Chapter 6
Seven-year-old Hito held his wooden sword tight in hand. Bringing it up over his head, he then swung down hard into the air. Repeating this exercise kept him busy for a few hours every day. He'd practice until he'd collapse with exhaustion. Shihan would always tell him to come back inside. He was not only his pupil, but also considered him his son.
Hito never came in until late that night. It was winter, and even thought the air was freezing, Hito would train in his thin, short cut training clothes. Shihan looked at him with worry in his eyes.
"Someday you'll get seriously ill from being out in the cold so long." He informed.
"Every swing makes me the slightest bit stronger. Though the change is extremely small, every swing counts. I stay out as long as my body allows me to." Hito exhaled for a long while, then quickly brought in new breath. "I'll start again first thing tomorrow." Shihan sighed as he laid down on his futon. Hito sat on his sleeping bag and stared at his wooden sword. "I'm strong enough to hold a real one. When will I be able to use it?"
"When I'm confident that you can handle the pressure."
"Pressure?"
"With great strength comes great responsibility, Hito. When someone finds that they are stronger than most others, he is pressured to decide a path of handling trouble or creating it. When I know you'll use your skills for good, then I will allow you the use of a Japanese Sword."
"I'll become the best crime fighter ever, you'll see. Thieves and assassins won't dare come into my town!" Hito laid back and covered himself with blankets to fight the biting cold. "My parent's killers are already dead...so I'll make sure every assassin in Hokkaido is killed by my hands!"
"That's a big area to cover. And you think everyone will leave all of the killing up to you? You shouldn't want to kill them, Hito. Just stop them."
"But I won't be satisfied until I kill every single man who has committed murder!"
"But when you kill them, that's murder as well. I guess you have the right intensions though..." Shihan sighed before falling asleep. Hito fell asleep quickly due to his exhaustion.
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^ v^v^v^v^v
Hito awoke to the whispering voices discussing outside Shihan's hut. The voices went on for a while before Shihan returned inside.
"Remember your old village, Hito?" Shihan asked. Hito's eyes widened in fear.
"What about it?" He stuttered.
"They were raided, a large mob attacked. One of my spies saw it all and checked it out after they had gone. Not a single soul was left there."
"Shia..." Hito grabbed his wooden sword. "Master, let me go look for Shia! I have to find her!" Staring pleadingly at Shihan, he was rejected.
"Hito, it is snowing outside. You'll freeze to death before finding her. And how are you going to find her when you have absolutely no idea where she is?"
"I'll look until I find her...through all of Hokkaido. And if I don't find her, I'll search the rest of Japan."
"You're crazy, Hito. You'd never make it alive in those thin sleeveless training clothes."
"I don't care!" Hito shouted. "I promised Shia that we'd see each other again! I have to make sure she's okay!" Standing up, he headed to the door.
"Wait, Hito!" Shihan stood as well and walked to a closet. "It might be big, but it's warmer than what you have now. I used to wear it in my younger days." He pulled out a gray and black robe, a wanderer's shirt. After came the samurai pants. Hito accepted them and changed quickly. They were very large on his small body. "Here." Shihan grabbed a few pins and pinned some of it up and back.
"Now it's all scrunched up in the back..." Hito complained.
"No one's going to care what you look like. Plus, it's better than your old clothes."
"Thank you, Master." Hito left and stepped out into the snowy yard. The sky was white with clouds and powdery snow fell to the ground adding to the already deep piles. He walked through it, ignoring the icy pain cutting through his feet. It was still freezing, but it felt better than being outside all day in his old clothes. Stepping carefully down the hill to the city, making sure not to slip on ice, he inevitably slipped and tumbled down halfway anyway. "Where is she?" Hito asked himself, observing the small white clouds emitting from each breath he let out. He folded his arms and staggered down the street. No one was outside, and no voices could be heard. The only sound was the crunching of Hito's footsteps in the snow. The silence made his angry. How was he to find anyone when no one was there? Continuing to look around, he noticed someone walking down the alley opposite of himself, though it was hard to see in the thick fog.
