| Cage Wire | Ver. 1.0 |

About the Characters

Soujiro: It has already been ten years since Soujiro began wandering; he is now 28. What happened between his first days as a wanderer to present? Nothing good, in his opinion. Yes, he is rich. Yes, he hasn't killed anyone...at least not first-hand, he thinks. This fact has weighed heavily on him since it happened, leaving him alone and wifeless. Even during his early marriage, alcohol was a constant and cold friend.

Now in solitude he has been trying to drink those memories away. He has to care for people or their problems, he mostly keeps himself in the two-story, western-like mansion he inherited from his former wife. His only trips to the outside world is for more alcohol and food. But, he never expected the outside world to find him. It came in the form of Makimachi Misao...how will she change the world he has been trapped in? At first Soujiro doesn't know what to make of her. In his eyes she is a pest and a beggar, not the strong-willed woman she truly is. He doesn't know why he lets her stay, or why he agreed to help her. Maybe his efforts won't be in vain, maybe this woman can help change his life whether he wants it or not.

Misao It was barely three years after Aoshi Shinomori's return did he leave her and her family. He had frozen to death while in deep meditation. Misao, above everyone else, was the most devastated by his death. She had stayed in her room for months, only coming out to eat before retreating back. The girl that finally emerged after those months was not the same Makimachi Misao. She had changed so much...but somehow, for the better. Death changes people in either the worst or the best of ways. Since, she has taken up the mantle of Okashira of the Oniwabanshu.

She watched them get progressively older, weaker, finally unable to accompany her in combat. At twenty-six, she received a message from a sister-clan halfway across Japan, pleading for her assistance. They and another clan had been warring for months now, and the bloodshed had taken it's toll. That clan didn't know of the Oniwabanshu's weaker, less glorious state, leaving Misao to solve the problem herself. But she couldn't go alone. Somehow she finds herself at the door of a widow's mansion, not knowing who that widow was at all. She despises him greatly, and yet he is possibly her only hope. Perhaps, in time, they can learn to cooperate and change their lives for the better.

Shinobi Clans

Aka Kuma (Red Bear)

Spoilers ahead!!

Osamu: Osamu is the right-hand man and most trusted Shinobi of Noboru, the Aka Kuma clan's Okashira. He has lived with the clan his entire life and has served Noboru for twenty-five years. Osamu began serving his Okashira at ten, he is now 38. He is not handsome or charming, instead cunning and skilled with blades and other weapons, he works as both a spy and an assassin. Osamu's wife is Ume and his daughter is Ayako, and his brother is Ryou.

Ryou: Ryou is Osamu's younger brother, he works as a spy and messenger, leading a small squadron of Shinobi. His meetings with Noboru are rare as his connections with the Okashira are few; Noboru doesn't trust Ryou as much as Osamu. This has caused jealousy in the spy, but he keeps it well hidden from his brother or his Okashira. However, to make up for this he is an excellent spy and messenger, able to shorten otherwise long travels by nearly half. Another skill includes inventing new weapons, such as special waraji with a blade sewn into the sole, often laced with poison brewed by Ume.

Noboru: Noboru is the Okashira of the Aka Kuma clan, and has been so for forty-eight years. He is a powerful and knowledgeable man, skilled in combat, battle planning, war tactics, and different martial arts. On the sub-side however, although he is Okashira his clan members aren't completely trusting of him and his ideals. They are loyal to a fault, but their confidence in their leader is limited. Osamu is perhaps the only one who completely supports the man, as well as his thoughts on society. Noboru knows this but that doesn't change how he leads them, with a strict and steady command.

Ume: Ume is the wife of Osamu and mother of Ayako. Her position in the clan is next-to nothing, but she still holds a very important role in their survival. She is knowledable in medicine and poison, providing the Shinobi with virtually any herbal concoction they need. Her intelligence ranges not only with traditional Japanese and Chinese remedies, but also of the Western world which makes her even more important to the Aka Kuma clan. Ume doesn't know how to fight, which makes her an easy target for anyone wishing to do the group harm; her imperfections often stand out amongst her shining intelligence.

Wakana: Wakana is Ryou's concubine and entertainer, so many could say her importance to the clan is the least. But like Ume she also helps with injuries and medicine, keeping the peace amongst the men and telling children stories to keep them unworried. Wakana also keeps various records of happenings and family history, despite the strong discouragement of the Okashira.

Taiki: Taiki is the personal pet of Noboru, a rare Golden Monkey sent to him from China as a peace offering when he was a teenager and beginning Okashira. Taiki has been trained to identify important items other Shinobi members may have, such as weapons, papers, articles of clothing, or other objects. Taiki makes the perfect spy, as he can climb almost anything and find a way into many buildings without being noticed. He sometimes creates mischief for attention, but otherwise stays clear of people other than Noboru.