CHAPTER. 01

Once upon a time, there was a village of samurai that had been terrorized by a blood thirsty monster.

The monster would come every night and take one of the villagers. The villagers were scared and sought out help, so the village's shogun, their leader, sent a few of his samurai into the forest to hunt down the monster.

Days had passed but not one of his men had returned. The shogun entered the forest himself to look for his men. As went deeper into the forest, he found a trail of blood. He decided to follow the trail assuming it was the monster his men had killed, but as he continued to follow the trail of blood, he found one of his samurai's body.

He continued to follow the trail of blood hoping to find one of his men alive, but he only found more of his men's dead bodies. He decided to return to his village, until he found the monster's torso on top of a tree. He decided to follow the trail of blood. He kept walking forward until he saw something he could not believe, a boy with long, blonde and bushy hair and a wooden sword sitting on the monster's head.

The boy was an orphan who had been living in the forest for as long as he could remember. He had no memory of his parents or where he came from. But, he had an innate talent, he was proficient in kendo, the art of the sword. The shogun acknowledged his abilities and took his care and enrolled him as a samurai trainee.

This is the tale of how a lonely orphan boy named Haru who lived in a forest throughout his childhood, would go on to become the greatest samurai known to man.

Now let us begin the story...

SUGIMOTO VILLAGE, KENSHI.

"Senshi!"

"Yes your majesty!"

The shogun was giving his disciple, Senshi an order.

"Go and tell all the samurai trainees to gather at the centre of the village, I would like to address them all. "

"Yes your majesty!"

"Oh and, how are my two sons doing, are they okay?"

"Well, I actually wanted to tell you about that. "

Senshi was flustered as he spoke to the shogun because he knew that he would be angry if he heard what he wanted to tell him.

"Huh?"

"Well the thing is, one my way here I that your heirs were having another bout again.. hehe. "

Senshi was trying to hide his nervousness by laughing a bit.

"Whaaat!!! HARU AND KYOKEN ARE FIGHTING AGAIN?!!!!"

NOTE THAT: Kyoken is Japanese for mad dog.

"Ahhh?... that's right sir. "

"DAAAMN IT!!!"

MEANWHILE... SOMWHERE IN THE SUGIMOTO FOREST.

Haru rose his sword with a smile on his face as he chuckled.

"Hehehehehe... you're never gonna beat Kyoken!"

NAME: HARU SUGIMOTO.

AGE: 12 YEARS OLD.

OCCUPATION: SAMURAI TRAINEE.

HAIR COLOUR: BLONDE HAIR (YELLOW HAIR).

STATS: 400 BOUTS, 396 WINS, 3 LOSSES, 1 DRAW.

"I'm never gonna beat You!?... over my dead body!!"

Kyoken was enraged.

NAME: KYOKEN.

AGE: 17 YEARS OLD.

OCCUPATION: SAMURAI TRAINEE.

HAIR COLOUR: BLACK HAIR.

STATS: 512 BOUTS, 502 WINS, 9 LOSSES, 1 DRAW.

Kyoken always hated Haru. This hatred was because Kyoken was the best and most popular samurai in all of Sugimoto village, but when his dad, the shogun adopted Haru, everyone forgot about him and they all started talking about "The great Haru", "Haru the best samurai trainee. "

Both of them said...

"Alright! Let's do this!!"

They charged towards each other as fast as they could.

"Ahhh!!!... "

"Ahhh!!!"

Suddenly, the shogun appeared between them. They instantly stopped their assault.

"Ugh!... "

"Huh?!!... "

The shogun was infuriated.

"What is going on?!!!"

Haru and Kyoken bowed down before the king.

Both of them said.

"We bow down before before d-dad!... "

"Hmph?!"

"We m-mean your m-m-majesty!!"

"That's better! Now, what were the two of you doing out here in the woods all by yourselves, I hope you're not fighting AGAIN!?"

Both of them said...

"What?... pfft. "

With a nervous look on their faces.

"Anyway... come to the centre of the village... "

"You mean in takuya market?"

"... Yeah, I'm addressing all the samurai trainees later in the afternoon and I need both of to be there, got it?... "

"Yeah... 'course!"

