[VF fic] The Warlord and the Ninja
Since the reveal has been posted, I'll be posting the three fics I wrote for Career Fest on Yamane comm. This is the first.
Title: The Warlord and the Ninja
Pairing/Characters: Asami/Takaba, Kirishima
Prompt Scenario: Aki is a trained assassin and Asami is his target
Warnings/Spoilers: a Naruto-like ninja talent, historical
Disclaimer: Yamane-sensei owns the characters
Rating: PG-13
The book is old, filled with tales from ages long past; but it always opens naturally to the first, a favorite of its owner.
The Warlord and the Ninja
"Asami-dono, news of two more came in today." A stray breeze whipped at the plain gray cloth of the general's tent, making the lantern flicker and the cloth snap. Giving no sign that he'd noticed, Asami stood to one side near his strategy table, calm, intent on the map before him. He was dressed simply as was his habit at the end of the day, his battle armor on the frame designed for it in the far corner. His sword lay closer at hand, but it was a measure of his trust in Kirishima that he didn't even glance at it when he entered.
"Who this time?"
"Lord Nitta. Lord Hojo."
"How was it done?"
"You should first know that it's very difficult to get any information about this. Their people have closed ranks, like the others before. The verifiable details we've been able to glean are sketchy at best."
"That's to be expected. But if there's information out there, that brain of yours will have found it." Asami waved a hand signaling him to continue. "What have you heard?"
Kirishima quickly bent down, pretending to check the fire, hoping Asami wouldn't notice his embarrassed face at the praise, knowing that Asami noticed everything. There was no difference between him and the rest of Asami's men, living and dying for their lord's approval. He was generous beyond belief with them, and they gave back unswerving loyalty, almost worshipfulness. Who else would see value in a man like me, when I can barely see across a tent, much less a battlefield? Asami finds use for everyone, and makes us all feel valued.
Just to cover himself, he poked at the wood a bit more though he knew nothing of building fires because Suoh always took care of it, and made a complete mess as logs fell everywhere. Asami sighed and put the rolling logs back onto the fire and pointed at a chair.
"Kirishima. Stop overthinking things. Your mind is clicking like one of those Chinese suanpan you love and I can hear it from over here. Sit. And continue."
He wouldn't be surprised if Asami could actually- he caught sight of Asami's face, both exasperated and amused and raced on, "Yes, my lord. I apologize. There was no commotion at either compound until the deaths were discovered. It appears to have been a small team, perhaps even a single man who made his way in and assassinated both of them."
"No one was caught," he quickly added before he was asked. Asami's lips twitched and he nodded at him to go on.
"What we’ve not been able to determine is the method, or what they were doing when they were killed. All kinds of rumors are flying around, from shape shifters and wizards to suicide over love. None sound like truth. But we will find it."
"They don't want us to know their weaknesses so they're spreading rumors. But without their heads, they'll soon be weak enough from infighting that the rest won't matter." Asami settled into a chair across from his, none of the tension his men felt evident in him. "Interesting, that he got into those compounds and out without anyone noticing. Hojo, the upstart, perhaps had undisciplined troops, but Nitta..." Asami's voice trailed off, a note of sadness in it.
"You enjoyed fighting him..."
"He was... a challenge. I will miss that, but not too much." A rare soft laugh from his lord startled him. "He must have thought I sent the assassin. I would have enjoyed seeing his face at the end."
Kirishima turned back to the matter that most concerned him and kept it concise. "Suoh has tripled the guards around camp. He'd also like to hire some of the ninja from the Hidden Village. They could be here by sundown. With your permission...."
"Do so. They stay bought. Ask them if they have any insight into who's capable of doing this. Their opinions would be interesting."
"My thoughts as well. But Asami-dono..." He hesitated after the reprimand earlier.
"You know I value your counsel, Kirishima. It's just that you need to learn to rely a little more on instinct rather than analyzing something to the last detail." Asami's tone was fond, cajoling him into relaxing and speaking his mind. As if they were friends... His mind and mouth stuttered at the thought.
"Of... Of course I'll try..."
"Yes, yes, until that mind of yours starts noticing things again. Now what have you noticed this time?"
"But I'm sure you've also discerned the pattern? The deaths have been circling around you, drawing closer at each turn."
"Ah, I've seen it." Asami's gaze fell to the small fire in the center of the tent. Kirishima saw a spark in his eyes that only seemed to appear when they were playing a particularly good game of shogi.
"You are his target."
"Obviously, but perhaps the end game will surprise him."
"He wants your death, Asami-dono. He will not succeed."
Those keenly intelligent eyes focused on him for a second, amusement in their depths. "Not in the way he expects, no."
--
It was the night of the new moon, and the camp with its fires and torches stood out like a jewel in the dark surrounding woods. Takaba Akihito surveyed the camp from well outside the perimeter. Asami had been smart and cut down trees within an arrow's distance from the edge, so any spies or attackers would have difficulty getting close enough to do damage without being seen. Any but him.
He smiled grimly, excitement rising despite the years of practice he'd had in keeping his cool. His eagerness was, his father said, both his best and his worst trait. But this was a challenge he'd been looking forward to for a long time. And not just to shove his skills into the bastard's face. Calling me an untalented brat that couldn't possibly be a Takaba...
He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to get angry. He needed to concentrate on the mission. Eyes flickering from guard to guard, he started to analyze his best approach, but it soon became clear that more information was needed.
The distance would make it hard for most people to figure out what was going on inside. But most didn't have his particular family's talent. He closed his eyes and focused his thoughts. The image came in a flash, a full rendering of the camp, one he was able to turn and focus in on as if he stood where he was looking, seeing the positions of all guards, all weapons, anything that interested him. Except, evidently, the one thing that interested him most.
He swore softly. Either Asami wasn't there, or he had some protection against the Takaba talent that made him invisible to their eyes. Ordinarily such protection wouldn't be an issue. He'd just look for the biggest and most gaudy tent, the way he had the other night with Hojo, and find his target there.
Asami, however, used a tent like all his other men. Takaba wondered if the man had a fox spirit as an ancestor. He bent back to his task, maintaining his vision, but nothing stood out from just a single glimpse and he sighed in frustration. There was another way; it was just much more draining and he needed to reserve as much energy as possible. But it looked like he had no choice. He released his vision, then immediately recreated it. Then again. Twice every minute he did this, and each time it grew a little harder.
At ten minutes a sharp pain was developing in his forehead. But he hadn't seen what he was looking for and he pressed on. At twenty minutes he cursed Asami with every foul name he remembered from his barracks duty. Could the warlord have anticipated one of his family coming? Impossible. Takaba shook his head, agony at the motion causing sweat to run down his neck. His vision slipped away and this time his curse was for himself. He needed to regain his center.
