"I'm going to do my best to stop it, Holger," Kasumi replies. "Let me go in ahead of you and see what I can do. Best case scenario, we can avoid people getting killed."

(Kasumi's Sense Motive: 1d20+10 = 19)

Well, Holger's certainly been part of better plans. But Kasumi can tell he mostly agrees with it, even if he can see the downsides - he wants to go in hard and settle this, one way or another.

Takao gives Kasumi a look, then turns to Holger:

"As you say, it is not my turf and not my fight. I need to attend other matters."

Takao takes his leave and returns to Toshi and Sadatsugu.

"Then we better hit the turbo, chica," Holger says with a nod. "I'ma give you a moment to get in there and chat it out, but that ain't permanent. When fools get heated you gonna be straight in the cut, and that ain't my problem, dig? You be sure to watch your cute ass in there."

Outside, Yukio's already waiting for you; she joins you and Holger as you hurry towards Adler's hideout, with the city guard just a few steps behind.

"What is going on?" Yukio says. "Are you just going to storm Adler's hideout right now?"
"We ain't got nothing to lose," Holger says. "We rollin'."

Yukio briefly considers that, then looks to Kasumi.

"I will be on your side."

"There's no need for you to put yourself in the line of fire with me," Kasumi says. "Stay back with Holger. Come and get me if things go wrong."
"No," Yukio says. "I will go where you go. If things go wrong, you will need somebody to cover your back when you fight your way out."

Kasumi tries to smile. "It won't be needed." She leans in and whispers in Yukio's ear. "It's just going to be me and him, thief to thief. We need to know what he knows. I'm no hero, so don't worry."
"He knows better than to meet you alone," Yukio whispers back. "Let me be at your side for this. Please."
Kasumi pauses for a second. "You don't - Why should you - Just let me be the only one at risk. Please." Yukio looks at Kasumi, and sees fear on her face.
"It is only dangerous if you let your fear limit you," Yukio says. "Take heart, Kasumi. There is nothing inside this fortress or any other that could stop the two of us."
Kasumi smiles a little, and gives Yukio a peck on the cheek. "Maybe you, love."
"One more reason to have me at your side," Yukio grins.
"All right, come with me, then," Kasumi says. "But know that I'm not doing this to stop the fight. I'm doing this to get the info we need out of Adler. Yes?"
"Yes, I understand," Yukio says.
"Good."

Kasumi looks to see where Holger is looking. He and his men are looking away, so she kisses Yukio again. "One more for luck," she says with an awkward smile.
Yukio returns the kiss. "When this is done," she says, "we will need a room."
"One more reason to survive," Kasumi jokes in return.

As Kage sees Holger marching in with his men, he knows that he has to move or be stuck on this roof. So he does what he does best: ninja his way in.

He hops over to the roof of the hideout, looking for an opening to sneak in.

Takao hurries his steps toward the warehouse. He's aware that the team has had to relocate Sadatsugu a few times already lest he be caught. They seem difficult to pin down, in more than one meaning; their larger motives stand unrevealed and they have put themselves in the position of lying to the authorities, not to mention that there are several ninja among their number. And yet, Takao can read in their eyes that they are not here for money or power, but to set something right. He will have to plumb the depths of this group if he's to keep traveling with them.

Inside the warehouse, he finds Toshiro still tending to Sadatsugu, who seems to be doing a little better at the moment - not ambulatory, but at least somewhat conscious.

"Takao!" Toshi exclaims when he sees the samurai enter. "How is the plan going? Is - is everything alright?"

"I'm not sure. This plan is much more complicated than the simple machinations needed to put two bandit lords at each other's throat."

Takao will quickly relate the events, as he knows them.

"One might say the plan has worked too well, and things have gotten a bit out of hand. Involving the city guard certainly was not intended, and it looks like they are getting ready to settle a score... or worse. I came back to make sure that our distraction wasn't ending up distracting ourselves."

Takao walks over to Toshi and looks over Sadatsugu's wounds. Satisfied that all is as well as could be expected, he turns back to Toshi.

"This gaijin city is a strange place. The quest for gaijin weaponry brought me here, to understand how one armed with these powerful devices can bring down even the mightiest swordmaster. What brings you here? Clearly you are no merchant."

"No, I'm a farmer," Toshi says. It is such an obvious lie, but it is said in a way that it would be impolite to contradict him. He adds a sigh. "It's all about my wife, Yukio. She's the daughter of a noble lord, and has endured attempts on her life since long before I met her. We're questing to find the source of those contracts, and - well, so far, the puzzle keeps getting bigger with every new piece we find. I just do my best to support her and stay out of the way."

"Since you've been married, have the attempts extended to you, or do they focus on her only? And who takes out the contracts - only ninja, or other thugs as well?"

"Oh, nobody really knows about me," Toshi says. "I guess the Blue Oni figured it out, but he's dead now." He sees the confusion in Takao's face and adds "I mean the last Blue Oni. We killed him and Toshiba took his armor."

Toshi sighs.

