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The Legendary Sage of Six Paths, Chapter 6;
'What did you say?!'
I could not believe my own ears. At the moment of truth and out of nowhere, what exactly did Nobunaga mean by that and what could he possibly hope to achieve by revealing such nonsense now, at the most crucial point of the entire war? Was it just an excuse to stall for time? Until the point where the entire castle would crumble upon us and we would fall into a fiery pit of doom where nothing else would matter anymore? Had he realized that he had come to the end of the line, seeking to take me with him? Why else would he ignite everything on fire? I refused to believe him, at first. 'It is the truth... I would not have told you otherwise, Hagoromo.' He continued. I wanted to laugh, but somehow, I both knew and felt that he wasn't lying. But how could he be my real father? The evil leader of the Oda clan, who had sought my life for as long as I could remember. The wizard had told me that my real father was never known. Had he kept the truth from me or didn't even he know? 'If it is the truth you speak, then why would you have me dead in the first place? Why would the Oda clan go to such extremes to annihilate everyone and everything I've ever held dear?!' I was enraged, but I still managed to avoid charging recklessly at him. So many emotions went through my head. It felt like this changed everything, but there was no time for second thoughts now. I couldn't let this cloud my mind, Yukimura and the rest were depending on me, they were risking their lives to buy me enough time to take out Nobunaga himself. I had one thing to do, and nothing could change that. 'Too many times have I failed to claim your life, too many times have you slipped away... My failed attempts have only made you stronger, given you a reason to push on, a reason to live-...' Continuing his speech, Nobunaga seemed serious. It wasn't like he was out to buy himself time however, he genuinely wanted me to know to break my spirit. There was no talking out of this, and I knew it. It had to end with him cut down by my sword, or I would surely be the one to go instead. I couldn't linger any longer...
Despite everything, he continued to keep his cool as flames spread everywhere. Everything was on fire, and it would only be a matter of time before things started collapsing around us. All I wanted now was time, but there was none to be had as I could hear the weapons of Yukimura and Tadakatsu clashing in the other room. 'Yes, revenge is the reason I have given you... Such a sweet word, yet so far away from an innocent path. That is why you are here, isn't it? Revenge...' He was right, I had been wanting revenge ever since that time when my parents were killed, and over the years, no matter how much I had suppressed those desires for vengeance, having tried so hard to replace it with a path of peace, it had only grown on me as I had been reminded of it with each pain I'd had to endure. I now finally knew that my parents had never been my real parents, but that did not matter. They had been the only ones I had ever known. The Sect, the Sanada clan, all the trails lead here. I was still shaking, almost as if in a battle with myself. One part of me wanted to strike him down, another wanted answers to all my questions. How would I proceed?
'Alas, I suppose it was always meant to lead down to this... I will correct my past mistakes now and deal with you myself!' Having finished talking, Nobunaga came charging in at me with his sword as I barely managed to get my guard up in time to block. Hearing everything that he had said, and finding out just a little more about my origins, I became hesitant, unsure of what I should do, what I wanted to do, and above all else, what I needed to do. I wasn't able to keep my head in the game as Nobunaga continued his offensive. I couldn't gather myself properly to fight back as he pushed me backwards with every swing of his sword. I parried those strikes I could as I had to roll out of the way to dodge another. Getting back up to my feet, our eyes met once more. His look was calm, yet he seemed confident and strong. There was something about his presence that I couldn't pinpoint, something just felt wrong. If he truly was my real father, I wanted to know more. Not just about how everything came to be, but more than the details I had heard from Yukimura and the wizard earlier in my life. Nobunaga held the final piece, and somehow I couldn't let my desire for revenge, my quest for peace, get in the way and let that chance slip away. With everything at risk, with everything in my hands and with time slowly slipping away, I had to find an alternative way or lose my path forever. If Nobunaga knew the truth about my existence, I had to know. 'Something the matter??' Still as calm and focused as ever, Nobunaga easily sensed that my mind was troubled as he halted his advance. 'You probably have a lot of questions I imagine. You're conflicted on whether or not to strike me down? Despite everyone that has died in your life because of this war, because of the Oda clan, because of me, you're still thinking on changing your path on a simple whim? Hah, you truly are pathetic! You lack character, posture, and above all else, you lack resolve!! You are weak. The truth is, Hagoromo... You are nothing but an abomination!! That is why you need to die. That is why I've always sought to kill you, even if you are my own child...'
I couldn't stop my tears from flowing. I hardly knew the man and he was my enemy, but still... 'You have always felt different, haven't you? Ever since that time with your foster parents. Well... Now you know why. Your existence is toxic to the world around us, your kind is contagious, impure... That is why you'll never be my legitimate son. Nothing will ever change that.' I couldn't take it... I didn't want to hear his poisonous words any longer. He was playing me, using our blood relation to his advantage, and I knew it. I had promised myself that I never would let fear or second thoughts get the better of me again, I would not lose myself at this crucial moment. I would remove evil from this world and create peace, and only Nobunaga stood in my way in order to achieve that. I had to stand up to that promise with courage and look the devil straight in the eyes. Father or not, I had to strike him down to bring on peace. 'So you're finally getting serious. Well then, show me what you really got.' I charged as I let my anger get the better of me. We exchanged several rounds but none seemed to get the upper hand. Despite the mysterious powers of the Master Sword, Nobunaga managed to hold his ground. I could only remember how Yukimura's spear had broken in half by one clash all those years ago, but yet did Nobunaga's purple colored sword seem to be more than just any weapon I had seen. I screamed out as I lashed out at him, but no matter what I tried, he seemed to know what I intended and easily parried my attempts. He was smiling, as he saw me giving into my rage. 'Good... Let it all sink in. If you're going to strike me down, you will have to use everything you got!' The battle continued as several parts of the floor had already begun to crumble. I had to do something, and that fast.
'If I can't beat him with this sword alone... I'll have to rely on something else.' Thinking to myself, I figured I would turn to Ninjutsu once more. This one last time, to finally bring on peace. I started channeling my chakra, but as I did, a strange feeling suddenly hit me. It was Nobunaga, and I definitely felt that something out of the ordinary was affecting him. I had thought for some time now that everything wasn't as it should be, but I hadn't been able to pinpoint exactly what before now. 'Could it be like that time with the Dragon the Wizard created?' Finally breaking my thoughts, I decided that I would try something I had read about in the Founding Book of Jutsu. I figured it wouldn't hurt trying it, but first, I had to get close in order for it to work. Maneuvering through Nobunaga's attacks, I reached my hand out as I placed it on his forehead and shouted; 'Release!!' A dark light emerged out of my hand as Nobunaga was rendered immobile with a perplexed look on his face. As the light retracted, I jumped backwards to gain some space. My hand shock tremendously, even worse than it had before, as if having come in contact with the aura of a great evil. Getting a hold of it, I looked up as I saw Nobunaga clutching his head, still with his hand firmly wrapped around his sword. My head too started spinning as if I could hear some indistinct voices speaking to me in a foul tongue, but none that I could understand. Looking at me, it was as if Nobunaga had seen a demon of the past. Dropping his sword to the ground, Nobunaga simply fell to his knees. Seeing this, I shook the voices out of my head as I quickly ran towards him; this was my chance, my chance to finally end this.
I came closer and closer, as Nobunaga continued to remain at a standstill. As I saw the despair and the disbelief in his eyes, I suddenly started thinking about my past self. It was as if everything went in slow motion as the closer I got to him, the more I started thinking. Everything probably happened in an instant, but it felt like forever. I remembered that the wizard had told me that the dragon was just an illusion, a Genjutsu, that I had been placed under, making me see things, do things, that I in truth never did, regardless of what I wanted to or not. I had been trapped in a different reality, with no escape, with the events taking place before me being the only thing to be true in my eyes. I had later read up on how to break a Genjutsu. Not only if you were trapped in one yourself, but also if someone else was too, and somehow, it had worked on Nobunaga. But what Genjutsu had he been caught under and what was the effect of it, the reason? I began, once again, doubting if I was doing the right thing. I readied my sword as I shouted out, just about to strike him down. Just inches away from his face, from cleaving his skull, I stopped however. My entire body was trembling at this point. I was sweating, and breathing harder than I had done in ages. Why couldn't I strike him down, now that I had the chance to do so?? That was when it returned to me. The one thing I had held close to my heart for overcoming anything that stood before me. What the Monk from the Sacred Sect, my Father-In-Law, always had used to say...
