Ch. 7

God of War

As it turned out, the kunoichi Kasuga was immensely likable. Ren had a grand time flustering the woman, as it was far too easy to do. Ren also found out that Kasuga was supremely reliable as a travelling companion; she caught their dinner, cooked it, and was always on guard. As it was, the two young women were undressing near a crystal clear stream to wash. Kasuga had only to slip out of her black skintight bodysuit, while Ren fumbled with the knot in her yukata.

"Having trouble?" Kasuga asked folding her own clothes and setting them down on a rock. Ren sighed for the umpteenth time and nodded.

"I'm not used to tying my own obi, so I just knotted it." She said trying to wiggle her fingers in between the fabric. Kasuga laughed, a friendly unguarded laugh, and came to stand in front of Ren. Of course Kasuga was completely naked to which Ren nearly fainted with the amount of blood that rushed to her head. The kunoichi gently removed Ren's hands and skillfully undid the knot.

"Really Ren, you're so easy to mess with." Ah ha...so that was it, Kasuga was getting Ren back for all the teasing. Kasuga laughed wickedly and jumped into the clear water.

"It's not nice to flaunt your assets!" Ren quickly removed her own clothes and followed after the blond.

The sounds of female giggling floated out into the forest and Sarutobi Sasuke rubbed his hands together gleefully. He had followed the two ladies from Oshu completely undetected, he'd have to mention that to Kasuga, and was eager to meet Motonari's younger sister. He crept like a shadow through the trees to peek, and once they were in view Sasuke was in heaven.

They were the epitome of youthful girls! They splashed each other and laughed when the other caught a face full of water. The water glimmered in the sunlight and the bright eyes of the two girls. As would any other man Sasuke sat to watch and enjoy, their playful happiness infecting him. While Kasuga was all woman, curvy and glamourous, Ren still had a bit of girlishness about her, and while she wasn't as endowed as the kunoichi it was easy to see that she would be very comely in the future. Sasuke wondered momentarily why they hadn't moved into the deeper water but then let the thought go. He moved a bit forward to see better and his foot caught on a stray piece of bark. He winced at the sound and dared a look towards the girls. Ren hadn't seemed to notice but Kasuga had gone rigid and stared at the exact spot he occupied.

'Dang.' Sasuke thought pulling out a kunai steeling himself for the assault Kasuga would no doubt launch his way.

Ren slowly approached a distracted Kasuga from behind with a sly smile on her face, and when she was about an arms length away she jumped towards the older girl.

"Got ya!" She shouted sliding her hand towards Kasuga's front and grabbing hold of her breasts. Kasuga shrieked and jumped from Ren's grabby hands, Ren shot her a satisfied impish smile. Just as Kasuga was about to chastise the younger girl both heard a loud thumb and turned to see a tangled mess of green at the base of a tree near them. Ren shrieked and covered herself and crouched in the water when she realized it was a man. However Kasuga knew exactly who it was and fumed as she stomped his way still stark naked. She grabbed his front and held him up and against the tree with a kunai out.

'Where was she keeping that!?' Ren thought while watching the whole exchange.

"What the hell are you doing here!" Kasuga yelled as she violently shook the dazed ninja. He had blood running down his nose and a far off dreamy look on his face. This seemed to cause Kasuga to become even more upset.

"Ren hurry and put your clothes on while I kill this guy." She said with an icy anger that had Ren snapping up and obeying in an instant. Meanwhile Sasuke came to and took hold of Kasuga's hands.

"Thank you, oh thank you! You two goddesses have granted my only wish in life!" If possible Kasuga's eyes had gone a devilish red and she shook him harder.

Ren had hurriedly pulled on her clothes, grabbed Kasuga's and ran over to hand them to her. As she did she looked to the man that had been spying on them. He was tall but not as tall as Motochika, and he was much slimmer. His wild hair was the color of copper and he had green markings that ran across his nose and upper cheeks. He was handsome, for a pervert. He looked her way and winked, the whole time he had been smiling. Instinctively she blushed.

"Mori Ren I presume?" He asked as Kasuga released him in order to quickly pull her clothes on. Ren nodded but kept a distance, if Kasuga hadn't noticed him he must have been a ninja and the thought that her brother could have sent him kept her quiet. He gave her a small bow, still smiling, and then snuck a glance at the blond woman.

"I've been following you since you left Date's." He said wiggling his eyebrows up and down, at which Ren couldn't help but giggle at. Kasuga blushed but ignored his comment to look to Ren.

"You don't need to worry, much, this is Sarutobi Sasuke one of the vassals of Lord Takeda." She said as if he were an insect. Ren gave a slight bow to him out of politeness.

"Nice to meet you...well I mean at least you aren't an old peeping tom." She said subconsciously pulling her yukata a little tighter.

In a blur of motion Sasuke was inches away from her with an eyebrow raised and his chin grasped between his thumb and pointer finger, as if inspecting her. She nearly fell backwards from the suddenness of it.

