Takeuchi Clan

**The Takeuchi Clan (武内氏)** is a clan of mage-warriors founded by Minato Takeuchi, and is a part of the Snake Tong, being one of its oldest families to have joined the organization. The Takeuchi Clan is made up of the Takeuchi family and its branch families, who continue to preserve their traditions as warriors serving a lord, in this case, Fenghuang and the Snake Tong. Known for their devotion to the art of the blade, the Takeuchi make up many of the melee specialist roles in the Snake Tong. They also are known for adopting members into their clan, or orphans who they deem to have potential as a warrior.

## History

The clan's founder, Minato Takeuchi (1842-1930) was originally a member of the Shinsengumi. He served under Sōma Kazue and had to smuggle himself out of Japan, instead of surrendering after the Shogunate’s defeat in the Boshin War because he was convinced that he would be executed. By 1870, he found himself in Manila after stowing away in multiple ships from Japan and China, He was ashamed that he couldn’t die honorably in battle, and suffered an existential crisis as his way of life, being a samurai, has left him with only a few options for work when he left his life of a samurai behind. Luckily, he caught the attention of the early Snake Tong, who was more than willing to help a down-on-their-luck immigrant. From there, Minato found a new group to serve and a new purpose to fulfill as a sword-trainer and a skilled enforcer. Minato spent a lot of his time fighting with the Tong against Martyr Knights and Inquisitors, Order-backed magi, and the Americans during the Philippine-American War. Respected as a veteran fighter of the Tong, Minato realized that his legacy should not just end with him, and decided to settle down in the hopes of starting a family and clan, where his descendants would continue passing down the ’ Takeuchi-ryu Kenjutsu as well as the Ilao-kali that Minato learned acquired from their Aprósopi comrades in the Snake Tong. Future Takeuchi remained loyal members of the Shiai-shi, and consider their membership as part of their heritage.

Although the Takeuchi continued to preserve their Japanese heritage and language, they considered the Philippines their home, and did not take kindly to the fact that Imperial Japan invaded and caused wanton destruction and death during the Second World War. Masayuki Takeuchi, Minato’s son, quoted saying:

*“It was a good thing the old man didn’t live to see the war. He would have seen it as another opportunity to take a shot at the Meiji.”*

The Takeuchi were heavily involved in the Shiai-shi’s guerilla war against the occupation, and were also responsible for taking in the descendant of the Okita during the war and helping them join the organization. In the present, the Takeuchi remains as one of the long-serving families in the organization, and has provided training for members when it came to using swords and other melee weapons with magic. The clan has a rather large Japanese-style manor built on the rooftop of one of the skyscrapers owned by the Shiai-shi in Manila, which serves as the home for the clan’s members, and the dojo for agents who wish to train with the Takeuchi. The family has also had a long-standing tradition of taking in orphans and people with no other places to go into their clan, either as adopted members that work in the manor or the Musashibou assets. Some of these adopted were even recommended by the Takeuchi for Snake Tong recruitment if they have shown potential.

## Main Branch Members

* Minato Takeuchi - First Patriarch (1842-1937)
* Maria Takeuchi née Santos - First Matriarch (1899 - 1976)
* Masayuki Takeuchi - (1920 - 2000)
* Marina Takeuchi - (1928 - 2016)
* Terumi Takeuchi - (1950) Current Patriarch
* Satoru Takeuchi  - Heir
* Visera Takeuchi
* Junichi Takeuchi
* Natsumi Takeuchi

## Branch Families

### Musashibou

A relatively new branch family, founded around the 1980s, when Sae Takeuchi married a fellow Snake Joji Musashibou. The Branch has been known within the organization for its several business assets in Japan. Joji took advantage of the Economic Bubble in Japan during the 80s and 90s, and established a successful cabaret business in Osaka. Although the cabaret was initially meant to be a staging point for the organization’s expansion into Osaka, Joji’s “Cabaret Musashi” still ended up as a valuable asset, and the funds earned from the business allowed them to acquire other properties and business. At present, they run eateries and hotels in Osaka, as well as a maid cafe , a muscle-girl bar, a mimikaki salon, and even a ‘New Type’ (Trap) cafe in Akihabara. The properties in Akihabara were established when Joji Musashibou went through his Otaku phase. (He’s even more of an otaku when he retired).

The Musashibou are also known for their specialization in a mix of weapon styles due to Sae Takeuchi's knack for incorporating a variety of martial arts into her fighting style.

#### Members

* Sae Takeuchi-Musashibou
* Joji Musashibou
* Yoshino Musashibou
* Kaoru Musashibou