Hey, everyone! Hello again to another new chapter... and one with my most extreme M-rated chapter yet. Do read with caution... and enjoy if you legally can.
On other notes: Ch. 1 & 2 have been treated to some spelling corrections; nothing major. More importantly, at long last... 'Mochizuki Chiyome' and 'Katō Danzō' are now available as character tags in this site! Thanks to my efforts, of course... which automatically makes this story #1 among those categories! Oh, how good it feels to be on top... alone...
There are those of you who have realized it, but I better make things clear for those who still haven't (and those who don't care enough to make a public guess): this is a crossover story mainly between FGO & Oda Nobuna no Yabō, with elements of Nioh, Shura no Toki, and Nobunaga no Chef mixed in. Nioh is the main influencer here, since its RPG mechanics naturally and obviously suit FGO well (both being a video game, after all). Hopefully with this story, you guys can look around and read those fandoms alien to you until this day, because they're all good ones. It's also one of my responsibilities as an author to introduce you guys to creations which inspired me, and though my words won't be of any meaning or value to those canons' respective authors/creators, let this be my tribute and gratitude to them for providing me with great entertainment.
Phew! Now, mailbag time!
Royal Freshness12345: [...] Allow me to address some things: (1) Yes, Kohaku may not be long for the world, but her death will impact several characters majorly until the end. Perhaps she may make a future appearance too...? (2) Oh, Nobunaga can certainly go Super Saiyan. It's just her hair won't turn blonde. (3) Konoe Sakihisa won't take center stage as an antagonist. Remember, with the AU's change of setting, a man of his caliber won't hold on for too long if our Magecraft-capable protagonists start wailing on him - not to mention the empress he's serving will be different personality-wise this time. Can you tell why? Do you remember the implied details from the already-published chapters? [...]
Nerf585: No, those scenes aren't a priority to me right now. Maybe in latter rewrites I'll add some; for now, just assume their historical/mythological canon direct descendants are a product between them and SHIROU. The Chaldea scene should appear in HV-S03's epilogue, as well as the rewrite of HV-S01 later in the future. Look forward to them!
kaisar dynasty: Thanks for the correction! By the time you've read this reply, I should've edited that chapter correctly.
Dimihd: No, I understand you're not insisting anything. Maybe it's my reply which was too harsh. Because I see the word 'annoyingly', and I overreacted. I don't think we'll agree regarding which Nobu is better – just want to say I respect your opinion just like always.
PassiveNox, Rodvek97, superpierce: Thank you! Great to hear from you again!
UbonInim: (1) Regarding Kohaku... You'll just have to wait and see! No spoilers about her yet! (2) Yes. Dōsan's historical counterpart also had traces of this. Arguably also the reason Yoshitatsu rebelled in the first place. (3) Oh, DEFINITELY yes! (4) There's no upcoming battle yet; I want to finish the introductory arc first. The next arc will start with Oda vs. Imagawa, and then it'll be battles non-stop like how most Sengoku fictions go.
Stratos263: Oh, you bet. As always, the long-lasting changes will be revealed WAY later in the epilogue, but just the presence of a Heroic Vessel in a generation preceeding SHIROU has already shaken things up. This is my first attempt at 'HV on HV' setting.
N.B.(s): Check out the Glossary Update below for some of Danzō's AU stuff!
"Thank you for your hard work, Kaede."
"Your words are wasted on me, Chiyome-sama," the young kunoichi bowed deeply, now clad in casual lady-in-waiting clothes. Well, saying she's 'young' felt slightly awkward, given Chiyome was about the same age. "If that's all, I shall retreat for the night."
The priestess smiled. "Why not stay for tea? One of the dishes Shirō taught me is about to be done. It's a light snack – it won't affect your figure at all."
"I am honoured."
The two spent several minutes in comfortable silence – Chiyome sewing a Nanban-style shawl for her husband, and Kaede watching on in adoration. It felt just yesterday when she showed up at their doorstep, scrawny from malnutrition and dirty from the rushed travel with Nobunaga's convoy.
Initially, she viewed her new environment with scepticism, especially when she was greeted by a girl not far from her age. Jealousy quickly came next, as she saw how well-fed Chiyome was, how smooth and well-treated her hair and skin (barring the frightening marks on it, of course), how well-mannered and graceful she was. She didn't dare to speak out for fear of losing this one ray of light for a better life, but it's not an exaggeration she didn't appreciate Nobunaga dumping her here.
The first day of her training quickly fixed that, as this shorter girl beat the crap out of her.
- Srrt.
The sliding door next to them opened, and a sweet scent wafted through the air.
"Senpai!" Kaede exclaimed, happy seeing someone she hadn't had the chance to in a long time, owing to the busy influx of missions recently.
"Hn. Kaede," Danzō curtly replied, nodding with a thin smile.
'She's as expressionless as always…' Kaede sweat-dropped, maintaining her mood through sheer will. She was just surprised – having trained under Danzō for a long time, she should've gotten used to her clipped speech and direct mannerism. Perhaps too much time spent on missions where she had to pretend to be a normal person had warped her sense of familiarity towards the eccentricities of her 'family'.
