~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Slash Four: Feelings ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The castle gardens of Katsubana-jo were really quite lovely. In the spring and summer, the flowers blossomed rather well. To form mixes of colours that spoke heavily about the extravagance of their owner. Around the precinct of those gardens, towards the back of the castle, there was a layer of pathways. Each one no wider than a metre. They cut through the sections of the garden like a road. Each section holding a different flower or tree. Some holding sumire, some holding cherry blossoms, some even holding roses grown from seeds that were imported from the West more than 300 years ago. Both white and red. The rose sections of the gardens were apart from each other by one of those interlocking pathways. And to pass them by, if you had understanding of Nippon's ever-present worries, would suggest the true nature of the nation's position against the world. Isolation. Divided by seas and waters stretching over miles. The white rose of the West and the red rose of Nippon. How long could the two be kept apart? It was something Minagawa Ryouichi had spent many times in his life thinking about And was quite a topic for the big-wigs in Edo. The problem of the west was never really off the agenda. The British Empire, the Dutch, the Spanish, the United States; they were always pushing for the opening of Japanese ports and for better trade relations. The 'Southern Barbarians' as people called them, struck the upper classes (or at least those with the sense to know that they should be worried about the west) as no more than greedy interlopers with expansion on their minds. It was the will of the people to prevent the west from interfering with Nippon, even if national pride had to be re-invoked by clamouring to the flag of the emperor. Ryouichi kneeled down, observing the red roses with his devious eyes fixed in place. "The nation born of the goddess of the sun. From the heavens came the ruler. A third descendant to him born, Nippon's beloved forefather, Jimmu In this day and age... the offspring of Jimmu are nothing more than puppets The will of Heian-kyo falling to that of the Bakufu so many years ago. Is this Amaterasu's revenge, I wonder? The nation usurped from its proper authority now at risk once again from the ambitions of the foreigner? That is something we shall never know." "Stop your daydreaming!" Ryouichi's cocky smile turned into a focused frown when he heard a familiar yell from behind him. As well as the sound of naked swords. The Gun Murderer stood up from his crouched position, taking one last sniff of the roses in the gardens. He then turned around and faced what he knew he heard. Behind him was once of the retainers of Satou's court. And behind that man were four of the retainer's personal guards. Each one holding an unsheathed katana and each one casting Ryouichi glances of hatred and disgust. Ryouichi once again smirked, dropping his head with a chuckle. But the retainer was not in a mood for laughter. "You dare to laugh? Do you not understand what will happen here? I've watched you leech off this court for far too long! If Lord Satou will not do away with you by his own will, then I shall do so myself!" Ryouichi continued to chuckle, until, "Is that right? Tell me, is this it? Is this the grand force to bring about my demise? Think again, old man. I am Minagawa Ryouichi The Teppo Satsujin-hannin. It will take far more than this to kill the likes of me. But don't take my word for it. I've always been a firm believer in the ideal that states..." The Gun Murder swiftly withdrew the long steel of his nodachi from its sheath, whilst claiming, "it is better to FEEL than it is to THINK!" There was a savage, almost voracious burst of momentum in that instant. Ryouichi rushed forwards with the free Izata in a rapid, blurry dash. One so fast that the retainer and his warriors could barely see it. The ruthless sound of steel cutting through air and then on to flesh and bone was heard. When everyone finally adjusted to what was going on, the head of one of the bushi was already airborne. The decapitated body of the samurai collapsed to the ground with a splurge of blood over the stone of the garden pathways, splattering over the white and red roses alike. The image of Ryouichi blurred back into vision across from the retainer and his other four soldiers. Shared looks of fear were now prevalent in all but the retainer. But Ryouichi would show them no mercy either. The young man shut his eyes and focused his power into his long blade, its bloody tip touching the stone of the path. Two of the bushi ran forwards to attack, thinking the green-haired one to be out of breath. Then seconds later Ryouichi's eyes flashed open once more. He lifted Izata high into the air above him and then cried out with a fierce bellow The sword was slashed downwards. With such strength and speed that a transparent ripple of razor-shape force was thrust through the air at the two attacking men It was too late for either of them to do anything about it. They both screeched death cries when the Wind Blade Slash technique sliced through their bodies, chopping up their ribcages, dicing their internal organs and out through their backs. Blood exploded from their torsos while they both dropped dead. Ryouichi ignored their fates and vaulted into the air. His form vanished into a blur again, using even more of that superhuman speed of his. Then his body blurred back into vision directly above the last bushi. Ryouichi yelled out another battle cry, pulling back the sword and then slashing downwards. The blade of Izata hacked right through the torso of the samurai. Through the bone of the cranium, the tissue of the brain, the bone of the nose, the roof of the mouth, through the windpipe, down the outline of the ribcage, through the internal organs then directly through the crotch -- ultimately through the penis and scrotum. By the time that Ryouichi's sandals touched the