— KUNOICHI —

As he nodded his head, Xu Shu was about to bid her farewell before he quickly asked her with curiosity, “Is there anything happening today?”

【 “Eh? How would I know! I’m not even—”

Ah, the mental image of Nene chasing Kunoichi over the rooftops. That would be quite the sight to see. He tilted his head upwards to set her in his sights as she made a jab at his fondness for naps.

“You think I’m lazy? I work just as hard as any other strategist when it comes to battle tactics! I just like to take a nap or two in between piles of paperwork…” He insisted. “A genius mind like mine needs the rest, anyway. It’s exhausting thinking so hard all the time…”

【 “Pfft! Really? I think you’re just making excuses,” laughed the ninja, dismissing the strategist’s reasons for his tendencies towards sleep. She knew about other strategists and had always seen them hard at work, always busy with papers and plans and that sort of business that she never quite understood, but despite the stress load, they were committed to their jobs. So it was in her hasty nature to quickly assume Hanbei was merely slacking, not working nearly as much as they were. It only made sense from her perspective!

“I suppose there is no point in preventing this from happening.. So I’ll accept it. I can’t decide of a nickname for you since it’s all new to me, Usually it’s been formal all the time. China has a lot of things, To be fair though it’s more of a headache with the back and forth politics. I do want to see Japan.. Maybe bring some things over to help out my clan.”

【 “Ah...formalities. See, I don’t do them if I don’t need to! It’s nice to loosen up and talk as though you’ve got no care in the world! You should try it sometime. Just let yourself talk the way you want to, without any limits to who you can be! Sounds real sappy, I know, but it does boost your self-confidence when you’re out and about with other people, you see?

【 “Gasp! Are you sure?” The ninja wondered if it’d really be worth his money. Why would he do such a favor, anyway? Flowers weren’t anything useful, nor were they long-lasting. Still, she marveled at the beautiful splash of colors within that bouquet. How so much vibrancy and life could flourish among nature in just one season, she’d never get over! Admiring a particularly lush, blue blossom poking its petals out from the others, she waited patiently until the man had paid for her, and as they were leaving the stand, decided to take that flower out and stick it behind his ear.

░░░  ↠ “A bear… I think I might see your point now,” she conceded, tilting her head to the side as though she imagined the lady Kai slowly transforming into a furry, growling beast.

Though she would never admit it to anyone else, especially not Lady Kai - knowledge of her infamous temper spread quickly around the allied camp - it did seem an appropriate name. Unfortunate, but also unfortunately appropriate.

“I’m not very good with nicknames,” she replied, apparently coming back down to earth. “People say I’m a little too… serious for nicknames. It seems like you are, though; do you give nicknames to everyone? How about Yukimura-sama?” ↞ ░░░

【 “Pfft—teeheehee!” The ninja couldn’t help but burst into a bubbly giggle, tickled by the thought of giving her lord a nickname. What would she even call him? Such a possibility was too far from fathomable thought for her to have any ideas. Trying to stifle her amusement, she covered her mouth with her fists and looked away, still shaking from the laughs until she was calm enough to respond.

        [ ❖ ] :: It was indeed obvious that the peppy ninja wasn’t cut out for sitting down and playing music. Not when all that effort could go toward things that interested her and didn’t involve sitting still for so long. It made sense. “Hah, that’s understandable,” the samurai replied, shoulders trembling in his mirth, before he set about producing a few more quiet notes from the instrument in his hands. “There’s no need for apologies, either. You’re just being yourself. I’m sure your chattiness doesn’t make you any less of a good ninja.” 

【 “Ahh...thanks for putting up with me, my lord. But I still have my doubts...” The girl looked away briefly, scratching the back of her head. “I’d love to believe that my personality won’t get in the way of my work, but that’s honestly not true...I mean, you’ve probably seen it in me, but I’m a really emotional person. And I can’t do much to stop it from affecting my performance in battle.” She glanced back at Sakon but then averted her eyes, embarrassed about how easily she had spilled those thoughts about herself and shaking her head sadly.

    “And—okay, I really shouldn’t be ranting about this stuff, either. I’m supposed to be silent and simply carry out my duties, and...I’ve done a lot to bottle up my feelings.” Her hands opened, palms facing towards her as she stared at the creases in her skin. “But it’ll all come out eventually and I sometimes can’t handle it. You know of Hanzō Hattori, right? That ninja who works for the Tokugawa? He always chides me about being so sentimental, thinking too much and all that. Same thing every time: ‘Don’t go around thinking like you do. Thinking dulls the reflexes. It is fatal for a ninja.’ Something along those lines. And yeah, I get that. His words have truth, don’t get me wrong, I’m listening to his advice.” The ninja’s mouth tugged in an unhappy line. “But it’s just...you can’t just stop thinking about an idea once it enters your head, you know? It’s hard to get it out once it gets in and it’s really...annoying sometimes.” 

{ ✿  Ɗємση Ƙιηg }

    ||          ＂YOU LACK tact child, it is not something one should                   favor of themselves.                    You mistake positivity for                   foolishness—    do you not live the life of those whom walk                   within the shadows?                   You should learn to silence yourself girl.＂

【 “Ahem, I don’t give away my manners for free! I only show respect to my superiors, and last time I checked, you’re not one of them. I may be a ninja, but I personally don’t care how I come across to others as long as I still fulfill my duties. So, sorry for you, but at the moment the only boss of me here is, well, me, so I’m going to say and do as much as I please, thank you!”】 

                   "Different…“ Yes, Katsuie supposed that anyone who had seen him back at the height of his career would say that he was a changed man. But not for the better. His mistake on that day had caused him to plunge far from where he had been–both in status and in confidence. He had lost so much that he was little more than a hollow shell of the man he used to be.

