Date: April 18th, 13 years following the Kyuubi's attack
Time: 2:10 PM
It was early in the afternoon five days later before the royal carriage neared the front of Mizumiyo Palace. Sho Inugami's eyes had puffy, grayish bags under his eyes from the nightmare-filled sleep that he'd inflicted upon himself for the past week, but he'd made his way through all the books the day before…
Tonight he'd sleep peacefully.
He was currently idly flipping through the book of etiquette that the Hokage had given Motoko, but was very careful to keep a finger on a certain page. It was something critical that Motoko had discovered – something that had made her and Kimiko both break out in beet-red blushes when she had shared it out loud – that he would have to share with Miho Hyuuga; he was the only one whose role would permit him to talk to her directly once they exited the carriage.
Outside, another brassy fanfare sounded, causing Kimiko/Reiyuriko to growl in annoyance. The fanfare had preceded and proceeded them for the past hour since the carriage had passed through the outer wall of Kawa City.
"Yes, yes, the ENTIRE city knows the Pearl of the River is back… Give it a rest already!" She said tersely; Inugami, with the migraine that had come with poor sleep, wholeheartedly agreed with her sentiment.
"I quite agree." Motoko said, reading over one of the books about flower symbolism that Sho had recommended as the more comprehensive resource. "Just remember how much the people love the real Princess, though… She's been gone so long, so forgive them for being overly…" She paused considering her choice of words. "…Enthusiastic."
Mizumiyo Castle, the Palace of the Lord Daimyo Mizuzaki the 27th, was a massive, six story granite fortification built atop a central hill over the course of several centuries. The castle had taken so long to build because the dense volcanic rock was not native to the River Country, which primarily had sedimentary rock deposits, and had to be imported at great cost and effort.
Such a massive project would have bankrupted a smaller nation like this one, but the Land of Rivers' primary export were precious metals like gold, silver and platinum, so the construction had merely been a titanic matter of logistics instead.
It was because of those same natural resources that the River Country had been left as an independent nation instead of being absorbed into the Land of Fire or Wind after the end of the Great Shinobi War: mostly because none of the other 5 major nations had been willing to allow any one nation claim exclusive ownership of those resources. As a result the Land of Rivers was turned one of the "buffer" nations - neutral territory between the major countries - under the resulting peace treaty from the war.
The wall that surrounded Kawa City was a nearly-perfect circle with a radius of nearly 20 kilometers from Mizumiyo Palace's main tower. Legend had it that the Daimyo's residence was built atop the hill containing the oldest gold mine in the River Country's history, but building such an important structure atop a warren of tunnels that would be the remnants of a played out mine made such a legend implausible.
Oh, sure, there was a "mine" entrance on one side of the massive hill, but it was meant for tourists; the small underground maze that pretended to be a mine had been dug in the last forty years or so using extreme caution to prevent causing any engineering instability in the castle atop the half kilometer tall hill. As it was one of the highest points in a nation filled with river-cut valleys, it made sense the Lord Daimyos of the past had chosen it as the location for their royal palace.
The royal escort that had joined the procession at the gate of the city fell by the wayside as the carriage bearing "Princess Reiyuriko" home passed through the steel-barred archway bolted to an unusual blue-stoned wall that was one of the castle's trademarks and into the palace's courtyard. The Blue Wall - as it was called - was made of an extremely dense stone that was similar to granite, but no known quarry in the world could claim the stone as their product.
There were legends galore about the wall, but nothing in the way of verifiable proof.
Mizumiyo Castle was a powerful, impressive image at a distance, but it was only once you were up close could you see the intricately engraved fresco on the main tower's six story walls, which depicted a breathtaking scene telling the story of the River Country's history and boasting of its natural beauty.
Riding atop the carriage that was carrying the disguised Genin inside, Okito Tanaka whistled out loud to himself in awe. As a largely self-taught master engineer, the artistic skill to allow the story to be clearly visible from ground level without compromising the durability of the underlying granite was impressive.
'Probably a removable façade for maintenance purpose… But given the assets available to the Lord Daimyo, I can't rule out them paying an Earth jutsu artisan to use chakra techniques to regenerate the stone directly.' He thought to himself.
As the carriage circled around to face the entrance and came to a stop, Shao Fukamichu and Hoshi Fugato descended the steps leading to the first floor entrance of the Palace. The majordomo and the assistant majordomo now wore their robes of office - fashioned from elaborately detailed blue and gold silks - and were followed by a series of guards and servants in the same uniforms that Okito Tanaka and Motoko Hata had been wearing since the departure from Konoha a week before. The servants approached the back of the carriage and began to unload the luggage as directed by Seta Noriyasu - Tanaka's alter ego for the duration of the mission.
The door to the carriage opened after a seemingly interminable period of time. Princess Reiyuriko wa Mizuzaki appeared for the second time since returning to her home nation and descended the steps of the coach with the assistance of the two drivers. Kimiko Itou took a deep breath. The air lacked the scents typical to the streets of Konoha, but the kunoichi smiled widely nonetheless. "It is true what they say; the air is indeed sweeter in the place you call home…"
Fukamichu and Fugato stepped over to her and bowed deeply. The majordomo gave the stand-in a beaming smile, "Welcome home, Reiyuriko-hime. I trust you'll forgive the lack of the usual pomp and circumstance; the Imperial Orchestra is busily striving to finish their preparations for the start of the Daimyo Convocation in two weeks."
Itou nodded. "We so forgive. In fact, we are greatly relieved by their absence..." The majordomo blinked in confusion - the real princess wouldn't normally say such things. Kimiko gave him a weary smile. "We fear the long journey home was far more exhausting than it should have been. In fact, we'd prefer to be able to have a light meal, a long bath and retire early rather than have the celebratory dinner that you probably have arranged, Shao-kohai."
Now the majordomo smiled in understanding and pleasure at Kimiko's verbal jousting; impressed at the skill the young woman displayed. "Having just made that journey on horseback, I understand fully, your Highness; and, of course, your will is our command. We'll have the party in honor of your return on another night." He snapped his fingers and two maids wearing the same uniform as Motoko Hata - who had now exited the carriage - stepped forward. This caused a flurry of conversations amongst the staff.
