Time Traveling Mouri

The third time was a failure.

When Motonari opened his eyes this time, there was no hesitation. He did not pause to check his motor skills or confirm where things were, instead pulling out fresh washi and setting about writing two letters. One addressed to the lord of Edo, expressing interest in an alliance, and the other for the vengeful vassal of the once great Hideyoshi, declining his previous offer. With this he sought to tackle the problem that Chousokabe presented. Again, he was struck with the impression that he needed the pirate to win, and while it was known throughout the land that Chousokabe and Tokugawa were good friends, the Lord of Shikoku was also known for his kindness toward lonely souls like Ishida's. The only way to make certain he would stay loyal would be to give him something to seek vengeance for. So Motonari set out to do just that. And when he stood back with his disguised troops to witness the destruction he had caused on the Fourth Island, Ishida's banners flapping in the wind, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of deja vu.

Again he sent Chousokabe a letter of consolation, but after that, things ceased to be the same. There were new allies to feign cordiality to, and new battles to be fought with new enemies-the leader of Satsuma being a particular bother. Though not nearly as devious as Motonari, he was a crafty old man, and managed to avoid defeat by the forces of Aki. At with last time he hardly saw Chousokabe out of battle. Though he only stole glances, it seemed his desires hadn't changed.

One person he did see a lot more of though, was Tsuruhime, or rather, her past life. The reds and whites that made up her outfit and her bubbly attitude were something that she had carried with her to the next life, though her bow was definitely not. Though his past life's memories was a tad too accustomed to this girl, reminding Motonari again and again why he despised being in her company, he could help but expect to turn around and see her in that favorite lab coat of hers, drumming her short finger nails away on a clipboard, or going over data on her tablet. It made him wonder how she was doing back in the future he had temporarily abandoned. And as her past self chased after some elusive ninja, if she had met him in the future yet.

However, his objectives remained the same, and as the date of the Battle of Sekigahara approached, Motonari was more and more certain of his impending victory.

The battlefield may have been the same, but defending left such a different taste in his mouth that it did not feel like he was repeating the same actions at all. The battle was not far gone before Hideaki changed sides as Motonari knew he would, and favor tipped to the East. He could practically taste the history he was rewriting.

To his left he could see that Chousokabe had Outani's forces cornered, and sped over to lend his aid, knowing only too well how Outani was the backbone of Ishida's forces. The pirate of Shikoku had already slaughtered most of the leper's men and looked ready to do the same to their leader.

"I shall have revenge for all my men who died at your lord's hand!" Chousokabe boomed as his anchor rose above his head, intent on striking.

A low cackle escaped his lips, and Outani wiped away blood that trickled from his lips and onto his bandages before responding. "Kill me if you must, but at least know the true name of the man who is actually responsible for the death of so many in cold blood."

"Even now you still try to deceive me? Does your callousness know no bounds?! It was Mitsunari's banners I saw flying proudly above my men's corpses that day!"

"It may have been his banners, but I know for certain that Mitsunari was locked in combat in the East during the time your men were slaughtered. Should you ask your great lord, he will confirm for you." Outani coughed again, but even as fresh blood splattered his hand and the space around his mouth, his eyes danced with mirth.

"Watch your tongue, you-"

But the dying man wasn't done yet. "I would look to your close allies for the true perpetrator. Who was it that first asked for your aid against Mitsunari?" Outani looked up as Motonari finally came within range, but before he could say another word, Motonari's ring blade sailed through the air and neatly decapitated the man. Chousokabe didn't even watch the head hit the ground, instead turning around to set his ally with an accusing stare.

Motonari did not falter when that lone eye bored into him. He cursed Outani inwardly, but faced the blood covered pirate with an air of controlled calmness, as if he was not the one who had laid Shikoku to waste. Chousokabe shifted all of his attention to the green garbed lord, face demanding an explanation, an excuse, any sign of emotion. Their eyes locked for a moment, and a chill ran through Motonari's spine, not unlike when he had first seen the man in battle-admiration, respect, desire, and this time, a small amount of fear laced the feelings as well. If this demon of the sea found him to truly be guilty, he would not hesitate to rip his so called ally's head from his shoulders.

