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.

"—!" Kasane said. "Gorouza...! That thicket over there...!" Kasane shouted when she spotted a group of people from where she was sitting behind Gorouza, on his horse. Gorouza looked closer at the group of people. It was the three kunoichi that had attacked them before, and they had surrounded an injured Ikeda.

"Ikeda!" Gorouza shouted.

"Stop right there! I'm coming—!" Kasane yelled as she jumped off of Gorouza's horse and slid down the hill.

"Hmph, idiot." Iname said, laughing as she twirled her kunai in her hand. "Who... would stop!?" She yelled as she thrust her kunai at Ikeda.

STAB!

"!?" Iname gasped in surprise. At the very last minute a cloaked figure, wearing a straw hat, had suddenly jumped in front of Ikeda and blocked the blow with a naginata. "... What..." Iname said nervously. "—What the... who're you...!?" She yelled as their weapons grinded together.

"...!?" Kasane said, surprised, as she panted, trying to catch her breath after trying to rush to Ikeda. 'Who is that...?' She wondered. Kuzunoha saw the cloaked figure grip a sword that had been hidden under the cloak.

'A hidden blade...!' Kuzunoha thought. "Get back, Ina—!" She yelled as the cloaked figure swung the sword up, causing the cloak to fly up, and reveal that the mysterious figure was very busty woman who was clad in a very short sleeve-less kimono with 'booty shorts' underneath. Iname had heard Kuzunoha's warning in time, so she had dodged it by jumping up into the air at the last minute. Iname smirked. But then, a shadowed figure emerged from behind the cloaked woman. It was Ayako. Ayako jumped up, bringing herself face to face with Iname as she swung her hanbo and struck the kunoichi.

"Ghg!?" Iname grunted in pain as she was knocked back and slammed into the ground, unconscious.

"Homerun." Ayako said, smirking as she landed in front of the cloaked woman and held her hanbo at the ready. Kasane stared at the two other women in amazement.

"Iname...!" Kuzunoha yelled as she ran over to her fallen comrade

"Gorouza! Stupid girl!" Kuranosuke yelled as he and Inuchiyo ran onto the scene.

"Tch!" Kuzunoha said, clicking her tongue in irritation as she grabbed the unconscious Iname and ran away. The quiet kunoichi, Suzu was already gone, and there was no way she could take them all on by herself. Kuzunoha glanced back at the cloaked figure as she escaped. 'That's...' She thought, realizing there was something familiar about the other woman before she disappeared from their sight.

"A-A-Are you okay, Ikeda!?" Kasane asked urgently as she and Ayako knelt beside Ikeda.

"You're bleeding a lot. We'll need to apply a tourniquet for now." Ayako said as she examined the wound on his shoulder.

"Ah! Here, use this!" Kasane said as she untied the little ascot from her sailor-style uniform and handed it to Ayako.

"That's perfect, Kasane." Ayako said as she took it and immediately began wrapping it round Ikeda's shoulder.

"... Why are you here?" Ikeda asked, slightly surprised to see them all.

"Well, the lord—" Kasane began to explain.

"Step back a little, girl—" The cloaked woman ordered as she suddenly thrust her sword between Ikeda's eyes, stopping an inch away from his face.

"Huh!?" Kasane cried in confusion and panic. Wasn't this woman their ally? Ayako sweat dropped.

'They really are similar...' Ayako thought, a little chagrined.

"You're a man of the Ikeda family! Just what was that!? You should be ashamed, Katsusaburou!" The mysterious woman scolded him.

"!?" Kasane yelled, beyond confused. "Huh? What the...?" Ikeda had broken out in a nervous sweat as he stared at the blade that was still pointed between his eyes.

"Oh!" Inuchiyo yelled, sounding pleasantly surprised when he saw the cloaked woman. Kuranosuke flinched, paling slightly when he saw her.

"It's—" Gorouza shouted, surprised, as the woman removed her straw hat, and her long black hair fluttered in the breeze. "Lady Nouhime...!"

"It's been awhile, everyone!" Nouhime said, grinning at them.

"Lady Nouhime...!?" Kasane yelled, surprised and confused as she watched Nouhime and Ayako pet their horses as they walked out of the trees and into view, like they had been waiting for their masters to finish their business.

"There, there." Nouhime told her faithful steed. Nouhime glanced at Eishi, who was standing protectively close to Ayako, and eying her critically, like it was sizing her up. Nouhime raised an eyebrow at the horse as Ayako smiled warmly at the horse and pet him, oblivious to how he was staring at Nouhime. After a few moments, Eishi snorted acceptingly like he wasn't too thrilled about Nouhime, but he couldn't find any major faults in her either. Nouhime smiled wryly.