'To truly be able to achieve peace, one must seek love instead of power, so that each and everyone of us can connect with and understand each other, what we all feel deep inside our hearts, minds and souls. As long as there is hatred, there will always be war, and true peace can never happen.' I calmed myself down as I took a deep breath. Closing my eyes, I reminisced about my time in the sect, about everything I had learned there, everything that I had eventually forsaken in my quest for revenge. I knew this wasn't the right thing to do, so I stopped. Holstering my sword on the back, I kicked away Nobunaga's sword just to be on the safe side, watching as it slid over the edge and fell through a hole in the floor and into the fire below. Turning my attention back towards Nobunaga, I went down to one knee as I placed my hand on his shoulder, and it was with that tap, that Nobunaga finally came to himself again. He was shocked to say the least, but it was not like anything I had ever seen before. He could remember everything, but he hadn't been able to control what he had been doing. Despite the fact that he hadn't wanted for any of this to happen, now that he thought back on it, it was as if he was corrupted into making it his own path, his own desire to do those things. As if another personality had been created, taking control over his body. He had been trapped between Reality and Illusion, some type of Genjutsu so strong that it controlled the mind of the target without them knowing. Who in the world could pull off such an advanced technique except for the Wizard? I felt almost a bit scared as he went on. It was then that he remembered what had happened. Why he had forsaken everything he stood for in the past and devoted himself fully to evil deeds. He now knew who had put him in this trance, in this Genjutsu. He then told me the full story of the Otsutsuki clan, and how I came to be...
'As you know, the land has been trapped in a war that has lasted for a thousand years. Although there hasn't been constant battling, there hasn't exactly been peace either. Our clan had always fought for what we believed in, what we deemed right, but even with opposing views, no clan has truly ever been just good or evil. My lifelong ambition had been to stop the bloodshed and finally end the war, but in doing so, I had to rise to fame. Not only in my own clan, but in the entire land as well. I had to find a path that could benefit all, and it was thus through my ambition, that I eventually became the leader of the Oda clan. Then one day, 29 years ago, something that changed the world as we know it forever, happened... I was 25 years old back then, but I still remember it as if it was yesterday. I was out on the field, leading the offensive myself as we went up against the mighty cavalry of the Takeda clan. As the battle was reaching its climax, a sudden light lit up the night sky. We all came to a complete halt as they descended upon us. Yes... The Otsutsuki clan was never of this earth. They wanted to end the constant battling and bring on peace to the land, and with their mysterious powers, they would be able to do just that. Many a man wanted to lay down their weapons and listen to the "Descended Gods," as we referred to them, but there was one condition to ending the battling that none of us would agree upon. In exchange, they wanted to rule mankind, deciding and plotting out everything that were to happen in our future, like puppets. The rumors spread fast as more and more clans united, to oppose this. Thus, the entire empire was united again against all odds, against the gods, for the first time in ages. A short war then followed that lasted about two months. The powers of the Otsutsuki clan was beyond anything we had ever seen, but we survived and overcome this threat, in numbers...'
I couldn't believe what he was saying, was this why I felt special, wasn't I truly a human after all? I looked at him as he continued; 'We came to a truce, and I was at the center of it. Having been elected as the united clans spokesman, I met with the leaders of the Otsutsuki clan. Your grandparents, Hagoromo... We agreed to share the land with them on the agreement that all fighting would cease and any man or "god" who broke this law would be beheaded instantly, no questions asked. To seal the deal, they offered me their beautiful and unimaginably gifted daughter in marriage. Her name was Kaguya, and she is your real mother. A year then passed as peace thrived in the land. It was then that you and your brother Hamura, were born. The greed of the Otsutsuki clan would not allow peace to last long however, and I failed to realize that before it was too late. There's a saying that goes "With every born member to the Otsutsuki clan, there's a 50 per cent chance that the child is born with the 'Corruption Gene.' This gene, if it evolves, will corrupt the person into tyranny and greedy desires that few, if any of them, will be able to resist, no matter how strong-willed they are." And like the saying goes, both your grandparents suffered to that gene. Turmoils had begun to spread across the land as members of the Otsutsuki clan had been ordered to spread fear and chaos throughout it. I knew back then that I had to do something before it escalated more than it already had. I told Kaguya to take you and your brother and go into hiding until I told her to return again. I then told her that it was my responsibility to try to reason with her parents, so I went to see them, appearing at their palace up in a snowy mountain. I urged them to reconsider what they were doing, to prevent the truce from breaking apart and to both remember and honor those values we had agreed upon when forming it. If not for me, if not for the land, nor the rest of human kind, then for their daughter and their grandchildren. Your grandfather admitted that he had made a fool of himself as he stood up from his chair. Reaching his hand out, he told me that he would honor our deal and stop the chaos. As I took his hand, my life changed forever after. 28 years have I been in his control as the war broke out again and I changed the righteous Oda clan into the evil tyrannic clan you know today. I was hellbent on finding Kaguya to get rid of both you and Hamura, but no matter where I looked, I could not find you. She must have realized what had happened to me and remained hidden. Fate however, would have it that Kaguya had been separated from you in her escape, it was because of this that you were found by your foster parents and made as their own child. You were still an infant at this stage, so that's why you wouldn't remember it...'
This was beyond my belief. All my life had I been searching for answers, and now finally, could I understand where I had come from. Nobunaga then swiftly continued; 'News reached my ears fifteen years later that you had been found, and it was then that I sent the famed assassin, Hanzo Hattori, together with two other men, to take care of you. Somehow, miraculously, you got away, and the rest is history.' Looking at me, Nobunaga seemed relieved having finally got that off his chest. However, you could see that this face belonged to a weary man, who not only regretted everything he had done for the past half of his life, but how everything had come to be. Getting up to his feet, Nobunaga then started to remove the armor on his upper body as it fell hard to the floor. I looked at him, but I had no idea what he was doing. Opening up the clothing that covered his body, he then drew a short blade that was stationed at his left side, kneeling down as he did. I couldn't understand what he was thinking, was he going to? 'I will thank you for saving me from this doomed existence and from further staining my once honorable character, Hagoromo. Had I only been able to break free from it before... There's too much that I can't take back, too many lives lost because of me and my clan. I can only hope and trust that you will do what's right and see this to an end.'
I was shocked. He couldn't be serious?? 'What are you doing, you can't be giving up now, now that I finally saved you?! None of it has been your fault!' I was sad, but at the same time furious. 'You don't have to do this!!' I shouted out, once more. 'It's too late for me, my son. Even though I was being controlled, I was always aware of what I was doing. I can truly see what a capable man you have become, and that you are indeed of my blood. I will leave it to you to find your mother and your brother, as I am sure they are still alive. Be wary of your grandparents, as only something extraordinary can deal with them. I believe only you have that power to stop them now. That is what you must do, for true peace to ever happen in this world.' I knew he was right, who was I to decide that he should live on with all his regrets? But still... 'Why must you do this, father?' My eyes had already gotten teary. He smiled back at me, as he spoke his final words. 'I believe in you Hagoromo, to finish walking the path that I started. You are strong, and will eventually find what you are looking for. I leave the rest to you...' Thrusting the short blade towards his abdomen, Nobunaga preformed something called "Seppuku," something which was customary to Samurai choosing an honorable death by their own hands. Falling over, the great Nobunaga passed on to the afterlife.
"Even a life-long prosperity is but one cup of sake; A life of 54 years is passed in a dream; I know not what life is, nor death. Year in year out-all but a dream. Both Heaven and Hell are left behind; I stand in the moonlit dawn, Free from clouds of attachment."
This was the moment that changed my path forever. For all my life had I believed Nobunaga to be the true mastermind behind all of my pain and struggle, but now I knew that my path had only just begun. Time however, was not on my hands as I realized I couldn't linger around in regrets any longer. The whole place was about to go under, and if I could, I had to assist Yukimura in any way possible. I drew my sword as I turned around and ran towards the door I had previously come through, but before I even got to it, the door suddenly blasted open, being cut to pieces in the process. From the other room came Tadakatsu barging in, and behind him on the floor, I could see Yukimura struggling to get up to his feet, dragging himself after Tadakatsu as he did. Seeing me, he shouted out; 'Run for your life, save yourself Hagoromo!' I already then realized that things were bad, but I could not falter, not now. There was only one way out of this burning castle, and that was through Tadakatsu himself.