"A boy?" The man asked, getting closer. "What are you doing out in the cold? And in such light clothing too."
"I'm looking for someone." Hito looked up at the man strangely. He looked around 25 or so. "You aren't dressed all that heavy either, and you're out here."
"Ah, I'm looking for someone as well." He looked down at Hito. "Someone was taken from home, and I want to take her back."
"That's what I'm doing too! My best friend, Shia, lived in my old village when it got raided. But I'm sure she's not dead, I just know she isn't!"
"Shia? Why...that's the same girl I'm looking for."
"You know Shia?" Hito asked, getting exited. He was someone who could help him in his search.
"I know Shia. She was one of my little sister's good friends. I didn't know of a raid...I thought it was just her that was kidnapped."
"They were raided...every single person was either killed or taken..." Hito gripped his bokou firmly. "Let's look for her together, ok?"
"Deal." He smiled and turned around. "I already checked out all of the houses down here. Let's split up, alright?"
"Okay." Hito turned right when the street divided, while the other man turned left.
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^ v^v^v^v^v
Hito fell to his knees, and gripped his arms firmly. He had been out there all day and the cold was fatal. He couldn't stop shivering and the clouds of breath were coming out quickly. Every breath taken in was like torture because of the bitter cold. Not having the strength to stand, Hito let his body fall, feeling the pain of the snow now covering half his body.
"I'm sorry Shia...but...I can't find you...I won't make it..." Hito's eyes filled with hot tears. The only thing left that was warm. But they soon got cold and as they rolled down his cheeks. It felt like it was splitting them in half. A suddenly warm hand was place on Hito's shoulder. It then grabbed onto his shirt and pulled him up.
"Hito?" A familiar voice asked. Hito's vision went hazy and couldn't recognize him. "Hito!" The voice shouted. Vision blurred more and mixed before Hito went limp in the man's arms. He put hand on Hito's cheek, then stood up to carry Hito back home.
Halfway back, Hito's eyes fluttered open. He realized that he was being carrying by Shihan, then it all came back to him.
"No!" Struggling, Hito wriggled free from Shihan and stepped a few feet away. "I haven't found her yet!"
"Hito, you'll never find her. No one comes outside in this weather. Come home!" Shihan pleaded for the safety of his pupil. Hito stood his ground and stared at his master with great frustration. "Come on Hito, you can look for her when the snow clears up."
"I can't wait that long!" Hito shouted, shaking his head frantically. "She could die if I wait too long!"
"She could be dead now."
"No!" Hito ran at Shihan shouting. He threw a fist at him, but Shihan easily caught it. Picking up Hito—a nearly impossible job through all the struggling—Shihan held him tightly to make sure Hito couldn't free himself, and carried him back.
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^ v^v^v^v^v
Hito laid in his sleeping bag, staring up at the ceiling. Every few seconds he'd look at Shihan through the dark to make sure he was asleep. Once Hito was sure, he quietly arose and tiptoed to the wall where Hito kept his prized sword. Removing it from its shelf, he silently walked back and laid it next to him under his sleeping back.
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v ^v^v^v^v^v
Making sure to wake up before Shihan the next morning, Hito deviously grabbed the sheathed sword and bolted out the door in three long leaps. The bitter fury of the morning chill seamed to attack him as soon as he stepped out the door. Ignoring the sharp pain throughout his body, Hito attempted walking down the hill without falling. A chunk of ice caught his foot and he tumbled down the snowy mount. As soon as he hit the bottom, Hito jumped up and swept off the heaps of snow that had collected on him, making sure the sword was safe at his belt. As mush trouble as he was already in, Shihan would slaughter him if he lost his prized possession. From there, he continued his search where he had left off, forgetting that he couldn't expect anyone to come out of there house just because a wandering boy was searching around. But another man was seen in the far fog. He was different from yesterday's wanderer. This one was older and was dragging someone by the arm.
