The Black Snow
By Icha
Rating: K+
The finale of the Black Snow drama. Fugen the monk has arrived at the battlefield. Will he help Suijiro, the Godfather of Iwamura clan, or turned away from his son? Will Batman, Katana, and Wonder Woman take the matter into their own hands?
Disclaimer: Batman, Wonder Woman, Dr. Light II, and Katana belong to DC Comics. All Japanese characters with the exceptions of Dr. Light II, Katana, Yasu and Imako are from my imagination. Thanks to Athena Phoenix for the excellent beta reading and to Lamont Mallory for the character of Capt. Kisagi of the Tokyo Police Dept.
Chapter 10. Battle of the CrowsSilence crept through the whole Ginza Park. The soft breeze carried away the rustling song of the bamboo thickets and the sound of a sakuhachi (Japanese flute) played by a musician in the neighboring Kabukiza. No one budged an inch from his or her current position; everyone was holding their breath to see the event in front of them. For them, time stopped for a while.
Suijiro, the cold-blooded Godfather of the Iwamura clan, his kimono darkened from the blood oozing from wound on his side, grasped a crying little boy and pressed a katana on the boy's neck.
Batman, the Dark Knight of Gotham, blood dripping from his left arm, stood still, ready to strike to save the boy.
Fugen, a.k.a. Iwamura Masahiro, stopped a few paces before the Godfather, both shoulders relaxed, gripping a katana and wakizashi, giving no sign whether he would immediately use the weapons.
"You will let the boy go," the bald Zen monk finally spoke again.
Suijiro squinted. "You have no right to give orders now!"
"I am not giving an order. I am telling you what a wise decision you should make instead of all this madness."
"Don't preach, old man! You don't belong here!" the young Godfather scolded, then barked to his men who had been gathering around them. "You all! Don't just stand there! Get this monk out of my sight!"
Yet, none of the Iwamura Yakuza moved an inch. After all, Fugen was Iwamura Masahiro, the first and the most respectful Godfather of the clan. None of Suijiro's men dared to approach the old monk, let alone arrest him.
Suijiro squinted, fuming at his men's disobedience.
"You cowards! You're no use to me now!" He turned again to the bald monk. "You! Go back to your shabby shack!"
Fugen's lips formed a rueful smile.
"Believe me, of all the places I would rather not be, this is the utmost." He sighed heavily. "Alas, my karma has led me here once again."
"What – now you want to reclaim all that you left before?"
"Not at all. I have vowed not to take anything that is not mine to take. Including...your so-called kingdom."
Suijiro frowned. "Then, what are you doing here!"
"As I told you before." The old monk looked at the Godfather in the eye. "I want to advise you to let the boy go."
"No way in hell! He's the key to my freedom!" Suijiro pulled the boy closer to his body, pressing his katana harder. As blood started to trickle from the very thin incision he made, the boy started to cry harder.
"Don't you dare!" Batman growled, jumping a few steps ahead. He abruptly stopped when Suijiro glared, threatening to apply more pressure to the sword.
"Matte, Batman-san." The calm voice of Fugen brought his attention back to strategic thinking.
The Dark Knight turned abruptly to the older man. "He has to be stopped."
"Will you please, if you could, let me try?" This time, the monk turned to face him.
To the Batman, the effect of Fugen's voice resembled the way J'onn J'onzz affected him. As he considered the Martian Manhunter as one of his best allies, Batman always took extra effort to make sure that the alien's advice was not ignored. The Caped Crusader realized that he felt the same way about Fugen, despite the short period of their acquaintance.
He looked Fugen in the eye, then nodded briefly. "Better make it quick."
Fugen bowed, then turned back to Suijiro. Although he had been speaking English, he now switched to Japanese.
"You heard what I said, Son. Let the boy go."
"You don't get to call me that! You're not my father!"
Batman frowned. The Japanese words Suijiro used were not polite, let alone the proper way to talk to a monk. Or one's own father, for that matter.
"Suijiro...Son..."
