Alliance for Suruga

Adam stared at the unit in front of him outside their temporary home. "You're all ready, and you've trained hard these past few months. Now the rest is up to you. You know where you have to go, and what you have to do there. Be gone." He watched them, turn fading into the crowds of people in the city. He looked at the unmasked shinobi standing next to them.

"We'll need more in the future, but for now it is sufficient, especially if they're all going to Imagawa for now."

"As young Hattori says. With this number, we'll be able to keep an eye on the Imagawa. You should see the reports I've got so far from our men already stationed there." He nodded, and followed the shinobi over the bridge, and into the castle. He looked at the walls of his new room sighing. "It's too big for me. I think I've gotten used to the small spaces on Kurama."

"What about those in Imagawa already?" He knelt on the ground in front of a small table. "We need to start moving them. Imagawa is going to join the young lord, so we need to start looking at our next targets."

He looked at the map on the table in thought. "What we do know now is that since we'll be siding with Oda, we've also taken their enemies as our own."

"That's correct young Hattori. Which of his many enemies do you want to look at first?" He smiled, as he pointed to the Azai and the Takeda. "They're the ones who'll move next after the Imagawa become the young lords."

"Will they gather allies?" He nodded at the shinobi pouring tea in front of him, picking up the cup and drinking its contents. "Indeed. We'll be moving the Iga men to keep an eye on the Azai, Asakura, and Takeda."

"As the young Hattori requests, so shall it be. I'll send the owls tonight." He smiled as he felt the taste of the green tea in his mouth. "This tea. Imagawa does have nice tea. I'll be looking forward to drinking it more when the young lord takes back what belongs to him in the first place."

He looked up at the shinobi kneeling across from him. "What do you think the new head of Imagawa ask for, as a means to join the young lord?"

"I think he'll ask for his life, and safety I guess young Hattori." He shook his head. "Of course he'll ask for that, but there's something more important to him and the Imagawa. What would that be?"

"Well their current allies, are trying to take the head position, and some are looking for a way out, except for the Hojo clan. He's become too weak in their eyes, and not like his father. The Hojo only stay because of the promise they made to his father."

He nodded. "That's good thinking so far. What else can you tell me? Before you look at the reports in your hand, as I'm sure one of them will have the answer."

"He'll want some land of his own, and money." He nodded. "Yes. That's correct. He'll want land for his future family under the young lord. The question is, what land does he want?"

"I'm not sure. I'd have to look at the reports, before giving you an answer young Hattori." He nodded and pointed to the map. "I can guarantee that he will want Suruga."

"Why Suruga? We already know that Takeda Shingen has his tiger eyes all over it." He smiled at the shinobi. "Because that place is the quickest way to get to Kyoto from the sea. Shipping, trade. Merchants would go there to bring in their wares and travel the roads to sell. He wants to build it up and bring in coin to rebuild the clan."

"I see. So why shouldn't the young lord take the land for himself?" He drank another cup of tea with a satisfied smile. "The young lord will get those lands, but he'll have to wait for them."

"What do you mean?"

"Many people want that land now. We'll let them fight over it for a while to weaken them, so when the young lord is at full strength, he'll be able to walk there, and take it without a fight."

"I see. It does seem that the tengus have taught you well on Kurama." He smiled at the shinobi. "You know they were just masked monks, but the one who taught me to see was a smiling monk who had no mask at all."

"Yes, young Hattori, but for the sake of reputation, in the field of battle, enemies have to see you as someone talented that tengus fought over to train." He looked out the small window. "That spear bearer, he's the talented one, I'm just someone who really wants something, and will do whatever it takes to get it."

"What is it that you want?" He turned looking at the shinobi with a serious face. "A spear."

"A spear? What does that mean? You can't be just talking about a normal spear. If you wanted one of those, I can get one made for you." He shook his head at the shinobi. "For now, that can wait. They're things that have to happen before we even talk about the spear. Now, let's look at the reports you have."

He watched as the shinobi placed the scrolls of parchment on the table in front of him, lighting a candle so he could see the faint coded script. He smiled as he looked over the reports. "It's just as I thought. He wants Suruga. We just can't give it to him, we'd need to enter some sort of long siege, to make him want to put it on the negotiating table."

"How long are you thinking that the attack will take?" He looked back at the map. "There's still quite some distance between here and Tatsujo, I think at least three or four years before we get it in the young lord's hands."

"That isn't that long. I was thinking you were going to say nearly ten years of skirmishes or something along those lines." He shook his head. "It's still a long time. The young lord's finances won't like to spend that amount on soldiers and supplies. We'll also need to find a source of income during this siege."

