Maru had heard of the Otomo before. They were a Kirishitan clan, oddly enough. They wielded considerable influence among the others and had a sizable trading empire. He knew that several warlords tended to view their newfound religious alignment as an abomination, but Atsumori always said that he wondered how much of it was real and how much of it was to cozy up with the foreign traders. The foreigners gave them access to goods and services that were hard to come by and thus very expensive, making it a good system if you could figure out how it worked. He knew little of Tsukiyoru specifically except for the fact that he was apparently more of a Buddhist than a Kirishitan and that he had been awarded a Jitou position by the Shogun. It was a big enough deal when it happened, at least for Atsumori who was, according to him, a friend of Tsukiyoru's mother.

"Let me get this straight," Yuzuha leaned back against the railing of the ship and watched Naoyuki with narrowed eyes, "shooting the monk... was an accident?"

Naoyuki scoffed, "I-You- Of course it was! Who intentionally shoots monks?"

"I figured you did," she replied flatly, making Naoyuki stammer and stand up in what Sen could only guess was utter offense while Nobuhiko was trying not to laugh next to him.

"I will have you know that I am a very, very good shot!"

Yuzuha gave the most sarcastic smile Sen had ever seen on a human face as she nodded, "Oh, yes! Such a good shot. That monk definitely was Hashi."

"I would fight you, but your massive arms terrify me," Naoyuki lost his fire and sat back down as his eyes went to Yuzuha's exposed arms.

Sen turned his attention back to the water as he watched it roll past. His eyes went to Hashi, who had one long arm poised above the water with a look of deadly concentration on his face. He was about to ask what he was doing when he watched the yokai stab his hand into the water and yank it out with a grunt. The fish he held was easily the size of Sen's forearm, and Hashi looked pleased with himself as he pulled it onboard and held it with a twinkle in his eye. Without warning, he bit straight into it, locking eyes with Sen when he realized that his friend was watching him.

Sen stared at him for a moment before simply saying, "That's gross." In response, Hashi just ate the fish faster and then stood by quietly, his eyes going from the horizon and back to Sen multiple times as Sen stared at him with a shrug of his shoulders. "Why are you like this?"

Hashi gestured to the water and then to his stomach with a patting motion. Fish is tasty.

"You ate the whole fish," Sen replied with a shake of his head. "The whole fish, Hashi."

Hashi merely buckled down and repeated the motion again. Fish is tasty.

"I give up." Sen shook his head and looked around the ship, catching sight of Maru and the rather large gaijin - "Avery", Sen had learned his name was - looking around the ship with Maru listing off parts in his language as the gaijin scribbled them down in a small, tattered notebook. He started to figure that Maru and his foreigner weren't so different from him and Hashi, in their own way. Sen saw Hashi stretch beside him with a gaping yawn that showed off all of his massive fangs, and he caught sight of the captain glance over and give a long whistle as he did.

"Damn, those are big!" He laughed from over by the ship's rudder. "I'm sure happy that he's not mean!"

Sen smiled a bit and nodded, "He's pretty docile most of the time."

"I'd hate to be on his bad side," the captain strolled over and looked up at Hashi with a shake of his head. "Heard you were heading to see the Jitou. Good luck. I've heard that there's been some unrest over there."

That was the first time Sen had heard anything, and soon Maru had joined him, arms crossed across his chest. "What sort of unrest?" The nightingale asked with a frown.

"Not sure. People at the port have been pretty tight lipped about the whole thing. Can't really blame them, honestly. Never know who's going to be onboard," the captain frowned and shifted to one leg as a worried look seemed to come across his face. "Only thing I've managed to figure out is that there's been a group harassing the Jitou's men recently. Not much else has gotten out."

As the captain spoke, the memory of what Maru had heard about Namikionna came flooding back, and he turned to the captain and asked, "Yokai or human?"

"Not sure," the man replied, "just that whoever it is, it has the Gyoubu working overtime."

