#Ikko Ikki

[samurailoveballadhistory]

This situation is obviously exaggerated for drama, so that Mitsuhide’s rebellion didn’t seem like it’s out of nowhere. In reality, Nobunaga doesn’t go this far with Honganji. After he petitioned the court to have Kennyo ousted and all the monks of Honganji evicted, he just left them alone. Kennyo went to retire to a different location, and Nobunaga didn’t bother hunting down every single one of the Honganji temples or believers. 

Surprisingly enough, the one who kind of did this is actually Ieyasu. After the Ikko Ikki of Mikawa rioted, eating up even half of the Tokugawa vassals in 1564, Ieyasu banned the Honganji sect from Mikawa altogether. All the Honganji-affiliated temples in Mikawa had to change into a different denomination or else they’d be punished or even eradicated. This ban on Honganji faith is not lifted until 1583.

Also, this is a mistake that I myself also made previously, but the Honganji sect is not the sole representative of the Jodo Shinshuu faith. As it turns out the Jodo Shinshu had split into at least 3 branches before Kennyo, with Honganji being actually one of the lesser branches at first. In time they grew in prominence and became the biggest one, causing misunderstanding that they’re the sole inheritor of Shinran’s Jodo Shinshuu teachings. 

Realistically speaking, throwing out Honganji doesn’t necessarily mean throwing out the Shinshuu faith entirely. Nobunaga had himself given clemency to some Shinshuu temples in his territories, after they swore that they’re not associated in any way to Honganji or the Ikko Ikki.

The branches don’t even like each other. The Takada branch of the Shinshuu and Honganji had multiple disputes with each other through history, from civil disputes like fighting over whose abbot gets to be awarded the post of the Most Reverend, to even proxy wars through samurai clans. Whichever side’s championed clan rules the land will run the other sect out of the territory and demands those who remained to convert into the other sect.

[soulstagger]

💥🔥 Mao

Make my muse talk about one of their...

🔥 Fears / worries 💥 Regrets

"My fears and worries all came true a long time ago. Watching those I cared about.. and those I trusted turn their backs on us. Watching them burn us, and being burnt."

"I regret trusting any of those back then...we needed help. Yet they set the mountain on fire alongside those.. Oda. Those samurai.."

"You should leave, Kasen would be mad at me for having a guest over."

"Never trust someone you don't have threads in."

[ash-writies]

Deep Seated Pt 1

A/n: Just world-building n such initially I was torn between a nonbending reader or an earthbending one, but I think this will work better overall. I’m giving the reader typical earthbending traits like green eyes and dark hair btw. Hope you enjoy! Likes and reblogs are appreciated <<3

Summary: You stray from your typical day-to-day schedule in hopes of finding inspiration.

Warnings: none

1.5k words

You stretched your arms above your head, sunlight dancing on the floors in your room. You sighed, pulled your blankets off, and began to get ready for the day. Your day usually follows a schedule: get up, dress, eat in the dining hall, meditate, and then tend to the greenhouse. Once you put on your robes, you went down to eat, greeting the acolytes on your way. You sat in your usual spot, near the balcony and started to eat. You loved sitting as close to the outside as possible, there was something liberating about it, you didn’t know what.

Your siblings bound into the room, loud and boisterous, and settled next to you.

“Good morning!” they chanted.

You smirked, “it is.” That was your usual response, you loved the dance that was what every conversation would be.

“You doing the usual today?” Jinora asked, they all had your schedule figured out.

You shrugged, “you know it.”

“You don't want to shake things up?” Ikki asked, pressing her palms into the table and leaning towards you, “shouldn’t you have a boyfriend or something by now?”

“Oh no,” you laughed, “What would dad say about that?”

“He’d probably be relieved that you finally got friends other than us!” Meelo said, “He’s always saying stuff like that.”

“What? No, he's not Meelo!” Ikki said. You felt a pressure settle on your chest. You’ve grown accustomed to it, it was technically always there but you felt it get heavier every time someone’s expectations of you were mentioned.

You said nothing and continued to eat while Ikko and Meelo were arguing. The conversation resumes its dance, you smiling while finishing your food.

“Have you guys been learning cool stuff in your airbending training?” you asked, waiting for them to finish their food.

“Not really,” “No,” Ikki and Meelo groaned simultaneously.

Jinora scoffed, “They only want to fight and break stuff.”

“Well, that's the cool stuff,” Meelo sighed, dramatically.

You chuckled, “Well, air nomads are known to be peaceful, there’d be no reason to fight.”

“Grandpa Aang fought,” Ikki added, perking up.

“He doesn’t count, he was the Avatar,” you said waving your hand.

“Dad can fight,” Meelo said.

“How do you know? Have you seen him?” you asked.

“No, but I know he can!” Meelo shouted. You smiled and hummed, you knew he could too, it was just fun getting under their skin sometimes.

“Are you all done?” you asked your siblings at the table. You got variations of yes as you picked up their trays. You got up and went to wash them. Once you finished, you went to the mediation pavilion to meditate. Usually, your mind rarely strayed but now you couldn’t stop thinking about what Ikki said, you kept to that same thing every day and in all your 16 years you haven’t done anything particularly notable. You thought about things you wanted to do and to say the list was short would be an understatement. And the more you thought about it, the sadder it became to you. You reeled your mind back in, trying to return to your peaceful mindset for a moment.

Slowly your mind drifted back to the topic, you began to think of things that could inspire you. Of course, going to the city was one of the only things your mind went to. But you couldn’t, when would you? The ferry only comes between dawn and dusk. Though surely Dad wouldn’t notice, or mind for that matter. Before you could continue thinking about this you stood up and decided to go for a walk. 

You wandered the grounds, actively avoiding the Airbending area where you knew your father and siblings would be. You found yourself headed toward where your mother should be, and though you were nervous you didn’t stop moving. You knew Pema and Tenzin weren’t your parents but ever since they took you in, they treated you like their own. You weren’t sure your siblings were outright told but you figured they knew.

You took a deep breath and went to find her. You slid the door open and she was kneeling on the floor, breathing deep in meditation. You slid your shoes off, a habit you couldn’t recall but couldn’t shake. 

The door clicked shut behind you, she opened her eyes and smiled, “Going off script today?”

You returned her smile, “Yeah, something Ikki said got me thinking.”

“Are you taking notes from a troublemaker?” she smirked, raising her brow and chuckling.

You sighed with a smile, “You make what I’m about to say sound like a bad idea.” She tilted her head and waited. “I was thinking about how I always follow this schedule and how I haven’t really gone out and done anything. And because of all that I don't have anything I want to do. And that just scares me a bit.” You looked down at your hands in the pause of your rambling, “So what the point of that was, I’m wondering if sometime I could go out and explore the city?”

You slowly lifted your eyes to hers, keeping your chin down, and you were met with a smile, “Of course, I think you should go out and find something that drives you. And if you think the city is where you can go find that then you should go. But this is something we should talk about with Tenzin, though I see no reason for him to think you shouldn’t go.” 

You smile and fall to your knees to wrap your arms around your mom, “thanks! I’ll talk to him in a bit!” You released her and left, sliding your shoes back on, and closing the door behind you. You eagerly walked outside, pausing to think of the best time to ask him, settling on waiting until he was done training the others. You resumed your schedule, heading toward the greenhouse.

The greenhouse was one of your favorite places to be, the radio was set on low and people talked in hushed tones as they worked. Sometimes if you were there after sunset, you could hear pro-bending matches go on. Unfortunately, you made this discovery recently and haven’t found more time to listen. You quickly did your work, anxious to ask your dad the question. In your haste, you bumped into one of your friends, knocking the empty pot he was holding onto the floor.

“Woah,” he said, stumbling.

You caught him by his arm, steadying him, “Sorry, I was in a rush.” Both of you knelt to pick up the pottery shards.

“It’s alright,” he said smiling. Saamol was about your age, with a round face and dark brown hair that stuck out at odd angles. Both of you worked in the greenhouse at the same time. “It must be important if you’re not paying attention.”

“It is,” you smiled, sticking your hand out, “I can take these to be fixed.”

He shrugged and handed you the pieces, “what is it?”

You stood and smirked down at him, “Well I can't jinx it, can I?” He sighed, smiling, and stood up. “Sorry again, I have to go though, bye.” You waved and left, stuffing the shards in a pouch you carried for this exact reason.

You got to the airbending arena just as Tenzin was letting your siblings go. Meelo and Ikki ran up to you, telling you exaggerated versions of what they learned, while Jinora hung back to talk to your dad. Before your mind could dwell on it, you smiled and focused on your siblings.

“Did Dad finally teach you some fighting moves?”

“No, but we spent more time in the bamboo gates! We had a competition to see who could be in the longest.” Meelo said, waving toward the gates.