'You... Actually killed Nobunaga??' As Tadakatsu spoke, he still remained as calm as ever, not even the slightest interested in the fact that everything was about to go down in flames. 'Well, it doesn't matter, it was his time after all... Much like it is Yukimura's, and will be yours next!' Charging at me, I knew I had only one chance at making it out alive. When it came to pure battling with medieval weapons, there was no way in hell that I was going to be able to beat him, no matter how many times I tried. I quickly holstered the Master Sword as I preformed some really fast hand-seals. This was it, the moment I had been charging up chakra for. Just as Tadakatsu was about to strike me down, I unleashed my power; 'Blazing Annihilation Atomic Incineration Blast!!' Shouting out, I pushed both palms of my hands in a forward motion as I struck him head on, sending him flying backwards. Quickly getting up again, Tadakatsu began laughing, stating that I wouldn't be able to punch my way out of this, not before his might. However, what he didn't know, was that this was no ordinary move. In seconds, his entire body began crumbling to ashes. I could see the denial in his eyes. This wasn't happening, not to him, no one could beat him in battle. The invincible Tadakatsu, lose? Charging at me at immense speed, Tadakatsu sought to strike me down with one last attempt before it was too late, as I fell to my knees in exhaustion. I had bet everything on this move, there was no follow-up after this. Tadakatsu shouted out with all his might just as his spear was about to connect with me. Just as I could feel the cold iron-tip of his spear touch my chin, his spear and his entire body then turned to ash before my eyes, before he had managed to leave nothing more than a scratch on me. Wiping the blood away from my left chin, I sighed, knowing very well that a little luck had played into my survival. And just like that... "The Warrior who surpassed Death itself," was no more.
"Even the invincible warrior fell,
To the foulest and mightiest of any spell,
Although a dragon in pure might alone,
He was still defeated by the unknown.
In a blazing inferno he met with his demise,
It was all too soon and to his surprise,
One last strike with his spear as he let out a roar,
One last attempt to even the unfair score.
He stood yet a man born to this world of chaos and bloodshed,
Out on the battlefield he was feared as a god without equal,
No matter the foe he could not simply lose,
No matter the number he would not experience a single bruise.
All his life he knew nothing except war,
All his life he did nothing but battling,
No one could ever stand before his might,
Neither defeat nor death was ever an option.
His might rivaled even the greatest of beasts,
His spear more lethal than the hottest of flames,
His name was sung across the land,
His appearance caused fear in any man.
They said no man could ever wound him no matter how many,
Although at the end of the day he was just like any,
A man of both flesh and of course of blood,
But no fear no weakness no nothing to exploit.
The mightiest samurai that ever lived,
The word peace not in his code of honor,
On his horse with his spear he often rode,
A samurai was what his destiny had bestowed.
In a blazing inferno the dragon finally went,
The most powerful foe to incineration was sent,
The afterlife now awaits indeed,
Even the mightiest of dragons could actually bleed."
I struggled as I got back up on my feet, as I ran over to check on Yukimura with the roof above already having begun collapsing upon us, nearly knocking me out cold with a clean hit in the process. I maneuvered around as I came up to him. His condition was indeed bad as he spat out blood while still retaining a smile on his face. 'To think that the invincible Tadakatsu-... Would be put in place like that...' I tried to tell him not to talk, but he kept going. At the time, I hadn't grasped the ability to use medical techniques, as I knew I could only hope that he would make it out alive. Helping him up, I placed Yukimura's arm around my shoulder as we made haste for the exit. Running down the stairs, we barely avoided being crushed by crumbling walls or burnt to crisp by the hot flames. Finally making it outside the blazing inferno, we were just about to cross the castle ground when Yukimura told me to stop.
'Hagoromo... I can't go on any further, it's-... Useless. My injury is too grave-...' I didn't want to hear it, there was no way he could give up on me, not like this, not now. I tried to continue, but he forced me down to the ground. I gently laid him down as he was still harking up blood. Having received several cuts, Yukimura had also been pierced through his stomach by Tadakatsu's spear. 'It's okay-... I did what I had to do, and I bought you enough time-... Peace can now finally-... Happen.' 'Don't you dare Yukimura!' I could barely see him due to the tears that had filled up in my eyes. I knew there had to be something I could do, something, just anything that I had read about in the Founding Book of Jutsu that could save him. 'With the war over, someone needs to watch over the clan-... My son-... Will you make sure he becomes a great leader??' I nodded. Some tears of regret was seen in Yukimura's eyes as he had trouble breathing, but he already knew that he wouldn't make it. I refused to acknowledge that, I had to save him, there was still time as I reached my hands out over his wound as I tried to stop the bleeding. My thoughts ran away as I tried to remember if I had read about a technique that would heal his wound, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember a thing. 'Don't talk any further, I can save you Yukimura, with my powers I will save you! I won't let you die, you've been like a big brother to me ever since I came to the clan, like the brother I never had!! You are our leader, I won't let the rest of the clan down!! If I had only taken care of Nobunaga earlier, if I had only cared less about finding out the truth and more about-... It's my fault, I should have-... I will save you!!' There was, however, nothing I could do at the time as his life was slowly slipping away from me. He then reached out for my hand as he grabbed a hold onto it. He said; 'Remember what we have agreed upon, what you have learned-... Everyone will face their time eventually, and I will die accepting that-... I am glad that I can die side-by-side with you in battle-...' 'But you can still, you are still-...' 'Hagoromo-... I know what you are thinking... But whatever you do, don't bring me back... It nearly-... Killed you-... The last time-... And it is not-... Right-... Pr-omise-... Me??' Gasping for air, Yukimura was on his final breath. I was so teared up I couldn't even answer as I simply nodded back at him. With a smile on his face, yet another legend passed on. I was truly devastated...
"Wielding his blood sword,
A hero who fights with pride,
And slays with honor.
He is a brave soul,
Drawing blood only for peace,
Never for vengeance.
Even if he falls,
In the midst of a battle,
His name will stay on."
As I sat there in my own despair, watching as the light vanished from his eyes, I couldn't help feeling that I could have done something to save him. I reached my hand out to his face as I closed them. I had lost my best friend, my brother, and no matter how much I wanted to, I had promised him not to bring him back. What was done, was done, and I was truly heartbroken. As I sat there however, it wouldn't take long before familiar faces came riding in towards us. Led on by Nagamasa, they quickly surrounded the two of us. From within the ranks, I could see him. I knew that what laid ahead, would not be an easy moment. It was Yukimura's son, Danivass, and seeing his dead father on the ground, he too broke out in tears. I stood up as I went for a walk. I needed some air to clear my thoughts. Seeing this, Nagamasa quickly came up to me as I laid out the details. The details about Nobunaga, the details about Tadakatsu, and of Yukimura, everything that I saw reasonable to share. He simply replied; 'So it's finally over...' You could see that Nagamasa was affected by Yukimura's death but he knew there was no point nor time to grieve here, nor was there any need to dwell in the matter of how I was able to defeat Tadakatsu himself either. Gathering his troops, he concluded that the battle was now over and that they could set eyes upon returning to camp. And with that, the war had finally come to an end...
In the days that followed, the Tokugawa clan and their leader Ieyasu quickly called a truce, and having once again found my path of peace, I decided that it was better not to cause more bloodshed. Nagamasa agreed and everyone who surrendered was spared. I even let Hanzo Hattori go, despite every bone in my body calling for his head. I knew now that everything that had happened, was because of Nobunaga and Nobunaga alone, so I couldn't really blame them. However, Nobunaga wasn't responsible for his own actions, the actions that had caused everything bad in my life to happen. So therefore, I started preparing myself for the unavoidable battle that soon would be upon me. Only I could stand against my grandparents and stop them. Only I could avenge Nobunaga, Yukimura and all the rest and bring them to justice. Only then could the land fully witness true peace. Before that, a truce was made up between all the clans as I brought up a new sect and started spreading my teaching of peace across the land, just like I had always dreamt of and just like I had initially started doing all those years ago; staying true to the spirit of the old sect by naming the new one after it. Having also been able to clear everything out with Trea, I could finally relax a bit as things were rather quiet for the time to come. Yukimura also had a funeral so grand, that even his past rivals from across the land came to pay their respect to him. His son, Danivass, had written a poem to honor his father, which he presented in front of the crowd;
"Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush,
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die."
As the funeral came to an end, I could finally set my eyes upon the future. Coming over to me, Trea seemed rather quiet. I told her that everything was going to be alright and that she didn't need to worry. Having been entrusted by Yukimura and my father to do the right thing, I knew I had to get stronger in order to face my grandparents. I started experimenting with different techniques using my chakra, and studying the Founding Book of Jutsu even further, I one day managed to develop a technique to create what is now known as the Five Treasure Tools. This was only one of my many selfish desires that later would come back to haunt me, the one thing the wizard had warned me about. At the time, I didn't think much of consequences however, as I now felt that I was ready to face them. Looking far and wide, I finally came upon their palace high up in a snowy mountain. It was just as I had envisioned, just as Nobunaga had told it.
