A Cry for Peace (Part 1)

Preface

It is the Sengoku Period during the mid 15th century. This period is also known as the Warring States Period. During this time in the history of Japan there is a social upheaval and constant military conflict. During the Sengoku Period Gekokujō  occurred. In the disorder the daimyo  rose to power. Many people in power lost their positions as capable underlings forcibly overthrew the aristocracy. Throughout this period the daimyo began to hire mercenaries known as shinobi . People in power wanted individuals who were willing to commit deeds that were seen as not respectable for other warriors like samurai who believed in a code of honor and in fighting openly. These shinobi had roles like scout, spy, and agitator with several jobs such as espionage, sabotage, and assassination.
One shinobi will change all of this. He will come to the realization that war does not solve everything and peace would benefit everyone more than war. The path he must take to make this idea a reality will be difficult and riddled with danger for people warped by war are not often open to change, especially when change means peace.

Part 1: Rise to Acceptance

My name is Tsuyoikaze and I am 16 years old. I come from the Igā  clan. We live in a mountain-ringed valley in the Tōkaidō Region. Farmland extends across the floor of the valley around our village. Roads thread through the patchwork of the rice fields which were our main crop. Forests line the edges of the valley at the foot of the mountains. They also reach halfway up the mountain sides. Some areas of forest are sparse with little cover while other areas are denser and house many creatures. My clan is devoted to the training of professional shinobi. Then we are hired out to the daimyos that have risen up during the current political collapse and confusion. This corruption is fueled by Gekokujō, lower ranked people usurping the higher ranked people and claiming their positions. We are hired to do many jobs that are considered disrespectable for other warriors to take on and carry out. Some of these jobs include espionage, sabotage, and assassination. Ninja are not afraid to do anything they are ordered to do. We simply carry out our missions as we receive them.
We begin training as children, usually around the age of six or seven. Physical training consists of long distance running, swimming, climbing, walking with stealth, and martial arts training. Other training includes survival techniques and scouting techniques along with poison and explosive information. Finally we have to learn about disguise and common professions to help with espionage. A certain level of medical knowledge is also taught for survival so we can help others and ourselves. Training is rough and you never know what may happen from day to day. I can remember one difficult bi-weekly exam.

Flashback

It was morning again and the sun was barely starting to show itself. I saw a faint light in the far edges of the sky. I groaned and then became immediately alert and sat upright quickly. I remembered I was out in the woods, training for survival. I took a brief look around to check if my surroundings were clear of any danger. In this case danger meant the proctors who were testing us. All of the student shinobi were in the middle of a survival exam. We had to make it from the outside of the village to any of the checkpoints on any of the trails leading out of the valley. These checkpoints were at the edge of the valley in the mountains where our territory ended. Every shinobi was on their own, but they could form alliances if they wished. Our proctors became the ‘enemy’ and it was their job to hunt us down and make sure we did not make it to a checkpoint. If you got captured, you failed. Then you would face a punishment. These punishments could range from one extreme to the other. They could be nothing much like doing favors for the proctor for a week. They could also by very realistic like being imprisoned as if you were a captive for a few days. The punishment depended on who caught you.
I got up silently and rolled up my blankets. Then I placed them into my small sack. I took another quick look around and then, when I sensed no immediate danger, I set off towards my checkpoint. The exam had only begun yesterday, but I had already traveled quite a long ways, maybe a few miles. We were given a few hours to have a head start and then the proctors came to hunt us. I had seen a fellow students fall already, but so far I had managed to avoid detection. I crept through the trees carefully, stopping to listen once in a while. Occasionally a noise could be heard and I swiftly hid myself without a sound. When the noise disappeared and I was sure no one was present I moved on.
After around an hour of walking I reached a tumbling river. I sighed since I had forgotten about this river when I decided to pick this checkpoint. I steeled myself and walked up to the edge of the river and glanced around to find something to help me cross. I could not swim across since the river was too rapid and would sweep me away within seconds. As I searched my eyes landed on a fairly sturdy-looking branch that hung out over the rushing water. I unclipped my grappling hook and rope from my belt. Then I tied the hook to the rope and aimed for the branch. I hurled the hook with a significant amount of force, and missed. The hook dropped into the water and began drifting, but I pulled it back to me with the rope.
