Session 35. (6/3/02)

This episode was billed as the start of Episode 10 preceded by a short linking^* section. In fact the linking section lasted over two hours and only the last five minutes belonged to episode 10. The linking section covers the week and a half following the successes attacking convoys and the fall of Nobeoka and leading up to the push into southern Hyuga. As we join the story, the troubleshooters are trying to decide what to take with their 55 GP-worth of loot from the convoys. Emiko decides to take the studded bo, and donates 50 GP to her temple. Komako buys the book on Precision Strike for atemi-waza. Sugiyama buys the box of shuriken and Kimori agonises about buying the o-daikyu. He remains undecided. The troubleshooters then have a little study time while the main army in Nobeoka awaits reinforcements from Matsuyama, expected in a week or so. Kimori and Mariko go to Nobeoka to take music lessons, Kimori borrowing the music tutor book to help them. They find a music teacher, Morioka Renshi, who agrees to take them on for personal tuition. She also directs them to the music shop next door where they each buy a standard biwa for 20 SP. By the end of a week Kimori has gained a score of 40, and Mariko, a natural quick study, has reached 75. Back in Hinokage, Komako studies atemi-waza and reaches 97, so close to mastery, while Emiko teaches meditation to Sugiyama (who reaches 30) while herself learning bajutsu from one of the troops and improves to 54.

The next week, the start of week 14, Koreyasu asks for volunteers for a scouting mission. He has been sending scouting missions into southern Hyuga every day, but some have been attacked and now one has not returned and he wants some troops to look for it. Sugiyama and Komako volunteer and take 6 troops with them. Sugiyama's sketchy knowledge of tracking doesn't let him down and by lunchtime they find the scene of a fight, with blood and broken armour lying around. A wider search soon finds the graves of the lost scouting party. Sugiyama's tracking continues to work as he deduces that the scouts were ambushed by approximately twice the number of enemies. What he can't understand is why there should be anyone here - there is nothing here other than a minor mountain track. He decides to follow the tracks towards the coast, taking Komako but sending the 6 troops back with the information. No sooner have they left than they are attacked by 16 Hyugan troops. Sugiyama and Komako are surrounded while the others have but a single opponent each. Sugiyama and Komako trade blow for blow with their opponents, then Sugiyama leaps out of the centre of the crowd, hitting his first opponent on the way, then hits another from behind, killing him instantly. Komako fares less well, disabling his right arm (it wouldn't heal for a whole day) and having to switch to his weaker arm. However, this seems less of a handicap and he starts hitting with power and soon fells one of his foes. Sugiyama, surrounded again, repeats his leap and kills another of the opposition. Komako fells a second and Sugiyama does his leap a third time, finishing off his first opponent, the leader of the Hyugans who he now realises has been directing the Hyugan troops to target himself and Komako as if they knew who they were. He kills a fourth Hyugan and goes to help the others while Komako fights his last foe. The other Iyo troops have killed five and lost three. Sugiyama's and later Komako's help finishes off the last Hyugan and all is peaceful once more. They prepare to return to Hinokage with the information, but before they do so Sugiyama notices the tracks of a single horse that lead away from a hillside overlooking the fight scene.

Back in Hinokage, Emiko heals Sugiyama at the fifth attempt then everyone gets on with their studying. Komako finally masters atemi-waza while Kimori reaches 50 score in biwa. Then all the troubleshooters are called to a meeting with Koreyasu. He tells them that the next phase of the war is about to start. The reinforcements have arrived and this evening the main army will ride south out of Nobeoka and attack Hyuga Town, a small town a little way south of the convoy-ambush gorge, where the Hyugan army has retreated to. To enable the attack to work, it will be preceded by a sneak attack made in the dark by troops landing from ships to the south of the town. The troubleshooters and Koreyasu's troops will remain in Hinokage and follow the main army later, dealing with any problems they leave behind. The troubleshooters sit and sharpen their weapons. Koreyasu also talks with Sugiyama to try to understand how the Hyugans knew where the scouting parties were, how large they were and why they were attacked in those locations, but neither can think of a good explanation.

The night passes quietly as does the following day. But in the evening the main army returns to Nobeoka. The attack failed. When the ships arrived at the beach they were met by a hail of ship arrows from a large Hyugan force that was evidently waiting for them. How did they know? What would the army do next? The troubleshooters were not left wondering for long. Koreyasu called them for a meeting. He says, "The Hyugans seem to have a secret weapon - too many of our patrols are disappearing, almost without trace. The few survivors that return say they are attacked completely by surprise, in places the enemy shouldn't be defending. Maybe they have a very efficient network of lookouts. Whatever it is, we need to know. I have put a plan in motion, and now it is time for one of you to play your part.

"We have a few agents in the lower ranks of the Hyugan army, and they have been spreading the word that there is a spy amongst their senior officers. The spy's background is known, that they are one of the few survivors of a clan wiped out by the Hyugan regime. The spy is now in disguise hoping to exact revenge. However, the story goes, there is one other member of this clan, who knows what the spy looks like, and is willing to help the Hyugans find him. Sugiyama, there is a known Hyugan agent waiting to meet you in a nearby town. Go with him, infiltrate the Hyugan high command, uncover their secret weapon and return as quickly as possible."

Next week: Sugiyama plays agent and double-agent and ends up looking for himself!

< Previous  Next >