“…And have provisions prepared. We can’t have the lord being hungry during his trip, can we?”
Hasegawa Yohei walked the halls of the Inuyama castle, his assistant following him and taking notes as he spoke. The meeting between lords that Hasegawa had worked so hard to orchestrate was now quickly approaching, and he was the kind of man who disliked leaving even the smallest detail to others. Things were going surprisingly well, and his mood was good this morning as he took his dawn stroll around the castle halls looking for things that weren’t right.
Such as the miniature bonsai tree that decorated the table now in front of him- the tree’s carefully decorated base should have been turned to face the hallway, but it was now turned to face away from the passers-by. It was a detail many might miss, but not Yohei.
“That should be enough, leave me.” He ordered his assistant, who bowed, backed away, and disappeared to leave the first minister of the Inuyama alone in this deserted corridor.
“Be quick,” Hasegawa told no one in particular as he began to fuss with the miniature tree.
From the panels which covered the ceiling, a soft male voice came.
“Lord Hasagawa, the two messengers escaped across the border into the Kurokawa lands- the Tengu was unable to stop them.”
Hasegawa nodded, “Well, it was Jiro. That man is quite resourceful.”
“He is, my lord. I apologize, I should have gone myself as well, instead of only relying on Shinpei’s bandits.”
Hasegawa shifted the tree to its proper position.
“Yes, you should have. We shall just have to hope that Jiro’s resourcefulness results in a successful mission. However if it does, there can still be some good to come from this. Have Shinpei’s men watch the roads for their return- if they bring the clan lord’s sons I want them captured and brought to me. No point in letting Jiro get the credit for their safe return, is there?”
“No, my lord.” Agreed the ninja. “There is not.”
* * *
For Jiro and Masato, the journey to the Summer Residence of Lord Kurokawa was mostly uneventful. They did their best to keep a low profile, and since it was late summer and the roads were alive with merchants and travellers it wasn’t hard for two more to blend in with the normal traffic for the first two days. The third, which took them up higher into the mountains, was when they had to become more creative and careful, as the traffic thinned, and the number of armed patrols seemed to increase.
As planned, they left their horses with a farmer, and after confirming the location of the summer residence continued their journey on foot. This brought them to the edge of the estate just before the evening of the third day, and avoiding the guards they slipped over the low wall and into the garden of the sprawling residence.
Once inside, Jiro found a storage shed, and when they were hidden within he motioned for the young man to drop the pack he’d been carrying. Masato complied, slipping it off and placing the soft bundle on the floor.
“Here you go, sensei.”
Confident no one had seen them come in, Jiro slid the door to the shed shut and began to unpack the contents. “Quick lad, put on these servants clothes.”
As they changed, Jiro continued- “Once we’re ready, we’ll split up like I told you. If anyone stops you, you just got hired yesterday. The head of the household is named [Jew-sue-kay] Juusuke- remember it in case they ask you. If you find the boys wait until they’re alone and then let them know who you are. I’ll deliver the letter once we meet again.”
“Yes, sensei. I will.” Masato answered as he finished tying the sash on his blue robe.
“Good lad. Just remember to keep your head and you’ll do fine. We had to ditch our swords outside, but you’ve still got your knife if there’s any trouble. We’ll meet back here after we’re done.”
“Good luck, sensei.”
“To you too, lad.” Jiro checked the door by opening it a crack and peering out. “It’s clear. Let’s move.”
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