Doku clung alongside the great white walls of Saken. In the narrow window below, the daimyo sat unawares of his presence, and that great oversight of his prescence, he would make certain, was his finish. He was not that fool Kage, he knew how to carry out his orders, and especially execute them to a acute point.
Baiko believed that by summoning his army and holding a council on war that he was securing his life, Doku thought with a smirk as he began to slide down, his palms raw and bleeding from trying to cling to the slippery surface of Saken's wall and the digging ends of the climbers he had used achieve his feat dug into his own hands as well as he pressed on. Two twin red stripes down the wall marked his progress as he drew nearer to his goal. No one would see this, however, he had choosen the side of the great tower that faced the forest where no army scout would watch and no hopeful citizen of the village could report. This would be the perfect murder and it would ultimatly change the course of history, in only a few more moments. . .he could even hear the quiet murmors of the kenin and the daimyo from his precarious perch, not that it mattered to him, all he had to do now was reach the window, not over hear their war strategy. . .
Then, much to Doku's surpise a great roar of outrage and surprise reached his ears and heard the men inside demanding of a new comer, "What business do you have to interupt the Daimyo's Council?"
The answere filled Doku's heart with fear, "There is a plot to kill the Daimyo! Ask my companion, she will tell you everything that she heard. She was the one you sent to kill Kazuo! She failed, but she learned the enemies plan as well."
He was at the window now and he dared a glance. There framed in the doorway, stood the man Kage had failed to kill and beside him stood the cursed Kinlan who had escaped his clan's vengence. Yet all the kenin and Baiko were watching Keiji, he believed that was the man's name.
"Easy lad," the oldest of the kenin said as he rose, "Who are you? How did you happen upon this woman and get past the guards?"
"I am Keiji, son of Masake and Maya. Risako and I crossed paths at the Temple of the Thousand Falls where the man who took my mother and I into his care after the destruction of Dansha is guardian." Keiji replied.
"You lie!" a younger kenin spat as he stood defiently, "Keiji and Maya were found dead, and this temple, I have never heard of it. If it does, no man or woman I know of worships there and what kind of temple is that?"
"That is quite enough, Masanori," the daimyo spoke for the first time, silence greeting his words, "I know of this temple and know that the former samurai, Juzo, protects it and all who happen upon his temple. Remove your helm, Keiji, and let me see your face."
Keiji obeyed and the blue snarling dragon's helm was replaced by the face of a man with burning, determined eyes that were only offset by the youth of his age to soften their fire.
The gathered kenin gasped and one exclaimed, "Masake's ghost!"
Doku returned to himself with the exclamation and was reminded of his purpose. The men and the Kinlan were distracted and he had the perfect oppurtunity to strike and change history in his master's favor. He reached inside and pulled free the poisoned edged throwing star from its hiding place. He positioned himself carefully now and managed to get below the window unnoticed as the drama inside the council chamber continued on. Gingerly he handled the star, knowing that the poison inside its tips could kill him before he had a chance to throw it at its intended target. He was ready to throw now as he aimed carefully and after a steadying deep breath, he realesed his weapon and upon that moment, he realized his mistake. The Kinlan had seen him and as she came after him, unsheathing her katana, Keiji drew his and before the deadly star could reach its target, the blade bit the star into two halves, each half landing harmlessly either in the floor or a support beam of the chamber.
Yet he was more immersed in the sudden death before him now. The Kinlan had the twin katana fully drawn and the blade seemingly in a slowed down version of time, came for his heart, and Doku was only dimly aware of its success and his heart sank even as it was pierced that he had failed. Her dangerous eyes were the last he saw of this world as the fires of the underworld began to consume his soul. . .
"So, young Keiji, the last of the kenin has come." Baiko said as Risako returned from the window, as she cleaned the blood from her katana.
"What do you mean, Daimyo?" Keiji asked his turn to be surprised.
"Your father, Masake, was the Kenin in charge of Dansha, and since he has been slain, that leaves you, his son, as the rightful leader of his army and the ruler of Dansha." Baiko replied.
"I was never aware of this."Keiji gasped as he dropped to his knees.
"Yet your arrival is all to convienent," another voice added, "How do we know that he is not a imposter sent here to spy on you, my Daimyo, and that the ninja Risako killed was not but a ruse to convince you of his loyalty."
Keiji turned to see that Masanori and his guard had all drawn their katanas and that Masanori's eyes flickered dangerously in the dim light of the council chamber.
"It was you," Keiji said as it dawned upon him what Masanori had meant and was trying to hide, "It is you who lied and convinced the Daimyo that I was dead. When he sent out a search party for my mother and I, with the best intentions, when you couldn't find us, you had to cover yourself, and you had much to claim by denying that I was dead. Or do you have another purpose for denying my existence?"
"I have no clue of what you speak, imposter, but, I only have my Daimyo's best interests at heart. I challenge you to prove your merit and that you are who you claim to be." Masanori replied as he leveled the katana squarely upon Keiji's chest.
Keiji could do nothing now but draw Juzo's katana and wait as time itself seemed to freeze around them.