ground again, that last swordsman's body was cut into two even halves that toppled to either side of Izata with waves of blood spraying around the path. The sallow, grim colours of the man's organs became clear. His entire internal make-up was now spread across the path itself. His liver, heart, intestinal tracks, bladder, kidneys, lungs; all of it dropped out of the two halved sections of the corpse, a metre-wide pool of blood forming beneath all of it. Ryouichi had murdered all of the retainer's men in little under seven and half seconds. And yet he hadn't even broken a sweat. The retainer was left shaking in fear, while the wafting, wet smell of blood surrounded the immediate area. "You're... not... human..." Ryouichi's shoulders bobbed up and down as he laughed dryly. With one strong jerk he twirled Izata around, swinging off the scraps of bone, blood and muscle. He then sheathed it and turned around to gaze at the retainer. "I'm very human, actually. But unlike you... I am not a weakling" The older man stepped back in fear. "...I..." "What?" Replied Ryouichi, "Do you feel like begging for your life now? Do you feel like throwing yourself at my feet?! Well you can calm yourself I'm not going to murder you. That would incriminate me. And I still have something I must do before I can say goodbye to Natsumura. Your life is safe for now. So be gone. I've no use for weaklings." The retainer stepped away and made his escape, startled by Ryouichi's slaughtering of his men. The Gun Murderer simply scoffed at him and turned his back. Kneeling down once more to admire the roses. Yet when the pathways around him were stained with the blood and intestines of his victims, such an act came with a far more sinister light to it. This was the world of the Teppo Satsujin-hannin. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Nanase looked up when she heard the distinct sound of her sliding door being opened. Just as she had thought, it was Hinata. The samurai woman waltzed up from the murmurs of the streets outside and slid the door closed once more to block it all out. But both Hinata and Nanase now knew what those murmurs were being caused by. Lord Satou's new laws. They had the whole town on edge. Earlier on, Nanase had left to get some water from the local well. In doing so she saw the stage with the lord's edict on it. And she also saw the anger on the faces of those who would have to suffer those laws. It was not the first time that someone had passed a radical change in law in this domain. But from Lord Satou it seemed to have a particularly foul smell to it. All these laws catered to his better needs. A new tax would provide him with more money A curfew would keep the people in check after nightfall, securing the streets. And most importantly, no one could complain about it now. Leaving Natsumura was forbidden. And smuggling messages via trade would be equally difficult. It seemed that Satou wanted to enforce a new stranglehold of strength over the han. But what could the people do about it? Hinata exhaled softly and took a seat by the central table of the living area. Just across from Nanase. Who felt herself becoming awkward again when her friend was in the room, blushing and chewing on her tongue. Once Hinata settled, she addressed the other girl, saying, "Have you heard?" Nanase nodded. "Yes. Lord Satou has passed new laws. Restricting movement. I don't know how well those villagers are taking it, but, I know that the rest of Natsumura's people will be horrified when they learn of them." Hinata bobbed her head in agreement. The farmers of Natsumura already seemed to have their hands full with work on the fields. These new laws would greatly reduce the little freedoms they already had. While a person could be subject to suspicion if leaving their village for no apparent reason, banning the right to leave entirely was drastic Very much so. And Hinata couldn't help but feel responsible for it. From the reaction of the townsfolk, Satou's actions came as a shock. Which showed to Hinata, conclusively, that this was not a regular pattern. Such stringent laws being passed just as Hinata had arrived seemed to say much of her involvement If Hinata had never come here, would the good people of Natsumura, like Nanase, have ever had to put up with this? She had thought that she did the right thing when she saved Takahiro from those samurai from Katsubana-jo. But was it really the right thing? How could it be so if it triggered off something like this? Was Hinata destined to cause misery wherever she went? The plum-eyed swordsman looked downwards at her lap with a guilty, frustrated expression One that Nanase eventually caught on to. Even she could see that Hinata was blaming herself for what Satou was doing. But all the same, she didn't see it that way. Nanase clutched her hands together, looking away. "Miss Shinmyouji?" "...Yes?" "Why did you decide to stay?" Nanase asked, cheeks fiery, "I mean, in Natsumura. Why did you want to stay here? Someone of your skill could leave this place behind and never look back. And Lord Satou is not the best of rulers. So why?" "You're asking me why I stayed?" Hinata asked for clarity. "Uh huh." "I don't know," Hinata answered, "in meeting with that shinobi woman, that Asakura Riki, it became clear to me that there was more going on in Natsumura than I was aware of. Perhaps that is why I remain. Or perhaps I'm attracted to the sleepy life of this town, so much alike with my place of birth. Or maybe I remain to protect you from harm. Who can say? I've certainly never understood the way my own mind thinks." Nanase found herself smiling. "You want to protect me?" "You've shown me great kindness. I couldn't rightly ignore that. Not even if I wanted to. The Circle of One states that kindness from a person must be repaid in kind with an equal kindness. Protecting you from harm is the only way I can see to repay you." Well Nanase didn't think that she needed to be repaid in any way, but what she did do was dwell on a certain comment that Hinata