“I’m gonna enjoy this,” the leader grinned as he tightly held a fidgeting Mikoto by her waist with one hand and reached for his trousers with the other. Before he could proceed any further Mikoto connected her knee to his groin with so much force that a cracking sound was heard. She was not yet done! In that instant she swiftly jerked backwards and head-butted the other bandit right on his nose. The bandit let go of his grip and held his nose which had started bleeding before receiving a knockout punch. The leader who was on the ground, held onto his precious orbs which would never sire any offspring and let out an inaudible whimper.

“I see you don’t need my help there,” Takumi applauded her and she smiled before falling onto the ground.

Just then the last standing bandit swung his axe towards Kazuo. Before the bandit could connect a fatal blow, the seemingly unconscious youth who had been playing possum rose up in a flash with kunai in hand. He swiftly rushed forward and stabbed the bandit right on his stomach. Kazuo drove the blade deep into the bandit’s innards and the latter dropped his axe the ground as he let out an agonizing roar. A stream of blood then splattered all over the place like a broken fountain as the bandit also plummeted to the earth. A blood stained and fatigued Kazuo also dropped to his knees before landing on his back. Takumi then raced in Kazuo’s direction as he saw him falling down.

“Are you alright?” Takumi raised out his arm.

“Yeah…thanks,” Kazuo grabbed the arm and sat up.

Takumi and Kazuo went over to help Mikoto. When she got up the trio tied the bandits who had been knocked out to some nearby trees before leaving the scene. They carried on the rest of their journey at a steady pace. They were too exhausted and injured to run.

“So you’re telling me that you guys learnt how to fight like that from those crappy Hideo lectures?” Kazuo inquired.

“Affirmative,” the reserved Takumi replied.

“He taught us everything we know,” Mikoto added in seeing that they were now talking to Kazuo.

“Cool!” Kazuo applauded. “Did you always want to be ninja?”

“Well I don’t know about Takumi here but I for one have always wanted to be the strongest kunoichi in the Lightning village after Asuka-san of course. Just like her the Lord Sage took us in.”

“Asuka? Grandpa mentioned her before,” said Kazuo. “So she’s really that strong then. I’d like to challenge her!” he added with a determined look.

Mikoto and Takumi stared at him as if he was crazy.

“What?” Kazuo asked.

“Then you have a long way to go,” Takumi said. “We are just underlings who barely got out alive with these pushovers. Asuka on the other hand is a Sage level ninja and she wouldn’t have even taken a second to finish them off.”

“He’s right,” said Mikoto.

“I see,” Kazuo affirmed. “I’ll have to train even harder then.”

“What is your goal?” Takumi asked facing Kazuo.

“Nah, you go first man.”

“Fine. Have it your way then.”

They resumed the silence. It wasn’t that Kazuo didn’t want to respond but rather the question had really hit him unexpectedly and he had to really think about it.

“Well…I know what I don’t wanna be,” he then said after a while, “everyone back home wanted me to be just like my father and be the next daimyo.”

“Is that why you came to the Lightning village,” Mikoto asked. “To run away from it all?”

“It wasn’t of his own volition,” Takumi interrupted. “He was-”

“He sent me away,” said Kazuo before Takumi could finish. “My father, and now I’m going back.”

“Sorry,” said Mikoto. “What’d you do for him to do that?”

“…a lot of bad things,” replied Kazuo, “but I didn’t mean it, all I ever wanted was for him to notice me and be happy with who I was.”

The silence resumed. Then shortly after Takumi said, “I hadn’t answered you by the way. My goal is to return to the Artisan country where Sage Kazutaka found me as a child and invent tools that can help the people of Nihon."

“I’m sorry too guys,” said Kazuo. “I must look like an asshole complaining about my old man when you grew up without any parents.”

“It’s alright, the Lord Sage and the school are like family to us,” Mikoto smiled as she stared at Takumi.

“Yes indeed…she’s right.”

“Okay guys we’re almost there,” Kazuo announced. “The village is right up ahead.”

When they arrived in the Fire village it was now in the evening. They were quickly welcomed by two samurai at the gate and escorted to the royal palace. Along the way Kazuo noticed several civilians all clad in black.

“What’s going on? Why are they all dressed in black?” Kazuo questioned the samurai. “The last time everyone wore black was when Grandma Natsue died.”

“I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this young lord,” one samurai said, “but when the shadow ninja attacked the daimyo and the royal family were k-”

“N-No, no way,” Kazuo muttered. “It can’t be oka-san.”

Kazuo was beyond shocked. He paused for a bit and trembled as veins started to show on either side of his temples. His eyes were glassy. He was trying to resist the urge to let out a downpour of salty water from them.

“My deepest condolences Kazuo,” Takumi consoled him.

“I am truly sorry for your loss,” Mikoto added placing her arm on his shoulder.

They made their way to the royal palace which was silent and were welcomed by the regent daimyo with a council of advisors.

“Welcome home cousin,” Kenzo walked forward to greet Kazuo and his colleagues. “I’m sure by now you’ve already heard the news…the daimyo and everyone else in our family was brutally murdered by those despicable kage-nin.”

The two royals embraced. Kenzo was an intelligent and reserved young boy with short black hair and brown eyes. He also wore a black nagagi and hakama in mourning and carried himself with the aura of a natural born leader.

