Shogun's Palace

Hitsufune had not only been the shogun's dog but also the guards' dog being kicked and beaten at their will - stripped of his clothes and forced to act like a dog whenever one of them approached. They had had great fun from it although one of the guards would come in secret and tell him about his failed marriage and the kids that had left him - opening his heart to Hitsufune as if he was really a dog always ending with 'Well, there's not much a dog can do about that huh? You're not able to speak so I guess my secrets are safe with ya?" he would say before leaving demanding that Hitsufune would whine as he left as if to show compassion towards his owner.

He was the craziest of all but the least violent although Hitsufune didn't know what to prefer. His mind was slowly changing and some nights he even wished his human mind could be exchanged for the unwitting one of the dog so he would not have to live with the torment of his guilt - but if only Haya never ended here he would see this out to the bitter end.

Suddenly Hitsufune heard commotion as the lock was busted and door opened.
"W-woof..!" Hitsufune barked as if to make sure he wasn't beaten for acting like a human. But quite quickly he found that the one standing in front of him was not a guard - although he might be a mirage. Was that really that guy, Renzo? He had been the one person Hitsufune had cast his hate on but it hadn't lingered while being incarcerated as he himself had been guilty of putting himself in that position. Was he here to end it all? To finally stop Hitsufune's misery? A slight smile crept up his cheeks as that didn't sound like a bad trade off and he bowed his head exposing his neck expecting no words as consolation.

But there were words and even just speaking his name invigorated him as he hadn't felt in a long time now.
"A-a man..?" Hitsufune stuttered his voice not used to forming coherent words. "My the scythe? You mean..?" Hitsufune asked trying to connect the dots. He had no idea they were in the middle of a war as the guards kept this place air tight of outside information. "How did you get in? And why must I kill the emperor?!?" Hitsufune asked trying to make just a little sense of things.

"The shogun..?" Hitsufune said still confused. "How did you even get in here?" he asked then. "How will you even get to the shogun, he's more tightly protected than anyone in Tawakoshi? This is nonsense and I don't trust you! Why are you here at all?" he asked as he felt the freedom from his shackles once again.

"I... I do desire that... A great deal in fact!" Hitsufune spoke up feeling his arms and wrists. "But I've been here for a long time, my body isn't one that can take on his guards right now..." Hitsufune complained seeing Renzo's eyes pierce him and it was almost painful. He had become pitiful and all that just to survive another day in the hope that it he would once see the light again. But now that the opportunity came, he cowered from it. What kind of creature had the shogun turned him into?

"You're wrong, Uehara Renzo. At least when it comes to glory because I will likely never be forgiven before I at least return that mask you're wearing, preferably with your head still attached, but I realize this is outside of my reach. If you however mean that I am able to put an end to the shogun I will!" Hitsufune said determined and got to his feet with some stumbling around.

"But I need a weapon..." he said and looked around although the cell obviously didn't have that. "And an explanation... Why are you turning on him, Uehara Renzo? And... what is it, that is happening that you aren't telling me?" Hitsufune asked and this time bore his eyes into Renzo's.

To Hitsufune, as he had been bound for weeks like this, it sounded like complete nonsense. To think that this guy had the strength and might to do whatever he liked when he felt like it as if it was just a game. He could have saved Hitsufune immediately and spared him a lot of suffering and Hitsufune felt jealous. It could just as well have been himself that had gotten that mask and Renzo being treated like a dog inside this cell - oh what irony.

As Renzo suddenly disappeared and appeared back into Hitsufune's vision he shook his head. He hardly saw the movement at all and this was even more baffling to Hitsufune.
"W-why did you chose to work for the shogun with that strength..!?!" Hitsufune asked confused while he put on the robe, having to wrench his arm in his joints having gone stiff in the time he had been incarcerated. It felt strange to the skin to have clothes on again but little by little he felt his humanity seep back into him again.

Regardless of what was going to happen and what should have happened in his mind Hitsufune was ready to follow this new path.
"Well yes... If you say so." Hitsufune said rather reluctantly. It was all hard to take in - did the Hizashi army really stand at the gates and were ready to take the city? And why did Hitsufune have to be the one to kill the shogun? Did Renzo feel bad for leaving him here or did he want to humiliate the shogun.

"Let's go..! Ehrm... kill Ogino." Hitsufune said with a meager voice and he couldn't be sure of anything before he stood in front of the shogun. Hitsufune was ready though and would follow Renzo through the halls as he lead on although he couldn't shake the feeling that there was a very real possibility that he was being tricked in some cunning way.