Looking up through the trees he sought a star, any star. They'd been his companions from the time he first noticed them. The sun and moon, his enemies, covered them up. But on moonless nights like this one they danced in the skies for him, and tonight was no exception. There, among the branches, a sliver of sky with flickering light. He smiled at the beauty of it and calm washed over him. He'd never pushed himself so far, but this is what he'd trained for. He closed his eyes and began again.
By changing his visions frequently he watched the movements of men around the camp. Most were random, but a pattern slowly emerged that centered on three tents. The first, the one that had the most traffic, was surrounded by common soldiers moving in and about. No doubt it was Asami's left hand, Suoh, directing the placement of troops. The second had a different sort of traffic, the people who were the troops' support, and others that Takaba recognized as ninja from the Hidden Village. Takaba grinned. He'd run into them before. They had nothing that could stop him.
He knew that tent had to be Kirishima Kei's. It was rumored that Kirishima's lack of keen physical sight only made his insights that much more formidable. The fact that he was Asami's right hand man meant that rumor was true. A messenger darted out from Kirishima's toward the last tent.
Takaba smiled with satisfaction. The last tent, now that one was interesting. There was traffic, but only from the other two tents. That one, he knew, contained the man he had come to kill.
Constantly checking the placement of men in his vicinity, he slipped down through them like water between reeds, and made his way easily into the camp until he crouched at the one section of Asami's tent that was in shadow. He tilted a sheath forward and let a knife quietly fall into his hand. He was exhausted from using his talent so much, but now other talents came into play.
He tried once more to sense the man or men within the tent, but he saw nothing that looked human, only a desk, a table, some chairs, an armor stand. But no one had approached in the last fifteen minutes and it was silent inside, so he was pretty sure if Asami was there, he was alone. A surge of excitement pulsed along his nerves. He willed them quiet, but they were like horses before a race, not quite obeying. His hands shook slightly as he quietly slit the bottom of the cloth near the darkest corner, just enough to allow him entrance underneath.
He stilled himself, lowering his eye to the very ground to look under the wall as he lifted it with the tip of his knife. Nothing. Just the desk and chair he'd sensed to the right. Maybe he was elsewhere. Screwing some soldier, no doubt. Well, he'd find company here when he returned. Takaba bit back on a growl and started to slide under the flap he'd cut.
Something grabbed him and jerked him through, and he lay flat on his back, blinking into a lantern held right over his face. As surprised as he was, it was nothing compared to the shock of the words he heard.
"I've been expecting you, Takaba Akihito."
The face of the man behind the lantern was obscured, but he recognized the deep voice. He'd only heard it once before but it set everything in him vibrating, like the plucked string of a shamisen.
He said nothing but he held his body tense, waiting for an opening. And as long as he was alive, there would always be an opening.
Asami hadn't killed him immediately, which meant he wanted something, most likely information. He had to know he couldn't buy a Takaba from his contract. Only the original client could release him, and he was pretty sure that wasn't Asami. That meant his window of opportunity was small. He gathered his muscles.
A chuckle surprised him. "You're still like a wild animal. Less of an angry chipmunk now than you were, maybe, and something a little more lithe." A hand reached down from behind the light to grasp his chin, turning his face so it could be examined first from one side, then the other. "And much prettier than you were at ten, with all that baby fat."
He stopped breathing for a moment, the released it explosively. "What...? How did you know...?" He remembered? There were too many questions going through his mind.
"Did you think I wouldn't realized which talent was required to perform the tricks you've been playing over the last few months? Someone from your family had to be involved, and you were the obvious choice. Not all situations required it, but Nitta... That was your mistake. You couldn't have got to him any other way. You showed your hand there."
Dammit. The scowl must have shown on his face, because one of the fingers on his jaw traced it. He tried to pull away from the distracting touch but the grip on him was firm.
"I knew you'd be coming for me. I'd heard rumors about the young man you'd grown up to be, but I was curious to see for myself."
That kind of pissed him off, enough to snarl a little. "If you'd wanted to see me, you knew where I was!"
"What would I want with a child? I knew we'd meet again someday, when you might be a little more interesting. Are you here by contract, or because you want to kill me personally for some imagined slight?"
"I never kill at my own whim. Some people have discipline and morals."
"You're very agitated for someone who doesn't have a personal stake in all of this. Or should I say, very excited?" The hand on his face slipped down his chest to rest between his legs. He felt his face heat, and his cock stiffen. "It seems I hit the target," Asami murmured, his large palm encasing Takaba like a hot glove. One that knew just where to squeeze.
Takaba found himself falling into the cadence of the man's speech, and to the touch of fingers that seemed to cause a sorcerous haze. He knew he had to break the spell, and grasped at his training, trying to analyze the situation. Now is the time to act, he chided himself. The target is distracted. He saw instantly what needed to be done and made his move. It felt like time slowed to a crawl.
His right hand still held his knife. His left arm swung up to knock the lamp aside, his body twisting so his right leg could come free, his knee aiming for Asami's kidney, his knife for Asami's throat. The lamp gone, he saw Asami's face and it stunned him. Instead of surprise and despair, he saw delight and utter victory.
In the second that it made him hesitate, he knew he'd missed his chance. In the next second he was on his stomach, his own knife at his throat, the heavy weight of Asami on his back. The knife didn't scare him, though it should have. The hardness against his ass did, because that was something he'd been wondering about for years, telling himself how abhorrent it was only to find the real thing was arousing him like nothing had before. He made himself think of the job, of his goal. It was getting more difficult to focus.
There will be another chance. I am alive. There will always be another so long as I don't stop fighting. I will kill him.
A breath was warm and intimate against his ear and he bit back a moan at the words. "You'll never stop, will you? I wonder how far I could push you until you'd break?"
Strangely, that calmed him. "But you wouldn't, would you? You're ruthless, but you never misuse your men."
He felt Asami still at his back. "Oh? Are you claiming to be mine, Takaba?"
"You know I'm not. But you're wondering if I could be, and you don't waste resources. I'm good. The best. Admit it, what I've done will help you in the future."
Asami lifted himself up, taking Takaba with him, keeping hold of him. Takaba's wrists were tied behind his back. He didn't care. There wasn't a knot he couldn't untie. He tested the bonds, then frowned.
"It's one of my specialties. You'll stay that way until I want to release you."
Takaba made it his goal to escape before that happened, if only to shove the silk bindings in his captor's face.
"Sit." He was shoved into a chair.
"Sake?" His head was forcibly tilted back. He pressed his lips together. "Have it your way. It's excellent." Asami drank from the cup, watching him. "It's not even drugged." Takaba remained resolute.