In my left hand was the Master Sword, in my right the Staff of Fortune & Destiny. On my back, a large rolled up scroll. As I first placed feet on the concrete floor leading up to the entrance before me, I immediately felt a shivering cold down my spine. A dark and powerful aura rested over this place. As I continued forward, I could feel a gentle breeze upon my face as it was mixed with a faint hint of snow. I pulled down the clothing covering my face a bit as I looked around. Not a single torch to spot. This place seemed not only dead, but also abandoned. Had I really come to the right place? I had walked halfway across the palace ground when I started hearing some indistinct voices. Clutching my head, I knew this was the same as with Nobunaga, but I still couldn't understand what they were saying. It was as if it was in another language entirely, maybe even from out of this world. I could feel a presence sneaking up on me as the voices only became louder and louder. Trying to block the voices out, I reached the staff out in front of me as I thrust it hard into the ground, as if trying to release a Genjutsu that had been cast upon me. Nothing happened. At first the voices disappeared, but then they swiftly came back. Once more I thrust the staff into the ground only this time, I shouted out something else instead. As I did, a bright light emitted from it as it spread across the whole ground, and out of the last flame of light, two dark fogs appeared, as if having been created by a black fire. The two fogs however, then started taking form as they floated around me with the voices still trying to speak. It was then that the vocal cords of the voices started changing as I suddenly could hear something I was able to understand. They both spoke to me, as if being alive. I was baffled.
'Who are you??...' One of the fogs vaguely uttered. The other one followed up; 'He's strong...' 'Yes, he has some powerful items with him... Is he human??' Their voices were so faint that I had to concentrate hard to be able to grasp what they said, but even through their stuttering voices, I could clearly hear that they belonged to two foul creatures. I had to be careful, and I knew it. 'How did you find us??...' 'Why are you here??...' Still floating around mid-air, the two fogs seemed more curious than anything else, asking one question after another. 'What is your name??' Stopping right before me, the two fogs came straight up to my face as if trying to take a closer look. I took a step back to gain some space but they only followed. 'He's not scared of us. He's no ordinary human, is he?' 'I can sense chakra within this man, could he be??...' Halting in front of me, the two fogs then started transforming. I watched closely as they changed into two humanized characters before me. They were indeed the ones I was looking for. 'You are Kaguya's kid, aren't you?' The older man asked. 'So this is Hamura?' The older woman followed. 'So that's how he was able to find us...' A smile then formed on the old man's face, but I had yet to realize why. 'Hamura is not my name.' I firmly replied. In disbelief, the two elders looked at me. 'I can sense that you are here for a reason... You are here for revenge, aren't you??' 'So our daughter's other child survived as well??... Then you must be Hagoromo...'
Realizing this, a smile also formed on the older woman's face. I wanted to get this over with, but somehow, they didn't seem hostile at all. Had they not foreseen this day? Or had they already seen tons of potential from this promising meeting? 'Then I must greet you, my grandson. My name is Kuroi Otsutsuki.' Reaching his hand out, the older man wanted me to take his hand. I knew it was a setup, this was exactly how Nobunaga had fallen under their control all those years ago. I jumped back as I holstered the Master Sword on my back, and reaching for the scroll, I quickly rolled it out on the ground as I stamped the staff into the writings displayed on it. As I did, the staff was sucked inside of the scroll, and in return, five legendary items suddenly stood before me. 'He seems serious... He wants a battle, doesn't he?' The older woman stated. 'He's been corrupted by Nobunaga's lies... So our attempts to get through to him when the spell broke was futile...' Kuroi declared, clearly reflecting back at the moment in the burning castle. 'So how is your father, Hagoromo?' He continued. 'No more nonsense, I know everything and I'm here to put an end to it all!!' Shouting out, I quickly picked up a large fan that would emit any element I so desired. I had named it, the Banana Palm Fan. Releasing an intense fireball their way, I watched as they easily transformed and dodged it without much of an effort. Reappearing once more, they simply looked at me. I knew they were stronger than any opponents I had faced before.
'You got it all wrong kid...' Kuroi then said. 'Are you not interested in hearing our part of the story?' My grandmother expressed. 'I know all about the Corruption Gene, how you broke the truce and put my father in trance for 28 years to do your bidding! I know you forced my mother and brother into hiding and that you commanded my father on a quest to hunt me down my entire life! You are the reason to all of my griefs! You are the reason why my life has been nothing but death and sorrow! Whatever you say, whatever you do, I won't be corrupted by your filthy lies!!' I had finally got serious as I let it all out, and instead of objecting, it was as if they understood, as if they knew there was no way turning me to their side regardless of what they had to say. Swinging the fan once more, I sent out one elemental attack after the other, with no concern of the amount of chakra I was spending. Simply dodging between the attacks, it was as if they were reserving their powers. 'This isn't working, time for another trick.' Realizing that I was only wasting chakra, I threw the fan up in the air as I clapped my hands together. With that, it was gone in the poof of a smoke as I then reached down for three of the other items on the ground. The first was a thick golden rope that I wrapped around my left arm. I called it the Golden Canopy Rope, and it was able to draw out the spirit word of anyone it came in contact with. Second was the Seven Star Sword, which could be used to sever the spirit word of those struck by the Golden Canopy Rope. And lastly, the Crimson Gourd, which would record and seal the drawn out spirit word, trapping the target inside. Taking up a special stance to wield them all at once, I knew that this was a bet that was as unreliable as it possibly could get, but on the other hand, this was probably my only chance at defeating them both, which justified the reason to why I created these tools in the first place. Leaping off, I aimed to take them head on.
"The harsh winds bite at my very soul,
Alone I sit, waiting for the fight to commence,
Heart racing, sweat pours despite the cold,
Caution…not today,
The warrior reaps the spoils,
Cowards merely pray,
Scars are reminders,
Painful, but not fatal,
Lessons of a fighter,
Forward! I march to claim what is mine,
Steel raised above my head,
My sword of truth transcends time,
Seize the day!
Lord steady thy hand,
Use wisdom, guide my way,
The moment is now,
Not past heartaches,
Nor future vows,
Slay the demons, for they must fall,
Thrust thy sword deep,
Only then will I hear Victory’s call."
The battle went on for what seemed like an hour. I was totally exhausted at that point, having spent a large portion of my chakra already. I hadn't gone totally unrewarded though, as I had managed to use the three legendary treasured tools to seal away my grandmother. Kuroi was furious to say the least. Tossing the three of them up in the air, I once again clapped my hands together as all of them disappeared in a poof of smoke. It was time to bring out and use the final tool, the Amber Purifying Pot, as I called it. I was certain that there would be no other way for me to defeat my grandfather, not at this stage. Looking at me with a menacing look, he seemed hellbent on bringing me down. 'It's a shame it had to go down this way, Hagoromo... I had really looked forward to twisting your ways and putting you to much greater purpose. Now it seems I only got one choice.' 'So my father spoke the truth after all, you really are the embodiment of evil...' 'I guess since we are panning it that way...' 'I see... Well I guess your plan is to finish me off then. Isn't that right, Kuroi?' 'Yes...' Replying in a cold tone, my grandfather seemed calm. The next few seconds are a bit hard to explain, but as you know, the Amber Purifying Pot has the ability to suck the target in and seal them away. In contrast to the other tools, it requires a lot less, but at the same time, even more chakra than the others. The only requirement is to call out to the target and have them reply. And with that, my grandfather was swiftly being sealed away as he was swearing in all types of tongue-twisting sounds on his way out. Trying to transform into a fog to get out of the predicament he now found himself in, I quickly slammed the lid on top of the pot as I fell over with my one hand still firmly on top of it. It felt like I was going to die. This move had indeed been a risky one although it had worked just as I had planned. I needed something extraordinary to be able to defeat my grandparents like Nobunaga stated... I would not have been able to come out of this one alive without these tools and I knew it. Clapping my hands together once more, the last tool also disappeared in a poof of smoke. Heading over to the rolled out scroll, I wrapped it together and tied it on my back. Then, it was time for my trip home. What I didn't realize however, was that the battle wasn't really over just yet.
