Re: Takeda - A Shogun 2 AAR (Chapter XXVI uploaded - Jan 10)
XXVII: A game of shadows
1558 – Spring
“Nobushige-sama, a message from the birds for you.”
Thanking Masako for her delivery, I settled down in the war room to read the diminutive scroll. Harunobu’s correspondence had become less frequent these days – no doubt influenced by the rash of rebellions in the newly acquired Totomi province. Despite his frankly brilliant military victory at Tenryugawa – which he had been quick to publicise in his last letter – the resident populace were still fiercely loyal to the Imagawa, and only some impressive manoeuvring of the troops had kept a lid on the simmering discontent. As I carefully sliced off the layer of wax that protected the contents within, I looked forward to hearing from Harunobu as a next of kin, but also to garner news of the Sanada brothers. Old Yukitaka had somehow learnt of his sons’ involvement in the recent battles, and had been constant in his questions about our daimyo’s assessment of them.
“Nobushige-sama,
I write to you as a matter of urgency to persuade you to march on Yamato province. Despite the Imagawa’s neglect the fertile plains there still serve as the bread basket to those most foul of creatures as well as the imperial court. Seizing it now would not only weaken the Imagawa foothold in the Kansai significantly, but being the provider of rice to the emperor would undoubtedly be of some benefit to our fortunes. I have suggested as much before the council, but our lord is blinded by the trivial rivalry that exists between himself and his imagination of Nobushge-sama yourself. It is imperative that we do not let this opportunity slip, for a better one may not come to constrain the Imagawa’s ambitions. We have been fortunate in the recent battles, but the fate of our people should not rest upon luck – and even less so the clouded judgements of Harunobu-sama, all conquering as he undoubtedly is.
Should you be reluctant to act in defiance of your brother, perhaps your men could fly the colours of the Iga families? I hear they are suitably loyal to your leadership.
Yamamoto Kansuke”
Incinerating the letter over a candle flame, I turned to the sight of Masako sporting a weary expression. I typically had her store any letters from Harunobu, and my present actions evidently troubled her. I thought better of explaining to her. Masakage’s previous revelations about his brother’s intentions towards me were worrying enough, and the less she knows about the political shenanigans among the council, the better.
“Secret scouting reports – it’s safer if I burn it.” I offered, hoping she would either believe me or let the lie slip, “there is talk of another rebellion from the remaining Ikko, that’s all.”
I turned towards the door, hoping to remove myself before the girl inevitably chased for more answers. Hearing a soft a sigh behind me, my step hesitated for a moment, and before I could resume my exit I suddenly felt a pair of slender arms wrapping themselves around my midriff, followed by a fragrance I hadn’t noticed before. I opened my mouth, but no words came. Each second that passed seemed like an eternity.
“Masako…”
* * *
“Nobushige-sama! Welcome to my humble shop! What honour it is to have you here again!”
Tanaka, the owner of the sake den, greeted me with his usual enthusiasm. The rotund man was well into his fifties, yet still retained the exuberance of one much younger. The establishment was situated close to the castle and I had frequented his establishment often. Sometimes I would come in the company of Yukitaka, Masakage or the other generals, while others I would arrive alone. Such visits almost invariably ended with Masako’s criticism, and tonight would be no different. As I sat down at a table, my thoughts were interrupted by the shopkeeper serving me my sake. The political manoeuvring and rumour-mongering among the members of the council were nothing surprising, but the recent crescendo in activity was troubling nonetheless. Toramasa was one of the clan’s leading generals, and had acted as mentor to me during my early years. I knew little of why his opinion had turned against me in recent years, but it mattered for little at least in the immediate future. What had irked me was the behaviour of Harunobu himself. We shared a rivalry between us not unlike any other pair of siblings, but the lack of communication and apparent distrust of recent days was uncharacteristic even for his fickle standards. Whether he had taken to Toramasa’s words was of mild concern to me, but allowing such petty words to distract us from our mission to vanquish the Imagawa would be far more damaging…
“Yes master, we shall contact the correct persons as soon as the right arrangements are made. The target will be cut down in short order once we have made the appropriate payments.”
