November 11, 1855 in Edo, Japan

Kennosuke and Tsume dashed through the streets of Edo. The populace opened paths for the Assassins and their horses on the wider streets. At no point did Tsume need to try to avoid people to any great extent.

Tsume pressed his heels into the horse's sides with the hope to squeeze more speed out of the animal, but it could move no faster than it already was. He tried not to think of the condition the other Assassins could be in, especially Joseph. Hurt would not be satisfactory to the Templars. Those kuso Templars wanted this to be like the Egawa incident but with Assassins instead of books... They would also kill Christians. Tsume dug his foot deeper.

Only a few hour-long minutes had passed before both Assassins arrived to a great wooden wall held together by bronze dragons down the center. It stood as a contrast to the red bamboo walls which only reached half so high. Tsume recognized it immediately as the entrance to Yamanote. Only the daimyo {nobles} could afford something so tasteless.

Unfortunately, it was nothing Tsume could climb. The horse beneath him served away from the gate, so he guided it along the much shorter walls. Tsume spurred the horse before he jumped from the stirrups to the saddle. He rose to a standing position atop the horse. His arms flayed in every which direction to try to maintain his balance.

Tsume quickly tied a knot around the ring of his kunai to fashion a johyo. He tossed it to the jagged bamboo teeth which lined the upper fence. The knife held fast atop the wall and pulled the rope taut.

With a line wrapped around his fist, Tsume jumped from the still-running horse to the wall. With a twist of his feet, he was over the wall without being skewered by bamboo. With a quick roll, he landed safely near an empty town square, across which samurai appeared to be walking around a very tight crowd of frightened faces. With a quick wrapping and grasp of the handle, his johyo was now a combat knife with a rope.

Ahead, an armored samurai pulled a young man from the crowd and began shouting. Tsume could barely understand the words, but the scene was familiar enough that he didn't need to understand much else. The samurai may or may not have yelled "Kirishitan {Christian}," and that was enough to ally him with the enemies of the Assassins.

He approached the scene without concerning his surroundings. The samurai pulled something too small for Tsume to identify from this distance from the man's neck and displayed it to the crowd. This situation was about as fucked as it could be anyway. A massive naginata {great sword} gleamed in the sunlight over the man's head.

Tsume's walk escalated to a run. He would not be responsible for the loss of an innoce- the loss of another innocent life. A pair of samurai attempted to block him, but the deadliness of a kunai and hidden blade were enough that he disposed of both enemies without slowing down.

Then the world stopped with a wail so loud it pierced the heavens. An elderly woman emerged to kneel over the dead man. Whether she was hunched or not, Tsume could not tell, but her wrinkles conveyed an enormous pain. This was different from the usual depressed pain of the old, because it felt sudden.

Tsume did not have time to watch though. He needed to allow her to grieve the only way he knew: by killing the samurai. A johyo thrown to the neck did not do anything to pierce his armor, but it did pierce his focus as evidenced by the grotesque glare of the bronze mask that now threatened the Assassin's very existence.

"Baka {Idiot}!" Tsume improvised, "Have you found Yesu Kirisuto {Jesus Christ}?"

"Men, stand down," the samurai commanded to his unarmored subordinates whom Tsume had just noticed to be gathering around him, "the Asashin is mine."

Even if Tsume could not see the gradually advancing lobster-like samurai, he could have heard that metal clanking from across the square. He tucked his johyo into his obi and lowered to a combat stance. His right hand shifted to the hilt of his sword, but his left was ready to unsheathe his hidden blade.

The naginata's blade kept low to the ground with the curve pointing upward. It was a solid defensive position, much akin to a cobra reared to strike. However, it left a grave oversight to the armpit area between the pauldrons and breastplate. Tsume knew how to attack after his prey took just a. Few. More steps.

Tsume kicked the naginata aside using the armor on his shin. As planned, this opened an exposed spot below the samurai's naginata coming back. Tsume moved his face out of the way, but it still pushed its dull end into his throat. He stumbled back onto the stone pavement on this sword arm. A sear burst from his elbow to his fingertips, but his sword miraculously did not fall. From the ground, he charged into his opponent shoulder-first. While this failed to knock the samurai down, it did succeed in injuring Tsume's upper arm.

The samurai gripped Tsume's right arm and pulled him up. Tsume's feet raised from the ground and flailed wildly in random directions. Tsume jammed his hidden blade into the samurai's bicep, dropping himself to the road again.

