Chapter 104 - 'After' Arc-3

“What have I done, Yoichi?”

“You had no choice, my lord! You know that there was nothing else to be done!”

Masashi bowed his head, his son’s corpse at his feet. The sword had since been withdrawn and cleaned, and the other retrieved. Both had been replaced in Masashi belt. Some realization occurred to him as he looked at his son’s corpse.

“Yoichi, take my son’s children. Raise them equally, with each being groomed to be the successor. Until they are of age, you will rule this family. You should. You were always better at seeing the larger picture, my brother.”

“Lord Masashi…” Yoichi stammered, unable to think clearly.

“No more ‘lord’, Yoichi. You and I are family! I was only named head of the family because I was born two years earlier than you. You’re more suited! I’m only a warrior. You are a diplomat, a strategist…and the finest man I have ever known.”

Masashi gave a big smile and clapped his brother on the shoulder. Soon after that, he took a few possessions and retired to a cave.
-

In this scroll is the abilities of the Temper of Heaven. The man destined to wield this fire from the skies will be of strong character, of unshakeable virtue, and with a mission to protect. By nature he will be solitary, for those around him will lead lives soaked with blood in his presence. He must unite woman and man, and even then protect the bond between them to all costs. His life will be at the command of others. He will be the consummate warrior.

This power will be earned. It must be cultivated; controlled. Learned just as the fighting arts. Oneself must be defeated that so that true victory can be obtained. The seven deadly sins; the one-hundred-eight earthly desires- they must be suppressed to make way for virtue and honor.

The next man to wield this power will be in a powerful nation. This is so that he will be in the position to do the most good and protect the most people with these abilities.

For the future, I predict that the Land of Fire will become this strong power. Therefore, I guide this scroll there, confident that the correct owner will be found.


Masashi put the finishing touches on the scroll, eventually putting his personal seal on it in wax. He exited the cave for the last time, though he would live many more years, and threw the scroll with all the might remaining from the dregs of the Temper of Heaven he had kept.

--
--

“…the two children never got along. Eventually, after Lord Masashi’s insistence that they both be groomed as heirs, two factions formed. One ‘white’, and one ‘black’. Shiro and Kuro. Each one backed a brother for power. The two boys fought their entire lives and died early. And since then, the family has been split.”

Yuji had listened silently, his posture and face still as stone. He felt Kuroko’s grip tighten around him now and then, and he understood that this story was a painful one she had been told all her life. At the end, he thanked the older man for the story.

“We’ll see,” Yuji replied, getting up. “So, if I’m getting the gist of this whole thing, then the side that ‘possesses’ me is automatically in power? Since my abilities belonged to the original ruler, that would make me some sort of authority figure?”

“Yes, in a nutshell. However, there is a third faction, Lord Yuji.”

“A third faction?”

“Yes. ‘ShiroKuro’, the Japanese word for ‘black and white’. The faction I am head of. Our wish is to reunite the family. Our members come from both sides of the family. I myself helped raise Ojousama…rather, the Ojousama that is by your side.”

“Which makes you from the ‘Kuro’ side.”

“Yes. The daughter of my former master.”

“Then Shiroko is…” Yuji muttered.

“Yes. The daughter of the ‘Shiro’ side’s master.”

Yuji got up and paced around. “Something isn’t right. Shiroko and I were close…why didn’t she ever try to bring me here? She seemed against it, come to think…”

“Because she cares about you.”

This came from Kuroko. She had gotten to her feet, wiping the tears off her face.
“She didn’t want you to get caught up in all this, Yuji. That’s part of the reason why she broke up with you…”

Yuji moved back to Kuroko’s side. “You sound like there’s more…”

Kuroko nodded around a sniffle. “Yes. She loved you. But she also loves me. The Kuro side of the family is traditionally the weaker side. We were close to dying out. But if the ‘Heaven’s Temper’ were to be allied with us, we would survive.”

Yuji bit down on his thumbnail, turning all this over in his head. Had his romance been at least partly a political ploy?