"That's a fine horse you have there." Nouhime complimented. Ayako smiled at her, though Nouhime noticed it was slightly tainted by an almost unnoticeable twinge of pain.

"Thanks, his name is Eishi. Be careful, he doesn't like it when most people try to touch him." Ayako said.

"That so...?" Nouhime asked as she glanced at the proud horse. She had a feeling Nobunaga and Eishi would probably get along well.

"... Um, huh? Who?" Kasane asked nervously. It seemed like everyone else, including Ayako, already knew who this mysterious lady was.

"Nouhime is the lady from Mino, get it?" Inuchiyo said, grinning happily at Kasane.

"Hm? The lady from Mino...?" Kasane said "... Oh, what!? Ah! Then she's the one..."

"Yes. That's right." Gorouza said, smiling.

"Took you long enough." Kuranosuke grumbled.

"She's the noblewoman who married into the Oda family... in order to form an alliance between Owari and Mino." Gorouza said as they all mounted their horses again. Ikeda hitched a ride with Kuranosuke, and they all started riding back to Nagoya. "She is the daughter of Saito Dousan, Lord of Mino... and is lawfully bound to our lord, Lord Nobunaga."

'Whoa...! So she's the Lady from Mino...!' Kasane thought. "Ah! But, Gorouza... what did you mean by 'lawfully bound'?" Kasane asked innocently.

"It means they're married." Ayako said, twitching slightly as her heart was pierced by her own words. 'I'm and idiot for being hurt by my own words...' Ayako thought, sweat dropping and sighing internally.

"Idiot. You really don't know anything." Kuranosuke said to Kasane, sweat dropping.

"Well, this is embarrassing." Kasane said, smiling wryly and rubbing the back of her neck. "So... she's married to the lord—" Kasane froze mid sentence, her smile still plastered on her face. "... Wait." There was a moment of silence as Kasane's brain finally processed that last piece of information. "What!? His wife!?" Kasane shouted, beyond shocked.

"Wh-What the!?" Kuranosuke yelled as he and Inuchiyo flinched in shock at her sudden out burst. "Don't just yell like that! Y-You'll scare the horses!" Ayako snickered.

'Yeah, sure, 'the horses'... just admit you're scared.' Ayako thought rolling her eyes at him.

"What!? But... But that means... the lord m-m-married her...!?" Kasane yelled as she waved her arms up and down nervously.

"Why're you getting all flustered? Of course. He's the lord of a province." Kuranosuke said.

"I... I can't picture it...! Someone like him doing something that ordinary, completely unbelievable...!" Kasane stammered, shocked, as she blurted out all of her thoughts.

'Well, it's true that he often seems to defy common sense...' Ayako thought, sweat dropping, as she smiled wryly.

"Hey! Just how do you picture our lord!? Why couldn't he have gotten married?" Kuranosuke yelled incredulously.

"..." Ikeda said as he glanced cautiously at Nouhime to see what her reaction would be.

"... Hah!" Nouhime laughed, smiling. "Ahahaha!" She looked much more amused than insulted.

"L-Lady Nouhime!" Gorouza said, flustered. He was really worried that Kasane's mouth was going to get her into trouble on of these days.

"Ah! E-Excuse me!" Kasane apologized suddenly realizing how she must've sounded.

"Don't worry, I think the same, girl." Nouhime said, amused. "There never was any of that sentiment between us. Hmph, truthfully, when I hear 'wife' and 'married,' I don't know how to respond.

"?" Kasane said, confused. She glanced at Ayako. Ayako looked calm, but she was being unusually quiet.

"And yet, Lady, why are you in a place like this? You also seem to know Ayako..." Gorouza said. "Thank you for your Assistance, though."

"I received a letter from Nagoya. I was just heading back there, then I ran into Onihime, and we heard a gunshot." Nouhime said.

"I've been wondering, my Lady, how do you know that name when we have never met before?" Ayako asked. She hadn't even told Nouhime her real name, let alone that annoying nickname. Although, Ayako had to admit, she was starting to like it a little... not that she was going to let Nobunaga know that. Nouhime smiled at her.

"I've heard a lot about you in the letters from our lord." Nouhime said.

"Oh..." Ayako said. Her brow furrowed slightly in confusion. She wasn't sure how she felt about that... knowing that Nobunaga had openly talked about her with his wife.

"Oh, Did he mention me?" Kasane asked curiously. Nouhime stared at Kasane for a moment.

"No, not really." Nouhime said bluntly. Kasane flinched in shock.

