, the Ninja Hanzo Hattori, the strategist Shingen Takeda, the war master Kenshin Uesugi, Nobunaga's rebellious sister Oichi, the mercenary Magoichi Saika, Okuni the Miko, the ambitious Masamune Date, and the master thief Goemon Ishikawa. All we're missing is you. Bring any help you can, Nobunaga's got some surprises of his own. I look forward to seeing you again, my sister, Hyuga" Kawaii-Sama munched away on the thing in her mouth while Mitsuko stared up at Zhang He. "Can I please leave, Zhang He? This may be my last chance to save Jiten."
"Of course you can go! Infact, I'll come with you and I'll bring troops and some officers of my own! Didn't I say I'd help you get back to Jiten no matter what?"
The next thing Zhang He knew he was on a boat to Japan with Zhou Yu, Sun Ce, Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, Gan Ning, Yue Ying and Mitsuko.
"You will love it in Japan!" Mitsuko was telling them as she pulled Kawaii- Sama of her shoulder and put her down beside her. "It's the best country in the world!"
"How do we talk to the people there?" Sun Ce asked in a belligerent way. He was upset that Da Qiao couldn't come. Mitsuko put a finger to her lips.
"I don't know . . . I guess I could translate for you." She pondered. "Sima Yi, too."
"I only know a little . . ." Sima Yi shrugged.
"You know enough to get by." She shrugged off. The trip took nearly two weeks. When they were close to the end Zhang He decided that he hated sailing and everything to do with it. It had been day after day of seasickness and stuffiness. Plus, Zhou Yu and Sun Ce and a few others were showing signs of disease. Zhang He'd heard stories of a plague that spread on boats and he wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. He heard that you got swelling black balls coming from you neck and armpits and several other places, and that these were actually lymph nodes. They'd swell and swell and finally they'd burst, spewing black blood. If you got anywhere near a person carrying the disease, dead or alive, you were sure to die of it as well. This, frankly, terrified Zhang He.
But no one caught the plague. They arrive on the soil of Japan feeling reasonably fine. They all wobbled out of the boat, the solid ground feeling alien underneath their feet. The very second Zhang He emerged from the boat and looked around he spotted a tall man standing about ten feet away from him.
He was tall and hard eyed with a tiny bit of stubble on his chin. His hair was pulled back and flayed out at the back of his head. He wore orange- scaled armor and large black hakama that was pulled in so his feet were free. A pair of Zori sandals were on his feet and he wore Tabi socks with them. His eyebrows were heavy and they shaded his alert-looking eyes. His face, though quite young, looked as if there was the mind of a wise old man behind it, someone who learned from unfortunate experience. A long black Katana swung at his side along with a smaller dagger. His fierce expression softened when he saw Mitsuko and his head fell a little to the side. He said something gruffly in Japanese to her and she hugged him briefly.
"Zhang He, everyone, this is my big brother Hyuga!" Mitsuko said, gesturing towards the fierce man. He bowed to them and spoke in broken Chinese.
"First time to meet this person." He said with a hollow smile. "Sento Hyuga Desu."
"He means his name is Sento Hyuga." Mitsuko translated, smiling. Hyuga led them to a wall of a large fort and open the gates.
"Irashmase Dozo . . ." He said, waving them in. Inside were warriors of every size, shape and gender. Mitsuko greeted some of them, talking excitedly in her native language. Zhang He and the rest of the officers from Shi stood together, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Mitsuko trotted back to them, holding Kawaii-Sama.
"Let me introduce you to everyone." She said. "This is Oichi . . ."
Oichi was a short girl that reminded him of Xiao Qiao very much. She was bright, cheerful and had hair the color of leaves in autumn. Her weapon was quite unusual, it was a sort of large pearl attached to string, which coiled up inside of a cylinder shaped handle. When she swung it around it would smack into whoever got in her way; strange, but useful.
Next were Kunoichi and Sanada. These two were like partners in crime. Sanada was a fiery young man who didn't stop fighting for anything and Kunoichi was a girl who'd tear you to pieces soon as look at you if Sanada gave the order. They were a great fighting team.
Next came Keiji, a towering man with a mane of white hair. He had fun while battling, it was said. He treated life like life treated him and was supposedly optimistic. Then there was Goemon Ishikawa, the foolish man who somehow had become a master thief. Mitsuhide Akechi was a man who used to work for Nobunaga but had recently rebelled. His hair was long dark and straight and his eyes were always swimming with some plot. Kenshin, the war master, wore a very unusual turban-like hat and had found his 'Nemesis', who turned out to be Shingen, a quiet strategist with a mask. Another person (who was supposed to be quite fast talking around the ladies) was Magoichi. He used a gun for his weapon and always wore a crooked smile. Masamune Date was a short little man who hardly reached fourteen and was leading his own army. He donned silver armor and wore and eye patch over his left eye.