made. That was, "...Circle of One?" "Yes. The philosophy of my people. The Ennoichi Clan. It states that life is a periodical shift between four stages. Like a cycle. And those stages begin afresh when we bear children. Those who adhere to the Circle of One must also adhere to its laws. Something that both my mother and Kanae were very strict about. Hmph. I suppose my fate was quite ironic, then. It's strange how love can confuse matters." Nanase fiddled with her fingers. Again Hinata brought up comment of this 'Kanae' woman. The village girl didn't even know the full extent of the connection between Hinata and Kanae, and yet she already felt jealous of it. And yet she was dead. Nanase actually found herself in envy of the dead. "That woman. Kanae. You speak very highly of her. I don't know many people who would show so much devotion to a teacher." "She wasn't just my teacher," Hinata corrected, looking up, "she was far more than that. Far more..." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Why not try a ten-stroke symbol, this time?" It was summer. The heat gathering around Akaitaiyo-shima was immense. Much hotter than usual. It came during a period when many things were taking place. The 77th Asuka, leader of the Ennoichi Clan, was preparing to go on a trip to the mainland to survey what was becoming of it. It was a tradition of the leader to leave the isolated island at least once a year to catch up on the goings on of Nippon. That would occur in two days time. While the 77th Asuka was away, the would-be 78th Asuka, 'Hinata', would be maintaining her studies for leadership There would soon a festival hosted for the 77th Asuka, to wish her good luck for the trip. That would happen later on in the night. Most of the townsfolk would be watching it. But for now, preparations had to be made. Hinata sat, scoffing, with her fingers running a wet sumi block over a tray of water to create ink for her calligraphy lessons. It was essential that an Asuka know how to write well, but this lesson just felt so annoying to her. Hinata had actually found herself lusting after the rigours of Genryu's training rather than writing with a paint brush. The only thing that made the studies of calligraphy bearable was the fact that Kanae was teaching it today. Normally the one to instruct Hinata in calligraphy was Kadama Ogawa. But since he was off making things ready for her mother's send-off, Hinata was blessed with the instructing hand of Kanae. The brown-haired swordswoman-in-training sat at a wooden table with her legs folded under her. She placed the sumi block down on a compartment of the water tray, and took out a piece of paper. With one hand she dipped the tip of her paint brush into her water/ink tray and wrote down the ten-stroke symbol of 'toku' (advantage). Shortly behind her was Mitomi Kanae herself. Thanks to the hot weather she was wearing a sleeveless kimono today. Eventually she peered over Hinata's shoulder to see how she was getting on. The girl had done the symbol as asked of her, but in a sloppy, tired way. The strokes were overly curved and smudged. Though she knew that Hinata wasn't very good in the calligraphy art, it was something she had to perfect before she became the next leader of the Ennoichi Clan. "How's that?" Hinata asked of her teacher, half-expectant (for Kanae's sake) and half-indifferent (for her own). Kanae wriggled her nose. "...You are getting there. But you still have a few... problems." "Such as?" It was better to help out the girl than instruct her lifelessly, especially in this heat. Kanae leaned over Hinata fully, so much so that the two were brought close together. The teacher's head settled just at the frame of her pupil's left shoulder, which, much to Hinata's pleasure and frustration, pressed Kanae's large breasts against her back. The young woman went red in the face, far more so than usual, feeling the tips of her love's nipples pressing against her back through the thin fabric of their kimonos. It caused an effect on Hinata that was unnoticed by Kanae, who simply grabbed Hinata's hand (the one holding the brush) while her other hand grabbed a new piece of paper She placed the square paper sheet over the used one and guided Hinata's writing hand over to it. "Now," Kanae whispered into her ear, "try again. Keep your fingers firm around the shaft of the brush. And even out your palm a little more Then begin, using lighter strokes, carefully moving the brush so the tip of the bristles flatten out slightly during the process." Hinata, who was struggling even to hear what her teacher was saying, somehow managed to catch onto that and she changed her approach based on what Kanae had said. Soon afterwards she flicked at the paper in ten new strokes, creating the same symbol, toku, but with far greater finesse. Kanae smiled at the result. "There, you see? It looks wonderful." The compliments she was receiving through her ear were heard but not quite understood at the time. Hinata's throat quivered roughly from feeling Kanae's cool tree-leaf breath playfully lingering on her ear. That, along with the sensation of having Kanae's breasts against her back, brought Hinata to a place she hadn't gone to in a while. Lust. The pounding of her heart, the butterfly-fluttering of her stomach, was now accompanied by a growing wetness between her legs. The plum-eyed girl gulped hard and tried to keep her mind on the lesson. In so doing; "T-thank you," Hinata said, "...you've always known what to do." Kanae then pulled away from Hinata's back and shoulder, eliciting a sigh of regret from the younger female. "Don't be silly. You know what to do. You just need a guiding hand sometimes, Asuka. And I know that you don't like this lesson, but you must keep at it. One day it will all be over. And you won't need me to teach you anything. You'll have learnt it all yourself." That was the one prospect that Hinata couldn't face. Entering a stage of her life when Kanae no longer needed to be there. The younger girl was not looking forward to it. In