Once again waking up in the tent made for me, this time having no trouble getting out of the futon. I find myself getting use to these battlefields and now should be a clear march to the Shinjitai land. I sweep my hair back tying it into a bun, wiping my eyes, dragging my hand down my face. "What a day it was yesterday. I cant wait to see these Shinjitai warriors for myself" I say out loud even though no one is there to hear my words. I go to the corner of my tent picking up my kimono putting it on one sleeve at a time making sure its loose. I then put my armor over it, just how it was fitted yesterday, and I begin making my outside the tent. The sun barely arising over the horizon, its still pretty dark, I take my time patrolling around the ramparts looking out into the distance of the route we're gonna take. We have to take the route through the swamp lands which is pretty bad, that route if I remember correctly ninjas reside on that route, but no doubt we have a superior ninja in our force. Not that it matters eventually they will succumb to our force after we eliminate the Shinjitai. I smirk a bit looking up at the sky patiently awaiting for the rest of my soldiers to awaken. Turning around to look out at the courtyard, seeing the tents as the sun slowly rises over the ramparts, and swiftly in the corner of my eye a familiar shadow quickly lands revealing himself. "Fumikage, early as a bird as usual. I already have your next assignment I need you to establish contact with the ninja's in the swamp lands. persuade them to turn a blind eye, and if that fails we will torch their whole village down we have no need of a ambush." I say as I turn around to look him in the eye, he appears to be wide awake. "Of course Ishi, I assumed that would be your next move considering we're about to march through their territory."
I nod and move away from the ramparts looking outward past the trees once again. "How long do you need, we need to keep moving and marching towards those dogs. This war needs to be ended swiftly and we cant have any delay we only have so much supplies enough to continue this war for a couple months and that's it. The best result would be if we could be there by the first week and lay siege but I doubt it will be that simple." I say as I scratch my neck and rub my temples thinking of all the things that could happen and suddenly I feel a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry so much we're they mighty Oda clan, and this is our chance at greatness by cutting off the head of one of the biggest serpents. We have this Ishi without a doubt, don't worry I'll establish contact and make sure we have there support and if not, I'll challenge their head ninja to a duel." He says as I look at him smirking a bit, I finally stretch a bit and relax, "Well get to it then because were gonna move out in a few hours. We still have a lot of road to cover out there, if your not back by then I will come to their village. Your the best with information both you and Waibo, I need you both you guys are my messenger birds." I say looking at him patting him on the back and I chuckle a bit. "I'll get straight to work Ishi, If I'm not back I'll everything prepare for your arrival" He leaps into the air and vanishes off the side of the rampart with the wind, almost as soon as he spoke. For the next few hours I just watched the sun come up and light up the courtyard, my father instructing his soldiers, and Karu instructing our soldiers it all seemed as if everyone were ready to march ahead.
I begin walking my way down the stairs of the ramparts, moving my hand down the side as I peak over seeing the soldiers make formation, both units prepared to move out as I walk over to Karu standing between two horse. His horse and my horse fitted and prepared to go I mount mine and look over at Karu, I notice Fumikage hasn't shown himself yet and its time to move out. "Karu we have to make a stop in the swamp lands when we pass through I sent Fumikage ahead to establish contact something holding him up so we should move out and meet him there." I say taking my horse's reigns in my hands. "Of course young master, Your father is going a different route, he has to make a detour to visit a old friend and see if he can help out. Don't worry we can trust this guy after all he is your uncle, though I don't think you ever met him. He moved out to the forests and mountains away from war and turmoil to have a family but every once in a while your father comes to him for words of wisdom. You should go one day after all this over but you should probably visit your mom first it his her brother I'm sure she'll want you to deliver a message." I nod as he expains the situation and rails off a little bit. "Alright lets move out we have some people I would like to make some progress. I whip the reigns and my horse winds up kicking off galloping on the route to the swamp lands. Behind us soldiers walking and some on horses a mix of infantry and calvary. I slow my speed to stay visually in front of the soldiers as they walk. The trees around this area and a dark green color and moss covers the trunks of them. You can see their roots sticking up out the ground, the murky water hiding many ferocious we order our creatures to stick next to the main road. We kept following the main road for a while before we knew it, it was becoming evening and at the edge of my eyes I see a messenger bird circling above the giant trees and murky water.
