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.

Previously:

"I have a job for you." Nobunaga said bluntly.

"Huh?" Ayako and Gorouza said. They had thought he was displeased with them, but that obviously wasn't the case if he was still trusting them with a mission. Nobunaga really wasn't mad at all. He just liked to mess with them. He was actually a little proud that Ayako and Gorouza were able to figure that much out, despite not knowing the whole story, and he was glad to know that Ayako wasn't as naïve as she usually acted. When they weren't fighting, she was usually a cheerful and playful girl, but if you weren't careful, this violent era would mercilessly chew a person up and spit them back out.

"I thought he was mad at us..." Kuranosuke mumbled to himself, relieved.

"A job...?" Kasane asked.

"You guys were pulled from the middle of your training." Nobuyuki said apologetically.

It turned out that the job Nobunaga had for them was to escort Nobuyuki, and make sure that he didn't run into any trouble on his way back to his own home. So, there they were, walking beside Nobuyuki as his guard, while he road on his horse. Inuchiyo and Ayako were leading the horse, Kasane and Gorouza were flanking the young lord on the sides, and Kuranosuke had the rear guard... mostly because he was too exhausted from the heat to walk any faster.

"It was decided that I had to return to Suemori, but... to send people along with me like he did... I did tell my brother that I was fine traveling alone, too." Nobuyuki said, smiling wryly.

"Oh no, I'd be happy to accompany you!" Kasane said enthusiastically.

"I'm glad to hear that." Nobuyuki said, smiling gratefully at her acceptance.

"Besides, Nobunaga is just doing what any good older brother would do. He just wants to make sure that his younger brother is safe." Ayako said, smiling reassuringly at him.

"It's as they say. We can't let anything happen to you, Lord Kanjuuro." Gorouza said.

"Haha, thanks." Nobuyuki said, blushing shyly. He was glad to know that his brother cared.

"Plus... now that I think about it, this is the first time I've gotten to take a good look at the land beyond the castle." Kasane said, smiling.

"Is that so?" Nobuyuki asked, slightly surprised.

"Right after I arrived here, I didn't know what was what, actually." Kasane admitted, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Hmm, that's true... I haven't really had a chance to do that either. Whenever we went out, it was for a mission, so we didn't have time to really relax and take in the sights." Ayako said thoughtfully.

"..." Nobuyuki said as he stared at them. These poor girls were so deprived... then he had a brilliant idea. Nobuyuki smiled at them. "In that case... shall we take a slight detour?" He asked as a village came into view.

—¡–!–¡–!–¡—

Kasane stared at the village in amazement. Rather than a village, it was more like a small city. The place was bustling and full of merchants selling food and other goods. People were everywhere, and the streets were filled with the sounds of people chatting happily with eachother and haggling over prices.

"—It's...! It's a city!" Kasane said, amazed. "Wow, what is this place?"

"Is this also your first time at a market?" Nobuyuki asked, pleased to see that the two girls were excited. Although Ayako hadn't said anything, her eyes were sparkling with excitement and curiosity.

"A market...? " Kasane asked.

"That's right, look at the shops~!" Ayako said happily. Nobunaga had paid her the salary he had promised her after she beat a few more opponents in the mini tournament the other day. Maybe now, she could finally buy herself a more feminine outfit... and there was nothing like some good old-fashioned retail therapy! Though, she didn't wan to blow all of her money, so it would mostly be window-shopping.

"And there are so many people! Look, Kuranosukeee!" Kasane said.

"What!? Of course there are!" Kuranosuke snapped at her, a vein mark throbbing on his forehead.

"Hey you, the two misses over there!" One of the merchants called out to Kasane and Ayako.

"Eh? Me?" Kasane and Ayako asked, pointing to themselves. Ayako was surprised and relived that she hadn't been mistaken for a boy again.

"Yes, you!" The woman said, smiling at them as she held up a pretty kimono for them to see. "How about you get rid of that ugly kimono, and try on one of our new ones?" She asked Kasane.

"Ugly!?" Kasane said, shocked. There was nothing wrong with her uniform! Kuranosuke snickered at her.

"You too, Miss. You're too cute to be walking around in men's clothes. If you're not careful, you'll be mistaken for a bishounen! I've got accessories too." The woman said. Ayako sweat dropped and laughed wryly.