"See to her majesty's comfort." Fukamichu ordered without looking at the women.
Itou raised a finger and the women paused. She gestured to Sho Inugami, who had finally emerged after refreshing his transformation to hide the outward signs of his exhaustion, caused a bit of a buzz of gossip amongst the servants. "Keitaro Urashima" was a rather dashing-looking figure with his field of white hair and the fact that he'd been granted the honor to share a carriage with the Imperial Princess was stunning to say the least. The buzz died down a little as Mokoto Hata's Naru persona appeared from within to have the servants unload the Princess's in-carriage luggage.
"If you would also see to it that my guest, Keitaro Urashima-san, is given appropriate lodging befitting a person of his status? Oh, and before I forget, I would like you to have Narusegawa-chan report to my room after dinner this evening to help me unpack my belongings."
The majordomo nodded. "I have already made the arrangements for Keitaro-dono, Princess. Urashima has been given a room in the royal family's section. Worry not, milady, I've taken care of everything, but I will make sure your companions get properly settled before I retire for the evening. Narusegawa will be granted open access to the royal apartments and then I will see you in the morning, as usual."
"You are a gem, Shao-kohai!" Reiyuriko beamed at the older man. "Whatever would we do without you?"
"Hopefully, your Highness, you'll never have to find out..." The man responded gravely, but with a hint of a smile as the two ladies escorted the "Princess" into Mizumiyo Castle.
The man who helped keep the castle running turned to Keitaro Urashima, who had claimed one of his five bags from the handlers – specifically the bag that carried the scrolls that hid his ninja and medical equipment – much as Naru Narusegawa and Seta Noriyasu had, and had looped the strap over his shoulder.
The white haired young nobleman smile depreciatingly at Fukamichu, "I've learned to never let ALL of my bags out of my sight over the years… Doubly so when they carry items of diplomatic importance."
The majordomo nodded; the medic-nin was clearly committed to his role as well. "I know exactly what you mean, Urashima-dono." He and his assistant then gave him a bow, though not quite as deep as the one they'd given the princess. "In any event, we bid you welcome to Mizumiyo Palace. We owe your master Daimyo Akamatsu a debt of gratitude for sponsoring our beloved Princess during her goodwill tour of the Land of Fire and to you, personally, for accompanying her home."
"It was our pleasure, Fukamichu-san." The white-haired ninja medic-turned-aristocrat said with the noblesse oblige appropriate to his character. "The Princess was a welcome change to the usual gamut of self-important dignitaries I'm required to deal with.
"And as for joining her on the return trip, my master was planning on sending a representative to the Convocation to see about making a few deals with the regional Daimyo on the Fire side of your fair nation. Since I had developed a rapport with Reiyuriko-hime, I volunteered for the task." He paused to stifle a yawn with one hand. "Forgive me; long journeys always leave me tired. Additionally, I have also been tasked to evaluate the candidates for the next Lord Mizuzaki for my master. The Convocation offered me an opportunity to do so in addition to continuing to enjoy her Highness's company."
A genuine smile appeared on Shao Fukamichu's features. Sho's cover story, as it had been originally scripted, had been rather light on the reasons for his trip to the River Country, but the medic's embellishments carried the ring of truth to it and would be sure to spread rapidly since he'd said it in the presence of a number of people well known for being bastions of castle gossip.
"As you likely overheard, we have arranged for a room in the royal apartments for you, but since you'll be staying through the Convocation, we would be honored if you would stay here for the duration of your trip."
Keitaro Urashima bowed his head slightly, "I humbly accept your generous offer."
The majordomo glanced at Okito Tanaka and Motoko Hata. "I see that Noriyasu and Narusegawa did indeed decide to accept the offer to join our service."
Urashima nodded. "Reiyuriko-hime became rather fond of having them around, so my master decided that, as a gesture of respect to her and your nation, he would grant them the option to rescind their oath of loyalty to him so they could freely enter the service of your Princess. They accepted and accompanied us on the return trip."
"As Reiyuriko-hime has elected against a formal welcoming dinner, you will have the rest of the day to yourself to recover from your travels, although perhaps I can arrange for a chance of private conversation with Lord Mizuzaki later this evening." Inugami nodded genuine gratitude to the majordomo; a brief afternoon nap was just what the 'doctor' ordered for his own health.
"And I see that the ninja we hired from Konoha came with you as well." Shao Fukamichu said with a smile at the inside joke. He gestured to his assistant. "I have a number of things I must discuss with the Konoha team, so I will entrust my assistant, Hoshi Fugato to give you three a brief tour and see to it that everything is properly sent to your quarters."
The white-haired man snapped his fingers. "Oh, that reminds me..." He reached back into the carriage, pulling out the etiquette book and turned to the members of Team Miho. Not only had Hata-san found a very pointed rule that was not only based on proper conduct, but that it also carried criminal penalties for violating it. Sho and Kimiko had given each other a worried glance that Motoko had missed. Inugami handed the book to his Jonin instructor.
Miho Hyuuga frowned slightly at the object; this was not part of the expected plan. "What is this, Urashima-dono?"
Sho gestured to Nakahito Haruno. "During our trip from Konoha, Hyuuga-san, I had the opportunity to evaluate the members of your team during our occasional breaks. While I am fairly confident that your team will do justice to the reputation of the Land of Fire and the honor of the ninjas of the Hidden Leaf, the fellow in red over there strikes me as being slightly accident prone..." Inugami glanced at his teammate, who glowered in response since he wasn't allowed to talk back due to the medic's role in the current mission. "Since I understand that he's going to be working close to Reiyuriko-hime, I'd hate to see him have an ACCIDENT that has lasting repercussions to him or my job here."
Confused by the emphasis Sho had put on the word 'accident,' the silver/white-eyed kunoichi opened the book to the marked page and began to read the section that Sho had made sure was obvious. A trace of a blush colored her cheeks as her wine-colored lips pursed in a moue of contemplation.