After a few more attempts I was successful in snagging the branch. I tugged on the rope to pull it tight. I checked one more time to make sure it was secure before backing up several steps. Then I raced forward and took off. I soared over the rushing torrent towards the opposite bank. Three quarters of the way over the rope slackened and I fell into the river. As my body broke the surface it felt like I was dropping into liquid ice. I gasped and almost let go of the rope. However, when my hands began slipping my eyes snapped to look at them. I regained my composure and then began making my way back towards the branch by pulling myself along the rope.
When I arrived at the spot below the branch I started to climb up the rope until I was able to reach the branch. I grabbed a hold of the limb and heaved myself up so I was sitting on it. I disengaged my hook and coiled the rope up, clipping both items back onto my belt. I stared at the swift river for a few moments, contemplating what might have happened if the river had been successful in dragging me downstream or worse, underwater. I shook my head as I turned away to shimmy along the branch until I reached the trunk. I proceeded to climb down and soon I was on solid ground again.
I continued my trek through the forest and it seemed to get thinner and I guessed that meat I was getting higher up on the mountain. The space was getting larger between trees and now when I heard a noise I would dart behind a tree and continue traveling like that for around five minutes before the noise disappeared. After a half an hour of darting through the trees they began to thin out more quickly and abruptly the tree-line was cut off. There was only bare mountain ahead of me.
I raced out and ducked behind a rock jutting out from the ground about 20 feet from my position among the trees. I listened for any signs that I had been seen and heard none. I knew I must be getting close if I was in the open mountain area. I flitted from one covered area to the next and worked my way up the side of the mountain.
The sun beat down relentlessly at I leapt from rock to rock like a goat. Sweat beaded on my face and neck and matted my hair. My hands began to get sweaty and slipped a few times while I hauled myself over a rough overhang. Once I had scaled a fourth of the way up the mountain I settled down in a small hollowed out space under a ledge to eat a light meal. I also observed my surroundings.
Everything seemed clear until a rock bounced down in front of my hideout from above. A shower of pebbles followed suit soon after. I tensed up and kept my eyes glued to the spot where the pebbles had fallen. Then a shadow fell over the place in front of my spot and I held my breath. The shadow grew and darkened as its caster approached. I heard heavy footsteps that could only belong to a certain proctor: Gekido. He was the one nobody wanted to be found by because his punishments were renowned as the worst.
I heard him crouch down on the ledge and I was positive he would heard my rapid heartbeat, lean over the edge, look underneath, and see me hiding in the dim shadows. I shrank back silently and hoped he would leave soon. After a few tense minutes of waiting I heard him huff to himself and stand up. Then he stepped forward a few paces and lunged off the ledge, sending him soaring down the side of the mountain. After staring for several moments the realization sunk in that I had not been noticed and I released my breath quickly with a gasp for new air.
I quickly finished my meal and cleaned up so no evidence of my presence was left. Then I continued my trek up the rocky face of the seemingly endless mountain. The scare from my encounter had rendered every inch of my body sweat-covered. This caused me to slip more than once while clambering over boulders and ridges. I even slid backwards down the slope a few times because I lost my grip.
Progress became slower as the slope became steeper and I was forced to use my grappling hook to scale some of the rock faces. The temperature started to drop along with sun as my altitude increased. The sparse shrubbery I had seen so far disappeared and the terrain became even rougher. I briefly wondered when I was going to reach the checkpoint as I flung my grappling hook at the top of the next boulder. As I ascended the rock I figured I should search for a place to camp out before the sun set.
I crawled over the edge of the, unhooked my grappling hook, and turned to see the last thing I had expected to find; a bright red flag reaching up into the sky like a beacon. All I had to do to reach it was climb up…a dark, narrow path that had sharp stones on either side that could mean death by being impaled if one were to fall off. The path itself seemed to be riddled with holes near the edges as if it was eroding slowly but surely.