"Yeah, too late for that, it's already happened... But I've been thinking of changing my outfit to a more feminine one for a while now, so I'd be more than happy to take you up on that offer!" Ayako said, smiling at the woman. "Let's see what you've got~! I need something that's easy to move in. I do a lot of sparring."

"Sure~! I think I have just the thing you're looking for." The woman said, pulling out a bundle of clothing and handing it to Ayako. "I've got a little changing room set up right here, just step into this curtained area when you're ready to try it on. Your current clothes are in good condition, and they're made of a pretty good quality material, so I'll give you a nice discount if you give them to me in exchange~!" The woman said, winking slyly at Ayako. She was a shrewd businesswoman, after all.

"Deal!" Ayako said, smiling back. It was a good deal. Now, she didn't have to carry her old clothes around with her the whole time they were walking around, and she was saving money.

"Hm?" Inuchiyo said when he noticed a colorful kimono. He held it up to get a better look. It had a very ostentatious rose pattern on it. He smiled happily, a dazed look on his face as he pictured Nobunaga wearing it. He thought their lord would be pleased if they got it for him.

"Inuchiyo... that one's kind of..." Gorouza said, sweat dropping. It was true that Nobunaga had favored similar kimonos when he was younger, before he became the Lord of Owari... but, as a lord, Nobunaga had to project a more dignified image now that he had heavier responsibilities, and he needed others to see him as a reliable and worthy leader.

"It does look like something my brother would like..." Nobuyuki said, smiling wryly and sweat dropping. He was thinking something along the same lines Gorouza was.

"Yeah, our lord does have a tiger-striped scarf, after all." Ayako said from behind them. "But I think that might be a bit too much..." Said scarf had actually belonged to Ayako. She had been wearing it the day that she had arrived in this era, and had decided to let him have it when she saw the young lord eyeing it with great interest. That had amused Ayako a little, because as she got to know him, Ayako had realized that the young lord's tastes and actions were actually pretty similar to a Japanese high school gang leader's. She could totally see him ruling the school if he had been born in the future. The three men turned to look at her, and their jaws nearly dropped in surprise as the stared at her, surprised. Ayako was now wearing a black and red kimono with a matching cropped jacket. The kimono was a little shorter than normal, and it ended just above her knees, but Ayako was wearing 'western-styled' pants under it that fit closer to her legs, but still maintained her modesty. She was also wearing leather boots. Ayako had decided to buy them, since she missed being able to wear closed-toed shoes, and they would protect her feet better when she was fighting. The outfit was still practical, and not the usual female attire of the era, but the change was amazing. Ayako looked so much more feminine it this outfit than she had before. Ayako looked very pretty and cute, despite having short hair... this new outfit really suited her.

"Wow, Ayako! You look really good in that!" Kasane said, smiling brightly at Ayako. She knew Ayako had been upset lately because people kept thinking she was a boy. Ayako happily smiled back at her.

"Thanks, Kasane~!" Ayako said happily.

"Yes, it really suits you." Gorouza said, recovering first.

"Yeah, you look pretty!" Inuchiyo said.

"It's very nice." Nobuyuki said, blushing a little. He had always thought Ayako was pretty, but now that she looked more feminine... he found that he had to update his original opinion to 'beautiful.'

"You finally look like girl now." Kuranosuke said bluntly.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I don't think I heard you right." Ayako said, and Kuranosuke could sense the menacing aura hidden behind her blindingly bright smile. He gulped and nervously avoided her gaze. Was it just him, or had she gotten even scarier...?

"I-I mean... you're beautiful?" Kuranosuke said nervously, breaking out into a nervous sweat under her stare.

"Oh, is that so? Thank you~!" Ayako said, smiling innocently. "Oh! Let's go look at that stall next, Kasane!" Ayako said, pulling Kasane along as they ran over to check out another merchant's stall.

"... It seems that Ayako's gotten even stronger, now that her confidence has been restored..." Gorouza said sweat dropping. Inuchiyo nodded in agreement. They had sensed the threatening atmosphere too.

"Yes, she looked so happy, didn't she?" Nobuyuki said, smiling. He was completely oblivious to the danger Kuranosuke had been in. The others all sweat dropped, but they didn't correct him... Ignorance is bliss, after all.