Thank you so much for those of you that reviewed my fic so far! It means so much!
I'm glad you're enjoying it, Arashi! Your fic is amazing too and I can't wait to see what happens in it as well!
Guest Warrior brought up some important questions that I would like to address. In regards to historical/fictional sources, history/canon, and my own imagination, I got my inspiration for this fic from Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. If you are unfamiliar with that novel, it is basically partially based off of the author's imagination but also heavily influenced by actual historical events. My fic is going to be very similar as I would like to blend history and my own imagination to create what I myself would like to see if Samurai Warriors were almost exclusively centered around Mitsuhide and the Akechi.
As for your questions about age, I plan to mention it but it will not be heavily focused on. Most of my characters are based off of their Samurai Warriors counterparts, and as I would love to see aging in the actual games, there will be slight changes to characters as time progresses, but it will hardly be a drastic change except in cases where a character may die of old age or other certain exceptions like childhood and coming of age.
I do plan for this fic to be a bit more realistic than Samurai Warriors itself, but I still want to keep the flare of Samurai Warriors. While characters will have certain inhuman abilities like their in-game counterparts, one should not expect characters to be leaping over castle walls or making the ground crack and split with ease.
I hope I covered all of your questions! Enjoy the rest of my fic!
From the overlooking mountain, Inabayama, they could see the armies of Dosan and Yoshitatsu, split only by the river called the Nagaragawa. Mitsuhide stopped his horse and watched as the two armies began to battle. He couldn't help feeling guilty as he watched his lord Dosan's relatively small army attack Yoshitatsu's large army. Hiroko, who was also riding on Mitsuhide's horse, wrapped her arms around Mitsuhide's waist and embraced her lover. She laid her head on his shoulder and spoke in a hushed yet optimistic tone. "Mitsuhide... I think what you're doing is very noble. Your grandfather would be very proud that you're saving your family."
Mitsuhide sighed and smiled back at her. "Thank you, love. Your support means the world to me."
"Hiroko, Mitsuhide!" Haru, who was at the head of the group, growled. "I'm fully capable of leading us to Akechi Castle myself! So if you two want to stay here and keep loving it up, that's fine by me!"
"Mitsuharu! That's no way to talk to your older cousin!" Chieko, who was riding with Haru, scolded him, and then looked back at Mitsuhide and Hiroko. "He's right, though. We shouldn't waste any time." Mitsuhide nodded in agreement and they continued riding at a steady pace, not wanting to tire their horses out as it was a long trek to Akechi Castle.
Only a few minutes into the journey, the silence began to bother Yasu, who was riding with his cousin Tada. "So... What happens when we get to Akechi Castle?"
Everyone else had the same question, so no one answered. Hiroko nudged Mitsuhide, who had been staring blankly at the sky, worrying about the future of his clan. "Huh?" Mitsuhide had missed the question completely as he was lost in thought.
Hiroko whispered into his ear. "Tell Yasu what we're gonna do once we get to Akechi Castle."
"Oh." Mitsuhide looked ahead of him to see everyone else looking back at him. "Well, we're going to wait."
"Wait?" Yasu questioned.
Mitsuhide responded somberly. "Yes. If Lord Dosan defeats Yoshitatsu, then everything returns to normal. If Yoshitatsu defeats Lord Dosan... I don't know."
"Okay... Maybe we can get some of Dosan's friends to he-"
"Yasu! Shh!" It was unlike the quiet Tada to silence someone, especially without any pretext, the rest of the Akechi family gave him curious looks and awaited for him to continue. "Everyone, stop your horses!" Tada spoke in a quiet, yet urgent tone and stopped his horse, the rest did the same.
Now the rest of them heard what Tada heard; there was a second party riding through the forested area. However, soon after Mitsuhide's group stopped, the unknown group became silent, except for the occasional neigh of a horse. Everyone looked to Mitsuhide for guidance, but before he could respond, a booming voice shouted orders. "State who you are, or we will attack!"
Fortunately, the intimidating voice was a voice that the Akechi group recognized. "Toshizo! It's Mitsuhide! Don't shoot!"
"Mitsuhide? Akechi Mitsuhide?" Toshizo's loud voice was no longer threatening after they realized it was a friend.
"Of course it's Akechi Mitsuhide!" Mitsuhide said as he dismounted his horse, but stopped his wife after she tried to dismount also. "Stay here." He told her quietly.
