Kato Danzo (Kenshin's Side Story)

[Third Person POV]

(Frontlines, Toyama Castle)

(6 p.m.)

The war and strategy meeting with the generals had just finished, it was time for Kenshin to go and take a rest.

"Sigh..."

Kenshin pondered to himself.

'This war can't be good for the country's economy... Prices will rise at least two fold after everything settles down. Let's hope that there will not be a famine after this war.

Not like I'll be here to witness it though, hahaha!'

As the old man quietly make his way down the hallways heading towards a break room, a maid comes out from the corner of the hallway.

The maid carried a tray of drinks and foods, it's not that unusual of a sight. However, something caught Kenshin's attention.

The maid has slender figure and a well defined face. She was what you'd call a 'cold beauty'.

If such a woman did worked as a maid of Shibata castle, she'd surely be taken by one of the nobles as a mistress.

That's why it occured to Kenshin...

"..." He has never saw this woman before.

'Curious... Let's see if she has what it takes to bring me down.'

The woman bowed her head down as he approached, and right as the old man passes by her with his back exposed.

'Grab!' The tray was dropped, and the woman hid a dagger underneath it. She jabs her dagger at Kenshin's back, but was quickly caught by the old man's grab.

"Too obvious." The old man twists the maid's wrist and disarms the dagger from her hands. "Urgh...!"

With a quick push using his feet he kicks the dagger away from the woman, preventing her from picking it up again.

"But still, you managed to sneak into Shibata Castle... Impressive for a ninja of the cowardly Oda Clan."

But there was no need for Kenshin to even use his sword. That's how weak the assassin was when compared to the Sword Saint.

"Tsk..!" The woman pulls out a sharp piece of needle that she use to hold up her hair... But it's not to attack Kenshin with it.

She held the needle to the front of her throat-

"Fool!" Yelled the old man before he rushed in, and grabs her arm.

"Hmph!" He pulls the woman's body and trips on her feet, making her lose balance as he throws the assassin to the floor...

But he did so at a gentle speed, cautiously avoiding the walls as to not hurt the girl.

'Thud...' She landed on the floor without injuring herself, needle still in hand. "Wha-?!"

"You'd kill yourself so easily?!" Kenshin yelled as he takes the needle from her arm and throws it away.

"What are you..."

"You managed to get past all the defenses that we set up, and even slip through the attentive gaze of my personal body guard.... You're pretty good."

"I... see..." Tears begun to well up in the girl's eyes.

Days ago when she received the mission to sneak into the castle and assassinate an important figure, she knew that this was just a distraction to create a window of attack for the main ninjas.

In other words, she's to be used as bait and killed like a chess pawn. Dying a useless and worthless death.

She had resigned herself to her fate over the past few days, and awaited her doom... until the man that she's supposed to kill saved her from suicide attempt.

"Kenshin-sama!" (?x)

A few guards rushed to the lord's side...

"Hold, this woman isn't a threat."

"Yes my Lord..." (?x)

The old man reached his hand to the ninja, and pulled her back on her feet.

"Stray kunoichi, what's your name?"

"....Danzo. Kato Danzo."

"You deserved better than a suicide attack, Kato Danzo. Would answer to a different Lord from your own then?"

The woman hesitated to answer at first...

"...If it helps, I also offer warm food and bed to my servants. I'm sure that's much better than what you receive now."

"...Very well. I shall serve you now, as gratitude for sparing my life... and for granting me a chance to reconsider my master's words."

"Hahaha, then that is good news!"

"Yes, my Lord.... but there is something that I must say."

"What is it?"

"My attack is only meant to be a distraction for another group of ninjas... I know exactly where they are and how to counter them."

"Ah, now that all makes sense... Very well, we shall hunt down these rats together. Come with me, my soldiers."

"Oh!" (?x)

(Chapter End)