Disclaimer: I suppose you all know this already, but Shingo Nanami is the sole creator of Sengoku Strays. And フクロウ is the sole author of these wonderful drabbles. I only received permission to translate and upload her works onto this website. Okay then, let's get on with the show.

名前

Name

Kuranosuke x Kasane

"Hm? What're you doing?" Just as he placed his weapon the veranda, a small, black cat approached him. It meowed and affectionately rubbed against him.

"…Geez, go away." He coldly tried to chase it off. But the black cat didn't pull back.

"I'll have you know, I don't have any food to feed you!" he fumed at the creature, but the cat only gazed back at him and amiably mewed back.

"…"

Stupefied, he heaved a great sigh and took his eyes off the cat before picking up his sasara.

"…"

Unfazed, the black cat sat next him and looked fixedly at his hand.

"…What'd you want?" The cat didn't respond, but remained beside him. Unable to bear its gaze, he turned away.

"…"

"Meow." It softly cried and stared at him with wide chestnut eyes. Trembling slightly, Kuranosuke cautiously stretched out his hand to the black creature. Initially when he reached out his hand, he apprehensively thought the cat would waste his precious efforts to pet it and run off. But it didn't. The cat contently leaned into his touch.

"You're pretty friendly, aren't you…" He gently picked it up and examined its face.

Again it softly mewed back.

"You're… not one of our lords cats…."

Black cats were common in the area and there were a number of them that loitered around the castle, but this one was different than the ones Nobunaga kept.

Majority of the cats that lived in this castle only listened to their lord. And he's also never seen a cat that warmed up to people this easily.

"A female…?"

He intently studied her face. The cat tilted its head.

"…You, don't have a name?"

"Meow."

It meowed as if answering Kuranosuke's question.

For a second Kuranosuke furrowed his brows and thought, "Wait, it can understand human speech?" To which he then shook his head. "Of course it can't."

"…You're, similar to something," he muttered and scratched his head. This idiotic face. This tiny body. This friendly and amiable personality.

"…You're just like that idiot woman."

He recalled that strange girl. Even those chestnut brown eyes resembled her closely.

"…"

Wordlessly he continued to scrutinize the cat.

"Your name…" he softly murmured. "Your name is…. Ka-…" He unintentionally faltered. If the woman herself suddenly saw what he was doing, he'll be mortified. He'll surely die of embarrassment.

"K-kasane, is your name. Not bad right…?" He murmured in a voice that was more uncertain than bashful. He wondered why every time he looked at the cat, it reminded him of that idiot woman.

Of course he knew her name.

But he never used it.

From the start he always called her 'idiot woman' and 'simpleton'. If he called her by her name now… He'll feel really embarrassed for some odd reason.

"Meow." it happily cried out, somehow the cat seemed to like its name.

"So you like it, huh." Though he felt a bit abashed, he also felt a little happy.

Kuranosuke, once more called its name.

"Kasa…ne."

"Mew," it responded.

Calling her name surprisingly felt refreshing. And before he knew it, he repeatedly called out to the black cat. Without any doubt, if he ever called that woman by her name, she would surely widely smile at him.

"Oi, Kasane."

"Yes? What is it?"

"! ! ?"

He heard a voice of a young girl behind him. Perceiving that voice, Kuranosuke instantly turned around.

"Yes?" There stood a smiling Kasane who looked at him. He immediately shook and retreated from his previous position.

Finding his voice once more, he asked her, "W-why are you here!? How long were you standing there!?"

Maybe she was the entire thing he panically thought as shame severely attacked him. What's more is that she responded to him; even if she didn't see the whole thing, she definitely heard him call her name at least once.

His face flushed. His heart fiercely heated against his chest. He couldn't hide his unrest from her.

This was bad. This was far beyond just bad.

"I actually came to ask you for help… But I thought you noticed that I was behind you."

Kuranosuke glanced at her dubiously. Somehow quelling his heart, he managed to scowl at Kasane.

"S-so what's the problem?"

"Ah, that's right! Actually theres this one cat that… Huh? Who's that?" Her attention turned to the cat that was still in Kuranosuke's hands.

"O-oh this, this is nothing! ! It doesn't have name!"

"Huh!? W-what's wrong?" Kasane marveled at Kuranosuke's loud reaction.

Not good, if he continues acting like this, she'll figure it all out.

"…Ah? A cat…?"

Turning his attention to her feet, he saw a white cat with an unpleasant expression on its face. He raised an eyebrow.

"That's right. He suddenly appeared when I was cleaning out the garden. He wasn't one of the castle's cats so… I wanted to consult you about this,"

"…Such a repulsive cat." he squinted at the white cat. Somehow it felt like it was trying to pick a fight with him.

"Really? I think he's pretty cute though…" She picked him up and affectionately nuzzled against him. The white cat kept its unpleasant expression, but calmly leaned towards Kasane.

"So, Kuranosuke-san, what happened to that little one?" She asked once more. Startled, Kuranosuke once more pulled back into reality. He frantically glanced at Kasane.

"…This is, well a lost cat."

"I see…" She sadly looked at the cat. Suddenly the white cat leapt out from her arms.

"Uwa, Wha-? What's wrong?" She called out to the creature who hurriedly leapt to the ground. Following his escape, he headed towards the black cat.

"Could it be… they know each other?" Kasane merrily whispered as they watched the harmonious cats meow back at each other, as if rejoicing their reunion. The cats mewed one last time as if thanking them, and left.

"…They're gone."

"Hn… Well just be glad that they found each other in the end."

Glancing over to a lonely Kasane, he throw out words of encouragement as best he could. In response, Kasane shyly laughed.

"It'll be nice if Kuranosuke comes back."

"….Ha!?" Realizing Kasane was calling the cat his name, Kuranosuke yelled in disarray.

"Ah, it's that cat's name. He reminded me so much about you so the name just stuck. Ahahaha," she sheepishly laughed while rubbing the back of her head. Before he could say anything, Kasane continued, "They must be lovers. It was sort of nice to see them like that."

With a happy expression, she looked in the direction where the cats disappeared into.

So she still doesn't know anything. She doesn't know he dubbed the black cat her name. And though he fully understood that she would remain ignorant, he still felt as if something seized his heart.

"Um, Kuranosuke-san! Why don't we name that black cat something! What'll be a good name?"

"Stray cats don't need any names!"

"Eh~, but that's so sad. I already named the white one Kuranosuke… so what should we call the black one?"

She followed Kuranosuke as he began to walk off on his own.

It was as if they were replaying the scene that happened moments before.

Deep in his heart, Kuranosuke darkly thought how, with the exception of that woman's name, it's impossible to find something else that suited the black cat.

(They must be lovers)

With her words suddenly flashing across his mind, Kuranosuke blushed.

He would rather die than admit to the person herself that he named the cat after her.

Covering his reddening face, Kuranosuke vowed to keep this locked deeply in his heart.

I hoped you enjoyed this drabble! I think I can upload one more story tomorrow, if I have time. I'll be leaving for a trip this Sunday and won't be back until August 1. So I apologize in advance to those who patiently wait for me to translate more of フクロウ's stories.