There was definitely something to what Renzo had told him - the corridors were largely deserted along the way and this hazy dream just got even more odd as they reached the door to the shogun's inner chambers. Hitsufune blinked as he seemed to be watching the sword of Renzo producing fire out of nothing. Fire hot enough to burn through the reinforced doors that would at some point lead into the shogun's throne room.

He clenched his katana and looked to his unlikely ally hoping that he would indeed be telling Hitsufune the truth. He had however used the the time going through the palace to brace himself and if he would get the chance he would surely end the shogun's life - even if it meant ending his own. Whatever happened afterwards would be up to the gods to decide. Yes - the gods. Hitsufune had never been particularly religious but if they were indeed there this would be them playing with the mortals in the midst of chaos.

Gnawing through the roasted rabbit leg and stuffing his mouth with grapes he smiled as the intruders entered into his inner chambers. Behind him stood six ninja of exceptionel skill having been trained from childhood only to protect the shogun and currently in their prime of physical strength these guys prided themselves of being able to hold their own against contingents of trained samurai. Clad in dark grey with their faces covered and lightly armored in critical places these were the pinnacle of discipline and combat prowess in Jeoncho - at least of what the shogun knew about.

"Welcome gentlemen!" the shogun said apparently unfazed of this apparent treason. "I see that you found yourself a puppy..." he said and took another bite of a chicken leg the gravy spilling out over his lips as he spoke. "But I've decided that I don't like puppies anymore." he added and shrugged. "At least not live ones, so I'm going to have both of you... stuffed." he said calmly and waved at the ninja behind him as they stepped forwards and drew their ninjatos and approached the intruders confidently. Two of them pulled out throwing stars hurling them at Renzo with little hesitation.

Renzo was glad to see Hitsufune throw off his hesitancy and get to grips with fighting the guards. It turned out that he wasn’t entirely terrible with a sword in his hands. Perhaps he really could work up the courage to kill the Shogun.

As they broke into the Shogun’s inner chamber, Renzo surveyed the scene with a cold eye. The Shogun himself, grotesquely stuffing food into his mouth, with no delicacy or class that would befit his station; and surrounding him, his most elite bodyguards. “My apologies for intruding, your Excellency,” said Renzo, giving a brusque bow during which he did not lower his eyes. “I wasn’t aware that you were indisposed. I have a small amount of business to conduct with these gentlemen behind you – the famous “Dragon Head Ninjas” I presume?” Renzo’s gaze surveyed the whole group of six. These men would not be defeated as easily as the more mundane guards outside. Rumour had it that they also had magical powers, though he was sceptical. “I believe Furusawa has his own business to conduct…” he said. No matter how unlikely it seemed, Renzo was distancing himself from whatever it was Hitsufune was about to do.

Renzo merely had to keep the ninjas occupied long enough for Hitsufune to do his job. Was he deluding himself thinking he could take on these six, possibly the most skilled fighters in the Empire, on his own? Nevertheless, he had committed himself. And you are not alone, Fenghuang reassured him. A new fire burned within the phoenix mask as its words entered Renzo’s mind. Jealousy. Once we were regarded thus. The most powerful in the Empire. The most feared and respected warriors in the nation. And we had real power, not like these… The mask’s lust to destroy them rose and with it the energy that flowed through Renzo and manifested around him as heat and flame.

Renzo lifted a hand, and the shuriken that flew towards him melted in the Fenghuang’s aura, much to the spirit’s glee. Renzo’s sword struck out in a bright arc, trailing flame as he sliced towards the ninjas from left to right. Regardless of skill and the Fenghuang’s power, six to one was not easy odds, and they could surround him if they worked adequately as a team. He would need to take them down one or two at a time, and make sure he moved one step ahead of them, using the agility and speed that the Fenghuang lent to his every move.

Renzo had shown the way and was attacking them relentlessly and although his reflexes were lightning fast and he managed to take down one of the ninja their reflexes seemed at least on a level where they could follow and reasonably react to most of Renzo's attacks. They were skilled - very skilled. Suddenly Renzo's sword was stopped and in that short moment another ninja had slipped past Renzo and headed towards Hitsufune with a determined downwards cut.

Just out of prison after having been abused and malnourished for weeks and his muscles only just learned to grasp a sword again. The ninja was among the best warriors in the country and had honed his skill to the maximum - Hitsufune could just as well drop his sword and use the few moments he had left to pray to the gods and be happy that he died with a sword in his hand and not with a leash around his neck. Yes that was the reasonable thing to do.

