The Kitchen

"Finally, you've joined me once again in my kitchen. Does it still give off that mysterious aura you spoke of last time?" He looked at the scarred monk working over pots, using a mortar and pestle to crush something into a powder. He bowed at the back of the scarred monk. "It still gives off that aura. I like it. I'm ready for my lessons with you."

"Come take a seat, and take notes with your mind. These things, can't be written down, or secrets will become lost or stolen. You need to memorize them, make them countless times so that you can't ever forget." He nodded, sitting on a small chair and watching what the scarred monk was doing. "If you're curious, I'm working on the incendiary part of the fire bomb you wanted to learn how to make. Come closer and have a look at it." He stood up, walking to look inside the mortar. "Those black balls are the explosive, but we don't want to make an explosion, so we just need a tiny amount of the powder. You can also see when I'm crushing this, you have to be careful not to add too much, and no flame can be near you when you do this, or you'll look like me. Hahaha."

He nodded in thought. "I will be careful when I make this portion. How do I make the black powder balls?"

"That is a secret mixture of three different ingredients. One of them takes a long time to prepare and make work, but I'll show you the process, so when you leave you can build the pit yourself." He nodded and stepped back from the scarred monk letting him continue his work in silence.

"The oil I use is just the same oil from a lamp. You can purchase that anywhere. The trick is to put it all together, without one damaging the other." He looked at the shelf full of small ceramic balls. "Are they the fire oil bombs you spoke of?"

"Yes. That's them. You notice that the shell is made of ceramic and clay?" He nodded. "That's so when it hits something it'll break open, and the fuse inside will light the oil causing liquid fire to go everywhere. Very dangerous especially with how we live today." He touched the surface of one of the bombs. "They feel cold to touch. Do they break easily if you carry them?"

"There's a chance that some will break, so when you carry them around, you have to make sure they're in some sort of container that won't cause them to shatter and spill the oil."

"Will they explode if they shatter?"

"Not at all. You need a flame to start it off. If no flame, no fire." He smiled. "That makes sense." He sat in thought, staring at the firebombs. "What are you thinking about?"

"How a soldier could carry these around, without making them shatter when they're marching, or running in a field of battle."

"Easy. First I wouldn't use them in a field of battle, because they opponents may be using fire arrows, and if one of them gets hit with that, than you lose a unit to the flames." He nodded. "Yes. That's something I was also thinking."

"There's a way you can carry them, if you plan to secretly attack a place, or siege a castle."

"How's that?"

"Make the fuse the fire bomb, soaked in the oil, so when the rope is lit, it'll spread all over the place where ever the rope is hung." He looked at the scarred monk in thought. "That could work. People tie the rope around them, so it doesn't look strange, and when they enter a town, they could set up the rope in the roofs of the houses, so when a fire arrow is shot, the entire place is turned into a ball of fire."

"Hahaha. I like your way of thinking Masanari. Come I said I'll show you how to make the third ingredient for the black powder. I hope you need to go to the bathroom." He followed the scarred monk in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

"Your urine... Its a vital ingredient to making the third ingredient. The other two are plentiful here in Japan. Its the third one that is difficult to put together." He followed the scarred monk until they stopped at a well sealed hut with smoke coming out from the top. "The first thing is that you need to make it rain and storm proof, also with a fire inside that you need to make sure is constantly tended." He covered his nose with a cloth staring at the scarred monk dry retching.

"Yes. It does stink, however that's also important, as this is a place where all the holes for the bathrooms here on Kurama end up." He looked at the building, nodding. "This place is part of it. The real secret is what happens under the ground." He looked at the back of the scarred warrior as he pointed to a large barrel that had holes at the bottom. "After three or four years of people here shitting and peeing, its mixed with a mixture of mugwort leaves, silkworms and chicken shit are all in those holes under the hut. When the tunnels are used by someone in the bathroom its sent here as well."

He nodded. "This reminds me of high school science. I remember my teacher saying something about urine had nitrates in it, or something along those lines. I can't remember that much of my science classes."

"Pay attention Masanari." He looked up at the frowning monk. "Apologies. I'm watching."

"After the time is up, we fill these barrels up with whats in those holes under this hut. Than we clean it all with running water, and what's left is the third and final ingredient for the powder."

"That's a very intensive process for a period of three or four years."

"It is, but what you get at the end of it, is very helpful, especially if you need to lay siege or destroy a bridge from people chasing you." He nodded in thought. "That is a good point. I'll keep this in mind. Can we return to the kitchen, I think the smell is giving me a headache."