"My father's dead! He's a coward, and he's dead now!"
Fugen closed his eyes briefly. When he opened his eyes again, there was another aspect within him that Batman hadn't seen before.
"Jiro-chan..."
Suijiro blinked. 'Jiro-chan' had been his nickname when he was a child. "Shut up! Don't call me that!"
"Jiro-chan, why do you do this? Why don't we talk now?"
"Shut up, I say! Don't treat me like a child! I'm not your child!"
"Jiro-chan, do you remember the time when your mother and I took you to the zoo? She bought you an ice cream, and I showed you the elephants?"
"Stop! You liar! My mother never took me to the zoo. She was already dead when I was a baby!"
Fugen sighed, his eyes full of regret. Yet, he resumed talking.
"You were merely ten years old, then. The same age as the boy in your hands."
"No!"
"Jiro-chan. Let the boy go. Please. We can talk about this. I forgive you."
The Godfather snorted. "Forgive! What's to forgive?"
"I forgive you..." another glint of sadness in Fugen's wrinkled eyes. "...for what you have done to your sister."
Suijiro gritted his teeth. "I don't know what you're talking about." Unaware, he loosened his grip on the boy. The boy himself was tired of crying. Now, his cries had trailed off into whimpers.
"You are well-versed with what I am talking about." Fugen turned to Batman, still speaking in Japanese. "You were right all along, Detective. I have been busy denying the knowledge that I already acquired, because I was too scared to face the truth. Not anymore."
So he knows who I am. Talking about being a detective... But instead, Batman only nodded once more.
"Admit what you did, Jiro-chan. And we will start all over again," Fugen took one step towards Suijiro. The Godfather stepped back.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered.
"Oh, yes, you do." This time, Batman couldn't help interjecting. He continued in Japanese. "You were there in Shinjuku when the gunfire happened. You were hiding, so none of your Yakuza saw you. Then a Hayada Yakuza started to fire at Akoya's location. Seemingly, it was a random shot in a battle, but you had actually paid him to kill your sister. Then after he finished his job, you killed him as well."
Fugen's expression indicated that he'd heard the story before. He nodded ruefully. "Great deduction, Detective."
Suijiro, pale-faced for a split second, barked again. "Great delusion, I say! What proof do you have?"
"Wrong question, Daifu!" Batman riposted, smirking at the Godfather. "You should say things like 'how could I kill my own sister', or something similar. Your last question just confirmed your involvement in the Shinjuku gunfire."
"Bullshit!"
The Dark Knight's smirk didn't waver. "Tell that to the police once they see the evidence."
Fugen sighed. "You still have a chance, Jiro-chan. The boy you are holding captive now might have a sister. Please, don't make her lose her brother because of your anger and jealousy."
"Stop calling me that silly name! That boy is dead already!"
Fugen shook his bald head. "No. He's not dead yet. He's just hiding somewhere in your heart, trying to deny that his father and stepmother loved him the same way as they loved his sister. Trying to ignore the pain of love he always rejected, because he believes that love does not exist."
"Shut. Up!"
"Tell me, Jiro-chan. Why? Have I not loved you enough? Did Ayame treat you differently from Akoya? Why?"
The Godfather stood still, his sword was still at the boy's neck.
"Your sister loved you very much. Did you know that she knew that you were her half-brother? Even so, she loved you still. Why?"
Suijiro jolted. "Because you left Mother for her and her mother! For the two filthy women!" He yelled again, "And you killed Mother!"
For the first time since Batman met Fugen, he saw the monk glaring. "I did not!"
"You did! You rejected her. You let Mother die in despair. You killed her!"
Fugen sighed and closed his eyes again. "Believe me, had I known that she was planning to end her life like that, I –"
"You would what! Stop her and marry her? Leave that Ayame woman for her?"
"Perhaps." He opened his eyes again, looking right at his son. "Anything to stop her suicide."
Suijiro clenched his jaw. "Well, it's a bit too late, now, isn't it!"
"Yes. And I'm so sorry, my son..."
