Alt-Onin: The Battle of Shirataki

Upon arriving at Ozu, the PC's were surprised to discover that Prince Takatsukasa Akihiro was there paying a visit to a resident Chinese scholar of some sort. His cart was at the samurai mansion that he had appropriated from some unhappy Utsunomiya vassal. The group road out to his neighboring estate at Tada, a mile north of Ozu on the Hiji River. A famous Chinese scholar, Xiao Guanding, apparently a sorcerer and diviner, resides in a small but richly decorated home in the hills above the river, looking down upon Tada. He has a small number of servants and guards in residence and has little interaction with his Japanese neighbors. Prince Akihiro acted surprised to see the PC’s, but it seemed insincere to the perceptive. He is there to consult the scholar on some arcane matter which he will not discuss with the PC's. 

The arrival of Prince Akihiro at Tada startled and frightened everyone, from the Utsunomiya Clan that rules the region to the Ishii family, stewards of Tada, leading them all to resume the proper tax payments to Prince Akihiro. It did not resolve the impasse between the Prince and the Sasaki family, stewards of Shirataki, the second estate in the region. Sasaki Kansuzo (the steward of Shirataki) kept the Prince’s money; some went to maintain independence from the Utsunomiya, some went to buy goods from Matsuyama, and some went to fund the construction and improvement of his fortified manor and the hiring of mercenaries.  He is of the not-incorrect opinion that the Prince is far away and might as well be dead, so the tax money is better used here in Ozu. Prince Akihiro sighed as he explained how vexing the situation with Shirataki was, leaving him too troubled to sleep. He bade the PC's rid him of his woes by "removing the Sasaki family from Shirataki." Later that night, the PC's carried out their plan. 

Tatsuzo and Kingoro killed the mercenaries in the watchtower above Shirataki. They set it ablaze as a distraction, while Kazu and Yukichi crept down the hillside to reconnoiter the Sasaki manor house. Before entering the compound, they waited for the other two to join them in the darkness. Simultaneously, the monk Santo no Kai ran silently across the fields to reach the mercenary barracks, hoping to find the rest of the party's comrades and servants. He discovered the accountant monk Brother Hofuku and servants Hachiro, Shichiro, and Unlucky Ko's servant Jotaro alive but in bad shape. The others, including the brave warriors "The Thief," "The Pirate," and "The Ladies Man," were either killed when the group was captured or murdered later after they tried to intimidate the Sasaki into compliance. Thanks to the distraction provided by the others and a bit of brutal fist-murder, Santo no Kai was able to get the captives to safety. 

Back at the manor house, Kazu, Tatsuzo, and Kingoro hopped the wall to enter the house. Yukichi, unable to clear the wall, instead flanked the main body of the Sasaki mercs and intimidated the shit out of them with a brutal display of strength. This bought them the time they needed to corner Sasaki Oharu, her children, an elderly relative, and two servants. Though she bravely defended her family, she was quickly taken down. Kazu left the room, unable to bear the slaughter while Tatsuzo and Kingoro finished the grisly business. On the way out, Tatsuzo fought a short duel with Sasaki Kansuzo, disarming and killing him with two swift blows. Two of his vassals attempted to kill the PC's, but were quickly cut down as well. The rest of the samurai were convinced to withdraw in shame. The mercs, a mix of Koreans, local toughs, and a few Kyushuans, were told to depart immediately or suffer the same fate. 

None chose to argue the matter with the Spears of Kamigoryo. 

Addendum: Unlucky Ko separated from the group to follow up on a rumor that his sister Kimiko had married into the Utsunomiya Clan, and was here in Ozu. Unfortunately, that turned out to be false. The inadvertent social faux-pas resulting from interactions between Ko and the false Kimiko's husband led to an impromptu duel. Kokatsu attempted to defuse the situation diplomatically since he was a guest in the city, to no avail. The chaotic swordfight between Unlucky Ko, the irate but unskilled husband, and three bodyguards resulted in a fire in a sake brewery on the south side of the city. This in turn led to a series of riots. Fortunately, Ko was able to escape mostly unharmed, though some people in Ozu would kill him if they thought they could manage such a feat of arms.