Yellow's Test

"Masanari. You've done well with the test so far. Lets see if you really have memorized everything in that scroll I gave you." He smiled, bowing at the masked monk. "I'm ready for your test."

"If I don't have time to mix several flowers, seeds, roots or vines together, what plant seed could I use to cause someone to fall sick for a few days?" He looked around the garden, and pointed to the indigo flowered vine with a yellow center. "The entire vine is poisonous, however if you don't have the materials to turn it into a poison, than the seeds from those flowers, will cause people who swallow the seeds to fall ill, or death, if they're swallowed by children."

"Good answer. What else can you tell me about this vine?"

"Those from high ranking families usually have this vine in some shape or form as a bonsai. Its everywhere, and easy to access. If they have bonsai, than they'll have this vine."

"Good. I see you also read the small comments I added to the scroll. Knowing its in their castle, and homes allows for quick access if your lord is in danger. Next question. What flower would I see common in gardens, that has a milky sap, that when touched causes sickness, but when ingested, death?"

He scratched his arm in thought. He looked at the garden, staring at the large pink flowers. "That one. It has a milky sap, that causes illness and dizziness when touched by skin, and death when eaten."

"Correct. As I mentioned, this is also a plant that is common in gardens. Here, do you see a common feature to these plants?" He nodded. "They're beautiful, yet these beautiful plants, that people like to collect and keep are actually poisonous in some way."

"Good. Next question. A type of berry that when eaten is safe, however if you eat the seed or touch other parts of the plant you'll die within minutes, unless you're given an antidote." He smiled. "That's an easy one." He pointed to the bush of red berries. "The flesh of the berries are safe, however, the seeds inside the flesh will kill you. There're stories of farmers losing their stock because of that plant."

"Correct again. You do study hard. I'll ask a difficult question next time."

He nodded. "I'm ready."

"What tree in here isn't poisonous, but something that grows on it is?" He frowned as he looked around the death garden. "Not poisonous, but allows something poisonous to grow on it." He looked at the trees, frowning in thought. "Do you give up on this one?" He shook his head. "I know it. Give me a moment." He looked up at the tallest tree in the garden, admiring it's leaves as they were starting to change color. "Winter is coming it seems."

"It is coming, but that isn't the answer to my question." He nodded, looking at the bark of the tree, with a smile. "Would it be the red mould that is growing on that tree's bark?"

"Correct. Very astute Masanari. The tree itself is harmless, it isn't mould, but actually a type of mushroom." He nodded as he looked at the red mushroom growing on the bark. "That's very dangerous, and also something that can be used in the pipe I showed you to cause blindness. You could use poison in the same way."

He bowed at the masked monk. "Thank you for your lessons. Do we go to the medicine garden yet?" He saw the monk shake his head. "We have something else to work on first, and than we can go to the medicine garden. Here. Take this, and follow me." He looked at the thin bamboo branch he was given, and noticed the holes and cuts in it. "What's this?"

"I'll explain when we get to our next training spot." He followed in silence as they left the grounds of the shrine and stood on an outcropping. He saw the monk raise his mask slightly, and pulled out another bamboo stick similar to the one in his hand. He watched his back in silence, as he heard the masked monk blow through the end of it making a sound. "This here is a shakuhachi, and you need to learn how to play it, if you're going to be using that pipe. Try."

He stood in silence, as he saw the hand of the monk adjust his mask, turning to him. "Just put the end to your mouth, and blow through it. Don't worry about the type of sound you make, as long as you make a sound." He nodded and blew on the end creating a loud shrieking sound in the air.

"You blew too hard. Try again." He nodded, as he blew again, a quiet tone that jumped came out of the shakuhachi. "Too soft, and no control of the airflow out of your mouth. You need to push the air with the muscle under your lungs here." He watched as the monk pointed on his body.

"I need to use my diaphragm? I haven't played any musical instrument in years." He frowned in thought silently listening to his own words.

"Try again. If you want to master the pipe, than you need to master the meditation of this instrument." He blew on the end of it again. This time a steady tune came out not wavering until he ran out of breath. "Good. Now those holes at the end of it, change the tone and sound of the shakuhachi. Try covering them with your fingers as you blow. Remember to use the muscle under your lungs." He nodded and blew again covering all the holes with his fingers. A low tone came out of the pipe, and he started to feel light headed. "Not bad. When you cover all the holes, a lower sound will come out, but you need to really push the air out through the other side. If you don't do that well, you'll feel dizzy and unable to help your lord."

He bowed at the masked monk. "I'll master this instrument, so that I can use the pipe, to blind and poison those that threaten my lord and his families life."

