Reading the Killing Field

"You can spin it on its side, now you need to whirl it above your head. This is where you need to have the weight at the end of the rope, and extend the rope as far as you can. Watch me." He stood back, watching how the masked monk spun the rope with the weight at the end high above his head. He noticed the range of the rope, and how the masked monk kept eyes in front of him, and not on the weight itself. "This is something that'll trap anyone who enters this killing field of mine is dead. Samurai who just use their sword, will die, spears as well." He stood watching as the masked monk stopped spinning the weight over his head. "Do you know why it is a killing field?" He shook his head.

"The reason is simple, this weight and chain can tie up any sword or spear, and then I jump and take their head. Watch." He followed the direction where the masked monk pointed, staring at the straw figure holding a sword. "Stand back, or you'll also be in the killing field." He nodded and took a step back, making sure he was outside of the killing field. "That's far enough. Now watch and pay attention. I'll only show this once." He nodded. "I'm ready and paying attention."

He watched as the masked monk spun the weighted rope over his head, and saw the masked monk strike with the weighted end around the sword, watching as the rope wrapped around the sword using the kama to swing the rope around it. "That's how." He smiled as he saw the monk jump towards the straw figure, and cut it's head off. "That's how its done. You won't see me do that again." He bowed. "Thank you. I'll keep this in my mind, and keep it hidden from others."

"Good. Now you need to practice. I have some rice to plant in my other farm." He bowed towards the fading shadow of the orange masked monk. He watched the sun light wash over the mountain. "Another night over. It seems my time has passed quickly with him, and I've learned a lot." He walked back into the grounds of the shrine, and looked at his door. "I wonder what the last will teach me. There're many other skills to learn in this world. I plan to master them all. I have to, I have no choice to, and a limited amount of time."

He slid the door open and sat on his futon staring at the bowl of rice and vegetables in front of him. He picked up the bowl, and ate the vegetables with a smile on his face. "Still has that bitter taste, that I seem to really enjoy."

"It seems its our time to start our lessons together." He stood up putting the empty bowl on the ground, bowing at the figure standing in his doorway. "Your student greets his teacher."

"It also seems, there're more here, that wish to teach you and guide you. I'll allow that to happen, however I also want to see what you can do. Follow me." He followed after the mysterious smiling monk in front of him, staring at his back in silence. "I can feel your eyes on my back. I'm sure you want to know why I don't wear a mask?"

He nodded. "I don't wear a mask, because I'm a monk here. I'm not a warrior, nor do I fight with blades or hidden weapons. All I do is talk, and people listen. I see things, and come up with how something should happen. All the ones wearing masks are masters of their own skills, but non of them can beat me when it comes to the most powerful weapon. The human voice." He nodded. "So you mean that you're going to teach me how to talk to others?"

"Hahaha. Not at all. You can already do that. We're going to go see a waterfall, and watch it for a few days. When you see what I want you to see, than you'll know what I'm teaching you." He followed in silence and knelt on the ground next to him, while watching a waterfall on the mountain. "We'll stay here, night and day until you can tell me what I want you to learn from this." He nodded. "As my teacher wishes."

He looked at the waterfall in thought, his mind racing in his head with his thoughts. "Its not about the water, or the rocks. That would be too simple. It can't be because of the current of the water, nor where it leads. It has to do with something that I can see and say." He watched in silence as leaves fell onto the water and raced each other down into the pool below. He stood up and walked over to the pool picking up the leaf that had won the race. "You're going to teach me how to read events, and plan accordingly."

"Correct. Wise one you are. The art of strategy, and fighting has been done for hundreds of years, before we were even born people were fighting and dying, and now is the chance for you to also be an asset to your lord, and your own unit." He knelt in front of the monk. "Your student is ready to learn."

"Follow me. I have another thing to show you." He stood up after the monk and followed him in silence, observing everything around him. "Masanari. In this world there are things that happen, because of something else. For example, the house Oda wanted something from the Matsudaira clan, so they took their son, knowing full well that they'll follow them." He looked at the monk in surprise. "How did you know of these things?"

"That's just me being a monk. These things are easy to know, if you can read the events that happen around you. Look at the scene in front of you." He stared over the valley below the mountain. "It's an easy question, if there was a battle there that took place. Who would win? Where should they do battle? How should they fight? Would there be any traps or ambush points a long the way?" He looked at the valley in thought. He closed his eyes, bringing the image he had seen of the valley into his mind. "If the army did this and lined up this way, what would I do?"