"Alright, don't fight and be good kids, okay?"

"Sure."

"Good!"

The shogun had left. Haru and Kyoken glared at each other and were ready to fight again...

"Alright... ready...?"

"More ready than you'll ever be!"

"Alright!! Let's fight!!!"

But the shogun had not gone as far away as they thought.

"Kidsss!!! What did I just hear come out from your mouths!!!"

"Nothing d-da... I mean y-your m-m-majesty!!!"

LATER IN THE AFTERNOON, 15:00PM.

All the samurai trainees in the village gathered at the village's centre in takuya market.

"Good afternoon my villagers. We are all gathered here on this beautiful day for me to address you all... "

The crowd murmured.

"What do you think he's gonna address us on?"

"Ohh... I hope it's good news. "

Murmuring. Murmuring. Murmuring.

I know all of you know about my son... "

"Hehehe... his talking about me. "

"He's not talking about you dumbass, he's clearly talking about his eldest son, I...!!"

Kyoken was shocked after what his father had said...

"HARU!"

"Eh..?"

Haru was thrilled when the shogun said his name.

"See, I told you it was me.. hehe!"

Kyoken was infuriated.

"GRRRGH!!!"

"He is the youngest samurai trainee to ever exist thanks to his superb talent and skills in kendo and hand-to-hand combat. Due to this fact, there was a summit the a few weeks ago between I and the leaders of all the samurai clans. You all know the qualifications one must have to become a samurai trainee; One must have a high skill level in kendo and at least one more sword technique, one must also have gone through the "ACADEMY OF BASIC SAMURAI KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATION", One must also be at least 15 years of age excluding my young son Haru. I and the other shoguns realised that there are many other raw talents out there like Haru who need to develop their abilities at an early age just like Haru... "

Kyoken was tired of hearing his brother's name.

"Haru, Haru, Haru... It's always about Haru, isn't it?!"

The shogun continued...

"... So we, the shoguns came up with an idea, a programme that would help develop the skills in young adolescents aspiring to be samurai. We call it... "THE INTER-CONTINENT YOUTH SAMURAI TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME!""

Everyone was confused.

"The inter... What?"

"This event will carry on through a course of six months. One descendant from each of a country's most prestigious samurai clans will be paired up into a team. Together, they will be sent on a variety of missions throughout the time period(6 months)and their skills will be analysed. Those who pass will be able to become samurai at an early age while those who fail, will back to their respective clans disgraced. This programme is happening in all the samurai countries in the bushi continent. In an event where all members of a team pass, they will have the option to return to their clans with honour, or stay together as one unit, a team. Any questions?"

"Ugh... yes your majesty! Has the kenshi nation's team already ready been formed?"

"Well... halfway. The three most prestigious samurai clans in the kenshi country are the Sugimoto, hachimaru and tomoe clans, so we've picked Hachimaru Tsubara and Tomoe Harada. In the case of the Sugimoto clan, we wanted to choose Haru... "

Kyoken was suddenly filled up with rage.

"Wh-Whaat!!"

The shogun continued...

"But... We also considered choosing Kyoken seeing as how he is my biological son... "

Haru was disappointed...

"No.. that's not fair... "

The shogun continued...

"... And he has exceptional talent that's comparable to Haru...

"You hear that... I'm better than you!"

"That's not what he said.. he said comparable!!"

The shogun continued...

"So, the other shoguns forced me to make this decision... GRRGH! Kyoken and Haru... "

Kyoken and Haru stopped their bickering to hear what their father wanted to say about them.

Both of them said...

"Huuuh???"

The shogun continued...

"... Will have to fight each other tomorrow by 12:00PM. "

Kyoken and Haru were both shocked. Their father who always stopped them from fighting ordered them to fight.

"Wait! For real!!"

The shogun continued...

"The winner will get the last place in our nation's team. If you understand, you may leave. "

The shogun thought...

"Ugh... how did it come to This, Kyoken's gonna try and kill Haru for sure. "

Haru thought...

"Better get some rest, I'll need energy if I'm gonna fight Kyoken tomorrow. It's gonna be a breeze. "

Haru went home to train and then get as much rest as he could before the next day.

