#tenkaichi nihon saikyo bugeisha ketteisen

[cafeinthemoon]

Feral Heart - Prologue

Chapter --

Wordcount 1,3k

Title Prologue - A Savage

Fandom Tenkaichi: Nihon Saikyo Bugeisha Ketteisen

Symbols ⭕ . ➕ . 🖤

Warnings: none for now, just guards gossiping

Tagging ?(If you want to be tagged in any of my stories, just leave a comment on this chapter or send an ask or a message)

N. A.: I just wanna say that I'm posting this story out of pure happiness and not expecting much from it bc I know no one will read it lmao

I have this story in my head since the beginning of this year, but I left it aside to focus on the other ones, but now I decided to try and work on it. Tenkaichi is a relatively new manga and isn't known by much people (at least among my friends), but it has great potential and excellent characters, my fav being the one starring this ff, Yagyu.

I'd like this story to be as weird and unsettling as possible, but without disgusting my readers with graphic content. If a synopsis is necessary, there you go: the Shogun decided to create a kinda paramilitary group formed only by women, who will work in environments where men usually don't manage to enter, and the man chosen to train these women is Yagyu. One of his students (reader) gathers his attention for her peculiar habits and mindset.

To the people who mind reading this, I hope you have fun 😅

You're such a strange girl

I'd like to shake you around and around

You're such a strange girl

I'd like to turn you all upside down

(Mareux, The Perfect Girl)

The afternoon was calm and warm, as a blessed silence took over it despite the agitation of the last days, and the guards were more than grateful for that. The arrival of a big group of women – most of them loud, young girls who barely reached adulthood – has been predicted and feared by each of them, who were about to see their work double: more people to watch over, more rooms to include in their supervisions and more details to remember in their reports. If only they could spend their free time flirting with the adult ones… but this was specially forbidden by the Shogun himself, and professional contacts was the only thing left for them – plus, disobeying the Lord’s order was equal to sign one’s death sentence. This, and having to stand the chattering and the trickery from the younger ones.

But that didn’t mean the guards wouldn’t talk about the newcomers: gossiping was even worse when it came from men, and since there was no way to stop them from talking, there were no efforts in this sense at the palace. Still, they used to be careful and not distract themselves while on duty.

At that moment, four guards were going to do the shift exchange at the gates, at a reasonable distance from the places where the women were allowed to walk on, and the men wouldn’t waste the opportunity of exchanging some words between themselves as well.

– It seems that Nobunaga-sama is having so much fun with this project in particular – Todo, one of the guards who were about to leave, was commenting – But only a fool would suppose that he’s doing this only for diversion.

– I agree – Yuki, his partner, replied – If it was any other man doing it instead of him, people would call him crazy – and, with a giggle, – Can you imagine that? Gathering a bunch of girls from each part of the country and train them to serve as soldiers?

– Not mere soldiers – Todo clarified – They will be spies, diplomats, teachers, swords-women and everything you can turn a woman into – and, lowering his tone, – To be honest, it’s a bit scary to imagine that happening.

Unluckily, his whispers were loud enough to reach the ears of the guards who came to replace them. One of them, an incorrigible jester, soon took the chance to mock his coworker, speaking as affected as he could:

– Are you really scary of these young girls, Todo-chan?!

Todo jumped and let out a scream, then began an irritated self-defense.

– O-of course, not, Takaba! I’m referring to the idea itself – he calmed down a bit – Consider this: women usually do not hold as much power as men, except in the domestic sphere. Still, they’re everywhere: in the countryside, in the cities, in familiar houses and noble rooms. They can enter many places, see many things and use many disguises. With the appropriate training, and at the same time with the reasonable control over their activities, they will make Nobunaga-sama invincible for even a longer time.

Takaba, even though recognizing the validity of Todo’s statements, was going to insist on his laughter, but his partner, Kenji, who was the youngest of the four and has been in silence until that moment, spoke in his place to keep the moods calm.

– You have a point, Todo-san – he hesitated a second – And, considering who was chosen by Nobunaga-sama to manage these girls’ training, I can only say that our Lord will accomplish his goal sooner than he planned.

– Yeah? And who is it? – Takaba asked in an annoyed manner; the composed posture of his young partner wasn’t entirely pleasing to him.

The response came from Yuki.

– That young swordsman from the Yagyu family, Munenori.

All the three men fell in uncomfortable silence when that name was mentioned.

– That one with the white strand on his hair? – Todo gasped.

Kenji moved his in an affirmative sign.

– Yes, him.

The other man sighed.

– If this is true, I feel bad for the girls.

– Really? – Takaba frowned – He’s a bit awkward, but he’s a formidable swordsman, isn’t he?

– I know, but that’s not the problem – Todo twisted his lips in discomfort – That guy creeps me out with that soft voice of his.

Yuki corroborated.

– To be honest, I feel the same whenever I find myself around him. He’s weird.

No one made efforts to continue that conversation, but there was an agreement about the feelings towards the said swordsman.

The first pair of guards decided it was time to go and leave the work for the other two. After an exchange of a few words, Todo and Yuki walked away, disappearing in a corner right after.

Once they were out of sight, Kenji, in spite of his distaste for gossiping, felt the need to add comments to the subject they just abandoned.

– You know, I think there could be some girls who will adapt to him. Like that one.

Takaba turned to him with a frown. He never appreciated his partner’s habit of making those sudden, abstract statements.

– That one? Who?

– That one who’s as weird as Yagyu-sama himself – and, seeing that the other still couldn’t follow his train of thought, – You still haven’t heard about her? It’s a girl who wanders around during the meal times, always alone, only interacting with animals and plants.

Takaba burst out in laughter.

– As if there’s such a girl! Nobunaga-sama needs sane girls to his project, Kenji-chan, did you forget that?

Leaving his temperance aside for a moment, Kenji scolded the older guy in a rare moment of irritation.

– The girl is real, you idiot! I saw her myself. Me and other friends of mine did.

Takaba gave him a suspicious glare, both for the fact that the women were kept away from the usual places Kenji used to watch and the mention of “other friends”, given the boy was almost always by himself.

– Really?

– Really – Kenji, oblivious to his companion’s mistrust, thought of the girl for a moment – In my opinion, she has a pretty face and could be popular among men if she had a proper education and wore fine clothing, but she’s basically a savage. She sleeps in strange places outside the house, walks around on barefoot and barely talks to the other women, giving weird answers whenever people speak to her – he sighed – I don’t know where she was found, but the people who decided to bring her here were certainly stupid. What could be made of such a person?

Takaba didn’t look as impressed as he would be if an older, less serious person told all those things.

– And are you sure you saw all of this with your own eyes, or did people tell you these stories?

Kenji startled, as if caught off guard.

– Well…

The other man, whose practical manners used to show during moments of impatience, dismissed his companion’s worries.

– Look, I don’t think half of this is true. This girl you talk about, she might be just a farm girl who never saw a crowded palace before and is struggling to get used to it. I wouldn’t worry about her since she’s not our responsibility. Now, we’re better off minding our own business here and forget about this.

Kenji was going to argue, but he held his tongue in the last moment. Takaba was right that time. He looked away and the conversation died seconds after.

– Thank Heavens she’s not – he murmured, not knowing if his partner heard him or not.