“And if he hadn’t been cheating I would’ve won!” Ikki pouted.

“There were no rules! Only winning and losing!” your brother cheered running off, Ikki chasing after to scold him.

You shook your head with a smile and turned to Jinora and your Dad who were walking toward you, “I’m guessing you won?”

Jinora smiled, “No, his ‘cheating’ unfortunately affected me.” You smiled after her as she followed her siblings, leaving just you and your dad.

“Did you have a nice day?” he asked, walking with you toward the dining hall.

“Yeah,” you shrugged, “same as usual. Did you?” He smiled and nodded. You stopped walking and faced him, “I was thinking, you know, I’ve never really been to the city and I was thinking it would be an interesting place to visit and explore…” He raised his brow at you, “I heard they have good food there too! I was just wondering if I would be able to go some time.”

He sighed and shook his head, “You should know by now, that that place is full of distractions and dangerous people. Your time is better spent honing your skills here, instead of finding negative influences there.”

You frowned sagging your shoulders, “but air nomads are supposed to be travelers! Learning from different cultures to have a better understanding of others!”

“The city is not a good place to learn from,” he said with an even tone, “the city has more bad than good to offer.”

You felt your heart begin to race from the injustice of it. The way he spoke like his words were fact, “but-”

“No buts! You can’t go to the city and that's final!”

[princelucaorlem]

My fanfic, I called it Kyle.

Kyle

Summary: Kyle finds out that Kennyo is his father, but does Kennyo accept him or does Kennyo even realize?

This is a small backstory.

Mai after making love with Kennyo notices something odd about herself, but Kennyo had to return to the battlefield for some reason. Kennyo doesn't fight as much as he used to when she first known him, but he still sometimes gets sent out to war. Some of the Ikko-Ikki monks of course follow Kennyo out to the battlefield, Kennyo does kiss Mai's forehead before he leaves. She also has the time to ask a serious question, one about what if they were to have kids and what to name them.

"What should the son's name be, if it's a boy? Also, what should the daughter's name be, if it's a girl?" Mai asked him. "These are rather serious questions, my love. But I'll name the son Kyle, I really like that name somehow. As for if we ever have a daughter along the way, before a son. I'll like the name of Miyuki." Kennyo replied honestly. "But, I like the name of Mario if we have a son." Mai protested.

Kennyo gently took Mai's hand and looked right into her eyes, as he spoke.

"I still like the name Kyle." Kennyo stated as he gave Mai's hand a gentle squeeze, before getting up to leave.

However… as the years pass on, Mai is sick and tired of waiting for Kennyo to return, he hasn't shown back up the temple and so she moves away. During this time… Mai gets a house within a village far from the temple, she doesn't even leave a note or anything for Kennyo. Mai later gives birth to Kyle within that village home, but after he cries so much… she can't take it and leaves Kyle on the doorstep of a random house. Mai places a letter into a basket, along with Kyle in it, a blue blanket and a baby bottle. The letter reads, "To whoever finds this newborn son… I named him Kyle. Don't try to find me or his real father. I need to talk to his dad regardless, all I ask of you is to take care of this brat. Signed Mai."

The couple actually do take in Kyle… but what befalls the poor boy is what happened next. Kyle doesn't recall much of his childhood, all he knew was he got some rare illness at the age of five years old. Kyle had always seen these two fight, he also knew something was amiss somehow but he couldn't put a finger on it. Kyle did oddly point at a hoodie one day in the marketplace, his foster mom bought it for him… even though they also had other clothes that Mai gave them, they didn't fit Kyle though, since they were too big. Kyle's foster dad often would take off his belt and hit Kyle with the belt… for no reason at all, even his foster mom didn't do anything to stop her own husband's treatment.

Kyle often wears that blue hoodie around, and once he was the age of seven he walked into the forest. Oddly, at this same time Kennyo was roaming that same forest, since he was making sure his old forest temple still existed. It was still standing there, but no monks visited it, it looked super abandoned this time… and he was about to head back to his new temple, but that's when he noticed a young boy with black hair and blue eyes. Kennyo could tell that, even if the child did wear a blue hoodie and some strange pants.

Not only that but… Kyle looked like he would collapse at any moment, this troubled Kennyo greatly. Kyle soon sat down beside a tree, Kennyo watched the young boy the whole entire time, before he finally approached him slowly.

"May I know your name?" Kennyo asked. "No…" Kyle answered and turned away from him.

Kennyo didn't press any further, he just didn't want to leave this child in this state. His mind even raced to questions like, where was this child's parents? Does he have anyone? Is he hurt? Is he ill? But, he didn't bother to ask any of them out in the open, he just lowered himself to sit next to the boy.

"You shouldn't stay out here too long" Kennyo warned him, since he knew it would get dark soon. "Oh, yeah…" Kyle replied shyly, not even glancing his way.

Kennyo thought this was a bit strange since most kids still ran away from him… but this child was willing to speak to him. Even if Kyle was being super vague with his response, Kennyo couldn't help but feel more worried about this young boy. Finally, after two whole hours had passed, Kyle finally stood… and walked out of the forest. Kennyo did watch as he left, as he shrugged and decided to go check on Mai again. However, once Kennyo reached the temple, he learned that Mai left many years ago… and no one even knew where she gone.

Kennyo got more worried about his wife and he recalled the last thing she told him… the questions about what he wanted to name their children, if they ever had any. Kennyo wondered why she had asked that way back when, but now she wasn't at the temple? Where would she have gone? Oddly… once Kyle turned ten years old, the clothes that Mai gave him when he was still a newborn now fit him, he had normal pants on with that blue hoodie. Not only that, but Mai finally returned to the temple… and she never once told Kennyo that Kyle was their son…

Kyle later that night returns to the forest, yes at the age of ten this time. Only because he noticed his parents fighting, he still thought something was wrong about them two… and he didn't even know they were his foster parents. Not just that, he also got a letter from his birth mom Mai, she explained how Kyle's real father looked in the letter… and that's when Kyle connected the dots back to Kennyo, he first met that guy when Kyle was just seven years old. So, that was his real father? But however, Kyle keeps it a secret, even though he once again bumps into the older man.

Kyle was running away from his foster dad that night, since his dad chased him with the belt off. Kyle ran into the forest… and he hid behind Kennyo's back right away, once he noticed the older man there. This act alone caused Kennyo to think on the situation, but he did notice the other man with a belt in his hand.

"What do you plan on doing with that?" Kennyo asked, pointing at the belt. "To punish my son." The man answered. "There will be none of that. Can't you see that he's scared of you?" Kennyo asked the other man. "Oh, he's always like this. He's such a coward." The man replied, as he finally walked off.

Though, at this time Kyle started to think he wasn't good enough. Kyle often thought this way, but it was far more intense this time… and he even wasn't sure if he should allow Kennyo to know the truth, and sadly… Kyle never tells him. Kyle's illness also takes a toll him and Kennyo actually carries the boy back to the other temple, the one along the road… the newer one he and Mai should be living in together. Once Kennyo places Kyle onto the futon, Kennyo does the unthinkable… he even kisses Kyle's forehead and moves some of the black hairs from his face.

Though Kyle doesn't make it through the night… his illness took his life. Kennyo actually buries the young child in the small garden of the temple and said a prayer for his soul. Kennyo even often visits the grave, but he sometimes gets dragged away by Mai… and his wife never once tells Kennyo that the young boy who died was actually their son.

The end.

[soviet-siscon]

ikko ikki monks from the pure yuri school of Buddhism just launched an uprising to replace the emperor with childhood best friends. soldiers from the ruling "easily swayed mother and underage daughter" clan have mobilised to crush the rebellion

[reccyls]

Hideyoshi's Sequel Summary - Common Route (Ch 1-6)

This is a loosey-goosey summary of Hideyoshi's sequel from what I remember after blasting through about 2 routes in 1.5 days due to the election, haha. Some little portions may be very slightly out of order and I have probably left out some of the less plot-relevant moments/interactions but the general gist of everything should be right.

Also this is nearly 4k words I'm so sorry

Warnings:

Described gore/gruesomeness

A suicide attempt

Continuations:

Tragic End | Blissful End | Passionate End

As all Ikesen sequels do, Hideyoshi's starts out with Mai returning to Azuchi following the attack on Nobunaga's castle and her travel guide blank. As she tries to make her way to the others, worried, she is surrounded by a group bandits who look to be in the human trafficking business and taking advantage of the chaos in Azuchi. Just as she's about to try making a break for it, Hideyoshi comes swooping in and saves the day, beating down all of the bandits singlehandedly. After Mai is saved, they share a sweet reunion and moment together. However, they are being watched in that moment by spies that Kicho had planted in Azuchi...

