Chapter 12 - Sisters Part 1

Despite, or maybe because of, being one of the oldest countries in the world. Japan's history is filled with alot of contradictions, especially with the mix of other people's point of view that is just lies or nonsense with a lot of missing information. So when I say the history of Japan is A. I mean my interpretation of Japan's history is A. And will mix my own spice to make it tasty😋. It's a fanfic at the end of day. 

Now for those who wish to help out on facts about its history, you can write down in 👇 the comments.

Now back to the story. 

…..

P.O.V Uesugi Camp

"... Then after I pledged my loyalty to the Bodhisattva, I appeared here with 1000 people claiming to be a part of the Uesugi Clan." Uesugi Masakage retold her story of how she got transmigrated into this world, while exchanging sake* cups with her sister. Who just sipped her favourite drink, while listening intently.

"Brother-in-law, imagine my surprise when 1000 people claimed to be pure-blooded Uesugi Clan members." She chuckled while imitating a cutting motion with an imaginary Katana*. " I was half tempted to unsheathe my katana and cut down a few of them to establish my seniority." 

While she joked about it, it was very common for samurai to duel so that they could establish a clear pecking order. The only exceptions being that if a daimyo or those in his family had established a pecking order already. But with everyone being a pure-blooded Uesugi Clan member. It was easy for chaos to ensue. 

"No you didn't." Keshin retorted her sister's statement, not because she believed her sister was incapable. Even with her rowdy nature she was able to lead a whole clan from the shadows, while using her husband and much later her own son as a puppet. So being ruthless was not an issue, the issue was that she was not stupid.

"'Tempted' brother-in-law, I said 'tempted'. I am not foolish enough to end the lives of good warriors when I am stranded in unfamiliar terrain. Good allies can be scarce, you know." She asserted to her sister with words and hand gestures, not before taking a sip of her sake and then after words sighing. " But alas, before I could even draw my blade the minute they realised who I was. Some monk gave me the title of Kumi-gashira* and told me to wait for the Taisho* to come out of samsāra." 

Kenshin side glanced Masakage with her eyebrow raised, as she knew her sister better than anyone. If anybody she did not know or respect gave her an order, it would be the last one they ever gave. Which is why Kenshin had to ask " Did you kill a monk, Masa?"

"Now, now, now you know me, brother-in-law, no man or woman whether they are monk or daimyo can tell me what to do without a fight." Masakage commented which caused Kenshin's eyes to squint, but she later had a big shit-eating grin as she continued to say " But after that monk told me it was you who was coming. I just sat on my hands like a good boy."

Kenshin paused for just a moment after hearing her sister's retelling of how she got to this world and what happened afterwards. Kenshin could not help herself, but chuckle at her sister's antics.

" Oh how I miss you sister, but you should stop calling me brother-in-law. This is a new world. And we now serve a Bodhisattva, there is no need to hide our gender." Kenshin said, before she took another sip of her sake while reminiscing on what little time she had with Masakage.

Most people would assume that Nagao Tamekage had two sons and one daughter. But in truth it was actually the opposite, Nagao Tamekage had two daughters and one son. With both of his daughters being as fearsome as he was, while his son was constantly lacking the grit needed to be a proper heir to the throne of the clan. To the point that after Nagao Tamekage's passing, his own son abdicated the title of Daimyo of Echigo to his sister, Kenshin. After taking the throne and realising how out of depth he was. Or through the machinations of Kenshin herself, he lost the title of daimyo to his little sister.

Thankfully he would not feel that much shame, because for state security reasons Kenshin had to disguise herself as a male heir or face multiple civil wars that the clan could not afford. 

To sum it up, the Uesugi Clan did not want to show their enemies weakness by having a female daimyo. Even if she was the legendary Incarnation of Bishamonten (Bishamonten no Keshin), the God Of War and punisher of evildoers. 

While her sister, Masakage, was married off to a notable member of the Nagoa Clan. Well more like she chose her husband after manipulating her brother to make it happen. She even gave her husband her name to use. And would later use her cunning to shadow-rule the clan after Kenshin's death.

"You can never be too cautious brother-in-law." Masakage suddenly stopped her boisterous attitude, as her smile dropped and she continued to say, " You are the one who taught me that, we can not let the prospect of new things dull our senses." 

After experiencing the torture that was samsāra for a long period of time, Kenshin planned to enjoy the freedom granted to her. Stop her constant need to always be a 'hero', and just enjoy the little things for once. Spending time with loved ones, taking time to sit in nature, and be normal. That was all she wanted in this new life, to be normal. 

Which is why Kenshin could only nod in response, respecting her sister's point of view even if she believed otherwise. A general who does not take advice, is destined to fail even before the campaign has had a chance to begin. 

Masakage, seeing the mood that she had created, took a sip of her sake and chuckled as she commented, " But maybe you're right, sister. This is a new life. Maybe I will find myself a few male concubines to keep me company."

