Author's Note: This chapter covers the game chapter 3 - about halfway through chapter 4.
Back at the safe house, Hanzo reported the night's events to Lord Ieyasu.
"Well done, Master Hanzo. It troubles me to hear about the distasteful conduct of Master Mitsuhide's followers…I hope they've learned their lesson. And Master Mitsuhide will be even more grateful for your help." He scratched his beard, and then went on. "That reminds me—once Master Mitsuhide and I have reorganized, we'll need to offer a suitable job to the ninjas." Hanzo looked up at this, surprised.
"Lord Ieyasu…"
"Until now, ninjas have worked in the shadows as outcasts. I believe we should value them for their skills and cooperation," he went on. He was the complete opposite of Nobunaga, who hated ninjas. If Lord Ieyasu won control of the country, the future of the ninjas would be even brighter with the security of his goodwill.
"Master Hanzo, I'm sure you wish you could return to Iga as soon as possible. I apologize for keeping you." He bowed his head, and Hanzo immediately protested.
"Please, don't lower your head to the likes of me."
"No, you hold my destiny as well as that of this country and its people in your hands. I feel your concerns as if they were my own," Lord Ieyasu said. To be able to sympathize so genuinely and to grow so close to people's hearts… Surely, if he became the ruler of the country, he could bring peace.
Hanzo and I sat in silence for a while after Lord Ieyasu excused himself. Hanzo seemed to be thinking deeply about something, so I amused myself by tracing over the patterns on my kimono sleeve.
Hanzo suddenly turned to me. "Princess…From now on as well, I'll need you to stay by my side at all times. I defeated the remnants of Oda's army, but there are people who know I was there at the scene."
"You mean Master Mitsuhide's supporters?" I asked.
"Yes. There's no telling when the enemy might find out about tonight. And when they do, they will be looking for me." Hanzo sighed. "We have to be cautious."
"I understand," I replied. I looked down at myself, and became aware of the dust and dried sweat. "I need a bath," I muttered.
"In that case, I will be guarding you from the hallway," Hanzo said. I blushed a little despite myself, and nodded. I quickly made my way to the bath and resolved to wash myself off as quickly as possible. As I poured hot water over myself, I found myself thinking back to Hanzo's words earlier that day. "I have to give up my life for my mission. That is the world I live in. Ninjas cannot fear death." I frowned, again wondering if he planned on living his whole life alone, never marrying. No, that couldn't be right—as the head of the Hattori clan, he had to produce an heir. Someway, somehow, he'd have to get married, probably to someone I didn't know. And I'd be back at home, back to my everyday life at the temple.
Suddenly, there was a clatter and I shrieked in surprise and embarrassment to see Hanzo standing there in front of me. I almost slipped and fell as I scrambled to cover myself with my hands. Before I could say anything, he stepped toward me and pulled me hard into his chest.
"Forgive me, Princess!" My face was buried in his chest, and I let out a muffled "Wha..?!" against the material of his clothes. Still holding me tight, he turned to the window and shouted. I felt the vibrations through his chest.
"Who's there?" I turned my head toward the window and was mortified to see Saizo and Sasuke standing there outside the window.
"What are you doing here?!" Hanzo asked incredulously. His arms tightened around me and he turned to protect me from their view. I grabbed onto his robe to hide my burning face in it.
"Sasuke was trying to peek at Reika in the bath," I heard Saizo explain, exasperation clear in his voice.
"Hey, don't tell them that, Saizo!" Sasuke complained. I'm going to murder him, I resolved. I felt Hanzo reach toward the door with one arm and he covered me with a towel. Then he turned and smacked Sasuke soundly across the head. Sasuke yelped in pain.
"Out," he snapped, his voice dangerously low. Saizo raised his hands in surrender.
"I had nothing to do with it. I have no interest in this stumpy person's body." I drew myself up, my face still scarlet.
"I don't want you peeking any more than Sasuke! You brutes!" Hanzo stopped me as I started forward.
