A Second Chance, Part 1
A Second Chance
Oboro and Gennosuke stood across from one another, the final members of their rival clans. Whichever one of them could defeat the other would win the war, thus deciding who would be heir to Tokugawa Ieyasa's thrown. Gennosuke's eyes were still sealed shut, and neither ninja was prepared to kill the one they loved more than life itself. Oboro looked across at Gennosuke with so much love in her eyes that it was almost palpable in the air.
"Gennosuke-sama, open your eyes," she said to him.
In the background, she heard Ofuku screaming at her to kill him, but she had no intentions of doing so. She stood her ground, waiting for his eyes to open, longing to gaze into them one last time. Seconds passed by so slowly it seemed like days, and all eyes were fixed on the star-crossed lovers, wondering who would make the first move. Oboro could feel the intensity in the air around her, but she did not remove her eyes from the Kouga leader's face.
"Oboro, raise your sword and strike him down!" Ofuku screamed. "What are you waiting for? Now is your chance!"
Very slowly, Oboro did raise her sword, but instead of striking Gennosuke, she turned the blade back towards her own body, thrusting it into her chest just as Gennosuke opened his eyes.
"Gennosuke...sama..." Oboro whispered as se fell to the ground, catching his gaze briefly before her eyes fell closed. Ofuku let out a gasp as Oboro's body laid lifeless. "Someone cut his head off before she dies!" the older woman screamed.
The soldiers surrounding the pair moved towards Gennosuke, but before they had a chance to strike, he unleashed his Dojutsu, turning their own weapons against them. The air became crimson from the spray of blood as the soldiers beheaded and dismemebered themselves as a resulf of the Kouga leader's technique. Ignoring Ofuku's protests, Gennosuke walked over and picked up the ninja scroll, then returned to Oboro's side, cradling her gently in his harms. He could still see his love's chest rising and falling as she drew in laboured breaths, but he did not let on that she was not yet dead. Instead, he dipped a finger into her blood, using it to cross both of their names off the scroll. Then, off to the side, he wrote, "The last one to write on this scroll was I, Oboro, leader of the Iga Clan." Gennosuke carefully rolled the scroll back up and tossed it into the air, where a hawk swooped down, catching it in it's talons, and flew off toward's Sunpu Castle.
Gennosuke stood, gathering Oboro in his arms, and removed the sword from her chest, dropping the blade carelessly to the ground. His clothing quickly turned red from her blood, and Gennosuke feared that it may be too late. Slowly and deliberately, he turned away from Hanzo Hattori IV and Ofuku, and carried Oboro out into the water. He knew that if he had any chance of saving her life, he needed to get the Iga hime and himself away from that place, before anyone realized that her self-inflicted wound had not been instantly fatal.
Very gingerly, and without looking back, Gennosuke laid Oboro on top of him, and allowed the two of them to be swept away by the current. The water was slightly cold, and caused Gennosuke to shiver as he hugged his love tightly to him. After a few minutes Oboro stirred, wincing in pain. Gennosuke put a finger to her lips, keeping her quiet.
"Oboro-sama, do not worry," he whispered in her ear. "We will be safe. We will be together. I will take care of you, and nothing will ever hurt you again."
Oboro blinked in disbelief, staring into Gennosuke's eyes. The world was spinning around her, and the pain from her wound was intense. She let out a soft cry as the current became stronger, pulling them out further. She had to close her eyes to stop the overwhelming feeling of nausea that was creeping up inside her stomach. She wanted so badly to tell him that she loved him, that she always had and always would, but she lacked the strength to even form those three words. Tears welled up in the Iga hime's eyes, but she blinked them away, not wanting to become blinded by them. She forced her eyes open again, despite the pain and the sick feeling. She didn't know how much time she had left, and she wanted to burn the sight of him holding on to her into her memory. After a few moments, her eyes closed again, but the expression on her face was far from peaceful.