Asami leaned closer, close enough that Takaba could smell the alcohol. Good, let him get drunk. It will only make him die sooner. Sparks seemed to fly from the lips that brushed his, jolting him. He jerked his head back.
What was that?
The corner of Asami's mouth raised, and Takaba found himself wanting to lick it so he could feel that sensation again. He shook his head and flexed his wrists once more, looking for a weakness in the bindings.
Asami didn't give him a chance. This time the lips crashed down on his, forcing them open, the sake flowing into his mouth, chased by a tongue that didn't let him think. It plunged in, stroking places he'd never noticed existed until they were teased by this man. His heart started racing, some need in him building that he instinctively knew only Asami could fill. But when he tried to reach for what he wanted the bonds stopped him, throwing him back into the reality of the situation. He tore his head from Asami's grasp and glared, even as he panted.
Asami retreated to his seat an arm's length away and relaxed there, still holding his cup. "Do you remember the time we met before? What a brat, challenging me to a fight with nothing but a garden hoe. I thought you were the groundskeeper's son the way you were handling it."
"I thought you were hurting Hideki." He blushed at the memory. With a little age had come the wisdom that Hideki's cries hadn't exactly been those of pain.
"You've thought of it since, haven't you?"
"Of course I have! All I hear about are your exploits and every single time it reminds me. You... you called me an idiot child who couldn't fight with a stick much less a sword. Like you were anything but a dissolute ravisher of young men."
Asami choked on his drink. "A... what? Where did you hear that term, in a woman's pavilion?" He snorted softly. "And are you disappointed, Takaba, that I haven't ravished you? I was trying but you resisted so. You can't possibly know how much that excites me..."
"Look at you, you're the same as ever," Takaba said with disgust. "A general in the shogunate, one of the most powerful men in the land, and looking like... like..." Asami lounged in his chair, relaxed but eyes sharp, the silk of his shirt and pants doing nothing to disguise the body beneath it. Every so often he shifted, and the cloth went taut over the shape of the hard muscles beneath.
"Like...?" Asami prompted.
He was losing his edge. That was it. He was tired, and losing his edge. His arms strained at the ties, hoping the pain would let him focus. "Like a whore."
Asami didn't seem insulted, just curious. "Would you like that? To buy me? I'm surprised. You seem so... inhibited." He suddenly sat up, as if an idea had just occurred. "I'll do it. One night, re-enacting everything in your boyish dreams of me. We could even hold hands, you and I."
That stopped Takaba dead in his struggles. "You'd sell yourself? For what? I have no money."
"For your loyalty, of course."
"Go fuck yourself."
"If I could, I'd have done that years ago."
"Pervert."
"I have to take pleasure where I can."
"Why can't you take anything seriously?"
Asami's voice hardened. "You mean the thousands of men who've died for me? The enemies who want to kill more? This is a war, Takaba, and you're a tool I'll pay anything to have. Yes, even to selling myself if it keeps more of my men alive. And your talent would do that."
Takaba's head dropped. He couldn't let his face be seen. Buried inside that tirade was the one thing he'd been seeking, acknowledgement of worth.
To be acknowledged by the one who'd scorned him so long ago... When he was growing up everyone else had babied and spoiled him, but not this man. And it had slowly burned and turned into the fire that made him push to get better every day. Until this moment when he had to kill the very person who'd helped make him what he'd become, a perfect instrument of death.
But an ache was building in his chest. His father had often reprimanded him for not stopping to think of consequences. I found him. I'll kill him. Then what? No one else had had this effect, had made him want to strive so hard to better himself. What would it be like once he was gone? He didn't like the feelings of emptiness and aimlessness the thought was arousing in him. He couldn't afford them. He couldn't afford any of these feelings if he was to finish this job.
When. When, he meant.
He shook his head and asked tiredly, "What are you thinking? Don't you get it? It doesn't matter what you offer, we already took a contract. I can't stop until you're dead."
"Would you?"
"Would I what?"
"Would you work for me, if there were no other contract?"
"Of course I would. If you paid the fee, I'd do the job. But I can't because there is another contract."
"Forget the contract for a moment. And I'm not talking about another. No contract. No fee. If you could, would you freely fight at my side? Japan is torn apart right now with these wars. It needs a common leader. And I need capable men to help me unite it."
He'd always followed news of Asami closely. The threads suddenly came together in his head. He sucked in his breath at this man's audacity. "You want to be shogun... And for altruistic reasons I'm sure."
"Don't mistake me for a kind man. But this country... it won't be a place where a man can thrive if this continues. And no one else seems capable of doing the job, so I will."
Takaba raised his head to stare. Asami's eyes weren't fastened upon him anymore. He was seeing something else that he wanted, and there was a conviction there that for a second made Takaba yearn to follow him. Takaba knew the words about their country were true. It was falling apart. He'd seen order disintegrating, and, he admitted, his family was adding to it. If only...
"But it cannot happen, Asami." His voice was soft with regret.
"Would you if you could?"
"You won't let this go, will you? Then yes, if I were free of all obligation, I'd help you. Even though the war means my family's wealth and influence grows, yes I'd help, because I'm sick of it, working for one group only to turn around and kill them the next minute. We have a reputation for keeping our contracts. We stay bought. Because if we didn't have that, we'd have nothing."
"Do you swear that that's true, Takaba Akihito?"
Something in Asami's tone made him wary. "How can you swear to something that only might have been?"
"Do you swear?"
They stared each other down. He had no idea what was driving this conversation, only that it was important to Asami. As for him, wasn't this what he'd been striving for all these years? To have Asami want him as an equal beside him? His anger at Asami no longer mattered. All he felt was a sadness that this vision of them working together could never be real.
He sighed. Why not tell him the truth? He wouldn't be alive much longer. "Fine. I swear. I swear that I wish we really could work together to make this country right again, and were I free to do so I would. But what good does that do?"
"Kirishima."
The entrance to the tent parted and tall squinting fellow entered, his body stiff with annoyance. "Asami-dono. You really must learn to tell me when you're expecting guests."
"Such a wife. Open my chest, get the scroll with the green seal."
Takaba had glimpsed a ring of soldiers through the open flaps. He hadn't even noticed when they'd been surrounded. That was the power of this man. Why now? Why did he have to realize this only now?
It only took Kirishima a moment to find the scroll. "This one?" He pulled it close to his face, examining the seal more closely. "What is this...?"
"Show it to him, so he knows it's a true seal."
The scroll was thrust under his nose. It was the seal of his house. The three tiny notches they'd placed in it to prevent counterfeiting were present. "It is real," he acknowledged, confused.
Asami pretended nonchalance, but Takaba could see it was a veneer over something else. He felt the air change like lightning was about to strike.