"Hmm... Yes, I can see how that would be decidedly INCONVENIENT for all involved to say the least." She nodded and looked at the medic/aristocrat. "I thank you for your concern in this matter, Urashima-dono. I'll advise the ninja that I assign to augment her Highness's usual guard about it before they go to work."
"As you see fit, of course, Ninja Hyuuga; I would never presume to tell you how to do your job." Keitaro Urashima said before he turned to Hoshi Fugato. "Shall we be going then?" The assistant majordomo nodded, gesturing as he lead remaining members of the Civilian Team into Mizumiyo Castle.
One of the palace guards by Nakahito shook his head. "What a pompous ass..." He muttered consolingly, just loud enough for the Genin to hear.
Haruno turned and gave the man a heartfelt half smile. "Tell me about it... I've only known the guy for a little under a week, but I swear it feels like I've had to put up with his abuse for years." The red-clad young man shrugged. "Well, at least he's no longer my responsibility; my job is to help keep Princess Reiyuriko out of trouble."
The guard grinned. "Yeah… Good luck with that, kid." Haruno looked at the guard confused. "Reiyuriko-hime, while always a proper lady when in the public eye, has a bit of a mischievous streak. I used to be on her personal guard, but she kept finding ways to slip away without a trace; I finally had to request to transferred off her guard unit because it was starting to give me an ulcer." He clapped 'Hito's shoulder as he turned to follow the baggage handlers. "But, hey, you're young; you've got nothing to worry about."
'Nothing to worry about my right eye...' Haruno thought glumly to himself. 'My best friend is a princess and I have to treat her like she's a stranger.'
Shao Fukamichu coughed, gesturing to the palace. "Shall we go to my office and review the specifics then, Hyuuga-san?"
The raven haired kunoichi nodded. "Indeed; let's get to work. Team Miho, on me." The three male Genin, plus one panther cub, assumed a diamond formation behind the Jonin and followed in silent professionalism.
* * *
"Mizumiyo Palace, as you can see from the outside, has six floors above the surface. Less obvious are the other two beneath it." Hoshi Fugato told the three present members of the Civilian Team as they climbed one of the two circular stairwells just inside the main entrance of the castle. "The two basement levels contain the kitchens, maintenance, and utility areas. The first floor has a secondary ballroom that also serves as a formal dining room, but it is predominantly the royal family's residence. The quarters are only accessible from the northern side of the castle."
Fugato gestured upwards. "Levels 3 and 4 are dedicated for housing of guests and full-time servants, while the top two levels are the castle defense barracks and control systems. There are, of course, other guardhouses and servant quarters on the grounds, but those with higher status are given the honor of residence within the castle."
"And what about the second floor?" Okito Tanaka/Seta Noriyasu asked as they completed the third spiral around the central pillar of the staircase to reach the first level above the ground.
"Actually, that's where we're headed right now." The assistant majordomo told them as he stepped over to the twin sliding doors, revealing a large empty space with a spotlessly polished hardwood that he lead them into. The room had very few people wandering around, but each was clearly on their way somewhere else rather than hanging around. "The second level has the remainder of the operational sections of the castle: this is the primary Ballroom. The practice hall for the Imperial Orchestra and Imperial Performer's Guild is against the south wall while private meeting rooms and guest rooms for diplomats are to the north."
As they approached the far wall of a room that looked like it could easily accommodate three or four hundred people, two doors became visible. "The left door leads to the Hall of the Aquamarine Throne, where Lord Daimyo Mizuzaki-sama the 27th holds court on special occasions, such as the annual Daimyo Convocation. He also has a private office in his bedchambers for those meetings that do not require the accoutrements of his high office." The man who was somewhere between the age of Sho's persona and Tanaka-sensei said as he opened the right door.
The right door leads them with a number of chairs and couches, but devoid of any people. "This is the waiting area for the throne room. It's typically vacant unless there are simply too many people to fit in the Hall of the Aquamarine Throne or my Lord Daimyo clears the chamber for a private audience." The south wall had two sliding doors and he opened the one closer to the eastern side of the castle.
"This way... The covert surveillance area - a security closet if you will - we have set up for you is only accessible through the coat room. The room has served a number of different uses over the centuries: panic room, private torture chamber, prison for those who displeased the Daimyo but didn't deserve a stay in the dungeon, harem..."
"H-h-harem?!" Motoko Hata stuttered; her fine, pale skin flushing in a sudden irrational fear that the knowledge the room had once been used by women of loose morals might cause Sho - or worse, herself - to get ideas. Hata already felt half-naked in this maid outfit… A glance at Sho-kun that went unreturned – but the way his jaw clenched silently told the kunoichi that he HAD seen it – caused her to wince; both from as the flutter in her stomach and the barely treated bruise on her side.
Fugato nodded as he tugged on a pull-chain light after closing the door to the cloak room behind the four of them. "Oh, yes... The Letcher King Mizuru of the Third Dynasty, some three centuries ago, originally built the soundproofed room to store his private harem - or at least he is believed to be the one who arranged for the construction. But, then again, the story is also that the Letcher King was murdered, along with his entire harem, by a woman in the group that Mizuru had made the error of ignoring for several months."
Motoko quailed further: concubines and murder AND Sho giving her the cold shoulder? Tanaka noticed his kunoichi beginning to anxiety spiral, but a gentle squeeze helped calm her down.
"Then Daimyo Mizuzaki the 15th, a predecessor of the current Mizuzaki and descendant from the last Lord Daimyo of the Second Dynasty, ordered the room cleaned, sealed and stricken from every "official" blueprint of the Palace."
The kunoichi moaned, her bad feeling about the situation growing stronger. "Murder and a place where no one would look for a body..?"
The assistant majordomo shook his head with a slight chuckle. "Don't fret, girl. That's just how the story goes; it's not what actually happened. The Letcher King died in a rather embarrassing fashion that isn't suitable for discussion in mixed company while in the harem, that is true, but he wasn't murdered. Queen Mizuho, the wife of the newly crowned Daimyo Mizuzaki the 15th, ordered the harem disbanded to keep her husband from getting any ideas. It was a decision the Lord Daimyo fully agreed with as they were newly married and he had no interest in any other women. It wasn't until some 70 years later when Mizuzaki the 17th, who was only seventeen when he ascended the Aquamarine Throne, had been giving some thought of reconstituting the royal harem that the popular account came into being."