"Told you, I'm not your son!"
"Yes, you are. I still consider you my son, ever after all you've done to your sister."
The young Godfather snorted again.
"Why, Suijiro? Why did you kill your own sister? She would not get in your way to own the clan. She did not even desire it. I would have given the clan to you for free. Why!"
A cruel smile flashed at Suijiro's handsome face.
"As you just said, Father. Because she was in my way."
A sharp intake attracted Batman's attention, diverting him from the surprise of learning Suijiro's first-hand confession .
Guarded closely by Katana, Shiori – the guard and lover of Suijiro – stood still in the perimeter of the crowds. The female Yakuza trembled, refused to believe what she had just heard of. Next to her, stood Uchida, Suijiro's second in command, gaping in disbelief.
Another surprise was prepared for the Godfather, as a flash of red, blue, and gold unexpectedly swept away the sobbing boy from him. Suddenly, he found himself holding nothing. Instead, he was staring at the boy who had reappeared at a safe distance from him, carried and protected by Wonder Woman.
xxx
"I asked her earlier to intervene." Fugen casually answered Batman's unasked inquiry in English. "We needed the element of surprise."
The Dark Knight agreed. "Good choice. I take it that you need time with him now?"
"Yes, thank you. Please secure the spectators." Fugen responded without letting his attention to Suijiro down. Without waiting for Batman's answer, he walked towards the Godfather.
"It ends now, Son. Give up and face the consequences."
The Godfather growled and shifted his katana in front of him. "Never!"
Fugen squinted. "You want to fight me?"
"You're not blind. What, you think I will just give up like that!" He gestured to Tadaki, who tossed him his wakizashi after a moment of hesitance.
"I thought you were wise enough to give up."
"And let the whole Empire fall!" Placing the wakizashi in defense, he spat on the ground. "Sorry! I'm not a coward like you!"
"What we did was wrong! It took Akoya's death to make me realize how wrong I was."
"To you. To me, it has never been better."
"You're losing your mind, Son."
"You just found out?"
xxx
"Batman."
"Good timing, Wonder Woman."
"Your arm...is it okay?"
"Don't worry about me. Is the boy...?"
"He will be fine." Diana gently wiped a drop of blood away from the boy's neck. Still cradling the boy in her embrace, she approached his parents. Speaking in Japanese, she handed the boy to them. "Go home directly now. Put him to bed after a glass of hot milk or tea. He will be fine in the morning." After a thought, she added. "Kannon blesses him." Kannon in the Japanese belief, or Kuan Yim in the Chinese belief, was the Goddess of Compassion, the equivalent of Hestia, the Goddess of the Hearth and Gaea, the Mother Earth.
The boy's parents nodded, muttered their gratitude, and hastily left the park.
As Wonder Woman escorted the small family, the Batman and Katana were busily dismantling all the Yakuza. It wasn't a very hard job to do, as Suijiro's revelation had reduced their respect for the young Godfather significantly. For them, killing enemies was nothing special. Yet, killing one's own sister, albeit half-sister, especially a lovely girl like Akoya, was evil. Tadaki's hesitance in handling his boss the wakizashi was the proof. That was the last order he would take from Suijiro.
Cautiously caressing her womb, Shiori looked at Katana hopelessly. "I didn't know...I swear, I didn't know..."
Tatsu pursed her lips. Despite their previous battle, she realized that this woman was telling the truth. She nodded. "I know."
A crying siren from the Park's entrance notified her of the arrival of the Tokyo policemen. She greeted a swift breeze behind her in Japanese.
"How's Narita?"
"Secured completely," was the answer she got from Dr. Light who had just landed. "Should I help with Suijiro over there?"
"Kimi –" Tatsu turned to face her old friend. " – You so don't want to interfere."
xxx
"Gonosuke would be ashamed of you now! You've disgraced his teaching!" Suijiro growled, only to receive a remorseful smile from his father.
"Retrospectively, he and I had both disgraced the teaching of the Way. He was guilty, and so was I. And you, too."
