Seeking to aide the magistrate however she may, Sakura did as requested. She returned the scroll to its pouch and concentrated on the task at hand.

Sakura took the dagger and hid it in one of her sleeves. Gracefully she approached the table and, during an appropriate part of the ceremony, gracefully reached into her sleeve and thrust toward her invisible opponents head. It was apparent, however, that battle was not her forte', for while her strike was graceful it carried the grace of a dancer or artist and not that of a warrior. Still, had they not been watching when she hid the dagger it would have been a rude surprise.

Sakura stepped back and withdrew the scroll once again and began to sing, calling to the Kami in a way that very few knew. Shortly her mind was filled with their wisdom and, once again, she took her position. Once again the knife was hidden in her sleeve. This time, however, she carried the skill of a warrior who had a couple seasons behind her.

Not so many seasons as Kedo had practiced, but much more than her true self.

Retaking her place, Sakura bowed slightly to Minako.

"Satoru-san before I assume my position how was Doji Kusanagi-sama stricken by the blade, it is paramount for my performance."

"No, Sama," Takakura replies to Satoru, "usually Koiichi and Shinichi serve Doji Kusanagi-sama, but they were called away for a family emergency yesterday evening."

***

Kitsuki Ryoma's eyes miss nothing as he watches Kedo and Daidoji Sakura's strikes to where Doji Kusanagi would have been seated.  When Doji Minako requests more information, he raises an eyebrow:  "Not really, Doji-san," he disagrees, "the purpose here is to examine how different styles will achieve the same result--namely, the death of Doji Kusanagi--through different means.  But, if it's important to you," he shrugs, "Doji Kusanagi was stabbed once in the throat and once in the heart.  Both injuries were fatal and contributed the blood spatter in the room."

"Well then Iaijutsu was certainly not used, in my assumptions the killer must have used a small blade, well hidden near his thighs for quick drawing and quick recovery almost as fast as an Iaijutsu strike."

She kneels where the killer should be, having the knife she got attached on her right hip. "Since the ceremony requires both hands, the weapon must have been strapped on his hip."
Then she takes the knife and makes half a step forward with her right foot, drawing in one fluid motion the knife and stabbing where Doji Kusanagi's neck should be, then instantly recovering and striking again at the heart.

She sighs and stands up, "Somehow like that the assault must have happened. It required a precise strike so it must have took the assailant some time to predict the movements of Kusanagi-sama, the first strike must have been at the neck to avoid having Kusanagi-sama calling for help and then instantly a repeated strike at the heart for the final blow."

Minako grasped her mouth, as if in disbelief. What happened to her, she was cold and calculating as she performed and explained the crime scene.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:01, Sun 06 July 2008.

 Kedo watches without comment as both of the others go through their motions, being particularly interested in the second strike made by Sakura - his eyes almot hungrily devouring the motions that are 'recommended' by the intervention of the Kami, looking for insight and weakness in the imparted skills...

 He lightly folds his hands behind his back after returning the blade to the table, fingers clasping over fingers in a way that prevents uneccessary fidgetting... "With sufficient speed the question of prediction becomes moot, particularly since the victim was an Iajutsu master himself." he comments thoughtfully, "It was not necessary to predict his motion, since he himself would become complicit in the dance when he reacted to being attacked." - in other words you know precisely how a Crane will move every time, because their training quite literally ingrains their reactions faster than thought.

 "The neck strike was most likely the first" he allows, then expanding upon his reasoning aloud, "It is easier and as certain, but slower than a blow to the heart, which would allow for the wound the attacker apparently received if the visible evidence is to be believed. But how that attacker survived to strike a second time and left the chamber without a trail of blood... Puzzles me."

Sakura watched the goings on with some interest, both those of the Samurai assigned to her and those of the Kitsuki with their method.

"Actually" Sakura interjected, "since there was a tea ceremony going on at the time, I believe that the actions of the fallen Lord would have been almost trivial to predict."

"I, myself, am unskilled in Tea Ceremony so it would be difficult to predict my actions during one. But it seems to me, as an unskilled observer, that it would be easy -- almost trivial -- to predict the actions of someone that is skilled in tea ceremony. Does that seem right to you, Minako-San?"

"One is thus left only with the element of surprise. A sufficiently skilled warrior can easily strike twice in the space of a heartbeat, or so I've been told. Of course it helps if one knows how to use two blades at once, however such knowledge is not required."

"It seems I am back to you, Minako-San" Sakura added with a smile. "Isn't there a saying in Iaijutsu, 'Draw once, strike twice' ... or something like that? ... With surprise the first strike is gained. With skill the second is gained."

"But you do have a point, Kedo-Kun ... and I shall do my best to check into that little detail momentarily."
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:33, Mon 07 July 2008.