Chapter 1

[arkus-rhapsode]

My manga PSA for the day is check out Tenkaichi: Nihon Saikyo Bugeisha Ketteisen by Yosuke Nakamura and Kyotaro Azuma

[cafeinthemoon-lists]

Tenkaichi: Nihon Saikyo Bugeisha Ketteisen

Sorted by character and/or groups of characters

Yagyu Munenori

🖤 Feral Heart

Prologue . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4

[tytanyx]

Well you now have my attention.

[gray-recollection]

Apparently I have a type and it’s trash

[zodiacs-web]

All of us like pretty men, right? So I present you, Yagyu.

[codec-morse]

Tenkaichi - Nihon Saikyo Bugeisha Ketteisen (2021)

Written by Nakamura Yosuke and illustrated by Azuma Kyotaro.

[cafeinthemoon]

Feral Heart - Chapter I

Chapter 1/?

Wordcount 1,5k

Title "Are You Lost?"

Fandom Tenkaichi: Nihon Saikyo Bugeisha Ketteisen

Previous chapter Prologue

Symbols ⭕ ➕ 🖤

Warnings: none for now, just a strange encounter before dinner 👀

Tagging ? (If you want to be tagged in any of my stories, just leave a comment on this chapter or send an ask or a message)

N. A.: I'm posting the first chapter alongside the prologue bc I see them as just one thing, though I found it coherent to separate the guards' scene from the rest.

About the question around Yagyu's gender: he is a male, but I included this subject in the story for some reasons, such as the fact that his feminine resemblance is pointed out in the canon, and imo the whole depiction of his character is typical of female ones, which makes him even more interesting, so I wanted to bring it out here.

Also reader's peculiarities have solid reasons to exist, which are hidden in her past. And all of this will be explored in the future ofc

Hope you like it 🥰

The sun just settled, and with it was gone the warmth of the day. The wind was tolerable in the evening, but you knew that it would grow colder as the night followed. Still, you haven’t gathered enough courage to climb down the tree where you were and go back to the lodge, where you would take a bath and receive new clothes before being led with the other girls to the dining room.

You didn’t like the idea of having to eat inside a closed space with guards at the door. Why was this necessary? What were they expecting you do to? Most of the girls were content for being taken under the Shogun’s wing and wouldn’t start a riot; judging by what you observed while you were in their company, most of they were just interested in the food.

Besides, you were comfortable in your spot, sitting on a big branch, with your back on the tree’s trunk, and having thinner branches below it, full of leaves, to cover your figure. You looked down, through the gaps between them, and giggled: you’ve seen two pairs of guards passing by that place without even glancing at your direction.

Just imagine if they saw me up here.

Part of you was still a child, having fun with the things that others ignored, such as your location whenever you decided you didn’t want to be found. Since the time when you were, in fact, a child, that feeling was liberating: with no walls to limit you, you could run away if you ever considered it necessary, and little could be done to stop you; but if you wanted, you could spent the night sleeping there...

And if you were in any other place in the country, you would do it, but unfortunately for you, that was the Shogun’s particular territory, and no one could enter or leave it without his permission.

You sighed. Despite how proud you were of your own freedom and all the measures you took to preserve it, you just managed to be in the wrong place by the wrong hour when the messengers of Nobunaga-sama recruited you and brought you to the palace alongside a bunch of girls you’ve never seen before. You tried to explain to them that you would have no use to the Shogun, but arguing with men – specially when they wore weapons – was never a wise decision, so you just followed them in a journey that extended for days to the heart of the country.

But, well, at least they allowed the women to walk outside the lodge, and no one bothered forbidding the act of climbing trees, so you would enjoy the periods you had upon them while they didn’t start to see it as a problem.

At that moment, the said time was almost over, so you forced your eyes to open up and stretched your limbs; you grabbed your sandals, wrapped on each other by the straps, and tossed them over your shoulder before jumping from branch to branch until your feet met the grass.

You leaned a hand on the trunk and passed the other one on each sole of your feet to clean them before putting on the sandals. You rubbed your palms together, adjusted your hair and took a deep breath before walking toward the building.

And you hadn’t taken two steps when you felt you weren’t alone in the garden.

Who is it? A guard?

No, it couldn’t be. Two of them passed there only a few minutes ago.

Besides, this is not the presence of a mere guard. It’s too... strange.

A soft voice was heard behind you, not so far from your spot.

– Are you lost, dear?

You turned immediately to its origin, not disguising the surprise. You soon recognized the speaker, but weren’t exactly relieved for that, specially because you sensed it wasn’t going to be easy to get rid of them.

There you had a tall, young individual whose figure exhaled nobility and balance, with their arms crossed before their chest and a playful smile on their lips, even though the playfulness never reached their eyes. They were dressed with sobriety, but even you could tell that the fabric of those clothes were something you’d have to work for years to be able to pay for, and the same could be said about the sandals on their feet; the only extravagance they brought in their appearance was a long earring on their left ear. Their face was delicate, closer to feminine, framed by a long, black hair that increased the paleness of their skin, but a white strand of hair that fell on the right side of their head gave some vivacity to their general aspect, which otherwise would be plain, even morbid.

That was your master, chosen to be the responsible for your formation as Nobunaga-sama’s living weapons, as you girls were called by the old, short man who made the presentations between the girls and them; you were glad you were on the bottom of the room, where no one would notice you because, honestly, you were sleepy and barely paid any attention to those formalities. But, well, what was their name again? Yes, Yagyu Munenori. A male name, but you still had your doubts about its owner’s real identity; maybe it was a way of surviving in that world dominated by men.

But even when they stood there, behaving like an elder sister and calling you out for not being where you were supposed to be, you didn’t think you should count on them to open your way through that same male world you were taken into. You just didn’t trust them.

Since you didn’t give them any reply, Yagyu repeated themselves, one step closer to you and a bit louder:

– Are you lost? The dining room is on the other side of this garden.

That time, you managed to give them a verbal response.

– I’m not lost – and, in an instinctive attempt of taking their attentions away from you – And what about you, Yagyu-sama?

They put an elegant hand over their mouth to hide their giggle, as if your raw manners weren’t more than a diversion to them.

– Me? I am exactly where I want to be. Or should I say…

They stopped in front of you, making you flinch.

– Where I need to be?

Those subtleties in their manners, typical of noble folks and completely foreign to you, were probably what annoyed you in the first place, but this was only while you observed them at some distance: now that you had them so close that you could hear each other’s breath, you found the said subtleties sinister, to say the least.

And your defense was, obviously, responding with what they called rawness.

– Were you spying on me?

Again, your reaction was far from being offensive to Yagyu, whose smile didn’t fade a bit.

– I’d rather say I was watching over you. And, not only you, but three other girls who were wandering around not so far from here – they sighed – Young students need to be observed carefully, or else they might get in trouble. And, as you probably noticed in our first meeting, I have many students. It’s been a hard work.

Your first impulse was to reply that, if they wanted to make their work easier, they should just stop spying on the girls, but something told you that you’d go too far with this and held your tongue. Besides, they were being polite with you, so provoking their distaste so soon in your relationship would be just stupidity.

And, well, whatever reply you could give instead of that died in your mouth, because your master’s response was faster than you predicted: before you could step behind, they stretched their hand and reached your hair on the spot upon your left ear. You shut your eyes tight…

And opened them again after nothing happened but the sensation of their fingers slipping between your strands. You looked at Yagyu’s hand and saw a small leaf between its fingers. It might have got tangled while you were on the tree.

