The Blacksmith Girl

In an old fashioned house in the woods...

There lived a young girl in a kimono.

She was both hunting and foraging with great skill.

After that, she would cook her food by herself.

But she also works as a young blacksmith trusted by many.

Many come to her for re-sharpening, or forging.

'...a blacksmith at a young age...and high-quality blades at that.' the girl heard a squeaky, lispy voice and turned to see a smiling infant in a suit. 'May I know your story?'

'...in the martial arts world, papa was the master of all weapons, succeeded by my older sister whom I have yet to meet.' the girl explained. 'She left with a Jujutsu Master weeks before I was born here and papa says I'm his daughter. He trained me in weapons too...but last year, papa never woke up anymore. And I have no idea how to contact sister. She doesn't know papa died.'

'I see...woke up here huh?'

'Yup.'

'You know, I'm looking for a missing girl around these parts.' the baby smiled. 'Can we see your father's notes? Look for it for me if he knows he found a missing girl.'

'Missing girl?'

'Aa. Many years ago, she was on a class field trip with her classmates.' said the baby. 'She was bullied for things not her fault until on that fateful day...somebody pushed her downhill, and she was never seen ever again.' he stated grimly. 'Can you look if your father found such a girl?'

'OK.' and the young girl left and the baby watched her go.

"Actually...I found you but I'll let you find out first that you're the one." the baby thought with a smile. "But still..." he twitched.

The girl has no sense of modesty whatsoever she was lucky her customers so far never laid a finger on her. Her work outfit in a forge is just an uwagi and a fundoshi with kyahan on her legs and waraji sandals, working with her legs open before her forge. Maybe she was THAT respected as a blacksmith that earning her ire will make them lose her services."

He knows how those men looked when they came to her.

The way they carried themselves was how Fon carried himself.

Soon...the girl was back. But she was shaken and pale-faced.

'...baby. What is the name of that girl?' she stammered out, shaken. 'H-his notes say...'

'Sawada Takako. That is your true name.'

'...' the girl sank on her knees. Stunned. 'I was...murdered...I didn't know...I just woke up here...my whole body hurt and papa said I fell ill...but I woke up knowing nothing. I can't even talk...but I just accepted it.'

"Complete amnesia..." the baby frowned. 'I see. So what did your father name you?'

'Kousaka Houko.' said Takako. 'Or Takako? Whatever. But why are you looking for me?'

'You have very worried parents back home.' said the baby softly. 'I've been looking for you on their behalf. And your murderers paid the price. You got justice.'

'Ah...but...I don't know how to be Takako.' said Takako gloomily. 'If the notes were right...she died that day...cause I don't remember anything. I only know how to be Houko. I'm Kousaka Houko, Disciple of Kousaka-Style Weapons Martial Arts Grandmaster Kousaka Hachirobee. Papa.'

'Where is he by the way?'

'He's sleeping outside.' said Takako, glancing outside to the very weedy yard. 'He told me there will come a time that he is so super-tired he would never wake up and be all stiff. If that time comes, I'm to cover him up in soil 'cause he can never wake up anymore. Then our customers told me what death was.' she choked out, her eyes taking on a haunted stare after a look of innocence.

"Dead." the baby thought. And Takako is so innocent. She knows little about life. She doesn't even know what death is. But he supposed the man kept her clueless so she'll never cry in grief. She had to learn from someone else!

'...so, what now? I still have lots of blades to repair, sharpen or make...I can't just leave, it's papa's name on the line.' said Takako. 'Let me finish all my orders before we decide what to do next. My customers also helped me reach sister by delivering a letter for me so she knows papa's gone. I have no idea where this Ryouzanpaku place is. I never left home all my life.'

'Very well. I'll go to the nearest town to call home, alright?'

'OK.' and the baby left her. '...now what...?'

xxx

Italy...

Timoteo di Vongola was glad he got good news when he thought of the worst.

His Advisor was in grief, only knowing he lost his child recently because he was 'moron enough' to leave his wife fake phone numbers to quote his irate guardians who worked to ensure little Takako gets her much-deserved justice and helping Nana because she went mad with grief, all alone with no support. She can't even recognize her own husband anymore she went insane and delusional his Mist and Rain has quite the task ahead of them with his Advisor to help her heal...even if it meant remembering the awful truth. The only one by his side, are his Cloud, Sun, Storm and Lightning.

'She's alive...' he whispered in relief, putting his phone down before sighing. 'But amnesiac. Dios mio...'

'Amnesiac?' Ganache III asked him.

'Yes. From her terrible fall, she was injured to such an extent she lost all her memories. Her foster father lied to her that she was so sick to keep the terrible truth from her that she was a murder victim and he had no idea who tried to kill her at the time so he hid her.' said Timoteo. 'But he managed to save her and took care of her. She's apparently a Disciple in Armed Ninjutsu and a gifted Blacksmith she was respected by many so she must be physically-strong at a young age. Takako is shocked but asked for more time since she has a lot of work. We'll go pay her a visit.'

'We tell him?'

'No. Have him focus on his wife since its his fault she went insane in the first place. We'll not say a word until we talked to Takako-chan.'

xxx

The town near the Hermitage...

'Ciaossu.' Reborn greeted in the suite he had to book for his company.

'Report.'

