Spirits Having Flown [Bounty]

[Ichimura Ryunosuke]

The recent victory by the militia over the bandits that have constantly ravaged the land of Totomi had brought the morale of the populace to a very high amount that it had brought attention on a topic that had not been touched due to the fear of the people and the former constant wars between the two daimyo that were claiming Totomi for themselves. Basically they had ignored the issue because there is a lack of someone in Totomi who could handle the job. It was the matter of Shibata Masanobu, who had been making the land of Totomi as his hideout since the power struggles in the land.

The head of the Totomi militia, Ichimura Ryunosuke, was sitting in front a table in a place he had frequented for many times. The soba that he had ordered was in his front right now, but it seemed that he was unable to eat. It also seemed that he was unhappy even when his name was praised all around Totomi. The faces of those who had been killed in the battle against bandits still haunted him, and he was not used to not seeing their faces in the militia headquarters. It made him think that he was still incapable of serving justice, since he can't protect those who had been close to him.

He was still moping at the front of his food when he heard some rumors saying that the outlaw Shibata was seen around the north of the marketplace, nearby an inn somewhere near the line of meat dealers. Wasting no time, Ryunosuke ate all of the soba in one sitting, and bolted out of the tavern. Although he was going through the hurt of not seeing his friends again, justice needs to be served. For the persons who died in the act of seeking justice. For his friends who died, who sought justice for their family and friends. For himself, to redeem himself from letting his friends die. He would have to fight the man by himself, to prove that he was capable of serving justice.

[Oda Nobunaga]

Currently, Ryunosuke had no leads on where Masanobu was! While it was true he was part of the Totomi power struggles, he had no way of knowing if he was still even within the fief, after it was recently taken by the Amakusa. On top of this, the man's appearance was a mystery to him. Before Ryunosuke could find the man, he would need to get some information.

[Ichimura Ryunosuke]

When he had reached the place, it seemed peaceful, there seemed to be no trace of fear in the peoples' faces as they go around their business, buying and selling, going in and out of shops and taverns, inns spewing out and receiving visitors. It had seemed not to harbor a person like Shibata Masanobu; there are either no trace of awe or fear in the area. The rumor seemed to be an old one, and might be before the Amakusa assumed rule in Totomi. If he had went out of Totomi, he would not be his concern. He would just have to confirm it.

He then went to the place where the rumors started: in the inn just near the line of meat dealers in the marketplace. It was rumored that Shibata Masanobu was last seen walking out of this inn. Ryunosuke did not know Shibata's appearance as of yet, and so he had to ask the innkeeper for that information. He would move towards the innkeeper, and say him, "Good morning there! It had seemed that a man named Shibata Masanobu once harbored your inn, and the rumors say as such. Did you know where he had gone after he rented a room here?"