Chapter Two: Into the Hands of Hospitality

(Four Weeks Later…)

The rising sunlight that crept onto the battlefield was all too pleasing to Takeda Shingen, and the old veteran tried to breathe in the morning air without knowing what scent would replace it by the end of the day. Yes, this place screamed to become a battlefield, and soon, bloodshed would reach his nose. It could not be helped, he supposed.

Years of experience told him what to expect, what to fear, and what to appreciate. And this morning sky was one thing he never took for granted. He stretched, letting out a breath and giving a nod, "Well, hopefully the enemy will have enough respect for the morning not to start a fuss now."

But of course, it would be too hot in the midday to attack successfully, so of course, the early morning and late night would be the best time for an assault. From Uesugi Kenshin, he would expect no less.

The elderly man sighed, trying to keep such thoughts from his mind. In truth, he hated war, as many times as he had been caused to fight. He did not believe, however, in sitting back and doing nothing while others were forced to live and die in battle. That was what kept him coming back to the battlefield year after year.

"Hey there, old friend! You caused us quite a stir in camp this morning; how many times have I told you that you should not run off without telling somebody. I half-expect you just to ride off to your death!"

"Forgive me, Yukimura… I had no idea that so many people cared so much for the life of one old fool."

The veteran looked to see the younger warrior approaching him, and he wondered if he was ever that youthful before. Perhaps he was, but it's been far too long since he ever remembered having as much energy as he. He admired the youth, but he didn't show it often. "My lord, you really shouldn't put yourself down like that. You know we care about you very much."

For that, Shingen smiled, "I know… I was just messing around. How's everything looking so far? Did the enemy make any sort of movement?"

"I sent Kunoichi out, but they're silent for now." Sanada Yukimura had the face and body of a warrior, even when he was a child, it seemed to be his destiny to become a samurai. That was one of the reasons why Shingen thought himself so lucky to have him. "It seems odd, my lord. This is not like Kenshin at all."

"Indeed. Still, if our opponent has begun to adopt a new set of strategies, just to confuse us, then perhaps it is not as strange as it seems."

Yukimura sighed, nodding, "That is true. Still, I wish he would remain predictable; it is one of the few advantages we have held over him. I would hate to lose so valuable a thing."

"As would I." Shingen could only agree, scratching his nose and smiling slightly. "But then life would be a bit boring, so we can't just sit there and complain about it. Are the troops ready just in case?"

"Yes; I saw to it that every one was equipped and alert." Yukimura stated. "The only one we're waiting for now is Kunoichi to return with news on the enemy's whereabouts."

Nodding, Shingen mused, "Yes, the lady that follows you. You seem to be a bit reliant on her as of late."

This statement made Yukimura raise an eyebrow slightly, and he sent his lord a questionable look. "Sir?"

"I merely make an observation. I can remember a time when her presence more annoyed you than anything. You did not wish to use one of the ninja; you felt it went against everything you stood for. Yet, I see that now, you have come to treat her as an asset, and that you value her advice and trust her completely."

"People are people, Shingen. There can be samurai both good and bad… why would the same not be so for anything else, including these ninjas? For every light, there is a darkness. Is it so much to hope for that we could learn to use that darkness?"

The elder man smirked, "Is this your only reasoning? Perhaps, if it had been anyone else but a lady… your judgment would be different."

"Lord Shingen!"

"What? Can't an old man have his fun?" Shingen laughed vigorously, but he stopped when he caught Yukimura's blush. Calming down, he tried to come up with something serious to talk about. "Anyway, whenever she arrives, please inform me. I don't want Kenshin catching us off guard, especially now."

Thankful that his lord stopped, Yukimura nodded, his own youthful curiosity catching up to him, "Are you talking about the rumors coming from Azuchi castle?"

"Exactly… Oda Nobunaga is up to something, and something tells me that it's definitely not good."

The samurai snorted, "So what else is new? Nothing Oda does is good. I do not understand those who follow him."

Shingen actually laughed, but it was a bitter sound. "I do. He utilizes these advances in technology, things that of olden days would seem like magic, to his advantage. It does not take much to convince a calvary man to pick up a musket, once he has seen what they can do to his horse. Then, you must consider the Demon Lord himself. He is entrancing, with charisma, intelligence, and a strong will. People like you and I, who he has never tried to seduce to his side, can never really understand what his underlings have experienced."

"Perhaps… but surely his methods are enough to cause anyone to think of going against him? He slaughters the innocent along with the warrior; what type of true warrior could stand by him after such a thing?!"