A large naginata blade swept the area, but Tsume rolled to the right and avoided taking another hit. His sword quickly found its way to his sheath. Until his right improved, his left was still good and his hidden blade was still sharp.

Tsume charged again, grabbing the samurai's naginata, but was met with a headbutt from a helmet. He stepped back a bit to try to shed his newly blurred vision. A pair of hands siezed each of Tsume's arms. He tried to squirm free, but they held fast and tight.

"What happened to them?" Tsume slurred, "The Kirishitan. What happened to them?"

"Those kusottare who want to destroy our way of life? We killed them," the samurai answered, "You-"

Goro! Goro! Goro! A crack of thunder filled the plaza. The samurai before and behind Tsume grew heavily limp. Any possibly apathetic civilians had either grown curious or fearful or were samurai. Tsume removed himself from the dead weight and allowed his former captor to unite with the ground where he leaked blood from a fresh hole in his body.

"Kid, you all right?" a voice Tsume recognized to be Garen's asked.

"I'm fine, but you could have let him finish," Tsume answered.

"I think he said all he needed to say," Garen raised his bayonet to a group of samurai who approached from the left.

Meanwhile, a larger team of too many encroached from the right. Approximately one in four of them wore heavy armor. All of them had some kind of weapon drawn. Those in the armor carried ono {axes} or kanabo {maces} or nodachi {great swords} instead of the usual katana. It certainly felt like Fuji all over again, but with fewer allies and in public.

Garen aimed his rifle to the samurai, "Washio, I'm going to find the mark's house. Care to join me?"

"If you can get me out of this, I'm yours."

Tsume stood to Garen's back and reached for his kunai, "I think I can kill a few of the unarmored samurai, but I apparently have more trouble with armor than I expected."

"That should work. The others will have a hard time following."

Tsume nodded and took aim. He only had four kunai, so he would need to make each shot count. He also only had one johyo. He still needed to make that thing more useful. The limited range was a problem and the rope- Goro! Goro!

Tsume shuddered. He still had not adjusted to the thunderclap produced by those guns. He especially didn't like it so close to his head.

If Garen was clearing out the path, Tsume had best hurry with thinning the pursuers. He flung a kunai into one unarmored samurai. It killed. The next shot missed. The third fumbled and struck with the dull end. The fourth hit the leg, and thus did not kill. Live targets should not have been more complex than wooden boards.

Goro! Goro!

Garen pulled Tsume's shoulder, "Let's go!"

Ahead, the hostile swords appeared as bared teeth. Four had already fallen to Garen's rifle, but the rest held undaunted. Tsume charged in with his own sword bare, confident it would protect him from a steel bite.

A samurai swung a nodachi, but Tsume dove underneath and continued running. Abe had not fled this way, so Garen must have had a plan.

When Garen scaled a building, Tsume was quick to follow. The samurai still pursued from below, but the Assassins' training had taught them much about evasion. They knew that safety existed in altitude.

"What glory is mine," a voice said with murderous tone, "dispatcher of an Asashin."

An unarmored samurai who had climbed to the rooftop unsheathed his blade. Tsume heard a clicking sound behind him. It was followed by the thunder of Garen's gun and the samurai falling dead.

"Tsume, come on!" Garen called. He had already begun climbing a nearby tower. Tsume understood well enough to follow. From atop the tower, they would be able to scout the area and find the best way to Abe's residence. The plan seemed solid enough.

Tsume hoisted himself onto the roof. Garen had not waited for him. Instead, he stood over the edge, observing the crowd below.

The gates were closed and guarded to prevent anyone from escaping. Samurai marched around the civilians, occasionally pulling one out for questioning.

"So what's the plan?" Tsume asked.

"Seems as good a time as any to start a riot."

"You're kidding, right? Won't that draw attention?"

"If we're slow, yeah. We wont be slow," Garen glared past Tsume's eyes and into his soul, "will we?"

"Certainly not," Tsume pondered for a moment for something that he could use to rile a crowd, "a few geisha owe me a favor. We could maybe use them as cover."

"We would need to find them first. Too risky. Maybe... no. We need to slip in and get it started ourselves."

"How do we slip in? They can see everything."

"The people are on our side. Remember Egawa?"

"I do. You think we can pull it again?"

"Shit. I don't even think we did it right the first time," Garen slung his rifle across his torso, "just follow my lead."