Gennosuke could sense that she was slipping away from him, slowly but surely, and he knew that he didn't have much time to get her to shore. Wrapping one arm tightly around Oboro's waist, he began to swim in the opposite direction from where he had entered the water, hoping that they had floated far enough down that they would not be noticed. Neither one of them would ever live in peace if it were known that they both still survived. As he reached the opposite shore, he looked down to see Oboro's eyes closed, and noticed that her breathing was becoming more shallow and laboured the more time went on. Very carefully, he picked his love up and set her down on dry land, then pulled himself up next to her, collapsing from the effort. Slowly, he pulled himself to his feet, and picked Oboro up in his arms, carrying her like a child. He needed to find shelter for them, it was almost dark, and she needed to rest.
After walking for what seemed like hours, Gennosuke happened upon a small cave, almost completely hidden by underbrush. He laid the unconscious Oboro down in the grass, and pulled the brush aside, trying to see if it would be big enough to shelter them for the next few nights, at least until Oboro had time to rest and heal a bit. He crawled inside, and noticed that there was bedding left there. This cave must have been used as a hideout for thieves, he thought to himself. From the looks of things, it had long since been abandonned, and would serve as the perfect place for he and Oboro to hide until she was well enough to continue. He took a few moments to arrange a crude bed out of the blankets, then went out and carried Oboro inside, laying her down on the pile of bedding. She stirred slightly, and moaned, quite obviously in pain. Gennosuke put a hand to her forehead, and was alarmed by how warm she felt. He leaned down to kiss his hime gently on the cheek.
"Rest easy, Oboro-sama. I won't be gone long."
He lingered a moment, taking in the sight of her. She looked so beautiful, even though her face was contorted in pain. Then he turned and reluctantly exited the cave. Even though spring was approaching fast, there was still a deep chill in the air, and he needed to gather firewood to keep himself and Oboro warm for the night.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Oboro drifted in and out of consciousness, her exhausted mind playing horrible games with her. In her dreams, first she stood across from Gennouske, much as they had been earlier in the day, but this time, something was different. In reality, Oboro harboured no ill feelings toward any of the Kouga, especially Gennosuke, but in her dream, she saw herself moving towards him, raising her sword and striking him down without so much as a second thought. She stood, bathed in his blood, with a smile on her face, elated by what she had done.
Then she found herself on the ship, alone with Tenzen. He was standing over her, trying to have his way with her, and no matter how many times she called out for Koushiro to save her, he never came. She felt Tenzen push her legs apart and enter her, tearing her apart as he forced himself into her. She screamed out in pain...
Oboro sat straight up to find herself face to face with a man she didn't recognize. She winced at the pain of movement, and then collapsed back into the blankets, too weak to move. The strange man stood over her, leering, and moved down to touch her face.
"My my, what a beauty we have here. But how did you end up in my cave, you sweet thing?"
Oboro was shaking as he moved closer and closer, and with every ounce of strength she had, she screamed out "Gennosuke-sama!!! Help me!!!!" Then her world faded to black as she went unconscious once more.
About a hundred yards away, Gennosuke heard his hime's scream, and running as fast as he could with the firewood still in his arms, he returned to the cave. He found a strange man standing over Oboro, holding a blade to her throat.
"Don't take another step," the thief said, "or I will slit her throat, and then dispense of you as well."
"Fool," whispered Gennosuke, "you don't know who you're dealing with."
In an instant, Gennosuke unleashed his Dojutsu once more, causing the thief to slit his own throat with his sword. His blood spattered all over both Oboro and Gennosuke, and he fell to the ground, twitching as he died. Gennosuke took the body and dragged it out, hiding it in the underbrush, then returned to Oboro's side. Her face was pale, and her skin felt very clammy. Gennosuke tore a piece of his clothing off, and covered it with the cold water he had in the canteen strapped to his belt. He laid the cloth on her forehead, and then turned to make a fire. When the flames were burning bright and hot, he pulled Oboro's limp body into his lap, and pulled her kimono down, exposing both her wound and her breasts. He was a bit distracted at the sight of her supple breasts, but he didn't have time to focus on that now.
Gennosuke tore another piece off of his clothing, and dipped it in the water he had warming by the fire. He took some herbs out of a pouch that he carried with him, and rubbed them onto the wet cloth, pressing it into the still bleeding wound. Oboro let out a small gasp, and he knew that the herbs were causing her great pain, but they would help the wound heal more quickly. Then he took another small piece of his kimono and tied it around her chest, holding the herbal compact in place.
