Preparations
(Kanan – Night-time same day as Umi and Honoka talking)
'I wish things could have gone differently.' Kanan thought as she looked at her family home.
"Kanan, is something up?" Mari asked as she walked up next to the blunette.
"No, I'm fine." The blunette lied, she knew a very likely option was coming with these negotiations with the Minami's and Tojo's.
"Do you regret it?" Mari asked, wrapping her arms around the blunettes waist, the pair both knowing what the blonde was referring to.
"No, never, I knew where my loyalty lay, I don't regret that, but they were still my family and I regret events forced us to different sides." Kanan said sadly, only to feel a pair or arms wrap around her waist and Mari's chin on her shoulder.
"But if they had agreed to let me go, would you still have sided against them."
"No, you were and still are all I care about, so if I have to let you go to secure your future I will."
"What does that mean?" the blonde asked confused.
"Mari, you do know your mothers going to have a plan with these negotiations." Kanan said as she looked back at her old family castle.
"What do you mean?" the blonde asked.
"Don't act daft, you know she is going to try and use the negotiations to arrange a marriage with you for aid to the Minami's." Kanan growled as she felt her heart ache "It's the perfect chance for her to split us up."
"Well she's going to be disappointed." Mari said as she tightened the hug and gave the blunette a kiss on the check.
"Mari…"
"I mean it Kanan, what you're worrying about won't happen."
"If you say so." Kanan mumbled not believing the blondes words.
"Kanan, this heart of mine belongs to you only, mother can hate it all she wants, it's my heart and mine to give away to who I want."
"But…"
"Shh," Mari said with a finger on the blunettes lips "I made my choice, so believe in me like I believe in you."
"Ok, I'll try." Kanan said too tired to argue.
(Nozomi – Morning next day)
"Nozomi?"
"Yes Nico?"
"The plans ready." The ninja said with a yawn.
"Late night?"
"Not now." Nico sighed.
(Hanamaru)
"Are you sure about this?" Hanamaru heard Yoshiko ask as the dark-haired girl checked her equipment.
"What about?"
"Staying with Rin and Hanayo?" the ninja asked.
"Yes, you and Riko will be going to be sneaking behind enemy lines, I'm better served here, Zura."
"You could come with us for this mission."
"I'm not cut out for the stealthy type of fighting." Hanamaru sighed "I'll be fine, you worry about yourself and your mission and we'll meet when you get back, ok?"
"Ok." The ninja sighed looking a bit sad to the brunette's eye "How's the wound?" Yoshiko asked.
"It's fine thanks for asking?" The Brunette replied with a smile "Are you going to be ok sneaking into that castle Zura?"
"Of course I've done it plenty of times."
"Just make sure it's not like the time I caught you Zura."
"That was just luck."
"I know but be careful ok." Hanamaru said with a sense of worry growing in the pit of her stomach.
"If your so worried, why don't you come with us."
"No, I'm no good at this sort of thing."
"It's not stopping Riko or Maki."
"Maki has been taught somethings by Nico and Riko's not going to pass up a chance to save Yo, Zura."
"What about Ruby?"
"I am worried about her yes," Haramaru sighed "but I trust her safety to you Zura."
"Well then, the spirits and I will make sure to bring her back safely." Yoshiko said triumphantly.
"Yoshiko."
"Yes?"
"Be safe Zura."
"I'll be fine, I am the Yohane, after all."
"Yoshiko!"
"I promise, I won't do anything stupid."
"Thank you Zura." Hanamaru smiled placing a hand on the ninja's shoulder and getting a smile back from the ninja in return.
(Alisa)
"Urgh, that walk to talk to Umi was a mistake." Alisa heard Yukiho groan as she tried to sit up.
"So why do it?" Alisa growled as she walked over and helped the redhead.
"Because Honoka asked me to try and talk to her, she thought I might be able to get through to her a bit." Yukiho sighed "I couldn't see it hurting so I went with it, looks like I miscalculated a bit."
"Just a bit." Alisa said as she brushed a stray hair behind the redhead's ear "And did you get through to her?"
