A/N: Thank you for the follows and favorites, you guys! I appreciate it. C:

And also...

After thinking about it for some time, I've decided to add a few more things here and there, fill in those plot holes that I hadn't noticed in order to make sure that the story makes sense in terms of plot advancement. I can't have people falling in love left and right for no reason, am I right? ;3

Enjoy Chapter 3. UwU

Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Sengoku Basara or its characters.

Before I forget:

italics - thoughts or emphasis

"bold" - Masamune's (if this was, you know, not in English) English

The One Eyed Dragon walked at a brisk pace, having woken up slightly later than usual. He stifled his yawn and sighed, scratching at his messy bed-hair that he had forgotten to flatten, wondering if today was going to be like usual… or not, considering that fact he had a new addition to his army.

"Lord Masamune."

Masamune turned his head to face his retainer as he walked down the halls toward the dining room, glancing at Aiko's closed room, and decided against calling her awake. Most of the people of the compound were awake by sunrise, but Masamune would let go of this one lapse in Aiko's schedule this once. "What is it, Kojuurou," he grunted, a yawn coming through despite his attempts in covering his fatigue.

Giving his lord a knowing smile, Kojuurou began to speak, "I see you've talked to Aiko about her upcoming occupation?"

"She said yes," Masamune replied, the mention of yesterday making him alert and awake.

"And…?"

Masamune and Kojuurou swiftly strided down the halls side by side without pause, the sun beginning to warm up and signal that the time was nearing mid-morning nine o'clock. Flickering his attention toward Kojuurou and then back to today's unfilled schedule, he gave a few moments of thought before answering with a grin. He knew she could handle anything thrown her way; she had already proven that to him and everyone else here. He might as well let her step it up.

"...Let's teach her how to use a sword," he said, ignoring Kojuurou's blank expression.

With his right eye twitching slightly, Kojuurou asked his lord stiffly, "...Are you sure?"

"Don't worry!" Masamune waved a careless hand, slowing his steps before reaching the dining hall door. "She can do it," he told Kojuurou cheekily and then closed the sliding door behind him.

When Aiko woke up the next morning, even the birds were still asleep and the sun still yet to rise. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of her steady breathing instead of thinking of the realization of last night. Her breath hitched for a moment as she shook away those feelings of sadness. She cleared her throat and blinked away the tears of fatigue, trying to distract herself with the thought of Masamune Date.

A mere character she would have never expected to meet, Masamune was so much more real than what the books or the stories portrayed. With only tales of his prowess on the battlefield, Masamune was more than just a warrior to her. Though she met him only a few days ago, she could feel this incredibly fast-growing urge to know him more and understand him. He was a kind but impatient man. He was a charismatic yet lonely(?) person. And even though Aiko had seen some sides of the One Eyed Dragon the night before, she knew he had so much more to show her.

Aiko felt the greatest need to prove to him that she was fit as his samurai. Nothing, she thought, would be as important as this because she felt that if she were to ever disappoint him, she would have nothing left. She wasn't sure if that was true, but that was how she felt.

Closing her eyes in remembrance of the warmth, Aiko could hear the cluttered conversations of the servants awake and busy. Figuring she should have went out a long time ago, she quickly got up, stretched a bit, and opened the door, only to almost bump into Masamune's 'Right Eye,' Kojuurou Katakura.

"Miss Aiko?"

Jumping away from the door she just opened in surprise, the newly appointed female samurai flushed and muttered a small apology. Kojuurou chuckled and walked out to allow her some room, and a small smile of gratitude lifted her face once again. Closing the door as she exited the room, Aiko began to say, "Kojuurou-." She paused, not sure what to refer her savior as. "Sir Katakura-?"

Giving the girl an amused smile, Kojuurou said with a slight shake of the head, "Kojuurou is fine, Miss Aiko. If calling you 'Miss Aiko' is uncomfortable, please have no qualms in telling me; you are, after all, a fellow samurai of the Date clan."

At Kojuurou's welcoming words, Aiko couldn't help but beam and laugh. "'Aiko' is fine, Kojuurou. Thank you."

Together, they walked down the halls, with Kojuurou leading them to the dining room. Since she was a rather short lady compared to the retainer, she had to take more steps that he did to keep up, their footsteps like a drum that almost matched her own heartbeat at the excitement for today. She was to be by Masamune Date's side; the man who made her have indescribable emotions that felt as if it lit her aflame...

