I Dream of Kumagai

Revolution

With a bit of free time at his disposal, Ryūzaki Sanosuke found himself reminded of a certain scheme Takenaka Hanbei had dreamed up. Her goal was to conquer Tachibana Castle, taking it back from the Mōri Clan forces which had occupied it in retaliation for Sanosuke's own annexing of Inaba Province. When she'd suggested using Dream Magic to make occupier Kumagai Nobunao believe he'd lost the castle over a friendly arm-wrestling match, the Silver General was a bit doubtful. Still, he'd made the proper arrangements. It wouldn't do to underestimate the Inabayama Siegebreaker herself, after all. Trivia obtained enough regalia to make the castle look as though it'd belonged to the Hashinara Clan for some time, and a friendly carpenter in Wakigami provided enough wooden tea buckets to get a whole army of Kuma Guys dead-drunk.

That left only one piece for the plan. Although the obvious choice for a dream-manipulator was Yagokoro Tokuyo, Sanosuke chose not to disturb the priestess of Ise Grand Shrine. Instead, he sought talent within his own ranks, calling upon newcomer Daidōji Tsuneyo. After consulting with the "Dust Fairy" on her abilities, Sanosuke confirmed that, through her connection with Omoikane, Tsuneyo was able to communicate with people in dreams. That wasn't exactly what Hanbei had asked for, but it would likely do.   With that done, Sanosuke informed Hanbei that he was ready to go ahead with the plan. True to her reputation, the lame tactician already had her other pieces prepared. She arranged transport for Sanosuke and Tsuneyo to a location of her choosing on a hilltop overlooking Tachibana Castle. A procession of nobles and courtiers, bearing enormous jugs of fine sake, were already being welcomed inside when Shigeaki Fujino dropped them off.   Their vantage point was at least comfortable, in the shade of a small tree. There was little to do now but wait for Tsuneyo's role to arrive, with Sanosuke staying on hand in case of trouble. The two fell to small talk and, eventually, the Silver General's notorious charm melted a bit of his companion's awkwardness away. Just as they seemed to be making some progress, Sanosuke's chat was interrupted by an urgent communication from Hashinara Yoshitakatomo. This wasn't the best time, and Sanosuke had little doubt that his lord was truly in as much trouble as she* claimed, but he couldn't just leave it either. Resignedly, he temporarily excused himself from the plan and Tsuneyo's company, instead traveling with a distraught Fujino to Miwa-myōjin.   His business at Miwa-myōjin, though confusing and harrowing, did not last overly long. By the time he arrived back at the knoll overlooking Tachibana Castle, Ryūzaki Sanosuke was informed by Takenaka Hanbei that his role was at hand. Shigeaki Fujino provided transportation inside to himself and Daidōji Tsuneyo before departing on other business. Within, Tachibana Castle looked much as any castle did, albeit enormously roomy. This was good, as the inhumanly enormous figure dozing in its center, sprawled across a makeshift throne, was well over forty feet tall. This must be Kumagai Nobunao, and the dozing oni in various states of barbarian undress about the place, his Kuma Guys.   There were a few nobles about the place, chatting and socializing as though this were a normal party. Apparently there were all in on Hanbei's plot, as each one of them was careful not to pay any attention to Sanosuke's arrival. Each except one, as a drunken noblewoman stumbled out of the crowd and into the Silver General's waiting arms. Looking down, Sanosuke saw Shigeaki Fujino's drunken eyes trying to focus back on him. It was anyone's guess how she'd managed to get drunk so quickly, but Sanosuke dismissed this as one of her eccentricities and held her steady while he returned to the task at hand.   Under his instruction, Tsuneyo helpfully whispered a narrative into Kumagai Nobunao's dreams. He'd bet the castle in an arm wrestling match and lost. Now it belonged to the Hashinara Clan, as evidenced by all the Hashinara regalia about the place, and he had to pack up his Kuma Guys and get out. A certain degree of stupidity and stubborness would be required to believe such a yarn, but Hanbei had assured him that Nobunao possessed both qualities in spades. To be safe, Sanosuke also requested that Tsuneyo implant the idea in one other oni's head before they left. For this purpose, he chose a big fellow draped across a table who looked at least a bit more well-clothed than the rest.   Their mission here was nearly done, and Hanbei prepared to get someone... expendable to wake Nobunao up for the conclusion. Sanosuke stopped her, however. He thought that it might be better to let them sleep it off and wake up a bit more naturally to their new situation. Hanbei hesitated. She agreed that the Kuma Guys and their leader would probably be more amenable if they weren't rudely awoken, but she'd also been counting on Sanosuke being here in case anything went wrong. The Silver General promised to return if necessary and, in the meantime, he'd ask someone to keep an eye on the castle and ensure their plan went smoothly.   Chōbei's face drifted briefly into Sanosuke's mind, but he dismissed the idea immediately. Who knows what that bandit would do when presented with a castle full of sleeping guards and expensive treasures. Instead, he contacted Kubokuma-dōnyo. The little historian was up for the task, but she first felt it necessary to ask her "boss." That apparently meant Hashinara Yoshitakatomo, whom Kubokuma was able to hail even through the veil of dreams. Yoshitakatomo gave her blessing, although some of her* messages, particularly about lamprey monsters, were a bit concerning. Still, that wasn't any of their business. Kubokuma-dōnyo arrived moments later with Fujino.   Only... Sanosuke was still holding Fujino's drunkenly-slouching form in his arms. There was a moment of silent confusion as all looked between the two psychics. As the new, presumably the real Fujino let out an exclamation, the drunken one teleported away immediately. This turn of events was not a welcome one, especially in the light of some kind of possession attempt Fujino had experienced not long ago. It seemed increasingly likely that someone was attempting to corrupt the lynchpin of the Hashinara communications network.   Fujino teleported them all outside to speak about the matter more freely. There, she explained her recent meeting with Maxim and how they had worked out that someone had likely added her to an all-new psychic network for reasons unknown. In light of recent events, it seemed that this person must have been the faux-Fujino. Indeed, the person who'd bumped into her at the tournament fit the physical description, even with her face covered by a cowl.   Sanosuke wasn't thrilled that Fujino had consulted with Maxim before him, and he immediately set about his contacts for a psychic expert. Such a thing proved rarer than expected, however. His best bet, Hori Hidemasa, was apologetic that neither her nor her sister would be much of a help. Indeed, even when in the Oda Clan, Hidemasa hadn't really encountered anyone who could be called a "psychic expert."   Fortunately, Fujino was able to supply a bit more here as well. She and Maxim had already called in a psychic, a certain monkey from Hiyoshi Onsen, but even his training proved not enough. Saruyoshi Ennosuke had managed to identify a third psychic matrix where there should be only two, but not which one was which so that it could be safely removed without disrupting the existing mental network.   That left them with few options. It was dubious how much damage another party could do just by talking to Fujino, but Sanosuke, like Maxim, was not willing to discount the possibility. Indeed, his recent contact with the presumed other psychic opened some worrying possibilities on its own...