Warning: This is based off a manga called Sengoku Strays. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend that you do! I don't own anything but my OC, and I will probably end up using artistic license to butcher Japanese history, so I would just like to apologize in advance, and I don't mean to offend anyone!

[Narration]

{setting/stage directions}

"Speech."

'Thoughts.'

"English speech."

—¡–!–¡–!–¡— Scene shift/passage of time.

A whole line of text like this without quotes is a written letter or something similar.

WORDS IN ALL CAPS AND NO QUOTATION MARKS ARE SOUND EFFECTS.

Flashbacks and changes in POV will be labeled.

Unless stated otherwise, the POV will be third person omniscient.

If you ever have any questions, please feel free to ask.

[April 17th, 1552 (Tenbun Year 21)]

The pounding of a galloping horse's hooves beating against the dirt road was heard as a soldier rode in to deliver his report.

"Reporting, Sir!" The soldier said as he dismounted and knelt before his lord. "The Nagoya troops have marched from Nakane through Konarumi. They've set up formation to the west of San no Yama."

"They've arrived!? Have our troops sortie at once!" Ordered the master of Narumi Castle, Yamaguchi Noriyoshi. "We'll set our battle lines east of San no Yama! The decisive battle will be at Akatsuka!"

"Yes, Sir!" The men shouted as they followed their leader to battle.

"Show me what you can do! For a new ruler of Owari…!" Yamaguchi said quietly, thinking out loud.

—¡–!–¡–!–¡—

A young ruler with wild, untamed hair, and a spirit to match, rode on horseback, his back straight and proud as he lead his soldiers to meet the enemy.

[It was truly an era of warring states. When I stop and consider that an average person's life span is fifty years… I can't help but think that my remaining thirty-four years are too few. Be it a dream, an illusion, or a slip in time… I am proud to have lived… with them.]

—¡–!–¡–!–¡—

[Spring, 2011, Hokkaido]

WHAM!

"Good one! Finish her off! Just one left!" The opposing team's captain cheered as their team member took another hit.

"Haaah…" The girls sighed heavily. They were losing hope fast.

"Hey, you!" Their captain yelled as she bopped them on the heads with a rolled up flyer.

"Ow!" The girls said.

"Hachiya!" The girls cried in surprise when they saw their captain. "What are you doing!? Why aren't you cheering her on!?"

"Even if you say that… Just look at the match line up. Our first opponent in the spring high school kendo competition is the old champs, Aoba! And with you out with an injury, that leaves us with four members." One girl pointed out. "No matter how hard we try, we don't have a prayer!"

"That's why you have to cheer! We've still got our 'general.'" The captain said, smirking.

"Sorry, Kusanagi. Your turn now, general." The girl who just lost her match said as she removed her face guard. "I don't want them to get it all, so if you could at least get one…"

"Eh? Why one?" Kusanagi asked, confused as to why they only wanted her to beat one.

"Why one…?" Her teammate asked, sweat dropping.

"Heeeey!" Hey, Sis!" Kusanagi's two little twin brothers yelled as they waved at her.

"Oh! Masamune! Kotetsu!" Kusanagi said.

"Go for it, Kasane!" Kotetsu cheered.

"Beat all five! All five! Piece of cake!" Masamune cheered.

"All five… As if it were that simple…" Her teammate said. Kasane Kusanagi clenched her fist excitedly.

"Don't worry! I'll win! I'll win!" Kasane said as she stepped up to take her turn in the match.

"The girl's 'general'… isn't she just a freshman? I heard her home is an iado dojo or something, but how come a freshman id the 'general'?" One of the guys on their school's boy's kendo team asked.

"Strength, technique, style… pick any of those, and she stands out far above the rest. And that's not even all I'm expecting from her." The captain said. Kasane exhaled as she prepared herself to face her opponent. "Just watch this fight, and you'll see!" Kasane slapped her hands against both her cheeks to psych herself up for the fight.

"Fighters, step forward!" The announcer shouted.

"Kenjou High freshman, Kusanagi Kasane, present!" Kasane shouted enthusiastically and put her face-protecting mask on.

"Begin!" The announcer yelled.

—¡–!–¡–!–¡—

"But you were so cool! You won five in a row!" Kotetsu said enthusiastically as the three siblings walked home from the match. The two little brothers walked beside their big sister as she pushed her bike along.