This was it…I was almost there. I only needed to climb up this last slope, which was very dangerous and could result in injury or death. I took a deep breath and approached the path. I inspected the first few feet of the path before tentatively placing a sandaled foot on it. It supported my weight completely and then I slowly inched my way up the path, placing one foot in front of the other. Every step I feared that the ground would give way and crumble under my feet.
About halfway up the treacherous slope bits of earth and rock broke away at the edges. Cracks also became more frequent. Three quarters of the way up my biggest fear was realized. Holes began riddling the path and progressively got larger. My inchworm progress became even slower as I was forced to take larger steps to avoid landing in a hole. Finally I was twenty feet away from the end of this madness when my heart stopped at the sight before me.
Ten feet of the path had given way and disappeared two feet away from the other side of the chasm. I glared at the offending hole as I made my way to the edge of the broken path. Once there I took my grappling hook again and searched for a place to latch on to. Then I spotted a lone rock jutting out of the cliff above my destination. I smiled and, with hook in hand, extended my hand behind my head and then let the hook fly. It whistled through the air before wrapping itself around the rock and grabbing on with a clang. I tugged on the rope to pull it taunt and then stepped forward and jumped.
Everything seemed to be going great until I was only a few feet from the edge. My hands started slipping and I was sliding down the rope. Wonderful. I had failed to notice the sheen of the coat of sweat I had acquired on my journey up the slope. The wall of the land came up fast and I jumped at the last second, and found myself clinging to the edge. My rope followed and slapped me on the back. I hung there for a few moments and then hauled myself over the rim of the hole to sit and catch my breath while I observed my surroundings.
Suddenly I heard a cracking sound and looked down to see the patch of ground I was sitting on crumbling away from the rest of the earth. I quickly somersaulted forward to avoid yet another early-death encounter. Either the proctors picked the most hazardous areas for us to go or danger must be magnetized to me. I stood up and then walked over to where my rope was still swaying back and forth to retrieve it and untangle my grappling hook from the ledge above.
After I secured my rope and hook to my belt I turned to see that red flag just over one last boulder. I raced forward and then sprang up to grab the edge of the boulder. My feet scrabbled for purchase on the rough surface until they found a foothold and allowed me to launch myself up and land firmly on the top. A shadow loomed over me and I looked up to see the face of a proctor. His face was solemn for a moment and then broke into a smile. He congratulated me and told me that I had passed the exam. I could see the flag planted in between two rocks about five feet away and then I smiled too.

End Flashback

A few years after that exam my class graduated from training and became genin . I got my own katana and learned how to use it very quickly. It is a very excellent sword that most ninja use since it has multiple uses. The scabbard could be used to probe around in darker places. The sword could help get a higher foothold on walls. Since then I have carried out a few small missions, but nothing that left the valley for too long. Lately there has been a rumor that a more important mission is going to be given out to a few lucky genin. We are all excited and want to receive this mission because whoever successfully completes it will be honored in the village.
“Tsuyoikaze! The elder has called for a meeting of all the genin in the far side of the village immediately! He is going to announce who gets the mission!” my best friend Kyōretsu announced to me as he ran up. Kyōretsu was a very hard-working shinobi and loved to fight. He was also always concentrated fully on a task once it was given to him. He was always striving to be among the honored shinobi of our clan. I turned and watched as he ran past and then followed him with a grin on my face. We raced through the village and more genin joined us every few corners it seemed. The news must have spread fast around the village.
Soon we all arrived at the far edge of the village where more genin were gathered a few proctors and the elder of the village. They stood on a rock above everyone and talked amongst themselves. Kyooretsu and I made our way through the sea of genin to stand closer to the front. We looked up expectantly as they broke apart and the proctors lined up to form a row behind the elder. Then the elder spoke to all of us.
“I am sure you have all heard of this special mission and want to know who gets the honor of taking it on. Two genin have been selected.” Everyone shifted, but their eyes remained glued to the elder. Silence wove its way through the area and made the atmosphere thick with anticipation.
“The genin who will receive this mission are Tsuyoikaze and Kyōretsu.” The elder finally said.