– Look at the strange places where you can get yourselves into – they commented with their smile unaltered – Just imagine if you were left by yourself.

You swallowed. Yagyu left the leaf fall on the grass and changed their posture, as to indicate that the conversation was over and that you were free to leave.

– Now, I think I’ve held you here for too long, dear – and indicating the way to the lodge – Go, and prepare yourself for dinner. It might be difficult to get a place at the table if you stay for any longer.

You didn’t say anything to that. Stepping behind, you nodded and ran to the direction your master pointed at, not able to erase the feeling of their eyes burning your back as you moved away.

Chapter 2

[cafeinthemoon]

Feral Heart - Chapter III

Chapter 3/?

Wordcount 2,6k

Title Morning Lessons

Fandom Tenkaichi: Nihon Saikyo Bugeisha Ketteisen

Previous chapters

Prologue . 1 . 2

Symbols ⭕ . ➕ 🖤

Warnings: none except that Yagyu tries to keep the inner shinigami quiet

Tagging ? (If you want to be tagged in any of my stories, just leave a comment on this chapter or send an ask or a message)

N. A.: So I'm really self-conscious about this chapter bc though I've had it in mind for a long time, it ended up looking like a joke that was only funny in my head, mostly bc I struggled to describe y/n-san's strike without knowing the exact word for it, I mean how do you English speakers call it when someone clenches their hand and hits other person's head? I've found some expressions like "noogies" and my friend who's also an English teacher sais it's "deck" (a word she claimed to love btw), but tell me what do you think...

Anyways I hope you enjoy this one :)

The morning when you should gather at the training area to watch Yagyu-sama give you a glimpse of what swordsmanship meant was awaited with great expectation by most of the young women, and they couldn’t refrain their tongues to speak about it the night before. At first, since you had no particular interest in the path of the sword, you only hoped that it didn’t leave you as bored as the day of the first presentations, but as time passed you started to think of it seriously, to the point you allowed yourself some curiosity – after all, an opportunity to see the Peerless Swordsman in action didn’t come every day, and deep inside you were willing to see if he was worthy of such esteem.

When the day came at last, you and the others were led by a palace servant to the designated place, where your master was already waiting for you with his usual, composed manners. You glanced as his hand’s height and noticed two katana… made of wood. Of course, real weapons wouldn’t be used against inexperienced students, but somehow you felt relieved with their sight. You raised your eyes again and suddenly startled when they met with his; overcoming you in self-control, he gave you a gentle smile, which you didn’t reciprocate and looked away. You observed the other girls, but they were too focused on their master to pay attention to anything else. You glanced at him again, and your heart skipped a beat when you saw that the smile disappeared from his lips as he interacted with the others; you hated the warmth that reached your cheeks with the realization.

The air around you were full of whispers and excited chattering, but they ceased once Yagyu raised his hand. You weren’t surprised with that: he would never have a hard time managing the girls’ reactions once he was already popular among them.

His first words were less formal than you expected, yet they emphasized the seriousness of the occasion.

– Good morning, girls. I’ve heard you’ve been expecting this moment with great enthusiasm, so let me say that the same goes for me.

The girls cheered up at those words. He walked toward the center of the area, his hands hidden behind his back.

The lesson started with no ceremonies.

– Developing or sharping your skills with the sword is not the only task that will be assigned to you as Nobunaga-sama’s living weapons, but neither it is less important, and that’s why you will be practicing by this hour everyday from now on.

The word “everyday” was followed by a wave of murmurs that echoed or added exclamations of surprise to it. You were looking directly at his face and saw the grin with which he made the announcement, and it was hard not to twist your lips in response.

Of course, he’s enjoying all of this.

– Some might think that wielding a sword is an act restricted to the physical – Yagyu continued – But this is because they only look at things from the outside. You cannot commit such foolishness, my girls. The path of the sword is a mental, even spiritual one. It can reveal things about yourselves that you’ve never imagined to be there, as well as teach you how to read the secrets of your opponent.

From your spot, you were still able to see him, and that’s how you saw the moment he approached the first row. Tension spread around when he offered his hand to a short girl who didn’t seem to be older than you.

– Now, would you mind serving as my volunteer? – and, when the poor girl accepted the invitation with an unintelligible murmur, – What is your name?

– Akemi… Yagyu-sama.

He nodded and took the girl to the center of the area with him. Letting go of her hand, he took one of the wood swords from his belt and offered it to her.

– Do you know how to hold it?

The girl shook her head in a positive answer and held the sword with reasonable balance, even though it was a bit long for her.

– Very well – Yagyu held his own weapon and started walking around the student as he spoke – Let’s see how many secrets we can unveil.

You saw Akemi’s hands tighten their grip around the sword.

– W-what’s going to happen, Yagyu-sama?

His response was to giggle and to poke both her elbows with the tip of his katana, making her raise them a little.

– Nothing you need to be afraid of. After all – he glanced at the girls – Each of your friends have their own secrets as well.

You lowered your eyes at those words, so that there wouldn’t be a chance for another look exchange between you.

– You might have noticed the little correction I made in Akemi’s posture right now – he continued as if nothing happened – Here we had our first revelation. Nervousness, perhaps from lack of confidence, even when it’s clear that she knows how to hold the weapon – he used his sword to touch hers underneath, making her hold it higher – Another one: uncertainty about the strength necessary to hold it properly – he poked each of her feet in their inner side with the sword, separating them from each other – And, finally, not knowing exactly how to occupy the space around her, in order to stay in the right position.

Silence was still lingering as the girls heard the explanations. Now that Akemi was apparently prepared to whatever might happen now, no one knew exactly what to expect, not even herself. Yagyu raised his sword… and put it back on the belt. The girl, still waiting for a response, didn’t move until he approached her.

– As you can see, all of the imperfections on our friend’s performance were fixed once they were identified – he said to all the presents – This is what you are going to learn. Spotting failures in your adversary’s posture while concealing your own weaknesses is the key to a good result. As you can easily suppose, this lesson applies to many fields apart from swordsmanship, but keep in mind that in this specific case, this will mean the difference between your life and your death.

It didn’t escape you the grin growing on his thin lips as the word death crossed it. But, before its shadow lingered on the minds of the students, Yagyu suddenly softened his manners, turning to Akemi and taking back the katana.

– You made an excellent job, Akemi-san – he patted her hair – You were very brave.

The girl agreed with visible relief, then was sent back to her place among the others. No one dared looking at her direction, even less chattering or mocking her. You looked away, scratching the back of your neck. Part of you was relieved for Akemi, while another one was even happier for not being you in her place...

Such happiness didn’t last long, however.

– Reading your adversary, figuring out their weaknesses and using them to your advantage… – he continued his explanation – All of this seems easy when we speak, but reality always brings surprises. This is your second lesson, and to demonstrate it I’m going to need help from another one of you.

Another murmur spread among the girls, the expectation of being the chosen one passing from heart to heart. You just stood quiet, hoping he didn’t extend this for any longer. And, well, he didn’t… but not like you were imagining.

– Y/n-san, can you come forth?

Yagyu’s voice, though soft, entered your ears and shook everything inside like a thunder. You looked ahead, to make sure you weren’t hearing things, but the quietness with which the other girls opened the way for you, as well as the teacher’s eyes glued on your figure, waiting, wouldn’t let you be deceived. You bit your lip and started walking toward the spot where Akemi once was.

