Yukimura (SLBP PART 1)

Chapter Twenty

It's right after the day that Yukimura confessed to Lina and today at her grandma's restaurant, Lina is as chirpy as ever. In fact she's even more cheerful than usual...

"Someone woke up on the right side of the bed today..." Saizo grinned at Lina who rolled her eyes after she took Lord Shingen's orders.

But she took care not to talk to Yukimura in case anyone noticed anything amiss...

"Lina and Yahiko Himura..." a man who's working as a messenger for Lord Nobunaga suddenly walked into the restaurant. "You have been summoned by Lord Nobunaga to his castle. Along with your grandma and the other lords."

Lina's eyes widened as the messenger looked around.

"All the lords happened to be here today. Good. Please come now. Close the restaurant for today. Lord Nobunaga requests all of your presence at once."

Lina was about to ask more questions when Lord Kenshin walked past her, whispering..

"Just do it. I'll be following so you don't have anything to worry..."

*~*

Lina's P.O.V.:

Currently we're all in Lord Nobunaga's main hall...

All the other lords' horses were ushered into the stables for safekeeping and I frantically looked around for Umeko...

Suddenly, the messenger that escorted us stood at attention and everyone went down on one knee, including me...

"All hail Lord Nobunaga and Umeko sama!"

My eyes met Umeko's frantic brown eyes... I saw Inuchiyo and the usual gang but all of them refused to look at me...

What in the world is happening?!?

Lord Nobunaga seated himself comfortably, sitting cross-legged on a pillow while Umeko sat Seiza style..

"So... Oba chan..." Lord Nobunaga opened his mouth to speak, looking at my grandma. "I'm not gonna waste time. Do you have anything to confess?"

"Chotto! What did my grandma do?!" Yahiko suddenly yelled out and I whipped my eyes to him, my gaze chiding him for being rude and disrespectful to Lord Nobunaga...

Lord Nobunaga was about to burst with anger when Lord Kenshin suddenly closed his eyes as he stood up.

"I didn't say you can stand up!" Lord Nobunaga bellowed but Lord Kenshin stood his ground.

"You're wasting our time Lord Nobunaga. Please cut to the chase."

Lord Nobunaga gave a slight chuckle as he nodded at his advisor who was holding a scroll...

The advisor nodded, bowed and unrolled the scroll...

I was... shocked... beyond belief...

The scroll is a painting... of... me...

"But... that's... me..." I stuttered as Lord Shingen frowned but was still down on one knee.

"I don't get it Lord Nobunaga. Why do you have a painting of Lina?"

"Looks like her doesn't it? Even you thought it was you didn't you Lina..." Lord Nobunaga smiled evilly at me.

"Erm... But-... I... Have no idea... That a painting of me... even exists..." I spoke slowly, still in disbelief as Lord Nobunaga narrowed his eyes at me.

"That's because during my wedding, I invited the Western military families who helped out when I was trying to unite Japan.. They offered to be in-charge of getting rid of all the imperial families... One of them couldn't believe his eyes when he saw you... His own father was the leading Western general to attack your parents' castle and his father couldn't find both you and Yahiko... So he has to report the two of you as missing... But he chanced upon this scroll which contained a painting of your mother and decided to keep it in case we find the missing siblings... Or should I say... The Uchiha siblings..."