Spring and Fall

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Spring and Fall was a virtual representation of one of Fujibayashi Naoe and Yasuke's genetic memories, relived through the Animus EGO.

Description

Naoe and Yasuke met with Kuroda Kanbei to deliver news about Ukita Naoie, who had arranged the attack and kidnapping of his son Hideie.

Dialogue

Naoe and Yasuke travelled to Kanbei's residence near Himeji Castle.

• Kuroda Kanbei: You have something to discuss?

NaoeYasuke

• Naoe: I do. We need to talk about Lord Hideie.

• Yasuke: Yes, my lord. About Lord Hideie.

Naoe and Yasuke sat down at the table opposite Kanbei.

• Kanbei: The young lord?
• Yasuke: On his way back to the province of Bizen. The home of his father, Lord Ukita Naoie. The same man behind the attack at the rengakai.
• Naoe: He kidnapped his own son.
• Kanbei: The attack at the rengakai was aimed at me.
• Naoe: With Hideie caught in the middle.
• Yasuke: He has stationed a private force at Himeji Castle. A backup plan for a meeting he never planned to attend.
• Kanbei: This is a serious allegation. Though... you gain nothing from fabricating the truth.
• Naoe: You cannot meet Lord Naoie in Himeji. Call off the meeting and your guards.
• Kanbei: That would tip our hand. We will lose the opportunity to strike.
• Yasuke: Your safety is paramount, my lord.

Kanbei picked up his crutch and stood up.

• Kanbei: (grunts) No, my safety is secondary. Stopping Ukita is more important. Whatever happens that night must stay within the walls of Himeji Castle.
• Yasuke: Lord Kanbei. As long as he remains in Himeji Castle, Lord Naoie will have the upper hand.
• Kanbei: One cannot parry a blade they do not expect to strike.
• Naoe: Lord Kanbei is right, we have the element of surprise. Lord Naoie's men will not see us coming. But to leave you alone with him...
• Kanbei: No. I must find out what he thinks he stands to gain. And I must be willing to take what he fears to lose.
• Naoe: Lord Naoie has plenty to lose besides his son. If you bring Lord Hideie into this, then our deal is off.
• Kanbei: I will talk to Ukita Naoie in terms he can understand. And appreciate.

Kanbei turned to his samurai guard.

• Kuroda Kanbei: Make our preparations.

Naoe and Yasuke bid Kanbei farewell and left the house.

NaoeYasuke

• Naoe: I don't know whether Lord Kanbei is a genius or a fool. I'll lead. Wait for me at the honmaru.

As night came, Naoe set her sights on Naoie's shinobi that had infiltrated the castle ranks.

• Naoe: Lord Naoie's shinobi will be hidden in plain sight, like the miko.

Naoe made her way into the castle grounds, using the scaffoldings and the broken fences to get inside.

• Naoe: There are hidden samurai tonight who do not wear the Ukita clan pattern. Fake guards among Himeji's regulars.

Naoe first traveled to the training grounds, where she found a particular guard behaving unusually.

• Naoe: That guard. Keeps his distance. Doesn't communicate with the others. I've found my target.

Naoe lured the "guard" to a location where he could not be seen by the others and killed him.

• Naoe: There will be more.

Naoe then traveled to the northern garden to find the second infiltrator. Using her Eagle Vision, she identified the shinobi in a servant disguise.

• Naoe: A shinobi disguised as a servant. Trained to blend in. I cannot trust what I see, but rather what is concealed.

She got near the "servant" and found her wielding a weapon.

• Naoe: No servant would carry a tantō, concealed or otherwise.

After luring her to hiding spot, Naoe killed the infiltrator.

• Naoe: That one won't be a problem anymore.

With one last infiltrator remaining, Naoe traveled to the castle courtyard with a big tree, where she found the last one disguised as a cook.

• Naoe: A shinobi disguised as a cook? I hope Tokubei's information is correct. I should get a close look.

Naoe got close and with her vision, she confirm her suspicions regarding the cook and assassinated him.

• Naoe: That should be all of them. Yasuke will be at the honmaru.

Naoe made her way to the honmaru gate, where she reunited with Yasuke.

• Yasuke: I hope Lord Kanbei is right. For the young lord's sake. I will go. Meet me at the honmaru.

As night came, Yasuke set his sights on Naoie's samurai that had infiltrated the ranks of the castle guards.

• Yasuke: So many samurai in service to the Ukita clan.

Yasuke entered the castle and reached a blocked gate tha he cannot push through.

• Yasuke: Blocked. I need to find another way.

He eavesdropped on the guards talking about Lord Naoie's men.