You stopped in front of the group and waited. Yagyu approached and offered you the sword used by the previous girl; you observed it for a moment before extending your hand to grab its base: you somehow were aware of the possibility of your hand touching his, and wanted to avoid it. Then, being successful in this, you nodded and murmured a “Thank you”, but your attempt to keeping a formal distance were frustrated when he dismissed it with that soft, clever smile of his, as well as a verbal provocation.

– Too bad that I’ve already learned your name, isn’t it?

Your eyes widened at those words, but you didn’t say anything in response. He just continued the lesson.

– Please, get in position – he asked while doing that very thing.

You obeyed and posed yourself the same way as Akemi. Fortunately for you, he didn’t need to correct anything… Or perhaps he did, but had no intention of doing it, for the gaps in your guard were going to serve as a precious lesson to the students, as suggested by his next command.

– Now, use what you just learned and show us your defense, y/n-san!

And, before you could think of what was going on, his sword came to clash with yours from all possible sides, and you were forced to follow his movements to not stay behind. Indeed, you weren’t experienced with swords or any weapon that surpassed the size of your arm, but you did your best, not wanting to know what would happen if you were hit with a wooden stick. At the same time, you were able to notice the fluid, free way in which he would wield his weapon, almost like a dance. And you sort of admired that.

He moves around with such balance and grace. No wonder I thought he was a woman.

At some point, you stood face to face, your swords pressed against each other. While you held your breath to contain the fatigue, he showed no signs of struggling. The smile he gave you was tender, but you saw the cunning expression in his eyes.

– Tell me, dear – he whispered – What would you do if I was about to kill you?

It was when you understood it. The lesson about surprises – he was expecting you do to something that the girls couldn’t predict. But what could it be? A sudden change in your fighting style? A low blow? A sign of surrender?

You glanced down at your feet and had an idea.

With your left heel, you hit the inner side of his ankle in an attempt to interfere in his balance: supposing that the probability of him being right-handed were higher than the opposite, he might never expect a strike from the left, which would give you a second to move away from his katana’s reach. In your mind, that was an excellent thing to try… but you hadn’t the necessary experience to make it work, and once he understood your tactic he wouldn’t miss the chance to use it against yourself: moving his foot away from yours, he increased the pressure of his sword and, at the same time, stroke your leg on the spot behind your knee. His superiority in speed and strength resulted in you dropping your sword and falling on your back, your breath suddenly pushed out of your lungs.

If only that was all, you could deal with it, but Yagyu seemed to find it insufficient for the lesson: pressing the “blade” of his sword on your neck, he bent down in front of you, leaning on one knee and giving you no space to move or to escape.

– So, now you’re without your sword, immobilized and at your adversary’s mercy – he commented – Breathe heavier and this might be the last time you do it. What are you planning to do now, y/n-san?

You didn’t say anything in response: your mind was everything but concerned about the task of choosing words when you had him closer than he has ever been.

The strands of his hair are spreading around, tickling my cheeks, and I can hear his breath and the clink of his earring.

Those few seconds you stood like this felt like an entire hour, during which neither of you spoke. You thought of moving one of your feet, but you wouldn’t manage to lift it without being stopped by him; then you considered striking him with your knee, but his own was already being used to trap yours; you even thought of headbutting him, but that would be too painful.

You glanced at your right hand and noticed it was free. You clenched and moved it before anything else...

And hit him on his forehead.

You two stood there, silently staring at each other until the a wave of laughter and mockery raised among the entire group of students. Their fragmented voices reached your ears with comments that would go from mild observations such as “I can’t decide if she’s insane or just incredibly funny!” to not so gentle ones, like “What a stupid thing to do! Doesn’t she take the lessons seriously?!” However, you had neither the time or the energy to give them attention, for what you had in front of you made you totally absorbed: Yagyu didn’t deflect or made anything to stop your hand, and you were surprised to see that it was less because he didn’t see it coming than because of his capacity of doing it; his eyes, widened a bit as much as his lips, let that clear.

He wasn’t expecting this. I really caught him off guard.

Perhaps he sensed this realization from your part, for soon after this thought crossed your mind he acted as if nothing happened: leaning the sword on his shoulder, he moved away and stood up, freeing you from his grip and offering his hand to help you leave the ground. You avoided his gaze while you did, then cleaned your clothes and grabbed your sword, forgotten near your feet. The voices of the girls were a constant murmur by now.

Yagyu was the first to speak.

– It seems that y/n-san has a peculiar concept of self-defense – the girls giggled at that comment; he turned to you, scrubbing his forehead on the spot you hit him – But I don’t think she did that as a joke. So, can you explain to your partners what you meant with that… strike?

Part of you was relieved that he took you seriously, but you were a bit annoyed by the way he touched his forehead as if you’ve put all your strength in that move.

You offered the presents an honest explanation.

– I clenched my hand because I had nothing to hold on to in order to make the strike realistic – you pointed at your own forehead – Of course I wouldn’t hurt you on purpose, Yagyu-sama, and that’s probably why you didn’t stop me, but what I imagined was hitting you with a rock or a small knife that I might’ve hidden in my sleeve.

A strange glimmer appeared in his eyes when he heard that, but it was gone as fast as it came, so that you wondered if you just imagined it.

I’m not really sure if he sensed any hostility from me, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he did. Maybe he was just a bit shocked that I had the nerve to simulate what I had in mind. Most of the other girls wouldn’t go so far.

The laughter of the said girls turned into whispers of “Ah, now I get it!” and “That makes sense!” and your master seemed satisfied with that. Since the lesson was well assimilated by all of the students, he decided to continue the classes. With a bright smile, he took your sword and sent you back to the group, where you were surrounded by cheerful girls, excited with the possibility of being his next volunteer.

[cafeinthemoon]

Feral Heart - Chapter II

Chapter 2/?

Wordcount 1,9k

Title Dinner Time

Fandom Tenkaichi: Nihon Saikyo Bugeisha Ketteisen

Previous chapters Prologue . 1

Symbols ⭕ . ➕ 🖤

Warnings: Reader mistakes Yagyu's gender (it's promptly clarified to her); Nobutada makes a pejorative suggestion about reader's sanity; reader reflects on society's views on the female loss of innocence

Tagging ? (If you want to be tagged in any of my stories, just leave a comment on this chapter or send an ask or a message)

N. A.: I really don't have much to say about this chapter, except that you can expect to see more of reader's past in the next ones, which was just foreshadowed here.

Hope you enjoy 😉

If it was for you to decide, you’d never choose such a crowded place to eat your meals: the shadow of a tree, the wood floor of a balcony or a lake shore would do; places where the fresh air and the sounds of nature would make a good company and where you could just focus on your food’s taste.

But fate wanted you in different places, so there you were, sitting in one of the tables in the middle of the dinning room, surrounded by other girls who couldn’t seem to decide whether they wanted to eat or to chat.

– Yes, I’ve seen it! — one of the girls on the other side of the table (called Chiyo, if you remembered well) was saying — The lake is so beautiful! I hope we find other chances to go there in the near future!

– Me too! Nobunaga-sama surely has an eye for beauty — the girl by her side agreed; they seemed to be the same age and even resembled each other, making you think they were relatives.

If the conversations were about trivial things, you could just ignore them. However, most of your companions were young, so even when that wasn’t your first dinner together and they’ve been talking about it for days, the main subject of the conversations still couldn’t be anything, or anyone else than the individual who was chosen to be your instructor.

