ninja_coder | Entries tagged with poison

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.

Current Mood: quite busy

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I have been very diligent in my visits to the town of Seinikki, where I have been stealthily observing the underworld operatives who are causing troubles. It seems there are 31 of them, a most inauspicious number. Each one will require special techniques to defeat with my manrikigusari. So far, I am nearly ready to deal with three of them, and I have singled out two others for special study.

These five are likely to be the most difficult of all. If I can take them down, the others should be much easier.

In the meantime, I have also made my first visit, under the cover of darkness, to the town of Kusatsu, at the intersection of the Tōkaidō and the Nakasendō. Kusatsu is a tightly guarded town, where no swords or staffs may be brought. Peasants' tools, such as the kama, are no problem, and it is very easy to slip a manrikigusari past their guards.

I think it would be to my great credit if I could get a representative from Clan Saezuri installed in a place of power in Kusatsu. (Of course, the large numbers of operatives from Clan Toyotomi in Kusatsu won't make that easy... I'd rather see clan Te-no-hira grow in power in Kusatsu, but they are only recently arrived there, and will have their work cut out for them.)

There is much work to be done, and Kusatsu is in the other direction from Yagyū, where I must go often to seek for employment.

Current Mood: devious
Current Music: Victims of Science - The Device Has Been Modified (v2)

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This week, I was fighting for the Yaneura-gumi. My friend Meiun-no-Neko, who came with the Nanban traders and stayed to join the Okibi-no-Hito-gumi, knew of the Yaneura-gumi's need for a warrior, and sent messages to put us in contact with each other.

The odd thing is, the Yaneura do not use poisons. So I spent the whole week working with a non-poisoned ninja-to, and even with a jō staff (again with no poison; there are few poisons that will work on a jō's wood).

Now I am done with my assignment with the Yaneura, and getting back to a project I am doing for my own happiness. There are problems in Yumehaba and Seinikki, a pair of villages on the borders of Iga Province that I and many of my friends spend much time in. So, as I return to creeping about the back alleys of these villages, I find that I must re-apply the poison on my manrikigusari. It's an interesting feeling...

In many ways, it feels good. A poisoned weapon is much more reliable; when you strike someone with it, you don't have to wonder how much damage you did them, or how long they'll keep fighting you for.

Current Mood: thoughtful

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I have spent enough time writing scrolls describing my latest set of kata. Unlike most modern fighting styles, these forms use the bō staff, and are designed for yamabushi to more easily defend territory against spies sent by bandits to test their borders.

I am now doing some scouting of my own, observing on behalf of Clan Seiinsatsuki. They are one of the small families of the town of Kotobasatsuki, but they also have ties in Seinikki town. Personally, I would love to see them expand their operations to Yumehaba, where I have been becoming more active... and perhaps some of the other, similar villages near Azuchi. Many people go to these villages to meet and mingle. If the clan could make it easier for me to travel back and forth between Yumehaba and Kotobasatsuki, it would make my own life better.

The Seiinsatsuki cannot afford to pay me — indeed, they don't even know that I am helping them at all. But I suspect I can find the man responsible for keeping them bottled up in Seinikki, unable to expand to the other villages. If I do, I can remove him. And I suspect that people may speak of it in Yagyū, where heralds come to find warriors for their lords. If so, that will be my payment.

It's tempting to just get this done quickly, as a non-paying job. But I should do it right. With a poisoned blade.

Current Mood: crafty
Current Location: the mountain passes between Azuchi and Koga

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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.

Current Mood: working

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The Tales of the Ninja Coder

It Seems I Live In "Interesting Times"

Too Many Things to Do, In Too Many Places

After the Yaneura: Getting Back to Poison Usage

This Job is Personal

An Interesting Mission

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