Samurai 7: Walking back to the past.
Katsushirou looked around the village and wore a slight smile. It has been five years ever since he was one of the seven samurai who was sent to tear down the Nobuseri and the capital. That was the first time he killed someone, and because of his honor and pride of wanting to be a true samurai, he had taken the job to protect the village from Nobuseri. Katsuchirou held on to his katana, which was once his master's sword, Kanbei. He took a deep breathe and walked into the village. The village was hardly developed from the last time he had left it. The first place he decided to visit was the graves of the honorable samurais, Kikuchiro, Gorobei, Kyuzo and Heihachi. The flag of the Seven Samurai was still placed there, and even though it was old and torn, hopefully, the village still remembers what the samurais had done to save the village from evil machines.
"Hello, Samurai-sama…do you need any of our help?" said a young voice. Katsushirou turned back and was surprise to see someone who looked so much like his first love, Kilara. "Samurai sama, can you be….Katsu- sama?"
"And you are?"
"Komachi! I am Komachi! Katsu-sama!" Komachi said happily, "I am so disappointed that you don't reconginise me!"
"You have grown so much. I almost mistaken you as, Kilara," Katsushirou said with a smile. "How's the village ever since we left?"
"Peace returns to us, but then there is something weird about my sister though. She is old enough to get married, but then she didn't like anyone. It seems that…"
"Perhaps she is waiting for Master…" Katsushirou said as visions of the past came running back to him. That day when he kissed Kilara, he then relaised that he was not the one who Kilara likes, but Kanbei was the one.
Komachi grabbed Katsushirou's hand and dragged him to the main village, where Kilara lives. The Elder has passed away for quite sometime, and Kilara was then in charge of the village. She was also the Water Maiden and as Katsushirou walked through the village, smilar faces pointed at him as he was a strange creature from a dark world.
"Ne-Chan! Katsu is here!" Komachi shouted.
"Kilara?" Katsushirou whispered as a young woman, fully grown and mature looking walked out of the shrine. Her hair was as long as ever, and her eyes only show sorrow. "Nice to meet you again…"
"Kat…Katsuchirou sama!" Kilara cried happily and ran into his arms, "Katsushirou sama!"
"What's wrong, Kilara?" Katsushirou asked and saw her tears rolling down her cheeks, "What is upseting you?"
Kilara wiped her tears off as her necklace (which used to find water) shines brightly, "I am sorry, I don't know how sorry I am!"
"Sorry for what? Ane-chan?" Komachi asked.
"Ever since, you left this place, I have a feeling that you have truthly been possessed by your sword. You have been into more wars, haven't you?" Kilara asked.
"Kilara, it is not your fault. It is no one's fault! I am a samurai and I live by my honor. You are not the one who is responsible of this. Over the years, I have tried my best to be a true samurai. And so far, I guess I have saved many lives, killed over a hundred bandits and I feel that it is a duty of a samurai to do this,"
Kilara was shocked by Katsushirou's words. From the first day they met in the city, Katsuchirou had helped them to retrieve the rice back and prevented other people from stealing the rice. At that time, he was a young samurai who never been too war. But this time when Kilara met him, she feels that Katsushirou had been a samurai who had killed over hundreds of people, and he kills them without fear like he used to. He was deermined and had changed from a small bean to a fully grown tree, and had no fear inside.
Kilara and Komachi invite Katsushirou for lunch. He was given rice, but the farmers were eating firefly rice. Some of the farmers remembered Katsuchirou as the young samurai who sticks around with Kanbei. He was happy that everyone remembers him, but then there is one thing that made him suspicious. Something was not right about the villagers. They seem frightened, and threatened. Something might have happen to them. Whatever it is, Katsushirou will try his best to find out.