The fires still raging through the castle, the smoke flooding the courtyard where we're all standing , we see a few soldiers escaping through the back entrance. Many other soldiers jumping into the moat swimming to safety as they scatter around the castle. Nobody else seems to notice but in the corner of my eye I see a familiar red-headed ninja no doubt it's Kyo. Within her arms is another familiar shape but the smoke makes it hard to see, but I have a feeling she just saved her daimyo, she better just keep Fumikage a secret. This war wont last much longer we have new found allies, Onnajo and Kyokuna. I turn over to them looking at them and smirks a bit. "Well we have some time to calm down now so do you mind telling me exactly what you two do?" I ask them looking them in the eyes looking for answers. They look up at me for a moment, and even with the smoke around us she inhales her pipe and blows out the smoke. "You see this pipe? There's a drug in here called opium, I distribute it across foreign lands and well here as well. We're also hired mercenaries and do naval battle, this is the least we could do. Give you information on us since you helped us escape." She answers with a raised eyebrow trying to see how I'll react. I laugh a bit shaking my head "Hahaha! Opium dealers huh, well look how about this you can freely use my last name Junichiro. I'll even induct you in as my own personal merchants, you get to keep the profit but you poison my enemies with opium. As well as you'll be able to raise more troops if you do well enough with my bidding you'll become a admiral too. How does that sound to you two, and if you allow it Onnajo, Kyokuna can stay at the capital with me as treasurer a good enough job in the court and he wont do much talking, on top of he wont see combat?" I ask them remaining locked with their eyes as this is a serious conversation.
They sit there thinking for a moment looking at each other and they both nod at each other before looking at me. "We agree, I'm trusting you will take care of my brother Lord Ishi." I smirk a bit and nod ahead before turning around to look beyond the burning castle into the town bustling with lights and I see crowds of people gasping at the castle. "We have to wait for reinforcements, so you will still have to protect your brother for now. Our two options ahead of us, is to either retreat back into the wild or to head into the city. I would not recommend trying to hold down the castle we don't have enough people for that." I say to them looking back at them and the group of them smile. Onnajo has the biggest smile of them all. "Lord I have the perfect solution and its neither of those, why don't we take off to sea while we wait for reinforcements we may even be able to spot them arriving early on. You either finished that daimyo or made him run off so they shouldn't give chase at least for a little while and by time they do the reinforcements will be more than they can handle." She explains and I nod along to the explanation before interjecting at the end. "How are we gonna get a ship, that's the only way this plan will work?" I ask as I look concerned. Onnajo begins to walk away with her brother and all the men following her into the wilds, without a word even spoken I begin to follow suit. We pass a lot of marked trees, and dropped ryo along the path.
Before my very eyes is a jet black ship hidden amongst a coast about fifteen minutes from the main city in the back of the forest. The forest leading to a beach and amongst that beach is a the ship. Onnajo has her fangs showing as she grins ear to ear. "This is my ship the Speed demon, or Hayai Akuma." She says giving this ship a name one that will forever be burned into my mind. "All right men lets get to work, lets show lord Ishi how the greatest admiral in the land does things!" She yells as she and her group of fifteen men pull the ropes tied around the hull into the ocean it takes a few hours before its moved and everyone's on board, even I helped out and broke a little sweat. The waves are the only thing moving the speed demon as they haven't set sail yet. "Onnajo if you don't mind me asking, if this is the speed demon how did you guys get caught?" I ask her as I stand next to her looking out in the ocean. "It was a delivery that town is one of our major proprietors, however a few dozens of the girls from the brothel might have overdosed on what we sell, so the daimyo started cracking down and on a delivery we were set up in a trap. As fast as the speed demon is we have to be inside it for it to take off." She laughs as we both look out into the ocean. "Well I want to say welcome to the Oda clan, my friend your more than welcome to add your council whenever the occasion arises, I may need your help in the late future too." I say before making my way to portside keeping a look out for the reinforcements. Still none in sight I look up at the sky attempting to pass the time. I inhale deeply sitting with my legs crossed on the deck of the ship the waves carrying it as I find myself deep in thought. Thinking about everything that's happened so far. What would have happened if I had chose to fight instead of Fumikage. He would feel useless but at least with the loss he can recover and learn, I wonder how things are going for him in that ninja village. Perhaps he even made it to my father already and I find myself lost in this ocean of struggles. The very least I made some new allies who will no doubt find good opportunities with my friendship but with that friendship comes a lifetime of battles.
