A warning to Kazuo

Five days after the attack Kagero had taken over the Lightning village. Most of the day to day running returned to normal. The lockdown having been dissolved peasants and traders were now free to enter and exit the village. The new Sage who wore a kasa, black haori and had bandages all over his body leaving only the eyes also declared himself officially as ruler to all the villagers. He also sent a foot ninja to the Shadow village to return with reinforcements. After discovering that Kazuo wasn’t in the village he decided to rather wait for the young Inazuma prince to come to him instead.

Kagero believed that news of Kazutaka’s tragic passing would soon reach Kazuo’s ears and result in him returning to the Lightning village. For a change he sought to patience as being a virtue and also he enjoyed the power of ruling over the Lightning village. His father, Kagehiko’s vision had always been to be a great Shadow Emperor of all the lands of Nihon and he believed by ruling over two villages now he was slowly on his way to realizing it. Most of the villagers were still adorned in black mourning the late Sage. The new leader of the Lightning village allowed for a funeral to be held for the previous one. Villagers were like ants as they gathered in droves to pay their respects to their former leader.

Early that morning just as the summer sun rose in the sky Shin and Hideo paid their dear friend Asuka a visit at the Medical corp. centre. She had now regained consciousness but her limbs were still immobile. She had been told not to over exert herself by one of the ninja doctors and when her friends told her about their plan she managed to nod in approval. When visiting time was over the two men wished her a full recovery as they had done the days before. They left the medical centre and went to the inn Shin had been renting.

“Today’s perfect,” Hideo told Shin as they arrived at the inn. “With all the commotion about the Lord Sage’s funeral you can easily make you way to the Fire village and be back before sundown.”

“Alright then…I’ll have to change into my disguise first.”

Shin’s hensojutsu (disguise and impersonation) was impeccable as he went as far as changing his usual low voice into a middle aged high tenor one. When he put on his ‘new’ ragged clothes as well as a scruffy beard he looked and felt like a peasant. He let down his spiky ponytail and messed up his hair before putting on a kasa to cover his head.

“Young man would you mind holding this for me my back is killing me,” he tried out his middle aged voice as he handed his katana over to Hideo who laughed out loud in an instant.

No peasant ever carried a katana especially of that caliber whenever they travelled. At best maybe short melee weapons such as cheap tanto, daggers or kunai knives would suffice. Otherwise when they travelled they would rely on the faith of the gods to protect them from harm. And if they were lucky or the gods had been with them they wouldn’t encounter any bandits or rōnin along the way.

“Yes sir your sword is in good hands,” Hideo played along after he had collected himself from laughing his lungs out.

Shin filled a bag with enough rice to hide a short sword in it and bid Hideo farewell. He faced little to no trouble at the main gate when a foot ninja asked him to present his pass as well as state the reason for his travel.

“I’m returning home,” he told the foot ninja.

“…and where would that be old man?”

“Yonemura (Rice village).”

The foot ninja checked the contents of Shin’s bag before letting him go. When he was out of sight from any shadow ninja who patrolled the outskirts of the village he took out his tanto and hid the bag in some nearby bushes. Having reduced the weight on him he made a dash for the Fire village. Shin arrived at his destination at noon and revealed his true identity to the two samurai at the gate who allowed him to proceed to the royal palace at the escort of one of them. The lightning shinobi discovered that Kazuo and Mikoto were not present. The former had been near the family shrine practicing kenjutsu alone whilst the latter visited shiatsu massage parlor.

“Shin?” Takumi examined as he recalled the shinobi’s height and distinct hair as welcomed him.

“Geez,” Shin sighed. “Was I that easy to notice?”

“Not entirely, if it wasn’t for my photographic memory of your height and distinct white hair colour I could’ve easily been fooled,” responded Takumi. “You being here must mean that there’s trouble back at the Lightning village.”

“The Lord Sage died five days ago,” said Shin. He paused for a bit before asking, “Is Kazuo available?”

Takumi’s usual cool level headed demeanor turned into shock and distress upon hearing the sad news. It took him a while to process the information before answering the question.

“Y–yes…he’s out training at the Inazuma shrine.”