He jumped down a story to a roof below. Tsume followed close behind. Garen did not move with the same grace as Joseph. When he jumped, he landed on both feet and picked up immediately, instead of including his hands. He did not move upwards very much, and preferred to keep toward the ground. His elbows kept close to his chest, which was better for shoving a path through a crowd than running in the open.

Shortly after hitting the street, the buildings opened Tsume and Garen to a clearing. No longer hidden by the walls and corners, the Assassins put up their hands as if to surrender themselves. The samurai approached, hands on their hilts.

"Edo! Listen to me!" Garen shouted, "Tokugawa wants to keep you down! We, the Asashin, want to free you!"

A samurai swung his sword, but Garen countered with his hidden blade.

"He says you are weak, but we say you are strong!"

An armored samurai came with a nodachi, but Garen's bayonet freed blood from his throat.

"Fight with me!"

The crowd was silent and still.

"IKU ZE!"

Tsume was now surrounded on all sides by many samurai with weapons varying from studded kanabo to long yari {spears} to the boring old katana. He tried to remember his training. Sensei said that a short weapon was often preferable to a long one when surrounded on all sides. Fine. He reached for his wakizashi.

An armored samurai with a kanabo moved first. The massive club was a miss, but it left an opening. Tsume moved in to stab at the chest, but was caught by a free hand. It pressed into his tendons and released his sword to the ground. It couldn't stop the hidden blade, though. With one enemy down, Tsume only had ... too many to go.

Another came with a yari. Tsume sidestepped and pushed the butt of the spear into the samurai's jaw before flipping the blade into his head. Yet another attacked with a nodachi. Tsume tried to block it, but the sheer size of the blade shattered the yari's shaft. His foot met the samurai's groin before the spearhead was shoved into his clavicle.

Tsume then drew his sword. He feinted toward one samurai in full armor. When the samurai guarded, Tsume's hidden blade rose through his armpit. Now, an escape route showed itself in the form of a nearby alley. Tsume kicked the samurai into his allies and dashed for the exit.

Hopefully, Garen would be okay. Hopefully, Tsume's flight would be unimpeded. Hopefully, the people would understand what the Assassins were doing for them.

Tsume jumped through stalls and ran through houses. From door to door, the voices of the chase became quieter and quieter. When they had fully ceased, Tsume stopped at a bench. Things were going mostly according to plan still, but plans never worked in the end according to Sensei, Asuka, and Nariko's history lessons.

He leaned forward to observe his temporary sanctuary. The smell alone gave away its identity as a food street. The people here shopped about and ate as if they were completely ignorant to the situation at hand. It was reassuring in a way, but it was unhelpful. The Assassins really did want to free the people from Tokugawa, but the Templars' plans took priority, as they always had. More appreciation from the people -perhaps in the form of over a dozen recruits or some riots when they were needed- would make defending them so much easier.

Something thunked over Tsume's shoulder. He glanced long enough to see that it was a shuriken, which could only signal the presence of shinobi. Tsume stood and assumed his iaido stance with a hand on his hilt. Ahead, he thought he saw a shinobi, but it could also have been a man's shadow.

Tsume started away anyway. Wherever shinobi were, he did not wish to be. While a team of shinobi had nothing against a single Assassin, the Templars were ready today. Today would be a bad day to operate alone.

Wherever Tsume looked for a getaway, another Shinobi seemed to appear. He tried to swallow his fear, but it had already tried his throat. He clenched the sword in his right hand and extended the blade under his left. Without his knives or wakizashi, he didn't have any other options.

Their own swords remained sheathed as well. Tsume would not be so easily able to predict an attack when he could not even see where their blades were kept. Some reached for their backs. Others reached for their kimono. Others kept their hands near their legs. It didn't tell him much, but it told him enough.

Tsume scanned about to reassess the situation. He never heard any footsteps approach his direction, but such guesses were untrustworthy. Kuso. Surely this would not be the way he died. The white death could not be marred by black.

The collective attention of the Shinobi moved to a spot behind Tsume accompanied by a gagging sound. When he turned about to inspect it, his stomach turned with him. A shinobi hung by rope from a stray beam. An Assassin recruit with a white-wrapped face (not unlike a shinobi hood) dug a kunai into the ground. A pair of knives flew from his hands and killed two more shinobi.