"Then perhaps you should talk to Mori Ranmaru and Akechi Mitsuhide." Shingen felt the presence of another approaching them, and he smiled, merely waiting for her to reveal herself. "They're warriors of the truest type, or at least they were last time I checked. Perhaps it's for a more personal reason, but who knows."

Yukimura shrugged, "I don't get it still, but I suppose it's not for me to understand."

Nodding, Shingen understood what the young warrior was getting at, and he called to Kunoichi, to change the subject. "Anything?"

Someone landed behind Yukimura, and he jumped when Kunoichi's booming, high pitched voice broke through the morning air. "Well, I can tell you one thing; Mister Kenshin's DEFINITELY got himself a new strategy! His camp was pretty darn empty! No one there!"

"That's happened before," Shingen pointed out. "Perhaps they're already on the move?"

"Not likely! Looked around the area, too." Kunoichi stretched, playing with the dirt with his shoe as she gave her report. Shingen noticed how much Yukimura tried not to notice her, and he held back his slight smile, trying to get serious. "And no footprints or anything! Maybe it was always empty?"

Yukimura's eyebrows knit, "Then… where is the army? We saw them only a day or so ago; surely they could not have moved on so quickly!"

"Not unless they have found some way in which to fly," Shingen agreed. "Even Oda Nobunaga himself could not disappear so fast. Are you certain that you have checked everywhere, Kunoichi? Is there no place the army could have gone?"

"No, sir! The forest surrounding the camp is perfectly clean. There is no river with which to cover their tracks; there are no caves in which they can hide." The female ninja broke off, pouting, "I DO know how to do my job, you know!"

"There was never any question of that," The elderly man sighed, tapping the side of his mask in thought. "There is only one other thing that comes to my mind right now, but it seems rather ridiculous."

"What is it, Lord Shingen? You have the most experience of any of us; if anyone would know it would be you," Yukimura said, and if Shingen had not known that the warrior said it all in a respectful manner, he would have thought the younger man was being sarcastic.

"I believe that an army posing as Kenshin's has moved here… using his banner to lead us along. It could be that we find ourselves right in the middle of a trap."

As Yukimura wore a surprised look, Kunoichi just shook her head, "And we fell for it! Pretty good idea, you know, if it wasn't working against us!"

Neither one of them could get angry at her for her optimism, and neither of them could lecture her about it as a soldier rushed towards them, kneeling to his knees before his lord as he tried to catch his breath. "My lord, the scouts have spotted some movement southeast of our camp! They think it might be Kenshin!"

"Is he alone?" Shingen asked.

"We can't say for sure!" The soldier reported, trying to catch his breath. "As of right now, there is only a lone horseman, but it may just be a decoy, waiting for us to rush into an attack."

Yukimura retrieved his weapon from its resting place on the ground, "Then, the best thing for us to do, is to send a single attacker of our own."

"Are… you… INSANE?!" Kunoichi screamed, her hands on her hips. "If there really IS an army waiting for you, then you're as dead as a cooked fish! There's no way we can let you do this!"

"I suppose YOU want to go in my place then?" Yukimura retorted, a scowl crossing his normally attractive face. "You will not. You will remain here, under Shingen's command."

They were about to go deeper into their argument, as they had several times before, but Shingen cleared his throat, making them both pause. The veteran scratched his nose and chuckled softly, "Perhaps the commander should make the major decisions here."

"Yes, sir…" They both apologized in unison, and as Kunoichi grinned slightly, Yukimura tried to hide his guilt. Shingen didn't blame him at all. After all, he was showing the signs of becoming a commander of his own someday, and this was almost a good call for him. Kunoichi saluted, "Well, what does our sensible commander want us to do?"

"Exactly what young Yukimura suggested us to do." Shingen stated. "Except we have an ambush party in waiting, just in case if they're planning one as well. No need to lose an eager warrior, after all!"

As Yukimura bowed to him, to give his thanks, Kunoichi just sighed. "Whatever."

"Now, now; don't look like that, Kunoichi. You can head the ambush party, if you wish. No one knows hiding and sneaking about like a ninja, right?"

This seemed to cheer the girl up as she grinned, "You can count on me! I like watching Lord Yukimura's behind anyway!

"KUNOICHI!"

Shingen could only laugh as Yukimura blushed again, shaking his head as Kunoichi ran off to assemble her team, "Oh to be young and reckless again…"

Seeing the mirth in Shingen's eyes in spite of the odd mask he wore was enough to make Yukimura forget about his past embarrassment. He shrugged, "It's not too bad, but I'm sure there are good qualities about being old too, my lord. You have more experience on the battlefield then any of us, and you know all of the tricks of the trade."

