"Lord Commander, a young girl is here to see you. She said that she"s-"
"Send her in." He responded quickly, cutting off the maid. He had been expecting her for a while. That was why, whilst the sh.i.p.s burned, and traders ran around terrified, cursing his name, he was still able to grin like a fat cat.
The maid bowed, and quickly withdrew, and was replaced a few moments by the girl that she had spoken of. She smiled so innocently up at him, but he already knew of her tricks.
"Cut the act – it"s creepy. Well, how did it go?" He asked expectantly. The coin he had promised upon the success of this mission was substantial. It was something that even her people could be tempted by.
At his words, she sighed slightly, and allowed the emotion to drain from her face, a.s.suming the visage that she was more comfortable to maintaining. In a matter of seconds, she was an entirely different person, radiating a different aura. She was no longer a child, but a ruthless killer.
"They blindfolded me." She said coldly, as though disappointed.
"Tsch… Useless b.i.t.c.h, get the f.u.c.k out." His smile instantly faded at her words, and his expression also became cold. If she had not succeeded, then she was of no use to him, and he would not waste his time being polite with her.
"But that is not the only sense a ninja is trained to use." She continued. The order of her wording was merely to evoke such an action from him, and stop the pretence entirely. They both knew that he thoroughly despised her, and was only doing this because he was pushed into a corner.
"You can take us there, then?" The commander asked carefully. He had been lead around by the girl in the conversation thus far, and was cautious of reacting before he had an affirmative answer.
"I can." Came her emotionless reply.
It was then that the commander truly allowed himself to revel in the warmth of his own cunning. How crafty he had been. Like a cunning fox. Those pirating b.a.s.t.a.r.ds only knew one thing: and that was how to steal. Still… It was interesting to find that they even distrusted a little girl – yet it seems they did not have the heart to take her life.
"Kakaka..." He chuckled lightly. They had been a thorn in his side for weeks. Imagawa had returned from his campaign two weeks prior, but they had been too busy consolidating their defeat to pay the little port of Toyokawa any attention. But no doubt they would, and if it was still in chaos by then… Then he had better hope the G.o.ds were pleased with his offerings.
"Is it near here? I find it hard to believe that we would have missed a suitable port area…"
"It is. It is a small cove. It is unsurprising that your men did not pay it any attention. They are merely common men, after all."
It was that – that was what really irritated him about ninja. Their arrogance. They seemed to believe themselves above the common folk, intellectually, and physically. And so they would not even interact with them unless there was the promise of coin. Still, they certainly had some degree of skill, for their mountain home had gone unlocated for hundreds of years, and they were still able to feed their people. People even still knew of their name, and they were respected – even feared – by most.
"Ha… Common men? It seems the common ninja is still below pirates – they knew to find you suspicious. But a cove eh..? Even then, we should have found it." He mused. The coastline of the Daimyo"s provinces had been reevaluated quite recently, after his recent conquering, and even when compared to the older maps, theirs were the most detailed yet. But still, such a cove went unseen.
"A foolish suggestion. It is merely that these pirates are above the common man." The girl said icily. She spoke like someone twice her age – such was their tutelage. By the time they turned ten, male and female ninja were already monsters. He had heard stories of their initiation rituals, but he still did not wish to believe them.
"…" The commander seethed in anger. The way she could utter such things without a hint of emotion, or fear – it infuriated him. There were very few people that could talk down to him and get away with it, and he took pride in that. Yet here he was, being badmouthed by a mere child.
Had he spent a moment to think, he would have realized the truth in what she was saying. It was logical, really. If a small group of people are capable of – in an even fight – killing a larger group of people, that makes them above the defeated, does it not? At least in the way of fighting.
"You will have your payment upon the extermination of these pests." He turned the conversation elsewhere.
"No, as discussed, we will have my payment now. Our clan is honourable in our ways, yet you can not be trusted to do the same. If you deliver me the payment, then I will show you the way to their camp."
"Tsch." Again, her words irritated him. But in this, she was right. If given even the slightest chance, he would not hesitate to disregard their payment, especially after the way she had spoken to him all this time.
