Chapter 12: Chapter 12: The Dragon’s Gaze
Echigo Province – Kasugayama Castle, Year 8 of Tenbun (1539 AD)
The journey north was long.
The roads were rough, the mountains endless, and the forests unforgiving.
But Yuki moved without hesitation.
He had no home to return to.No master to serve.
Only a single command from Takeda Harunobu.
"Watch Uesugi Kenshin."
And so—
He arrived at Kasugayama Castle.
The home of the Dragon of Echigo.
Uesugi Kenshin.
A name that was beginning to spread.
A warrior-monk. A strategist. A man of both faith and steel.
Some called him a divine protector of the weak.Others called him a bloodthirsty warlord in priest's robes.
But no one could deny—
That he was strong.
And soon, he would become Takeda Harunobu's greatest rival.
Yuki stood at the castle gates, observing the soldiers in training.
Their formations were disciplined.Their movements precise.
These were not mere bandits or mercenaries.
They were a true army.
"He's building something different here."
Yuki's fingers tightened around his cloak.
"And he hasn't even reached his prime yet."
For the first time since he left Kai—
He felt something unfamiliar.
Curiosity.
"Who are you?"
The voice was calm and clear.
Yuki turned—
And for the first time, he saw Uesugi Kenshin.
A young man not much older than Takeda Harunobu.
Dressed in simple robes, a wooden prayer bead bracelet around his wrist.
But his eyes—
They were sharp.
Like a blade hidden beneath the cloth of a monk.
"You've been watching my soldiers for some time now."
Kenshin's gaze did not waver.
"Are you a spy?"
Yuki did not flinch.
"Perhaps."
Kenshin's lips curved slightly.
"Honest. That is rare."
A long silence hung between them.
The mountain winds howled softly.
And then—
Kenshin turned away.
"Come."
Yuki's eyes narrowed.
"Where?"
Kenshin smiled.
"You came to observe me, did you not?"
"Then follow. See what I truly am."
Without another word, he walked away.
And after a moment—
Yuki followed.
Because, for the first time—
He wanted to see for himself.
What kind of man the Dragon of Echigo truly was.
[Fated Death: Progressing.]You have entered Echigo Province.You have met Uesugi Kenshin.The first seeds of fate have been planted.
And history begins to shift once more.