Due to the pre-winter traffic, Kento-kun arrived at four in the morning. He had a spare key to the Hashiba household and crashed on the couch. He was dimly aware of Rowen being awake but didn't bother to think about him. When he awoke hours later, he smelled coffee and delicious food.

"Morning, Kento!" Lena said, noticing him sit. Kento-sama, the person cooking, glanced at her but resumed his work in front of the stove.

"Morning, Lena. So, you have one semester left?"

"Yup," she poured herself a cup of coffee. "And there's graduation!!!"

"That's good. I still have a few more semesters. I'm thinking about some summer classes. They'd certainly look good on a job application."

Kento-kun heard something from Kento-sama. A snicker? A chuckle? Shock? Nostalgia? "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. It's just –"

Even though Kento-kun couldn't see his face, he could tell from the tone that the man was smiling. He surveyed the counter and the dining room table. Ryo, Sage, and Sai were at the table and drinking canned juice. Tori and Lena had apparently weaned them off chocolate milk.

Sai suggested, "Would you like to sit down?"

"Yeah, why not." He poured himself a cup of coffee first, which was bitter and strong enough to awaken Rowen. "I can't believe you guys quit drinking the flavored coffee. Is there any way to make this taste better?"

Lena said, "There's creamer in the fridge."

"Thanks. Where's Tori?"

"Trying to get Rowen up to drink this coffee."

Kento-kun sat at the table and looked at his cup.

Ryo asked, "What're you planning for the winter?"

"Hibernate." At that statement, the originals laughed.

Kento-sama told Lena to inform Tori and Rowen that breakfast was ready. Then, he began placing bowls and chopsticks in front of everyone. Kento-kun started to eat.

"Do you like it?" Kento-sama asked.

"Yeah, it's alright." Actually, it was better than Tori's cooking.

"Family recipe."

"I know."

Kento-sama sat next to him and proceeded to reminisce about Jari.

"Is he your favorite son or something?"

"He's your grandpa. Wouldn't you like to hear about him?"

Fortunately, before he could have time for a response, Tori entered and cheered out his name.

"Hey, Tori. There's stuff for you in the small bag."

The chubby purple-haired man found the bag in front of the couch and quickly pulled out its contents as Rowen stumbled in, wiping the sleep out of his eyes. "Cool!" Tori exclaimed, "Thanks!"

Kento-sama wondered, "What is it?"

Tori replied, "All of his old textbooks and workbooks. All the advanced courses. There's biology, and chemistry, and history, and physics, and life theories." He stopped before he could ramble too much.

Kento-sama smirked and said to his namesake, "So, your grandmother got to ya, didn't she?"

His namesake jumped in his chair. "What do you mean?!"

"Well, your grandmother was always trying to put a book in your father's hands, trying to get him to be a nerd. She wanted one of the smartest sons a mom could have, but me an' Jari kept him interested in sports and other stuff. After I went away, I bet she focused all her attention on you."

"Well, ah –" Memories suddenly floated to the front of his mind. His grandmother saying, 'Keep on studying' and 'Tell me what you learned today' and sometimes when he had asked for certain toys or candies, she would tell his parents, 'Why not let him get what he wants? He deserves it after working so hard to be at the head of his class.'

Kento-kun stood up, dumped the rest of his breakfast into the trash (reminded him too much of his grandfather's cooking), and then leaned into Kento-sama's face to say, "Did I ask anything from you?! No. I'm just here to see Toriyama. I don't want anything to do with you, so leave me alone." He then stormed out of the house.

Sage followed, leaving his friend furious and distraught. He found his friend's namesake sulking outside. "You should apologize for the way you have mistreated him. He has shown you only kindness, and you have abused him at every chance you get. He deserves an apology. A genuine apology."

"I know."

"If you cannot respect him for his history with the armor, then you should at least respect him to honor your father and your grandparents. They revered him enough to give you his name!"

"…and the armor," he grumbled under his breath.

"What did you say?"

"I have his armor too! And I know how he died! Do you think I wanna die the same way?"

Sage's tone rose sharply, "I also know how he died! I understand better than you how he suffered. I saw his body, and I carried it home for burial." In Sage's eyes was a fierce sense of remorse – remorse at not arriving in time to save his friend. It was an expression that the younger warrior feared Toriyama might have one day. "He knew the risk he faced, and he accepted his duty because he cared for this world. Without him, you wouldn't be alive today. You should honor him for his sacrifice, and, as I had said, if you cannot respect him for giving you the armor, you should respect him out of reverence for your family."

