The morning barely begun, the sun was only beginning to rise up over the mountains that encircled the Takemaru's compound. Shiro was already up, making her hourly rounds, so far she hadn't come across anything out of the ordinary. Lately she had been skipping out on sleep, the disturbing threat made by Naku Yoshito's clan had bothered her since she ehard the news. Now there were a lot of threats being made against the royal family, but that was one of the many prices of having a status such as the Takemaru's. Being Princess Akemi's personal guardian, it bothered her more than the idle threats from the past. Though Shiro never had the chance to meet Naku in person, she had been told he wasn't one to throw out a threat and not act on it. She knew of his merciless clan of ninja who went around destroying villages and killing whoever stood in their way.

A part of Shiro wanted to get a chance at fighting them, she didn't think she was the best fighter in the world, but she wanted to see their skills with her own eyes. Fighting was her favorite hobby, and after hearing about how dangerous this clan supposedly was, her curiosity and desire to fight kicked in. Of course that would have to wait, her number one priority was to make sure Akemi stayed safe. Even though Shiro was just her bodyguard, she always thought of Akemi more as a sister than anything. The two grew up together at a fairly young age. When it came to protecting her, Shiro didn't do it so much because it was her job, she put so much into it because Akemi was the sister she never had. With that said, she would gladly die if it meant Akemi would go on living a happy life.

'I wonder why they want the princess so badly. Wouldn't it make more sense to demand money?' Shiro had been thinking that same question since they received the warning. The other threats always demanded money, usually saying the royal family would be assassinated if their demands weren't met, but it was different this time, they wanted solely the princess. The reasoning behind it was something Shiro was yet to discover. Whatever it may be, it couldn't be any good, and she wasn't going to let the princess go like that. In Shiro's eyes the only way that was happening was if she were dead.

Shaking her head a few strands of dark hair fell infront of her eyes. Shiro looked out into the courtyard, aware of the fog that fell over the ground. It was a typical morning in the compound. The guards would be up walking around, servants were quietly preparing things for the Takemaru's day, while they were still asleep. Shiro had made her second circle around and decided to stop and sit outside of the princess' room. She was outside of the door, seated with her legs tucked under herself, wakizashi resting in her lap. Her eyes constantly looked from one place to another as she kept her senses open to any and everything. So far everything was going normal.

Reizei swung her legs back and forth from her sitting position at the edge of a roof, looking more of a rebellious ninja more so than one who works for a legendary and dangerous clan. You'd almost expect them all to be at least 25 and in full uniform? A small smile was crept up her face, halfway hidden by her white scarf. Her black bangs brushed over against her thick eyelashes, and as the sun rose, the clear shadow of the Royal Palace came to view. That little smile turned into a haunting smirk, and she stood up and snapped out of thin air, appearing in a forest, leaping from branch to branch.

Royalty's got a new dog. She grinned slyly, raising an arm, slashing it across the air. Many leaves were sliced into thin pieces, and branches were cut into clean chops.

Sometimes nature got in the way when she was heading for her destination.

Reizei was the youngest of the clan, or at least the youngest to be a Commandant, Lieutenant, whatever you want to call it. Originally an apprentice of one of the 'better' ninjas, she grew up learning the 'better' techniques and little secrets to succession. Due to him dying a couple years back, she gradually took his place, and then it was finalized.

Besides.

Three shurikens were thrown in front of the Clan's Compound, embedding themselves at the foot of a newbie ninja, him hopping a few steps back.

"W-Who goes there?"

Reizei waved a casual hand, plucking the throwing stars from the ground and tucking them back into her belt, her usual creepy smile playing on her pink lips. "Tell Mr. Bleh Bleh Bleh...that the Palace got a new guard dog." She grinned, her visible eye narrowing. With a slash at the air with one bladed tonfa, eyes turning into a glare. "Now go before I chop you up."

The ninja scurried off for the Leader, no other but Naku Yoshito himself. With a laugh at how badly she frightened the newbie - she loved doing that - she headed for some food.

