What if you didn't have to pick so quickly which one of the guys you were to travel with in "Shall we Date? Ninja Love"? What would've happened if you didn't have to leave for Iga so quickly, and had more time with all of the guys? Sazio and Kotaro needed your help, Sasuke fell in love with you at first sight, and Goemon is always going to be a womanizer unless you pull him out of it. And what about Hanzo? Figure out who you truly should be with out of all the ninjas, rather than picking randomly or the one who needs you most. Who do YOU need most? Who's your actual soulmate?
Prologue
1581, Kawachinokuni.
"What are you doing, Abigail?" a villager asks me upon smelling the freshly picked and cooked fruits in my basket as I walk past
"Oh, I'm just taking these snacks to the students," I respond, smiling at the friendly villager.
"Oh, wow, directly from the chief priest's granddaughter?" he asks, stopping his sweeping of the porch he's on to admire me.
Another villager from the house next door chimes in, "She sure is a hard worker."
"You lost your parents ard were taken in by the temple, right?" the first villager reminds me, "Even still, you work so hard. So admirable."
I smile, waving goodbye to the familiar villagers and continuing on my path to the schoolgrounds. Hmm...Everyone says so, but I don't think that there really is anything special about me. I'm just a girl who was raised in a temple by her grandfather, who did as best he could.
Something catches my attention in the corner of my eye. A large, light-green haired man walks into my view. I stop in my tracks to gawk...he is HUGE! I can see his prominent muscles from behind his half-open kimono! I've never seen him before...I wonder who he is? He had two swords on his belt...so maybe he's a samurai?
I hear a voice, pulling me out of my thoughts, "Hey, you."
Quickly, I turn towards the voice, "Y-yes!"
It's the green-haired man. Speak of the devil...
"Can I have some of that?" he asks me, indicating my basket of snacks. How curious...
Flabbergasted, I respond quickly, "Ah, yeah, sure. I suppose that a little would be okay..."
He thanks me, taking a few pieces of still-warm fruit from my basket and popping them into his mouth. How interesting...
"Mhm, not bad at all," he compliments.
I smile, flattered, though still unsure of how to react to such a big, seemingly friendly man. Of course, he did ask me for food out of the blue...odd, but I'm happy to share! I respond, "Yeah! Thank you! Everyone in the village loves them, too."
"Hmmm...I see," he simply responds, licking his fingers to clean them until he suddenly stops to hold out his hand, "Oh, yeah. I guess I didn't introduce myself. I'm Musashi Miyamoto."
"Mushashi?" I hand him a thin hand towel that I'd been using simply for decoration for my basket, "My name is Abigail. What are you doing here in this country village?"
"I promised to meet someone around here."
Hm...curious. I wonder who?
"Oh, yeah?" I say, taking back my hand towel once he'd finished with it.
"Yeah...actually, it's time now. See you, and thanks for the snack!"
With a wave, he walks away, continuing in the direction opposite of where I'm heading to.
As I arrive back at the temple, now with an empty basket and happy, sated children back at the schoolgrounds, one of the many monks working at the temple runs up to me with a frown. "Where did you go?" he asks.
"Oh, I just went to grab some snacks," I reply honestly.
The brown-clad monk flaps his hand, "Bah, I told you I would do that! There have been bandits recently, so you need to be careful."
Bandits?
"You mean the people sent by Nobunaga Oda?" I ask, tired of hearing the same news all the time.
"Yes, they are hunting ninjas by his orders," he groans as if it's obvious, slowly beginning to escort me towards the garden, "He is well known for hating ninja. He used Koga to invade Iga, but now plans to destroy Koga."
Curious, I ask, "Is Nobunaga really that scared of the ninjas?"
"Yeah," the monk responds, still moving me gently as our feet touch grass, "He must know of their true power. He fears they will get in his way."
"But it's not like Nobunaga is for sure taking over the country..." I say, trying to pull the monk out of his grumpiness.
It doesn't seem to work, though, for, although considering what I said, he sighs, "That's true. There are still other possible players, like the really strong samurai serving under Tokugawa."
"Oh really?" I ask, turning around so he'll stop walking me, "What is his name?"
"Munenori Yagyo, the head of the Yagyu clan," he informs me, "Not only is he an amazing swordsman, but I hear that he is quite clever, too."
I press my finger to my chin, "I think I have heard stories about him from grandpa."
The monk frowns, "Although I have heard he is forced to be quite cruel sometimes."
"I see..." I say, "But this really has nothing to do with our little temple."
Placing a hand on my shoulder, he responds, "Well yeah, but you can never be too careful."
That somehow reminds me...
"Ah!" I cry, upon remembering a forgotten task.
"W-what?!" the monk cries out himself, quickly pulling his hand back.
"I have to feed the kittens!" I say, rushing off in the opposite direction that he'd been pulling me; towards the temple.
"Abigail!" the monk shouts, worry in his voice, but I keep walking, intent on getting my duties done, "The priest said to-"
Officially out of hearing range, I go though the open temple doors and head into the main hall.
I'm sure the cats are starving...How could I be so forgetful?! Ah, well, at least they're getting the delicious treat of tuna tod-
Who's that?
A girl, her back nearly turned towards me and dark, purple hair covering the part of her face that would've been visible otherwise, is huddling over the kittens. I notice a strange, yet pretty, string of yellow beads swinging from what looks to be a strand of hair; a white feather at the end being held by a larger, blue bead.
