"Sit up. Let me see your face as I tell you this mission." He sat up smiling at his lord. "Why are you smiling?"
"My lord has already use of me, and my men. What do you request of this servant?"
"I want you to find where my family are being held hostage, inform me where they are, and to rescue them when we attack." He bowed, his head touching the ground in front of the young lord. "As my young lord desires. Do you have any ideas of the location where they're being held?"
"All I know is that Udono Nagateru a general from the Imagawa clan has them. If you find Nagateru, you'll be able to find my family nearby."
"Consider this mission accomplished. Once I rescue them, I'll present them to you after the battle. If I find more information I'll let you know."
"Good. Than, I shall head back, and wait for your arrival or at least a message here." He nodded. "I'll leave now my lord, when you see me next it will be with information for your family."
"You have my leave." He stood up, turned and walked away from the young lord, through the treeline and back to his waiting horse. "Sorry to make you wait for me. We have a mission to go on. I wonder how I'll meet with the men?" He pulled out the small throwing knife looking at the Hattori emblem on it. "Father said I just had to inscribe the emblem on a stone where I stay, and they'll come to me. I might as well do that." He looked at the town on the other side of the river in thought. "Looks like I'll have to change my clothing if I'm going to get in unnoticed."
He opened one of the bags on his horse, and changed his clothing to that of a merchant. Once he finished, he looked at his horse. "Lets go into town, and find a place to stay the night." He got on the horse and slowly made his way over the bridge before stopping at the gates.
"Who goes there?"
"A humble medicinal merchant, looking to stay in one of your city inns for the night. I still have to reach my farms before the harvest."
"Fine, pay the entrance fee, and you can go in." He pulled out a few coins handed it to the guards, and gently encouraged his horse to enter the town. He looked back at the guard. "Kind sir, where would I find an inn that I could have comfort and also quiet?"
"Just go straight ahead. You'll see it, it can't be missed." He lowered his head bowing at the guard. "Thank you for your kindness." He turned and walked with his horse until he stopped outside an inn, smiling. "He's right, I couldn't miss this place at all. Its huge, and perfect for what I need to do."
He picked up a stone and scratched on it the emblem taking it inside. "Welcome. Do you wish to stay the night?" He nodded at the owner, pointing to his horse. "I need a place for him, and also a place for me. Preferably on the roof. I like the stars, and enjoy watching them at night."
"We have a place that's like that, perfect for your desire sir. As long as you have the coin for it." He placed coins into the hands of the owner, who looked at them with a smile. "Excellent. Come with me, I'll show you to your room and I'll get someone to take care of your horse." He smiled. "Thank you." He followed the owner up the stairs until they stopped at a door at the end of a hallway. "Here it is." He nodded at the bowing owner. "Thank you again." He closed the door behind him, after throwing the engraved stone at the ground in front of the door."
"Lets see if they can really find me, and meet with me tonight." He climbed out the large window, and sat staring at the evening sky, watching the stars come out, and the torch lights of the town start being lit up by the city watch. "After all my time on Kurama, a city is still a bit too much for me I think."
"Young Hattori. I got your message, and have informed the others. They'll be joining us shortly." He turned and saw a masked shinobi standing in the room behind him. He smiled. "Father was right. You got my message after all."
"Yes. We're everywhere, and move when we're called. What have you summoned us for?" He bowed at the masked shinobi. "We've been given a mission by the young lord. We're to find his family, and rescue them, while the young lord sends his soldiers in as a distraction."
"Imagawa clan?" He nodded. "Correct. A general by the name of Udono Nagateru has them somewhere. We need to find where this general of Imagawa is, since that's where his wife and children should be held."
"We should be able to find this information. Will you be on the move once you know the location?" He nodded. "I'll be leading the rescue mission, as soon as we find them."
"Good. That's a good sign of a young Hattori. Lead your men from the front. When the others get here, I'll brief them of the mission."
He bowed again at the shinobi. "Why do you bow? We're the ones who should be bowing." He smiled. "We're both Iga shinobi. I am the same rank as you. I'm not special."
"Not special yet, young Hattori. Go to the roof with me, and see your men." He nodded following the masked shinobi out of the window and stood on the roof watching as shadows gathered in front of him. "Thank you for coming. I've given you the mission already. Find the location of the young lord's family, once you know where they are, inform me, and we'll go rescue them. Also find out as much as you can about the one holding them hostage. The more we know, the better we can prepare when we go to rescue the young lord's family."
"At once, young Hattori." He watched in silence as they left except for the one he met in his room. "I'll stay here with you, They'll send the information to me, and I'll pass it to you, as you still need to learn our codes, and how we communicate." He nodded at the masked shinobi. "I'm always ready to learn something new."
