[D6, EM] Information Share

[Bayushi Jiro]

Having sent a note about a further meeting to dearest Nobu-chan, Jiro waited at their accustomed spot, wearing a pensive frown.

[Otomo Nobuko]

This time Nobuko was already dressed - in basic gi from the Academy that she wouldn't worry about getting muddy when walking from there to here. The streets were just covered with it! Her hair was up and she had another tatami mat with her, though this time Erina was no where to be seen. She needed the girl waiting for her upon her return to give her clean clothing and help her clean up.

She rolled the tatami out so they'd have a safe place to sit and sighed dramatically when she sat down, "All this mud is exhausting! We should have met at the temple like we talked about during the event. Or a temple. Or anywhere that wouldn't mean coating our legs in so much mud."

[Bayushi Jiro]

"I needed to be certain that what I have to share with you was overheard by no one else, Nobu-chan. Not without their being seen." Bayushi Tomohiro inclined his head. "I apologize for the inconvenience. Things are reaching a delicate stage."

[Otomo Nobuko]

She looked over at him with a pout, "I would not have come if I did not understand the reason, Tomo-kun. I just dislike how caked I'm going to be in this for most of the day."

Nobuko straightened up and set herself to give him her full attention, "What can you share with me?"

[Bayushi Jiro]

Bayushi Jiro just blinked at her complaint, failing to register the weight of her inconvenience in the face of the demands of operational security. He reported without inflection, the Scorpion way, straining his emotions out like whey from curds.

"Murashige and Eiko are being blackmailed by an entity that signs its letters with a chop that reads "webs within webs." This chop is unfamiliar to me. The entity's calligraphy is reflective of poor skill. The first communications reached the sensei at Kyuden Doji and at a roadside inn, respectively. The deliverer was unobserved by either sensei, in spite of Eiko's attempts to catch them. The entity has not revealed itself to Eiko or Murashige at this tournament in public or in private. The request was for each sensei to harm Hitoshi's chances at passing at every opportunity. No specific event was mentioned. Kakita Toshimoko is not involved in the conspiracy, though he has been made aware of it from multiple sources. The rumors about Murashige's involvement in the hiring of ronin to attack the sake house are being spread by a ronin. I have arranged for Kaidan and an Akodo who I believe to be trustworthy to secure this ronin and bring him to me for questioning this afternoon. I suspect that these events are not related, but will make sure before entirely writing it off."

"Murashige believes that this affair is designed to cause harm to the Mantis clan's ambitions. I believe that is a reflection of current paranoid trends among the Crane clan and therefore beneath consideration. Hitoshi's failure has no weight when Mai and Kokyou are permitted to succeed. It is something to do with Hitoshi himself. The Lion are also investigating this matter actively. Eiko's posturing confirmed that one of them has spoken to him directly and they are likely to have the same information that I have. He was candid in his answers, leading me to believe that the blackmail is not a smokescreen for his involvement in a conspiracy. They are not likely to have spoken to Murashige, but Kaidan-san has acquired her letter and it confirms her story."

[Otomo Nobuko]

"Webs within webs..." Her forehead scrunched as she thought about that, trying to remember if she'd heard it anywhere in the whispers of the courts of Otasan Uchi or in and around the Academy. If they were familiar enough with Tsuma and Kyuden Doji to make contact with people there - or have agents - there was a chance she might have...

While she let that seal ruminate, she moved on to the rest, "I agree with you and do not get the impression this is about the Mantis. I think this is still about Hitoshi-san and the Crane Clan at large. The actions both Akodo-Sensei and Doji-Sensei were requested to pursue, as well as the other events that have occurred that have centered around Hitoshi-san and the general participants point to someone trying to actively discredit the Crane as hosts. Perhaps that is not the direct goal and Hitoshi-san is more important, but I am uncertain that is so. While Hitoshi-san is certainly being targeted, everything done to him has been less a reflection on himself and more of a reflection on how the Crane have treated him."