Morning patrols were such a pain.

"Really Reizei-san..." A cool and calculating voice came from behind the youth atop the roof. The tall, lanky figure of Yoshito Naku stook like a free scarecrow behind her. "Putting fear into the new ones I see?" A cold smile came accross his thin face. "Lets not forget you were new at one time. Not quite so new to battle as to my way of battling. We had to almost re-orient you."

A quiet, short-lived laugh emmitted from his throat. "I don't mind that you keep them on guard really. It makes watching so much more interesting." Stepping off to the side, he dropped from the roof like a falling leaf and touched down on the little deck round the Yoshito manor. It had been discussed by he and those of his clan he held in the highest reguard that an initial attack would be best during the night. He planned to send half his forces in, giving the Royal Guard a bleak taste of what they would face.

"Yeh, well, when I was new everyone was a gigantic meannie. I'm just following the tradition, Mr. Naku~" Reizei's arms spread out as she mentioned 'gigantic' to add as an effect, to exaggerate the fact. "And why must you insist on addressing me by my full name?" She whined after her first answer. She let out a huff and stalked away to the kitchen, to grab some ramen or something that would cure her stomach's growling. She hasn't had breakfast yet, and the morning patrol only encouraged the urge for some nice hot noodles and soup.

"I'm going to food, Mr. Naku. See ya." She sent the leader a mock salute.

The leader was more of a father to her actually, or she saw him as one. He took her in when no one else would, and placing a high ranked lieutenant as her master, she learned well and achieved this high status in his clan. Her master was more of an older brother, a deceased older brother, but she didn't dwell on it.

Because food was calling to her.

Akemi skipped through the gardens, well skip wasn't the proper word. Though the bright skies lifted her spirit considering the dark cloud that had been hanging over her family for quite some time now. Young Akemi picked several bouquets of flowers and tucked a few in her ear making an elegant floral arrangement before she lifted her kimono so she could cross over the bridge in her gardens easily.

Humming she watched the birds fly around, she loved her home in the palace, the gardens were her favorite spot it was like a dream taken from the fairytales she heard about in story books of far away lands and places she could only hope dream of. It was dangerous rand forbidden for her to even consider walking in the market place with commoners. Unheard of as well, though she did not hold the same prejudice against the less fortunate that her other members of high class society did.


"I wonder where Shiro is." She thought curiously taking out her fan to cover her face, her mother didn't want her doing anything to damage the flawless skin she had worked hard over her entire course of life to achieve, looking around she tucked a loose strand of hair back and stopped walking, she suddenly felt as if she had wandered too far now.

"Shiro....Shiro?" She called, a princess was not to raise her voice, screech or scream she knew that. But if she had truly wandered too far, Shiro would need her to raise her voice more if she wanted any chance of finding her. Akemi sighed, this was the last thing she needed, turning around she began to make her way, at least she hoped she was. Back to the palace still calling for her guardian at what she was sure given the circumstances was an appropriate tone

Shiro tilted her head slightly, just enough for her emerald eyes to look up at the man who had just introduced himself. A new guard, she rememered being told about one, but had forgotten when he was supposed to arrive. She smiled, a tired one from skipping out on sleep the night before. "Hello, Yuri, I'm Lo Shiro but please call me Shiro, or Shi no one hardly ever uses my real name." She greeted Yuri in a light, polite voice, one she used whenever she was meeting someone for the first time. She didn't like it much, but figured she'd use it for strangers until she could get a better sense of their personality.

"I wouldn't mind the extra help with Princess Akemi, especially after the recent threat," she stopped and bit down on her lower lip for a second, gathering her thoughts again, "yes, its headed by Naku Yoshito. I've never actually come in contact with anyone from the clan, but from what I hear their supposed to be merciless, going around killing whoever they please to. We recently received a threat from them, which at first I didn't think much of because someone is always threatening the Takemaru's. This one was different though, they're demanding we hand over Princess Akemi or they'll start a war with us, which is something I believe we wouldn't be able to handle right now. What bothers me is the reasoning behind it, they haven't asked for money or anything, only the princess."