Sho/Keitaro snorted. "I bet that went over real well..."
"Indeed." Hoshi chuckled. "Neither his mother nor his grandmother, the woman who had personally disbanded the previous harem, were thrilled with the idea; seeing it not only as an insult to women, but as a personal affront to the responsibility they had held for their husbands. They conspired with the court minstrel - the predecessor to the Imperial Orchestra - to write a bardic ode to "Mizuru's Folly" and demanded there to be a more gruesome end to the last Daimyo of the Third Dynasty."
"Killed the young lord's desire for a harem, did it?" Okito Tanaka asked with a smile.
"On the spot…" Fugato agreed. "The tale was completely fictitious, but it sounded so plausible it that couldn't be ignored. While its intended purpose has long since ceased to exist, the story of "Mizuru's Folly" has taken on a life of its own."
Hoshi walked to the back right corner of the room, which was easily large enough for the four of them to stand shoulder-to-shoulder and still have room and drew aside a cloth curtain that covered the room's eastern wall. Hidden beneath the curtain was a mosaic of a woman of unearthly beauty - despite the fact that the woman's knee-length mane of red/orange-hair veiled her facial features - dressed in sheer blue silk sitting regally on a golden throne in the middle of a mountain pool at the mouth of a river.
The tiles were made from assorted precious and semi-precious materials: stones of aquamarine that seemed to glow with an internal light made the woman's clothing, ingots of real gold made her throne, her flawless white skin was made of alabaster or ivory, orange garnets and red rubies created her fiery mane of red hair, the mountains were made from granite chips - probably created when the fresco had been carved on the outer walls, and assorted blue, green and gray rocks polished to a supernatural shine gave the illusion of moving water for the lake and river.
The majordomo's apprentice made an almost reverent bow of respect to the magnificent piece of artwork. "Behold, the Megumi Undine Kawa… Goddess of Life and Destiny, Queen of the Undying River, and Mother of Music as well as being the patron deity of Kawa City and the Land of Rivers in the millennia before the rise of the ninja culture we now possess. Although the worship of the old gods has long since fallen by the wayside, she remains an important cultural figure and was given a place within the Palace."
Motoko Hata nodded; there had been a sizable section about the River Goddess in her books. "It's said her beauty is the stuff of legends and defies the ability of even the most skilled artisans to attempt to portray. As a result, her face is always hidden out of respect to Her."
Fugato grinned, impressed at the young woman's knowledge. "Exactly right, Ms. Narusegawa. In matters relevant to the three of you, however, the Goddess here is also the entrance to the security closet. It can only be opened if you know the key from the old hymn to her. Make sure you remember what I do and in what order; if you get the sequence wrong, the door won't open and you have to wait roughly an hour for the mechanism to reset itself." The three ninja nodded in understanding. "It's additionally tricky because the hymn was written in the ancient language of the River; a mostly dead language used almost exclusively by the diplomatic corps now."
Hoshi Fugato coughed as he began to sing melodiously in a low voice to remember the mnemonic key. "'From the source of all...'" He pushed on the largest of the aquamarines that formed the Goddesses' regal dress - it happened to be set where the womb would be on a living woman. As he pushed, there was the soft, barely audible shush of stone rubbing on stone. "'…To the avaricious heart's fall...'" The man pulled on the biggest of the gold nuggets that made the regal chair Undine Kawa sat on, but it moved a distance barely larger than the thickness of a shuriken before stopping. "'…Though in your heart, fear may dwell, within Undine Kawa's arms...'" Fugato pushed simultaneously on the two single-piece alabaster/ivory arms that made the picture of the Goddess seem to embrace anyone that came to her.
There was a muted pop as the entire mosaic and the seemingly seamless granite wall it had been set into silently rotated inwards 90 degrees on a hidden stone hinge with a smooth grace that belied the surely massive weight of the secret entrance. "'All shall be well!'" The man finished the verse.
Tanaka stepped over to examine the thick pivot of the hidden door, nodding at it. "Wow; very impressive work... It would take me years to properly fabricate a door out of granite like this; even with my ninjutsu skills. You have to cut the stone just right in order to make sure that it can interlock and then move without making SOME noise. Hmm... I wonder how they made the hinge naturally self-lubricating..."
"Well," Hoshi Fugato said with a smile as he led the team through the portal, "You'd be surprised what you can do when you have a vision and an almost bottomless wallet to afford the best engineers and artisans available at the time."
"True."
The four walked through a thick black sheet of fabric that kept any of the light from inside the room from escaping into the coat room. The hidden panic room had a layer of cork covered by beech wood panels lining the stone walls and recessed lighting that gave the room a warm golden-brown glow. The chamber looked as if it were designed to allow up to 10 adults to hide comfortably.
However, the addition of almost a dozen television monitors, computer systems to access the entire security infrastructure, power and data cables overlapping each other in the room, and shoddy, nail-ridden wood construction that looked like a dozen monkeys had descended on the room to try and build structures to support all the recent additions took up a big chunk of the space.
Inugami grimaced impressively. There was barely enough space to properly open the two rolled up futon beddings and leave enough space to walk around, let alone set them far enough apart to give the semblance of propriety for a co-ed sleeping arrangement. "Cozy..." He muttered, stepping over to the command station, setting his bag on the floor and pulling a clearly superfluous nail from the rickety-looking desk and dropping it on top of the crooked surface.
"Yeah... Sorry about that." Hoshi said, embarrassed, as he walked over to the sliding door on the north wall. "Neither Shao-sama or I are very good with tools, but we couldn't trust anyone else with the knowledge of this room's existence or its location." He gestured back to the chamber's only door. "When the entrance is closed, this room is completely soundproof and undetectable to the outside. Ventilation is provided by carefully disguised vents to the outside to prevent anyone from suspecting the existence of this place. It was made to hide the Imperial Family during assaults on the castle during wartime, after all.
