For Honour

10.58 P.M, Aizhara, Japan

"Senjou!"

A stern middle-aged man's voice was heard. The source was within a large mansion inside a forest. However, the forest wasn't just any forest but the Forest Of Death. Reported to have an estimated 1,000 death count per day, it was considered a land full of misfortune and curses. Yet these rumors were purposely spread in the general public and only those higher up in the 'food-chain' know the truth of them.

"Yes, master!"

There was a quick reply from a youth, about 15 years old, despite his young age and lady-like features, if you focused on his eyes...you can tell that he experienced a lot. He stood straight, posture perfect without any movement. He had the face of a prestige military veteran than a face that would be full of naivety and purity found normally on a person his age.

"You are the sole pride of me and our clan. You have shown much talent within every single aspect of being a ninja. You have greatly pleased us and you are worthy of being the True Ninja."

The man sighed when he came to the last parts of his sentence, so did the youth.

"...Don't treat me like your superior this time, treat me as your big-brother and take a seat."

The youth was a bit dumbfounded but gathered his thoughts and let out a small bow before taking a chair and instantly slumped into it relieving the pain of continuously standing up.

"Haaaaah…"

He let out a sigh of contentment as the man chuckled to himself and sat down on a chair as well.

"Remember the story, I taught you when you just started the training?"

The man asked as he waved his hands and a sudden burst of wind appeared carrying two glasses and two bottles. One of the bottles was filled with some kind of fruit mixture that gave out a pleasant, fruity scent while the other was a Chateâu Cheval Blanc 1947.

If any wine collector saw this, they would be absolutely gobsmacked. The bottle which the wine was in, was an Imperial-Size Bottle about 6 liters and was one of the famous wine of civilization. It was worth $304,375 and each glass was $7609. The most expensive wine in history.

The man casually poured some of the wine into his glass as he slowly took some sips. The youth, on the other hand, poured himself some of the juice as he knew his age limitations and how drinking wine would affect his body health.

"During the reign of Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado, Japan entered the Sengoku Period where Ninjas first came to existence, they were first mercenaries who were hired for the purpose of spying, raiding, incendiarism and even terrorism. They were in demand due to the unrest of the Sengoku Era and the customs of Samurais. While most warriors would be disdained for using an underhanded method, these men were willing to do so for the wealth in return."

The youth calmly explained as he drank a bit of his juice after his speech.

"Good… what was the first suspected arrival of ninja."

The man nodded, pleased due to the quick and direct response.

"The first speculation of ninjas was the 4th-century prince Yamato Takeru who disguised himself as a beautiful maiden and assassinated two chiefs of the Kumaso."

The youth quickly responded as he drank the rest of his glass in one gulp.

"When has the glory of Japan's ninjas vanished…"

The old man sighed shaking his head. After the Edo Period, people had lost interest in ninjas, causing them to vanish into thin air. Despite traces of ninjas still being alive, they would be in assassinations or espionages. In this world, the current state of ninjas was appalling. Those who could be considered 'good' were of the senior generation and they too were only 'good' because they were taught by people who were 'good' in their generation.

Even then, they still can't be compared to The 15th Century. The 15th Century was the start of the growth and golden age for ninjas as two clans known as Iga and Koga created the training for ninjas and the ninjas they developed shocked the world. It was discovered that the once legendary inner energy Japan had sought out was found in ninjas.

The inner energy is said to be left as a gift from Tsukuyomi, the Moon Goddess. It is bestowed on the night of the Shichi-Go-San (Seven-Five-Three), the moonlight will shine and leave a mark in the heart and soul of the children. The energy was dubbed as Qi and that was the beginning of something new. With Qi, the ninjas were able to blend in with the shadows, conceal themselves in the light of day, jump farther, run faster and most importantly they were more powerful.

The Edo Period left a mark on ninjas, due to the rapidly declining of people to train. When the Edo Period came in, it brought in the Way Of The Sword. It was easier to learn and didn't have a rigorous test to examine the body's potential like the ninjas. While the Way Of The Sword grew, the ninjas slowly disappeared.

Eventually, they were gone from the public and went into hiding. Humiliated and shamed, they made a vow, a vow to appear and turn the world into chaos. Just before they went into hiding, the fact that ninjas appeared in Japan sent the countries amok to make their own ninjas.

Every country started making their own type of ninjas. Even then, Japan should've been at the forefront of the ninja development but that was too good to be true…

While every other's country's ninjas kept growing, Japan's kept decreasing. While Japan struggled to maintain a better standard for their ninjas, the other countries did it as simple as drinking water. While Japan was known for having the world's best ninjas, it is only due to respect for Japan that it is 'true'. But… it might become reality with the boy in front of him.