As I'm about to say something to get her attention, a low voice startles me. "Just let me see your paws," it says.
...Did that come from "the girl"?
Purrpurrpurrpurr(1)
As I walk around quietly to get a better view of the person, I see that one of the kittens is rolling around on the floor, immensely happy, as the MAN scratches it's tummy.
Male, people. It's a man. Even though that the lower half of his face is covered up by a strange, black fabric, his eyes, chest and neck are obviously male.
And his voice.
Suddenly, he springs up, picking up the little kitten with him as he gets into a battle-ready stance. "Who is there!?" he yells, scaring me.
"Ah! T-that is my question..." I sigh, catching my breathe again, as he walks up to me, kitten in tow. I quickly, nervously, respond, "I am the granddaughter of the chief priest here."
He glares at me, finally setting the kitten down as he folds his arms up over his loose, purple garb, "Hm...so you are that girl?"
...I'm not sure I like the way he talks about that girl...
"W-what!?"
Suddenly, he grabs my chin and presses close, nearly pressing our noses together. How can he be so friendly!? Heat rushes to my cheeks as I try to back away, holding the tray of tuna close as I press against the wall. He persists, though, and continually turns my head; side to side and up and down...
He seems to frown, according to his eyebrows, as he murmurs, "Even from every angle you just look like a boring, ordinary girl."
"Hey!" I snap, swatting his hand away, "You can't say something like that to a girl's face!"
He doesn't really seem to hear me, though, as he becomes distracted by another voice, calling, "Hey(2), Saizo!"
Another man, several inches taller and more heavily built than the purple-haired Saizo, enters the kitten-filled room from the door where I'd come in.
Saizo quickly turns around. He calmly states, "Sasuke, you know I am older than you. Watch how you talk to me!"
The blonde (or, rather, golden-haired, like a cat) man frowns, then loudly states, "Shut up! It's not like it really matters." I decide to set the tuna down by the cats while I still have the chance, and move past the men. I hear Sasuke say behind me, "Well who is this kid?"
As I coo to one of the kittens, Saizo speaks. The tone in his voice shows doubt as he says, "She says she is 'that girl'."
"Really?!" Sasuke gawks as I turn back around to face them, "This girl is Abigail?"
Huh, he doesn't say it like it's a bad thing, unlike Saizo.
"Woah! She sure is a cutie!" Sasuke smiles. I can't hold back my surprise at the compliment, even upon seeing Saizo roll his eyes.
My surprise shows even more as the gold-haired man holds me up against his chest in a great, big, bear hug.
"The hell are you doing? Stupid kid." Sazio sighs as I try to hold in my shy blush. It feels like I fail, though, due to the heat eminating my face.
Stupid kid? Is Sasuke younger than me? He sure is big, though...
"Um..." I begin awkwardly, poking my head out from Sasuke's arms, "By the way...who are you two?"
Saizo stares at me.
"Are you stupid or something?" he asks.
"What?!" I say, freeing myself from Sasuke's embrace, "Stupid?"
Saizo continues, "You can't tell by our clothes who we are?"
Clothes? Well, I haven't been paying attention to the clothes...but now they he mentions it...they are dressed like nin-...
Sasuke pats me on the back, smiling, "Well, see ya later, Abigail!"
Before I can react, they disappear, like a breeze, though the door. What were they doing here?
Pulling me out of my stupor is yet another new voice, "Um, excuse me."
"Ah! Y-yes?" I look up.
"Oh, sorry for surprising you," another blonde man, this time with whiteish-blonde (and very pretty) wavy hair says. He speaks to me with a surprisingly soft voice–also unlike said previous blonde friend of Saizo. "Are you one of the villagers?" he asks.
"Yes...Yes I am," I respond, "But who are you?"
"I am Rennoshin," the pretty man states, bowing gently to me, "a doctor who visits here sometimes. I was on my way out but then I saw you standing in here by yourself. I was a bit worried by your expression, so I wanted to check up on you."
"Oh really? How interesting...Well, yes, I am fine. I am healthy at least!"
He laughs, "Well that is good to hear. Health is the most important!" He adjusts his glasses, "Well, at any rate, I am glad to hear that you are fine."
"No, thank you so much!" I shake his hand, glad to have finally met a kind, non-abrasive person, "Sorry for worrying you!"
"Ah, I'm not worried about being worried. Don't worry!" he says, smiling, "Well, I will be on my way, then."
He bows lightly to me as he exits the room, me smiling and waving goodbye. I sigh, sitting down next to the kittens as they eat. One of the older kittens rubs against my hand as it climbs into my lap. I scratch it's head familiarly, saying aloud, "I sure am meeting lots of new faces today, aren't I?"
Not to mention that those two guys were actual ninjas...I wonder if something happened in the village? I should certainly hope not...
My strokes along the cat's body become more and more mindless as these worried, curious thoughts swarm about my head...
"I suppose I could always ask Grandpa..." I say once more to the cat, letting it know that I'm setting it down and getting up. As I leave, I close the sliding, paper-screen door and head off to where Grandpa is most likely to dwell.