"Open it and read it to him."
"I, Takaba Akiuji..."
Takaba sat straight up. Father?
"...make this contract in this second year of Kenmu with Asami Ryuichi for the services of my son Takaba Akihito, a fulfillment of a promise made eleven years ago in return for saving my life."
From back then... Why did no one tell me? Takaba stared at Asami in shock. Asami, his eyes fixed on Kirishima, rolled his shoulders as if made uncomfortable by the hint of a good deed resting on them.
"Asami Ryuichi has requested the deaths of the following people...." Kirishima paused, looking the list over silently. There was a crease in his forehead that deepened as he read until he exploded at the last line. "Asami Ryuichi!" His voice was laced with frustration and anger.
"Is there a problem? I needed to know his true capabilities." The words were cool. The two men glared at each other for some time before Asami relented. "Kei, I knew you could protect me."
Sighing, Kirishima's eyes dropped back to the parchment. "Yet here he sits. We're not done with this."
Asami relaxed again. "I'm sure we're not. But please continue. You may skip the list."
"The methods of death are at the assassin's discretion, but they are to be accomplished within the spring months of this year, after which Takaba Akihito is to understand that his last target for this contract is Asami Ryuichi. Cancellation of the contract is only by command of Asami Ryuichi or his right hand, Kirishima Kei."
There was a another brief pause, and the widened eyes of Kirishima met those of his lord in a look that Takaba almost felt he shouldn't be seeing. Instead of embarrassment though, he felt only anger that someone else had that privilege. Of course Asami had a lover, and of course he'd be the one on the contract.
"It's signed by you and Takaba-dono and co-signed by the two other Takaba elders." Taking a deep breath Kirishima lowered the contract. "Should I leave now?"
"No. Release him. And I'll take the contract." Asami held out his hand, then slid to the table holding his writing tools. He began writing across the bottom.
Kirishima pulled a knife from a sheath at his waist and walked toward Takaba, trying to focus on him. He bent when he reached the chair, his face within inches, examining him. Takaba could smell sweet tea on his breath.
"Asami-dono has complained that I don't trust my instincts, so against what my head is telling me I'm going to do so now. I've never known a Takaba to break his word. And considering how adamant you were about it here this evening, I truly believe you will not. But just so we understand one another..."
Takaba didn't bother looking down, but he felt the prick of a blade low on his belly. He said nothing, only glared at his rival.
"It's not what you think." Kirishima spoke softly, "though it would have been had he wished it. But I'm not his type."
"How do you know what I think?"
Kirishima smirked. "I don't need clear vision to read body language. You aren't hiding your jealousy at all. Maybe you can't read him yet but he's exultant about it, seeing the way he's affecting you. In fact I've never seen him this way."
"I'm not-"
"Don't bother denying it. But if in your denial you harm him..."
"Why would I? Killing is business. My business here is done."
Kirishima's face was a picture of disbelief. "Haven't you been listening? Well no matter, he'll enjoy teaching you what you need to understand."
He moved behind Takaba to cut the silken bonds. Takaba waited. He couldn't help feeling a little glee as Kirishima lifted the already-loosened material from his wrists.
He appeared close in front of Takaba again, this time his gaze speculative, and laid the strip of cloth in Takaba's lap. "I think I'll let him find out about this little talent on his own," he mused, a smile playing about his lips. "He deserves to be brought down a notch after the past few days." With that he turned and he moved back to his master's side, leaving Takaba unsure of what to make of him, only knowing he never wanted to get on his bad side.
"He's free, Asami-dono."
"Witness this, then you may leave. Release the men outside as well."
Kirishima added a line, then withdrew with a slight bow, his eyes twinkling a little as he glanced at Takaba.
Asami's eyes narrowed. "What was that about?"
Takaba shrugged. "No idea."
"You're a poor liar, and I'll have the truth from you. But first, come here." He held out a brush.
Takaba rose, his muscles aching a little, but wasn't about to allow a limp to show as he approached the desk. The contract had an addendum:
The terms of the contract have been fulfilled. There is no further debt between the Takaba and Asami. Cancelled by my hand, 5th day of Sanaetsuki, Kenmu 2. Asami Ryuichi
Witnessed, 5th day of Sanaetsuki, Kenmu 2. Kirishima Kei
Takaba scribbled a line below the others.
Recognized and agreed, 5th day of Sanaetsuki, Kenmu 2. Takaba Akihito
He pulled his seal from the pouch at his waist and affixed it.
And then found himself in the lap of his former target.
He lifted his eyes to meet Asami's fierce stare. It seemed to be laying claim to him on every level.
"Why? Why all this pretense when you could have bought my services?"
"Men who serve by contract fight by the letter of it. I want men at my side who are here by choice, who give me their spirit and heart. Your body alone is not enough."
Takaba wondered how many of the other men got this talk. "My body alone would have to be enough. I don't share." A knife Asami had missed dropped into his hand and he pressed the point to Asami's crotch. "And I can enforce that."
His captor's eyes danced. "I'll keep that in mind. And agree to your terms. Will you swear, Takaba Akihito, to my service?" The look Asami was giving him asked him for everything. Takaba wasn't willing to give him that yet, not by any stretch of the imagination. But to fight for a greater good at this person's side... After all, he'd been chasing him for eleven years already.
"I'll fight for your cause. This I swear. But I'll only swear personal loyalty to you if I find you worthy."
Asami's mouth lifted slightly in a small smile. "And if you don't find me worthy?"
"I'll teach you to be, you degenerate lecher." Takaba raised his chin so their mouths were close.
Asami laughed softly as he bent his head down. "I look forward to you trying."
As their lips met again, this time sealing new promises, neither one really had a clue as to what they were setting in motion, only that for the first time for both of them everything finally felt right. They broke apart, both now breathing heavily, foreheads resting on one another's, and Asami whispered into his ear.
"Well then, Takaba, shall we change the world?"
The stars danced in the sky that night with joy for their friend, and astrologers wondered who was so lucky to have been blessed with the portents that filled the heavens.
They soon found out.
*~*~*
"Most contracts exist on paper, which crumbles with the passing of the years. Some are written on men's hearts, lasting as long as the hearts are true. A few are deeper still, ties of blood and fate that last past the death of the makers to live in their sons and daughters. And once in a very great while, a bond is formed so deep that it passes into legend, to last as long as people continue to sing songs and tell stories.
Until one witnesses such a thing, it defies belief. But I have seen it, and gift this book of tales to you on your wedding day in hopes that the legends are not over.