A third girl, a bit older than the those two, made a suggestive statement letting it clear that she had different plans for herself, which didn’t include admiring the Shogun’s lake.

– Well, you do as you like. I'd rather keep training with our charming teacher...

Another girl, as excited as her, joined the chatting.

– I confess I’d rather be with him too, Makoto-san!

You frowned at that comment.

Wait… Him?

You raised your head from your plate to observe as the others corroborated with a wave of cheerful compliments and exclamations of “Me too!”

You were still processing what you were hearing when you were suddenly inquired to participate with your opinion.

– Hey, what about you?

You looked around and found out it was Makoto who was talking.

– Uh? Me? – you inclined your head to the side, in doubt.

– Yes! What do you think? – she insisted.

You swallowed.

– About what?

The girls murmured in annoyance, but Makoto did the favor to explain:

– About Yagyu-sama. Don't you agree that he’s such a beautiful man?

You took down your hashi and stuttered. You didn’t misunderstand the girl’s words; still, you couldn’t think of anything else to say as reply but the following words:

– So... Yagyu-sama is not really a woman?

There was an instant of shocked silence, then the entire table exploded in laughter, catching the attentions of all the others around and provoking an irritated look from the old inspector at the doors. One of the girls went to the point of spitting her tea and coughing until thick tears fell through her red cheeks.

Makoto, on the other hand, was astonished with your ignorance.

– You can’t be serious! — she shook her head — You really thought the Peerless Swordsman was a woman?! – she inquired, emphasizing the last syllable of “swordsman”.

– You’re a terrible observer — Chiyo added with a note of pity in her voice.

It wasn’t shame what you felt in face of this: instead, it was genuine confusion, followed by a gradual understanding.

– It's not that I didn’t take time observing him — you explained — It’s just that he has delicate traits, so that I just assumed he was a woman who used a male identity to follow a protocol. You know, they just don’t allow women in some types of works.

Another murmur spread across the table, that time from reflection and doubt.

– That makes sense – another girl whose name you still didn’t know agreed – We only need to think of the peculiarity of our own role here – and, suddenly changing her train of thoughts, – Anyway, you still didn’t tell us what you think about him.

You thought of the question for a little. Yes, you did have some feelings towards him, but they might haven’t been what those girls were expecting. Besides, you didn’t think too much of them, not to the point of being able to make an accurate description of them.

Because of this, you just said the first thing that came to your mind the day you met him.

– Well... I think he’s much stronger than he looks. The type who is strong enough to break a bone with just one hand.

Though this wasn’t indeed what they were expecting, the girls nodded and pondered your words. But you weren’t finished yet.

– Also, there’s another thing in his way that doesn’t match what we see.

The girls stared at you with curiosity.

– Ahn? What are you talking about? – some asked at the same time.

You started stirring the remaining food in your plate with the hashi.

– He always carries a calm expression and speaks softly, but I don’t think he’s such a peaceful person. I think he’s a strange man, and that we should be careful around him.

The girls laughed again.

– You’re just saying weird things to scare us, but we know you like him too! – Makoto teased you – There's no need to hide.

You didn’t reply to that, excluding yourself from the conversation. You weren’t really offended: being young and raised in a small village in the mountains, where most of the inhabitants were common folks, you were more than used to not being taken seriously. You were also aware that, for most of the girls your age and younger, ignoring advice, specially when it comes to charming men, was quite common, almost like a social rule.

However, that was the type of thing that people would consider an innocent, inherit trait of the young, female nature until it led to unexpected, and not so innocent paths.

After what happened to your village, which forced you to survive on the road, trusting none but your instincts until the Shogun’s men found you, you knew better.

***

Somewhere on the other side of Nobunaga’s palace, in a much quieter room, dinner was being served for a smaller group. Well, it’d be more appropriate to say that it was just two people, if the servants weren’t included: two men sharing a table in the middle of the room, kneeling in front of each other.

One of them, a noble with the top of his head shaved and a little butterfly upon his nose, had a distracted look while a cup of green tea was forgotten in his hands. The other one, a younger man whose focus was on his own bowl, enjoyed the food with a soft smile, aware that the scene before him wasn’t but a facade: the man of the butterfly was just absorbing everything around, waiting for the moment to act.

Which soon came in the form of a question.

– Though you try to disguise it – he started, looking directly at the other – You seem happier than ever, Munenori.

Yagyu Munenori, who was indeed content, put his hashi aside and raised his narrow eyes to his speaker.

– It couldn’t be different, Nobutada-sama – he giggled – Even though the work as instructor is not foreign to me, teaching young women has been an interesting and exciting experience, to say the least.

– Do you think so?

– I do. Men and women, they are fundamentally different in some aspects, and it reflects on the way they learn and how they fight. And, sometimes, people manage to blend traits from both sexes to form unique ways to function. In my experience, these ones make the most dangerous warriors.

– Hm...

Oda Nobutada took some time to reply.

– I’m starting to understand my father’s intentions with all of this – a curious glimmer appeared in his eyes – But if I know you well, you’re telling me these things while having a specific person in mind. Is there someone who caught your attention among the girls?

The Shogun’s heir used to ask things to which he already had an answer, more as a way to induce his listener to speak than for any other reason. Yagyu knew that, and for he was actually waiting for a chance to discuss this, he made no efforts to hide his thoughts.

– Indeed. Right on the first meeting with my new students, I was impressed with the variety of personalities and mindsets, and in the following days I’ve found out the most peculiar habits from some of them. This was expected, of course, given we have from daughters of noble families to farm girls among them. Still, there’s this woman about whom I still haven’t a clear opinion, yet I cannot stop thinking about her. During our first encounter, all I could notice was that she wasn’t here for her own will, and that she didn’t like me – a tender smile appeared on his lips – But it was only on the second day that we had our first contact.

– And how was it?

– I was walking outside this building where we are now, when I saw her alone, crouching on the grass, looking inside the gap between the soil and the balcony’s floor. At first, I thought she lost a belonging in the gap and was trying to recover it or that she saw an animal sneaking inside it... but she did the last thing I’d expect: she laid on her back and continued to stare at the gap as if she wanted to sleep there.

Nobutada raised an eyebrow in genuine diversion.

– Really?

– I just had to approach and ask what she was doing – Yagyu continued – When I stopped in front of her, she had her eyes closed, but soon she opened them, as if sensing my arrival. Instead of being ashamed or trying to stand up, she stood on her place, staring at me like I was an intruder. I understood that she wasn’t going to say a word and started a conversation myself, asking if she was okay. She promptly said “Yes”. Then I asked what she was doing there, and she gave me the strangest answer.

– And what was it?

– She said “I wonder if someone could sleep under this floor. I’m sure I could, but I have my doubts about you, Yagyu-sama. Your skin seems too soft for that”. I thought of telling her that I’ve slept in surfaces rougher than grass all for years, but instead I just asked why someone would sleep in such a curious place, and she replied “We never know” – Yagyu smiled – It was when I accepted my defeat and decided it was time to go. I said that I hoped none of us would have to sleep in such a place and left her with her little experiment. I looked back when I was some meters away from her and saw her eyes closed again, as if nothing happened. Now, tell me what do you think of this, Nobutada-sama.

Nobutaga let out a low laugh.

– Yes, such a strange episode, this one, and very funny. But are you sure she’s not a bit... – he poked at his own temple with his index finger.

