"Okura," One of the other ninja mumbled, a small amount of anger betrayed in his voice.
The lead ninja nodded slightly, "Hai, gaijin." He drew a long cords from under his haori and attached a iron hook to one end. With a souind like a soft breeze, the hook flew the distance from the battlement and the roof overghang hnear the window. A minute later, a Matsu guard passed by, not seeing the three black figures perched over the window.
The lead ninja, Shosuro Kage by name, attached climbing claws to his hands quickly, and said, "Stay silent, I shall return." The other two nodded in reply and watched their leader quickly slip over the side of the overhang.
Hours passed. The pair moved slightly every few minutes to avoid soreness developing, but the last ninja, Bayushi Tashiro, never took a hand from his bow. Kage had been gone for nearly five hours when his hand appeared from under the roof lip and motioned for them to come to the window. Amadan and Tashiro quickly slipped over and flipped into the room. Amadan landed silently, and managed to catch Tashiro as he landed inside the window.
"I am not used to this, you understand, gaijin." Tashiro muttered. Amadan could not tell if the archer was annoyed or simply jesting at himself.
"Do not worry, Tashiro," the Dragon replied, "simply watch the door." His face mask wrinkled indicating a small smile underneath. Tashiro stalked over to the shoji panel, the light barley enough to show which side of the room actually held the door. The room was small enough, perhaps a study for a minor assitant to the Matsu daimyo.
Kage motioned for Amadan to join him at the desk, where he was looking over several papers. The gaijin looked down to the missive held by the Scorpion, and furrowed his brow in confusion. "It's code, of course?" Amadan could make no real sense of the message, which spoke of Oni, mountains, and shrimp.
The older ninja nodded. "Yes, but I am somewhat familiar with it's pattern..." he pointed to a line of text, "The reference of Oni means the Clan of the Crab, and the Mountains refer to the plains near Otosan Uchi..." his eyebrows raised and he said, "It can't be."
"What is it, sensei?" Amadan whispered.
"It discusses some sort of alliance with the Mantis Clan... no. The Mantis have asked for an alliance against the common foe of the Crane and the Unicorn."
Amadan didn't have to ask what the Lion would have to gain from such an alliance. Vengeance was usually enough motivation for the Clan of the Lion. With the assistance of Yoritomo, they would crush their longtime enemies the Crane, and repay the Unicorn for the insult of losing their position as the Emperor's enforcers.
Amadan looked at Kage. That wasn't all. Something more than the obvious had caused a small amount of fear to dance in his sensei's eyes. "Betrayal..." Amadan said quietly, hoping to draw a reaction from the Scorpion.
Kage's head snapped up and looked Amadan in the eye, "What-"
Just then, the shoji slid open, and the form of Kitsu Okura walked into the room. Just as suddenly, the shoji was shut behind him, and Bayushi Tashiro stepped next to him, slamming the hilt of his katana into the back of Okura's head. The Scorpion caught him from falling, and slowly lowered him to the ground.
"Him," Amadan said quickly, moving to the crumpled form on the floor, "He is the one we have come to find."
Kage walked over to the shugenja on the floor, keeping a suspicious eye on Amadan. "Hai. Tashiro take-"
Kage was interrupted again as suddenly the rice paper bust open and a Lion samurai flew through the shoji, sword drawn. Both the ninja sensei and his student Amadan cursed themselves for fools, being caught unprepared. Kage drew his ninja-to, but was a half second too late. Kitsu Motso's blade cut cleanly across Kage's torso, and the ninja dropped silently.
Amadan yelled in fury, and drew his blade. He swung wildly at the Lion
twice, and Motso was nearly beheaded as he stumbled back from the
lightning strtikes. "Take him to safety, I will find you," Amadan shouted
at Tashiro, meaning Kage.
Motso growled and leapt at Amadan with his bare hands. The gaijin dropped
his blades, rolled with the tackle, and slammed Motso into the ground. He
quickly flipped up off the Lion, and Motso stood wearily. "Your service
to the Empire is legendary, Kitsu Motso-san." Amadan said as Motso
attempted to tackle him again. The Dragon Grabbed his leading arm,
twisted it, and threw Motso to the ground again, holding him in the joint
lock.
"And that is why I will let you live this night," Amadan finished as he
slammed his foot into the Lion's head.
Minutes later, Kitsu Okura woke up groggily to see his lord's body
crumpled at the floor next to the window. It would not be until the next
day that either of the Lions would notice the missing letter from the
desk.
Kage's hand reached up and grabbed the Dragon's arm. "Gai...jin..." he
gasped, blood flicking from his mouth.
"Hai, my sensei. I am here," Amadan replied.
"The message... my sword... my... name..." He coughed, and his eyes
squeezed shut in a mixture of pain and concentration. "Are... yours. This
thing... must be done." Kage's eyes opened, and his face took a wild
look. "It must be done! You were my finest student." He picked his black
faceplate mask from the ground and put it in Amadan's hands, "You must
protect our shadows, gaijin."
Amadan looked at the mask before him, and knew what his sensei asked of
him. He had to choose. His adopted homeland lay in siege by the naga, his
closest friend struggled against a man who would take the Throne for his
own, and the very fabric of the Empire itself threatened unravel. Amadan
would have to choose which to save.
And he made the only choice he could.
An hour later, after Shosuro Kage's body was buried, Amadan fitted the
last of his sensei's gear onto his own outfit.
"What now, Togashi Amadan?" Tashiro asked, looking the gaijin in the
eyes.
"Now we save everyone." He said, placing the black mask over his face,
"I, Shosuro Kage, swear we will find our Emperor."