"Please get changed. I apologize on their behalf." I was about to protest, and then realized that I was basically half naked in front of all three of them. As I escaped to change, I heard another smack and an "Ow!" from Saizo. Served him right. I pulled on my clean kimono, my heart beating fast as I recalled the feeling of Hanzo pulling me close, his arms around my naked body... As if my red face could heat up further. I muffled a squeal of embarrassment and exhilaration and ran back to my room.
When I returned to the sitting room, the three men were at the table.
"We heard a rumor that there'd been an attack at a restaurant, and came to investigate," Saizo was saying.
"Yes, the remains of Oda's army attacked Master Akechi's followers, who were being rowdy at a restaurant. The Princess and I had heard about it from a shop owner," Hanzo said. "There were about thirty of them."
"And you defeated them all? As expected of the head of the Hattori clan. Well done, Master Hanzo!" Sasuke exclaimed. He withered under Hanzo's glare. Hanzo finally glanced up to see me standing in the doorway.
"Come in, Princess." He turned back to the two ninja. "Apologize to the Princess," he said, his tone icy. They both bowed their heads.
"I'm very sorry, Princess!" Sasuke looked properly contrite, but I could just see a grin on Saizo's face through his black facemask. I decided to let it go, and sat down with them.
"Did you see any Oda troops in the mountains?" I asked Saizo.
"The group we saw in the forest was also about thirty, so they must have all attacked at once," he replied.
"If that's true, then Lord Ieyasu should be able to leave the capital," Hanzo mused.
"Once you escort him to his home, you'll finally be able to return to Iga, Master Hanzo!" Sasuke said. Hanzo nodded.
"…Yes." I looked down. That meant that I would be returning to Kanshinji as well. I should be happy, so why did I feel like my heart was sinking?
"You two go back to the mountains, and make sure that none of Oda's men are left," Hanzo ordered.
"Yes, sir!" The two ninja bowed to Hanzo and me, and left through the sliding door. I let out a small sigh.
"You must be tired. We should go to bed soon," Hanzo said, turning to me. "I apologize, but, again, as a precaution, we should sleep in the same room." My mouth popped open despite myself. Sleeping together in the same room? But I snapped my mouth shut again. Like he said, it was just a safety precaution. I had to get a grip.
He laid out two futons, and then turned out the light.
"Goodnight, Princess." I pulled the covers up to my chin and wished him goodnight as well, trying not to listen too hard as I heard him get into his futon as well. I was exhausted, but the awareness of him next to me in the dark kept me awake for a while before I finally dropped off to sleep.
...
I woke up earlier than usual, and immediately glanced over to my right to see Hanzo still fast asleep. During the night, he'd turned toward me. I gazed at his sleeping face. His usually stern face was relaxed in slumber. He looked like he'd lost weight since I first met him… He'd been working constantly to lead everyone. And on top of that, he'd looked after me too. I was so indebted to him… Wasn't there anything I could do to help him? As I gazed at his face, I noticed his brows furrowing. He gave a small groan.
"Kuma…" I immediately was on alert. Kuma? Was he talking in his sleep?
"Kuma, I can't…I can't stand it any longer…" My eyes bulged. He sounded desperate, and I felt mortified as I imagined what he must be dreaming about. Could he be…with Kuma…in his sleep?
"Please! I'm begging you…" I just stared at him, speechless and embarrassed. He shook his head, and then suddenly grabbed my arm. I squeaked in surprise.
"I can't eat anymore!" he groaned out. ?! It took me a second to process this and then I was laughing, hard. Hanzo's eyes flashed open and he looked up at me blankly as I held my stomach.
"Princess?" he let go of my arm immediately and sat up. "I'm so sorry." I slowly got control of my laughter.
"Were you dreaming about Kuma?" I grinned.
"Yes. I… she was forcing me to eat," Hanzo said. Then he half grimaced before smiling. "She often makes huge amounts of my favorite foods and tries to make me eat them all."
"I see. I always thought that you and Kuma were…" I caught myself and looked down, embarrassed.
"Kuma and I were what?" I hastily searched for an excuse, but ended up saying what I thought anyway.
