Time passes too Fast

Masanari looked at the smiling monk with a smile. "It seems our time has passed to quickly these few years, and its a pity that it has to pass at this speed." He bowed at the monk. "Thank you for your lessons, I have learned so much over these few years."

"That's good to hear. I also have enjoyed our time. At some points over the years, I thought I was talking to someone my old age." He smiled, and walked out of the shrine grounds, and staring at the valley beneath him. "Where do you think you're going? You haven't finished everything yet." He turned and saw another masked monk staring at him. He bowed at them. "I was just going to stare at the valley below. I feel enlightened after spending time with the monk."

"Yes. That's also where I'm planning to go. Lets go together." He nodded, and followed after the masked monk. He looked at their back and arms. He looked at their left arm in surprise. "I see you also noticed my left arm." He nodded.

"I was born this way, and it helps me with what I do."

"What do you do?"

"I shoot people full of arrows, and with my arm being longer, I can fire the arrows further, and also with more power, causing more destruction, and death."

He nodded. "A good way to use your advantage."

"That's what my teacher taught me years ago. What do you think of my mask?" He looked at it. "Its white, similar to Sojobo's."

"Hahaha. Its very different from his mask. He's always looking in front of him, I'm always looking into the sky and the clouds. Far ahead than the others here see." He looked at him as they turned a corner, and stood staring at the valley far below them. "Masanari. That's your name isn't it?" He nodded. "Yes, that's what people here call me."

"You know your name is fire amongst the tengu masked ones?" He shook his head. "No, I didn't know that. I usually stay to myself, and my training. The teachers keep me very busy with a full schedule."

"Yes. They also say that, including the students that stare at you, since many of the tengus want to teach you and train you, to help you become a legend down there." He closed his eyes and listened to the wind in the trees. "The thing is, not all tengus want to teach you, there are a small number who don't want to teach you at all. Do you know why?" He shook his head. "No, I don't know why. People do their thing, and think their own plans, I too have a plan, and that is to become stronger, so I can serve my lord."

"That's why. You're so invested in yourself, spending all your time in training, that some of the tengus worry you won't be able to learn from them, you're too busy with your goal in sight, you don't have time to stare at the clouds." He nodded. "Yes, that's very true. I may be focused, on my goal, and the path that I walk, its better this way, so I can go and serve my lord."

"I see. Why do you want to serve so bad? You're just a child, you don't even act like the others, wanting to play around and have fun. You're too busy with training and becoming stronger."

"The reason why is I can see in the clouds, also hear it in the earth, and whispered amongst the leaves of trees that war is coming. Even the monk can feel it as well. For the past few months, we've been talking about it, and what it going to come of it, as a result of this war."

"What is this outcome you talk about?" He looked at the masked monk with a smile. "That many people will die, but the ones who can bring people together will stand up and make this country whole and united."

"You mean, you and the monk see Japan unifying?" He nodded. "Exactly. The reason why I have to train hard, is because I need to be down there soon, to help my lord, become the legend he needs to be, for a unified Japan."

"You're starting to sound like the monk." He smiled. "That's what happens when you spend time with him. Did you both discuss when these wars begin?" He nodded. "It will start when the head of the Oda house falls. It all begins with them, they're the ones who'll stoke the fires of war and bring people to them with their dreams."

"I understand. I've spent time amongst the Oda family and also know their goals, and I agree with you and the monk. The last time I saw the Oda house head, he seemed very fit and healthy. I don't think it'll happen for a while." He shrugged his shoulders. "Anything can happen, all we can do is become stronger, and when that time comes, to go down and fight as we're supposed to."

He looked at the masked monk. "Are you one of the tengus that don't want to teach me?"

"Correct. You don't need my training, nor my skills as you don't seem the type of person to attack from a long distance." He smiled. "Correct. As the others say here I move around like lightning, strike fast and hard, even at my age Sojobo, has to concentrate to keep up with me, and the black tengu is enjoying letting his blood boil when we spar."

"Fair enough... Let me give you a single piece of training I give to all my archer students. Practice identifying things from a distance. It'll come in handy when you're chasing down a high ranking target on a battlefield. Their flags, and fans will give them away. That's my advice for you Masanari. I'm going to go now. Enjoy the view." He turned, bowing at the masked monk, and stood staring at the valley below him in silence.

"Its beautiful isn't it?"

He turned and smiled at his father, bowing. "Your son greets you father. How have you been?"

"I have been talking to the monk, and the other tengus. It seems you've been working hard and training very well. They're starting to call you a demon student. You learn too fast for them."