---

Hizen was a bustling prefecture, and the port town of Bushin was a sight to behold. It was lined with warehouses and customs houses, all lined up to inspect and hold goods while payments were arranged, and considering the size of all of them, the port was in the prime of its life. Ships of all kinds were lined up along the ports, including some that Sen had never seen before. They looked so different from the ships Sen was accustomed to, but Avery seemed to recognize them almost immediately.

"Are those Spanish ships?" He blinked as Maru glanced to Naoyuki for translation.

"He thinks the ships belong to the Spanish... Uh, they're another group of people from near his homeland," Naoyuki supplied helpfully.

"I should sink them on principle."

"Please don't."

Yuzuha frowned and turned to the mercenary with a glare, "What did he say?"

"Oh, nothing," Naoyuki shrugged, prompting Nobuhiko to frown at him for the obvious bold-faced lie.

"I don't believe anything you say when you translate for him," Nobuhiko grumbled and crossed his arms as Yuzuha did the same.

"I can't believe that I'm saying this, but I agree," she snorted as Naoyuki looked between the two of them with a stammer before he clicked his jaw shut and threw up his hands in resignation.

Maru fell in step beside Sen as they made their way through the port and glanced over at him from time to time. He was looking around the port with a sense of childlike wonder, like he had never seen anything like it before. It was endearing, and for half a second, Maru forgot that this was the same man who had almost beaten him in a duel just a day before. He looked over and saw the ronin walking beside them, too, though he looked far less impressed, and on the other side of them was Hashi, who was looking around and taking in the sights himself. He coughed after a moment and turned again to Sen, "So, what do we know about the Gyoubu? Anything we can use to get in to speak with him?"

"I don't know much," Sen admitted before turning to Aoi with a nod, "but he does."

The older man paused briefly and turned to the two with a surprised blink when he saw them both looking expectantly at him. Even Hashi had turned and was watching him with a simple smile. "Oh, that's my cue. Let me think... Well, the Gyoubu is more surrounded by myth than tangible facts, really. I never met him, just Tsukiyoru's father, Tsukimatsu. Most of what I know of Owari no Hoshiga came from Ujiyo, this onmyoji I knew," Aoi reached up and rubbed the back of his neck as he shifted and rolled his shoulders.

"What do they say?" Maru asked, genuinely curious. The whole world of onmyoji was foreign to him. The ones who worked for the Sayonakidori were freelancers, mostly, and they played their cards close to their chest.

Aoi thought for a moment, "Mostly that he's a once in a generation onmyoji with immense power. Rumor has it that the Emperor tried to recruit him once upon a time."

"And what about Lord Otomo?" Sen followed up as Maru nodded.

"Now, him, I know a bit about. His father is a Kirishitan and has some clout among the other Kirishitan clans. This isn't traditionally Otomo territory, but his mother was a Nabeshima girl," Aoi supplied as they walked along, "hence why they have a name in Bushin."

"They are... Kirishitans, is that what they're called?" Emi asked as she fell in step beside Aoi. "What exactly are they?"

"I can help with that," Naoyuki chimed in from behind them, prompting the nun to look over her shoulder at him. "They're followers of this religion from the West. Christians, they're called there. They believe in one God and that his son died for their sins so they can get into eternal paradise. They... don't really like it if you try to believe in any other god at the same time, though. It's confusing."

"But..." Hachirou frowned, "Their God isn't the god of our lands, so how does that work?"

"Don't ask me. They just tried to tell me that was how it worked, " Naoyuki shrugged and held his hands up in defeat.

"The Otomo family is usually pretty devout, but I heard that Tsukiyoru isn't as much," Nobuhiko also jumped in. "Apparently, he had something happen in his youth that made him a pretty devout Buddhist, and he hasn't completely bought into his cousin's Christianity plea."

Sen glanced at Hashi before shaking his head, "This is all confusing."

"Welcome to samurai politics," Yuzuha chuckled beside him.