fact, these days, it almost broke her heart every time she was separated from Kanae. Even if it was only for a few minutes. Hinata tightened up, putting down the brush and pressing her palms into her kimono-covered lap. "I don't want that." Kanae blinked. "You don't want what?" "To be," Hinata tried acclimate herself, "so trained that... I don't need you anymore. It's not true. I need you. I need you a lot..." The older woman smiled generously at her pupil. "Maybe now you feel that way But that's because you haven't learned to rely on your own talents yet. Once you come of age and become leader, then you'll-" "No!" Hinata shook her head from side to side, "that's not what I mean! You're so wonderful and intelligent and pretty and dignified and... what I want to say is... what I mean is..." Now it became clear that Hinata was actually trying to tell her something. Kanae's head tilted to one side with a look of concern, and she shifted next to Hinata in the seiza, observing her. "Hey... what's wrong, Asuka? Did I upset you somehow? If I did then I apologize." Hinata then shook her head again, this time a little slower than before, to indicate a no. And it was then that Kanae noticed a tear drip down from the corner of Hinata's eye. Something was upsetting her, that was for sure. But what? "Asuka," Kanae began, "if something is on your mind, then please feel free to tell me about it. Remember what we agreed? You shall be my rock and I will be yours." How could she say anything? Hinata softened when she felt Kanae wrap an arm around her shoulder as comfort. But still she was so afraid of what Kanae's reaction would be. How could you walk up to your teacher and wildly profess your love without warning? Hinata turned her head around. Ever so slowly and slightly. Until she and Kanae were eye-to-eye with each other. It was at that point that something odd happened. The two only looked at each other. Hinata gazing into Kanae's strong, dark eyes, and Kanae probing Hinata's tearful purple ones. They just stared quietly at each other for a few moments. One studying beauty, the other looking for answers. Until the point came at which Kanae's eyes widened It was the look of realization. Hinata's nervous smile made its return, as a new tear slid down her cheek from an eye. The look in her teacher's eyes said it all. She knew. Kanae knew about her feelings. And it had taken only one slip-up of emotion to undo everything she had done to hide her feelings for the past two years. Perhaps that was why it took her sometime to adjust to the fact that someone was kissing her moments later. For an instant, things went black in Hinata's head. Then a split second later, the situation was completely different. Her back was on the ground. She could feel someone's thigh pressing between her legs and prising apart her hips Causing her wetness to seep through the silk fabric of her undergarments. Hinata could now feel someone's lips against her own. Someone else's breath mingling with her own, someone else's ever so elongated tongue gliding over her teeth. In the three and half seconds it took to register what was happening, Hinata opened her eyes and saw, with tremendous shook, a lust-ridden Kanae mounted over her, partaking of the only kiss that Hinata had ever experienced in her life. It was quite frankly the most startling and desired moment that the Ennoichi successor could have hoped for. Kanae was kissing her. No peck on the cheek, no goodbye kiss. It was the kind of kiss exchanged between lovers. And to know that it was Kanae that was kissing her; was a shock that paralysed Hinata. So much so that she could barely bring herself to respond. Only feel and enjoy. Feel Kanae's gentle warmth over her. Enjoy Kanae's light moans of pleasure. Feel the cerise softness of Kanae's lips against her own. Enjoy the light stroke of the older woman's thigh between her hips; up and down, down and up. It was more intense than Hinata could ever have pictured it. And yet it lasted for only a short few seconds. Before Hinata could even settle into Kanae's kiss, the teacher broke it, shaking her head violently. She stood up swiftly, mouthing 'Kami-sama, what am I doing?' to herself, smoothing out the length of her kimono, which, as it happens, was now stained with traces of Hinata's premature discharge in a wet patch. Hinata caught her breath, still addled, just arising as Kanae turned her back on her. "...K-Kanae...?" The dark-haired beauty pressed her forehead into her palm. "No. I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have done that." "Kanae, please..." Hinata tried to reach out to her, "do you feel the same way as I do?" "I shouldn't have done that." "J-just answer me!" Hinata yelled shakily, some of her haughty Asuka dominance becoming apparent. "...Asuka," Kanae's arms shook, "I'm sorry." Hinata pressed the palm of her hand against Kanae's back, stroking her fingers up and down, suddenly finding the courage to express herself properly. "...I'm not. I love you. I've loved you ever since I started bleeding with the moon. I think about you all the time. When I wake, when I eat, when I train, when I bathe, even when I dream. I don't want to live a day without you in my life. I love you, Kanae." Kanae visibly shook, her back still turned. "Asuka... this is insane. You've only just turned eighteen. I'm twenty-seven years old. I'm nine years your senior. Your engagement to that Nobutami boy is already being arranged. And what of our code? You know that Circle of One forbids..." "I don't care!" Hinata cried, wrapping her arms around the waist of her love, "I don't care if our laws say that it's wrong! All I want is to be with you! I don't care about being a bushi, I don't care about the Ennoichi Clan! I just want us to be together! That's all I want!" Hinata then burst into tears, sobbing against the back of Kanae's loose white kimono. Never before had Kanae heard such an outburst from the younger woman. Hinata was true in all that she said. She was in love. This was not the childish crush of