[fic] By Sword - 2/2
Page 1 - Page 2
By Sword
The story continues:
+++The next three days were paradise. Nobody seemed to realize he had smuggled Kazuya into his rooms. Jin couldn’t spend every moment with him because he had responsibilities and Kazuya would fuss at him again if he tried to skip them, but otherwise he devoted as much time as he could. They talked about everything. Important things, little things… It didn’t really matter. Kazuya told him all about the seven days of his life, about waking up feeling on fire and the blind man who brought his food and the strange questions the old men were asking.
Jin told Kazuya about his family and the way the men didn’t respect him and how scared he was - yes, he actually admitted his fear, though he’d naturally deny it later - at the thought of taking over the Rikumeishu when his father died. Then Jin had to explain about the rivalry of the Rikumeishu and the slowly growing push for unification. Kazuya was fascinated with everything.
Whenever Jin was out of the rooms doing important things, it seemed Kazuya took that time to tidy the rooms which Jin had to admit was really appreciated.
On the third day, Jin even helped sneak Kazuya back out to the Nanabai Tousha so they could walk surrounded by the beauty of the gardens and groves of the shrines. That’s when he gave Kazuya the comb. It originally belonged to his mother before she died and though Jin had always pictured giving it to his wife once he married, he had changed his mind since meeting Kazuya. It was a beautiful comb, jade and deep red stones and Kazuya absolutely loved it.
On the way back, they were nearly caught by his father’s men but they found the perfect way of handling the rush of the excitement.
Paradise couldn’t last forever, though. The fourth day saw the return of Jin’s father…
...and that’s when everything went wrong.
“You stupid, stupid boy.”
Jin went white at the sheer level of fury in his father’s voice. “Father, I didn’t attack Tsuru and J…”
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
“Obviously not.” Before he could stop himself, the words fell out and they only further enraged his father.
“THE SON OF OUR ENEMY, JIN!” he roared. “OUR WORST ENEMY!”
His father hit him hard enough to send him tumbling to the ground but even so, a huge wave of relief spread through him. He still had no idea what his father was talking about but at least it wasn’t about Kazuya.
“Let go of me!”
Jin’s blood froze and his breath caught in his throat at the sound of the voice. He turned to look in that direction and saw Tsuru and Jun were dragging a struggling Kazuya into the room. They forced him to his knees, arms held tightly behind his back.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Jin shrieked at them, scrambling towards them as fast as he could.
Behind him, his father said, “Oh, did he not tell you? Or did you not even ask?”
“What are you talking about? I don’t understand!” As he neared his lover, the two men violently jerked the struggling man backwards, just out of reach. Kazuya whimpered; he still hadn’t fully healed. “Stop! You’re hurting him!”
“He’s a Kamenashi! Third son of our great Enemy!”
A simultaneous, “He is?” and “I am?” from Jin and Kazuya. Before Jin could respond past that, Kazuya suddenly cried out, “I didn’t know! I’m sorry, Jin! I really didn’t know! I would have told you! I… I…” and the sound and sight of those tears caused Jin’s stomach to knot, “I swear to you that I did not know! Please, forgive me Jin!”
Jin wanted to tell him that he didn’t blame him, but his father didn’t give him the opportunity. “How could he not know? If you believed him, you’re even more foolish than I thought.”
“The Rikumeishu thinks we kidnapped him.” Stalking over, Jin’s father grabbed Kazuya’s chin and spat, “Tell me, Kamenashi. What should I do with you?”
“K-kazuya…” and his voice was shaking. He was terrified. It hurt Jin’s heart to hear it.
“Excuse me?” Jin’s father didn’t seem to appreciate being corrected.
“M-my name. It’s…”
“Where did you get the illusion that I care?” The Akanishi head was practically growling as he spoke. “If I let you go, we look weak. Our enemies - your father! - will treat us as such and there will be war. If we kill you, we look strong but your father will be left no option but to attack and there will be war.” He released Kazuya’s chin only to backhand him.
“Father, stop!” Jin shouted.
“I swear, if you weren’t my first son, I’d…” But his father didn’t finish the sentence, instead ordering Tsuru and Jun to take Kazuya away and keep him under heavy guard.
Jin spent the next half hour begging his father to let Kazuya go but all it earned him was his father’s disappointment in having what he called ‘such a weak-spirited boy for a son.’ And then when Jin tried to go see Kazuya, his father’s men had already all been instructed to deny him access. There were too many to fight past. When his father found out about the menace he’d made of himself, Jin was confined to his rooms as well.
