Author's Games: Samurai

Battle Task 2: Toshihiro Ukita attacking Noaki Hojo

Clan 15: Toshihiro Ukita

After his solo venture to the Saika Clan, Toshihiro returned in bad shape. The scar across his face was infected. It was swollen and red, and caused him to have an intense fever. After days of excruciating pain, nausea, dizziness, and exhaustion, Toshihiro returned to see his Clan in equally bad condition. The trip had taken far longer than planned, and when he returned the Clan was extremely low on supplies. The lack of rations cause most of their force to desert.

Toshihiro managed to stay awake long enough to solve the problem of supplies, then promptly fell in to a mixture of unconsciousness and worry-filled thoughts about his clan's welfare. Eventually healers managed to bring the infection down, and he survived the experience. However, he lost all sight in the left eye and suffered a repulsive scar across his face.

While he was sure some doubted him, Toshihiro had proved himself to be a valuable leader and competent fighter even after the injury. Even so, he was beginning to doubt himself in the current situation. In hindsight, he wasn't so sure he made the correct decision. He had taken the two-hundred most loyal Samurai, who ones who remained even when the steady stream of supplies faltered, and
set out for the Hojo Clan. Toshihiro had decided that until they recovered from the major drop in supplies and troops, they needed to seem more formidable in order to discourage attacks.

Although his plan seemed impeccable in the beginning, along the way sheets of rain began to fall, and soon after a flood ensued. Water surged through the pathways, destroying foliage and decimating their previous night's camp. It hitched their progress considerably, having to avoid flooded pathways and trudge through water.

However, after days of difficult travel, the army finally found themselves nearing the Hojo dam. Toshihiro sent a small force ahead to take care of a few guards and defenders stationed on top of the dam. Toshihiro's force came from the sides, where the dam connected to land. Since they did not go through the village, opting to attempt to be stealthy, the enemy was only beginning to realize they were being attacked. Therefore, the top of the dam was not yet swarming with Samurai.

The turbulent water drowned out any footsteps or voices, but Tohihiro's forces had already been briefed on the plan of attack. Since the dam had enough room to walk across it, the small army spread throughout it. Those in horseback were in the center, obviously the weakest point in the dam. The archers were spread throughout the top of the structure. The main section of Samurai were stationed on the grass just next to the ends of the dam or on the top, near the rest of the troops.

Toshihiro made sure he was on the top of the dam, although still with the main force. In this way, he made sure that he would not have to rely on his left eye for attacks. After all, to each side was only a large drop. One that seemed to be increasing in size exponentially each second he stared down at it. He tore his gaze from the drop, swallowed, and calmed his shaking hands.

"Positions!" Toshihiro shouted as he heard the rumbles of Hojo horses join the clamor of the rushing water.

Almost immediately he saw foot soldiers rush across the hill. He began to hear thumps of arrows in the background, but had to focus on the attack before him. Suddenly he flinched and ducked, as another soldier's sword suddenly entered his view. He did not expect lines to break so quickly, but soon the battle turned to complete chaos.

He thrusted his katana above his head to protect himself and tensed as he felt he weight of his opponent's sword clash with his own. He stood and pushed upward with all his strength, while his opponent pushed back with equal force. While his opponent was distracted, Toshihiro quickly twisted his sword over his opponent's katana and brought it down and into the opponent's side.

The Samurai fell to the ground, and Toshihiro turned away, checking that he was still squarely in the middle of the dam. He turned his head slightly to the right, to see a small crack beginning to form in the center of the patchwork wood and bamboo dam.

Toshihiro heard a small scuffle behind him and began to turn his head, when he felt a sharp pain across his cheek. Out of the corner of his right eye, he saw the glimmering edge of a katana pressed against his face. Grimacing, he pulled away from the blade, then ducked his head and spun quickly. He lunged toward the Samurai, low to the ground beath his outstreatched arm. Toshihiro rose suddenly, plunged the sword into the attacker's chest, and watched as he fell back, blood spurting from the wound.

He began to scurry back, momentarily horrified at himself. However, because of the intense rain of the morning, the dam was extremely slippery. His feet swung slightly off the edge, but he dug his fingers around the edge of the dam. Toshihiro's legs flailed and climbed widely up the side of the dam, in a desperate attempt to push himself back up.

Finally, after what felt like hours, but was in reality only seconds, he regained footing on the top of the dam. Carefully, he glanced over his right shoulder and saw that the minuscule crack in the dam had grown much wider. The idea that the dam was in the process of breaking, due to the heavy stomping of the horse's hooves and a controlled flame, brought joy to Toshihiro's face.

However it was only for a moment before the reality of what they were doing came crashing down on him. He hadn't particularly thought about it when he was planning, as it just felt good to be doing something, rather than having something done to him. Standing atop the dam, however, he realized that the people in the village were not all Samurai. They did not all decide to put their lives on the line. They did not sign up for the risks of the battle. They had families, who would be not prepared to lose their loved one. Families that also might die in the oncoming flood. A flood ordered by Toshihiro.

He attempted to reassure himself in vain, arguing that the citizens with destroyed homes and dead family members in his own clan did not agree to risk their lives in Oda's attack. Not all of those burned in the castle were Samurai, and many of them were not prepared to die. As hard as it was to accept, the death of citizens seemed to be a horrendous, yet always present part of the war.

Although the reassurances helped him to refrain from stopping the entire attack, it didn't help the sinking, guilty feeling in his chest.

His moment was abruptly cut off by a small breeze next to Toshihiro's head. A moment later he turned to see an arrow stuck in a billowing tree a short distance away. With a sharp intake of breath, he scrambled towards the land, hoping for shelter. Another arrow shot through the air next to him. If he had taken one more step, he would surely have been impaled.

Suddenly he cried out in pain. He felt a burning pain in his calf. He gathered his courage and glanced as at his leg. He winced as he saw the arrow shaft protruding from the wound.

He looked at the sea of defenders in the village below, attempting to find the one who was shooting at him. It was impossible to tell, which only made Toshihiro more anxious. His body screamed to run, so he attempted to take off to the land behind the foliage, but due to his poor depth perception, he placed his foot in the wrong spot. His ankle turned over as he slipped off the edge of the dam.

Toshihiro threw his arms up in a final, frantic attempt at survival, only to miss. He began to plummet downward, sure he was going to meet death in the frigid water below. The diyamo's body slammed against the side of the tap as he slid down, when the tip of his fingers caught the edge of a wooden support beam. He heaved out a breath, still stunned by his fall. However, his fingers were already beginning to give way. His left pinky slipped from the small ledge. A moment later his ring finger followed suit, counting down to the seemingly inevitable fall. The man's heart pounded, racing faster and faster as each moment passed by. Along with his fingers, Toshihiro's life was left hanging in the balance.