Brothers in Arms (Tak/Open)

[Morei Hideyasu]

- The day was nearing its end, and a lone figure on a horse could be seen riding along the road towards Owari. Hideyasu gritted his teeth, he had not been to his homeland in sometime, but his lordship had requested him to find a man who had fled from the Hojo's good graces, attempting to defect to the Oda. Those swine... Hideyasu thought, the very thought of the Oda enraged him, his blade was itching to get at the throats of any who swore allegiance to them. Anyone who would forsake the Hojo for them were people he wished he could kill a hundred times over. His lord Hojo demanded blood, and blood he would spill.

- His horse would stop in its tracks, a man stood in front of it, spear raised. "Give me everything you've got!" Hideyasu stared at the man through his blue eyes. A smirk would cross his face, as he picked the wrong man to try and rob. Now that the sun was down, the darkness was his domain. And with that, it would look as if he vanished completely before the man's eyes, the horse would look unoccupied. The man looked around frantically, fear taking over as he looked desperately for the white haired assassin.

- Swiftly making his way behind him, Hideyasu's sword would strike, slashing at the back of his knees. The man would fall to the ground, screaming, and Hideyasu stood above him, suddenly visible and looking down on him.

"Perhaps you could be of some use to me..."

[Amakusa Takehiro]

Traveling was a very common thing in these times, especially when you lived the life of the wanderer. This life was Takehiro's, so, naturally, he partook in it, traveling from town to town, looking for work, among other things. It was because of this that he traveled the road to Owari. Despite the nightfall, he welcomed the time alone, and used it to clear his head. He'd seen and done some pretty weird shit lately, and some time to cool off was always nice. But, maybe you couldn't always have it.

Not far outside Owari, Takehiro would observe one man seeming to have a tussle with another on the road. Normally, he'd leave it alone, but this seemed like a mugging or something, given the time and location. That was the kind of stuff the mercenary hated, even if he got paid for it sometimes. So, naturally, he would do something about it!

"Midnight stroll with the hubby?" he mused, placing a hand on the closer man's shoulder; the man who seemed to be winning the tussle. 

[Morei Hideyasu]

- Hideyasu's head turned slightly as his eyes shifted to look at the one who placed their hand on his shoulder. "Who the hell are you?" He asked, a bit of anger in his tone. However, once his eyes adjusted to the man's face, his expression turned to one of slight surprise and he sheathed his weapon. If memory served him right, this man was hardly any different than he was.

"So, you still live."

- Hideyasu turned to look at the man on the ground, no concern showing in his eyes whatsoever. "He picked the wrong man to try and rob. Simple as that." 

[Amakusa Takehiro]

"Your mother."

That's not really who he was.

Takehiro got a decent look at the guy, cocking a brow when he realized who it was. An old comrade from his days in the Hojo, eh? Out here, near Owari? He was just asking for some trouble. No way he'd get any protection this far from home.

"Last I checked I was better at living than you were." His eyes fell to the man on the floor. "Couldn't you just kick 'im in the face and be done with it?"

[Morei Hideyasu]

- In response to his words, Hideyasu would smirk and kick the guy square in the face. The man would wince in pain and roll around on the ground, apologizing to some deity that he must have worshiped.

"Does this please you?"

- The assassin would look to his former brother in arms, though there would be no welcoming smile on his face. He simply wasn't the type of man to get all sentimental. Hideyasu had lost all interest in the man on the floor, and instead was amused to meet an old comrade this far from home.

"I am surprised you left the Hojo behind... although, I'm sure you could guess at my reasons for being so far away from Odawara."

[Amakusa Takehiro]

So Hideyasu replied by... kicking the guy in the face. Sweet. So he was that kind of dood. Taking things seriously and all that... could be a pain. A pain Takehiro just wasn't used to anymore. Not since the old days... Like the attack on the Yoritomo.

"Yeah, well, what can you do? You got your lord spouting all this shit about justice, and he goes ahead and orders you to attack a village of fucking innocent people. Not exactly my favorite pastime. Oh, and they're still alive, by the way. The family ain't exactly dead."

While the Yoritomo weren't exactly innocent, they were attacked unprovoked. They had no relation to the Hojo, they proved as no threat, and there was nothing to gain. So, as far as he was concerned, it was cruel. Even in these times, such a thing was still possible.