Okuni was a very pretty woman who'd had some history with Mitsuko. She was the priestess, or Miko, of a Shinto temple near to Mitsuko's home. They were almost like sisters. Okuni fought with her Sakura pattern umbrella. All she really wanted was a man by her side, but as misfortune would have it, she never met the right man. She was very lovely and had much talent, so Zhang He couldn't understand why she was not married. Mitsuko told him every man she ever became infatuated with was killed, lost, kidnapped or met some other unfortunate fate. Zhang He supposed she was never meant to have love, though she was quite in love with the idea of love itself! After they'd all met up and Zhang He introduced himself and the others (Gan Ning made a fool of himself by "Ninging" in Kunoichi's face and got pummeled) they sat down and listened to Hyuga.
Zhang He saw by the way he spoke and gave orders he was a very intense person and maybe just a tad arrogant to his enemies. Mitsuko whispered what was going on to him while the meeting was going in Chinese. They were going to storm the castle, apparently and get Jiten out. Hyuga had said that Jiten had been put under some sort of spell and that his 'soul' had been removed and stored somewhere so that Nobunaga had total control over him. Mitsuko sounded very distressed at this thought and tear up a bit at the end.
When night fell, everyone suited up for battle. Hyuga led them through a dark city towards a tall Japanese palace. They weaved through the sleepy buildings quietly, growing ever closer to their target. When they reached the large double doors leading into the palace, Keiji eliminated the two guards and Hyuga kicked open the door. Inside it smelled of tatami mats and was rather simple for a palace entrance way. Mitsuko cut down the sliding doors and padded down the halls, cutting down the ninjas that got in her way. Zhang He followed behind the large group using his Talons when needed. Then, the floor suddenly sank down on him.
"Duck!" Yelled Mitsuko. Zhang He fell flat on his stomach just in time for a metal blade to shoot through the area where his chest recently was. Zhou Yu helped him out of the pit with his free hand.
"Nobunaga's got traps set up everywhere, keep on the lookout!" Someone ahead alerted. They continued on, passing levels upon levels of highly trained Ninja's, floor traps, mines, shurikens and more. Finally they reached a door with golden cranes painted on it. Mitsuko slide it open to reveal a man in black armor and a long cape staring out into the night sky from his balcony.
Hyuga didn't wait for words. He launched straight forward at the man, who was obviously Nobunaga, but suddenly countered out of the shadows. It was a boy of about thirteen with soft looking skin and lovely hair. He carried a sword that was probably taller than himself.
"Arigato, Ranmaru . . ." Nobunaga growled in his deep, yet placid voice. Ranmaru, who Zhang He guessed to be the boy, stood on his guard protecting Nobunaga who hadn't turned around yet. A woman sauntered in, looking casual and snobbish. Her silver hair was done up in a strange fashion and she loosely wore a silk purple kimono.
"Noh-Hime!" Oichi exclaimed at the sight of her. She asked her another question in Japanese. Noh-Hime laughed a bit in a haughty way and flipped her hair, answering coldly. Nobunaga seemed to be taunting Mitsuko, telling her things that made her snarl and grasp her Katana tighter and tighter. He laughed in a high, cruel way, and then snapped his fingers. A man jumped down from the roof and kneeled before them all. He wore a peasant's Kimono of pale tan but his face looked very unusual. His hair was a rich reddish-brown and stuck out funny in some places. It was tied high and fell into a long ponytail that grew down to his back, it was probably to his legs when untied. His face was long and had a few stray whiskers on his chin. A small scar was on his left cheekbone and then Zhang He saw his eyes. They had no pupils. They were empty blue-gray circle, devoid of life, missing a soul. These eyes, which could have probably been bright and cheerful, were totally cleared of any emotion at all. He grasped a Kusarigama, which was a Japanese fighting sickle with a long chain attached to the end of the handle and weight at the end of the chain. The chain was in a glittering pile at his feet and he stood as still as a statue.
"Jiten!" Mitsuko whined, dropping her katana. She ran to his side, touching his arm. "Daijobu desu ka?" She continued, sounding concerned. There was no response.
