The trees softly rubbing pasts our skin as we gallop through the path with a army of men behind us, the sun being blocked by the leaves small rays of light escaping through illuminating the path. The castle is only a few hours away maybe a day at most but Zexis knows these routes like the back of his hand. In these forests this place feels far more humid than next to the beach, I begin to wipe the sweat off my brow and I reach for my gourd taking a few gulps of water as a relieved "Ahhh" sound escapes my lips. Riding next to me is Zexis on the right side and on the left is Karu my two trusted allies. Waibo is somewhere up in the trees out of sight no doubt doing reconnaissance. I look over at Zexis "Is there any ninja's posted in these areas Zexis?" I ask with my eyes locked onto his. "No lord Ishi it should just be a straight shot soldiers against soldiers." He says looking up at me before turning his sight forward. I do the same as we navigate the path following it until about halfway we come to a river. I decided to hop down off my horse and refill my gourd in the corner of my eye I see a garrison of some sort they have a camp and built a bridge across the river. "Zexis is that ours or theirs?" I ask as I hop back onto my horse and it begins to neigh. "That one right there is ours, but they may have some information for us." He responds as we ride up to the garrison and they bow as we approach stopping looking down at them. "Any information for us soldiers?" I ask looking down at them still awaiting a answer.
"The enemy has already begun making moves, we have intel suggesting they have made ambushes through out the forests awaiting for you down the path." One of the soldiers say as he looks up at us, I stroke my stubble a bad habit I've developed from when I had a beard, I always do this when some hair grows in. Almost as soon as I started to think about calling for Waibo he lands on the railing of the bridge behind the soldiers no doubt making them skip a beat when they hear him "Milord I have already scouted ahead and there are multiple soldiers scattered in small groups, I believe that under the leadership of you, Karu, and Zexis you three should be able to split and deal with it." He says as he silently awaits my thoughts and I respond. "That's a good plan but you cant be in three places at once Waibo, so what we're gonna do is take a large force through the forest and keep some back, and then have them spring their ambush and we will shoot off a signal and have the flank come in to pincer attack the ambush, and then after they are dealt with we will crush the enemies ahead of us with overbearing numbers." I explain and Waibo's eyes light up and that's the only thing you can see but you know he's smiling by his reaction. "Of course my lord that should work, it's almost too perfect!" He says over excitingly as I cross my hands and signal the troops into formation. Waibo claps his hands before disappearing again taking off into the trees. I look back splitting our forces into two, as I take the lead into the front of the first force while Zexis and Karu share the second force seeing as they are both tacticians.
I start galloping ahead quickly through the roads with my troops sprinting right behind me, as we past the first portion of the forest I hear yelling behind me, and that was the signal I needed for me to aim Onnajo's flintlock in the air before shooting it off. The sound echoing through the air and it was enough to hear the hooves of horses and soldiers yelling even further back the ambush has been pincered, all I see is blood and the impaling of soldiers on both sides. I didn't have long to survey the battlefield before the second and third ambush appeared before me. I pull my katana out putting my flintlock right back into the holster. I stay mounted on my horse as it neighs before charging into the enemies and I begin to slash as I gallop past soldiers. Some blood sprays in the trail of my horse, I quickly thrust into another enemy as they grip the blade of my katana. They know they are dead already and he tries to pull me off my horse if its the last thing he can do with his pathetic life. I inhale sharply using my two hands to lift him up along with my katana and fling him clean off into a group of soldiers. I whip my horse one time with the reigns as he dashes through the soldiers stomping many of them along the way. I stand on the back of my horse squatting as we reach the end of their formation behind them I leap off. I begin to do a pincer attack of my own against the enemy on the front carving some lines into the enemies backs with my blade.