"Nah, got no clue."

He could guess, but he didn't. He just put his spear on his shoulders and rested his forearms atop it, taking a few steps away from Hideyasu.

[Morei Hideyasu]

"So you disobeyed our lord's orders and let them go? Interesting... No matter. We accomplished what we had set out to do. And as you are no longer with our forces, I cannot say I would have you held responsible."

- Hideyasu mused on the past. The slaughtering of the Yoritomo... Perhaps the darkest days of the Hojo thus far. At least, a time we had to collectively work together. While Takehiro led the charge, Hideyasu was involved in the more... secretive killings.

"Lord Hojo has assigned me to another killing. A man who left our forces to join those Oda scum... I can't say it leaves a good taste in my mouth, but..."

- Hideyasu's fists clenched tightly. Every fiber of his meaning longed to eradicate that flower's very existence from this earth.

[Amakusa Takehiro]

"Nah. I didn't let a single bastard go. But I wish I did, 'cuz those orders were bullshit. And even if you tried to punish me I'd kick your ass."

He chuckled. Maybe he was kidding, maybe he wasn't. One thing he knew, though, was that if he could go back and change how that all played out, he would. Kamaitachi would never have been created, and the Yoritomo could possibly be a great power right now. That was kind of a burden to have on your shoulders.

"So, he wants an assassination done, but he didn't send Kotaro? That's kinda strange. What, was this guy a grunt, or something?" Maybe the stabs didn't really stop, with Hojo. They were douches. "Now you doing this because you want to, or you just trying to be a good little boy? The way I see it, the Oda might be much more fit to rule than the Hojo."

[Morei Hideyasu]

- Hideyasu looked towards Takehiro, anger blazing in his eyes. "The Oda?! Are you mad?!" His hand gripped his katana tightly, but he did not pull it from its sheathe. This man was speaking in travesties! These were not words he wanted to hear! How could anyone ever be supportive of such scum?

"The Oda are not fit to rule over anything! They should all be erased!"

- Hideyasu would sooner die than to see the Oda take over this land. He could never allow his mother's killers to reign. It was bad enough they owned his hometown.

[Amakusa Takehiro]

"And that's exactly what I think of your Lord. His army. That's exactly what everyone I've worked with thinks of the Hojo. So, pull your head out of your ass, buddy."

Takehiro noticed the hand on the sword, and, if Hideyasu remembered anything about his old comrade, it was best he kept it sheathed. Takehiro knew how Hideyasu fought, and, if memory served correctly, he would outclass the guy in no time, nevermind the darkness.

"You wanna kill a "traitor," you wanna go through me first, buddy. And you won't get through me."

Takehiro didn't know who the traitor was, but he would support anyone who wanted to leave the Hojo.

[Morei Hideyasu]

- Hideyasu gritted his teeth. Takehiro knew as well as he did that should Hideyasu fail in his mission, he wouldn't just be held in disgrace. No, Fuma would've been sent in his place to remedy his mistake, and that would have been a lot worse for everyone. 

"Has your time in the outside world poisoned your mind? You know what happens when someone fails the Hojo."

- Not taking his eyes off of Takehiro for a moment, Hideyasu would back up a couple of paces. He knew how to pick his battles, and he remembered Takehiro was a former leader of their unit. His skills were superior, and even if Hideyasu had the advantage, it did not sit well with him to strike down a former comrade.

"Hmph... then at least allow me the chance to retrieve an item of important that he took from my lord."

- Hideyasu did not know if Takehiro would trust him, but despite being an assassin, he was true to his word.

[Amakusa Takehiro]

Takehiro just grinned. "Technically, you and I have both failed already, with the Yoritomo man walking." There was no arguing that. When you were assigned to kill them all, and you didn't, that kind of sounded like failure. If Hideyasu didn't realize that, he was blind.

"Tell you what, I'll help you find your guy. 'cuz I trust you, but I don't trust your blind trust for a daimyo who would do a thing like that to the people. If you go against your word to me, and you try to kill him, I will defend him."

He figured he got his point across pretty well, so he simply nodded afterward. If Hideyasu meant to continue, Takehiro would follow.