What should he do now?
What could he do?
Jin didn’t know, but he’d find something. He didn’t care anymore about his father or the family or any of it. Let the world burn down and him with it, as long as Kazuya was saved.
+++How could they be enemies? Why would the spirits let them find each other only to tear them apart like this?
When he was by Jin’s side, he had stopped caring what his life was before waking up eleven days ago. He was happy. Jin was happy. Was there something so wrong in how they were living? Had they angered the spirits in some way?
The men guarding him told him he was going to die, one way or another. There was no way the Akanishi Rikumeishu would let him live, they said. It was just a matter of time.
Maybe it wouldn’t bother him so much if he could see, but they’d bound his wrists and blindfolded him. They hated him so much and it was smothering. He couldn’t imagine it felt any better to them than it did to him.
“Please stop,” he begged. It didn’t do any good. They continued to taunt him. One of them threw mud at him. Someone made crude remarks about him seducing Jin, saying he must be talented to turn the first son of the Rikumeishu, which caused the others to laugh.
Jin was right; those men didn’t respect him. It deeply saddened Kazuya, the thought of Jin growing up with these awful people.
The mocking continued for two days. Two days with no sleep. Two days with no Jin. It was all starting to wear him down, to the point he even started to doubt Jin… Jin, who hadn’t been to see him even once in those two days.
It was the sound of fighting that caught Kazuya’s attention. He could hear shouting and a couple of thuds and he had no idea what was going on around him. Some more noises… What was happening?
The more time that passed, the more afraid Kazuya became. Something horrible was happening around him. People were dying. He couldn’t see it but he just knew. And no matter how badly they treated him, Kazuya didn’t want those people to die.
When he felt hands on him, he lost it. It was like he couldn’t breathe. He started screaming, “Don’t touch me!” over and over. He tried to fight off his attacker, but there wasn’t much he could do with his wrists bound.
The hands moved to his face and Jin’s voice, “Kazuya, stop! It’s me! It’s Jin!” The blindfold was suddenly gone and then he was in Jin’s arms, sobbing in relief that Jin had come for him even with everything Kazuya could hear going on still. “Shh, it’s okay. Just let me get those wrists free and we’ll go. We’ll leave and we won’t come back.”
While Jin cut the binding, Kazuya asked, “What’s going on?”
“Surprise attack by the Kamenashi Rikumeishu. Word spread that my father was going to execute you and they used that as a justification for an attack so that the other Rikumeishu won’t interfere.”
Jin helped him to his feet and for a second the world swam around him but Kazuya pushed through it. Jin had the foresight to bring his sword and also to wrap up some food for them in a pack he had slung over his shoulder.
He really meant not to return, didn’t he? Jin was giving up everything to be with him. Somehow… even though Kazuya was grateful and longed to be with Jin, he was also saddened that Jin had to sacrifice so much in the process.
Crossing the battlefield that used to be the Akanishi compound was terrifying. The only thing that got him through it was the feel of Jin’s hand holding his own, pulling him after him. They ran and ran and didn’t stop until they couldn’t hear even the faintest of sounds coming from the compound. They would have kept running, but Kazuya just couldn’t go any further. He was exhausted and hungry and still hurting and he just had to stop.
Jin was understanding. Maybe he could see just how ragged Kazuya had gotten. He told Kazuya to rest while he made camp. They ate together and Kazuya fell asleep in Jin’s arms with a whispered, “I’m sorry…”
+++Jin and Kazuya used the next day to put as much distance between themselves and the compound as possible. His father would send men after them and Jin hadn’t had time to properly cover their tracks, instead relying on speed. Of course, that was assuming his father survived the attack.
To be honest, that wasn’t what worried Jin so much at the moment. No, what he was concerned about was the growing sadness he could see in Kazuya. When he asked him about it, though, Kazuya insisted he was fine.
He should have pressed harder. He should have said something… anything…
He would have…
If he’d known what they’d wake to.
Rough hands pulled Kazuya from his arms, shocking Jin out of his sleep. He quickly found himself restrained by two men wearing the Kamenashi blue. A third was holding Kazuya by the arm, dragging him away from Jin. Yet another man, obviously in charge, said, “Your father has looked everywhere for you, Kazuya.” He turned towards Jin and continued with, “Did Akanishi really think you could get away with this? That we wouldn’t follow after you to get him?”
“Don’t hurt him!” Jin shouted, but the man just laughed.
“Don’t hurt him? We have no intention of hurting him. His father has big plans for him.” Another laugh. “Though he was furious to find you’d escaped, Kazuya.”