Aoi reached behind him and pulled something from his pack, unwrapping it as he slid it to one shoulder so he could easily take it out of the worn leather backpack. It was wrapped in brightly patterned fabric of red and white, and when he pulled the bag away, Sen saw the most beautiful Wakizashi he had ever seen. he watched Aoi slip it into his belt beside his older sword.

"Showing off your two blades, old man?" Yuzuha teased as Aoi shot her a smirk. 

"You wanna get into the Otomo estate or not?" Aoi chuckled as he paused and slid his katana from his belt and shifted it into the pack, pulling another sword in its place - the match to the wakizashi. The tsuba was decorated with a rushing river design, complete with a koi transforming into a dragon. It was an intricate design for the guard of a blade, and Sen wondered who the smith was who made it. "There aren't many sword that can get us entrance, but these will. Trust me."

Even Maru could tell that whoever made that sword was a craftsman of no small skill. He had seen masterwork swords in his life - Atsumori's being one - and Aoi's blade was easily on the same level. Even the sheathe was expertly made, polished lacquer inlaid with golden painted designs of birds and fire. "Any other secrets we should know about you?" Maru asked him as he made his way to stand closer behind Sen.

Aoi chuckled darkly again as he tossed his head back slightly to look at Maru, "Oh, kid, if only you knew..."

Commotion up ahead made them stop and turn their attention down from the path to a large open space below. The staging grounds of sorts were filled with people holding slips of paper or scrolls, and in the middle back was a large stage of sorts set up to accommodate a table and a line of seats, which is when the group saw him for the first time. Seated at the center was a masked man, and beside him stood a samurai, who began calling out, "Form a line! the Gyoubu will read all of your petitions, but you must form an orderly line and present them one by one!"

"Gyoubu?" Nobuhiko blinked, "Owari no Hoshiga is here?"

"What's a Gyoubu?" Avery turned to Naoyuki.

"A prefectural law figure of sorts. They judge the nobility and help set laws and maintain order as laid out by the Shogun."

The Gyoubu was clothed in fine clothes, a zukin, and face veil that covered all of his head and face save for his eyes. The haori he wore was the color of luna moth wings and threaded with strands of golden silk and bordered at the hem and ends of his sleeves with a mottled brown fabric. Even the zukin was adorned with golden strands of thread throughout in a display of simple opulence that somehow remained surprisingly modest, all things considered. He took each petition and read it himself before passing it to the other men at the table, each one taking the petitions that Maru guessed aligned to their specialties in the prefecture. He kept several, meaning that they must have pertained to issues regarding the law or went directly to the Jitou. He had to admit, when he heard about Hoshiga, he hadn't been expecting him to be so well covered.

"We definitely won't see him today," Aoi's voice broke them from staring down at the man they hoped to meet and brought their attention straight to him. "Our best bet is to make for the estate and try to meet with him while he is there. These petition hearings can take hours." 

A part of it frustrated Sen to no end. He was so close... Hashi reached out and gently bumped him with his elbow, giving him a small smile. At least they were finally there. That was more than they had been earlier.

They continued up the winding path that led them up the hill and through a cleared path where trees had once been. The forest was parted just enough to have built the road, wide enough for two carriages, and soon, the walls of the estate came into view. It was typical of what was expected from a manor house. It sprawled out beyond its gate with its tiled roof and wooden beams. The wooden walkways could be seen past the gate itself, and Sen saw stone lanterns to light the walkways when night fell. The large gate was open, guarded by two guards that seemed slightly surprised to see foot traffic as they approached. More than likely, Sen assumed, it was Hashi that made them blink in surprise. As Aoi approached to negotiate their entry, Sen looked up and saw a massive tree from somewhere within the bounds of the estate. Something about it radiated an energy that made the center of his chest tingle as they drew closer, and he could vaguely see moths and butterflies dancing in and out of its leaves.