Later, Mai sits in on a war council. Unrest is rising in surrounding territories due to the attack on Azuchi, and the warlords have their hands full dealing with them all. Although the conflict with the Ikko-Ikki is dealt with (following Hideyoshi's eternal route) and a ceasefire has been brokered with the Uesugi-Takeda forces in the meantime, not all is well. Busiest of all is Hideyoshi, who is sent every which way in order to help act as a mediator between various uneasy and discontent factions. During this time, Mai is also introduced to Keiji, who reports that Kicho was the one behind the attack on Azuchi and that he is working together with the presumed-dead Motonari. The pair appear to be distributing weaponry, especially guns, to the populace: a sample has been procured and Nobunaga looks to Mai, asking her whether she thinks she, with no training, could use this. Mai herself is very uneasy about the thought of actually using a gun to hurt someone, but she knows that a gun isn't actually all that difficult to use. She answers that she would be able to use the pistol with minimal training, confirming Nobunaga's suspicions.

Everyone gets busy. Hideyoshi leaves to go help mediate between factions in a bordering province, and Mai has a full day of seamstress work ahead of her at Azuchi Castle. They shared a goodbye kiss as is usual, but Hideyoshi jolts as if startled. He said he felt something on his lips as they kissed. Mai didn't notice anything, and suggests that maybe it was some static? After a quick explanation of what static buildup is, they dismiss it since it doesn't seem to be anything major, and go their separate ways.

As Mai works, Ieyasu and Mitsunari drop by with a request to mend their clothes too. Mai accepts, and after a moment of silence, Ieyasu remarks that Hideyoshi really was right. He'd asked them to check in on Mai to make sure she wasn't working herself too hard in his absence. But, well, the request to mend their clothes was still real. They're both so busy with riding back and forth between one potential uprising and the next that their clothes are wearing out fast. That just gives Mai more fuel for thought and worry, hoping that Hideyoshi is all right out there. Mai quickly finishes up the repairs on Ieyasu and Mitsunari's clothes, but just as she's handing the clothes back to them, something about her fingers seems to jolt them too. It's not painful, but it is startling. But alas, duty calls, and they leave soon as well.

Later Hideyoshi returns, unharmed and just as eager to see Mai again as she is to see him. They have their moment together, and spend a very enjoyable night with each other. However, come morning... Hideyoshi reaches out to touch Mai, but immediately pulls back in pain. He's frantic as he asks if she's okay, but she hasn't noticed anything strange at all. However, there's no way to brush this off anymore. They quickly call the warlords to an emergency meeting in order to explain the situation: people who touch Mai seem to experience pain.

Of course, this sounds unbelievable, so it is proposed that they test it out. Mai doesn't like the idea of hurting the others, but Ieyasu talks her into covering all their bases in order to better understand this strange illness(? if it is an illness, anyway). So one by one Mai takes turns touching the different warlords, and almost everyone displays a strong reaction, with Hideyoshi seeming the worst off. Keiji, however, reports only a slight irritation where Mai touched him. After some thought and one more experiment where Nobunaga summons a complete stranger to Mai for her to touch, they work out that the closer Mai is with someone, the more pain they feel. Keiji, who was just an acquaintance, only feels a mild irritation, while the maid who was completely unfamiliar to Mai felt nothing at all. And her lover, Hideyoshi, is hurt worst of all.

Mai is completely horrified by the idea that her touch and presence could hurt people, so she runs out of the meeting hall in devastation. Hideyoshi runs after her, but she says not to come closer and shurts herself away in her room. But Hideyoshi is there, standing just outside the door. If she wants space, that's all right, he'll give her space. But she just has to remember that he will always be there for her and that she isn't alone.

The next day, Nobunaga summons the both of them to his chambers for a meeting. Supposedly, there is a hot springs in the mountains that has some spiritual healing powers. Nobunaga tells Mai she should go there in order to recover and recuperate, and Hideyoshi should go with her. She expresses surprise that Nobunaga would believe in such things, but Nobunaga says he doesn't, actually. But this is a stressful situation for her to be in, and she's obviously distressed by the possibility of coming into contact with someone and hurting them. It may do her some good to spend some time away from Azuchi and that possibility, let her calm down in a relaxing hot spring, and give Hideyoshi some time off after he's been run ragged trying to keep a full blown uprising from starting these past few weeks. It's Nobunaga's way of giving the lovebirds some time to themselves, basically.

So they set off, with the other warlords seeing them off as they ride away. Masamune packed some bentos for them, Ieyasu made medicine, Mitsuhide shows up with water supplies, etc etc. Some requisite teasing and banter ensues, of course, but it's a relatively lighthearted departure. Mai notes that she doesn't seem to be causing the horse any pain by touching it, and Hideyoshi is careful to avoid direct skin contact as they ride together, so everything is going well.

Up until it doesn't.

Partway through the journey, they are attacked by a group of ruffians, declaring that they've found the Sacrificial Princess and to hand her over. It doesn't take long to figure out that they're referring to Mai, and that they intend to kill her, believing her to be someone who brings misfortune and suffering to everyone around her, and to the nation as a whole. They intend to sacrifice her to appease the heavens, who were angry at Nobunaga for his conquest over the lands and were thus punishing people by giving rise to all the unrest and violence as of late. Hideyoshi, of course, believes that it's all bullshit and does not entertain the thought of handing Mai over for even a second. However, their attackers are all adamant that Mai must be killed. And lo, they say, they are proven right as during the battle, Mai nearly slips off the horse and Hideyoshi has to catch her--and his arm immediately begins to start turning red and burn where it comes into contact with her. See? She only brings pain and suffering, and therefore, she must die.

Mai is yelling at Hideyoshi to let go of her, but he refuses, growing more ruthless and violent the more fervently their attackers try to get to Mai. He eventually cuts them all down, though one is left alive for them to interrogate. The remaining attacker manages to choke out in his final breaths that posters of Mai's face and her supposed crimes against the heavens have been spread far and wide across every village there is, so even if Hideyoshi kills him here, more people will come to finish the job.

Now that the fight is over, it's time to take stock of injuries. Mai is unharmed, but Hideyoshi's arms are red all over and completely scalded. They make use of the water that Mitsuhide handed them and Ieyasu's medicine, but even so, Hideyoshi almost collapses and is overtaken by a fever from the injury when they make it to an inn to rest for the night. Mai is overcome with guilt over the injuries that she caused, and when Hideyoshi slips into a fevered sleep, she has to leave the inn, afraid to be in the same room as him while he sleeps.

She takes a walk in the forest nearby, ruminating over everything. That's when she hears footsteps approaching. Panicking over the thought that it might be more people who are after her, she's about ready to run, though the sight of a familiar figure stops her. It's Kennyo--whom she last seen in Hideyoshi's eternal route trying to send her and Nobunaga over the edge of a cliff-- accompanied by a young pink-haired man she doesn't know. She's still afraid that Kennyo will try to kill her, but Kennyo explains that he wants no such thing. Ranmaru introduces himself, and the two of them explain that they know about the Sacrificial Princess rumor, and that it is actually Kicho's work, and part of his plans to engulf the country in unending war and conflict. They know this because the one who saved Kennyo after he fell off the cliff was Motonari, so they had, for a brief time, worked together. But upon finding out that Kicho's plan involved the prolonging of senseless suffering and war, they could not bring themselves to keep working with him, and cut ties with both Kicho and Motonari to go their own way.

When Mai asks why they're telling her this, Kennyo says that it is his form of atonement. For wrapping her, innocent and uninvolved, in his plot for revenge against Nobunaga. But if this is not repayment enough, then Kennyo would offer her his life. He places a dagger before her, and Mai can tell that he's actually serious. He'd let her kill him if she didn't think that he had redeemed himself enough.

Mai has absolutely no desire to hurt anyone. She can't forget what Kennyo did to her, but she doesn't hate him, and she doesn't want to see him dead. She doesn't think Ranmaru does either. But if he does feel the need to atone for it in blood, she takes that dagger and presses it lightly against Kennyo's finger to give him a light cut. Let that be the price he must pay in blood. If he is truly serious about redemption, then she asks him to live. Thanking him and Ranmaru for the information once more, she goes to leave.

Hideyoshi is there to see her, revealing that he had been listening from the beginning, but he's just glad to see her safe. He also expresses relief that Ranmaru is safe as well. They quickly return to the inn as Hideyoshi is still weak from his fever, and he almost collapses again as soon as they make it back. It's definitely time to rest for the night, so they pull apart their futons to make sure that they don't end up touching each other in their sleep. But it's hard, being apart like this when the both of them want and need comfort.

