EP01: Teahouse Treaty

In the teen-dominated Harajuku District, Chain-gang Symphony have just finished their first set at the Neon Dragon Nightclub and the band is taking a breather. As Tokugawa Hirotada signs autographs for his adoring female fans, Fujiwara Fumi, his ex-girlfriend, promises Renshi a recording contract if he convinces Hiro to come back to her. Renshi refuses and she storms off. Tienshen monitors the proceedings from the dance floor while Yukishen watches from the mezzanine level. Also on the mezzanine is Ryouken, who spots Nobunaga Shinobi and Hitomi at a table watching the band, while Chuji repeatedly orders a pork roll only to be handed another cocktail.

Fumi's three brothers confront Hiro and surround him. They're unhappy about him unceremoniously dumping their sister and intend to teach him a lesson. Hirotada soaks up the first punch and staggers backwards. Renshi presses a button on his guitar case and the hilt of a katana pops up. He leaps onto the lazy susan of the nearest table and spins, knocking each of the brothers on the skulls with the hilt. Tienshen jump-kicks one of the brothers and knocks him on his ass.

On the mezzanine, Ryouken misses shooting the mobile phone from Shinobi's hand. Shinobi gathers up Hitomi and they make to leave. Yukishen leaps from the balcony of the mezzanine and nearly stops the fight as everyone of the dance floor watches her pole-dance down one of supports to the stage. Chuji throws his tray of very alcoholic cocktails over Fumi's brothers. He jumps over the balcony and lands effortlessly on another table.

Renshi, Chuji and Yukishen keep the brothers at bay while Tienshen grabs the arm of the protesting Hiro and hustles him towards the rear door of the nightclub. Chuji lights the alcohol around the table which forces the brothers to keep their distance. On the mezzanine, Shinobi and Ryouken try to stare each other down. Shinobi says he wants no trouble. His only concern is to protect Hitomi. Clan Nobunaga has nothing to do with this fight, he says. Ryouken lets him leave.

A biker in full leathers and black helmet interposes himself between Tienshen and the door. He shoots and she barely manages to twist out of the bullet's path. She retaliates by kicking the guy's faceplate, cracking it.

In the distance, the sirens of the law enforcement militia grow louder.

The biker prepares to shoot again. Ryouken drills a bullet straight through the biker's hand holding the weapon. He screams in pain, neon lights plainly visible through the ragged hole in his palm. Chuji mocks the biker's lack of skill and honour, shaming him into lifting the visor and revealing himself - it's Masako, Clan Nobunaga's Master of Assassins!

From the lazy susan now surrounded by flame, Renshi leaps, somersaults and lands with all the skills of his special forces cadet training. He and Yukishen fight a rearguard action as the group retreats through the back door of the nightclub.

They are piling into the van parked out the back as the militia burst through the front doors of the nightclub, weapons drawn and looking for trouble. Ryouken leaps over the balcony and unleashes hell from his two 10mm GodHammer pistols into the polished concrete floor, sending up a cloud of dust and debris which obscures their exit.

The next morning, the daimyo is angry. What the hell happened in the nightclub? On hearing the tale and learning that the Nobunaga chief assassin was there, he calms down. That explains, he says, why Nobunaga Shinobi rang this morning to say that Clan Nobunaga knew nothing of the events and that they will deal with the matter. There's something very wrong here, he says. They all agree.

Daimyo Ieyasu orders them to guard and protect Hiro at all costs and to discover who Masako is working for.

The Shen twins confine Hiro to his room and watch him all day. Renshi sleeps in the van and watches him during the night. Around 11pm, the Shen twins check on Hiro and find him gone, the curtains on the window flaps in the night breeze.

Yukishen uses an old trick and rubs a pencil gently over the top sheet of the notepad by the phone. He's gone to the Jade Teahouse for an appointment at 10pm.

