Rebuilding the Amakusa [Open]

[Amakusa Takehiro]

For a good year, the only real threat the Amakusa had faced were the Takeda, and now, that threat was no more. In the short time they'd been a faction, the Amakusa had felled the Kitabatake, and the Takeda, and had the Imagawa and the Miki running for their lives. They had established an alliance with the Uesugi, and, in time, would attempt to take Odawara from the Hojo. As it was now, so much of their Eastern campaign had gone so smoothly, in just a year's time. That being said, they only had so much luck in regards to the war effort.

At home, due to the constant battle and the Takeda takeover, tensions were rising between the people, and the Daimyo had neglected to take proper care of his people. For several months, his rounds were forgotten and the peoples' taxes not returned, and instead spent toward the war efforts. However, it was time for that to change. Amakusa Takehiro was a good man, a man of the people, and that was something he needed to remind himself, and his people, of. So, the war efforts were minimalized, with only the forces facing the Miki and the Imagawa continuing to be funded, and the peoples' homes were being rebuilt and protected. An ever-expanding wall was being built around Amakusa territory, to keep any invasions at bay, and to give the people inside a sense of security. Things were going to go back to how they used to be.

While his army rebuilt the villages, Takehiro himself strolled across Shinano, observing the people who were once allied to the Takeda. Their officers had long since turned ronin, and that wasn't anything that bothered him. He had more than enough manpower to continue running things as he did. there was, however, one single officer he continuously searched for, and that was Yamabara Shou, the man who'd convinced Takehiro to build his faction from the start. The desire to find this man led Takehiro to the waterfall where they'd met, and he seated himself by it, alone.

[Yamabara Shou]

Life had never been easy for Shou, at least not to start. Farmers didn't have the best life, and things had gone sour. Then he had been picked up, aided and given a life worth living. Not a easy life but a decent one. He had been battle fields. Fought at Okehazama, and they had even won. However life after became harder after that when the Amakusa invaded after Takehiro had defeat Shingen. There had been those unwilling to surrender and more battles came. Shou hadn't know what to do. He owed the Takeda a lot, and his first instinct had been to fight, but he and the leader of their invaders was one he considered a friend. The annoying fact though, was other people who had been friends where those that had refused to let there lands be taken without a fight, and those had been lost. 

In the end though the Takeda had fallen, and had he fought along side them it was likely he would have either died or had to flee. But without fighting back and his skill it was easy enough to remain unnoticed. Coin was hard to come by though, commoners didn't need very many messages to delivered. However Shou had been surprised while doing odd job from place to place. That word had it that someone was searching for him, and when he discovered who it was looking, Shou started using fake names wherever he went. He didn't know Takehiro intention, and the Demon of Totomi was a man to be feared if his intentions were hostile. So Shou had been passing by the place they had met, from quite some distance away he had managed to noticed that there was someone there. Using his headband he focus his eyes, seeing in perfect detail who was there without having to come close to him. 

Rage boiled inside as he saw him, and Shou froze to the spot. Before light wrapped around him, erasing his image from sight. He forced down the anger, held it back. Pulling the dishevelled cloak he wore designed to assist him in staying quite, (It had seen better days, and was mostly tatted now.) He drew his sword, without making a single noise before as gentle on his feet he approached. When they had met, Takehiro had said by alliances, or intimidation he would make the land a better place. But in the end it always came to force. Getting closer without being detected would take every ounce of skill he had but Shou did so. And once he was close enough that he felt he could throw the sword lethally with surprise at the other man,so that he couldn't dodge, he pulled his sword arm ready to throw. And he did so. Straight into the ground in front of him. The silence would break, the light reveal him once more, as he without missing a beat from being unable to try and kill him. Shou would march over and instead without caring throw a fist toward the mans face once he was close enough to do so.  

[Amakusa Takehiro]

Takehiro would have detected Shou long before the old friend saw him. His far-seeing eye allowed him to spot the former Takeda officer, though Takehiro made no motion. The man was hiding, and he surely had his reasons. So, Takehiro remained still, though a small smile crept upon his face. A moment passed, and, as he would have suspected, a blade was launched in his direction, piercing the ground in front of him. His eyes rose, just in time to see a fist flying toward his face. In any other situation, Takehiro would have actively defended himself and went to break the attackers arm, though Shou was a friend, and he knew he had caused him grievances. So, he took the punch.

Falling to the side a little, Takehiro's smile never left his face. Rather, the Daimyo looked up toward his old friend empathetically, and rose to his feet. In an attempt to show him he meant no harm, the Daimyo stabbed both his glaive and flame sword into the ground at his sides, remaining unarmed. "Shou, old friend. I know I have done you harm, but I come to you now seeking to mend the wounds between us." Takehiro's arms extended to his side in a welcoming gesture, though he was unsure if it'd be that simple. "If you really feel the need to strike me again, you're more than welcome. I will not fight you back."

[Yamabara Shou]

Shou ground his teeth in anger as Takehiro acted so apologetic towards him. Even giving him permission to strike at him again if he felt the need to do so. But what would that solve, punching the other man again wouldn't change the actions of the past. It would not undo the wars that had happened. However the rough times had hit Shou. Espically in his self-rightous attuitide towards violence. So what would hitting Takehiro again do. 'It would make me feel better.' Shou thought and seconds after Takehiro offer was made, he would find Shou other hand lashing out. Shou knew though that a simple strike to Tak's face was something he would be able to brush off quite easily having fought him before, he wanted it to hurt. So instead of a fist, the outer edge of his palm would strike towards his throat. A blow that would crush the windpipe of a weaker man and leaving him suffocating, and even against a strong man would leave them spluttering for breath. Then with his foot, he would kick out at his ankles and oush the blow through, trying to knock the man to the ground and look down at him. 

"How dare you!" Shou didn't shout but spoke quietly, venom in his tone. "How dare you come to me declaring you want to mend the bridge between us. After burning the rest of those in my life to the ground." Shou would spit out before turning his back on him. Shou would quickly step over to his sword and pull it out of the ground and turn back to face Takehiro. Shou would level out his sword and point it towards Takehiro. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't try and kill you?" Shou demanded, knowing that if he did try it was more likely to be the one to die.