A day later at sunrise, Namiko and a fully healed Hanzo reached Kaen in their stolen carriage. On arrival, two samurai escorted them to the daimyo.
"It's been a while, Hanzo-san," said Kenzo, getting up from his throne to greet them. "Welcome back."
Hanzo bowed, and Namiko did the same. "It's good to be back, Lord Kenzo…" he said with a smile.
"Who is the lovely miss next to you?"
"This is my cousin... Shizuka."
"Pleased to meet you, Lord Kenzo," said Namiko.
Kenzo smiled. "Pleased to meet you too, Shizuka-san." Hanzo-san never told us about any relatives… more so, she resembles Miyazaki-dono. He raised his hand, "Shall we have the room to ourselves?"
The two samurai guards and a servant exited the throne room. When Kenzo remained with Hanzo and Namiko, he continued. "You can speak freely now..."
Hanzo reintroduced Namiko as the Water daimyo. After explaining everything, he requested asylum.
"Well, Hanzo-san," Kenzo held his chin. "That is quite the big ask. If I agreed to this and she's found... I'd be putting the lives of my people in grave danger."
Hanzo and Namiko were silent.
"What will my region gain in return?"
"I'm willing to offer my services," said Hanzo.
Hmm. Kenzo weighed the answer. "If you can train our samurai, I'll accept your request. However..." He gestured towards Namiko. "She remains as Shizuka-san, a maidservant or the entire plan falls on its feet."
Hanzo and Namiko nodded, accepting the terms. That afternoon, Natsumi's task force arrived in Ishigami City on horseback. Her team had Ayame, Takumi, Mikoto, Kazuo and Kenji. On entry, an officer escorted them to the police department, where they met with Commissioner Keisuke.
"Let's view this as shōgi..." said Takumi after Keisuke relayed news of Yamamoto's expedition. "What's the most important piece they would want?"
"The King," Keisuke answered.
"Which means he and his family need to be moved out of the palace. If the heishi are already marching towards us, I also suggest evacuating everyone from the Soil District into the inner city walls."
Keisuke sighed. "The aristocrats won't allow that. And the Water army greatly exceeds our force."
"Here..." Natsumi made a suggestion. "You can draft every able-bodied man and woman. Especially prisoners with the incentive of lesser sentences."
As the war strategies continued, a sergeant interrupted them. The message she brought was that the Water army had breached Ishigami's border. Suddenly, another sergeant rushed in.
"What could be the problem now?" asked Keisuke.
"Ten assassins led by Daisuke..." The man tried to catch his breath. "Have infiltrated the Soil..."
A two frontal attack! Keisuke stood up. "Okay, sergeants, here's the command. All officers are to take up positions near the outer wall and prepare to defend the city. I'll join you after confirming Lord Doi's safety." The two keisatsu left and he faced the Lightning task force. "My friends, we request your assistance in fending off the Shadow assassins."
"Commissioner..." said Natsumi. "The keisatsu need your leadership. We'll deal with the Shadows."
Keisuke nodded and grabbed his pistol and rifle.
Natsumi nodded in return before facing her team. "Takumi, Mikoto and Kazuo take the lead… let's go!"
[
Meanwhile, the heishi waited several metres from the outer perimeter while keisatsu gathered behind it. A few keisatsu had already stationed themselves with flintlocks atop the wall. The afternoon sky became cloudy as thunder boomed in the distance.
"General..." Yamada walked up to Yuji, wearing a look of concern. "Our heishi are wondering when we're going to advance. They fear it might rain soon."
"War is art." Yuji eyed his lieutenant with a grin. "Tell them to be patient. Wait…" He faced the heishi and called out. "Everyone! Is it not better to have a victory where we lose as few of our men as possible or are you all just itching to go to the afterlife?"
The army was silent.
"My heishi… patience is a virtue!"
On the other side, Keisuke had tasked Kaito with helping non-fighters from the Soil into the inner wall. When he reached the outer wall, he met with the sergeants who then brought him up to speed. "So you're telling me they haven't made a move yet?"
"Yes, sir!" one sergeant said.
What are they waiting for? Keisuke held his chin. "Have all our officers gathered here?"
"All except for a few prison and Royal Guards, sir!"
"Noted, Fujiwara." Keisuke started pacing. "Even with the able-bodied we've recruited from the Soil, our numbers are still not enough." He stopped and pointed at Sergeant Fujiwara. "Can you bring every prison guard and inmate to defend their country?"
Fujiwara bowed. "Right away, sir!" He darted off.
"Alright, sergeants... is the cannon ready?"
The weapon was positioned in front of the gate.
"Yes, it is. We have enough gunpowder too."
"Great! Let me check what's going on up there."
[
Natsumi's task force reached the royal palace. About twenty keisatsu armed with pistols and rifles stood positioned on and around the building. They told her team that no one had broken in.
"Where could they be?" asked Kazuo. He had drawn Raijin while Sūijin remained sheathed. "Where's Doi? Is anyone guarding him?"