That was Yagyu’s time to laugh.

– Oh, no, she’s perfectly healthy. And that’s why I’m intrigued. What kind of things would lead a normal girl to consider the possibility of sleeping under the balcony? What kind of strange situation she’s expecting to happen?

Nobutada shrugged.

– I have no idea, but women are just like this. Always expecting strange things to happen. Whatever the case, I’m satisfied that we have someone like her here – he brought the cup to his lips, then giggled – Such eccentricities can be very useful in my father’s service.

Nothing more was said after this, and the dinner continued, as peaceful as when it started.

Chapter 3

[cafeinthemoon]

So this year I'll be revising my Naruto stuff while also bringing new things here. I want to do everything I'm this poll actually, but I wanted you to help me choose which one I should do first 🥺

[cafeinthemoon]

Feral Heart - Chapter IV

Chapter 4

Wordcount 4,6k

Title Fever Dreams and Rocks

Fandom Tenkaichi: Nihon Saikyo Bugeisha Ketteisen

Previous chapters

Prologue . 1 . 2 . 3

Symbols ⭕ ➕ 🖤

Warnings: Mentions of violence against wild animals (non explicit); mild injury provoked by sharp object; mentions of blood and references to bloodlust and assassins

Tagging @chrollossweat (If you want to be tagged in any of my stories, just leave a comment on this chapter or send an ask or a message)

N.A.: So... finally this chapter is ready and posted! It ended up longer than I first planned (way longer! haha) and I needed an equally long time to revise it, though I admit I didn't work on it every single day due to personal circumstances. Anyways, I'm really happy that we finally reached this chapter because it contains some of the scenes that made me create this story, and if you enjoy writing you know that feeling too <3

I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

The students had a short amount of free time after lunch, during which they would rest or engage in inoffensive activities like playing and taking walks at Nobunaga-sama’s gardens. Of course, with the emotions experienced that morning, they all had much to think about, but not everyone was willing to spend the afternoon ruminating, so they did what many girls would do while staying idle and unsupervised: they started talking.

You, on the other hand, knew you wouldn’t stand hearing your name among the gossiping, neither you wanted to be confronted about the events of earlier, so you were quick to escape your classmates’ reach and got yourself into the depths of the grove that grew behind the compound where you were housed.

You too had a lot to think about, but your deliberations had little to do with the lessons, so you wouldn’t share them with anyone.

You were now sitting on one of the highest branches of a tree in the middle of the grove; your sandals were taken off and had their stripes tied to each other, forming one thread that you tossed over your shoulder to free your hands, occupied with a knife you stole from the kitchen and an apple that you didn’t have to steal. Having your back resting on the tree trunk, you chomped a thick piece of the fruit and recalled the morning lessons for the hundredth time.

The thing was that you couldn’t forget how quickly you were deceived and dominated by Yagyu, how easy was for him to get close and trap you on the ground, under him, with no signs of embarrassment – unlike yourself, who couldn’t help the heat coming up your face at the memory of the fight. Apparently, your master was really worthy the title Peerless, but his incomparability wasn’t restricted to swordsmanship.

He was so close that he could kiss me if he wanted. And to think he did that in front of so many people… has he no shame?

You swallowed the fruit and sighed, both from angry and shyness. The idea of a kiss happening in those circumstances was too much to bear. How would you go back to the compound and join the other girls with all those thoughts stirring in your head? How would you fall asleep at night? You didn’t want to imagine what kind of dreams could invade your mind in case you weren’t able to leave those feelings aside. Even worse, the idea of returning to the training area the next day and facing him as if nothing happened would haunt you until the said day came.

You chopped another part of the apple and put it on your mouth with the tip of the knife, but you ended up closing your lips before taking the blade away, resulting in a small, superficial cut. You gasped and touched your lower lip, and a little red drop was seen on your thumb. You cursed and continued to eat, but the irritation caused by the cut wouldn’t let you close your mouth, and the apple’s juice leaked from it, staining your yukata. You tried to clean it as best as you could, but the mark couldn’t be conceived. You abandoned the knife and decided to eat using only your teeth. This situation would be too trivial to shake your moods if it wasn’t for what you’ve already experienced that day.

Could it be that what happened between us impressed me to the point of distraction? Why do I keep thinking it, anyway?

You bit the apple on a spot still covered by the red peel, and for a moment you closed your eyes, letting the pulp and the juice fill your mouth. The answers, just as you imagined – and feared – were already there.

At the same time my instincts tell me to keep away from him, they suddenly fall silent when he approaches me. As if he has some power of shutting down one’s defenses to invade and plunder them effortlessly.

Standing there, at a stranger’s mercy, was an unsettling feeling, and you didn’t like it at all. You’ve been dealing with all kinds of people since the days you’ve lived in your village, and now among girls from each part of the country, servants, military men and noble ones: simple-minded, smart, generous, cunning, dreamers, realistic ones, alternating between giving and taking something from each other. All of them admittedly human, whom you sensed you could deal with. However, this man… was something else.

Something apart from regular humans, but not exactly foreign to them. Something that mixed their remnants with certain things that would go beyond, all of this hiding in a delicate shell.

It was when a drop of blood from your lips entered your mouth and touched your tongue, and the sudden realization of its taste made your eyes open wide. You were still holding the knife; you hid it carefully in your clothes and finished the apple on a rush, as if sensing a close threat, an uneasiness creeping through the grass, searching for your spot.

That was the answer. That was how you should name the feeling, the scent you’d notice whenever you found yourself around him; and it didn’t matter how well he could hide it from the others, to people like you, who has dealt with it before, that thing would always be detectable. Something that wasn’t found in average humans, for its growth was only possible in a certain type.

That person… that man smells like blood. He’s not just a warrior. He’s an experienced assassin, hungry but clever. He craves slaughter, but knows when and how to act, and not even the gods can stop him when he decides it’s time to feed.

You bit the apple again and thought about it.

You felt a mixture of terror and relief with this discovery. You were content in understanding what was going on, but completely aware of the need to protect yourself now; your experience was telling you so.

Still, what was that thing bubbling in your core while you recalled the moment when he knocked you out and put himself over you?

I can’t remember feeling like this about anyone. I felt defenseless, alone and naked under his eyes… But I wasn’t afraid.

You took a deep breath, shaking the memory away. Whatever was this feeling, you were better off shutting it down and avoiding its source in every opportunity you’d have.

***

In fact, sleep seemed to avoid you in that particular night.

You were turning and tossing on your mattress, your mind too full to allow you some rest. You were physically tired, but your eyes refused to stay closed, so you’ve spent the next hours staring at the darkness where the ceiling was. As the events of that day kept coming back, you kept asking yourself questions to which you had no answer; though you were careful to not disturb the other girls, your heart was racing at the possibility of making too much noise and ending up being inquired about your restlessness.

Not that your previous nights at the compound were too calm, though. Truth was that you weren’t used to sleep in comfortable, safe places since you left your homeland, and the fact that this was part of the Shogun’s property did nothing to diminish your distress: after days and nights sleeping by yourself on trees, caves and other hostile places in nature, standing beside other people in a regular room was a new, scary experience. You looked around, hearing the soft snoring of the other girls and wondering how they were capable of falling in such deep sleep outside their house.