"Even so… things become outdated, and with the changing war, I only hope that I can keep up with it long enough to accomplish our goals." Shingen pointed out with an almost sad sigh. However, it didn't last long, as he saw the slight concern in Yukimura's gaze. "Nevermind. Let's be concerned with this lone warrior before I talk us all to death. You know what to do… don't get yourself killed, Yukimura."

Yukimura nodded, trying to cover his concern and think of the task at hand instead. "Yes my lord. I'll do my best."

"For once, I am deadly serious, Yukimura. At the first sign of danger, I want you to pull out. We cannot afford to lose you."

"What if the man is nothing but a lost member of the army? Do I slay him, or do I capture him?"

Shingen looked at him, "What do you think?"

Without a moment's hesitation, the samurai replied, "I would take him prisoner, if he is truly alone my lord. He does not stand a chance against us then… and it may be that he truly is innocent of any wrong doings."

That was what Shingen was waiting to hear it seemed, as he finally smiled and gave a nod of his head. "Good, now let's waste no more time. I'm definitely not liking the looks of this at all."

Yukimura could only agree, giving a bow to his lord and close friend before heading back towards the camp as quickly as he could. Shingen sighed, looking to the sunrise and saying farewell to its welcoming rays so that he too could join the camp.

Maybe this was what he'd been anticipating for the past few weeks. Something in his bones and guts told him that something was wrong, and something big was coming. What or when was something Shingen could never tell, but he knew it would definitely be not to their liking. "Duty calls."

Masamune opened his one good eye and swiftly shut it again. He hated the morning; he hated the way those bright rays of the sun burned his vision and his skin. What was he even doing awake this early? Did he have a battle he needed to fight? Was he supposed to be fighting?

That thought sent a jolt through his brain, a jolt that resulted in nothing but a swift amount of pain. As he became more and more conscious, he began to feel even more jabs of pain, in his arms and legs. Every muscle he had ached; every bit of his flesh screamed out in agony. What the hell had happened to him? Had he lost a battle?

The only thing that brought him any comfort was the warm, furry horse he was lying across, as he murmured, "Where… where am I?"

Where was he indeed? He risked opening his eye again, and before he slammed them shut again, he caught glimpse of moving bushes and low branches. His horse was moving, even without his command, but where was the blasted thing heading to?

Masamune couldn't think straight, his head was hurting so much. He knew nothing of what was happening, what had happened, or what time and where he was! Keeping his eye closed, he moaned, speaking aloud again in hopes that his horse would learn to speak and answer his questions. "What's… going on… where am I?"

His horse did nothing but a give a snort, and he kept on going, as if it didn't even hear him. So he gave a pained sigh and lay down again, accepting the fact that he was going no where. Maybe when he woke up again, he'd feel a lot better and maybe remember what had happened.

"Halt, intruder! Identify yourself and your purpose, and perhaps I shall spare your life!"

Masamune groaned, barely able to re-open his eye to stare at the figure that had suddenly appeared before him, "Go away… I'm not having a good morning…"

The warrior snorted, keeping his hand on his long spear, "Well, I on the other hand, was having a good morning until you decided to come prancing along near our camp. Now, submit peacefully, and I can see to it that you are given medical care. You look like you could use it…"

"Medical care…" Masamune moaned, closing his eyes again, trying to raise his hand to wave the man away. "Do… I look as if I need it?"

This confused the man with the spear slightly, almost to the point of concern as he drew closer. At this point, when Masamune rose his arm, he gave a gasp of pain, and it dawned on the other warrior as to who he was. "Date Masamune! I remember you… you attacked us at Nagashino!"

Nagashino… why did that name sound familiar. He moaned, "Imbecile… I avoid… making familiarity with people. Go away…"

"I suspect you would, since you never seem to have a steady ally. Still, you are not our enemy at present, and I will take care of you."

Now this caused the boy to hiss, as he struggled to rise to a sitting position, "I… do not NEED to be taken care of! I can… take care of… myself!"

"Stop struggling, you foolish boy! You'll end up making your injuries even worse!" The other man warned, slight concern in his voice as his own horse gave a snort when he dismounted. He rushed towards the boy, stopping his horse before it could go any further. The red beast shook its head, as he tried to talk to the boy. "Did you come back from a battle of some sort?"

Masamune could not struggle against his hold, the rising pain too much for him to continue, though he still tried. He didn't want to admit to anything, he didn't want to admit that he was lost and that he didn't know. He remained silent, wondering if he would just disappear if he left him alone.

