REI'S POV
With Nobunaga's offer still ringing in our ears, I frowned angrily and I asked him.
"Is this some kind of sick joke?"
"I am serious about my offer but, I only want to hear your opinion."
"Then you can shove that offer where the sun don't shine!!"
Nobunaga and the others except for Rokuro looked shocked at my reaction.
"That's not the response I was expecting."
"Yeah, well, too bad for you! I am not interested in a life long commitment especially to someone like you."
Nobunaga looked surprised by my reaction and then he said to me.
"You cannot deny me Rei."
"Unfortunately for you I already did. I do not take orders from you. I am the Alpha! the leader of the Seven Deadly Sins!"
Right when I said this, someone threw smoke bombs into the campsite and the others were coughing. I knew who threw the smoke bombs and then I shouted.
"Rokuro! let's go!!"
"Wait! let me come with you!" Mai shouted.
"Ugh! fine! but do not slow us down!" I shouted in frustration before making a run for it.
We escaped into the forest and once we were far away from the camp, we stopped running and then Rokuro asked me while holding Mai with one arm.
"Did we lose them?"
"I think so."
"Sorry about picking you up unexpectedly," Rokuro told Mai.
"Don't worry about it."
Mai spoke with a small smile on her face before Rokuro puts her down on the ground. I looked up in the trees and I spoke with a smirk.
"Your timing is perfect as usual, Shiro."
Shiro jumped down from the trees and he lands on the ground perfectly.
"*Chuckle* well, I knew I couldn't leave you and the big guy with that Devil King. Especially after hearing that offer, yikes."
Shiro glanced at Mai and smirked at her.
"Although, mind you, I wouldn't mind asking that lovely lady the same."
I smacked him upside his head and he shouted in pain.
"Don't even think about it!"
"I wasn't!"
"Lier!"
"Um, who are you?" Mai asked nervously.
"Oh where are my manners? my name is Shiro. I am known as The Hunter AKA the Bear sin of the Sloth."
Shiro spoke as he showed Mai his mark on his left arm. Mai didn't look nervous at all when she spoke to him and then I asked him.
"Anyway, Shiro, what happened to the others and how did you find us?"
"I honestly don't know where they are. I found myself in the woods and then I spotted the smoke coming from a temple. I traced your tracks back to the campsite and I stayed hidden for a while until now."
"So you don't know where the others are?" Rokuro asked him.
"I'm sorry I don't know where they are."
"All right, but, at least now we know the others have been sent back in time after seeing you. I guess we'll just have to keep an eye out for them."
I told him as we began walking deeper into the forest.
"Wait!"
"What now?!" I shouted at Mai.
"Where are gonna go and aren't you worried that we've changed history?"
Mai asked as she showed us that magazine about the Guide to the Hottest Sengoku Warlords. I frowned a little and Rokuro spoke up.
"She's right you know boss since Nobunaga is still alive the rebellion that was led by Mitsuhide can't happen."
I saw Rokuro's point but, that still doesn't explain how we got here and four eyes is still missing too.
"You're right Rokuro. Here's what we should do, we find the other sin and then we make our way back to Azuchi."
"Why Azuchi?"
"Isn't that where Nobunaga lives? according to the history books?"
I asked him with my arms crossed.
"All right, sounds like a plan but, what are we gonna do about her?" Rokuro asked as he looked at Mai.
"We kill her," I said as I pointed my pistol at her.
Mai looked at me in fear and she said to me.
"But you said you let me live if I didn't say anything!"
"I did, however, since we're no longer in front of witnesses, I can finish you off right here and now. Hold her!"
Shiro grabbed Mai and he said to her.
"Sorry, I can't refuse the Alpha's orders. Please forgive me."
Shiro whispered to her before I pointed my pistol at Mai's forehead.
"Now stay still, this won't hurt for long."
I spoke with a sadist smirk on my face. I was about to pull the trigger until we heard bells chiming followed by the sound of leaves crunching. I frowned a little and then I put away my gun before someone appeared from the shadows.
"What are you four doing in the woods this late at night?"
I turned around and I saw a weathered-looking man with a chiselled face walking towards me with a smile on his face.
'A Buddhist monk?'
"I am called Kennyo, and I am a travelling monk. Perhaps I can be of assistance to you?"
"No thank you, we're fine besides, us ladies have two strong men to look after us."
I said as I looked at Shiro and Rokuro. Rokuro glared at Kennyo and he told him.
"Rei is right, now if you'll excuse us."
Rokuro told him as we walked away from Kennyo and he gave us one last warning.
"You should return home quickly. Demons lurk in the woods at night."
"OK, thanks for the advice, bye!"
Mai said before making a run for it. I frowned and then we followed after her. Mai was fast and we close to losing her until someone shouted.
