Several officers wearing dark green uniforms patrolled the Tochiyama border. Armed with batons, the keisatsu (police) searched each person who passed through the region. They caught one merchant with a flintlock pistol and questioned him.
The Lightning trio had their documents stamped after being searched. As they crossed the border, they drove through Tochiyama town. Clusters of thatched houses made of timber filled the area. Towards sunset, they approached Ishigami city–spotting its huge circular wall on the horizon.
From a high point, the inner square wall was visible. Close by, the outer stone wall stood twice as tall as that of Kaminari village. Before proceeding, they stopped at a nearby farm. After paying the owner to guard their carriage and weapons, they walked to the main entrance. At the gate, they presented their paperwork for a second time.
One female keisatsu scanned through the trio's documents while another carried out a thorough body search. "You say you're here on vacation?"
Mikoto smiled. "Yes, that's right, ma'am..."
"They're clear!" The first keisatsu forced a smile and handed them their papers. "Enjoy your stay in Ishigami."
Kazuo and his comrades entered the city, taking time to admire the beautiful scenery. Trees and rock formations stood along the path one after the other in a perfect pattern as if placed there by hand. Most of the architecture was timber and clay roof tiles.
"The Earth region used to be broken into two clans..." Takumi explained after they had been walking in silence. "Ishigami and Tochiyama. This later became this city's Stone and Soil Districts. It is said that the first daimyo–Ishigami Iwao, rallied both clans against the Water region over Yamaguchi."
Kazuo kept nodding.
Mikoto rolled her eyes. "There's a market!" she pointed ahead, interrupting Takumi's lecture.
Kazuo rummaged through his satchel, searching for money to buy some purple grapes from one stall. Suddenly, a boy with brown curls pushed against him in a rush and dashed away with his bag. "Thief!" he shouted, taking to his feet and giving chase.
Mikoto and Takumi followed right behind them.
The boy maneuvered through the busy streets with ease. He ran circles around the Lightning trio, hard on his tail. His advantage granted him a severe amount of confidence and after weaving and turning for a while, he thought he had lost them. As he squatted in an alley, he checked the bag's contents.
"Got you, thief!" Kazuo grinned, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Did you really think you could outrun three Lightning ninjas?"
At that moment, the boy dropped Kazuo's satchel and his legs started shaking. Kazuo was about to clobber the boy's head with a tight fist when Mikoto stopped the punch before it connected. He looked back at her and she shook her head. Mikoto grabbed their captive's wrists while Kazuo checked his bag.
"You're lucky all my stuff is still here... boy."
"He can be of use to us..." Mikoto chimed in.
"Agreed." Takumi adjusted his glasses before turning to the boy. "What's your name?"
"K–Ka–Kaito…" he stuttered, hands shaking behind his back. "M–My name is Kaito, sir."
Takumi recalled a scroll he had read from the Inazuma shrine. "Do you know how to get to the Stone District? Where the Earth blade is situated?"
"Yes… the sword in the stone." A sweat ran down Kaito's temple. "But why should I tell you about it?"
Mikoto strengthened her grip, twisting his wrists.
"Aaaah!" said Kaito in a shriek. "Okay-okay-okay, please stop. I'll tell you everything I know..."
"Good boy," Mikoto smiled.
"It's heavily guarded in Iwa prison. Only keisatsu and nobles can enter the inner wall to Ishigami."
"I see," said Takumi, adjusting his sunglasses. "Does the rule permit foreign nobles as well?"
"Not quite." Kaito whispered before checking the coast. "The walls have ears. Can we go elsewhere?"
"Where?" asked Mikoto, with an eyebrow furrowed.
"My place. I live over there, near the outer wall."
"Alright," said Kazuo. "But don't try anything funny."
Kaito led them through the Soil District streets to some timber houses near the outer perimeter. The inside of his residence had three rooms with minimal furniture. He handed the trio a tatami and one futon.
"Thanks." Mikoto grabbed the futon, leaving her comrades to share the tatami. "You were saying..."
"My brother works in the Stone District. He is a cop there and he might be able to get you inside."
"I sense a but..." said Takumi.
"It's very risky." Kaito cleared his throat before continuing. "And to answer your question. No. The Hasegawa don't allow foreign nobles beyond the Stone walls. Unless you bribe them, of course..."
"Hasegawa? Hmm..." Takumi queried with a furrowed brow. "Isn't Doi Ishigami the daimyo?"
"Lord Doi... is just a puppet," Kaito lowered his voice. "Daichi Hasegawa and his yakuza syndicate are the ones who run the country. They're in control."
Takumi scratched his head. "I see. This might be challenging. Wait, you said something about your brother being able to get us into the Stone District?"
"Yes," Kaito nodded. "You'd have to be arrested."
The trio stared at him, wide-eyed at the suggestion.
However, Kaito was dead serious. "And problem is... no one has ever escaped from Iwa prison."
"Darn those Hasegawa!" A keisatsu in his mid-twenties grunted as he rushed inside the house just after sundown. He resembled Kaito, save for his neatly combed brown hair. "And our top brass too… how did they allow that yakuza to go free after committing murder–?" He paused, welcomed by three unfamiliar faces. "Kai, who are these people?"
"Welcome home, Kei..." Kaito chuckled and turned to his new friends. "Guys, this is my older brother, Keisuke." After the introductions, he explained the trio's mission. "You can get them into Iwa, right?"
"Absolutely not!" Keisuke's face turned scarlet. "Do you know how treasonous that is? I could lose my job for it… Or worse!"
"But Kei, you always tell me about those corrupt officers in the department who cover up far worse crimes by the Hasegawa Syndicate."
