Volume 2 Chapter 4 Part 10
「The number 1 Daimyo of Japan Nobuna promising something like this to someone like me? is it going to start raining next, or is the world going to end sometime soon? 」
「Monkey…. what happened isn’t your fault. It’s all my fault for giving you the order, so cheer up. 」
「Yeah, I know. But even though I know that… the tears in my eyes… I just can’t stop them from flowing… 」
「You snotty brat, and you consider yourself a warrior? 」
At the corner of the unforgiving Nobuna’s eyes, there was a slight glimmer too.
But, at that moment Goemon, who was still being carried by Yoshiharu, opened her eyes and stretched her back like a cat.
「.Unyaa….Sagara-shama, hurry and shurround Inyabayama Cashtle now. Now ish the exact opportunity to shtrike! 」
「Eh, Goemon!? B-But how?! Didn’t you die from that musket bullet?! 」
「Ninjas often wear armor beneath their clothing. I could still take another bullet or two if need be. 」
「Hahaha, you got me worried to death!!! I thought… I thought that you died on me for real! 」
「Hehehe, I’m sorry about that, but it was necessary. I thought that since Sagara-shama hash sho many desires, I should let you experience the feeling of loshing something at least once. Consider this your practice for when such a time comes for real. 」
「How dare you feign death on me!? I can’t believe you! But I’m glad about this too! Come and let me hug you!!! 」
Yoshiharu shouted and started snuggling to Goemon.
「W-W-W-W-W-Wha…L-L-L-L-Let me go, Sagara-sama! if you’re going to hug me so indecently, then I… uhnyaaaa! 」
「I don’t understand anything you’re saying, but it’s such a good thing to see that you’ve survived!「
「Uhhhnya—! Sagara-shama, you’re acting very weird! Help, someone help me! 」
「What are you intending to do by hugging the leader and snuggling up to her like that, huh?! 」
Maeda and his team of macho men then promptly began beating Yoshiharu up in a fit of something that was a mixture of both happiness and rage.
「Ou…Ou…Ouchh! Oi, Nobuna, stop smirking over there and give me my reward now! Or better yet, help me out here! 」
Nobuna took an orange out from her sleeve and aimed it at Yoshiharu’s head.
「Here, take it. For a monkey like you, an orange as a reward should be more than enough. 」
「Damn you!!!!! What kind of reward is this?! You just like to play with me like a monkey! Where did the promise of giving me a reward go to, huh!? And after you reminded me about it yourself, no less?! 」
「I think you’re forgetting something here. In order to get that reward, you have to conquer Inabayama Castle first. 」
「After you’ve gone and run all the way here, do you really think I’m going to have time for that?! 」
「Hmph! You stupid monkey, I can’t stand you anymore! 」
Nobuna closed her eyes, and then she revealed her pearly white teeth with a joyful look on her face. It was that kind of smile that she was rarely showing to anyone else.
「Go, Monkey! If you don’t want me to get snatched away by Nagamasa, conquer Inabayama castle by nightfall! 」
「Oi! Would it really kill you to give me a better reward just this once?! You miser, I’ll remember this!!! 」
And then, like a streak of lightning, Nobuna led her army towards Inabayama Castle while Yoshiharu followed closely behind her.
Katsuie, who had just finished preparing for the customary celebration party, grabbed her spear in a panic and shouted, 「Damn it, I totally forgot about the matter of Nobuna-sama’s marriage with Nagamasa! E-E-E-E-Everyone, follow Nobuna-sama, now! The celebration can wait until we have conquered Inabayama Castle!!! 」
Hanbei, who poked her head out from the watchtower gave out a sigh of relief after seeing that Nobuna was finally gone.
「Yoshiharu-san is really a busy man, huh? 」
Goemon, who was handling the pony while waiting for Hanbei gave her a smile, which was hidden behind her ninja mask.