Uh... That... was a little weird, she rethought. Embarrassed at herself, Aiko walked, muted, listening to Kojuurou speak.

"A day at the Oshuu Compound usually starts at sunrise, so I suggest you get used to waking up early. Also," Kojuurou added, turning the corner quickly, forcing Aiko to catch up to him with faster steps, "before you settle in for breakfast, I would like to inform you that Lord Masamune has requested for your lessons in sword-fighting this afternoon." The important message spoken in an almost comically casual manner.

Aiko almost bit her inner cheek in surprise. "...Wait, so you mean-?" Sputtering at the sudden news, Aiko attempted to ask him for more information to no avail. Smiling and amused, Kojuurou turned toward the girl.

"Enjoy your breakfast, Aiko."

Then he left without saying another word, leaving Aiko to drown in her own thoughts.

She had… sword lessons... with... Masamune…? Already…?

What?

Despite the fact that both Kojuuro (okay, maybe he was a little unsure with the sword-fighting thing) and Masamune had complete trust that Aiko was going to do well as a samurai, the said girl felt quite the opposite. Though, what could she do but try? The extreme need to prove herself to Masamune she was more than just some girl and deserved to be by his side was trying to suffocate her.

It was too late to back out.

Aiko pressed her lips into a straight line as she slid her hand over the rough cloth of the trainee clothing that had been given to her shortly after lunch. The outfit, she knew, was similar to her lord: a long-sleeved, white yukata shirt with long, blue pants. If looking at it in a different perspective, they were like a couple with matching clothings.

But that was a little disturbing.

Aiko held back a shiver that almost coursed through her spine after she imagined the two of them, both together, happy-go-lucky, holding hands in a comic-like picture. Except for the fact they were together, nothing about that perturbing imagination appealed to her. In fact, the notion of such common, shallow interaction with Lord Masamune almost cheapened the unique relationship she had with him. Whatever relationship they had, she can't exactly pinpoint it, but it was much, much more than a pathetic fangirl-like adoration that lasted for a few weeks before dying.

...Though she was acting too jittery around him than anything else. She needed to stop that, she told herself blearily, before their interactions stopped because of her inner-fangirl. First, she needed to become his friend. That's how things usually work, right? She had to get to know him better not because she was his samurai but because she truly wanted to get closer to him.

Maybe it would explain why she felt this urge to…

Fumbling with the small obi after putting on the cotton juban, Aiko only just tied it on her when the door behind her slid open. Spinning around, she was faced with Masamune, in his own training clothes. Flushing slightly as she thought of matching with him, Aiko turned around to save face and slap herself mentally before she killed herself from embarrassment.

"L- Lord Masamune…"

"You look good."

Surprised, she turned around and looked up to see Masamune smirking at her. She blushed and fidgeted with the hem of her yukata, trying to hide the fact that she felt too incredibly happy at his compliment, flippant or not.

Okay, stop. Relax.

Giving him a small smile, Aiko managed to clear her throat and reply, "Thank you."

Ruffling her hair in good humor, Masamune exited the door and waited for her to walk with him to the courtyard. Normally, he would have went ahead, but this time he decided to slow his pace and wait for the girl who had managed to capture his attention. Impatience caught him earlier than he anticipated and he almost paced in the halls, too excited to see her pick up a sword and show him those intense eyes again. Certainly, her body packed a pretty hard punch despite being so small. Grinning at Aiko as she walked toward him with a half smile, he slapped her back and pushed her forward.

"Haha! Don't look so worried! You'll be fine. I'll make sure of it."

Aiko and Masamune walked casually together down the wooden halls of the compound, toward the courtyard. It was the best chance she had in the last day to talk to her lord, and Aiko needed to make a conversation with Masamune before it was too late or awkward. Though, she didnt know what to ask. How did she make friends in the first place? Did she just talk to them about their life or did people just click with her due to similar interest? When did people start talking about personal things? Should she even think about this-?

"Err- You know," Aiko started, her heart beating faster in nervousness, her mouth speaking before her brain thought it through, "I've always... wanted to learn how to use a sword."

Why did she say that-

Masamune raised a brow in surprise. "Did you, now?" He asked, "How come?"

