Hello, you all! Next chapter is out, this time much shorter again. ^^'

Important Note: My computer has been away to get some repairs for some time now and up until now I've been able to access the chapters I had already done, but for some reason, starting with the seventh chapter, all have vanished. I don't know whether or not this is just my substitute device (samsung tablet) is screwing up since it seems to despise the program I prefer to use or if it was actually deleted. In any case, I will have to write them again to keep up with my upload schedule at least somewhat. If I take longer to update than usual, then now you know why.

Thank you to maroaxyd02 for the favorite, and to HimeGee17 for following. Combined with the more than 500 views this story has so far, you are all the biggest inspiration!

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Sengoku Basara and Inuyasha. I merely play with them.

Chapter 6: Ransom

Meanwhile, Kojuro was outside in the Takeda mansion's garden, swinging his sword to have something to do, but the image of Masamune inside the rain of bullets returned repeatedly.

"Masamune-sama…" They were in the worst possible situation. Both Masamune and Kaminari were knocked out and bedridden. "I am your Right Eye and I was able neither to stop you nor protect you," he stated, slowly raising his sword for the next strike. "For I hold your wishes to be of greatest import." He slashed three times, making the leaves of a nearby tree fall of and cutting a stone lantern cleanly. His eyes widened as he came to a realization. "Perhaps that is not the wisest course. Perhaps I'm releasing you to an early grave." He heard the Young Cub coming up behind him, but did not turn until he was right behind him. He had nothing to fear from him, after all.

"Katakura-dono."

"A few moments ago, I thought I heard a strange noise from the west."

"As did I. Members of my ninja core should be heading there to investigate by now."

"I see," Kojuro simply said and sheathed his sword.

"You have my sympathies," Yukimura stated before the sword was even fully sheathed. "If it had been Oyakata-sama who had suffered the same before my eyes… There were countless firearms on that battlefield. You cannot hold yourself at fault for Date-dono's injury. In fact, considering Oda's arquebus core was supposed to reinforce Tokugawa, I could easily make the argument that Date-dono took that gunfire in order-…"

"One change of heart by the enemy and such things happen," Kojuro interrupted him. "It is the way of war. However…" He paused, thinking back to the battle. "That Akechi bastard. To him, it was as though war was a game. Even if the plan is to eventually crush everyone around them, to kill Azai and betray Tokugawa at this stage, I just cannot imagine that that was his best course of action."

"You have a point." Crossing his arms in thought, he continued.

"Problem is, though the Devil King nurtured him, Akechi clearly has no loyalties."

"Akechi…Mitsuhide…"

"Sanada no danna!" Yukimura shot around upon hearing Sasuke's voice from behind him.

"Sasuke, who is that?" He asked, seeing the obviously injured man he was holding.

"Bunshichi!" Kojuro called in recognition. Bunshichi groaned.

"Katakura…sama…"

"What happened to you, man?" Kojuro asked worriedly, kneeling down next to him.

"I'm sorry, sir. Yoshinao and the others… we wanted to repay the Takeda Clan…so we took over…the guard duty at one of the gates…but…when it got dark…we heard a strange noise… We thought nothing of it and…just stayed there... Then a man in black…with a huge bomb on his back came running at us. The bomb landed…right in front of us and exploded," Bunshichi explained.

"By the time I arrived, all I found was this guy laying there alone," Sasuke added.

"What of the others?" Yukimura demanded.

"It would seem they were taken," Sasuke stated as he reached into his clothes to reveal a letter. "I found this there, too." Taking it, Yukimura unfolded it. Shortly reading through it, he called out to the Right Eye alarmed. Noting the urge in his voice, Kojuro stood up an took the letter to read it himself.

"It says, in exchange for the man they captured, we are to hand over the armor that needs no shield as well as Date's six dragon swords by tomorrow morning. But I cannot read the calligraphy." Eyes flying to said calligraphy, he deciphered it immediately.

"Matsunaga Danjo Hisahide!" In silent rage he crumpled the letter like it was the reason for all this.

"This Matsunaga guy…" Sasuke started. "He is known as the villain of the Warring States, but he hasn't been doing anything. It's said he's been living as a hermit, spending his time collecting antiques."

