[IC]Mission 1: Yoshi's Gold

Night was falling fast as you approach the designated meeting spot, an old inn just off a well-traveled road. Your chunin had given explicit instructions for each of you to approach at designated 10 minute intervals as to avoid suspicion. The genin were to all gather in a room in the guise of a festive party. When all were present, the instructions were flashed in code by lantern light on the paper window. Deciphering the message, this was your mission.

Background:
The Asakawa clan has been secretly planning a war against the Uemura clan. Young Yorichi Asakawa has been hiring mercenaries to bolster his ranks in anticipation of the first wave of attack. To that end, he has been spending large sums from the family treasury to pay for the mercenaries and their equipment. His father Yoshi has been paying for most of these expenses, and spies have concluded that the latest shipment of coins is about to be made.

Yoshi is shrewd and knows better than to send a large force to guard the shipment. Instead, it is being made by sedan carried by footman over the two-day trip between his castle and young Yorichi's stronghold. The sedan will be guarded by a few soldiers, some of whom will be disguised as the sedan carriers. As a further precaution, Yoshi has a fondness of using decoys. But, to get to Yorichi's stronghold, they will start at the closest town still under Yoshi's control, Minamiko.

While all of the sedans will be there, the sheer number of Asakawa forces will make it unwise to attack them there. Instead, the group should go to Minamiko, track the correct sedan convoy and attack it after it has separated from the others. In addition, to avoid suspicion on the Uemura clan, the theft should be pinned on the Shibata clan, the son of its hot-headed leader of which was recently slighted by Yoshi's youngest daughter.

Tasks:
1. Infilitrate Minamiko and wait for the convoys.
2. Identify which convoy is the correct target.
3. Follow the target convoy without being noticed.
4. Attack the convoy in its two-day journey and retrieve the coins.
5. Frame the Shibata clan for the theft.

Your group believes the room to be secure, at least for a good while longer. This may be an opportune time to devise a strategy for your mission among yourselves.

The forested, hilly dirt road meandering toward Minamiko flattens out as it approaches the town. Farmland lay on both sides of it. The time is late summer and the rice in the paddies looked ready to be harvested soon. This year, it will be a good harvest from the looks of it. Minamiko itself is divided into two parts by the Tetsui River and sits in the shadow of Asae Castle, an old, stone and wooden structure sitting to the east of the town. The two sides of the slow-moving river is connected by a flat wooden bridge that is more than wide enough for a horse-drawn cart to pass. From whence you came, the castle is on the far side of the river, as is much of the town itself. On this side of the river, there are houses, a few shops and an inn. The nearest tea house is on the other side of the river, on the right side of the main road.

Looking around, it is a couple of hours before sundown, and people are going about their business. Most are workers, although there are a few samurai standing about outside one of the stores talking with one another. Also, four soldiers with spears stand at the near end of the bridge. It does not appear to be the normal state of affairs, but rather the town is on alert for something.