As always, Danzō didn't bother with gracefulness or politeness, moving the snack platter forwards with incredible efficiency. All Kaede could see was something appearing directly in front of her, making her force down her trained reflex to counterattack straight away.
"Pets-de-Nonne… or something like that," Danzō announced unenthusiastically, though the other two girls could see a glint of excitement in her usually monotonous eyes.
"Five plates? Will others be joining us?" Kaede questioned, though before anyone could answer, the room suddenly went pitch black.
- Fwish.
An invisible wind had swept the lit candles off. Instinctively, Kaede drew the tanto still strapped to her back. Try as she might, her eyesight wasn't good enough to pierce through complete darkness like her seniors before her. True enough, the only source of light she could identify was Chiyome's shining golden right eye, whose slitted pupil contracted like a lighthouse beam.
Chiyome and Danzō weren't alarmed, however.
- Pfwt!
Almost immediately, the previous golden glow of regular candles was replaced by supernatural blue, blazing much fiercer than it should. Upon closer inspection, the flames weren't even connected to the candles' wick – they were floating.
"Hitodama…" Kaede whispered out, before a familiar cold but firm hand pressed down on her own which was holding the blade. "Danzō-senpai?"
The new ethereal azure fire revealed the new guests before the emotionless girl could respond. Chiyome gracefully bowed, followed by Danzō… before Kaede realized what's going on and followed suit in a hurry.
"Welcom, Shuten-sama… and Goemon-chan, too," the priestess greeted, eyeing the bewildered little girl caught by her collar by the similarly-sized oni.
- Squeak… Squeak…
She rotated her neck left and right, taking in the situation in the room – a basic skill for any aspiring shinobi – before awkwardly waving her hand in a Nanban-style greeting, "Heya, everyone. I am here to snyack…"
'Oh, she bit her tongue…' Everyone present noted in their head.
With Shuten-dōji's pleased nod, they all were seated properly. While a casual setting, the calibre of the women present was far beyond any normal, mortal meeting. Their relaxed seating posture didn't indicate any weakness – in fact, all of them were sharply engaging in the conversation with the accompaniment of diluted oni sake. The crispiness and mild sweetness of the pastry brought out the sharp acidity from the sake, which naturally didn't have the classic rice wine-like flavour given its supernatural ingredients.
"I wish to address one thing, before we move on to the human's political landscape." Unusually, Shuten-dōji's expression was deadly serious, removing any doubt from the others of the gravity of the situation. "Are you familiar with Otakemaru?"
Danzō immediately rattled off the knowledge she had stored within her. "One of Nihon's 'Three Great Calamities' on par with Shuten-sama and Tamamo-sama. His alignment is… unknown."
"To be honest, it's not so far removed from my or Tamamo-han's nature." Sipping her wide sake plate, she continued, "The 'Shuten' you see in front of you is a result of the environment and experience I went through… and I can testify it's the same with that fox. Otakemaru… doesn't."
Chiyome piqued up. "So… there is an outside force manipulating him to go against us."
"An astute observation. Correct."
Goemon chirped up, despite the previously-bitten tongue still hurting, "…and you wish for us to khollect the proper informashion to act."
Shuten-dōji smiled. "Dear little one, must you be so… delectable in your speech? May I have a taste of you?"
"Great Ancestor, do refrain from licking my colleagues," Chiyome sternly warned.
"Boo… You're no fun."
- Clack. Clack. Clack.
For several minutes, only the sound of utensils was heard as all of them tried to process how to move forward with the conversation.
Gathering her courage, Kaede raised one hand. "Umm… If I may ask, how strong is Otakemaru? I am not familiar in battling unusually powerful yōkai…"
Across Nihon, regular efforts to exterminate any evil humans and yōkai were widespread since the end of the Heian era, when the pact between the two races were struck. The humans who fanatically rejected yōkai, and yōkai who religiously torment and consume humans, were unnecessary in the new world established by the Minamoto Shogunate. While not to the extent of Adventurers' Guild popular in Nanban, there existed a similar reward-mission system where mercenaries and rōnins could fill their bellies by killing the bounties issued to the public.
This constant pressure had mostly eliminated any stragglers, pushing the remains into hiding. Every few years, once caution was laxed, they usually storm the Outside World with their [Chaos], requiring the daimyos to issue a large-scale war on these troublemakers.
From what Kaede had gathered, Otakemaru was someone significantly more powerful than the usual Dwellers, Oni-bi, Yoki, Enki, and so on.
"Danzō-san, if you would."
The ponytailed kunoichi nodded. "From our last engagement, he's adept in all forms of Elemental Magecraft, as well as the three main transformation techniques. His fighting style… is similar to Shirō-sama, though more limited in quantity and more ferocious in power. I don't believe him to be more powerful than Shirō-sama, but troublesome nonetheless."