The next day, Hideyoshi is mostly healed up. A doctor has proclaimed the worst of his injuries dealt with properly, so the burns won't even scar. And that is when Mai, who had spent the night thinking about what Kennyo had revealed, tells Hideyoshi her plan: she wants to talk to Kicho. Nobody was supposed to know about Mai's touch bringing pain and burns to others; heck, she didn't even know about the burn part until after the people who attacked her did, even. So what does Kicho know, and how does he know about it? They need answers, and the only way to get them is to speak with Kicho directly. Hideyoshi wants to disagree, but he acknowledges that she's right, so he says that he'll go with her to Sakai after sending a letter to Nobunaga and the others to update them on the situation.

Back at Azuchi, the other warlords receive Hideyoshi's letter explaining the situation. They've been growing more and more tired with the unrest seeming to grow more and more out of control with every passing day. Hideyoshi had excelled in mediating disputes and keeping everything balanced, and without him it's hard for everyone remaining to keep things under control. And they've all been hearing about this Sacrificial Princess rumor as well, and everyone's worried about how the two of them are holding up. Nobunaga then says that he has a letter to write, and Keiji also asks to send a letter since he had infiltrated Sakai before and may have some useful information.

In Sakai, Mai and Hideyoshi are, for just a moment, taking a break. Mai is wearing a cloth over her head and face to disguise herself, because on the way to Sakai they'd been chased out of town and attacked by people who had recognized her face as the Sacrificial Princess. Hideyoshi, knowing how hard and stressful this has been on her, decides that they're just going to enjoy themselves out in town for a bit. They go to a tea shop and have sweets, window shop all the rare foreign goods like textiles and accessories that Sakai has to offer, they just let themselves enjoy things for a bit. Hideyoshi just wants to see Mai smile again.

And then night falls, and it's time to put their plan into motion. While Hideyoshi had genuinely wanted Mai to enjoy herself and be happy for a while, he had also been keeping an ear to the ground as they had gone around town, and he had found out that Kicho was going to be heading out of his merchant house that evening. If they wanted to ambush Kicho, now would be the time. So they track down Kicho, Hideyoshi knocks out his guards, and he says that if Kicho wants to live, he'd better do everything he says.

Completely unflapped, Kicho says that actually, it should be the other way around, and promptly summons dozens more underlings to take on Hideyoshi. Mai is taken away by Kicho as the guards keep Hideyoshi busy. He spirits her away to his merchant house, and we get the usual explanation of Kicho's plans and the reveal that he knows of the future as well, as with most other routes. (Meanwhile, Kennyo and Ranmaru show up to lend a hand to Hideyoshi, who was not having trouble with the guards per se, as none of them were strong enough fighters to really put him in any danger, but there was a lot of them to get through. Ranmaru and Kennyo buy him the time to break away and go after Mai)

And, like in other routes as well, Kicho is also affected by the changes in the timeline. Like Mai, he is unable to touch people he knows without burning them. It's how he knew about the symptoms to spread the Sacrificial Princess lie. As for how he found out... he did some experiments, you see. He picked a random one of his underlings and pretended to take a deeper interest in the man, cultivating a relationship of admiration and (assumed) trust. As expected, Kicho's touch began to hurt and eventually burn the man, with the injuries worsening the deeper that relationship became. Eventually it reached the point where meeting Kicho's gaze blinded the man, which was when Kicho decided to end the experiment.

However, at that point, it was too late. Kicho had left the room and ordered everything stopped, but just hearing Kicho's voice through the walls was enough to kill the man. Witnesses who were in the room at the time reported that the man's skin had eventually begun to actually melt, and he died in agony.

With this vision of what lies in store for her and Hideyoshi, Mai is completely shaken. Kicho lets her leave unharmed, seeing as how he has no particular reason to kill her at this point in time, and it in fact behooves his plan to have her live. The whole reason he spread the rumor of the Sacrificial Princess in the first place is specifically because he knew it would provoke Hideyoshi the most. Hideyoshi is a balancing force and mediator among the Oda forces, and throwing Hideyoshi off will throw the Oda off as well. The impacts of it can be seen already: how the Oda are having trouble managing the unrest without Hideyoshi... and also how Hideyoshi himself gradually grows more brutal and less and less prone to trying to convince the people after Mai's life to stand aside with every ambush.

Hideyoshi meets up with her soon after and after making sure she's okay, they leave for a safe place and to recover for the night. Mai tells him some of what she learned: Kicho's goals, his reason for spreading the Sacrificial Princess rumor to disrupt Hideyoshi and the Oda forces. But she keeps the extent of the effects on her hidden, too overwhelmed and upset to think about addressing that right now.

On the journey back to Azuchi, they stop at a seaside inn to spend the night. One morning as they're having a meal together, Hideyoshi tries to reassure her that everything will end up all right, and Mai almost allows herself to believe him. But at that moment, Hideyoshi winces in pain and holds a hand to his eye. Did the sun's rays hit him in just the wrong spot, he wonders? But Mai, with the knowledge from Kicho about how her symptoms will progress, immediately begins wondering if this is the start of the end, and makes a quick excuse and dashes out of the inn.

She spends some time by the seashore, worried and afraid and stewing in her own thoughts. However, she's soon approached by a man who once again recognizes her as the Sacrificial Princess and attempts to kill her. Hideyoshi, who had grown worried about Mai intervenes just in time, keeping Mai close to him to protect her even as she yells at him to let her go so he won't burn himself. He tells her that there's no way he'd do that, that this is nothing in order to make sure that she's safe. The man lashes out in anger and fear, asking why Hideyoshi is protecting Mai: she's the Sacrificial Princess who's the cause of the suffering in the world. Does he want the world to destroy itself? Is that it? Hideyoshi responds back: Mai is his treasure, and he will not let anyone lay a hand on her.

After some skirmishing, they manage to make it to a safe and isolated section of the beach. Hideyoshi says it's a good thing that the guy gave up relatively soon and that Mai wasn't hurt. But Mai has just about hit her breaking point after this latest attack and the knowledge of what is to come in the future. Walking past Hideyoshi, she walks straight into the ocean, and keeps going.

She's submerged up to her calves; Hideyoshi yells at her to stop. She ignores him.

Up to the waist now. The currents are growing strong. And still she keeps going, defeated step after defeated step.

Alarmed, Hideyoshi runs after her and grabs onto her to stop her. But she yells at him to let her do this, she doesn't want to do this anymore. She reveals to Hideyoshi what Kicho told her about the progression of her symptoms. What she really wants is to live together with Hideyoshi and everyone else. But how can she do that if her very presence hurts them and will eventually kill them? This is for the best, she says. For everything to end so no one can be hurt by her anymore.

Hideyoshi just holds onto her more fiercely. He insists that even if Mai thinks that the best thing is to throw her own life away, her life has value and meaning and he is so so grateful for every day that he can spend with her. The words ring familiar: their positions are reversed now, compared to Hideyoshi's eternal route. When he was willing to die, believing it to be the only way that he could be of use, Mai was the one who convinced him that even if he thought the only person he would be hurting was himself, everyone around him would bear the pain of his hurts with him too; that his life has its own intrinsic value not tied to how useful or worthy he was; that the simple truth of his existence is something worth celebrating. He's never forgotten that lesson for a moment, and now that things have come to this, he'll do the same for Mai for as many times as it takes for her to realize the same about herself.

The unconditional love and support breaks Mai, and she begins crying as Hideyoshi leads her out of the ocean. She apologizes, promising not to try to kill herself again. Hideyoshi tells her she has nothing to apologize for, and they return back to their rooms to rest for the night and recuperate from the emotional rollercoaster of the day. They can't hold each other directly, but some careful wrapping of each others' bodies around some clothes mean that they can still have a little bit of comfort from each other, at least.

The next day their journey back to Azuchi continues. Unfortunately, their path goes right through the battlefield of one of a recent uprising, and there are still some armed soldiers lingering around the area. Their conversation makes it abundantly clear that they're hunting for the Sacrificial Princess, lamenting the violence that has destroyed their hometowns and families and hoping that they find her soon so that they can put an end to everything. Hideyoshi and Mai try to stay hidden as they maneuver around the battlefield but unfortunately they are detected. Hideyoshi is left with no choice but to fight...

[sifu-kisu]

From a bad translation, Russian to English. Unedited because I’m too lazy.😁🤷🏽

SOHEI - BUDDHIST WARRIORS OF ANCIENT JAPAN

Sohei ( дат Sohei, literally "monk-soldier") - Buddhist warrior monks of feudal Japan. At certain points in history, they had considerable power, thus forcing imperial and military governments to cooperate.

They were similar to the mountain ascetes of yamabushi, but unlike the yamabushi hermits, the soheis were usually organized into large armies or units. Most famous is their Enryaku-ji Monastery on Mount Heei, not far from Kyoto.

