"Must we try something so blatantly obvious?"
Yukimura stared at the farmhouse in the distance, his well-trained eyes viewing the thirty of so farmhands that tended the fields.
However with both Yukimura and Ieyasu having ninja's within their employ both knew much about the secret understandings of ninjutsu so each knew that every occupant of the quaint little farmhouse were indeed merely disguised ninja agents.
"Hanzo I have entrusted my life to on many occasions and I've learned to trust his judgment in such matters"
"That's a yes then?" Yukimura sarcastically questioned the equally ranking samurai.
"Yes Sanada, if Hanzo believes we can achieve this goal then we must put faith in his plans, you yourself have fought Hanzo on many occasions, yet you have no respect for him?"
Yukimura nodded:
"Yes but is that reason alone why I should endure such a suicide mission?"
"Perhaps…but we believed you to have killed Hanzo, you took his life isn't it a fair debt that you should repay with yours after all I strongly doubt either of us would have survived Genhiso's trap"
"Speak for yourself Ieyasu"
"Must you mock me Sanada? We are united be a truce for vengeance against another not each other remember that Yukimura"
"Ieyasu I mock to alleviate the silence between us"
"If we do not work together then the silence for us both may be eternal"
"I'll watch your back"
"And I'll watch yours"
Both dismounted from their steeds and strapped their armour tight to their bodies... Ieyasu tying his unique helmet to his head.
The pair picked up their spears and slowly began walking towards the distant farmhouse; the reflections from their crimson and silver armour and steel weapons alerting their victims.
Within the ninja base hundreds of ninjutsu trained warriors took up arms at the sentry's alert of the advancing samurai warriors.
Although the two samurai were greatly outnumbered everyone knew whom they were; Yukimura Sanada & Ieyasu Tokugawa two warriors with legendary status within their lifetimes.
As the mob of people swarmed from the farmhouse the two samurai's still advanced at a leisurely pace, their spears hung limp at their sides.
Many ninja's moral was crushed at seeing the stride of the two warriors, neither showed signs of fear despite the odds being greatly out their favour.
Many ninja's fled in fear.
With the distance between the samurai and ninja lessened the crimson and silver warriors picked up speed and held their spears as if they knew and intended to use them.
As the distance became measurable in meters the two groups shouted battle cries, the ninja hoard calling upon the powers of ninjutsu magic and the elements to aid them. The two samurai relied on more physical assistance, as individuals:
"For the Tokugawa!"
"Witness the might of the Sanada!"
As Yukimura's vertical slashes cut down four ninja he switched the spear between his left hand to his right and continued the momentum of the vertical movement and killed another five ninjas who failed to defend themselves.
Ieyasu's single one hundred and eighty degree horizontal slash gutting six ninjas before he pivoted on his right foot leaving him back to back with the younger crimson samurai.
Despite the growing number of combatants that joined the fray the pair still though on valiantly, their bodies constantly in contact as the two experienced warriors reacted and attacked as if they were one being.
Their eyes both scanning the circle that surrounded them as well as the distant archers that notched arrows.
Each separated, taking their own course so that the archers would have a more difficult time targeting them; just one of the feats constant experiences upon the battlefield teaches.
As the arrows flew at their retrospective targets both heavily armoured samurai rolled across the ground dodging the arrows, a short dash later and the pair were once again back-to-back.
"Twenty eight" Yukimura yelled to his partner behind him
"Thirty three" Ieyasu responded
"Looks like I've got some catching up to do!"
A glance over their shoulders at their partner and the pair split and ran in opposite directions at the crowd of ninjas.
Spears deflecting and countering the attacks of various modified farming tools utilised as weapons, with each having experiences with ninja both knew how to fight against such a threat; something Hanzo understood and thus why these two were the perfect choice for a direct assault.
As three ninja's jumped at Yukimura the samurai remained calm, his expression neutral until the penultimate second.
Flipping the spear with his hands he planted the shaft into the earth propelling him upwards out of the combined attack.
Then at the climax of the pole-vault manoeuvre the swept the blades of his spear across the attackers chests.
Ieyasu's countering of an aerial assault whilst still effective was far less flamboyant.
Planting his spear with the ground just like Yukimura he impaled one ninja upon its tip, his unarmed hands grabbing another falling ninja and throwing him against his companions. With a sick crunch, shower of claret and weight upon Ieyasu's neck the final ninja was impaled upon the horn adorning his armour.