"Y-You have fought against him before…? And you lived?" Kaede gasped, not even attempting to hide her shock.
"Kufufu… Haven't you paid attention to this senpai of yours?" Shuten-dōji chuckled. "Her form is perfect, unlike her weak, incomplete previous self."
Kaede twisted her neck fast enough she could actually break it herself, swinging from Shuten-dōji's scandalous, flushed form to the taciturn Danzō. The dim lighting made it difficult, as well as the latter's fully-clothed body. However, small traces were enough for her to realize what the oni was saying. "Your body… is complete?"
"Hn."
Indeed, under that obscuring robes, there was no longer any traces of mechanical joints and uneven, inhumane parts. Creating this new body while improving on her already-impressive mobility showcased the skills of Shirō and Chiyome, with some inputs from Shuten-dōji regarding forbidden-class Magecraft to hold it all together.
Her eyes shone in a strange light, partially also because the blue glow around the room. "…I will kill my father. Mark my words."
Chiyome made a concerned face. "Are you sure…? Kashin-koji-sama… No, Otakemaru will no doubt turn your relationship against you, you know?"
"Wait, wait!" Kaede forcibly cut into the sudden turn in conversation. "Otakemaru… is Senpai's father?!"
"Not exactly," Shuten-dōji corrected. "His human avatar, Kashin-koji, was responsible for her original design. Her… 'programming' was done by the Fūma-shodaime." Exhaling a particularly powerful snort – which let out a distinctive sweet smell – she added, "Not that they treated her well. As expected from low-class people."
"It's old history. They have long passed away," Danzō politely said, though even the inexperienced Kaede and Goemon could feel the lack of emotion lining those empty words. "However, I fear I have lost track of Otakemaru; therefore, here I am in shame."
"Escaping from your watch… This 'Otakumaru' shure is gyud," Goemon commented. "Should I spread some net to the south?"
Chiyome shook her head in place of Danzō. "No need. He's already close to our doorstep – he's in Mino."
"Oh? Are the two of you done talking? I didn't get to bump into Shuten-san and Goemon-chan on the way back," I note as I enter the luxurious shared bathroom in my house.
For a household supported by blacksmithing and blessing alms, I have to admit the scale of it doesn't really match. If the neighbours are more educated, they will suspect I'm dealing with corruption or something… No, in fact, I do think they have already thought so. Nobunaga's patronage is well known – a small social trick to prevent unsavoury people getting too close to Chiyome and her secrets – so perhaps this information has already spread to the surrounding rival daimyos.
Well, let them come if they think they can take advantage of it.
The stone-built bathhouse is a prime example. This level of craftsmanship is usually reserved to private noble residences or high-end inns. While its construction is significantly reduced in cost by liberal use of Magecraft, its gaudy size and intricately-simple interior exude money.
Money I don't actually have… aside from those I took from human and yōkai bandits' corpses.
The steam welcoming my entrance can't do anything to obscure the lovely naked bodies displayed in front of me.
"I'll wash both of your hair. Come; turn around," I declare before I hear the answer to my previous question. It's mostly rhetoric anyway; Chiyome and Danzō surely know if my senses can't catch our guest party leaving, then it's likely they have left some time ago.
"Then, please, my dear husband."
"Shirō-sama… I'll be in your care."
Two smooth, unblemished backs were presented to me. While Chiyome might protest that description, that's what it looks to me. While Danzō might feel uncomfortable with that judgement, that's what I honestly think.
No amount of scarring or horrifying marks will distort their images in my eyes.
Chiyome is first, since her hair is longer. Besides, Danzō will insist the 'main wife' gets the better treatment, no matter how much I and Chiyome insist on otherwise. Her black strands fall like waterfall through my fingers without any sort of clumps or knots, despite the lack of modern haircare products in this era. When I run through them and massage her scalp lightly, eliciting a moan from her, a thin back with gentle swells around her hips is revealed. My eyes inevitably get drawn to the outer circumference of her red rectum, before concentrating on my job at hand.
"That's enough, thank you. Do wash Danzō now," Chiyome squirmed away and said, summoning several tendrils of clean water from the bath to wash off the archaic shampoo I was using.
I turn around to see a shy and adorable Danzō, clearly still not used to the new body and 'emotional programming' installed within her. Her skin, more tanned than the usually-indoors Chiyoime, flushed as red as her maroon 'work clothes', uncomfortably rubbing the side of her elbow with one arm as she fidgeted in place.
"Shirō-sama… N-No, Master…" She turned her eyes up to look at my taller frame, stuttering, "I-I am still alright… Please, serve Chiyome-sama first…"
"Nonsense," my petite wife butts in before I can respond. "Get pampered. That is an order, if you must."
"Muu…" Having lost all reason to protest, she resigns herself to my smiling face, silently enjoying the 'torment' she's going through. "Both of you are cruel parents… Hyau~!"
I trace a finger up her back, causing her to jump in place and shriek. Slowly, that single digit becomes a full palm, which doubles itself once I get to her nape. I use more strength this time, owing to her sturdier body and dulled senses when not in 'combat mode', and her response is a deeper, more animalistic grumble than Chiyome's high-pitched, cute one.