She tapped her fingers on her knees, working through the events thus far, "Doji Satsume-Dono asked us to ensure Hitoshi-san passed his gempukku and said that it was of great importance that he do so here. Hitoshi-san is perhaps, an easy target. Just a piece on the board that is easier to get to than others. He has a temper. So doing things to set him off will make it look like our hosts have a reason to look down on him beyond simply his clan status. His name was omitted from the Inn's registry, which reflects badly on the organization of the tournament. He was then targeted in obvious ways during tests Doji-Sensei administered, giving the impression that the Crane were actively targeting him for some reason. This changed with Akodo-Sensei's involvement. It is likely he only stepped in because Hitoshi-san had done so well despite the sabotage. His heavy-handedness made it obvious it was more than just the Crane that were after Hitoshi-san. In light of this, and in combination with the attack by the ronin that resulted in the need to purify the building that... well, the fire was quite spectacular I'm told."

Nobuko had started counting off on her fingers the various incidents, "None of these make sense as Hitoshi being the most important objective with Akodo-Sensei's involvement and the lack of more obvious sabotage. All of them made sense, however, as a means to weaken the Crane politically at one of the most important events they are the historical hosts of. With Doji Satsume-Dono's recent death and the aftermath of the tsunami's still being felt deeply by the clan, they are an easier target than they have been for years. Making Doji-Dono's brother-in-law look a fool, appear overly zealous and obvious in pursuing a grudge against a child, and outright incompetent at protecting his guests would be deeply shameful and destabilize the Clan for the entire military season. Perhaps to the point that recovery might not be possible at the next Winter Court, if they are even able to secure extra invitations beyond the ones that all clans are guaranteed."


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OOC
D6; EM; Raw Intel + Precise Memory: 6d10ro1o10k6 48

[Vutall]

Neither the saying, or the calligraphy are familiar.

[Bayushi Jiro]

"All of which points to an enemy of the Crane clan. That means my people, who perhaps might be acting without my knowledge." Here Tomohiro smiled privately to himself. "Of course, that is rather unlikely at the moment." Or yours, Nobu-chan, he thought. "Or perhaps the Lion, though turning the screws on Eiko would be an insane risk for them; what if he had called their bluff? Yoritomo himself? He is a clever man, but this is not his style."

He shakes his head slowly.

"Let us turn back to the facts. We know that this entity is able to deliver written communication without drawing suspicion or being noticed, even by a trained eye like Eiko's or in heavily-guarded areas like Kyuden Doji. We know that their calligraphy is bad and that their choice of chop is over-dramatic. 'Webs within webs?' Tacky. This is someone sophisticated enough mentally to devise the stratagem, but beneath notice physically, with poor training in written communication and no sense of style. If we had just the latter criteria, I would suggest a Hida. We do not--a Hida is too physically obvious. Indeed, any samurai would be obvious to a man of Eiko's experience. I am beginning to think that we are not looking for a samurai."

[Otomo Nobuko]

"A correction, if I may," she answered. "We are - potentially - not looking for a samurai as the one who wrote the note. I can write poorly if I put effort into it. But we are most certainly not looking for a samurai as the one leaving the notes. That would be this 'webs within webs' agent among the Crane's servants. No one else would have such access to all the locations that have been met with these encounters. While it could be a non-samurai behind it all, I doubt it with the amount of resources they clearly have."

"The likeliest culprits are someone from your clan who seeks to rise in power by taking credit for this if it works, someone among the Yasuki looking to weaken the Crane and gain better footholds for trade, someone among the Mantis - though if I am honest, I truly cannot see them being this subtle - or someone among the Lion. I am not accustomed to the Lion sacrificing one of their own in this, manner, however, so that seems the least likely to me."

[Bayushi Jiro]

"Or one of your people, Nobu-chan, turning up the heat on the conflict between Crane and Mantis. Or a criminal enterprise, some of which flourish under the noses of clans who really ought to know better. So many variables, all of them elucidated if we can pin down the servant or servants in question, who, as you suggest, are likely among the Crane's people. It is worth noting that Doji Murashige has not received any contact from this person during the tournament itself."

[Otomo Nobuko]

"It's doubtful it is someone of my family," she said with a shake of her head, "this is not how we go about things. The style, the manner of pushing... it's all wrong. Anyone pulling something like this would be looked at with a great deal of shame. There are far easier ways to get the Mantis and Crane fighting. This is has too much theatrics to it. If it is a cousin, I would admonish them myself. Even with having been schooled outside the family, I am still aware of the proper way of getting under someone's skin."

