Adam sat on his horse riding slowly while staying close to the young lord's horse. "Masanari. We're almost there. We've been traveling for a while, so I expect the best from you and the others that are around." He nodded. "They'll make you proud, you won't even know they're around."
"Excellent. That's what I want to hear. Now tell me news of your recent manhunt amongst the ranks." He nodded. "There have been advancements on that, but the trail isn't going in the direction that I thought it might, but it's still interesting."
"What do you mean Masanari, whos the one paying for the information?" He nodded with his head in the direction ahead of him. "You're about to meet him."
"You mean the tiger?" He nodded. "Yes, the tiger himself, or one of his generals, who serves under him, but from what the garden keepers have reported on, its the tiger himself."
"Interesting indeed. Why would the tiger be wanting to know our movements?" He looked at the young lord in thought. "The questions would be, is why the spy also selling the information to the Imagawa? To me, it seems that they can be bought for a price, and are someone who is in desperate for money."
"Interesting. I can't increase the soldier's wages at the moment, as my access to funds is limited. I need lands of my own, where I can start developing." He nodded at the young lord. "Don't worry about finance. We'll be getting a lot of income soon. We just have to be patient for a while."
"What do you mean?" He looked at the road in front of him. "These upcoming battles, there'll be raiding of rich lands, we'll get money from these battles."
"Hahaha. You're right. We're letting the tiger do the work." He leaned towards the young lord. "I wouldn't speak that loudly, not when we're in their territory, and the spy in our midst is one that can be bought." He saw the young lord nod his head."
"It seems he's really matured over this short time." He looked ahead with a smile on his face, watching a guard come racing up to them on their horse. "Lord. We're here. Matsuyama castle is ahead."
"Excellent. I'll be looking forward to meeting this tiger of ours. Come Masanari. What other information can you tell me about him. Something I can use in our negioations." He lowered his head to the young lord. "There's a bit of information the garden keepers have collected."
"Which is? You know how I don't like to ask the same question multiple times." He nodded at the young lord. "From what I hear, there are those in his own family, that don't want him to be in the position he's in now, and have tried to remove him countless times."
"Interesting. What else can you tell me about him?" He smiled. "This is information that you can use. He dotes on his youngest child. That will be the one who continues his Takeda line. We could make sure that once his use is complete, we shall make sure that the youngest doesn't have the same amount of power and strength that his father has now."
"That's something that I can use." He watched the young lord lean towards him. "If others have tried in the past to remove him, are you still sure of your abilities in completing the same task?" He nodded at the young lord. "I'm confident in my abilities. He maybe slightly paranoid, but on battle he's one that we need."
"Remember manservant, keep close to me, and only talk when asked to talk." He bowed at the young lord as they slowed their speed, walking into the city around the castle. He looked up at the castle. "This was taken by Takeda and Hojo. It seems he's easy to break alliances and deals with others."
He rode on his horse in silence constantly looking at the crowds of people starting to gather around them. He stopped his horse once he heard horses coming towards them. He watched as the armored welcome party stopped them from entering the castle gates. "Welcome to Matsuyama castle. Only the lord and his servants may enter. His escorts are invited to stay in the inns around the town. He is protected here as a guest, and I hope all will return the favor."
He turned looking at the young lord, waving at his escort. "You heard them. No trouble, I'll call for you when we're ready to go back." He lowered his head in front of the welcome guard. "Come Masanari, lets go meet this ambitious lord."
He nodded, and followed the young lord through the castle gates, getting off his horse, and holding the young lord's horse by its reins. He handed them to the servants who kept the horses, and followed the young lord into the castle.
"This is where you will stay. Takeda Shingen will call for you shortly. He's just dealing with some personal business." He nodded at the servant standing in the doorway, watching it slide close. He knelt on the ground in front of the young lord in silence as he looked around the room.
"What is it?" He rose a finger to his lips, pointed to the walls and lowered his voice. "These walls have ears. They didn't conceal it very well. I think he's waiting to see what we want in the alliance."
He saw the young lord nod. "Very well. We shall play the same game in return." He smiled nodding at the young lord. "Soon we shall meet with Takeda Shingen. I've heard many stories about his battles with Uesugi many times. I wonder if he'll be able to defeat him one day in the future?" He smiled listening to the loud voice of the young lord. "He will my lord. On top of that, he'll take the lands, and than go for Imagawa, which is why we should alley with them. Get your chance of revenge, since you were parted from your son for many years."
He saw the young lord wink at him, and poured a cup of tea handing it to him. "Here's some tea to recover your energy with after a long trip. I wonder if he'll agree to our alliance."
