Assassin's Creed: Tumult of the Sengoku Period
Chapter 10 of my Assassin's Creed story, enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Assassin's Creed or the characters, excluding OCs.
Chapter 10: The First Strike
1571; after careful preparation, Hanzo and Toranaga were prepared to seek out the first Templar to be slain. During the preparation time they found out that there were at least two more Templars than they thought. Templar reach extended even further west as a Templar was confirmed to be in Aki. Another was in Kai working with Shingen. These two were still unknown however but they were not the most pressing concern.
"Hanzo-san," Toranaga stated, "I know Ujiyasu is our first target but he is going to be a rather difficult one. We have to find a way to get into the impenetrable castle of Odawara."
Hanzo shook his head, "Nothing is impenetrable. It's not getting to him in the Castle I'm worried about, you know the Hojo use the Fuma in much the same way as the Iga serve Ieyasu-sama."
"You're worried we'll run into Kotaro," Toranaga realized with dread, Hanzo nodded and added, "Then there's the matter of what makes Odawara so dangerous. It has nothing to do with it being impenetrable."
"What then?"
"The entire area between the outer and inner walls…is one big trap."
Finally Toranaga remembered, during one of the Takeda sieges of Odawara, Ujiyasu let them breach the first gate and get past the outer walls. He then activated a sophisticated defense system which barred the doors and turned the entire area between the outer and inner walls into a maze full of death traps.
"For that to happen, he has to either be expecting us, which he could be tanks to Kotaro, or we have to get caught."
Hanzo nodded, "We'll find another way in."
They arrived at their intended destination and prepared to begin their mission to assassinate Hojo Ujiyasu.
They surveyed Odawara Castle from every possible angle, looking for another way in. No opportunity presented itself.
"I guess, we're stuck going in the front door." Hanzo stated gloomily.
Toranaga however had and idea, "Not necessarily, we can get that side door opened. Watch."
With that he hurried stealthily over to the door he had pointed out. Using his free running skills he ran part of the way up the wall and seized the lamp next to the door, which he quickly extinguished before dropping back to the ground and into the shadows.
"The lights gone out again," He heard a Hojo Samurai complain, "We better go light it back up."
After a brief wait the door opened and the two Samurai stepped out. Toranaga killed both of them his Hidden Blades and dragged the bodies into the shadow. Hanzo approached him.
"A well thought out plan," He remarked, "Let's go."
Both Assassins slipped into the Castle and found themselves in the inner courtyard, they had bypassed the trapped maze. They proceeded quietly; they knew Ujiyasu would be waiting for them in the main keep. They slipped around to the side of the main keep, here, despite the Hojo's best builders efforts; the stonework was weakened by attacks and had not been repaired yet. The weakened stonework provided the Assassin's with hand and foot holds. They began to climb up the side of the building, their dark outfits making them difficult to see against the night sky. They soon reached a window they could easily slip into and soon they were inside.
Once inside they noted from the darkness that it was indeed late enough for them to slip through unnoticed, only the guards, who could easily be avoided, had a chance of finding them. Better still they were on the second floor, which meant they only had to find the stairs to the next floor to reach the top, where Ujiyasu's council chamber and bedroom were located. Moving stealthily they drew their Tantos and slipped towards the guards at the stairs. They leapt out of the shadows and grabbed the guards, slitting their throats and letting the bodies rest gently on the floor before heading upstairs. They stopped, the council chamber was in darkness, as was Ujiyasu's room, visible through the screen door.
"We better not take any chances." Hanzo stated quietly, "Be ready for anything."
Toranaga nodded and Hanzo pulled out a bomb from the pouch strapped to his side. It was designed to go off only when the fuse had burned away. Hanzo lit the fuse and threw the bomb; it tore through the screen and landed in the room before exploding. Shrapnel burst out, anyone who was in the room was dead. But as the Assassins expected, Ujiyasu wasn't in the room, but sitting in the council chamber, hidden by darkness. But now the torches were lit and he sat glaring at them.
Ujiyasu Hojo was fifty-six; he had brown hair in a topknot, streaked in grey and brown eyes.
"How rude," He remarked irritably, "Throwing a bomb into my room, you've cause quite a mess."
Toranaga glared, "That's the least of your worries," He snapped.
Ujiyasu smirked, "I think not."
They just barely heard a noise behind them before spinning around and using their Tantos to block Kotaro's Katana and Tanto.
"How nice of you to join us," Kotaro quipped darkly.
They leapt back before attempting to attack at the same time. Kotaro effortlessly blocked the attacks however and then kicked Hanzo across the room. Hanzo hit the ground and toppled one of the torches which extinguished. Toranaga desperately dodged Kotaro's attacks, he tried to counter attack but Kotaro easily dodged and blocked.
'Dammit, gotta do something,' He thought desperately.
He attempted to pull out his smoke bombs however Kotaro was too quick. He struck out and severed the smoke bomb pouch from Toranaga's belt. At the same time he struck the underside of Toranaga's right bracer, damaging it and breaking the Hidden Blade it housed. With a cruel laugh he stabbed his Tanto into Toranaga's left shoulder and then, savagely pulling it, threw his opponent to the floor. Toranaga looked up at him, gritting his teeth against the pain of his injury, which was still bleeding.
"How pitiful, did you really think…"
He was cut off as Toranaga grabbed the severed Blade from his bracer and stabbed it into Kotaro's knee. Kotaro growled at him.
"Pathetic, that's the best you can manage."
"Game over." Hanzo's voice sounded.
Kotaro looked up, surprised. Toranaga smirked. Ujiyasu barely had time to register his surprise before Hanzo stabbed him in the neck with the Hidden Blade.
"Jobutsu Suru."
Kotaro roared in anger and attempted to wrench the broken Hidden Blade from his leg, only to find Toranaga had already retrieved it and, with Hanzo had broke though the wooden window. They dived down and landed in the stables, in the horses hay bales.
They swiftly broke away, heading back to Mikawa. When they returned Toranaga's injury was immediately treated and his Hidden Blade had to be repaired. It was decided he had to take time off and recover, once his equipment was repaired and he was sufficiently recovered he would be permitted back to working for the cause. Hanzo informed Ieyasu of Ujiyasu's death and the succession which went to his son Ujimasa. Luckily Ujimasa was not a Templar and had no idea of his Father's plans, which gave the Assassin's an edge. Kotaro would be out of action for a while too. Now they had to prepare for the next major threat from the Templars. The Takeda would be arriving, with two Templars, Shingen and the second one from Kai, who had finally been identified by the scouts, along with the one in Aki. Sanada Masayuki from Kai and Ankokuji Ekei from Aki. This left the mysterious and fearsome man from Harima, still unidentified.
End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.