The deep gray sky shed tears. In weather too harsh for autumn, yet too mild for winter, an unseasonal downpour crashed onto the earth with a Shwaaaa... sound. Gray clouds hid the sun, and a thick water mist filled the forest. A blessing for those fleeing.
A disaster for those pursuing. “Cough!” Rainwater streamed down Yoshinari's black conical hat as she coughed, blood mixed in. The wound on her side, from the escape, seemed deeper than she thought. ‘I was careless.’ Who would have thought the Low-rank Samurai would betray them? For the first time in a while, true murderous intent rose in her as she ground her teeth—━Grind. “...Here.” Just then, a white handkerchief was abruptly offered before her.
Lifting her head, she followed the offered handkerchief to a silver-haired woman whose eyes showed guilt, fear, and sorrow. Her build was so small she looked closer to a girl than an adult woman. Yoshinari stared for a moment at the handkerchief she offered, then accepted it and wiped the blood from her mouth.
Then, she bowed her head lightly. “Thank you, Young Lady Kicho.” “Ah, no. This is all because of me.” At Yoshinari’s light greeting, she bowed her head in return. Her long silver hair swayed slightly, reaching her waist, and despite trembling from the cold, she worried about Yoshinari. Rustle. Sensing movement in the bushes, Yoshinari gripped her spear, but then a familiar voice whispered softly. “It’s me, Yoshinari.” Hearing the voice, Yoshinari slightly loosened her grip on the spear. Then, she moved aside slightly to allow entry into the bushes where she was hiding. “Ugh, thank you.” Seeing the brown-haired woman, whose rustic yet strangely refined aura seemed unlike nobility, Yoshinari recalled her identity. ‘Ikoma Kitsuno.’ Head Merchant of the Owari-based Ikoma Trading Group, a target of this escort mission. “More importantly, I wonder if those ninjas are alright.” At the mention of ninjas, Yoshinari worried about the well-being of those absent. It was the ninjas, after all, who had drawn the enemy's attention so they could escape. But she soon realized it was a foolish thought.
They weren't safe yet, so who was she to worry about others? ‘Can I make it back alive?’ Suddenly, she remembered her promise to Il-yeong.
She had planned to return within a week, but now it seemed she would unintentionally break her promise.
She disliked that immensely and gave a bitter smile. ‘Il-yeong.’ Still, the one small mercy was...
Even if she died—a thought she hated—at least she had conveyed her feelings. But at that moment. “Why the long face? You look like you’re about to die.” Ikoma Kitsuno patted her coat to remove rainwater—Pat-pat—and looked at her as she spoke. “Don’t worry. I can protect myself.” She chuckled softly, as if guessing Yoshinari's worries, and shook her wrist, revealing something bulging there. “You saw yesterday, didn’t you?” Seeing the bulging shape, Yoshinari recalled what kind of weapon it was.
It was like a miniaturized crossbow, small enough to be worn on the arm. Indeed, when they were betrayed by the Low-rank Samurai and fought back, she had pierced two men's foreheads with the crossbow on her wrist. Then, she swung a dagger to kill another. However, Yoshinari shook her head. “It doesn’t matter if I die, but you and the Young Lady must not. So, if it comes to it, abandon me and escape.” Above all, the Family Head’s order was to safely escort the silver-haired Young Lady, Kicho, and Kitsuno to Owari. Therefore, Yoshinari intended to fulfill that order.
Hearing her words, Ikoma Kitsuno looked incredulous and said. “Abandon you? If we can save you, we should. Don't tell me that girl Nobunaga said that?” “N-Nobunaga? You refer to the Family Head...” “Enough. To me, she’s just a reckless little sister who pretends to be strong.” 'Though that side of her is cute too,' she muttered.
Then, she wiped the moisture from the crossbow with a towel just in case, and added. “Live if you can. If you die needlessly, the ones left behind will be sad, won’t they?” Her voice, as if she had experienced it before, was filled with a certain bitterness and regret.
Because of this, Yoshinari couldn't offer any reply and remained silently closed-mouthed.
As Kitsuno and Yoshinari both fell silent, quiet descended. Shwaaaa... Settled in the misty forest were only the sounds of the pouring rain, the wind rustling against the leaves, and the occasional chirping of insects.
How much time had passed like that? Just as the rain began to lighten somewhat, they felt it was time to resume their movement. Rustle. Once again, the sound of rustling bushes echoed from not far away. The women, who had just straightened their backs, froze. Unlike when Ikoma Kitsuno scouted earlier, they assumed no one else should be coming. “Young Lady. Behind me.” “...Yes.” Yoshinari gripped her spear shaft tightly, hiding Kicho’s slender form behind her back.
Then she took a deep breath, ready to charge forward and cut down the enemies at any moment. Click. And just in time, Kitsuno also loaded the crossbow on her wrist and aimed it at the bushes. A fleeting moment.