"It does have its perks, however..." He said, opening the door to reveal a tiled room with a bathhouse-sized tub. "You've got the only private bath in the castle; aside from the one in the Imperial family's suite on the first floor." Fugato closed the door. "There's also access to toilet and a storage closet with food that could last two people a whole year, if necessary, through there."
"You'll both be able to take most of your meals in the appropriate dining rooms, of course, but the emergency supplies mean you won't have to worry about going hungry if 'Princess Reiyuriko' is needed during a meal. And as Fukamichu-sama told you, Keitaro Urashima," Hoshi gestured to Sho, "Has been given the highest of honors to stay in the Imperial Family's wing while Naru Narusegawa has a room assigned on the fourth level. We do, however, suggest that you actually sleep in here in the event that the Princess needs to make an impromptu performance during the night. We've tried to clear her schedule of all but the bare minimum of social events, but it never hurts to be prepared."
"Social events?" Motoko Hata asked out of curiosity. The list of etiquette rules had listed any number of ceremonies and special events that Kimiko as Princess would be required to know about and even play a role in. Knowing which ones in particular to focus her studies on would be invaluable. She couldn't do what Sho had done to himself; something that still left the kunoichi worried for the slightly older Genin's health.
"Obviously Princess Reiyuriko must be present for the arrivals of the sixteen Regional Daimyo and their parties, which includes twen..." He paused, double-checking his mental count. "No, sorry, nineteen princes - her Highness's potential suitors - and eight princesses - her Highness's closest friends that approach her rank, will be staying in the palace on the third floor. Their individual bodyguards will be given space in the exterior barracks."
"What happened to number 20?" Tanaka asked. "You started to say there would be twenty princes, but then you dropped one."
Fugato nodded. "Yes, a very sad situation. One of Reiyuriko-hime's oldest male friends, Prince Kodansyo was caught in the Imperial Family's outdoor Onsen while she was bathing some eight and a half months ago. He protested his innocence, claiming no knowledge of how he managed to get past the Imperial Family's personal security net or how he ended up in the bathing area of the Onsen, but he was banished from the Land of Rivers; to return only under the pain of death." The assistant majordomo shook his head. "It was such a shame since his father, the daimyo of the region just west of and including Kawa City, was his Majesty Mizuzaki-sama's closest supporters and friend prior to the deportation of his only son. But the law is the law."
Inugami shook his head as he glanced briefly at Motoko. "Looks like it is a good thing you found that rule, Hata-san; especially since it seems to still be enforced... I just hope Nakahito takes extra precautions while he's protecting Kimiko." The kunoichi flushed slightly at Sho's compliment and the image of Kimiko being caught in such a compromising position. "So, Fugato-san, what other social events ARE on Reiyuriko's calendar during the Convocation?"
"There is a formal dance the evening after the Regional Daimyo arrive in two and a half weeks. It's the major social event of the year, so not only will Daimyo Mizuzaki, Princess Reiyuriko and the 43 members of the regional daimyo Kuge be attending, but a number of the lesser Kuge from Kawa City and the outlying provinces as well. It is expected for the Princess to dance with each of the nineteen princes at least once during the evening, but it's basically open for anyone to dance with anyone, so there are a number of husband- and wife-seekers who use these occasions to try to land a spouse of higher status. It's definitely something that Keitaro Urashima should attend." He glanced at Motoko Hata. "You should probably also attend in your Mitsune Konno disguise, as well."
"Mitsune Konno?" Sho asked, confused. He was fairly certain that Motoko hadn't discussed any alternate disguises during the weeklong trip.
"The formal dance is TECHNICALLY by invitation only and staffed only by the bartenders and the Imperial Symphony Orchestra. A castle maid like Naru Narusegawa would be out of place there." Hoshi answered. "So we also gave Hata an alternate character for her to use in formal situations: Mitsune Konno, a debutante from the Fire Country who decided to make the trip here on the spur of the moment - chasing after Keitaro Urashima to be precise - and managed to flirt her way past the front guards."
The blush that erupted across Motoko's face when Sho looked at her, stunned, told him precisely why she hadn't mentioned the alternate guise… She had clearly hoped to be able to treasure the wish-fulfillment fantasy role for as long as possible; given his recent cold shoulder treatment of her.
"It's something that isn't unheard of and the front guards are deliberately lax to allow more women in to keep the male/female ratio close to 1:1 since most of the guests are men." Fugato said in response to the medic-nin's look. "The dance will probably end up having something on the order of 200 people attending, of which only 170 are on the 'official' guest list."
Okito Tanaka grimaced; unlisted guests were a potential nightmare for any bodyguard. "Why would you allow such a security risk?!" Unvetted guests in the Palace were a potential disaster of the first order and went against Tanaka's eleven years of experience as both a bodyguard and an emplacement fortification specialist.
"It is a long-standing tradition, Noriyasu-san." Fugato said simply, as if that justified everything. "The dance is designed to allow some of the usual social rules to be bent to allow people to 'climb the social food chain' as I said before. Obviously anyone that seems threatening will be denied access, but that's one of the reasons we typically hire extra bodyguards for the Princess. We also allow the assorted bodyguards that the regional Daimyo bring with them to mix into the crowd as well, so everything should be fine as it usually is... Not once in the thousand year history of the dance have there been anything worse than declarations of an honor duel or one woman slapping another."
The apprentice majordomo shrugged. "Anyways, there are only two other events that are on the 'planned' schedule: the Vow Renewal Ceremony in the afternoon before the dance and Reiyuriko-hime's annual Bathing Party the afternoon after the dance."
Motoko Hata blinked. "Bathing Party? I've never heard of that one…" There hadn't been anything that she'd read about that in the rules.
"It's a relatively recent development since a few years before Queen Mizuho's passing five years ago. Ojou-sama, because of her station, does not get to have very much in the way of what you would call a normal social life. The same is true of the eight regional Princesses.
"When Reiyuriko-hime was eight, the late queen made arrangements for the other princesses to accompany their fathers to the Vow Renewal and invited them to have a party in the royal family's section of the castle, which ended with the girls having a splash fight with each other in the Onsen. Since then, every year, Reiyuriko and the other girls, which has been expanded to allow them to invite a single female friend each, get to have a single day where they are able to act like any other girl – or rather, young woman – in the privacy of a closed area.