Kazuya’s father was behind what happened to him? Jin was suddenly angry, angrier than he’d ever been. How could his own father do that to him? “I won’t let you take him back. I’ll find him. I’ll always find him!”
“You won’t be alive to find us.”
What followed felt so unreal, like time had slowed down just enough for Jin to see what was about to happen but not enough for him to stop it. The man’s sword came down. Kazuya jerked his arm free and sprinted forward, throwing himself between Jin and the sword. Jin’s shouted, “Stop!” was too late; the sword dug deep into Kazuya’s shoulder and back. His eyes were wide, full of shock and pain but also determination and love. And then there was nothing in them and Kazuya’s body fell limply onto him as the sword was pulled free.
“Kazuya…” Jin couldn’t believe it. It… it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right. “Oh, Kazuya…”
The men holding Jin let go. One of them fearfully muttered, “Kamenashi is going to kill us.” They took off running. The man in charge shouted at them but they didn’t stop, so he took off after them.
Jin couldn’t care less.
He brushed his thumb across Kazuya’s cheek, tears falling freely. “It’s okay now, Kazuya. Everything is okay now.” Reaching for his pack, Jin pulled out the jade comb he’d given Kazuya. He never got the chance to give it back to him and now it was too late. He placed it carefully in Kazuya’s hands and then said, “Don’t worry, my love. You’re not alone for long. I’d follow you anywhere…”
Jin braced his sword on the ground at an angle and then pushed himself down, impaling himself on the blade.
His last thoughts were of Kazuya.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
A/N: Okay, there's a few things here. Firstly, yeah, I know there are a few unanswered questions to the story, but there's a reason for that. It was supposed to be a secret reason. However, the way this story ended up, it's pretty obvious even if it's not explicitly stated. This short story is the second short story in what I jokingly call the "Deceptive Short Story Collection" which involves a series of short stories that are independent and yet linked because they are the same two people being born again and again throughout history. I hadn't intended to show that link so strongly yet but with all the stuff for Kazuya's dreams, it's kinda pointless to deny it so there you go.
That means that, yes, these two characters are the same people as the Jin and Kazuya in the story "By Fire" because they've been reborn.
There are two more major secrets in the DSSC, one of which is mentioned in the first story "By Fire" but in such a way as to not arouse suspicions and also is hinted at in this story. That's why there are things that were left unanswered in this story. They're sort of lead-ins for the development of that secret and will eventually make sense. The third secret... is just secret Muahahaha. You'll have to wait. But I seriously can't wait to reveal it because it's the very end of the whole project.
Okay, now on to the history stuff I promised:
1.) When I was doing my research, I originally looked into the Kofun period because I was concerned that earlier periods would not be advanced to the point I needed for my story. Truthfully, the time frame fits the last century of the Yayoi period. Even so, some of the elements of my story are more accurately put in the Kofun period.
2.) The Rikumeishu... completely invented. Made up the word too (I did a google search on it to make sure it wasn't something). In reality, there were many clans. You can find information on Wa (that's the Japanese pronunciation of the early Chinese name for Japan) in the bottom paragraph of the section on Ancient Culture on this website: http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Japan.html. Though that wasn't my only source. I've been through a gajillion web pages in the past couple weeks. Anyway, what I essentially did was to take all the clans and arbitrarily group them into alliances with one family heading each alliance, so the word Rikumeishu applies to the alliance as well as the leader of the family heading the alliance. But it's all complete fabrication.
3.) The stuff about unification... that's 5th century stuff. Japan unified under the Yamato clan. The way I am working my altered history into real history is that, after the event of this story, the two Rikumeishu collapsed and that sent the others in a frenzy for the territory leading to the fall of the Rikumeishu altogether, bringing my alternate history into proper history by having real history follow the fall. That means that Japan still unifies under the Yamato clan in the 5th century.
4.) The Nanabai Tousha... well, most of my research was Shinto-centric because everything I found during my research linked the earlier worship with it before Buddhism was really imported. I don't know much about Shinto so I couldn't go into too much detail and besides, it isn't exactly Shinto yet anyway. It's before that. The name, it's supposed to mean "Seven-fold Shrine" but I could be way off with that.
5.) There's other things, here and there. Jin makes a comment about how Kazuya could stab his father, for example, but what I read was that the swords of that time weren't exactly designed for stabbing. The weight of the weapon was what helped, not the tip. It's little details like that. Historically wrong and I know that, but the story writes better this way.
