Yesterday, outside the Isawa Woodlands, the scout had been attacked by one of the masked assassins, but Amadan had been prepared. The tattoo on his back that had nearly driven him mad allowed him to live without sleep, so the ninja had mistaken the gaijin to be sleeping when he was merely meditating on the side of the road. The fight was short, Amadan had only suffered one shruiken in the arm before he beheaded his assailant.
Now he wore the black garb of the ninja, despised and feared by all of rokugan. Considered to be less than even eta, Amadan had always found the ninja facsinating. As he tied the last straps of the clothes, he felt a small tingle of excitement; this was something he had always dreamed of. The scout looked where the body lay, and for the first time since the attack, suddenly realized he did not know why he was attacked. He wore the ninja's costume knowing if others came for him, they would be looking for a gaijin samurai, not one of their own. But he could not think of -why- someone would want him dead.
"Hitomi," He wondered aloud as he strapped his katana to his back, then looped his bow over his shoulder. Amadan shook his head, then climbed up into a tree. No, he thought to himself as he moved from tree to tree with almost inhuman agility, even if she was mad, Amadan knew the ninja were not creatures of the shadowlands as most thought. Hitomi would have almost no way of even contacting the shadow assassins.
Amadan put the matter out of his mind as he continued on his quest. For the past week, he had skulked, eavesdropped, listened, hidden, and bribed until he had found the monastery that the bulk of the Togashi had found refuge in. It seemed that the exiled ise zumi did not have to travel far, for if all he had heard was true, the shrine near the edge of the Isawa Woodlands had sheltered them.
With the Phoenix shattered and almost the entire clan scattered to the Four Winds, a general could possibly sneak an entire army right through the Phoenix Provinces and have a good chance that none would take notice. By the same token, an exiled order of the Dragon Clan could wander into a shrine near there, and remain almost completely anonymous.
He neared the edge of the Woodlands, and the young gaijin beheld the sight before him. A beatifully constructed shrine rested next to a waterfall in the clearing, and he could see several figures moving about the inner courtyard.
Amadan was so beheld by the beauty of the scene, he did not hear the large monk stride up to the tree under him. The holy man looked passively at the black man in the tree for a moment, then arched his back as if he were taking a deep breath. Amadan heard the sound below him, and snapped his head around to see a jet of fire spew forth from the monk's mouth toward him. The scout jumped to the next limb, and flipped onto the ground.
"I am Mitsu, ninja filth." The monk before him said menacingly. The tatoos of dragons across his chest seemed to writhe with a life of their own. "I do not know why the peaceful men of that shrine have taken your attention, but you will not harm them," With that he smiled, and smoke filtered from between his teeth into the air.
"Mitsu!" Amadan yelped as he pulled back his hood and held his hand out before him, "Wait!"
The ise zumi raised an eyebrow and said flatly, "Amadan. Why are you in that outfit?"
The scout walked towards his mentor and laughed, "It's a long story, I-" He was cut off by Mitsu's flame hitting the ground in front of him.
"Tell me why you are in that outfit." He repeated.
Amadan sighed and showed his teacher the neck of his mask. The edge was jagged, and some of the bloodstains remained, "Look," he said, pointing to the neck, "I killed a ninja who came after me. I figured if I ran around like this, they wouldn't find me as easily."
Mitsu looked Amadan over for a moment more, then laughed and grabbed his former student in a bearhug. "How have you been, foolish one?" He asked, leading the stunned gaijin towards the shrine.
Amadan shrugged, "I've been fair. The usual, scouting for Sukune-sama, killing anyone who stains the Dragon's honor, so on." He turned to Mitsu. "I think I should be more concerned about you, sensei."
Mitsu ignored the comment and kept walking. "Defending the Dragon's honor, eh?" He asked, interested, "I had figured you were exiled as well. Did Sukune convince Hitomi your," he paused and gave Amadan and the ninja garb a critical look, "... your... skills were too valuable to the Clan?"
"I don't know. I may as well been exiled, though. I've only returned to my home twice, both for less than a day."
They entered the shrine, and Mitsu hurried him out into a small, concealed courtyard. Amadan was shocked.
In the field, there were hundreds of monks, training in unison with an ise zumi Amadan knew in the lead. The source of Amadan's attention was the fact all of the students, none of whom were ever of the Dragon Clan, had prominent tattoos on their backs and arms.
"Be prepared to return home for the third, and perhaps final time, my student." Mitsu whispered, "For Lord Hoshi and we of the ise zumi have not spent the last two years cowering. Within the week, we march upon the Dragon lands to bring an end to this madness; the Naga and Hitomi's."
Mitsu locked eyes with Amadan and said, "One way or another."