[Morei Hideyasu]

- Hideyasu grimaced. While what Takehiro said was true, Hideyasu more than fulfilled his part of the mission that night. He was not the type to let a conscious get in the way of his mission. However, in this case, it was more to avoid a fight with someone of his caliber, and a fight between the two would likely drag a lot more attention than he needed right now. Someone of the Hojo faction this far from home would easily stir up some trouble, at least if he was found killing a defector.

"Fine... We shall do things your way, and stay my blade. You have my word."

- Hideyasu started off towards the village, grabbing the reins of his horse and taking him alongside. He merely ignored the man now on the ground, the fool got away with his life. He would walk at a brisk pace, and it was up to Takehiro to keep up on his own. Hideyasu himself was lost in thought, he had not been home to Owari since that night... He was certain not much had changed, but his thoughts lingered on Hidenori and Haji.

[Amakusa Takehiro]

The mercenary just grinned, following Hideyasu in suit. It seemed the guy was smart, and it was logical to assume his strength hadn't grown since the two last saw each other. If he had to guess, he gathered the guy might have even been afraid of him. That may be logical, but at the same time, the chance that Takehiro would really raise his blade against a former comrade was minimal, at best.

"So tell me, Hideyasu," he began once he was at the man's side. "Who are we lookin' for? Do I know him, or was he not part of our unit?" It would be interesting to know this man was hunting another former ally. The coincidences today were just delicious.

[Morei Hideyasu]

"Nekoya Kuroto. He learned what the Fuma had to teach and then used it for ill gain. He stole a trinket of sentimental value to the Hojo. However, he is also trying to leak crucial information to the Oda..."

- Hideyasu kept at his pace, never turning to look at Takehiro as he spoke. Whether or not Kuroto was a member of their unit, he did not know, as he had always kept to the shadows.

- The entrance of the village came into sight, and there were Oda troops stationed there. Hideyasu quickly held the reins of the horse towards Takehiro, and if he took it, Hideyasu would take this moment to blend into the dark, merely sneaking past as Takehiro would walk through in plain sight. It was a much needed distraction, as the noise of him and the horse would allow the assassin through.

- Once inside and out of sight, Hideyasu would allow himself to become visible in front of Takehiro.

"My presence has the potential to start a war, as I'm sure you understand."

[Amakusa Takehiro]

"So you're basically going up against a Fuma ninja. How the hell do you plan on taking him down alone?"

So, maybe what the guy knew was insanely valuable. If the Oda gained forces like the Fuma, they'd be virtually unstoppable. The Fuma were the most skilled of all the ninja, and to have a new group to equal them under the ranks of an already powerful army would mean certain failure for the neighboring daimyo. Hideyasu had a very important job, here. Tough, too.

Takehiro would have walked in with the horse, no questions asked. He understood. He used to work with the guy.

"One advantage to being unaligned."

[Morei Hideyasu]

- Hideyasu looked at Takehiro, amused by his question. "Hmph. Did you forget that I too underwent Fuma training? And what of you? Do not tell me you forgot everything once you left the Hojo."

- The man would begin to walk down the streets of his home village. While it was particularly dark right now, Hideyasu was certain he would find his target in a place much darker than the rest. If a former ninja was expecting any company, then perhaps the village's dungeon was a place he would attempt to find asylum in until the Oda forces could relocate him to a safer location.

"While you do not support my Lord Hojo, I am certain you are aware what would happen if this man is not stopped..."

[Amakusa Takehiro]

"I'm not a ninja, Hideyasu."

The mercenary let out a soft chuckle, following behind his old friend. He just shrugged, understanding of the situation, though he was not as involved as Hideyasu was. He shouldn't have cared as much, given an all-out war between Oda and Hojo was something the merc could only benefit from.

"And what do we do if this guy's already made it to Nobunaga?"

[Morei Hideyasu]

- Hideyasu grimaced. So he wasn't a ninja. Nevertheless, warriors of the Hojo received enough training to blend in with the darkness around them. It seemed as though Takehiro had given up that practice. He was always the type for direct confrontation anyway.

"As long as the Oda haven't declared war on the Hojo, I think we have time."

- Reaching the dungeon, the door would be slightly ajar. Hideyasu placed his hand on his katana's hilt in caution.