With love,
Your friend,
Liu Fei Long, Hong Kong Island, 2019"
Written on a note tucked into the opening pages of "Tales of a Warlord and his Ninja"
Found in the personal library of Asami Akihito
~end~
Title: The Warlord and the Ninja
Pairing/Characters: Asami/Takaba, Kirishima
Prompt Scenario: Aki is a trained assassin and Asami is his target
Warnings/Spoilers: a Naruto-like ninja talent, historical
Disclaimer: Yamane-sensei owns the characters
Rating: PG-13
The book is old, filled with tales from ages long past; but it always opens naturally to the first, a favorite of its owner.
The Warlord and the Ninja
"Asami-dono, news of two more came in today." A stray breeze whipped at the plain gray cloth of the general's tent, making the lantern flicker and the cloth snap. Giving no sign that he'd noticed, Asami stood to one side near his strategy table, calm, intent on the map before him. He was dressed simply as was his habit at the end of the day, his battle armor on the frame designed for it in the far corner. His sword lay closer at hand, but it was a measure of his trust in Kirishima that he didn't even glance at it when he entered.
"Who this time?"
"Lord Nitta. Lord Hojo."
"How was it done?"
"You should first know that it's very difficult to get any information about this. Their people have closed ranks, like the others before. The verifiable details we've been able to glean are sketchy at best."
"That's to be expected. But if there's information out there, that brain of yours will have found it." Asami waved a hand signaling him to continue. "What have you heard?"
Kirishima quickly bent down, pretending to check the fire, hoping Asami wouldn't notice his embarrassed face at the praise, knowing that Asami noticed everything. There was no difference between him and the rest of Asami's men, living and dying for their lord's approval. He was generous beyond belief with them, and they gave back unswerving loyalty, almost worshipfulness. Who else would see value in a man like me, when I can barely see across a tent, much less a battlefield? Asami finds use for everyone, and makes us all feel valued.
Just to cover himself, he poked at the wood a bit more though he knew nothing of building fires because Suoh always took care of it, and made a complete mess as logs fell everywhere. Asami sighed and put the rolling logs back onto the fire and pointed at a chair.
"Kirishima. Stop overthinking things. Your mind is clicking like one of those Chinese suanpan you love and I can hear it from over here. Sit. And continue."
He wouldn't be surprised if Asami could actually- he caught sight of Asami's face, both exasperated and amused and raced on, "Yes, my lord. I apologize. There was no commotion at either compound until the deaths were discovered. It appears to have been a small team, perhaps even a single man who made his way in and assassinated both of them."
"No one was caught," he quickly added before he was asked. Asami's lips twitched and he nodded at him to go on.
"What we’ve not been able to determine is the method, or what they were doing when they were killed. All kinds of rumors are flying around, from shape shifters and wizards to suicide over love. None sound like truth. But we will find it."
"They don't want us to know their weaknesses so they're spreading rumors. But without their heads, they'll soon be weak enough from infighting that the rest won't matter." Asami settled into a chair across from his, none of the tension his men felt evident in him. "Interesting, that he got into those compounds and out without anyone noticing. Hojo, the upstart, perhaps had undisciplined troops, but Nitta..." Asami's voice trailed off, a note of sadness in it.
"You enjoyed fighting him..."
"He was... a challenge. I will miss that, but not too much." A rare soft laugh from his lord startled him. "He must have thought I sent the assassin. I would have enjoyed seeing his face at the end."
Kirishima turned back to the matter that most concerned him and kept it concise. "Suoh has tripled the guards around camp. He'd also like to hire some of the ninja from the Hidden Village. They could be here by sundown. With your permission...."
"Do so. They stay bought. Ask them if they have any insight into who's capable of doing this. Their opinions would be interesting."
"My thoughts as well. But Asami-dono..." He hesitated after the reprimand earlier.
"You know I value your counsel, Kirishima. It's just that you need to learn to rely a little more on instinct rather than analyzing something to the last detail." Asami's tone was fond, cajoling him into relaxing and speaking his mind. As if they were friends... His mind and mouth stuttered at the thought.
"Of... Of course I'll try..."
"Yes, yes, until that mind of yours starts noticing things again. Now what have you noticed this time?"
"But I'm sure you've also discerned the pattern? The deaths have been circling around you, drawing closer at each turn."
"Ah, I've seen it." Asami's gaze fell to the small fire in the center of the tent. Kirishima saw a spark in his eyes that only seemed to appear when they were playing a particularly good game of shogi.
"You are his target."
"Obviously, but perhaps the end game will surprise him."
"He wants your death, Asami-dono. He will not succeed."
Those keenly intelligent eyes focused on him for a second, amusement in their depths. "Not in the way he expects, no."
--
It was the night of the new moon, and the camp with its fires and torches stood out like a jewel in the dark surrounding woods. Takaba Akihito surveyed the camp from well outside the perimeter. Asami had been smart and cut down trees within an arrow's distance from the edge, so any spies or attackers would have difficulty getting close enough to do damage without being seen. Any but him.
He smiled grimly, excitement rising despite the years of practice he'd had in keeping his cool. His eagerness was, his father said, both his best and his worst trait. But this was a challenge he'd been looking forward to for a long time. And not just to shove his skills into the bastard's face. Calling me an untalented brat that couldn't possibly be a Takaba...
He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to get angry. He needed to concentrate on the mission. Eyes flickering from guard to guard, he started to analyze his best approach, but it soon became clear that more information was needed.
The distance would make it hard for most people to figure out what was going on inside. But most didn't have his particular family's talent. He closed his eyes and focused his thoughts. The image came in a flash, a full rendering of the camp, one he was able to turn and focus in on as if he stood where he was looking, seeing the positions of all guards, all weapons, anything that interested him. Except, evidently, the one thing that interested him most.
He swore softly. Either Asami wasn't there, or he had some protection against the Takaba talent that made him invisible to their eyes. Ordinarily such protection wouldn't be an issue. He'd just look for the biggest and most gaudy tent, the way he had the other night with Hojo, and find his target there.
Asami, however, used a tent like all his other men. Takaba wondered if the man had a fox spirit as an ancestor. He bent back to his task, maintaining his vision, but nothing stood out from just a single glimpse and he sighed in frustration. There was another way; it was just much more draining and he needed to reserve as much energy as possible. But it looked like he had no choice. He released his vision, then immediately recreated it. Then again. Twice every minute he did this, and each time it grew a little harder.
At ten minutes a sharp pain was developing in his forehead. But he hadn't seen what he was looking for and he pressed on. At twenty minutes he cursed Asami with every foul name he remembered from his barracks duty. Could the warlord have anticipated one of his family coming? Impossible. Takaba shook his head, agony at the motion causing sweat to run down his neck. His vision slipped away and this time his curse was for himself. He needed to regain his center.
