A shadow of a shadow

[gatescostmoney]

[ To say the ambush came from nowhere would be an understatement. There hadn't been a single sign that Matsunaga's forces would be in the area, much less attack the small band of scouting ninja. Perhaps some would say the ninja were sloppy, but they hadn't overlooked anything. There's just no good way to predict that bastard, especially when he has the legendary ninja, Kotaro Fuma, under his command. Only so much could have been done.

And the results are strewn across the battlefield. Yes, the Sanada Ninja Corps fought back, even taking down a few enemies. The majority of the dead are still from their side. Sasuke lays on the ground, unmoving but still alive. There's a lot of blood and a sizable wound to his forehead. He's practically on death's doorstep.

Yet... somehow how he doesn't die later from his injuries, and when he does wake, there's a blankness to his gaze. ]

Comments

[vengaboy]

[That Matsunaga sure manages to slip in under everybody's radar most of the time, but damn, does he ever make sure everybody knows when he's arrived. The explosions may have happened beyond Oshuu's borders, but the echoes reached close enough to home that Masamune wasn't content to just ignore it. Besides... even if his people didn't suffer the attack, somebody sure as hell did, and he needed to know who.

He wasn't expecting to find so many ninja among the dead. At first he wondered if they were leftovers from Odawara, until he recognized one of the bodies as Sasuke's, and his heart sank.

But there were no broken Takeda banners; not a scrap of crimson anywhere among the darker puddles of blood. Well. That was one heavy to the heart avoided, but he still had to deal with the aftermath somehow. Make sure Yukimura got word of it... Masamune owed him at least that much.

It was a good thing he stopped to check the bodies before sending a messenger off. There were still heavy losses to report, but at least Masamune didn't have to be the one to do it. He even brought Sasuke's limp body home to make sure he'd survive long enough to make it back to Kai.

Only for his Rival. So he tells himself.

When Sasuke wakes, it's under the roof of Aoba Castle itself. The room might be empty, but beyond the thin walls are the comforting sounds of life carrying on as usual: voices cheerily greeting eachother, wooden blades clashing together, dogs barking in the distance.

If Sasuke lays there long enough, he'll even get to hear footsteps along the outside porch just before Masamune stops by to make sure his charge is still breathing. He hovers in the doorway, making a soft sound of acknowledgement.]

About time.

[gatescostmoney]

[ The more he tries to figure out, the more he realizes the emptiness within his own mind. There are so many blanks. How did he get here? What happened to him? Where is he?

... Who is he?

However, the myriad of questions pause as he hears someone at the doorway. Masamune will see that there's been no attempt to escape or even move from this empty room. Where would he even go?

His attempt to sit up and greet this stranger fails. He cries out with no attempt to muffle the sound. He flops back to the futon and waits for the pain to subside. Then, he manages to turn his head. His eyes search for... something, but he doesn't know what. ]

Did you bring me here, sir?

[ Please give him some kind of answer, so he can start... something.... ]