The Longest Road

[Saiko]

Even with the torrential storms that were plaguing the area, causing lashing rain and howling wind, the sight of Toshi Ranbo, the center of power in Rokugan, was beyond awe-inspiring to the beleaguered samurai approaching its gates.

Mirumoto Saiko wearily rode through the checkpoint to the Crane encampment after presenting his paperwork, his long black hair matted to his head and armor from the rain, the battered black and green lacquer of his family's armor glistening with crystalline droplets of water streaming down it. At long last, he found a dry stable to put up his horse so he could find some dry lodging and hot tea, exactly what he needed after the past few days.

A time later, Saiko sat in a small communal tea tent, feeling the tension built up by his long traveling and constant fighting of the past few weeks melt out of him as he slowly sipped the warm, slightly sweet beverage, a luxury he realized he had not taken the time to enjoy since his time in Kyuden Bayushi. As he sat meditating, a fragment of a nearby Crane bushi's conversation caught his ear, and nearly made him stand up out of pure shock. He could not be sure, but he thought the man had said Kakita Sojiro...

He is actually here...
Saiko wandered through the camp in the pouring rain, so lost in his own thoughts that he almost ran into a high-ranking Imperial officer. After some investigating in the tea tent, Saiko had learned that he was correct; Kakita Sojiro, his first sensei when he began his travels to become a great swordsman all those years ago, was here fighting Toturi's supporters. It made sense, but the surrealism of seeing him after all the years and all that had happened since made Saiko wary. His continued investigations had however netted the knowledge that Sojiro-sama was out of camp on a mission for his clan, so he would have a few days before he would see his old sensei again.

With darkness quickly falling, Saiko's wanderings and musings came to a halt as wind and rain picked up speed once again and he made his way to the tent where he was staying. Within a few moments of putting away his gear and finishing his evening rituals, and without another thought of his past, Saiko slipped into his first real sleep in years...

[Kakita Sojiro]

OOC: I'm going to start this thread under the assumption that I have returned from the rescue mision - it is taking a bit longer than I had thought it would.

[Kakita Sojiro]

Sojiro couldn't help but feel a bit arrogant at the moment. Not only had he, Kakita Hitoshi, and Doji Kenna all managed to return to Toshi Ranbo more or less in one piece, but his entrance into the city had been brilliant, as far as he was concerned.

Entering Toshi Ranbo was no longer an easy task, for anyone. Between the Lion outside and the Crane within, someone was going to try to fill you with arrows if you tried to get in. Sojiro had been wondering about that problem since he and Hitoshi left on their rescue mission, and his answer had been both bold and novel.

Not only did his companions have the issue of getting into Toshi Ranbo to deal with, they also had to choose between several days of travel that they couldn't afford to do, or walking right through a Lion stronghold to get to Toshi Ranbo in the fastest amount of time - Shiro Akodo was directly in their path to Toshi Ranbo.

Sojiro's solution was to steal Lion uniforms from the group that had been pursuing Doji Kenna. After their well executed ambush had caught the Lion completely offguard, there was no shortage of uniforms to choose from. Covering up bloodstains was no issue with the current weather - mud hides everything. Hiding his companions white hair was a bit trickier, but the villagers, being grateful for the small Crane force driving off the larger Lion battle group, had been helpful here, and an old woman had used a number of strange herbs blended together in a paste to cover the white hair, warning them that it would only stay that way for a few days.

So they marched their surviving troops directly through the front gates of Shiro Akodo. The original plan was for them to exit as quickly as possible, but once they were inside, Sojiro had another idea - a somewhat crazy one.

There were a large group of conscripts constantly being marched to Shiro Akodo for the war effort against Toshi Ranbo. At this particular moment, there were several recruits, and no commanding officer to be found. He quickly explained his plan to his companions, and before they could convince him of how insane he sounded, he marched off towards the fresh recruits, his best imitation Lion scowl on his face.

"You there!" He pointed at one of the startled conscripts. "Why are you standing around doing nothing?"

"P-P-Pardon me, S-Sama, but we were told to s-stay here.... a-and await further orders," the man stammered.

"And how long have you been standing here?"

"Several hours, sama."

"You've been standing here doing nothing for hours?"