WhisperWhisper(3)
Huh? What was that...? As I near one of the larger rooms in the second story of the temple, I can hear somebody talking in hushed tones behind the paper walls. It doesn't sound like anybody I know.
Unable to help my curiosity, I press my ear gently against the tight paper...
"I'm sure you already know, but Nobunaga plans to wipe out ALL of the ninja clans."
"Of course I understand the situation, Lord Hattori," my grandfather chimes in, "There is no future for the ninja if we don't stop Nobunaga."
Wait a minute...isn't Lord Hattori the leader of the Iga ninjas?
"I have talked with Lord Mochizuki from Koga," the Iga Elder says, "We are going to unite and fight! And for that we need Abigail!"
Say what?! Why me? I'm just a peasant girl who grew up in a temple! How can I-
Rrrrrip!
"Ah!" I shout as I fall flat on my face, halfway inside the room that I'd been eavesdropping on.
Crap...stupid paper doors...
"Abigail!" my grandfather shouts, surprised.
I look up, giving him my best nervous smile, "Haaa...Grandpa..."
As he helps me up, brushing the dust off my kimono and smoothing out my hair, he sighs, "Even though I told no one to come near the temple hall..."
Still shaken by the new information (or lack thereof) and my embarrassment in front of the blueish-gray haired Iga Clan Elder, I stutter out my question, "B-but what exactly is going on?!"
The Iga Elder looks me over, "This girl is our future? The heir to the Kusunoki style?"
Kusunoki style?
"...Um, I really have no idea what you're talking about. Kusunoki style? What's-"
My dear, old grandfather sighs, sitting down with a light groan on the window sill, "I guess it can't be helped. I knew I had to tell you sometime."
"Grandpa?" I ask curiously.
"Come, sit," he says, indicating the floor in front of him. I walk over and sit on my knees to look up at my grandfather.
He looks me in the eyes, demanding attention himself, as he says, "You are the daughter of Masashige Kusunoki."
Wh...Who?! Masashige Kusunoki?!
"W-w-wait a minute..." I say quickly, "I am just the priest's granddaughter! My parents died..."
"We aren't actually related by blood."
"What!?"
My "grandfather" holds up his hand to silence me, much to my chagrin. But I listen intently as he continues, "I have just taken care of you since you were left in the temple's care. I raised you here to keep you safe from Nobunaga's clutches."
The blue/gray-haired Iga Elder calls for my attention as he says, causing me to quickly turn around, "You are actually the princess of the Kusunoki. The origin of ninjas."
WHAT!?
Interrupting my utter shock is the ripped door opening.
The Iga Elder shouts, "Hanzo!"
A man with bluer hair than the Iga Elder enters the room. He's dressed like a ninja, too, except with mostly blue clothes rather than Sazio's purple or Sasuke's green.
"Yes, father?" the man asks.
Wait...so this is the famous Hanzo Hattori? I stand up quickly, forgetting about my grandfather's orders to sit.
The young, blue man smiles at me as he bows deeply, a hand over his heart, "Pleasure to meet you, Princess."
...Princess?...
"I know you are probably surprised at these sudden events," Hanzo says, raising back up, "But please rest assured, we will protect you will all our power."
"We?" I mutter, still shell-shocked.
Another guy seems to appears out of nowhere, startling me, "Hmm...so this is the Princess?"
He starts walking towards me, red hair ablaze, brushing past Hanzo and walking with an arrogant gait. A swirling tattoo of some kind covers his left shoulder, and assumably lightweight, metal armor pads cover pretty much the rest of his arms.
Hanzo's eyes widen as the warm-color-themed man walks towards me. Said red-haired man looks me up and down, saying, "You don't really look the part."
"Goemon!" Hanzo shouts, grabbing his arm to keep him from advancing any further (not that he got very close, anyway), "Watch your mouth in front of the princess!"
So this is Goemon Ishikawa from the Iga village?
Goemon sighs, rolling his eyes as he turns towards Hanzo, "You are just as stiff as usual, Hanzo. I mean, seriously, lighten up," he smirks at me, "We will be living together, afterall."
"L...Living together?!" I repeat loudly.
Grandpa, still sitting, catches my attention again, "Well, it all basically boils down to this: In order to oppose Nobunaga, the Iga, Koga, and Fuma clans are joining," he now stands, taking my hands in his, "You are a symbol of that unity, as the Princess heir to the Ninja Origin."
"A symbol of unity?" I repeat.
"Yes," Grandpa continues, "And five ninjas have been chosen from the villages."
I look back at Hanzo and Goemon, who are staring at me; Hanzo my eyes and Goemon...I don't think I want to know what he's staring at. Quickly, I turn away, blushing, but listening as intently as ever to my grandfather.
He places his hand on my head, "We are to come up with a plan to oppose Nobunaga."
Hanzo suddenly comes into view. My grandfather lets me go as I back up. Hanzo explains, "For that purpose, we are all assembling in the village of Iga."
Grandpa continues, "You are to go to the Iga village for training."
I back away even further, "M-me? For training?!"
Accidentally, I bump into Goemon, who gently grabs my shoulders and leans over me, being able to look me in the eyes due to his height. He smiles a strange smile, saying, "If you are to be a symbol of unity, then you're going to need some knowledge(4)of ninja."
Due to way that he says that, I quickly escape his gentle hold.
"N-no way," I stutter, "I can't...I-It's all too sudden!"