Lucky for us that Hyouma taught me all about taking care of wounds and healing when I was his pupil, Gennosuke thought, and a wave of sadness hit him like a brick. He would miss his mentor more than any of the other Kouga, but he would miss them all, to some degree. But now, he had to focus on Oboro, and keeping her alive long enough for her to heal and be able to start their new life together.
He gathered her up in his arms, wrapping the blanket tightly around both of them. He wanted to hold her while she slept, just in case she didn't wake up. He was fairly sure that she would be ok, but there was always that doubt gnawing at the back of his mind, especially after all they had just been through. As the fire died down, Gennosuke allowed himself to close his eyes, and fell into a restless sleep, holding his love close.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Gennosuke's mind was full of hatred, but not towards the Iga, or even the other members of his own clan who had been so quick to judge, so quick to fight without even knowing the real reasons why. He wanted revenge on Hattori Hanzo IV, and the nanny Ofuku. His dreams were filled with bloodshed. First, he saw himself attacking Hanzo's compound, using his Dojutsu on all of the soldiers, forcing them to kill themselves. Then he was face to face with Hattori himself, and there was a great sword battle, but Gennosuke came out the victor. As Hattori kneeled in front of him, blood pouring from the many wounds caused by Gennosuke's sword, begging for forgiveness, Gennosuke simply smiled and said to him "This is for Oboro." and decapitated him without a single thought.
Then his dreams turned to Tenzen, the Iga ninja who had truly betrayed them all. This time, he stood face to face with Tenzen, and they fought vigorously. In the end, Gennosuke came out the victor, and Tenzen's body laid in many pieces, which Gennosuke then scattered so that the immortal ninja could not possibly pull himself back together.
"Gennosuke-sama," came Oboro's voice, soft and weak, and it shook him out of his dreams of vengence. "Gennosuke-sama, where are we?" she whispered softly, trying to raise her head to gaze into her eyes but wincing at the movement.
He lifted her off of him, and laid her down flat on the blankets, brushing her beautiful black hair out of her large, violet eyes. "Don't worry, Oboro-sama, we'll be safe here. It's an abandonned cave, that was used by theives. Just rest, you have nothing to worry about aside from getting better." He leaned down and kissed her forehead, relieved that her fever seemed to have broken somewhat.
"Gennosuke-sama, is all this blood...is it mine?" she asked, wincing with every word.
He looked into her eyes, not wanting to tell her about the strange man whom he had found in the cave when he came back after he heard her scream. But he also didn't want to alarm her, so he said to her, "No, Oboro-sama. There was one thief, who came back to this cave last night, when I was collecting firewood." He stood up, and put a few more twigs onto the dying fire, seeing that she was shivering from the cold. "He won't be coming back, I took care of him."
An expression of both fear and gratitude formed on Oboro's face, as she pulled him back down next to her. "You will always protect me, won't you koi? We will be alright, won't we?"
Gennosuke looked deep into Oboro's eyes, and laid his hand gently on her cheek. "Yes, Oboro-sama, we will be alright. I promise you, I will never let anyone hurt you again. Please try to rest, sweet hime. I need to go out and get fresh water, and gather more herbs to take care of your wound. Just lie still, and close your eyes. I will be back soon." He leaned over and kissed his beautiful love on the forehead, then brought the blankets up over her to keep her warm and hidden from anymore intruders who may stumble upon the cave. Then he stood up, gathering a bowl and basket that had been left behind, and went to get what he needed for the day.
When he stepped outside, the sun was just beginning to rise again, and the scenery was beautifully bathed in a pink-hued golden light. He couldn't believe that she had made it through the night, but that was a good sign. He walked off, back to the stream in which they had been floating, and filled the bowl with water, filling his canteen as well. The he went deeper into the woods, hoping he could find the herbs he needed to continue healing the woman he loved.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Ofuku was beside herself with elation. Her charge, Takechiyo, was soon to be named heir to his grandfather's thrown. She was in quite a rush to get back to Sunpu Castle, not wanting the celebration to start without her. She was at least 2 days away, still, but was making good time. And yet there was a part of her that still could not believe that her side had won.