"Thank you Masanari. Please see to my bath. I heard the springs around here do wonders for the skin. I want to try them out before we meet with Shingen." He bowed at the young lord, slide the door opened, and walked to a servant in waiting. "The young lord wishes to experience the springs here around the castle. Is there one that he can try?"
"Yes, we have a private spring prepared for just him. We'll send someone to take you bother there." He nodded at the servant. "Thank you." He turned walking back to the young lord and stood waiting for for the servant to arrive. He saw them approaching him in the hall, slide open the door, bowing at the young lord. "The private spring is ready for your use. A servant is here to take you to where it is."
"Thank you Masanari. I won't need you while I'm in the spring. I'm sure you'll be able to find something to do while waiting for my return." He nodded at the young lord, watching as he followed the servant towards the hot springs. He entered the room, and stood smiling. "Not bad. He's given me some time to collect some information." He walked to the window and looked out side it, staring at the city below him. "Very prosperous place. I'm sure the garden keepers were able to collect a lot of information for us."
He heard the door slide open and the unmasked shinobi entered wearing the servant uniform of the Takeda. He bowed at them, as they bowed in return. "Any news I should be made aware of?"
"Your little performance with the young lord has paid off. Shingen is already aware of it, and feels quite proud his plan worked." He shook his head, and looked at the off colored wall. He pushed it to reveal an empty space behind it. "Don't worry, there's no one in here anymore, they got all they wanted, and Shingen has praised them and himself for it. Tonight will be a meal together for the young lord and him. Make sure you tell the young lord not to mention about the alliance at that time. He's being tested, by the tiger."
"It makes sense, He wants to see if the young lord is serious about his ideas of revenge, and Shingen really wants that land, as well as removing the Imagawa, a potential thorn in his claw." He saw the unmaksed shinobi nod at him. "Than, I shall leave you. The discussions for the alliance will probably happen on the final day, in the last few hours. Make sure the young lord is patient. The tiger seems to follow traditions and strategies from the lands over the west." He nodded at the figure as they left the room, as he poured himself a cup of tea.
"Very interesting man. Pity you'll be removed by the time you become a man eating tiger." He put the cup down filling another cup for himself. He shook his head as he tasted it. "Not as good as the tea from Imagawa, a bit too bitter for me."
He looked at the closed door in thought. "What do I have to do to get that spear from him? There shouldn't be too much more." He looked at his hands in thought. "The question I should be asking, is how do I hide it after I have it? I can't keep it at the temple, that's where I died. I'll have to put it in a place where it won't be found accidentally."
He swallowed the tea in his cup, and watched the door sliding open, revealing the young lord. "Masanari, that spring was amazing. I feel like I've become a young child again. My skin feels very tight." He bowed at the young lord, as they sat in the chair above him, while he poured a cup of fresh hot tea. "Tonight, there'll be a meal with the tiger, but don't mention anything about the alliance. He will only hear about it on the final day we're here."
"Understood. I knew if I left you here for a while, you'd be able to bring something good that I can use. What else?"
"Talk about family, and how you missed your son growing up. Focus on the missing youth part. We want to make him think, that we have no idea of his future ambitions."
"Are you sure he'll agree to it? He'll be turning his back on the Hojo." He nodded. "The Hojo aren't the same value as Suruga. To him, to capture Suruga, is his path to bring Japan under his banner. We're not going to let that happen."
"Very well. This tea. I don't like it." He nodded. "I also don't like it either young lord."
"I need to have my castle, in a place where it has the best tea in all of Honshu." He smiled at the young lord. "If you're patient, you'll be having the best."
"Patience is something that I pride myself on. You should know that by now." He nodded. "For our plan to work, you need to bleed patience my lord. It will take time, but by the end I can guarantee that you'll be sitting at the top in Japan."
"That sounds like a beautiful dream Masanari. Can you really make it happen?" He nodded. "The thing with plans and some people, is that they don't plan well enough or far enough." He poured a cup of tea for the young lord and himself. "With me and the smiling monk. We've planned and thought of every possible action that can happen for the next hundred years of Japan."
"You've made plans for that far ahead." He nodded. "Even after I retire from this life, my actions will still be felt, until my death."
"You really are a demon. If everything goes according to your plans, than I'll have to think of a way to reward your skill. If the tiger has been dealt with. We shall have to talk about this again." He bowed at the young lord. "Thank you for your kindness. Lets prepare for our evening with the tiger. I wonder what he'll serve us?"