A foul indistinct voice then suddenly came shouting at me as I was walking towards the path I had used to get up here. Turning around, I felt a dark fog run straight through my body. Gasping for air, I turned around as my grandfather suddenly stood transformed behind me. Before I managed to think, a sword pierced through my left side as I grabbed on to it in pain, trying to stop its piercing motion. 'How, did you escape??' I uttered. 'You underestimated your own grandfather? Of course that was not the real me.' An evil smirk formed on his face as he thrust his sword even deeper through my body. Letting go of the sword, he watched as I fell to my knees in pain. This was not how it was suppose to go down, this was not the plan. Grabbing a hold of his sword again, pulling it out of me as he did, he then pointed it at my neck. 'You are powerful, but I can sense that something behind the scenes has filled you up with that strength. You learned all of your moves from something, from someone... You were instructed on how to awaken your chakra, weren't you? But not from Kaguya nor from Hamura? If someone else, powerful like us, exist in this world, I would like to meet with him.' Withdrawing his sword, Kuroi then turned around as he looked down one of the sides of the snowy hill. 'Maybe I should use you after all, you could be my most powerful creation yet, even more powerful than that invincible warrior you faced earlier... Your father was no use after all either, so I might as well see what you are capable of now that your grandmother is gone... I have you to thank for that, so I might call it a way of you paying your debt to me.' Turning around, he once again looked at me, only this time, he reached his hand out. 'Let me end your pain and heal your wounds here and now. Let's bring this pointless battle to an end... You will not even notice. No regrets, no pain, no worries... Together, we will claim this land our own, Hagoromo...' I refused to listen to him as I was clutching on to my wound which only continued bleeding. My vision was getting blurry, and I was losing blood fast. Somehow, as he was reaching his hand out, it was as if my right hand moved on its own, pulled forth by an unknown force as I tried to hold it back. But I couldn't, my powers were fading away as our hands came in contact with each other. Squeezing my hand hard, I could feel his powerful dark aura surging into me. I tried fighting it, but the more I sucked up, the better I felt. I had failed, not only myself, but I had failed everyone. I couldn't let him beat me, I just couldn't...
Shouting out, I tried to release my hand from his grip, but I had no strength left to break free. Seeing one last desperate move, I reached out for the Master Sword with my left hand as I drew it and swung it fast towards his hand. This was the only way I could cut myself free from him and I knew it. As the blade connected with him however, the part of his body that it had swung through had turned to smoke on impact, and our hands were thus still connected as it immediately returned back to flesh again as soon as the sword's swing had finished going through. 'You won't escape my control, Hagoromo. You are mine now. You know what they say, right? Like father, like son... This world shall be mine to rule.' Squeezing my hand even harder, I could only stare back at him. A furious rage shivered through my entire body. I was at my breaking point but I would not let him win, even if I was to go down with him, I just couldn't let him win. Seeing no other way out, I once again prepared my sword as he only looked at me smiling. This time though, I did the unthinkable. Swinging the sword at a rapid pace, I swung it at my own hand instead as I cut it clean through. I fell backwards in pain as blood was gushing out. My grandfather looked at me in disbelief as he let go of my severed hand. 'Now why would you do that?' He asked. I looked at him, now was my chance.
Forcing myself up to my feet, I swiftly swung the sword in his direction as he easily dodged, but I didn't stop there as I kicked my severed hand towards him as he covered his face not to get hit by it. That was the only opening I needed as I leaped towards him so fast that he didn't manage to react in time. Plunging the Master Sword through his chest, I landed on top of him as I still retained a firm grip on the sword, pressing my body-weight on top of it to pierce the sword even deeper into his body. Blood gushed out of his mouth as he tried to get himself free, but to no vain. 'I can't transform?!' He stuttered. 'This is the Blade of Evil's Bane, the Legendary Master Sword... No evil can escape it!' Pushing the sword even deeper, I knew I had hit a vital point. Everything was almost black now as I struggled to keep my focus due to the blood-loss. I jerked the sword further and further through him as I shouted out the names of my fallen allies and friends with each inch it further dug into his body. 'This one is for Yukimura! This one is for Nobunaga!! This one is for the Sanada clan!!! This one is the harm you caused to Trea!!!! This one is for the Sect!!!!! This one is for my Father-in-law!!!!!! This one is for my foster parents!!!!!!! AND THIS ONE IS FOR THE PAIN YOU HAVE INFLICTED UPON ME!!!!!!!!' Screaming out, I used the last bits of my energy as the sword finally came through, hitting the ground on the other side. One last gasp left his body, as Kuroi, my grandfather, was no more... The Master Sword began beaming in a bright color as his entire body was sucked into it, sealed away for all eternity. Pulling it out from the ground, I quickly holstered it as I crawled over to my hand. 'I can still make it.' I thought to myself as I attached the hand to my arm, using up the final bits of chakra I had left as it instantly grew back on like nothing had happened. With that, I toppled over as my eyes closed shut. I had no more chakra left to tend to my other wound. A miracle had to happen now if I was to make it, and the only thing I could think of, was if I only had learned to preform medical techniques sooner so that I could have saved Yukimura back then. With that, everything went dark.
What was suppose to be the end and the start of a new beginning with true peace being able to thrive in the land for the first time in thousand years, was only just the more of the same, at least for god knew how much longer. I slowly came to myself sometime later on, still on the top of the snowy mountain. I could only see a bright light blinding me as the appearance of a man could barely be seen though the intense light. 'Am I dead?' I asked. 'Your life has just begun, Hagoromo.' The answer sounded. With that, both the light and the man were gone as I came to myself gasping. Feeling out my body, I quickly realized that my wound had been healed and that I felt totally recovered. How was that possible and who was that man? I quickly got back up to my feet as I started the long climb down. I wanted to head home to Trea now, and that was the only thing I could think about. Returning home, I was glad to see that everything was alright as she welcomed me. I laid out the details as she was quite shocked to hear them. She told me not to think too much into it though as whatever I felt like I had to do, was now finally over. She was right, there was nothing more for me to do now than working to make sure that the peace thrived. Packing away the scroll with all the Treasured Tools I had in my possession in a secret place, which included the Staff of Fortune & Destiny, the Founding Book of Jutsu, The Amber Purifying Pot, the Golden Canopy Rope, the Banana Palm Fan, the Seven Star Sword, and finally, the Crimson Gourd, I then turned my attention away from the house for some fresh air. The only thing I kept with me, was the Master Sword, as I went to see Yukimura's grave. I had to tell him that both his own and the rest of the Sanada clan's spirit, had finally been avenged. His dream had come true, and peace was all that mattered now.
Two years then rapidly passed by without as much as a single incident of wrong-doing taking place. I had already spread the basic concept of Ninshu far and wide and things really started to look like what I had always imagined it to be, ever since being accepted into the Holy Sect of Peace, all those years ago. One day, a mysterious visitor suddenly came to see me; at my house of all places. I heard Trea calling me as I came into the main room. Just like that, he once again stood before me. Why had he come to see me now? I could only listen to find out. Yes, it was the great wizard himself, and I immediately sensed that something of big proportions, were about to go down.
Fun Facts & Author's note:
1: This has to be the biggest chapter yet, and I needed it to be. Not only to just satisfy my own need for one, but because it simply had to go down this way. I had after all, been stalling the plot that takes place in the next chapter, for three or so chapters already, originally planning to have the Jubi appear around chapter 4.
2: Much inspiration for writing this chapter came from going through and re-reading the already 5 released ones. That is also why I've had Hagoromo reflect back on what has happened, what he had said in the past, and so on. Even the quote from the monk, his Father-In-Law & Trea's father, came from the 1st chapter. It helped me to sort of "conclude" the first arc of this storyline.
3: Now that we have finally dived deeper into the Otsutsuki clan, I would like to state something that might be conflicting with the canon story. The fact that we haven't heard much about the background story for the clan in the manga, I decided early on that I would go with my own imagination when describing it. However, also knowing that the Last Naruto the Movie dives further into this as well (a movie I won't be able to see before it comes out subbed on dvd I would Imagine - Can't stand the cam rips), I'll most likely have to disregard most of what's being established there due to not knowing about it, and due to most likely completing this story before then.
4: Today's fun fact is... With this chapter, it was finally confirmed that Nobunaga Oda was in fact Hagoromo's real biological father. With this fact out on the table, it's cool to think that Hagoromo also have actually met his aunt (Oichi), as well as heard of his uncle (Nobuyuki, who died in the war). Whether Hagoromo himself has realized this or not is another matter. To be said though, he couldn't tell Nagamasa what truly went down between Nobunaga and himself, so even if he knew, it would be wise to keep that fact to himself.
5: And now for the big one... This chapter is by far my favorite one to write in this tale, not only because of the content (it was crammed with content for sure), but also because of everything that happened. Having to write the deaths of one samurai legend after another with so little time in between, really impacted this chapter a ton. And now you're all wondering... "How could you have the heart to kill off Yukimura?!?!" Well truth been told, this was one of the harder decisions I've made when it comes to my writing (probably top four with having to kill off Revan in The Forgotten Tale, and Rin & Bruce in the Series Finale of my TLSoK Series). One thing is that Yukimura was/is one of my all time favorite characters to write, but also the impact he had on the first half of this story was also one of the bigger ones. I had originally thought out that he would survive, but it was only later that I figured that I would have him die in the hands of Hagoromo instead, "passing on the torch". In my eyes, it was a beautiful death, despite the fact that he lost out to his rival and didn't manage to avenge his family and clan members. I figured that instead of having to write him out by having him totally absent from the rest of the chapters in this story, I would instead give him something to conclude his character with and to make a bigger impact on the reader. I would love to hear your takes on this, because some of you might not agree on this.