"Hey!" Hito drew his sword and ran at the man. "Let go of Shia!" He yelled. Getting closer, the two people realized what was going on and fear struck their faces. Swinging the heavy sword as hard as he could, the man found no reaction, and was cut deeply.
"Daddy!" The little girl that had been forced along shouted. Hito looked at her carefully.
"You...you're not Shia." Hito's voice shook realizing what he had done. "I- I'm sorry..." He stared down at the bloody corpse dyeing the snow a deep red.
"W-why'd you kill him?!" The girl shouted, tears streaming down her face. Hito covered his face with his hand and fell straight down, landing on his butt. "Tell me why! Why did he have to die?!" She inquired again. Hito's sword dropped from his grasp as he raised his hand to cover his face over the other hand. "What's wrong with you?! Why'd you kill him...?" The girl was bawling and she finally fainted.
"I...didn't mean too..." Hito whispered, not realizing her unconsciousness under his hands. "I thought he was someone else...that you were someone else..." Hito grabbed his sword and stood up, letting his other hand drop. "But I still haven't found her." The blood surrounding him made him gag, but he resisted vomiting. He jumped over the girl and continued his search.
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^ v^v^v^v^v
In one of the houses, people were yelling as hard as they possibly could. A girl yelped, but kept quiet after as the others yelled. This house drew Hito's attention. The girl that had shrieked sounded a bit familiar. He had heard Shia scream more than once.
"Shia!" Hito called, busting down the rice-paper door.
"Hito!" The girl beaten in the corner shouted, reaching her hand out in Hito's direction. Hito couldn't help but smile as he ran over to Shia's aid.
"What do you think you're doing, boy?!" A man kicked Hito's side before he could reach Shia, knocking him flat on the floor. "This girl belongs to me, what do you think you're doing coming in here and trying to kidnap her?"
"You kidnapped her first! I'm just coming to save her!" Hito shouted, standing up and walking to Shia.
"Stubborn boy." The man said, kicking him again.
"Stop it!" Shia pleaded, crawling to Hito. The man walked to the two and picked up Shia, throwing her into the next room. "Hito!" She shrieked before the door was closed.
"No...you can't do that!" Hito stood up and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "She's not yours! Give her back!" Yelling, the sword was drawn, aimed at the man.
"You think you can kill me? How pathetic." He jumped aside and lashed out his hand, landing it on the hilt right above Hito's hand. With ease, the sword was pulled from his hand and replaced in the man's. "I am Coushen Lutei. No one can defeat me." He swung a hard right at Hito, but he ducked right under it. He stood up pale, thinking he could never pull the same trick again. "Rescuing her is harder then you thought, eh?"
"I won't give up..." Hito ran at Coushen, attempting to head-but him in the stomach.
"Your moves are too easily read. You can't defeat me." Coushen raised his sword up to strike Hito, when someone broke through the thin wall, landing perfectly on the floor. He pulled out a small knife and flung it at Coushen, making him wince and allow Hito to get away. He then drew his sword and slashed through the next wall, grabbing Shia, then fled.
"No!" Hito shouted. "Come back!" He ran out through the hole he had made in the wall and chased after the kidnapper. But he was already out of sight. "I'm...never going to see you again, am I?" Hito fell to his knees, snow crunching under them. "I give up..."
"Hito! Hito are you alright?" Shihan ran and put a hand on his shoulder, crouching down to his level. "Let's go back home, okay?" Hito nodded, shocking Shihan then making him smile. "Let's go."
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^ v^v^v^v^v
Silence was the only thing present in Shihan's home. They each sat quietly, sipping tea. Hito was under a heavy blanket, but still shivered.
"So you're giving up on Shia?" Shihan asked. Hito just stared blankly at his cup of tea. "I'm glad that you're not chasing after her anymore." The comment made Hito glance up at Shihan, but then he turned back to his cup. "Don't be sad, Hito."