You sighed. Despite being tired, you sat on the mattress and considered leaving that place, not taking too long to find comfortable clothing and a pair of shoes: a cold wind was blowing outside, and you were going to need something to replace your sheets. You observed your surroundings to make sure no one was watching and disappeared from the building, doing it through a window.

The night outside was peaceful and quiet, except for the sounds of the wind through the trees and the gaps of the building. You walked on tip toes across the porch, always looking around to prevent yourself from being caught by a guard, and when you were sure you weren’t being followed, you rushed to the grove.

There was a spot in the middle of it that was rarely visited by the girls and the palace’s personnel, a sort of circle formed by the roots of ancient trees that could be used as a hideout and which you already turned into your favorite place. You quickly found a comfortable position among the roots – if that was possible – and closed your eyes. As if by magic, sleep found you there, and your body relaxed in contact with the grass, a warmth growing around you in that spot where the wind couldn’t reach you.

Your mind wandered back to the things you’ve experienced that morning, transforming them with the power of the dreams. In that twisted version of the episode, you weren’t surrounded by the other students: you were alone with your master at the training area, and the intent of the fight you were having had nothing to do with teaching. Your movements were exactly the same as before, and so were his responses. Soon, you saw yourself trying to take him down by striking his ankle, and his flawless defense manifested that instant, making you fall on the floor, immobilized.

Then it came the deepest difference in the form of a sudden kiss. You had no time to question, neither to breathe: in one moment, you were staring silently at that delicate face, the strands of his hair falling around yours, the clink of his earring beside you, and in the next your lips were touched by his. From that moment you had no control over your reactions: following his guidance, you closed your eyes, forgetting the fight, and let him hold your chin; his thumb pressed your lower lip and separated it from the upper one, opening your mouth to receive his tongue. At the same time you weren’t believing in what was happening, you gave him anything but a heated response: you just felt your hand letting go of your sword and reaching for the back of his head, your fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him down to you…

Then your eyes suddenly opened up, and you found yourself curled on the same position between the roots, breathless and sweating. What the hell just happened? You made an effort to sit among the roots and recollect the dream, but the shame was too much and you ended up trying to shut down the images.

However, they persisted. And, deep inside, you knew the reason.

Seriously? Could it be that I can’t even trust my feelings now? Am I really…?

You’ve put these deliberations aside and sat on the grass, trying to calm down your breath. While you did this, you tried to focus on your surroundings, on the sounds of the grove, hoping that they’d bring you some peace. And you managed to do it… until strange, loud noises cut through the air and reached your ears.

You straightened up and turned your head at what you thought to be the direction of the sounds. It was like the scream of an animal in pain, followed by angry voices, but it wasn’t possible to distinguish the words. You stood up and, forgetting the sleep, you left the grove to search the source of the disturbance.

And you found it after walking around the girls’ compound and following to another one near it, almost the same size and with similar structure, but reserved to meals. It was surrounded by lamps on its outside, and thanks to this you were able to see the scene.

And it enraged you.

Three men, two dressed as guards and one as a servant, were surrounding a red fox with screams and curses. The animal, smaller and weaker than three big individuals, was cowering against the wall, and you saw the moment when it bit the hand of the servant when he tried to catch it; his response was to give it a smack, but the fox deflect it.

– You vicious beast! – the man held the injured hand against himself with an expression of angry and pain.

The guards, though not daring approach the fox, didn’t move a finger to intervene or at least to leave some space for the animal to return to the wild, where its home was. You considered them obtuse for this, of course, but your rage was solely directed to the servant, for his cruelty and stupidity.

The food is stocked here. The fox might have sensed its smell. It’s not its fault.

The men haven’t seen you there yet, and you took the opportunity to prepare yourself. You looked around and saw some rocks near your spot. You grabbed some in the fold of your clothes, but held a specially heavy one in your left hand and took quiet steps toward the light.

No one had time to notice your presence before the rock flew from your hand and collided with the back of the servant’s head with the sound of a crash, making him lose his balance, almost falling forward with a scream.

– What the hell…!

The fox, you noticed, didn’t miss the opportunity and ran, disappearing in the dark. The man straightened up and turned. The guards immediately looked back and startled: a girl from the compound was the last person they expected to find there, and you read the doubt in their eyes.

They know they should stop me, but they don’t want to harm one of Nobunaga-sama’s girls. Good.

You took the chance and made a move to approach the servant, who passed a hand on his head and started trembling: on his palm he saw a dark stain of blood.

Finally the guards decided to move. You didn’t forget them, and threw a rock on one’s foot, making him curl and groan, and deflected the other by beating his hand with another rock when he stretched it to catch you. You left them behind and just ran toward the servant, standing still while looking at the scene, unsure of what to do.

Your heart started beating faster with the fear in the man’s eyes, not able to do anything while you jumped in his direction and threw your body over his, making you both fall on the grass. You didn’t waste time and stroke his nose with your elbow, for somehow you imagined it’d be more effective than just punching him. And it really worked, judging by the thick stream of blood that ran down from his nose.

But that wasn’t enough for you.

You looked at your hand and noticed still had one rock with you. The servant made the same discovery and swallowed, not wanting to give up the last thread of his pride by begging to a little girl.

You looked deep into his eyes and raised your hand…

But the rock never reached the target.

A subtle, but firm grip appeared around your wrist and you couldn’t move it; as you had no courage to look at the hand’s owner, their other one came to yours and made you drop the rock.

You saw incredulity in the servant’s face as he turned his attention to the person who just arrived and saved his dignity, or what was left from it.

When you finally turned to the newcomer, you weren’t surprised to see who he was.

— Yagyu-sama? — your voice was a rushed whisper, more irritated that you intended.

His response was to smile as if you just had a casual encounter during the day instead of him avoiding a tragedy in the middle of the night; if the circumstances weren’t different, you could say he carried a sweet expression.

— What are you doing out of your bed at this hour, young lady? — he inquired in a voice as soft as his traits — The lessons will be tough in the next morning. You should be resting.

You didn’t reply. You wouldn’t discuss your preference for sleeping in the wild to this man.

— And I believe that resting doesn’t include throwing rocks at people, right? — he continued; not minding your stubborn silence, he stood up and made you stand as well, freeing the scared servant from your grip; still holding your wrist, he turned to the man — Now, my good man, are you able to walk?

The wretch, trembling, managed to leave the ground and murmured a “Yes, my Lord”, not daring look at you. He still had a hand on the back of his head, where you stroked the first rock. Yagyu observed him with a sort of pitiness.

— You can go, now. Clean your wound and take some rest.

The servant nodded in gratitude, in a flattering way that disgusted you, and disappeared at the corner of the building. You glanced around after he was gone and noticed the absence of the guards; Yagyu probably dismissed them before dealing with you.

And now, it was only the two of you.

Just like in my dream.

Out of instinct, you shook your wrist out of his reach and stepped back, waiting to see what he was doing next. He weren't shocked nor offended by your skittish attitude, keeping the composed manners while observing you with curiosity.

— Now, I already know you have a thing for strange places — he emphasized the word strange — But I thought this trait only manifested during the day. Are you a friend of the owls, then?

You kept quiet.

If you want to ask why I left my bed, just do it already.

Instead of verbalizing these very words, what you said instead was:

— I've spent a long time in company of their sounds, so much that I've learned to fall asleep listening to them — you shrugged — My bed is away from the windows in that building. The only thing I can hear from there are the cracks on the wooden floor and the other girls snoring.