"Good. I expect you to master this instrument, but the end of winter. The next time we meet I expect to hear a beautiful melody, when I take you to the medicine garden, and give you your own pipe to use." He bowed at the masked monk. "Thank you for your guidance, and lessons. I won't forget them, and shall continue to study them, as they help me become stronger for my lord."

"Good. It seems that my skills are needed." He looked at the masked monk in confusion. He turned and saw another masked monk walk up to them. "Yellow. Your skills are needed. It seems some students have started a little war between themselves, over the attention of one of the female nuns." He saw the yellow masked monk shake his head. "Boys will be boys. It seems they still need training in their way. Come Masanari. Watch how I teach them a lesson."

"You're going to heal them?" He asked as he followed the two masked monks.

"Yes. I'll heal them, but I think the healing won't be exactly comfortable."

He nodded. "I understand."

He stopped as the monk stopped, turning around and looking at him. "You understand? A nine year old understands what I'm doing?" He nodded. "Yes. You're going to cause their injury to heal slowly, and painfully, so that they remember what it means to be a samurai. Its not about chasing women for comfort, its about the sword we carry and the honor we follow. Those who chase other things, are not worthy of being called a samurai."

"Are you sure he's only nine?" He smiled at the other masked monk. "What is your name?" He bowed. "I'm called Hattori Masanari."

"A Hattori? Interesting. What do you think of the actions this yellow tengu will do?"

"I agree with his actions. If my own soldiers acted this way. I would punish them, by turning them into eunuchs, or even as this yellow tengu does, by cutting off one of their fingers."

"You've turned a Hattori into a little monster. Do you know what you've done?"

"Yes. I do. His father isn't exactly a saint either. He's his father's son. A beast in battle, and a beast of a son. You should teach him some of your skills with your balls of fire, and explosions."

"We'll see. Come treat these idiot students first, and then we'll talk about that." He followed in silence behind the two talking monks until they were back in the grounds of the shrine. "Masanari. I want you to go to that garden I taught you in, and bring back some of those green, prickly leaves that give off a sweet smell." He bowed and ran towards the death garden. He arrived, and carefully picked some of the leaves bringing them back to the yellow monk who was staring at the students laying on the ground covered in injuries.

"These look like they were done by black tengu and Sojobo."

"Correct. They both stopped the little fight after the number of students grew. Come Masanari. You know how to make the paste. Add those leaves you picked to it and place it on their cuts." He followed the directions from the yellow masked monk, and went around pasting it over the cuts, wrapping the wounds in cloth bandages. He returned to the monk's side bowing. "Completed."

"Good now, all you have to do is watch this and enjoy what you're about to see." He nodded, as he saw the students start to sit up and start scratching their body, crying out in pain. "Listen to me once students on the ground chasing women. They're here to serve the shrine, and not you. You're all training to be samurai, and not women chasers. Remember this as a lesson for you, because next time, I'll be asking for payment for mending your wounds. Don't forget your BUSHIDO!"

He smiled at the words of the yellow masked monk, bowing as they turned from the group crying out in pain, scratching their wounds. "Masanari. I also hope you learned something from this as well."

He nodded. "I won't forget my Bushido, and my way of the sword. I live by it and die by it."

"Good. If I were you, I'd go clean your hands with some lemon juice, and this powder. It'll remove any of the poison that got stuck in your hands." He accepted the small pouch of powder and bowed until the masked monk had left him alone with the students crying out.

He looked at them frowning. "You call yourself samurai. You bring shame to the name. Farewell." He ran towards the mess hall cutting open a lemon, and squeezing the juice over his hands, mixing it with the white powder he was given. "It seems all the monks here care in their own way. Some show it better than others."

He turned, going back to his small room, opening it and seeing another scroll on the ground. He picked it up, opening it with a smile. "It seems he has given me another test to do, while also learning to play the shakuhachi. I need to also look after the death garden." He frowned as he put the scroll on the futon. He looked at the scroll showing the skeletal structure of the human body. "It does seem that these skills all fit together. I just need to make them fit in my Bushido, and make sure that they protect the ones I was born to protect, as well as give honor to my family."

He heard his door slide open, and saw the black masked monk enter with a bowl of rice and vegetables. "This is for your dinner. I'll keep bringing food for you until your body has grown. You can't eat the stuff the others eat anymore. I'm putting you on a very strict menu. Enjoy." He bowed at the black mask accepting the food. "As your student, I'll follow what you give me."

"Good. Now eat, and than don't forget to train your body, as you also train your mind." He watched the monk leave his room, and sat down eating the rice and vegetables in front of him. "In their own way. I wonder how my father and mother are doing? I hope they're safe." He frowned as he thought of the young lord kidnapped. "I'll be strong enough to protect you soon."