Me: *holding Black Star* Hello to all you readers out there! Sorry I haven't been posting chapters lately, writer's block. But here I am! Say hi to the readers Black Star!
Baby Black Star: Hi! Heh-heh!
Me: AWWWWW! Isn't he just adorable? Anyway, back to the story! Hope you enjoy!~
Slash!
Clang!
Clang!
The sick sounds of metal clashing together and loud grunts echoed through a large dojo. There was an imprint of a large, yellow star. It was without a doubt that the building belonged to the Star Clan. The ones who are inside were no surprise. White Star stood next to his best friend, Oni Star, as they both watch two of his students practice with their katanas as both their wives sat crisscross on the floor with their children talking. On the other side of the dojo some other students were sitting on the floor watching the fight as well.
Ruby Star held Black Star onto her lap while he had the small plush star in his small grasp. Frost Star on the other hand was not being held by her mother and acted silly in front of the baby. She was now barefoot wearing a light pinkish color uniform. Oni Star barked commands or comments at the two who were fighting.
"Keep your head up."
"Don't even try to flinch."
"Good, keep it up."
"No shown signs of weakness, excellent."
"Stay in balance."
Both the boys understood the comments/instructions and tried their best to impress their sensei and the leader of the Star Clan. They were both light on their feet and didn't even make a sound other than the clashing of the katanas and the grunts from the blows. Black Star was now living his second day of life and he is being exposed to a dangerous fight. He would just stare with a blank expression on his face whenever he wasn't looking at Frost Star making funny faces to him. Little did either of the children know is that in a few years from now they would be trained to fight like this for their clan. Black Star would not be trained by Oni Star like the rest of kids when he gets older. He will be trained by his own father in order to be stronger than the rest of the Star Clan like White Star is now.
"Time, that's good enough for the day." Oni Star said coolly. The two boys stopped and straitened themselves up and faced him and White Star. They pumped up their chests, held their breaths, and stood up straight trying to show the outmost respect.
"You've been training them quite well."
"Thank you White Star."
"Tomorrow I'm going to tell one of my scouts to come and train the two of them in the morning. Will that be okay with you?" Oni Star smiled and nodded his head. "Hai, I will inform both their parents about the news."
Some of the students chatted to each other in astonishment and excitement. It is every day when you're going to be trained by experts. Oni Star gave them a /sign that the two boys my take their leave. They bowed and went back to the other students who crowded and congratulated the two.
"I can't believe you did it!" one exclaimed.
"You get to go and hunt down souls for yourself now."
"You guys are turning sixteen soon and now this! What an early Birthday gift!"
"You're so lucky." One groaned. As they talked, White Star was having a small conversation with Oni Star. "It is nice of you give those two a very special chance."
"They did have the potential the scouts had when they were still at those boys' age. It looks promising to me."
"They're at the top of my class and need something a little more challenging for them. Perhaps I shall go and watch them while they train tomorrow; it should be an interesting observation." Oni Star said while he crossed his arms and gave a smirk.
"I don't think you should do that, remember, you still have classes to teach tomorrow." Oni Star's smirk fell. He slightly lowered his head and pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance and gave an irritated sigh. "Yes that's right."
"And speaking of class, aren't you still having one now?" He motioned his head over to the students who were silently waiting for their sensei to give them the next assignment. Oni Star only sweatdrop in slight embarrassment while White Star lightly chuckled to himself of how slightly amusing it is. "Erm… boys you did excellent today, girls I am expecting the same results out of you."
"Hai!" said all the girls. They ran over to a small, lightly lit room which was weaponry and took some various ninja weapons. Others were natural born weapons and transformed into weapons and were grabbed by some of the students that were Star Clan meisters and were already partners with each other. While the girls were getting ready for their training, a man came in and walked over to White Star.
"White Star." White Star turned his head when he heard his name being called, then turned his whole body to face him. "Yes?"
"I have been told your son was born."
"Hai and I presume you're here to give him his tattoo."
"Hai. Do want to start right now or at some other time?"
"No, now would be a suitable time." White Star went over to Ruby Star and told her the situation. She understood completely and got up with Black Star. Black Star was looking at the man with his big, round, innocent, green eyes. He doesn't feel a good or bad presence around him so his face remained typical. "So you'll be giving my Black Star his tattoo?" Ruby Star asked.
"Correct and you'll have nothing to worry about. I have done this many times before and nothing has ever gone wrong."
Ruby Star was silent for a minute and looked down at her son who looked back. Finally she gave her answer. "Alright then," they all left the dojo and walked through the village. "However, Black Star's my son and I need to make sure that he will be ok without me or not." She felt Black Star slowly slipping from her grasp and quickly got him back comfortably in her arms.
Some giggling children ran pass the adults carrying the strings attached to some colorful paper kites in the sky. Black Star looked up at one that had a blue and green paper structure, and multiple colored ribbons trailing at the end. Ruby Star also looked up at the beautiful kite and smiled. She wishes that her son would be able to run around and play with children his age when he is old enough to walk and talk instead of practicing with his combating skills with his father all the time. She wants to build some good memories so he'll remember them always.
Black Star still held the little black plush star. He looked at both his father and mother who were still talking about him to the strange, unfamiliar man. Then something bright crossed over his face. He turned his little head and saw his father's katana. The sunlight shown off the long blade making it appeared made of marble. If one took a very good, hard look at the katana, it looked kind of old, probably a few decades old, but it still shined like it was just came out freshly made. Black Star's mouth was the shape of an O. The katana really fascinated him, but the infant was unaware of the evil deeds it had committed and the innocent lives it had taken over the years or that he would someday wield the same katana and carry on the legacy of the heir of the infamous Star Clan.