"Hey!" Kasuga said clutching the nape of his green shirt and throwing him over her shoulder into the dirt. He sat up with a laugh.

"Well I can see the Mori in you but you don't give off that creepy vibe he does!" He said seemingly ignoring Kasuga. Kasuga swiftly turned on her heel and picked Ren up bridal style.

"We're leaving, hold on." She said hotly, and Ren quickly obeyed by wrapping her arms around Kasuga's neck.

"Hey wait come on! We just got acquainted!" Sasuke said quickly following the two through the trees. Kasuga grit her teeth audibly and ran even more quickly from him.

'You've seen me naked, I think we're pretty acquainted!' Ren thought looking over Kasuga's shoulder.

"Kasuga you're no fun!" He said suddenly stopping his pursuit, which in turn had Kasuga halting as well. Both ninja were suddenly very serious and quiet. Ren could hear men below arguing to each other.

"What the hell are we just wandering the forest for?" One man asked as he swung his sword up onto his shoulders, he and his partner looked pretty shabby.

"I told you idiot, we're on the look out for that Mori woman!" Another man said promptly holding up a flier that Ren couldn't see.

"If she's a Mori then why are we all the way out here near the border of Echigo?" The second man whacked him on the head.

"Didn't you hear what that vassal said? That she would most likely seek refuge with Uesugi Kenshin! We have to catch her and bring her back for the reward." Ren's grip unintentionally tightened on Kasuga and it seemed to snap the kunoichi from her focus. A look passed between Sasuke and Kasuga and in a wisp of wind they were gone.

'What vassal?' Ren wondered as she was whisked away.

Sasuke wasn't' sure what he was doing following the two women, but he summed it up to spending too much time with Yukimura. His meddlesome ways rubbing off.

'I'll at least follow them to the border.' He thought to himself as he kept pace with a silent Kasuga, in her arms Ren had closed her eyes and huddled closer to the woman.

'I would be frightened too, who would want to be wanted by any lord, let alone Mori?' It took another hour or two of running, and once the group crossed the border into Echigo Sasuke still followed and Kasuga said nothing.

Masamune's one eye followed Motochika left and right as the man paced in the great hall of the Date household.

"Where is that woman...couldn't have gone far...by herself?" He muttered lowly to himself and Masamune had to fight to keep an amused smirk from his face. Considering the circumstances it wouldn't be very inappropriate. He had to give it to her though, Ren had been gone for three days and had not left a clue as to where she might have gone. The first day it had been a maid who told Kojuro that she was missing, and immediately the search was on. The conclusion had come the next day when Kojuro had announced that she had to be out of Oshu for her not to have been found. Then that morning Kojuro had shown Masamune the wanted poster.

'She had to of had help.' Masamune had thought, no way could Ren have gotten so far so fast. The only question now was who had helped her? Keiji had ridden off to confront Mori and was no help, he immediately had thought that Mori had caught her.

'Give the girl some credit.' Masamune had thought. But now Masamune was becoming fed up with Motochika's worrying.

"Sit down and drink something, you're wearing a whole in my floor." Masamune said waspishly. Motochika stilled and looked to the dragon.

"What if that wanderer is right and that bastard has caught her? This is all my fault." He sunk down next to Masamune in a dark mood. Masamune thought back to when Motochika had been informed. With the way the pirate had been complaining about her after the Mori incident Masamune wasn't too surprised to see the deep seeded worry etched on Motochika's face as Kojuro broke the news.

"What do you mean missing?" His usually strong and proud voice had lowered to a whisper. Kojuro who was already frowning gave a nod and set a hand on the man's shoulder.

"I mean she's vanished, I can't find her." For Kojuro to admit that was astonishing for Motochika. If anyone could have found a person in Oshu it was Kojuro.

"But...she's alone, she has no money, she couldn't possibly know the way and...she can't swim." Motochika had sat down by this point and stared at the door as if that was how Ren had left.

"We all know where she's going, we just have to follow." Kojuro said trying to comfort the pirate somewhat, but even a child knew that it wasn't called the warring states for nothing. The road was dangerous, especially alone and especially for a wanted girl. Kojuro could practically see the scenarios running through Motochika's head. Masamune unfurled his arms out of his yukata and looked from the shocked pirate to Kojuro.

"Take a few men and ride to Echigo, if she wishes to stay there fine, but make sure she makes it." With that Kojuro had given him a curt nod and hurried out the door.

Masamune looked to his right where Motochika sat and he gave the man a sound kick to the head.

"Ow! What the hell?" Motochika shouted as he gingerly touched his head. Masamune glared at him, and stood up.

"You worry like a woman, you know that?" He said as Motochika glared right back.

"If you're really so worried why haven't you gone after that troublesome brat, eh?" Motochika quickly looked away in almost shame.

"She wouldn't..." What a subdued moron. Masamune kicked him again out of frustration.

"I don't give a damn if she wants to run off to the continent! Damn it Motochika, if you want to go after her then go! If you want her to stay with you then make her! She's not the sea, she is attainable!" At this Motochika turned red.