Shiro started thinking again, it was really beginning to frustrate her. And speaking of the princess, she was usually awake by now. Getting up while making sure her blade was securely tucked away in her obi she got up and slid open the door to the princess' room, and much to her dismay it was empty with the princess nowhere to be seen. Before kicking into hectic panic mode Shiro was going to calmly look for her, not wanting to stir up more stress and it turn out that the princess was just out early.

"Shes not here...", hopping off the deck she looked back at Yuri, "you can start helping me by looking for the princess. I don't think anything is wrong, shes probably just walking around." Shiro really wished Akemi could manage to just stay put until someone was around to watch her, but she was a free spirit and sometimes Shiro couldn't do anything about that. So she settled for walking across the courtyard for starters.

A soft patter could be heard from the deck , and Naku turned. The soft swish of a long kimono came to his hears above the click of genbo on wood. It was Genmai-dono, his third in command. He bowed slightly to great her, and she did the same in return.

"Good morning Naku-san." The woman's tiny, painted mouth raised only slightly above her fan. The daytime sun was rather harsh and she kept a butterfly-like beat on her face. She rather fancied the night and would have prefered to meet then, however, she was to be given orders before the initial strike.

He nodded, expecting that she came for her instructions. "Tonight is our first assult on the Palace. You know my terms, and you will take them to the gates and relay them to the guard." He paused momentarily, weighing his words carefully, as he knew Genmai very well and assumed she would catch on. "If they decline, which they will, you are to use deadly force. The princess should not be harmed, but brought directly to me, should you obtain her. That is all."

She nodded stiffly, knowing that he was sending her in to try and talk things through one last time before the "mini-raid". ONly half of his forces were to go; an idea she herself had set upon him. Genmai knew that the time for talk had come to an end, but Naku was a sporting man and chose to use more psychological means of warfare.

As she bowed and turned from him, a wicked smile came to her lips. The would be quite an amusing evening. If she weren't killed by the lap-dogs of Takemaru, she would surely bring many to their knees.


(others in the Naku clan really need to post... I'm already having conversations with myself. )

Amaya sighed as she walked into the cool morning air. The manor was even more heavily guarded since the threat from the Naku clan. Amaya guarded the lord himself and was happy with her job. She tucked a few strands of light brown hair behind her ear as she made sure she had her weapon on her.

Amaya was still puzzled about the demand the clan had made 'Why in the world did they want just the princess?' Not any money or treasure which her lord had much of no just the princess. It worried her such a weird demand and it scared her.

Amaya thought to ask Shiro wherever she was. Even the Emperor was worried about his daughter being taken. Amaya started to walk the ground hoping to spot Shiro and ask her the questions running through her mind.

Chugging down the last bits of Miso soup, Reizei licked her lips with a satisfying smile and leaned back in her chair. Her arms came over her head into a stretch, a tiny yawn slipping out her mouth.

"Well this just plain out sucks. How come the Genmai-dono gets to go interrogate people and I don't? Not fair." She whined, snapping up and walking casually out of the kitchen. Seriously, who makes their commanders sit here all day when there were plenty of others to choose from?

She spun a shuriken star in between her index finger and thumb, and a small creepy, but natural, smirk playing her mouth. Well if Naku wasn't going to let her do anything there, she should have some fun here. No, she wasn't going to kill anyone and cause trouble, but some training for the ones under her sector would certainly bring some amusement to the 19 year old girl.