Motonari's eyebrows arched slightly. "Why are you wasting time here, Chousokabe? This battle has not been won yet." And with that, he turned and began walking away, back completely exposed. The iDemon/i of the West would not strike until he knew for certain that he was the guilty one. Motonari had nothing to worry about.

"Mouri." The call was deep, and it vibrated through the tent, shaking the sense of ease that Motonari had built up, and making his instincts act up, screaming at him to grab his ring and turn around as fast is possible. But control was as much his weapon as any blade, and the warlord turned around with an air of cool indifference, clad in a deep green kimono, only his lies as armor.

"And what brings you to my tent, Chousokabe? Surely you have not tired of celebrating already?" Indeed, it was strange that the leader so loved by his men was not out making merry with them. Victory this time had been quick and almost effortless—though Ishida and his allies put up quite the fight, the two sides were just not balanced evenly enough; Motonari hadn't realized how much his and the pirate's changing of sides altered the war. But even with the "enemy" slain, and the future of the Mouri clan looking bright as the morning sun, the problem of Chouskabe yet remained, and Motonari feared that he would have to deal with it sooner than he would like.

"I want the truth from you, Mouri." Again the voice pierced him, and Mouri realized that Chousokabe was not only still wearing his armor, but hoisting his anchor as well. "Was it you who slayed my men in Shikoku? Would you really sink so low as to attack my forces when I was not there to command them?!" Though they were phrased as questions, clearly the words that hurled from his mouth were accusations.

"As interesting as the things you say are, you should know me, Chousokabe." And here, Motonari sneered for effect. "I would never waste my time unless I had a good reason. Why would I kill your men?"

Knuckles whiting as he gripped his spear tighter, the great lord of Shikoku seemed a bit deterred, but he remained stubborn as always, and pushed on. "The reason, I know not, but I do know for certain that my men were not killed by Mitsunari. His banners may have waited for me as false evidence, but Ieyasu confirmed Yoshitsugu's last words: he has locked in battle with the Eastern armies when my men were killed, so they could not have been slaughtered by him."

Motonari shrugged, feigning impatience. "And why does that bring you to me? Just because I consider you to be my rival does not mean I would kill your men in your absence."

"Then WHO, Mouri?!" The voice was booming again, and Motonari couldn't help but be impressed at that voice, even as arguments and excuses raced through his mind. "If it was not you, then who?! You were the one who first contacted me after the tragedy. Who informed you such things had occurred?! I can think of no one else who would do such things!"

"Again, remind me of your reasoning, Chousokabe. Why would I kill your men when I already intended to join the Eastern forces? It would be foolish to make an enemy out of you when we were surely to be on the same side."

Again, the raging pirate paused, as if slightly derailed by his rival's comment, but he gathered himself for a moment and looked up anew, locking his single eye on his partner's face. "Tell me then, in the small bit of honesty that you possess, that you did not lead the force that slaughtered so many in my home." The sincerity that dripped off his figure startled Motonari. This man, so headstrong, and foolish, and powerful, and honest, always left him so bothered—he didn't know where the energy came from, and he didn't know why it effected him so-now, in this time that he was rewriting, and in the future where he came from. It was absurd that such a simple question unsettled him so. Was it because Motonari couldn't understand why he would even bother to ask when he was so certain, or was it because he firmly believed that Motochika—no, Chousokabe, would actually believe him? Either way, it was the reason for his failure. It didn't seem to matter how many times he had schemed and warped the truth to work for his benefit, and even his habit of using the pirate for his gain didn't change one fact:

This time, he just couldn't lie to him.

And when he woke up again in the pod, hand gingerly reaching for the crook that connected his neck and his collar bone, Motonari wondered if maybe the real reason he was going back wasn't his clan's fortunes at all.