Many common traits the Soheis had with warrior monks from Germany or other religious orders (for example, such as participating in a crusade; the Soheis did not operate as individuals or even as members of individual temples, but rather as warriors of the Great Brotherhood or monastic order).

Warrior monks first “claimed themselves” in the late 10th century, in the Heian era, during fierce political disputes between Buddhist temples and sects over receiving various titles from the emperor. The main confrontation took place in the area of Kyoto and Nara cities, in Japan's 4 largest temples - Todai-ji, Kofuku-ji, Mii-dera and Enryaku-ji.

The first armed encounter occurred in 949. , when 56 monks from Todai-ji came out to the Imperial Palace in Kyoto to protest against their inconvenient assignment. These kinds of performances lasted throughout the 10th century and often ended in a murder.

Since 981 Clashes began between the 2 main temples of the Tendai Buddhist sect - Enryaku-ji and Mii-dera. Armed clashes between these temples lasted with breaks throughout the 11th century and early XII. Along with the armies, violence has also increased. Sometimes it even came to the burning of an unfriendly residence. Other temples were also gradually involved in conflicts, joining forces with yesterday's enemies to confront other temples.

A prolonged civil war began in Japan at the end of the 12th century. Temples distracted themselves from constant windows, observing events happening in the country. Hostile houses of Minamoto and Tyra tried to persuade warrior monks of Kyoto and Nara to replenish their samurai armies. The Sohei claimed themselves in 1180, when the Mi-dera monks along with the samurai of the Minamoto house tried to protect the bridge across the Uji River from the invasion of Tyra troops. During this battle, known as the Battle of Uji, the monks disassembled the pillars of the bridge so that the horse samurai could not cross the river.

After the Gampay war, many monasteries began to reform. Their political power grew generally in peaceful ways, and the Soheis almost did not participate in the battles of the 13th-XIV centuries. During the wars of the Nambokuteo-era, Mount Hyei gave refuge to the rebellious Emperor Go-Daigo. With his son and soheis, he tried to gather forces for a short-term rebellion against the Kamakura shogunate. After this, another military government, the Asikaga shogunate, came to power, bringing an end to the restoration of Kammu. The new shogunate supported the Zen sect more than others, and therefore attracted the wrath of warrior monks. From 1340 to 1360, many clashes occurred between the temples of the Zen and Tendai sect.

The Onin War, which began in 1467, dragged on more than a century-old civil war in Japan and forced warrior monks to reform again. In contrast to the turmoil of the Jekyu years and the invasion of the Mongols in the XIII century, the main theater of the Onin war became Kyoto, and therefore the Sohei could not stay away. In addition, new sects of warrior monks appeared in the country. While monks from Mount Hiyei were adherents of the Tendai doctrine, the newly-baked monks, who were given the collectively name ikko-ikki, followed the rules of the jodel-sinsu (True School of the Pure Earth). This practice was followed, among others, by many fundamentalist priests, peasants and houses, who were ready to fight for their beliefs. In 1488, their leader, named Rennyo, raised a rebellion against the power of the samurai, and warrior monks seized the province of Kaga. From this direction they began to expand, capturing the temple of Isiyama Hongan-ji in Nagashima (sovr. Mie Prefecture). A little later, part of the land in Mikawa province (part of the sovr.) came under their control. p. Haiti). Their power and influence drew the attention of some of the mightiest princes of the warring provinces, Oda Nobunagi and Togukawa Ieyasu. They considered the warrior monks as the enemies of the samurai laws and a threat to their power. Yeyasu attacked the monks of Mikawa in 1564, but failing to defeat them in battle, he returned later with the monks of his friendly Jedo-syu school, winning and taking almost all of the possessions from the losers.

While the power of Oda Nobunagi was strengthening and expanding in the late 1560s, the Enryaku-ji monks were gaining military strength and clashes were resumed on the streets of Kyoto, now with the new Nitiren Buddhist sect. After defeating the enemy, they began to look for allies among the dimes. To their misfortune, they contacted the houses of Asai and Asakura who were sworn enemies of Nobunag. 29 September 1571 The 30 thousand Oda army stormed Mount Hyei and burned down the Enryakudzi Monastery. Although the temple itself will be restored later, there were no more warrior monks in it.

Then Oda Nobunaga fought the ikko-ikki in their forts of Nagasima and Isiyama Hongan-ji. In the summer of 1574, with the help of the old pirate Kuki Yoshitaki, Nobunaga blocked their forts and began to starve the monks. 20 thousand people were burned along with their homes. Two years later, Nobunaga returned to Isiamu Hongan-ji, a temple he failed to conquer last time. In two maritime battles under Kidzugawaguti Nobunaga, the house of Mori, whose fleet was still considered to be the strongest in the region. Finally, the Soheis were forced to surrender in 1580.

Between 1580 and 1590, not only warrior monks, but all of Japan was divided into two camps: supporters of Toyotomi Hideyoshi or his opponent in the struggle for power - Tokugawa Ieyasu. When was the last one in 1603 finally will gain full power over the whole country, the Sohei era will end forever.

The Soheis had quite a variety of weaponry. Although most commonly associated with naginata, warrior monks also often used bows, tanto (daggers) and wakidashi (short swords).

The Soheis, like other Buddhist monks, wore kimono-like clothes, usually white at the bottom and beige at the top. They wore traditional Japanese sandals on their feet (this one, Varaji, etc.) ). The head was covered with white scarves or a hatimaki bandage.

The attire of the Ikko-ikki monks was a little more diverse due to their peasant origins, ranging from simple rural attire to various types of bras and helmets. In addition to the aforementioned armament, the icco-icca monks had a small number of arkebuses.

[daeva-agas]

BTW if anyone is confused by what this means: It means that the monks of Shoutokuji (Seitokuji is a typo, correct temple name is Shoutokuji) is part of the Honganji sect/denomination, but they are not Ikko-ikki fighters. 

Like, this has to be said because "Honganji-style Jodo Shinshuu” is basically its own sect, and the Shoutokuji is specifically part of the Honganji style. There’s other temples which are kind of also Jodo Shinshu, but has its own “head temple”, like the Takada-style Jodo Shinshu. This other temple doesn’t like the Honganji people, even though they’re both “Jodo Shinshu”.

[chronicparagon]

Ikko Ikki's score: 8

"Hey, friend! Thank you very much for taking the quiz. You did a wonderful job with it!"

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 7 - The Tiger's Invitation

As soon as they arrived back to Azuchi Castle, Nobunaga had Mitsunari and Katrina gather all the warlords so they could have a War Council, whilst him and Hideyoshi dealt with the prisoners and made plans. As previously, they went to sit down in two parallel lines, waiting for the supreme leader to take his spot above them all.

A quiet sense of restlessness took over the atmosphere and everyone was awaiting the beginning of the meeting, but the stillness was almost insufferable, and yet, no one moved a muscle and stood in place as if they were dignified statues. The woman, as well, didn't feel comfortable moving, and so she closed her eyes, to process the events of the previous days and put together her thoughts and emotions in a rational way, the same as she always does.

The never-ending wait was ceased as soon as the sliding door was opened and the two warlords occupied their positions, allowing Hideyoshi to give a brief report to everyone present, so they will be aware of the situation and all its details.

"So, what's the name, Mitsunari? Don't be dramatic, spit it out already." Ieyasu sighed, bothered and annoyed by the slow pace.

"It's the former abbot of Hongan-ji, Kennyo." as she already knew, Mitsunari confirmed that name officially for everyone to hear.

"Hongan-Ji? That's the temple-fortress of those Ikko-Ikki warrior monks, right? They picked a fight with Nobunaga in the first place! And now they're holding a grudge because they lost?" Masamune whistled in surprise.

"Is that what happened, Nobunaga? In my time, things went a little different. I apologise for my surprise." Kat opened her eyes for the first time since the beginning of the meeting.

"What do you mean by that?" came Ieyasu's voice.

"In my time, history tells us that Nobunaga destroyed everything in his path, if they didn't want to comply to his orders. He'd kill every man, woman and child, innocent or not, and he'd burn temples down just because they were in his way. As wasteful as that sounds, that is recorded as the unquestionable truth. We don't know anything about a Kennyo, but the sect of warrior monks is known to have fought and lost against you. Then again... In my time Kenshin and Shingen were already dead by the time of your assassination, and when I saw them, they looked in their prime, so maybe things really are so different from what I know." she spoke in an aloof tone, which earned silence from all the warlords who were speechless as the way she was speaking.

Nobunaga, on the other hand, had a small smirk on his face. "And what do you think is the truth, then? By now, you should have a good enough judgement on my character, do you not?"

