NARA'S POV

After my brother agreed to let us join forces, we got back to Azuchi castle and I was taken to one of the guest rooms. Mai, who I learnt is the caretaker for the castle, helped me change out of my armour. Mai kept taking a few glances at me while she was helping me change into my kimono.

"Why do you keep staring at me?" I questioned her after she tightens my obi cord.

"I'm sorry, Nara-sama, I can't help it, I'm just a little surprised to find out you're Nobunaga's sister and you two look so alike," Mai said as she got my haori.

"That's what everyone says about me and my foolish brother, we've got the same hair colour and the same eye colour but, the big difference is, I'm his sister and I'm smarter than him," I snickered a little after saying this.

Mai puts the haori on my shoulders and she straightens it out for me. 

"Is it also true what he said? you were in Russia?"

"Of course," I sat down on the tatami mat and Mai in front of me as I continued. "I was in Russia for a few months before I came back here, I used to do a little bit of travelling before I came to that country for an alliance."

"You did?! where did you go?" Mai asked me with curiosity in her eyes.

I burst out laughing when I saw this and she blushed a little.

"What's so funny?"

"Hahaha!! oh, forgive me...your eyes lit up with curiosity like a little kid, I couldn't help but laugh."

Mai looked away from me and I calmed myself down.

"If you really want to know I'll tell you, I was a wanderer before I became the commander of the Japanese-Russian army. I travelled to Spain, Germany, France, the Caribbean islands, Rome and of course, Russia."

"Wow, but, why were you wandering around from one country to the next?" Mai questioned me.

I looked out of the window and I explained to her.

"It's because I was trying to my purpose in this life, you're already aware of the war and chaos in this land, don't you?" I asked Mai and she nodded her head.

"I have and Nobunaga isn't known for being a tyrant for nothing."

"And that's precisely why I was wandering from one country to another, he and our older brother were rivals, fighting over the power of the Oda clan, our father would have done something but, he died earlier on before he could do something meanwhile I was stuck in the middle, I didn't know whether to help Nobunaga or our older brother, so, I thought it was best to stay out of it and get the heck out of Japan before things got out of hand."

Mai looked at me surprised and I looked at her with a smile on my face.

"Hey, don't give me that look," I placed my hand on her head. "Sure things are crap right now but, they will get better eventually, you'll see."

I ruffled Mai's hair and she giggled a little. I moved my hand off her head and her hair was a mess after I ruffled it up.

"Hey, you messed up my hair!"

"Sorry, I used to do the same for Nobunaga when we were little, it's an old habit of mine."

"Really? what was he like when he was little?"

"Do you really wanna know?" I asked with an evil smirk on my face.

Mai nodded her head and I decided to tell her a few embarrassing stories about Nobunaga and what he was like when we were kids. 

TIME SKIP...

On the way to the audience hall to celebrate me being welcomed into the alliance with Nobunaga's forces, I continued to tell Mai some funny stories about Nobunaga and she was enjoying them. Mai continued to laugh at another funny story I was telling her about Nobunaga.

"So then, Nobunaga ran up to me and hugs my leg for dear life while shouting 'please help me out Onee-chan! I'm scared!'"

"Hahahaha!! I didn't know Nobunaga was a wimp when he was a child," Mai said while trying to calm herself down.

"Too right he was, not only was scared of getting into trouble by our older brother, he used to hide in my room from the big scary monsters that our older brother and I used to tell him about, like the mythical faceless demon or the big bad Oni that used to hide in the shadows before killing his victims in their sleep."

"Nara-sama! that's mean!"

"I know~" I spoke with an evil smile on my face.

We both laughed afterwards before arriving at the audience chamber. Nobunaga noticed us getting along so well and he told us.

"I see you two are getting along so well, what were you laughing about?"

"Nothing, little Nobu..." Mai mumbled his nickname making me cover my mouth to prevent myself from laughing.

"What?! Nara! what have you been telling her?!" Nobunaga yelled with a hint of blush on his cheeks.

"Nothing~" I spoke with a smirk on my face. 

"You've got that mischievous look on your face again, you've obviously told her something about me!"

"I might have done, but, just the good parts nothing more~"

Mai giggled as we sat down. I pressed my fingers on my lips to hush Mai and let her know to keep her mouth shut about the stuff I told her about my brother. Nobunaga glared at me and then Hideyoshi told us.

"Anyway, we've received reports about Kenshin and Shingen, we've confirmed that they have agreed to an alliance," Hideyoshi said as he gave his report to us and Nobunaga.

I looked at Nobunaga and I said to him.

"I bet you're glad that I came back when I did, otherwise you would have been in trouble by now," I spoke with a smirk.

"Oh please, like I had a choice, you practically threatened me and the people of Azuchi with that army."

"Only to demonstrate what I'm capable, they're the best soldiers that brought back with me, you should be thanking me that I'm helping you, foolish brother."

"I never asked for your help and I didn't ask you to come back either," Nobunaga said harshly.

"Oh! talk about a stab to the heart! see Mai, this is what happens when you're related to the fool of Owari, he's got no gratitude whatsoever and all he cares about is his stupid pride."

"Hah! that's rich coming from the spoilt-bratty princess of the Oda clan."

"Says the guy who throws his weight around from eating too many sugar candies."