"It's Lord Ishigami to you, outsider," a keisatsu spat on the ground. "Of course, he's guarded. Why do you think we can't handle the Shadow ninjas? We have guns and what do they have? Swords and spears?"
"Don't you realise who that is?" another keisatsu muttered. "Maybe you were off that day but that's the kid who defeated the Hasegawa Syndicate and his team. I understand how you feel but Lord Doi knows him. So you better show some respect." He faced the task force. "I hear your concern, Kazuo. A few of you can go in and check for yourselves."
The Lightning group huddled together.
"I promised Tomoe I would avoid the front lines..." Takumi adjusted his sunglasses. "I can go in."
Ayame grabbed her katana. "You'll need backup."
"It's settled. Ayame and Takumi will go in while we take up vantage points out here." Natsumi climbed the palace with ease and stood on the roof.
Meanwhile, Fujiwara arrived in Iwa, and his jaw dropped. Dead guards and inmates littered the prison yard. He drew his pistol and entered the concrete structure. Once inside, he saw even more corpses. When he tiptoed below the ground floor, he noticed them. Eleven Shadow assassins standing outside the Hasegawa cell. Daisuke! Is he... crying?
"You can come out from there, Fujiwara," said Daisuke, wiping his eyes. "We could hear you walking down the steps. Do you want to know something? I just killed my brothers and I feel..."
How does he know?–
"Your name? How could I not with your loud thoughts? I actually heard you when you swung the prison gate open." Daisuke faced Fujiwara's direction. "As I was saying before, I feel... nothing."
Fujiwara's limbs shook as he tried to still his mind. He inhaled deeply while taking aim and fired. BANG!
As the smoke cleared, Daisuke emerged holding a bullet with two fingers. He signaled to one assassin and she charged towards the sergeant.
"Oh," Fujiwara saw the ninja approaching. Shit!
The assassin had her chokutō drawn as she slid past Fujiwara. She stopped behind him and blood splattered all over the walls. After the swift kill, she wiped her blade before sheathing it once more.
"That's that," said Daisuke, walking towards the exit stairs. "Our work isn't done yet... Let's go!"
As they left Iwa prison, it started raining.
[
Outside the outer wall, Yuji cleared his throat when the raindrops fell. "Onward, my heishi... CHARGE!"
As the army advanced, distant thunderstorms muffled their screams.
"Here they come!" Keisuke shouted. "Shoot!"
The keisatsu on top of the wall opened fire, and the charging army retaliated. Bullets soared through the air from both sides. Soon after the shootout started, bodies started dropping. When the heishi reached the closed wooden gate, they brought a massive tree trunk and started hitting against it.
"My heishi! Their flintlocks will be useless soon!" Yuji raised a fist. "Don't falter! Keep moving forward!"
Moments later, the rain fell in a heavy downpour. Just as Yuji predicted, everyone's firearms became useless. Members from his force threw grappling hooks at the wall and started climbing it.
"Don't let them breach these walls!" said Keisuke, turning to his officers. "Forget the flints! Use axes, swords, batons! Heck, throw stones at them!" As they did as instructed, he faced his sergeants who stood next to the cannon. "Is it ready?"
They shook their heads.
Damn it! Keisuke rushed down a flight of stone steps and nearly slipped. I have to do everything myself. After reaching the weapon, he checked the vent. This can work. "Let's build a tent around it…"
With help from local men, the sergeants scurried and set up a tarp around the cannon. Once covered, they cleaned the bore and loaded it with black powder and an iron ball. Moments later, the enormous gate broke into pieces.
Keisuke had his hand raised and when heishi swarmed in, he lowered it quickly. "Fire!"
☯
A loud boom resounded throughout the city walls. Civilians from the outer Soil District pushed their way into the inner Stone District. Chaos had erupted. Kaito, together with his friends and a few royal guards, struggled to control the stampede.
When Kazuo's group heard sounds of cannon fire, he glanced at Mikoto's hiding spot. She had felt it too. A dark presence was approaching. This must be them. He made the Prana mudra and stilled his aura.
"Oh, my dear friends... There's no need to hide." Daisuke's voice echoed with a pair of footsteps.
Kazuo gripped Raijin. Unlike those other assassins who are hiding too... he's not masking his aura!
Daisuke emerged on the scene with outstretched arms. "I was expecting a royal welcome but..." he said, taking a deep breath. "It feels great to be back."
☯
Back in the Soil District at the main entrance, the repeated cannon fire had dealt the Water army a sizeable blow. As sergeants tried reloading again, more heishi charged in with their spears and swords.
Keisuke tossed a lighter on to the open black powder sack. "Run!" he shouted, taking to his feet.
Another explosion erupted. This one reduced numbers on both sides. With the cannon now useless, surviving officers and Soil men resorted to melee weapons. The fighting continued for several minutes until the Water General crossed paths with the Earth Commissioner.
"So..." Keisuke took a fighting stance with his axe. "You must be the man who killed Yamamoto."
Yuji grinned, making an 'X' with two short spears. "And you must be the fool leading these people to their deaths. I'll enjoy sending you to the afterlife."
