A topic from AEG's L5R CCG Rules forum, copied for Oracle of the Void from a copy of the forum saved in October 2015, so pages it didn't save are missing. Players' names are left out; the rules officials are named. Rulings are as they stood on these dates; later rulings, the rulebooks and the Rules Archive may differ.
A player, 13 November 2008
Dance of the Winds Kiho * Air Battle: Target your unbowed Shugenja or Monk: Move a target enemy Personality home. If this is the first Battle action taken in this battle, negate any effects this turn that move the Personality.
Relevant part italicized. My question is this: If I am defending, and my opponent attempts to take the first action by whatever means (Naval, Sneak, Hachigoro...) then I negate his action's effects with Reinforce the Gates. Then I play Dance of the Winds. Would it count as the first battle action taken?
Brook Cunningham (rules official), 13 November 2008
If I am defending, and my opponent attempts to take the first action by whatever means (Naval, Sneak, Hachigoro...) then I negate his action's effects with Reinforce the Gates. Then I play Dance of the Winds. Would it count as the first battle action taken?
No.
The fact you negated your opponent's action's effects doesn't change the fact that it was still taken.
http://rules.l5r.com/Abilities_and_actions#D._Action_resolves: "An action resolves even if all its effects are negated or otherwise do not occur."