As Toshizo and his soldiers revealed themselves, Haru and Tada also dismounted their horses. Saito Toshizo was a nephew of Saito Dosan, and a well-trained spearman. Toshizo led a party that was a mix of a few spearmen and cavalry men. Mitsuhide and Toshizo hugged each other; the Akechi had always been close with the Saito so they knew each other since childhood. "It's great to see you again, Mitsuhide, but I have troubling news..." Toshizo hung his head in despair.
"What's wrong?" Mitsuhide looked behind Toshizo,and noticed something unsettling. Toshizo's men carried two banners, one bearing the symbol for the Saito clan, and the other bearing Saito Yoshitatsu's name.
"Yoshitatsu sent me here to capture you..."
Mitsuhide sighed. "Toshizo, we both know what Yoshitatsu is going to do if you bring us to him."
Toshizo shook his head and put his hand on Mitsuhide's shoulder. "You don't know that. I know you must not trust Yoshitatsu, but he's not a bad person."
"Is that why he's out there murdering his own father?" Mitsuhide sharply responded as he brushed away Toshizo's hand.
Toshizo took a few steps back. "Mitsuhide, don't do this. I don't want to have to bring you by force."
"Then just let my family and I go!" Mitsuhide rose his voice and stepped forward, even with a small armed force behind Toshizo, Mitsuhide was sure he could intimidate Toshizo to let them go.
Toshizo's eyes glanced to the left, and as his eyes fell back to Mitsuhide, his entire demeanor suddenly changed. He stood his ground and spoke louder. "Mitsuhide, I can't do that!"
"And why not?" Mitsuhide was surprised but unfazed.
Before Mitsuhide got a response, a gunshot fired off that took everyone but Toshizo by surprise. Except for those trying to settle their startled horses, everyone looked towards the source of the shot. Out of the brush walked two young men with a group of soldiers following them. The young man with a smug grin who was holding the gun responsible was Saito Tatsuoki, the son of Yoshitatsu. His bright faced companion standing next to him was Takenaka Hanbei, the young genius had his arms crossed and his head tilted.
"Well well, if it isn't Mitsuhide and his family?" Tatsuoki snickered as he handed his gun over to Hanbei, who begrudgingly took it and began reloading it.
"Tatsuoki! I've got this under control!" Toshizo scowled at Tatsuoki.
"Hmph! You should know who you're speaking to! I'm going to be your lord one day!" Tatsuoki responded angrily, before turning his attention back to Mitsuhide. "Well Mitsuhide. This is the great Akechi family that my grandfather loves so much?" Tatsuoki spoke arrogantly as he took his gun back from Hanbei.
Hanbei sighed and rubbed his cheek, muttering under his breath. "Here we go..."
Tatsuoki begin examining all of the members of the Akechi family, and his eyes locked with Hiroko, who began to quiver with fear. Tatsuoki grinned and rubbed his chin as he stared at her. "I've heard you're known for being ugly and scarred, woman of Mitsuhide. Maybe you should take off the dress and show us if that's true?"
"Tatsuoki! Leave her alone!" Mitsuhide shouted as he reached for his katana. However, as Mitsuhide gripped his hilt, Tatsuoki pointed his gun at Hiroko, causing her to squeal.
Mitsuhide's eyes widened and his heart began pounding as he watched his wife tremble and begin to cry. Tatsuoki sneered at her. "Take off the dress. Now!"
Hiroko, still mounted on Mitsuhide's horse, looked to Mitsuhide with tearful eyes. Mitsuhide's own eyes began to water, but he swallowed his pride and nodded to her. "Hiroko, it'll be okay..."
Toshizo had had enough of Tatsuoki's disrespect and rudeness. While the rest of the Saito troops watched intently as Hiroko pulled off her hood and began untying her dress, he leaned in and whispered to Mitsuhide who was only a step away. "I'm going to distract Tatsuoki... Your next move is up to you." Mitsuhide gave a slight nod and awaited the distraction, keeping his hand tightly around the hilt of his katana that was kept in its sheath.
A moment later, Toshizo suddenly shouted and pointed behind Tatsuoki and his party. "Lord Tatsuoki! It's Dosan! He's headed this way!"
The trick worked and everyone looked in that direction. While they were distracted, Mitsuhide lunged forward and unsheathed his katana, quickly slicing Tatsuoki's musket in half. While everyone was still realizing what just happened, Mitsuhide lifted his katana above his head and sliced down towards Tatsuoki. Fortunately for Tatsuoki, Hanbei used his bladed sundial to stop Mitsuhide's blade just inches from Tatsuoki's head.
