READER'S POV

We've been here for a while now and some of the Date soldiers were patching up the last of their injuries or they were doing their own thing. Meanwhile, Masamune was sitting on a cloth chair staring at the Uesugi army and I noticed that he looked like he was living a fond memory. Right now, I was healing one of the Date soldiers.

"Honestly, you should have told someone that your injury was bad instead of keeping quiet and making it worse," I scolded him.

"G-Gomen, my lady."

"Well consider it a warning in case this happens again."

I told the soldier before I stopped healing him. I stood up from the ground and I looked at Masamune.

"This place brings back memories for him," Samonosuke told me.

"It does?"

"Back when Boss was invading Oshu, we suffered a lot of casualties when the Date took cover Oshu. Boss got injured and Katakura-sama tried to commit suicide because he thought he was weak and he failed to protect our Boss."

I was surprised by this because this was the first that I've heard about this.

"It's true," Mago spoke up. "But, boss stopped him and he became known as the One-Eyed Dragon's Right Eye."

"Whoa, I had no idea this place brought back memories for you guys. Especially for Masamune."

"He never told you?"

"No," I told them before glancing at Masamune. "He doesn't tell me  much about his past."

I told them before I walked over to Masamune. I spotted a bird had perched itself on top of his helmet and I smiled at this sight before looking at Masamune. I stood next to him before he spoke up.

"First their standoff against the Takeda at Kawanakajima and now this. They sure like to take their sweet time."

Just then, Kenshin appeared on his horse from a distance and I mumbled.

"Uesugi Kenshin-sama..."

"Are we going to be fighting, Boss?"

We watched as Kenshin stopped his horse and then Masamune told the others.

"You guys enjoy your picnic for a while longer."

"Huh?"

We looked at Masamune with a confused look before he spoke up.

"Toyotomi isn't going anywhere."

The others went back to whatever they were doing and then Masamune said to me.

"I take it the guys told you?"

"About what happened during the invasion of Oshu? yeah, they told me a few things. How come you didn't tell me about that?"

"As I told you before, I don't like talking about my past."

'I guess I was right on that one.'

I thought to myself before glancing at the Uesugi army.

3RD PERSON POV

Kasuga appeared in front of Kenshin while he sat on his horse staring at the Date army. Kasuga knelt before Kenshin and she spoke to him.

"Kenshin-sama."

"Excellent work, Kasuga."

"It seems they concluded their alliance. Toyotomi is preparing to move their main force to the west. Just as you expected, they will attack Shikoku alongside Mori."

"I see..." Kenshin mumbled.

Kasuga then told Kenshin about Keiji.

"About Maeda Keiji..." Kenshin looked at Kasuga before she continued. "He's travelling to Osaka. I wonder what he's planning..."

"You seem concerned."

Kasuga looked at Kenshin with a surprised look before she spoke up.

"Oh, no, no, it's just that since you were interested..."

Kenshin smirked before he dismounted his horse gracefully before he approached Kasuga and caressing her cheek. 

"My beautiful blade."

Kenshin leaned closer making Kasuga blush and he told her.

"Your kind heart is truly dear to me."

READER'S POV

From the distance, we spotted a pink aura and then I sweatdropped a little because I recognised that aura anywhere.

"Kenshin-sama is flirting with Kasuga again."

"And he's not the only one," Masamune smirked before grabbing me by the waist and pulling me onto his lap.

"H-Hey! what are you doing?!"

"What? I need some company."

"Date Masamune, I am not a pillow! I'm your wife!"

I scolded him but, I couldn't back the smile on my face as he nuzzled his head on my shoulder.

"So what? you're so comfy when I rest my head on you like this."

"Masamune, not in front of the guys!"

"Oh let them look."

I shook my head at him and then I gently petted his head as he rested on my shoulder while holding me close on his lap. Just then, some of the Date soldiers started wooing and whistling at us while the others were chuckling and teasing us. I groaned and I hid my face in my hands and then Masamune shouted.

"Shut up!!"

The Date soldiers chuckled before going back to whatever they were doing while I hid my face in Masamune's chest.