"Korosu . . ." Said Nobunaga with a malicious grin. Jiten suddenly sprung to life. He stood up, knocking Mitsuko over. He swung his chain around, lassoing Mitsuko neck. She squirmed, clawing at her throat as Hyuga stepped forward, grabbing onto Jiten's wrist, trying to get the weapon out of his grip. Keiji roared and ran forward, attacking Nobunaga who blocked without so much as blinking. Okuni and Akechi went for Noh-Hime as the rest of them swarmed Ranmaru, who turned out to be much more of challenge than he looked. Zhang He went to help Mitsuko, carefully unwinding the chain from her neck and handing her the katana. She took a few rasping breaths then took the blade into her hand. A second later Hyuga fell backwards and Jiten on top of him. Hyuga put his legs out at just the right time, causing Jiten to flip over. He lay there for a moment, stunned, then, fast as lighting, he flipped back up and threw out his hooked weapon, slashing Hyuga on the arm. Hyuga made a short hissing noise and gripped his arm, the blood seeping through his fingers. He used a crescent kick on Jiten and it connected with his head. Zhang He saw him use enough force to perhaps break a man's neck, but Jiten barely exhaled after impact. A cut was bleeding from his eyebrow, but he didn't seemed to notice. A piercing scream resonated from the other room and Zhang He saw Noh-Hime fall down.
"Noh-Hime!" Bellowed Nobunaga in surprise, rage and horror. He roared and a red wave of energy flew out from him, paralyzing most around him. Zhou Yu struck with the Ancient's sword but it simply deflected off his armor. Ranmaru got knocked out by Sun Ce's Tonfa, but shortly after Sun Ce sank to his knees as well, panting. He charged towards Zhang he and Hyuga, leaving them no time to fight back. Just as Zhang he thought it was all over, a blur of white appeared and jumped onto Nobunaga's head. It was Kawaii- Sama. She was holding back Nobunaga while he raged, scraping at his face. She then jumped off, leaving him dazed and confused. Hyuga took his chance on Nobunaga, using his master sword skill. Nobunaga was knocked against the wall and Zhang He ran up, suppressing him while Hyuga dealt the final blow. He took his shorter dagger and jammed it swiftly between Nobunaga's eyes. He choked for a moment, said one final thing in his language, and then died with his eyes open. Hyuga flashed Zhang He a gruff smile and they went towards Mitsuko.
She was fighting very quickly with Jiten. Sparks flew from their blades every few second and the clink of metal was constant. Mitsuko seemed to have the favor in the fight because of her speediness and insight to her opponent. She knew the blocks and counters by heart it seemed. Suddenly, Zhang He noticed she was crying. He was goig forward to assist her but Hyuga shot out his arm, barring him from going any closer.
"Yameru . . ." He said, and Zhang He seemed to understand. This was Mitsuko's 'one fight'. Every man or woman would have only one fight in his or her life and no one could change the outcome of it or help them. It was theirs and theirs alone. Mitsuko side kicked Jiten once and he didn't buckle. He attacked her, ripping her clothes a bit in the front and lightly scratching the surface of her skin, drawing blood to stain the white of his clothes. She winced a bit and went back to fighting. She then used all the Ki she could muster up and launched a kick so powerful it knocked him over instantly. She put her right knee on Jiten's chest and her other against his legs, trapping him. Then she aimed her sword right over his neck. Then, she just froze. A drop of sweat rolled down her cheek, followed by another tear. Her eyes were wide and unmoving, staring into the empty shell of Jiten. He made no move; he just lay there, waiting for death to come. Did he really not recognize Mitsuko? Suddenly Mitsuko started to shake and her face twisted into an expression of pain and turmoil.
"I can't kill you . . ." She said in Chinese, her voice constricted. "I could never kill you. She dropped her Katana to the side, the sword making a low clattering sound. She moved off of Jiten, who rose violently again. She was thrown backward and there she lay, not making any move. "I'd rather be killed by you that murder you. . ." she whispered, tears and sweat pouring down her face. Jiten made a move to kill her, but she sat up and threw her arms around him, draping herself over the man. He then slowed, a sort of flickering in his eyes happening.
"Remember the fireworks?" She whispered near his ear. His mouth fell open limply a bit and he dropped the sickle next to her fallen blade. His eyes started to become normal again, regain his pupils and shine. He blinked stupidly a few times, and then fell over backwards.
"Mitsuko . . ." He croaked hoarsely, putting his scarred hand on her back. She grabbed his hand and pulled hit to her chest, clutching dearly, her expression asking if she dare believe it. He looked sideways at everything around him then sighed. "How was China?" He asked weakly in Chinese, trying to put a tone in as if he was enjoying an afternoon visit.
"Jiten!" She yelped, holding him tightly and weeping.
Everyone had gotten back safely and was resting up at the camp. Jiten was finally feeling his injuries and Mitsuko was helping him get bandaged up. All the other warriors, satisfied with Nobunaga's death, had departed on friendly terms. Gan Ning was celebrating and Zhao Yun was hitting on Okuni, who's home was so near she didn't need to leave immediately. Zhang He could feel a slap coming on . . .