"Good. You deserve your father's praise. Also, this type of information won't be hard to gather. I guess, once they send the word out, we should get a response shortly, by bird." He looked at the sky. "A messenger bird?"
"Correct."
"Won't the enemy see it, and try to take it down?"
"Not this one. Its rather special, and flies only at night, and when they fly, they fly alone, and not in a flock." He looked at the shinobi as they climbed back into the room. "What type of bird is it?"
"Its an owl. We've been using these for many years to share information with others." He smiled. "That's very clever. Using a night bird of prey that only comes out at night. Hunts alone. I guess it would of taken a long time to train them?"
"Not at all. Come watch the night sky with me and see them yourself." He followed the shinobi to the window and stared out at the night sky smiling, as owls were flying about the night sky. "Are they all ours?"
"No. Just a small handful, the others come out for the rats and other small creatures that come out at night." He nodded in thought. "So the cities, actually enjoy their presence?"
"Correct. Now back to our lessons, we have much to discuss, before the message returns." He knelt on the ground of his room, and looked at the shinobi. "I'm ready. Please begin."
"As you know what you're about to learn is secret, the emblem you engraved is only one small piece of what we do." He nodded, focusing on the words of the shinobi in front of him.
'...'
He rubbed his eyes as sunlight was starting to come through the window. "Our time is up. You should get some rest." He nodded at the shinobi, turning to hear a rustling at the window and saw an owl staring at him. He heard the shinobi whistle and the owl landed on his arm.
"See. I told you this information won't take long to find. Young Hattori, the young lord's family is being held at Kaminogo castle, they're heading to that location now, and will start scouting when they arrive." He smiled at the shinobi. "Thank you for the information. I'll let the young lord know, so we can start preparing to leave here."
"I'll also depart to Kaminogo, and meet you there when you all arrive. Find our message, and we'll be there waiting for you." He nodded at the bowing shinobi, bowing in return, watching them climb out of his window and disappearing on the nearby roofs. "The young lord will be happy to hear this news." He looked at the door frowning. "Should I go now? Or should I go once people have woken up?"
He shook his head as he thought through the steps. "If I go now, he'll see that I'm serious about my role to protect him and his family, if I go later, he'll think that I'm not serious in my duties." He opened the door and headed down the stairs.
He left the inn, and walked towards the small castle, standing looking at its gates. "What are you doing here merchant?" He smiled at them. "I've come to see my young lord."
"What's your lords name?"
"Matsudiara Motoyasu."
"What do you have for him?"
"I was given a task to complete for him, and I'm coming back to report on the results of his task."
"Its dawn, it better be important if you want to see him first thing in the morning." He nodded. "Its very important."
"Wait here. What is your name?"
"Tell him Masanari is waiting for him, to tell him of his request."
"Fine. Wait here. I'll let the servants know you wish to speak with the young lord."
He leaned against the walls of the city, until he saw the young lord come running outside in sleeping attire looking around. "You said that Masanari was here waiting for me? I don't see him."
"Young lord. Its me. I'm here with the news you want to hear." He bowed on the ground in front of the young lord. "Come in. Don't kneel in the dirt of the streets." He stood up and followed the young lord into the small castle, only stopping when the lord stopped and looked at him. "In future. Don't come through the gate, I'm sure you have your own ways of coming to meet me." He nodded. "I do, just this once, so I can have a look around at the people you're surrounded by."
"So this news of yours. Were you able to complete what I asked of you in less than one day?" He nodded. "I know, and my men are already on the way, scouting the area as we speak." He stood in silence as servants walked past them. "Come with me merchant. Lets talk more about your trade routes." He followed the young lord, until they stopped in a small meeting room. "We can talk here. The lord of this place lets me use this room as my meeting room, when I see my retainers. Since you're the only retainer I have at the moment, it will suit us fine." He bowed at the young lord.
"Now. Tell me the information that caused me to wake up early from I was having such a nice dream." He smiled at the young lord. "Your family is being held in Kaminogo castle. My men are already on route, scouting the path for us." He lowered his head. "Permission to go ahead with them, and start planning to rescue them from the Imagawa?"
"Permission granted. I'll get what troops I can and also march towards the castle. I'm tired of living in a borrowed castle. Good work Masanari. I'll be seeing you on the field of battle, after you've rescued my family." He bowed and left the small room, leaving the castle with a smile on his face. He walked back to the inn, packing his horse, walking out of town towards Kaminogo castle. "Be safe. I'm coming to get you out of there."