I completely froze at the sound of my name and I could tell Kyōretsu did the same on my right. I sensed many feelings floating around; disappointment, confusion, surprise, irritation, and several other emotions. Then all of the genin gathered around us and congratulated us with smiles and encouragement. We broke out of our stupor and thanked them.
The elder jumped down from the high rock and made his way to us through the genin, who parted to let him pass. He stopped in front of us and nodded in approval. Then he motioned for us to follow him and turned to walk away. We followed him to quiet place in a nearby field. Once there he stopped and turned to face us once more. He began to speak to us in a serious, but proud tone.
“Now I will tell you two the details of the mission.”
We watched the elder intently and nodded. He took a deep breath and looked each of us n the eyes. Then he began to describe the mission briefly, but without leaving any important details out.
“Your mission is an assassination. A daimyo of this region has been watching the activities of another lord and suspects that he is going to lead a rebellion. He feels threatened by this and has asked me to send a few of my shinobi to eliminate this threat. You will travel to the suspicious lord’s estate as you are. No espionage will be needed. The lord has been sent a message from the other daimyo to say he has sent a gift. That gift is two bodyguards, which will be you. You are to get close to the lord and then when you get a chance, destroy him. Do not let yourselves be caught at any time over the duration of this mission.”
Our eyes were wide with awe at the task we were being given. Excitement sparked in those eyes as well. Though, I felt a twinge of uncertainty like something was wrong. I shrugged it off.
“Go prepare yourselves now. You should leave before the next sunrise. Proceed and make your village proud to have you among their ranks.” The elder said, signaling that debriefing was over and we should leave.
“Thank you elder.” Kyōretsu and I said in unison before turning and swiftly making our way back to the village to make preparations for our journey. The mission had been set in motion at last.

Part 2: Mission Set in Motion

We silently left the village before the sun rose. It was chilly and a slight mist ghosted over the fields. We were making our way into the mountains by the time the sun broke over the peaks and spread its brilliant rays. We said little to each other as we leapt and crawled over rocks and gaps. By noon when the sun had almost crept to its peak we had traveled halfway through the mountains. We found a ledge to rest under and have a meal since our last meal was from before sunrise.
Our break lasted about half an hour and then we were off again. As the two-thirds mark approached the route got a bit rougher with sheer cliff faces and staircases of scattered ledges as our only way forward. Towards the latter part of midday we could begin to see the lands beyond the mountains. This gave us strength and by mid-evening we were out of the mountains and traveling on a dirt road bordered by trees and then fields and then more forest. We set up camp in a small clearing surrounded by trees a fair distance from the road just before sundown.
The sky was streaked with radiant reds, oranges, yellows and pinks. My eyes lingered on the vibrant reds and that feeling of uncertainty came back, a bit stronger this time. Something was definitely wrong, but I could not quite figure out what it was. The reds began to remind me of bloodstains on the puffy white clouds that drifted carelessly across the sky on the light breeze. I shivered briefly before turning away from the slowly setting sun and its luminous colors.
I sat down across from Kyōretsu who was trying to start a fire. He held two stones, one in each hand, and stared intently at the fire as if willing it to catch fire with his mind. Unsurprisingly nothing happened and he grumbled while lifting the two rocks and holding them closer to the fire pit. He raked one rock across the other. Sparks flickered to life from the contact of the rocks and jumped into the pyramid of wood. The wood caught the sparks and flames slowly flickered to life around their new fodder. They licked at the timber hungrily.
We brought out more of our rations and ate in silence, though tension seemed to come and linger in the air. Kyōretsu appeared as if he could tell something was bothering me, but I said nothing to confirm it. We finished our meal and sat staring at the vivid flames dancing in the pit between us. Neither of us said a word and the tension increased. It still remained silent until Kyōretsu got up and announced he was going to sleep. Then he got up, set up his sleeping area, and lay down with his back to the fire. I sat where I was for a little while longer before following suit. As I lay down facing the fire I kept trying to figure out what was troubling me, but it still eluded me and sleep took me before I could think about it anymore.
   
The next morning we rekindled the fire, ate, put the fire out, and packed everything up within half an hour. We set out on the road once again, moving a bit slower than the previous evening. The new pace felt refreshing mostly because I was not leaping about like a flea every minute or two to avoid a hole or to get over a boulder. The tension was still in the air between us. Finally Kyōretsu broke that tension and spoke.
