Aotsuki Visits Five Guys with Mori the Blind

Gathering / Conference

Aotsuki Tsukamoto was expecting a meeting with the heads of the Oda Clan in the evening, but still had half of the afternoon to fill after tournament matches for the day had ended. Calling upon his boon companion, Saitō Dōsan, he repaired to Inabayama Castle, intent on seeing to the guests he had kept waiting.   The interior of the castle, built to the specifications of Dōsan’s mighty frame, was spacious and airy, with the low sun casting beams of light through its many windows. At the top of the eponymous Inabayama Mountain, the view was unmatched. Aotsuki took only a moment to regard it, however, before calling upon the company of the Five Guys of Mino.

The Five Guys, Burghers and Friars all, arrived without delay. They had been given quarters in the castle for the night, after the excitement at Ikkyū-ji, and had made good use of them. Too good, Aotsuki found. Upon asking for a report on what they had done to improve the province over the past half day, he was met with grumbles, sidelong looks, and excuses. It was understandable that they had slept in and not accomplished much after nearly losing their lives at the temple, but Aotsuki made his expectations clear.   As they began talking, with Dōsan adding his two cents as well, a few ideas for projects came up. The one Aotsuki gave most credence too was a request from the Viper of Mino himself. As a quite literal giant, he was unable to observe some aspects of life that others took for granted. One of these was paying respects at a temple, and so he requested that a shrine be built in Inabayama Town that would house his immense bulk. This request resonated with Aotsuki, so he put it at the top of the list.   The matter of the new trademaster, Momoyama Shunkei, came up, as did the town being constructed in the eastern part of Mino Province. None of the Five Guys had heard of it, but the idea seemed to inspire them. It was not long before they suggested that Aotsuki should build a fort or series of fortresses on the northern border of the province, to protect against invasion from the Ikkō Ikki beyond. Eventually, this idea evolved into a fortress, a town, and a temple, all in the same location.   Humbly, Ando Kagesuke recommended his own services for the project, stating that it would be his magnum opus. This left Aotsuki nonplussed, who knew the man to be a religious scholar and writer, with zero qualifications to take on a construction project. Still, he granted Kagesuke that honor so long as he would be helped by "Master" and Kuroda Kanbei. Iwamura Yoshisuke, too, offered his services in recommending some candidates for shrine priests, which Aotsuki gratefully accepted. The other Three Guys were not quite so helpful, with Arima Masasuke spending most of the time talking about buckles in one sense or another.   Now that a clear direction was in mind, Aotsuki dismissed the Five Guys of Mino and asked instead to see Mori the Blind. The infirm painter, fully recovered physically if not mentally from the events of the night previous, stated that he was pleased to “see” Aotsuki. The young daimyō, too, expressed his gladness that Mori was in one piece.   As pleasantries wound down, however, Aotsuki’s true motives became clear. He wanted to know where Ikkyū might have gone to ground, and the blind painter was currently his only lead. Mori the Blind, however, would not speak on the matter. He acknowledged the bald monk’s terrible deeds, but said too that he owed the man much, and wished still for his safety. After much convincing, Aotsuki able to tease out a morsel of information, and only then upon the condition that he would not harm Ikkyū once he was found.   Mori stated that from what he knew, Ikkyū would most likely flee to one of two places. Either he would seek refuge with the other groups of Ikkō Ikki in the northern provinces, or he would instead hide in Inabayama, right under the daimyō’s nose. This second seemed overly bold, but quite in character for the man who had set fire to and bombed his own shrine.   Aotsuki thanked Mori and consulted then with Abe no Seimei. Wise in the ways of yōkai, she stated that the Shirohebi Ikki would not be expected to grant him sanctuary. That left the Crescent Moon Collective as the only other major Ikki within reasonable distance. If he had fled to the northern lands, he would be there, or among the many smaller camps of monks and peasants that made up the ragtag group. Seimei, too, acknowledged the strong possibility that the man they sought was in Inabayama.   Aotsuki was at a loss regarding how to draw his prey out, and so his adviser suggested the possibility of hiring a mercenary. Their last experience had not gone particularly well, it was true, but there were more sellswords than just Katō Kiyomasa in Japan. Seimei suggested that Aotsuki may find success in asking about the matter during his meeting with the Oda Clan. Recruiting a mercenary in Owari, too, would be far less obvious a move to Ikkyū than hiring one in Inabayama.