"Mmrghh… Hah… Mgh…" She closes her eyes tightly to prevent the water and soap from entering, completely forgetting her body automatically rejects any foreign irritants, unlike us 'humans' who have in-built, but slower to react, natural reflexes. "Hn… F-Feels good…"
"I'm glad. Have you gotten used to this body?" I ask, having not the chance to examine her after the modifications. "Are there any problems? I'm specifically asking for quality of life improvements, not just combat, alright?"
Somehow, she manages to avoid looking into my eyes even further.
"Did you just go around and beat people with it?"
"…yes," an embarrassed came from her lips.
"Ha… No, don't be so dejected! It's fine – just make sure you remember to record it next time."
- Munyu.
Suddenly, Chiyome's thin arms circle themselves around my neck, having successfully snuck around my back and launched a sneak attack. Compared to the more developed Jūbei, she certainly is… lacking, but the unique sensation of her skin combining with her snake marks is certainly one-of-a-kind – I won't trade it for anything, especially when topped by her hard nipples rubbing against my back.
"How about we make sure her first recording is worthwhile, hm?" She suggestively asks.
"W-What do you mean?" Danzō squeaked, as I finish washing her thicker, but slightly shorter black hair.
My wife's snake-like right eye gleams dangerously. "My husband, if you would…?"
"Kyah!"
I smoothly move my arms underneath Danzō and scoops her up. Of course, if done by a different person, she has limitless techniques to counterattack straight away from this position even while protecting her modesty. However, perhaps the heat and my presence make her pre-programmed reflexes to dull, leaving her confused and shivering from both my hold and Chiyome's accompanying teases.
- Splash!
Our training makes the water barely rippling outwards when the three of us dive in – two energetically, one flailing in embarrassment.
"Ah… M-Master's thing…"
Once in, Chiyome doesn't allow me to sit down. Instead, she pulls Danzō to her side and kneels right in front of my crotch.
"Quality of life improvement… Review, start," the priestess says triumphantly, before giving the tip of my dick a small kiss.
"Nh!" Surprised, I let out a muffled groan – which seems to have invigorated Danzō.
- Ssslllluuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrppppp…
Chiyome partially transforms into her yōkai form, showing me her elongated tongue. While quite proportional on a snake, hers is long even if I account for her humanoid size. Cutely forked at the end, she alternatively kisses and licks spots along my entire shaft just with the tips.
Slowly, teasingly so.
…before she opens her mouth wide and swallows my entire dick whole.
- Chupo
"Oooaaahhh!" I incidentally let out a shameful groan, and only my experience in sleeping with snake-themed girls do I manage to hold back from cumming right then and there. "C-Chiyome…!"
How can I not?
Men love blowjobs because cheek tissues are similar in construction to vaginal walls. Add to that a greater control over one's mouth than crotch, most women can become proficient with only a little practice. The tongue is an organ even the pussy doesn't have, and thus is able to support the less-than-ideal shape of the oral cavity.
- Ssslllluuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrppppp…
Chiyome… twirls her tongue into a spiral, stroking my entire length back and forth with the slimy appendage as her cheeks and throat maintain a heavenly pleasure.
- Chupo. Chupo. Chupo.
I grip the edge of the bath as my waist weakens from the electricity running up from my dick all the way to my brain.
Her underdeveloped body may be a sore spot for her, but her size is what makes it so damn irresistible. Her smaller cranium makes it easy for me to grab her head with just one hand, though I won't just slam it into my crotch with wild abandon like other, less-endowed men. Trusting my endurance, I stroke her head lovingly in a manner I know she adores.
She eyes me happily, upturning her smiling eyes, before intensifying her efforts until her lips can suckle on my thin pubic hair. A bulge is clearly visible in her throat, moving back and forth rhythmically along with her blowjob… as the forked tips play with my urethra too.
'G-Goodness…! Shit…!'
- Chupo. Slurp… Chupo. Slurp… Chupo. Slurp…
Her suction is strong, but measured, deliberately avoiding going too fast. She moves her tongue diligently, twisting and stroking precisely as her throat works lovingly to contain everything when it's fully in.
She maintains eye contact, even though I know it's rather painful for her despite her flexible throat in this partially-transformed state. Just the sight of her tearful expression when performing a careful, dedicated blowjob will make most men go crazy.
In fact, I'm tempted to join their ranks to… until she suddenly stops.
"Ah…" I can't prevent a disappointed sigh from escaping my mouth, much to her pleasure.
"Danzō, it's your turn."
"Huweeehhh?! M-Me?!" The artificial lifeform twitches, startled, but a fierce determined look soon overwhelms her nervousness… despite the blush still being there the whole time. "M-Master, then… Please excuse me…"
The glimpses I have of her mouth nearly cause me to yell at Chiyome, before another similarly intense pleasure shut me up.