While his Templar foes were distracted, Tsume took his moment to strike. He began with one whose sword was probably on his back. An exposed belly was too easy of a weakness to leave untouched. The next had his hand near his leg. A blade to his throat was enough.

Unfortunately, the Kami {gods} did not see fit to allow Tsume a third free kill like his fellow recruit had received. When a shinobi swung from the waist, it was parried as Tsume was instructed. His sword cleaved cleanly into Templar ribs. Another came from the side, but a blade to his temple was more than enough to suppress that threat. Footsteps approached quickly behind. Tsume turned to react, but his arm was pulled behind. He had been warned of this technique from Sensei. He stepped to the side as his own sword was guided away from own torso. When he saw the shinobi's eyes, his hidden blade had found its target.

"That's good technique, Tsume," the recruit complimented with a female voice, "you're getting better."

"I see you took my advice and covered those scars, Rangiku," Tsume replied.

She did not honor that with a verbal reply, but a glare instead. Or at least as much of a glare as she could manage.

"Okay. I'm sorry," Tsume wiped his bloody sword into the red of his obi to sheathe it, "say, have you ever wondered why we wear white? I know it's the color of death, but it seems counter intuitive when you're covered in blood."

Again, silence.

"Okay, I'm sorry for making fun of your sca-"

Her bloodied hand covered his mouth as she pulled him to an alley. "Do you hear that?" she whispered.

Tsume shook his head negative.

"Do you know where to find Abe?" her tone kept between noiseless and comprehensible.

Tsume nodded.

"Good, because I do not. They're coming for us, so I will protect you. We need to hurry," she released Tsume's mouth, "lead the way."

The Assassins stepped back into the street, but Tsume had lost his bearings amidst all of the chaos. He started for a stack of boxes which would grant easy access to the rooftops. From there, he could see the route to the daimyo estates much more easily. Getting there would be no problem at all. He checked behind for the red and white mess of Rangiku. She had certainly followed.

The two Assassins ran as their legs would take them. Between city blocks, they would fly. The residential area was not more than a few blocks away now. Tsume was almost excited to see the palaces if for no reason other than the fact that he had never seen them.

Goro! Tsume braked. Was Garen nearby? Rangiku was no longer in pursuit. She had been replaced by a shinobi with a smoking gun. The Templar charged but was tripped and subsequently killed by Tsume's hidden blade.

Tsume checked over the edge of the gilding to confirm his fear. Rangiku lay in a growing pool of blood in an alley below. She must have been sho- Goro!

Another shinobi shot another gun. About a half dozen black-clad Templars were appearing from under the roofs or the streets below. This was a good time for a daring escape.

And escape he did. Tsume immediately dove into the street below, sure to roll and cushion his fall. He would need to remember this place to come back for Rangiku later, but now was not the time for such concerns. Tsume's own survival took precedent. He dashed toward the palaces, glancing over his shoulder to see if any Templars were following. They were.

Entering the Daimyos' residential area was a decision Tsume immediately regretted. The space between each palace was massive, not to mention the fact that each palace was larger than most of the temples in Asakusa. Hiding places must have been a premium here.

Tsume swung around a pole and scurried up a wall. He needed to shake them somehow. Down below, he looked for some kind of respite from the malicious eyes of his enemies. He continued to scale the mansion, careful not to stay in one place too long. If the Japanese Templars had, at any point, acquired western rifles, then Tsume would certainly not last very long. The same would apply if a samurai still carried his yumi {bow}, but that was less likely. Nevertheless, his path was no doubt obvious, since he almost certainly left a red trail up the white wall.

When Tsume reached the top, his eyes were met with the horror of ever pursuant enmity. Shinobi were not far behind. Tsume tried to use his gift to find the comforting white aura of a hiding spot. He tried. He did not succeed.

Soon, he spotted something. Fallen brown leaves had been swept into a pile. Hopefully, it would be deep enough to accommodate a landing from three stories up. The shinobi were still close. No time to think.

Upon impact, Tsume wasted no time in fleeing the scene. He crossed a wall, which attracted attention from local samurai. They must have been on patrol for their individual daimyo.

He weaved between walls and houses as best he could. Occasionally, he would check his trail. He would spot shinobi occasionally, but it was becoming less frequent. Still, he needed something to lose their eyes.

One thing Tsume couldn't help but to notice was how the samurai did not pursue him beyond the premises of a daimyo. That must have been their jurisdiction. He needed to find a way to use this to his advantage.