Goemon holds his arms out, smirking, "Don't worry, I will take good care of you."
He pats me softly on the head, freezing me to the spot. Then he rests his hand on my head and whispers into my ear, "And in exchange, you can let me have some fun, too!"
Oh, no...how can I ever relax with perverts like him around?
The Iga Elder suddenly makes a thumping noise as he shouts, "Please help us, Abigail!"
When I turn around, I see that he is on the ground, bowing down to me with his forehead touching the wooden floor.
"We need you to hold together this alliance!" he nearly begs, "You are the only hope we have!"
"Uh..." I say, unsure of what to do in such a new and uncomfortable situation, "f-first, please raise your head."
The Iga Elder does, but then my attention switches back to the ruined door, no longer serving it's purpose.
"Excuse me," Saizo says, simply walking through the gaping hole in the door.
Then Sasuke enters, actually having to open the door due to his size. He pumps his fist, "Whoo! Abigail!"
My grandfather explains, placing a hand on my shoulder and indicating the two ninjas I'd already met, "These two are Saizo Kirigakure and Sasuke Sarutobi from the Koga clan."
Huh...so those two are famous ninja from Koga?
A third man with white hair–completely unlike any old men–and a similar black fabric covering up the lower half of his face as Saizo walks in, as well.
"Umm...and what about this man?" I ask after not receiving a biography.
"Kotaro Fuma from the Fuma clan," my grandfather says upon taking notice.
"..." says Kotaro.
Hmm...he's a little scary, what with his black, white and deep, faded red ninja garb, not at all matching his red eyes. Not to mention his silence is interesting...
"Abigail," my grandfather gains my attention. He gently grips my arms, his brown kimono brushing against my elbows. He looks into my eyes again, "I raised you as an ordinary girl, but now is the time for you to step out into the world."
My eyebrows furrow, "Grandpa..."
He tightens his hold ever so slightly, "You are their heir. And your parents didn't die of illness."A very surprised look envelops my face. He continues, somewhat pained, as if he thinks he's going to regret telling me, "They were killed my Nobunaga's men."
...SAY WHAT!?
"Princess?"
After telling me the truth about my parents, Grandfather had released me, suggesting that I go try to evaluate things in the garden. I'd left quickly, not enjoying the stares of everyone in the slightest–especially Goemon's (though admittedly, his expression did show some form of sympathy). I'd heard the Iga Elder release everyone to their own devices just before I'd gone down the stairs to the first floor.
Though not entirely sure that I want to associate with anyone, I turn around. "Hanzo..." I reply, surprised that he, of all people, followed me out here. If not my grandpa, then I would have expected Sasuke or Goemon, or possibly Saizo.
Hanzo stares into my eyes, his own blue piercing my grey. I can tell by the way he holds his arms stiffly at his sides that he wants to comfort me physically–probably by clasping my shoulder or patting my head–but that he is refraining.
He says, still staring into my eyes, "I know that you are confused after hearing all of this so suddenly..." he seems to expect a response from me, but I don't say anything and look away. He continues in a low voice, "Even finding out that your parents were murdered..."
This time, I do respond, meeting his gaze as seriously as he is mine, "Many more people are dying in wars as we speak. I am just lucky to have survived so far."
He smiles, losing some of his rigid composure, "Heh, I see now that you really are their heir."
Suddenly, Hanzo's stiffness completely dissolves as he places his hands on my shoulders and gently pulls me closer, although he turns his eyes away from me. He says with sadness in his voice, "I am sorry...for putting through this..."
Suddenly, a voice slices through our strange air like butter. Goemon, though amused, sighs, "Hanzo, you sure don't understand women very much..."
We both turn to the redhead. "Goemon!" Hanzo shouts, quickly putting his strict front back on, "I said watch your mouth around the princess!"
Goemon ignores Hanzo, though, and instead takes an unintentionally intimidating step towards me, "So, Princess Kusunoki, who are you going to choose?"
"What? I'm sorry, what do you mean? Choose?" I say, scrunching my eyebrows together.
Goemon smirks, taking my hand and pulling it up to his lips as I blush furiously at the contact, "I am the youngest and most powerful!"
Hanzo, glaring at Goemon, says with a deadpan, "Sorry, but some of us do have to grow up."
Goemon glares back at him quickly before pulling me aside. "Abigail," he says, staring into my eyes as he wraps his arms around my shoulders.
"W-what?" I manage to say.
This guy really is pushy...hm...
He pulls my chin up to look at him. With a cocky smile, he says with a near-whisper, "Just letting you know..." he presses his lips to my ear, causing even more blood to impossibly rush to my cheeks. His voice drops an octave, "but I am the best with women. Why don't you become my woman?"
"W-what?" I say, about to cry out of shyness.
He moves his head back to look me in the face again, holding me a little farther away and with an irritated look on his face, "What? Not your type?"
"My type?"
Jeez...Goemon is more the biggest talker than anything else...
Suddenly, Hanzo angrily shouts, "Goemon! If you don't cut it out..."
Even more suddenly, a third voice cuts in. It's Sasuke, quickly approaching Goemon and I. "Hey, you!" the large, golden-haired man yells loudly, "Get away from Abigail!"
Whizzzzz!
The heck–? Is that a ninja star!?