Ecstatic she earned his interest, Aiko let her steps contain a leap and composed herself before answering with a small smile. "Well, when I was little, I'd always listen to stories about warriors who saved... princesses or something, battling dragons, monsters, and all those things."

Seeing her lord nod in acknowledgement, Aiko paused before asking him, "And, uh, did you learn how to fight since you were little?"

"...Well, as the son of a samurai, I had to learn how, but," he explained carefully, facing forward, "everything I know now is because of Kojuurou. No one else taught me anything."

There was silence in the halls except for their two footsteps, and if someone had been listening closely, he could hear the falter in Aiko's after she heard the tone of loneliness in Masamune's voice. She held her breath for a moment to calm herself, but she could not hide the expression of concern on her face. Seeing as Aiko hadn't commented, Masamune turned around and gave her a small quirk of the lips.

"Don't give me that look," he said, his gaze soft. "I'm fine. I turned out alright with just Kojuurou, right?"

Aiko felt a pang of sadness overtake her for a minute as she imagined a life of having one person. Where was his parents? Did he have siblings? Why was he alone? She wanted to ask these questions so badly, but did she dare on such a delicate subject? Instead, she gave him a bright smile, hoping it made up for some of his sorrow. "You'll always more than just Kojuurou," she said kindly.

"You have me now too."

...

The first thing Aiko thought immediately after was, "I hope it helps him."

The second thing she thought was, "My god, that was so cheesy."

And then:

"But it's true."

She gave the gaping warlord a sheepish smile, a light blush on her face. Trying to clear things up, she began to stutter out, "W- Well, and you have your army- I mean, we're all your family/friends right? That's why we're here by your side and all..."

The only thing the warlord could do was stare at the girl as if he had just seen her just now.

Suddenly, Masamune snorted. "Is this you trying to say that you're my friend?" He asked, a tone of amusement in his voice, that was, in fact, masking the fact she made his heart beat rapidly from the innocent request.

Aiko wasn't sure of herself what she meant, but she simply nodded. This was what she started the conversation for, after all. "Yeah," she started, "even if I'm your samurai, I'm still your friend... right?"

"Right," Masamune responded, hooking his arm around Aiko's neck and then roughly rubbing his knuckles into her head despite her small complaints. He grinned. "I guess what they say about 'a friend in need is a friend indeed' is true."

Finally able to escape from the One Eyed Dragon's grasp, Aiko sputtered and fixed her hair, giving her lord a light leer. "Sure," she drawled, feigning more annoyance than she actually felt. And when he chuckled at her antics, she sensed something grasping at her heartstrings, her happiness rising just from seeing him laugh. Abruptly, she felt as if being his friend was not enough, that her existence in this world at this moment in time was for more than being friends.

But maybe she was just greedy.

Walking next to her was unbearable; not because she was bad company (in fact, she was the opposite), but because the urge to just be closer and closer to her was threatening to overcome him.

But what was up with this feeling? She was his friend, right?

Masamune never had many with his high ranks and lonely childhood, so when Aiko plainly told him she was his friend, he had mixed feelings. Could they really just be friends with this... attraction? Could he call it that?

He glanced at her as they walked. She seemed to be okay, but then again he didn't know her expressions so he wouldn't be able to tell if she was hiding something. Yet.

But being friends... was good. It was at least a good start to perhaps becoming more.

Whatever she told Masamune during the elongated walk was true. Ever since Aiko was little, she was never the stereotypical little girl who loved to play with barbies, make-up, and dress-up. Although she did have her own tiny dramas with barbies and her tea-cup set, Aiko was introduced early to the art of gaming. From the first picture, she was seen playing games, becoming the hero who was to save the princess. With her childhood, the love for warriors, not necessarily the fighting, kept with her until present day. She wanted to learn how to ride a horse, use a sword, carry a bow, save the princess (which could be seen in her case, herself).

And now she had a chance to do so.

Despite the excitement she had, she couldn't help but fear the disappointment of failure in doing the things she had always wanted to do.

Aiko waited in the courtyard, fidgeting as she looked between Masamune and Kojuurou who were not saying a word.

"Um... So..." Aiko said nervously, tugging on the long sleeves of her simple battle outfit. "I'm going to learn... how to fight... right?"