"I'm not sure." Yukiho sighed "Though she seems to be a bit conflicted."
"Conflicted how?"
"I'm not sure but she was slamming the butt of her Naginata on the ground when I saw her and grabbing her hair."
"That's odd." Alisa pondered "Do you have idea what might be making her act like that?"
"Her honours a good bet."
"True, it was her greatest strength, but also her worst enemy." Alisa groaned before glaring at the redhead "Though next time your sister asks you walk around with a broken leg say no ok."
"Ok."
"Good." Alisa smiled before leaning forward and kissing the girl on the lips "I don't want my precious Yukiho hurting herself again."
(Kira)
"Sakura you understand your task correct."
"Yes, I'm stay her and watch our prisoners, while you gather the main army." Sakura said growled in frustration. "Why can't we go now, Ryuzo is already under siege." Sakura shouted.
"I told you, a small trickle of reinforcements will not help your cousin, he's perfectly fine to hold till we gather the full army, the Tojo's are no push overs, they won't fall as easy as the Minami forces have."
"Alright," Sakura said throwing up her hand "I still don't see what the big deal is, so this woman had blue hair what's so bad about that?"
"Blue hair indicates a Sonoda and they are deadly, it was said a single Sonoda was worth ten warriors."
"Just childish stories." Sakura said with a tic.
"Those are not stories; how do you think your cousin got that scar." Kira said as he saw Sakura raise a brow "He got that from fighting Tatsumi and that was after she was had taken out three others before him and she had been wounded beforehand." Kira growled "That's why I was determined to try and get rid of them politically, they were too strong to get rid of militarily."
"And yet we were able to ambush them and drive them off, they can't be that tough."
"That was because of failures by Lady Minami, not from Tatsumi and we didn't drive them off, we caught them on the march and they still managed to fight us off," Kira growled with a grudging respect "It took use two days to destroy them and it was the worst casualties we took, their stand is also why the Minami's are still in this war at all and were able to get to the Tojo's."
"Ok, but aren't you jumping to conclusions, that Tatsumi whore is dead and she was the only one."
"No." Kira said with a sense of realisation.
"No?" Sakura said confused
"There was another Sonoda." Kira growled "And if it was her, she was far stronger then Tatsumi and she was the reason for the incident with Kotori."
"You mean that stupid thing that nearly got us in trouble?"
"Yes!" Kira snapped "And wasn't stupid it was needed."
"Why?"
"Because if I hadn't, we wouldn't have had a chance, she's the best and most loyal warrior I've ever seen."
"Well if you're that worried shouldn't you have raised your troops faster?"
"Raising a lot of troops takes time."
"Seems like they are being purposely slow so they don't have to fight with us." Sakura growled "Maybe we should execute a few of them, get them to move quicker."
"Do that and the only thing that will move quickly will be the number of desertions."
"But…"
"Enough Sakura." Kira shouted, "I am returning home to gather our forces and organize them, you will remain here to make sure no one attacks from the island and guard our guests, is that understood."
"Ok father." The brunette smirked "I'll take good care of them."
"You will not lay a finger on them Sakura, I do not want to find them beaten, is that clear?"
"Yes."
(Nozomi – Afternoon)
'We are going to need to move quickly.' Nozomi thought as she wrote out a letter in response to the letter from Eli that she had just received.
"You wished to see us Nozomi?" Tsuki said as she entered the chamber with Lady Minami.
"Yes, please sit." Nozomi said slightly exasperated as she finished writing.
"Is something wrong?" Lady Minami asked as she sat down.
"Eli has informed me that her camp was attacked the other night."
"Is it serious?" Lady Minami asked.
"Not yet, it was more a light skirmish but Eli feels that is only a matter of time before they try again, we need to bring them under a full siege quick otherwise we will have a major issue."
"So what is to be done?" Tsuki asked.
"After hearing of those fords an idea was playing around in my head and after a talk with Riko I think I have a way to secure the Sonoda land, but that isn't why I asked to speak to you two."
"What is?"
"Kotori came to see me last night."
"What about?" Tsuki asked as the twin tailed girl could see Lady Minami's shoulder and head drop slightly.