Akemi skidded to a halt gracefully as she looked around, she wasn't sure if he was headed in the wrong direction it seemed everything looked the same to her, dark looming and unfamiliar. She stopped to listen for a moment, using her common sense was her best bet right now, she heard nothing around her, so for the moment she was safe. She saw nothing, so she could assume she had either gone in a large circle or was moving further away from the necklace, suddenly she had an idea


"The sun sets....behind the palace...so....where the sun is......brightest?" She thought holding up her necklace, she moved around until it begin to glitter and sparkle from the sunlight, well it wasn't much but it was something. Going with it, Akemi began to follow the sunlight back to her home, flashing the necklace brightly, with any luck Shi would see it and come rescue her....and wouldn't mention this little incident to the the Empress and Emperor. Less they be angry their only daughter had snuck out to walk alone

"Shi? Shiro! Can you hear me?" Akemi called ahead of her, still using what she considered an appropriate tone, for her old habits died hard even if she was in possible danger

"My my..." A smooth purr came from the tall, skinny trees. There was the snap of a fan and the flutter of a kimono. A woman in the dress and makeup of a geisha stood in the brighter shade before Akemi. "I can only assume that you are the Princess Takemaru? A pleasure to make your aquaintance." She bowed low.

The woman wore a sword at her hip, tucked partially into her loose obi. It was clear that the sword was meant to be easily accessable, but retained the element of passive agression. Genmai-dono raised her head to look the princess directly in the eye, something a Royalist wouldn't dream of doing. However, this was no longer in her thoughts. Her motions were swift and deliberate, as she was supposed to be a deligate for the time being.

"Shall I accompany you to the palace my lady?" She asked, extending her elbow to lead her back.

Shiro kept her senses clear, listening to every sound that hit her ears, mainly her footsteps. There was something else, too soft to be completely recognizable, but the princess had a very light tone of voice..., atleast when there was someone important within earshot. Shiro knew from personal experience that Akemi could be very loud when she wanted to. Shiro herself would have to control her tone when she found her, another thing she couldn't wrap her mind around was why the princess would go wandering off by herself after they received a threat involving her. Even though she really did try to understand the princess was young, and sometimes oblivious to the dangers around her, it still agitated Shiro.

As she walked into the direction of the sound a faint flash seemed to flicker in the distance, the same spot from where the now heard voice was coming from. Shiro instantly picked up on it, and started running now, the princess coming into her plane of sight. Mentally she was relieved to see she was ok, but she remembered to scold Akemi about wandering off later. As she got closer she slowed her pace down to a jog, now seeing a woman dressed in a kimono standing by the princess. It wasn't one of the guards, Shiro knew that much, so she instantly assumed that it was someone that shouldn't be there.

Stopping, Shiro was now standing beside the princess. Head turned just slightly she made sure to keep the woman in her sight. "Princess what are you doing out here? You should still be in your room," she narrowed her eyes and turned to face the female stranger, hand resting lightly on her wakizashi, "And you would be? No one is allowed to see the princess without proper permission." Shiro stepped infront of Akemi now, ready for whatever may happen. "I'm going to have to tell you to leave, now."

"So," the breezey woman's voice mused. "even the Royal guard can loose track of a charge. That's comforting to know, I suppose." She laughed and bowed to the new commers. "I am Ikuzo Genmai, and I am... what you might call a public speaker..."

Her hand did not move to the blade at her side, but kept the beat of her fan fluttering against her pearly white face. Her little red lips curled into a tiny smile as she spoke.

Akemi halted and slowed her pace and looked around before blinking as a women appeared, she looked like a geisha....odd, Akemi didn't own any of them. Stepping back she instantly felt un easy as the women bowed to her, though she knew it was a sign of respect she couldn't help but feel mocked slightly, how this woman got in her palace, or anywhere near it as she knew she had to be close to home by now she would never know. Akemi opened her mouth to speak when she noticed Shi had arrived, relieved she frowned at the stranger


"Who are..." She was cut off by the arrival of yet another guard, a male she did not know. He irritated her already, maybe it was because her mood was going foul at the sudden confusion, all she had wanted was to take a WALK. She kept her voice devoid of any emotion, he was far too friendly for her taste, not even Shi was that....goofy in public.