Aoi joined them with a nod and a smile, "I got us in to at least talk with Tsukiyoru's father. Hopefully he can arrange a meeting for us."

He waved the group in, and the moment they stepped up to the gate Sen felt the entire aura of the space change dramatically. He was overwhelmed by the sense of peace and calm that wrapped around him like a blanket, Hashi must have felt it, too, because the moment they crossed the threshold, Sen saw his eyes widen as he looked around in surprise. Even Emi noticed, and she was the first person to speak up. "This place feels... sacred," she turned to look at Hachirou, who nodded in agreement. "I haven't felt a peace like this in ages."

"I don't feel anything..." Nobuhiko turned to Naoyuki, who nodded in agreement.

"Me neither," Yuzuha admitted as she crossed her arms and looked at Sen, who was wide-eyed in wonder at the sensation. "Apparently, he does," she gestured to him, prompting Sen to blink and cough uneasily.

Maru could feel it, but judging by Sen's now defunct expression, it hadn't been nearly as strong of a sensation as what he experienced. He was almost a little envious.

"Mifune!" A booming voice drew everyone's attention to the main entrance into the estate where a stout, portly older man stood. His grey hair was pulled back into a chonmage and he sported a bushy mustache. He looked strong. Like a stump, Sen mused internally as he watched Aoi put his hands on his hips and face the man. He came down the steps in an almost waddle and limped his way over, his face taking on an angry look as he approached. His kosode and hakama did little to hide the belly that he must have put on sometime between the days when he knew Aoi and when he retired. "You have a lot of audacity showing up here!"

"Yeah," Aoi gestured to him with his chin and a raise of his eyebrows, "and you have a lot of audacity getting that fat."

There was an uncomfortable silence around the group before Tsukimatsu burst into a fit of laughter and limped forward to pull Aoi into a hug that the other man returned, "You sonofabitch! And here I thought the shogun had executed you after that whole mess with Mitsukage!"

"Gonna take a lot more than the shogun to put me in the ground," Aoi gave him a firm pat on the back as they parted. "Listen, I need a favor."

"Name it," Tsukimatsu nodded and put his hands on his hips as he looked the group over. "Whatever this old man can do, I'll help."

"We need to talk to your Gyoubu."

For half a second, Tsukimatsu seemed confused before his little brown eyes lit up in recognition, "Oh! Hoshiga! I forget he's an official sometimes. More of a... second son, or a nephew, really. That might be an issue... We'll need to speak with Tsukiyoru." Without waiting, the old man hurried off at the best pace he could go with his limp which, Sen and Maru agreed with a look at one another, was actually pretty fast.

The group followed him, having to actually hurry to keep up with the portly old man has he half-limped-half-ran his way through the walkways towards where Sen had seen the tree. Samurai bowed as they past and servants did the same, but Tsukimatsu was on a mission and paid none of them any mind at all until they reached another courtyard a decent walk away from the entrance.

"Tsukiyoru!" he called out gruffly, and from around the tree came a man who couldn't have looked any more different from Tsukimatsu if he tried.

Tsukiyoru was in his mid-thirties with a mustache and beard that were streaked through with silver. His hair was pulled back from his face and wrapped into a short ponytail and was colored the same as his mustache and beard. He was dressed in simple earth tones, and he watched the large tree and the various insects that fluttered through the tree's branches and leaves with a small smile on his face. He turned upon hearing his father and smiled broadly when he saw Aoi, who returned the smile with one of his own. "Well, well," he laughed as he turned fully from the tree and made his way over to the group. "Ojisan, it's been a long time."

"You got lucky that you turned out looking more like your mother," Aoi laughed as he greeted him with a shallow bow. "I hate to start off our reunion with a request, Tsukiyoru..."

"Name it," Tsukiyoru nodded as he turned to look at the group. 

"We need to talk to your Gyoubu. It's important."

Tsukiyoru hesitated before he sighed, "That... might be more difficult than you think."