And Kenshin, seeing her sister's lecherous grin, caused her to want to join the fun by blurting out, " I might find myself a male concubine too." 

This statement caused Masakage's eyes to widen as she was taken aback, shocked even by what her sister stated. However that shock was quickly replaced by pure joy and excitement, as she dropped her sake cup and grabbed Keshin by the shoulders while saying. " Oh thank the Bodhisattva that we serve, after a lifetime my dearest sister has finally seen the light." 

"Masa, the sake!!" Kenshin cried out as the Gods' drink fell on the floor, Kenshin was even tempted to weep for such a tragedy. 

But her sister was making it hard for her as she carried on spouting in her face, " Forget the sake, my sister can finally join me in looking for suitors. Enough with female concubines. For we shall conquer all that stands in our way. One should be good for your first time, or maybe two. We can't have you falling in love with one, after two lifetimes of woman we must wash away all tha-"

"Masa, that is where I am going to stop you." Kenshin quickly stopped her sister's rumble before her imagination got the better of her. As Kenshin grabbed her sister's hands and said, " I only need one male concubine sister, not many. I wish to give this cl-" 

" Taisho." A voice from behind the daimyo's curtain rang out, interrupting her from finishing her sentences. 

"Who dares interrupt my brother-in-law while he speaks!!!" Masakage roared at the shadow by the curtain, while finally remembering to call her sister ' brother-in-law'. 

"Please forgive me Kumi-gashira, but this is urgent. I have news that I must bring to the Taisho's attention." The shadow spoke loudly enough so that it could be heard, but not be perceived as rude.

"You can come a an-" Masakage said, trying to dismiss the shadow, but Kenshin got away from her sister and interrupted her by saying.

"It is fine, soldier. You may enter."

"Hai." The shadow replied as it began to enter the commander's tent.

"But sister-" Masakage tried to mutter a retort, but her sister just gave her a side-glance that caused her to immediately be silent. As the shadow revealed itself to being a Warrior Nun. As she bowed her body while kneeling to her commanding officers, to which Kenshin subtly bowed her head. 

"Speak soldier." Kenshin said to the warrior nun who was without her famed naginata*, which was not weird as she came to speak to her senior officers.

"We have caught what seems to be a ninja in critical condition, Taisho." Warrior Nun said, the minute the siblings heard what the warrior nun said. They both had different reactions. With Kenshin, in a daze-like state, subconsciously holding her neck with her right hand as she muttered

"It can't be, can it?"

While her sister said no words as she stood up and rushed past the warrior nun, while interrogating any soldier she could find.

"Where is that bastard?!?!" 

Which prompted Kenshin to snap out of her daze-like state as she then asked the warrior nun to show her where the ninja was, posthaste. Definitely before her sister found said ninja. 

But she was almost too late as she got to a makeshift infirmary tent that was heavily guarded by Naginata Warrior Monks. Who let her in without question. Only for her to find her sister with her katana out, but she was being blocked by the Naginata Warrior Monks.

"Let me through you bastards. I do not care what that bloody monk says. I just want to extract information from her!!!" She said as she was having a Mexican standoff with 5 Naginata Warrior Monks, who were making sure Masakage stayed away from the prisoner. 

"Kumi-gashira, please calm down and wait for Tendoshoku* Shin to arrive. Then you may extract information from her." A Usegui doctor tried to explain to Masakage. Who was not having it as she roared.

"You want me to calm down when there's an unknown ninja on one of your beds!!! I would advise you to know your place doctor or else I will educate you!!!" 

Masakage, after declaring her dissatisfaction, was about to engage in battle with the five soldiers in front of her. After which she would interrogate and then slit the ninja's throat. Not before cutting off the doctor's tongue or finger, or maybe both. 

Not the wisest of things to do, but Masakage was not operating on that principle at the moment. 

How could she when there was an enemy ninja in their custody. She had already had enough first hand experience with the Tokugawa ninjas to know that ninjas never worked alone. 

Their partners were definitely somewhere close. They could be sneaking anywhere right at that moment. Waiting to slit the throats' of or poison the commanding officers in the clan.

While Masakage did not fear death, she did fear losing her sister once again to the shameful fate of being assassinated. 

"I won't allow it, never again." The memory of what happened after her sister's death was, after all these years, still fresh in her mind.

They had to claim that her beloved sister's death was from an incurable illness, just to save her face from being called fukaku*. 

They also hid her body so that no one could ever find out the true cause of death. Kenshin's body was not laid to rest near the Uesugi Clan Temple with her ancestors, just to save face.

The shame and anger she felt that day brought a heavy load on her chest that she had to live with. She knew she was never going to reach nirvana, even at first laughed at the offer the foreigner gave her.