"Boy! Over here!" a gruff voice commanded.

Tsume froze in his tracks. A samurai was trying to get his attention despite his bloody white robes and Assassin hood. The samurai caught him by the shoulders, "Nanda kore {What the hell}? What is wrong?"

"Men in black. Shinobi," Tsume panted, "they're coming for me. I think I got away."

"Are you an Asashin?"

"Can I trust you if I am?"

"Date-Sama does not allow strangers without his personal permission. What is your name?"

"Shiro."

"I am Matsuo. Might those be the men in black?" Matsuo pointed to the street.

Tsume glanced behind. Kuso. The shinobi were within sight. They most certainly could see him as well.

"You're no longer a stranger," Matsuo reached for his sword, "but do me a favor and don't hide in the well."

"Hai, Matsuo-san," Tsume escaped around the wall, hoping to shed his trail long enough to guide attention away from this mansion.

Tsume leapt over the wall and into... hot water. He pulled his face from the spring to see a fat naked man wading through the pool toward his surprise guest. Over his shoulder was a naked woman covering herself with only her arms.

"What is going on here?" the man demanded.

"It's okay, I'm not a stranger," Tsume threw his hands up in surrender, "Matsuo said so himself."

The man grabbed Tsume's kimono and snarled so closely that Tsume could smell his last fishy meal, "I decide who is a stranger and who is not. Tell me why I shouldn't have you both killed."

Tsume's hidden blade pressed bloodlessly to the man's throat, "Because I am an Asashin, but I have no reason to harm you. If you want a fight, I can promise you will not receive one."

"Asashin you say?"

"Hai. Shinobi are hunting me."

The man released Tsume and looked to the woman, "Tsunahime, could you get some food for our guest? By the way, I am Date Yoshikuni. Konnichiwa. I apologize for the rudeness."

"I don't know if I have time for food," Tsume was confused by this sudden hospitality, "but I'm on a mission."

"Of course you are. Well, I suppose I can eat the food myself. Is there anything else you may need?"

"I lost my wakizashi earlier."

"Understood. Tsunahime, could you go to the armory and bring me a yoroi-toshi {armor piercer}?"

"That isn't a wakizashi."

"Armored samurai walk the streets. A wakizashi will mot be as much help to you. Who is your target?"

"I am not allowed to say."

"Abe Masahiro."

"Possibly."

"He was meeting with some Kirishitan leaders today. Now you are escaping shinobi and filling my bath with blood," he smiled, "coincidences do not exist around the Asashin. Now please step out."

"Oh yes, certainly," Tsume walked out of the spring. While the spring's water was warm, the autumn wind did not allow it to remain such. It turned Tsume's tabi cold and soggy, so he did what he always did before becoming an Assassin and removed them.

As Tsume slipped his geta back onto his otherwise bare feet, Date's wife had returned from the house, now fully clothed and carrying a straight sheath.

Her husband approached with his nudity on full display, "It is a special kind of tanto {dagger}. It can kill men through even the toughest armor."

Tsume accepted the gift and drew it. The blade tapered along a straight back into a delicate needle. It was not much shorter than Tsume's forearm.

"But it's heavier than my wakizashi," Tsume mumbled, "it cannot be very maneuverable."

"A heavy blade will cut thick armor that a light blade could not. The same could be said for statements, which is why I believe you work in the day."

"Suddenly, American swords make sense to me."

"I'm sorry, but what?"

"Nothing... I don't work for Amerika-Jin. I do have a question for you."

"Ask away."

"I don't always question charity, but why are you helping me? I almost killed you."

Date beamed with his eyes wide, "The Asashin have always defended the kakure Kirishitan {hidden Christians}. I want you to know that I still support our native Asashin even if I do not like Aakuraito {Arkwright}."

"How do you know him?"

"That is not important right now. I doubt Abe will kill himself soon. Tenpuraa {Templars} are not prone to harakiri. Check with Matsuo on your way out," Date bowed, "but please come back soon. I would like some compensation for bleeding into my bath."

"I always repay kindness," Tsume bowed in return.

"Do you need anything else?"

"Rangiku, she's one of us and she was shot not far from the residential area. Could you please make sure she is safe?"

"Was she shot with a yumi {bow} or a tanegashima {gun}?"

"Tanegashima, then she fell."

"If she fell then she is probably dead. I don't think it would be wise to send my men out when all of Yamanote is in panic like this. Tell me. What happened to the preachers?"