Looking up through the trees he sought a star, any star. They'd been his companions from the time he first noticed them. The sun and moon, his enemies, covered them up. But on moonless nights like this one they danced in the skies for him, and tonight was no exception. There, among the branches, a sliver of sky with flickering light. He smiled at the beauty of it and calm washed over him. He'd never pushed himself so far, but this is what he'd trained for. He closed his eyes and began again.
By changing his visions frequently he watched the movements of men around the camp. Most were random, but a pattern slowly emerged that centered on three tents. The first, the one that had the most traffic, was surrounded by common soldiers moving in and about. No doubt it was Asami's left hand, Suoh, directing the placement of troops. The second had a different sort of traffic, the people who were the troops' support, and others that Takaba recognized as ninja from the Hidden Village. Takaba grinned. He'd run into them before. They had nothing that could stop him.
He knew that tent had to be Kirishima Kei's. It was rumored that Kirishima's lack of keen physical sight only made his insights that much more formidable. The fact that he was Asami's right hand man meant that rumor was true. A messenger darted out from Kirishima's toward the last tent.
Takaba smiled with satisfaction. The last tent, now that one was interesting. There was traffic, but only from the other two tents. That one, he knew, contained the man he had come to kill.
Constantly checking the placement of men in his vicinity, he slipped down through them like water between reeds, and made his way easily into the camp until he crouched at the one section of Asami's tent that was in shadow. He tilted a sheath forward and let a knife quietly fall into his hand. He was exhausted from using his talent so much, but now other talents came into play.
He tried once more to sense the man or men within the tent, but he saw nothing that looked human, only a desk, a table, some chairs, an armor stand. But no one had approached in the last fifteen minutes and it was silent inside, so he was pretty sure if Asami was there, he was alone. A surge of excitement pulsed along his nerves. He willed them quiet, but they were like horses before a race, not quite obeying. His hands shook slightly as he quietly slit the bottom of the cloth near the darkest corner, just enough to allow him entrance underneath.
He stilled himself, lowering his eye to the very ground to look under the wall as he lifted it with the tip of his knife. Nothing. Just the desk and chair he'd sensed to the right. Maybe he was elsewhere. Screwing some soldier, no doubt. Well, he'd find company here when he returned. Takaba bit back on a growl and started to slide under the flap he'd cut.
Something grabbed him and jerked him through, and he lay flat on his back, blinking into a lantern held right over his face. As surprised as he was, it was nothing compared to the shock of the words he heard.
"I've been expecting you, Takaba Akihito."
The face of the man behind the lantern was obscured, but he recognized the deep voice. He'd only heard it once before but it set everything in him vibrating, like the plucked string of a shamisen.
He said nothing but he held his body tense, waiting for an opening. And as long as he was alive, there would always be an opening.
Asami hadn't killed him immediately, which meant he wanted something, most likely information. He had to know he couldn't buy a Takaba from his contract. Only the original client could release him, and he was pretty sure that wasn't Asami. That meant his window of opportunity was small. He gathered his muscles.
A chuckle surprised him. "You're still like a wild animal. Less of an angry chipmunk now than you were, maybe, and something a little more lithe." A hand reached down from behind the light to grasp his chin, turning his face so it could be examined first from one side, then the other. "And much prettier than you were at ten, with all that baby fat."
He stopped breathing for a moment, the released it explosively. "What...? How did you know...?" He remembered? There were too many questions going through his mind.
"Did you think I wouldn't realized which talent was required to perform the tricks you've been playing over the last few months? Someone from your family had to be involved, and you were the obvious choice. Not all situations required it, but Nitta... That was your mistake. You couldn't have got to him any other way. You showed your hand there."
Dammit. The scowl must have shown on his face, because one of the fingers on his jaw traced it. He tried to pull away from the distracting touch but the grip on him was firm.
"I knew you'd be coming for me. I'd heard rumors about the young man you'd grown up to be, but I was curious to see for myself."
That kind of pissed him off, enough to snarl a little. "If you'd wanted to see me, you knew where I was!"
"What would I want with a child? I knew we'd meet again someday, when you might be a little more interesting. Are you here by contract, or because you want to kill me personally for some imagined slight?"
"I never kill at my own whim. Some people have discipline and morals."
"You're very agitated for someone who doesn't have a personal stake in all of this. Or should I say, very excited?" The hand on his face slipped down his chest to rest between his legs. He felt his face heat, and his cock stiffen. "It seems I hit the target," Asami murmured, his large palm encasing Takaba like a hot glove. One that knew just where to squeeze.
Takaba found himself falling into the cadence of the man's speech, and to the touch of fingers that seemed to cause a sorcerous haze. He knew he had to break the spell, and grasped at his training, trying to analyze the situation. Now is the time to act, he chided himself. The target is distracted. He saw instantly what needed to be done and made his move. It felt like time slowed to a crawl.
His right hand still held his knife. His left arm swung up to knock the lamp aside, his body twisting so his right leg could come free, his knee aiming for Asami's kidney, his knife for Asami's throat. The lamp gone, he saw Asami's face and it stunned him. Instead of surprise and despair, he saw delight and utter victory.
In the second that it made him hesitate, he knew he'd missed his chance. In the next second he was on his stomach, his own knife at his throat, the heavy weight of Asami on his back. The knife didn't scare him, though it should have. The hardness against his ass did, because that was something he'd been wondering about for years, telling himself how abhorrent it was only to find the real thing was arousing him like nothing had before. He made himself think of the job, of his goal. It was getting more difficult to focus.
There will be another chance. I am alive. There will always be another so long as I don't stop fighting. I will kill him.
A breath was warm and intimate against his ear and he bit back a moan at the words. "You'll never stop, will you? I wonder how far I could push you until you'd break?"
Strangely, that calmed him. "But you wouldn't, would you? You're ruthless, but you never misuse your men."
He felt Asami still at his back. "Oh? Are you claiming to be mine, Takaba?"
"You know I'm not. But you're wondering if I could be, and you don't waste resources. I'm good. The best. Admit it, what I've done will help you in the future."
Asami lifted himself up, taking Takaba with him, keeping hold of him. Takaba's wrists were tied behind his back. He didn't care. There wasn't a knot he couldn't untie. He tested the bonds, then frowned.
"It's one of my specialties. You'll stay that way until I want to release you."
Takaba made it his goal to escape before that happened, if only to shove the silk bindings in his captor's face.
"Sit." He was shoved into a chair.
"Sake?" His head was forcibly tilted back. He pressed his lips together. "Have it your way. It's excellent." Asami drank from the cup, watching him. "It's not even drugged." Takaba remained resolute.