"At least I wasn't the one pulling pranks and blaming the younger sibling."

Nobunaga and I glared and growled at each other as sparks flew between us. 

MAI'S POV

I sweat dropped a little as we watched the two siblings glare at each other and we could see sparks flying between the two of them.

"*Chuckle* I can't tell if those two get along or if they hate each other," Masamune commented after chuckling nervously.

I smiled a little as I looked between the two of them.

"I'm sure they get along, in their own way."

"Are you being serious? I'm surprised they haven't decided to kill each other yet," Hideyoshi commented as he looked back at the two of them.

Nara and Nobunaga stopped glaring at each other and then they looked away from each other in a huff. I giggled quietly before Nara looked at me with a surprised expression on her face.

"And what do you find so funny Mai?"

"Gomen, it's just that I've never seen Nobunaga bicker with a sibling before, it's kinda funny when you think about it."

NARA'S POV

I snickered when she said this and then Nobunaga frowned at me.

"It's not funny! this is exactly why Nara shouldn't be here," Nobunaga grumbled.

"Aw, what's the matter? is widdle Nobu gonna cry?" I said while pinching his cheek lightly making the others snickered or they had their mouths over to suppress their laughs. 

Nobunaga glared at me and he smacked my hand away from him.

"Will you knock it off and don't call me that name! I'm not that kid anymore!"

"Oh really? then mind telling where you got this bag of sugar candies from?" I asked after pulling out the small bag of sugar candy from Nobunaga's kimono.

Hideyoshi frowned at Nobunaga and he shouted.

"My Lord! have you been stealing more candy from the kitchen again?!"

"I do not have a clue how they got here, Nara you little sneak!"

I snickered evilly when he yelled at me. After the meeting was over, Mai couldn't stop laughing when we were at the castle gardens.

"I can't believe Nobunaga freaked out like that! it was hilarious! hahahaha!!"

"*Chuckle* my foolish brother may act all high and mighty but, when it comes to someone like me ruining their thunder that's a different story," I spoke with a smirk on my face.

Mai managed to calm herself down and she then wiped away her tears of laughter.

"I'll say...are you two always like this? getting each other into trouble?"

"Sometimes, but, when we were little, I used to get him out of trouble when someone blames him for something didn't do, when actually it was," I said as I rested my arm on my knee while staring at the full moon.

"But that feels like a distant memory now, I can tell he's changed since the last time we spoke," I looked at Mai and I told her. "It's probably because of you, Mai."

"Me? but, I didn't do anything."

"You did, you fell in love with the Fool of Owari and now he's become the brother that I once remembered, well, almost."

I got on my knees while facing Mai.

"Mai, I know it's too late for me to say this but, I just wanted to say..." I bowed my head in gratitude before continuing, "Arigato, for saving my brother's life."

"Uh, no thanks are necessary and besides I would have done what any other person would do in that situation," Mai said while feeling a little flustered.

I giggled a little before sitting back up properly.

"True, but, there are some people who hate my brother especially the Tiger of Kai and the God of War, they'll do whatever they can see my brother dead and buried right now, however, I'm pleased to see he's alive and breathing, I've been away from him for so long and as his sister, it's been my job to worry about him."

Mai looked at me surprised before looking away sadly. I was confused by this and I asked her.

"What's with the look on your face?"

"I guess I'm feeling a bit jealous, you're so lucky that you've got a sibling to worry about meanwhile, I'm the only child," Mai told me.

I smiled a little and I patted her head.

"There's no need to feel that way, you may not have noticed it right away, but, when you see the other warlords treat you kindly the way they do, they're like brothers so, in other words, we're like one big happy family except Hideyoshi is like a mother to some of us considering he's always nagging at Nobunaga and me."

Mai laughed when I commented about Hideyoshi.

MEANWHILE...

HIDEYOSHI'S POV

"Achoo!!"

I sneezed while working at my desk.

"Who's talking about me?" I mumbled quietly while looking around in suspicion

BACK WITH THE GIRLS...

NARA'S POV

"That's just like Hideyoshi, he's always worrying about something or someone," Mai said while smiling a little.

"Of course he would, he's just like your average mother hen, but even so, I'm glad there are people who still care for my brother even if he is known as the devil."

I said as I looked at the full moon with a smile on my face. 

Mai and I sat at the porch chatting and having a couple of drinks of sake until she fell asleep on my lap. While Mai slept on my lap, Nobunaga came over to us and he was surprised to see Mai asleep.

"She fell asleep? how many drinks did she have?"

"Don't blame me, I didn't pour it down her throat, we were just chatting and having a couple of drinks to pass the time," I said as I gently ran my fingers through her hair.

I smiled a little when I did this and then Nobunaga asked me.

"What's with that smile?"

"It feels a little weird doing this again, last time when someone fell asleep on my lap it was you when you were a child, Nobunaga."

Nobunaga looked surprised when I told him this and he smiled a little.

"I guess it was, time does seem to fly by, doesn't it?"

"It sure does, but, we can't let our guards down just because tonight is peaceful and quiet..." I glanced at the night sky again and I continued, "We'll be going to war soon, which is why we need to spend as much time during peaceful nights like this before that happens."

"You're right," Nobunaga said as he also glanced at the night sky with me.