“He’s just recently lost his parents and now this. It’ll shatter him when he hears it,” Takumi thought. “The Lord Sage was like a father figure for us all…” he said.

“Yes he was, and he will be greatly missed,” replied Shin.

“Who will be greatly missed?” Kazuo inquired. He had just arrived from his training and his whole body was drenched in sweat.

“The Lord Sage…your grandfather has passed away,” Shin relayed the tragic news to Kazuo.

The young Inazuma boy’s face turned pale as he stood like a statue for a few seconds. He processed the words Shin had just spouted as they sank deep into his head.

“Okay,” he finally replied with a cold emotionless tone. “I’ll be off then.”

“Before you go Kazuo,” said Shin. “I’m here to tell you that you sh–.”

Kazuo ran off before Shin could finish what he had to say.

“You will inform him that he shouldn’t go to the Lightning village right?” Shin requested Takumi. “I have to rush back home before they notice that I’m not there.”

“Noted. I will relay the message to him however we weren’t planning on going back to the Lightning village just yet. Kazuo intends on training with a kensei before exacting his revenge on the shadow ninja.”

“Revenge,” said Shin ready to take his leave. “Is a double edged sword…a cycle bound to repeat itself unless one side moves past it.” He thought of his own desire to have his vengeance at the man who hurt and left Asuka hospitalized but was humbled by the shear difference in their strengths.

Takumi was silent before Shin added further, “you and Mikoto should watch over him and make sure that he isn’t consumed by rage. Farewell Takumi.”

“Farewell…Shin.”

The Lightning darted off and Takumi went to Kazuo’s room where he found him sobbing at the loss of his grandfather. Takumi tried his best to console his comrade and told him that he was available if he ever needed to talk.

“Tomorrow our mission begins,” said Kazuo as he wiped tears off his face, “we’ll go to the Earth country and collect Dojin.”

That evening Mikoto came to the palace right on time for supper. She had been having a long and relaxing spa day and when she reached the palace she was welcomed by faces filled with despair. On their way to the dining room the boys brought her up to speed with the information they had been told by Shin. She would also carry the same sad look as she wept. The delectable evening meal of ramen dipped in a thick miso broth and topped with thinly sliced pork tasted rather bland as all they could think of was the tragic news of the Sage’s death.

“Takumi here tells me that you three plan on leaving for Chikyū no kuni (Earth country) tomorrow,” Kenzo tried to lighten the mood a bit by changing the topic. “That is a four days’ trip if you take one of our horse drawn carriages.”

“Yes cousin,” Kazuo gulped a mouthful. “I need to begin my training with Hanzo as soon as possible.”

“Thank you for having us Kenzo-sama,” added Mikoto, “I felt like a princess here.”

“Dōitamashite Mikoto-chan,” Kenzo replied with a smile.

The next day came quickly and the lightning trio had readied themselves before dawn. They were escorted together with the daimyo and two samurai to the stables where one of the stallions was connected to a carriage. Together with their bags they got on the carriage and set out for the Earth country at first light. They travelled through a dense forest filled with both tall and short trees. The carriage moved at a steady pace, increasing their speed when the road was clearer and reducing when they encountered obstacles. The first two days on the journey were easy, they drove half the day and rested the other half to feed and water their four legged companion. During their resting hours when the carriage was stationary Kazuo would either train with Mikoto or alone while Takumi drown himself in Fire village literature.

On the third day when they were within the Grass village territory they managed to convince Takumi to join them as his jujutsu skills needed work. They also stacked up on essential food supplies from some locals. Later that night when they had set up camp and it was Takumi’s turn to hold the night watch he heard a rustle in the nearby bushes. He quickly woke the other two and just as they rose up a group of three rōnin jumped towards the tent. The bright flame that lit up the surrounding forest had piqued their interests. The lightning team took on one of the rōnin each and defeated them with moderate difficulty. Early the next morning they left the rōnin bound to some trees and ventured onto their destination. The fourth and final day went by smoothly and as the Fire daimyo had stated midday during day four the trio could spot the huge walls of the Earth country in the distant horizon.