"Screw the Way!"
Fugen squinted. "Do not taint the nobility of the Way of the Warrior with your emotion, Son! It will only accelerate your downfall."
"Stop preaching about Bushido, and start fighting, old man!"
"You know well that you can not defeat me."
"Say you, an old monk from a rustic mountain temple! You have no idea what I have achieved so far!" Suijiro raised his katana above his head and placed the wakizashi in a blocking stance in front of his solar plexus.
Fugen sighed. "If that's your decision –"
"Finally you got it!"
" – then please be prepared." He bowed deep to his son, now his opponent, without receiving one back. With one swift movement, he drew his katana and wakizashi from their scabbards, both with the same crow patterns as his son's had. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, placing both of his swords at the same position as Suijiro's. A moment later, he snapped his eyes open.
Fugen the monk had disappeared. Iwamura Masahiro took his place.
xxx
The Batman had met and fought several great swordsmen (or women) in his whole career as the Dark Knight of Gotham. Some of them, like Ra's al-Ghul, were highly trained ruthless people that would kill innocent people without hesitance to achieve their goals. Some, like the most famous assassin Lady Shiva, did not have the acute classical desire to rule the world, but would definitely kill for money, or for vengeance. Some, like Diana of Themyscira, Artemis of the Bana-Mighdall, or the Black Canary would die gallantly defending what they believed in. The Caped Crusader had fought many types of swordsmen and women, and believed that he had seen all the great many forms of martial arts.
But now, part of his mind was busy searching for memories of his fights with any reformed swordsmen who truly deserved his attention. Result: none as he could register. Surely the reformed Catwoman was a great fighter (and comrade), and so was Cassandra Cain, whom he had encountered prior to her Batgirl days. Yet, none of them were particularly specialized in swords fighting.
Thus, as he was sure that it would be difficult for him to be able to witness such a fine display of martial art in the future, he was engrossed in watching, and even enjoying, the fight between Masahiro and Suijiro, father and son of the Iwamura clan.
The old crow versus the young crow.
The wind suddenly blew harder, causing the restless bamboo leaves to whisper ruefully.
xxx
Suijiro had hated his half-sister Akoya ever since he had learned that Kayo, his own mother, died because the young Masahiro had rejected her love. Although Ayame, Masahiro's legitimate wife and his stepmother, had always been kind to him, he had blamed her for what happened to Kayo. He had also envied Akoya, for he had always feared that Masahiro would give the clan leadership to her instead of him.
When he had managed to eliminate his sister, he had hoped that his father would announce him as the next Daifu of the clan. Instead, the old Godfather had disappeared, leaving the throne to him by default.
He should have been happy then, as finally he had become the Godfather of the clan. Instead, he had felt anger and jealousy. Such was his father's love for Akoya that the former Godfather would rather leave the clan upon her death, instead of renouncing the title properly and delivering it to him, his other child.
Through his immense network, Suijiro had found out that his father had resided in the mountains, taking the name of Fugen, an old Zen monk. Once, he had sent a messenger to Fugen's hideout, asking him to return to the clan and become his advisor. Not only had his father rejected the request, he had even moved out of the place, becoming untraceable even for Suijiro's spies.
Ever since, the young Godfather had stopped thinking of his father. For Suijiro, Iwamura Masahiro had died. He had never acknowledged Fugen as anything related to him. To him, his father's disappearance was an act of cowardice and lack of paternal love. Thus, hurt by the rejection, Suijiro had grown darker and had expanded his kingdom in manners even avoided by Masahiro in his glorious days.
Now, the young Godfather looked his opponent, his own father, in the eye. Only several minutes had passed since both of them drew out their swords and stared at each other. Yet, to Suijiro, it seemed like an eternity.
His hands grew weary from maintaining the same pose without moving an inch. He remembered that his father was very good at waiting in a firm pose for a long time, something that he had found very hard to master due to his own impatience. He had expected that all the time as a monk would have reduced Masahiro's fighting skills. Alas, it had not. Instead, now the former Godfather stared at him with a mixture of calmness and utmost intensity. Suijiro cursed. He should be moving soon, but methodically, if he wanted to win the battle.