“What’s going on Tsuyoikaze? Something isn’t right. I can feel it.” He looked over at me with a questioning gaze. I returned his gaze with one of blankness. I still did not know, even though I had been contemplating about it off and on throughout the whole morning. I shook my head and replied.
“I don’t know Kyōretsu. I haven’t been able to figure it out.” Kyōretsu frowned and seemed to remain confused, if not a little bit worried. I shrugged and was about to go back to my own thoughts when I heard yelling over the hill we were walking up. I took off running with Kyōretsu at my side and when we reached the top the sight that met my eyes made me freeze.
A small village was set at the bottom of the hill out next to some field plots. However, the melee in the village was what caught my attention. The hundreds of bodies strewn in and around the village was not something I could ignore either. Samurai ran around the street, slashing their swords at anything that moved. Many villagers stood to face them and defend their village, but some others, mostly consisting of women and children, fled for their lives.
One woman ran towards us in blind terror with a young boy in her arms. I stepped in front of her to stop her and she stumbled to a halt a few feet away from me, staring at me with wide, scared eyes. Now I could see the boy she was holding close to her body. He had red streaks running down his face like he had been hit or cut on his head. He was also crying and was obviously frightened. I tried to approach her, but she backed away timidly. I held my hands up to show I was peaceful. Kyōretsu stared at me in confusion.
“I don’t mean you any harm. In fact, I might be able to help that boy. I have some medicine and bandages.” I said quietly so I did not startle her any more than I already had. The woman looked at the boy in her arms and then at me warily. She seemed to be deciding whether or not to trust me. Her desperation must have won out over her fear for she slowly came closer and laid the boy at my feet. I knelt down next to him and then reached back and pulled a small sack, some bandages, and a cloth out of my rucksack.
Kyōretsu looked on with an expression that seemed to say we should be moving instead of getting caught up in the affairs of this village and their people. I ignored him. The boy in front of me was more important at the moment. Saving his life was more important. As I started wiping the boys face clear of blood so I could find the wound I spoke to the woman again.
“Could you tell me what’s going on? Why are samurai attacking your village?” I asked with a curious tone. I heard the woman shift her feet nervously. I had finished cleaning the boy’s face and, after searching for a minute, found the gash under his scruffy black hair. I opened the sack and scooped up some of the darkish malleable past e that was inside. The woman finally spoke while I was applying the medicine.
“One of the lords of this region commanded that the surrounding villages help him fight for a good cause, but we were not told what that cause was. It is also time to begin planting our crops so when they would not give us any more information we refused. They were enraged and declared an attack on the village. We have tried to fight them off, but it seems we are fighting a losing battle. Most of us are retreating to an isolated place where the village can go to in a crisis. The ones who have chosen to remain are trying to buy us time to get there.” The woman’s voice shook and it sounded like she was crying. I frowned as I finished applying the paste. I closed the sack and rolled up what was left of the bandages. Then I picked the boy up from the ground and gently put him in the woman’s arms. I bent down and placed the remaining medical supplies on top of the boy and smiled.
“Take these things and heal whoever else you can. I am sorry to hear about your village. I wish I could help, but we have to be on our way.” I said, motioning to Kyōretsu and myself. The women bowed to me wide eyes that were wide with gratitude.
“What is your name?” She asked me.
“Tsuyoikaze.” I replied. She nodded and then she ran off with the rest of the refugees that were fleeing past us. We took off running to pass the village by as quickly as possible. However, we did not pass by quick enough.
I got a clear view of the village and what was still going on within. Samurai were still running around with their swords which were heavily bloodstained by now with the blood of innocent villagers. The brave people of the village who had sacrificed their lives to save the others were now lying lifeless in crimson pools of their own blood. I was sickened at the sight of all this needless slaughter. My own blood boiled at the anger I was feeling now for the innocent lives that had been lost even though I had never known them.