Black Star smiled with his mouth open and leaned against one side of his mother's arms. He tried to reach for his father's weapon to no avail for his arms were too short to reach. If he could reach the Star Clan's greatest assassin's weapon it would be too heavy for the baby to hold it even with both his hands. Now when Black Star knew he wasn't able to reach he started to whine which caught the adults' attention. Ruby Star got a good grip on Black Star and tried to see what was bothering her son.
"What's wrong, Sweetie?" she cooed. Black Star made inaudible noises and waved his free arm to White Star's weapon.
"Wam ya ya!" Now he tried to use both of his arms but dropped his black plush star. He looked down and focused his attention on his gift he had received after his ceremony and started to whine again. Ruby Star picked up the plush toy and handed it back to Black Star and at that moment he stopped whining and started giggling again and then tried to reach for his father's katana once again. Now Ruby Star knew what was making him upset, he couldn't reach his father's weapon.
"Oh, I get it now. He likes the katana, White Star." White Star looked at his weapon and then at his son. He can see the glint in his son's eyes reflected off from his ninja blade. He smirked and gave a low, dark chuckle that can send a chill down someone's spine and lowered him so he can see eye to eye with his son. "I don't think you are old enough to wield this yet." He gestured to his weapon, but Black Star just kept on giggling and tried to grab White Star's weapon thinking he had a chance with getting it since it is now closer to him.
"He's very persistent isn't he?" asked the man.
"It makes me wonder if he'll be like this when he is older." said White Star as he stood back up.
"Hope so, he will need it when he gets older."
Black Star then stopped his squirming then saw a little butterfly flying in front of his face. It looked much more interesting than the katana, it was small yes but it was moving quickly and was a beautiful shade of blue. He laughed and lightly kicked his feet against Ruby Star's stomach. He dropped his plush star again, but Ruby Star caught it before it touched the ground. The butterfly fluttered around Black Star's face until it landed on his nose. He smiled and kept on laughing. He looked at the strange man with his parents as the butterfly's wings spread out revealing its beautiful, inner blue color of its wings. Ruby Star giggled. "The butterfly's color matches his hair don't you think?"
"I guess it does." Black Star only continued act as cute as he could be until he stopped. His eyes were drooping a bit and his mouth was opening and closing. Then he closed his eyes tightly and gave a soft sneeze that frightened the beautiful, blue butterfly off his nose. "Mmiw." He murmured.
The group made it to a small hut and went inside. There was ink bottles placed on shelves containing various colors and also some metal sticks with different styles of needles in many cups. Beautiful hand painted pictures of multiple vivid designs of tattoos hung on the walls. Black Star's eyes were glued to one painting in particular, a long, black, feathered serpent with a light blue human soul in its jaws and claws. On the side of the paper it had "魂ドラゴン" meaning: Soul Dragon. Black Star stared in awe at the majestic painting made by the strange man.
This man is the tebori master of the entire Star Clan. Tebori is when you get tattooed by hand with only the needles and ink you would need. The Star Clan needs a person who is an expert in doing tebori because it is major part of their culture. It's a requirement for any man, woman, and child must do. They however get it at a young age like Black Star is about to now. There is one tattoo in particular that must be done. The mark shows of who and what they are, the star tattoo.
"Now then, shall we begin?" the tebori master asked. He grabbed a bowl of paint, a small bag of ice, and a metal stick with a needle at the end. He sat down in the light along with Ruby Star. Black Star looked at the sharp needles with small interest. Then the Tebori Master gently placed the bag of ice against Black Star's arm until it went numb. Then the Tebori Master dipped the needle in the black bottle of ink and slowly pierced it in little Black Star's soft, baby skin arm. Black Star paid no attention to it since his arm was numb from the ice. The Tebori Master done this a few times before the needle ran out of ink and he dipped the needle back into the black ink bottle and continued piercing Black Star's arm. After a while one black, thin line was on the baby's shoulder and it was at good timing as well, the numbing sensation was now gone. One down, nine more to go.
The ice pack was placed back on Black Star's arm but a little lower below the thin, black line. Black Star shivered at the ices' cold touch, but didn't whine or any complaining because his mother's body heat kept most of him warm.
"He is doing really well, Ruby Star. He's not like the other children I've done." Ruby Star smiled at the Tebori Master and at her son while he looked at his soon to be complete tattoo on his arm and to his mother, then to his father who was just standing next to his wife.
"Why thank you that mean a lot to me."
"How long will it take to finish his tattoo?" asked White Star.
"Well as long as he continues to not squirm around like he is now I would say in just a few minutes." said the Tebori Master without even looking up to White Star.
Without even noticing, three lines were already done without Black Star even knowing, mostly because his arm was numb from the ice.
"Bavam…" Black Star murmured in the little baby language and yawned and leaned his head closer to his mother's chest. Ruby Star gave a soft smile as her son started to doze off.
A few minutes later the tattoo was finished. Both Ruby Star and the Tebori Master stood up and got a little closer to the light in order to see Black Star's newest tattoo. His eyelids started to squint tightly when the light got in his face until Ruby Star shielded his eyes with her hand and got a good look at her son's new tattoo. It looked perfect.
"It's perfect." said Ruby Star.
"He's one of us now." White Star said while he looks down at his still sleeping son who is completely unaware of what was going on.