Anyways, thought you guys would be interested in that stuff.
By Sword
The story continues:
+++The next three days were paradise. Nobody seemed to realize he had smuggled Kazuya into his rooms. Jin couldn’t spend every moment with him because he had responsibilities and Kazuya would fuss at him again if he tried to skip them, but otherwise he devoted as much time as he could. They talked about everything. Important things, little things… It didn’t really matter. Kazuya told him all about the seven days of his life, about waking up feeling on fire and the blind man who brought his food and the strange questions the old men were asking.
Jin told Kazuya about his family and the way the men didn’t respect him and how scared he was - yes, he actually admitted his fear, though he’d naturally deny it later - at the thought of taking over the Rikumeishu when his father died. Then Jin had to explain about the rivalry of the Rikumeishu and the slowly growing push for unification. Kazuya was fascinated with everything.
Whenever Jin was out of the rooms doing important things, it seemed Kazuya took that time to tidy the rooms which Jin had to admit was really appreciated.
On the third day, Jin even helped sneak Kazuya back out to the Nanabai Tousha so they could walk surrounded by the beauty of the gardens and groves of the shrines. That’s when he gave Kazuya the comb. It originally belonged to his mother before she died and though Jin had always pictured giving it to his wife once he married, he had changed his mind since meeting Kazuya. It was a beautiful comb, jade and deep red stones and Kazuya absolutely loved it.
On the way back, they were nearly caught by his father’s men but they found the perfect way of handling the rush of the excitement.
Paradise couldn’t last forever, though. The fourth day saw the return of Jin’s father…
...and that’s when everything went wrong.
“You stupid, stupid boy.”
Jin went white at the sheer level of fury in his father’s voice. “Father, I didn’t attack Tsuru and J…”
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
“Obviously not.” Before he could stop himself, the words fell out and they only further enraged his father.
“THE SON OF OUR ENEMY, JIN!” he roared. “OUR WORST ENEMY!”
His father hit him hard enough to send him tumbling to the ground but even so, a huge wave of relief spread through him. He still had no idea what his father was talking about but at least it wasn’t about Kazuya.
“Let go of me!”
Jin’s blood froze and his breath caught in his throat at the sound of the voice. He turned to look in that direction and saw Tsuru and Jun were dragging a struggling Kazuya into the room. They forced him to his knees, arms held tightly behind his back.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Jin shrieked at them, scrambling towards them as fast as he could.
Behind him, his father said, “Oh, did he not tell you? Or did you not even ask?”
“What are you talking about? I don’t understand!” As he neared his lover, the two men violently jerked the struggling man backwards, just out of reach. Kazuya whimpered; he still hadn’t fully healed. “Stop! You’re hurting him!”
“He’s a Kamenashi! Third son of our great Enemy!”
A simultaneous, “He is?” and “I am?” from Jin and Kazuya. Before Jin could respond past that, Kazuya suddenly cried out, “I didn’t know! I’m sorry, Jin! I really didn’t know! I would have told you! I… I…” and the sound and sight of those tears caused Jin’s stomach to knot, “I swear to you that I did not know! Please, forgive me Jin!”
Jin wanted to tell him that he didn’t blame him, but his father didn’t give him the opportunity. “How could he not know? If you believed him, you’re even more foolish than I thought.”
“The Rikumeishu thinks we kidnapped him.” Stalking over, Jin’s father grabbed Kazuya’s chin and spat, “Tell me, Kamenashi. What should I do with you?”
“K-kazuya…” and his voice was shaking. He was terrified. It hurt Jin’s heart to hear it.
“Excuse me?” Jin’s father didn’t seem to appreciate being corrected.
“M-my name. It’s…”
“Where did you get the illusion that I care?” The Akanishi head was practically growling as he spoke. “If I let you go, we look weak. Our enemies - your father! - will treat us as such and there will be war. If we kill you, we look strong but your father will be left no option but to attack and there will be war.” He released Kazuya’s chin only to backhand him.
“Father, stop!” Jin shouted.
“I swear, if you weren’t my first son, I’d…” But his father didn’t finish the sentence, instead ordering Tsuru and Jun to take Kazuya away and keep him under heavy guard.
Jin spent the next half hour begging his father to let Kazuya go but all it earned him was his father’s disappointment in having what he called ‘such a weak-spirited boy for a son.’ And then when Jin tried to go see Kazuya, his father’s men had already all been instructed to deny him access. There were too many to fight past. When his father found out about the menace he’d made of himself, Jin was confined to his rooms as well.
What should he do now?