The Jade Teahouse is in the corporate shopping district of Ginza. It is a traditional tea house with (mock)paper walls and ornate woodwork. The Shen twins, dressed up in traditional kimono and wooden sandals are accompanied by Chuji. Hiro is in a corner softly singing Hitomi a love song, playing gently for her on his bass guitar. She looks at him adoringly.

The Shen twins sit next to the happy couple while Chuji installs himself a table or two away and orders the pork roll he's been craving since last night. Renshi and Ryouken go around the back, walk into the kitchen, sit down and start playing cards.

It's obvious to the twins that Hiro and Hitomi are desperately and dangerously in love. They convince the couple to only meet on their terms. After some discussion, the couple accepts the Shen twins offer to act as go-betweens and protection for any liaisons. No communication is to occur between the lovers except through one of the Shen twins.

Chuji waits patiently for his pork roll. It's been a very long time. He doesn't know that the cooks, having joined the card game, are too busy to attend to such as insignificant order.

Everything is arranged and settled. Hitomi is to come to the Tokugawa compound for a visit and tea ceremony tomorrow afternoon. In this way, everyone can keep an eye on both the clan and the couple to see that no harm comes to either.

They prepare to leave. Hitomi will go first and they will follow a little later. On receiving the signal, Renshi and Ryouken pack up the card game and head for the van. The cooks finish Chuji's pork roll and serve it to him. As Chuji and the Shen twins leave the teahouse, a beggar asks for help. Only later does Chuji realise he's given the beggar the pork roll he's waited more than twenty four hours since the visiting nightclub to eat.

Daimyo Ieyasu is shocked that Yukishen extended such as invitation to Nobunaga Hitomi. No member of Clan Nobunaga has set foot in the Tokugawa compound since that midnight raid 46 years ago. A blood feud and virtual state of war has existed between the two clans. Then what better way, says Yukishen, to show that Clan Tokugawa is socially responsible, obedient to the Shogun's edicts and above such petty squabbles than by having the grand-daughter of Clan Nobunaga's daimyo to tea. Ieyasu cannot fault Yukishen's logic and reluctantly agrees.

As the potentially dangerous liaison between both houses is set, Renshi decides to make things a little safer for Hiro by thwarting his more obvious enemies - the Fujiwara. Renshi makes a call and arranges for another public duel to first blood at dawn in Central Park.

At the appointed time, Renshi, Ryouken and Chuji are again in the park, facing the three brothers. Ryouken tries to be a background member of the group as befits his status as Renshi's second, but he finds that he is approached by the odd young and old warrior, praising him for the grievous injury he inflicted on the assassin Masako. Word has got around about the accuracy of his aim with his mighty Godhammers.

Renshi faces off against the nominated Fujiwara champion, Kenada. Ken taunts Renshi but Renshi finds the calm centre within himself and does not yield to his emotions. There is a rush of steel and the blades meet. The duel seems somewhat even until Renshi leaps prodigiously upward, clearly intending to strike hard at Ken from above. Ken anticipates this and strongly blocks upward... but doesn't realise that Renshi's move is a ruse. The angle of his leap takes him past a bright street lamp, and Ken is momentarily blinded. Ken's block is weakened as a result. Renshi strikes true not only scoring Ken's forearm but breaking the Fujiwara family katana, a blade that has been with the family for generations.

In dishonour, Ken and his brothers slink back to their limousine, defeated. Renshi allows himself a brief moment of victory, then prepares himself for Chuji's harsh words at how he could have done better. Surprisingly, Renshi feels not the usual sharp blow from Chuji's bo but is welcomed by a deep bow from the old sensei, who is for the first time truly proud of his charge.

At that instant on the other side of Neo-Tokyo, the sleek black Nobunaga limo pulls up outside the reinforced gates to the Tokugawa compound. Hitomi gets out alone. Tokugawa soldiers pull back the bolts and drag the gates open. Nobunaga Hitomi is greeted with almost royal fanfare by Clan Tokugawa and a beaming Hirotada. In response to Yukishen's polite and very formal invitation, Hitomi steps over the threshold and through the gate.

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