He smiled. "They also tell me that I'm like my father, when you were my age."

"Your eleven now. You've been on this mountain three years now. Have you been keeping an eye on whats happening down below?" He nodded. "War is coming father, I can smell it."

"Where will it begin?"

"Oda. With the death of the head of Oda. The monk and I agree."

"I agree with the both of you. I'm glad you've been training hard. The reason why I'm here is now its time for you to start learning the family secrets and why I told you Iga is your second home away from home." He knelt in front of his father. "This place is clear of people. I don't usually talk with others, and they've left me alone after an incident with them a few years ago."

"Hahaha. I heard about that incident as well. The yellow monk has taught you well, you've become very disciplined as a result." He bowed at his father. "Thanks father. Your son is ready to learn all the skills you have to teach."

"Good. As you and the monk see, we don't have much time left, and hence me coming here. I'm the leader of a group of specially trained people from Iga. There's a mountain and waterfall, where they're taught, and spend their life learning their skills." He nodded. "Sounds like the tengu monks here in Kurama."

"Correct. Its there for a special group of people. Shinobi. Those that hold the Hattori name are the ones that lead the group from Iga." He looked at his father with a smile. "Would a Hattori Hanzo be one of those figures?"

"That name is given to the leader of the shinobi. From father to son. Right now my name is Hattori Hanzo, and one day that'll be your name." He looked at his hands in shock. "This body... I'm in the body of Hanzo Hattori?"

"Son, are you fine? You look like you've seen a ghost." He nodded. "I'm fine. Just surprised that one day I'll be carrying that name for my family."

"Its not just for the family, its also for the young lord. In a few years you'll be meeting him, and it'll be your job to protect him during this time of war. We want him to become a legend, and only a legendary guard can keep him safe and become the one we all need him to be."

He bowed to his father. "I'll do all I can, and be all I can for the young lord. Isn't he still held hostage with the Oda clan?"

"Correct he's still being held hostage, but if as we say the head falls, than we'll be able to get him back. He'll need us. If Oda Nobunaga wants to unify Japan, he'll need us at his side as one of his most trusted allies."

He nodded in agreement with him. "I agree with you father. So what do I learn from you?"

"You've already been learning from me. I've been here secretly teaching you." He watched his father as he pulled out the orange tengu mask, and put it on. "See son. I've been here for a while over these past few years teaching you in the dark, about our Iga ways. All you needed was the last piece of the puzzle, and now you've got it."

He bowed. "Thank you for your teaching, and trusting me with the family secret arts. I haven't told anyone, and I also have been practicing the other special skills that you taught, adding to the ones that other tengu masks have taught me."

"Good. That's how you become the leader of the shinobi. I expect you to win the trial of strength coming, and when you do win it, you can leave Kurama, and return to us in the valley." He looked at his father with a smile. "I'll win the trial, and return to the valley below. There's much to do in this lifetime."

"Exactly. I have a single piece of advice for you, once you meet the young lord, show him your real skills, don't hide things from him. If you serve him well, he'll let you serve him." He nodded. "I'll remember your advice, and whatever mission or task he gives, I'll keep it a secret and complete it to perfection."

"Our time has come to an end. We'll chat again once you win the competition, but for now there'll be no more orange masked tengu to teach you. You now need to master everything you have in your hands." He bowed to his father. "Thank you. I'll make you proud father."

"You already have." He watched his father leave him as he knelt on the ground staring at the valley below. "I still have some time and much to prepare for the trial of strength." He stood up and looked at the shrine at the top of the mountain, stood up and walked back to the shrine with a smile on his face. "Masanari come. my blood is boiling, and I need to have a spar with someone. No one here wants to spar with me."

"Hey. I also want to spar with him." He looked at Sojobo, and the black masked tengu. "We can spar. I also want to spar a bit, as my blood is boiling as well. The drums of war are beating in my ears, and I need to calm down." He recited the mantra, calming his heart and mind, staring at the two tengu masks in front of him. "Out of the both of you, who wants to go first?"

"Hahaha. It should be us telling the student to spar with us, but it seems that the student is asking us to choose to fight him. Someone seems to think they've become strong or something."

"How about we both fight him at the same time?" He looked at them with a smile and bowed at both of the masked monks. "Both is acceptable for me. I'm ready for you."

He put his hand on the kama and the rope around his belt, and tied a heavy weight to it at the other end. "What's that?" He smiled. "Just some things I picked up from the ground, and started to spin it around him staring at both of his opponents. "Interesting. It seems you have been practicing things in secret."

He smiled. "Lets begin." Launching the weight at the sword of Sojobo.