Satoshi's Tale

It had been months since Satoshi had heard from his jounin, his commander. He was entrusted with observing the activities of the castle, to provide regular reports of the comings and goings of the daimyos who had ceded power to the Imperial throne in name only, but continued to muster their bafuku troops as if in preparation for or in continuation of the Restoration War. Satoshi had dutifully recorded his observations and sent off regular missives, but received no replies, no updated commands, no fresh orders. With the change of season, was it not wiser to check in with a contact, in a safehouse up the Nakasendo mountain trail?

Removing his shinobi mask and donning a plain black cloth cap, Satoshi disguises himself as an itenerant peddler on the Nakasendo mountain trail.

As he walks along, the long shadows all around, he considers his situation. His mission of monitoring the daimyos was obviously critically important as the leaders of the clan had entrusted the task to him (their best ninja). So why had his jounin gone silent? Were the messages being intercepted? He had a bad feeling.

Lost in thought, his mind snaps back to the present moment as he realizes he is mumbling his thoughts out loud. Although not speaking loudly, his voice sounds like a shout in his ears on the quiet mountain trail.

He looks around, hoping he will get to the safehouse soon and get some answers.

Satoshi knew at least six different ways to leave the capital city of Heian without getting noticed or caught. This time though, he did not have to use any of the riskier options: no one was coming after him or watching out for him, for he was not on a high-risk mission this time that needed him to slip in and out after the assignment. His fellow Koga clan shinobi might have even judged this last task to be humdrum, a sleeper mission simply to observe and record. But theirs was not to question their orders, but simply to execute them.

In fact, Satoshi was already breaking protocol by taking the initiative to check in with his jounin. He only hoped that he could provide reasonable justification for doing so: while the shogunate had been officially dismantled, with the imperial ascension, remnants of the former bakufu seemed to rally in their former stronghold of Nojo Castle, here in Heian. Satoshi also had other disturbing reports, of darker things empowering the shogun loyalists with the great Eclipse looming over them.

Perhaps there was some urgency after all to submit his report, and Satoshi easily slipped out of the main gates of Heian as a nondescript peddlar. Two days from hence was a mountain village, off the beaten track along the Sendo mountain road. There he would find a safehouse, although he could not be certain who might be currently deployed there to maintain it. But that was good enough for him to forward his messages and hopefully receive new instructions.

The gates of Heian city were still bustling, even in these dark times. Satoshi chose this time to exit as he wanted to lose himself in the departing crowd. Peasants, craftsmen, a number of merchants with bodyguards, the occasional samurai and their entourages, and no shortage of mundane travellers going about their business. The crowds thinned as he put some distance between himself and the city behind him, until the rise of the terrain finally removed the city from his rear view. The number of travellers also thinned as he proceeded up the foothills, with the mountain range still some distance away.

The tiny village ahead, not so much a village as a rest stop along the start of the mountain trail with two rows of tiny buildings that lined either side of the road, was the only stop available before the slope of the mountain began to rise and wind in earnest. Most travellers would seek refreshment before proceeding, and some might even pause for the day if they did not feel it wise to continue.

Walking through the crush of people at the gates of Heian had set his nerves on edge. He didn't think anyone was after him, but this would be the perfect place to take someone out discreetly. A scratch from a poison tipped needle during an "accidental" jostling and that would be the end. But it was also the perfect chance to exit the city discreetly.

Passing through the gate had been uneventful though as had been the walk in the countryside and into the foothills. Satoshi was unbothered by the other travelers as no one was interested in a peddler with no wares.

He needed to let the rest of the Koga know about the shogun loyalists gathering troops. He tended to believe the darker rumors as well and had felt something strange lurking about him recently.

Although feeling the urgency of getting to the safe house and finding out if his jounin awaited him there or not, he decides to stop in the tiny village. A meal and rest before continuing ahead would be nice as the trail got much harder ahead. And he would take the time to review his observations and notes. Since they were encoded, he would appear to be a nameless peddler looking over his ledgers.

No one paid any attention to a lone peddlar nor question why such a tradesman would have no wares. Returning empty-handed simply meant a successful business trip into the city. If anyone specialised in maintaining an utterly nondescript identity, it would be Satoshi. If there were enemies in the shadows, they were not to be found along highway thoroughfares, but in the quiet corners of civilised settlements. The moment he entered the inn at Idawata, his guard would naturally be up again.