Kento-kun watched Ryo, Sai, Sage, and Rowen head toward the large cab outside. "You're leaving too, Rowen?"

"Yeah, we decided Tori and Lena need some time by themselves."

"Hm."

An hour after they left, Kento-sama stepped outside. "Hey," he said wearily.

"Hey," his namesake replied with equal weariness.

"Would you like to go for a walk?"

"I guess."

Waiting at the café near the train stop, Reiji checked his watch and glanced at Sage cautiously. Any minute until Ashida would arrive. He sipped his mint tea and felt grateful that, aside from the standard greeting, he and Sage had said nothing to each other. However, he knew the peace would be destroyed by an innocent and cheerful youth.

"Reiji!" his brother called out, waving.

Sage smiled and immediately analyzed the youth's appearance for any resemblance to himself. The same color blonde hair, but that was it. Ashida was lankier in appearance and had a longer more angular face. His eyes were an opaque, not crystalline, blue. Well, on a second examination, Sage decided he and his two great-grandsons had the same nose, the same shape and distance proportionally from the eyes and mouth.

Reiji introduced Sage, and the young teen wondered, "No family name?"

"That is not important."

"Yeah, alright," Ashida said in a tone which meant he didn't believe him but didn't particularly care either.

Sage observed the brothers. Reiji handed Ashida a small flat box. His eyes seemed to soften and his mouth twitched as though wanting to smile. Ashida opened the present. His expression was bright and vivid. He received a sports jacket. Reiji told him more gifts were being sent to the dojo for him to open there.

Sage asked, "How is the dojo?"

Startled, Ashida stared at him. Reiji set down his cup of mint tea. Ashida replied, "It's fine, I guess."

"…you guess?"

"Well, I haven't talked to my grandparents or anything. I sent my mother a postcard, and she doesn't talk about the dojo, either."

"You must miss it terribly."

Ashida let out a sound like a choked laugh as though the noise came so fast he didn't have time to prepare himself. He glanced at his brother incredulously and then said, "It's only – a dojo. My high school doesn't let its students stay for winter."

"But, hasn't the Date dojo been in your family for generations?"

"Yeah…" He drawled out the word for it to also mean, 'what's your point?'

"And so, either you or Reiji will inherit it after your grandfather passes away." Sage glanced at Reiji. His heir's expression was impassive.

Ashida replied confidently, proudly, "Well, we'll get rid of it, then. We don't need the dojo anymore." He glanced at his brother, who was smiling.

Horrified, Sage grasped the edge of the table to brace himself. For a moment, he thought he stopped breathing. Then, he gasped and said, "That dojo has been in your family for centuries! It's your family heritage, your legacy. You should be proud and honored to –"

"Do you know what swords do, Sage?"

"A sword is beautiful. Proper swordsmanship –"

"Swords are used to kill." Ashida glanced again at Reiji, who was smiling and nodding lightly in approval. "Swords are the most ancient and common form of killing weapon. I don't wanna kill anyone. If you want to take the dojo and teach people how to kill, that's your business."

Sage gasped again and glared at Reiji, now sipping his mint tea contentedly.

They ordered their lunch and waited for the next train to arrive in an hour. Sage understood how Kento had felt during his troubles with his heir - frustrated, distraught, mournful, yet uncertain.

Once they received their lunch, Sage said, "A proper swordsman does not kill for the sake of killing. A proper swordsman kills when he has no other recourse."

Reiji spoke up, "Sage forgets that in Sendai, it is an honor to slaughter an innocent."

Ashida nodded.

Sage exclaimed, "That should NEVER be an honor!"

Ashida laughed.

Kento-sama sighed as he and his namesake walked down another lengthy street. "I get the feeling it's difficult for you to talk 'bout your family. I don't mean to bother you, but it's just – I really wanna hear about them."

"Well…"

"And if things have been too bad with you an' your sisters… well, I won't understand, but –"

"What?" The younger Kento stopped walking.

Kento-sama frowned and sighed.

"What do you mean 'too bad'?"

"Well, I've gotten the feeling that you don't want much to do with your family. I don't know what all went wrong, and I won't understand, but –"

His namesake stuttered at first, "Do you – do you think – do you think I've disowned my sisters?"

"I've… gotten that impression, yeah."