Goemon quickly dodges it, having to back away from me in order to do so. My body freezes though, out of fear and shock.
Goemon strunts towards Sasuke, saying with an arrogant twinge in his voice, "What, do you want to take me on?!"
Sasuke shouts, advancing towards Goemon with his fists clenched, "Yeah! I'll make you pay!"
"Goemon!" "Sasuke!"
Hanzo and Saizo both shout, respectively, at the two childish men, stopping them in their tracks and scolding him both by simply the use of their names.
Saizo, having come out of nowhere, as the ninjas seem to do, bows down lightly to Hanzo. "Apologies, Lord Hanzo," he says, "This kid always lets things go to his head."
Sasuke removes his attention from Goemon and directs it towards Saizo, "Hey, don't treat me like a kid! I am a master of ninja techniques!"
Goemon walks back up to the crowd, "Yeah, I've heard of the name Sasuke Sarutobi before," his purposefully widens his smirk, "I hear that he is agile as a monkey, but that his brain is the same size, too!"
Sasuke clenches his fists again, "What did you just say?! Pfft, acting all big just because you're famous...!"
Goemon raises a brow and deepens his smirk even more, "Yup, I am famous for my combat skills and for being good with the ladies." He winks at me, forcing yet another blush to creep across my face. I look away.
Jeez, he really does have the biggest mouth in Japan...
Saizo's voice causes me to lift my head back up. He says with a sigh, "Alright, well let's just hurry up and decide this."
He reaches over to grab my arm; he's not nearly as gentle as Goemon was.
Yanking me closer, he asks, "So who do you choose out of us?"
I have to look up in order to see his face; they're all so tall...especially Sasuke and Goemon...
"Uh," I begin, confused, "I'm not so sure I understand. Choose...what?"
I notice Goemon's eyes widen as he speaks, "Wait...you didn't hear about it from the Elder, little girl?"
All Saizo, Sasuke and Goemon stare at me with surprised looks on their faces. It's uncomfortable being stared at by so many hands-...
Hanzo breaks the silence, though I am unable to see him due to being surrounded, "I am telling all of you to watch your mouths! She's our princess!"
The guys all turn to Hanzo, thus allowing me view of the white-haired Kotaro Fuma. Just when did he get here, I wonder?
The other three have taken notice of him, too, and I take this moment to get out of the small space that the guys had originally been allowing me. Once out of the crowd, I shift my gaze back over to Kotaro. I suppose that the ninjas didn't realize he was here, either.
"Hey, Fuma guy!" Sasuke calls out, "C'mon, say something at least!"
For the first time, I hear Kotaro's voice as he walks up to everybody. He says, "It's a waste of breath. I am already prepared to die for the princess."
How stoic...and depressing...
Hanzo steps closer to the overall crowd. He looks at Kotaro, "That is fine and all, Kotaro, but don't do so carelessly."
Kotaro responds, "..."
Then, Hanzo redirects his attention to me. "Princess, we are going to head to Iga," he states calmly, "But all six of us is too conspicuous. So, we will separate ways to distract the enemy."
I look around at all the others, who are all staring at me with varying expressions.
Hanzo continues, "Princess, we want you to head to Iga with one of us."
"One of you?" I repeat. I see Saizo roll his eyes.
"That person will assure your safe passage to Iga," assures Hanzo.
Goemon keeps the conversation going, "We will protect you from Nobunaga."
Hm...Nobunaga...He killed my parents and is trying to destroy the ninjas...
Sasuke imputs, smiling like usual, "Also, remember we have to stay together always! Even in the bath!"
I quickly turn to the others, looking for clarification, "B-Bath!?"
Saizo rolls his eyes again, "Don't worry. We aren't doing it because we want to see you naked."
Sasuke smiles a very cute smile as he bends down to my eye level. He clasps my shoulders, "Come on, just pick me! I will do my best, especially for you, Abigail!"
It was apparently Goemon's turn to persuade me, for he snakes his arm around my shoulders, stealing me away from Sasuke. He smiles slyly, "If you pick me, it is guaranteed to be fun..."
Kotaro remains silent, but at least he is looking at me, unlike Saizo, who is turned away.
Hanzo shoos Goemon away from me, and then, looking deeply into my eyes and holding me gently by the shoulders, says, "Princess, they are all talented ninjas. Who do you pick?"
My mouth hangs open, as I try to put the words together to form a coherent sentence–a sentence at all! Not even gibberish is coming out of my mouth. Hanzo releases me as I back away to look at everyone...
Saizo...
Saizo's currently turned away from me, but is switching his glances between something off in the distance behind him and at me. He insulted me earlier, but has been far less troublesome than both Goemon and Sasuke. He seems easy to talk to. He's also the smallest of all the ninjas, although still taller than me and well-built. I wouldn't feel intimidated by outward appearance alone. Of course, he is mean and sometimes seems like he might be kind of sadistic...but he also likes cats! Evil people don't like cats, right? Maybe he'd-...
Sasuke...
Sasuke seems to be the most eager to go with me, and he's been the nicest to me, aside from, perhaps, Hanzo. He's big and strong, too. I don't know if he's the strongest, but he certainly is the largest. I'd definitely feel safe with him. Not to mention that a kid might be easier to get along with than someone older than me, and none of them really look to be my age. Maybe Saizo is the same age as me, but I wouldn't bet on it. I'm nervous about all of this, but maybe Sasuke would be-...