two-years ago, this was something real. A true love, forbidden but not unrequited Kanae weighed this all in her mind. She could feel Hinata crying into the gap between her shoulder blades as they stood together. And she knew that this was wrong That two women of Akaitaiyo-shima could not be together. But she couldn't deny what she was feeling. Hinata was no longer the little girl staring at the sea. She was a woman. Old enough and mature enough to know what she wanted out of life. What she wanted was Kanae. The older woman sighed, then turned around, keeping Hinata's arms firm and secure around her waist. They came to be face to face again, tear tracks already staining the cheeks under Hinata's eyes. Kanae smiled warmly and stroked those cheeks with the back of her index finger, bringing a new smile to the swordswoman's face. "You're a very emotional girl," Kanae commented, "some people think of that as a weakness." Hinata blushed, smiling. "Is that really what you... want to say to me?" "Maybe not," Kanae commented, lowering her face to Hinata's, "maybe I just want..." The future successor of the Ennoichi Clan shut her eyes and pursed her lips, awaiting that same thing she had wanted for so long. The lips of the two closed in on each other, to gain that second kiss. Until the opposing door was slid open. Both Hinata and Kanae froze. Then they looked back at the open door. To see Hinata's ageing mother, the 77th Asuka, staring dumbfounded at the pair of them The older Asuka was knocked for six. "W-what in name of Kami-sama...?" ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Nanase was stunned by what Hinata had told her. The feeling between her and Kanae were not just platonic. They loved each other. Hinata loved this woman. And from what the swordswoman had told her, her mother had caught them just as they were about to express their love again. Nanase sat apart from Hinata by only a short distance. So she could see the tremendous weight that those memories had on the older girl. Hinata had been struggling with these recollections. And it explained a lot about her current personality. Hinata was a bubbly, bright girl back then. Now she was passionless and emotionally vacant Almost devoid of life and spirit. A result of her feelings for Kanae. From what Hinata had said, and from the very fact that Kanae was dead, Nanase could tell that her friend's story did not have a happy ending. Yet all Nanase wanted to do was comfort her. The villager shifted closer to Hinata, who was already distracted by what she recalled from her past. The samurai only realized that Nanase had slid closer to her when she noticed Nanase's hand placed warmly on her knee "...Nanase?" "I'm sorry for what you went through," Admitted the girl, "I know that it must have been hard for you. But you don't have to be alone forever. I could... take the place of Miss Mitomi..." Then things fell silent for a poignant fourteen seconds. Hinata remained perfectly still as Nanase leaned into her, partly closing her eyes. For just a tiny moment Nanase possessed the strength she needed to do this. To kiss her 'Miss Shinmyouji'. And just as their lips were about connect... "Stop." Nanase opened her eyes fully, startled. Hinata had told her to stop. The swordswoman looked on at the villager from Natsumura with those same cold, lifeless eyes. "I never want to be in that position again, Nanase," She said, "you could never take her place. I'm sorry." Nanase's startled look became a sad smile. Hinata turned away, unable to look at it. The last thing she wanted to do was to hurt Nanase. But she couldn't betray her feelings for Kanae now, either. She then stood up and walked over to the door. She slid it open, walked outside, then slid it closed again. Leaving Nanase alone to contemplate her actions. She bit her lip and tried to suppress a sob, eyes watering. There was no room in Hinata's heart for anyone else. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The following day had finally come. When the sun arose for the next morning, the plan began. Takahiro, Hayate and Masahito got up on horseback, then rushed to the very edges of the han along the dirt tracks of Shirokawa Pass. They split off on the edge of road leading from Natsumura Village. Takahiro's horse galloped to the north. While Hayate and Masahito's horses rushed to the southwest By the time they all reached their destinations, the groups who had pledged their support for Hayate's rebellion were already waiting. 467 able-bodied, sword-armed men from the Satsuma domain in the southwest, and 323 men to the north from the Higo region. They had all come, pledged samurai and ronin alike. All of them rubbing shoulders together, breaking through society's stigma to join in the fight against tyranny. Once things had been settled, like pay and duty, Masahito and Hayate led the Satsuma troops back up Shirokawa Pass. While Takahiro led the Higo troops down from the north of the pass to meet with Hayate and Masahito's group at the Natsumura Junction of the Pass. With the group fully gathered together, they marched from the Natsumura Junction to the east of Shirokawa Pass This was not the way towards the village. It was the way towards Katsubana-jo. Through the forests of the east was the wide and imposing layout known as Ichigateki Shrine. An ancient Shinto structure that had been built many years ago after the death of Oda Nobunaga, a sort of testament to the local's appreciation of his work against Buddhism. Of course, he was considered to be the first of the Tokugawa powerhouses, so southern support of this nature was a fleeting thing. The loud clapping of hooves of the horses of Hayate, Takahiro, and Masahito ended when they rode up to the stone clearing of the shrine. Hayate pulled on his reins and came to a stop. By the time he and his 788 men were here, Hiroko and her troops were already ready to go. All 30 of them, masters in the art of rifle-handling. Hiroko stood with them, her Naginata unwrapped and her body fully decked out in female battle