"They're with Mutsuye and Noboru. Do you want to get them, or should we? Or, wait - I'll get them. Come on, Sagaki."

"I suspect more than one false image has been crafted this dark evening. As in the writings of Shinsei.. 'One must learn to see what is to be seen and to see through what others wish you to see.' I believe the stained dagger within this room may hold an insight. May I inspect it?"

"Better hurry, Hida-sama is not pleased with certain devolopments in the castle. The emerald Magistrate is with him."

With a gentle hand, Asako Koyoja receives the bloody dagger from a hesitant Noboru. He bows to the yojimbo, and walks slowly towards a corner, kneeling and bringing the dagger in front of him, holding it with both hands. Cupping it as if it were a precious artifact, about to crumble at the slightest bump. He closes his eyes, and focuses all his attention upon the dagger within his gentle grasp. Peering beyond the frame of the dagger, he attempts to open dialogue with the earth kami within the metal tool. Seeking their knowledge of the wielder who bathed it in so much blood just a few hours ago.

Just then, Nadare, pushed the rice paper doors open, trailed by Sagaki and One Eye Woman. He placed a big beefy hand on Zatoichi's and Koyoja's shoulders, then beamed at Noboru and Mutsuye, then spoke in a sing-song voice that seemed completely out of place on a big burly brute like himself.

"So sorry to break this conversation up, but The Great Bear has summoned us. Unless you REALLY want to be defenestrated like that idiot Akodo Demakasu, I suggest we answer. Bye, everybody!"

Nadare yanked them out of the room, releasing his grip as they entered the corridors heading to Kisada's chambers. He spoke without looking back at them, his voice all flint and steel now.

"I may have been acting the Doji back there, but I'm serious when I said the Bear is going to be angry if we're late. I sure as hell hope you've found some evidence implicating someone else OTHER than Mutsuye, because it would be just like Kisada to have us tell Kage-sama ourselves. In case that doesn't frighten you, he's a dead-eyes berserker. When he gets angry, people die."

You are disarmed in the waiting hall and led into the audience chamber. Kisada was sitting in his armor. To his right and at a 90 degree anle to him sat a man in phonix clan color, he bore the mon of the Emerald champion on his kimono. This must be Asako Hikaru. You take a seat in a line opposite Kisada, You all bow till your foreheads touch the floor. (Sitting here really is more like knealing, see the opener of Samurai champloo, when jin is knealing on both knees he's actually sitting down.)

Kisada looks at you with his piercing eyes.
"Report!"

Refuses to move from his kneeling position as he faces the Great Bear. Suddenly, a longing for quieter, safer days appeared within his mind... one without a ... pressure. Though he knew this was yet another trial within his life. He would face this as he had all the others... with courage and with conviction.

"We started our investigation by interviewing relavent people to Isawa Mutsuye's life. We split our numbers, so that we could be more efficient. I was not able to acquire any relatvent information towards this end. The murder of Ide Keiyomi gave our investigation a macabre twist. We determined that the true target of the murder was Keiyomi-san, and that her handservant was simply in the way. The sign's of maho were prevalent in Keiyomi's corpse. The handservant was dispatched with mundane means... a dagger. Keiyomi-san was dealt much more attention. The skill required for such a use in maho would be considerable, or so I have been informed. The killer alledgedly left through the door connected by the hallway. There was a single witness that can be called for this. Nobody saw Isawa Mutsuye enter Ide Keiyomi's chambers prior to the murder, but her exit was taken notice of by one Hida Sachiko."

"You accuse Isawa Mutsuye of Maho and Murder?" Kisada said in a slightly beligerant tone. "Do you have more proof than a single witness?"

"No, Lord Kisada-sama, I do not accuse accuse Isawa Mutsuye of Maho and Murder. I would like to call Hida Sachiko as witness so You can hear her testimony."

"Very well. I will Hold a trial on this matter. I will give you 5 minutes to compile a list of witnesses you will need." Kisada said.

A scribe handed a parchment over to Koyoja.

Zatoichi stepped forward and held a finger before Asako, before addressing Kisada with a bow. "Hida-sama, I'm afraid that is only the top of this tale. There are multiple twists and I, believe that accussing anyone at this point is fool hardy... the face of Keiyomi was removed expertly a skill I learned earlier was possessed by both Kuni Taira and Yogo Shigeru. Further, the murder was done by someone who could be both wicked and silent. The methods reminded me immediately of a scorpion assassination, although that is more a practice of the Shosuro (OOC: or whatever the family is properly spelled), I believe. Beyond this, the murderer was obviously an extremely powerful shugenja, as that the kami in the room were silenced... and someone attempted to do the same to the kami in Isawa Mutsuye's chambers. The kami said that a man wearing a mask planted a blood stained scroll..." At this point, Zatoichi pulled the scroll from his kimono carefully, being sure not to touch the blood, "which I have not had time to examine, but I assume it is a scroll for the spell used to kill Keiyomi. All of this hints that Isawa Mutsuye was framed by Yogo Shigeru, however, she herself is tainted and I have yet to find witnesses who can confirm she was indeed praying... and the evidence pointing to Yogo Shigeru is all sketchy at best. Anyone could wear a mask and impersonate him, as could anyone realize he is untrustworthy and attempt to use him to further hide their own indescretions. ...My only sure theory right now is that this is either a personal grudge against the victim, Isawa Mutsuye, or Hiruma Kage."