"Something isn't right here... be on your guard, Takehiro."

[Amakusa Takehiro]

For being a Fuma-trained ninja, Hideyasu liked to talk a lot, making the whole "element of surprise" thing redundant. Takehiro felt something was up, too, so nothing needed to be said, but he nodded. He gripped his spear tightly in one hand and proceeded toward the door. He assumed his friend would do his whole shadow-melding thing, but Takehiro himself had to rely on using actual caution.

[Morei Hideyasu]

- Hideyasu did indeed meld into the shadows, but he kept a close distance to Takehiro just in case one of them was attacked. Takehiro had to be the most careful, as his eyes were not something he'd be able to rely on in a situation like this. Then again, Hideyasu was sure his own wouldn't be of much use either.

- There would be some steps after the entrance which led underground. At least it would be perfect for an interrogation without drawing too much attention. Continuing down the steps, they would find themselves in dark, large, and oddly empty room. Minus the occasional cage here and there, it was very spacious, and that was dangerous. Looking around, Hideyasu noticed some signs that someone had been here recently.

- An object shone on the ground in the dim of the moonlight, and Hideyasu walked towards it. Crouching down to pick it up, he allowed Takehiro to see him as he examined it. It was a highly valuable ring, decorated with jewels. Three triangles, two on the bottom, with one balanced atop them, would be adorned into the center of the ring.

"The symbol of the Hojo... this is the item of which I seek, but why..."

- Behind them, the doors would shut, cutting off much of the light save for what had shone in through cracks in the roof and the small windows atop the walls. What sounded like a chain could be heard scraping along the ground...

[Amakusa Takehiro]

Takehiro had no clue what could lay in wait for the two, but he kept his guard up just the same. He followed down the steps cautiously, allowing his eyes some time to adjust to the darkness. He looked for candles or torches along the walls, something he could strike a flame with to provide a small amount of light, but he found nothing. His eyes fell upon Hideyasu as he observed what seemed to be the object he was searching for, but there was no one around.

"Ready your blade."

He whipped around, pointing his spear toward the entrance. A small amount of distance was put between himself and the stairs, giving himself some leeway to see what was coming at them before it could hit him in the face.

[Morei Hideyasu]

- Not needing to be told, Hideyasu drew his blade and kept it at the ready. His eyes would scan the darkness, attempting to follow wherever he heard sounds, but... he would hear chains moving from different sides of them, indicating that their target was not alone, or... perhaps, if they were lucky, only mastered creating shadow clones of himself. At least if it were those, they would be significantly weaker than another person.

- Suddenly, a sickle would fly out from the darkness, and Hideyasu barely ducked in time to avoid getting decapitated. He quickly charged at the source of the attack, swinging his blade horizontally, but struck no target. The assailant had already moved. Hideyasu grimaced, blending into the shadows as well. He would keep close to Takehiro, for while Takehiro would be the sole visible target, it wasn't in Hideyasu's honor to let a comrade die.

[Amakusa Takehiro]

Takehiro grimaced as Hideyasu's blade made contact with nothing. He could already tell whoever they were fighting knew what they were doing, and if it was that Nekoya guy, he was really just asking to be killed. Takehiro was going to be willing to spare him, but if he tried to kill the one keeping him safe, then he was fair game.

The merc would step forward, swinging his spear in front of him in a wide arc, extending his reach as far as he could, looking to strike something. If he could cut the guy, he'd bleed, and that blood would tell the two where he was at all times.

[Morei Hideyasu]

[[ You can control the guy too by the way. ]]

- Hideyasu ducked as Takehiro swung his spear around, once again nearly being decapitated. 'Idiot!' He thought before hearing movement. Takehiro's swing was over, and Hideyasu dashed to where it had ended, swinging his sword once more, further than the arc of Takehiro's spear. It seemed that his target had backstepped out of the range of the spear, but Hideyasu managed to connect, he just wasn't sure how much of his opponent he had sliced.

- Hearing an audible grunt, Hideyasu examined his sword, noticing it was coated in a decent amount of blood. There was now a trail of blood on the ground, and yet... while the target was clearly in front of him, there was a sound coming from behind Takehiro and Hideyasu. Another sickle shot out, this time aiming for Takehiro's chest.