"What did you do to the prisoners?" she asked in the same flat voice as before.

"I let them go. I sent them back to Kennyo with a message." he replied in a strong manner, imposing, rather.

"And that is?" Katrina tilted her chin upwards, an amused expression like that of a sly fox taking over.

"That he has enough time to say his last prayers before his funeral is prepared." the smile on her face widened just a little bit, twisting into a wicked one.

"How cruel, Nobunaga. My opinion is that he won't have enough time to say all his prayers. He's a dead man." she chuckled, her hand to her lips to hide it.

"You are calling me cruel, and yet, you are the sole person here laughing at another's misfortune." he pointed out so casually, as if teasing her.

She, instead, merely shrugged, completely unbothered. "I never claimed to be a Saint, did I? Anyway, do we have any clue as to where his headquarters or location is? Or are we going around searching blindly?" she adopted a more serious note now.

"I hear he ran away and nothing is known about his whereabouts." Ieyasu answered her.

"Unknown he may be, and yet, he still had information about Nobunaga's retreat location and that he had no warlords around him - Not only that, he also managed to burn the temple to the ground and almost killed him while unconscious. That's no easy feat in itself." she pointed out the elephant in the room.

"It's almost as if someone is leaking information to the enemy." Hideyoshi leaned forward, glaring at Mitsuhide, as per usual.

"My, you couldn't possibly be referring to me, could you, Hideyoshi? There's only so many sides I can pick at once, you know?" the silver haired man went up to his feet and smirked provokingly at the man who sprung to his feet as if burnt by his volcanic personality.

"Alright, children, that's enough playing, it's time for your bed time." Katrina sighed, getting up and pushing the two men away from each other. "If you guys start doubting each other, an inevitable chaos is going to happen among Nobunaga's lines and that will only give the enemy a significant advantage over us. Anyway, if you're done with this meeting, then we should end. It's pretty late and we need some rest, I'd say." she explained, letting her arms fall back to her side.

"I declare this War Council to be over. You may return to your duties." Nobunaga got up and everyone bowed as he left the room, followed by Hideyoshi as if he was an abandoned puppy.

"Is Hideyoshi his pet or what?" Kat let out an amused exhale watching the two leave.

"To this day, I'm not sure either." Mitsuhide chuckled, walking next to the red head. "How about we have a drink and discuss further into the situation? Lady Kat, you may join us as well, should you not be too exhausted." everyone else around got up, getting together.

"Sure, sounds good." she nodded, following everyone in another large room where they had some tea and sake inside the circle they created as they sat down.

"So, what happened at the bath house anyway?" Masamune asked, very curious.

"I treated Nobunaga's fake injury, we got attacked, the attackers got defeated. The end." she spoke casually with a yawn as she poured tea for everyone.

"Lady Kat, are you not bothered at all by the fact that you were so close to death?" Mitsunari asked, surprised.

"Hm... No, not really. It's my fault for not noticing the enemy's blade, after all. Nobunaga saved my life by taking another. That's how it works in this place anyway. I was pissed that I didn't pay attention and that I could have lost my life, but in the end, I got lucky." she shrugged, sipping from her tea.

"Close to death...? What happened?" Ieyasu peered into the issue.

"An assassin started clinging to Lady Kat's feet, begging to be spared, all that while hiding a knife. Lady Kat got flustered and uncomfortable and tried to back away, so she didn't notice the threat, therefore Lord Nobunaga immediately took action and killed him. I was afraid at first it must have looked like an unnecessary murder in your eyes, Lady Kat, but you seemed to come to the rationalization very quickly and vent out your anger on the corpse." the innocent-looking warlord explained, making her look away, a bit embarrassed.

"Enough about that. I admit my negligence, now let it go." she muttered, sipping tea again.

"Lady Kat is such an unpredictable little fox, wouldn't you say? To think that behind this innocent facade of hers, such a grounded and strict revenge-stricken person would lie." Mitsuhide teased her with his snake-like words.

"Hey, that's enough. You're making it into a much bigger issue than it is." she sighed, annoyed at their childishness.

"You stick out like a sore thumb everywhere you go, Kat, it's impossible not to talk about you." Masamune laughed at her. "Not only you resemble a Kitsune, but you don't care about differences in social status, and you have such vast knowledge in areas that no woman would venture. It is as if you come from an era where there is only peace, and you are vehemently opposed to killing, whereas to us, this idea is a mere illusion that is on the same level as paradise." he began to slur a bit, making her steal a glance to Mitsuhide and noticed the small empty cup that once held alcohol hiding under his sleeve.

"That is because that was my reality. All of you are already aware of my time-travelling accident, therefore, that paradise you are talking about, is true for me. Adaptability is the skill that every creature on Earth is born with, because if you cannot adapt, you are dead, no matter what time or place you have to exist in. Once again, you are all exaggerating everything way too much. Not to mention... When did I ever say I was opposed to killing? Do you really think I'd just lower my collar and say - Hey, enemy, there you go, go ahead and take off my head - ? You must all be delusional. I'm not a child, I know that if I want to survive, others have to die in my place, and that I may even have to go as far as to take lives with my own hands. That's. Life." she strictly reprimanded them with her words.

"There's no way someone as pacifistic and hell-bent on saving lives would have the guts to take one." although Ieyasu scoffed at her words, he soon found himself with a blade to his neck, making everyone widen their eyes.

"This instrument is called a scalpel. It is used for surgeries. Cutting into a living being's body. I am a doctor. I know how to fix creatures, and I know equally, just as well, how to break them. Right now, the blade is pressed to your carotid artery that is less than 4 cm below the skin level. Should I sever it, imminent death can occur in 5 to 15 seconds. Impressed, aren't you? All I have to do is apply a little bit of pressure, and blood will start slowly tricking down your neck from slicing your skin. A bit more pressure, and... Goodnight, America." Katrina then slowly took away the scalpel from his neck and grabbed his hand, slicing the tip of his finger with so much ease as if it was the katana he was wielding. "Just a bit of pressure, and look how much blood comes out, just with this little thingy. Wonderful, don't you think?" a sly smirk painted her face as she wiped the blood from the small blade. "Imagine what I can do with a real sword."

"No wonder Nobunaga's so smitten with her, she's so unpredictable and cool! Ahh, if only I was first, I could have taken her back home with me to Oshu." Masamune started swaying on the spot, making everyone chuckle at him.

"Stop speaking nonsense just because you're drunk." Ieyasu grumbled at him in annoyance.

"This is tea, you know?" Masamune defended himself, making the two fox-like individuals try to hide their amused smiles. "This tea is weird... It smells like alcohol. Did someone put alcohol in my tea?" leaving the collapsed man on the floor to fend for himself or just fall asleep already, everyone went to rest until the next day came a bit too fast for their liking.

Or at least, that was what Kat was thinking once she heard that blasted rooster croaking out as if he had a sore throat. Damn, she wanted to make him into soup, how annoying to be awoken like that when all you want is sleep. Nah, forget it, sleep is fine. She doesn't have coffee here, why should she bother getting up at 5 or 6 in the damn morning for no reason? Sleep is so much better. And that's how she ended up sleeping in until noon. She's a pro at adulting, someone give her a medal.

Ah, but wait, what's this paper next to her on the ground? Was it always here? No way. Oh, it's folded too, intriguing.

The curiosity got the better of her and she crawled out of the futon, quickly opening the paper - The tiger and the fox met by the lake under the moonlight - Was written there. 

Such a bold message, Kat chuckled to herself, realising that Sasuke  must have planted this invitation sometime that day to show that Shingen wanted to meet up with her, how adorable. The fox shall comply, then.

Until then, she really needed some food and to have a light chat with Nobunaga. No matter how you put it, he still saved her and she didn't have the chance to thank him. She couldn't say she managed to change her reticence about going to his room again, after all the mess that happened every time she went by - Nevertheless, that's how it is. This time, if he annoys her, she will just get the hell away from his room without bothering to answer to his provoking.

After a fulfilling breakfast-lunch and a cup of warm milk with honey, she felt content, so going to his room wasn't such a stress anymore. Warm milk always wins.  She announced her presence and when she was allowed to enter, she stepped inside the room, noticing the man dressed leisurely, his kimono opened at the chest, yet a haori draped over his shoulders to keep him warm, and he was reading at the table. She thought he looked graceful in the light of the moon, yet the daylight made him look just as beautiful.

"Katrina. What brings you here?" he asks, one of his hands hanging inside the kimono, while the other was hanging in the air, holding the book.