At the sight of all of this my mind flashed back to the previous evening and the sunset. The vivid red and now the sickness made all the puzzle pieces fall into place. The uneasiness I had been feeling for the past day or so made sense now. Before this mission I had not truly hurt or killed anyone. I somehow never thought about it because I did not need to then and I never really wanted to. Now I was on a mission to assassinate someone, a lord. This chaos and massacre confirmed the thoughts that were now rushing into my head. I had truly seen war now; and I did not like it…not one bit.
That thought shook me and hit hard at everything that made me who I was: a shinobi. The life of a shinobi was connected to these types of deeds and ideas. I had never considered actually killing someone even though I knew how to. I had trained with the goal of protecting what I cared about. I came to the realization that everyone would probably consider me useless once they found out. I also realized I would not be able to carry out this mission. I was different. I wanted peace.
After we had gone a fair distance away from the village we slowed down again. Kyōretsu looked at me curiously as if trying to figure something out. I thought he might be catching on to the fact that I was bothered by what we had just seen. I was wondering about the complete opposite: I could not understand why he was not bothered by it. It was awful and just outright cruel. He continued to watch me as we walked, but I ignored him. I had more important matters to think about now.
   
By early-evening we could see a sight in the distance that had been anticipated for the past few days; the estate of our target. We both became serious and swiftly, but silently, ran to the huge ornate gates that sealed the wall around the estate. As we came up beside the gates enormity of the wall became apparent. It was as tall as a large tree and had ornate designs bordering the top. A guard stood on each side of the gate and they both tensed up and drew their swords at the sight of us. We slowed down and stopped about ten feet away from them.
“Who are you and what business do you have here?” One guard asked suspiciously. Kyōretsu stood tall, but not in a threatening manner as he answered.
“We have been sent here as a gift to your lord from another daimyo of this region.” He said calmly with no emotion. I stood there without saying a word. A spark of recognition appeared in the eyes of the guards and they nodded before the one who had spoken tapped his sword against the gate three times. A small slat slid back to reveal another face and they exchanged words for a few moments before the slat shut abruptly. Creaking was heard as the gate gradually parted and seemed to beckon us in. The guards motioned us in with their swords. We obliged and entered the courtyard.
The gates groaned as they shut behind us. We approached a building that had elaborate designs painted all over the walls and a stylized tiled roof. Two large doors opened and a servant came out to stand before us. We stopped before him and he bowed to us before turning and motioning for us to follow him. He led us through a series of passages and I guessed it must be the daimyo’s house. Grand tapestries and paintings adorned the walls and beautiful wood floors flowed from room to room with exquisite carpets laid out in the center most rooms.
Finally we were led into a large room with an open box with curtains on every side at the far center of the room opposite the door. It was raised on a platform with a guard on each side. The guards looked like they were not used to being in such an honored place and I supposed they were substitutes until we arrived. There was a figure sitting in the box behind the closed curtain.
The servant stopped at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the raised platform and bowed low. We came up behind him and bowed as well. The figure dismissed the servant and sent the guards to stand outside the double doors of the chamber. When the doors clicked shut the room was completely silent. Then the figure shifted and addressed us.
“You two must be the new body guards I was told about. What are your names and where do you come from?” He asked in the lofty voice of a man who knew he was above those that dwelled in and around his house. We were still bowing as we introduced our selves.
“My name is Kyōretsu and I come from the Igā clan.” Kyōretsu said with great respect in his voice. He was playing his part well. I needed to follow his example to remain inconspicuous even though I no longer wished to fulfill my duty for this mission. I still could not allow myself to be caught for it would mean dire consequences.
“My name is Tsuyoikaze and I also come from the Igā clan.” I said, mirroring the respect in my own voice. Everything became still and silent once again. Then the figure appeared to be analyzing us because I could feel his scrutinizing gaze sweep over us again and again. Finally he seemed to be satisfied with what he saw since he told us to stand up and come forward to stand at his sides as the guards had. He accepted us as his bodyguards and I feared that would seal his fate.