But when she heard that her sister was coming back to life, she felt that pressure on her chest slightly lessened. And when she saw her, the load that she struggled with for so long was gone.

She could finally, hopefully, reach nirvana. But most importantly she could spend more time with her sister. And now this doctor was telling her to potentially forsake that wish just because a monk said they should wait for him. What was he going to do? pray for the ninja? Did this ninja even believe in the Bodhisattva we serve? Did it even matter?

These thoughts rang like fireworks in Masakage's mind, as she raised her katana over head and- 

"Sister, there is no need for this. We are all on the same side" A hand grabbed her hand as she was about to strike down on one of the Naginata Warrior Monks, the hand obviously belonging to Kenshin as she continued to say, " And beside if it was a monk who told us to wait, it might be an order from the Bodhisattva we serve."

However Masakage's eyes were still focused on the Naginata Warrior Monks in front of her, with her katana still raised over her head and her arms tensed.

"Sister, enough of this. That's an order." Kenshin said without raising her voice.

Masakage heard her sister, she knew she did. However her hands were still up, her rage was still there. But even with that rage she eventually slowly sighed and in the same pace lowered her katana, mostly because she was not stupid. She knew first hand what happens to those who disobey her sister's orders. 

"Fine brother-in-law, I concede. And stop calling me sister, you never know who is watching." Masakage said as she sheathed her katana. " But if that monk is only wasting our time, I will-"

" No need for treats, Sister Uesugi Masakage, I am here." A man in a Japanese-style long cotton kimono under a koromo, with a collared white undershirt under the kimono, walked into the infirmary tent with a smile on his face. Which prompted the majority of the staff to bow their heads in greeting, well except for…

"What did you call me?!?! I am no one's sister!" Masakage roared, but her roar was only met with the monk shaking his head as he said.

"No need for all of that sister, we are in a material plane. Where the road to nirvana is not isolated to one gender." The monk, Tendoshoku* Shin said while maintaining his smile. " You both feel it too, do you not? Sisters."

And before Masakage could retort she was stopped by her sister, who said.

" Yes, I have been meaning to ask my sister about this ever since I came to this material plane. I have been feeling this new sort of life or energy coursing through my veins." Kenshin said as her eyes glowed black, which caused the doctor to feel a pressure on his shoulders but he was able to keep a straight face as Kenshin continued to say "And for some reason I have yet to identify, I know how to use it as if breathing. What is going on?"

" That is because of this world, and partially because of the Bodhisattva we serve." Tendoshoku Shin replied, but then tilted his head to the ninja on the table. " But I do believe it would be better if we find out what our guest knows first." 

"Finally, you are starting to speak some sense!" Masakage rejoiced, while understanding her sister's concerns were valid. She also had the same experience, but the main thing on her mind at the moment was extracting information from the ninja. " So how do you plan on extracting information from her? I have some suggestions. I just need two weighs and the engineers to craft a lever big e-"

"That will not be necessary at the moment." Tendoshoku Shin stopped Masakage before she started spouting things that not most could stomach. 

He then closed his eyes, put his hands together and recited from a Buddhist text, "May I be the healing medicine for all who are sick. May I bring healing to myself and others."

And as he said that he and the ninja began to glow a golden light as the ninja's injuries began to disappear at a miraculous speed. While Shin's robes began to be smeared with blood stains in multiple parts of his body, he did not seem alarmed as he smiled throughout the whole process as slight cuts began to appear all over his body. 

Until he said..

"Om." 

He then released a sigh of relief while still smiling, as the ninja was fully healed. He had done his job and he was satisfied.

"You see sisters, with our Bodhisattva. We can finally reach nirvana." He said to the sister's without opening his eyes as he smiled. Expecting reverence to their Bodhisattva to be written on their faces 

" WHY DID YOU HEAL HER!!!" was no what he expected. 

…

Naginata : The naginata is a polearm and one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades. Naginata were originally used by the samurai class of feudal Japan, as well as by ashigaru and sōhei. The naginata is the iconic weapon of the onna-musha, a type of female warrior belonging to the Japanese nobility.

Sake : referred to as Japanese rice wine, is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran

Taisho : means General of the army. Taisho is written as 大将. 大/tai means big or large. 将/shoo means person who command an army. So, taisho is the top commander of an army.

Kumi-gashira : The equivalent of Lieutenants in a. modern army, backing up the captains and supporting. the fighting units, including archers, spearmen, gunners.

Tendoshoku : seventh-grade teachers. The grades work in the same way as the jiu jitsu kaizen.

This is a man's world, this is a man's world

But it wouldn't be nothing, 

nothing without a woman

or a girl

To waifu or not to waifu, that is the unending question that all have come across once, if not twice in their lives. A question that burns in me rigth at this moment🥲

I shall resume posting on p.a.t.r.e.o.n on the 17 July 2024