6: There's a lot of notes this time around, but I know they're only here for those who are extra interested (pointing at Kuroi for instance, haha), so if you don't read them, that's fine too. For this note, I want to talk a bit about the "general surrounding elements" that I use to slowly form Hagoromo into the Sage of Six Paths. Now, since not a lot is known, I've used most of these free reigns to my advantage, and since he's basically "father of all jutsu," despite the wizard's influences, it's easy to not go into details of everything Hagoromo accomplishes. For example, the things he did to revive Trea, what he actually did to create the Five Treasured Tools, the nature and the explanation behind his techniques, and so on. So yeah, I've given Hagoromo free reigns as I don't see him "bound" by the restrictions of the Shinobi we see in later generations. That's even how he managed to sense that something was wrong with Nobunaga, and how he eventually managed to find his grandparents.
7: Every installment in this tale only gets bigger and bigger, and staying true to that formula, this chapter was the biggest one yet. In fact, judging by words count alone, this was one of the biggest chapters I've ever written (excluding the obvious ones like my Series Finale Parts of course). I also decided to try something new so I included some "poems" along the way, both taken from the internet (which means they don't belong to me whatsoever and I can't take credit for them), and one I even made by myself. Here's the link to it:
8: As this chapter sort of ends the "Samurai" era of this tale, I've been reflecting a bit back on the characters that made their way into this story, and I can't help thinking that I should have gone for even more samurai influences of the Sengoku Jidai. Then again despite how it looks, this tale was never suppose to be about samurai, and the next chapter will finally drive the plot in the direction it was always suppose to take.
9: For those of you who saw the whole thing of the Extra Credit: Sengoku Jidai (The Warring State Period), and to wrap up my video linking "run," I thought I would link you to something new they released, something they release after every period of time they go through apparently. It's a video about the errors and such that was made/said in the original 6 parts series. Worth a watch:
Link for those who can't see the YouTube video for some reason:
10: That's all I got (10 notes, for real Michael? xP). Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I, and that you have some things to say about it! As a bonus to this chapter, I made myself a new signature to give you guys a better understanding of how I envision some the characters in this tale to be like, so be sure to take a look at it
I'll be taking a small break (call it a "Mid-Season" Break if you like) from writing to focus on something else in the coming weeks, so I don't think the next one will be up before three or four weeks' time, sorry about that. On the good side though, with the first "arc" of this story concluded, it will feel like a fresh start for the most of it. Comment, rate subscribe (lol), and hope to catch you later. Bye ^^
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The Legendary Sage of Six Paths, Chapter 6;
The Otsutsuki Clan:
'What did you say?!'
I could not believe my own ears. At the moment of truth and out of nowhere, what exactly did Nobunaga mean by that and what could he possibly hope to achieve by revealing such nonsense now, at the most crucial point of the entire war? Was it just an excuse to stall for time? Until the point where the entire castle would crumble upon us and we would fall into a fiery pit of doom where nothing else would matter anymore? Had he realized that he had come to the end of the line, seeking to take me with him? Why else would he ignite everything on fire? I refused to believe him, at first. 'It is the truth... I would not have told you otherwise, Hagoromo.' He continued. I wanted to laugh, but somehow, I both knew and felt that he wasn't lying. But how could he be my real father? The evil leader of the Oda clan, who had sought my life for as long as I could remember. The wizard had told me that my real father was never known. Had he kept the truth from me or didn't even he know? 'If it is the truth you speak, then why would you have me dead in the first place? Why would the Oda clan go to such extremes to annihilate everyone and everything I've ever held dear?!' I was enraged, but I still managed to avoid charging recklessly at him. So many emotions went through my head. It felt like this changed everything, but there was no time for second thoughts now. I couldn't let this cloud my mind, Yukimura and the rest were depending on me, they were risking their lives to buy me enough time to take out Nobunaga himself. I had one thing to do, and nothing could change that. 'Too many times have I failed to claim your life, too many times have you slipped away... My failed attempts have only made you stronger, given you a reason to push on, a reason to live-...' Continuing his speech, Nobunaga seemed serious. It wasn't like he was out to buy himself time however, he genuinely wanted me to know to break my spirit. There was no talking out of this, and I knew it. It had to end with him cut down by my sword, or I would surely be the one to go instead. I couldn't linger any longer...
Despite everything, he continued to keep his cool as flames spread everywhere. Everything was on fire, and it would only be a matter of time before things started collapsing around us. All I wanted now was time, but there was none to be had as I could hear the weapons of Yukimura and Tadakatsu clashing in the other room. 'Yes, revenge is the reason I have given you... Such a sweet word, yet so far away from an innocent path. That is why you are here, isn't it? Revenge...' He was right, I had been wanting revenge ever since that time when my parents were killed, and over the years, no matter how much I had suppressed those desires for vengeance, having tried so hard to replace it with a path of peace, it had only grown on me as I had been reminded of it with each pain I'd had to endure. I now finally knew that my parents had never been my real parents, but that did not matter. They had been the only ones I had ever known. The Sect, the Sanada clan, all the trails lead here. I was still shaking, almost as if in a battle with myself. One part of me wanted to strike him down, another wanted answers to all my questions. How would I proceed?
'Alas, I suppose it was always meant to lead down to this... I will correct my past mistakes now and deal with you myself!' Having finished talking, Nobunaga came charging in at me with his sword as I barely managed to get my guard up in time to block. Hearing everything that he had said, and finding out just a little more about my origins, I became hesitant, unsure of what I should do, what I wanted to do, and above all else, what I needed to do. I wasn't able to keep my head in the game as Nobunaga continued his offensive. I couldn't gather myself properly to fight back as he pushed me backwards with every swing of his sword. I parried those strikes I could as I had to roll out of the way to dodge another. Getting back up to my feet, our eyes met once more. His look was calm, yet he seemed confident and strong. There was something about his presence that I couldn't pinpoint, something just felt wrong. If he truly was my real father, I wanted to know more. Not just about how everything came to be, but more than the details I had heard from Yukimura and the wizard earlier in my life. Nobunaga held the final piece, and somehow I couldn't let my desire for revenge, my quest for peace, get in the way and let that chance slip away. With everything at risk, with everything in my hands and with time slowly slipping away, I had to find an alternative way or lose my path forever. If Nobunaga knew the truth about my existence, I had to know. 'Something the matter??' Still as calm and focused as ever, Nobunaga easily sensed that my mind was troubled as he halted his advance. 'You probably have a lot of questions I imagine. You're conflicted on whether or not to strike me down? Despite everyone that has died in your life because of this war, because of the Oda clan, because of me, you're still thinking on changing your path on a simple whim? Hah, you truly are pathetic! You lack character, posture, and above all else, you lack resolve!! You are weak. The truth is, Hagoromo... You are nothing but an abomination!! That is why you need to die. That is why I've always sought to kill you, even if you are my own child...'
I couldn't stop my tears from flowing. I hardly knew the man and he was my enemy, but still... 'You have always felt different, haven't you? Ever since that time with your foster parents. Well... Now you know why. Your existence is toxic to the world around us, your kind is contagious, impure... That is why you'll never be my legitimate son. Nothing will ever change that.' I couldn't take it... I didn't want to hear his poisonous words any longer. He was playing me, using our blood relation to his advantage, and I knew it. I had promised myself that I never would let fear or second thoughts get the better of me again, I would not lose myself at this crucial moment. I would remove evil from this world and create peace, and only Nobunaga stood in my way in order to achieve that. I had to stand up to that promise with courage and look the devil straight in the eyes. Father or not, I had to strike him down to bring on peace. 'So you're finally getting serious. Well then, show me what you really got.' I charged as I let my anger get the better of me. We exchanged several rounds but none seemed to get the upper hand. Despite the mysterious powers of the Master Sword, Nobunaga managed to hold his ground. I could only remember how Yukimura's spear had broken in half by one clash all those years ago, but yet did Nobunaga's purple colored sword seem to be more than just any weapon I had seen. I screamed out as I lashed out at him, but no matter what I tried, he seemed to know what I intended and easily parried my attempts. He was smiling, as he saw me giving into my rage. 'Good... Let it all sink in. If you're going to strike me down, you will have to use everything you got!' The battle continued as several parts of the floor had already begun to crumble. I had to do something, and that fast.