Kyoken thought...

"Tomorrow, I'm gonna show everyone that I'm better than that FUCKER Haru!!"

Everyone was getting prepared for the big bout tomorrow.

THE NEXT DAY, 11:55 AM.

All the villagers gathered at the sacred Sugimoto dojo to watch the bout between Kyoken and Haru, the strongest samurai trainees in the Sugimoto village.

Kyoken had already arrived at the dojo, all that stopped them from starting the bout was Haru's lack of punctuality.

Kyoken thought...

"What's that meathead up to... I knew he lack punctuality but I didn't know it was this bad. "

MORNING, 11:59AM.

"I'm here!!!"

Haru had finally arrived. Kyoken walked up to him while frowning.

"You're a dead man Haru, you know that?"

"Oh I don't think so. I'm winning this bout, and getting that spot on the team, brother!"

"You have a pretty big imagination, dream on!"

Kyoken walked away then suddenly stopped, then turned his head back and said...

"Hey! Haru!!"

"Yeah! What's up!?"

"My father may have adopted you, but we are not brothers. Get that straight, alright...?"

"You'll always be an untamed beast who was found in a forest sitting on top of his own.. kind. "

Haru was infuriated. The look on his face made it seen as if he was going to burst at any minute.

"Yo! Kyoken!"

"Yeah, what is brat!!?"

"I am going to win this bout. It's not a dream, it's fate. "

"Pfft... fuck fate!"

"Oh, and Kyoken. We are brothers, whether you like it... "

"Please, fuck off!"

"... Or not!"

The shogun had been watching his two sons argue from a distance.

He thought...

"Oh sons, you are both connected for the rest of your lives whether it be by blood, or not.

AFTERNOON, 12:00PM.

Both brothers, Haru and Kyoken we're standing on the dojo's battle carpet. They were ready to begin the bout.

The shogun begun to state the rules for the bout.

"Alright. The rules are simple! The winner of this bout will get to take the last place on the team representing our great samurai country, kenshi! Non of the participants are allowed to kill the other! Also, the weapon that is allowed to be used is a sword! Now, are both participants ready?"

Both Haru and Kyoken said...

"YESSS!!!"

"And... "

Both Haru and Kyoken grabbed the hilt(Handle)of their swords.

"... BEGIN!"

They both pulled the swords out of their scabbards.

They charged towards each other. Kyoken aimed for Haru's neck. Luckily, Haru jumped out of the way in time and tried to attack from behind, but a sneak attack wasn't going to get Kyoken.

"You really think you can get me with a sneak attack. You're more stupid than I thought!!"

Kyoken blocked Haru's attack with his sword.

"GRRGH!!... DAMN, I really thought I got him. Looks like this won't be as I thought. "

"Haru, father might have have thought of you as better samurai trainee, but he didn't teach you the secrets forms of kendo!"

"Secret forms of.. kendo?"

The shogun gasped at what Kyoken said.

"No! Kyoken, don't!!"

Kyoken pushed Haru back then took a few steps back, rose his sword then recited the following incantations...

"SECRET KENDO FORM: FIRE TECHNIQUE...

"What's he saying?!"

The shogun stood up...

"Kyoken... NOOO!!!"

Kyoken completed the incantation...

"FLAME DRAGOOON!!!"

Suddenly, the spectators gasped in shock as Kyoken's sword was engulfed in flames in the shape of a dragon. No one knew what going on but the shogun and Kyoken.

Kyoken swung his sword towards Haru who had no idea on what he had seen. A line of flames headed towards Haru who was in total shock, but then. Before the flames could reach Haru, the shogun stepped onto the carpet and extinguished the flames with his literal palms.

He yelled...

"Kyoken Sugimoto, due to you making an attempt to take the life of Haru Sugimoto, you are hereby disqualified... "

"What!! But.. but...!"

Therefore, Haru Sugimoto is the victor. He will be given the last position the team that wi...

Suddenly, Haru stood up.

"Wait... father!"

"Haru?"

"I.. I.. I want... "

"What's that brat up to Now?!!"

Said, Kyoken.

"I.. I WANT TO FIGHTTT!!!"

TO BE CONTINUED...