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Notes: Kunoichi is historical with a touch of fantasy in it. I give credit to the idea of ninja chakra use to the creator of Naruto. However, it is severely modified. The extent of the use of chakra does not include jutsu or bloodline limits. Other than that I tried to take chakra use and mold it to fit the “real world”. As the story goes on, its limitations will become more evident.
There will about five or six arcs comprised of a varying number of chapters, probably at least five but no more than twelve. I have most of arc one, all of arc two, and the beginning of arc three completed. I have to go back and finish arc one but other than that updates should be pretty regular.
All names will be written Japanese style, with family name first. So Fudo Kiyoshi written in America would be Kiyoshi Fudo. I'm pretty sure I translated all the Japanese words within a few lines of using them (unless they're completely obvious in meaning). Any questions on ones, ask.
Most of it's based on fact, including places, names, buildings, distances, etc. I did make up the two lead characters and the village in the second arc, however. The ways of life are as accurate as it gets and the ninjutsu training will be taken from personal experience, others' experience, research, a hint of common sense, and a lot of imagination.
Of course, the castle was easily reached as it sat in the center of the entire mess. It was just a matter of avoiding any dead end streets and keeping your wits about you. To a ninja such as Kiyoshi, that was the easiest part about the entire mission he had been sent on.
It had taken months of working upward through the levels of administration to finally arrive at a point where he was required to work at the castle, yet not required to work close in hand with the Daimyo. After all, he wanted to be in place to move around the castle but far enough from the ruler that if anything… unfortunate happened, fingers would be apt to point at his advisors rather than him.
It was fortunate that Oda was not known for basing his promotions on pedigree but on a man's ability. If a pedigree were required it would have added to the time to move upward, since someone who knew the family would eventually discover the stealing of a family name. Oda's advisors came from every major clan for several provinces and he surely knew the heads of many others.
No, he had been lucky, in that aspect anyway. The horses had just passed through a gate watched by twenty young guards, and the wagon he was sharing with several other newly appointed assistants was beginning the climb up the hill, the view hidden by the trees. The terrain had been flattened in some areas along the road that wound around the mountain, to allow for the building of Samurai quarters and shrines. Several memorials had also been built for the Daimyo's family and friends, evidenced by pillars and statues.
Further up they began encountering gardens, cherry trees, and koi ponds all arranged in terraces in the hillside. There were paths running up the castle and Kiyoshi took careful note of each. If a quick exit were required, they would lead him from the castle and down to the forest that pressed against each man-made oasis.
There were several women wearing the robes of miko's, priestess' that attended to the various shrines and temples around the castle. Apparently they were permitted to relax among the gardens, for who wanted the Gods angry with them for refusing their servants access?
Servants also walked among the flowers and trees, to feed fish and gather the decorative plants for use in the household. This also interested Kiyoshi, for it seemed that servants moved freely about under the lazy eye of two Samurai guards. A disguise would be useful and he examined each male servant for a general idea of what they wore.
They finally reached the secondary gate that would open into the courtyard of the five-story castle. The wagon train came to a stop, as the gate opened and guards gave a required inspection of the underside of each wagon. The Daimyo had settled into his castle and felt confident, if the guard's lack of worry was any indication.
Finally, they came to rest before the large main doors. Kiyoshi stood and stepped down to the ground, resisting the urge to jump down. The informal kimono he wore shifted in the breeze as he walked toward the building with the other assistants. Servants, who, if they happened to be the nosy sort, would open them to merely find clothing, would bring in his luggage. Hidden compartments housed the various weapons and other gear he had brought along.
On his person he carried a few shuriken and two kunai, but doubted he would need them. However, always being prepared had been drilled into his head since he was a child. His weaponry was not limited to what he carried but also included himself, and that would be the one he relied on most for this mission.
The first floor of the castle was the largest, as the castle narrowed with each story. The sliding doors and paper walls were painted in designs by the best artists, depicting myths and famous battles. The floor below was hardwood and, if Kiyoshi was hearing correctly over the soft murmurs and feet, were nightingale floors. A soft squeak was given off by each footfall, designed to betray a ninja who walked across it at night when all else would be silent.
There was more activity deeper inside the building. Servants and guards were moving about, as well as members of Oda's family. If his intelligence was correct, Oda had 5 sons, 4 daughters, and an unknown number of cousins, nieces, nephews, and concubines housed here as well. In the courtyard he had also noticed an area set up for Samurai to practice. In all likelihood there would be two more, one at the side of the castle for family and another at the back for more Samurai.
The group of men was divided and led to their rooms, all of which were on the second floor in the back of the castle. Since it was such a small group, and they were relatively highly ranking, they were each given a small room and bathroom. All together it was about 6 tatami mats big, with a small area in front of the door for shoes to be removed and left in one of three boxes resting on the floor.