gear befitting a former miko - red hakama and all. Masahito and Takahiro also dismounted, their horses tended to by one of the smaller boys amongst the group. They then marched behind Hayate into the shrine's main hall, across the wide expanse of that cobblestone courtyard. Hiroko joined them, as did a few of the more significant members of the Higo/Satsuma troops. Then a lot of the other men joined them. Until the entire hall was packed with as many men as it could possibly contain. This would be Hayate's final speech before the attack on Katsubana-jo. The hey-haired samurai walked up to a slight rise of wood that acted as a platform, and looked out unto the hundreds of men who had come together in the name of his cause. This was what he wanted. Individuals standing as one in the face of darkness, allied in their desire to see a new future for Nippon. "We have all gathered together," Hayate said, raising his voice to be heard by all who could, "in defiance of a man who has abused his position as a leader. Some of you may have other reasons. Be they money, honour, or restoration But what we ALL feel is clear! A hatred of the corrupt nature of the Bakufu! For far too long we have had to watch our many brothers and sisters suffer in famine and poverty for the dishonourable men in Edo! We have had to watch as they feed themselves off the suffering of our peers and we have been forced to watch as they sacrifice the futures of our people by ignoring the power of the west. Well no more! We must unite and summon up the strength of will blessed upon us by our hearts and our swords! The Tokugawa must fall! And the destruction of both Katsubana-jo and Satou are the first step of that attainable dream! Consider this NOT to be your time to stop a tyrant. Consider this to be the beginning of the salvation of all Nippon! Dream not for a better present, but rather a greater tomorrow! And years from now your grandchildren will be able to look upon you with pride, and know, implicitly, that he or she belongs to the bloodline of a man who gave them not just freedom, not just life, not just money, but the one thing that all men, rich or poor, tall or small, deserve! And that one thing, that ONE thing, is our honour!" The whole crowds of men burst out with unanimous cheer, raising their sheathed swords into the air and proclaiming Kagami Hayate with the respect that he was able to conjure from almost all that he met. Amongst those men was Takahiro, who fully agreed with Hayate's dream of a new tomorrow, his zeal almost transcending that of the crowds around him. Masahito smiled at his master, proud of his ability to rouse this group into action as one. While Hiroko (who stood at the side wall with her arms crossed) just shut her eyes with a grin. Hayate had an amazing ability to charm and rally people to his cause. But it was a cause that they all believed in. Something that they were prepared to lay their lives for, something that would start with the destruction of Lord Satou. The overthrowing of the Tokugawa Shogunate. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ South east of Dairyu Port, along the shores of Natsumura, there was a large, secluded cave. The waves of the sea crashing into the beaches could be heard loudly from them. Overhanging the cliff face that the cave had been carved into was the highway road leading into the west towards the village. That, and the fact that this area was close to Dairyu Port, made this a common place for the more underhanded dealings of the village in the past. Now no one used it for those purposes anymore. Aside from one person. That person was Satou Genpachiro. The large cave was now packed with many wooden barrels that had been stacked together in certain space. Two bushi from Katsubana-jo stood watch of the barrels, marching up and down and speaking to each other. But, unbeknownst to them, they were not alone. A shadow crouched behind one of the barrels to keep out of sight. Riki The kunoichi peered around the barrel she was behind and listened in to the conversation that the two samurai were having. One of them yawned aloud and said, "Damn. This is boring. I wish I were at the castle." "Really?" The other one asked, "And have to put up with that crazy Minagawa bastard?" Riki's eyes widened, whispering to herself as she listened. "...Minagawa?! So he really IS here... our intelligence wasn't incorrect..." If she and the two bushi were thinking of the same person, it meant that there was a whole new issue to deal with in Natsumura. But she tried not to complicate this any more and assumed that they were not talking about Minagawa Ryouichi. The first warrior replied to the second with, "Yeah well, it's better than this! I heard last night that the three guards stationed at Dairyu went missing! I thought that we might get some action because of that, but, we aren't lucky enough." The second man scratched his beard. "You won't have to put up with it much longer. Once Lord Satou sells this load then we won't be on guard duty here for another year. How's that sound?" "Not bad. As long as I can get a share of the profits!" The two men chuckled at that, while Riki thought this over from her position. She then crawled over to another barrel and silently lifted the lid. When she peered inside, she was more than startled to see rice. And judging by the number of barrels here, there was over 5700 koku. But this year's harvests were over. And the annual evaluation given of them had already been sent to Edo. This could not have been part of the main harvest, if it were then why would they keep it in this dank cave? Now, Riki was now beginning to understand what Satou had done. The evidence was completely clear. "Hmm," Riki mused, "...very clever, Satou..." