Oda Nobuna no Yabou - Volume 8 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 : The Shogun of Letters, Ashikaga Yoshiaki's Plot 

The location is at Aki province (The current Hiroshima), the main province of the tyrant of Chuugoku Mori clan, inside a shrine floating on the Setouchi seas, the Itsukushima shrine. 

The reason why it's known as the shrine floating on the Setouchi seas is because during high tide, the seawater will flood the beach and the path to the shrine, creating an illusion that the structure is floating on the sea. 

Today, on the stage of this Itsukushima shrine, a Noh is ongoing. 

[1] 

But the one enjoying the show isn't the third master of the Mori clan, the young Mori Terumoto. 

Because he was down with a cold, Terumoto is currently resting. 

For the one who is currently sitting on Terumoto's seat.... 

"Hehe, the performance is quite good, isn't it? I can witness for myself your loyalty towards the shogun!" 

Looking at the direction the voice came from, a small girl is waving a fan while shouting loudly "Bravo". 

Seemingly like a chibi version of Imagawa, the exceedingly arrogant and young princess knight is... 

"I'm the authentic shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki! Hohoho!" 

[2] 

Correct, Ashikaga Yoshiaki. 

After learning swordplay skills from her brother Ashikaga Yoshiteru and succeeding the shogun position from him, she who had escaped to the Ming dynasty had returned to Japan alone to restore the Ashikaga shogunate. 

"I'm different from that swordplay idiot Aniue, to restore the shogunate, I will use up all my wits and cunning as well as deploy as many daimyos as I can, hohoho!!" as she talks about her interest. 

"Wait, let's write a reprimanding letter to that fake shogun, Imagawa Yoshimoto. Hohoho, my mood becomes better upon imagining her pale expression right after receiving the letter from this true blue shogun. "Oda Nobuna that woman, you evil demon, you are my enemy as long as you're friends with such a person, Idiot... idiot...."" Correct, her interest is writing letters. 

And the contents of the letter was filled with things like putting Nobuna down, praising herself and empty promises of rewards. 

"Hoo, my mood is much better after writing those things about Oda Nobuna. Anyway, when does the Mori army plan to head towards the capital?" 

"The position of the Mori clan is a little difficult, we have to make sure the way and the supply lines are open, and with the preparations added in, we need another month if everything goes smoothly." 

"Fufu, it'll be too late if we wait that long!" 

"How about we send someone who doesn't mind dying like a cannonball to the frontlines?" 

"Not a cannonball Aneue, it's vanguard." 

"Correct, cannonball or vanguard, let's hurry and send them out!" 

Standing at each side of Yoshiaki is the "two Kawas of Mori" helping the third master of the Mori clan, Terumoto. 

So as to say, the twin daughters of the first's Motonari who had grown the clan to the tyrant of Chuugoku from just a small clan, 

Kikkawa Motoharu and Kobayakawa Takakage. 

The two who are in charge of all matters of the Mori clan summoned back Ukita Naoie from Bizen and gave him new orders. 

The twins, Kikkawa Motoharu and Kobayakawa Takakage have indistinguishable beauty, but in terms of their character, they are opposites end of the stick. 

The younger sister Kobayakawa Takakage is always expressionless like wearing a Noh mask, nicknamed, "The calm one" but the elder sister is instead rash and is called as "The brave one" 

Even at such a situation, both Takakage and Motoharu have their weapons with them. 

Takakage is a specialist in the bow and arrow. 

And Motoharu who used the katana "Himekiri" is renowned for her iai strikes. 

The energetic Motoharu wore a headband with the words "Superior Mori". 

Though what she wants might be to distinguish herself from Takakage, but in terms of the modern world, it's the attire of the yakuzas. 

The order the two gave Ukita Naoie in front of Ashikaga Yoshiaki is, 

"Just like what you've seen, the shogun had asked for the help of the Mori clan." 

"Chase the Oda clan who is supporting the fake shogun Imagawa Yoshimoto out from Kyoto! We're relying on you." 

"We the Mori clan have always been not involved in the war for the world according to the rules set by the first." 

"But if it's the order of shogun-sama...." 

"We can't reject, and rather than waiting for Oda Nobuna to invade, it's better if we lead all our troops to send the shogun back to Kyoto." 

"Oh! Go give Oda Nobuna a hard time!" 

"The first showdown we will have with the Oda clan will be at Settsu, the Harima region near the mountain fort. 