"Well…I thought you were…more than friends."
"Lovers, you mean?" Agh, this was so awkward! I couldn't meet his eyes.
"Kuma is like a younger sister to me," he said.
"O-of course you do! Silly me…I'm so sorry for suggesting something so weird." I ducked my head again and busied myself with folding my futon. In my embarrassment, I found myself babbling.
"But I'm relieved to hear that…I mean, no! I don't mean, uh…" Idiot! What in the world am I relieved for? I laughed nervously. "I'm acting really strange, aren't I?"
"No, I wouldn't say strange, but… I do wonder why you care about something like that," Hanzo said curtly. He pulled off the covers and stood, folding them quickly. I let my nervous hands drop onto my partially folded futon.
Why? Because… I didn't want anyone else to take Master Hanzo away. Not that he's even mine in the first place. I felt my chest throbbing as I finally articulated to myself how I really felt.
...
That afternoon, Kotaro came to the safehouse. He bowed to Hanzo and began his report.
"I haven't seen any of Oda's men in the east mountains. Goemon is still searching." Hanzo nodded.
"I see. In that case, I will discuss with Lord Ieyasu our next plans." Kotaro inclined his head in response, and Hanzo excused himself, walking quickly towards the house. After a slight pause, Kotaro spoke to me.
"Now the Princess will finally be able to return home. I'm sure everyone there is waiting for you." His serious eyes held mine until I looked away.
"Yes…" I can't tell them that the thought of going home makes me lonely instead of happy, I thought, feeling depressed.
"Princess…" I looked up to see Kotaro looking at me closely. "Sometimes I see you making that face."
"Huh?"
"You seem lonely." I quickly rearranged my features into a hopefully neutral expression. Kotaro was always unusually perceptive, or maybe I was just an open book. He was a good listener, though, and I found myself talking.
"I always thought that I'd live a perfectly normal life at the temple," I began. "I thought I'd quickly become an adult, marry whoever my grandfather chose for me, and start a family…and that I'd be happy with that." But now...now I want to become stronger. I don't want the quiet temple life with some stranger for a husband. What I want is...
I noticed that Kotaro had remained silent. "Kotaro, don't you ever wish for that kind of normal, domestic happiness?" He seemed to consider this for a moment before he spoke.
"Ninjas must always be prepared to risk our lives for missions." I knew that Hanzo had said the same thing. "Some ninjas believe that by taking a wife, they may be setting them up for sadness." Such a bleak outlook, and yet, sadly, it wasn't completely unreasonable.
"Inside your heart, Princess, is there someone...someone with whom you'd like to share that kind of happiness?" Kotaro asked. My eyes met his, and I made sure my face was blank. He seemed to understand that I wasn't going to answer, and he went on. "But…whatever shape it may take, I pray for your happiness, Princess." Unexpectedly, I felt my eyes fill with tears.
"Please don't say…" Please don't say that like it's goodbye, I thought. "No…thank you," I made myself say. "I also pray for your happiness." He bowed respectfully and then noiselessly jumped up over the gate, leaving me alone in the garden.
Once I left everyone here, I would no longer be the symbol, the Ninja Princess who united the ninja clans. I would never see any of them again. I would never see Hanzo again. The tears welled up and spilled over, and I hurried back into my room to cry in privacy.
...
Later that night, a messenger arrived from Master Mitsuhide. Lord Ieyasu listened to the message, and turned to us.
"Master Mitsuhide would like to meet to talk about our future plans."
"Yes, and if it's not too much trouble, my lord would appreciate it if you could visit him at his refuge," the messenger added.
"The whole country now knows about Oda's death," Lord Ieyasu mused. "It is now time for both Tokugawa and Akechi to tell them where we stand. I see. I shall go to his refuge. Relay this to your master." Hanzo stood and faced Lord Ieyasu.
"In that case, I will accompany you."
"No, there may still be some of Oda's men left in the capital," the messenger interjected. "I can guide you by discreet back streets, and it would be best to keep our number small, to be inconspicuous." I frowned at this. Weren't the thirty men defeated by Hanzo? Were there more?