Looking at him with a relaxed, passive expression, hoping her usual bitch face won't take over soon, she sat down in front of him casually. "I wanted to thank you for saving my life again. Due to my negligence and lack of understanding of this new world, I was not aware of the possibility of someone hiding a knife like that while begging me to be spared. And, uh... I may have overreacted a bit. I know it's not good to desecrate a dead body like that... And I never really lose my temper either... I just kinda lost it. Sorry you had to witness that."  she looked away, uncomfortably, only to hear him laughing at her with the same low and vibrant allure that only he has.

"Anyone who feels the need to apologise for displaying a needless, yet heartfelt act of minor aggression, such as you did, can't be from around here. Only someone like you, brought up in a world of peace, can get impulsive enough to act up despite your rationale, yet still apologise for venting out your anger. In this world, deceit and betrayals happen more often than anything - I doubt something like that is a common occurrence in your time as well - Regardless, it is what it is." he explained in a way that it didn't feel patronising at all.

"Actually... Have you heard of that expression - The Good Samaritan - ? I don't think you did, I doubt Christian envoys came by yet, but it basically refers to a person who does good because that's what they feel like. You can call that altruistic too, but the truth is, I don't believe altruism is genuine, if you don't expect anything in return, such as at least a thank you, or someone's gratitude or mutual respect. You'd be surprised how often betrayal, deceit and ignorance happens, even among friend, although, not to the same extent as in here, we don't kill people anymore, which is a plus, I guess. It's a shallow world I live in, and anyone doing good deeds is met with mockery or the greed of others, as sometimes, it's worse within a family too. It's pretty draining." she sighed raking her fingers through her hair.

"You make it seem as if there is a war of a completely different degree in your world. A micro-war, I suppose. You mentioned you live in an era of peace, so why is there room for such selfish and unnecessary behaviour among peers who are supposed to be friendly with each other? As for the messy family issues... I suppose I can understand. Whilst I acknowledge the existence of normal families out there, among the common folk, family killing each other, especially siblings, is as common as can get. The fight and thirst for power and rank is never-ending." the man answered, looking somewhat pensive.

"What is the use of fights if there is no war? People have so much free time and peace in my time that they don't value kindness or simply passivity anymore. If you can't be nice to another, why do you choose to be a menace to them, instead of ignoring their existence altogether? It's called rudeness. People get a certain kind of rise out of making others miserable. There is barely any love and understanding out there, not even the basic tolerance, instead, they all act like jackals." Kat muttered, looking down at her fingers and fiddling with them. "Families are no different. Even with no fight for power anymore, they still find stupid reasons to play on their own inferiority-complexes and bring others down, belittle them, abuse them. Children aren't the slaves of their parents and should have no obligation to take care of them until they die. I didn't ask, nor want to be born. It was your own selfish idea. Deal with it." the girl shrugged, looking out at the beautiful sky. "For some reason, since I've come here, I felt a certain kind of... Peace of mind that I haven't experienced in a very long time. I wonder why." 

"Why are you really here, Katrina? Were you in need of a person to whom you may confide your heart to?" Nobunaga asked, frowning, looking at the girl's widening eyes. It was clear to him that she wasn't completely aware of how honest she was being, nor how personal her words got.

"Uhm... No, I... It's fine. I didn't mean to get so philosophic, I guess. No. I... I just wanted to come over and thank you for saving me. That's all. Now that I did, I will leave you back to your work. Sorry for disturbing." the red head tried to get up, but was quickly pulled down by the wrist, as the man caught her arm with incredible reflexes.

"How come you poured your heart out to a man you seemingly dislike? Saving a life doesn't automatically earn love, trust and adoration." he retorted, looking into her pained, green eyes. "I don't hate you. Just because we occasionally disagree with each other's world views, doesn't automatically mean I hate or dislike you. I think you are a very good leader and you are known in history as being the first real unifier of Japan. Now that you're alive, you can truly make your dream come true, although it will come with no shortage of problems or hardships." the girl quickly evaded the real question and took away her arm from his grip.

"Somehow, I find it rather intriguing, if not, adorable how you try to run away from the main point of this conversation. Katrina, do you have the urge to kill? You had to restrain your emotions and urges your whole life with no way of letting go of them. One who's always so genuinely calm all the time couldn't possibly get revenge like that one a corpse. Your frustrations are trying to get out, Katrina." the more he spoke, the more Katrina's frown deepened, showing her worry and fright.

"...I would be seen as a criminal or some sort of psychopath if I were to even think about speaking about it." she whispered, biting her bottom lip. "Besides! I'm a doctor! I can't kill people when my role is to save them! I'm not a hypocrite. There are millions of people who get angry, but they don't feel the need to take another's life. Don't try to justify my dreadful impulses, it's wrong." the girl protested, shooting to her feet and hugging her arms, feeling conflicted.

"You said you felt peaceful in this time as you've never felt before. Perhaps you are merely a lost soul who's finally found her home. There's no more worry for you anymore, all you have to do is live. Whether you want to return to your world or not, that's simply your choice... But why would you return to a place that you do not find a home, and where nobody is waiting for you? You may have been barely brought here, yet people already find your presence to be imperative here." the warlord's words, despite being as passive and strong as always, seemed to touch her where she needed most.

"Imperative? Me? What in the world are you talking about? No matter how you look at it, my existence doesn't make a difference anywhere I go. I am just a woman. I didn't think you'd be one to sweet talk." the girl turned her head to look at him with a confused expression.

"I don't lie, Katrina, the implication is insulting. If you don't believe my words, I invite you to convince yourself. It's that simple. Our conversation for today is done until further consideration, you may go." he seemed pretty annoyed, Kat thought, as she looked shyly into his dark eyes. He didn't like being doubted, she realised, and somehow, she felt guilty and fidgety, so she merely nodded her head.

"Alright." she muttered, not moving from her spot for a few seconds. "I'm sorry." she continued, leaving another short pause. "For disturbing and bothering you. It's always insightful speaking to you. Take care." and with that, the girl quietly left the room, pondering over her thoughts.

Was it true what he said, or did he merely try to make her feel better? No, that doesn't sound much like Nobunaga... Or does it? She truly wasn't sure anymore. However, those words, they still echo through her head.

Killing.

Oh, the amount of times she felt such a dark fire inside her body, so bad that she wanted to grab the nearest object and bash someone's skull in until it turns into nothing but a mushy soup.

Gosh, no, that's not right. That's not human. She can't think like that. She can't feel like that. She's not aggressive, she's not violent, she's not a bad person. Truly, she's not. She can't be. It's horrible, it's not normal, it really can't be true. 

Okay, calm. Calm down. Go out, look at the clouds, sniff a flower and enjoy the ticklish feeling of the grass touching her feet. Yes, that's perfect. She can't do that at home, but here, she can. And she can be alone too, without anyone bothering her, and yet, if she wants company, she has enough people to choose from.

Not to mention, that night, she's supposed to meet with Mr. Shingen and there's no way that's not gonna be a fun experience. She enjoyed chatting with him before, there's no way that was going to be a boring experience, clearly.

She better get ready, then - A Kitsune has to look pretty when meeting with a Tiger, after all.

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[sirmedicknight]

Back at it with my St.S ramblings. Ikki's armor sequence is so cool. In fact alot of these last few episodes are doing more for Ikko than the last decade of the spin offs do.

Although I wish Mu telling Shaka off was still here.

While I think generally the direction of the epsiodes are better theres a lot of small details that hold the show back for me. Like for instance, when Ikki runs to the House of Aquarius. In the og the building was deep blue, while Hyoga is all white out showing just how cold the fight was. That and Shun being surrounded by flower petals. It just make it look like the show look a bit cheap. However, I did enjoy Shiryu landing as soon as Ikki arrived, and the killing of Shion where we see the only drop of blood in the show.

I just hope we make it past Sanctuary. I really want an adaption of the Poseidon Arch.

[morporkian-cryptid]

🖋🎴Working on Hanafuda Part 3 every day in January

Day 9!

“Did you know anything about this temple being populated by warrior monks?” Goemon asked his friend conversationally. Lupin grinned, and pulled them both behind a bench as someone shot blowpipe darts at them. “It was a possibility,” he replied. “The literature cited this temple as the home of the longest-lasting ikko ikki[1], so I figured…” “And were you planning to mention this to me at any point?”

[1] Ikko-ikkis were rebellious groups of armed citizens backed by the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism, opposing the power of local lords and the shogunate during the 15th and 16th centuries. This is absolutely unnecessary to justify the presence of ninja monks in Lupin III, a franchise in which ninja monks are almost as rampant as nazis; it’s just an excuse for me to inflict knowledge of Japanese history upon unsuspecting readers (as is this entire fic to be honest). You’re welcome!