The man quickly bowed and started stammering again. "A thousand apologies, sama. I was just following orders."

"And who orders were these, recruit?"

"The General is in complete command...but we cannot find the General."

Is that right? Sojiro thought to himself. He controlled the urge to grin - he couldn't believe this was going to work!

"Very well then, recruit. I'm taking command of your group. You will accompany my men back to the Toshi Ranbo lines, immediately."

"Um, yes sama. Right away."

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(OOC: This is based off of my actual clicking and use of three Lion favors in Shiro Akodo )
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With "their" forces replenished, Sojiro, Kenna, and Hitoshi marched right out the northern gate of Shiro Akodo, and right through the Lion forces surrounding Toshi Ranbo. Sojiro knew that timing was going to be critical - he knew there was a cease fire going on long enough for the Scorpion Champion to make his way to the emperor, but he wasn't sure how long that ceasefire was going to last - or how well it was being adhered to. He had asked Hinto to quietly relay to the Crane soldiers that they were to keep their Crane mon hidden under their Lion uniforms, but easily accessible in case they were needed. Then he sent a message to the one man he knew would be able to help him get inside - Daidoji Fitsu, the man in charge of the entire defensive operation. The site of a "Lion" officer using a white owl to deliver a message to someone on the inside of Toshi Ranbo may have gotten a few strange looks from the recruits, but he silenced them with a glare, while Kenna and Hitoshi kept them marching.

Eventually, they reached the Southern gate of Toshi Ranbo - and it swung open. Sojiro heard a few gasps from the recruits he was stealing, but Hitoshi and Kenna were excellent Gunso - they bullied and prodded the green men into action before any of them had a chance to ponder what this strange event might mean. And as soon as his forces got inside the gates, they swung closed again and were tightly locked - and his entire force was surrounded by Crane archers with loaded Yumi and Tsuruchi bows, both on the ground and on the walls. Sojiro smiled again - this had actually worked!

""Archers, I am Kakita Sojiro. I am going to give my men the order to slowly present their mons to you. Is this acceptable?"

A gunso on the wall replied. "Show them to us. Any man who reaches for a weapon instead will be dead before they hit the ground."

Slowly, the actual Cranes among the pride of Lion recruits revealed their true identities. The archers quickly seperated the true cranes from the stolen Lion recruits, and then Sojiro climbed up to where the archer Gunso was and addressed them.

"By now, I'm certain that all of you have figured out what has befallen you. I am no Lion at all, and neither are my companions, or the bushi they traveled with. You were drafted from your homes and fields by the Matsu family and thier allies to come here to Toshi Ranbo, share in their dishonor as they strike out against the true emperor and the Celestial Order, and die a nameless, bloody death for them, so that they would not have to. I offer you a better option, men - instead of dying for the Lion, you have the chance to fight for the Crane and the Emperor himself. Behind walls of stone and iron, with hot food, warm beds, and medical attention waiting should you need it, you stand a much better chance of surviving this war and returning to your families. But, there is more to this offer."

Sojiro took a step forward. He wanted to make sure everyone heard this next part. "There is no doubt as to who will win this war. The Emerald Champion is currently assaulting the Lion clan at Permission City. The Phoenix and Dragon clans are also moving to assist the Crane here. The Crab armies must now choose between fighting us and abandoning their homes to a shadowlands assault, or leaving this war to defend their homes. We will attain victory, and when that happens, the Lion will be punished. But, for those who fight beside the Emperor's defenders here, I am certain that mercy will be shown to them and their families as well."

There was a lot of mumbling from the recruits. Finally, a man who was bolder than the other spoke up. "How do we know that you won't just use us as fodder to preserve the lives of Crane members?"

Sojiro's smile left his face, replaced with a serious frown."You know this because we are not the Lion clan, who has thrown away all their honor. We are the Crane clan, who stand by their honor and their duties in the face of an army that outnumbered us greatly at first, with no hesitation. Unlike the Lion, we have not forgotten our honor." He waited for that statement to sink in, then continued. "Men, I will leave you in the capable hands of Gunso Hitoshi-sama and Gunso Kenna-sama. They will get you sorted out and properly equipped - and provide you with appropriate colors to wear. Welcome to Toshi Ranbo."