Ninja Love: Saizo Kirigakure

Chapter 14

I woke up at around midnight, feeling a little better. It took some convincing, but I finally made Saizo see that it would be so much better to travel under the cover of darkness, especially since we had the horses now.

They were truly beautiful Yonaguni Horses, one male and one female. We decided Saizo would ride the stallion and I would take the mare.

My horse was a beautiful reddish brown color with a long white mane and tail and a white stripe down her nose ending in a black muzzle. Her legs faded onto a black and then white near her hooves. Her coat was slightly mottled from the past mud and rain, but other than that, she was a lovely shade. The saddle the samurai had for her was engraved with an intricate but strong design of cherry blossoms.

"Sakura..." I mumbled, tracing my hand over the fine design. Saizo gave me a weird look.

"Your naming the horse? Seriously?" He finished loading the saddlebags and turned to face me.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I? After all, they probably had a name before we got them. What if they miss being called by name?" I stoked Sakura's nose and she whinnied softly.

Saizo just shook his head and moved towards Sakura to start loading her saddlebags. As soon as his horse saw him moving towards her, he jumped in front of him and neighed while I laughed. Saizo didn't look so happy.

"It's okay Mamoru, Saizo doesn't mean any harm." I chuckled and slowly approached Mamoru to pet his mane and lead him away.

"Wait, so now you're naming my horse too?" He rolled his eyes.

I ignored him and took a closer look at Mamoru. He had a handsome dark grey coat and a black muzzle. His mane was cut and his tail was bobbed, but they were still a silky black. He watched warily as Saizo approached Sakura, who was contentedly nibbling grass, and loaded her saddlebags.

Soon enough, we were on our way. It was still pretty foggy, but the rain had let up. Sakura rode beautifully, as did Mamoru. Along the way, the fog started clearing up and we reached a small lookout at the edge of the mountain.

The view was breathtaking. From where we stood, the cliff face went straight down and curved into a beautiful valley. Everything was lush and green from the fresh rain, and at the bottom of the valley there was a town. The mountains extended in either side of us, cradling the town.

"That's Iga." Saizo pointed from atop Mamoru towards the village. "We should arrive right before lunch."

Thoughts started racing through my head. Will everyone else be there? Will they like me? Will they think I'm good enough to be the Kusonoki Princess? What if they don't think I'm ready…

Saizo noticed my worried look. "Hey, don't worry. I'm sure they'll like you. Your childlike qualities will appeal to the elders." He chuckled to himself while I stared daggers at him.

"Let's just go." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, taking note of how badly it needed to be washed. Over the course of this journey, I had only had a decent bath once, and I was paying the price. My waist-length brown hair was knotted and I could just feel the grime all over me as I moved.

The last of Saizo's chuckles diminished and we were on our way to Iga.

---

The village was actually quite large, and not at all what I had expected. Children ran through the streets, careful to stay out of our horse's ways. Some adults stopped and stared, and I wondered how much they knew about me. Although the houses were quite worn down and the village seemed poor, the people acted genuinely happy. Large fields flanked the central houses, and beyond that stretched green nothingness past the mountains.

Saizo led Mamoru towards a temple at the center of the town. It was somewhat similar to the temple in Kawachinokuni, but relatively smaller and less organized.

We tied Sakura and Mamoru to a post in front of the temple and went inside to see if the others had arrived.

The temple was more complex than it looked, and we found ourselves wandering the halls. It didn't bother me though. Its not like there was an impending attack the ninja or training I had to complete or anything.

"Saizo, where are we going? Why can't you just ask a monk where the others are? There are plenty of people walking around here, just waiting for you to ask for help." I huffed, finally tired of wandering aimlessly around the halls.

Saizo glanced back at me. "I know exactly where we're going. In fact, its right here." He proudly stopped in front of a silk painting of a ship at sea.

I was about to say something witty and sassy and very unprincess-like, but then Saizo surprised me by placing his hands on the painting and sliding the wall away.

I gaped. A secret passage. Of course! These are ninja, after all.

We stepped into the dark passage way and walked only a few steps before the narrow hall opened into a spacious room.

There was a low table at the center of the plain, well lit room with a few figures sitting around it.

"Master Hanzo!" I smiled at the familiar face and he smiled back.

"Princess, I am pleased to see you have arrived safely." He gestured for me to sit across from him. I obliged, Saizo taking a seat next to me.

"Allow me to introduce some of the elders here. They too followed in the way of the ninja, but have long since retired to being counselors and consultants. This is Arashi Etsuo, the head elder."

The portly old gentleman next to Saizo bowed his head. His rosy cheeks accented his golden brown smiling eyes, and his rotundness just seemed to make him more friendly. "Princess, it is an honor to be in your presence."

I blushed lightly at his comment, not used to being treated so formally.

The next man spoke up. "And I am Ryu Fumito." His aged, leathery face spoke of years of hard work. Even in advanced years, his muscles showed through his kimono. He nodded at me.

The last elder, a woman, was quite peculiar. She had long, silvery hair that reached the floor where she sat. Her eyes were the usual slanted, and yet they were a piercing sky blue. They reminded of of Saizo's in their uniqueness and color. She had a petite, yet strong frame. Even though she had the wisdom of an ancient, her face was smooth and clear. Her voice was clear and melodic.

"I am Amarante Chie." Instead of bowing like the others, she stared intently at me, almost as if she could see right through me.

The odd silence was broken when Hanzo spoke. "Princess, while we prepare for the attack, be it on or from Nobunaga, you will be trained here in the village and the surrounding areas. Tomorrow, you will choose a weapon and outfit, and then your training will commence. One of the servants will show you and Saizo to your rooms. We will call you when the evening meal is prepared, so feel free to look around until then."

A servant hurried over from the corner and bowed deeply before me. "I am at your disposal, your highness."

"Until this evening, Princess." Hanzo bid farewell and Saizo and I were ushered out of the room.