"Sanada," Kojuro addressed the Young Cub. "What is the armor that needs no shield?"

"It is the Takeda family heirloom. When Oyakata-sama prepares to embark on a great venture, he gathers his chief vassals before this armor and the ancient banner to determine the Clan's collected will. Oaths sworn on such occasions are never broken. The armor that needs no shield is a symbol of the Takeda's unwavering will. It is literally a treasure. It is said that no weapon, no matter how sharp a force, can pierce it, and in turn, when someone has suffered a grave injury, it is said that they're bed in the armor's presence, which is why Date-dono rests there now."

"So it's that armor," Kojuro remembered. Looking down at the letter in his hand, he clenched even tighter. "What's Matsunaga's game? He wants Date's swords and Takeda's armor? What, so he can decorate the walls of his hermit cave?!"

"I shall go notify Oyakata-sama right away!"

"There is no need for that," Kojuro refused, closing his eyes and turning away from Yukimura.

"Why not?" Yukimura asked.

"This was a failure on our part. We cannot make anymore trouble for the Takeda Clan. It doesn't matter if we told the Tiger of Kai. I cannot ask him to give up his greatest family treasure."

"Katakura-sama…!" Bunshichi called out, crawling over to him, trying to change his mind somehow.

"Masamune-sama is not to hear a word of this! Those men were shot down in Nagashino! They died, got it?!"

"But Katakura-sama…"

"Katakura-dono…!"

"Danna, it's the correct decision," Sasuke pointed out.

"You're just gonna ignore it, Kojuro?" Asked an all too familiar voice. Turning around, they were met with the image of the One-Eyed Dragon standing there in full armor, leaning against the door frame like he hadn't been shot just a few hours ago. "Let him treat us like chumps?"

"Big Boss…!"

"Date-dono!"

"Hey there, Yukimura. Where're ya keeping my horse?" Masamune asked, stepping down from the porch. Doing so, the others could make out an decisive detail about him, which surely hadn't been there before. His pupil was slitted like that of a cat. A detail that did not go by his Right Eye, who immediately knew what it meant.

"What are you doing, Masamune-sama?!"

"No big whup. Sounds like your basic hostage recovery situation, right? I got that, no sweat. So where is this Matsunaga bastard?" Masamune wanted to know as he casually walked past Kojuro, most likely to head off to the stables and retrieve his horse, smiling all the while.

"You mustn't!"

"No man left behind, that's the Date way. Got it?" He didn't even turn around to face him.

"I will not allow you to leave here," Kojuro stated as he laid his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Katakura-sama, no…" But neither Bunshichi nor Yukimura and Sasuke stepped in, knowing this wasn't something they should get in between.

"You really gonna turn your sword on me?"

"Your retainers are valuable, but not nearly as much as your own person!" Now, Masamune did turn around, wearing a wide smile of confidence.

"Then do this with me. Watch my back like you always do!" But Kojuro slowly drew sword from its sheath.

"Katakura-dono, wait!" Yukimura tried to intervene, but Kojuro would hear nothing of it.

"You must be allowed to fear nothing, to proceed forward in all times and at any cost!" The sword had fully left the sheath. "So I do watch your back, I see what you cannot. You know I swore this to you. But I will not allow you to leave here in your current state! I swear it on my life!" He stated firmly as a blue aura started to surround him.

"Well, you had your chance," Masamune sighed as he drew one of his blades in kind, already glinting blue. "I won't hold back."

And their blades met. Only for a short time though, as Kojuro got pushed back. He immediately caught himself again and ran at Masamune in a half circular manner, making him disappear into Masamune's blind spot, from where he struck again and again. Masamune managed to parry the blows each time, but it was obviously difficult for him.

"Look at Katakura-dono, he only attacks Date-dono's right side!" Yukimura stated.

"His every move is so precise. I like this guy!" Sasuke smiled.

Meanwhile, Masamune was forced to jump back from his opponent to gain the needed distance to pick up speed. He went back to his fighting stance, the sword horizontal next to his head to allow him to stab more precisely and grinned, knowing he would be able to deal a nice blow. As soon as it came, the grin disappeared as his left hand went down to his abdomen. His wound had reopened. And before he knew it, Kojuro was in front of him and with the hilt of the sword he stabbed him right where the bullet wound was. Even with the armor, it hurt like hell. Groaning in pain, Masamune stepped back.