Asami leaned closer, close enough that Takaba could smell the alcohol. Good, let him get drunk. It will only make him die sooner. Sparks seemed to fly from the lips that brushed his, jolting him. He jerked his head back.
What was that?
The corner of Asami's mouth raised, and Takaba found himself wanting to lick it so he could feel that sensation again. He shook his head and flexed his wrists once more, looking for a weakness in the bindings.
Asami didn't give him a chance. This time the lips crashed down on his, forcing them open, the sake flowing into his mouth, chased by a tongue that didn't let him think. It plunged in, stroking places he'd never noticed existed until they were teased by this man. His heart started racing, some need in him building that he instinctively knew only Asami could fill. But when he tried to reach for what he wanted the bonds stopped him, throwing him back into the reality of the situation. He tore his head from Asami's grasp and glared, even as he panted.
Asami retreated to his seat an arm's length away and relaxed there, still holding his cup. "Do you remember the time we met before? What a brat, challenging me to a fight with nothing but a garden hoe. I thought you were the groundskeeper's son the way you were handling it."
"I thought you were hurting Hideki." He blushed at the memory. With a little age had come the wisdom that Hideki's cries hadn't exactly been those of pain.
"You've thought of it since, haven't you?"
"Of course I have! All I hear about are your exploits and every single time it reminds me. You... you called me an idiot child who couldn't fight with a stick much less a sword. Like you were anything but a dissolute ravisher of young men."
Asami choked on his drink. "A... what? Where did you hear that term, in a woman's pavilion?" He snorted softly. "And are you disappointed, Takaba, that I haven't ravished you? I was trying but you resisted so. You can't possibly know how much that excites me..."
"Look at you, you're the same as ever," Takaba said with disgust. "A general in the shogunate, one of the most powerful men in the land, and looking like... like..." Asami lounged in his chair, relaxed but eyes sharp, the silk of his shirt and pants doing nothing to disguise the body beneath it. Every so often he shifted, and the cloth went taut over the shape of the hard muscles beneath.
"Like...?" Asami prompted.
He was losing his edge. That was it. He was tired, and losing his edge. His arms strained at the ties, hoping the pain would let him focus. "Like a whore."
Asami didn't seem insulted, just curious. "Would you like that? To buy me? I'm surprised. You seem so... inhibited." He suddenly sat up, as if an idea had just occurred. "I'll do it. One night, re-enacting everything in your boyish dreams of me. We could even hold hands, you and I."
That stopped Takaba dead in his struggles. "You'd sell yourself? For what? I have no money."
"For your loyalty, of course."
"Go fuck yourself."
"If I could, I'd have done that years ago."
"Pervert."
"I have to take pleasure where I can."
"Why can't you take anything seriously?"
Asami's voice hardened. "You mean the thousands of men who've died for me? The enemies who want to kill more? This is a war, Takaba, and you're a tool I'll pay anything to have. Yes, even to selling myself if it keeps more of my men alive. And your talent would do that."
Takaba's head dropped. He couldn't let his face be seen. Buried inside that tirade was the one thing he'd been seeking, acknowledgement of worth.
To be acknowledged by the one who'd scorned him so long ago... When he was growing up everyone else had babied and spoiled him, but not this man. And it had slowly burned and turned into the fire that made him push to get better every day. Until this moment when he had to kill the very person who'd helped make him what he'd become, a perfect instrument of death.
But an ache was building in his chest. His father had often reprimanded him for not stopping to think of consequences. I found him. I'll kill him. Then what? No one else had had this effect, had made him want to strive so hard to better himself. What would it be like once he was gone? He didn't like the feelings of emptiness and aimlessness the thought was arousing in him. He couldn't afford them. He couldn't afford any of these feelings if he was to finish this job.
When. When, he meant.
He shook his head and asked tiredly, "What are you thinking? Don't you get it? It doesn't matter what you offer, we already took a contract. I can't stop until you're dead."
"Would you?"
"Would I what?"
"Would you work for me, if there were no other contract?"
"Of course I would. If you paid the fee, I'd do the job. But I can't because there is another contract."
"Forget the contract for a moment. And I'm not talking about another. No contract. No fee. If you could, would you freely fight at my side? Japan is torn apart right now with these wars. It needs a common leader. And I need capable men to help me unite it."
He'd always followed news of Asami closely. The threads suddenly came together in his head. He sucked in his breath at this man's audacity. "You want to be shogun... And for altruistic reasons I'm sure."
"Don't mistake me for a kind man. But this country... it won't be a place where a man can thrive if this continues. And no one else seems capable of doing the job, so I will."
Takaba raised his head to stare. Asami's eyes weren't fastened upon him anymore. He was seeing something else that he wanted, and there was a conviction there that for a second made Takaba yearn to follow him. Takaba knew the words about their country were true. It was falling apart. He'd seen order disintegrating, and, he admitted, his family was adding to it. If only...
"But it cannot happen, Asami." His voice was soft with regret.
"Would you if you could?"
"You won't let this go, will you? Then yes, if I were free of all obligation, I'd help you. Even though the war means my family's wealth and influence grows, yes I'd help, because I'm sick of it, working for one group only to turn around and kill them the next minute. We have a reputation for keeping our contracts. We stay bought. Because if we didn't have that, we'd have nothing."
"Do you swear that that's true, Takaba Akihito?"
Something in Asami's tone made him wary. "How can you swear to something that only might have been?"
"Do you swear?"
They stared each other down. He had no idea what was driving this conversation, only that it was important to Asami. As for him, wasn't this what he'd been striving for all these years? To have Asami want him as an equal beside him? His anger at Asami no longer mattered. All he felt was a sadness that this vision of them working together could never be real.
He sighed. Why not tell him the truth? He wouldn't be alive much longer. "Fine. I swear. I swear that I wish we really could work together to make this country right again, and were I free to do so I would. But what good does that do?"
"Kirishima."
The entrance to the tent parted and tall squinting fellow entered, his body stiff with annoyance. "Asami-dono. You really must learn to tell me when you're expecting guests."
"Such a wife. Open my chest, get the scroll with the green seal."
Takaba had glimpsed a ring of soldiers through the open flaps. He hadn't even noticed when they'd been surrounded. That was the power of this man. Why now? Why did he have to realize this only now?
It only took Kirishima a moment to find the scroll. "This one?" He pulled it close to his face, examining the seal more closely. "What is this...?"
"Show it to him, so he knows it's a true seal."
The scroll was thrust under his nose. It was the seal of his house. The three tiny notches they'd placed in it to prevent counterfeiting were present. "It is real," he acknowledged, confused.
Asami pretended nonchalance, but Takaba could see it was a veneer over something else. He felt the air change like lightning was about to strike.
"Open it and read it to him."
