The Hand of Death Ch. 17

The city's warehouse district is never still. Even at night people would be moving around. Some doing legitimate business getting shipments ready that had to leave tomorrow or moving stock from one merchant to another as well as criminals conducting business while the Yoriki was a little less attentive. This would be to our advantage. Our plan was to begin after it was dark in the middle of the hour of the Dog from 7 pm to 9 pm.

It was almost that time so I had to rouse myself and Ketsumempo from our dream. We both seemed to be taking our time as we untangled ourselves from her bed.

"I will go and check on things," she said miserably.

"I need to make sure everything else is in order." Before I left I pulled her aside and kissed her goodbye. "I will see you soon?" She nodded with a smile.

I donned my ninja uniform and slipped out of the castle to the inn where Ninba slept. I was to meet the ninja's Sensei there.

"How goes the plan, Sensei san?"

"We are ahead of schedule, my lord. The merchant and his men came back early to get ready for a dinner they were to attend. He and his yojimbo have been subdued along with the two mononofu from the day shift at his warehouse."

"Fantastic. Be sure to take everything from their rooms. Money, armor, clothes. Leave them only their undergarments and wakazashi. Drop them off as we discussed and place their items in our warehouse. Once that is done, meet up with us as soon as you can."

He nodded. "Yes, my lord."

I met up with the rest of the ninja at Ninba's warehouse. The two samurai that guarded it during the night had been subdued and were on their way to the drop off while I assisted the remaining ninja in loading up our eight carts with the merchant's product. It was hours of loading and unloading. Sensei with his cart and the last remaining cart joined us before too long. We had started a relay. When one was full it would leave for Anaido's and return. We had most of it empty by the time I had to go meet Teruo. He would only be a short distance away.

"Sensei?" He stopped loading and came to me. "We have more than we need. Stop what you are doing and take everyone back home." He nodded and bowed. I returned it while saying, "I will meet you there when I am done here."

I saw them closing up the place while I walked off to get Teruo. He was waiting for me in the shadows of another storehouse just down from the closed up Yoriki hut. He followed me without comment. By the time we got there the place was still and quiet. Sensei and his men were long gone.

I pointed. "I need that warehouse and only that warehouse, burned down to nothing." He nodded.

After a few moments of arm waving, dancing and some kind of light singing I noticed flames slowly come to life all along the base of the building. The entire building was encircled at its base. I stayed there with him controlling it until the alarm was sounded across the district. Someone had noticed the fire. A fire in a Giapanese city was a serious problem. If they got out of control, and they did, then fire would destroy everything. With all of our structures being built out of wood it was not unheard of for an entire city to be decimated by a large fire. It was only a few moments before the Bikeshi showed up and began to fight the fire.

I had Teruo stop what he was doing and moved him to a more discreet location from where he could continue. I pulled the shadows around us as he worked. The Bikeshi did a good job but they were not able to subdue the flames until the entire structure was gone. They were, of course, able to keep it from spreading. This was no small victory for them or our city.

Teruo and I slipped away as they were finishing up and making sure everything was doused in water. We parted a few blocks from there. I told him I was in his debt and he told me he was just happy to help. After that, he headed back to the castle while I went to join my associates.

Ketsumempo was directing the Sensei and his students on what to put into our two carts. Only the Bandai items would be going with us. The rest stayed here. They were just about done by the time I arrived. They inquired as to how it had gone and were very pleased no one else was hurt. Most of the ninja would get some rest while two went to keep track of our Hokkaido. I didn't want any surprises so they were tasked with tracking them until the merchant left town.

Once we finished up, Ketsumempo and I strolled through the Toshi. It was early morning by now. Thankfully, we had rested before all of this started. This helped, but all of the running around, loading and unloading, did make the two of us a little fatigued. Still, the walk was part of the story. We strolled through the peasant's part of town where I told her all of the stories that had happened to me there as a child. On the way we saw many people I knew and I introduced her to many of them. Once they knew whose daughter she was they became very respectful but very honored. We continued in this relaxed fashion until we found who I was looking for, Chi, on his morning patrol with his Doshin and the rest of his unit.

"Hello... Chi." I sneered.

He bowed and sneered back, "Hello, Hiro ssssssama."

Everyone else relaxed a little when they saw us laugh. "Doshin Arisu, how are you this morning?"

She bowed and responded, "Very well, Hiro sama. Domo arigato."

Arisu was a very gifted policewoman from what I heard and, as an aside, I think Chi had a bit of a crush on her. I introduced Ketsumempo and her lineage. They were all very flattered that I would go out of my way to make them known to her.

Chi asked, "How goes your stroll?"