From where she watched, Kunoichi was confused, and she scratched her head. "Now, why would Lord Yukimura want to get so close to someone that attacked us a few months ago? At least, I remember him… yeah, that's the sugar boy!"

She called out to Yukimura, not seeing poor Masamune cringe in pain, "Lord Yukimura, what's the deal?!"

The samurai called back, "It's okay, Kunoichi. It is, indeed, only one man, and from the look of things, he's in pretty bad shape. We'll take him in as a temporary prisoner; he's in no condition to resist. I want you to go off to Lord Shingen and tell him that a healer will be needed as soon as we reach the camp."

Kunoichi pouted, but bowed, "Fine fine… don't do anything to the boy I wouldn't do!"

Masamune could not help but sigh with relief as she ran off, and Yukimura sent him a smile, "I saw you cringe; her voice annoys me as well. It's best to just give her a mission and send her off. At least then you cannot hear her for a while."

"You… can't take me prisoner." Masamune growled, overlooking his past deed as if it did not happen. Once again, he tried to sit up, and this time he came pretty close before the pain stopped him. He bit back his cry, refusing to let it show, as he tried again.

"Stay still, Masamune-"

The boy struck out, barely missing. "Get-away from me… I… don't need… your help."

Yukimura sighed, "Whether you think you need it or not, you do. If you do not accept this help, then you are even blinder than your one bad eye gives you credit for. Masamune… some of these injuries are so bad I do not know how you stand the pain! You have fresh scars here, and several wounds that may become scars without proper help. What happened to you?!"

Masamune hesitated, but eventually he merely whispered, "I do not know… I have no memory of anything."

He half-expected the samurai to ridicule him, mock him, or simply not believe him, but the officer only nodded. "I see. Perhaps Lord Shingen will know of some way to help you, and you will be seeing him soon. We cannot truly hold your prisoner forever, since we are currently not at war, but I think no one can blame me for making you prisoner long enough to make sure you heal."

"Imbecile… I fear nothing…"

Yukimura sighed, "It's not a matter of fear. You just need to get over yourself to accept help."

"Nothing… I fear… nothing! I fear NOTHING!"

The venom that was within Masamune's voice seemed to be his last bit of strength, as he finally gave into the darkness once again. Seeing him go limp made Yukimura nervous, and he caught the boy before he slipped off of the horse completely. Confused, but thankful that unconsciousness took him, Yukimura whispered to him, "I never said you were afraid, Masamune. What happened to you…"

The boy could not answer him, of course, and Yukimura helped him back on his horse, taking his own by the reins to begin to lead them both home. 'Lord Shingen… I can only hope that you know of a way to help him…'

Masamune writhed in agony, confused and disoriented. All around him was a blur of color and motion, and as soon as he began to possess either of them, they both bled away.

Sensations racked across his form, chilling ice and burning fire, making him cry out again and again in pain. A faint, musky scent tingled his nostrils, before it too was swept away. There was only one sound he could hear, a deep, overwhelming chuckle.

For some, reason, the sound filled him with a sense of panic and terror, and he hissed, "N-no… no… STAY AWAY!"

"Geez, what's with the kid? He has a ticklish spot?"

That voice had faded in and out, and it almost went unnoticed to Masamune. The boy struggled against whatever had bonded him, but to no avail. Bolts of pain were his answer, and Masamune could not stop the pained cry this time, though his throat was hoarse. How long had he been screaming?

"My lord, is there anything you can do to help?"

That voice, too, went unnoticed, and all Masamune wanted to do was to stop that laughter in his mind. He rose a single hand, to grip the ear closest to it, and he almost drew blood, enough to make it stop.

A gentle hand took hold of his own, and a kind voice finally touched his ears, the first thing that broke that damned laughter, "Masamune… you must cease. You are going to injure yourself even further. Whomever you are fighting, he is not here. Listen to me…"

"But… I can hear him…" The boy could hear himself whimpering, and he loathed it. He sounded so weak, so much like a child. He had spent so long taking that image away from himself to form one of strength and worth, and who was it breaking it now? Himself…

Yet, as much as Masamune felt he deserved hatred and contempt, that same deep voice soothed him as if it were understandable, "No. Your enemy is not here. There are only friends…"

"F-friends? Ha! I h-have no friends…"

"Yeah, we can all see that!"

"Kunoichi!"

The other two fell silent, as the eldest and deepest of the voices broke through again, this time even softer than before. "Not in the past, perhaps, but there is always time to make up for that mistake, young one. Whether we're friends now doesn't matter, but I will do what is in my power to keep you from killing yourself with your current injuries. You can relax, Masamune; you're in safe hands."

