- Naoe: Excuse me, are you Yamana Kihei?
- Yamana Kihei: I am the Yamana Kihei, yes. Proud purveyor of Kyoto's finest umbrellas. All of our city's most fashionable have them! Have you come to purchase one?
- Naoe: Maybe later. Ujimasa, the monk from Kiyomizudera, told me you have rogue samurai you need help with.
- Yamana Kihei: Shhh! One of them, Saburo, could be listening. I moved my cart from north of here because he kept knocking it over. I'm sure he's still there, waving his sword around like he's the greatest samurai in town.
- Naoe: This Saburo may not act like a samurai,. But an untrained blowhard with a katana is still dangerous.
- Yamana Kihei: Well, he's just one part of the Takahashi clan. Rotten fruit from a twisted tree, the lot of them! They must be yanked out by the root.
- Naoe: You want me to take out a whole family?
- Yamana Kihei: Yes. One once worthy of esteem. But when the mother died, Inoshichi drove his children even harder in their samurai training. Discipline without mercy is cruelty. His children were not allowed to grieve and the pain festered.
- Naoe: They became cruel like him.
- Yamana Kihei: Take Shiro, He could crush your skull like a berry!
- Naoe: How can I find the Takahashi?
- Yamana Kihei: I would confront the family guard. He's been loyal for decades. He's probably buying sake to drown his guilt!
Naoe left and traveled to eastern Kyoto, where she found the guard, seemingly dead, leaning against a crate.
- Naoe: The Takahashi family guard... and he stinks of sake. It looks like he drank himself to death. Guilty conscience?
She looted a note from the body.
Family Guard Note
- I have assigned two protectors to Jiro. The Takahashi children are loyal to their father even in death, except the two youngest. I worry about them.
- Naoe: This guard thought the siblings would could come from the shadows in the event of the father's death. I could use this to my advantage.
Naoe then went to northern Kyoto and eavesdropped on a group of guards north of the Imperial Palace.
- Ashigaru Swordsman 1: Takahashi Shiro smashed everything in sight because a merchant didn't have a blue fan. Can you believe it?
- Ashigaru Archer 1: A blue fan? Why would that cause him to explode?
- Ashigaru Archer 2: He wanted to gift it to his sister, Ichi-hime. He also had a tantrum down at the palace moat. What a mess!
- Ashigaru Swordsman 2: Jiro has changed his patrol. Probably ran out of people to test his sword on.
- Ashigaru Swordsman 1: Still practicing tsujigiri? Cruel like his father. I wish I did not have to guard him. Where is the new patrol path?
- Ashigaru Swordsman 2: Ahh, I wrote it down. I had the note a moment ago. I went for a relaxing bath... west part of the city. Maybe I dropped it there?
- Naoe: I need to beat them to that note. Thank you, guards.
Naoe traveled to the Furo of Kyoto in the west of the city near the Kano Painting School.
New Patrol Route Note
- Jiro's new patrol has been shared. We alternate accompanying him to the southern district so he doesn't pick a fight with the wrong person!
- Naoe: This is the new patrol route for Jiro. Time to put myself in his path to test his sword.
Naoe then traveled to the moat by the side of Nijo Palace and found a broken cart, along with a note on the ground. Inside the building, she found a note left behind on a wooden crate.
Outburst Area Note
- Father's guards have locked me up again! I asked to see my father but they laughed at me. They make me feel so angry, it feels like I am on fire!
- Naoe: If Shiro is under watch, it will be easier to find and kill him.
On the road leading to Honnō-ji, Naoe recovered a letter tossed on the road.
Caregive Letter
- Jiro, give this to your father, Takahashi Inoshichi
When your wife passed away, her courage and love was passed down to Ichi-hime and Goro. Set them free from your grip and Koyot and let them find their destiny in a new town. Do not punish them for their innocence!
- Naoe: This is a woman's hand. She cared greatly for the youngest siblings.
Having recovered all the necessary documents, Naoe began her mission to eliminate the Takahashi clan.