"...Pft-" Masamune let out a sound of amusement before he could stop himself. He covered his mouth with his fist, trying to muffle his laughter at his uncomfortable Aiko looked.

Ignoring his lord, Kojuurou nodded and responded, "Yes." He gave Masamune a stern look before glancing back at the rather jittery girl holding the wooden kendo sword. "As a samurai, you must learn how to handle the sword... Even though I think that it's too of a short notice for you to start so suddenly, Lord Masamune seems to believe that you will perform well without further prepping."

"I..." Aiko swallowed, feeling the lump in her throat and the tremor in her hands at Masamune's great expectations. She glanced at her lord, trying to find an answer as to why he had such high goals for her, but only got a small smirk as a response. "Thanks...? B- But I'm not sure if I can actually do that right away...?" She could feel her heat up at the pressure that suddenly appeared before her to succeed. How was she going to do that?

"Aw, come on." Masamune grinned, either ignoring her discomfort or reveling in it, she didn't know. He turned his palm up in the air and drawled flippantly, "It's just waving your sword around, you see?" The way the female samurai flushed in embarrassment just made him grin wider and attain a bigger urge to tease her. The amusement he took in annoying, confusing, or embarrassing her made him forget about the other complex feelings for her, which was good; none of them needed that type of distraction.

"Thank you for your helpful input, Lord Masamune," Kojuurou responded, his voice clipped, a tell-tale sign that he was more than miffed at his lord's childish behavior. Rolling his sleeves up and picking up his bokken, he sighed, "Let me teach you for now since our lord is fully incapable of patience-"

Abruptly, Masamune stood in front of Kojuurou before he could approach Aiko. He smirked at his retainer, mischief glinting in his eye that made Kojuurou twitch in annoyance. Speaking loudly, Masamune announced, "Alright, Kojuurou, you can stand over there while I make Aiko a lean, mean, fighting machine." Smiling ferociously, Masamune rolled up his sleeves and turned toward the more-than-frightened Aiko. "Alright-! Aiko, are you ready?"

"Y- Yes? N- No?" stuttered Aiko, alarmed, but even more so when she saw that Masamune had six wooden swords pointing toward her. Nervously, she said, "L- Lord Masamune, w- what are you doing-?" She began to walk backwards, her conscious telling her to run right now. (Right now!) Instead, Masamune's answer only further drove her senses into overdrive.

The One Eyed Dragon growled, baring his fangs. He approached Aiko, ignoring Kojuurou's warning, and started to sprint toward her at a frighteningly fast pace.

"W- what?! M- Masamune! W- whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, what the hell are you-?"

"Get ready, Aiko; your lesson starts now!"

All the girl could do was screech and run away from the much-too-happy dragon. Kojuurou could only chase after them in vain, hoping that Aiko had enough sense while running away to defend herself with her own sword.

With the unsuccessful method in which the One Eyed Dragon attempted to teach (but was he even trying to teach her?) his samurai how to fight, the retainer made sure that his lord would not be the one to teach Aiko how to use a sword. It was just Kojuurou and Aiko in the courtyard, both having pulled out their bokken from its sheath and practicing the strokes of the swings. Not much to her surprise, Kojuurou was an excellent teacher; he was patient, thorough in his explanations, and he made sure that Aiko was to work hard to become as perfect as possible.

Aiko wouldn't have it any less than that.

"The one thing you must have in order to use the sword in battle is stamina, knowledge of pivoting and the basic positions, and strength." Kojuurou pursed his lips as he spoke, "Becoming a samurai is not an easy task and will require hard work, though I doubt you didn't expect that by now."

The female warrior nodded and adjusted her grip on the bokken, making sure she was grasping it tightly, but not with all of her strength. She listened intently to Kojuurou's every instruction, very much eager to begin the individual lesson with him as Masamune probably had done when he was younger. The wooden sword was heavier than she thought it would be, but she was determined to carry the weight like a true samurai.

"...although a real sword is sharp," the Dragon's 'Right Eye' explained while swinging swiftly down, performing three perfect swingsin a row, "when it is swung incorrectly, the sword will bend." He glanced back at Aiko and asked, "Do you understand?"

When he saw her nod, Kojuurou spoke again, "Now do the kata I just showed you: three basic swings, three left kesa, and three right kesa."