"Before we met, my Yukio was beset by thugs and bandits of all kinds, ninja among them - only when she ran away from the Imperial War Academy with me and we hid under false names did the attacks cease. But not a night passed without her staying half-awake, her sword never outside of her arm's reach. One day, new ninja came - but they proved to be different. They came to help us, and so we have started our mad quest to seek out the source of the contracts and end the danger to my Yukio once and for all. We have already gone further from our home than I would like, as surely our fields will be barren when we return, but we can survive. And in the next spring, we will stop surviving and start -"

Click.

The quietest sound from outside, but Takao just notices it. To his credit, Toshi does, too, and his face hardens in an instant.

"There's someone out there," Toshi whispers.

Takao coughs loudly and then says "My apologies for interrupting. Please continue."

As he says this, Takao slowly and quietly draws his regular blade and scans the room to make sure he has all entrances, windows, and ceiling lights in his view and is standing between them and Toshi and Sadatsugu. He then raises his sword into a ready stance, listening intently to any other noises while Toshi keeps on talking, and sporadically replies to maintain the appearance of a regular conversation.

"As I was saying," Toshi says, turning to cover Takao's back, "we'll have more luck next spring, I hope. My Yukio likes to play at excitement, but I know her better than that - she appreciates the quiet country life much more."

The clicking noise continues for a few seconds as Takao watches the shadows for movements. No ninjas - they would not be so clumsy in opening the door. Instead, heavy thumping follows, coupled with a barked command in Hanse.

"Aufmachen, Stadtwache! Im Namen des Gesetzes, oeffnet die Pforte!"

Takao turns to Toshiba: "Does anyone else, outside of your little group, know we're? Maybe someone followed me here. Go have a look out the back, I'm going to see what's going on."

He sheathes his sword and moves a heavy piece of furniture against the door before finding a window from which he can look out unseen and will sneak a peak outside. What would the Watch want from them now?

"Nobody knows," Toshi whispers. He steals away to check the back.

Being that they are in a warehouse, a set of shelves close to the door suggest itself. Moving it is neither easy nor quiet, but Takao has barricaded a few doors in his time, so he knows it just needs to be quick. With the door temporarily secured, he climbs a nearby step and pulls himself up to a small window.

It's the city guard alright, and the man in the shiny armor must be Van Synt. He's shouting more orders in Hanse.

"Annen Rammbock, Männer! Der zue Tür werden wir schon helfen, wa?"

As Toshi waves from his exit that all is clear, Takao scoops up the wounded ninja and heads for the door.

"Let's go, Toshi! No time to lose!"

Once outside, Takao looks around for a second to find something suitable to block the door, then heads down the alley after Toshi.

"See if you can find a cart or something. I can carry him for a bit, bit not very fast."

Takao's quick thinking proves to be instrumental, as Sadatsugu can't stand on his own power, and so carrying him is much like lugging around a misshapen sack of wet sand. Toshi holds the door for Takao as he carries the wounded ninja outside into the night; Toshi quickly but quietly closes the door behind them and wrenches a nearby shovel underneath it, thereby guaranteeing that it will also have to be rammed open.

"You can't fight like that," Toshi remarks as he scouts ahead, signing for Takao that there's nobody around the next corner in this twisty little part of Kargbeck. He steals a glance at Takao's obi. "I think you can spare one sword, right?"

[Takao's Sense Motive: 1d20+20 = 28 VERSUS Toshi's Bluff 1d20+14 = 34 Failed!]

Come on. It's Toshi. Yukio's husband. He's a farmer. He probably can't even swing that sword right. Where's the harm in letting him have a weapon for his peace of mind?

Takao hesitates. He can understand the farmer's worry, his well-meant intention of contributing should it come to a fight, the desire for the comfort of holding a weapon and not feeling helpless. Being a heimin, the magnitude of his request may not even be obvious to him.

"The samurai hold that the katana is their soul, and these weapons are passed on from generation to generation. There are those who would cut you down for your mere suggestion." Takao's voice is not angry or threatening, just very matter-of-fact. "I hold human life in higher regard than that, but I still balk at the fact of giving away either of my blades. In fact, I only carry two of them because I do not wish to besmirch the honor of my grandfather, who bestowed my first blade on me", he indicates the plainer saya, "but at the same time it would have been a great insult to decline the honor of wielding Mizu."

"I am afraid I must decline your request. Let's rather find a cart quickly, so that I might put Sadatsugu down. I'll have to put him down soon, anyway. He is light, but I cannot run forever with him on my shoulders."

"I understand," Toshi replies. "My Yukio lets me use her sword, but I suppose it's different in a marriage. No matter."

He confidently leads the way to a nearby spice merchant's house, where a handcart is propped against the outside wall. Between the two of them, Takao and Toshi gingerly load the moaning Sadatsugu onto the cart and cover him with the cart's tarp. It won't stand up to a search, but it might escape a glance.

"You're stronger and we need your blade against Olafsen," Toshi says, already backpedaling when Takao picks up the cart's handholds. He raises his shirt, showing that he has tucked Sadatsugu's blade - the murder weapon - under his belt. "You tell my Yukio I will be back!"

And with that, he takes off back toward the warehouse.