• Castle Swordmaster: Those men from Chugoku are...
• Castle Guard: Strange? Because they are. They don't talk to us an don't listen either.
• Castle Swordmaster: Unless it is to Lord Naoie. And they're all on edge tonight, for some reason.
• Yasuke: Overzealous soldiers. Aggressive.

Half way on his route, Yasuke encountered a small group of shinobi who attacked him.

• Yasuke: They must be deal with first.

Yasuke eliminated the attackers.

• Yasule: These soldiers. Not of Himeji Castle.

Passing through the garden, he fought against a group of outlaws who had displaced the guards. He soon spot the honmaru gate in the distance.

• Yasuke: That is the honmaru gate. I am nearly there.

Yasuke fought through the group of outlaws and a rōnin, and pushed through the wooden gate, reaching a courtyard where the Ukita clan lieutenant and guards were present. Having defeated them, Yasuke entered the gate and reunited with Naoe.

• Naoe: I've taken care of Naoie's hidden shinobi. Did his samurai prove troublesome?
• Yasuke: Nothing I could not handle. Now, we have to get to Lord Kanbei before something happens to him.
• Naoe: Maybe Lord Kanbei has already talked Naoie to death. And all of his men prowling the area.
• Yasuke: (snorts)

NaoeYasuke

• Naoe: I'll clear out Naoie's men surrounding the meeting area. Can you stand watch here?
• Yasuke: I will meet you at the meeting area when you are finished.

Yasuke left to watch over the gate. Naoe then set out and first eliminated Naoie's shinobi in the residence area.

• Naoe: There will be more of them.

Naoe then eliminated the meaning near the pond and the bridge.

• Naoe: I'll keep watch here and let you do what you need to do.
• Yasuke: Good. Find me at the meeting area after I have finished.

Naoe left to watch over the gate. Yasuke then went to clear the area of the enemy shinobi.

With the area cleared, Naoe and Yasuke sneaked into the house where Kanbei was meeting Naoie. They leaned behind the door to listen to the two daimyōs talking over a game of Go.

• Kanbei: ...The matter of our borders. The ceasefire with the Mori, to the west, must be enforced.
• Naoie: And what of the rengakai?
• Kanbei: We have also uncovered information on the man who ordered the attack. Soon, we will bring him to justice.
• Naoie: What can you tell me of this man?
• Kanbei: A man of high standing from Chugoku. he came to Harima to plot my assassination. But to what end, I cannot fathom. Lord Naoie, what say you?
• Naoie: Some claim you can see the future, Lord Kanbei. That you are the brains behind Lord Hideyoshi's successes. You tell me.
• Kanbei: To prevent Lord Hideyoshi's victory on the battlefield. To claim Harima for yourself and your shadow league.

On the outside, Naoe and Yasuke heard sounds of struggles coming from the tenshu, indicating Naoie had began to seize control of the building.

• Naoie: You will die by seppuku in this room. And Hashiba Hideyoshi's stake will die with you.
• Kanbei: All this for another crumb of power. (sighs) And yet, your son. His safety was secondary to your objective. My men are tending to his wounds as we speak. He is in good hands. Our hands.
• Naoe: Bastard. He's threatening to harm Lord Hideie.
• Naoie: Your actions will be met with a bloodbath. My forces haven taken control of this castle.
• Kanbei: Your men are all dead, your conspiracy dismantled. You are trapped.

Agitated, Naoie stood up and took out his katana, threatening Kanbei.

• Naoie: And you are trapped here with me. Was it worth it, Kuroda Kanbei? Throwing away your life to goat?
• Naoe: Finally.
• Kanbei: Your son is a bright, intelligent boy. He looks up to you. Worries about you. And he is right to. Lord Hideyoshi will never forgive you. And by extension, he will never forgive your son. Do what is right.
• Naoie: I have your word? My life for his?
• Kanbei: Your life for his.

At that moment, Naoe and Yasuke entered the room to confront Naoie.

• Naoie: So. You are the ones who sold my son so he could be wielded against me.
• Naoe: Put the weapon down, Naoie.

At the same time, Naoie's own samurai guards entered to protect their lord, causing Naoe and Yasuke to draw their weapons.

• Naoie: No matter. I am not to be disturbed in the tenshu. There is one thing I have left to do.
• Samurai: Yes, my lord!

The lord took his leave.

• Yasuke: The path to the tenshu will be guarded.

NaoeYasuke

• Naoe: What do we do?
• Yasuke: I can cut a path through his remaining forces.
• Kanbei: I saw the look of a man who is ready to die. What happens next is up to you, Yasuke.
• Naoe: I have some words for you, Kanbei.
• Yasuke: I will chase down Ukita Naoie.

Yasuke left to pursue Naoie while Naoe remained to face the samurai guards.

• Yasuke: Lord Naoie will be at the top of the tenshu. That is where I need to go.

