Cherry Blossom | | Ikemen Sengoku | |

Chapter 20: Realization

Hideyoshi narrows his eyes, now knowing the reason why she is acting unusual.

"Conviction, ideal, principle. I don't understand any of that." Y/N clenches her fist tightly on the rein as images flash back in her head. "There is no absolutely no reason a man can use to kill, no matter how solid and reasonable it sounds."

"The men who do not waver in front of Nobunaga-sama's sword can be count by fingers." Hideyoshi looks ahead, acknowledging her sorrow and confusion.

Unlike other retainers who look at her as a fool, he sympathizes and understands her.

"And there is zero to none woman who defied his sword."

Y/N chuckles slightly in ridiculousness.

"I'm the only stupid woman out there." She said in a low voice. "If not for Yukimura, I would have gotten killed by his sword already."

"And that is why Nobunaga-sama is the leader he is today, Y/N." Hideyoshi grabs her attention with his soothing voice as he speaks about the sensitive subject.

He gestures ahead, telling her to look in front of her, where countless of men are marching back to Azuchi, samurai who devoted themselves to Nobunaga.

"If Nobunaga-sama does not have principles, he will not be able to move a force this big." Her eyes scan over what seem to be a few hundreds of men. "Without ideals, he will not be able to share the same view with his men."

Hideyoshi looks over at Y/N whose eyes are fixed upon the samurais before her.

"And without that strong conviction, all of these people and I will not put our lives on the line to fight by him." Hideyoshi finishes.

A glint of realization sparks in her brown orbs.

"Is this what you mean by he will not let me die in vain, without a purpose?" Y/N mutters.

He won't kill her, if her death does not bring any good cause to him. Maybe because of his strong and ruthless personality, he is able to rise to be one of the strongest daimyo of this era.

Hideyoshi gently smiles now that Y/N seems to understand.

"Like Nobunaga-sama, Masamune lives by unshakable principles. And he'll stick to them, even if that means other people are swept up in his actions."

The cool breeze hit the young woman as if it is trying to wake her up from her naïve point of view. This is the Warring Age, the period where the strong wins and survives, the weak loses and dies.

After a brief moment of silence, she finds the courage to ask the question she already knows the answer to. But to her, maybe, just maybe, hearing it from Hideyoshi himself will make her try to accept this ridiculous notion of the Sengoku period.

"You are willing to die under Nobunaga's sword?"

Hideyoshi looks at her with strong resolve in his eyes, as if his answer is as clear as the bright sky.

"Maybe I am from a different country, these types of convictions do not make sense to me." Y/N pats the horse gently.

"Is that true Y/N?" Hideyoshi once again grabs her attention. "I don't know how peaceful your country is. But no matter what period or where you came from. Conflicts are bound to break out."

Hideyoshi speaks the truth that she was too ignorant to realize.

"And when those conflicts break out, who is there to solve them? Convictions rise from those conflicts and leaders are born."