"C-Chiyome… Y-You… What have y-you been teaching her…?!" I grunt out, this time managing to put half my butt on the edge of the bath to enable my arms to relax.
"Not telling." She shifts closer to the peckish Danzō, whispering loud enough for me to hear, "Go ahead… Show him the jutsu I taught you…"
- Nom.
"A-Argh…" A weak groan shot out from my mouth, as the realization of what's happening finally dawns on me.
Forcibly activating my Pure Eyes, I scan Danzō's self along with our surrounding. As expected, no one is really close enough to hear our foreplay – Chiyome has likely foreseen this and sent the maids away. My wife's partial yōkai transformation shines like a firework in the night, as eight elongated shadows make themselves clear before my eyes, wrapping and bending to her will.
I reflexively widen my eyes when I see a vagina forming inside Danzō's mouth.
"A-Ahn…" The fact I can see it makes it all the more erotic, making me bite one of my knuckles just to prevent a girlish moan from escaping my throat. "G-Geez… Danzō… Y-You don't have to go t-this far…"
"Why not? It's her wish, after all. As her Master, you should pay more attention," Chiyome whispers demonically by my ear, in the eerily same fashion she often describes Yamata-no-Orochi does to her in her nightmares. "To make the man she loves happy… Truly, that is every woman's dream."
- Nom. Chubu. Jubo… Jubo… Jubo…
No, this feels exactly like a pussy, instead of just looking like one.
In effect, right now, the nanoparticles her new body is made of has restructured itself into an ultramodern fleshlight, forming in and around her oral cavity down to her oesophagus. Like Chiyome, she was diligently moving her head back and forth, but slower – gently, testing where I feel good, where I feel the best, and where I make a reaction she'll be pleased with.
- Nyup… Nyup… Nyup… Nyup… Nyup…
The structure inside her is exquisite enough it accurately replicates the proportions of the cervix, too. However, it seems for complete immersion, it immediately opens up to the throat, giving me the immoral sensation of breaking through a girl's womb… only to be welcomed by another hole of moist, soft flesh beyond it instead of maxing out near the fallopian tubes.
Additionally, she has great control over the muscles around it, giving me pleasure her own pussy hasn't been able to give me yet.
"Aahhh… Aahhh… Danzō… A-Amazing…" I breathed out, experiencing the shortness of breath I often see when I make these two girls orgasm continuously. "Haahh…!"
That last sharp intake of breath is the sudden cold air enveloping my dick; the contrast between the piping hot mouths of my two women and the environment makes the shivers even stronger. When I look down, Danzō has indeed, like Chiyome, cruelly stopped.
Chiyome sandwiches my shaft with one side of her cheeks and another one of Danzō's. "Don't forget there's two of us, dear husband." Sultrily, she lets the tip of her forked tongue slip out to entice me. "I still haven't shown you the result of our combined training."
- Chu. Chu. Chu. Chu. Chu. Chu. Chu.
They begin the next phase by placing soft kisses along my cock. The mix of softness and pliability between their wet tongue, moist lips, soft cheeks, and tender noses sends my heart into a frenzy.
I know what's going to happen next. If they start alternating deepthroats, and intensifying their efforts from before, I won't last several more seconds. Just imagining the insides of their mouths and throats while my dick is out here almost make me ejaculate pathetically, wasting the mana-rich sperm to the hot water, instead of inside their bodies.
"Tch, you two…!"
Before it gets too dangerous – for me – I gather what remains of my strength and pries away Danzō's head.
"M-Master…" She looks at me sadly. "Did it… not feel g-good… Kyah!"
"Mwah!"
Both girls let out a shocked cry as I cradle the two of them in my arms, half-tackling them to the floor.
"I, Sengo Muramasa, shall not yield to this ambush! I shall show you my skills!"
Overly dramatic, sure, but it fits the era.
"Umm… Danzō-san, will you join me for tea?"
The former doll had to lower her head significantly at the voice addressing her… since it came from a mouth located nearer her crotch than her eyes.
There's no way she could be annoyed at Lady Nō's hopeful face, however.
Artificially forming a small smile – still felt a bit stiff, really – she bent down to copy what her lord habitually did to make the women around him smile: a pat on the head. The brown-haired little girl shivered at the touch, clearly not used to receiving one in her young life, making Danzō's newly-installed 'heart' ache.
"It'll be my honour, Kichō-sama."
The little girl smiled uneasily, a combination of relief and surprise making itself clear on her face. After all, she had no one to play with in Mino, as her father and older sister were too busy stabbing each other in the back to vie for supremacy to pay attention to her. Her mother, as was unfortunately typical in this era, was cold to her because she's a girl, instead of a son Dōsan could groom to inherit his land in a more traditional way.
She envied Yoshitatsu who had the strength to rebel against her father's expectations and be a woman onto herself, uncontrollable by anyone… even though she had light hands which often found themselves square on Nō's cheeks. The little girl thought it was natural – after all, she was weak and submissive. Who'd want someone like her in these chaotic times?