The shoji walls were thicker here, to allow for more privacy and heavily decorated to keep light from shining through and revealing outlines of the occupants. Only the closest people to the Daimyo got rooms of wooden walls, providing the maximum amount of privacy. Kiyoshi had gotten lucky and received the last room in the hall, so two sides were actually paper walls over stone, one faced the hall, and the other conjoined the next rooms wooden bathroom wall. While it appeared that all his walls were paper, in reality only one was.
A window opened to the outside, placed in the stone wall, giving him a means of escape. His two trunks had been placed under this closed window and a futon was rolled up in that corner beside the luggage. The men had been given the rest of the day to settle in, unpack, and rest. A small dresser designed for kimono was filled with his clothing and several hidden kunai, taped to the top of the dressers.
A small rip into the futon allowed him to slip another kunai and a shuriken inside the material, beside where his head would rest. In the bathroom, which really just included a bowl to hold warm water and a simple toilet connected to the castles innovative sewer system, he found a new home for a tanto.
After his new improvements were made he walked to the sliding door, replacing his shoes and opening it. A guard looked up as he peered down the hallway. The guard hesitated, trying to remember his name. "Fudo-sama, may I assist you?"
"I would like to go down to the gardens if possible," Kiyoshi answered.
"Hai, Fudo-sama. Please follow me and I will escort you," the young man answered. They had anticipated the new residents wanting to explore the castle and had added several extra guards, so each man could be escorted. As they moved through the hallways he memorized the path and took note of each person he saw. In a few short minutes the guard had led him to the first terrace of gardens, stopping at the gate to give him freedom to explore at his leisure.
A group of guards were already conversing, and Kiyoshi noted the type of weapons they carried and the armor they wore. Inside the garden he noticed that there were hundreds of different flowers being grown. Many were in bloom and being harvested, probably for use in ikebana by the upper class women.
The kunoichi in Kiyoshi's village had learnt the art of flower arranging, as well as the tea ceremony, and a hundred other things the female ninja would need to know when they went undercover as courtesans. This was in addition to learning the same things as the men, and Kiyoshi respected their ability to learn and remember everything. Kunoichi were also expected to sacrifice everything for their mission, just like the men, not even excluding the use of their bodies to get close enough to leaders to assassinate them or gather information. This made them doubly respected in Kiyoshi's eye.
A brief shake of his head and his feet began moving silently along the dirt pathways. The terraces were connected by steps and on the next one a gazebo took up the flat area. It was walled and prevented Kiyoshi from seeing if there were any occupants. A door led into the room, which was only three sided. The missing wall opened to a koi pond surrounded by bamboo and other tall plants, hiding it from the view of outsiders as well.
To continue to the next terrace he had to pass through the gazebo, around the pond and down a zigzagged path to the next series of steps. As he passed through the doorway he stopped, a young girl coming into view. Her back was to him as she knelt beside the koi pond in seiza, legs folded under her as she sat back on her heels. Long black hair skimmed the tops of her heels as she moved slightly. Her kimono, a less formal furisode that was the everyday wear of women, was light purple with silver and darker purple designs of plum trees and koi fish.
The silk and highly decorated kimono made her of the upper class, quite likely a relative of Oda. "Hmm, maybe I can turn this to my advantage. If she's one of his daughters, or even a niece, I can use her for information," he thought to himself. She had not noticed him, as she fed the large white, black, and orange shansuko that were brushing the surface.
She reached out a hand and petted the fish as they rose to the surface for food. Kiyoshi had heard of such tamed fish, which would allow themselves to feel the brush of human hands without flitting away. "Lady," he said, loud enough for her to hear. She turned her eyes wide as she quickly stood, and he saw that she was older than he had originally thought, around 16 or 17.
He bowed and she returned it, muttering apologies. "It's fine. I didn't know you were here."
"Thank you…" she said, trailing off slightly.
"Now I must apologize. I am Fudo Kiyoshi." He bowed again.
"Fudo-san, I am Nagamasa Umeko," the girl said, bowing again as well.
"The niece of Oda, how fortunate," Kiyoshi thought with a mental smile. Aloud he said, "Pleased to meet you Nagamasa-dono. I have heard of fish that allow themselves to be touched, but never seen any personally," he said, waving a hand toward the pond.
"Oh yes, they are really tame. As long as you feed them to bring them to the surface, they will let you touch them. Would you like to try it?" she asked with a shy smile, her long black hair spilling over a shoulder to partially hide her face.
