Gengyo's squad was the first to arrive back. Their feet were wet with all the streams they had to walk through, but their spirits were high. The camp was still asleep when they had come back under the cover of darkness, but there were a few men about, sitting by campfires, warming a bowlful of soup before dropping back into bed.
Those men noticed them coming back in and their curiosity demanded that they not let them pass quietly.
"What has happened, my Lord?" A samurai asked boldly, lowering his head, holding a bowl full of soup in one hand.
"No villages will be burning today. Tell your Takeda comrades to rejoice," Gengyo told him, patting him on his shoulder, before turning his back on the man and resuming his wait for the other groups. It would only be a successful mission if they all managed to return safely.
"Nii-san, a scout just came in," Rin told him. "He says that the Uesugi are still searching the fields. Apparently, they keep sending arrows into the sky. It looks like they might run out at this rate."
"Haha! We've angered him," Gengyo chuckled, picturing the scene in his head. "Have they found anyone?" He asked, his voice more serious.
Rin shook her head slowly. "We're not sure. Whilst he was there, he did not see anything."
Gengyo grimaced slightly, but it was to be expected. "They are leaving us in quite the amount of suspense. I suppose this is the downside of arriving first."
"They'll be fine," Akiko assured him. "You should rest too. You intend to battle on the morrow, do you not?"
"Aye…" Gengyo said slowly, stroking his chin. "The Uesugi are making that battle rather easy for us. Shingen will be grinning as he looks down on us. It must feel good to see the man that stalled your ambition running around as angry as a child. We will crush Kenshin, I have no doubt. Our men are far stronger now. Eight thousand is more than enough. I will wait. It will have no effect on the end result."
"Allow me to fetch you something to eat then," Akiko said at last, her hand on his chest. "You must keep strong," he saw her eyes flicker towards the stump of his hand.
"You need not worry so much, little Akiko. Tomorrow it will be me that takes Kenshin's head. Even if I only have one hand, I am stronger than most men with two," he said, cupping her chin.
"But I will go and get it all the same," she told him, gently kissing his cheek, before she pushed him away and disappeared deeper into the encampment.
"Guh… Gross," Rin said, sticking her tongue out.
"There she is. My mature little sister," Gengyo said, ruffling her hair. "You know, I heard Matsudaira is looking for a woman. Perhaps it's time to end your depressing years of loneliness?"
"Oh, okay! Sure! Right after I finish puking my guts out," she replied feigning enthusiasm.
"I know a few healers that might be able to push them back in before the wedding. If that is the only problem, then we will have it arranged," Gengyo stated playfully. "Oh look, Jikouji is back," he said, quickly pointing towards the shapes emerging from the shadows, before Rin could send an angry fist his way.
He completely ignored her as she scowled, fully riled up, opting instead to welcome the return of his general. "How goes it, Jikouji? Any injuries?"
"No injury sustained today can be bigger than the wound we've dealt to Kenshin's pride. The man will need to bathe in the rivers of a volcano if he hopes to wash away this stain," Jikouji said with a menacing grin. "That said, we're clean. We managed to slip away before they began with the arrows."
"Good man. What a day we've had. It almost makes me crave more problems so that we can enjoy solving them, purely for the sport," Gengyo said truthfully.
"Best not say that too loud," Jikouji replied seriously, before dropping that mask and allowing a wide grin to take over. "But after today, I might be tempted to agree with you."
"You're both terrible," Rin put in, needing to jab at something.
"That's my little sister, Rin," Gengyo told Jikouji, as though they had not yet met.
"Oh? It's a pleasure to meet you, Rin," Jikouji said with a light bow, playing along. "By the way, I do not think that Yamagata and Yamamoto will be long. We were positioned rather close to each other." And then once more Rin was forgotten about, unable to give a reply of her own.
"I think that might be them now," Gengyo said, inclining his head towards the edge of the camp where a new group of shadows entered.
"We've done it!" An older man shouted. "We will defeat the Uesugi army before they can begin their pillaging! Praise to Miura!"
Yamagata's men responded in kind, raising their helmets in cheers. No doubt they were exhausted after the distance they had covered, but their spirits were too high. An impossible situation had been turned into their biggest asset.
"Welcome back, Yamagata, Yamamoto. How did you enjoy your first taste of Miura Tadakata's strategy?" Jikouji called out to them.
"Absolutely brilliant. Is this what I've been missing out on? I had thought that glory can be found in one on one combat, but if this is the feeling that strategists get when they see their plan work out, then might be I'll have to finally start reading some of those dusty old scrolls," the young warrior Yamamoto said cheerfully.
"Woah there, don't get the party started without me," a familiar voice interrupted from behind them and Morohira emerged from the shadows, slightly more battered than the other squadrons.
"You're wounded," Gengyo stated. The shaft of a snapped arrow was sticking out of his shoulder.
"Nothing but a scratch," Morohira replied. "Didn't manage to outrun those bastard arrows."