"Not if I send you there first...."
With that, the battle of war commanders started.
☯
Daisuke's assassins had been waiting for his instructions. He raised a finger and one of them charged. As soon as she jumped into view, she took out four guards with four shadow shurikens. Before unsheathing a katana, a sharp arrow shot through her head, and she dropped dead.
An archer, huh? Daisuke glanced around while holding the Chinmaya mudra. "There you are..." He switched to the Prana mudra and aimed in Natsumi's direction. A small, dark sphere materialised in front of his fingers. "Black Bullet!" He fired.
Kazuo emerged from his hiding spot and sliced the sphere using his chokutō. He had moved so fast he left white sparks in his path. Raijin: Rakurai.
"Thank you, little bro–I mean... Kazu." Natsumi's hands trembled as she held her crossbow tightly.
"Just kill as many of his assassins as you can," said Kazuo before vanishing in a lightning stream.
Daisuke balled his hand into a fist, and nine assassins surrounded him. "We're doing that!"
Steel clanks sounded as one assassin blocked Kazuo's strike. As a signal to back their comrade, Mikoto and Kenji advanced toward the enemy.
Daisuke's shadow expanded from the ground, enclosing him and his assassins in a perfect sphere. Each assassin grabbed him as he clasped both of his hands and took a deep breath. The Anjali mudra.
Shadow Encompassing: Black Veils!
The dark sphere reduced in size. While it dissolved rapidly, it covered Daisuke and his assassins in shadow armour. "Scatter!" he ordered.
As the assassins charged towards the palace door, pellets and arrows rained on them. Nothing. The projectiles bounced off their black armour without leaving a dent. Before the second round followed, they countered with shurikens and kunai.
Moments later, every keisatsu was on the ground. Dead. The Shadows had lost another assassin. As for the remaining Lightning ninjas, they each fought two assassins at a time while Daisuke watched.
"I guess you guys have your hands full here," said Daisuke, making the Vyana mudra. Jinsoku!
Kazuo blocked a double attack using Raijin and Sūijin. No, he's gone inside! He glanced at Mikoto.
"We have to hurry!" said Mikoto with a nod.
Kazuo nodded back and made the Chinmaya and Varuna mudras with his right and left hands. Lightning sparks formed around Raijin while Sūijin's blade froze. Niten Ichi: Raiu (Two Heavens as One: Thunderstorm)! He jumped and spun in the air. Turning into a vortex, he cut down his opponents.
While Kazuo recharged his prana, Mikoto dodged a slash aimed at her torso. Dōjin on its own seems to be useless too. What if I tried something different? She formed the Vayu mudra and a green aura manifested around her.
Kuki dendō: Daiya Fūbu!
(Air conduction: Diamond Wind Dance)!
Mikoto's aura exploded as a gale surged from her feet. She moved in elegant bursts of energy, dodging the assassins' katanas with ease. As she appeared behind one assassin, she hacked her head with Dōjin's axe blade. Before the other assassin could flee, she stabbed his chest with the longer blade.
Four Shadow assassins remained.
Once he had replenished his prana, Kazuo faced Mikoto. "I'm sure you've got this sorted... I'll head in!"
Mikoto nodded before rushing to help Kenji.
Before leaving, Kazuo used Jinsoku and stabbed one of Natsumi's opponents on the neck with a charged chokutō. Raijin: Kanden! "You can finish the last one..." He winked at Natsumi and vanished.
[
Minutes earlier, Daisuke stood a few metres from the daimyo's chamber. He had killed every guard along the way save for two ninjas. Ayame and Takumi faced him, armed with a katana and a pistol. "Well, if it isn't my old Artisan friend," he said, smiling. "You still owe me a shōgi rematch, Takumi."
"Ayame! Don't!" Takumi shouted.
"You want to die that badly, kunoichi?" Daisuke saw Ayame emerge in front of him with a raised katana. He pointed the Prana mudra at Ayame and Takumi before firing twice. Black Bullets!
Two shadow spheres pierced through her belly and left a large exit wound on her back. She dropped on the floor and blood pooled underneath her corpse.
He moved just in time... Daisuke smiled. "You know bujutsu as well? This makes things more interesting, Takumi! Come out now... come out and play!" He walked through the corridor and slid each door open. "You know you can't outrun a Senshin, right?"
He's now a projector… Takumi hid behind a shelf and took slow breaths. This just makes everything worse. I really got dealt a bad hand this time. He made the Chinmaya mudra whilst the other held his pistol. There's something I've been meaning to try out… so let's see who the quicker shot is.
"You can surrender..." Daisuke's laugh echoed. "I already encompassed this building before entering."
Once he heard Daisuke draw near, Takumi took aim. Raikō: Shigeki! (Lightning flash: Death strike)!
When the door slid open, they both fired.
Two loud gunshots echoed throughout the palace corridors and Kazuo raced towards the scene. Seconds later, he arrived and saw Daisuke standing with his left arm blown off from its shoulder.
"Too late... Your friends are already dead."