"Yes Sakura-san tea ceremony demands strict actions so it wouldn't be difficult to predict them, but not in Kusanagi-sama's case who was well versed in the art of Iaijutsu."

She looks around for a while all those bloodstains causing her nausea.

"I suppose you refer to the technique of the Kakita School. I have heard of it also but I have never witnessed it."

Sakura did her best to absorb this new information, but a few questions still remained.

"Tell me, you three" Sakura mused inquiringly, "Just how familiar with Iaijustu and the Kakita school would this person need to be to be confident in predicting his actions?"

"I could be way off" she said, looking toward the Dragon in the room, "but I don't think many warriors would be confident facing an Iai master without knowing quite a bit about Iai and the style ...."

Sakura's mind was already working overtime. Right now the list of suspects was getting very short indeed, but there was still the chance that someone else -- or several someones -- were aiding the killer behind the scenes.

[Satoru-San, I suspect that your questioning will provide a critical clue ...]

"Not there yet," Kitsuki Ryoma mutters, shaking his head before speaking, "while I agree that you have described a likely scenario, there are two variations and one alternate scenario to be considered.

"First," he says, taking the proper position, "there is the possiblity that our killer wielded two blades." So saying, the Kitsuki Investigator quickly draws two knives out of the sleeves of his kimono and strikes.

"Second," he says, placing the knives onto the table, "there is the possiblity that our killer was skilled at throwing knives." With that, Ryoma flicks two more weapons from the sleeves of his kimono and throws them with reasonable accuracy.

"Third," he sighs, "there is the possiblity that there was more than one killer.  One who distracted Kusanagi-sama with tea and another--possibly positioned as a yojimbo--who struck.

"Finally, it is possible that there was no Tea Ceremony at all--simply a man sharing tea with an associate."

OOC:  just waiting for you Satoru ^_^

 "Despite my training, two blades I had not considered because they are more unusual, though my skill in concealing such things is minimal at best." Kedo admits as he watches the Kitsuki go throught the motions of demonstration, "That the weapons were thrown is possible, but an eta of sufficient skill may be able to tell us this from examination of the body." - his voice carries an audible patina of distaste at the notion, but at the end of the day, that's what eta are for.

 "A second killer would explain how the one who was struck was able to leave, and a Yojimbo may not have been part of a ceremony of tea - but it is unlikely that there was no ceremony honoured Magistrate, for appropriate implements have recently been cleaned and set back in their places..." again, he pauses for a moment, "Though this could have been for a legitimate meeting before his murder, of which there will be a record, or it could be a deception on the part of the killer, as could the blood."

Sakura nodded at the Kitsuki's analysis. She stopped for a moment, deep in thought or meditation. Her hands slowly mimicked the motions of throwing blades, something obviously going through her head as she did so.

"Yes, of course" she said aloud, "that would have given our killer several advantages, even sitting across the table having tea."

"Speaking of which" Sakura said, coming back to the present, "we need to figure out what happened to the blood trail and how many people actually died. If you'll pardon me, gentlemen, I need to check out a few things next door."

Hurried footsteps heralded a new arrival; a moment later Daidoji Tsukiko stood at the open door, the colour draining from her face as she was confronted by the sight of so much blood.  Her very bearing betrayed her reluctance to enter a room that was awash with uncleanliness.

"Can I," she took in a deep breath to steady her roiling stomach, "can I be of any assistance?"  Now that she had reached the goal she had set off to achieve, the courtier could now turn her mind to aiding with the investigation at hand.

Satoru's face creases. Turning to the nearest guard, "Send word, I wish for this Koiichi & Shinichi to be brought here, now. No matter what emergencies they may have." Turning back to Takakura, "Where do you typically work since this is not your usual post?"

OOC: APOlogies all for my absence.

Sakura nodded to the recent arrival.

"Yes, of course" she said politely, "I am about to take another look around the scene myself and I would appreciate knowing if you can find anything that we missed."

[Private to Kaze no Kage: If left otherwise uninterrupted, Saskura will first cast By the Light of Lord Moon.]
[Private to Daidoji Tsukiko; Kedo: Is/Was Tsukiko at the Daidoji war council (of the evening)?]

Tsukiko bowed to Sakura, accepting the invitation, and then stepped into the room.  She took special care not to allow any part of her body or clothing touch the now darkened Crane blood.  Her eyes focused on the trappings of a tea ceremony, positioned in such a way that Tsukiko knew the ceremony had not come to its conclusion before Kusanagi had met his untimely demise.

OOC: Looking for information of thr particulars of the tea ceremony - point in the ceremony reached, anything misplaced in such a way to give more information on Kusanagi's last movements,any information about his guest (even if it's small stuff like whether he/she was right or left handed etc.

Daidoji Tsukiko rolled 24 using 6d10, keeping the 2 highest rolls, rerolling max. Awareness + tea ceremony.

