18 Chapter 18-Full Counter!
Chapter 18
UZUMAKI KIRIN
Uzumaki Kirin considered herself in the debt of Lord Akihito, a debt she believed she could never repay given what the young lord had done for her. The fall of Uzushio had taken her by surprise, and, with that, had begun a continent-wide hunt for all the remaining Uzumaki; they had been hunted down one by one by the three Shinobi villages of Iwa, Kumo, and Kiri.
Her own husband had been killed with her barely managing to escape, with their daughter before landing into the crutches of men from Kusagakure. They had sought to kill them as well until she had begged them to spare their lives, telling them off her kekkei genkai.
She had watched as their leader's eyes had landed on her and her daughter, and she saw the greed and hunger in them, yet she endured as they led her and Karin to their village, her heart feeling dread rising at the kind of life that awaited her.
She had felt hopeless and had resigned herself to her fate, and for weeks, her fears had proven right as she and her daughter were kept in a cage, like animals, as the leader of the village and his men came in only to have themselves healed.
Yet she knew she had to endure, not for herself but for her daughter. So, she had put up with the pain, and the hopelessness she would fell every time those deaths would pierce her skin, draining her body of her vitality.
And just as she had lost all hope, she had sensed it. Two chakra signatures stronger than any other she had ever felt, with the larger of the two even bearing some semblance to her own rushing towards them.
That was the day she had met Tsunade Senju and her apprentice, and it was also the last day anyone would ever bite into her skin without her permission.
Life after that had been a whirlwind; they were taken to the capital and then taken into his household by the young Jito of Shinoi, Akihito Shirahoshi.
She had doubted the young lord for some time, doubted his intentions, yet he had won her trust. He had given her much more than she had ever dreamt of protection, safety, food, shelter, and most importantly, a life of freedom for her daughter.
And in all the years, he had never once asked her of her kekkei genkai, never. Until she had decided to tell him herself, yet his response had been shocking.
"I already know, but as long as you are part of this household, you hold no obligation to use these powers for anyone, including myself."
And that was the day she decided that she would use those powers for him. Powers that she had thought a curse at one time, she would use them for him.
And now was that time.
"Are you sure you can do this, Kirin?" Nakiri-san questioned her as both of them stood in front of an elaborate sealing array inscribed on the floor of the castle basement.
"I am," she replied resolutely, her mind made up as she walked to the center of the sealing array and sat down, and after a deep breath, closed her eyes.
And then it happened, as a crushing headache pierced through her, as she felt her whole body burn in pain. Yet she bit through it as she felt small chakra signatures spread throughout the Shinoi lands.
"The enemy forces in the East are now crossing the river, and they are divided into three groups…." And then she began telling Nakiri-san all she could as she ignored the piercing headache, knowing that though this was not enough to repay the young lord for what he had done for her, it was at least something she could do for the young boy who had given her a new life.
0000
SAKAZUKI MAHIRO
The heir of Mahiro sat in the Northern fortress inside the Shinoi lands wine in hand as he celebrated the downfall of the up jumped lord of these lands.
The invasion had been going rather smoothly, they had been able to overwhelm the initial defenses rather quickly with their sheer numbers, and now, after taking the Norther fortress, the army had divided into three parts, one stationed here and the other two leaving for the Eastern and Western forts.
"Hahaha, I told you this was going to be easy," he said to the two stoic samurai sitting opposite him. Hayama Shinso and Hitoshi Shinso were two brothers, rather dull but quick with a blade.
"My father was overestimating the bastard; he is nothing but an upjumped peasant, and it is high time he learns his place" in this world, he scoffed as he took another gulp of the wine, savoring the warmth as it slid down his throat.
"My lord, we were successful so far because we were able to catch their forces unaware, yet despite their lethargic response, you cannot underestimate the enemy force. Even this castle that we took was inconspicuously empty when we reached it, and according to the men the area surrounding it have been evacuated as well," Hayama replied and he frowned.
"Pah! They just ran away in fear when they saw us approaching," he reiterated with a scowl, proud that he could see what these two men of war couldn't.
"Still, my lord, it would be better to be cautious. We remain unaware of the enemy's movements; perhaps we could send some scouts…"
"There is no need for scouts," he said as he drained one more cup of wine, wiping away his mouth.
