A Year or a Day
Seated on the ledge of one of the gigantic mountains of Kamimari no Kuni a young man gazed forlornly out over the sea. He had to concede it to his teammate seen from a height of a thousand miles the earth looks the same as it did.
A small sound alerted the young man to the presence of his teacher. Gazing out over the vast waters the younger addressed his teacher: "How is it we can fly faster than day but we can't find the things we need?"
"Young man" said the old man "Let the youth in your heart be at rest. We may all be dead in a year or a day when the devil is put to the test." The words may have sounded a bit morbid, however they were supposed to convey a myriad of messages hidden underneath.
However there was only one word repeating itself in the mind of the younger ninja.
Test, test, test!
He had to test himself again and again till he was the one putting the devil to the test.
That was how the younger one choose to intrepid the words of his teacher. The older man had not finished speaking though, tracing the jagged shoreline wistfully he continued: "the day of creation was our finest hour it's something we ought to defend. But it's been so abused since the first day of light that no glory can come in the end."
The last battle had indeed been a gritty one, one where the young man for the first time truly saw the horrors of the shinobi world. The brainwashing of small children into killing machine as they did during the times of the great clan wars. Childbirth was a gift of Kami which was squandered on the path of life they were set on. Silent tears dripped of his cheeks and a thousand miles down.
Tensing his arms as if to push himself of the precipice his teacher grabbed his shoulder. "Young man" cried the old man, tears obscuring both their visions. "There is victory in staying alive and if you care so little for the world we're in why and what do you want to survive."
Lifting his tear streaked face the younger caught the eyes of the older man who continued his speech: "Can't we try to let the past go by, with its lessons firmly settled in our minds? To our children one by one and before the darkness comes let us leave a world full of light of a different kind." A few fluffy clouds drifted by it didn't look like it would rain.
"In truth they should meet" not in the shadows "and with love their hearts should beat" not with hate like we let ours "and with patience solve the problems of our time" and maybe fulfill our dream of a peaceful era.
"it wouldn't be so hard to do, it's only up to me and you, let us not bequeath a life that is a crime." Will you help me inspire our fellow ninja, try to lead them to a path of peace?
A silent nod was the only answer the old man needed. Both turned back to the frankly magnificent view, a small smile gracing their lips. The young man whispered: "Seen from a height of a thousand miles the earth looks the same as it did." "But how is it we can fly faster than day but we can't find the things we need." For we are ninja both student and teacher thought in unison.
When young man climbed to his feed. "Youth" cried the old man "let the youth in your heart be at rest. We may all be dead in a year or a day when the devil is put to the test." The young man laughed. And tackle hugged his idol of the cliff.
"Young man" cried the old man in alarm.
The young man looked up to him and grinned. "Let the youth in your heart be at rest, old man. We may all be dead in a year or a day when the devil is put to the test." Then the cold water embraced them in a thunderous splash.
When their heads broke the water's surface again the young man cried out: "If I can't climb this rock face without my right arm I will learn to run faster than night instead of day." "And if I can't reach the peak before you, using only my feet I will keep my eyes closed for the rest of the year." The old man matched his student. Not to be outdone the young man declared an even more outrageous challenge. It was one way to climb out of a depression his teacher thought fondly.
The lyrics are from 'A Year or a Day' from the album 'Return to Fantasy' from Uriah Heep.