"Dammit, that's low!" he cursed hoarsely. Unable to move as he wished, he could not get away when Kojuro lifted his sword again and hit him with the back of the blade in the neck, successfully knocking him out cold. Looking down at his defeated master, Kojuro turned his back to him.

"Boss! Big Boss!" Bunshichi called, running up to Masamune's fallen form, falling to his knees next to him. "Katakura-sama, that wasn't fair! Boss Date is badly injured, so why…?!" He stopped his tirade as Kojuro turned back to him, his gaze set with determination and confidence as they rested on Masamune. He sheathed his sword again and kneeled down on the opposite side to where Bunshichi was kneeling next to Masamune.

"Yes, Masamune-sama, I understand. Without fail, I will safely recover your missing retainers."

"Katakura-dono…" Yukimura uttered in amazement.

"But I need to borrow these to do it," he added, picking up the six swords with such care as he got to his feet, one would think he expected them to break as easily as glass. At this moment, noise could be heard from the room Masamune had been resting.

"Masamune…sama…" Surprised, Sasuke and Yukimura shot around. Bunshichi and Kojuro also turned to face the screens, but they knew what caused the unease.

The shoji screens suddenly broke out of their frames as a giant head appeared from inside the room. The eyes were still closed, the dragon clearly blind. The advanced on them as her front claws carried her over. Her head hovered over Kojuro, Bunshichi and Masamune for a bit, 'looking' down on them.

"Are you feeling better now, Kaminari-sama?" Kojuro asked.

"I would not call it better, but at least I can move," she answered. "Where are we? This is not the encampment of the Oda nor is it the Date estate."

"We are currently taking shelter in the estate of the Tiger of Kai, Takeda Shingen. We were engaged in battle with the Azai and then shot at by the Oda's arquebus core. The Takeda extended their help to us and we accepted."

"I see. So this is a bullet wound…" Lowering her snout, her nostrils flared up. "It's nothing that won't heal, but it'll take time. In my condition, I won't be able to speed it up by much. I will work on it little by little, though."

"I will leave him in your care, then. But don't overexert yourself, you hear me?" Her body trembled as a light chuckle could be heard.

"I won't. I Promise." Kaminari said as her head bent down and her jaws opened, showing off a row of razor sharp teeth. Yukimura and Sasuke tried to intervene, but seeing Kojuro's warning gaze, they remained where they stood and could only watch in amazement as the dragon gently scooped Masamune up into its mouth, only the lower legs dangling out. She closed her mouth again, mindful of her teeth and lifted her head from the ground, before she slowly and carefully retreated backwards into the room. She had some problems getting her antlers back in, but eventually, her head was back inside. The spectators could only watch as the dragon circled the futon in the middle a couple of times, before she laid down to release Masamune from the confinement of her mouth with the upmost care, gently nudging him until he lie on the futon properly and using a claw to put the giant kimono, that had served as his blanket until now, back over him. She then rested her head next to him, her claw draped over him. Someone would need to come later and remove the armor from him, but it was clear, that wouldn't happen anytime soon.

"That is amazing…!" Yukimura admired. Sasuke mutely agreed.

"I will feel much better leaving now, knowing Masamune-sama in her hands." Kojuro looked over at Bunshichi. "Make sure you get medical treatment and always stay close to Kaminari-sama." Bunshichi nodded.

"Hai." And with that, Katakura went to retrieve the missing retainers.

"So in the end, he's still going by himself," Sasuke uttered to himself.

But that didn't sit right with Yukimura, so he found himself in the assembly hall, facing his lord on his knees, Sasuke only slightly behind him on one knee himself. The air was suffocating.

"I understand the details of the matter. So, Yukimura…"

"Hai."

"What is this question you wish to ask of me?"

"Yes, Oyakata-sama, I would ask…" He stopped, unable to continue, his shoulders shivering. "I humbly request…"

"Come on, Danna, just ask him already!" Sasuke whispered. But he couldn't.

"Then I shall ask you a question. Why did you allow the Dragon's Right Eye to go alone?"