"Watch it!"
A man shouted before grabbing her hard enough to pull her off her feet. I watched Mai fall backwards onto the man, sending them both to the ground.
"Ouch!"
"Sorry about that."
Mai spoke as I jogged over to them and then Shiro asked them.
"Are you two all right?"
"I think so..." Mai spoke as Shiro helped her up.
"Sheesh, be more careful."
"I couldn't help it, that wolf was going to-"
"Going to what?" I asked in a threatening tone before placing my hand on the hilt of my sword.
"Uh, nothing."
"Who are you people and why do you three wear odd clothes?"
I was about to answer until another figure appeared from the shadows.
"We just arrived but, you already have found yourself not one but, two women, Yuki?"
A broad-shouldered man, who is a full head taller than Yuki and with a grin on his face met us on the edge of the forest.
"Please spare me, Lord Shingen! this woman was about to jump off a cliff," the stranger, called Yuki, told Shingen.
"It wasn't like that, it was only because I was running with my eye closed," Mai told us bluntly.
"Huh? why would you do something like that in the woods at night?"
"Would you believe me if I told you I was trying to find my happy place?"
Yuki chuckled a little when Mai said this while I shook my head at her. The man called Shingen looked at us up and down before speaking up again.
"Two women walking around alone on the night Honno-Ji burns...maybe you're some kind of spirit? and a very beautiful one at that."
Mai blushed a little when he called us beautiful but, I knew that he was trying to flirt with us.
"Tch, we're not ghosts and we're pretty much normal and alive."
"How can you say those words so readily? I was just being honest."
I wasn't fazed by his flirting and then he said to me.
"What's this? No blush from you?"
"Nice try, ladykiller but, those comments lines don't work on me. Do me a favour and try it on someone who would fall for those cheap pickup lines."
Yuki burst out laughing when I told him this and then he said to Shingen.
"Finally, a woman rejects you Shingen-sama and she's not amused, hahahaha!!"
"It's not funny, Yuki," Shingen spoke in a disappointed tone.
"Hello?! did you forget we're still here? what are we? chopped liver?" Shiro asked in an annoyed tone.
"Oh, who cares about you two gentlemen?" Shingen spoke with a frown before looking at Rokuro.
Yuki did the same and he commented.
"He's gigantic, he's taller than you, Shingen-sama."
"I'll say," Shingen spoke with a smirk.
Just then, another figure appeared and he spoke up.
"Your ability to spew cheap pick-up lines never ceases to amaze me."
"I just call it as I see it, Kenshin."
I looked at the man called Kenshin and I remembered who those two are now.
'Kenshin and Shingen... now it's starting to come back to me, those two are also famous warlords. The God of war and the Tiger of Kai.'
Just then, another man appeared but, I didn't even hear his footsteps.
"I apologise for the wait. It seems the fire at Honno-Ji has been extinguished."
'A Ninja?'
I thought to myself as I looked at the ninja. Kenshin then said to the ninja.
"Good scouting work, Sasuke. Nobunaga is...still alive?"
"Yes."
The tension around here suddenly got worse when Sasuke said this. Shingen spoke up with a frown on his face.
"He's got the devil's luck."
"Or he's the devil."
Yuki said with a frown on his face. I took a closer look at the mysterious ninja and then Rokuro whispered.
"Rei..."
"I know, he looks familiar doesn't he?"
I asked as I took another look at the ninja.
"You four are-"
"What's the matter, Sasuke? Do these people look familiar to you?" Kenshin asked Sasuke.
"No, but I'll escort them to the nearest village, please excuse me."
Sasuke led us away from the group and when we were far from them, Shiro grabbed the ninja and he pinned him against the tree and shouted.
"All right, spill it! Who are you?!"
"Calm down, there's no need for that threatening behaviour," the ninja pulled down his mask, revealing that med student that we saw from before.
"It's you!" I shouted in a surprised tone.
"You're that med student we saw at the temple," Mai spoke up after seeing his face.
"I'm actually a university student studying physics and science but, I'm glad you four remember me," Sasuke spoke with a small smile on his face.
Shiro pressed his arm against his throat and I threatened him.
"All right talk! What the hell is going on and how did we get here?!"
"Ugh! I'll explain everything if you'll let me go!"
I looked at Shiro and I told him.
"Shiro, drop him."
Shiro released him and then Sasuke fell onto the ground and he coughed and wheezed to catch his breath.
"Oh man...you're strong..." Sasuke mumbled before looking back at us. "There's no doubt in my mind that you three are seven deadly sins. But, where are the other four?"
"We don't know, now stop stalling and tell us what happened and what is going on here?!" I shouted which scared both Sasuke and Mai.
"It's easiest if I start from the beginning. My name is Sasuke Sarutobi and just like you, I come from the present or rather, the future."
