Having overheard that Fade has plans to attack one of "Bayushi's" barges leaving "NV", the magistrates had gone to Bayushi Korechika to find out more information. He claimed to have no knowledge of what "NV" might be, although is actions indicated some awareness. Although warily, he accepted their help in the threat to his ship. Telling them that one of his merchants may know the meaning of this "NV" and would be in touch. They were later contacted by his vassal Sharp, who stated that it referred to the "Northern Viaduct", a canal used for shipping to outlying villages. He provided a map showing where it connected to the River of Gold and that there was indeed a ship that would be traversing it on a return trip to Ryoko Owari shortly. He arranged for it to meet them not long before it rejoined the main body of the river.
At the same time, Kasuga Osamu had heard rumors referring to a "Necessary Village". Possibly only a legend, but apparently the source of a great quantity of opium.
The magistrates left the city carefully, verifying that they were not spotted by any possible spies. While riding out, however, Ichiro Bando was met by a group of 10 Thunder Guards riding out from the Tower of the East Eye. Their leader informed him that the Governor had become informed of the threat and had assigned them to aid the magistrates in helping to capture Fade. In addition they brought several of their companions along with Akodo Tadashi's recent recruits for the nascent Ryoko Owari branch of the Kenjingumi.
Reaching the river, they replaced almost all of the barge's oarsmen with the Thunder Guards. Meanwhile, Akodo took the horses with him and led his task force along the river bank to watch the eastern shore.
Not long after the barge was back on the main channel several small fishing boats started to gain on it. Before long an ambush had been sprung with horsemen depositing a group of archers to harass the boat's defenders while a boarding action was attempted. Akodo and his group managed to block a corresponding force, leading to a pitched cavalry battle on the shore.
As the troops on the boats boarded, the Thunder Guard turned their weapons instead on the magistrates. Willow leaf heads gave way to flaming arrows to set the barge alight when one of them managed to strike a barrel of sake, festively decorated in red livery, that unexpectedly exploded injuring Togashi Tenko and killing several bandits. Kasuga was able to notice that it gave all indications of having been packed with gunpowder. While Kasuga fought off Mika, the boarding party's leader, Mirumoto joined in his friend's defense. She attempted to fight off both magistrates, but the effects of the poison and their combined blows was too much and she succumbed. Meanwhile, Ichiro, after repelling several boarders, seized the apparent captain of the supposed Thunder Guards and was able to take him into custody. The tide of battle turned against the raiders and they fled the flaming ship as further explosions ravaged it. The magistrates taking some of the remaining fishing boats and escaping to shore.
As the battle raged on the barge, Akodo was called out by Hifumi, the leader of the mounted troops, and they charged one another. She struck out first with her naginata but missed by the barest margin as Akodo's katana claimed her head. With the dramatic loss of their leader the remaining troops broke and fled off into the woods.
The captured bandit claimed that the raid had gone according to plan, taunting the magistrates about the apparent lack of both opium on the barge and Fade, who had previously always accompanied his troops into battle.
On the return to the city the opium at least was discovered. A pair of small carts were found loaded with it and set ablaze, their peasant carters slaughtered by what appeared to be men on horseback.
Taking the captured man and his supposed orders before Shosuro Jocho, he claimed to have never seen him in his life and regarded the orders as a clear forgery. He then arranged for the magistrates to report shortly to the governor in order to apprise her of what had occurred.
She seemed dissatisfied with the way in which the operation was resolved, but grudgingly pleased with the death of two of Fade's lieutenants and the loss of a significant portion of his forces. He had also tipped his hand with the Thunder Guard ruse and would be unlikely to repeat such a deception in the future. Korechika was quite upset with the loss of his property, although he dissembled when the matter of the rather combustible sake barrels was raised.
Arriving in the mail while they were out was a bundle of documents courtesy of Agasha Hanori. He had looked through the Imperial Archives on behalf of Ichiro and found that there was indeed a record of a Tanuki Clan. A small offshoot of the Badger, they lived in the Shinomen Forest over a hundred years ago where they submitted reports on various strange and unbelievable things. When the Emperor was succeeded by his son, who had no such appetite for his father's flights of fancy, he sought to dissolve the clan, but found that the reports had abruptly ceased. He dispatched an Imperial Survey Team to the recorded location of their village but despite spending a week searching they were unable to find any trace that there had ever been any such settlement.