"I didn't know you could speak Chinese, Jiten . . ." Zhang He said when things had truly settled down. He laughed.
"Are you kidding? I was the one who taught it to Mitsuko!" Jiten said. Zhang He was very impressed with him. They all spent the night at the camp and packed up their belongings in the morning. Zhang He spoke to Mitsuko at the door.
"Thank you for everything, Zhang He." She said, seeming like a totally different woman. A certain coldness had disappeared from her eyes.
"Thank you, Mitsuko. You are one of the strongest most loyal members in the kingdom of Shi. I'm sure going to miss you." Zhang He finished sadly.
"As will I, but don't worry, Jiten and I plan on taking many trips to China! If we're ever in the area we'll find you!" She laughed a bit. "Yakusoku."
"Farewell, Mitsuko." Zhang He said. Then he stopped. "Oh, wait. I mean, Sayonara!" She laughed again as the all left the camp. She didn't stop waving until Zhang He was completely out of sight.
It would be another two weeks before Zhang He returned home again, but when he got there, he certainly felt a strange loss. Mitsuko had not only been a general of his, she'd been his friend. Shi wouldn't be the same without her. But the sadness of losing Mitsuko faded away in time. The sadness perhaps left, but the memories were never forgotten.
it.
Enjoy!
Part 4
Fall of the Flaming God
Chapter 48
Only a True Samurai
"ZHANG HE! ZHAAAANG HE!" For some reason Mitsuko had come to Zhang He's home and was waving around a piece of paper down in the courtyard. Zhang He sighed. Things were just quieting down again. . . Zhang He thought disappointedly. It had been a week since Guan Yu and Zhao Yun had joined their forces. They'd all returned home to find Zhuge Liang, Jiang Wei ad Yue Ying. Zhang He took an instant Liking to Yue Ying, who reminded him very much of Rai Tso.
She was short and had a tiny frame, but you really didn't notice that because of the clothes she wore. Clad in silver and green armor and wearing a helmet, she looked like a warrior ready for battle. Her hair was relatively short and a soft brown color, seeming to move effortlessly on the hair. Her eyes, a startling green, were always alert and curious. Zhang He found she was extremely intelligent and that she had learned it all when she was a small girl. This was the main reason Zhuge Liang had loved her. Zhang He and Yue Ying became friends quite quickly and one night she told him the story of how her and Zhuge Liang had come to be.
When she was sixteen, Yue Ying had no intentions of being married at all. She was quite unlike the other girls and studied war, geography, strategy and riding, while they were learning how to be polite and make themselves look nice. One day her father invited Zhuge Liang (who was seventeen at the time) over to hear of his intelligence. The first time Zhuge Liang saw Yue Ying he promised himself he would go to any feats to woo her. But Yue Ying was rude to him on purpose, trying to shake off the strange feeling she got when she looked at him.
But Zhuge Liang didn't give up. He knew the smartest woman in all of China would be his, as he was supposedly the smartest man. He sent her all the gifs his money could buy, but she still rejected him. Yue Ying was not so cheap as to get married without loving someone; she was not some prize to be won. Finally, she offered Zhuge Liang a challenge. If he could defeat her on a battlefield, then he would gain ownership of her. He agreed and the battle was on.
Yue Ying, certain there was no way he could win against her juggernauts and trained lady guards, waited at the top of the hill. But Zhuge Liang did get through them all without injuring a single one. He got to the top and fought with Yue Ying, never striking her but blocking all her moves. He was purposely tiring her out. Finally, When Yue Ying could fight no more, she dropped o her knees and admitted defeat. "Very well, Lord Zhuge Liang." She had said with rage. "I will be your servant." But Zhuge Liang's expression had softened. He brought her to her feet and pulled her close.
"I never wanted you to be my servant, Yue Ying, I wanted you to marry me. Please . . . I'm quite certain I love you . . ." And Yue Ying finally saw and finally realized he loved him as well and they were married.
Zhang He also met with Jiang Wei, Zhuge Liang's 'son'. At first, Zhang he was confused as to how a twenty-two year old man could have a fourteen-year- old son, but Yue Ying told him that Jiang Wei wasn't actually their real son and that Zhuge Liang had found him orphaned in a destroyed village when Jiang Wei was ten and, taking pity, decided to 'adopt' him. They were more like brothers, in fact, but they decided to call him their son. One reason for this is Yue Ying was incapable of bearing a child. Her and Zhuge Liang had tried, but the time Yue Ying managed to become pregnant, it ended in a miscarriage, which had almost cost Yue Ying her life as well. Jiang Wei was a tall and thin boy with very sleek hair he kept in a ponytail, he was still learning the finer points of fighting, but was eager to impress Zhuge Liang, whom he addressed as 'Prime Minister'. In Jiang Wei's book, Zhuge Liang was God. To him, Zhuge Liang knew everything, could handle anything and was the person to go to first if anything unusual happened. He was always alert around Zhuge Liang and eager to prove himself time and time again. Zhang He supposed this was because he wanted to repay Zhuge Liang in some way, but he could never be sure.