Yet, unconsciously, his own feet had moved a bit during the waiting. Baka! He had lost the first and most important stage of battle: the patience to wait.
He frowned. This is ridiculous! No one makes me wait this long!
With a deadly battle cry, Iwamura Suijiro charged forward, attacking his own father.
xxx
Irony was a close friend of Life. However beautiful Life was, we often found Irony lurking nearby; ready to destroy the peace one felt. Only with heightened awareness could one see behind the ironic moments and find the one of the essence of Life within. That everything happened as it should be. That somehow, everything that happened was either our responsibility, or it was there to teach us a lesson.
As a Zen monk, Fugen had learned that all karma would eventually return to him, and there would be no way out for him. He and he alone should face whatever the result of what he had done in the past.
Hence, when his senses detected the hasty attack of his own son, Fugen realized that he was merely paying for his karma for all the bad deeds he had conducted or initiated during his days as Iwamura Masahiro. His only hope was that he wouldn't have to hurt Suijiro in a defense attempt. That would be an irony indeed, hurting his son in order to save him from further damage.
However, he found it so hard to restrain himself from making dangerous counterattacks. During the years of his seclusion, Suijiro's methods had indeed evolved into more lethal ones, such that it was almost impossible for him to stop the battle without hurting the young Godfather. Suijiro's attacks had been very organized so far, despite his rage and palpable desire to incapacitate his father in the shortest amount of time.
Thus, what Masahiro had only lifted his katana and wakizashi to dodge, parry, and block, in the hope of making his son understand. Alas, to no avail. Suijiro interpreted the very fact that his father had been conducting defense movements as an act of weakness, instead of wisdom. And that had added fuel to the young Daifu's rage.
"Don't just block and run away, old monk! Surely you're better than that! Or has the time in all those shabby monasteries made you weak!" He somersaulted twice, sweeping his katana towards his father's chest and his wakizashi towards Masahiro's stomach. What Masahiro did was merely leaping behind and stepping backwards smoothly; his own katana deflecting his son's sword. A very simple movement it seemed, but actually it could only be done after years of disciplined training.
"Don't run, you old bald man! Face me and fight like a man!" Suijiro made another slice and a roundhouse kick, combining kendo and jujitsu at the same time. Again, Masahiro only arched backwards so near to the ground, crossing both of his swords in front of him to block the Godfather's katana. Immediately, the old monk sprang forwards once more with the solid strength of his feet and spine.
"A true Samurai knows that retreat is also a form of fighting," he simply commented as he leapt sideways, trying to get some space and (again) inject some common sense into Suijiro's mind.
"No! That is an act of fear! Of cowards!"
"If you paid attention to those lessons years ago – " Masahiro resumed calmly, " – you would realize that not all retreat should be interpreted as defeat. Instead, they might be giving you chance to surrender peacefully."
"Preacher! Shut up and fight!"
Suddenly, silver flashes flew towards Masahiro's face and body. Eyes widened, but in complete defense, the former Godfather danced, slicing his swords several times to dodge the silver things. A few seconds later, he squinted, looking grimly at the scattered shurikens on the ground.
"You do realize, Son, that I could've incapacitated you much earlier on. Had I wanted to, that is."
Suijiro snorted. "Please, Father, do not insult me! Do you think I cannot defeat an old monk like you?"
"You obviously haven't succeeded so far."
"You wait a minute or two!" Suijiro leapt forward again, slicing both of his swords everywhere. "Soon, I will buy my own freedom and get the hell out of this place!"
"Just like you bought the whole clan!" Once again, his father merely made some smooth blocking movements, then jumped backwards. "By eliminating your own sister!"
"Oh…pleaaaasseeee…. Father!" Suijiro cast his eyes heavenwards. "Stop preaching!"
The former Godfather sighed. "You really want me to teach you a lesson, don't you?"