3RD PERSON POV

Meanwhile, Keiji was riding on his horse and he's heading towards Osaka. However, before he could get to the castle, he heard a horn from the distance and he mumbled.

"They march forth?"

In the distance, Toyotomi Hideyoshi was leading his army to the west. Keiji frowned and he mumbled his name before he followed after him and the army. Keiji urged his horse to go faster and then he called out to him.

"Hideyoshi! Wait! There's something I need to talk with you about! Break your alliance with the Maeda! Stop trying to do everything by force! Hideyoshi!" Keiji shouted but, Hideyoshi ignored him.

"Please Hideyoshi! Listen to me! Hideyoshi!"

Keiji tried to reason with him but, Hideyoshi paid no attention as he continued to march towards the west with his army. Three of the Toyotomi soldiers came over to him and then two of them used their spears to block him from following Hideyoshi any further. They came to a halt before Hanbei showed up.

"You seem energetic today, Keiji-kun."

"Hanbei."

"You haven't changed at all. You even look the same."

"You look the same too," Keiji pointed out with a frown on his face.

"I've received reports of what happened at Tetorigawa. If the Maeda Army itself rather than just a runaway like you, showed hostility to Toyotomi, it would be the next target. You should remember," Hanbei explained to him.

"Maeda shall never assist Toyotomi in his slaughter! Let me speak with Hideyoshi!" Keiji demanded.

"Hideyoshi looks at the world."

Keiji looked at Hanbei with a confused look before he continued.

"Even if a whimsical young playboy like you shouts in his ear, he won't hear. You live in a different world," Hanbei told him before he turned his horse and then he galloped away from him.

"Where are you attacking?! Shikoku?!" Keiji tried to ask him but, it was no use, Hanbei had already left. 

The three Toyotomi soldiers lowered their spears and then they urged their horses into a gallop before catching up with the rest of the army while Keiji stayed where he was while the Toyotomi continued with their march to the West.

Elsewhere, Yukimura and his band were helping some of the villagers move some supplies. Yukimura looked at them and he thought to himself.

'There aren't enough grown men left here, either. Their fathers, their husbands, their sons, are all gone to the battlefield...'

"Yukimura-dono, is something wrong?" Oyamada asked him.

"No. I'm sorry, Oyamada-dono. I'll try not to lose focus again."

"Don't worry, let's just hurry."

After helping the women and children, Yukimura and his group continued on their path towards the West. On the way there, Yukimura couldn't help but think about the elderly women and children and how they were forced to do all the work while the men were gone.

'For the sake of the Land of the Rising Sun, we brandish our bravery and pride ourselves on our strength. We contest for the conquest of the land...All this without so much as a hair of doubt. But, as we do, so, so, many people...'

Yukimura thought back to when he first came across the village where there were no men and during his fight with Matsunaga. Yukimura frowned at the thought of so many people who had suffered because of the conquest for the land. 

'Tell me, Oyakata-sama! Does a peaceful Land of the Rising Sun truly lie before us? Is it what awaits at the end of our battles?'

Yukimura asked himself until he heard horses neighing from a distance. When he turned his head to the side, he spotted an army head to the west. The Takeda soldiers noticed this as well.

"What's happening?"

As a few of the soldiers who were holding up the torches ran past their banners, Yukimura recognised it immediately.

'Toytomi's banners!'

"Perhaps they concluded an alliance with Mori to attack Shikoku," Oyamada spoke up.

Yukimura remembered what Shingen told him before leaving Kai. 

'What?! Have I neglected my duties?! I'm sorry, Oyakata-sama!'

Yukimura shouted in his head as he and his group continued on the path they were on.

***

READER'S POV

We had been here for quite a while now and the guys were starting to look and feel a lot better after resting from their battle with the Toyotomi army. I was feeling a lot better myself after resting my injuries for a while. I took off another bandage from my arm and I moved it a little bit. I was a bit surprised to see how fast I recovered but then again, I have gotten stronger since I've been in this time period and after marrying the One-Eyed Dragon of Oshu.