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Night had fallen on Katsubana-jo. As normal, the few guards stationed around the footpath curling around the precinct of the castle left their jobs with idle hands. Holding their positions until they were later allowed to retreat to the warmth of their quarters. A number of twenty guards marched around the outline of the castle walls as lookouts for trouble in the night. But had they been doing their job a little better, they would have noticed the bright colours of fabric in the grass of the surrounding forests. Secluded in the tall bushes of the woodland were the insurrectionists of Lord Satou's rule. The armed men and women of Hayate's army. Deep in the grass Hayate crouched down with hundreds of men behind him in the exact same position. Beside him was his closest friend, Kubo Masahito, fully dressed in his battle armour. Shortly in front of Hayate and Masahito were the frontal troops of his army. The gunmen. They waited for Hayate's command to attack. As did the fifteen archers to the right of him. Masahito's focused eyes were directed towards the walls of Katsubana-jo, more specifically the gates, but he aimed his words at Hayate. "Should we attack now, sir? Hiroko and Takahiro's team are probably in position by now." Hayate nodded, whispering, "Right. Archers! Now!" The group of fifteen archers nodded in reply and took arrows from the quivers on their back. They pulled them back on the strings of their bows and lined them up at the wood. Then they all kneeled in unison. Before them were containers with burning wood inside them. The group pointed their drawn arrows into the fire to allow them to catch aflame. With that said and done, the group rose up with the flaming arrows Taking aim at the walls and keep of Katsubana-jo. Hayate raised his arm into the air as a signal for the first wave of fire arrows. He then swung the arm right back down. The fifteen archers released their arrows in a completely co-ordinated wave. Fifteen flaming arrows were shot into the air curling upwards and over, glowing in the darkness of the night. Some of the guards caught onto the sight of flashes of light from the wall patrol. But by then it was too late to do anything about it. The arrows staked into the keep and walls of the castle. The points they touched then quickly caught fire. Setting parts of the main wall and the castle keep alight The guards at the north wall became alert, looking around for the point of fire, yelling 'an attack!?' or 'are we under assault?!'. The fact was made very clear to them when Hayate nodded to the gun squad in the shadows of the grass. They all nodded back. Thirty of them. All lined up in rows of ten. The first ten had already stuffed their matchlocks with gunpowder and were ready for the attack. They all kneeled down in sync and aimed at the guards of the castle's north wall, who were patrolling for the source of the attack. They then all fired. Picket shots of force were propelled ahead right at the forward troops of the castle. They all cried out when they were shot, blasted in the chests and knees, throats and stomachs. Blood splashed everywhere. Across the walls of the castle and the dirt track grounds around them. The guards toppled over, falling to the ground. At least those at the front. The bushi at the east and west walls, heard the gunfire from the front of the castle They mobilized out of instinct, grabbing the hilts of their swords and rushing forwards to the north of the castle. Hayate signalled to the gunmen to prepare the second wave. The first ten men crouched to the ground and reloaded gunpowder, while the currently loaded second line stood up to fire from behind the first. When the bushi from the west and eastern walls joined again in the north, they all took aim and fired. The claps of gunfire rung out into the night and forests once more. The men at the front of Satou's guard were blown down in one go. The blood and scraps of bone blown from the bodies and faces thrown into the clothes of the other samurai. The 17 or so men that survived the attack now knew conclusively that there was an attack on the castle. But they didn't quite know the magnitude of it. One of them yelled, "We're under attack!" to the guards behind the castle wall, those who had also heard the gunfire. Those troops then passed word to those inside the castle itself. The yells of 'arm yourselves' and 'we're under attack' now became prevalent in the field. The burning of the fires caused by the flaming arrows was staring to spread across the precinct of the castle. From the north of the walls to the northeast of them. Smoke started to rise with embers into the dark skies above them. Those castle samurai who had come to inspect the ruckus caused at the front, joined the dead bodies of their compatriots as corpses. The third wave, the ten gunmen behind the second line, took aim and fired at the north wall once again. The remaining guards were shot down instantly before they even had time to withdraw their blades and charge the forests. As their bodies toppled over in blood and groaning, the sounds of the battle could be heard all the way from the back of the castle. The ten samurai stationed at the south wall were not moving from their posts, thinking that the others could handle it. But they had no idea that in the southern tip of the forests, Hiroko (with her Naginata at the ready) and Takahiro (fully armoured and carrying a katana) were lying in wait with their few hundred men crouched behind them in the high grass. They noted the sound gunfire and death cries lingering in the air from the north of Katsubana-jo's walls. Hiroko knew that to be her gun squad. And the fires around Katsubana-jo's northern walls were started by the flame archers. Hayate and Masahito had begun their part of the attack. Now it was time for her own part. Hiroko looked over to Takahiro (who still was not comfortable with the prospect of women fighters, but retained his ill sentiments within himself for the time being), "Now?!" "Now..." Takahiro stood upright, unsheathing his blade, "NOW!" The few castle samurai positioned at the south wall were dumbstruck when they heard the loud and intimidating chorus of yells from hundreds of disenfranchised men, along with the conjoined sounds of them undressing their