The moment she first met Nobunaga-sama was the first time she ever felt happiness for being among family.
Of course, being shipped to another fiefdom was a scary thing for her at first. There were rumours even her sheltered ears had caught – those about how much of a maverick Nobunaga was… and not in a positive sense. Those who stood out with their 'uniqueness' were often ostracized behind the scenes, hidden by a mask of respect and fear from their subordinates, peers, and enemies.
The two made their way into one of the smaller spare rooms, one Nobunaga had personally reserved for Nō to wind down from all the craziness happening around her. She didn't really understand what's going on; only that the older black-haired girl cared for her much, much more than her own family. Which made Nobunaga also family. Either way, she only cared the room wasn't too cold or warm and with a good view across the well-maintained garden, where she could run around with abandon without the scathing looks her previous handmaidens would give her amidst their vicious whispers.
"I shall pour the tea," Danzō declared softly, but Nō stopped her in a rush.
"N-No! I was the host; I shall do it!" She balled her cute little fists to show her determination.
Danzō part-smiled, part-sighed. "If others see…"
"Then I'll report them to Nobunaga-aneue! This is my decision!" If she was standing, she would've stomped her feet to express her strong emotion. "Please, Danzō-san…"
"Alright."
"Do you prefer it sweet?"
"I shall imbibe in your recommended recipe."
The former doll watched in astonishment at Nō's fluid movements, completely belying her young age. Well, to be fair, Sen no Rikyū was about a similar age, so it's perhaps her own mechanical clumsiness dyeing her perception. She was never one of precision and elegant movements bar when she had to do field autopsies on her victims, so the classy art of tea ceremonies was above her.
The sugar held in an exquisite china container was from the Akechi Clan's lands, following their breakthrough sugarcane planting under the supervision of Mitsuhide and Muramasa. At times, Danzō marvelled at her lord – how he's not afraid of instituting changes, and especially his ability to make others trust his often-shocking suggestions. Her own body was one of the clear results – and successes – of his 'innovation'. Her respect for Mitsuhide only grew as the lovely lady with wide forehead was able to somewhat keep up with the foreign ideas he and Nobunaga often introduced in short order.
- Whisk! Whisk! Whisk!
Nō's oh-so-dainty wrist rotated this way and that quickly, frothing the green tea mixture just right. The kunoichi heard it's not about strength or endurance, but flexibility and timing of one's body, meaning the still-pliable body structure of a child was ideal to start learning how to do repetitive motor skills like this.
Even though Danzō's could spin much quicker… Well, she's more likely to break the earthenware and drill through the floor if she attempted it without prior practice, so she'd leave it in the young girl's capable hands.
"You are very skilled, Kichō-sama."
"Ehehe…" She cutely blushed at the compliment, at times stopping before her giddiness could ruin the ceremony. "I-I'll call for the snacks now, if you don't mind?"
"Did Sengo-sama make them?"
Nō shook her head, letting her messy brown hair flutter about. "No, but I heard it's his recipe."
"I see. Then it should be great… if those incompetent fools didn't mess about."
"Ahaha…" She awkwardly chuckled in reply, not used to hearing others complain about someone else who wasn't her. "I'm sure they're very well trained."
"Hn."
Danzō was beginning to feel she should've changed clothes before agreeing to Nō's invitation. Of course, the young princess in front of her wore what she considered casual wear, but it's a kimono a peasant girl would wear only in her wedding – that's how expensive and rare it was, despite the plain pink-on-red colour scheme. The kunoichi, on the other hand, wore… kunoichi clothes, which was nothing more than a slightly more colourful choice of her usual work outfit.
When she's spending time bodyguarding Nō like this, it's a colour she liked to wear because it stressed the young girl the least. Constantly sporting an all-black outfit and a stern, professional frown nearly made her cry in Danzō's first few days working here. Therefore, she trained hard in downloading and applying the 'kind face' pack available to her from the knowledge bank Chiyome installed to blend in better.
What she didn't realize was her natural beauty was already enough for her to stand out, since she's not wearing a face mask. Assassins might assume she's Nō instead of this young girl in front of her due to the fact – they'd just consider her sporty clothes a personal quirk instead of her status as a bodyguard.
…which suited her just fine. It's better to have attacks directed at her instead of this defenceless young girl, whose neck looked so dainty she could break it with two fingers.
Like Chiyome, after attaining a certain level of skill, she was put more in this relaxed environment. Muramasa said it's to reserve her strength whenever emergency arose – and since Danzō couldn't find the words to refute it and insist on working in the front lines alongside her juniors like Kaede, she just nodded expressionlessly and accepted the duty.
Seeing Nō work hard with a thin sheen of sweat forming on her delicate face made her thought it's worth it.
…almost like she's used to taking care of a child Nō's age.
A few minutes later, the tea ceremony officially start, and Danzō could sigh and relax in an imitation of a fulfilled old woman.
"Ujiyasu-sama, are we really allowing them to go through? Have the Takeda Clan also agreed to this?"