"I'm told they were killed."

Date's eyes grew heavy, as though a hopeful fire had gone out in him, "Well, I look forward to seeing you again," Date turned about to his wife, "I believe our bath is finished."

After he had walked around the house and approached the gateway, Tsume spoke to Matsuo, "Which way did they go?"

Matsuo pointed to the south, "They already passed. Believed they were following you."

"Good. Sayonara."

"Be safe, kid," Matsuo bowed.

Tsume bowed in return before leaving to Abe's estate. He was not looking forward to seeing Date again, but an alliance with a daimyo could prove greatly beneficial. Thinking of benefits, Tsume was cautious not to move too openly. He was roughly disguised as a samurai with pink below his obi and an Assassin hood. Running too quickly would draw attention, so he walked at a swift pace.

Soon enough, Tsume saw the place. He could not forget the red sakura leaves of the two trees Abe had grown into a natural torii {arch}. Curiously, no guards protected the entrance, but Tsume saw a samurai body impaled to the mansion wall by a spear. He coughed blood. Whoever killed him was certainly nearby.

Tsume drew his sword. He would practice with his new dagger later. For now, he needed a familiar blade. As he crossed into the grounds, he spied a bloody puddle not far from the dying samurai. It poured from an Assassin uniform with a red-soaked hood. Tsume lifted the hood, but let it down with the dismay of not seeing a head. He briefly checked the garden for some way to identify his fallen comrade, preferably a head, but still nothing could be seen but more blood and bodies.

Apart from these two and an open door, the grounds appeared to be immaculate. It even-

Swords clanged inside. Was another Assassin here? Tsume checked the doorway. Surely enough, a shinobi was fleeing his way from a bloody Assassin.

Tsume stepped aside from the door, listening to the steps coming closer. As they reached the exit, he swung his sword into the Templar's gut. Warm blood covered Tsume's hands as his sword stuck into the spine. He removed the blade with little trouble and cleaned it with his obi.

The Assassin knelt over the victim, "Where is Abe?! Where did he go?!"

No answer came from the dead man.

Tsume's comrade now faced him, his unlaughing face revealing himself as Kennosuke, "I needed him alive."

Concern curled Tsume's brow, "What good would that do?"

"For starters, Abe was not home. It was a trap."

"Yeah, we knew that, but we trapped his trap. That was the point of the mission."

"No, he knew that we would know that. We've already lost Tokiro. I can only imagine how many others we may have lost."

"So that was Tokiro?" Tsume pointed to the body.

"You and I... We're still here. We can still find Abe. We're Sensei's best."

"I pray that knowledge does not make you arrogant."

"Unlikely."

Kennosuke's eyes shifted to the dead man on the floor.

Tsume placed a hand on Kennosuke's arm, "I can find Abe."

His ally did not smile. He only nodded and lowered to his knees. With the rosary he normally kept hidden in his kimono, Kennosuke began to pray.

Tsume's eyes rolled, "Don't pray for them. They don't deserve it."

Kennosuke did not flinch from his prayer. As though asking whatever from his god would kill Abe any sooner. Fool seemed to be suddenly deaf too.

Tsume nudged him, "Kennosuke, I'm not waiting for you."

He quickly turned around and used his gift. The bodies all emitted a faint red glow, but Tsume was not looking for them. He was looking for the golden trail which would lead to his golden target. Instead, he only saw the red and otherwise black. Abe must not have been here; at least not recently.

"What do you see?" Kennosuke asked.

"Nothing useful."

"Then we need to investigate," Kennosuke began inside the house, which Tsume could now see was littered with dead samurai and shinobi, "He must have gone somewhere."

"What kind of thing would we be looking for?"

Kennosuke turned to his ally, "Letters, most likely. Find his contacts. Who does he trust the most?"

"Why are you asking me? I wouldn't know where to look. Look where you wouldn't look."

"Where would we not look? At least where does he think we wouldn't look?"

"I don't think he's much of one to hide. Call it a hunch, but only the shinobi are even a little sneaky."

"So he would do like us. Hide in plain sight."

"I think he'd sooner hide in a fortress. He can't hide from us forever, so he might as well stay where he's safe from the Asashin."

"He became Rojuu when he was not much older than us. He's smart enough to find somewhere to hide."

"Are you even listening?" Tsume waved his hand in Kennosuke's face, "He wouldn't hide. He's too important. He's probably staying with one of his Tenpuraa friends."