Kotaro...
Kotaro hasn't talked to me at all. He hasn't really talked to anyone, as far as I have seen. But maybe the silent type would be best...I'm pretty quiet myself, but it might get boring if no one spoke. He did say that he would die in order to save me, though. I would never want that to happen, but that kind of dedication would make me feel safe. Maybe if I could get him to talking, he'd open up and have a conversation with me. He looks to be around a decade older than me. He'd probably have some interesting stories. Maybe if I were to-...
Goemon...
Goemon is a famous playboy; even I know this. He's even flirted with me! ME of all people, with my tattered kimonos and plain, straight, fuchsia-colored hair(5)...although the compliments DID make me feel nice about myself, and since he is a flirt, I'd probably be getting a lot of those. But he's also a loudmouth and a rather pushy and arrogant individual. But he's smart, too, I've heard...so I'd feel especially safe with him for that reason. And then there would also always probably be conversation, even if it were about himself. And I can't help but blush at that look he gives me all the time...he's so masculine...but no, this isn't about that! He's actually pretty scary looking, when you really look at him...Either way, he's strong and kind to me, even if it is a different kind of kindness from Hanzo or Sasuke. Maybe I could...
Wait...What if I didn't choose any of them? Could we ask someone else, if I said that these guys were too intimidating or scary for my taste? There was that one swordsman who's still in town! Musashi Miyamoto! He looked really strong and had duel wielding swords! Or what about that Yagyo clan samurai, Munenori Yagyo? He's strong and incredibly intelligent; perhaps, if he's also against Nobunaga, he'd escort me to Iga? Or what if I didn't choose a warrior at all? What if I pick that doctor, Rennoshin? He was remarkably kind to me and even if I were to get hurt, somehow, he could help. I'm no warrior, anyway...and he could teach me more about herb picking and mixing. What if I were to-...
Hanzo...
Hanzo didn't mention himself as an option, but could I pick him, as well? He's stiff as a board, but he's already been so protective of me around Goemon and Sasuke. He's very respectful of me, and takes his job very seriously. I bet that I'd be safe around him. Yet...if he's as stubborn and boring and as people say, that might cause trouble for us socially with each other. I don't want to be bored by talk and wish I were with Kotaro...this is going to be a tedious trip, anyway...yet he acts just like a big brother to me. As awkward and "clueless about women" as he is, maybe that's a good thing? Compared to Goemon's "extensive knowledge" about women, that might be better...he looks really strong, too...so maybe I should-...
A loud groan pulls me out of my thought process. I look up to see everyone standing about, looking, in some way, shape or form, impatient.
"Jeez, just pick one of us already!" Saizo groans again, holding the bridge of his nose, "It's not like you're going to have to marry whoever you-"
Suddenly, everyone's attention is pulled to the Iga Elder and my grandfather, running towards us.
Hanzo runs up to them worriedly as the two old men meet up with the crowd, "Father, what's wrong?"
I run up to them as well, "Grandpa, what-?"
The Iga Elder is the first to speak, "Nobunaga is going to invade Iga! He heard that the ninjas were on their way there and thinks that he's going to invade the village with all of us there!"
Grandpa adds on, "Luckily, an Iga ninja spy collecting intel on Nobunaga heard about this and told us in time; there would have been little we could have done if all of you left on your own routes to the village."
I look around at everyone; Hanzo and Goemon are especially wide-eyed, unsure of how to respond to the news of their own homeland being invaded by the enemy. Saizo has a serious, thoughtful look on his face, Sasuke is shocked and Kotaro looks as if he's horrified; as if this has happened before to him and he's having a relapse of something.
Since no one else was responding, I decide to take matters into my own hands, "So what are we going to do?"
The Iga Elder thinks for a moment, "Well," he begins, "We can't go to Koga or Fuma; Koga's already been taken over by Nobunaga's men and Fuma is far off in the opposite direction of where we need to go..." Kotaro frowns; the Iga Elder continues, "I...I'm trying to think...I don't-"
Saizo steps in, his thought process apparently complete, "We're all already here and Nobunaga doesn't know it. He doesn't even have any idea that Abigail is the princess, yet."
Yet?
Hanzo turns around, raising an eye brow, "What are you getting at, Saizo?"
"Let's stay here," Saizo concludes.
Stay here? In my hometown? Everyone stares at Saizo, who holds his ground with his arms crossed.
Goemon's shock dissolves into anger, "What, so you mean to say that you don't care about protecting Iga? That we shouldn't go and fight-"
"Is that what you're suggesting, Goemon?" the Iga Elder asks, still in a confused rut, "That we should continue onward to Iga in order to fight the Oda clan attacking it?"
Sasuke gives his imput on the matter before Goemon even has a chance to respond, "That's stupid! If he's already on his way there, then there's no way we can meet up and still have time to prepare for an all-out war! It's a three-day journey, anyway, that's why we were all so worried about Abigail having a bodyguard."
"Sasuke's right," Hanzo says, interrupting Goemon, "There's no way we can procure the weapons we need in order to fight Nobunaga's men in time. And if he thinks that every ninja not loyal to him will be there, then he's going to have the largest army he's ever had on the battle grounds."
Saizo chimes in, "And when he finds out that we're not there..."