'On my days of observation of Takako...she may as well be a real-life interpretation of ninjas.' said Reborn. 'Which is good as she is very self-sufficient. She lives by hunting for food but hardly uses the money she earns for easier life even if her clients pay her millions for her work. The only things she ever buys, is rice, condiments and clothes, that's it. Meat and vegetables, she forages for it. I've seen her do archery and its always hitting the eyes, never missed not even once. Vegetables in question are Sansai, I never once saw her use cabbages or something.'

'She charges her clients with money and three hours of training before she actually does any work. She really is a ninja.' Reborn chuckled. 'And her mastery of weapons is impressive as is her physical prowess for her age. The problem is, due to her upbringing, she only knows to read, write and basic maths, foraging and survival skills as well as her upbringing as a warrior and forging. All else, totally clueless and innocent. She doesn't know what death is until someone had to tell her her father's long dead, and does not have modesty whatsoever. She could calmly work in the presence of men in a kimono shirt, and a fundoshi baring almost all her waist-down.' he shook his head as the men before him blanched. 'She clearly lacks basic human understanding. But these guys could care less, thankfully as long as she does her job. Nobody tried anything otherwise I'd have sniped them by now.'

'I see...can you take us there?' Timoteo asked him.

'Its a tough trip. I hope you brought trekking gear with you because we'll go there on foot.' said Reborn with a grin. 'I wouldn't know she's alive if not for the fact that she's active, but unaware of it.'

xxx

Sundown, the hermitage...

Takako was not alone.

In fact, a man in a gi and a young woman dressed like a ninja was there, praying before a mound by a tree with incense sticks and behind them, stood Takako.

'Takako-chan, you got guests.' said the man.

'Uhm, hello, what can I do for you?' Takako asked the foreign old men. 'Baby-chan, are they my family you're telling me about?'

'Distant relatives for now.' said Reborn. 'Your father is helping your mother.'

'Huh?'

'...we'll explain.' said the old man in a pained voice.

'Fa...mily?' the woman spoke slowly, in childish wonder as they stood up.

'Yes. We're looking for her for weeks when we found out the awful truth.'

'Aa, Takako-chan told us about it.' said the man. 'Well, old man Hachirobee played with her name since the first kanji can be read in two ways.'

The Kanji 'takara' can be read as 'hou' depending on how it's used in names.

And so, after Takako made tea and they talked in the living room...

'You said something about my parents, ojisan?' Takako asked Timoteo.

'Well...your father works for me overseas...but he was idiot enough to leave your mother fake phone numbers.' Timoteo scowled. 'In her time of need...she could not contact him. All alone with no support, your mother went insane from grief at having lost you, murdered by your own bullying classmates in school.'

'Fake phone numbers...' the other man gasped in horror. 'So many scenarios ran in my mind and none of them good.'

'Understandable. I don't know what that fool of a boy was thinking, and now he pays the price I'm making him pay.' said Timoteo coldly. 'For he did her a grave injustice. Takako-chan, even then we don't know if your mother will recover because as far as she knows in her insanity and delusional way of coping, you're still the eight years old girl she lost in that Field Trip. Anyone saying otherwise, she screams as if tortured according to her nurses.'

The martial artists looked deeply shaken by his words.

'Ojisan...how did people find out my classmates killed me?' Takako shook, shaken.

'It was by a stroke of luck.' said Timoteo with a pained expression. 'With the Ryokan Employees who check on their guests who are on a Program Itinerary during a stay in their Ryokan because some trips involved anywhere near this mountain...one of them overheard a cruel conversation between some kids, had the sense to video-record from behind a wall through their smartphone, and told the police. That was how you got your justice years before we found out what happened to you. We were in Italy at the time in our company. When we sent Reborn to tutor you two months ago, only then did we know the cruel truth. Years too late.'

'Ah...'

'Your school...let's just say they paid the price they deserve and we made sure of it.' said the younger green-haired man. 'A life for a life.'

'...I don't even know if I have a home to go to anyway...I'd rather stay here. My actual father works in Italy going as far as never giving mother a real contact line and mother's far gone.' said Takako morosely. 'Mother might not accept me for being the wrong age. I'm scared.'

'Takako...' Timoteo could only shake his head in dismay and sympathy.

'Well, that's that.' said the kimono-garbed man. 'Until we get word, we will stay here with Takako for her training until we move to her residence. I'm Koetsuji Akisame and this young lady is the older sister, Shigure. These two girls are adopted by old man Hachirobee in hopes the art will live on and not die. I'm one of his students too but my passion lies more in Jujutsu.'

'Then, will you train a new student too?' Reborn asked Akisame. 'Due to Takako being heir of a wealthy family, she would need a bodyguard by her side. I have an ideal candidate and he's around her age. If she is the child of weapons, I hope you can do Improvised and Fists for him. Oh, and the Uncle will be the one paying you for your time.'

'Humm. Any requests?'

'Modern and Traditional Training in Martial Arts regarding Weapons, Improvised, Stealth and Tracking, Survival, Combat Skills, Medicinal Techniques, and this boy has quick arms and fingers, so a martial art that goes well with it. And as Takako will be in danger simply for being heiress...teach the boy what's necessary. When and when not to.'

'Got it.'

'He's in town waiting for my instructions, but I'll have to go get him. This place has no signal.'