I grab one soldiers shoulder impaling them with a katana, before pulling it out and just like a useless animal I throw his bleeding carcass to one of his allies. I cut through another soldiers head even with all the blood in my eyes from the combat, I can see my own allies pushing through killing almost every soldier along the way. I begin to cleave at every soldier, slicing off one's arm and cutting another's leg before moving on to another impaling my blade straight into his heart. Losing count of how many soldiers I killed, one at a time they begin to drop their weapons than suffer the same fate as their comrades. I grab one of the ones that's beginning to flee and I pat him on the soldier before getting him down on his knees. Behind me my allies finish cleaning up the rest of their troops and we have one alive. "Now young soldier, I normally would've killed you and gave you the death of a warrior if you wanted or not. But here I have a present for you daimyo I think he's gonna love it because I do hahaha!!" I start to erupt in laughter as I pull out the head Dosarai Shinjitai, the former daimyo of Shinjitai. I pull the head of my satchel, of course its not bare its wrapped in a white cloth. "That is the head of the former Shinjitai Daimyo now you go tell him that and tell him he's next might wanna tell your soldier buddies they might wanna abandon post if they want to live." The saying is you cut the head off the snake and the rest follows. This strategy will inspire fear into their daimyo and into their soldiers they will want to hide or throw down arms on top of that little son of his crying about the beating he got.
The soldier rapidly bows his head before running away with the head in his arms, he stumbles over his legs a few times, I'm pretty sure he just shit and pissed himself. A hardy laugh escapes my lips, as Waibo lands down in front of me. "There was little casualties my lord, and yet I see another scheme your planning I'm glad I'm on your side." I nod my head before issuing the next instructions. "We should build a outpost here for the night get some rest and allow that news to spread through their castle, this will cause the lowest of morale but I don't want their surrender I want their clan wiped off the face of the map. Nobody will ever usher the name Chitsu again their name and bloodline will be finished. Those who choose oppression over peace will end up just like them this will serve as a message." I explain giving orders to Waibo and everyone listening. "Dismissed get to work! I'll set up my own tent come get me when dinner's ready." I yell and say as I walk to the area designated for our outpost setting up my own tent. I place stilts into the ground that hold it up, get it to be more open before I finish. I get inside and set up my bedroll but before I take my armor off I need to eat so for now I sit down and rethink on some things. I wonder how these battles ahead are gonna go we should just be able to stomp on the Chitsu, and then give their territory to Zexis which he will give to me once he's ready to rescue his people or at least that's the plan. Chitsu shouldn't have any reinforcements coming in, I'm sure my father would devise the same plan. Ahh thinking of my father, I still miss him and it tears me apart that I was the one who dealt his final blow. I haven't had time to grieve all I can do is fight and fight this whole time its the only thing I've been doing. It helps keep my mind off the awful things, I'm still flustered on how to go about talking to Shiho and Reigniting our love. There's still some time before that she doesn't even know about me and yet I know everything about her. A tear slowly slides down my right eye. She wont be guaranteed to experience all the things she loved before.
I shake my head clearing those thoughts I will do everything in my power to gain her love again and to make sure she lives this time. Zexis slowly walks into my room and he coughs a bit announcing his presence. "Lord Ishi I was the one selected to tell you that dinner is done, It would be much appreciated if you came and ate with the troops." He says as he bows his head than leaves the tent and I sigh a little bit before standing up. I enjoyed enough alone time it seems, well I'm sure everyone will be anxious about tomorrow, this way is more effective. We should've dealt the final blow today but oh well the turtle one the race not the hare after all. I start making my way to the middle of the encampment and they have this big looking feast going on and they have me sit at the head, a place I haven't been in about a year and some extra. "Dig in men the speech can wait for after the feast!" I roar at the top of my longs before digging into my food picking up the fish and taking a large chunk of meat out of it. It was well cooked it just seemed to fall right off the bone. That accompanied with the stickiest rice I ever had just melted into the mouth. The miso soup with mushrooms, the soup absorbing the flavor of the mushrooms and some green onions floating around with it. I pick up the bowl drinking the broth and mushrooms flow into my mouth as I bite into it the juices from the mushrooms spurt in my mouth it was delicious. This meal complimented each other nicely as I finish I stand up with a gourd of liquor. "Tomorrow we give Zexis and his people freedom, we make this land one step closer to a land of peace. Our kids will not struggle and their kids wont have to struggle, We love being samurai but this era will end with us! There will no longer be oppression to Zexis because of his skin tone! This will be the last enemy the Oda will fell! However it will be one less enemy for the Junichiro clan to conquer! For battle, for the people and most of all for freedom my friends!!" I chug the gourd of liquor till its empty and throwing it down on the ground shattering it and giving a roar loud enough to shake the crows in the forest banging my chest. "RAGGHHHHHHHHH!!!"