"But…" Hanzo also seemed apprehensive.
"A group of us shall be guarding him, so please don't worry," the messenger insisted.
"Then I'd like to take three of my oldest retainers along with me," Lord Ieyasu said. "It's unfortunate that my most experienced retainer, Munenori, is not here, but…that should be all right." Hanzo had no choice but to agree.
When we were alone, Hanzo called Kotaro, who appeared as if out of nowhere.
"Where you listening?" Hanzo asked, and Kotaro nodded. "Don't you find this suspicious?"
"Yes. It was so sudden," Kotaro said. "Maybe they even chose to come with that message when Master Yagyu wasn't around. Not only is he intelligent, but he is amazing with a sword."
"Master Hanzo, do you think Master Mitsuhide…?" I ventured.
"I don't want to doubt him, but I can't help but feel suspicious," Hanzo replied. "Why do they have to travel in such small numbers in the middle of the night? Granted, their concern about possible remaining Oda supporters isn't unfounded, but we know that thirty of his men are defeated. The messenger made it too obvious that it would be a problem if I joined them." He seemed to come to a decision. "Kotaro, you and I must also protect Lord Ieyasu."
"Understood."
"If they realize we've doubted Master Mitsuhide, it will look bad for Lord Ieyasu as well. We'll have to move in secret."
That night, as Hanzo prepared to go with Kotaro, he turned to me. "I'm sorry, but I just don't feel safe leaving you by yourself." I smiled up at him.
"Master Hanzo, we promised, remember? Don't apologize so much."
"I'm so—ah." He scratched his head, looking slightly embarrassed. "I swear that I'll protect you. Just follow me closely." I nodded, and left the room to get dressed in my gear.
We moved silently along the rooftops, following Lord Ieyasu and the others. They turned into a dark street, and I felt Hanzo tense up. As if on cue, I saw one of the Akechi escorts draw his sword and attack one of Lord Ieyasu's men.
"What are you doing?!" I heard Lord Ieyasu shout. The escort pulled his bloodied sword free.
"You stand between Master Mitsuhide and his conquest of the country! You die here!"
"So, Mitsuhide wants the country for himself….?" The man raised his sword, only to suddenly grab at his chest, where three of Hanzo's shurikens had buried themselves deep. The other Akechi escort was instantly on alert.
"A ninja?!"
"Princess, stay here!" Hanzo jumped down from the roof with Kotaro. In a flash, they cut down Master Mitsuhide's men, but a rustling from the grass next to the road revealed a few dozen more of the Akechi followers.
"We won't let you get away, Lord Ieyasu!" Hanzo growled at the unexpected reinforcements, and turned to Lord Ieyasu.
"Let's return you to safety!" He turned and with Kotaro, scattered caltrops across the ground separating the attackers from them. "Kotaro, take care of Lord Ieyasu!" He leapt up to find me on the roof.
"Princess!" He stretched out his hand for me, and I didn't hesitate to jump into his arms. "Hold on tight!" We were flying through the air across the rooftops until we made it back to the safehouse. Kotaro and Lord Ieyasu returned shortly.
"We have to prepare for battle," the leader said immediately. "I'm sure Mitsuhide's troops will appear shortly and surround us." His retainers donned their armor and readied their weapons.
"The Akechi army is large, and we only have a little more than a dozen soldiers," said Hanzo, his face grim.
"It's just as you say, but we can't let ourselves be defeated here," Lord Ieyasu said, his face determined.
"Ieyasu, come out!" I flinched at the loud voice from the garden. Master Mitsuhide was already here. Hanzo cursed under his breath and put his eye to the crack in the door.
"Surrender yourself! The country is mine!" Mitsuhide went on. He was riding a horse and brandishing his sword as he shouted. "You are surrounded." I took a look too, and saw that indeed, the safe house was surrounded by a huge number of soldiers. Lord Ieyasu straightened and made his way over to the door.
"Mitsuhide! You claimed to want peace, but you've fallen victim to greed!" Mitsuhide sneered.