Yet why did he still hold onto the sword? Why did his eyes narrow and tracked the movement of the attacking ninja? Why did he stand so firmly? Step - move - cut. The tip of his sword was red and his thoughts had been on his sister Haya. He needed to protect her, this couldn't fail. He owed her that. A quick glance behind him and he saw the ninja fall his gut wide open. Sure the tip of the ninja's sword had grazed his own thigh but he felt nothing right now and the blood stain was only small. 'Onwards' he thought and looked around for the slightest of openings towards the shogun leaving little thought that he had just defeated one of the legendary ninja. Might have been a fluke but who cared?

The ninja seemed more than preoccupied with Renzo and for the first time Hitsufune's doubts about Renzo's intentions and allegiance had vanished. The knew that Renzo - for some unknown reason - had turned towards his former employer and was expecting Hitsufune to finish the work. 'With pleasure...' Hitsufune thought as he skipped behind one of the ninja seeing the shogun already having left his throne and food behind and about to crawl into a small chute that was apparently his escape route if things went against his plans.

Out of the corner of his eye behind the throne he saw a rope and intuitively grabbed it. The Furusawa-clan had been taught to ride on their Inukuma and use leashed weapons to catch bandits and game from the back of it thus he threw the rope so it entangled the foot of the shogun and assertively dragged the little rat out of his escape tunnel before he fully got to enter.

The frightened face of the shogun as he turned towards Hitsufune did not dissuade him in the slightest as he in a quick motion brought the rope around the shogun's throat and lifted him halfway up and pressed him firmly into the wall using strength he didn't think he had but felt reserved for this moment exactly.
"Now who's a scared puppy, huh?!?" Hitsufune shouted his anger boiling. "I'm afraid no amount of barking will save you now, Ogino!" he said as he with left still held the shogun in a throttling position he used his all his strength to jam the katana through the shogun's chest piercing his heart and letting the sword stay stuck in the wall the shogun's body hanging limp from it with the rope still around his neck.

"Goodbye former shogun." he said and paused before remembering the fight that was still going on as he turned around to see how Renzo was faring and ready to pull out the katana to defend himself.

It was easy, with the enhanced agility granted by the mask, for Renzo to step neatly aside from the ninja's spirited sword blow, and bring his own katana to strike a horizontal slash across his body, opening him wide as he fell to the floor. He spun to see the final ninja attempting to flee, back through the suite of rooms, now a corridor of flames.

Renzo threw his sword after the disappearing ninja. A lucky strike might catch him as he fled. Aside from that there was no need to go after him. It was the Shogun that was important here, not his minions. Let him spread the word of our glory! Fenghuang suggested. The mask spirit was still full of vigour but it was beginning to tell on its host. Its voice was so loud it made Renzo's head ache. He felt he scarcely had space for his own thoughts.

He turned with difficulty towards Hitsufune and the Shogun, for Fenghuang was more concerned with crowing over its own victory than paying attention to the works of others. His employer was dead, the contract therefore broken, and Renzo was a free man once more. Aside from the mask. “I thank you, Furusawa-san. Good work,” he nodded towards the corpse of what was once the most powerful man in the Empire. He would not get paid for the final work he had done in the Shogun's name, a pity, but he found himself caring less than he felt he ought to.

“I believe now we are even,” he said to Hitsufune. Burn him! screamed the mask, exalted. He is scarcely worthy to take credit for our work! He put his hand to his head; it felt as if the mask was constricting it like a tightening iron band. Its thoughts overpowered his own and left him almost reeling. He would remove it right now, if not for the simple fact that he needed it to exit the burning palace alive, and that he wasn't certain that even if he wanted to, he could. “Give my greetings to your Lord Hizashi.” He turned, without further comment, and began to walk back through the suite of rooms, all aflame and decorated with charred and sliced bodies.

His body moved as though his limbs were on puppet strings. Fenghuang had taken so much of him, so much of his energy, to turn into flames so bright and heat that melted flesh. He could feel now the human part of him beginning to sag. There was no sign of the sword he had thrown, only a trail of blood on the matting. It seemed the ninja had got away, and he needed to follow suit quickly. With his remaining strength he made his way through the inferno. None of the flames dared to burn their master while he wore the mask, as he made his way back the way he came.

Eventually he breathed fresh air instead of smoke as he crouched on the windowsill by which he had entered. He flipped up onto the roof, and took a running leap onto the next building, landing with a clatter and a badly timed roll. Fenghuang had gone silent for now.

He lay on the roof, no longer sparking with excess fire. The mask gradually slid itself out of his being, becoming once again, an object, and he felt its weight once again on his face. Renzo raised a heavy hand and lifted it off. He held it in both hands, his most precious and dangerous prize, and for now, he watched the sky and listened for the sound of the conquerors arriving to take the city, with just the slightest smile on his face.