'If I can't beat him with this sword alone... I'll have to rely on something else.' Thinking to myself, I figured I would turn to Ninjutsu once more. This one last time, to finally bring on peace. I started channeling my chakra, but as I did, a strange feeling suddenly hit me. It was Nobunaga, and I definitely felt that something out of the ordinary was affecting him. I had thought for some time now that everything wasn't as it should be, but I hadn't been able to pinpoint exactly what before now. 'Could it be like that time with the Dragon the Wizard created?' Finally breaking my thoughts, I decided that I would try something I had read about in the Founding Book of Jutsu. I figured it wouldn't hurt trying it, but first, I had to get close in order for it to work. Maneuvering through Nobunaga's attacks, I reached my hand out as I placed it on his forehead and shouted; 'Release!!' A dark light emerged out of my hand as Nobunaga was rendered immobile with a perplexed look on his face. As the light retracted, I jumped backwards to gain some space. My hand shock tremendously, even worse than it had before, as if having come in contact with the aura of a great evil. Getting a hold of it, I looked up as I saw Nobunaga clutching his head, still with his hand firmly wrapped around his sword. My head too started spinning as if I could hear some indistinct voices speaking to me in a foul tongue, but none that I could understand. Looking at me, it was as if Nobunaga had seen a demon of the past. Dropping his sword to the ground, Nobunaga simply fell to his knees. Seeing this, I shook the voices out of my head as I quickly ran towards him; this was my chance, my chance to finally end this.
I came closer and closer, as Nobunaga continued to remain at a standstill. As I saw the despair and the disbelief in his eyes, I suddenly started thinking about my past self. It was as if everything went in slow motion as the closer I got to him, the more I started thinking. Everything probably happened in an instant, but it felt like forever. I remembered that the wizard had told me that the dragon was just an illusion, a Genjutsu, that I had been placed under, making me see things, do things, that I in truth never did, regardless of what I wanted to or not. I had been trapped in a different reality, with no escape, with the events taking place before me being the only thing to be true in my eyes. I had later read up on how to break a Genjutsu. Not only if you were trapped in one yourself, but also if someone else was too, and somehow, it had worked on Nobunaga. But what Genjutsu had he been caught under and what was the effect of it, the reason? I began, once again, doubting if I was doing the right thing. I readied my sword as I shouted out, just about to strike him down. Just inches away from his face, from cleaving his skull, I stopped however. My entire body was trembling at this point. I was sweating, and breathing harder than I had done in ages. Why couldn't I strike him down, now that I had the chance to do so?? That was when it returned to me. The one thing I had held close to my heart for overcoming anything that stood before me. What the Monk from the Sacred Sect, my Father-In-Law, always had used to say...
'To truly be able to achieve peace, one must seek love instead of power, so that each and everyone of us can connect with and understand each other, what we all feel deep inside our hearts, minds and souls. As long as there is hatred, there will always be war, and true peace can never happen.' I calmed myself down as I took a deep breath. Closing my eyes, I reminisced about my time in the sect, about everything I had learned there, everything that I had eventually forsaken in my quest for revenge. I knew this wasn't the right thing to do, so I stopped. Holstering my sword on the back, I kicked away Nobunaga's sword just to be on the safe side, watching as it slid over the edge and fell through a hole in the floor and into the fire below. Turning my attention back towards Nobunaga, I went down to one knee as I placed my hand on his shoulder, and it was with that tap, that Nobunaga finally came to himself again. He was shocked to say the least, but it was not like anything I had ever seen before. He could remember everything, but he hadn't been able to control what he had been doing. Despite the fact that he hadn't wanted for any of this to happen, now that he thought back on it, it was as if he was corrupted into making it his own path, his own desire to do those things. As if another personality had been created, taking control over his body. He had been trapped between Reality and Illusion, some type of Genjutsu so strong that it controlled the mind of the target without them knowing. Who in the world could pull off such an advanced technique except for the Wizard? I felt almost a bit scared as he went on. It was then that he remembered what had happened. Why he had forsaken everything he stood for in the past and devoted himself fully to evil deeds. He now knew who had put him in this trance, in this Genjutsu. He then told me the full story of the Otsutsuki clan, and how I came to be...
'As you know, the land has been trapped in a war that has lasted for a thousand years. Although there hasn't been constant battling, there hasn't exactly been peace either. Our clan had always fought for what we believed in, what we deemed right, but even with opposing views, no clan has truly ever been just good or evil. My lifelong ambition had been to stop the bloodshed and finally end the war, but in doing so, I had to rise to fame. Not only in my own clan, but in the entire land as well. I had to find a path that could benefit all, and it was thus through my ambition, that I eventually became the leader of the Oda clan. Then one day, 29 years ago, something that changed the world as we know it forever, happened... I was 25 years old back then, but I still remember it as if it was yesterday. I was out on the field, leading the offensive myself as we went up against the mighty cavalry of the Takeda clan. As the battle was reaching its climax, a sudden light lit up the night sky. We all came to a complete halt as they descended upon us. Yes... The Otsutsuki clan was never of this earth. They wanted to end the constant battling and bring on peace to the land, and with their mysterious powers, they would be able to do just that. Many a man wanted to lay down their weapons and listen to the "Descended Gods," as we referred to them, but there was one condition to ending the battling that none of us would agree upon. In exchange, they wanted to rule mankind, deciding and plotting out everything that were to happen in our future, like puppets. The rumors spread fast as more and more clans united, to oppose this. Thus, the entire empire was united again against all odds, against the gods, for the first time in ages. A short war then followed that lasted about two months. The powers of the Otsutsuki clan was beyond anything we had ever seen, but we survived and overcome this threat, in numbers...'
I couldn't believe what he was saying, was this why I felt special, wasn't I truly a human after all? I looked at him as he continued; 'We came to a truce, and I was at the center of it. Having been elected as the united clans spokesman, I met with the leaders of the Otsutsuki clan. Your grandparents, Hagoromo... We agreed to share the land with them on the agreement that all fighting would cease and any man or "god" who broke this law would be beheaded instantly, no questions asked. To seal the deal, they offered me their beautiful and unimaginably gifted daughter in marriage. Her name was Kaguya, and she is your real mother. A year then passed as peace thrived in the land. It was then that you and your brother Hamura, were born. The greed of the Otsutsuki clan would not allow peace to last long however, and I failed to realize that before it was too late. There's a saying that goes "With every born member to the Otsutsuki clan, there's a 50 per cent chance that the child is born with the 'Corruption Gene.' This gene, if it evolves, will corrupt the person into tyranny and greedy desires that few, if any of them, will be able to resist, no matter how strong-willed they are." And like the saying goes, both your grandparents suffered to that gene. Turmoils had begun to spread across the land as members of the Otsutsuki clan had been ordered to spread fear and chaos throughout it. I knew back then that I had to do something before it escalated more than it already had. I told Kaguya to take you and your brother and go into hiding until I told her to return again. I then told her that it was my responsibility to try to reason with her parents, so I went to see them, appearing at their palace up in a snowy mountain. I urged them to reconsider what they were doing, to prevent the truce from breaking apart and to both remember and honor those values we had agreed upon when forming it. If not for me, if not for the land, nor the rest of human kind, then for their daughter and their grandchildren. Your grandfather admitted that he had made a fool of himself as he stood up from his chair. Reaching his hand out, he told me that he would honor our deal and stop the chaos. As I took his hand, my life changed forever after. 28 years have I been in his control as the war broke out again and I changed the righteous Oda clan into the evil tyrannic clan you know today. I was hellbent on finding Kaguya to get rid of both you and Hamura, but no matter where I looked, I could not find you. She must have realized what had happened to me and remained hidden. Fate however, would have it that Kaguya had been separated from you in her escape, it was because of this that you were found by your foster parents and made as their own child. You were still an infant at this stage, so that's why you wouldn't remember it...'
This was beyond my belief. All my life had I been searching for answers, and now finally, could I understand where I had come from. Nobunaga then swiftly continued; 'News reached my ears fifteen years later that you had been found, and it was then that I sent the famed assassin, Hanzo Hattori, together with two other men, to take care of you. Somehow, miraculously, you got away, and the rest is history.' Looking at me, Nobunaga seemed relieved having finally got that off his chest. However, you could see that this face belonged to a weary man, who not only regretted everything he had done for the past half of his life, but how everything had come to be. Getting up to his feet, Nobunaga then started to remove the armor on his upper body as it fell hard to the floor. I looked at him, but I had no idea what he was doing. Opening up the clothing that covered his body, he then drew a short blade that was stationed at his left side, kneeling down as he did. I couldn't understand what he was thinking, was he going to? 'I will thank you for saving me from this doomed existence and from further staining my once honorable character, Hagoromo. Had I only been able to break free from it before... There's too much that I can't take back, too many lives lost because of me and my clan. I can only hope and trust that you will do what's right and see this to an end.'