   
A week went by and we fell into the schedule of the daimyo fairly quickly. It was kept routine with little variation. We became closer to the daimyo though I feel like Kyōretsu hung back. He only wanted enough information to complete the mission. I wanted to get to know him so I might have a chance to save him. The daimyo seemed like a just and decent ruler to me. I could not see him rebelling against the shogun. This confused me greatly and I considered consulting Kyōretsu about it, but I hesitated. He seemed to have become suspicious of me lately.
A few days later I made a startling discovery. I had been watching the servants the entire duration of my stay. They never made eye contact with anybody but each other. As first I thought this behavior was out of respect for the higher-ranked people living here, but then I noticed something strange. Their behavior resembled our training to keep secrets without being discovered.
I began to eavesdrop on their conversations and I was shocked at what I found out. They were planning a mutiny! They were going to take over the estate with a multi-layered plan. First, they would start by corrupting the guards and soldiers. Then they would have the soldiers spread rumors about the neighboring villages being rebellious and after that the soldiers would suggest plans to advisors to attack and subdue the “rebellious” villagers. Though, once there the soldiers were supposed to tell the villagers that the daimyo had declared that the village had to join him to fight the unfair shogun or die.
Then, when they rebelled, the soldiers would tell the daimyo that to prove that the villagers were indeed being rebellious. My mind kept flashing back to the village massacre I had already witnessed and my blood boiled whenever I thought about it. Their ultimate goal was to usurp the daimyo by making him unpopular throughout the region and unfit to rule. I was surprised that the daimyo had not figured out their plot. They must have been very careful about how they went about it so far.
When I had thought about it for a bit I decided not to tell Kyōretsu about the servants and their scheme. It seemed like a good idea at first, but then I considered that he might use that to his advantage to carry out the mission. I knew he was going to strike soon. I needed to raise my guard and keep an eye out for a signal that out tell me when he was going to move in for the kill. I did not have to wait long.
   
One night, about a week later, I was woken up by a faint noise. I would not have heard it if I had not been trained to listen for noises like it. The sound was coming from Kyōretsu’s bunk below me. He seemed to be getting dressed and…strapping his katana to his back. The time had come at last. I remained still like was asleep to see if her would wake me up. He climbed off his bunk and did not even spare a glance in my direction as he slinked over to the door and slipped out silently. I waited a minute to make sure Kyōretsu had actually left. Then I also got dressed and strapped my own katana to my back. I silently entered the hallway and cautiously looked around. When I was sure there was nobody close by I darted down the hallway.
I was almost positive I knew where Kyōretsu was headed, the daimyo’s personal chamber. I figured he would take the common hallway we always did so he would not seem suspicious. I decided to take another hall that not used as frequently but would actually be faster since nobody was likely to be there and I could pass unnoticed. I was correct and the corridor was completely deserted and silent as I dashed down it and made my way to the daimyo’s chamber. Soon the double doors of the chamber were in sight and I skidded to a halt outside them and placed my ear against one to listen for any sign of movement within. I did not detect any so I opened the door cautiously and slipped inside, closing the door behind me.
It was dark in the chamber, but my eyes adjusted quickly and I surveyed the room rapidly for any signs of Kyōretsu. I did not see him anywhere and in my heart I was happy that I had beaten him here. I hurried over to the daimyo’s beside and found him sleeping peacefully. I placed my hand on his shoulder and shook him lightly and he jolted awake with wide eyes. His eyes darted all over the room until they focused on me.
“What is the meaning of this Tsuyoikaze?” He asked, clearly shaken and slightly miffed. He frowned slightly and looked at me questioningly. I gave him a grave look and was about to respond.
“I’m very sorry my lord, but you are in danger and…” Before I could finish my warning the door opened and a figure was silhouetted by the light behind it. I heard a low noise of displeasure as Kyōretsu spotted me by the daimyo. I saw his hand reach back behind him and I moved in front of the bed as he charged at me, face contorted in rage.
“Tsuyoikaze! You traitor!” He roared as he swung his sword in an arc with the intent of slicing me from above. The clang of blades was heard along with hard breathing as we stood there. I had unsheathed my sword just moments before he reached me and had blocked his attack above my head. He was still pressing down and my arms were shaking form the pressure he was exerting on my katana. I looked up into his eyes to see pure hate and bloodlust directed at me and the daimyo behind me. My own eyes reflected my surprise and distress at the sight.
