An Imperfect Science | Ikemen Sengoku

Chapter 41

Ness woke up in bed. She was still naked, pressed against Ieyasu's side with his left arm around her shoulders and her head on his chest. She could feel Mitsuhide's warmth against her back, his hand looped possessively over her stomach.

She had the feeling that something had woken her, but she wasn't sure what that was. The room was filled with the grey light that came before the dawn. Both men seemed to be asleep, their breathing steady and easy. It must have been a dream. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, but then she heard it again. It sounded like a soft scratching noise, and it came from the ceiling. What is that? A rat?

「Ieyasu...」she whispered softly.

Ieyasu groaned but didn't open his eyes, 「What is it, Ness?」

「Do you hear that?」

「Hear wh...」

The doctor didn't finish his question as the soft noise drifted through the room again. His eyes popped open, instantly alert, and narrowed at the ceiling. He took a single, deep, calm breath but she could feel the tension flowing through his muscles. His arm tightened around her.

「Mitsuhide.」

He called the other man's name so quietly that it was little more than a breath. Still, Mitsuhide slipped out of bed immediately, as if he hadn't really been asleep at all. Cool air caressed her naked back with a shiver. Ieyasu lifted a finger to her lips, silently urging her to keep quiet, then he slid his right arm over the side of the futon and grasped the hilt of his sword. That... can't be good.

In the next moment, the ceiling moved and a figure dropped down to the floor in the dim light. Ieyasu sat up smoothly, still holding her with his arm, and turned her away from the intruder to shield her with his body. She heard the whistle of his sword as it cut through the air, but she didn't see him draw it. Her eyes followed the line of the gleaming metal towards the masked figure as white hair loomed out of the shadows and Mitsuhide pressed the barrel of his gun to the back of the intruder's head.

「Don't move,」said Mitsuhide, his voice filled with menace, 「I don't want to kill you in front of the princess, but I will if I must.」

The intruder lifted both hands slowly and pulled down the covering on his face, 「I'd prefer to keep my head if it's all the same to you, Lord Mitsuhide.」

「Sasuke?!」

「Good morning, Ness,」said Sasuke, as if he hadn't just dropped out of her ceiling, 「I didn't expect you to have company at this hour.」

Mitsuhide's eyes narrowed. Ieyasu let out a low growl. Neither man moved an inch, their weapons still trained on Sasuke, but the murderous atmosphere in the room grew even more intense. Ness realised that as far as the Oda forces were concerned, Sasuke was an enemy who had gone out of his way to get close to her, for unknown reasons. And now he'd just admitted that he'd hoped to catch her alone. It wasn't surprising that they'd jumped to conclusions. She couldn't tell if Sasuke realised that. It was hard to tell what he was thinking from his expressionless face.

Ness sighed, "Jesus Christ, Sasuke. Read the fucking room already. Unless you want them to think that you're here to John Wick me."

"Oh. Ah, yes... I see your point, Ness."

"You're lucky they haven't killed you already, you know."

"Don't worry, Ness. With my... employer, I have had a lot of practise avoiding death."

"I... don't think I want to know about that. Wh-"

「Ness!」Ieyasu snapped, his voice filled with irritation.