The Tales of the Ninja Coder

I should describe my work with Clan Tenya, when I get a chance. I have been very busy, traveling and hiding and fighting along the trails in the forests of Ōmi Province. But for now, I should tell of my recent meeting with Iyona.

When I joined Clan Nettobuku, she was the most holy of the priestesses of the Nichiren Buddhist order, until the abbess Jīya came to join the clan. I had recently heard that Clan Nettobuku's fortunes have not been good, and many of the clan's members have left. Others were turned away in a large group a few weeks ago, much as I was turned out last year — and as others were sent away, only a month after I joined the clan.

Iyona, being very good at her priestess-ly skills, quickly found a new post with one of the larger and better-known clans of Settsu Province, with headquarters in Naniwa and castles from Edo to Heian-kyō. On Monday, I went to meet her for lunch at a tasty restaurant in the capital.

Her new clan is a very large one, and she has been accustomed to small ones. She is now but one priestess among many. But aside from that, she prospers and thrives. She also told me some news of Clan Nettobuku's fortunes after my departure.

I had hoped to hear that Jimon's strange strategies, based so strongly on Living Stone techniques, had caused part of the clan's problems. To be honest, I wanted to know that I had been unquestionably right, and Jimon unquestionably wrong, about our strategy.

But of course, life is never so simple and clear-cut. Iyona, being a priestess and not a warrior, was not so involved in the details of strategy. What she did know is that Lord Tai, for all his experience in Izumi Province, knows very little of conditions in Ōmi. Commander Kobushi, for all his previous skill as an individual warrior, had no desire for command. And so the Clan's core was not centered.

They successfully took a small part of the territory they aimed for. It remains to be seen whether they will be able to hold it. Apparently Jimon has left to form his own clan — a thing which I suspect must end in disaster, for he is not a leader who can inspire others. He is too much in love with his own fighting skill, and so he concocts stunningly intricate kata, then is surprised when nobody else can master them.

Iyona did mention that Clan Nettobuku was having trouble finding warriors who could cope with Jimon and Bunmei's strange kata. And that even they, when faced with a new problem, would often find it easier to simply invent new kata than to adapt the old ones. This is probably the closest thing I will ever receive to a sign that my intuitions were right.

Two nights after my lunchtime meeting with Iyona, Akane and I had dinner with our good friend Arisa and her husband Baku. I spoke of my current clan and their current plans, and the fact that I must have the mountain passes and the path from Hikone to Kotobasatsuki clear, by Wednesday. And there was some talk of my time with Clan Nettobuku. It very quickly became clear that even speaking of my time with Nettobuku made me very tense and anxious, while my current responsibilities... they may be an important and difficult task, which is its own sort of burden. But now I am motivated to do my best, not tied in knots by frustration and worry.

I am still very busy, but I will try to, at the very least, keep sending small messages and haikus. And I have some larger tales to recount, as soon as I have some time to write them down.

Yesterday's missions went reasonably well. Under Ryōji's supervision, I cleared out the nest of Rei-Yōso bandits. I also did some tricky work iwth both kama and bo staff to ferret out an annoying member of the Ayamari-gumi in Naniwa, by the western bay.

Now I have a new mission, one which will require use of a great many weapons. I cannot speak much of it yet, but it will help the clan's efforts in the town of Kotobasatsuki.

When I arrived at Castle Tenya this morning, I found the gates shut and locked, for I was the first to arrive. I have since spoken to Osami, the head of the warriors, and been given keys to the castle.

There is more I should say of Clan Tenya, but now I must set out on the trail to Kotobasatsuki. I am a busy ninja once again.

I have now spent two days at Castle Tenya. On the first day, my fellow ninja Ryouji took me under his wing, and showed me the broad outline of the clan's strategy and tactics. He also showed me around the armory. I have been issued some weapons, but I have had much work to do in sharpening, polishing, oiling, and ensuring that they are in good balance. Indeed, that work is not yet quite finished.

However, all polishing and no creeping makes ninjas quite sad, so I have also spent a bit of time reconnoitering in Ōtsu. And there are scrolls full of battle plans to read and accustom myself with.

So far, things have been largely uneventful. I am not yet ready to undertake missions on the clan's behalf. Not yet. But soon, if I am diligent.

As of Friday, I have finished my duties with the Yaneura-gumi. Their campaign on behalf of Clan Mōfō is not quite complete, but all the sneaking, assassination, and other goals which require a Pagoda Bearer-style ninja are done. I have acquitted myself satisfactorily. Haruo, Teruyoshi, Mariko and the rest were sad to see me go, and say they will send a messenger if they have other tasks the require my skills.

But for now, I am a free ninja again. I have returned to my personal project in Kusatsu, which is nearing completion... and getting more difficult at the same time. Kusatsu's streets are narrow and crooked, almost haphazard. It's odd: in cities like Nagoya, the rooftops are difficult to master. In Kusatsu, it's just the opposite. The rooftops are just perfect for leaping, rolling, and fighting on, but doing anything at street level quickly becomes a difficult struggle.