"Iga's a large village," says Goemon, "He's going to take it over and let his army hide out there until the ninja do show up," he pauses, then quiets his voice, "He's going to bully the townsfolk into working for him and take over their homes..." then he says, louder this time, "And he's going to expect Lord Hattori, Hanzo and I to return eventually."
The Iga Elder nods, "We're going to need to send word out to the Iga ninjas; warn them of the incoming troops."
This time, I give in my input, "But we're going to need to warn the other smaller-ranked ninja from the Koga and Fuma clans not to go to Iga."
I flinch slightly when Goemon clenches his fists. Hanzo notices this and comes between us, saying, "Goemon, calm down. You're smart, so think rationally."
With an irritated sigh, Goemon loosens his hands and walks away, deeper into the garden. "So it is decided, then," Kotaro finally speaks, "We will stay in Kawachinokuni."
With a sigh, the Iga Elder says, "Yes. But it will not be entirely safe; we never know what kind of intelligence forces Nobunaga has nor what kind of intel he has on us. So you will all still protect the princess as directly as you would have otherwise," the Iga Elder turns towards me, then falls to the ground in another dynamic bow. He begs, "Princess, please forgive us for this setback and for our intrusion. We will protect you and your home village with our lives!"
Awkwardly, I'm about to tell him once again to rise, but Hanzo calls my attention before I can. "Princess," Hanzo says, placing his hand on my arm, "Please, choose one of us to prioritize ourselves to protect you; you still need twenty-four hour protection," he looks away, "Perhaps especially, now..."
I look back at the guys; Goemon's still gone, and no one's spirits are in any sort of hopeful-that-I'll-pick-them-mood anymore. Even Sasuke looks down.
"I..." I stutter, "I don't want to have anyone throw everything away just to look after me."
Hanzo's eyes widen yet again, "But Princess-"
"This battle is more important–Nobunaga's about to take over two out of three of the major ninja villages. You all need to focus on the war at hand–not me. I'm home! I'll be fine!" I smile to try to reasure him.
Hanzo sets his jaw, "You say that now, but it might not be true tomorrow. I mean no disrespect, Princess, but since you can't decide who should company you, then I will do it my-"
"No!" I shout, causing everyone's attention to be turned to me. For a moment Hanzo looks hurt, but I continue quickly, "You're the leader; our general! You can't be stuck with me all the time! You have battles to plan, weapons to get, strategies to form! You can't-"
"I can't leave you alone, Princess," Hanzo interrupts, "You're the symbol of unity for all ninjas. Nothing can happen to you. I..."
The Iga Elder, now standing after being coaxed up by my grandfather, places a hand on both my and Hanzo's shoulders, "Hanzo, she is right, you have to focus on leading us."
"But, father-"
"No, Hanzo," the Iga Elder replies calmly, "That is enough. Here is what we shall do;" he pauses, then speaks loud enough for everyone to hear, "You will all protect the Princess in shifts. They will change daily. Sasuke," he calls, perking the young ninja's ears, "You will be first. You will guard the Princess for the rest of today and throughout the night. Saizo, you are second. Kotaro, you are third. Hanzo, you will be fourth, and Goemon will be fifth. Then, after the fifth night, it will be Sasuke's turn again, and so on and so fourth. Do we understand?" everyone nods, Sasuke with a renewed smile on his face. "Good," completes the Iga Elder, "Now I must go find Goemon. He needs comfort."
Suddenly Saizo smirks, letting out a small laugh which draws everyone's attention to him once again. He says, "You should let Abigail comfort him. I think only a girl could get through to him now; even one as plain as Abigail."
Hanzo yells, his face becoming red from his sudden anger, "Saizo! I have told you to watch your mouth! And besides, Goemon is forbidden from touching the Princess in the way that-"
"No, no, Saizo is right," the Iga Elder says thoughtfully, surprising everyone, even Saizo (who I suppose was being sarcastic...but to what extent?). The Iga Elder turns to me, "Please go talk to Goemon. Perhaps you'll be able to cheer him up; I'd only be able to pull him out from the garden."
"No way!" Sasuke yells, "I'm protecting her, aren't I? Well I say it's dangerous for her to go to Goemon alone, especially when he's angry."
"I agree with Sasuke," says Hanzo.
The Iga Elder frowns, "I trust that Goemon will not do anything unspeakable. And Sasuke, perhaps you should allow Goemon to be the Princess's guard for the first day."
"No w-"
"If you have any sense of chivalry and kindness, you will allow your friend this one kindness."
I speak up, "Um, hey...don't I get any say in this?"
"Yeah!" Sasuke takes my hand gently and holds it up in the air, "Let Abigail speak!"
I look over to my Grandpa, who nods, saying, "Do whatever you think is best."
Oh...I don't really want to go to Goemon–especially in place of the kind and fun Sasuke–but...I think he needs my help right now...and since he apparently works on his own and without telling his friends, there's no telling what he might do should he feel compelled...and if he's busy protecting me...
I feel Sasuke's grip on my hand loosen. I turn to him, lowering my arm as I do. Trying my best to look into his saddening eyes, I say, quietly, "Sasuke...I think I should go comfort Goemon."
"But-"
"Just for today. Then you and I can be together tomorrow. It's just that...even if I can't cheer him up, if he busies himself with protecting me, then he won't do anything rash, like go to Iga himself or something..."