It was he that proposed the plan. Even the gunpowder crew did not know what was going on. They came with the s.h.i.+pment of powder, expecting their lower deck to be empty. But this little ninja had already snuck inside, and tied herself up. It seemed no matter how ruthless one claimed to be, there was still an unbreachable bridge when it came to killing a child.
He reached inside his drawer reluctantly. The payment had already been prepared in advance, as they had agreed upon. It was double the amount he had offered to the crew for their gunpowder s.h.i.+pment – for of course, he did not need to pay them. As such, the small chest that he lifted was heavy.
As she flicked open the lid to check it"s contents, she barely even flinched. Such an amount of money was certainly not foreign to her.
"I will take this coin back to my people. Then, in two days hence, I will return to lead you to their cove."
She got up, as he moved to protest.
"Wait! We need to leave immediately else-"
But she had already left through the door, and by the time he managed to make his way into the hallway after her, she had already disappeared.
"b.a.s.t.a.r.d…" He cursed to himself. The pressure was already extreme, and every day that pa.s.sed with the black s.h.i.+p still roaming freely only served to make his position worse. More and more traders protested against him, and refuse to return to his port.
Were they to find out about the plan he had made, then they would be even less inclined to trust them. He sacrificed the lives of a trading crew without blinking, merely for the sake of his plan. He was also uncaring in the sacrifice of his own troops, who had supposedly gone all out in attempt of catching the little vessel.
On that day, as he watched the carnage unfold across the port, he had been rather thankful that he had thought of such a plan. Had he not, then the future would have looked bleak indeed. To think they were capable of such disguise, and such power. Even six sh.i.p.s were not enough. Yet in the end it worked out, and they captured the s.h.i.+p as intended, and managed to escape.
Though it certainly would not have been the end of the world had their s.h.i.+p been sunk, and they were killed right there and then, alongside the little ninja. In fact, such a situation might have been preferable, because then he would not have owed anyone money.
"Ah… But those b.a.s.t.a.r.d ninjas can probably swim."
He realized with dissatisfaction. They knew all sorts of tricks and techniques. They could breach unbreachable castles to a.s.sa.s.sinate the defending leader. Of course they were able to swim.
He sat back behind his desk, reviewing the conversation the two of them had shared. Or at least, he thought it was merely the two of them who had shared it. Yet there was a third party who had been listening rather intently as well. He was a man who had come to long for the commanding seat in Toyokawa. He was confident he could do a better job than that b.u.mbling buffoon. And now, he had reason to get the man overthrown.
He held back a giggle as he walked the halls. The evidence was not present, but his account of the story would be d.a.m.ning enough, especially when the officials returned with him and spoke to the traders, and found out what a truly horrific state the town had fallen into. It would be delightful.
"Good morning, master." His maid bowed low as he returned to his residence. Even after walking here, his grin had still not faded, nor had his good mood.
"Mm… It is indeed morning." He decided, as he pa.s.sed the maid and slid his arm around her waist, whilst the other went to her b.r.e.a.s.t.
His actions were not part of the contract that she had agreed to. Yet there was not much she could do to protest. Her family needed the money from such employment, and as his hand ran it"s way up her inner thigh, all she could do was gulp heavily, and attempt to hide her shame.
She knew from experience that it would not do to say anything. His hands were heavy, and the bruises took a long time to fade. Still, today he seemed to be in a rather good mood… so perhaps, after he had had his fill of her youthful skin, then it might be the time to voice her request.
He did not even bother to undress, and right there in his hallway, he lifted her kimono, and released his frantic feelings of excitement on the maid, as he fantasized about seizing hold of Toyokawa, and all the women that would come with it.
"Hah… my life is finally looking up."
He thought to himself, as he savoured the smooth curves of her body. One of the other maids exited a room, with a bundle full of clothes to be washed, but seeing the sight in front of her, she quickly retreated, daring not to make eye contact with the servant who was unlucky enough to become his prey.