Ketsumempo replied with a smile. "Very interesting. Hiro was showing me all of the places he adventured with you as a child." He looked a little concerned but she went on to ask, "And how is your morning stroll?"

Doshin Arisu replied, "Better than last night." We both looked a little confused at her. "There was a fire in the warehouse district. All of us were rushed out of our homes to help out. It lasted almost an hour."

"Is everyone alright?" I asked

"Yes, the Bikeshi kept it under control. It just took forever. Poor old man Chujitsuna lost his warehouse though."

I asked, "Fujibayashi Chujitsuna?" They all nodded. "The only money he gets is from renting that place." I looked at Ketsumempo. "He is one of the people we used to do jobs for as children. He is a very nice man."

She asked, "Is there nothing that can be done for him?"

I smiled. "Yes. There is. My lady, let us go visit my old friend Chujitsuna."

Doshin Arisu and Chi just smiled and bowed goodbye.

We returned it as we headed off towards Chujitsuna's home. We knocked on the wooden door to his small home. He answered looking very red eyed and sad.

"I bumped into Chi a few moments ago and he told me of your loss."

"Your sympathy is very flattering to me, Hiro sama."

"Actually I came to do more than flatter. I cannot see you go hungry when I can do something about it. Would this help, Chujitsuna san?" I asked as I handed him an Oban.

His eyes lit up as he said, "That would cover a new warehouse and then some, Hiro sama."

"Then perhaps two would be better." I handed him a second Oban.

He was ecstatic. After many thanks were given I went away very happy with Ketsumempo. Later that day Ninba and his men made a loud ruckus after waking up in the ditch behind an opium den. That would be where customers of the den were dumped when they had outstayed their welcome. They were very disagreeable to Doshin Arisu when she arrived with her men. Since they swore they were samurai the Yoriki had to be called in while they were being bound and detained, in their undergarments.

Yoriki Kenshin is not known to be a pleasant man at the best of times. Once he arrived on the scene and was faced by seven men claiming to be samurai without any proof to support it he of course drug them before the Machi-bugyo, Goemon Tadao. By this time there were witnesses that could attest to Ninba's identity so they were released. The Machi-bugyo was kind enough to grant them clothing and katana.

Without ceremony the night guard from Ninba's room committed seppuku. One of our Castle guards was quick enough to ascertain what he was doing and took his head off before he uttered a sound, which would have dishonored the Hokkaido samurai. After seeing this, and having learned the fate of their warehouse, the merchant took the rest to his rooms at the inn. They found nothing there so they quietly left town. I had released the Sensei and his ninja upon hearing this. By coincidence, the path back to Shiro no Shotoku was the same as Ninba's path home to Hokkaido. It is odd but no one ever saw him or his men again.

I soon learned that Taisa Sashi and his men had found the caravan. Some ronin had attacked it and taken everything. They apprehended the ronin and brought everything back with them. All goods had been given over to Riko, to include the things that the ronin had taken from others. Though this last part was not common knowledge. The ronin had been executed or killed, so the only ones that knew were Sashi and his men. Riko was very pleased at the profit he was making, as were his backers.

And all was right in the world... I can be such a yarou... Let's just say 'yarou' means jerk. I headed to the "Natsuki Saki-House." I walked in and found the owner, Nokizaru Osamu, managing the place. He recognized me as I entered. I had never done much work for him but I knew of him. He was known as a decent man.

I walked over. "Osamu san. How are you today?"

He gave a small bow with a smile. "Very well, Hiro sama. Domo arigato for asking. How may I help you?"

I had returned his bow. "I am here to steal Okane from you."

His face faded to a look of concern. "Is something wrong?"

I shook my head. "No. My man Anaido is swamped and needs the assistance of a good merchant like Okane. It pays very well." I smiled.

He smiled instantly. "That is wonderful news, Hiro sama! I was hoping something better would come along for her. I will go get her!"

And then he ran upstairs. I waited in the main room of the inn. There were many people enjoying their breakfast and the place was busy enough that no one even noticed me standing there. Soon he returned at a much calmer pace with Okane in tow.

She walked up to me with a look of disapproval on her face. "I do not need charity."

"Yes, well Anaido needs the help so you are coming."

She was quiet and angry the whole way back to "The Lotus Tea-house." Once there I found Anaido and explained what I was doing. He was very happy to help. She would get a quarter of what I made. That should get her back on her feet soon enough.

A few days later Ketsumempo and I met our six ronin at the shack we stipulated to them when they agreed to work for us. I had spent the past few days paying my uncle for his work and material. And trying very hard not to let that girl distract me at every turn. I handed the men their traveling papers, clothes and weapons.