"Those rats are nothing. They will come to us, and we will crush them like the rats they are, and then we will burn their castle and slave away their women," he replied with a smirk, the image of the petite Princess appearing in his intoxicated mind.
Such a shame that the daimyo had decided to marry the jewel of Fire to that up-jumped bastard. Well, no matter, he thought with a smirk. Soon, she would be in his hands.
"But my lord, but what of the rumors regarding lord Akihito," Hayama added and he frowned as he turned to face the old man.
"What rumors?" he questioned.
The two brothers looked at each other before the elder Hayama began.
"Rumors that the young jito of Shinoi wields a blade even more masterfully than the samurai of his lands," he began, and he frowned, recalling hearing something similar as well.
"Some say that he cut through a tree in the capital with such precision that it remained standing for days even after it had been cut," his other brother finished, and he shook his head.
"Pah! I don't believe that, and even if he can wield a blade, then that's even more pathetic," he snarled, refusing to believe that a boy of barely half his age could do something like that, something which even seasoned samurai couldn't do.
"I believe these are just rumors that his people have propagated, nothing more," he finished and as he was about to pour himself another cup, sound of shouting from outside broke him out of his trance.
"HAAAAA" "FIREEE!" "GET SOME WATER!!!"
The shouts reached him, and he stood up and slid open the door and found smoke rising from one of their army encampments.
"What is going on there?" he questioned with a frown, angry at his soldiers for causing such a ruckus.
"I will go and check, my lord," Hayama replied as he gave him a bow and rushed out of the room, making him frown.
"Those idiots," he remarked as he turned away from the balcony, and then suddenly, he felt the building tilt, and initially, he thought it nothing but a swaying of his own senses because of the wine.
"Lord Sakazuki!" Hitoshi shouted, and he could not brace himself as he felt the whole building tilt, as it came crashing down.
BOOOOOOM!
BOOOM!
CRASH!
.
.
.
.
Sakazuki felt his whole body ache, as he felt his senses return to him, and he was in severe pain as tried to open his eyes, and just then he felt the weight on his lessen as a ray of light reached his vision.
"Cough! Cough!" he coughed up as the blood from his injuries dyed his vision red and found someone standing there atop of him while pandemonium broke out around him.
"AGHHH!"
"RUN!" "SAVE YOURSELF!"
He could abrely make sense of what was being said, and had thought that the man was one of their soldiers.
"Tak…." But before he could continue he stopped as his eye landed on the sigil embroidered into eh stranger's clothing. And then he finally noticed the unique hair color and the blue eyes of the man, and he stilled as he realized just who it was, for there was only one such man in the continent.
Ieyatsu Gin.
"Geta way from me!" he shouted, even as his body was in pain yet the man looked at him with a scathing gaze as he gripped his Hakama and pulled him out.
"I said let me go! PUFF!" and he stopped as the man kicked him in the torso, making him kneel down as he dealt with the debilitating pain.
"Tie him up, and let's go!"
And he felt two soldiers reach for him as they tied his arms and legs.
His heart thumped in his chest, and he tried to struggle, yet the soldiers were too powerful and made all his efforts futile.
And then suddenly, it happened as a huffing tone cut me from the side, lighting his heart with hope.
"I….am…going to…have….to..aks…you stop," and he looked to the side and found a bloodied form of Hitoshi standing there, with his blade drawn as he looked towards the blonde gaijin.
"And who may you be," the blonde questioned as his own hand went up to his blade, his blue eyes sharpening at the samurai.
"I am…." the man heaved with labored breaths,"….Hitoshi Shinso, a samurai sworn to Lord Mahiro, and I promise you if you let him go right now, I shall make your death instant and painless," he said as he shifted his blade, making its edge shimmer in the moonlight.
"I am Ieyatsu Gin, sworn in servitude to Lord Akihito Shirahoshi,…" the gaijin began as he took out his own blade, as the soldiers pulled him back and stood in front of him, their own blades now drawn.
"And I offer to face you in a noble battle, but alas, you are…." The blonde stopped midsentence, and then he saw it. Hitoshi's eyes widened as blood erupted from the man's neck, and his head literally slid off.
"…already dead!"
0000
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