The next person that had joined their merry band was Zhao Yun. He was tall with perfect hair that always seemed to flip in the perfect way. He was so handsome that you couldn't even call it that. They only way to describe it was pretty. Zhang He half expected a sparkle to shine of his perfectly straight teeth. His body was the perfect mixture between muscular and thin and he only wore the finest of silk robes. Zhao Yun was beautiful. He had done amazing deeds, like fighting his way single handedly through the entire of the Wei forces to save a kidnapped child and emerging with not even on scratch. He was noble, chivalrous, kind, good-natured, almost sickeningly charming and, as Zhang He soon saw, horribly perverted. The second he'd set eyes on Diao Chan he was standing in front of her, his hands on her shoulders, flashing his sparkling smile.
"My, my. Who is this lovely creature?" He asked, staring hungrily at her body. Diao Chan struggled a bit.
"Umm . . . I'm Diao Chan." She smiled, trying to pick of his hands. When she finally got it off, Zhao Yun just replaced it on her backside. She screamed and Zhang He raced forward, punching Zhao Yun on top of his head.
"Don't touch my wife!" He yelled at Zhao Yun, who apologized in a very charismatic way. Zhang he thought he'd cured Zhao Yun's wandering hands, but sadly this was not true. After Diao Chan, he went in search of all the other women in the house. He grabbed the rear of Da Qiao, the chest of Zhen Ji, tried to kiss Xiao Qiao, and said some naughty things to Sun Shang Xiang. As they say, every action must have a equal and opposite reaction, so he was pummeled by Sun Ce, nearly cut in half by Zhang Liao, beaten to a bloody pulp by Zhou Yu, and cursed with dark magic by Sima Yi (Needless to say, Sun Shang Xiang helped, too).
"Are there no single women in this entire kingdom of Shi?" He asked exasperatedly.
"Well, there's Mitsuko, but-" It was too late, Zhao Yun had already gone. This pervert learned his lesson for a while with Mitsuko. Enough said.
Mitsuko herself was now screaming up to Zhang He excitedly, still waving around her paper with Kawaii-Sama still on her shoulder. Zhang He ambled down to her, eager to see what the commotion was about.
"Zhang He! Zhang He!" She squeaked as she raced up to Zhang He. "I got a letter from my big brother!" Zhang He plucked the letter out of her nearly trembling hand and looked at it. It was in Hiragana, a Japanese alphabet.
"Could you read it to me, please?" He asked, still feeling confused. She nodded and took back the parchment.
"It says: Dear little sister,
You had better hurry back to Japan. I've found where Jiten is, and your not going to be happy about it. Nobunaga – Oh, Nobunga was the Lord that wanted me for his bride." Mitsuko informed and went on reading. "Nobunaga captured him that day you escaped and still has him in his fortress. There's also something else you should know, but I don't think it would be good to tell you in a letter. What we need to do is storm that damn Nobunaga's castle and take back Jiten. I've hired to strongest warriors I could find. We've got the rebel Yukimura Sanada and his partner Kunoichi, the mysterious Mitsuhide Akechi, the powerhouse Keiji Maeda, the Ninja Hanzo Hattori, the strategist Shingen Takeda, the war master Kenshin Uesugi, Nobunaga's rebellious sister Oichi, the mercenary Magoichi Saika, Okuni the Miko, the ambitious Masamune Date, and the master thief Goemon Ishikawa. All we're missing is you. Bring any help you can, Nobunaga's got some surprises of his own. I look forward to seeing you again, my sister, Hyuga" Kawaii-Sama munched away on the thing in her mouth while Mitsuko stared up at Zhang He. "Can I please leave, Zhang He? This may be my last chance to save Jiten."
"Of course you can go! Infact, I'll come with you and I'll bring troops and some officers of my own! Didn't I say I'd help you get back to Jiten no matter what?"
The next thing Zhang He knew he was on a boat to Japan with Zhou Yu, Sun Ce, Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, Gan Ning, Yue Ying and Mitsuko.
"You will love it in Japan!" Mitsuko was telling them as she pulled Kawaii- Sama of her shoulder and put her down beside her. "It's the best country in the world!"
"How do we talk to the people there?" Sun Ce asked in a belligerent way. He was upset that Da Qiao couldn't come. Mitsuko put a finger to her lips.
"I don't know . . . I guess I could translate for you." She pondered. "Sima Yi, too."