I decided to practise with the Dragon's Katana to make sure I wasn't getting rusty and I also needed the training to beat Sara and find out what happened to the rest of the (L/n) clan members after Aiko was killed. I drew my sword and I stood at a fighting stance while I listened to Aiko's instructions. I swung my sword downwards until I felt someone's chest pressing against my back and I knew who it was.

"Watch your stance and don't hold your sword to tight."

Masamune spoke in my ear making me shiver from his warm breath. Masamune placed his hands on my hips and he showed me how to hold a proper fighting stance.

Make sure you have a good defensive stance and don't leave yourself open otherwise, your enemy will be able to read your movements."

"I hear you loud and clear!" I shouted before I spun around with my sword and then Masamune blocked it with Kojuro's sword.

"Heh, very good. Kojuro taught you well."

"So did you," I told Masamune before I sneaked attacked him by kissing his cheek.

Masamune blushed and then I sideswiped him before he landed onto the ground. I got on top of him with the end of the blade at his throat. 

"Don't leave any openings you said, don't let your enemy read your movements you said," I mimicked his advice.

"All right, smartypants, you got me," Masamune spoke with a smirk while he had his hands raised in surrender.

I giggled a little before moved the sword away from his neck. Masamune held my hips after sitting up and he said to me.

"You know, I kinda like it when you're on top of me."

"Masamune, let go of me. Shouldn't you be keeping an eye out on the Uesugi army?"

"Nah, my boys are keeping an eye on them. Besides, it's you I want to keep my eye on."

"*Sighs* you're hopeless sometimes you know that?" I asked him as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I'm hopelessly in love with you, that's why."

Masamune spoke with a smirk before kissing my lips and I kissed him back. I ran my fingers through his hair while his hands travelled down from my back to my behind. Masamune squeezed my behind making me gasp and that gave him the opportunity to shove his tongue in my mouth. 

"Oy! Uesugi is falling back!"

We pulled away from each other after hearing this. I got off of Masamune and we stood up from the ground and then we watched the Uesugi move away from the bridge.

"What, they're leaving?!"

"What's going on?!"

A gentle breeze blew and then I asked Masamune.

"Any idea what's going on?"

"I do but, that's a story for another time," Masamune told me as he untied his bandage from his arm.

"Boss?"

Once the bandage was off, it blew away from the strong gust of wind. Masamune smirked and then he spoke up.

"Let's go and say thanks."

I looked at him in confusion before he got on his horse and then he rode towards the bridge. I didn't know what was going on until I remembered something about the battlefield the others told me about.

'Now I get it. So that's why the War God stopped us. He wanted us to heal from our injuries and what better quiet place to do so other than here? very clever, Uesugi Kenshin.'

I thought to myself with a smile on my face. We watched Kenshin and Masamune ride towards the bride and once they crossed it they drew swords and then they clashed. The guys were shocked but, I wasn't since he wanted to say thanks.

3RD PERSON POV

"Thanks for letting me cool down!"

"You certainly have the determination. All else rests on your skills and your fate."

Kenshin and Masamune spoke as they turned their horses to face each other before they continued with their conversation.

"You're not doing me any favours just by sounding clever," Masamune sheathed his sword before he mumbled. "What a pity."

"When you don't come back, perhaps I'll take Oshu. Maybe then I can dream of conquest myself. So, there's no need to worry," Kenshin told him as he sheathed his sword as well.

"You stay alive too. You're starting to remind me of the Tiger of Kai."

Kenshin smirked when Masamune told him this.

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

After their little conversation, the Date army was now finally on the move. Masamune grinned and he shouted.

"Okay! Be enthusiastic!"

"Yeah!"

"Prepare the trigger!"

"Yeah!!"

"Got it! Let's finally get this party started!"

"Yeah!!"

(Y/n) chuckled at their energy and then she thought to myself.

'Oh brother, they're certainly back to normal that's for sure. I better remind myself to give my thanks to Kenshin-sama the next time I see him but, for now, we've got a monkey to defeat.'