He sat in thought, watching the scenes of battle and war run through his mind. He opened his eyes with a smile, and looked around him in the dark. He saw the monk standing there staring at him. "Well what did you see? Who would win?"

He shook his head. "If they're set up the right way, both sides could win. Its as you said. The result of something else." He pointed to a hill in the valley. "If one army set up their using arrows, fire arrows and anything they had, they'd be able to defend their position, but they'd lose, because the opponents would just rush them, and wipe out their ranks."

"Good. So you see your first lesson. The more you see, the current events you can know what's going to happen next. Follow me back to the shrine." He stood up and followed the monk through the forest. "Lets talk about the situation your family is in." He nodded. "As you wish."

"Since you know your young lord has been taken hostage, and the main family is serving house Oda, what do you think will happen next?" He looked at the trees in thought. "The young lord won't be hurt, I'm sure that he's actually being taught and educated there in house Oda."

"I agree with this. What else can you tell me?" He scratched his arm. "I know what's going to happen I learnt from my history classes all about Oda Nobunaga, and his dream, should I tell him my idea, or what will really happen?" He smiled.

"House Oda is going to try and unify all of Japan, but needs the help of many clans to do so. I guess they'll be trying to teach that to the young lord, so when he returns he'll be willing to join house Oda's side."

"Very good. You saw the events around you, and you can piece together what's going to happen. What else do you see happening?" He nodded in thought. "The only way to unify, is to go to war. Dangerous, deadly, a lot of people will die in these coming wars." He heard the monk clap as they entered the shrine. "That's correct Masanari. Where do you stand knowing that when you leave this place, you'll be jumping in the war for unification, at your lord's side. Can you do that?"

He nodded. "That I can, and that I will."

"Good. That's enough talking for today. Have a long rest. When we meet tomorrow we shall look at paintings, and share our thoughts on them." He stopped walking next to the monk, bowing and walked away back to his room. He saw the bowl of rice and vegetables eating it with a smile on his face, and sat on the futon. "It seems this will be the most useful skill that I'll learn here." He smiled as he closed his eyes.

'...'

He woke to the sound of cawing from a rooster and stretched in his bed. He turned and saw the monk sitting on the other side of the room staring at him. "You finally woke up. I've been here waiting for you for some time. At least now we can talk." He bowed at the monk. "Sorry for not waking when you arrived."

"It doesn't matter. Now you know that your ears didn't hear me enter, and as a result you need to learn to hear any sound at night, waking instantly to defend yourself." He nodded. "Yes. I'll be training that diligently."

"Go wash and eat, than we'll talk about paintings, war and personalities." He bowed, and left his room running towards the waterfall, washing himself, and eating the bowl of rice and vegetables prepared by the black masked monk. He knelt in front of the monk. "Your student is ready to learn."

"Good. Now follow me into the shrine. I have to do my blessings, you can follow me as well, as I haven't seen you in the shrine itself for a few months. Its about time you paid reverence to the gods here." He nodded. "As teacher wishes."

He followed the monk into the shrine, drinking from the water, and burning incense in front of the statues. He listened to the low tones of the monk's prayer in silence. He knelt next to the praying monk until the sun was high in the sky. "Its noon now. I've finished my morning prayers and blessings. Come I want to show you something here in the shrine."

He followed the monk until they stopped at a large map of Japan. He smiled as he looked at it. "It seems that you like maps?" He nodded. "Especially ones that are old, like this one."

"What do you mean? This isn't an old map. I had it made last year." He felt his face starting to turn red and heat up. "Apologies. I do like this map."

"What can you tell me about the coming war by looking at this map?" He pointed to the land of Oda. "They'll claim that they want Japan to remove the current shogun, because of the current state of warfare in Japan. I guess than he'll take allies, and conquer most of Honshu."

"I see, what or who do you think will be house Oda's biggest obstacle?" He looked at the map trying to recall his high school history lessons. "The death of the head of the clan."

"Interesting. Why would that be an issue?" He looked at the smiling monk. "Its because there are two sons, and both of them will fight each other to earn the right to sit at the head."

"I agree with you about that. Who do you think will win?"

He smiled. "The one who is able to gather people to him, all those who share his dream for the future, and the one I'm sure my family will follow in the future, even if the young lord was kidnapped."

"Which is?"

"Oda Nobunaga."