"I, Takaba Akiuji..."
Takaba sat straight up. Father?
"...make this contract in this second year of Kenmu with Asami Ryuichi for the services of my son Takaba Akihito, a fulfillment of a promise made eleven years ago in return for saving my life."
From back then... Why did no one tell me? Takaba stared at Asami in shock. Asami, his eyes fixed on Kirishima, rolled his shoulders as if made uncomfortable by the hint of a good deed resting on them.
"Asami Ryuichi has requested the deaths of the following people...." Kirishima paused, looking the list over silently. There was a crease in his forehead that deepened as he read until he exploded at the last line. "Asami Ryuichi!" His voice was laced with frustration and anger.
"Is there a problem? I needed to know his true capabilities." The words were cool. The two men glared at each other for some time before Asami relented. "Kei, I knew you could protect me."
Sighing, Kirishima's eyes dropped back to the parchment. "Yet here he sits. We're not done with this."
Asami relaxed again. "I'm sure we're not. But please continue. You may skip the list."
"The methods of death are at the assassin's discretion, but they are to be accomplished within the spring months of this year, after which Takaba Akihito is to understand that his last target for this contract is Asami Ryuichi. Cancellation of the contract is only by command of Asami Ryuichi or his right hand, Kirishima Kei."
There was a another brief pause, and the widened eyes of Kirishima met those of his lord in a look that Takaba almost felt he shouldn't be seeing. Instead of embarrassment though, he felt only anger that someone else had that privilege. Of course Asami had a lover, and of course he'd be the one on the contract.
"It's signed by you and Takaba-dono and co-signed by the two other Takaba elders." Taking a deep breath Kirishima lowered the contract. "Should I leave now?"
"No. Release him. And I'll take the contract." Asami held out his hand, then slid to the table holding his writing tools. He began writing across the bottom.
Kirishima pulled a knife from a sheath at his waist and walked toward Takaba, trying to focus on him. He bent when he reached the chair, his face within inches, examining him. Takaba could smell sweet tea on his breath.
"Asami-dono has complained that I don't trust my instincts, so against what my head is telling me I'm going to do so now. I've never known a Takaba to break his word. And considering how adamant you were about it here this evening, I truly believe you will not. But just so we understand one another..."
Takaba didn't bother looking down, but he felt the prick of a blade low on his belly. He said nothing, only glared at his rival.
"It's not what you think." Kirishima spoke softly, "though it would have been had he wished it. But I'm not his type."
"How do you know what I think?"
Kirishima smirked. "I don't need clear vision to read body language. You aren't hiding your jealousy at all. Maybe you can't read him yet but he's exultant about it, seeing the way he's affecting you. In fact I've never seen him this way."
"I'm not-"
"Don't bother denying it. But if in your denial you harm him..."
"Why would I? Killing is business. My business here is done."
Kirishima's face was a picture of disbelief. "Haven't you been listening? Well no matter, he'll enjoy teaching you what you need to understand."
He moved behind Takaba to cut the silken bonds. Takaba waited. He couldn't help feeling a little glee as Kirishima lifted the already-loosened material from his wrists.
He appeared close in front of Takaba again, this time his gaze speculative, and laid the strip of cloth in Takaba's lap. "I think I'll let him find out about this little talent on his own," he mused, a smile playing about his lips. "He deserves to be brought down a notch after the past few days." With that he turned and he moved back to his master's side, leaving Takaba unsure of what to make of him, only knowing he never wanted to get on his bad side.
"He's free, Asami-dono."
"Witness this, then you may leave. Release the men outside as well."
Kirishima added a line, then withdrew with a slight bow, his eyes twinkling a little as he glanced at Takaba.
Asami's eyes narrowed. "What was that about?"
Takaba shrugged. "No idea."
"You're a poor liar, and I'll have the truth from you. But first, come here." He held out a brush.
Takaba rose, his muscles aching a little, but wasn't about to allow a limp to show as he approached the desk. The contract had an addendum:
The terms of the contract have been fulfilled. There is no further debt between the Takaba and Asami. Cancelled by my hand, 5th day of Sanaetsuki, Kenmu 2. Asami Ryuichi
Witnessed, 5th day of Sanaetsuki, Kenmu 2. Kirishima Kei
Takaba scribbled a line below the others.
Recognized and agreed, 5th day of Sanaetsuki, Kenmu 2. Takaba Akihito
He pulled his seal from the pouch at his waist and affixed it.
And then found himself in the lap of his former target.
He lifted his eyes to meet Asami's fierce stare. It seemed to be laying claim to him on every level.
"Why? Why all this pretense when you could have bought my services?"
"Men who serve by contract fight by the letter of it. I want men at my side who are here by choice, who give me their spirit and heart. Your body alone is not enough."
Takaba wondered how many of the other men got this talk. "My body alone would have to be enough. I don't share." A knife Asami had missed dropped into his hand and he pressed the point to Asami's crotch. "And I can enforce that."
His captor's eyes danced. "I'll keep that in mind. And agree to your terms. Will you swear, Takaba Akihito, to my service?" The look Asami was giving him asked him for everything. Takaba wasn't willing to give him that yet, not by any stretch of the imagination. But to fight for a greater good at this person's side... After all, he'd been chasing him for eleven years already.
"I'll fight for your cause. This I swear. But I'll only swear personal loyalty to you if I find you worthy."
Asami's mouth lifted slightly in a small smile. "And if you don't find me worthy?"
"I'll teach you to be, you degenerate lecher." Takaba raised his chin so their mouths were close.
Asami laughed softly as he bent his head down. "I look forward to you trying."
As their lips met again, this time sealing new promises, neither one really had a clue as to what they were setting in motion, only that for the first time for both of them everything finally felt right. They broke apart, both now breathing heavily, foreheads resting on one another's, and Asami whispered into his ear.
"Well then, Takaba, shall we change the world?"
The stars danced in the sky that night with joy for their friend, and astrologers wondered who was so lucky to have been blessed with the portents that filled the heavens.
They soon found out.
*~*~*
"Most contracts exist on paper, which crumbles with the passing of the years. Some are written on men's hearts, lasting as long as the hearts are true. A few are deeper still, ties of blood and fate that last past the death of the makers to live in their sons and daughters. And once in a very great while, a bond is formed so deep that it passes into legend, to last as long as people continue to sing songs and tell stories.
Until one witnesses such a thing, it defies belief. But I have seen it, and gift this book of tales to you on your wedding day in hopes that the legends are not over.
With love,
Your friend,
Liu Fei Long, Hong Kong Island, 2019"
Written on a note tucked into the opening pages of "Tales of a Warlord and his Ninja"
Found in the personal library of Asami Akihito
~end~