His namesake clenched his fists and took several deep breaths before saying, "What makes you think that!?"

"You never visit Yokohama, and you hung up on me when I was asking 'bout them, and Yuli said you're not interested in your family."

His namesake gaped in shock. "You've…" he gasped through clenched teeth. "You've just insulted me. I've been to Yokohama. Once. I hung up on you because, well, I don't want anything to do with you." He paused and added quickly, "but that doesn't have anything to do with my sisters. And you spoke to Yamano-san!?"

It was now Kento's turn to gape. He dealt with the easier topic first, "I listened to Tori and Yuli over the phone. Yuli didn't realize we were there."

Silent, they resumed walking.

His namesake spoke up, "Listen, every family has problems."

"Mine didn't."

"Well, mine did, but we got over them."

"So, everything's fine with you an' your family?"

"Yeah. What else would you expect out of someone with the name Rei Faun?"

Kento shrugged. A moment later, he said, "I wanna get to know you. I know you have a strong sense of Justice, but-"

His namesake sighed, "It's just you. I don't – I don't like being a Ronin Warrior, and I don't like all this fighting. I'm sorry. I don't exactly mean to take everything out on you, but I don't – I think it's best if we avoid each other."

Kento sighed, "Maybe we should turn back around."

"Okay. And talking 'bout my dad and grandparents – that's not the best topic for me."

"How come Yuli said you're not interested in your family? I wanted to know how many great-grandchildren I had, and he said –"

His namesake wondered, "Well, how many are there?"

"You're one of at least fifty-five."

"At least fifty-five! That's too many cousins for me to keep track of. There's just too many. I came from a small family, and so did my father and mother."

"Alright. So, you've been back to Yokohama once?"

"Yeah."

"What for?"

"My older sister's wedding."

"That's great."

"You really like hearing about them, don't you?"

"Of course!"

"Well, I guess that means we have more in common than the name and armor."

That early evening, Ryo, Rowen, and Sai sat on a small elegantly-designed couch in Aiden's apartment. They stared nervously at the jars (Indian and Native American designs) on the coffee table and wondered if those were actual jewels covering each one.

"Please, feel free to eat the candies," Aiden said, hurrying to and fro, preparing everything for his brother's arrival.

"What kind of candy is in there?" Ryo wondered.

Sai suggested, "Truffles?"

Rowen opened the carved lid with a diamond on top. Old-fashioned store-bought chocolates.

Since the train ride would last a couple days, Sage and his errant great-grandsons paid for sleeping quarters. Their small quarters, which they shared, were ten feet by ten feet, almost the size of an American prison cell but cozier. Reiji had given Ashida another present, an expensive collectible action figure, as well as several snacks and manga for the long ride.

"Have you considered," Sage spoke to his heir while Ashida slept, "that you are over-indulging him?"

"No. Do you see how peaceful his slumber is?"

"Yes. Remember, Reiji, that you are his elder brother. He admires you. He follows your advice, implicit or explicit. You are responsible for his well-being."

"I know. That is why I convinced him to attend a school away from Miyagi."

Sage nodded. "You may think you are generous by giving him gifts, but proper behavior is the most important. If you do not teach him how to behave around people, -"

Reiji spoke in an icy growl, "Sage, do not question or doubt what I do. I am the only one who has kept him safe!"

Sage lowered his tone to a fiercer growl, "And you have also taught him to disrespect his ancestry and his family."

"We must not yell or argue here. It could disturb Ashida's sleep."

Rueben Sanada, Aiden's younger brother, could have easily passed for Ryo's twin. The mouth was a little bigger, and the eyes were a little smaller, but the resemblance was striking. He arrived speaking English and only switched to Japanese under Aiden's instruction.

"I am very happy to see you here, Rueben," Aiden had said.

"Mother and father told me it was either visit my older brother in Japan or assist my older sister at a refugee camp. I had already donated 40, 000 euros to charity. That should have been enough."

Ryo commented, "A generous amount. I wish I had that kinda money to give. Whenever I donated, it was old clothes and spare change. It was very kind of you to give that much."

Rueben wasn't impressed. "Being charitable is the purpose of being a Sanada."

Ryo blinked. Rowen and Sai were giving them odd looks. Did they have to appear identical? "So, um, are you enjoying Japan so far?"

"Yes, I congratulate you on keeping your country clean."

Aiden interrupted by inquiring about Russian literature.