「He is, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s still a big pervert. It’s gonna be tough to be working under that sort of man, sho let me warn you about it now while you shtill have the time to back out, Takenaka-shama. 」
「Such a person is exactly the sort that’s worth following. 」
Hanbei replied with a laugh.
* * *
The clock was still ticking, counting the time that remained until the marriage ceremony between Nobuna and Nagamasa.
「This is going to be the final battle between Mino and us! We must definitely conquer Inabayama Castle by today! 」
Because Takenaka Hanbei and the Mino Three have defected to the Oda clan, Saito Yoshitatsu had to increase the number of troops meant to guard Inabayama Castle. But due to Oda’s general, Shibata Katsuie’s weird slogan 「We must restore our reputation today! 」, the Oda clan’s army was more enthusiastic than ever, and so it conquered the fortress on Mount Zuiryuji, located on Kinkazan’s south side, in an instant.
The surrounding bases were all taken over by the Oda clan’s army one by one, and as a result, the Inabayama Castle was surrounded from all sides by Nobuna’s army, with the entire Kinkazan lit up by the fire from the soldier’s torches.
In just half a day. Nobuna had conquered up to 90% of the Mino province, and now the only piece of it left is the isolated Inabayama Castle on Kinkazan.
「But even though there won’t be any reinforcements, it’s still a fact that Inabayama Castle is impenetrable. 」
Thinking that tye promised time of her marriage with Azai Nagamasa was drawing closer, Nobuna curved her lips in displeasure as she gathered her retainers around her to discuss the current situation.
「We won’t make it in time by just relying on brute strength alone. But if there is someone who can sneak inside Inabayama Castle and open the gates from the inside, we might just be able to do it. Are there any volunteers for this mission? 」
「The chance of survival is just about 30%. Let me go then. 」
「Nobuna-sama, do not give this job to Nagahide! Just let me go for this mission instead! 」
Niwa Nagahide and Shibata Katsuie both volunteered to be the suicide squad, but with Nobuna’s 「If both of you died, I would become very troubled, wouldn’t I? 」, they were rejected.
「Uwaahhh~ Nobuna-sama will definitely send that damn Monkey to be in the suicide squad! So biased- There isn’t any doubt about it now! 」
「Katsuie-dono, just give up on this already. 7 points. 」
On a side note, upon hearing the words suicide squad, Nobusumi had long been scared stiff while mumbling 「A….A handsome man like me, though skilled at cross-dressing, would be totally useless in terms of mountain climbing! 」, and was stared at by his own sister with contempt.
Maeda Inuchiyo let out an 「Uhm… 」 and raised her small hand, but was pressed back down by Yoshiharu silently.
「You have been silent until now, Monkey. 」
「Because such a last minute military meeting is meaningless, isn’t it? I’m here for this exact moment, right?「
「Hmph. You are lucky to be alive after Sunomata. Surely he heavens won’t be so kind to you twice in a row. 」
「Ahhh~ It’s like this after all! 」
Katsuie began to weep again.
「Though I’m not the one who thought of it, there is a way. 」
「Really? Don’t tell me you are imagining things because of the reward! 」
「*Tsk!* you are irritating. Just believe me this time. 」
「Fine. I can see that even if I stopped you, you’d still go anyway. 」
「So you do understand me. 」
「Hmph. To do things to such an extent, you sure want to snuggle with the world’s no. 1 beauty….meaning me. What an ambitious little ero-monkey you are. 」
「Don’t…Don’t you get the wrong idea. I just want to give a good lesson to that fake monkey from Omi! 」
「How curious. I was thinking the same too. Is ist going to rain later or what? 」
The sun would be setting soon. It was no longer the time to tell jokes. Yoshiharu stopped Inuchiyo who was saying 「I’ll go with you! 」, and parted from Nobuna with the words:
「I will now sneak into Inabayama Castle and open the gates for you without fail. 」
(Damn. Even when I know that there is a low chance of survival, I’m not afraid at all. Looks like even the great me is finally starting to act like an accomplished general.)
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