The Beauty of the West: The Blue Route

Chapter One: A Date

A week had passed since I was taken from my father's Castle. I no longer thought of myself as a Toyotomi. If I had ever made it out of Honno-Ji, away from the Oda clan, I wasn't ever going to go back to my father. Though it had only been a week, so much hate had gathered in me. It kept replaying over and over in my mind that he didn't even want me, that he valued his money over me. So, I began to plot my escape. It may have taken me years to get out of Honno-Ji, but I vowed to do so.

I had tried to escape a few times
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I was brought out to the fields to assist the army in their training after I had cooked for them. It was a huge job for someone of my height and age, but I did it anyway. Otherwise, I was punished for going against them.

Nobunaga rarely trained out in the fields with his men. I was glad. There was something about that man that made me feel uneasy; it was the fact that he didn't seem to care about consequences. He did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and he didn't care who it affected. Indifference was an unsettling feat.

Today, Nobunaga did come out with the troops, and I wondered what was different. There was a clansman there, who was upset about something. I heard him whimper about a surprise attack.

"Silence your pathetic sniveling." Nobunaga commanded and shot the man in his forehead without even looking at him. I knew in my heart that if I didn't escape, I would surely die. He just didn't care.

We heard cheering that caused a commotion among the troops. Such a happy sound was foreign to me now.

An army, one different from the Oda attacked the camp. They carried a banner with then, blue, with two birds facing eachother. The Oda men were prepared to attack. I stepped back, hoping to hide from all the carnage, but I was found by a warrior with from the attacking army.

"The hell? Why is there a girl here?"  He asked, crossing his arms. I looked at him. He was a warrior, he couldn't have been older than 10 or 12. He had an eyepatch, short brown hair, and wore blue armor. His helmet was strange, it was like a normal helmet, only with a big crescent shape placed on it's side facing up.

"My Lord, I told you to stay behind!" A man rode up, just after killing a man from the Oda.

"Couldn't miss this party, Kojuro!"

"For the last time, it isn't a party! This is an actual battle!"

"A party is where all the action is!" The boy smirked before looking at me. "And it seems they have a prized possession huh? You'll be coming with me." He rode over on his horse and picked me up, sitting me down in front of him. The Oda men then began to panic and tried like anything to recapture me from the boy's grip. But he slashed at them, holding me in one arm to make sure I didn't fall, using one of his 8 swords held in sheeths around his waist. I was amazed that someone could use so many.

The boy I rode with seemed to find some entertainment in fighting the clan. I didn't know how anyone could smirk at bloodspill the way he did, but I was just happy to be getting out of there. Hopefully I wasn't going from bad to worse.

When the horse left Honno-Ji, it was like I had passed through a barrier from the darkness into the light. It was as if I could breathe again for the first time in a while; like I was free. But was I?

We entered a city with dragons depicted everywhere.  There were sculptures, paintings and ornaments that were anywhere I looked. The place was colorful and I already felt so happy being there.

"Boss Masamune! Get back here, now!" That man Kojuro yelled like he was a parent, but clearly wasn't since he referred to the boy as "boss".

"Oh boy, here comes the lecture." He mentioned to me before he turned his horse around. To face Kojuro.

"Boss Masamune, you know you are to remain here when our army is sent to another, especially if that army is the Oda clan!"

"Yeah yeah." Masamune rolled his eye. "But it was a good​ thing I went huh? I found this girl hanging about. Probably a prisoner."

"Girl, were you a prisoner of the Oda." Kojuro looked at me sternly, so I was almost afraid to answer.

"Yes." Was all I said.

"Really so where are you from?" Masamune asked me.

"I'm not going back." I tried not to let them see the frustration in my eyes as I told them I wouldn't be returning. "Not until I'm strong enough to kill someone."

It took them by surprise it seemed, when I said that. I guess I surprised myself too, as I said it without thinking. They continued to question me.

"What's your name?" Masamune asked.

I refused, and just nodded my head. If I had told them my name was (Y/N), they may have connected me with the Toyotomi, and return me. I didn't​ want that, so I didn't tell them my name.

"Okay..." Kojuro sounded like he was growing impatient. "So what are we supposed to call you until you tell us your name?"

I was silent. I wasn't prepared to answer that question.

"You mean...I can stay?" I asked.

"You don't have anywhere to go right? It wouldn't be right to throw a young girl your age out. Even more so if the Oda may pursue you."

"She's fine Kojuro. She can sleep in my room." Masamune smirked.

"And where exactly will you sleep,My Lord?

"Wherever I wanna." He laughed.

"Until I grow strong enough to leave...Please don't tell the Oda I'm here." I pleaded. "They're terrible."
I had only spent a week with the Oda clan. But in that week, I already felt as if I had been scarred for life, and I was scared that they would find me and bring me back to Honno-Ji.

"We won't let that happen." Kojuro assured, sounding more gentle and supportive that time.

"My room is secure, has locks. You can sleep in there."

"Thank you.." I tried not to cry, but I couldn't help it. "Thank you."