The words were softly spoken, but attracted my attention immediately. My thoughts were becoming increasingly muddled thanks to my steady consumption of sake, and the faint words provided a welcome diversion. Regaining my focus, I searched for the source of my distraction but to no avail. The revelry in the den had devolved into a brawl of drinking, gambling and boisterous games of various description, and it was impossible to discern anything useful above the noise. Before long I found my thoughts drifting back to Harunobu, the childhood we shared, and the rapid rise in fortune of our clan in the past years. As I did so I could not help but let out a sigh, lamenting the fact that as our domains increased so did the distance between Harunobu, Nobukado and myself.
“…the funds are ready for the most part. You have my word that the tiger will die before winter falls again...”
There it was again. This time the direction of the voices was more discernible, and I strained my ears to listen in on the conversation. The necessity of an alias for the intended victim surely meant he was an important individual, and the use of the word tiger piqued my interest. If the tiger these men spoke of were who I suspected then these men bore far more sinister motives than I had first suspected. As I surveyed the small wooden structure in the direction of the voices, I saw men revelling in their games, men drinking away the sorrows as I had begun to, and finally some servants milling about. Just as I was about to return to my drink which Tanaka had diligently refilled yet again, I caught sight of two men in a corner – neither drinking nor gambling, but sitting silently and surveying their surroundings not unlike I had done. One of them looked in my direction, and our eyes met for a moment. He looked away hurriedly, and I congratulated myself quietly on my discovery. Even as drink numbed my senses I felt my alertness return to me. Draining another cup of sake, I asked it to be refilled again. This time it was not be to drown my feelings, but to obscure my motives before my prey.
* * *
It was another half hour before the mysterious pair finally made their leave from Tanaka’s shop, splitting as they went. As I made my way across the machi after one of the men, I couldn’t help but tug on my hakama despite the warmth provided by cup after cup of sake. The first traces of spring had arrived, but the winds were still chilly at night. As I walked, I touched the hilt of my wakizashi. Bringing a blade had been out of habit, but the decision looked a fortuitous now. Putting on my best imitation of nonchalance, I stepped carefully several dozen paces behind my target, taking a twisting path through the machi streets as we went. Passing by the ninjutsu school that Hanzo had helped set up before his departure, the shady character ahead suddenly turned to face me. Much to my chagrin he promptly turned away before breaking into a sprint.
Running after my target, I was delighted to see that he chose to make his way into the street between the market and the tax registry. The end of the street was blocked by the newly constructed armoury, and as I slowed to catch my breath, I could make out the shadow of a man under the moonlight – bent over and struggling for air. Realising that there would be no escape, he squared up to me, both fists balled.
“You have nowhere to run now. Surrender yourself and perhaps there will yet be mercy,” I offered, hoping yet for a peaceful resolution to the chase, “Who is the tiger, and what do you intend?”
The black clad man remained silent, and instead decided to fling himself upon me, fists flying in a furious attack. Taking a step back, I retrieved my blade, and a spurt of blood sprayed across me as it made contact with my assailant. We traded blows for a moment before, realising his disadvantage without a blade to counter mine, he suddenly turned to run past me. Instinctively I swung my blade around, and made healthy contact with the man’s ankle. Even as he fell to the ground with a heavy thud, he sought to escape still. Before long my blade rested below his chin.
“Speak, vermin. What master do you serve and what do you seek?” I pressed my blade against his neck, hoping he would see sense and put down his resistance. It was no surprise however, when my captive defied my orders.
“Pah, Nobushige-sama, you know nothing of our schemes. You will not be able to stop us.”
“Fool! If you value your life then you’d do well to confess your evil.” I felt my anger swell up inside me, and pressed harder on the blade on his neck. A small trickle of blood flowed from where the blade had pierced skin.
“What if I don’t value my life, but instead that our will be done? I am but a slave to my master, and his wish shall be done, whether you like it or not. Whether I live is of little importance.” The man’s expression was one of crazed glee now, and as his words left his mouth he suddenly grabbed my right hand, shoving my blade into his neck. Within minutes he was dead, leaving me kneeling over him, stunned at my failure to extract any kind of information.
* * *
The walk back to the castle was a long and lonely one filled with a jumble of drink-fueled ideas. As Masako helped me out of my bloodied vestments her words of criticism were filled with sadness, yet I barely heard them. I could not help but wonder of the conspiracy I had stumbled upon. Who was the tiger, and what did these villainous characters want?
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), and I think I know what clan I'll try out first. 
Great stuff.
Originally Posted by HeirofAlexander
A little teaser I guess - what's coming isn't just ninja prancing about in the night. It's much more interesting than that 
Thanks all for reading as usual!