A week has passed since we've been on this ship, were running low on supplies and pretty soon we will have to hit a town or port for supplies. Everyday I look over at the mountain paths, and still no sign of a army. "They are running late, my whole planned relied on them showing up." I sigh looking up at the sky as I whisper that under my breathe. I start hearing a bird squawk in the air as it circles around my head, I'd remember that bird anywhere as soon as I began to doubt Fumikage comes and saves the day well at least his bird. Excitingly I extend my arm and the bird lands down I take the scroll out of his mouth as I open it I begin to read. "Dear Lord Ishi, Forgive me for my failure in our mission. That ninja Kyo has taught me some new tricks apparently as a order from you, at first I was skeptical and thought perhaps it was a trick to make me consider betrayal. I don't know why you spared her but I do know that perhaps it was the right decision. Over the week and couple days we have gotten close that Kyo and I. Though enemies now and when we see each other on the battlefield we have a respect for each other and I hope more. That's why I've decide to get stronger. If your reading this that means we are close to you and my bird found you which means pretty soon we'll be reunited. Even from all the way out here I know your alive, Your willpower and that rage of yours wont allow you to be taken down so easily. I've met with your father on multiple occasion, he is worried about your well being, I'm sure seeing your face again will make him much more calm. I often wonder how you've been too my lord and I look forward to our reunion." That's the end of it marked with "Your brother Fumikage." They must be close I look around and lift the bird into the air. "Alright men!! Its time to move out, Captain Onnajo follow that bird in the sky he will lead us to my ninja who is no doubt scouting ahead for my fathers army and mine!" Almost immediately Onnajo turns the boat following the bird at full speed, you can see how fast the speed demon really is. It launches me back and a little having me readjust my stance just to keep my balance. I unsheathe my katana stabbing into the deck to hold onto so I don't fall on my ass.
The ship skid across the water damn near smashing into the beach I hop of the ship sprinting to the bird it lands nearby behind the bushes and trees. As I approach the bushes and trees making my way out of there, a frightful sight engraved into my eyes. This scene makes my blood boil but it also make me hyperventilate almost giving into my rage immediately I'm stopped with a interjection without me saying anything. "You stupid fucking dog you really fell for this trap your predictable maybe if we had been on even footing you might've won but you put too much faith into your comrades." The man saying this is no other than Dosarai Shinjitai, with him is Fumikage and Kyo. However Fumikage is beaten damn near to death a inch away from his life, he's barely breathing. His face is all swollen you can barely recognize him and one a couple of his fingers are bent in the wrong directions this sight makes a fire in my throat, I want to roar but instead I stare into the soul of Dosarai claiming it for myself. "Your poor Shinobi never even made it to your father. According to my ninja they had met a few times but unfortunately he never joined the forces, he was still training but I had the suspension that my own ninja was lying to me. Which is as you see why she got punished." As he said that my eyes shift over to Kyo, who is currently drowning in her own tears. A fresh scar delivered down one of her eyes, she's pretty beaten up too. One of her eyes lost its color, the right one is now silver. "I-I'm sorry lord Ishi, he tried to protect me I told him to run but he wouldn't have it, he kept saying its what you would have done. He also wouldn't say anything about your father or you, It was my idea to use the bird. But I believe you can defeat him I was wrong to side with him I was blinded by old traditio-" Mid sentence Dosarai smacks her across the face making her fall down to her knees as she looks up at him and then at me bowing her head in shame. Without a ounce of hesitation Dosarai smashes his foot down on top of her head making her kiss the dirt, this makes the rage deep inside me fuel even hotter. Just as he removed his foot from her head. He bent down kneeling next to Fumikage lining him up and kicking him over next to me, making him cough up blood. A few seconds later while I'm piercing everything together, Onnajo appears right next to my side with her contraption in her hand and a cutlass in the other, the contraption pointed right at the Dosarai. "I suggest you make you make your lap dog back down or maybe you'll add more casualties to the list. If she fires that the sound with alarm my entire army and no matter who you are, your not escaping that." He says arrogantly but every bone in my body is telling me to call his buff.