thirsty blades. The whole group rose out of the high grass of the forests and yelled aloud with combined zeal, then charged at the southern wall. The ten men gasped with fright at the sight of hundreds of sweaty, bloodthirsty, Tokugawa-hating bushi charging in their way And they knew full well that this was their end. But they unsheathed anyway, bidding themselves to die in the name of honour and loyalty. Hiroko and Takahiro led the front of the charging southern half of Hayate's armies. Hiroko grinned deviously and jumped into the air, her hakama waving around her legs in the air, the blade of her polearm suddenly fixed itself with a sparkling and crackling golden energy. That of her Chi. An aura of gold encircled her Naginata (named as Chinosotsuke) and she descended at the men protecting the south wall, yelling, "Kubo Naginata-style! Falling Dragon Blade!" The roar of the dragon was heard with the crackle of Chi, as Hiroko's golden-forced weapon came slashing through the torso of one of the castle bushi. Her Naginata hacked into the man's shoulder, straight through the body until it chopped through chest and stomach in a curved slash. Both cutting and burning the warrior When the blade of the polearm bashed against the dirt ground with resistance, the upper-left half of the samurai fell from the rest of its body. His blood and guts spilling onto the ground. Hiroko caught her breath and stood up, her Naginata losing its golden glow. The nine other south-wall bushi were hacked to pieces by Takahiro and a few of the others. Finally swords began to clash, the trademarked sound of the battle, and Satou's lower men fought their ground. But out of posterity, not hope. Some of them managed to kill a couple of Hayate's second forces. But they were bitterly outnumbered. Takahiro came up to one, who incidentally happened to be related to the same castle warden that had tried to kill him days ago. Takahiro growled as his sword clashed with that of the bushi He then batted the other man's blade away and stabbed. The blade pierced right through the non-protective fabric of his kimono. Takahiro sneered at the other one, watching him gargle on his own blood. Then pulled his sword out of the man's body, letting him fall to the ground. By the time Takahiro had killed him, the other castle guards were dead. Bravely as they fought, they were simply swept away by the 360+ men at Hiroko and Takahiro's command. Some members of group then took grappling hooks of their arms. At least fifty men swung their grappling hooks around and around for momentum, then through them towards the castle walls. The ropes hooked onto the southern wall of the castle, securely Then Hayate's men started to climb up the robes to make their way over the castle walls. Takahiro and Hiroko oversaw the climbing of their troops. They scaled the walls with nothing other then revolution of their minds. Yells of 'the head of Satou' and 'death to all Tokugawa' were screamed from their throats in their anger. The first number of men to reach the top of the southern wall jumped down from the top to ground level, now in the precinct of the castle itself. They rushed forwards with angry cries to the bushi that lay in wait. While their allies threw up more grappling hooks and climbed over the walls to join them. The clashing of swords began again. The inner troops of the castle layout fought their ground on their own turf, and the screams of death came upon them. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Hinata sat quietly at the centre table of the living area of Nanase and Takahiro's residence. Though she had a greater concern on her mind. Things between herself and Nanase had been awkward since she had admitted her attraction to the samurai woman yesterday. It had also been the time for Hinata to admit her past relationship with Kanae; the reason she could never give herself to anyone else romantically The time she and Nanase now spent together was strained by those revelations. Hinata didn't know how to act when Nanase was around, and Nanase could barely be around Hinata without becoming tearful. It was hard on both of them. And made the possibility of Hinata looking for somewhere else to stay more of a possibility Hinata exhaled and tried not think too much, until Nanase slid open the door from the outside and walked in, with a worried expression on her face, one that showed her concern quite plainly. Hinata was now curious about it. "Nanase?" She said, "Is something wrong?" The villager blinked. "It's my brother. He has not yet returned. He said he had business to take care of this morning but I didn't think he would be out this late." "Are you worried?" "Yes," Nanase answered, "every time he goes out at night I worry. And now that the curfew has been placed, he could get arrested by one of the castle samurai. Oh, why does he always do this?" Hinata sighed, then shifted off the ground. Walking over to the sliding door, the awkwardness between them forgotten for the time being. The samurai woman looked back and said, "Do not worry. I will find him. And bring him back to you." "...Miss Shinmyouji..." "It's fine," Hinata affirmed, "I know that he means much to you. And I know that I risk arrest myself by leaving at night. But... I think I owe this to you. If I cannot give you my heart... I can at least give you assurance of your brother's safety." Nanase didn't know what to say to that. She would be eternally grateful for all that Hinata had done for her and her brother, even if she could not return her feelings. "...Thank you." Hinata nodded to her, then left, sliding the door open and closed with her entry and exit Once she stepped out into the quiet night streets of Natsumura Village, she looked from one side of the road to the other. And then she saw something off in the distance The light of fire in dots, burning around the distant image of Katsubana-jo in the hills. Now she knew exactly where Takahiro was. "They're attacking Katsubana-jo already!?"
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