My First Days at Noriaibasha

I have now done three days with the armies of Clan Noriaibasha. The pace of life in such a huge clan is very different from that with a small, fresh clan like Tenya or Nettobuku. Even their castle is so large that I know I will never learn the names and faces of all the people in it… and this is but one of the many castles that Clan Noriaibasha has built.

They tell me it will be some time before the armorers can issue me a wakizashi. In the meantime, I perform what missions I can with my kama — though this clan does not think in terms of missions that take a few hours or a day, so much as in terms of entire campaigns that take many months. One such campaign is still taking shape, and will involve action in Settsu Province as well as some coordination with Clan Zenbutsura. There is a meeting tomorrow to discuss strategy for this campaign, which I am ordered to attend.

Indeed, there are a great many meetings at Clan Noriaibasha. This is no surprise, but it does bear some mention, as it is a great difference from the small upstarts I’m used to. This afternoon, for example, I spent more time in one single meeting than I would have in an entire week at Clan Tenya or Clan Nettobuku.

That meeting was to plan the strategy against a group called the Narisumashi. I have already been dispatched to take down some of their minor members, using my kama. I did so this afternoon, then reported back to my captain, a man named Kento. He is generally satisfied with my performance, but says I should talk to another fighter named Akinori about the Narisumashi’s tactics, and I should check with the priestess Sachi to ensure that I am proceeding in righteousness and harmony.

We never checked in with such priestesses at Clan Tenya. We didn’t even have any such, until a few days before I left the clan. (Even then, her view of the Way seemed… cloudy and subject to change. But I have no wish to speak ill of others’ skills.)

Tomorrow, I will speak with Akinori and with Sachi. And soon, I will gain access to the armory and be issued a wakizashi, and become a more useful member of Clan Noriaibasha.

This was originally published at The Tales of the Ninja Coder. You may comment here, if you wish, but Ichirō invites you to comment at his humble blog.