Reborn in a Daimyo's court in Naruto

Part 34

Chapter 34

MIYUKI KATSUGAWA

"You are leaving again," she spoke up worriedly as her lord husband reworked his armor after having taken it off only for a few hours. He was tired, she could tell.

"Yes, I am. The enemy marches towards us with all its might. We have no time to waste," he replied as he tightened his shoulder blade before turning towards her.

She bit her lip.

"But you could stay the night," she pleaded, a bit of desperation in her tone as he inched closer, raised her head by the chin, and looked her in the eye.

"I am afraid that will not be possible. There is much that needs to be done before we can face the enemy, and I must oversee it," he replied, denying her, and she couldn't help but feel saddened that it was her burden that he was carrying. Let alone the conversation she had just had with Lady Chiba, which was a whole other matter.

"The Third Prince himself rides with the army," he suddenly began surprising her with those words.

The Third Prince--Tatsuya, the man responsible for the murder of her brothers.

"If everything goes to plan, the whole war will end with this battle," he said as he pushed back a fringe of her hair and gave her a small smile.

"After that, I am all yours," her face heated up at those words, and she pouted, yet she decided to tease him as well.

"I am afraid that is no longer true. After all, you do have another wife now, and we don't know just how many proposals you will be bombarded with after the battle," she added, and he chuckled at her words.

"From what I recall, it was you, my lady, who accepted the proposal from Lord Chiba, not me," and it was an overstep on her part. One that many a lord would not have tolerated.

"And I apologize once more for my overstep," she said as she lowered her head.

"What's done is done. There is little we can do to change it, but I would prefer it that you trust me over these matters and discuss them before making a decision," he chastised her as he had before.

"I shall, but believe me, what I did was out of my love and concern for you. I held no malicious intentio..." yet her words were cut short as a soft hand landed on her shoulders and lifted her up.

"I know, and I should have explained my reasoning to you in more detail. Let this be water under the bridge," he said, and she nodded.

"Then I shall be on my way," he said, with a small kiss on her forehead. He moved past her towards the door of their room and slid it open, stopping for a second and turning to face her.

"Do you remember the promise I made to you in that garden when you agreed to marry me?" he suddenly asked, and she was reminded of his words from that time, words that had given her a new life.

"I do," she answered.

"Now, I shall fulfill it. Tatsuya Katsugawa shall die by my hands, and your brothers' deaths shall be avenged," and with that, the door slid back as she stood there alone in their room once more as her eyes remained locked onto the door, her body basking in his warmth which still lingered in the room as she whispered into the air, her hands held together in prayer.

"Bless him and keep him safe."

0000

KENSHIRO OUGI

Kenshiro Ougi had always known that he was special. Ever since he had picked up a sword for the first time, he had felt at home. The blade and he were like a single body, two parts of a whole, and he had progressed beyond his peers rather quickly, even overtaking the dojo master within a mere three years.