'How mean...!' Kasane thought. "You said you were heading back?" Kasane asked, deciding to change the subject.

"For a few reasons... the Lady isn't often at the castle." Gorouza explained.

"Oh." Kasane said, wondering what those reasons were. Ayako was a little curious too. It was obvious that Gorouza had left out the details on purpose.

"Hmph, however... when I finally do get back, I run across a spy floundering around..." Nouhime said sternly, closing her eyes in disappointment and irritation. Ikeda flinched guiltily.

"..." Ikeda said nervously.

"When we get there, I'm going to whip all of you into shape!" Nouhime said sternly with a scheming gleam in her eye.

"Gah! Why even me?" Kuranosuke said, flinching in surprise and dread.

"What do you mean 'why'? We got here before you and Inuchiyo, and you guys had a huge head start. You should've been there long before us." Ayako deadpanned.

"Whee! Let's do it!" Inuchiyo said enthusiastically.

"Don't be happy!" Kuranosuke growled at him.

"..." Ikeda said, sweating nervously.

"Whoa...!" Kasane said in admiration. 'She's strong! Wait, she kinda reminds me of the lord...' Kasane thought. Gorouza sweat dropped at his friends' reactions. "... But... I'm kinda glad." Kasane said.

"Huh?" Ikeda said, wondering what there was to be glad about being scolded.

"Even though Kuranosuke had said our alliance was unstable, having someone as strong as her on our side seems like fun!" Kasane said as they watched Nouhime talk to Inuchiyo and Kuranosuke.

"Inuchiyo, you've gotten pretty big! Nouhime said cheerfully.

"I have!" Inuchiyo said happily, like a puppy that had just been praised.

"Kuranosuke, you should hurry up and get taller than me too!" Nouhime said, grinning at him.

"Stay out of it!" Kuranosuke yelled, a vein mark throbbing on his forehead. Ayako couldn't help but laugh in amusement.

"True enough." Gorouza replied to Kasane, smiling.

"... By the way, Gorouza, just who is that girl? Your wife?" Nouhime asked suddenly, giving them an almost blank stare.

"You're just asking that now?" Gorouza asked, as he, Kasane, Ayako, and Ikeda all sweat dropped.

"Your personality is a little spilt." Ikeda muttered.

"—Oh." Nouhime said, a little surprised when a raindrop hit her hand.

"Looks like it's going to rain." Gorouza said as it started to drizzle and the clouds darkened overhead.

"Yeah, really." Kasane agreed.

"And Ikeda is injured. I'd be best if he avoided being soaked in cool water for now. It could give him a chill." Ayako said.

"Lady Nouhime, we should hurry..." Gorouza said as he glanced at her. "And return to the castle—" Nouhime's eyes were closed tightly as she grimaced in pain, and she was breathing hard. Ayako's eyes widened when she realized that Nouhime was about to fall off of her horse. She jumped off of Eishi's back and rushed over to Nouhime's side, just barely managing to break the other woman's fall.

"!?" Kasane yelled in surprise. "La-Lady Nouhime...!?" Kasane yelled as she ran over to Ayako and the unconscious Nouhime.

—¡–!–¡–!–¡—

The rain was pouring down as Nobunaga stared sharply at Ikeda and his three fools. His brow was furrowed as he frowned at them. Ikeda had been injured, and the blood was starting to soak through the piece of cloth they had used to bandage it. Nobunaga suspected that was Ayako's handiwork, but he didn't see her or Kasane standing there with the others. He figured they were probably already changing into dry clothes.

"... Katsusaburou, you know what I am going to say." Nobunaga said sternly as he tightened his grip on the sword he held at his side. Gorouza, Inuchiyo, and Kuranosuke watched their lord and Ikeda, who was kneeling before Nobunaga, with concern.

"... Yes, Sir..." Ikeda said nervously.

SLAM!

Nobunaga slammed his sword against the ground. The others all flinched, startled.

"Do you get it! Losing a single one of your lives... is the same to me as the loss of hundreds of soldiers! Don't ever forget that!" Nobunaga yelled sternly. "Now hurry and get that wound attended to! You can report later." Nobunaga said as he turned to leave now that he had finished scolding them.

"Sir...!" Ikeda said, confirming that he understood his orders. The others sighed in relief.

"You're also done for the day, my three fools." Nobunaga said.

"Ah... my Lord, well..." Gorouza said nervously, stopping Nobunaga in his tracks as the young lord glanced back at him. Nobunaga didn't like how worried Gorouza sounded... if it had anything to do with why Ayako wasn't present... Nobunaga gave Gorouza a look, silently telling him to spit it out. "Actually..." Gorouza said.