                   "Another Shibata Katsuie…yes, I suppose that is what I am.” It was an acceptable description. After all, he was still Shibata Katsuie, even after what had happened. He had not lost his name–though he had definitely tarnished it.

                   ”…Forgive me for asking, but were we accquainted with one another in the past?“

【 The man’s vague response only confused her more instead of clearing things up like she’d wanted, but who was she to complain. Her question itself was rather vague, anyway. Tilting her head, she looked the stranger up and down carefully, as though on a second inspection she’d suddenly know more about his character, and hummed in contemplation as she recalled the Shibata Katsuie she actually knew. 】

      “I suppose. Still, it can’t kill them to be a little less troublesome. It’s hard enough tending to my duties without the headache they give me.”

【 “I guess not everyone is gifted with the same amount of intelligence as you are, Mitsunari-sama! But I’m sure they intend just as well. They simply can’t see how their actions can get them into trouble before it’s too late, you know? And having been in that situation myself, I can understand how easy it is to get caught up in the heat of battle and stray from the plan.” 】

“No need to apologize, my lady. Genius is so seldom appreciated in its own time, I’ve learned not to be offended when someone misconstrues it as eccentricity.”

He rested a hand against his broad chest, giving her a little half-bow with a flamboyant flip of his silken coattails. While her words might have ordinarily provoked him, he’d allow it to slide for now; there was no sense in losing his temper with such a young girl.

“You flatter me. But I can assure you, I enjoy your presence even more- it’s seldom that you see a maiden with such an air of mystery about her. Could you possibly be one of the Takeda’s agents that I’ve heard so much about?”

【 For a moment she was taken aback, unsure how to interpret this man’s...compliments? What was it about her that made her appear so mysterious? Was it just because she was a ninja? That seemed like a typical reason. But then again, if it was anything more, she might be weirded out. Would it be worth it to clarify?

⊰ 🌸 ⊱: — Diaochan listened with a smile. “My, he sounds like quite the headstrong warrior. He reminds me of our leader of justice. – in China.” Was she even making sense. “I believe Master Zhao Yun could teach him a few things. Hehe. Such a task must be tiring for you. Is it not like babysitting?” Granted, the Songstress knew just how frustrating it could be to stop one from rushing into the heat of battle. – It was such a chore. When you love someone, you can only wish to guide them. 

“I do.” the woman replied. “Diao Ruolan is my sister.”

【 “Babysitting? Haha, I guess you could put it that way!” The girl tilted her head, lifting a finger to scratch the side. “But I don’t see my lord as a bother, in all honesty. The only time he may truly frustrate me is when he pushes me away.” Her eyes glanced down at her shoes, hands behind her back as she swayed side to side. “I’m sure you understand where I’m coming from—sometimes you just want to help somebody out and let them know you’re there for them, but they just...they just don’t want that attention sometimes. And that really taught me... that you’ve gotta give people their personal space when they need it.” Looking up once more, she shrugged and offered a small smile, her body coming to a still while her hands dropped to her sides.

“You criticized me on my hair and you expect me to just igrone it?…while you wear something that’s called a poncho like the what is a poncho?..”

【 “But it’s true! You do need a haircut! Let it grow any longer and it’s just gonna get in the way, you know? Whatever, guess some people can’t take any advice.

Lingqi’s eyebrows furrowed into a slight frown when the brunette avoided the topic regarding her name. The silver-haired girl crossed her arms over her chest and said in a joking and somewhat sarcastic way, “If that is the case then you should call me Zhanshi Gongzhu, meaning ‘warrior princess’.”

【 Hearing Lingqi’s response, the kunoichi shook her head, tilting it to the side with an amused look. “You don’t get it, do you,” she mused,  tapping her fist to her temple. “I don’t give away my name because in my school of ninja training, we’re told to work namelessly. I guess it has to do with their philosophy and all; since we’re the blades and shields for our masters, and we handle much of the dirty work, our status is lower compared to many others, so we do not deserve to share our names. But my friends and comrades still wanted to call me something, so I just told them to call me Kunoichi. ‘Cause that’s what I am, a female ninja!” She placed her hands on her hips and stood up tall, back straight.

◎ = taking care of them while ill . 

【 She could not stop coughing.

      It had been a long while since she last fell seriously ill, and she had forgotten how scary it was to be so sick. Sitting against the head of her bed, pillows cushioning her back, she curled as small as possible underneath her blankets while staring at the approaching prince. Mixed emotions churned through her mind: shock, appreciation, guilt, shame…should she be grateful despite her confusion? Why he even considered taking care of her she would never know, but she supposed she should accept the help if she wanted to get back on the battlefield again. 】

【 “No moon tonight,” the girl noted to herself, leaping effortlessly from one tree to another as she peeked at the sky from underneath the foliage. Moonless nights were the best covers for a ninja to operate—or any other ambush or stealth party, really—and it would be a mistake not to take advantage of the darkness. Otherwise, the harsh, all-seeing moonlight penetrates through the smallest crevices and easily exposes movements, requiring extra effort to accomplish the task without being caught.

      She perched on a branch and looked at the ground. Though for an average person it would be hard to see, the ninja’s sharp vision caught a faint shadow moving underneath her. Their intent seemed unclear, their path aimless...perhaps they were just a wandering traveler? With the way they were carrying themselves, they could easily get into a bad situation. Should she tell him? 】