"All that is nothing compared to breaking into Iwa and stealing the national treasure," said Keisuke, his tone becoming harsher. "Even if I were to help you with this foolish idea." He glared at them. "How would you remove the sword from the stone? No one has ever been able to since the Legendary Sage left it."
"I can do it," said Kazuo with a wide grin.
"Kazuo, right? What makes you think so?"
"Kazuro was my great-grandfather. I know I can–"
"My answer is still no. I can't send you to your deaths." Keisuke stood up and went to cook dinner in the next room. That night it was plain rice and tofu. After they ate rice, he prepared his and Kaito's room before going to sleep in the lounge.
Everyone else followed suit moments later. Keiji had prepared his and Kaito's room for Mikoto. The boys joined him in the lounge–each with a tatami to sleep on and they retired for the night. The next morning, Keiji woke up early and hurried off to work.
Takumi made sure Keiji had left before waking the others with a shout. "I found it!"
Startled, Kazuo and Kaito got up quick.
"What?" Mikoto yawned, walking into the lounge. "W–Wait," she said, looking at Takumi's baggy eyes. "Did you even sleep last night?"
"I know how we can get out of this in one piece."
Mikoto, Kazuo and Kaito's faces lit up as they awaited to hear the genius plan.
"We'll break into the Stone District at midnight. First, we'll need to take care of the guards at the gate. Mikoto and Kazuo, that's where you come in. Once inside, Kazuo will turn himself over and they'll escort him to Iwa while we go to the Hasegawa warehouse." He paused, turning to Kaito. "Do you have anything we can use to create an explosion?"
"You mean like... black powder?"
Takumi picked up his sunglasses and wipe them. "Affirmative. Do you know where we can find some?"
"The Hasegawa have lots in the main warehouse. They use it for their flintlocks."
"Perfect!" said Takumi, putting on the sunglasses. "We'll need a lighter." Almost reading his mind, Kaito went the next room and got Keisuke's. "Great." He took the lighter. "The warehouse has to be swarming with enemies, are there any weapons we can use?"
"We've got knives in the kitchen."
"Those will do. After we detonate their building, the yakuza and keisatsu will rush to the explosion. That diversion will give Kazuo ample time to escape with Dōjin. Afterwards, we'll rendezvous back here." Takumi observed them while they processed the idea. "Understood?"
Kaito looked concerned. "What if they follow us?"
"Mikoto and I will make sure we're not followed."
The kunoichi shrugged. "What about the yakuza's guns? Knives might be useless against those..."
"We'll use darkness for cover. Plus, we also have Kaito who knows the ins and outs of these Districts."
Mikoto later agreed, although still doubtful.
That midnight while Keisuke was fast asleep, the four-man team sneaked out at midnight–armed with knives and determination. They hurried through the dark, moonlit streets and reached the inner wall.
Two keisatsu carrying lanterns guarded the Stone District's main entrance. One sat outside the closed wooden gate and the other patrolled atop the wall.
Takumi picked up a smooth pebble and glanced at the overhead keisatsu. He paused, gauging the position of the guard's head and tossed it.
As the stone soared, it knocked the keisatsu's head and he plummeted off the wall. Startled by a loud thud, the sitting guard got up and started checking his vicinity.
"Don't move." Mikoto stood behind the guard and he came to a sudden halt. With a knife to his back, she searched his pockets and took a bundle of keys. "Here," she hurled them.
Takumi caught the keys and hurried to the gate.
While Mikoto had turned away, the man spun with a wooden baton. Seeing the stick from the corner of her eye, she ducked. As the weapon missed her head, she grabbed and knocked him out with it. "Hard of hearing, huh?"
"Everything alright?" Kazuo walked towards her.
She shoved a piece of cloth into the guard's mouth before answering him. "Of course..."
They sat the guard in his chair, bound and gagged. Afterwards, they joined Kaito and Takumi at the gate. The latter had found the right key. With the huge iron obstruction unlocked, they pushed the doors open.
As the gate creaked, the team tiptoed inside with their knives out. No one was in sight, save for a keisatsu lying on the ground. Overhead paper lanterns lit up the paved Ishigami District streets as though it were sunset. The mostly brick-walled structures, some with flat roofs and others with clay tiles, were hard to miss.
"Clear." Mikoto sheathed the knife at her waist.
Takumi knelt and placed a finger on the keisatsu's neck. He'll be up soon. "Here's your ticket into Iwa prison," he said, facing Kazuo before they left him.
Kazuo remained behind with the guard.
It took a few minutes and the man was up with a groan. "Owww..." He rubbed his temple and scanned his surroundings. "Eh?" he said, startled by the boy next to him carrying a knife. The keisatsu guard placed a hand on his waist and sighed.
"We took your baton. So, you won't be needing it." Kazuo pointed the knife at him. "Take me to Iwa."
"Hahaha. Daring and foolish, I see..." The keisatsu dusted his uniform and stepped back to face Kazuo. I can take him. He's just a kid. He charged.
Kazuo spun, dodging the man's advance and pinning him down. "I don't want to repeat myself."
"Al–Alright..." said the keisatsu, hands raised. "I'll take you there but–"
"What?"
"Prisoners don't carry weapons."
"Way ahead of you." Kazuo tossed the knife into some bushes. After that, he placed his hands behind his back. "I wouldn't try anything funny just because I'm unarmed. You'll lead... let's go!"
On the way, every structure was similar in architecture to the ones near the entrance. As they proceeded further, the buildings only increased in size and became more luxurious. It was not long before one of the brightest places appeared. Just outside the gated perimeter fence was a tall formation of three rocks. Engraved on the stone gate were the words: Iwa Prison.