"Of course. Who are the other Templars in Edo?"

Tsume's thumb and forefinger cupped his chin to help him think for a moment. Perry had returned to the States. Ii Naosuke was on Kyushu. No other Templar names were striking his memory just yet- "Shimazu Nariakira is in Edo."

"You're not suggesting we-..."

"We have two targets in one spot. It's too good to miss."

"Tsume, the entirety of the Asashin in Nippon couldn't do that."

"Don't underestimate us."

Kennosuke smiled, "Of course, you have God's gift. Tsume, go now," his hand reached for his sword.

"What? Is something wrong?"

"Iku ze!"

Tsume glanced behind himself and suddenly wished he hadn't. The shinobi had found him. He immediately scrambled toward the building and scaled the first wall. It may have been the fastest he had ever climbed. Surely, Kennosuke could handle- Goro! - them...

He checked back. Kennosuke's blade carved a gash deep into a Shinobi who held a smoking tanegashima. Relief filled Tsume's lungs long enough to continue climbing. As much as he hated to admit it, Kennosuke could well have been one of the finest warriors in Japan right now... Barring Sensei and Asuka of course. As Tsume approached the top of the mansion, he turned on hi-

"Ha!" A shadow appeared from a corner with a dagger ready to kill. Tsume could not avoid it. The blade cut down his ribs. He was fortunate that his bones and reflexes were together good enough to survive such an incident. His left reached for the shiny new tanto, which rose to smash the shinobi's jaw with its blunt hilt before opening a hole across his throat with the sharp blade.

Tsume smeared the blood onto his kimono. Below him, Kennosuke beheaded another Templar, but received a slash across the back. He was completely surrounded down there, and Tsume had no more kunai to throw at his enemies so both Assassins would need to act quickly.

When he reached the top, he did not take the time to admire the view. He only used his gift to see the district. Soon enough, he did spot a gold beam announcing a manor ahead. So he would only need to follow this west one home and north three more. He shut off his gift and jumped into a pile of leaves below. Hopefully Kennosuke would be fine. Tsume checked the area before emerging covered in leaves. Kennosuke was... standing alone, dripping blood, and praying again.

"I found it!" Tsume yelled to him.

Still no response.

"Hey!" Tsume tried again, "Kennosuke, we need to go. Abe won't kill himself."

"You can't be serious."

"I'm always serious, except for when I'm not, but I'm serious now," Tsume turned on his gift. The red of the corpses made the courtyard to look like a battlefield. Not that Tsume had ever seen a real one. As things were moving in Japan, though, that would not last long. If things continued like this, the war Egawa mentioned would be inevitable. He glanced over to Kennosuke, "So make us a plan."

"I say we retreat."

"How about a better plan?"

"Tsume, we will be fortunate if we can escape Yamanote alive. We have lost two Asashin to my knowledge and both of us are injured. What makes you think we will be fortunate enough to kill Abe in the first place?"

"What will Sensei think of us when we kill Abe Masahiro and Shimazu Nariakira?"

"He'll notice that we didn't survive the mission and then replace us."

"It won't come to that. You should know me better than that. You stay here. I'll get us some horses."

"Tsume, you cannot make me ride into Shimazu's home to get ourselves killed!"

Tsume and Kennosuke rode under the arch of trees. He knew to follow the golden beam, which was not far away. He knew that the clacking of swift hooves could be a tipoff, but this was not a time for patience. Abe would likely not take long to leave Edo if they had prepared this in advance.

Ahead, two fully armored samurai guarded their stations. Armored samurai patrolled for Assassins and rebels, but never held a post. Nothing announced Abe's presence as quickly as that.

They blew a horn to alert their allies and held to their swords. As fast and close as the Assassins galloped, it would be too late. Another two samurai died from swords coming down and cutting off their arms. Hopefully, the other entryways were too heavily guarded and would have to be abandoned. That would give the Assassins some time. They needed to hurry anyway. Tsume's head was getting light, likely from blood loss.

Tsume tried to avoid samurai swords by riding over his enemies, but his horse disagreed and got its knees cut. Both Assassins tumbled from their fallen steeds and continued their advance. Enemies approached from the sides in squads. It didn't matter when the Assassins had already entered the house. The bloated Abe and squat-faced Shimazu were fleeing through the rear door, where they were replaced by a pair of easily killed samurai. Ahead, both daimyo mounted their own horses in the stable. Shimazu reared his first and took off. The Assassins were unable to do any more than watch a potential target flee the scene. However, the next target and source of their current problems, Abe Masahiro, had just begun his horse. Kennosuke's sword greeted the horse's knees, cutting them off and sending the rider to the dirt.