"I only know a little . . ." Sima Yi shrugged.
"You know enough to get by." She shrugged off. The trip took nearly two weeks. When they were close to the end Zhang He decided that he hated sailing and everything to do with it. It had been day after day of seasickness and stuffiness. Plus, Zhou Yu and Sun Ce and a few others were showing signs of disease. Zhang He'd heard stories of a plague that spread on boats and he wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. He heard that you got swelling black balls coming from you neck and armpits and several other places, and that these were actually lymph nodes. They'd swell and swell and finally they'd burst, spewing black blood. If you got anywhere near a person carrying the disease, dead or alive, you were sure to die of it as well. This, frankly, terrified Zhang He.
But no one caught the plague. They arrive on the soil of Japan feeling reasonably fine. They all wobbled out of the boat, the solid ground feeling alien underneath their feet. The very second Zhang He emerged from the boat and looked around he spotted a tall man standing about ten feet away from him.
He was tall and hard eyed with a tiny bit of stubble on his chin. His hair was pulled back and flayed out at the back of his head. He wore orange- scaled armor and large black hakama that was pulled in so his feet were free. A pair of Zori sandals were on his feet and he wore Tabi socks with them. His eyebrows were heavy and they shaded his alert-looking eyes. His face, though quite young, looked as if there was the mind of a wise old man behind it, someone who learned from unfortunate experience. A long black Katana swung at his side along with a smaller dagger. His fierce expression softened when he saw Mitsuko and his head fell a little to the side. He said something gruffly in Japanese to her and she hugged him briefly.
"Zhang He, everyone, this is my big brother Hyuga!" Mitsuko said, gesturing towards the fierce man. He bowed to them and spoke in broken Chinese.
"First time to meet this person." He said with a hollow smile. "Sento Hyuga Desu."
"He means his name is Sento Hyuga." Mitsuko translated, smiling. Hyuga led them to a wall of a large fort and open the gates.
"Irashmase Dozo . . ." He said, waving them in. Inside were warriors of every size, shape and gender. Mitsuko greeted some of them, talking excitedly in her native language. Zhang He and the rest of the officers from Shi stood together, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Mitsuko trotted back to them, holding Kawaii-Sama.
"Let me introduce you to everyone." She said. "This is Oichi . . ."
Oichi was a short girl that reminded him of Xiao Qiao very much. She was bright, cheerful and had hair the color of leaves in autumn. Her weapon was quite unusual, it was a sort of large pearl attached to string, which coiled up inside of a cylinder shaped handle. When she swung it around it would smack into whoever got in her way; strange, but useful.
Next were Kunoichi and Sanada. These two were like partners in crime. Sanada was a fiery young man who didn't stop fighting for anything and Kunoichi was a girl who'd tear you to pieces soon as look at you if Sanada gave the order. They were a great fighting team.
Next came Keiji, a towering man with a mane of white hair. He had fun while battling, it was said. He treated life like life treated him and was supposedly optimistic. Then there was Goemon Ishikawa, the foolish man who somehow had become a master thief. Mitsuhide Akechi was a man who used to work for Nobunaga but had recently rebelled. His hair was long dark and straight and his eyes were always swimming with some plot. Kenshin, the war master, wore a very unusual turban-like hat and had found his 'Nemesis', who turned out to be Shingen, a quiet strategist with a mask. Another person (who was supposed to be quite fast talking around the ladies) was Magoichi. He used a gun for his weapon and always wore a crooked smile. Masamune Date was a short little man who hardly reached fourteen and was leading his own army. He donned silver armor and wore and eye patch over his left eye.
Okuni was a very pretty woman who'd had some history with Mitsuko. She was the priestess, or Miko, of a Shinto temple near to Mitsuko's home. They were almost like sisters. Okuni fought with her Sakura pattern umbrella. All she really wanted was a man by her side, but as misfortune would have it, she never met the right man. She was very lovely and had much talent, so Zhang He couldn't understand why she was not married. Mitsuko told him every man she ever became infatuated with was killed, lost, kidnapped or met some other unfortunate fate. Zhang He supposed she was never meant to have love, though she was quite in love with the idea of love itself! After they'd all met up and Zhang He introduced himself and the others (Gan Ning made a fool of himself by "Ninging" in Kunoichi's face and got pummeled) they sat down and listened to Hyuga.
Zhang He saw by the way he spoke and gave orders he was a very intense person and maybe just a tad arrogant to his enemies. Mitsuko whispered what was going on to him while the meeting was going in Chinese. They were going to storm the castle, apparently and get Jiten out. Hyuga had said that Jiten had been put under some sort of spell and that his 'soul' had been removed and stored somewhere so that Nobunaga had total control over him. Mitsuko sounded very distressed at this thought and tear up a bit at the end.