Yasuke cut through the rōnin guards and reached the tenshu entrance.

• Yasuke: Lord Naoie has retreated into the tenshu.

As he went up the upper level, he found the bodies of Kanbei's guards.

• Yasuke: Lord Naoie and his men were here. I am too late.

He soon encountered groups of Naoie's men and eliminated them.

• Yasuke: Lord Naoie is somewhere inside the tenshu.

After eliminating more enemy rōnin, Yasuke eventually reached a room in the next level with a barred door.

• Castle Guard: No one gets through. Lord Naoie demands privacy.

Yasuke rushed through the door and was able to find a path upwards.

After cutting through the final guards and shinobi, Naoe and Yasuke confronted a seated Naoie in a room.

• Naoie: Of course. Escape was never an option.
• Yasuke: Then why did you run?
• Naoie: I wanted some privacy. To finally read Hideie's words.
• Naoe: He's cornered. One of us should be enough. They killed your daimyō.
• Yasuke: They killed your father.

NaoeYasuke

• Naoe: I'll do it.
• Yasuke: I will join you when you are finished.

Yasuke left the room. Naoie unveiled a scroll left on the table by Hideie and read it.

• Naoie: Could you give me one more moment?
• Naoe: Finish.
• Naoie: "The yellow flower blooms; Seeds wake up in the black earth; Spring fears not the fall."
• Naoe: Hideie's stanza.
• Naoie: He writes from the heart. He fights for our clan, in his own way. Just as I did when I was his age. I should have read this earlier.

After finishing the letter, Naoie stood up and prepared for battle.

• Naoie: Shall we?

Naoe and the daimyō dueled.

• Naoie: One last kill for the Shinbakufu. Then I will do what I needed.

In the battle, Naoie employed the use of his shinobi to attack and overwhelm Naoe with numbers. Despite this, Naoe came up top and defeated the daimyō.

A fatally wounded Naoie fell to the ground, clutching his injury.

• Naoie: (breathes)

Naoe and Yasuke stood in front of him.

• Naoe: Tell me where the box is.
• Naoie: With the Tatsu... would prove he is worthy... of the power he desires.
• Naoe: How?
• Naoie: Don't know... never cared for it. In Settsu... I only wanted to see... downfall of Kakushiba ikki. To ensure my goals... would not be interrupted... in Harima.
• Yasuke: Killing Lord Kanbei was only part of it. But it was not about power for you, was it?
• Naoie: I had power, and yet... I was powerless. To bring my son... home.

Naoie clutched onto the scroll that his son had written.

• Naoie: Never... realized... I never lost him. The Tatsu... power will never... it cannot given him what he wants.
• Naoe: Yasuke. Let me do this.

Yasuke accepted the decision. Naoe approached the fallen lord and drew her Hidden Blade.

• Naoie: My son... My life for his. In all my lives.

With his final words, Ukita Naoie was executed by Naoe's blade. Naoe and Yasuke left the tenshu to return to Kuroda Kanbei.

• Naoe: Kanbei. I thought we agreed Lord Hideie was off-limits.

Kanbei sent his samurai guard away.

• Kanbei: I heeded your words, Naoe. Hurting the boy was never an option. Lord Naoie insisted on keeping our alliance strong. And now, it will continue with the new head of the Ukita clan. To save Hideie's life, I had to convince Lord Naoie to give up his own.
• Yasuke: And what of Lord Hideyoshi's wrath?
• Kanbei: Contained. Aside from us, no one else will know what has transpired.

At that moment, the young Hideie was brought inside the room.

• Naoe: What should I tell Hideie?
• Kanbei: What he needs to hear.
• Yasuke: Tell him the truth. He will need it to grow into the man he is meant to be.
• Hideie: Lord Kanbei. And new friends. I hope I wasn't too much trouble for you all.
• Kanbei: Nonsense, young lord. Here. Naoe accompanied your father in his last moments.
• Hideie: My father... what did he say to you?

Naoe approached the young boy and got down to speak to him.

• Naoe: Your father chose to give up his life. For yours, my lord. For you to realize your own potential.

Hearing the news of his father's death, Hideie took a moment to sorrowfully digest that fact.

• Hideie: He has done so from the day I was born. Thank you. I will honor him.

After bidding each other farewell, Hideie took his leave.

• Kanbei: Poor boy. We will look after him.
• Yasuke: It will give him peace. But not much else.
• Naoe: I hope you act in his interest. Goodbye, Lord Kanbei.

Naoe and Yasuke bid farewell to Kanbei and bowed before leaving.

Outcome

Naoe and Yasuke foiled Naoie's plan to assassinate Kanbei. After confronting Naoie in the tenshu, they defeated and killed him, ending his ambition to seize control of Harima.