“What happened to you Kyōretsu?! Why are you doing this?” I cried out. A sadistic smirk formed on his face as he replied.
“This is the mission we were sent to do! I’ll carry it out even if you won’t and I know for a fact you won’t. I saw the way that village massacre affected you. What happened to you? Have you had a change of heart and peace and love now? I thought you were a shinobi, not a weak-hearted boy.” He lashed out at me maliciously with his words and they hit their mark. I heard a gasp behind me and I turned my head to look at the shocked face of the daimyo. I looked at him apologetically, and hoped that he could see I did not want to harm him. His expression turned form shock to the anger of one who has been betrayed.
“You’ve been plotting to kill me the entire time?! And what is this nonsense about a village massacre? I have heard nothing of the sort! I knew the villagers were being rebellious, but I had no idea they were being killed!” He inquired us with a confused, but angry tone. I turned my head back as Kyōretsu’s blade advanced a little farther down, but I addressed the daimyo.
“My lord, your soldiers were the ones who slaughtered the innocent villagers. The soldiers spread those rumors of rebellious villages. They went to them on your order by told them you had said they were to join you to fight the shogun or die. They said no and the soldiers attacked them. They resisted to give others a better chance to flee to safety. I am positive this is not the only time this has happened because all of this is part of a plot that your servants devised to overthrow you. I have heard their whispers in the corridors my entire time here. I promise I am not lying to you my lord even though this may all seem highly unbelievable.” I explained to him in a pained voice. I was losing the strength to block Kyōretsu’s blade. I took a deep breath and prepared to do something I had never wanted to ever do: fight my best friend.
I gave one giant shove which forced Kyōretsu to stumble back a few steps while I advanced. He recovered quickly and ran at me once again, slashing his sword and aiming for my side. I blocked all of his attacks, but only barely. I returned the attacks with a few carefully aimed blows to his stomach and arms. He batted my sword away and we clashed. I gave him a sad, but determined look.
“I don’t want to fight you, but I will if it means I can protect the daimyo!” I told him and then grit my teeth as he applied pressure on my blade. He gave me a sneer in return.
“It’s too bad you turned out like this Tsuyoikaze. You would have made a great shinobi.” He taunted and then the fight continued. It was almost like an intricate, and perilous, dance. We stepped and leapt around each other, though I did my best to keep myself between Kyōretsu and the daimyo. Then the awful, but seemingly inevitable happened; I faltered. I went to block another blow from Kyōretsu’s sword and his sword, instead of stopping, slid up my blade because by arm let up a bit from fatigue. The blade slashed through my shirt and sliced my arm which caused me to drop my sword in shock. While I was immobilized Kyōretsu took advantage of the moment and punched me in the gut with his fist. I doubled over and then tripped and slammed into the floor five feet from the daimyo’s bed.
Kyōretsu slinked over to the daimyo and towered menacingly over him. The daimyo glared back at him defiantly even though it was obvious he would not be able to do anything. It was out of his control. Kyōretsu grabbed the daimyo and tossed him onto the floor next to me. Then he swiftly delivered a blow just below the daimyo’s heart, where it would kill him, but not as fast as if he had hit the heart straight on. I growled at him from the floor for I knew he had done it on purpose. He sneered back at me and then left the room quickly.
My eyes flickered over to the daimyo who was gasping like a fish out of water. He turned his head towards me and choked out a few words, though it seemed like it pained him to do so.
“Tsuyoikaze…I believe you…Thank you for trying to protect me…You are truly brave…” He whispered and then he blinked once, the light fading from his eyes. My eyes grew wide and then before I knew it, they were wet with tears. Had everything I’d done be for nothing? I had failed. The daimyo was dead. Now what would happen? All of these questions and thoughts clouded my mind as Kyōretsu came back into the room with several servants behind him. He walked up to me and looked down in disdain. I just lay there, not knowing what to do.
“How does peace sound now Tsuyoikaze? Not so great is it?” Kyōretsu laughed coldly as he knocked me out with the hilt of his sword. The servants crowded around me and then everything faded to black.