When night fell, everyone suited up for battle. Hyuga led them through a dark city towards a tall Japanese palace. They weaved through the sleepy buildings quietly, growing ever closer to their target. When they reached the large double doors leading into the palace, Keiji eliminated the two guards and Hyuga kicked open the door. Inside it smelled of tatami mats and was rather simple for a palace entrance way. Mitsuko cut down the sliding doors and padded down the halls, cutting down the ninjas that got in her way. Zhang He followed behind the large group using his Talons when needed. Then, the floor suddenly sank down on him.
"Duck!" Yelled Mitsuko. Zhang He fell flat on his stomach just in time for a metal blade to shoot through the area where his chest recently was. Zhou Yu helped him out of the pit with his free hand.
"Nobunaga's got traps set up everywhere, keep on the lookout!" Someone ahead alerted. They continued on, passing levels upon levels of highly trained Ninja's, floor traps, mines, shurikens and more. Finally they reached a door with golden cranes painted on it. Mitsuko slide it open to reveal a man in black armor and a long cape staring out into the night sky from his balcony.
Hyuga didn't wait for words. He launched straight forward at the man, who was obviously Nobunaga, but suddenly countered out of the shadows. It was a boy of about thirteen with soft looking skin and lovely hair. He carried a sword that was probably taller than himself.
"Arigato, Ranmaru . . ." Nobunaga growled in his deep, yet placid voice. Ranmaru, who Zhang He guessed to be the boy, stood on his guard protecting Nobunaga who hadn't turned around yet. A woman sauntered in, looking casual and snobbish. Her silver hair was done up in a strange fashion and she loosely wore a silk purple kimono.
"Noh-Hime!" Oichi exclaimed at the sight of her. She asked her another question in Japanese. Noh-Hime laughed a bit in a haughty way and flipped her hair, answering coldly. Nobunaga seemed to be taunting Mitsuko, telling her things that made her snarl and grasp her Katana tighter and tighter. He laughed in a high, cruel way, and then snapped his fingers. A man jumped down from the roof and kneeled before them all. He wore a peasant's Kimono of pale tan but his face looked very unusual. His hair was a rich reddish-brown and stuck out funny in some places. It was tied high and fell into a long ponytail that grew down to his back, it was probably to his legs when untied. His face was long and had a few stray whiskers on his chin. A small scar was on his left cheekbone and then Zhang He saw his eyes. They had no pupils. They were empty blue-gray circle, devoid of life, missing a soul. These eyes, which could have probably been bright and cheerful, were totally cleared of any emotion at all. He grasped a Kusarigama, which was a Japanese fighting sickle with a long chain attached to the end of the handle and weight at the end of the chain. The chain was in a glittering pile at his feet and he stood as still as a statue.
"Jiten!" Mitsuko whined, dropping her katana. She ran to his side, touching his arm. "Daijobu desu ka?" She continued, sounding concerned. There was no response.
"Korosu . . ." Said Nobunaga with a malicious grin. Jiten suddenly sprung to life. He stood up, knocking Mitsuko over. He swung his chain around, lassoing Mitsuko neck. She squirmed, clawing at her throat as Hyuga stepped forward, grabbing onto Jiten's wrist, trying to get the weapon out of his grip. Keiji roared and ran forward, attacking Nobunaga who blocked without so much as blinking. Okuni and Akechi went for Noh-Hime as the rest of them swarmed Ranmaru, who turned out to be much more of challenge than he looked. Zhang He went to help Mitsuko, carefully unwinding the chain from her neck and handing her the katana. She took a few rasping breaths then took the blade into her hand. A second later Hyuga fell backwards and Jiten on top of him. Hyuga put his legs out at just the right time, causing Jiten to flip over. He lay there for a moment, stunned, then, fast as lighting, he flipped back up and threw out his hooked weapon, slashing Hyuga on the arm. Hyuga made a short hissing noise and gripped his arm, the blood seeping through his fingers. He used a crescent kick on Jiten and it connected with his head. Zhang He saw him use enough force to perhaps break a man's neck, but Jiten barely exhaled after impact. A cut was bleeding from his eyebrow, but he didn't seemed to notice. A piercing scream resonated from the other room and Zhang He saw Noh-Hime fall down.