"Fine. Don't worry, you get used to the smell after a few years, and no body gets sick because of going to the bathroom. Usually after the years are up, we dig a new hole, and start again under this house." He followed the scarred monk away from the terrible smell, and let out a long breath once he was back in the kitchen. "You may want to bathe and wash your clothes after going to that place, as the smell sticks to your skin." He nodded, looking at the powder. "Why doesn't the powder have that terrible smell?"

"After a year or so in the ground, it loses that smell. Its only the fresh stuff that gives off that terrible odor." He smiled, looking at the mortar and pestle. "I'm glad to hear that the final product doesn't smell like that at all."

"Yes, its a relief. If it didn't no student would want to learn the concoctions that I make in here." He took a step back as the scarred monk looked at him. "Now that you've seen the third ingredient, the other two are charcoal, and sulfur." He nodded. "I've seen those in markets everywhere. Just that last one is a pain to collect."

"It is, however, say your lord designs a castle, you can request to make a few changes to the bathroom, making tunnels and tubing to deliver it to your hut, where you can have people making the final product for you, in secret." He smiled at the scarred monk. "I understand, and its something that I'll be doing if my lord decides to build or modify castles."

"Good. Just be careful. It hasn't exploded on me yet, but if the city is taken, they'll find it, and learn what was happening there. This is very secret, and others who work on it, must not know what its for." He bowed at the scarred monk. "I won't tell others what its for, except for those who are working on that particular thing. If the castle is taken, I'll have some fire rope and bombs in place to make sure its all destroyed."

"Good my lessons have rubbed off on you. When you complete the trial of strength and head back down to the valley, I'll give you some of the rope you talked, about. I'm sure you can make these fire bombs, and the others in time." He bowed. "Thank you for the gift teacher. I already have plans for how to use them."

"Good. As long as you don't blow yourself up, or others by accident. Now I have to focus on my work, so you can go bathe and change your clothes. You smell like I pulled you out of a cesspit."

He bowed leaving the kitchen in thought, ignoring the strange looks he was given as he walked past. He frowned, heading to the baths, quickly removing his clothing, giving it to a servant. "You can destroy these clothes, I'll wear clean attire."

"We only have monk attire at the moment Masanari. Is that suitable for you?" He nodded, washing himself with hard soap, before soaking in the hot waters of the spring.

"Masanari, I smell that you've been to the hut." He turned and saw Sojobo, soaking in a nearby bathe. He lowered his head while in the bath. "Yes teacher. He was teaching me about the third ingredient for his powder."

"Don't do anything stupid with that knowledge, and go blow yourself up or your lord." He smiled. "I won't, I'll think of a way to do the process in a safe manner, where people aren't coated in that terrible smell."

"Good for you. I also hope you told the servants to destroy your clothing." He nodded. "Yes, I did. However the only attire they have at the moment is the monk attire."

"Excellent. A good chance for you to learn about the art of disguise." He sat in the water looking at Sojobo with interest. "Disguise?"

"Yes. The art of getting into somewhere, while looking like someone else. All those in the Hattori family, are well known for that." He frowned. "My father hasn't taught me about that yet."

"Hahahaha. If he knew the smell you caused around Kurama, he would be teaching it to you now." He smiled. "Your student is ready to learn."

"You've already seen your father wear a disguise, haven't you?" He splashed water on his face nodding. "I have."

"Than you know, by changing the way you walk, look, sound, or even wear, you can get past guards, or even strike your target while assuming the guise of another. Misdirection."

He nodded. "So how am I going to learn about disguise while here?"

"Easy, after the bath, put on the monk clothing, and walk around as a monk. You fail the lesson, if you're recognized as Masanari, and not a monk." He smiled. "This sounds like its going to be a lot of fun."

"Correct. Its fun training to do, but also difficult. You need to have a story and history for the person you become, just as having someone be you while you're hiding in a different place." He smiled. "I like this. It'll will seem, that I have the ability to create clones of myself and be in more than one place."

"Exactly. So I recommend stay here in the bath, wash that stink off you, and than become a monk. Become the person who wears those clothes. You never know when you'll need to hide in plain sight."

He lowered his head, as Sojobo left the baths, and sat in silence staring at the hot water in front of him. "So this was how he was able to be in more places than once, and those hallucinogenic bombs, made it even more possible. This Hanzo character is a very clever person, to make himself the demon, by acting the demon." He got his small towel, washing his face smiling.

"Who should I be?" He shook his head. "Not who, but what. What monk should I be?"