Still, I persevere. I have heard rumours of secret ways in Kusatsu, and I must investigate to discover if they can aid me in my goals.

The Yaneura-gumi is a group that hires out warriors — and others, too actually — to armies in need. For the past 2 weeks, Teruyoshi and I, under Haruo's command, have been fighting for a group based in the capital, with the somewhat odd name of Clan Mōfō.

As a rank-and-file fighter who isn't even a formal member of the Yaneura-gumi, I haven't been privy to any of the large-scale strategic plans, so I have been unaware of our progress. But yesterday I learned that there will be an inspection by Mōfō personnel today, because the campaign is nearly done.

By the fourth hour after midday, all must be ready. Teruyoshi and I must be available, not busy fighting, and yet ready to look as though we are busy at a moment's notice. (Truly, military inspections are often quite silly.)

Even once the Mōfō's campaign is done, I suspect the Yaneura-gumi may still have more for me to do. But exactly what, I have no idea yet. In the meantime, I must be sure to have Zenchihō, the large and formidable fighter, quite thoroughly dead by the time the inspection happens.

The past 24 hours in Kusatsu have not been good. As the sun set today, however, I managed to escape the city. Since I have lately been active in the town of Seinikki, I found my way there, hoping for some rest.

I found very little rest, but I did at least stumble across a clue leading to one of the crime-lords who are causing unrest in the town. I was able to make use of a most effective new poison technique, and thus dispatched a half-dozen of the crime-lords' lieutenants.

They will now be alert to my presence, of course... but perhaps they may suspect it's another underworld organization, instead of a lone ninja. Either way, they will be hampered by the loss of those men.

In the meantime, the Yaneura-gumi wants me to come back to Heian-kyō again tomorrow, for "just one more day". Of course, that's what they said about yesterday. Before I left yesterday, Haruo mentioned that a fighter they'd hired before had apparently failed to kill a particular enemy, and they think the target trained in many of the same techniques as the ones I have already dealt with. So I have hopes that I can make short work of this one.

This morning, a messenger came from Yagyū, and found me working on my kata in Hoshiakari. She said she had heard of me from another person whose name I don't even recognize, and that her organization, the Yaneura-gumi, would like to hire me for a few contracts next week.

It took a bit of negotiating, but as of this point, matters are firm: I will report to their headquarters in the capital on Monday morning, at the ninth hour. I need bring only my ninja garb; they will supply other necessities.

As usual, the Totemo Akarui-gumi had its ninja meeting today. Daichi was a bit tired after a late-night mission last night.

There is little left to be done for Clan Kuruma-no-Danshaku, until they determine what the next stage of their strategy will be. Apparently we have been quite successful in removing all opposition to their initial goals, but they may acquire new enemies in a while.

I have a new mission, which concerns the gumi's own internal ryū. It is a style which attempts to mimic the famed Jōgesen school of sansetsukon fighting, except with a ninja-to. Our form is not as polished, of course, but it has seen some use already in our battles on behalf of Clan Sanatsui and the Phantom Dance-gumi. But we have realized something our ryū lacks, and which it needs:

The ability to be used with a poisoned blade.

I have been given the task of adding such an ability to our gumi's fighting style. We are also trying to find a good name for this style; "Totemo Akarui-ryū" doesn't quite seem to work, and besides, there is some possibility of changing the gumi's name, too.

At any rate... such a mission should keep me busy for a few days.

Working with the Totemo Akarui-gumi has its good points and its bad ones. I am very nearly a free ninja, able to set whatever hours and working conditions I please... but access to healers is very limited, and sometimes there isn't a lot to do.

But today, I have performed a most skillful feat for the Daiyokaru monks. They wanted to know if it was possible to find a way into the castle of Lord Mainen, who is notorious for his security. A previous Totemo Akarui ninja, who has since left our gumi, once tried and failed.

But now I have crept deep into Mainen's castle. (No, I'm not saying how.) While he was occupied with other matters, I took a single piece of writing-paper from his desk, wrote on it "I am Ichirō of Iga, in Lord Mainen's office"... and then stamped it with Lord Mainen's chop! I have it now in a pocket, as I work my way back out of the castle so I can report to the Daiyokaru.

It is work like this that makes me proud to be a ninja.

And I have a message from Jinsei detailing some work that I can do for a new client, the Sanatsui Clan.

Over the past few days, I have been doing some infiltration and kama work in Ōtsu. Ōtsu is, of course, one of my favorite places to work, since the rooftops are so inviting and there are so many places for a ninja to hide and creep.

However, part of a ninja's work is spycraft, and I have recently uncovered a lead which makes clear that our clients, Clan Kurudan, have a cell of enemies working in Nagoya.

My favorite place.

I will be in Nagoya today, and probably cursing my fate as well as the ancestry of everyone responsible for building that unpleasant city. But I have some hope that some of the Jōgesen techniques I've learned recently might help me.

And I have eaten a nice, early breakfast, so at least I will be well fortified against the rigors of the day.