He nodded and moved to the side of the pond next to her. They both knelt in seiza and she tossed a few crumbs into the shallow water. The fish, as always, came up to satisfy their endless appetite and Kiyoshi reached out the touch the cool scales. He hadn't lied to the girl and really was curious to touch a living koi fish. The only fish he had touched had been speared for dinner, on missions and in the village.
"A new sensation, ne? To know that you're touching a living creature that spends its entire life in water," Umeko said, turning her head toward him as she had also leant forward to caress the colored scales.
"A memory to be cherished." He smiled and rested back on his legs, hands resting on his thighs.
She did the same, brushing hair over her shoulder. "Are you one of the new assistants that arrived today?"
"Hai. The city and castle are beautiful. I am lucky to be able to work and live here. I take it you are related to Oda-sama?" he asked slyly, already knowing the answer.
"I am his niece. I live in the castle. However, I'm to be married next spring," she looked down at the pond as she spoke, her face taking on sadness.
"You are opposed to this?"
She opened her mouth to speak then stopped, closing her eyes a moment before looking at him. "I am the daughter of Samurai. I will perform my duty for my family, as the other women before me have. When the time comes, I will be wed no matter my feelings on the matter."
"Hai, but do you want to be married?" he asked curiously, pushing the girl a bit.
A soft sigh gave away volumes about how the girl felt. "How do I feel about it… I would rather marry someone I love. I dream of-" her words were cut short by a guard entering the gazebo's doorway.
He bowed deeply then spoke, "Nagamasa-sama… Fudo-sama, dinner is about to begin. Oda-sama has requested the presence of the new assistants and his family tonight. You will be seated at the main table, Fudo-sama. You may want to change and freshen up," the guard bowed again then moved out of the gazebo to wait.
The pair stood and bowed to each other. "It was nice talking with you, Nagamasa-sama. I hope we can meet here again."
"As do I, Fudo-sama." With that she turned and exited the gazebo, leaving Kiyoshi to think a moment before leaving as well. The same guard as before escorted him back to his room where he changed into a more formal black kimono, hiding the shuriken and kunai on his person again.
The dinner hall was large to accommodate Oda's family and guests. Samurai were stationed at the three entrances to the room, one at each side of the table and one opposite the end Oda sat on. The new assistants were placed near the doorway and Kiyoshi could catch glimpses of Umeko among her family near Oda.
The dinner was a formal affair, with zen trays placed before each guest, three legs raising it above the table. There were the usual bowls of rice and miso soup but in the center of the table hundreds of side dishes were placed for guests to choose from. The trays were miniature works of art, with each bowl a specific color, size, and shape in order to make them pleasing to the eye. Decorations adorned them as well as the hashi, laid along one side. The chopsticks Kiyoshi received were black with red dragon designs on them and he used these to place a few side dishes in empty bowls on his tray.
From the line up he chose onigiri, or rice balls, and asari samamushi, steamed clam, as well as indicating plum wine be poured into the sake cup. He carried on polite conversation with the people in his immediate surroundings between bites, keeping an eye on the other end of the table.
As the guests finished their large trays were removed, and smaller ones with a cup of green tea and a dessert took their place. Oda stood when each person had received a tray and began to speak, raising his teacup slightly. "I welcome to Gifu castle the new assistants to my advisors, whom I hope will serve me as dutifully as their predecessors. In honor of your arrival, I dedicate this tea to you." Oda raised the cup to his lips and took a drink while the rest of the table mirrored him. He nodded his head then sat, after which the dinner began dying down and slowly people began to leave.
Oda was one of the first of his family to leave but with his departure the flood gates opened and everyone began making excuses to escape to the comfort of their own rooms. Kiyoshi waited until Umeko made her exit before standing and leaving through the same door as she.
"Nagamasa-sama," he called, bowing as she turned.
"Oh, Fudo-sama!" she said in surprise, lowering her torso in return. "Did you enjoy the dinner?"
"I did. The food was excellent. And yourself?"
The pair began walking together down the hallway at a slow pace, a guard trailing along behind to give them privacy. "Extravagant as always," she turned her head toward him slightly, her eyes watching his feet a moment, "Ojii-san will be leaving soon. Another battle that requires his attention. Then I believe he intends to stay at another castle for a short time. That was likely the reason for the lavish dinner tonight."
Kiyoshi made a sound of understanding as he pondered this new information. He remembered that the next hallway was the one he would have to turn into and smiled slightly. "Nagamasa-sama, it seems this is our parting. Perhaps we can meet tomorrow in the garden again?"
She hesitated a moment then narrowed her eyes. "I would like that. I will be there after lunch. Goodnight, Fudo-sama." She bowed and began moving on down the hallway.
"Goodnight Nagamasa-sama," he answered, bowing again before moving down the perpendicular hall.