"Really? I guess I did." Kasane said, smiling bashfully and rubbing the back of her neck.

"Yeah!" Kotetsu said, smiling back.

"You shocked both your friends and opponents! Their jaws hit the floor!" Masamune said. "Except your captain, she just looked up with a weird smile on her face and laughed, saying 'Ahaha! Just as I expected!'"

"The captain's always like that. I think it's funny." Kasane said, smiling wryly. "But now we've gotten through the first match of the spring tournament! I have to go back to my part-time job tomorrow, too. I'm going to blaze through the next match the exact same way!" Kasane said brightly, determined to win.

"Yeah~!" Her brothers cheered.

"If you get into the national championships like this, a whole bunch of folks will go join Grandpa's dojo!" Kotetsu said.

"Oh! You're such an optimist, Kotetsu!" Kasane said with approval. "Right now it's just a small dojo, but one day, I'm going to inherit both the house and the dojo, and it's my dream to make it much, much bigger!"

"Considering Gramps, you aren't going to be inheriting it anytime this century." Masamune said, sighing. "He's never going to retire."

"That's the thing, Masamune!" Kasane said, clenching her fist in determination. "I've got to show them what I've got so people will acknowledge me. I have to stick to it until he tells me I'm good enough! And that'll be it!"

"Hello." A mother and her daughter greeted them as they walked by.

"Hi there!" They all said enthusiastically as they whipped their heads around to greet the mother and daughter.

[Kusanagi family rule: Always greet people with energy.] Kasane noticed her little brothers were staring after the mother and daughter as they walked away.

"Mom, those guys were really energetic!" The little girl said happily.

"They were, weren't they?" Her mother said, smiling. Kasane pulled her brothers into a hug.

"Since mom and dad are gone… Masamune, Kotetsu, you guys have to grow up big and strong." Kasane said, smiling gently.

"Sis." Masamune said.

"Just leave everything to me! I'll take care of you guys, the house, and the dojo!" Kasane said, smiling confidently.

"Yeah…" Masamune said, determined.

"We'll help out too!" Kotetsu said.

"You're such good boys…" Kasane said. She was so touched, a river of tears were flowing down her face as they all hugged. "Alright, Masamune, go blaze through the grocery store!"

"Yeah! You got it! I already know what's on sale!" Masamune said.

"Ah! Look here, Kasane. The news." Kotetsu said, pointing at a television in a store's window display.

"Hm? 'Vanished'…?" Kasane said as she read the news caption.

"Ah! They still haven't found that kid." Masamune said.

"Hm?" Kasane said.

"Look, you remember that small temple we visited way back with mom and dad?" Kotetsu asked.

"Oh, Saionji temple? The one with that cranky priest?" Kasane asked.

"Yeah, his niece went missing a few days ago, and hasn't been found yet." Kotetsu said.

"Really…? You know a lot, Kotetsu." Kasane said. "But missing… That kid must be lonely…" Kasane said.

"If it were you, you'd find a way home no matter what!" Masamune said.

"I hope they find that kid soon." Kasane said as they started to walk away.

"Yeah." Masamune said.

VROOM! THUNK. THUNK.

Kotetsu paused when he heard a loud noise and turned around to see a katana lying in the middle of the street. It looked really old, and it had a pretty round, blue crystal charm tied to it.

"?" Kotetsu said. 'A sword…?' he thought. Kotetsu glanced around, looking to see where it had come from. They were close to an antique shop. 'Did it fall off of that shop's van?' Kotetsu leaned down and picked up the sword. "Hey, Kasane, Masamune." Kotetsu said. "I found this weird sword here—"

SCREEEECH! Tires squealed as the speeding truck driver tried to slam on the breaks as he hurtled towards Kotetsu.

"Kotetsu!" Kasane and Masamune screamed. Kasane dropped everything and ran towards her brother.

'Ah, those are the Kusanagi kids…' Kasane's kendo team captain thought as she came around the corner. "…!?" She said when she realized what was happening. Kasane jumped. When it happened, it lasted just a few seconds. Kasane grabbed Kotetsu, cradling him in her arms as she tried to shield her brother from the oncoming truck.

HOOOOONK!

"Kusanagi Kasane!" The captain yelled.