"Chieko! Hiroko! Yasu! Run!" Tada yelled as he pulled out his massive kanaboi. The three obeyed his command, riding their horses away and leaving Mitsuhide, Tada, and Haru alone with no easy method of escape.
Tatsuoki, who had fallen to the floor after Mitsuhide and Hanbei's weapons clashed, started crawling behind his soldiers. "Attack! Attack them!"
While Tatsuoki barked orders and his men closed in on Mitsuhide and his cousins, Toshizo, armed with his short spear, turned towards his men. "I'm going to help Mitsuhide! Any who object can tell it to my spear!"
One of Toshizo's most loyal companions, Kani Saizo, a strange young samurai with wild, unkempt hair who fought with two naginatas and kept fresh bamboo stalks protruding out of the back of his armor, shouted loudly in support for Toshizo. "Lord Toshizo! We would follow you to the end of the earth!" Even though he was Yoshitatsu's son, Tatsuoki was despised throughout the Saito for being so ill-mannered and neglectful, so it didn't take much for Toshizo and his soldiers to turn on him.
Rain had began falling again as the fighting across Mino continued. Unbeknownst to the smaller group of belligerents, Yoshitatsu's army was wiping out the remnants of Dosan's army; Dosan himself had already fallen on the battlefield. On the smaller battlefield in the middle of the forest on Inabayama, Mitsuhide and Toshizo's soldiers clearly had the advantage over Tatsuoki's, and Takenaka Hanbei realized this. Overall ten soldiers out of the fifty were killed, and all of them were Tatsuoki's soldiers.
Hanbei pulled himself away from the fighting, and began pondering on how to get everyone to stop and listen to him. He knew that the only way his soldiers could survive is if he stopped the fighting. Out of the corner of his eye, Hanbei saw Tatsuoki cowering behind a tree. "Ah, perfect!" Hanbei exclaimed as an idea finally came to him. He walked over to Tatsuoki and whispered to him. "Tatsuoki, I'm gonna pretend to take you hostage. Just play along."
"Huh?" Tatsuoki hadn't heard anything that Hanbei said, but before he could protest, Hanbei yanked him out from behind the tree and held one of the blades on his sundial up to Tatsuoki's neck.
"Everyone! Stop fighting! I'm going to kill Tatsuoki!" Hanbei yelled in an attempt to get everyone's attention, yet they were too locked in combat to hear his soft voice.
"HANBEI! LET GO OF ME RIGHT NOW!" Tatsuoki's booming cries were loud enough to momentarily stop the fighting and make everyone look at the two.
"Wow, good acting, Tatsuoki!" Hanbei smiled and cleared his voice. "Everyone! Aren't we all just soldiers of the Saito? Why are we tearing ourselves apart?" Hanbei paused for a second, as if he was going to let someone respond. "Everyone! Loyal soldiers of the Saito! Let's stop killing each other and just go our separate ways." After hearing Hanbei's words, both sides stood down and separated, but kept their guard up.
He finally dropped Tatsuoki, who got up and growled at him. "What the hell, Hanbei!?"
Hanbei crossed his arms and pouted at Tatsuoki. "Don't yell at me like that! I just saved our lives!"
On the other side, Mitsuhide and Toshizo tried to sort out what to do next. They had all managed to escape without any major injuries. Toshizo put his bloody spear away and gave three of his men's horses to the Akechi group. "Mitsuhide, Mitsuharu, please take my horses. You need to get to Akechi Castle. There's no doubt that Yoshitatsu has won, and that's going to be his next target."
Mitsuhide sighed and mounted one of the horses. "Toshizo, come with us. Yoshitatsu will kill you for this!"
Toshizo shook his head and bowed to Mitsuhide. "Thank you for the offer, but I must go to my lord."
Haru mounted a horse also, he was still breathing heavily from the skirmish. "You may serve a traitor, Toshizo, but at least you serve him with honor."
Toshizo smiled and bowed to Haru as well. "Hopefully, you all make it to Akechi Castle safe, and the rest of your family as well."
Mitsuhide's eyes widened and he gasped as he remembered Hiroko, Chieko, and Yasu. "Ah! I don't know if they know the way to the castle!"
Toshizo lifted his head and smiled as he watched them quickly ride away. "Until next time, Mitsuhide!"