[anxiousbabybird]

B, my love <3

Welcome back, I hope your battery is a little.more charged and you have a good day

~(^.^)

Ps, niko ikki and yakimiya are now my current hyperfixations as well as blue lock in general. Also, why's barou so much hotter with his hair down

Hello axolotl, my dear love 💙

It's a bit more charged today! Although I have to go to my grandma's house tomorrow for the night and be around my family, so I'm sure it'll die again 😭 But at least for now, I'm a bit more charged!

I LOVE that you are hyperfixating on Niko Ikko and Yakimiya!! And Bluelock in general! I think those are excellent men for you to hyperfixate on 🥰 AND RIGHT?! Barou with his hair down is the entire reason I am in this predicament of liking him. I saw a few fanarts on twitter (which I can send your way) of him with the hair down and of course I saw it in the anime, and I was lovestruck like cupid shot me with a fucking arrow and was like "THIS ONE! YOU SIMP THIS ONE!" And now we're here 😅

[wkdtkcjswo]

장사천재 백사장 4회 다시 보기 4화 E04 tvN (고화

장사천재 백사장 4회 다시 보기 4화 E04 tvN (고화 <<

장사천재 백사장 4회 다시 보기 4화 E04 tvN (고화

장사천재 백사장 4회 다시 보기 4화 E04 tvN (고화

장사천재 백사장 4회 다시 보기 4화 E04 tvN (고화

장사천재 백사장 4회 다시 보기 4화 E04 tvN (고화

장사천재 백사장 4회 다시 보기 4화 E04 tvN (고화

For most people who have never had a deep exposure to Buddhist thought, Wonhyo is remembered only as the 'monk who drank the skull', but in fact, he is one of the leading thinkers not only in Buddhism but throughout the entire history of the religious world. In China and Japan, there were also many monks who were influenced by his thoughts. His book, Mahayana Buddhism, was the best treatise on Mahayana Buddhism at the time, and his book, The Ten Cultures, was a collection of Buddhist theories that were popular at the time.

The Japanese Jodo Shinshu (or Ikhyang sect), which is famous for Ikko Ikki and Honganji Temple, which opposed Oda Nobunaga, is also a sect founded under the influence of Wonhyo's book Yusimanrakdo.#

According to written by the Japanese monk Jang Jun, when Wonhyo pointed out the error of Xuanzang Sanzang, the discussion of the upper decision ratio (相違決定比量) was transmitted to China, Chinese scholars contacted it, and Wonhyo It is written that he bowed three times toward the east. Let's think about who is the target of bowing three times in Buddhism.

Emperor Dojong of the Liao Dynasty, who had received Wonhyo's writings through Goryeo, once praised Wonhyo's . On the other hand, in Korea, the influence was relatively insignificant, but it was not until the Goryeo Dynasty when the understanding of Buddhism increased that it was reexamined in earnest. [19]

The disciple of Jinnah [20], who was even called a bodhisattva as a high priest of the Indian school of enlightenment, came to Tang China, read , danced and admired it, and imported it back to India. In another record in Sungo's , a student of Jinnah saw and said, "Is this Wonhyo the successor of our teacher (Jinna)?" and took it to India. In Buddhism, 'successor of so-and-so' also means the reincarnation of a certain high priest or great virtue.

was a bestseller in Japan, but when Omi no Mifune [21] discovered a person named Hannama Seoljungeop, a grandson of Wonhyo, among the envoys from Silla in 779, It is said that he even composed a poem for him while being thrilled. [22]

Muaega, a song that Wonhyo sang by interpreting Buddhist teachings, was incorporated into the court dance of the Goryeo Dynasty under the name Muaemu, just like Cheoyongmu, and remained there until the early Joseon Dynasty. It is said that it was abandoned.[23][24] Among the musical dances created by Crown Prince Hyomyeong in the late Joseon Dynasty, there is Muak of the same name, but 200 years have passed since Muaemu disappeared, and the number of dances by one person has increased to 12, and it has changed to a dance danced by women instead of men. There is no red color at all, and the two are completely different dances. In records such as and , Wonhyo obtained a gourd obtained from clowns in the market and sang, sang, and danced at the author. It is said to have been hung and decorated. "Wielding both sleeves is because you have cut off two worldly passions/ Raising your feet three times is because you have transcended the three worlds", "Your belly is like an autumn cicada and your neck is like a summer cicada/Its bent is worthy of being followed by all sentient beings. In the poems of those who saw Muaemu in the Goryeo Dynasty, such as "The empty thing deserves all things," you can guess the dance moves of Muaemu to some extent.

In an academic sense, there are more than 160 doctoral dissertations on Wonhyo in Korea. The scope of Wonhyo's research is not only wide-ranging, from worldly salvation-oriented Buddhism to logical Buddhism, but the level of content is also at the forefront of East Asia.

Even in the Goryeo Dynasty, it was so well known that figures such as Sukjong, Uicheon, Kim Bu-sik, Lee Gyu-bo, and Il-yeon mentioned it.

While the Buddhist culture of the mid-Silla period was for the good of the present world (praying for blessings in reality), the Pure Land sect (Amitabha faith) preached mainly by Wonhyo is literally good for the afterlife because 'if you recite Amitabha, you will be reborn in paradise'. During the Silla Dynasty, the sect that became the most popular as Buddhism for the salvation of the world was the Hwaeom Order of Uisang.

Although he was a Buddhist theorist and religious figure, he contributed greatly to the popularization of Buddhism. To the public, 'Buddhist scriptures are difficult to understand, so don't worry too much about that and do your best as a living person. He is also a significant figure as a living Buddhist who approaches the people directly, represented by the content that he can only turn away from Namu Amitabha Buddha. The fact that Namu Amitabha was actually 'discovered' also came from his deep understanding and reflection on the scriptures.

[chopperpirate]

Filled with rage, the man-deer's eyes focused solely on the warlord before him, his body shaking with righteous, barely contained fury.

"Ask the people of Ikko Ikki when you meet them, you remorseless psychopath!!!" Chopper ran straight at the woman, his body transforming as he sought retribution. Chopper almost instantly transformed into a human, but not just any human. The pirate was now seven feet tall and covered with muscle, similar to The Incredible Hulk, but brown instead of green. His fur was gone, aside from a mane around his neck, revealing a full six pack and tons of muscle. His hooves were now replaced with large, human hands and feet that dwarfed the size of a normal human’s head, and his antlers seemed to shrink into nothing as he transformed. The only inhuman thing about him, aside from his size and muscles, was his blue nose.

"Take this, monster!" An ironic war cry as his large fist slammed down at her, likely to destroy the seat beneath Nobunaga whether she dodged him or not.

@chopperpirate said: "You..." Eyes full of hatred glared upon the heroic spirit. "Of all the thousands of comrades and the tens of thousands of enemies, you alone... obscured the vision of my dream."

Oh? How irritating.

Her head tilts, eyes narrowing in annoyance.

Nobunaga had suffered various barrages of insults in her mortal life, the result of building a nation with such infamy. There was no shortage of rumors about this self-proclaimed demon king. The amount of things this creature could be referring to, whatever horror story he'd been fed about her reign - she didn't know if she had the patience to decipher it.

"What dream could that be? I can remember doing no such thing."

She gives a kick of her foot as she sits cross-legged, rather unphased by the accusation.

"You clearly know who I am - but you've not given me the same honor. Maybe a name might refresh my memory?"

Though her behavior is condescending, she's not reached the level where she'd throw insults. After all, she's being addressed as far more than just a drunken fool. For that reason, she is merciful.

"Enlighten me. Have I burned down a temple you loved ? Stolen your followers? Disgraced your family? Had one of your friends executed under my command? I await your answer. "

[daeva-agas]

[Ikesen Historivia] Ikko-ikki

Probably already mentioned this in my previous posts, but even if they come from multiple temples, they’re all from the “Honganji denomination/sect”.

Ishiyama Honganji is the main HQ. They have branch/affiliate temples, and those branches naturally aren’t all called “Honganji”. The monks and the people who go to these temples might be inspired to go out and join the fight as part of the Ikko-ikki, but there’s of course the casual temple-worshippers and faithful Buddhists who don’t wat to fight. 

Still, Kennyo is the leader of all the Honganji-affiliated temples and sub-temples. He could tell the Ikko in some other province to riot without him needing to be there, and they would go out and riot (as Shingen once referenced in the game).

So it’s not like the Ikko-ikki are, say, Honganji and Enryakuji working together. Those are two different Buddhists sects (who hate each other). 

There’s enough affiliate Honganji temples for there to be a huge Ikko army to overthrow the samurai lords of an entire province. 

Though, I’m talking about the historical fact here, and I’m honestly not sure what the Ikesen writer thought the Ikko-ikki was like. I went out of my way to poke around to figure out this mess of temples, but before that I also had all these groups mixed up too.