Give us a fighting chance.

Chapter 12: Family Reunion

Nakano ran up to her father. "Dad! Did you see me!" She asked her father. Hoping that her father would finally be proud of her.
"I saw you doing a man's job." Zankoku said with a scowl on his face.
Jomei walked up to Zankoku and looked him straight in the eyes. "With all do respect sir, I am honored to serve under your daughter's leadership. She is fast on her feet, quick to come up with a strategy, and is more skilled then most of the male samurai." He turned to Nakano and gave her a smile before turning back to Zankoku. "There is no doubt in my mind that our daimyo made the right decision to promote her." There were mutters of agreement from the other samurai.
Maiko now in her human form walked over and stood by her wife's side. "You must be Nakano's father. You raised a wonderful daughter!" She then gave Nakano a kiss on the cheek.
Zankoku was appalled by this sight. "How dare you kiss my daughter!" He yelled. But before he could say anything else Asami came over with her husband and two sons and two daughters.
"Father, Nakano just saved you and the whole village!" She was clearly upset with her dad. "And that is Maiko, Nakano's wife."
"Wife?!? I never gave you my blessing!"
Nakano was losing her patience with her father. "I didn't ask for your permission because you would insist on me marrying a man."
"Like you should!"
"I don't even like men in that way! Everyone I've ever liked romantically has been a woman!" Nakano explained.
By now a crowd had gathered. Maiko could see Emiko, The Daimyo, Guramā, and Akemi among them.
"You were supposed to marry Aku!" Zankoku shouted.
For almost a minute there was pure silence. Tears started to run down Nakano's face. "Aku violated me dad..."
Her father's face showed no sympathy. "The Kami were probably telling you to be a good woman and settle down."
Asami remembered that day,
"Stop! Aku please let me go!" There was fear in her little sister's voice. And Asami couldn't stand it. She ran over to try and help the sister she loved so dearly but was stopped by her father.
"Let them be." He told her.
"But he could be hurting her in there!" Nakano's screams of pain could be heard from outside the room.
She was then standing by the exit to her house as she watched her sister and Akira run away. She then saw Aku about to chase after them. She sticks her leg out, tripping Aku. Under her breath she muttered, "Run my dear sister, run."
There was shock, disgust, and outrage from the crowd. Maiko held a sobbing Nakano in her arms. And then in a moment of pure rage, Asami walked over to her father and slapped him across his face as hard as she could. "You cold hearted baka!" She screamed. "Do you have no love for your child?!"
Her father had his hand over his face. As he got up he yelled at his daughters. First turning to Nakano. "Becoming a samurai general, marrying a woman, running away from home." He then turned to face Asami. "Raising your voice and hand against your own father." He took a deep breath before yelling, "You two are no children of mine! My one sane child, gone!"
Nakano still in tears, finally stood up to her father. "Mizako was premature!This is why I left! I just couldn't stand this toxic family anymore! Aku was just the straw that broke the camel's back! You obsess over your son who lived for only a hour, yet you completely disregard your two living daughters who have accomplished amazing things!" She paused before speaking once more. "I will never be good enough for you... I realize that now." She turned towards her father and stood right in front of him. Looking him straight in the eyes she said, "I have my wife, my friends, my sister, my nieces, my nephews, my in-laws, my daimyo, his daughter, my fellow samurai, and the country of Japan that I proudly serve. I don't need you or your cruel words. If you disown me as your daughter, then I disown you as my father."
"So do I!" Asami stood beside her sister.
"You little-" Zankoku's face showed a shocked expression.
Nakano turned around to see what caused her father to make such a face. All of the samurai and even a lot of the villagers and stood behind her to show their support for the young samurai. She smirked and faced her father. "Now if you are done, I have a job to do." As she watched him storm off in anger a voice came out from a house.
"Help!"
Nakano rushed to the elderly woman who the voice belonged to. "What is it?"
A samurai came outside and with sorrow said, "It's Shinobu, he's lost an arm."