Tension filled the forest. Kicho curled her already small body even tighter, fearing the imminent bloody battle, while Yoshinari radiated a fierce glare, ready to cut down the enemy at any second. But at that moment. “It is I.” “...Ah!” With a blunt, emotionless voice devoid of feeling, a woman walked out, parting the bushes. The others sighed with relief. She was none other than.
A Jōnin [TL]上忍: high-ranking ninja[/TL] of Koka Ryu, a vassal entrusted to protect them under Nobunaga’s secret order during this trade journey. Yoshinari released the tension in her spear-holding hand and lifted her Jingasa slightly, smiling in relief. “I’m glad you’re unharmed, Takigawa Kazumasu.” But instantly, Ikoma Kitsuno, relieved beside her, noticed Takigawa’s wound as she approached. She urgently went to her, examined her arm, and asked. “Are you alright?” “It merely grazed by an arrow. I am fine.” A lie.
If it were merely a graze, blood wouldn't be seeping out like this.
She deliberately omitted mentioning she had pulled out the arrow embedded in her arm. “...Just don’t overdo it. As long as it didn’t hit the bone, it should be alright.” However, to Kitsuno, accustomed to seeing various wounds from numerous trade journeys, it was clearly a lie.
But with no other choice, she whispered softly so only Takigawa Kazumasu could hear. And in response. The woman with long hair and a slender jawline lowered her gaze slightly beneath her Jingasa to look at Kitsuno's face, then nodded with her usual expression. “Understood, Head Merchant.” * Just then, Kicho, who had been silently observing the situation nearby, raised her hand with a cautious expression and asked her. “Um... What about the other ninjas who went with you?” That was something the silver-haired woman, Yoshinari, and Ikoma Kitsuno were curious about.
However, the reason they hadn't voiced the question was simple.
—They roughly sensed the answer already. “The ninjas.” Takigawa Kazumasu, with an indifferent face, took off her Jingasa, its knot loosened. Then, she retied the knot and answered with an indifferent face. “Half died leading the pursuers astray, the other half scattered in all directions to request reinforcements. Most of them will likely be caught and lose their lives on the way.” “Ah...” As if pierced by her emotionless, and therefore sharper words, the silver-haired woman bowed her head.
As if it were the minimum courtesy to those who died for her.
Therefore, Kitsuno, standing beside her, lightly patted Kicho’s shoulder and said. “Don’t blame yourself too much, Kicho. They just did what they had to do.” “But...” “For now, let’s think about surviving. The emotion called guilt is expensive and doesn’t disappear easily.” She said so and grinned.
Her words seemed meaningful in a way, so Kicho eventually nodded, her face still precarious but slightly more composed. Meanwhile, Takigawa observed them as she put the properly tied Jingasa back on.
Simultaneously, she adjusted her tattered and torn clothes, thinking. ‘How many days must we wait for reinforcements to arrive?’ Nearly half of the Koka Ryu ninjas who were committed to the Oda Family and followed her had lost their lives in this operation.
However, that wasn't particularly important to her. What mattered was only how many of the ninjas scattered to request reinforcements had survived and managed to reach others. Normally, she would have ordered everyone to head towards Nagoya.
But the Oda Family was currently moving its base to Kiyosu Castle. Therefore, she had to consider the possibility that Family Head Nobunaga might be absent. Thus, the method she chose was twofold. Send people to Kiyosu and Nagoya, and to the Hirate Family. Thinking that far, Takigawa shifted her gaze slightly towards Yoshinari. ‘They definitely said they shared a bond.’ [TL: 배를 맞춘 사이 (bae-reul matchun sai) literally means 'matched bellies/stomachs' often implying a close bond like sharing meals, life experiences, or even intimacy.] She didn't trust Il-yeong.
No, to be precise, it was less about distrust and more about feeling nothing towards him.
However, what she trusted was the relationship. Hirate Hikage.
No, Baek Il-yeong. Her intuition was that he wouldn't abandon Yoshinari.
That was why she had also sent someone to the Hirate Family. ‘Of course, the best outcome is reaching the Family Head.’ Therefore, only one ninja was sent to the Hirate Family.
While three ninjas each were sent to Kiyosu and Nagoya. In essence, Il-yeong was a form of insurance for her. “We should move. Are you alright?” She stopped her thoughts and urged them to move faster, though the pursuit had slackened due to the downpour and fog, they were not completely free yet. “We should. Let’s go.” “Agreed.” When the others agreed with Takigawa’s thought, they moved their feet.
No, more accurately, they intended to move. Thump-thump-thump—. “Fire!” Then, a series of running sounds came from beyond the fog, followed by a short, hostility-filled shout echoing through the air. “......!” Instantly, their gazes met in mid-air. “Run!” Without deciding who would go first, they all began sprinting through the forest at once.
The chase had begun anew.

Young Lady of Mino (1)