Thanks again for your reviews, guys! They mean so much to me!
To Arashi: Don't worry! Tama will definitely be a major character in this fic! The only reason she hasn't made an appearence is because the fic is currently in 1556 while I believe Tama wasn't born until 1563.
To Guest Warrior: First of all, thanks for all the additional information! Though, I hope you didn't think I'd do this fic without doing any research! ;)
I love Oichi's tragic story and I know there are a plethora of interesting events that took place without the Akechi, but this fic specifically will be centered almost exclusively around the Akechi family. However, I wouldn't be opposed to writing similar fics about other families or samurai of the era if it was requested. ;)
Don't worry about post-Yamazaki events, I don't want to spoil too much but as long as things go as planned, this fic won't end at Yamazaki and many of Hideyoshi's exploits and beyond will be included.
Hmmm, I'm going to check out TVTropes now! Thanks for that!
Thanks for the facts and thank you for reviewing!
Since Saito Yoshitatsu hadn't surrounded Akechi Castle, Sadanori and Mitsuhide were able to leave through the back and travel through the surrounding forest towards Yoshitatsu's camp. After a few minutes of traveling, Yoshitatsu's camp was in sight, but it was impossible to see if any of their family members were being held there. "We're going to have to wait for Mitsuharu to attack; Yoshitatsu's camp is too full right now." Mitsuhide said as they observed the camp in some bushes a couple hundred feet away from the camp.
"Well, they better hurry up! I wanna save Hiroko!" Sadanori exclaimed, before Mitsuhide shushed him.
It began raining as the two of them sat in silence, perfect for them, Mitsuhide figured, as it would make their movements even harder to spot. A couple minutes passed, and the gates of Akechi Castle opened, a large wave of bellflower banners flooded out towards Yoshitatsu's soldiers. Mitsuhide turned his attention back towards Yoshitatsu's camp, and it gradually emptied out, with many of its occupants leaving to the battlefield. He realized that it was as good a time as any to move. "Let's go!" Mitsuhide ordered, and the two of them ran towards the side of Yoshitatsu's encampment.
With all of the commotion, neither of them were spotted as they stuck close to the cloth walls that surrounded Yoshitatsu's rectangular camp. Mitsuhide shushed Sadanori again before slowly pulling out his katana and cutting a small slit through one of the cloth walls. He peered inside and scanned the small camp, he could see Yoshitatsu, Takenaka Hanbei and a handful of other samurai. His hopes of finding his family were almost gone when he finally laid eyes on them. The three of them were on their knees, tied up in the corner on the opposite side of the camp, and even in their debilitated state, Mitsuhide had never been more happy or relieved to see them.
Mitsuhide was about to tell Sadanori what he had saw, when a conversation suddenly caught his attention. "The reinforcements have been spotted, they will be upon us momentarily, Lord Yoshitatsu." He heard a samurai say.
"Well, your little trap worked perfectly, Hanbei. The Akechi have made themselves vulnerable and will fall quickly. I'm going to the battlefield, I want to ensure the destruction of the Akechi myself." Yoshitatsu responded as he stood up from his chair.
Before Yoshitatsu could leave the camp, one of their samurai retainers motioned towards their captives. "What do we do with them?"
"Right, I almost forgot about them..." Yoshitatsu looked at his bound and gagged prisoners. While Yasu and Hiroko were shaking and terror-stricken, Chieko calmly gazed at her captor. Yoshitatsu smirked at the relaxed Chieko before speaking. "Kill the old one and the child, we'll have to send the woman back to her family." Yoshitatsu took a few samurai and left, leaving only Hanbei and four other soldiers in the camp.
Hanbei sighed as Yoshitatsu left the camp, leaving him to do the dirty work. "Well, you heard him, bring those two over here." After Hanbei's orders, two men began dragging Chieko and Yasu to the center of camp where Hanbei sat.
Unable to restrain himself, Mitsuhide sliced through the cloth walls of the camp and ran into it. Before anyone could react, Mitsuhide lunged forward at the soldier dragging Chieko and slashed his torso. Mitsuhide then swung around towards the man dragging Yasu and stabbed him through his chest. Unable to dislodge his katana, Mitsuhide was defenseless as one of Yoshitatsu's men charged and swung at him from behind, fortunately someone jumped in between the two and stopped the soldier's sword from hitting Mitsuhide. Mitsuhide's savior wasn't Sadanori, who had instead ran over to the relatively safe Hiroko; it was Kani Saizo, Toshizo's bamboo samurai, who had also been in the camp. Saizo overpowered the soldier and knocked him unconscious by smacking him with the blunt end of one of his naginatas.
Hanbei groaned and slumped in his chair, knowing that he was defeated and outnumbered. "Mitsuhide, you're really starting to get on my nerves."
With the camp now free of any foes, Mitsuhide freed his katana from the dying soldier and turned to Hanbei. "I could say the same about you." He then looked at Saizo, who was now untying Yasu. "You're one of Toshizo's men, aren't you?" Mitsuhide asked.
Saizo nodded, his speech was muffled as he was chewing on a bamboo twig. "That's right. Kani Saizo's the name."
As Yasu was untied, he hopped up and hugged Mitsuhide tightly, he was still shaking in fear. Mitsuhide rubbed Yasu's head as he continued speaking to Saizo. "The whole Akechi Clan is in your debt."
Saizo bowed to Mitsuhide. "I just did what Toshizo woulda done."
"Toshizo would be proud." Mitsuhide untied his mother next, and she stood up and brushed her dress off when she was freed. Mitsuhide gave his mother a quick embrace and gave Yasu to her, before turning to see his wife.
"I'm fine! I'm not hurt, brother!" She exclaimed in an irritated tone, as Sadanori checked her body for any wounds, aside from the many scars that covered her body from her previous small pox disease.
"I wouldn't have to worry if your husband actually took care of you!" Sadanori shouted as Hiroko pulled away from him.
"He came and helped you save my life, didn't he!?" Hiroko yelled in response.
"Quiet! Both of you! Someone is going to hear us!" Chieko snapped, which silenced the squabbling siblings.
With their argument ended, Hiroko rushed into Mitsuhide's arms. Her eyes swelled with tears as the two held each other. "Mitsuhide... I was so scared." She uttered in a hushed tone.
"I was too... But I knew it would be okay. I wouldn't let anything happen to you, my love." Mitsuhide spoke silently as he held her.
"Lord Akechi, you should go now. Before any more of Lord Yoshitatsu's men come!" Kani Saizo urged.
"You must come with us! You saved our lives!" Yasu pleaded as he smiled up at the warrior.
"You'd better go with 'em, Saizo. I don't think Yoshitatsu would be generous enough to spare you twice." Hanbei suggested nonchalantly as he used his sundial to shield his head from the rain.