"What...what the hell are you talking about!?" Now the two men stood toe to toe and frustratingly Masamune had to look up. He took the hilt of one of his six swords and poked Motochika in the gut.

"You know exactly what I mean! Has your brain been so fried by the sun that you don't even realize that you want her?" Motochika stared dumbfounded at his shorter friend. Was that it? His gut had been in a whirl when he had rushed to her room and found nothing, when she had cried the other day he had felt like someone had drop kicked him, and now the fact that he may...God forbid...like her had his gut twisting into almost painful knots. How long had Masamune known? Dear god...did the men know? Even worse...did she?

" Since day one, yes they do, she's just as dumb as you so, no." Motochika sighed, leave it to Masamune to be a mind reader. Masamune sat a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't be too upset, she's not so bad." Masamune said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Now that Motochika could put a name to that unknown twisting in his gut, and that natural need to protect her, staying here was unthinkable.

"Thank you." He said before rushing out the door and calling his men.

"We're getting that wench back!" He yelled jumping onto a horse. The men hollered jovially as they too mounted borrowed horses. Masamune shook his head and sat back down to drink some more.

Motonari sat with his eyes closed in a relaxed meditative state, he was dressed simply all in white and had forgone his armour today. Next to him sat a now cold ceramic cup of tea.

"I see tea has already been prepared." Motonari had heard the door open and knew by the flowery fragrance that Mogami Yoshiaki had finally made his appearance.

"Yes." Was all that Motonari said. Yoshiaki, Date Masamune's uncle, made his way next to Motonari and sat down. He was a tall thin man with a wonky upturned moustache and a predilection for tea. Honestly he was no where as brilliant as Masamune or as suave and he would have believed that they were not kin, but then again you couldn't choose who your family was. Motonari knew that well.

"What's this I hear about your honourable sister?" Yoshiaki asked pouring himself tea. Motonari nearly 'hmpf!' in front of the man, but that would have been far too undignified.

"Honor is not a word she knows." He said harsher than he had intended. Yoshiaki pursed his lips and 'hmmed'.

"I see, and what is it that she has done?" Manners dictated that he not ask, but Motonari relented. After all it was his house.

"Refused to marry her intended and run off." There was a moment of silence until Yoshiaki sniggered. Motonari glared at him in distaste.

"Is that all? Your sister is not yet twenty, isn't that right?"Yoshiaki looked as though he was having a grand old time laughing at Motonari.

"I don't see how that is relevant." He said, it had been the first polite thing that had come to mind. Yoshiaki looked toward him and smiled a smile that a parent would at a child who was ignorant.

"Young man, there are women in this world who will not be told what to do, and take into account that she is a Mori. She's young, bound to be rash and on top of that what crime has she really committed?" Motonari could feel a frown forming on his once calm face.

"She has disobeyed her lord." He said as if this was reason enough to warrant her imprisonment.

"Did you not ever disobey your father? Not even once?" Yoshiaki asked sipping his tea. Motonari could not answer right away, for there had been times when he had disobeyed but it had been to further the Mori territoy.

"But this is not my business, here have some more tea." Yoshiaki covertly watched Motonari as he poured the tea. He could see the wheels in Motonari's head begin to turn.

'Arrogant chit.' he thought before smiling again towards the young lord.

Masamune's house had been grand in a minimalist sort of way with sleek lines, it had been a stark contrast to the in your face ornate house her brother kept. Uesugi Kenshin's dwelling was more of a natural beauty, with gardens overflowing with flowers, softer lines and a shrine not but a ten minuet walk away. It was the most serene place Ren had ever stepped foot in. As soon as they had touched foot to the ground near the gate Sasuke had winked her way and blew a kiss before sliding into the shadows and disappearing. Kasuga had muttered foul things about him the whole way to the house. Whatever lord her served the pervy ninja had brought a smile to her face. She was seated in a nice room that looked out over a pond and Kasuga had gone to inform her lord that she had arrived.

Ren sat in quiet thought. She had made it, hopefully out of her brothers reach. She could push down the feeling that she would have liked Motochika to have seen the house too, it only made her feel lonely. She was contemplating how far the pirate had gotten on his was back to Shikoku when the shoji door slid open and Kasuga glided in followed by a man Ren hadn't seen in years. Next to him Ren glanced at Kasuga, and smiled when she saw the rose hue that painted the woman's face. Throughout their journey she had not hidden her affection for Kenshin.

Kenshin was as tall as she remembered, but that ethereal quality he had radiated back then was still there. He could have passed for a beautiful woman, but she knew him to be a man. He was dress in all whites and blues, and smiled down at her in a way that made her feel very welcome.

"Mori-hime, welcome to my home. Kasuga has told me everything. Please feel free to stay here for as long as you need, but eventually you and I will need to discuss what it is you want to do." Even his voice incited inner calm, she was so enamoured with his presence that she even forgot to rebuke him for calling her hime.

"Thank you." She could see why Kasuga was in love with this God of war.