"There's a lot you need to do to bring the Imagawa under the young lord. Can it be done." He nodded in thought. "It won't be that difficult. We don't need that many people for it, but I do hope we can get to the table faster rather than later, because our enemies won't always be sitting there waiting for us, and Takada Shingen will be watching us very closely. If we go too far, he'll come and bite our rear, to finish up what we started."

He stood up and walked around the room in silence. "You can go now. I'll need to do some thinking and planning before I talk with the young lord about the situation."

"Yes, Young Hattori. If you can pull this off, as you've said, I'm sure you'll be named Hanzo." He lowered his head at the shinobi, watching them leave him to his thoughts. "How would someone who is strapped for coin be able to last in a siege?" He paced in his room in thought, and stared at his clothing, in particular the merchant clothing. He shook his head. "It wouldn't cover the large costs." He looked at the map in the table again. "Shingen will have taken much of the land, I wonder if there's something that he would give?"

He looked over the reports and a smile started to bloom on his face. "That's how we can do it. Takeda wants the land, but his family opposes it, and he has spent large amounts of gold on his own armies. An alliance with Takeda Shingen will give us what we need, and the time to do what we need to do."

He picked up his reports and left the room he was in heading towards the temporary room of the young lord. He looked at the guards standing at the door and stood waiting until he was allowed into the room. He bowed and knelt on the ground until he heard the footsteps of the young lord stop in front of him.

"You don't always have to be kneeling in front of me. A simple bow is sufficient for you." He smiled and stood up bowing at the young lord. "I have some reports, and ideas that we can use, but it also means if we follow these through, we'll have a future tiger to deal with."

"Tell me of your plans Masanari."

He unrolled the map and reports in his hands. "It's related to Tatsujo, and how we'll be able to get it back."

"Tell me more." He bowed at the young lord. "This plan does come with a price, but it is the quickest, and cheapest way to get the castle back in your hands."

"Well. Tell me. Don't make me ask again." He nodded. "We form an alliance with Takeda Shingen, as he has been eyeing Suruga for a long time. If we join with him we'll get the castle, but we'll have to surrender the lands for a period of time."

"What do you mean?"

"When we finish off the Imagawa, the best way to do this would be to attack and attack the cities and towns of Imagawa until the new head comes to the table for negotiation. He'll ask for Suruga for his service to join your banner. After we agree to this, Shingen will see us as an enemy and want to attack us to fortify his position. We'll probably lose in a head to head battle with him, due to his famous skills, and use of cavalry, but the young lord has something they don't have."

"What's that?" He looked at the young lord with a smile. "You have me in your service. I can remove him without trouble, not only will any remaining allies leave the Imagawa, but we'll also be removing a tiger, which will be biting us, to try and tear us from Oda."

He stood watching as the young lord walked around the room. "Are you sure this will give us my home again?" He nodded. "The first of many castles."

"By old allies of Imagawa are you talking about the Hojo?" He nodded. "I'm sure the moment that Ujizane calls for them, they'll come running to defend him, for the sake of his father."

"Makes sense. Are you sure you'll be able to remove Takeda Shingen after he bites us as you say?" He nodded. "He is brilliant on the field of battle, but he doesn't have the skillset I do. He'll be known in history whose life was cut short, due to unknown reasons."

"How much time would we have before he begins to bite down on us? He looked down at the map in thought. "For him to attack us, he'll have to subdue Suruga, Shinano, and Kozuke first. That'll give us the time to prepare something in defense, and make a few escape routes. But, as I mentioned before we'll lose in a head to head battle with him, but we'll have Tatsujo."

He looked up at the smiling young lord. "I see what you're planning to do. You're making him do all the work, and paying for the repairs and works of the land before taking him out." He smiled bowing. "Yes, that's correct. I think this is the best approach, but we'll have to be prepared for his bite in the future, a cost that we should be able to cover at that time, until his death."

"You were able to plan this through the Oniwabanshu?" He nodded at the young lord. "Very impressed Masanari. I can't wait to see what other secrets, your garden keepers will be able to find. Also are you positive you can deal with Shingen, after the bite?" He nodded. "That I can. It's part of my tengu training. He's nothing when it comes to my skills. On Kurama, I met a tengu by the name of Shingen, a very intelligent tengu. He taught me a lot, and also helped with my training and preparation to serve."

"The pride of being taught by tengus I hear in your voice. As long as you're confident then I'll allow for this plan to begin. I'll start communicating with Takeda Shingen now. If you need more men for the offensive into Imagawa, let me know." He bowed at the young lord, turned, leaving the room. "Oh and Masanari. Before you go, if this goes well, I expect you to be a part of all my council meetings in the future in Tatsujo."

He bowed with a smile. "Thank you, my lord. I'll complete the mission you've given me."