"Yukimura!…"
The crimson armoured samurai turned to view his partner, the corner of his mouth twisting into a grin as he viewed the macabre sight.
"I've wanted to do that for years!"
Yukimura laughed out loud
"I've always wanted to forcefully insert that helmet where the sun don't shine but each to their own"
Yukimura jabbed his spear tip into the face of a ninja whose sword was raised in attack, the ninja didn't scream in pain for long.
Tears misted Ieyasu's eyes as he watched the spear-wielding samurai dispatch his victims with such ease.
"Weeping Ieyasu?" Yukimura asked
"Yes Yukimura, Weeping for Tadakatsu"
"Ah, Tadakatsu these ninja's wouldn't still survive if he were here"
"Of that I am certain Yukimura"
"Keiji also would be a handy ronin to have in a situation like this" Yukimura yelled whilst blocking attacks with the shaft of his spear.
A ninja leaped between the pair, a single hooksword held with each of his hands.
A nearby blast and the stench of gunpowder and the ninja were knocked backward to the floor as a lead shot embedded within his ribcage.
For a second the combat lessened as ninja and samurai all looked at the figure striding towards the battle; the auscultator of the gunshot.
Two belts of ammunition hung upon his otherwise naked torso, his large black boots striding overly confidently towards the fighting mass of men.
Brushing aside a black bang of long hair from his right eyes he announced his intentions:
"Is this a private party or can anybody join in?" his raised voice asked; a wide smile upon his face.
A ninja materialised behind him, without breaking his stride he fired the musket he wielded over his shoulder; the lead meets forehead shot killing the surprised ninja.
The name of the gunman? Magoichi Saika.
Several ninja's charged the Saika Mercenary, each one felled by a lead shot rupturing vital organs as the gunman's expert aim and well known quick draw and reloading notched up his own kill count.
Ducking a farming scythe aimed at his face Magoichi countered stabbing the bayonet attached to his musket into the face of his attacker.
When the mid-day sun raised into the sky the battle was over, the killed ninja's corpses littering the many rice fields that the battle had occurred within.
Yukimura, Ieyasu and Magoichi were the only survivors.
Yukimura and Ieyasu checking their weapons and armour for potential defects…Magoichi taking a different approach as the chewed upon the toothpick that hung between his lips; just as he had done throughout the entire battle.
"What brings you here mercenary?" Ieyasu asked taking in Magoichi's lack of armour… or lack of a shirt for that matter.
"Well with the demon lord defeated I'm just wandering from here to there"
"Fancy helping kill a ninja? We could use a sharpshooter" Yukimura suggested
"If the price is right" Magoichi said with a shrug of his shoulders
"Whatever you can plunder from these corpses is yours" Ieyasu suggested
"Deal but I'd prefer the company of a lady"
Both Ieyasu and Yukimura exchanged a glance but neither said anything, surely they'd pass a brothel somewhere on their travels.
"Any idea what we do now?" Yukimura asked Ieyasu
"Go back to the cave?" Ieyasu suggested shrugging his armoured shoulders
"You mean Hanzo didn't say!"
Ieyasu nodded
"Damn that ninja!" Yukimura cursed
"Wonder how everyone else is doing?" Ieyasu questioned, his mind wondering.
Genhiso sat within the confines of his hidden home.
His eye stung but despite the new area of darkness that encroached upon his vision his fighting skills had not been compromised nor had his aim; training all day had confirmed this.
Soon the five warriors would come for him, his only hope was that his alliance with the Azuma clan would prove fruitful and they'd kill his attackers before the two samurai and three ninja found his hidden home.
Genhiso had no doubt he was a match for many of them in one on one combat, sat crossed legged and in deep though Genhiso prayed Devil Hanzo wouldn't be the one to challenge him.
He'd never beaten Hanzo before.
The more Genhiso wept the more his eye stung and the more his eye stung with pain the greater his thirst for vengeance became.
Authors Notes: Originally I Wanted This Chapter To Be A Short Look At How Each Character Was Acomplising Their Mission Then Thought What The Hell And Made It Longer, Had To Add A Small Ma Chao & Zhao YunReferences Too (AnotherTwo Of My Girlfriends Favourite Characters) Then I Decided To Add Another Of My Favourite Into The Group...Hopefully I Won't Regret That Idea At A Later Date!