"Lord Nobunaga, it's probably best if we stop here. The castle is just a little farther down the road and I don't think we want Yoshitatsu spotting us." Mitsuhide advised as he walked alongside the horseriding Nobunaga.
Nobunaga stopped his horse, and his troops halted also. Nobunaga dismounted his horse and stood head on with Mitsuhide. Nobunaga had broader shoulders, more height, and a larger build than Mitsuhide. "Come. I want to see this army for myself." Nobunaga said as he continued walking, while his army stood still.
Mitsuhide turned to his family and spoke quickly. "Stay here. I won't take long." Mitsuhide gave Hiroko a brief kiss, he did not want to part from his family again, even if it was just for a moment. "I love you all." Mitsuhide hesitantly began to follow Nobunaga towards Akechi Castle.
The rain had been flickering about for the past few hours, the weather rapidly and erratically shifting from a downpour, to a drizzle, and to brief moments of aridity. A steady sprinkle now covered the area as Akechi Castle and Yoshitatsu's sizable army came into Mitsuhide's view. As Nobunaga examined the army, Mitsuhide had noticed something different. The area was getting darker, but not from a heavier overcast, it was by the setting of the sun. "It looks like it'll be night soon." Mitsuhide murmured, he had not paid any attention to the time throughout the hectic day.
"How convenient." After only a couple minutes, Nobunaga had turned and already began walking back to his army. "We can attack at night. Infiltrate them. Confuse them."
Mitsuhide followed Nobunaga. "Attack them tonight?" Mitsuhide questioned. "We may not have enough soldiers..."
Nobunaga chuckled. "Size hardly matters. We attack them tonight, send them into chaos, force them to scatter, save Dosan. And take his son's head." Mitsuhide found Nobunaga's daring unsettling, but he also knew that Nobunaga could be his last chance to save the rest of his family so he decided to follow Nobunaga's strategy with no qualms.
Mitsuhide rejoined his family and turned to Nobunaga again. "I think it'd be best for your army to take cover deep in the woods, Lord Nobunaga."
"I suppose." Nobunaga called over one of his generals and soon all of his troops were headed into the forest.
"We're going to save your father, love." Mitsuhide smiled at Hiroko before turning his attention to Yasu and Chieko. "We'll save Haru and Tada too."
"But you're going to have to fight again, won't you?" Hiroko said gloomily.
"I can't help that, dear." Mitsuhide hugged her before holding her hand. "Let's get into the forest and try to get out of this rain." They all agreed and the four of them joined Nobunaga's troops in the woods.
Yasuhide groaned as they found a dry spot under a tree to sit at. "I'm so hungry. I haven't eaten all day!" All around them were soldiers eating rations while the family was left hungry.
"We're all hungry. I'm sure Nobunaga has some food. I'll be right back." Mitsuhide stood up and scanned around for Nobunaga. After a bit of searching, he left his family and walked over to the young samurai. "Lord Nobunaga." He bowed. "My family is very hungry. We were wondering if we could have any extra food you might have."
Nobunaga chuckled, sitting with his legs crossed. "No. There is no extra. My soldiers get what they need and nothing more."
Mitsuhide became visibly perturbed at Nobunaga's response, almost letting out a frustrated sigh before catching himself. "Are you sure?" He looked back at his family, all watching him with hungry eyes.
Nobunaga's face suddenly grew much more grim, as did his voice. "What I say is final."
Without another word, a defeated Mitsuhide returned back to his family with his head hanging. "I'm sorry. We'll get something to eat soon. I promise." Although no one said a word, the disappointment and dismay was obvious between their dreary faces and slumped over statures.
"Hey." An unfamiliar voice came from behind Mitsuhide and each of the Akechi looked towards it. The voice came from a soldier with a young, clean face holding out two balls of rice, and a ball of rice that had already been bitten. "Take these."
Mitsuhide glanced back at his family. Yasu was nodding fervently before Chieko grabbed and pulled on his ear to stop him. "Ow! Ow! Ow! I'm sorry!" Yasu cried.
Mitsuhide turned his attention back to the soldier as the soldier began to speak again. "Hurry. Give them to your family before Nobunaga sees." The soldier urged as he held the balls of rice to Mitsuhide's chest.
Eventually, Mitsuhide accepted the charity and took the food, then distributing it out to his family, Yasu got a full rice ball, Mitsuhide began to give his mother a full rice ball yet she denied it in favor of the half eaten rice ball, leaving the full rice ball to Hiroko. Hiroko took the rice ball and split it in half, Mitsuhide did not want to accept it but he could not deny his wife's loving gesture and took the half. Immediately, the Akechi began to eat their small meal ravenously.
As Hiroko came down to her last bite, she saw their donor out of the corner of her eye begin to return to his original place. "Wait! Sir!" Hiroko urged. The soldier quickly turned and looked at Hiroko with a curious face.
"We never got a chance to thank you." Hiroko said, with now the rest of the Akechi looking at the soldier.
"Yeah! Thank you, sir!" Yasuhide exclaimed with a full mouth.
"There's no need to thank me." The soldier smiled at the gratitude.
"Of course there is! You gave your food to us." Hiroko smiled back at him.
"I did what anyone should do." The soldier said nonchalantly.
"Not Nobunaga, apparently." Mitsuhide uttered spitefully.
"I know that Nobunaga appears to be cruel but he only does what is necessary to fulfil his goals. He makes no exceptions and has no deviations. His ways aren't celebrated, but they're effective." The soldier admitted. "I should go back to my squadron now. You are all very nice people and it was a pleasure." The soldier smiled and bowed to them.
Mitsuhide stood up and bowed back to the soldier. "I am Akechi Mitsuhide. You really helped my family. Thank you."
The soldier's smile grew. "It was my pleasure. I am Mimaki Kaneaki."
"Well, one day, I'll have to repay you properly, Kaneaki." Mitsuhide said joyfully.
"Thank you, Lord Mitsuhide. Farewell." Kaneaki bowed once more before rejoining his fellow soldiers.
Mitsuhide sat down and rejoined his family. Yasuhide let out a hushed sigh and mumbled. "If only he had a little more..."
"Be grateful for what you got." Chieko scolded.
"Yes, mother..." Yasu crossed his arms before yawning.
"Come here, Yasu." Chieko suddenly spoke with more affection to her son. Chieko- sitting with her knees together -laid her son's head on her lap as he curled up on the ground and yawned once again.
"Sleep tight, Yasu." Hiroko smiled at Yasu as his eyelids slowly closed.