Yagyu kept that unnerving smile while listening to your explanation, as if you were some child who were putting all their efforts in elaborating an absurd lie — except that he knew you weren't lying.

— So, no owls, no sleep. I see.

He took a step toward you. That time, you didn’t move.

— I only hope you're not considering spending the next nights outside the compound.

You frowned.

How did you guess...?

— And why would it be a problem for you? — you blurted.

— I know it can feel liberating for people who aren't used to regular beds, but it's just too dangerous, you understand? — Yagyu shook his head in sad gesture — Nobunaga-sama would hate to hear that his provisions are being rejected in favor of the wilderness. Besides, how will I stand before him and explain myself if you eventually get involved in another... incident with his servants?

You swallowed. He was right, and you knew that. Nobunaga-sama’s will was the priority in every inch of his domains, and you couldn't defy this if you wanted to stay alive. Yet you didn't want people getting into your business like this, even less the Peerless Swordsman.

If only he didn't catch me here...

You decided to fight back.

— And why can't you just close your eyes to what happened here?

— Ah, what do you mean? — he wasn’t expecting that.

— I know you saw what that bastard did to the poor fox, but if you’re able to ignore that, I am not. Not only this, but if this whole space belongs to Nobunaga-sama’s, the same can be said about the living beings here, so how was that man right in mistreating his master's property?

The smile on Yagyu's face faded a bit, and that increased your confidence. Without realizing what you were doing, you stepped closer to him again, this time not afraid to look into his eyes.

— Besides, if both my night wanderings and beef with the servant reaches Nobunaga-sama’s ears, you will have to explain your reasons to be here at this hour as well.

A breeze was blowing that moment, the sounds of the grove reaching your ears with a unsettling lament. The clouds that were obstructing the moonlight were carried away, and the light descended to the scene, touching both of you. Because you were eye to eye with him, you saw when that new, strange glimmer appeared in his globes, a mixture of pride for his student's perspicacity and a hunger for finding out where that discussion would take you in case it continued. It wasn’t the first time you had the impression of something inhuman in him, and you sensed it wouldn’t be the last.

And, as you expected, your inquiring wasn’t enough to intimidate him, who took it more as a diversion than a challenge.

— I wouldn't present Nobunaga-sama reasons that are too different from yours, dear. If inquired, I would simply explain that I struggled to get some sleep and needed to breathe fresh air — he sighed — And, then, unfortunately, I witnessed one of my dear students involved in such a mess.

While he spoke, the sensation of imminent danger was present, as strong as a scent, and you only understood why it increased when you noticed he approached you as well, to the point you felt his breath on your face.

Yet you didn't back down.

— Now, since you had your chance to make a keen question to your master, it is only fair that you satisfy my curiosity — he bent down, staring into your eyes — Why did you choose rocks?

You felt your lips twisting before you could control them. Among all the things about which he could’ve questioned you, he chose to ask about this?

But if he wanted an answer, you’d give it to him.

— Rocks have always been effective. Specially when you’re not a powerful warrior.

— I don’t doubt that, but that’s not what I’m talking about — he grinned — I want to know why you chose rocks when you already carried a weapon with you.

You frowned, and he giggled at it. Suddenly, you felt a hand grabbing the folds of your robe and slipping inside it; you were so shocked that you had no reaction… but it wasn’t for his audacity.

Yagyu removed his hand as fast as he put it there, but it didn’t come out empty: on his palm, you saw the knife you stole from the kitchen, that one you used to cut the apple and, unfortunately, your lower lip. You’ve been carrying it with you all day just in case.

It can’t be… How?! How did he find out?!

Your surprise was a delight to your master, who didn’t hesitate in giving you an explanation for the guess.

— Nothing stands out of a master’s sight, dear — he hid the knife in his own clothing, in a way that, at the same time you couldn’t recover it, he could slip it out and use it with no difficulties — And, if his disciples are far from his eyes’ reach, there are always people to do the work for him.

You stood there, in silent disbelief. You already knew that dropping your guard around this man wasn’t an option; now, you would have to be careful while he was away too.

— Oh, don’t look at me like this — he raised his hands as an apology — It’s my duty to grant your safeness, which includes stopping you from possessing things that could only hurt yourselves.

Another sudden move from him, and you felt your lower lip being caressed by a thumb, exactly on the spot you cut.

— But it seems that I’m late in your case…

You held your breath. He had no restraints, just as you supposed earlier; and he was too close, having left you unarmed and unable to argue. Still, you weren’t as scared as you should be. You were just eager to show a response, a quick one to get out of this situation and protect yourself from retaliation.

Later, when you recalled those events, you would realize that you had no conscience of your actions. You didn’t plan anything; you just let your body lead things, while you were a mere spectator of it, just like in your fever dream.

That time, you were the one who stepped closer to Yagyu. You held his hand and moved it away from your lips, only to grab his clothing’s hem and pull him to yourself, covering his mouth with yours.

It wasn’t like in your dream, though: with the rush, you were a bit clumsy, your feet stepped on his, so that you would’ve stumbled if he didn’t hold you, and your bruised lip ached a little when it touched his. But the conscience of making a mess didn’t stop you, and perhaps your braveness supplanting your lack of sophistication was pleasing to him, for his response was at the same time a show of his approval and a sort of guidance for the act: his hands surrounded your waist, giving you the balance you needed; one of his hands reached for your lips and opened them, giving room to his tongue; his breath was slow, calm, as if inviting you to follow his rhythm. And you accepted the invitation, your hands leaning on his shoulders for balance, your body going limp in his arms, trapping you beteent them with the strength of claws.

It might have lasted for a moment, or for an entire hour. You were somewhere between reality and another version of it, one where fear, prudence and moderation weren’t but vague concepts, for what kind of world you would get into such situation, when you threw yourself in the grip of an assassin — and master — without thinking twice?

And, well if it was you who started it, it should be you the one to end it: slowly, you moved away, your lips suddenly cold from the separation even though you breathed the same air; your feet, once on tiptoes, were now fully on the ground, but your hands didn’t let go of his clothes, neither you got rid of his grip. Your cheeks were on fire; you could barely look in his eyes.

Between your heavy breath, you heard him giggling. The kiss didn’t do anything to affect his composure.

— I could never suppose you had that fire in you, dear — you glanced and saw him touching his own lips as he spoke.

You looked away. The air felt colder now. And so your mood should be.

— You don't speak about this, I don't speak about you — you murmured.

— What do you mean?

— If you keep quiet about the servant, I won't speak about the kiss — you stared at him — A fair exchange, don’t you think?

He raised an eyebrow.

— Maybe… — a shadow of a smile danced on his lips — But I will be content with it for now.

[zodiacs-web]

All the men in Tenkaichi are total studs. God bless these fight manga with lineups of hot men.

I know right, the artists are blessing the viewers even though most of the characters might have a little psychopath in them. I'm here for Yagyu even though he looks like he would beat the shit out of me with a easy bake oven.

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Tenkaichi - Nihon Saikyo Bugeisha Ketteisen (2021)

Written by Nakamura Yosuke and illustrated by Azuma Kyotaro.

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Tenkaichi - Nihon Saikyo Bugeisha Ketteisen (2021)

Written by Nakamura Yosuke and illustrated by Azuma Kyotaro.

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Tenkaichi - Nihon Saikyo Bugeisha Ketteisen (2021)

Written by Nakamura Yosuke and illustrated by Azuma Kyotaro.