"Safe…" Masamune could not keep back his bitter laughter, keeping his eye shut. "What is safety? You cannot trust people… they will always betray you."

"No, you poor misguided boy. There are people you can trust; sometimes, there are people you are forced to trust. You have no real choice but to trust me now, trust me to heal you in ways you cannot heal yourself… will you do that?"

Another masculine voice, a softer one, chimed in, "And will you trust me to keep my word to you? I said I would get you help; are you so stubborn… that you will not take it? Do you want us to leave you alone, alone to this unknown enemy that hunts you?"

Now Masamune shivered, feeling the touch of spirit hands on his flesh, "N-no… for once… not alone…"

"Then please, let us help you." The deep voice spoke up, his warm hand keeping his almost trembling hand steady. Masamune fought against his rising fear and his pride now, not wanting to admit to this. "It's going to be alright, Masamune. Just relax, and rest. That's all that you need to do now; let us do the rest. Will you accept our help?"

Though to others this wouldn't be too much of a decision, but for Masamune, this was a difficult task. He never accepted help before… did he truly need it now? That chuckle rang in his ears, making the decision for him. "Y-yes… yes."

He could almost sense the man's smile, and it was almost comforting. "Then rest, little Masamune. We can handle the rest now."

No more needed to be said before the boy, free from the inner demons that had tormented him, drifted back into a peaceful sleep. Shingen sighed, giving the boy's hand a pat before looking back to his two companions, "This is not going to be easy. It is perfectly clear to me that something traumatic has happened to him and quite recently. We can easily heal these physical wounds, with medicine. The mental and emotional ones… will only heal with time."

Kunoichi whined, "So, you mean we have to baby sit this little brat for a long time, huh? What a nuisance!"

"Hush, Kunoichi," Yukimura murmured. "You judge him too harshly, I think."

"But… he's so young, and he has a rather snotty attitude, don't you think?"

Yukimura sighed, not even answering her question and looking at Masamune as the boy began to snore softly. He remembered seeing him in battle before, berating him for interfering in their battle against Nobunaga a few months ago. However, now he could not help but feel pity for him. He spoke aloud, "Perhaps he was in the battle recently. I heard rumors that Maeda Keiji has been in pursuit of Date's army, but I don't think he ever caught them."

That thought made Shingen's eyes narrow, "That could be it. That man is enough to traumatized anyone I think. But why? Why would Nobunaga send one of his greatest warriors out to dismantle an army as small as Date's?"

"I don't know." Kunoichi fiddled with one of her daggers, replying in a sarcastic manner. "I mean, wasn't it that little army that interfered with our battle at Nagashino? If I was Nobunaga, I'd want to send someone as strong and psycho as Keiji to destroy MY enemies!"

"Yes, but Nobunaga is not like that," Yukimura mused. "He would send the LEAST amount of force necessary to destroy his enemies. In my experience, he only sends Keiji out after enemies he expects to have a great deal of trouble with… or when he thinks his brute needs a bit of exercise. In this case, I would think it is more likely the latter."

Shingen nodded, "I concur. Yet, it still does not answer a primary question: why would Nobunaga want to destroy the Date Army? Also, how did he know that they were without a leader? Perhaps he had something to do with the pain this poor boy has gone through."

"Well, it really wouldn't surprise me. I mean… we all know he has a thing for younger men."

The two men gave her such an odd look, and she only smiled innocently, as if the words never came out. Yukimura shook his head, noticing the concern in Shingen's eyes as he looked at the sleeping boy once again. "We should move our army to a safer place, just in case Nobunaga had something to do with this. Perhaps the boy was able to escape; we wouldn't want him to be found again."

"I'll spread the word, my lord." Yukimura gave a bow and then rose, flashing a look to Kunoichi. "Come on."

"What, I want to baby sit too, you know!"

He growled, "Kunoichi-"

She leapt to her feet, "Fine fine! Let's go!"

Shingen waited for them to leave before turning once more to look at the boy, placing one hand on his forehead as he whispered, "Now what would the Demon Lord want… with one so young as you? What possible use would he have?"

The only answer he received was silence, and he covered the boy with a blanket before leaving for his own quarters to contemplate those very questions.

(Lizzie Note: "My Plaything" Do not delete until we use! Which will probably be a Nobunaga to Masamune or… possibly a Nobunaga to Ranmaru? Neither seems that much of a stretch. Of course, if it is a Nobunaga to Ranmaru, it would have to some sort of setting up scene…)