Okay, maybe she was being a bit harsh. Turning back to the woman Akemi narrowed her eyes slightly

"Get of of my property...." She said calmly

Shiro didn't take her eyes off of the female for a second, keeping her temper under control. Nothing good becomes of getting upset or angry when you should be focused on the task at hand. She didn't look back as Akemi spoke up, just a little agitated with her for leaving. Then again it was her job as the princess' personal guardian to protect her, and that also included knowing where she was at all times. She wondered if she was doing something wrong by considering to keep this mishap a secret, it just didn't look good if the princess went missing, even if for only a few minutes. That was big enough of a time window for Akemi to be kidnapped, or killed.

Once this ordeal was over Shiro would have no choice but to atleast report this mysterious woman to the others, it would be foolish not to. Another question arose in her mind, how did this Ikuzo Genmai get this close to the palace? Even though the actual structures were a little ways off, there was still a wall that surrounded the entire compound...and its supposed to be guarded at certain points 24/7. Obviously Shiro would have to bring up the issue of better security, this was unacceptable, especially with the threat from Naku still hanging in the air.

"A speaker, then surely you must have a message for us?" Shiro wasn't thrilled about speaking to this female any longer, if she had to fight her to get her to leave then she would, but she was curious as to what Ikuzo had to say.

Sitting alone on the bench looking at the clear waters that was still as a statue before this certain figure that exuded a certain atmosphere of elegance and refinement that simply commanded admiration and respect. The butterflies fluttered around the radiant colored flowers that were in full bloom but also towards this distinct individual that appeared to be an angelic creature bestowed by the Great God to serve as the love of the Heavens. Nevertheless, the only error upon this portrait was the eyes of sadness that reflects the inner being. In any sense, this being was carrying a burden or problem that affected the entirety of the mind and body.

Closing the eyes of hazel brown hue, the being seemed to be in thought. The gentle wind passed through her as the robes of exquisite materials made beautiful waves of along with the playful wind. She would appear to anyone as a being with great beauty and gentleness of the soul. Nevertheless, in her heart, she was fearful of the threats that were about her beloved daughter. The worry weighed heavily upon her. She had lost the ability to sleep at night and had created deterioration in her health. Although, she had managed to hide this fact from the Emperor and her children. Opening her eyes, she needed to be free of such burdens even for a brief moment. That was the main reason she had arrived at the Gardens.

The lady of pristine image concentrated on the task she had in hand and with a small brush and a can of paint beside her, she began to draw a portrait that remains unexplainable towards anyone that would see it. She did not mind everyone who would say they do not understand her paintings, to her as long her family understands it. It is enough to make her joyous and contented. Another thing, this hobby served as her escape to the reality she was facing at the moment. Resting her hands, her eyes looked at the sky as the clear hue of it was sending her waves of comfort.

"God, protect my family especially my daughter."

She said softly as she returned her focus at the painting of scenery she had wanted of visiting once again. It had been a long time since she had left the compound. They were the Imperial Takemura Family. The safety of their persons was of the utmost importance especially when messages about taking away the young princess had been sent to the Palace. Taking a deep breath, she needed to see the face of her daughter to ease the worries within her. Thus, she placed the created painting upon the bench and asked one of her Lady-in-Waiting to bring it to her room. For now, she would search for the location of her daughter Akemi.

Unknown to her, that the young princess had made her way far from the secured grounds, This would certainly caused great concern from the Empress. She would probably scold the Princess Akemi once she would found out about this event. Nevertheless, the time began to tick away as the noble Empress Yukemi had made her way to the current location which had been told to her earlier where her daughter would be.

Ah man why do I always get lost when I'm following the Emporer to guard him Mitsirugi thinks to himself. Wandering through a quiet part of the castle Mitsirugi begins to ponder about being the one of the youngest guards and what will happen if a war begins. Well if the princesses is taken there aren't that many things they can do with her but the most dangerous to this land would be if whe was forced to be married the land would be divided between the princess and prince. Who would I choose to join if I was forced to choose between the two.
I guess I would have to follow my fathers top two rules number 1 when in doubt who to join join them both and number two don't get caught working for both sides.