"Oyakata-sama, along with Date-dono's swords, Matsunaga wants the armor that needs no shield, the treasure of the Takeda family which must never leave its place here. To simply hand it over as ransom to someone biased enough to take hostages, it's out of the question!" Yukimura hastily explained, sweating ferociously, his voice growing strained. "And also Katakura-dono expressed to me his desire to avoid inquiring further debt to the Takeda Clan. I wanted to…respect his wishes. Furthermore, with the fate of the land in jeopardy, there is no telling when the Devil King's minions may sneak into Kai, quite possibly to make an attempt on your life, Oyakata-sama. So, for me to leave Kai at this point and time would be…" Behind him, Sasuke facepalmed.

"YOU COLOSSALE OF A FOOL!" Shingen screamed as his fist connected with his apprentice's chin, sending him high into the air, before he fell through the wooden floor head first. "Yukimura, you are showing your youth. Why have you not asked me to give you the armor, no, not even that," he corrected himself, while Yukimura slowly climbed out of the clutter. "Why did you not just take the armor without even a word to me and go off and save those men with Katakura?!"

"Oyakata-sama…!"

"Matsunaga's demands did not stop at the One-Eyed Dragon's swords. If he does not get the swords and the armor that needs no shield this villain of the Warring States will never make the deal. That much is certain." He turned away from Yukimura and looked up at the ceiling in thought. "Regarding Date, in time we may have to fight them for supremacy, but right now they are guests under the protection of Takeda. To have others in your care is not just about sharing food and logics." Yukimura finally climbed fully out of the hole and crawled over to his lord on his knees with a renewed admiration.

"Oyakata-sama!" His head almost hit the floor as he bowed. "I understand now. The way Date-dono and Katakura-dono must be feeling right now, it would be as though our own Sasuke had been taken!" He claimed, pointing at Sasuke with his arm. "It would be absolutely unforgivable!"

"Then again, I would never screw up like that." Yukimura continued like he had not heard Sasuke's comment.

"To be honest, Oyakata-sama, I saw something of you earlier in Katakura-dono's visage. Passion, the hardship bring to all your dealings with me. I felt as though Katakura-dono embodied the same exact qualities!"

"All the more reason for you to take the armor that needs no shield!" Shingen said, looking at him from over his shoulder.

"Oyakata-sama!"

"Rescue the Date men being held hostage and bring back the armor without fail!"

"Oyakata-sama, I understand completely!"

"Do not mock this up, Yukimura!"

"Oyakata-sama!

"Yukimura!"

"Oyakata-sama!"

"Yukimura!"

"Oyakata-sama!"

"Yukimura!"

"Bonding, great," Sasuke muttered from the sidelines as he waited for those two to either stop or lose their voice.

While Shingen and Yukimura were busy trying to figure out who se voice would give out first, err, bonding, Kojuro had made his way to Matsunaga's hermit cave, as he had called it. No one guarded the gate and no one stopped him from passing through it as the giant doors opened. It was inside that he was greeted by someone, tipping their weapons on the ground in a set rhythm.

"Lose one man, another joins."

"Lose two men and two more join."

"Lose three men and that's the end."

Kojuro was faced by three men, two with white armor and black overcoats, the one in the middle being the exact opposite. The two identical ones then stepped behind the one in the middle in a perfect line.

"We are the Death God Core of the Matsunaga army." The identical members now looked over their leader's shoulders at Kojuro, one over each shoulder, making the leader appear three-faced. "Miyoshi Three." Some sort of fog rose from vases standing at the sidelines.

"Hand the ransom over to us," the leader demanded.

"The hostages will be delivered later," the one on to Kojuro's left stated.

"Dead or alive is up to you," the one to Kojuro's right said. Kojuro put the valuable package down, before he addressed them.

"Since you're dreaming, let me put you to sleep!" And he unsheathed his sword, showing he was serious. "Come on!"

A/N: To get some confusion out of the way, Kaminari/Kagome is talking like for example Inupapa in the third movie. Since they don't really move their mouths, I found it logical that she would be able to communicate even without a tongue. Kinda like telepathy. Tell me what you think! ^^ And don't worry, the action is going to stray from the original show a bit more with each chapter.