What could he do?
Jin didn’t know, but he’d find something. He didn’t care anymore about his father or the family or any of it. Let the world burn down and him with it, as long as Kazuya was saved.
+++How could they be enemies? Why would the spirits let them find each other only to tear them apart like this?
When he was by Jin’s side, he had stopped caring what his life was before waking up eleven days ago. He was happy. Jin was happy. Was there something so wrong in how they were living? Had they angered the spirits in some way?
The men guarding him told him he was going to die, one way or another. There was no way the Akanishi Rikumeishu would let him live, they said. It was just a matter of time.
Maybe it wouldn’t bother him so much if he could see, but they’d bound his wrists and blindfolded him. They hated him so much and it was smothering. He couldn’t imagine it felt any better to them than it did to him.
“Please stop,” he begged. It didn’t do any good. They continued to taunt him. One of them threw mud at him. Someone made crude remarks about him seducing Jin, saying he must be talented to turn the first son of the Rikumeishu, which caused the others to laugh.
Jin was right; those men didn’t respect him. It deeply saddened Kazuya, the thought of Jin growing up with these awful people.
The mocking continued for two days. Two days with no sleep. Two days with no Jin. It was all starting to wear him down, to the point he even started to doubt Jin… Jin, who hadn’t been to see him even once in those two days.
It was the sound of fighting that caught Kazuya’s attention. He could hear shouting and a couple of thuds and he had no idea what was going on around him. Some more noises… What was happening?
The more time that passed, the more afraid Kazuya became. Something horrible was happening around him. People were dying. He couldn’t see it but he just knew. And no matter how badly they treated him, Kazuya didn’t want those people to die.
When he felt hands on him, he lost it. It was like he couldn’t breathe. He started screaming, “Don’t touch me!” over and over. He tried to fight off his attacker, but there wasn’t much he could do with his wrists bound.
The hands moved to his face and Jin’s voice, “Kazuya, stop! It’s me! It’s Jin!” The blindfold was suddenly gone and then he was in Jin’s arms, sobbing in relief that Jin had come for him even with everything Kazuya could hear going on still. “Shh, it’s okay. Just let me get those wrists free and we’ll go. We’ll leave and we won’t come back.”
While Jin cut the binding, Kazuya asked, “What’s going on?”
“Surprise attack by the Kamenashi Rikumeishu. Word spread that my father was going to execute you and they used that as a justification for an attack so that the other Rikumeishu won’t interfere.”
Jin helped him to his feet and for a second the world swam around him but Kazuya pushed through it. Jin had the foresight to bring his sword and also to wrap up some food for them in a pack he had slung over his shoulder.
He really meant not to return, didn’t he? Jin was giving up everything to be with him. Somehow… even though Kazuya was grateful and longed to be with Jin, he was also saddened that Jin had to sacrifice so much in the process.
Crossing the battlefield that used to be the Akanishi compound was terrifying. The only thing that got him through it was the feel of Jin’s hand holding his own, pulling him after him. They ran and ran and didn’t stop until they couldn’t hear even the faintest of sounds coming from the compound. They would have kept running, but Kazuya just couldn’t go any further. He was exhausted and hungry and still hurting and he just had to stop.
Jin was understanding. Maybe he could see just how ragged Kazuya had gotten. He told Kazuya to rest while he made camp. They ate together and Kazuya fell asleep in Jin’s arms with a whispered, “I’m sorry…”
+++Jin and Kazuya used the next day to put as much distance between themselves and the compound as possible. His father would send men after them and Jin hadn’t had time to properly cover their tracks, instead relying on speed. Of course, that was assuming his father survived the attack.
To be honest, that wasn’t what worried Jin so much at the moment. No, what he was concerned about was the growing sadness he could see in Kazuya. When he asked him about it, though, Kazuya insisted he was fine.
He should have pressed harder. He should have said something… anything…
He would have…
If he’d known what they’d wake to.
Rough hands pulled Kazuya from his arms, shocking Jin out of his sleep. He quickly found himself restrained by two men wearing the Kamenashi blue. A third was holding Kazuya by the arm, dragging him away from Jin. Yet another man, obviously in charge, said, “Your father has looked everywhere for you, Kazuya.” He turned towards Jin and continued with, “Did Akanishi really think you could get away with this? That we wouldn’t follow after you to get him?”
“Don’t hurt him!” Jin shouted, but the man just laughed.
“Don’t hurt him? We have no intention of hurting him. His father has big plans for him.” Another laugh. “Though he was furious to find you’d escaped, Kazuya.”
