April 11, 1855 in Edo, Japan
"So I chased after Abe in the street," Garen finished his report to his father, "Maruya, Washio, and Igarashi here helped the Geisha inside."
"With your gun in the air risking our entire operation," Sensei pulled his arms behind his back, "So what were their motives?"
"Obviously to have us killed."
"Yes, but why would they choose a method so blatant?"
"No idea."
"Not only that, but you," Sensei turned his scorn to Igarashi, "You have certainly put your clan at risk."
"How?" Igarashi perked, "Now the Templars know that the Yamaguchi-gumi work with the Asashin."
Sensei's hand covered his eyes from his frustrating students, "The Yamaguchi-gumi are nothing compared to the Templars. The Assassins are barely a match for them."
Igarashi stood, "And together, we-"
"Are still not enough! How many countries have the Yamaguchi-gumi controlled? The Assassins have only ever controlled one, and we had to shut that one down ourselves. Do you know how many the Templars have?"
"Where was the one?"
"Not important. My point is that the Templars are everywhere. You can't escape them and you can't overpower them. You maybe should contact your father. Inform him that he will soon have Templars on his back."
"I don't think he would want to hear that."
"I doubt he would want a shinobi's sword in his back much more."
"Maybe not much," Tsume chimed in, "Unless his back is particularly itchy."
Igarashi's retaliation manifested in a jab to the bandaged wound on Tsume's left shoulder. Tsume scooted away while his right hand provided solace to the possibly reopened injury. "Don't do that again. I doubt that Sensei would want to clean us both from the floor."
"Are you trying to start a fight?"
"I would hardly call it a fight."
"Urusai {Shut up}!" Sensei commanded his recruits, "I am not finished. How many geisha were killed?"
"Three. Four if you include Ayame," Kennosuke answered, "We tried to save the three who were killed by shinobi, but we did not manage."
"I knew we couldn't trust that bitch," Garen burst into the conversation.
"Garen!" Sensei barked, "You will be quiet until I say otherwise."
Garen slunk back, not wanting to argue with his father. Tsume smiled inside. It was nice to see Garen on the receiving end of that silent-until-further-notice treatment after yesterday.
"Now this Abe," Sensei continued, "Did you catch what he looked like, Washio?"
"He was one of the Templars we tracked at Fuji. Hooked nose, fatty, never looked too interested in what he was doing."
"That would be Abe Masahiro. He's the current Rojū, so everything Tokugawa hears comes from him. I hope you realize how dangerous this makes him," Sensei's fingers dug into the corners of his eyes, "We need to get you all some practice on a new weapon. We begin tomorrow. Dismissed."
Tsume bowed and stepped outside. It was almost noon today and he had no set schedule for the rest of the day. His daily fitness and agility routine had been finished in the morning. Maybe Joseph would want to go grab some drinks or Hitsu was painting. Sanzo had been teaching him about art and Hitsu was already improving to the point where his people actually looked like people. Sanzo was good for something in that regard.
Tsume did have some concerns about the boy, however. Hitsu was physically frail and sick more often than not. Maybe he needed to have some strength beaten into him. Could he handle it? Should he try?
Up ahead, Tsume saw a woman in a yellow kimono approaching. She wore her hair tied and fanned out from the rest of her head like a geisha with some hanging low over her eyes. Tsume knew of only one woman who would cover her eyes: Hayashi Nariko, his teacher. She had lost her eyes at some point in her life and would cover the sockets so as not to frighten people.
"Nariko-san!" he called for her attention, "What are you doing here?"
"Tsume? Is that you?" Nariko beamed, causing her still-young wrinkles to show more than they had before.
"The one and only. How have you been? I haven't seen you in months."
"And I have never seen you once in my life. I hear that you are Washio Tsume now. What an interesting name. You've always had an unusual name. Why did you choose it?"
"Erm, does that matter?"
"A man's chosen name says much about him. Men on the complacent road do not change their names. Men on the ambitious road change theirs entirely. You chose both roads. Why?"
"I did not want an entirely new name. I wanted to keep a reminder of my life as an eta."
"Defiant to the end. Why did you choose Washio?"
"Sensei said that we are like the washi {eagle}."
"So why did you choose washio {eagle tail}?"
"It was a name that I had heard before. I didn't want my name to sound too odd."
"Equal parts arrogance and pragmatism. Yet you cling to tsume {claw} as well."
"What is your point, Nariko-san?"
"Curiosity. I want to advise you of something before it becomes too late. You were an eta, and so you shall always be an eta in your heart. You were powerless, but now you are strong and carry a powerful reputation. Do not be overcome by yourself like Toyotomi was overcome."
"So I really am famous now?"
Her smile flipped to a scowl, "Toyotomi became shogun, and his beginnings were little less humble than your own. Ishikawa Goemon was not the first nor last man to try to take his life. Tell me, Tsume, how well does your pay serve you?"