"I'm not sad." He stated. Shihan looked worriedly at him, but then his stare turned to the ceiling as he placed his cup on the floor and lay back in his bed. Moments passed until Hito spoke again. "Master, I've decided to become an assassin."
"What?!" Shihan sat straight up. "How can you say such a thing?"
"I'm not out for revenge against a certain person. It's everyone. I hate them all. Humanity is sick. They disgust me."
"What ever happened to becoming the best crime fighter Japan would ever come to know?"
"Fighting crime is helping everyone. That's no longer my wish. Maybe someday as an assassin I might find Shia. Then I'll quit. But until then, I'll kill whoever the man paying me wishes for me to kill."
"I still don't understand. Your parents were murdered by assassins! And now you want to become one?!" Shihan asked. Hito covered his face with his hand and placed his cup of tea on the ground.
"There you go. Assassins are humans. They killed my parents, they stole Shia, and they do whatever else they want. Even regular people commit crimes. Shia was held captive by a regular man, but was stolen a second time by an assassin. I hate everyone, that's why every man in Japan should be punished!"
"Hito, not everyone is like that. You and me, we're not like that. You're making a decision to become one of the people you hate."
"The Shousa Kyouhen Ryuu teaches you to kill your foe quickly and acting only for the benefit of others. I will be acting for whomever it is I am serving at the time. Your style allows it."
"You're bending the rules Hito."
"But I'm not breaking them." Hito stood up. "No matter what you say, you can't stop me! When I finish training with you I'll leave and become an assassin."
"But until then you're still a normal boy. You're only seven years old, Hito, yet you act my age. You find reasons for your stubbornness and think deeper than most children do. You learn quickly and you're a very intelligent boy. Yet you still want to waste these qualities by becoming a criminal. So be it, it's your choice to make and I won't stop you."
"Thank you, master." Hito sat back down and finished his cup of tea.
"But I can still try to talk some sense into you until the day you leave me."
"It won't work, master."
"I thought not..." Shihan grinned.
Seven-year-old Hito held his wooden sword tight in hand. Bringing it up over his head, he then swung down hard into the air. Repeating this exercise kept him busy for a few hours every day. He'd practice until he'd collapse with exhaustion. Shihan would always tell him to come back inside. He was not only his pupil, but also considered him his son.
Hito never came in until late that night. It was winter, and even thought the air was freezing, Hito would train in his thin, short cut training clothes. Shihan looked at him with worry in his eyes.
"Someday you'll get seriously ill from being out in the cold so long." He informed.
"Every swing makes me the slightest bit stronger. Though the change is extremely small, every swing counts. I stay out as long as my body allows me to." Hito exhaled for a long while, then quickly brought in new breath. "I'll start again first thing tomorrow." Shihan sighed as he laid down on his futon. Hito sat on his sleeping bag and stared at his wooden sword. "I'm strong enough to hold a real one. When will I be able to use it?"
"When I'm confident that you can handle the pressure."
"Pressure?"
"With great strength comes great responsibility, Hito. When someone finds that they are stronger than most others, he is pressured to decide a path of handling trouble or creating it. When I know you'll use your skills for good, then I will allow you the use of a Japanese Sword."
"I'll become the best crime fighter ever, you'll see. Thieves and assassins won't dare come into my town!" Hito laid back and covered himself with blankets to fight the biting cold. "My parent's killers are already dead...so I'll make sure every assassin in Hokkaido is killed by my hands!"
"That's a big area to cover. And you think everyone will leave all of the killing up to you? You shouldn't want to kill them, Hito. Just stop them."
"But I won't be satisfied until I kill every single man who has committed murder!"
"But when you kill them, that's murder as well. I guess you have the right intensions though..." Shihan sighed before falling asleep. Hito fell asleep quickly due to his exhaustion.
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^ v^v^v^v^v
Hito awoke to the whispering voices discussing outside Shihan's hut. The voices went on for a while before Shihan returned inside.
