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Thread of Fate *1x1 with Jikkah*

"I can understand her willingness to die. Her husband is dead, after all." Matsunaga said calmly, "How could a woman raise a child on her own, in a domain who would be willing to kill her?"
 
Megohime clenched her fists and set her jaw, trembling slightly, but never looking away from Kojurou. It was clear what she was telling him with just a simple look: don’t betray him.
 
Kojurou was looking at her with soft scowl, he knew he couldn't betray Masamune but he couldn't allow any harm to befall Megohime and her child. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"Let Hanbei know...I want to talk to him." Kojurou muttered, eyes moving to Matsunaga, "Leave Megohime-dono out of this."
 
“Kojurou!” Megohime snarled, finally smacking Matsunaga’s hand away from her swollen belly. “They’ll kill me regardless!”
 
Megohime felt disgusted with herself, turning her head away and clenching her jaw, how could she be such a useless burden at a time like this?
 
Megohime wasn’t taken far though, being brought to a cell of her own and locked inside; Hanbei hadn’t needed much convincing from the old hermit to have Megohime locker away, after all, she was a perfect playing card.
 
It wouldn’t be long before Kojurou was dragged from his own cell by two guards, the two silently escorting Kojurou through the castle and up the stairs to a pristinely kept war room, charts and maps laid out neatly on each table.
 
“Ah, Katakura-kun, there’s no need to look so upset.” Hanbei’s voice came from behind Kojurou as he entered the room, moving over to the table and looking up at the man. “Come, we have plenty of work to do.”
 
Yukimura and his small band of men marched onward on foot to Kyuushu, having lost nearly half his men and all of their horses, morale was as low as it was going to get. Sasuke’s words echoed in Yukimura’s ears after the young general sat mourning his retainer in the sand before the Seto sea; he had made the call- made the mistake of trying to support Chosokabe when they came across the pirate general being assaulted by Toyotomi, and it had cost him dearly.
 
What would Shingen think if he was there? What would Akihime think? He had lost so much time getting to Kyuushu just from stopping and helping every person he saw suffering under Toyotomi's iron grasp.
 
Yukimura didn’t know, he didn’t know what Shingen thought of him now, what Akihime thought of him now, and even what his men thought of him now. He had failed them, he had failed to do his duties as a general; he was a disgrace.
 
Sasuke’s voice brought Yukimura out of his thoughts and back to his body, where he remembered his aching feet and tired legs. “No, sorry Sasuke, I was just thinking to myself- do you need something?”
 
Yukimura felt his shame and looked down. “I regret that I made the wrong choice and he paid the price for such a thing.”
 
Sasuke fell silent after that, watching Yukimura with a small frown. He knew Yukimura felt awful for what happened, but it would be a learning experience he would have to accept.
"In that moment, having decided to aid Chosokabe, what you should have done wasn't to run to Oyamada-dana's side when he was injured. You weren't able to carry through with your own decision, which you had made against our objections. What would have happened if your own wife had objected and you went against her word? Would we have to bury Akihime-dono in Oyamada-dana's place?" Sasuke chastised flatly, his back to the grieving Yukimura.
 
The words bit harshly into his soul, his very being wounded by his own actions, and brought to light by another’s words; where words would have previously led him the better path, he let selfish actions lead him astray.
“We’ll continue on.” He said softly, taking another trudging step forward, then another. “We can’t stop now, not after the sacrifice Oyamada-dono made so that my foolish actions could be seen by my own eyes. We press on to Kyuushu!”
 
Sasuke nodded and vanished into the trees, going back to keep watch. They would be nearing Satsuma soon.
"Nobushige," Akihime had never used his birth name unless it was important. It was the afternoon of his departure, and she wanted to wish him a safe journey while she had the chance. "Forgive me for being so selfish...I couldn't bear the thought of you leaving without saying goodbye. Just promise me you'll return home safely. I don't know what I would do if I lost you..." She made him an omamori and even went as far as kissed him farewell. What would she have done, to see him act so selfishly, to put others before his task? In his self-loathing he could see her standing before him, frowning disapprovingly, blood dripping from her mouth.
"Look at what your actions have caused, Yukimura-sama. Everyone is dead and it's because you failed to reach Satsuma in time. You let me die, Yukimura. I thought you loved me." She croaked.

((I love inner conflict and angst​))
 
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