"So Ukita, you who has control over Bizen, the passageway between Harima and Mimasaka, go and die now!" 

"Ehh, Kikakawa is scary..." Yoshiaki is so afraid that she dodged to the back of Kobayakawa Takakage. 

"Cough, you are in the presence of the shogun, Aneue. Please be more elegant in your words." 

"Uhh, it's my fault, Takakage." 

Motoharu lowered her head at her younger sister with a sorry face. 

"The endlessly cunning warrior, Ukita Naoie, we sisters do not trust you, one of the 3 evils in the world for now." 

"Go and defeat the Oda clan if you want to gain our trust." 

"We will appoint you as our vanguard in our war against the Oda, before the main army of the Mori clan reaches, clean up our path towards Kyo." 

"Exactly." 

"And there's one other thing, the one who rules Izumo, the remnants of the Amago clan, Yamanaka Shikanosuke is planning to harm us." 

"You must capture that fellow." 

"Yamanaka Shikanosuke had once surrendered to us, but she had soon escaped and gathered the remnants of the Amago clan to wreak havoc." 

"The Mori clan had forgiven her once due to our magnanimous hearts, but such a thing cannot happen again." 

"Though it's regretful if we kill her, but that person will never surrender to the Mori clan as long as she's alive, as well as retire. No matter how many times it take, she will be against us, giving a fast death to such a person is already quite generous." 

"Just like what Takakage said, finish off that Yamanaka Shikanosuke." 

Yoshiaki who does not understand the dialect of Kikakawa had a puzzled expression. 

"Cough, please refrain from using the dialect of Aki at such a time, Aneue." 

"Uhh, I got it, Takakage." 

Not caring about her blush, Motoharu who was keep being reminded by her younger sister swings her "Himekiri" with a speed that the eye can't catch at the front of Ukita Naoie, but he didn't shift his body at all due to this. 

Swoosh. 

A butterfly who had always been between them fell down to the ground. 

And by this time, Motoharu's Himekiri is back in it's sheathe. 

"Ukita Naoie, if you dare betray us, this will be your result." 

"In this battle, if you contribute, we will acknowledge that you're a retainer of the Mori clan, Bizen and Mimasaka's 500k yield will still be your territory, and if your achievements are remarkable, we will even reward you with more land. The renowned Mori clan will definitely go through with their promises." 

"We have no need for hostages, we are choosing to trust you this time, but!" 

"If you did not conquer Harima castle or capture Yamanaka Shikanosuke before we enter Harima, we are taking back Bizen and Mimasaka's 500k yield." 

"Takakage, at the same time we take back the land, how about we ask him to commit seppuku too?" 

"No, Aneue. If we ask him to do that, we won't be able to enjoy chasing a whipped dog to his death at the Oda clan's hands." 

"Hmmm, I see." 

"You got it, right, Ukita Naoie? If you dare betray our expectations, you will have no place left in Chuugoku." 

"Conquer Harima in one breath." 

"The Mori army will be there anytime, so continue on with no worries." 

"I understand." 

Ukita Naoie lift his head with a cold smile. 

Ukita Naoie... 

This man had become a daimyo of Bizen Mimasaka from a vagrant by assassinating, sowing discord or plotting against the nobles. 

Such a Naoie is willing to follow his enemy the Mori clan , the first reason is because he wants to sever all relationship with his ex-master. 

The second reason is because, the provinces that the Mori clan govern did not weaken at all even after the death of the first. The twin sisters who had inherited wit and bravery had established a firm governing structure. 

Naoie predicted that if he wants to survive in the territory war of the Chuugoku region, he needs to follow the Mori clan. 

"Leave it to me, the "Princess knight killer"." 

Naoie is a good looking guy aged the later half of his 30s, nearing 40s. 

It was said that he had the looks that are even better than girls when he was young, though he's no longer young now, he has the charming look of a mature man. 

It's just that he always have a devious smile on his face. 

That smile didn't disappear even after Kikkawa Motoharu used her Lai strike to threaten him. 

On his waist wasn't a katana but a short arquebus. 

As the newest product from namban, this short arquebus is much shorter than other arquebuses and so, can be hanged on the waist like a katana. 

Takakage and Motoharu look at that arquebus with suspicious eyes. 

The traditional Mori clan has no interest towards the namban culture and Christianity which is currently in trend. 