The person being questioned was busy reading through imported Chinese novels while rolling around lazily in her futon. At the words of her attendant, Hōjō Ujiyasu raised her head groggily, saying, "What does that have to do with us? So long as that person doesn't bother me in my castle, I won't be the one to stop him."
The young man kneeling outside her room sighed. Oh, how he wished he could just invade this private space and smack his lazy lord upside the head. Maybe she'd then put it some real effort to truly conquer Kanto, instead of piling on defensive measures one after the other to live life leisurely without the fear of getting attacked.
Besides, wasn't that what the Tripartite Alliance between their clan and the Takeda and Imagawa was for? Why hadn't Ujiyasu made a move yet? Yes, Shingen was locked in place, but that's solely due to the skills of the Uesugi Clan and their latest adopted heir, Nagatora. Imagawa was busy eyeing the Owari Province, as its Princess General was rumoured to be incompetent – going hunting instead of training troops, allowing her personal attendants to attend military meetings, etc.
But what about Ujiyasu? Lazing around while Uesugi Clan troops marched right through their territory without being taxed or paying at the very least. What did his lord have to earn through this unorthodox – some brave souls might outright say wrong – decision?
A few days ago, the long-haired Ujiyasu casually mentioned to her retainers that a small legion of Uesugi Clan troops should be allowed to cut through their territory unhindered. Those present were even more bewildered than the young man currently eyeing this black-haired, futon-rolled piglet, finding just the intention of giving assistance to an opponent of the Takeda Clan impossible to stomach.
While the Hōjō Clan had no quarrel with the Uesugi, the Tripartite could become a noose tightening around their necks once Shingen found out. She could take it as Ujiyasu's intent on backstabbing the Takeda Clan Head, and would tear the Alliance into shreds. While the Hōjō's defences were astonishing, the Takeda's cavalry offense was even more so. There's nothing good in antagonizing each other – at the very least, they'd waste so much manpower the daimyos around them would salivate at their territories once again.
Shutting herself in her castles had become a trademark for Ujiyasu, who simply built on top of what her predecessors had set up to a frightening degree.
But precisely because of that, her skills in open warfare were neglected and weak. If, somehow, a small group of highly-skilled individuals could get past the Hōjō Clan's defences and wreak havoc from the inside… the damage would be irreparable.
Yes, that's why they supported and half-created the Fūma Clan. A student of both Kōga-ryu and Iga-ryu before establishing his own sect, the Fūma-shodaime was a man of many talents typical of any legendary first-generation. It's always harder to start and grow a new sprout rather than maintaining an already-established sapling, and thus the next generations were often weaker than the first.
The young man had met the Fūma-godaime, who was the current Clan Head. An unassuming redheaded young man, he didn't look reliable at first glance. At that time, this Hōjō retainer lost hope this generation could amount to anything significant. The shinobi clan would prevent precisely those infiltrators, but what if there existed a more skilled adversary in the same field? Wouldn't that be the same as hedging their bets on one thing only, and neglecting to prepare another backup?
Or could he fail to 'see the bigger picture', as usual? He's getting tired of those excuses from Ujiyasu.
Still, observing the pretty but slovenly girl daily extinguished any form of rebellion from his part. So what if she's inactive? So what if she's passive compared to the other daimyos? The common folk wouldn't care so long as they had enough rice in their bellies – and that's exactly what the stability Ujiyasu provided could achieve. Most of the sabre-rattling had been done by the achievement-hungry nobles, owing to the flawed meritocracy system where even the lowest commoner could rise up in ranks up to kanpaku if sufficient merit was had.
The more frightening thing was if one did become kanpaku from such a rock-bottom background, then they'd likely be powerful enough to ignore the royal family and the Empress's authority outright. A tyrant would be born – an evil or benevolent one, no one particularly wanted to know. That's why one of the positives of this system was a circle of nobles could supervise and advice ascending young stars to prevent them from going overconfident and heavy-handed with their decisions.
After all, the empire was built on people, not select individuals. There's nothing to gain in ruling on a throne over nothing.
"Fūma Kōtarō requests an audience, Ujiyasu-sama," another male voice called out softly from beyond the room, earning an off-handed hum from the shut-in daimyo.
At the very least, in front of the red-haired jōnin, she made the effort to raise her body and sit somewhat in a posture suitable for humans, instead of a dog.
Her male attendant from earlier excused himself, acknowledging the silent pressure telling him this was a private conversation. Unlike that fool in Owari, Ujiyasu had no intention of allowing the same thing – attendants were attendants, and shinobi was shinobi. Avoiding mixing the two would result in a much clearer situation compared to a previous collusion before reporting to her.
Just like a chessboard. A piece was separated from another because there's a specific task only it could do. Now, if there's an omnipotent piece which could do everything, then its state of combined powers would be a blessing. However, people couldn't become chess pieces, much as Ujiyasu tried. Blending tasks and abilities together more often than not would just produce inferior results.
Besides, they're easier to control like this. So long as she could continue having her peaceful life and pass everything on immaculately to her future successor, then it'd be fine.