“Sorry to disturb the reunion my lords, but on to more pressing matters,” one of the advisors said out loud, “the issue of Kazuma-sama’s succession.”

“With Kazuo, the true heir having returned it is of no concern now is it,” another added.

“But he was banished by Lord Kazuma himself!” the third one exclaimed.

The royal palace suddenly erupted with chaos as the three old men argued amongst themselves.

“I DON’T WANT IT!” a furious Kazuo shouted and the whole room went silent again. When everyone was quiet he proceeded, “oka-san and the old man both knew this and heck the whole bloody village probably knew that I didn’t wanna be daimyo. Kenzo here is the better and more suited option, and that’s if he wants it as well.”

“If it is your wish cousin then I would be greatly honoured.”

“Yes it is.”

“May we have the room please,” Kenzo announced. Before Mikoto and Takumi headed out he said, “No you two may remain.”

When everyone else had left the room Kenzo carried on, “when the kage-nin attacked I was busy going over some scrolls and other manuscripts in the Inazuma shrine when I came across a purple scroll which I do believe is addressed to you cousin.”

“I’ll check it out thanks Kenzo.”

“Before you leave for the shrine there is also something else that you should know,” Kenzo added, “when I returned to the palace after the attack I overhead some peasants say that the kage-nin were after you. I also have reason to believe that their next attack will be on Kaminari no Muri (The Lightning Village).”

“Shit! We have to send a messenger bird then,” said Kazuo.

“Yeah we need to notify the Lord Sage and everyone,” Mikoto added.

“It would be ill advised for Kazuo to return to the Lightning village,” Takumi who’d been silent all along finally added his input. “For some reason they are seeking him, so his best bet is to either wander the lands anonymously or stay put in a village or country where they’d least expect. The latter of course isn’t an option because we as a ninja village have foes in many lands and a daimyo’s son as well as the Sage’s grandson would make for quite the ransom.”

“He’s right cousin,” Kenzo affirmed. “Let us wait and hear from grandpa then, but before you head how about a meal? You three look famished.”

After the trio were served a hearty supper of rice and pork with miso soup by the royal servants they made their way to the Inazuma shrine. As they passed through a torii (gate) the wooden structure with a thatched roof was if full view.

“Woaahhh, this place looks old as hell,” Kazuo announced after they entered the shrine. “So this is where Kenzo always spends his time…could never be me.”

“Purple scroll? With all these books? That’ll take a while,” Mikoto sighed before she turned to see that Takumi had already begun the search. “Oh it’s on! You may be the top student when it comes to academics but I’ll be the one to find this scroll first.”

Kazuo on the other hand wondered about in search for anything other than a book to occupy his mind. It took Takumi about fifteen minutes to find the scroll and he called the other two to view its contents together. Takumi rolled the scroll open and the trio viewed what it said:

To the violet flower whose blood flows the same as Raijin

I bestow upon him the power of Light

Kneel therefore where once stood the Legendary Sage of old

And receive his might before the hour of the Night

For darkness gathers in the fold in preparation to fight

He whose brightness makes even the shadows cower.

“What does that even mean?” Kazuo scratched his head.

Mikoto was also in the darkness before she remember what Kenzo had mentioned. “The daimyo said something about this scroll being about you Kazuo-kun. I’m not sure about the rest but the violet flower must be in reference to your hair.”

“Oh,” Kazuo came to the realization as he pretended to be following.

“Power of the light, where the Legendary Sage once stood,” Takumi muttered to himself as he paced about. “This being a shrine, where then would a Sage stand? Of course!”

Takumi searched the area, “Kazuo does this shrine have an altar?”

“The last time I came here I was too young to remember man.”

“The power of light, hmm…” Takumi thought out loud. “Light!”

He stared at the gable window which was still letting some dim light pass through. Following the direction of the light with his hand he pointed to a wooden cupboard.

“Let’s remove those books.”

The trio removed the books and moved the cupboard to the side to reveal a small golden table that had a thirty centimeter sculptured figurine that stood holding a shakujo (staff) in hand.

“The Legendary Sage!” Mikoto shouted trying hard not to show too much enthusiasm at being defeated by Takumi.

Engraved on top of the table were the kanji:

Yin and Yang

The push and pull

As above so below

As within so without

Where there is light there is shadow

Takumi removed the table and told Kazuo to kneel where it stood. When Kazuo did so they heard a squeaking noise from the wooden floor.

“Hey Kazuo do that again,” ordered Takumi.

“Do what exactly.”

“Kneel!”

He rose and kneeled for a second time and the floor repeated the exact same noise. Mikoto had also caught up speed so she lightly knocked on the plank Kazuo was kneeling on and a hollow tapping sound echoed throughout the shrine.

“It’s a false floor,” she said before she punched the plank right open.

As they checked to see what was inside the three of them noticed a long box that had the kanji “Raijin” on top of it. Mikoto carefully removed the box from the floor and Kazuo did the honours by opening it. After doing so they were astonished to discover that inside was a straight sheathed katana. Kazuo held the blade by the handle and removed it from the box. When he unsheathed the katana by an inch he was instantaneously struck by lightning. For a split second the whole shrine became blinding white. Mikoto and Takumi were pushed away a few metres by the tremendous shockwave from the thunder strike. A few seconds later when the colour of the room returned to normal Kazuo dropped to the ground and Mikoto rushed over to him.

“He’s unconscious!”