"Remember your old village, Hito?" Shihan asked. Hito's eyes widened in fear.
"What about it?" He stuttered.
"They were raided, a large mob attacked. One of my spies saw it all and checked it out after they had gone. Not a single soul was left there."
"Shia..." Hito grabbed his wooden sword. "Master, let me go look for Shia! I have to find her!" Staring pleadingly at Shihan, he was rejected.
"Hito, it is snowing outside. You'll freeze to death before finding her. And how are you going to find her when you have absolutely no idea where she is?"
"I'll look until I find her...through all of Hokkaido. And if I don't find her, I'll search the rest of Japan."
"You're crazy, Hito. You'd never make it alive in those thin sleeveless training clothes."
"I don't care!" Hito shouted. "I promised Shia that we'd see each other again! I have to make sure she's okay!" Standing up, he headed to the door.
"Wait, Hito!" Shihan stood as well and walked to a closet. "It might be big, but it's warmer than what you have now. I used to wear it in my younger days." He pulled out a gray and black robe, a wanderer's shirt. After came the samurai pants. Hito accepted them and changed quickly. They were very large on his small body. "Here." Shihan grabbed a few pins and pinned some of it up and back.
"Now it's all scrunched up in the back..." Hito complained.
"No one's going to care what you look like. Plus, it's better than your old clothes."
"Thank you, Master." Hito left and stepped out into the snowy yard. The sky was white with clouds and powdery snow fell to the ground adding to the already deep piles. He walked through it, ignoring the icy pain cutting through his feet. It was still freezing, but it felt better than being outside all day in his old clothes. Stepping carefully down the hill to the city, making sure not to slip on ice, he inevitably slipped and tumbled down halfway anyway. "Where is she?" Hito asked himself, observing the small white clouds emitting from each breath he let out. He folded his arms and staggered down the street. No one was outside, and no voices could be heard. The only sound was the crunching of Hito's footsteps in the snow. The silence made his angry. How was he to find anyone when no one was there? Continuing to look around, he noticed someone walking down the alley opposite of himself, though it was hard to see in the thick fog.
"A boy?" The man asked, getting closer. "What are you doing out in the cold? And in such light clothing too."
"I'm looking for someone." Hito looked up at the man strangely. He looked around 25 or so. "You aren't dressed all that heavy either, and you're out here."
"Ah, I'm looking for someone as well." He looked down at Hito. "Someone was taken from home, and I want to take her back."
"That's what I'm doing too! My best friend, Shia, lived in my old village when it got raided. But I'm sure she's not dead, I just know she isn't!"
"Shia? Why...that's the same girl I'm looking for."
"You know Shia?" Hito asked, getting exited. He was someone who could help him in his search.
"I know Shia. She was one of my little sister's good friends. I didn't know of a raid...I thought it was just her that was kidnapped."
"They were raided...every single person was either killed or taken..." Hito gripped his bokou firmly. "Let's look for her together, ok?"
"Deal." He smiled and turned around. "I already checked out all of the houses down here. Let's split up, alright?"
"Okay." Hito turned right when the street divided, while the other man turned left.
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^ v^v^v^v^v
Hito fell to his knees, and gripped his arms firmly. He had been out there all day and the cold was fatal. He couldn't stop shivering and the clouds of breath were coming out quickly. Every breath taken in was like torture because of the bitter cold. Not having the strength to stand, Hito let his body fall, feeling the pain of the snow now covering half his body.
"I'm sorry Shia...but...I can't find you...I won't make it..." Hito's eyes filled with hot tears. The only thing left that was warm. But they soon got cold and as they rolled down his cheeks. It felt like it was splitting them in half. A suddenly warm hand was place on Hito's shoulder. It then grabbed onto his shirt and pulled him up.
"Hito?" A familiar voice asked. Hito's vision went hazy and couldn't recognize him. "Hito!" The voice shouted. Vision blurred more and mixed before Hito went limp in the man's arms. He put hand on Hito's cheek, then stood up to carry Hito back home.