Sighing at the interruption of her leisure reading time, she quickly got to the point, "What have you learned the past few years? Did you realize anything decent?"
"Hn."
Lightly bowing, Kōtarō slid a sealed scroll forward. Ujiyasu pricked her thumb with the accompanying needle and sprinkled the resulting blood smoothly in the air, the crimson droplets forming a small circular pattern before settling on top of the seal, unravelling it automatically.
A shinobi's information collecting could be a tedious job, as they also had to gauge a target from miscellaneous data, such as economy, agriculture, cultural events, etc. the sheer amount of data required to give Ujiyasu a complete picture was humongous – and this was only for one report. Over time, physical storage would be impractical.
Thus, at the height of the Heian Period, the shogun's wife circulated this form of communication among a select few circles. Tamamo-no-Mae, a direct avatar of Amaterasu, used this to showcase 'everything under the sun' in accordance to the Authority she wielded. While the magical power needed to produce something remotely close to her effort would drain an entire fiefdom dry of its leylines, a scaled-down version was now popular among lords and generals, as it only required several droplets of Od-rich blood to activate.
"It's not looking good, Ujiyasu-sama."
"Hooo? How so?"
- Zuun…
An intricate three-dimensional projection made of yellow particles formed itself on top of the scroll, where its main components and processors were activated by Ujiyasu's blood. It's keyed only to specific people and presence, and thus unable to be decrypted unless at least two matching people consented without distress to do it. Showing a detailed overlay of the fiefdoms in the middle of Honshu, new colours began to saturate the projection to accompany the various nametags floating in the air.
"Imagawa Yoshimoto may be walking into a death trap."
Flicking her sticky hair to one side, Ujiyasu smirked, "You know, it's a bad habit to cut too much to the chase when explaining things, Kōtarō-kun."
"Apologies."
He had no real need to, because Ujiyasu had understood things just from a glance.
The colours which should've differentiated Owari and Mino… weren't there. Or, at least, they weren't where they should be. About half of Mino had been transformed into Owari's crimson, with the rest remained but blinking faintly. While on the outset this could just be attributed to Dōsan's recent pledge of allegiance to the Oda Clan – to the point of gifting Nōhime, his beloved little daughter, as a political hostage to Nobunaga – to Ujiyasu, it looked more like a spark igniting a long chain of gunpowder, soon to end in a large inferno.
Why Yoshimoto was so concerned about Nobunaga, both Shingen and Ujiyasu couldn't fully understand. Perhaps it's base paranoia, perhaps it's that fool's – what a match! – hidden meticulous nature, perhaps there's information the other two parties in the Tripartite didn't have. However, the three of them realized Nobunaga held the most potential among the new up-and-coming Princess Generals.
It's derived from mere circumstantial evidences, sure. Owari – and its new territory from Mino – was fertile, but not especially so. Then why were there merchants selling new strains of vegetables and grains here, claiming they obtained this in Owari? Why had Nobunaga recently opened a new blacksmithing complex, even though it had a Nanban contract for supplying firearms and mini-cannons, just like most daimyos? How could it be rumours and sightings of highly-drilled personal guards all around the territory, numbering about half a normal fully-fledged army?
However, as always, Ujiyasu had plans for others' plan-within-a-plan. When Nobunaga was focused on Yoshimoto, there's little doubt in the Hōjō matriarch's mind Dōsan's detractors would stir up trouble in Mino. Additionally, another pincer was closing in fast… right through Hōjō territory into Owari's unprotected east flank.
"Then, my decision to allow Kagetora-chan through isn't wrong, after all."
Glossary Update!
N
New-Generation Karakuri Puppet
A modification made from the initial design by the infamous sorcerer Kashin Koji. Initially, it was along the lines of western automata created from inorganic substances which mimic human flesh, but still left obvious connection and assembly marks all over the product. He felt the process of creating homunculi to be too expensive and full of hassle, as the soul inhabiting any created homunculus would be random – unless kept at a stasis – and thus a risk to manipulate the same way. In this manner, a reliable and accurate production line could be built, all creating the same specification karakuri.
However, as Katō Danzō's inherent qualities necessitated moving away from this concept for her repair and upgrade, the Muramasa household chose to copy a 'template' of the remaining soul, destroyed the body, and prepare a new one made of magical nanoparticles for the soul to return and nourish itself back to completeness. Truly an outrageously luxurious and wasteful process, but to her new 'parents', it was worth it to attain a full person instead of a broken mechanical doll. Perhaps, the underlying wish from this transformation was fully subjective, instead of filled with inhumane objectivity.
Unlike a mechanical connection, nanoparticles could fully move in a true spherical freedom, as well as assemble and repair itself through intangible means. The new generation could thus theoretically reform themselves through any obstacles or opponents thrown in front of them, but at the need of a sufficiently mature and fast processing core. Said object couldn't be artificially produced, and must be naturally formed inside one's spiritual centre, requiring time and effort to utilize it to the fullest.