Yami Training Completed

He sidestepped a slash from a sword as he took another step on a nearby wood piling. He lifted his sword blocking another attack, jumping as a low attack was aimed for his knees. He landed on the tree piling, and wobbled slightly. "You still need to work on your footwork up there. When you land, you need to be as still as a mountain." He nodded, looking at Sojobo below him. "What's with this training anyway? It seems a lot easier than before, and not as complicated."

"As you were told many times over the year. Yami training is only for those who have the requirements, and the ability to become a legend." He held his breath as he saw a cloud of fog come at him, jumping to another piling. "You can't stand still for too long or you'll be attacked with the sleeping poison like before." He nodded, concentrating at everything around him.

"Here I come Masanari. Lets see if you can do better than last time." He watched as the black tengu climbed up the ladder and stood on a piling opposite him. He sheathed his sword, bowing at the black tengu. "No time to greet. Come and attack."

He jumped from piling to piling, until he was close enough to the black mask, and aimed for his legs. "I saw your body language. I knew you were going to attack me there. It needs to be like on the ground. Come at me." He nodded and looked at the spacing of the pilings. "Its hard to get close to him, as the pilings are spaced apart. Any attack, will be seen by him. I need to..." He smiled. "I know what to do."

He put his hand in his robes and set the fuse. He jumped from piling to piling, until he felt the fuse was short enough, throwing it at the piling the black tengu masked monk was standing on. "He's learning. He smiled as he felt the area on top of the pilings become covered with thick smoke. "If I can't see anything in this smoke, neither can you Masanari." He looked at where the sound came from and jumped, landing on a nearby piling. "I can tell that your outside the smoke. When it settles, I'm coming for you, and punching you off the pilings." He heard the masked monk cough, and jumped at his back kicking him off the piling, and onto the ground.

"Very impressive. You memorized where all the pilings were, and when you used your smoke bomb, you just waited for him to say something, and attacked. Very good strategy." He climbed down the stairs, and looked at the dazed black monk. "Don't worry about him. The yellow monk will keep him healthy." He bowed at the three masked monks in front of him. "Thank you for these hard years of yami training. I'm ready to face my father when he arrives tonight."

"Its already been two years, running this crazy training, I think you'll be able to do the trial of strength without any trouble at all. Look at your body." He looked down and saw the muscle growth on his arms and legs, smiling at the black masked monk. "Thank you for your training. Without your diet, I wouldn't be able to look like this."

"It wasn't just me, the yellow one here, also helped with the correct sorting of herbs to make this into a meal that your body needs. You've even grown taller." He bowed at the both of them, turning to Sojobo, bowing again. "If it wasn't for your teaching, I wouldn't be able to use a sword, and just stuck with iaido."

"You're welcome Masanari, but the one you really should be thanking is red. He's the one who put together the training regime for you these past years. He taught you the mind of a warrior, and the mind of people, but when it comes to teaching someone, there isn't anyone better." He smiled. "I'll thank him, when I see him."

"I see you also have decided to keep your hair short from now on?" He nodded, and pulled at the short knot at the back of his head. "Yes. Just a short knot. I never know when I have to play the part of a samurai or someone else that has longer hair."

"Very practical. It seems my training has been paying off." He turned, bowing at the smiling monk. "Yes. It has. I've being learning to see the actions and results of things around me."

"Yes. He's becoming just like you smiling monk." He looked at Fuma nodding. "I also learnt a lot about my Bushisdo from you too."

"He's just trying to make us feel good. You'll have to be ready for tonight." He nodded. "That I am."

"Just so you know Masanari. Your father is already here in Kurama, with a few of his men. They'll be the ones testing you, to see if you truly are worthy of being called Hanzo, if not they'll kill you, and search for another person to take the name."

He nodded. "I don't plan to fail, I have a plan for my lord, and for Japan."

"Good to hear." He smiled, turning around and staring at the orange masked tengu, bowing at him. "Your son greets you."

"I see they put you through kami training. I hope that you're prepared for tonight." He nodded at his father. "I'm ready."

"I'm not the one who'll be testing you, my men will be. They don't have a family tie to you, so they'll be able to test you fairly. If you have to die, they'll be the ones to do it." He nodded. "Your son understands."

"Even your teachers here, won't be able to save you if you fail. This is strictly family and Iga matters." He smiled. "I won't let you down. I've been practicing and training very hard for this moment."

"Your hair. You cut it. Why?" He smiled. "Misdirection and disguise." He saw his father smile under the mask. "Good son. I hope you haven't forgotten any of your lessons here." He shook his head. "Good than come, and let us go enjoy the afternoon as father and son in the mountains of Kurama." He nodded following behind his father in silence.