"Hmph! Everyone in this era lives in the hopes of taking this country for themselves. No doubt, you would have done the same. Your words are just those of a dead man. I will give you five minutes to surrender yourself before we come in and kill you." Lord Ieyasu clenched his fist in anger. Kotaro whipped out a gun and was about to ready it when Hanzo reached out to stop him.
"There's no way we can win against this army with our numbers." I could almost see his brain working quickly.
"Master Hanzo?" I asked.
"Princess, leave the mansion with Kotaro and Lord Ieyasu." My eyes widened in alarm as dread filled my stomach.
"What about you, Master Hanzo?" His eyes flashed in determination.
"I will stay here." I stared, horrified. He didn't spare me a moment, and looked to Kotaro instead. "I leave Lord Ieyasu and the Princess in your hands." Kotaro met his eyes for a moment, and then bowed.
"I will protect them with my life."
"Lord Ieyasu, are you prepared to give up this mansion?" Hanzo asked, turning to him.
"The mansion?" the man asked.
"I will scatter gunpowder around the house and blow it up to distract Mitsuhide and his men. It will provide cover while Kotaro takes you and the Princess to Kurama mountain."
"Mount Kurama…even Akechi won't be able to follow us easily in those deep woods," Lord Ieyasu mused. He nodded. "We don't have any time to lose. Let us scatter the gunpowder quickly." His men gathered and then dispersed with Hanzo's gunpowder.
"I'll stay here to light the fuse." I broke myself out of my frozen fear and grabbed at Hanzo's arm.
"No! Master Hanzo…you can't!" He turned to me, his face still fierce, and took my shoulders firmly.
"Princess… You have to escape with Kotaro and Lord Ieyasu. It's the only way." He stopped my protest with a finger to my lips, and then he moved his hand to cradle my cheek.
"Please don't make that face."
"But…Master Hanzo…!" I pressed my hand to hold his closer to me. My chest throbbed and my throat was constricted with despair. He seemed to resolve himself.
"Please don't say anymore. We have no time, and it is my mission to get Lord Ieyasu safely away." I stared desperately at him through the haze of my tears, a dozen thoughts running through my head. Is this the last time I'll see him? Will he survive? He may die for his mission, just like he said… and then what about me? I wanted to beg him to run away with us. My grip tightened on his hand, but he gently but firmly pulled away.
"I'll join you later on. Princess…please be safe." I felt Kotaro's hand on my shoulder, guiding me away, and the tears spilled over.
"You...you too, Master Hanzo. Please come back to us." I tried to smile, but the tears wouldn't stop.
"Master Hanzo… our time is almost up," Kotaro reminded us. Hanzo gave me one last look and then turned to Kotaro.
"I'll count to 10 and then light the fuse. Leave through the hidden door."
"Understood." Kotaro turned and took my shoulder again. I unwillingly let him guide me away, trying to keep my eyes on Hanzo. His face was blazing with determination, his eyes burning into mine. With every particle of my being, I prayed for his safety. All too soon, I was whisked away.
The moment we got through the hidden door, there was a blinding flash and the sound of a huge explosion echoed around us.
"Quick, we have to leave now!" Kotaro hissed, grabbing my hand and ushering Lord Ieyasu out. As we escaped through the back, I heard Mitsuhide exclaim in confusion. With a shuddering rumble, the entire mansion began collapsing on itself. I risked a look back and had to choke back a moan of despair as I watched smoke billow up from the smoldering ruin.
I don't know how Kotaro did it, but we managed to reach Kurama mountain unharmed and undetected. He'd kept a firm grip on my hand as I stumbled after him, half blinded by tears. We'd stopped at a small clearing.
"Lord Ieyasu, let's get a little rest here." Night had fallen, and the Lord Ieyasu's men were out of breath.
"It's only a matter of time before Mitsuhide's army catches up to us…" Lord Ieyasu began, his eyes moving over his retainers. Some were elderly, and others were wounded from the explosion. I followed his gaze. There weren't enough of us able to fight. No matter how strong Kotaro was, he couldn't protect us all…
"If you don't sleep, you'll run out of energy," a familiar voice said casually. I gasped as Goemon dropped lightly down from a nearby tree.