Though they did purchase arquebus, but the Mori clan view those as just assassination weapons. 

Yoshiaki peeked out from Kobayakawa Takakage's back and looked at Naoie's waist with interest and said, 

"What a peculiar tool." 

"Till now, how many have you killed with that short tool, Ukita Naoie?" 

"This is a little... no, very despicable." 

"Who knows, I have not counted at all." 

"I must say it out first, Oda Nobuna isn't someone you can assassinate." 

"It's like what you said." 

"You should know too, Oda Nobuna had defiantly lived on despite being sniped by Sugitani Zenjuurou." 

"Is there a chance for you who claimed to be "Princess knight killer"?" 

"Or are you planning to escape to the Oda clan worrying that your land will be confiscated?" 

"How can that be, if I really planned anything like that, I would have assassinated you sisters just now." 

The rash Motoharu reached for the Himekiri on her waist without thinking, but Takakage had stopped her. 

"Can I treat the words you said just now as a pledge of loyalty?" 

"Haha~ I had dreamt of keeping the twins of the Mori clan as my women, "Princess Knight Killer" has such a meaning too." 

"Ho....How dare you! To actually say such rude words! I'm killing you!" 

"Don't be provoked, Aneue, leave it to me." 

"But Takakage..." 

"Ukita Naoie, if you betray us, we will lead the whole of the Mori army and flatten the whole of Bizen and Mimasaka, as well as taking your life." 

"That's regrettable, you have no interest in being my woman?" 

"Before we sisters have helped the third to become independent, we have absolutely no interest in men." 

"Hmmm, things like men will just interrupt with the training of our martial arts." 

"Then after the third becomes independent?" 

"Hmph, even if there's only you left in the whole world, we will definitely not choose you." 

"Wh...What joke is this!? Shameless!" 

To Naoie's words, Takakage gave a cold smile but Motoharu blushed and once again reached for her Himekiri, but Takakage stopped her again. 

"Then I will just woo the third. Though she's still a child, but when she grows up, she will definitely be a beauty. I can just make that child mine." 

"You...What did you say!" 

"I can do a thing like taking the shogun as my woman too, but I have to wait another 10 years for that~ I'm no longer young, I can't wait that long." 

"You brute!" 

Ignoring the fuming Motoharu, Naoie said, "Then I shall follow my orders, conquering Harima or capturing Yamanaka Shikanosuke, I will become serious if I have to protect my 500k yield~ What a difficult job." as he turned his back and returned to land. 

Ashikaga Yoshiaki looked at Ukita Naoie's back and said worryingly, 

"Is this really ok? Ukita Naoie is a cunning hypocrite with a bad personality, a bad person no different from beasts. It's too strange for the Mori clan to accept him as a retainer, is it really ok to not take any hostages?" 

But the two Kawas of the Mori clan weren't shaken. 

"If that fellow betrayes the Mori clan, we will smash him to pieces from the back with the full forces of our Mori army. If he chooses to not do anything, we will have the right to confiscate his lands. He who already has a bad reputation will not harm the reputation of the Mori clan no matter what he does. At such a critical situation, he can only do his best for us." 

"Kobayakawa is so smart, as expected of the elite." 

"We can use Ukita Naoie to study the strategies of the Oda clan and wait patiently for our chance. Thanks to shogun-sama's letters, chances will definitely be there for us!" "Hmmm!" 

"And it's useless even if we are to keep hostages, shogun-sama. To that person, a hostage's life is not worth shit." 

"You have a point, Kikakawa! Cough cough, I will never forget the loyalty of the Mori clan! After I return to Kyoto, not just Chuugoku, I will give Shikoku and Kyushu to you! All in all, I will never treat you badly!" 

"Thank you so much!" 

Yoshiaki start dancing in joy. 

"Just you wait, Oda Nobuna, your good days will soon come to an end." 

The hot-blooded Kikakawa Motoharu had always been unsatisfied with the first's "Don't lust upon the world.". 

"The Kyoto people actually dare to classify our proud Grilled okonomiyaki with Hiroshima's okonomiyaki, unforgivable!" 

It's only the careful Kobayakawa who feels a tiny feeling of worry. 

(We can't use logic to judge Oda Nobuna and that Sagara Yoshiharu who came from the future is someone whose strength we can't estimate. And there are rumors recently that the genius strategist Kuroda Kanbei had joined the Oda clan, I'm afraid it won't go smoothly.)