Time-travelled To Japan's Sengoku Era Volume 1 Chapter 18

Chapter 18  Meeting Yamamoto Kansuke

Yos.h.i.+moto, should I have left Suruga like this? Sakura walked inside the thick forest. As she wiped her sweat, she never stopped thinking of this question. Sometimes she felt as if her independent nature caused her to hurt people.

After she went to Suwa from Kai, she’d often think of how kind Madam Ooi and Itagaki were to her. Now that she was leaving Suruga for Suwa, she’d miss Yos.h.i.+moto too, whom she didn’t spend that much time with. Complicated thoughts tumbled together as she couldn’t tell what was right and what was wrong. She had no choice but to go forward.

Since she went to Suruga by hiding in a grain carriage, she didn’t know the way. After she asked around, some farmers told her if she dared, crossing the forest in the mountains was the fastest route.

Ever since Sakura was a kid, she has always loved to hike and have adventures. One farmer advised her not to cross the mountains for speed, but she didn’t listen. She didn’t change into men’s clothes either, only using some money Yos.h.i.+moto had given her to buy a hat, and cut a bamboo stick as protection. She didn’t know what kind of lies Yiu had told for her since she has left, but in the last six months, the usually very connected Imagawa family has not received any clear news about Suwa. It seemed as if nothing was affected by her. With Takeda n.o.butora losing power, and Harun.o.bu becoming the leader of the family, the alliance with Suwa would be broken sooner or later, and a war would start. She better hurry back to protect Yiu, and to prevent tragedies.

As the wind swept through her hair, she looked up at the waning sun. She needed to find a cave to rest in before nightfall. It was really inconvenient that she didn’t have any camping gear. Feeling for the dragon horn rock in her pocket, she missed her home again. She’s always admired knights in the underworld, but she regretted actually trying to live on the road. Horses were the only kind of transportation in ancient times; when she’d imagine she was in modern times, she’d realize she was still walking in the mountains. 

Wait, something was wrong. As Sakura walked, she listened for noises around her. In an instant, she turned and pointed her bamboo stick between two pine trees.

 “Who’s there? Show yourself!”

 “You’re a smart one. You actually found me.”

A man walked out from behind one of the pine trees. He chuckled like a ghost, making her hair stand on end. In the fading light, she could see the man clearly. His left eye had an ugly sore, and his right foot stuck out in an odd way. He wore shabby black clothes and a black samurai’s sword. A few strands of hair covered his face messily. With not one sign of life on his square face, he looked like a zombie.

 “Yamamoto... Kansuke?” Reflectively, Sakura uttered the mysterious name.

The ugly man didn’t look surprised. He came closer to her with his samurai sword. Every step he took seemed to carry a cold draft.

 “You snuck off from Suwa to Suruga, and you know my name too. It was your idea to make me work undercover at Kai right? Confess and tell me whose ninja you are, and I might let you live.” The sword, glinting a blue light, pointed at her brow, glaring even in the fading light.

 “Ninja? Do I look like a ninja to you? You’re really off here. If I was a ninja, I’d have noticed you right away, would I let you point your sword at me?” Sakura bit her lips and backed up a step.

No wonder Yos.h.i.+moto knew she went from Suwa to Suruga, since Kansuke has already been working for the Imagawa family then. When she left Suwa, she was watched, and she happened to mention Kansuke’s name to Yos.h.i.+moto, making Kansuke guess she was a ninja.

As she tried to remember what happened, her brain felt dizzy. When it came to intelligence-gathering, she was no match for Kansuke, this odd character from the history books. It was good that Yos.h.i.+moto didn’t have her working as a spy at Kai.

But Kansuke wasn’t impressed by her courage like normal people, his sword moved and flew at her face.

 “Whoa!” Sakura blocked the blow with her bamboo stick, which was sliced in half by the sword.

Kansuke’s right eye widened as he jumped back a few steps.

 “Don’t come near me! If you do, I’ll die with you!” Sakura raised the broken bamboo sticks in front of her in a weird pose, resembling a mountain cat who was cornered.

Kansuke didn’t advance. He wiped off his sword and sheathed it at his waist. His expression was still mean, but not as fatalistic as before. He noticed the metal object on the ground.

 “Where did you get this Marici?”

 “Who cares where I got it, give it back to me!” Sakura realized the gift from Nene had fallen out during the fight earlier.

Kansuke tossed the Marici back at her and huffed. “You’re lucky today. I won’t fight you seeing as you have the Marici. I might as well remind you. Anyone smart better know the way of the world. Even though you’re a girl, you’re not exempt.”

 “Are you lecturing me like a student? I don’t have time to live the same way you do. Hope to meet again never.”

Sakura told him off and turned to the direction for Suwa. The man’s appearance has made her sleepiness go away. But Kansuke yelled at her, giving her some news which shocked her.

 “Suwa has already give out a dozen women to Takeda as hostages. You really think you can go back?”