"Goemon!" I had never been more relieved to see his confident grin.
"Goemon Ishikawa?" I heard the retainers gasp.
"I heard the explosion at the mansion and rushed to see what had happened," he explained.
"How did you know we would be here…?" Lord Ieyasu asked, amazed.
"I figured that Master Hanzo would tell you to retreat here."
"Ah, I see." I saw Goemon glance at me with a cheeky grin. He tapped a finger on his skull and winked. The retainers were still in awe.
"Master Goemon…!" One cried. "We are so lucky to have you here!"
"I'm about as good as one-hundred other men, right?" He said with ridiculous swagger. Thanks to him, everyone looked more cheerful again. I felt my knees buckle a bit, and Kotaro immediately supported me and sat me down on a rock.
"Princess…" I nodded weakly to thank him.
Once the men were settled, Goemon came over to where Kotaro and I sat.
"Was the explosion Master Hanzo's idea?" he asked, sitting down.
"That's right," Kotaro said.
"He must have had to stay back and light the fuse," Goemon said, serious. I buried my head into my folded arms, feeling a fresh wave of panic.
"Reika!" I heard Goemon sit closer and looked up, only to have him pinch my face softly.
"What sort of face is that?" he said. I looked wordlessly at him. "Master Hanzo won't die. He's much stronger than that. Even I look up to him as my leader!" I could only nod numbly. His eyes softened, and he patted my head.
"Rest a while. You'll feel better." He and Kotaro got up as Lord Ieyasu made his way over. They moved a little ways away, and I dropped my head back down on my arms.
"Past Iga?" I heard Lord Ieyasu say.
"Yes. Akechi's army knows the fastest route to Iga. There's no doubt that they'll hurry ahead and lie in wait for us."
"I see."
"Once we make it to Iga, even if Akechi catches us there, we should be able to buy you enough time to escape," said Goemon confidently. "I'm sure that's what Master Hanzo would say." Lord Ieyasu grunted his assent.
"Master Hanzo and his ninjas helped us escape safely. We will follow their guidance." Goemon addressed Kotaro next.
"Where's your little owl?"
"Hosuke? He's here in my breast pocket."
"We need to send a message to Saizo and Sasuke. Tell them to come to the southwest of Kurama mountain immediately."
"I've got it."
...
Even after everyone had settled in for the night, I couldn't sleep. Thoughts about Hanzo kept swirling in my head…that blazing determination, the way his eyes flashed… His peaceful, sleeping face. I bit back a groan as pain lanced through me at the memory. Was that the last time he was at peace? He'd been constantly in danger, protecting Lord Ieyasu and me. If anyone, I should have been the one to light the fuse. Nothing was waiting for me at the temple—I was just another of many temple girls. My grandfather wouldn't be left alone. Iga needed its leader, and he had sacrificed himself for us… I felt myself slipping. What if he was gone forever? I'd never been able to thank him for all he'd done for me, to…to let him know how I felt. Grief clawed its way through my chest, and I breathed hard.
"Can't sleep?" I turned slowly around to see Goemon gazing at me. "I told you, didn't I? If you don't sleep, you'll run out of energy." I cleared my throat.
"Yes, I know that, but…"
"But you still can't sleep. It's okay. I'll keep you company." He settled down beside me.
"Please…" I had to clear my throat again. "...don't worry about me. Get some sleep."
"Quiet. You can tell me not to worry about you, but I'll still worry." I didn't reply, and he went on. "Besides, I'm the one and only Goemon, right? I don't need any sleep to handle a little mountain like this." I couldn't help but smile at his incorrigible overconfidence. A chuckle bubbled up through my throat.
"What is it?" he asked.
"It's just—you're a really kind person, aren't you?"
"Only because it's you," he said with a grin. He threw an arm around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze. "What, you're not resisting today?" My brief smile melted away, and I felt hopelessness seep through me again. I leaned my head against his shoulder briefly. His warmth was comforting…but I had to stay strong. I started to pull away, but he pulled me closer.