"A criminal enterprise could be something, though. Further destabilize the Crane in a city that lays so close to the Capital could open up many avenues for gaining power among those who reject order and law."

Nobuko tilted her head, brows raising, "I am not surprised she hasn't. It leaves her unable to know if her blackmailer has seen her efforts and thus forces her to continue as long as possible until she gains some sign that she is considered to have fulfilled her obligation."

She was going to leave it at that, but then frowned, "The way you say that... has Akodo-Sensei been contacted during the tournament?"

[Bayushi Jiro]

"Not to my knowledge. The Lion competitors have gotten involved, but not the blackmailer. He was unable to locate an observer in the crowd after his judgment, though--and neither was I."

[Otomo Nobuko]

"Ah, yes, I saw him looking and kept myself alert," she nodded then shook her head, "A servant. One with regular access to the Academy and the Governor's Estate. Possibly more than one, but not likely. More than one would be a risk. And it's probably a servant that has been there for years so that no suspicion can be drawn to them. With all the attention on the tournament and what the Sensei have done, they may have decided to lay low and wait for watchful eyes to move past."

Nobuko started with a soft, 'oh' and then smiled, "Did Kaidan have fun with his game? I have assumed he was not caught out, but I suppose I should not. He is well, yes?"

[Bayushi Jiro]

"He is well, and I think he may have made a new friend in Kakita-sama." He smiled. "It seems even one with Kaidan-san's talents is no match for the wiles of a Kenshinzen, but in a sense discovery has led to greater benefits than remaining...well, at play."

[Otomo Nobuko]

"That is both a shame and a pleasant surprise," she admitted with a considering look. "I was certainly taken aback by Kakita-Dono's reaction to Akodo-Sensei. I had been doing what I assume the orchestrator of this plot wanted, and blaming Kakita-Dono for targeting Hitoshi-san. Which... means they did a very good job of covering this until Akodo-Sensei felt he needed to try and make up for Hitoshi-san's tenaciousness. They had near full control of all the pieces in play until then. Depending on how desperate they may be to see this plot to it's end, we may need to keep an eye on Hitoshi-san during the events today and at the feast tonight."

[Bayushi Jiro]

"Most definitely. He...does seem an excitable person." Bayushi Jiro tilted his head to one side in thought. "Hai, the banquet will be an issue."

[Otomo Nobuko]

"I will be trading my bow with him during the archery competition. If someone is looking to make things harder for him, that will be the easiest way. Once I do it, however, I will not be able to do so during the hunting competition because anyone observing will know what I did. Either another will have to trade with him, or someone will have to keep close to him to ensure he can finish without being brought to harm."

[Bayushi Jiro]

"Once I have this ronin seized my hand will be tipped anyway. I may as well see it done. Assuming, of course, Hitoshi would trust a bow trade with a Bayushi."

[Otomo Nobuko]

"Give him my name and he should not question it too heavily. Especially as it will be after I did the same in the morning. I have already met with him once to assure him that aid I can offer, I will. There is little other ways to help keep the field even for him without both dishonoring his efforts or openly calling our hosts into question. But a 'silly superstition' about luck can be attributed to nearly any action that is not outright shameful."

She did not mention that she had no intention of checking the bow ahead of time for tampering. If it was, she would suffer it's full effects and then raise such a stink about someone daring to touch the bow of an Otomo... Hopefully she would not have to play that hand, however. She didn't particularly like doing so unless it was absolutely necessary to get a point across.

"Take care with this ronin. Whoever it is, with what we have seen of others of their ilk this tournament, engaging with them could be quite dangerous. I would do not wish to see you hurt."

The concern was genuine, of course, she rarely hid her feelings when in private with Tomohiro. So he'd be able to recognize the actual fear for his safety. After Kazuko was so gravely injured... And there was no guarantee a shugenja would be near enough to ask the kami for aid if Tomohiro did get hurt.

[Bayushi Jiro]

"I will be as careful as possible, of course." Tomohiro smiled disarmingly. "Do you suppose that there is a way to draw out this blackmailer? Some action we could take that could force them to act, and thus expose themselves?"