"My apologies, Lord Aisu. Still no sign of him, Sir."
Naohiro swore under his breath and shook his head, turning to scowl out into the mists as if the swirling eddies would reveal his absent recruit. "What is he about? A worthless layabout after all..." He muttered then fell quiet, thinking but coming up with few answers. After a minute or so of silence his aide shuffled and stepped up beside him.
"Surely there are others, Sir? Kurogane hardly has the best record. Perhaps Nanase? Or Hats—" He cut off as Naohiro waved a dismissive hand.
"No. Too distracted. Too young. I need someone I know, someone I can trust. Perhaps Kurogane was not perfect, but at least his ambitious were clear, and that made him predictable. I will not leave the future of our clan to the chance of poor judgement." He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, then turned abruptly. "I'll do it myself," he decided, already striding away back the way he'd come.
"Y-you, Sir? What about—"
"Handle it, would you?" Naohiro shot back over his shoulder, already sliding open a door and disappearing inside. "We'll debrief in the morning!"
—
A few hours later, when full darkness had added a further smothering depth to the mists, accented now with the gentle hiss of drizzle, Naohiro waited in the shadows of a courtyard near to the entrance of the Aisu compound. He'd sent mission orders ahead to one of his kin a day earlier—well, to two of them, of which one could not be found—and now stood in anticipation of meeting Aisu Namie, a talented young kunoichi who showed remarkable promise. While the mission itself was an important one, he'd been equally keen to get a reading on this young woman whose tutors once suggested could live up to the legacy of her forebear, the Rokudaime Mizukage Aisu Shira.
The other ninja he'd chosen, Aisu Kurogane, had been one of his agents for some time, and the boy's motivations had made him easy for Naohiro to control and rely upon. In his absence, there had been nothing for it but to accompany Namie himself; finding and briefing someone else he trusted at short notice, both with the mission and to report on Namie, had not been practical. Of course Namie was not the only young prodigy of the Aisu that he was curious about—she was just one of many—but, at least on paper, her potential sung to him.
He needed that potential, because the Clan needed it. Times were changing in Kirigakure, and soon enough the Aisu would need a younger, more ambitious, more capable leader. Aisu Haruka was not as young as she used to be, and while she had served the Clan exceptionally well during her tenure as its head, there were growing concerns about her softness for what seemed to be coming. Once upon a time, Naohiro had seen himself taking her place, but now... Now, times were changing in Kirigakure. The skies over the village grew darker still with each passing night, and his old ambitions dimmed with them, replaced perhaps by those yet greater...
—
Mission Scroll:—
—
TO: Aisu Namie, Aisu Kurogane
HIGHLY CLASSIFIED
DESTROY UPON RECEIPT
—
Tensions are rising quickly within Kirigakure no Sato. The Great Houses vie for every opportunity and plan for every eventuality. The Aisu and the Hirohito must not be blind to such plans. You are tasked with observing the home of Shiimu Yuka, an undersecretary to Lord Shiimu Otome, to monitor and gather intelligence on the dealings of House Shiimu.
You are instructed to avoid discovery at all costs. It is paramount that no evidence of your mission or suspicion of your presence remains.
Report at midnight tomorrow to the Rokudaime Court in the Aisu district to rendezvous and begin your assignment. Watch your backs for any tails of your own throughout. Trust to your judgement and avoid undue risks.
Signed,
Aisu Naohiro