"Like you could!" his son snorted.
"Very well, then." Masahiro positioned his katana on top of his head, his wakizashi in front of his solar plexus. His eyes flashed in a way they had never been for so long. "Otherwise, we won't finish until sunrise."
Suijiro opened his mouth to retort, but suddenly went silent as his father charged him with a deadly cry. His arrogance melted immediately, replaced by an unexplained nervousness.
xxx
Then, it happened so quickly. The young Godfather anxiously lifted his swords to parry Masahiro's attack. The first set of his blocks only left him with such a pain at his arms, a sign of how powerful his father's attack had been. Hastily, Suijiro slide a few steps behind to buy himself some space. He looked at his father, and his heart sank.
Masahiro was looking at him the way a tiger gazed at his prey. Gone was Iwamura Masahiro, his father, let alone the compassionate Zen monk Fugen who had disappeared without a trace. Now, the Masahiro he faced was the powerful Godfather, back in his glorious day, when he could single out all his formidable enemies alone.
I have to get out of this place! Inhaling deep, Suijiro lifted both of his swords, welcoming Masahiro's charge.
CLANKKKK!
The momentum of both katana was again too strong for the young Godfather to receive. Shaking miserably, he tried to lift his wakizashi for another attack, only to get a deep slice on his arm and a roundhouse kick from his father, right on the wound Batman's sword had created before. His body flew away, crashing a tree nearby, slouching helplessly.
"This time, no hostages!" Masahiro suddenly reappeared, towering above him, pointing his katana on his neck. "Or I will cut your hands. And by the souls of Kayo, Ayame, and Akoya –" he squinted, " – I mean it."
Suijiro swallowed hard, and dropped his stance.
xxx
The Tokyo policemen had just taken away the handcuffed Iwamura Suijiro to the Tokyo Police Headquarter. He had been completely silent during the arrest. Yet, when Captain Kisagi dragged him mercilessly away to the police car, he started to curse and yell.
"I'm your son! You can't do that to me! I'm your son!"
Dr. Light had expected that Masahiro would say something like 'I have no son like you!' or another similar line. However, the former Godfather, who had transformed back to Fugen the Zen monk, just studied his captured son carefully, and gestured him a blessing hand.
"It was very generous of you to let him go," Kimiyo bowed to the bald monk. "I truly admire you for that."
"I could do no more and no less than that, Dr. Light," Fugen returned the bow solemnly. "It was my dharma as a worthless father to return him to the proper path of the Way. If he could only understand that."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that you're worthless," Katana approached the monk as well. "After all, you did raise a good daughter. And you fought gallantly."
"Katana-san is too humble," Fugen bowed again. "You are an excellent fighter as well."
"Not compared to you, I'm afraid. Glad that I don't have to fight against you, Fugen-san."
Fugen attempted to make another comment, but halted when he saw a slender figure walking by.
"Excuse me, Ladies," he excused himself and walked towards the figure.
"Shiori…"
"Masahiro-san," the blood-drenched Shiori immediately bowed deep upon recognizing her former chief.
"Don't bow so deep for me," Fugen waved his hand. "Not good for the baby. And my name is Fugen."
"Fugen-san…" Shiori still maintained her bow, her eyes started to become misty.
"I have a favor to ask you, though."
"Yes, Fugen-san?" she dared herself to look at the monk. "Anything for you."
"Do take care of yourself. And when the baby is born, please bring him or her to me. This grandfather-to-be would like to hug the baby for a while."
The fierce Yakuza lady felt her throat clog up. She finally muttered shakily, silver rivers starting to run down her cheek. "Yes, of course…Fugen-san. Anytime."
xxx
Finishing their usual international League procedures with the police, Batman (his arm already mended) and Wonder Woman found Fugen talking silently to Captain Kisagi. The heroes approached the monk, who was exchanging goodbyes with the Japanese policeman.
"Ah, Batman-san. Diana-san." Fugen greeted them earnestly.
"That was a great fight you had there," Batman commented.