I stick out my arm as he lands onto it, no doubt this bird belongs to Fumikage something must have happened. I take the scroll out of his beak and I unfold it revealing the contents to myself. "Dear Master Ishi if your reading this your almost coming up to a landmark. A pitch in the road, take the left side. I know this derails you from the main road but this village is remote out of sight. when you reach a giant tree with peaches growing out of it take the hill behind it up into a cave. That is the entrance to this village. As for the situation at hand I could not establish a compromise, they did not like what I had to offer. However their chieftain, the leader of this village has grant me the honor of a duel, if we win they will support us. If we lose you must surrender yourself to the daimyo of Shinjitai. If we decline that offer then they will kill us and that will be it, or we kill them and lose some men along the way. I have the utmost confidence I can win, I pray you have the same confidence in me Ishi." The letter read by me but marked by Fumikage. so we have the directions to reach this place. I hand the scroll over to Karu, and allowing him to read it so he can know what I know. After he finishes he hands it back to me and we just nod at each other. I take the reigns and whip them making my horse gallop, I see the pitch in the road Fumikage mentioned I take the left path. I keep moving straight passing all kinds of colorful flowers, and insects you could hear the cicadas buzzing and clicking in the wild.
I see the peaches growing on a giant tree, even by comparison the peaches growing from it are larger than most that you see. I quickly take the route around the tree, but as I'm trying my best to speed through this forest. I notice out of the corners of my eyes some skeletons, a warning of what happens to unwanted guests so they must be expecting us or wed be dead already. The entrance of the cave dark and I sprint through it our soldiers right behind us, and as I go through it on the other side it seems bright and vibrant. Cherry blossoms swirling in almost a vortex above our heads, seems like a place from mythical stories. As if this was the cave Amaterasu hid in. I look forward and there's a pagoda almost touching the full moon, the shine from it illuminates this whole place. It's like I crossed over into buddha's realm. I make my way over to the pagoda getting off my horse, trailing my hand through his mane before walking up the steps to the pagoda. Inside the pagoda, it was dawned with jade and gold. This type of adornment usually means they come from a reputable lineage. Which means they've been around for a long time, this will not shake my resolve. No matter how you look at it this comes down to a matter of resolve and skill, in a one on one duel only the strong emerge victorious. The ladder going up is normal, probably the most normal thing in this pagoda. I climb it all the way to the top, the rope ladder swaying back and forth as I climb with Karu behind me we finally reach the top floor. Fumikage patiently waiting in the corner flipping a ryo catching it in the air. He sees me climb up and puts his ryo back in his pocket. He comes over and bows before kneeling at my feet and I take his hand and pull him up into a hug. "It is good to see you are alright my friend, had me worried half to death when I seen that bird but I have faith you can win this." I say reassuring him not even sure if he needed it. I glance over at the throne sitting in the far back of the room, it was jade and golden sitting the color scheme of the pagoda. The design had jaded dragons on each arm. I was taken aback by how interesting it seemed this clan must've had mountains of ryo at some point.
Sitting on the throne with one leg crossed over the other was a woman with long bright red hair, pretty close to resembling cherry blossoms in the way it shined. Black latex covering her main torso outlining medium sized breasts. Her legs and thighs were revealed only being covered by fishnets. She had a more slender build. She would arise out of the throne staring directly at Fumikage and I. She would walk towards us I didn't notice until she got up but the entire formation of this room is a ring and she smirks before speaking. "Well if it isn't the warmongering son of the Daimyo of Oda. It's about time you shown yourself, I almost killed your ninja here but there's plenty of time for that. Make yourself comfortable in my domain. You may call me Kyo. The chieftain of these ninja, I align myself with the Shinjitai clan but if you prove stronger, then I will join you instead." She says and explains as she slowly walks towards us. This will definitely be a interesting night to say the least.