Dammit, Jun-ichi, I'm a Ninja, Not a Yamabushi!

[ninja_coder]

 
Last night, I arrived home to find Henshukoku under attack by gaki, bedeviling my love, Akane. Though she fought valiantly to keep them from being able to harm any of the other people of Hoshiakari, she could not actually drive them off.

Luckily, I remember some of the ways of shugendō, and was able to send them flying far from our village. Still, it was a long and tiring battle, and the spiritual combat and chanting of shugendō doesn't make my blood hot like ninjutsu fighting does.

This morning, I hear yamabushis' horns blowing, far off in the wilderness. And when I investigate, I find that there is great unrest among the temples of Tenjin, and anyone who has any relations with Tenjin (that is, practically everyone in Nippon) must perform some purification and burn some incense to cleanse their shrine.

Since I am as close as Hoshiakari has to a priest, I must perform more of a yamabushi's duties, as soon as I have a chance. It's a good thing Clan Nettobuku gives me the opportunity to creep across rooftops a lot. (Speaking of which, I need to quit writing this stuff and get on the road to Fujiwara-kyō.)