"The Bathing Party is restricted, obviously, and there won't be any way for you to monitor her from here, so we thought that 'Reiyuriko' would be able to invite Naru or Mitsune to join them to make sure the performance doesn't fall apart."
Sho frowned. "This is going to get far more complicated, Hoshi... You only included materials providing us the fundamentals of what Reiyuriko knows, not the details of who she knows and what she knows about them; aside from what was in her personal diary. I need to get details on these people ASAP if I'm going to have a prayer of helping Kimiko stay in character…"
"Already ahead of you, Urashima-san…" Fugato said, pulling out a trio of massive binders from a drawer in the command center, setting them atop the table with a heavy thunk. "Let me see... This one..." He opened the medium-sized book. "Oh, that's the one with the copies of both Lord Mizuzaki's and Princess Reiyuriko's medical records. Copies of Reiyuriko's records are in her room for Itou-san to review to make sure that she looks convincing when she needs to be, but these are for you to use."
Hoshi closed the binder and opened the smallest one. "Ah! Here we go." He set the book down to where Inugami could see the contents. "This contains an anticipated guest list for the formal dance. We've got biographies on the forty-three members of the regional royalty that will be attending and the few upper crust socialites that Princess Reiyuriko actually knows first-hand.
"Unfortunately, we won't have any data on the bodyguards the Regional Daimyo might bring with them since they typically rotate every few months. They're typically ninja from the Hidden Valleys, Sand, Leaf, or Rain Villages, since they're from our own hidden village and the three nations closest to us, but it's not unheard of for bodyguards to come from the Hidden Rock, Grass, or Waterfall Villages. The biographies are sorted by importance to the princess - in other words the ones she is closest to come first, based off of personal observations by Shao-sama."
"And this one," He said as he opened the largest of the three book-like objects, "contains biographies on the 350 staff members of the palace, again sorted by importance, as well as duplicates of the Mizumiyo Palace's security blueprints, including overlays that will show you all know passageways - secret or otherwise - security patrol patterns, pass codes, security camera locations and viewing angles for all eight floors.
"These seven monitors," He gestured to the largest screens, "Are tied to the data feeds to the security office on the 6th floor and you can use the controls to see things from any of the building's cameras, though you cannot access the camera controls directly - that would raise suspicions, after all. Monitors 8, 9, and 10 are tasked to receive video from the buttonhole cameras from 'Reiyuriko,' Shao-sama, and myself. Fukamichu-sama and I will also be wearing the same earwig microphone/receiver that our stand-in Princess will have, so you can ask us for information if necessary."
"That's a start." Inugami said with a nod. "I assume Miho-sensei and Tanaka-sensei will have access to similar files?"
The man nodded as flipped to a page in the large book. "With the exception of the medical records, yes. This here is the Royal Family's section of the first floor. As I said before, the only entrance is here on the north side, where there are always two guards stationed. Shao Fukamichu-sama's and my personal rooms are just east of the northern staircase, so that if there are any questions of whether someone is authorized access to the Royal Apartments, they do not have to go far for confirmation.
"Past these double doors are the three designated special guest quarters and the Imperial Family's library. This room," He tapped the one that shared a wall with the room labeled 'Princess Reiyuriko,' "Is the one that has been assigned to Keitaro Urashima-dono. Lord Mizuzaki's quarters are here, the family's private bathhouse, and Onsen are here and here. Then, of course, you have Reiyuriko-hime's pride and joy, the gardens that line the walls that prevent anyone from accessing the Royal Apartments without climbing over. The interior walls and the Blue Wall itself have pressure sensors on their top, so anyone using a climbing rope, ninjutsu, or weighing more than 3 pounds that touches them will bring down the wrath of the entire Imperial Guard on their head."
Tanaka smiled. "That's one hell of a discouragement."
"You would think so, wouldn't you...?" Fugato said with a sigh, "But every so often some young man or woman will attempt to test the Legend of Undine Kawa's Promise." The three ninja looked at him curiously. "Oh, sorry, a lesser known local legend, I guess.
"The story goes that back when the first Lord Daimyo of the First Dynasty was being selected to end countless decades of conflict. It is said that Undine Kawa herself appeared before the assembled regional Daimyo or warlords – there were only eight at that time – whom had unable to agree on a single leader between them for organizing national defense. The Goddess offered a competition to select which would become the Lord Daimyo of Kawa no Kuni, as the River Country was called in the old language. Undine Kawa, in addition to being a Goddess, is indisputably the fairest woman in the known world as I said before, so the eight Daimyo were more than willing to allow her to be the adjudicator.
"The Goddess led the eight to this very spot and caused the blue stone wall that surrounds the Palace to erupt from the ground. In the middle of the walled in area, a maiden appeared; a woman almost as fair as Undine Kawa herself, despite her obvious mortality. Undine Kawa then told the assembled Daimyo that the woman was mute, but if one of them could prove their worthiness to be the Lord Daimyo by walking atop the Blue Wall, barefoot, non-stop until the last one fell from the wall due to genuine exhaustion, the geas that rendered the woman mute would be broken. The maiden would call him Lord Daimyo Kawamizu the 1st and Undine Kawa herself would wed Kawamizu to the woman, blessing their union with all of the gifts within her power. Then the Goddess turned to water and vanished into the ground.
"It is said that the eight Daimyo walked for a full week until finally there were only two daimyo remaining. One of them, frustrated by the lack of food and rest, attacked the other, shoving a knife into his side. The injured daimyo continued to walk the wall despite his grievous wound, but eventually fell to the ground from exhaustion and loss of blood.