"Sis!" Masamune screamed.

CHING. The sword came loose, and was drawn slightly from the hilt, but it was enough. A blindingly bright flash of blue light radiated from the sword. Masamune had to shield his eyes. He heard the screech of the tires as the truck driver slammed his wheel to the side in an attempt to avoid the blue light.

"There's a car crash! Quick, someone call an ambulance!" One of the onlookers cried.

'What!? What was that blue light…?' The captain wondered.

"Are you okay, Kotetsu!?" Masamune cried as he rushed to his miraculously unhurt brother's side.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine…" Kotetsu said. "But, Masamune! Where's Kasane…!?" The two brothers looked all around, but there wasn't any sign of their sister.

—¡–!–¡–!–¡—

[Right then, no one had realized it yet, but… in those few seconds… Kasane's life, like Ayako's, had taken a huge turn—]

Kasane lay face down in the grass, still clutching the mysterious sword Kotetsu had found. The crystal sphere had lost all of its color, and it had cracked. In her dazed state, Kasane could hear loud thudding noises approaching them, and she could feel the ground shaking.

'Hm? What…? The ground is kind of shaking… is this an earthquake?' Kasane wondered. That thought snapped Kasane out of her daze. "Earthquake!?" Kasane cried in surprise and disbelief as she shot up into a sitting position. Two large horses, bearing armored riders galloped past her. They had been the source of the 'earthquake.'

"Hah!" One of the riders called out to his horse.

"… Uh." Kasane said, stunned. 'Horses!?' Kasane screamed internally, breaking out into a nervous sweat, confused. "Wh-What's going on!? Wh-What happened…!?" Kasane yelled as she started to panic and began running through the tall grass. Kasane heard the cry of a hawk. She looked up and saw the hawk flying through the sky. She was standing on a ridge that overlooked a village scene that was straight out of the ancient Japan. Kasane wobbled, her legs starting to give out from shock. 'Wh—Where am I…?' Kasane wondered, shocked. "Oh! Wait, what about Kotetsu…!? Masamune! Kotetsu!" Kasane yelled, worried about her younger brothers.

"Who's there!?" Kasane heard a man ask from behind her. Kasane turned to see two armored samurai standing behind her.

"!?" Kasane said in surprise.

"A woman…!?" The one wearing a band wrapped around his forehead said. "Did you escape from the burning village?"

"What, did you think you could take refuge in the mountain?" The one holding a huge spear asked.

'What…? These guys…' Kasane thought.

"Your home is gone. Where were you going to run?" The man with the spear said as he reached out and grabbed Kasane's wrist. "Now, come to the castle with us—"

"Eeeek!?" Kasane shrieked in surprise and fear. She wrenched her hand out of his grip and ran for it.

"Ah! Hey, you!" The headband guy yelled after her.

'What is this!? What's going on! Is this some kind of joke!?' Kasane thought as she ran for her life. The two soldiers smirked at eachother, and the guy with the spear hurled it towards Kasane. It slammed into the tree in front of her.

"Eeek!" Kasane cried as she ducked and covered her ears.

"What a pain." Headband man said.

"If you want to blame someone, blame your ruler for allowing himself to be so skillfully betrayed." The spearman said.

'What…? Just what's going on here!?' Kasane thought. 'Masamune! Kotetsu…!'

—¡–!–¡–!–¡—

Kasane stared numbly out of the cell she had been locked up in.

'What now…? Just what is this place… how did I end up here alone…?' Kasane thought. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she started to panic. The other women that had been captured watched as Kasane staggered to her feet. "L-Let me go home…!" Kasane said as she stepped forward to try to talk to the soldier that was guarding them. Unfortunately, she tripped on a rock and fell. Kasane's head slammed into the wooden grill of their cell door.

BAM!

"Ah! A-Are you okay?" A pigtailed young lady asked timidly.

"… No…" Kasane said, stunned.

"Eh?" The girl said, concerned.

"… No, it doesn't hurt…" Kasane said. As her heart beat rapidly in her chest. Kasane finally took a good look at her surroundings. All of the women in the cell with her were dressed like peasants from ancient Japan, and all of them, including Kasane, had had their hands bound with rope by the guards when they were captured. 'Huh…? Why is everyone wearing weird clothes…?' Kasane wondered.