Abe scrambled to his feet, and dashed for the house. Tsume brushed into a samurai, who only managed to slow him down long enough to die by hidden blade. Inside, Tsume was now close. He stunned Abe with a knee to the back and killed him with a blade to the skull.

Once more, he found himself inside the colorless void. As before, Abe seemed to lay beneath him, dead but also alive. He held his hands guarded from his killer.

"Please don't hurt me," Abe whimpered.

"I've already killed you apparently, but I think you need to tell me something. That was how it happened with Egawa."

"Ah, I had not stopped to notice, but you do look familiar, but what could I have to tell you? You're an Asashin and I'm a Tenpuraa."

"What are you planning? I know you and Shimazu are planning something. You're too important."

"Me? No. I am- was the Rojuu, but we usually have a Rojuu tell Tokugawa what he needs to hear."

"So why did you target us so directly?"

"What does it matter?" Abe sighed, "I was chosen because Tokugawa only hears what I tell him. He does not need to know of our war. He only needs to know of the coming war."

"Egawa mentioned that too. What is this war? Who is fighting it?"

"If Mashuperi has his way, then no one will fight. The world is changing. Nippon is only one founda-"

Outside of the void, Tsume felt a great weight pressing him into Abe. Everything was black, but he felt he could probably see. He tried to push himself out, but the weight pushed down harder. Struggling proved of no use, either. He could not scream, lest he draw a samurai or anyone else who wanted to kill him. His best hope was for Kennosuke or a fellow Assassin. Seemed unlikely. He would stay here and hope he could fight if something went wrong. Seemed a grim fate.

Light. Light and air. Air and breath. Breath and movement. Movement?

A dirty and bloody Kennosuke reached a hand to Tsume, "How are you?"

Tsume gladly accepted, "Better, I hope. What happened?"

"God happened."

Tsume rose, and a noise caught his attention. In the distance, an already bent tower snapped like a branch. Part of the wall caved inward and puled the roof to the ground. It was then that Tsume noticed this tower to be a latecomer to the leveling of Edo. He could barely believe his eyes. The palaces of Yamanote had mostly disappeared into a pile of misshapen stone and wood peeking up from the rubble. As far as he could see, only trees and the occasional wall had not reunited with the ground where a proud city had stood not more than minutes before.

September 22, 2012 at the Abstergo facility in Rome, Italy

The animus visor cleared a path for me on its own. I sat myself up, but something felt wrong. My head felt like it was splitting.

"Steve, you there?" I gripped my scalp like tearing it off would be an improvement. With hair like mine, it would be a travesty.

"I'm here, Gabriel, but I need something else of you."

"What now?"

"I just need you to enter your password to the computer here."

"Bullshit. You mean to tell me that you can hack my room, but you can't get my password? Yeah, I call bullshit. What if I just told Vidic or Nakamura-san about this evil scheme-thing of yours? For all I know, you may be some fucking Assassin like Tsume and some of those other jerks I never learned about in history class."

I don't think I've ever told you how creepy this place was at night with no one around, but it changes everything. Even when I come here in the day, I forget how it looked then and this is all I imagine. Silence. Darkness. Red lights. It's bad enough when you can't see anything, but it's worse when you can hear just as much. Every word you say echoes in some way and you're scared shitless every time that it could come back wrong, like something you hadn't said. The last thing I wanted was something to remind me that Steve and I aren't the only ones here. As comforting as it would be to be saved, I didn't like the idea of someone else spying on me. A man can only tolerate so many stalkers at a time.

"And don't tell me he wasn't a jerk," I lowered my tone to a very harsh whisper, "You saw the shit he pulled. He almost got that Kenny fucker killed. I can't even believe they let him reproduce."

"If you want to see where this really goes, just enter your password on the computer," Steve's robotic gender-neutral voice cooed from a flashing blue screen.

"What's in it for me?" I crossed my arms.

"A promotion."

I turned the computer in my direction. There a pair of simple text fields waited for me with the words 'employee ID' and 'password.'

ID: 935145608

Password: Ma5t3r5w0rd

I pressed Enter and the screen went white.