"The mute woman ran to him, sound coming to her mouth as she shouted 'Kawamizu!' The Daimyo that assaulted the newly declared Lord Daimyo Kawamizu the 1st, leapt from the wall in a rage, intending to complete his attempt at murder. The woman used her body as a shield for Kawamizu and cried 'Mother, help!' Undine Kawa then reappeared, summoning a geyser of scalding hot water from the ground to strike the traitorous Daimyo mid-air over the wall and off the hill to his death. The Goddess then took a handful of water from the hot spring that remained after the geyser settled down and poured it onto Kawamizu's wound; healing him instantly. Kawamizu and the woman, whom it turned out was named Mizuka, were then crowned Lord Daimyo and Queen of Kawa no Kuni. They ordered Mizumiyo Palace to be built within the confines of the Blue Wall, and had many, many children, each of whom were exceedingly fair or handsome and gifted with amazing musical talents.
"The last thing Undine Kawa said following the wedding and vanishing into history was that henceforth, anyone who honestly attempted Kawamizu's feat of endurance and succeeded would find their soul mate - their perfect match - whom Undine Kawa herself would guide to be in the right place, at the right time, when they fell from the Blue Wall. Every few months, a young man or woman gives it a try, hoping that the legend is true, but Palace security always stops them since from the Blue Wall you can easily access the Royal Apartments."
"That's so romantic..." Motoko Hata breathed, her eyes glistening from emotion. "What do you think, Sho-kun?"
Inugami, who'd been pouring over the Lord Daimyo's medical records during the story, snorted contemptuously. "It's absolutely implausible. The physical limitations of a non-ninja would prevent such a feat of that long a duration. It's clearly an allegory or has been embellished for the benefit of the First Dynasty; divine right of the Daimyo and all that…" Because his back was turned, he didn't see the kunoichi wilt under his criticism or the brief flash of annoyance in her eyes.
Okito Tanaka shook his head as he silently put a comforting hand on his Genin's shoulder again. Motoko looked back at him and gave him sad smile, but nodded her gratitude.
'She's a dreamer and he's a realist… Equal and opposite.' The Jonin thought to himself.
The medic-nin looked over at the assistant majordomo, still so focused on the job that he was unaware of the byplay between the other two. "When, exactly, will I be able to see Lord Mizuzaki? If his condition is as bad as Fukamichu made it sound, I mustn't delay in evaluating him."
"This evening after dinner." Fugato answered promptly. "Mizuzaki-sama has been isolated within the royal apartments since his moods have become increasingly erratic. One moment he'll be his usual self, the next he'll be practically bouncing off the walls; convinced that there are spies hiding in his room, and other times he'll be missing his deceased wife and missing daughter so badly that he just lies in bed unable to function."
"It almost sounds like Bipolarism…" Sho/Keitaro said; sounding like he was both talking to the aide and himself at the same time. He flipped a few pages in the medical records and shook his head. "But he lacks the biochemical markers that would be present if the condition were naturally occurring." He looked at the assistant majordomo. "I think Fukamichu was right; there's definitely something unusual at work here…"
Motoko/Naru's eyes went slightly wide in awe of the medic-nin. "You already know what's wrong with Mizuzaki-sama? Sugoi, Sho-kun!"
Inugami paused at Hata's praise, a slight flush coloring his cheeks at her words. The kunoichi had never been able to hold it together around him long enough to compliment him before…
And it felt… GOOD.
Like it was something he'd always wanted but had never thought he'd ever get.
The white haired ninja shook his head, trying to keep his face impassive, looking over at her. "Arigato, Hata-san, but I only have a theory at this point and it's piecemeal at best… As Tsunade-dono once said, 'Make your theory adapt to the facts; do not adapt the facts so they fit into your theory.'" His sister's message to be nicer than normal while on this mission floated to mind and he smiled gently at the kunoichi. "But thanks for the vote of confidence."
Motoko/Naru blushed slightly and began to open her mouth to say more, but her natural shyness finally kicked in and froze her vocal cords. She so desperately wanted to tell him that she had absolute faith in him, but the words wouldn't come.
Inugami turned back to the book before closing it. He had noticed her effort to continue but was – in his mind – trying to courteously disregard her freezing up. He reached into his one bag and pulled out a marked tag – one that Okito Tanaka recognized instantly – and placed it on the wall. "Well, there's not much for us to do in here until later; I should probably make sure that Keitaro Urashima's seen in the Royal Apartments."
"A Flying Thunder God tag." Okito Tanaka said approvingly. "Crafty, Inugami-san." Motoko looked at her Jonin questioningly. "As part of his medical training, Inugami has learned a technique that allows him to teleport over a medium-to-long distance. By placing that tag here – and I assume he has another in his bag for his alter ego's room," The medic nodded confirmation. "…He'll be able to teleport between here and there unnoticed instead of having to sneak in through the statue."
"S-Sugoi…" Motoko said in even greater awe of the young man she was interested in.
"Have to keep up with training on the sly somehow." Sho replied with a shrug. "I've got my range on the technique up to four kilometers at this point, so moving a few dozen meters between floors isn't going to be very taxing."
"C…" Hata stuttered slightly, having shored up her confidence as much as she could. "Could you… teach me, Sho-kun?"
The medic-nin blinked slightly in surprise at the young woman's request. "I… I suppose I could…" He agreed cautiously.
A genuine request to learn was something that Inugami could NEVER refuse. Not even to someone whom he was actively trying to discourage further contact with.
He glanced over her shoulder to her Jonin who made a shrug with a nod; he had no objections to the request. "With your lightning natured chakra, high-speed techniques will probably come easier for you than they did for me… Despite it's name, the technique doesn't rely on any Nature transformation. We don't have a lot of room to work in here, though… A mental training method might work at first; we'll fit it in when we can, okay?"
"H-hai! Arigato, Sho-kun…" She said, proud of herself for being able to ask him without having a meltdown. After Inugami's back was turned, Tanaka-sensei gave her a wink and a subtle thumb up, making her smile over the fact that someone recognized her accomplishment.
Hoshi Fugato looked between the three Konoha ninja. "I'll admit I have no ninja training the way Shao-sama has, so I have no clue what you're talking about… Let's get Keitaro-sama to his room. Naru-san, you should report to the head maid on the 4th floor and Seta-san the Guard Commander on 5th. Dinner will be around 6:30 and we've made sure both of you are assigned to Ojou-sama's detail for the foreseeable future."
