"Get yourself together and find a way out Izumi." 

I stand up and stand closer to the cell bars looking to see what I can discover to find an exit strategy and to leave here. Looking to my left I notice many dead corpse. I stand in disablief. My body has already taken a beating. I'm thinking to myself, "what are they planning to do to me down here?" 

"I need to find a way out. Quick, fast and the quickest time if possible."

I hear the clan members walking around outside of the door. I could hear there feet scuffle against the ground. I listen in to see if there coming to open the door to where I'm located. 

I hear Yoro's voice through the door as he is talking to one of the clan members. 

I could hear him saying, "You make sure to reckon him. Make sure and beat him until he understands what we mean here." "We are the ones who destroys him for loosing something he should've kept up with!!" 

"He deserves his punishment. So, if he can last down here then he can last up there."

"You can start in thirty minutes. Make sure you get Azaku cause he is the best with this."

"Come to my area when your done we need to discuss the village."

"Yes sir!" The clan member agreeing with no questions asked. 

There footsteps both dissapeared after they were afar from the door. 

"Great.." Another reckoning of being beat by the same guy once again."

No. No, not again and not today. He is going to have to work for it this time. 

They think they can come in here and beat me to death because they feel like it? This isn't right. How does being beat help you? It doesn't ... I paused, it makes you angry. I am angry, speaking to the voice inside my head.  They have another thing coming. No one is down here so that means I have only two options. 

Thinking, I take the beating willingly or I fight back willingly. 

Those are my best two options. I only have 30 minutes supposingly. What's it going to be Izumi? What do you feel? What will this teach you?

As I walk away from the cell bars I walk and sit down on the steel bed frame and interlock my fingers in my hands together and close my eyes to think. 

Firstly, I won't become a coward and die like those dead corpse in the corner over there. I can shed my own blood and keep advancing through its pain. I am not going to be made a example of. I will stand firm. 

The door slams open. Azaku with a branding iron in his hand looking over at me. He doesn't say a word. He walks over to the cell door and grabs the keys to open it. 

I'm thinking, now would be the time to destroy this asshole.

I don't. I sit and will take the punishment. I can't fight more than one and I'm against all odds. The whole clan will come after me. 

"Sit down 88 not a word!"

I sit. 

Six other clan members walk up behind Azaku. He unlocks the cell door and as it squeaks open they charge in and throw me toward the wall. My whole body lunged and connected to the wall. I put my hands up toward the wall to protect my face. None of them said a word except for Azaku telling me to sit down prior opening the cell door. The six of them were in black cloaks and Azaku was in his red cloak. It repersented that he was, "the leader". You couldn't identify any of there faces.  

They start by picking me up and punching me in my face a couple of times until I fall to the floor. Now the kicks make contact to my addomen. The six of them pounding my whole body with there kicks. I try and cover up but nothing is working against the amount of kicks each of there limbs are moving. Azaku yells and tells them to hold me still. 

What the hell?

HOLD HIM!!!

He heats his branding iron up and they remove my clothing piece from my buttock region. 

"You shall not loose your items 88. You'll shall be branded with punishment of a lost item." 

"You have failed your test. You are a disgrace to your village." 

This brand will show your village you have failed them. Azaku telling me. 

He heats it up a little longer. 

"Now ... enjoy your agony. " Azaku laughing. 

The branded iron makes contact to my buttock and I let out a scream. You could see the steam come off the iron and it was yellow right before it reached my skin. This was the slowest moment of my life knowing I was about to be hit with a intensely hot iron rod which would produce immense pain like I have never felt in my life. I jolt and yell in pain. My whole body quivers. This body was stiff like a hard wooden board. These feet were moving back and forth like I was trying to gain momentum to push myself up and away from the heat of the rod.  I scream and yell at them ..

YOU MOTHER FU ... 

Before I could let it out he hits me in my face again, and again and then again. The six others get me on my knees and hold my arms so I'm looking forward at Azaku. I cant even hold my head up. My head feels like a balloon ready to bust open. The force of his fist made me fall to my side after his fist connect to my abdomen again. 

I'm lying on the floor on my side, on my broken ribs and I cough up blood. 
Blood draining from the nostril of my nose and exiting from my mouth. I was drowning in my own blood. I couldn't breathe and I was wheezing. I couldn't see because the blood was pouring from my forehead down into my eyes. I could taste the blood as it tasted sharp like iron. 

I start to remember the troubling times as a kid. The past begins to show its face in my mind. 

Izumi, "Take this and prosper. You are the chosen for your kind. The Yoruzuya owes you nothing. Remember this and keep pushing through you brave soul."