"Foolish Oboro," she muttered under her breath. "Her cowardice nearly ruined everything! Blinded by love, as if love is anything more than a useless emotion. Thankfully, that Kouga leader had some sense, and took the time to write on the scroll that the Iga had won." She shook her head, still furious with Oboro, but she supposed that didn't matter right now. The young hime was dead, as was Gennosuke of the Kouga. They wouldn't be able to interfere anymore, and maybe a time of peace could come to the country at last. "Can't you move any faster?" she yelled to the servants that were carrying her. "We need to get back there as soon as possible! Takechiyo's life may be in danger now, more than ever, and he needs me to protect him!" Then the vile old woman sat back with a smirk on her face, replaying the events of the previous day over and over in her head.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Very slowly, but just as surely, the scattered particles of the fallen sensei were being drawn into each other, gradually becoming larger parts of the ultimate whole...
~*~*~*~*~*~
Oboro's eyes were wide open, and she was sitting up slightly when Gennosuke returned to the cave. There were tears of pain running down her cheeks, and her hands were covered in dirt.
"Oboro-sama, why did you try to get up? You need to lie still, and rest," he said to her soothingly, wiping the dirt off of her hands with his clothing. He laid her down, and kissed her on the forehead; she felt warm again.
She looked up at him lovingly, and began to cry even more. "Gennosuke...koi...I awoke and I could not find you. I got scared, and I tried to go after you, but my body just wouldn't let me. I'm...I'm so sorry..." She held her right hand out to him, beckoning him to come closer.
"Oboro-hime, I apologize," he said, bowing his head and kneeling down next to her. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I should have awoken you before I went out, but you seemed to be sleeping so peacefully." He ran one hand through her hair, while taking her extended right hand into his, bringing it up to his lips and kissing it softly. A smile formed on his lips; the Iga hime's skin was so soft.
Oboro blushed a little as Gennosuke apologized and then kissed her hand, and for a moment a smile formed on her lips. Then she tried to raise her head to kiss him, and she cried out in pain. Blood started running slowly from her wound again, and on her face was a look of complete agony. Gennosuke wrapped his arm around her and lifted her onto his lap. He opened the top of her kimono, and poured fresh, cool water over the wound, and then sprinkled some dried, crushed herbs from his pouch directly onto her wound. Oboro winced and hissed from the burning sensation, and then went limp in Gennosuke's arms. He laid her down, and turned to wash the cloth that had been covering the wound earlier. He didn't have much of his clothing left to tear, so he would have to keep reusing this bandage. He then turned and made a paste out of some of the fresh herbs he had just gathered, and put it on the freshly washed bandage. He stood up and walked to Oboro's side. His hime's face was pale, and she was moaning softly. He laid the bandage down over top of the dried herbs, and then took the tie from his kimono to hold it in place, wrapping it around her small body easly three times. He then took the silky tie from her kimono and poured cool water over it, then tied it around Oboro's head, hoping to bring her fever down. Gennosuke then turned and started to boil water, using more of his dried herbs to make a tea. When it was done brewing, he added cool water to it and pressed the cup to Oboro's lips, pouring the warm water down her throat. He watched as she swallowed it down to the last drop, then sat down beside her.
"I'm so sorry, koi," he said quietly. "I never meant for you to get hurt. I would have gladly taken my own life than to have to see you suffer like this." He took her hand in his, and brought it up to his face, pressing it to his cheek. I would have stopped you, Oboro, if I had known this was what you meant to do. I never wanted anyone to hurt you, and then I let you do this to yourself. Please," his voice wavered slightly, "forgive me for being a coward." He was gazing lovingly into her closed eyes, almost willing them to open.
Oboro's eyes fluttered open, and met Gennosuke's loving gaze. Her eyes brightened, sparkling for the first time since they had last parted. "Gennosuke, I love you," she murmered, "I would never call you a coward. I had made up my mind, I couldn't kill you, and I knew you couldn't kill me either. So I tried to take my own life." Oboro paused, unsure of what to say next. She took a deep breath and coughed for a moment, but then was able to stop and speak again. "But you are not a coward, you didn't fail me. You saved me, koi. Deep down," she smiled at him, guiding his face down to her's, "I always knew you would..."