Once that topic had expired, Ryo wondered, "Are you going to tour Japan?"

"I have no interest in battlegrounds."

"There's more to Japan than … battles."

"Is there?"

"Yes, there's the forests, the mountains, the architecture."

Aiden glanced at Rowen and Sai helplessly.

Rueben replied to Ryo, "Every country has wildlife and architecture, but this country erupts into a mass of violence every century."

Rowen spoke up, "This is your country of origin. Your grandfather, Hiroyuki, was born and raised in Japan."

"And he left. Fortunately. I only appear Japanese, but I am 100% Scottish."

"I can't believe one of my descendents would be like that," Ryo mumbled to himself the next day as he and his friends headed back to the Hashiba residence. "I can't imagine how I influenced my children could have led to Rueben being so…"

Sai suggested, "I suppose it's a side effect of being born wealthy?"

Rowen added, "More factors influence a person than parenting. Besides, every family has its … black sheep. It's not anyone's fault."

Ryo hadn't considered that. "Really?"

"Yeah, it doesn't mean the person's bad. I think my dad counts as one of those because he was an eccentric."

Sai said with good humor, "I guess I also count as a black sheep for my family."

Ryo felt alarmed. "You!?"

"Well, after the divorce, and she got custody, but can't blame anyone there." Not to mention that Yoshio Mouri was born a few months after Sai's second wedding.

"I never thought of you as a bad person at all."

Sage surveyed the familiar and now dilapidated houses of Sendai. He toured the town alone all day, rented a tattered room at a hotel, and left for the Hashiba household in disgust the following morning. The wonderful neighborhood he had adored was now a slum.

Seito was able to stay at the Hashiba household for an hour. He let Sai ride his motorcycle. Sai was a natural biker. He then gave Sai one of his Cds to listen to. "We seem to have a lot in common," said Seito, "tea ceremony, bikes, sealife. I'm sure you'll enjoy it." A few days passed until the time felt right for music.

For Sai, the winter seemed to be off to a good start. Or so he thought. Most of his memories of Seito concerned a little toddler, and he was excited to get to know him as an adult, even if through music.

It was 11:00 AM in the morning and rather misty. There was nothing to do. Sage and Rowen worked on a puzzle together. Tori stared at the mist through the window and wondered when he would again see the neighbor's house. Zaji played with toy shapes between the couch and the television. Ryo, Kento and Sai tried flipping through channels but gave up. Nothing was on.

Sai suggested, "I suppose now would be a good time to listen to the CD that Seito gave me."

The others agreed.

Sai hurried into their room and quickly returned with the item in question. "You know, I've been wondering what their lives were like and what type of music they listen to." He opened the CD case as Ryo and Kento came near him to listen closely. Sai waved the CD around while he spoke, "I remember when Seito was two, there was a musical children's program featuring a duck, a squirrel, and a rabbit." He sighed. "Seito could listen to it for hours, bouncing and singing along."

Tori had a bewildered expression. He turned to stare quizzically at Sai, but the former Ronin of Torrent had his back facing him. Sage and Rowen left the table and stood behind the couch. There was a sense of anticipation among the former ronins. Sai placed in the CD.

Within a few seconds, an immense, disjointed blaring tore through the household. Sai jumped in horror. Sage spun around and covered his ears; if anything could produce a migraine, it was this music. Kento's eyes widened and his mouth opened in shock and disbelief. Rowen lowered his head and placed a hand on his forehead to stave off the pain. Zaji began to wail uncontrollably.

Ryo lunged forward and turned off the CD player. There was a brief, embarrassed silence as Tori hurried to grab Zaji and comfort him. Hugging his tearful son, Tori snapped at Sai, "I admire Seito as a Ronin Warrior. He has a great sense of Trust, but I do not want my son exposed to his lifestyle!" Tori then walked off.

Sai lowered his head in shame.

Sage growled, "Have you looked at that CD before?"

"No, I wanted it to be a complete, fun surprise."

"It was not fun!"

Kento grabbed the CD case and opened it. He pulled out the cover booklet. Ryo glanced at some of the pictures and lyrics within the booklet; he lifted a hand to cover his mouth. Kento shook his head, proceeding to examine the contents. Kento left it open at a certain page and handed it to Sai. "He's not two years old, anymore." That was an understatement.

Sai's face became an ashen white. He said indignantly, "he doesn't get it from me!"