"And a great resolution, as well," Wonder Woman noted. "I should invite you to Themyscira sometimes."
Fugen smiled. "That would be an honor, indeed. If I have the time, of course."
Wonder Woman looked the bald monk in the eye.
"Where are you going now?" she whispered.
"The police need some information from Masahiro, so I'm afraid he has to come."
"Will you be all right? Will he be all right?"
"I appreciate your concerns, Diana-san. Fugen has paid his karma, so he is content. Masahiro... well, this is his final business in this world. Afterwards, he will retreat back to the mountains, and disappear completely."
"Do you need help?" Batman spoke his concern as well.
"If you are implying whether the police will arrest Masahiro, yes, that might happen. Just let him go through it by himself. It was his karma, anyway. But as he has Fugen as his friend, he might not need to be arrested at all. Either way, both Masahiro and Fugen are in peace."
Fugen weighed his crow-patterned katana and wakizashi, thinking. "I have planned to throw away these swords."
"Don't!" came the rapid respond from the Dark Knight. "You might still need them to teach the proper Bushido to any sincere samurai that seeks your blessings."
"Ah..." The monk smiled. "And if I still keep them, will I be able to spar with you both sometime? I might be able to give some advice, and receive some in return."
As his answer, Batman bowed deeply. "It will be an honor for me."
Wonder Woman bowed as well. "I will be looking forward to it."
"So will I." Fugen also bowed. "I have one last question for you, Batman-san."
"Yes?"
"Do you truly have evidence of what you said before?"
"About the Shinjuku gunfire?" He smirked. "No. As you said, it was a good deduction. Do you have the proof?"
This time, the monk smirked ironically as well. "No. It just came to me when I thought about it after you two left Junboku no Koya. It just...made sense. Though it's also ironic..."
Diana interjected, "That a brother could kill his own sister? Or half-sister?"
"Well...yes..." Closing his eyes, Fugen sighed again. "Masahiro didn't raise a good son, I'm afraid."
"Yet he did raise a good daughter." Diana gave the old monk a warm smile. "She and his wife must be very proud of him now."
He opened his wrinkled eyes, looking at her in the eye. "I hope so."
"Does Fugen now have regrets?" Bruce couldn't help asking.
"Regrets? Bruce-san... I have left my old life behind. Regrets...you might think that I am so inconsiderate, but I'd say that I've thrown the pieces of my regrets away, gone with the wind of the past." He looked alternately at the couple in front of him.
"I just wished...that I could see my daughter once again." His lips formed a remorseful smile. "A wasteful wish of an old man, I'd say."
With that, Fugen bowed and slowly turned to walk away, whispering a verse that was soon carried away by the night breeze.
You are plum blossoms on the water
Petals floating by till they pass out of sight
I am a willow growing by the stream
My shadow is sunk in it, and I cannot follow
Bowing back, Bruce recognized the Song of the Yodo River, written by the poet Buson in the 18th century. He sighed silently. Behind his cape, his hand surreptitiously searched and held Diana's. He turned to look at the Amazon Warrior, to find her misty azure eyes staring at the old monk, the father of a defeated son and a deceased daughter, the former powerful godfather, leaving the stage after taking his final curtain call.
-to be concluded-
Author's note:
For those of you who are disappointed that Batman or Wonder Woman didn't incapacitate Suijiro in the end, I apologize for that. When I created Iwamura Masahiro, I didn't plan him to return to bring his son to justice. But I grew fond of Masahiro, a character I based on the image of Ken Watanabe as Katsumoto in the 'Last Samurai'. So, well, for those who don't mind Masahiro becoming the savior of the day, I hope you like him in this chapter. Oh, and in Junboku no Koya, Bruce was the real Bruce, who were familiar with Japanese tradition. His body language resembled samurai's body language, instead of a playboy's. Hence, Fugen's immediate recognition that Bruce Wayne was the Batman.
Next: A special romantic evening for Bruce and Diana to wrap up their 'holiday' in Japan. And you know what I mean by 'special'...