Way of the Sword

Takeo woke with a start jumped in the air and landed in a Karate fighting position,

'Oh, my apologies, good morning' he bowed to Hirokome who had nearly dropped her tea, Takeo looked at her face spying a poorly concealed black eye, 'The caretakers have called in a psychologist to met you, do you plan to see them?' apologies

Takeo thought for a moment sipping the tea, the tea was horrible but he didn't care.

'uhhh… yes I might for once and get some answers to what going to happen to me'

Hirokome said 'I've answered all your questions on our customs, which seem to be rather similar to yours, although we seem to be more technically advanced then where you came from'

'Hirokome do not speak to anyone of what I am, the ninja of my clan will try to find me and kill me' she nodded sipping the tea he said 'When is the appointed time for the meeting?'

Takeo sat strait, his sword uncomfortably concealed on his back. The old woman spoke and answered with questions, it was infuriating. Takeo wondered why this woman had come, so he asked question s of his own. 'What is going to happen to me? Where am I to go? Has this… foster parent been decided on yet? What is happening?' he asked his voice growing frustrated. The old woman looked totally calm 'there is no need to get angry Takeo, I am a friend…'

'Woman, I am not your friend' he growled

'You did not let me finish…'

'You don't need to say anything'

'Just answer the questions please'

'No, you don't answer my questions, I wont answer yours, but I tell you what, if you answer one of my questions, I will answer one of yours'

Rage rippled trough out Takeos body, he should cut her head off. Struggling to keep an emotionless face Takeo answered 'Fine' his teeth clenched a grinding each word.

'See it wasn't that hard, now why did you beat those boys up?'

'I told you, they attacked me first'

'That is not what they tell me…'

'I don't care what they told you, that's what happened! There I answered one of your questions'

'Okay, what is going to happen is that you will remain here until a foster parent chooses you. Why do you talk to no one?'

'Because I find them all insufferable fools'

'Why?'

'I already answered the question, you need to answer mine'

'Okay just calm down, foster parents have chosen you as you seem to be I need of some help'

'When do I leave?'

'Not, until you answer my question'

'Fine, they are rude, intolerable and have no respect for anything'

'You leave this afternoon, Okay?'

'Fine…' he hesitated, what about Hirokome?

'Okay, why do you carry swords?'

The question shocked Takeo and he looked blank.

'Um ahh… are um heirlooms passed on from generation to generation' satisfied with his answer, the psychologist wrote down what she had gleamed. She offered him a glass of water, his eyes, as they were not eyes but cameras pick up cloudiness in the water, he politely refused the woman insisted, again he refused growing more frustrated.

'Thank you for your time, now I must prepare to leave this afternoon' he stood showed the woman the door the glass of water still swirled on the low table. He picked it up looked at it closely his eyes sending readouts of different kinds he dipped his left index finger in the water readouts began to calculate in the bottom left of his vision, when they stopped they concluded that it was a sedative of some sort, non lethal. He opened the window and emptied the contents of the glass in a garden of flowers just outside.

He walked around, what type of psychologist was that spiking his drink. He shook his head and packed necessary things while removing the sword from its concealed position on his back. Foot steps echoed down the hallway, Hirokome's foot steps he instantly recognized her shuffling walk she opened the door quietly and slipped in. 'You are leaving?'

'Yes'

'Why, to get out, to find my sister, to avenge my families death'

'Oh… I'll miss you'

'I know, I will to, I mean who will make my tea for me?'

She giggled, Takeo smiled grabbed his belongings and sat down to meditate

He heard her leave.

When the afternoon came and it was time for him to leave, he walked down the steps that sound echoing gave him direction to the exit, he could do that but what bugged him was even though his hearing was amplified synthetically every time he thought he got close to the crying Hirokome it would never be so. He walked to the car shakily got inside and found a smiling woman waiting for him her smile was gentle but he still remained on high alert, he looked back at the home that he had known for a few short days and saw her Hirokome standing in the window tears fresh on hear cheeks, 'good bye Takeo' his amplified hearing picked up her last whispered words to him. He smiled no tears could come to his eyes as a doctor explained, the function had been disable.

The house was small cramped and bizarre to him, no room to train, I might have to go to a park. One of the adults, the woman came in smiling, she was different… her skin it was white! After a few seconds of shock he remembered that Hirokome had explained people had different skin to them some white some black. He gave a feeble smile back.

'Hello, I am Hannah I will be your…' then in English 'damn it… Darrel! How do you say mother in Japanese!'

Takeo understood perfectly and responded without thinking 'it is pronounced haha'

'Yeah thanks' she whispered and then her eyes grew wide and her mouth opening and closing like a dying fish, 'You… you speak English?'

'ahhhh Hirokome said something like that before, why is it uncommon?' Takeo was speaking flawless English and with barely a hint of an accent, then Hannah started to fall, Takeo jumped up and caught her and lowered her to the floor gently, his ears picked up that her breathing was even. Takeo decided that I would be a good idea if he got the man he walked to the main room and said in Japanese so as not to have the same reaction 'Your wife.. Ah fainted'

The man looked at him and said in English 'Hold on I know this one you want… a drink'

Takeo shook his head, obviously the man did not know Japanese very well, he gestured for the man to take a seat before speaking in English, 'Your wife just fainted' he said drawing out the words with deliberate slowness and sat waiting for the mans reaction, he just looked at him with a blank stare, 'Great party trick…Hannah quit your little game'

'She's not playing, I'm not messing around she's in my room unconscious'

'Fine I'll bite' he got up walked into the room an issuing thud followed as the man fainted. 'whoops' Takeo walked into the room and saw that the man had fallen backwards and lay with his hand on his neck interested he pick up the hand and realized it had been covering his mouth, okay he thought now to wait he moved them into the main room and into seats. Since there was nothing better to do he sat and meditated, his ears trained on their heart beats and breathing.