They walked in silence until they came to the field. "This is where I started to teach you the ways of Iga, this is where you'll be tested, a full circle. Enter as a child, leave as a shinobi of Iga." He nodded. "A full circle indeed father." He watched as his father sat in the field, and knelt in front of him.

"People from Iga, are farmers, who have had to fight for their lands, and protect them for a long time. They're farmers in their heart, and everything Iga touches, or does should be related to farming in the end." He nodded. "We are born of earth, and when we die, we return to the earth, our body feeding the growth of everything around us. In service even after death, is that something you can agree to?" He nodded. "I can."

"A shinobi, will never have fame attached to them. All their missions are secret, and never spoken aloud. The only time your name would be mentioned is when you're on the battlefield, it will just say you did a meritorious service, and not why you received that honor. Is that something you can agree to?" He nodded. "That I can."

"A shinobi will die. No funeral, no grave, no location of where you fall, no past, no present, and no future. Is that something you can live by?" He nodded again at his father. "I can, I'm ready to be part of the family. To serve my lord, and to serve him after I fall. In the darkest of nights, in secret, easily forgotten. I am ready."

"Good son. I'm proud of you. If you pass tonight, I shall start planning your marriage, we need to keep children, as they're the ones who carry the Hanzo name after you fall." He nodded. "Thank you father."

"Its just one of my many duties."

"May I ask father a question?"

"Yes. What's the question?"

"How is mother, and the lord. Are they well?"

"She is well, and misses you, she prays to the ancestors for you everyday. Our lord is strong, but starting to age. The young lord is doing well in his studies. Soon you'll have a chance to meet him, when he returns from being held hostage. He's also now married, and has a child, a son." He smiled. "A future lord has been born. That's good news."

"It is. You'll have to teach your son, to be a good Hanzo. Without a strong Hanzo, the Iga will fall. Don't forget that." He looked at his father with a serious face. "I won't forget those words. I'll make sure my children, carry the Hanzo name far into the future."

"Enough of this chat. Lets go to the hot springs here, and bathe, enjoying the heat and the water. I want to hear about your training these past few years. What are you going to bring into the Iga?" He smiled as his father stood up, he followed him back to the shrine, entering into the hot springs. "I've learnt a lot, there're many things I can bring to the Iga. The scarred monk taught me about his explosives, yellow taught me about healing and poisoning. I've learnt a lot, and will share with my Iga family."

"Good. Remember they've also taught you secret arts as well. Those you can't pass on to anyone except a single person." He nodded. "Those I'll keep to myself, until the fated person arrives."

"That's good to hear." He sat in silence looking at the scars on his fathers back. "You've been fighting a lot over these past few years father."

"I have. I served my lord to the best of my ability. Because of my service, he's safe, and is constantly surrounded by men and women of Iga." He looked up at his father. "Women are also trained as shinobi?"

"Correct. They're taught different arts, but they're also excellent at completing missions and assassinations, some of the best hunters are actually women."

He nodded in thought. "It makes sense, those that are on the list, would fall to charms of anyone, so it does make sense."

"Just so you know, your future wife will be one of them. She's also been training in Iga all her life, so in the future, when you eventually meet, the both of you will make a great team, completing many missions together for the young lord, and his family." He nodded, feeling his face grow warm from the heat of the water. He washed his face in it, and sat back staring into the afternoon sky.

"The moment, you leave Kurama, the peace will end. You must enjoy this time of peace and quiet to the best of your ability. Remember this moment, as this is what the future we're hoping for. Peace all over Japan. There's too many great figures below moving into places of power, and the Oda house seems to also be on the move."

"My time is coming father. The plans I've made for the young lord, will be the result of the many years of service and loyalty to them. I'm proud and excited to be able to use my skills for the young lord."

"That's good son. You should rest your tongue and body, as the night draws near. Enjoy this time, listen to the world around you, while we sit in this hot spring, and let your body relax." He sat back again feeling the warmth of the water heat up his spine. "I do enjoy the quiet, but I'll enjoy serving my lord more."

"I can feel your aura of Bushido washing out of your body. It has become very strong. I'm proud to be able to feel my son's Bushido. I'm very proud of you Masanari, and expect you to pass these trials, and be the man you're supposed to be."

He smiled. "Hattori Hanzo. I'll be the best Hanzo, that has ever existed, and will ever exist in the future."

"That is what I expect of my son. Don't let me down." He shook his head. "I don't plan to."