Sasuke looks away, frowning, but then he gives me a small smile, "You're too smart for your own good." He speaks up so that everyone can hear, "Alright, I'll let Goemon guard her for today, but if he lays a single finger on her..."
Hanzo frowns, Saizo and Kotaro remain expressionless and the Iga Elder and Grandpa smile softly, proud of Sasuke for making the nobler, more mature choice.
And so, with a sigh and a wave to Sasuke and Grandpa, I head off into the heavily bushed (yet still well-trimmed) area of the garden in search for Goemon.
Author's Notes
1) Originally the Japanese onomatopoeia, "guruguruguru".
2) Just a fun fact: I think that Sasuke, originally in Japanese, says here, "Oi, Saizo!", because "oi" is, I believe, a somewhat rude term to call someone out by, kind of like, "Yo!" in English. You wouldn't say that to your boss or teacher, would you?
3) Haha, "hisohiso" in Japanese, I think...yes, I read manga. Black Butler for the win!
4) Goemon's a pervert (though a hothothot one) and your character is naive. Get it?
5) Sometimes, in the bonus pictures (which are SO pretty, btw), your girl's hair is pink, sometimes it's purple. It all depends on the light/mood they're going for, I suppose. So I figured that "fuchsia" was a pretty good guess/compromise. Also, with the grey eyes for her, I figured that grey eyes were pretty...plain, I suppose? Don't get me wrong, grey eyes are so pretty! But you know what I mean; grey's typically a bland (or anonymous) color, in a sense, and since we never actually see her eyes, then I figured grey would work best if I had to decide on one color. Are you picking up what I'm putting down? It's kind of hard to explain...oh well.
Alright, now for my actual authors notes.
I've, so far, played all the ninjas, but no one else. I played Saizo first, then Sasuke, then Kotaro and then bought and played Goemon. Haven't done Musashi yet.
Anyway, everytime after Saizo (I didn't know how to play at first with Saizo, but I'd still gotten the happy ending. I'd only missed one picture. I'd learned how to play at Sasuke, with the sparkles and points and whatnot, and then got the normal ending first before getting the happy ending for every guy after that). Anyway, every time after Saizo, I would feel kind of bad because I knew that even though I made Sasuke or whoever else happy, the other guys (especially Saizo and Kotaro) would still suffer or go about their usual business, having not changed thanks to my blessing of choosing them and then them falling in love with me (harhar).
*MINOR SPOILERS*
Saizo and Kotaro would still feel the immense guilt they that feel from their pasts and would still be rather introverted. Sasuke would feel cheated, sad and even angry for my not choosing him because he falls in love with you at first sight. And Goemon never learns what it's like to love and continues being a womanizer and man-whore (haha, I'm just kidding [not], love you Goemon!). I would feel bad that the guys would never be helped and would continue doing what they do or feeling what they were feeling. I couldn't understand why you couldn't bond in even the slightest with more than one of them at a time and help them all out, then go on with your favorite guy who you think is best for you rather than feeling like you have to choose the guy who needs you most. And that's the way I always felt and will feel.
(And personally, I feel as if Saizo and Kotaro need the most help; especally Kotaro, even though I am kind of loyal to Sazio for whatever reasons.)
And then there's the fact that you can't play with Hanzo? What the heck?! I think it's probably because Kuma would kill you...but still, c'mon, Hanzo likes you!
Anyway, this initial desire to help all of the guys get out of their ruts is what made me want to write this fanfiction with all of them. If it bothers you, none of the chapters should be quite as long as this one; we all have to sit through the prologue in order to start anew, right?
So thanks for reading, and if you like it or if there's something bothering you, leave a review! I'm actually writing my own original book series (fantasy/adventure genre) and so I thought that if I could get into writing an epic (length and depth-wise, more or less) fanfiction story and possibly get reviews on my writing, then that might help me with my writing in general. My books are in first-person, present-tense, and so what better fanfic to write in that style than for "Shall we Date? Ninja Love"! I know that this game isn't terribly popular on fanfiction forums, but it SHOULD BE! It's freakin' awsome! The first time I played with Sazio, I couldn't play any of the other guys; I had fallen in love with Saizo and had to let the feeling pass. I love all the guys! Hothothot...
And yes, I know that this chapter was very talk-y...isn't the entire game such? But, especially if requested, I'll try to add more description and thought processes with the girl. There will be a lot more with Kotaro, anyway. And if the oppisite is requested, I won't change a thing. Besides, like I said, the game is mostly conversational, so I suppose likewise fanfiction should/will follow.
So read and review, and if you could share, that'd be great! I ought to be on top of this story; I'm excited about it! The more reviews–good or bad, really, as long as the bad ones are helpful–the more likely I am to quickly update. Thanks for reading!
And if you come up with a better title name...please...j-just let me know.
Oh, and one more thing. Yes, my name is Abigail; it's the name I used when I played and I know that though I personally don't entirely enjoy when authors put themselves into fanfiction, I still had to give the girl a name! So there you go, and it's not changing any time soon.
And no, not all of my author's notes will be nearly this long. This is just an introduction. If you read all of this, then you get a gold star! Wheeeew!
Nice to meet you, my fellow "Shall we Date?" fan!
~Murphete