A/N: Samurai Warriors does not belong to me, it is owned lovingly by Koei. 3

Not beta read, just tossed this up a year ago, and forgot about it.

OUT OF CHARACTER WARNING

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It was an unfamiliar night, in an unfamiliar world his hair sticking to his face, the metal head band burning where it lay against skin, slicked and sweaty, rubbing his forehead. Mitsunari Ishida grimaced, his gloved hands sweating just as much as every other part of his heated body.

"I don't see the point in having to be outside in this humidity, when we could be gone already." The miffed red head grumbled, rearranging his clothes, his eyes glued to the back of Cao Pi's head, the man watching the Orochi troupes as they made there way through the carnage of a battle won.

"Mitsunari, I'm looking for someone, deal." Cao Pi countered, his head turning momentarily to scan the others red face, before he started through a bundle of enemy soldiers, stepping on hands and feet as he went, uncaring for the dead, his eyes trained forward, watching for movement in the quiet mist of blood spattered waste land.

Mitsunari sighed with disinterest and a wave of his fan in a lazy manner he began to follow the stern man, watching for any soldiers chests rising, once nearly dying in the aftermath due to a man playing dead at his feet, his quick reflexes the only reason he stood beside Cao Pi today.

"I know you are looking for someone, I've yet to find out whom." He stated callously, hoping beyond anything that the uptight prat would give into temptation and spill the beans.

"When I find them, you'll know." Cao Pi spoke up deadpan, not granting the young mans hidden wish.

Mitsunari sighed, his eye twitching in irritation, on more then one occasion he was forced to follow this man, the foolish woman Da Ji, making it clear that he was important to Orochi's cause. Leaving the brunette to take care of a man he neither knew, nor cared for.

They walked on for what felt like hours, the smelting sun nothing more than a cusp on the horizon, radiant oranges and reds leaving them feeling ill in the stench of copper and iron. Only once did Cao Pi stop walking coming upon a body, his eyes shinning oddly before with a shake of his head the dark-haired man continued on.

Mitsunari was anxious his closed fan slapping against an open palm, his eyes scanning the ground before him, his boots already bloodied, browning where it was once red, they've been out long enough.

"Cao Pi." He started, the others feet stilling a hands breathe away.

"Yes?" The oddly discouraged voice spoke up, not turning to answer, merely allowing the Japanese man to continue, his stance sluggish and hopeless.

"If you do find who you are looking for among these… corpses... how will that ease you?" He asked finally, his face hiding his emotions as he thought of a wording that would more or less not get the hot-tempered youth to snap.

"If I do find him, then I won't have to search no longer." Cao Pi answered tiredly, "I'll be free of this pain of not knowing where he is, or where he landed."

Mitsunari nodded dropping his head to stare at a dead soldier's face, the muscles in the young warriors face still clenched from battle tension.

"There is always other places to search." He began, unsure of why he would want to heal the others evident burden, "Whoever it is you are searching for, don't you think that… they are looking for you too?"

Cao Pi shook, his eyes looking up at the glowing moon, only a half of it's entirety, "Do you think he would look for me?" He asked in return, his voice unsure, and his eyes shinning from something more then clustered stars.

Mitsunari stepped forward, stepping on chests and legs, his hand clasping onto the young Lords forearm to turn him towards him, the only given resistance, Cao Pi's body turning allowing that much, his eyes and head turned to look to his far right.

"If you want something as strongly as you want to find this man you speak of." He said softly, his face relaxing, into one of understanding, his own want to find the people he cared for showing, "than there is nothing in your way from finding them."

Cao Pi turned at the words, his eyes translucent, the deep blue brighter then he'd ever seen, "I hope you're right, Mitsunari." His lip moved at to show a semi-smile, "It's hard not hearing my Dad's voice."

Mitsunari smiled back, his thumb rubbing along a tense bicep, "You'll hear it soon enough, but right now, you need to stay alive, and get out of Orochi's clutches."

"Only if you come with me." The Lord said forcefully, his own hand reaching out, grabbing a hold of Mitsunari's neck, steel blue eyes glowing with the last remnants of tears dwindling, his body radiating shame at his weakness.

"Hn, like I have a choice." The brunette grumbled, closing his eyes to sigh in irritation, not even flinching at the tense hold, "You just love dragging me into things that don't interest me in the lea-"

Cut off completely Cao Pi sealed there lips in a kiss, forcing Mitsunari's head back, to get closer, bodies meshing together as the mist of a dark battlefield left there nostrils, and only the need to be close, and be rid of the pain was left.