"You can let me take care of you," Goemon said, his voice gentle. I looked up at him to see warmth and sympathy in his eyes. "When you're hurting, it's natural to want the comfort of someone. That's just human nature." When I didn't reply, he went on. "You shouldn't force yourself to ignore your own natural feelings." Why is he so kind? I thought. Before I could stop myself, the tears that I'd been holding back since we'd gotten to the mountain were flooding out. Desperate sobs were forcing their way out of my throat, and I let him fold me into him.
"That's right. Let yourself cry," he whispered in my ear, stroking my hair and patting my back. And I let myself cry out all of my worries, my regrets of unsaid words… Goemon just held me, silently comforting me. When I finally regained control, I pulled away and sniffled.
"I'm so sorry…your chest is all wet now."
"It's fine, it'll dry," Goemon reassured me. "What is it?" I wiped away my tears and smiled.
"Thank you," I said. "I don't have any siblings, but I feel like if I had an older brother, he'd be like you. Thanks for being here for me." He smiled, but did I see a fleeting disappointment..?
"An older brother wouldn't do this…" he suddenly pulled up my chin and brought his face close to mine. I gasped and pressed my hands against his chest. He stopped, his lips only an inch away.
"What are you doing?"
"Awww, I thought you'd be happy," he teased.
"I wouldn't! I…" I stopped myself.
"There's someone else you wish would hold you, isn't there?" My head snapped up, almost clipping him on the chin. He moved away, laughing.
"Don't worry. He'll definitely come back to you. Just believe in him and wait." He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. I held on and nodded, biting my lip.
"It'll be all right. Go to sleep. I'll keep watch." I nodded and settled down. The crying seemed to have loosened the tension, and I fell asleep quickly. But it was a restless sleep full of nightmares of an empty ruin of a mansion with the echoes of a familiar voice, and I woke up trembling. I washed up quickly in the nearby river, splashing cold water on myself quickly to clear my head before putting my clothes back on. I shivered slightly as I gazed out over the water, my mind dazed. The events of yesterday seemed like a bad dream… I sighed. A leaf blew past me in the wind, and as my eyes followed it, I caught sight of a tall figure walking towards me.
"I'm all right, Goemon," I began, until I realized that it wasn't Goemon at all.
"Master Hanzo?" I gasped. His clothing as covered in soot, but I'd recognize his handsome face anywhere. "It feels like I'm dreaming," I breathed, standing up. He joined me at the riverside and smiled down at me.
"It's not a dream. I managed to escape from the mansion. I told you I'd return, didn't I?" Tears filled my eyes as I gazed up at him. I reached out and softly touched the nape of his neck.
"You have soot all over you. You're unhurt?" I demanded. He nodded and gently took my hand. His eyes searched mine.
"Princess, are you all right? You don't look well."
"I couldn't sleep much," I admitted. I felt my lips tremble as I tried to smile. He was here, he was alive, he was unhurt… Hanzo was really here. As relief flooded me, my sight suddenly went dark for a moment.
"Princess!" When I came to, I was in his arms. His eyes were full of concern.
"Actually, I'm…not all right," I whispered. "I thought you were…gone forever. I didn't know what to do with myself…" I'd already cried so much last night, but the tears spilled over again. All of my regrets… I straightened up and looked deeply into his eyes, and the words were forcing themselves out before I could stop myself.
"Master Hanzo, I…I lo—"
"Princess," he interrupted. He averted his eyes and pushed me away. "I apologize. I have to let the others know that I've returned."
"Wai—" Before I could call out to him, he was already walking away. Rejection seeped through me like a dark wave, and I faltered where I stood. He wouldn't even let me tell him how I felt? How much had I worried and cried over the thought of never seeing him again? We'd finally reunited and he was already putting up walls?
In the next chapter: The ninjas, with Lord Ieyasu and his retainers, decide to take a rest on their way to Iga at a nearby village inn. But things aren't as safe as they seem... And does Hanzo really only see Reika as the ninja princess?