Okito Tanaka nodded he placed a hand on both Genins' shoulders. "All right, Civilian Team, you've been doing great at staying in character our journey down and since we've arrived at the Palace. Remember, this room and the Princess's chambers are the only places where you are allowed to be yourselves. Anywhere else, we're in character, okay?" The two nodded. "All right. Let's fan out."
* * *
"Oh… CRAP." Nakahito Haruno breathed, horrorstruck, as Miho Hyuuga finished explaining the rule that Sho had found. Fukamichu had then shared that not only was this rule still enforced, but a non-Kuge like the four members of the Ninja Team would likely face summary execution.
"That would SUCK." Raiden agreed. "Blindfolds for both of us when the 'Princess' needs to bathe then." This earned Raiden a particularly scathing look from Haruno that the male Hata didn't understand, but Miho certainly did… The Hyuuga Jonin had to bite her lower lip to keep from smiling too broadly.
"But just to be on the safe side, I'll handle guard duty over Reiyuriko-hime in such situations." The two young men sighed with relief.
"Prowr…" Kyouran meowed, getting a low chuckle from his partner.
Raiden glanced over to his normal team member. "What did the furball say?"
"Humans are so weird about being natural." Takahashi replied. He shrugged. "Can't say that I disagree with him on that point, either."
Miho chuckled, but shook her head as she looked back to the client. "Which is why the two of you will be searching for the real Princess rather that guarding OUR Princess. You have a map of Kawa City that we can use to set search grids?"
Shao Fukamichu nodded. "I have a small guard room set aside for the four of you on the 6th floor that has exterior access so you may freely use the Wall Walk technique to enter and leave the Palace at will. I have a detailed city map placed there that you may use any way you see fit." He lifted the hatch to a hidden compartment on the surface of his desk and pulled out a piece of paper. "This is the seal sequence and mental keyword to pass through the Barrier that is projected from the Palace to the lower wall at the base of Mizu Hill. You'll note that the keyword changes based on the shift and day."
"Excellent." The Jonin said looking it over and handing it to Takahashi to review. Without the seal sequence and the telepathic password listed passing through the barrier would either trigger an alert or bounce the offender off; depending on the Barrier's setting.
She looked at the three Genin as Takahashi set the paper back on Fukamichu's desk. "Why don't you four go up to our command center and get yourselves situated? I've got a few more questions for the Client regarding Reiyuriko." The others nodded and filed out.
"More questions?" Fukamichu asked; taking a seat and gesturing for Hyuuga do to the same, which she did. "Such as?"
"I hate that I haven't been able to stay in touch with Reiyuriko-hime these last two years…" Miho said with a sigh. "She's a good kid, but the life of a ninja, as you know."
A wry grin crossed Fukamichu's face. "There's a reason I do this now instead of run around for Tanigakure, Miho-san."
Hyuuga chuckled at that; as a main family member, she was expected to serve the village as long as her body was capable. "You said that her behavior changed about six months ago?"
The majordomo nodded. "She had been growing very close to Prince Muso from the 13th District, enough that he was being viewed as the top contender to become the next Lord Mizuzaki, but then they suddenly had a rather spectacular falling out about three months ago; a week or two before she disappeared, to be exact. She had been growing more distant from everyone before that, secluding herself in the garden as much as possible, until one day nearly two months ago now…" He made a poof gesture. "…She vanished without a trace."
Miho raised an eyebrow. "Without a trace? What was she doing?"
Fukamichu shook his head. "She was in the garden working, entered the fertilizer shed and never re-emerged. The security systems showed no sign of tampering and there were no unexpected outages in the seismic sensors that would suggest an Earth jutsu specialist moving underground to access the gardens from the outside. The Hidden Valleys barrier specialist ninja stationed here said that there weren't any disruptions in the Sensing Barrier for days before or after her disappearance."
Hyuuga nodded. Much like Konoha itself, most secure cities or stand-alone facilities had a Barrier Team to detect any attempts by those who entered the sensor territory. "If the one who took the princess had the Pass Technique code for the barrier, then nothing would be sensed. The same would occur if the kidnapper used an advanced Space-Time teleportation technique, such as the Nidaime Hokage's Flying Thunder God or a Reverse Summoning."
The majordomo frowned as he considered the implications of Miho's words. "But both of those options would require assistance from WITHIN Mizumiyo Palace. The Barrier Team is secluded in a area on the 6th floor sealed by barrier jutsu. Their food and water is delivered by dumbwaiter to prevent anyone from speaking with them to attempt to use Genjutsu or mundane bribery to get information. Their shift changes occur via long distance Substitution jutsu. And the other…"
Shao shook his head. "…Someone would have to have access to the Imperial Suite and the few people that have that access have been thoroughly investigated."
Miho shook her head as a thought popped into her mind. "Not everyone, Fukamichu-san…" The other raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Reiyuriko-hime herself has not been investigated."
The majordomo sputtered in complete disbelief. "You're saying OJOU-SAMA assisted in her own kidnapping?"
"And if it weren't a kidnapping? What if it were, say, an ESCAPE? An unspoken protest in a moment of teenage obstinacy."
Shao Fukamichu's jaw practically hit the desk. "I… I…" He groaned and hung his head, rubbing his eyes; suddenly feeling very tired. "I never thought of that…"
The majordomo's eyes went glassy as he considered. "Mizuzaki-dono's mental shift began nearly a year ago now and Ojou-sama had been very concerned by his changes, but I thought she was imagining things... It's only in the last few months that his condition deteriorated to the point that I became concerned… And by that point, Reiyuriko-sama had pretty much stopped talking to me altogether; she wouldn't even look at me when I attempted to apologize for not having more faith in her observations."
"I'm not saying that's what happened, mind you." Miho Hyuuga pointed out. "But I remember how stubborn Reiyuriko-hime could be once her mind was made up, so it's possible. Whether taken unwillingly or run away from home by choice, I have no doubt that my team will find her if she is still in Kawa City."
The ninja stood up. "It's merely a matter of time… I'll find her, Fukamichu-san; on my honor as a Hyuuga."