"I'm usually running short."
"Does a river hold water?"
"Of course."
"Where does it hold it? Where the river begins? Or where it ends?"
"In the middle," Tsume did not see the point of this riddle.
Her head shook, "Until you can answer this question, you will not understand your place in the world."
Tsume froze for a moment. Nariko liked these riddles, but Tsume never could provide an answer for them. How was he like a river? Was his place in the world a river?
"Have you made any progress with the gift of knowledge?" Nariko asked.
"I have, actually. I know how to use it, but it gives me headaches."
"Those will go away."
Tsume trusted her with that much. After all, she had not turned off her gift in fifteen years. She would know better than anyone else how it works.
"By the way," she added, "Your brother Hitsu..."
"What about him?"
"He is becoming a talented artist."
"Oh ... well that's nice. I knew that already, but it's nice," Tsume felt an awkwardness overcoming what should have been a pleasant conversation, "Nariko-san, it has been a pleasure speaking to you again, but I believe I should go see Hitsu now."
April 12, 1855 just outside of Edo, Japan
Earlier that day, Tsume had awoken to a note asking him to come to this unremarkable clearing in the wetter forest just outside of Edo. Apparently so had the other recruits. Mist from last night's rain returned from the ground to the veil of leaves above. Tsume appreciated a chance to get his feet wet occasionally so the feel of grass and dirt between his toes was a great relief.
He turned on his gift to see if he could find any clues as to why exactly the Assassins were brought here. The other recruits, all immersed in their pointless chatter, glowed blue. No surprise there. The mist was white. Not its usual white cloudiness which fades around the edges, but an actual glow that did not illuminate the world around- blue? A blue figure was surrounded by one of the clouds.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
Tsume's gift shut off when a knife appeared lodged in a tree trunk nearby. Elsewhere in the clearing, he spotted two other knives stuck in the same way. The recruits had been advised to come unarmed which, to them, meant that they brought only their hidden blades. The others had extended their blades except for Garen. He had drawn his pistol and taken guard over Azusa.
A rope with another knife wrapped around Garen's pistol arm. The figure dropped from the mist cloud to the earth, catching the gun and pulling it toward the knife thrower. The mist around the figure dissipated to unveil itself to be Asuka. She stood straight, holding three small blades between her fingers. "Are you all ready for your first promotions?"
"Not my first," Joseph countered.
"Well congratulations, I wasn't talking to you. Or Garen for that matter," she cleared her throat to raise her voice and the knives in both of her hands, "Your sensei has asked me to begin teaching you about kunai. These kinds of weapons are not particularly common in America, but we still use them in Nippon. It is an excellent tool for striking the enemy from afar without firing a noisy gun. Garen."
The kunai was small, not longer than her own fingers with a small hilt not longer than her palm. The pommel, however, was possibly the most interesting part because it was bent into a ring.
"The American Assassins have not used throwing knives on their own in decades, so Arkwright asked me to teach you about these," Asuka explained, "However, we do have a similar technique for a weapon called the johyo. Arkwright tells me that he has a special technique to teach you when he has the time."
April 18, 1855 in Edo, Japan
"You called, Sensei?" Tsume slid the door shut behind him.
"I did. As you know, you have reached a high enough rank to attend missions with smaller groups. Congratulate yourself. You're the first."
"Wait. Seriously? I thought that Maruya would be that guy."
"Are you questioning my judgement?"
"Of course not, Sensei."
"Good. I have a mission for you and Kent."
"What is it?" Tsume perked his brow.
Sensei's hand covered his frustrated eyes, "I will tell you when Kent gets here. He has made a habit of tardiness lately."
Tsume's respect for Sensei held him still to allow silence a chance to wash over the office. Tsume looked around at the emptiness of the room. It was an extension of Sensei's cabin, but was given a distinct Japanese feel, apart from the big blank wooden American desk sitting in the middle of the room. Tsume remembered helping Garen put it together. He was ... extremely bored if these were the thoughts in his head at the moment.
"So," Tsume broke the silence after what felt like minutes, "Nice weather today."
"Washio, now is not the time for small-talk," Sensei snipped.
Tsume nodded silently. It still felt like the time for small talk. Perhaps if-
"I'm here!" Joseph threw the door open so hard that it sounded like it had broken, "What did I miss?"
"Not a lot," Tsume answered, "Sensei has a mission for us. Nothing important."
"Alright, Mentor," Joseph sat in the chair opposite Tsume, "What is it?"
Sensei's eyes rolled, "Are you familiar with the name 'Shimazu Nariakira'?"
"He's one of the big guys in Kyushu," Joseph replied with confidence.
"Yes, and he is coming to Edo for the next year. I suspect that he will be discussing Templar business with Abe Masahiro. I want you to follow him to his Edo residence, but do not kill him. In fact, I would prefer that you not kill anyone. I want you wear your uniforms for this one."