“But I love you, too,” Kuroko said, sensing Yuji’s thought process. “I wouldn’t be with you if I didn’t. I told you that I don’t agree with my family. Neither does Shiroko. But I’m openly rebellious, whereas she plays the ‘good daughter’ to sabotage the family from within. Her fiance, Kaname, sided with her.”

“ ‘Sided with her’? That sounds like there’s a war coming…” said Yuji.

“There is, Lord Yuji. Shiroko and Kaname are part of our group. What you witnessed in the hall was a show for the ruling Shiro side of the family. In a few hours time, we will be at war with both factions. Shiroko and Kaname will be joining us here. Then we’ll launch our final attack. We want you to spearhead us, Lord Yuji. Lead us to victory and stop the bloodshed.”

Yuji started to walk around the room in a relaxed way, murmuring to himself as though making calculations in his head. After maybe a minute had passed, he gave a single nod, confirming something in his head. He turned to face the others.

“There’s been something nagging at me since I came here. You said that I couldn’t use my Heaven’s Temper chakra, right?” Yuji asked the older man. “And if I could have your name so that I could address you properly…”

“Of course, Lord Yuji. My name is Tetsu. And as to your question, that is correct. The seal that your predecessor left is still very much in effect.”

“Seal?”

Tetsu nodded. “During the battle with his son, so as not to be tempted to use his power, he put a seal over his land so that his power couldn’t be used. I can’t imagine where he got the power to do that, even with his remarkable abilities, but the seal has held even this long after his death.”

Yuji had bowed courteously as Tetsu gave his name. “This seal…can it be destroyed? Or removed?”

“No.” Tetsu shook his head. “It’s hidden somewhere. Legend says inside an ordinary object, but that is only speculation. None of the lord’s original retainers or aides are alive to help us locate it…”

Yuji looked as though he expected this. It didn’t seem to disturb him that his greatest abilities weren’t of use to him at the moment.
“Well then, I think we need to settle this in a different way. My chakra- that is, my Heaven’s Temper chakra- has been agitated. As though it’s trying to get my attention independent of my own controlling it. Given what happened last time I merged with this chakra outside of ninjutsu, I think I understand something. I think that we’re being guided down a different direction. I’d ask you to trust me on this.”

There were a few mumbles of curiosity at that rather vague statement. Tetsu asked Yuji to elaborate.

“I can’t really. Not yet. But I think I can. But if I may ask one more question…”

“Certainly, Lord Yuji.”

“My friend, a priestess…Lady Uzume…she told me that she sensed Kuroko and Shiroko’s chakras. They were…agitated. Like two chakras in one body warring with each other.”

Tetsu shrugged, but Yuji thought that any sort of relaxed gesture was fake. This information was too critical. Yuji would know if Tetsu was lying, thanks to his own experience with two chakras in one body.

“Lord Yuji…it’s a further sign of division in our family. We were known for having enormous chakras at one time. So enormous that we were forbidden formal ninjutsu or samurai training from our government. Even today, our bodies have an unnatural ‘seal’ imposed on them, dating back to Lord Masashi original duel restriction. The ban is an honored tradition now. Each child born into our family is ‘branded’, and his or her chakra divided. The chakra pathways are divided unnaturally. So as a matter of nature, the two chakras try to find each other. Thankfully, these seals were engineered by masters in the Land of Eddies. They are unbreakable.”

A small voice echoed in the chamber. “Tetsu, enough. Please. You’ve answered his question. Before this is over he’ll learn this whole family’s ridiculous history!”

Yuji walked over to Kuroko and took her hand. Her statement had taken a lot out of her, it seemed. For some reason, this bit of history really bothered her. That was enough of that, then.

Through the confidence Yuji was projecting, Kuroko’s melancholy mood was really disturbing him. She had suggested this trip and now it was going to hell very quickly. So, time to make a request, Yuji decided.

“Is there a place where Kuroko and I can spend some time resting privately? Your hospitality is wonderful and most certainly appreciated. But if we’re going to war, I’d like some time to think quietly and rest up from the long trip here. And to spend some time with my girlfriend. After all,” Yuji grinned, sliding closer to her. “It’s not every day you meet your girlfriend’s parents for the first time. I wouldn’t want to embarrass her.”

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