Halfway back, Hito's eyes fluttered open. He realized that he was being carrying by Shihan, then it all came back to him.
"No!" Struggling, Hito wriggled free from Shihan and stepped a few feet away. "I haven't found her yet!"
"Hito, you'll never find her. No one comes outside in this weather. Come home!" Shihan pleaded for the safety of his pupil. Hito stood his ground and stared at his master with great frustration. "Come on Hito, you can look for her when the snow clears up."
"I can't wait that long!" Hito shouted, shaking his head frantically. "She could die if I wait too long!"
"She could be dead now."
"No!" Hito ran at Shihan shouting. He threw a fist at him, but Shihan easily caught it. Picking up Hito—a nearly impossible job through all the struggling—Shihan held him tightly to make sure Hito couldn't free himself, and carried him back.
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^ v^v^v^v^v
Hito laid in his sleeping bag, staring up at the ceiling. Every few seconds he'd look at Shihan through the dark to make sure he was asleep. Once Hito was sure, he quietly arose and tiptoed to the wall where Hito kept his prized sword. Removing it from its shelf, he silently walked back and laid it next to him under his sleeping back.
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v ^v^v^v^v^v
Making sure to wake up before Shihan the next morning, Hito deviously grabbed the sheathed sword and bolted out the door in three long leaps. The bitter fury of the morning chill seamed to attack him as soon as he stepped out the door. Ignoring the sharp pain throughout his body, Hito attempted walking down the hill without falling. A chunk of ice caught his foot and he tumbled down the snowy mount. As soon as he hit the bottom, Hito jumped up and swept off the heaps of snow that had collected on him, making sure the sword was safe at his belt. As mush trouble as he was already in, Shihan would slaughter him if he lost his prized possession. From there, he continued his search where he had left off, forgetting that he couldn't expect anyone to come out of there house just because a wandering boy was searching around. But another man was seen in the far fog. He was different from yesterday's wanderer. This one was older and was dragging someone by the arm.
"Hey!" Hito drew his sword and ran at the man. "Let go of Shia!" He yelled. Getting closer, the two people realized what was going on and fear struck their faces. Swinging the heavy sword as hard as he could, the man found no reaction, and was cut deeply.
"Daddy!" The little girl that had been forced along shouted. Hito looked at her carefully.
"You...you're not Shia." Hito's voice shook realizing what he had done. "I- I'm sorry..." He stared down at the bloody corpse dyeing the snow a deep red.
"W-why'd you kill him?!" The girl shouted, tears streaming down her face. Hito covered his face with his hand and fell straight down, landing on his butt. "Tell me why! Why did he have to die?!" She inquired again. Hito's sword dropped from his grasp as he raised his hand to cover his face over the other hand. "What's wrong with you?! Why'd you kill him...?" The girl was bawling and she finally fainted.
"I...didn't mean too..." Hito whispered, not realizing her unconsciousness under his hands. "I thought he was someone else...that you were someone else..." Hito grabbed his sword and stood up, letting his other hand drop. "But I still haven't found her." The blood surrounding him made him gag, but he resisted vomiting. He jumped over the girl and continued his search.
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^ v^v^v^v^v
In one of the houses, people were yelling as hard as they possibly could. A girl yelped, but kept quiet after as the others yelled. This house drew Hito's attention. The girl that had shrieked sounded a bit familiar. He had heard Shia scream more than once.
"Shia!" Hito called, busting down the rice-paper door.
"Hito!" The girl beaten in the corner shouted, reaching her hand out in Hito's direction. Hito couldn't help but smile as he ran over to Shia's aid.
"What do you think you're doing, boy?!" A man kicked Hito's side before he could reach Shia, knocking him flat on the floor. "This girl belongs to me, what do you think you're doing coming in here and trying to kidnap her?"
"You kidnapped her first! I'm just coming to save her!" Hito shouted, standing up and walking to Shia.