Sasuke slowly began to explain what had happened since our encounter at the stone monument. After a long explanation, I was surprised and shocked when Sasuke told me what happened at the stone monument.
'That explanation made my head spin.'
I was resting my back against the tree while Rokuro did the same and both Shiro and Mai were sitting on a log next to Sasuke.
"So let me get this straight, that lighting strike caused spacetime to wrap around us and sent us into the past?" I questioned Sasuke.
"Yes. That is a very simplified and condensed version of my current theory. We entered the wormhole at the same time. However, I arrived four years prior to you. In that time, I've realised something, this is not the Sengoku period we're familiar with. We're in an alternate timeline. In my time travel, I arrived at the place where Uesugi Kenshin collapsed. I saved his life with my knowledge of modern medicine. If this were our timeline, Uesugi Kenshin should be dead by now."
We were surprised by this and then Sasuke continued with his explanation.
"In the same way, the warlord Takeda Shingen, who is supposed to be dead by now, is also still alive. I predicted that you would do a time travel, as well, and searched for you but, I never imagined you would only arrive four years after me."
"Just as I expected, this really isn't a dream," Mai spoke in a disappointed tone.
"Nope, luckily not. I suppose you could say that seeing the famous warlords of the Sengoku with my own eyes is a dream come true for me."
Sasuke said with a smirk and I sweatdropped a little.
"You're strangely chipper about this, but, you didn't answer my question, why are you a ninja? did you learn that while living here for four years."
"My parents were big history bluffs so I got my name from the legendary ninja that served Yukimura Sanda. Because he's fictional, I've taken his 'place' in this time. I figured that will keep my impact on history low."
"I finally found you!!" A familiar voice shouted from above.
We looked up and then something or rather someone landed on top of Rokuro.
"Ooft!!"
We looked who landed on top of him and it was Zen.
"Zen!"
"Hey, Boss!!"
Zen dashed over to me and he hugs me tightly and he rubs his face in between my breasts.
"Yay! boss! I'm so happy you're all right!"
Shiro glared at Zen and he grumbled.
"Not fair..."
Rokuro stood up and he shook his head after being landed on by Zen.
"Where'd you find him?"
"I found the Serpent sin passed out in the woods when my bosses and I were on our way to the temple to see if Nobunaga had died. He's been hiding in the shadows while keeping an eye out for you. I must say, it's no wonder he's earned the nickname The Assassin."
Zen smirked at Sasuke before releasing me.
"Hey boss, can I kill him now?"
"No!"
I shouted at him.
"Change of plans, now that we know what we're dealing with, it's clear we need to keep these two alive since we might need their help. However..."
I drew my pistol and I pointed it at Sasuke and threatened him.
"When we do get back to the future, you and Mai will not tell the authorities about us because you two didn't see us or meet us. If you open your big mouths, I will hunt you down like the wild dog I am and I will finish you off, understand?"
Sasuke and Mai nodded their heads.
"We promise, we won't say anything."
"Good," I spoke with a smirk before putting my pistol away.
Just then, we heard someone shout.
"Mai! Rei! Rokuro! where are you?!"
looked over my shoulder in the direction where the voice came from.
'That voice...Hideyoshi?'
Suddenly, Sasuke disappeared. I looked around and I spoke up.
"What the?! where'd he go?"
We looked around and he was nowhere to be found.
"Hey, boss! I got good news, I know where Karou and Keiji are but, I will tell you on the way!"
"Good work Zen, Mai, you're on your own!"
"What?!"
Mai shouted before we made a run for it.
MAI'S POV
Once the sins were gone, Hideyoshi and another man wearing an eyepatch appeared on horseback. Hideyoshi glared at us and he said to us.
"I have finally found you! Running away from Lord Nobunaga's side and attacking him for no reason at all...how insolent can you get?"
"I'm very sorry about running away but, when he asked me to conquer the world with him, it didn't look like he'd take no for answer."
"Never mind that! where did your friends disappear to?"
"I don't know, we got separated."
I told them but, I was able to spot Shiro and Zen hiding in the shadows of the trees. Shiro pressed his finger on his lips to hush me before looking back at Hideyoshi and his friend.
"So you're Mizusaki Mai? a stalwart lass indeed. I've no doubt you're the one who defied Lord Nobunaga."
"And I'm guessing you're another warlord? who are you?"
"You are right but, this is no place to talk."
The warlord helped me onto his horse.
"Date Masamune. Remember it, lass."
SHIRO'S POV
Zen and I watched Mai leave with Hideyoshi and Masamune and then I spoke up.
"All right they're on the move, let's go little guy!"
"Don't call me little!" Zen shouted as we followed after them while Rei and Rokuro headed to one of the domains in Azuchi to get Karou and Keiji.