"Noh-Hime!" Bellowed Nobunaga in surprise, rage and horror. He roared and a red wave of energy flew out from him, paralyzing most around him. Zhou Yu struck with the Ancient's sword but it simply deflected off his armor. Ranmaru got knocked out by Sun Ce's Tonfa, but shortly after Sun Ce sank to his knees as well, panting. He charged towards Zhang he and Hyuga, leaving them no time to fight back. Just as Zhang he thought it was all over, a blur of white appeared and jumped onto Nobunaga's head. It was Kawaii- Sama. She was holding back Nobunaga while he raged, scraping at his face. She then jumped off, leaving him dazed and confused. Hyuga took his chance on Nobunaga, using his master sword skill. Nobunaga was knocked against the wall and Zhang He ran up, suppressing him while Hyuga dealt the final blow. He took his shorter dagger and jammed it swiftly between Nobunaga's eyes. He choked for a moment, said one final thing in his language, and then died with his eyes open. Hyuga flashed Zhang He a gruff smile and they went towards Mitsuko.
She was fighting very quickly with Jiten. Sparks flew from their blades every few second and the clink of metal was constant. Mitsuko seemed to have the favor in the fight because of her speediness and insight to her opponent. She knew the blocks and counters by heart it seemed. Suddenly, Zhang He noticed she was crying. He was goig forward to assist her but Hyuga shot out his arm, barring him from going any closer.
"Yameru . . ." He said, and Zhang He seemed to understand. This was Mitsuko's 'one fight'. Every man or woman would have only one fight in his or her life and no one could change the outcome of it or help them. It was theirs and theirs alone. Mitsuko side kicked Jiten once and he didn't buckle. He attacked her, ripping her clothes a bit in the front and lightly scratching the surface of her skin, drawing blood to stain the white of his clothes. She winced a bit and went back to fighting. She then used all the Ki she could muster up and launched a kick so powerful it knocked him over instantly. She put her right knee on Jiten's chest and her other against his legs, trapping him. Then she aimed her sword right over his neck. Then, she just froze. A drop of sweat rolled down her cheek, followed by another tear. Her eyes were wide and unmoving, staring into the empty shell of Jiten. He made no move; he just lay there, waiting for death to come. Did he really not recognize Mitsuko? Suddenly Mitsuko started to shake and her face twisted into an expression of pain and turmoil.
"I can't kill you . . ." She said in Chinese, her voice constricted. "I could never kill you. She dropped her Katana to the side, the sword making a low clattering sound. She moved off of Jiten, who rose violently again. She was thrown backward and there she lay, not making any move. "I'd rather be killed by you that murder you. . ." she whispered, tears and sweat pouring down her face. Jiten made a move to kill her, but she sat up and threw her arms around him, draping herself over the man. He then slowed, a sort of flickering in his eyes happening.
"Remember the fireworks?" She whispered near his ear. His mouth fell open limply a bit and he dropped the sickle next to her fallen blade. His eyes started to become normal again, regain his pupils and shine. He blinked stupidly a few times, and then fell over backwards.
"Mitsuko . . ." He croaked hoarsely, putting his scarred hand on her back. She grabbed his hand and pulled hit to her chest, clutching dearly, her expression asking if she dare believe it. He looked sideways at everything around him then sighed. "How was China?" He asked weakly in Chinese, trying to put a tone in as if he was enjoying an afternoon visit.
"Jiten!" She yelped, holding him tightly and weeping.
Everyone had gotten back safely and was resting up at the camp. Jiten was finally feeling his injuries and Mitsuko was helping him get bandaged up. All the other warriors, satisfied with Nobunaga's death, had departed on friendly terms. Gan Ning was celebrating and Zhao Yun was hitting on Okuni, who's home was so near she didn't need to leave immediately. Zhang He could feel a slap coming on . . .
"I didn't know you could speak Chinese, Jiten . . ." Zhang He said when things had truly settled down. He laughed.
"Are you kidding? I was the one who taught it to Mitsuko!" Jiten said. Zhang He was very impressed with him. They all spent the night at the camp and packed up their belongings in the morning. Zhang He spoke to Mitsuko at the door.
"Thank you for everything, Zhang He." She said, seeming like a totally different woman. A certain coldness had disappeared from her eyes.
"Thank you, Mitsuko. You are one of the strongest most loyal members in the kingdom of Shi. I'm sure going to miss you." Zhang He finished sadly.
"As will I, but don't worry, Jiten and I plan on taking many trips to China! If we're ever in the area we'll find you!" She laughed a bit. "Yakusoku."
"Farewell, Mitsuko." Zhang He said. Then he stopped. "Oh, wait. I mean, Sayonara!" She laughed again as the all left the camp. She didn't stop waving until Zhang He was completely out of sight.
It would be another two weeks before Zhang He returned home again, but when he got there, he certainly felt a strange loss. Mitsuko had not only been a general of his, she'd been his friend. Shi wouldn't be the same without her. But the sadness of losing Mitsuko faded away in time. The sadness perhaps left, but the memories were never forgotten.