Nodding eagerly, Aiko breathed in deeply and raised the sword in front of her, right hand on top, left on the bottom. She raised her sword above her head and swung once, only to be stopped by Kojuurou. "Wait," he said, raising a hand and approaching her. "I can tell that with the way your arms are slightly bent that you're putting strength at the kissaki, but with your shoulders. That is incorrect; you are using the strength of your arms, and if need be, your entire body." As Aiko processed the information and took a few test wings, Kojuurou nodded and said again, watching her closely, "Alright, continue with the routine."

With a little bit of work, Aiko was doing the exercise proficiently, swinging with Kojuurou's approval, and even daring to take a step forward and do two swings consecutively. Without a doubt, her fighting style was developing from the basic techniques, and she could feel excitement flow through her at the thought of becoming a true samurai.

The girl swung left, right, making sure she stepped with the right foot and with the right movement every time, shaking her head every time she made a mistake, and did it again and again. For some time, there was only the sound of the wind whooshing as she swung, and she almost forgot that she was with Kojuurou until he spoke suddenly.

"I have great hopes for you," he said, making Aiko stop her swing mid-way. She glanced at the other retainer in question, unsure if she heard him correctly.

"...Kojuurou?"

The Dragon's 'Right Eye' elaborated on his thought. "One could only hope," he spoke, his eyes never breaking the eye contact with the female warrior, "that what I saw reflected in your eyes when I first met you was an undying determination and will." Giving Aiko a small smile, he said kindly, "For you to have shown such eagerness to serve Lord Masamune, shown such loyalty and kindness to our lord was more than anyone could ever imagine, and I must thank you for that."

The female samurai loosened her grip on her sword and let it drop until its tip fell onto the ground. She stared at Kojuurou with a softened expression, feeling a warmth spread within her chest that knew what Kojuurou was trying to say. And yet, her heart clenched in guilt at the trust he had for her despite her intent to not stay.

"I hope that, despite whatever deal you have made with Lord Masamune, you will be comfortable with us." Kojuurou chuckled lightly, gesturing toward the After all, you are part of the army, part of the town, part of the family."

Aiko could feel a lump block her throat, and she tried to swallow it down, attempting to speak several times but could only produce strained sounds. "...Do you know that…" She began shakily, "it's… this is temporary? Should you be teaching me even if I won't stay?" She asked questions she didn't want but needed the answers to. Worst-case scenarios could be perceived in the back of her mind, which caused previous doubts to emerge along with it. Did she deserve being by Masamune's side? Would Kojuurou accept her even when her loyalty for their lord was timed?

There was silence for a time, all the which Aiko stood stiffly, holding her breath for the answer she would hate to hear. Instead, Kojuurou sighed, and put his hand on top of her head. "...We will decide what to do when we get there," he said. "But right now, what I see is heart." And at the back of his mind, Kojuurou didn't believe the female samurai when she said that her presence at the compound was temporary. There was no question to her undying loyalty, but even now, he could speculate the dilemmas in the future if she had a choice to stay or go. As he said, however, they would cross that bridge.

"...I'm going to promise you this though." Aiko vowed, pressing her right hand to her heart, "I'm going to protect Lord Masamune as his samurai for as long as I stay here."

Giving the girl a knowing smile, the retainer nodded approvingly. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear." He straightened his back, as did Aiko and resumed the training.

They had a lot of work to do.

Masamune could see it, her determination, even from a distance away. He itched to be the one to teach her how to fight; the closer he was, the more of her intense stare and raw ambition he could feel. Alas, he knew he wouldn't have the patience that Kojuurou had that would help her learn. He could only wait with bated breath for the day she could fight by his side.

The thought of it set a spark within him and spread an unfamiliar warmth that he hadn't felt before. He had a companion, a friend. For some reason, that knowledge made him happier than anything else. Although some questions remain (and some desires remain buried), Masamune was (kind of) content with what he knew now.

After watching for a few more minutes, Masamune turned away, the clenching within his chest becoming overbearing, and left, his heartbeat resounding throughout his body like the footsteps he took.

But they were very much unlike the footsteps he took as a child in the silent hallways.

He wasn't alone anymore.

A/N: Translations -

keta - routines (can be called 'exercises' in training)

kesa - a diagonal swing

bokken - wooden sword

kissaki - tip of the blade

Bless google and its search engine.

I hoped you liked it! 3