"Stubborn boy." The man said, kicking him again.
"Stop it!" Shia pleaded, crawling to Hito. The man walked to the two and picked up Shia, throwing her into the next room. "Hito!" She shrieked before the door was closed.
"No...you can't do that!" Hito stood up and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "She's not yours! Give her back!" Yelling, the sword was drawn, aimed at the man.
"You think you can kill me? How pathetic." He jumped aside and lashed out his hand, landing it on the hilt right above Hito's hand. With ease, the sword was pulled from his hand and replaced in the man's. "I am Coushen Lutei. No one can defeat me." He swung a hard right at Hito, but he ducked right under it. He stood up pale, thinking he could never pull the same trick again. "Rescuing her is harder then you thought, eh?"
"I won't give up..." Hito ran at Coushen, attempting to head-but him in the stomach.
"Your moves are too easily read. You can't defeat me." Coushen raised his sword up to strike Hito, when someone broke through the thin wall, landing perfectly on the floor. He pulled out a small knife and flung it at Coushen, making him wince and allow Hito to get away. He then drew his sword and slashed through the next wall, grabbing Shia, then fled.
"No!" Hito shouted. "Come back!" He ran out through the hole he had made in the wall and chased after the kidnapper. But he was already out of sight. "I'm...never going to see you again, am I?" Hito fell to his knees, snow crunching under them. "I give up..."
"Hito! Hito are you alright?" Shihan ran and put a hand on his shoulder, crouching down to his level. "Let's go back home, okay?" Hito nodded, shocking Shihan then making him smile. "Let's go."
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^ v^v^v^v^v
Silence was the only thing present in Shihan's home. They each sat quietly, sipping tea. Hito was under a heavy blanket, but still shivered.
"So you're giving up on Shia?" Shihan asked. Hito just stared blankly at his cup of tea. "I'm glad that you're not chasing after her anymore." The comment made Hito glance up at Shihan, but then he turned back to his cup. "Don't be sad, Hito."
"I'm not sad." He stated. Shihan looked worriedly at him, but then his stare turned to the ceiling as he placed his cup on the floor and lay back in his bed. Moments passed until Hito spoke again. "Master, I've decided to become an assassin."
"What?!" Shihan sat straight up. "How can you say such a thing?"
"I'm not out for revenge against a certain person. It's everyone. I hate them all. Humanity is sick. They disgust me."
"What ever happened to becoming the best crime fighter Japan would ever come to know?"
"Fighting crime is helping everyone. That's no longer my wish. Maybe someday as an assassin I might find Shia. Then I'll quit. But until then, I'll kill whoever the man paying me wishes for me to kill."
"I still don't understand. Your parents were murdered by assassins! And now you want to become one?!" Shihan asked. Hito covered his face with his hand and placed his cup of tea on the ground.
"There you go. Assassins are humans. They killed my parents, they stole Shia, and they do whatever else they want. Even regular people commit crimes. Shia was held captive by a regular man, but was stolen a second time by an assassin. I hate everyone, that's why every man in Japan should be punished!"
"Hito, not everyone is like that. You and me, we're not like that. You're making a decision to become one of the people you hate."
"The Shousa Kyouhen Ryuu teaches you to kill your foe quickly and acting only for the benefit of others. I will be acting for whomever it is I am serving at the time. Your style allows it."
"You're bending the rules Hito."
"But I'm not breaking them." Hito stood up. "No matter what you say, you can't stop me! When I finish training with you I'll leave and become an assassin."
"But until then you're still a normal boy. You're only seven years old, Hito, yet you act my age. You find reasons for your stubbornness and think deeper than most children do. You learn quickly and you're a very intelligent boy. Yet you still want to waste these qualities by becoming a criminal. So be it, it's your choice to make and I won't stop you."
"Thank you, master." Hito sat back down and finished his cup of tea.
"But I can still try to talk some sense into you until the day you leave me."
"It won't work, master."
"I thought not..." Shihan grinned.