"Oboro," he whispered, his lips just above hers, "I will always protect you, and save you. I love you." He put his hands behind her head and lifted it gently up so their lips met, and he kissed her so gently but with fiery passion. He had waited far too long to find the courage to do this, and it hurt him deeply that he had been too cowardly before. He broke off the kiss reluctantly, and laid Oboro's head back down. "We both need to rest, koi. That tea will keep the pain under control for a few hours, so I will lie with you while you sleep." He stretched out next to her, and pulled her into his arms.
Oboro moved as close to Gennosuke as she could, leaning into his strong yet gentle embrace. "Just promise to never leave me, Gennosuke-sama," she said, just before her eyes closed and she fell into the most restful sleep of her life.
"I would be a fool to ever leave you again, Oboro-sama," he whispered into her ear, and then closed his eyes and slept quite restfully himself.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Ofuku's party had walked straight through the night, but her carriers were exhausted and needed to rest for a few hours before they could continue on. Ofuku was furious.
"We are still a day and a half away, even though we travelled straight through the night," she growled, glaring at every man around her. "You have only 6 hours to rest, and then we will walk all night again."
She sat back into the cushions and felt her blood begin to boil with rage. She had done all of this. She had been victorious. And the news was to have been delivered by her, not that foolish and weak Iga ninja's hawk. By the time Ofuku arrived at Sunpu Castle, the celebration would be well underway. Or, Takechiyou would be dead. Ofuku was sure that her rivals would not have given up, even once the heir had been chosen.
"Please be safe, Takechiyou-dono," she said aloud. "I will be back to protect you soon, my dear son." She then closed her eyes, and decided to get some rest herself.
~*~*~*~*~*~
At a very steady pace, the pieces of the whole were coming together, being drawn now into actual parts. It would not be long before all of the parts were complete, and then the parts would become one, runiting the whole and restoring the sensei to his former glory.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Gennosuke's eyes opened, and he looked over at the sleeping beauty in his arms. He moved her very carefully off of him, and stood up, unable to take his eyes off of her. Eventually he turned and went outside to get some fresh air. The smokiness of the cave was starting to get to him.
When he got to the entrance of the cave, he was surprised to see that it was approaching sunset. He took several deep breaths of fresh air, and stretched his sore body Then he went back inside, and leaned over Oboro.
"Koi, it is almost sunset. Are you feeling well enough to come outside and watch it with me?"
Oboro looked at him and smiled. "Carry me, Gennosuke. I would love to watch the sunset with you."
He lifted her gently into his arms, cradling her close to his chest, and took her outside. They walked to the edge of the stream, Oboro's arms wrapped around his neck, staring at his face, watching the way his hair moved in the slight breeze. She smiled, watching the suns rays bring out the golden highlights in his jet black hair. The hime winced slightly as Gennosuke settled down and sat on the ground, setting her gently in his lap and then turning her so her back was resting against his chest.
He lifted her gently into his arms, cradling her close to his chest, and took her outside. They walked to the edge of the stream, Oboro's arms wrapped around his neck, staring at his face, watching the way his hair moved in the slight breeze. She smiled, watching the suns rays bring out the golden highlights in his jet black hair. The hime winced slightly as Gennosuke settled down and sat on the ground, setting her gently in his lap and then turning her so her back was resting against his chest.
"Are you comfortable, koi?" he whispered sweetly in her ear.
She snuggled into him, his body heat keeping her warm. "Yes, Gennosuke. I am more comfortable than I have ever been." She craned her neck to look up at his face, and he looked down into her violet eyes. "I love you," she said, the sunlight dancing in those beautiful yet deadly eyes.
"I love you too, Oboro," he said, getting lost in her gaze.
Instinctively, he laid down on his back, letting her lie almost on top of him, with his arm around her slender waist. She wrapped her right arm up around him, and laid her head on his chest. They laid in each others arms, and watched the sunset, two hearts beating as one. Eventually, they both closed their eyes and fell asleep.