As a young man Takashi was made leader of the Hino clan, chosen as a candidate out of his three other brothers thanks to him being the top student and most skilled warrior.
Takashi was engaged to his childhood friend Rei. The clan's sometimes have arranged marriages but only if the two people agree to it. Takashi and Rei didn't see why they should say no, since they got along really well and they did feel attraction towards each other. But they just felt more friendship than romantic feelings towards each other. So they eventually got married some time after Takashi became a leader of the Hino clan.
Rei was not born as a clan member, but her family had a long history with warriors and talented martial artists and was believed her ancestors have possibly come from a lost clan.
Anyway, few years after Takashi became a leader, a prince named Kazuya came and begged him for help. Shion was in a lot of trouble with criminal and gang activity. Takashi agreed, despite the elders concerned about getting involved with royals and war.
Takashi went to Shion to assess the situation and met the Royal family, the Kamiya family. The old king who Takashi didn't trust much, the princess and niece to the king named Kasumi. (Have not settled on the names yet😅 but if you like these names for the prince and princess then maybe I'll keep it.)
The prince was the son of the current king. But the princess was the daughter to the king's deceased sister. The king's sister was a much more kind and modern woman than the king, so she had let her daughter have a lot of freedom and marry a high ranking soldier for love and had her keep her name as Kamiya. Unfortunately the princess's husband died very early on while protecting his kingdom.
(Honestly have been trying to figure out the Royal family set up, but this is what I've figured out so far.)
Takashi found he really trusted and bonded with the prince and princess, so he decided to help. Unfortunately what Takashi didn't know was the other kingdoms were planning to take over Shion in its weakened state. So when it was attacked by other kingdoms while the Hino clan was there to help, Takashi felt he was duty bound to continue helping.
A mission became a war that dragged on for years. Takashi had asked for reinforcements from the Yamamoto clan and Daichi volunteered to join the fight along with other Yamamoto's. And as Shion tried to make allies with other kingdoms and noble families, Daichi met Nora and they fell in love and got married against her parents wishes.
Amaya and Takara was raised in this war basically.
Over the years of the war, everyone became very close. And Takashi even did a little training with the prince and princess. Because they all became close friends, Kasumi named her daughter after Takashi, Takara.
Because her husband died when Takara was young, Takashi spent time with her and acted a little bit as a father figure.
And over the years Takashi began to gain the title of "the blood red dragon." Something he wasn't proud of.
But things eventually went downhill. The king began using shady tactics on the battlefield and took advantage of the clans to do whatever it took to win and gain power. Takashi and the king had a lot of long debates about what was right and wrong, Takashi trying to convince him there were better ways to handle this and the king arguing that it was easy for clansmen to say that since they had been holding back in the war. Takashi was afraid this war could become genocide and the king thought the clans were being cowardly and needlessly putting Shion at risk.
Unfortunately the king became sure of himself when tragedy struck. There had been an assassination and the prince was killed. The king was enraged and blamed the clans for the death of his son for not listening to him and ending the war sooner.
Things were tense. But it all finally came to a tragic end on one last battle the Hino clan did for that war. The Hino's and the enemy army was lured into an empty town to fight, but what they didn't know was their was explosives hidden everywhere. At the time the clans weren't overly familiar with explosives as weapons, so when they saw a fire arrow shot to ignite the bombs they didn't realize what was happening until it was too late.
Takashi was spared the worst of it thanks to a soldier who felt guilty about the betrayal had stalled Takashi enough to not be on the battlefield when the trap happened. But unfortunately Daichi and Rei were there along with others.
Daichi was extremely injured, having lost an eye and was nearly dying. While Rei was found dead in the debris, barely recognizable. Takashi carried her body back to where the clans were staying in Shion.
After taking care of the dead and injured, Takashi asked Nora to have the clans and his three children be ready for anything, whether it be a fight or an escape. This was one of the first time Nora took charge and had earned her the clans respect and trust.
Takashi, in grief and rage, marched back to king without thinking. Kasumi noticed something was wrong and followed him. Takashi demanded answers, and the king said how he believed he needed to take action and do what was best for his kingdom and that the clans were too irresponsible and selfish with their power. He had came up with the plan to not only cripple his enemy but force the clans into submission.
Takashi realized the clans were under threat of being enslaved. Next thing he knew he was surrounded by soldiers in the throne room. He tried to fight them off and Kasumi tried to help him escape, but it was a losing battle. When the king realized Takashi would not be easily captured, he ordered for archers to shoot Takashi.
Takashi was exhausted and realized he was about to die. But at the last second Kasumi jumped in the way, shielding Takashi and saving his life but sacrificing herself. She fell into his arms and everyone was frozen in shock and horror. Takashi watched her die in his arm, but right before she died she apologized and and told him to run.
When Takashi looked away from her body to look around the room, he spotted behind the soldiers little Takara was there, looking at her mother's body in horror. Takashi wanted to reach out for her and take her away with him, knowing leaving Shion would mean it's doom, but she was too far behind the soldiers to safely get her.
So reluctantly before anyone could react, Takashi made an escape out the window. He got back to his clan and they left the country, going back to the Yamamoto village.
For Takashi and the Hino clan, it took a lot of time of healing in the Yamamoto village. It was only years after when Takashi remarried for love and had Hana that he finally had his clan move out again. But this time they moved to lotus after hearing about what their king has done to Sature.
Meanwhile Takara's kingdom was taken over by their enemies thanks to no longer having the clans help. Takara watched her home and people get torn apart and the only reason some of her people and herself survived was she was married off to a prince.
Takara learned to practically become an actress to act as a perfect wife in hopes of protecting herself and her people. Eventually she had a daughter and when she was sure her child was ready, she poisoned her husband, giving her daughter the chance to become queen. Now finally feeling like she was freed to do whatever she wanted, she left the kingdom and came up with the plan to take revenge against the clans. (Basically, if Junki went dark. I think they'd have interesting conversations.)
(As you can see it isn't perfect and a bit messy, I hope you like it😅 let me know if you have questions or ideas.)
