"One cannot step twice in the same river."
— Heraclitus
1: Flee
"... Why?"
I asked, but she didn't respond, she all but clutches my hand and whispers,
"May the blessings of Daikoku guide you."
The dying woman smiled, her large companion just stared at her unblinkingly, I gripped her clothes as I weep.
...
Age: 7
"Cub, you need to get up."
Old, raspy voice jerked me awake. My own grey eyes met aquatic blue ones.
"Get up." The humanoid feral panther commanded, "The old fool requested your presence." Before puffing away.
I stared at the last trance of smoke before getting up and heading downstairs. I rubbed my eyes with the heel of my hand and let a large yawn escape my lips.
"I have seen that you are now awake, boy."
I grunted as I looked up, seeing an old balding man smiling at me. He hummed for a second before speaking, "Wear lesser clothes. We will start training."
I stared at him in bafflement, he looked at me with amusement dancing in his coal eyes. "We're in 'Land of Iron'." I pointed out idly.
He hummed again before nodding, "Yes. I know."
"It's snowing."
"Exactly." He chuckled and stared at me. "I am not joking. I will teach you how to conduct your chakra through your partner." He waved his hand at the resting katana on the wall.
"You are exceptionally genius in wielding a sword as you are now needed to train your chakra." He acknowledged, "Sending your chakra through your body unconsciously is not thoroughly great. You might ended up broken before knowing it, boy."
"I suck at controlling chakra."
"Isn't that what you said when I started training you kenjutsu? Get ready, Mitsuhide." He then started to walk away.
"Understood, shishou."
...
"Throwing unwanted childish tantrums now, I have seen. You will not pass greater fits if you decidedly continue this, boy."
I grumbled and looked at him, he smiled at me, understanding the look I've sent to him. He gestures at his body, only wearing a pair of pants without a top. "Chakra, boy."
"Why?" I complained.
"Life." He simply answered.
I sighed.
...
Age: 8
I looked outside, snow continuously falling down the land.
"Have you caught it?" I asked, "The news, I mean. There are rumors that a group of samurai hunting down a man."
The old man raised a brow, before shrugging it off and handing my sword back towards me. I grabbed the black handle and unsheathed it from its black scabbard.
"You polished Kaname-ishi?" I said in awe, the polished blade glinting from the light.
"Of course, she needed it." He responded.
...
Explosion woke me up from oblivion, I stood up, grabbing my sword before running downstairs.
"Shishou-"
"Nobunaga."
I halted from the voice addressing my teacher. I peeked from the stairs and- what is happening?
"Ah. Hello there, boy. I must apologize but barging here right into my territory is quite disrespectful-"
"You have no territory here on this land. Nobunaga, as you have no rights in staying here."
Shishou smiled, before waving his hand.
"I have seen, indeed. Boy, take your sword and flee."
What?
The unnamed samurai unsheathed his sword, "How dare y-!"
Shishou quickly intercepted the sword with his own before glancing at the stairs. His smile vanished and replaced with blank, unemotional mask. A suffocating mass of air spreads out inside of the room then vanished, shishou smiled then ordered,
"Mitsuhide. Flee."
...
I ran, snow crunching under my cold feet. Sword completely unsheathed and dripping with blood, I can already taste the pang of iron in my own mouth.
But I continued to run,
I ran, I ran, I ran-ranranranRanrANRAN-
Then, it's black.
...
I woke up, as a man with white and red hat staring down at my form.
"Greetings, child. Do you know where you at?"
I glanced around, noticing the wires attached on my skin and tilting my head to the window.
Mountain with sculptured heads are drawn.
"... Konohagakure?"