3. Minamoto Hiranaga

The following morning, Shiro woke up in the stable he'd spent the night in.

He ate a piece of bread that he'd kept in his pocket from the day before and started on his journey using the directions written on the paper.

The only thing he had on him was his clothing and shoes, and the piece of paper. Literally nothing else.

Had his clothes not been in a good condition, he would've easily been mistaken for a beggar.

Shiro noticed that old man Arimoto had described two different paths to get to this master. One path, the shorter one, posed many risks such as the rugged and dangerous roads that were often roamed by bandits. The second path was longer but it was the safer route out of the two. Many people chose this path since it went past another village that was suitable for a pitstop.

Shiro smartly chose the longer path.

It didn't matter if it took him longer than he'd like. So long as he made it to the master in one piece, it was better than taking the dangerous route.

And thus, Shiro began his long journey. This time, it was to a person who might teach him how to kill demons.

- - - -

Shiro had walked for three hours along the road.

He was tired, hungry, and...tired. But he persevered and continued moving forward. After walking so long yesterday, and his lack of a proper meal this morning, it was only natural he was struggling more.

Nevertheless, his willpower was strong.

He wanted to complete the mission no matter what and to even start his missions, he needed to complete the first step.

Thankfully, it seemed that Lady Luck was smiling down on him.

At the time Shiro reached the three-hour mark, he heard a wagon coming up from behind. Turning around, he saw a small wagon rolling closer to him pulled by two horses that were led by a middle-aged man.

The man noticed him and pulled his horses to a stop.

"Hey there kid. Where are you headed? I can give you a ride if we're going to the same place," the middle-aged man offered.

Shiro's eyes widened and he smiled gratefully, "I'm heading north. About seven kilometers."

"You're in luck. I'm heading the same way," the man said. He jabbed his thumb back, "Hop on. It'll take us around an hour or so if there are no stops."

"Thank you, sir," Shiro said.

He walked around to the back of the wagon and climbed in before making himself comfortable.

"I'm Takenao by the way," introduced the man. "You are..."

"Shiro, sir. My name is Shiro."

"Ah. Yes, nice to meet you, Shiro," Takenao said.

"Nice to meet you too."

Now that the introductions were over, it was time to proceed with their travels. Takenao whipped the rope and got the horses moving.

- - - -

"Right then, here we are..." Takenao said.

The two had reached Shiro's destination which turned out to be a village.

Shiro hopped off the wagon and thanked the man several times for allowing him to hitch a ride before looking to the mountain behind the village. Unlike the one he came down from, this one was not as steep.

"I was able to take a small nap to restore my energy," muttered Shiro. He glanced up at the sky, "I should be able to make it before the sun sets."

He didn't waste any time and immediately started hiking up the mountain once he passed the village.

The directions said it was a thirty-minute walk from the base so it shouldn't be too difficult of a task.

And Shiro was right.

He was panting by the time he reached the place where the cabin was supposed to be located. However, his energy wasn't drained.

Looking around, he couldn't find any signs of a cabin.

"This is the right place...right?" Shiro muttered to himself. He studied the directions once more.

Suddenly, there was a rustling that came from the bushes and Shiro stiffened. He turned to face the sound and backed away slowly.

The bushes shook and from behind them, a figure appeared. It was a tall man with flaming red hair wearing a dark green yukata. He was carrying firewood on his shoulders and an axe.

The man looked at Shiro with a frown, "Who're you? How did you find this place?"

Shiro felt intimidated by the man but answered, "I'm looking for someone called Minamoto Hiranaga."

The man's eyes widened slightly before dimming, "You've come to the wrong place."

It was obviously a lie and Shiro could see that.

"I haven't. I was given directions by old man Arimoto," Shiro stated. Studying the changing expression on the man's face, Shiro suddenly said, "You...are who I'm looking for. Aren't you?"

"What of it?" the man grumbled. "I ain't looking for disciples or anything. Go home kid."

As he began to leave, Shiro grew desperate and quickly stopped him.

"Wait! Please...at least hear me out before you go. And here," Shiro handed him the paper Arimoto gave, "Old man Arimoto said to give this to you."

Clenching his teeth, Minamoto snatched the piece of paper and scanned its contents before scrunching it up. An annoyed sigh escaped his lips. He turned to face Shiro and said, "Alright kid. Here's the deal; you manage to pass a test of mine and I'll see whether or not it's worth teaching you. If you fail, I don't want to see your face again. Got it?"

Shiro wondered what was written on that piece of paper to make this grumpy man change his mind. However, he didn't question it and immediately agreed to the deal.

"Good. Now follow me," huffed Minamoto.

Minamoto brought Shiro to his cabin where he deposited the firewood and ax before leading Shiro to the other side of the cabin. There, a steep slope was seen.

"Sir...?" Shiro suddenly felt an ominous foreboding.

Minamoto pointed at the slope and said, "Go all the way down and come back up within an hour. If you can't do at least that, you can forget becoming my disciple."

"...R-Right."

...

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Minamoto scowled. He slapped Shiro's back making the boy stumble forward. "Your time has already started."

"EH?!" Shiro shouted in shock.