Kazuya’s father was behind what happened to him? Jin was suddenly angry, angrier than he’d ever been. How could his own father do that to him? “I won’t let you take him back. I’ll find him. I’ll always find him!”
“You won’t be alive to find us.”
What followed felt so unreal, like time had slowed down just enough for Jin to see what was about to happen but not enough for him to stop it. The man’s sword came down. Kazuya jerked his arm free and sprinted forward, throwing himself between Jin and the sword. Jin’s shouted, “Stop!” was too late; the sword dug deep into Kazuya’s shoulder and back. His eyes were wide, full of shock and pain but also determination and love. And then there was nothing in them and Kazuya’s body fell limply onto him as the sword was pulled free.
“Kazuya…” Jin couldn’t believe it. It… it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right. “Oh, Kazuya…”
The men holding Jin let go. One of them fearfully muttered, “Kamenashi is going to kill us.” They took off running. The man in charge shouted at them but they didn’t stop, so he took off after them.
Jin couldn’t care less.
He brushed his thumb across Kazuya’s cheek, tears falling freely. “It’s okay now, Kazuya. Everything is okay now.” Reaching for his pack, Jin pulled out the jade comb he’d given Kazuya. He never got the chance to give it back to him and now it was too late. He placed it carefully in Kazuya’s hands and then said, “Don’t worry, my love. You’re not alone for long. I’d follow you anywhere…”
Jin braced his sword on the ground at an angle and then pushed himself down, impaling himself on the blade.
His last thoughts were of Kazuya.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
A/N: Okay, there's a few things here. Firstly, yeah, I know there are a few unanswered questions to the story, but there's a reason for that. It was supposed to be a secret reason. However, the way this story ended up, it's pretty obvious even if it's not explicitly stated. This short story is the second short story in what I jokingly call the "Deceptive Short Story Collection" which involves a series of short stories that are independent and yet linked because they are the same two people being born again and again throughout history. I hadn't intended to show that link so strongly yet but with all the stuff for Kazuya's dreams, it's kinda pointless to deny it so there you go.
That means that, yes, these two characters are the same people as the Jin and Kazuya in the story "By Fire" because they've been reborn.
There are two more major secrets in the DSSC, one of which is mentioned in the first story "By Fire" but in such a way as to not arouse suspicions and also is hinted at in this story. That's why there are things that were left unanswered in this story. They're sort of lead-ins for the development of that secret and will eventually make sense. The third secret... is just secret Muahahaha. You'll have to wait. But I seriously can't wait to reveal it because it's the very end of the whole project.
Okay, now on to the history stuff I promised:
1.) When I was doing my research, I originally looked into the Kofun period because I was concerned that earlier periods would not be advanced to the point I needed for my story. Truthfully, the time frame fits the last century of the Yayoi period. Even so, some of the elements of my story are more accurately put in the Kofun period.
2.) The Rikumeishu... completely invented. Made up the word too (I did a google search on it to make sure it wasn't something). In reality, there were many clans. You can find information on Wa (that's the Japanese pronunciation of the early Chinese name for Japan) in the bottom paragraph of the section on Ancient Culture on this website: http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Japan.html. Though that wasn't my only source. I've been through a gajillion web pages in the past couple weeks. Anyway, what I essentially did was to take all the clans and arbitrarily group them into alliances with one family heading each alliance, so the word Rikumeishu applies to the alliance as well as the leader of the family heading the alliance. But it's all complete fabrication.
3.) The stuff about unification... that's 5th century stuff. Japan unified under the Yamato clan. The way I am working my altered history into real history is that, after the event of this story, the two Rikumeishu collapsed and that sent the others in a frenzy for the territory leading to the fall of the Rikumeishu altogether, bringing my alternate history into proper history by having real history follow the fall. That means that Japan still unifies under the Yamato clan in the 5th century.
4.) The Nanabai Tousha... well, most of my research was Shinto-centric because everything I found during my research linked the earlier worship with it before Buddhism was really imported. I don't know much about Shinto so I couldn't go into too much detail and besides, it isn't exactly Shinto yet anyway. It's before that. The name, it's supposed to mean "Seven-fold Shrine" but I could be way off with that.
5.) There's other things, here and there. Jin makes a comment about how Kazuya could stab his father, for example, but what I read was that the swords of that time weren't exactly designed for stabbing. The weight of the weapon was what helped, not the tip. It's little details like that. Historically wrong and I know that, but the story writes better this way.
Anyways, thought you guys would be interested in that stuff.