[Private to Daidoji Sakura, Kedo: No.  She was off after the Miya Herald as far as I know - that is how her absence due to my going AWOL is going to be explained]
This message was last edited by the player at 07:07, Thu 17 July 2008.

"Hai, Satoru-sama," the Daidoji guard replies, before departing.

"We serve among the lesser courtiers and on the cleaning staff, Sama," Takakura replies.

***

The rest of the investigation team returns to the scene of the crime.  Waiting for them are Kitsuki Fuji and Mirumoto Yamada.  Most of the room remains untouched, however, Fuji and Yamada wait beside Kusanagi's writing desk, which has been opened to reveal a small hidden compartment holding a message scroll bearing the imperial seal--broken.

"I found something interesting which you may wish to examine, Daidoji-san," Kitsuki Fuji bows, "once we found the scroll with the broken seal, we left it untouched for your investigation."

[Private to Daidoji Tsukiko: the perpetrator cleaned up too well to be entirely certain much about the participants in the ceremony; however, they were far enough along in the ceremony to pour the tea]
[Private to Daidoji Sakura: the hidden compartment revealed by Fuji, along with the scroll, and the cups are all illuminated by the spell]

Tsukiko's eyes made quick work of examining tea ceremony.  Three lines, the creases of a frown, appeared on her brow.  The tea ceremony equipment had been tampered with, and by someone who at least knew the information the placement of the items could offer.  The tea had, however, been poured it seemed.  Whether it had been done during the ceremony or after, to confuse any resulting investigation, Tsukiko had no idea, but if it were the former, she might be able to garner some information.

"Mirumoto-san," Tsukiko speaks quietly to the other Dragon, "is it known how much time passed between the last time Kusanagi-sama was seen and his murder was discovered?"

Sakura picked the scroll up, weighing it in her hands for a moment. She had always wanted this, to be a magistrate ... no, to be a great magistrate. But now, she wasn't so sure ...

None of which mattered. She had her duty, and Shosuro Kasumi always completed her Duty.

Daidoji Sakura opened the scroll and began to read its contents ...

"Who told you of the change in duties?  And who told you how to serve the Lord?  Have you seen the two regular servants since this incident?" Satoru found himself losing a bit of his control and tried to reign himself in, it was difficult as the questions raced into his head quicker than he could ask him.

"Not by me, Daidoji-san," the Dragon yojimbo rumbles in response to Daidoji Tsukiko's question, before falling silent.  It could not have been terribly long ago, however, as you met with Doji Kusanagi only a couple of hours ago--scant minutes before opening negotiations with the Clan of Secrets.

***

"H-heikichi, S-sama," Takakura replies, clearly frightened by the sudden intensity of the questioning, "the head of the serving staff.  He told us our new duties and how were to serve Doji Kusanagi-sama.  N-no, Sama, I haven't seen either of them since yesterday."

[Private to Daidoji Sakura:
Haikei Doji Kusanagi,

As you have no doubt already heard from my letter to Doji Kasarugi, the Lion are preparing to attack the city which you so successfully defended during the Clan War.  I am writing to warn you of a more subtle attack on the Crane by the Lion in the Courts.  They have accused the Crane of using certain dishonorable and illegal tactics and, should those techniques be used in defense of Toshi Ranbo so close to Winter Court, the Emperor would have no choice but to act against the Crane.

Otomo Hatsuharu

OOC:  make an Awareness/Courtier check TN 15 to read between the lines]

"Hmmm.  Thank you, Mirumoto-san." she said no more, her eyes taking on a slightly glazed look as her mind ran through the scant evidence she had seen.  It may have been useful to have a more precise timing.

OOC: The length of tea ceremony can indicate the importance of the person the tea is being served to.  If it's difficult to tell, I'll make a roll.

Heikichi, another name to be remembered... Satoru held up a hand, to calm both himself and the servant. "I need clarity, Takakura. When you came in to the Lord's chambers, were you coming in to serve the midday meal or clear it away?"

"Neither, Sama," Takakura replies, "Doji Kusanagi-sama ordered a snack between meals.  It was this small repast which we were delivering."

"Sama," the Daidoji guard bows before reporting, "of the two servants whose presence you requested, there is no sign.  Their families believed that they would be arriving later today, after the evening meal."

Further questioning of the other servant reveals the same story.  Left now with more questions than answers, the investigation closes for the day.

Sakura's face revealed little as she put the scroll into her scroll pouc, but her mind was running quickly. There was so much to consider ...

"Pardon me" she said to the other assembled Samurai. Then she turned to the Dragon. "Thank you for your assistance in this matter. If you find anything else, please let me know."

As Sakura turned to leave she idly wondered how many of the Samurai, outside of the Kitsuki trained, knew that she was secretly quite concerned ...

"Of course, Daidoji-san," Kitsuki Fuji bows.