I was shocked. He couldn't be serious?? 'What are you doing, you can't be giving up now, now that I finally saved you?! None of it has been your fault!' I was sad, but at the same time furious. 'You don't have to do this!!' I shouted out, once more. 'It's too late for me, my son. Even though I was being controlled, I was always aware of what I was doing. I can truly see what a capable man you have become, and that you are indeed of my blood. I will leave it to you to find your mother and your brother, as I am sure they are still alive. Be wary of your grandparents, as only something extraordinary can deal with them. I believe only you have that power to stop them now. That is what you must do, for true peace to ever happen in this world.' I knew he was right, who was I to decide that he should live on with all his regrets? But still... 'Why must you do this, father?' My eyes had already gotten teary. He smiled back at me, as he spoke his final words. 'I believe in you Hagoromo, to finish walking the path that I started. You are strong, and will eventually find what you are looking for. I leave the rest to you...' Thrusting the short blade towards his abdomen, Nobunaga preformed something called "Seppuku," something which was customary to Samurai choosing an honorable death by their own hands. Falling over, the great Nobunaga passed on to the afterlife.
"Even a life-long prosperity is but one cup of sake; A life of 54 years is passed in a dream; I know not what life is, nor death. Year in year out-all but a dream. Both Heaven and Hell are left behind; I stand in the moonlit dawn, Free from clouds of attachment."
This was the moment that changed my path forever. For all my life had I believed Nobunaga to be the true mastermind behind all of my pain and struggle, but now I knew that my path had only just begun. Time however, was not on my hands as I realized I couldn't linger around in regrets any longer. The whole place was about to go under, and if I could, I had to assist Yukimura in any way possible. I drew my sword as I turned around and ran towards the door I had previously come through, but before I even got to it, the door suddenly blasted open, being cut to pieces in the process. From the other room came Tadakatsu barging in, and behind him on the floor, I could see Yukimura struggling to get up to his feet, dragging himself after Tadakatsu as he did. Seeing me, he shouted out; 'Run for your life, save yourself Hagoromo!' I already then realized that things were bad, but I could not falter, not now. There was only one way out of this burning castle, and that was through Tadakatsu himself.
'You... Actually killed Nobunaga??' As Tadakatsu spoke, he still remained as calm as ever, not even the slightest interested in the fact that everything was about to go down in flames. 'Well, it doesn't matter, it was his time after all... Much like it is Yukimura's, and will be yours next!' Charging at me, I knew I had only one chance at making it out alive. When it came to pure battling with medieval weapons, there was no way in hell that I was going to be able to beat him, no matter how many times I tried. I quickly holstered the Master Sword as I preformed some really fast hand-seals. This was it, the moment I had been charging up chakra for. Just as Tadakatsu was about to strike me down, I unleashed my power; 'Blazing Annihilation Atomic Incineration Blast!!' Shouting out, I pushed both palms of my hands in a forward motion as I struck him head on, sending him flying backwards. Quickly getting up again, Tadakatsu began laughing, stating that I wouldn't be able to punch my way out of this, not before his might. However, what he didn't know, was that this was no ordinary move. In seconds, his entire body began crumbling to ashes. I could see the denial in his eyes. This wasn't happening, not to him, no one could beat him in battle. The invincible Tadakatsu, lose? Charging at me at immense speed, Tadakatsu sought to strike me down with one last attempt before it was too late, as I fell to my knees in exhaustion. I had bet everything on this move, there was no follow-up after this. Tadakatsu shouted out with all his might just as his spear was about to connect with me. Just as I could feel the cold iron-tip of his spear touch my chin, his spear and his entire body then turned to ash before my eyes, before he had managed to leave nothing more than a scratch on me. Wiping the blood away from my left chin, I sighed, knowing very well that a little luck had played into my survival. And just like that... "The Warrior who surpassed Death itself," was no more.
"Even the invincible warrior fell,
To the foulest and mightiest of any spell,
Although a dragon in pure might alone,
He was still defeated by the unknown.
In a blazing inferno he met with his demise,
It was all too soon and to his surprise,
One last strike with his spear as he let out a roar,
One last attempt to even the unfair score.
He stood yet a man born to this world of chaos and bloodshed,
Out on the battlefield he was feared as a god without equal,
No matter the foe he could not simply lose,
No matter the number he would not experience a single bruise.
All his life he knew nothing except war,
All his life he did nothing but battling,
No one could ever stand before his might,
Neither defeat nor death was ever an option.
His might rivaled even the greatest of beasts,
His spear more lethal than the hottest of flames,
His name was sung across the land,
His appearance caused fear in any man.
They said no man could ever wound him no matter how many,
Although at the end of the day he was just like any,
A man of both flesh and of course of blood,
But no fear no weakness no nothing to exploit.
The mightiest samurai that ever lived,
The word peace not in his code of honor,
On his horse with his spear he often rode,
A samurai was what his destiny had bestowed.
In a blazing inferno the dragon finally went,
The most powerful foe to incineration was sent,
The afterlife now awaits indeed,
Even the mightiest of dragons could actually bleed."
I struggled as I got back up on my feet, as I ran over to check on Yukimura with the roof above already having begun collapsing upon us, nearly knocking me out cold with a clean hit in the process. I maneuvered around as I came up to him. His condition was indeed bad as he spat out blood while still retaining a smile on his face. 'To think that the invincible Tadakatsu-... Would be put in place like that...' I tried to tell him not to talk, but he kept going. At the time, I hadn't grasped the ability to use medical techniques, as I knew I could only hope that he would make it out alive. Helping him up, I placed Yukimura's arm around my shoulder as we made haste for the exit. Running down the stairs, we barely avoided being crushed by crumbling walls or burnt to crisp by the hot flames. Finally making it outside the blazing inferno, we were just about to cross the castle ground when Yukimura told me to stop.
'Hagoromo... I can't go on any further, it's-... Useless. My injury is too grave-...' I didn't want to hear it, there was no way he could give up on me, not like this, not now. I tried to continue, but he forced me down to the ground. I gently laid him down as he was still harking up blood. Having received several cuts, Yukimura had also been pierced through his stomach by Tadakatsu's spear. 'It's okay-... I did what I had to do, and I bought you enough time-... Peace can now finally-... Happen.' 'Don't you dare Yukimura!' I could barely see him due to the tears that had filled up in my eyes. I knew there had to be something I could do, something, just anything that I had read about in the Founding Book of Jutsu that could save him. 'With the war over, someone needs to watch over the clan-... My son-... Will you make sure he becomes a great leader??' I nodded. Some tears of regret was seen in Yukimura's eyes as he had trouble breathing, but he already knew that he wouldn't make it. I refused to acknowledge that, I had to save him, there was still time as I reached my hands out over his wound as I tried to stop the bleeding. My thoughts ran away as I tried to remember if I had read about a technique that would heal his wound, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember a thing. 'Don't talk any further, I can save you Yukimura, with my powers I will save you! I won't let you die, you've been like a big brother to me ever since I came to the clan, like the brother I never had!! You are our leader, I won't let the rest of the clan down!! If I had only taken care of Nobunaga earlier, if I had only cared less about finding out the truth and more about-... It's my fault, I should have-... I will save you!!' There was, however, nothing I could do at the time as his life was slowly slipping away from me. He then reached out for my hand as he grabbed a hold onto it. He said; 'Remember what we have agreed upon, what you have learned-... Everyone will face their time eventually, and I will die accepting that-... I am glad that I can die side-by-side with you in battle-...' 'But you can still, you are still-...' 'Hagoromo-... I know what you are thinking... But whatever you do, don't bring me back... It nearly-... Killed you-... The last time-... And it is not-... Right-... Pr-omise-... Me??' Gasping for air, Yukimura was on his final breath. I was so teared up I couldn't even answer as I simply nodded back at him. With a smile on his face, yet another legend passed on. I was truly devastated...
"Wielding his blood sword,
A hero who fights with pride,
And slays with honor.
He is a brave soul,
Drawing blood only for peace,
Never for vengeance.
Even if he falls,
In the midst of a battle,
His name will stay on."
As I sat there in my own despair, watching as the light vanished from his eyes, I couldn't help feeling that I could have done something to save him. I reached my hand out to his face as I closed them. I had lost my best friend, my brother, and no matter how much I wanted to, I had promised him not to bring him back. What was done, was done, and I was truly heartbroken. As I sat there however, it wouldn't take long before familiar faces came riding in towards us. Led on by Nagamasa, they quickly surrounded the two of us. From within the ranks, I could see him. I knew that what laid ahead, would not be an easy moment. It was Yukimura's son, Danivass, and seeing his dead father on the ground, he too broke out in tears. I stood up as I went for a walk. I needed some air to clear my thoughts. Seeing this, Nagamasa quickly came up to me as I laid out the details. The details about Nobunaga, the details about Tadakatsu, and of Yukimura, everything that I saw reasonable to share. He simply replied; 'So it's finally over...' You could see that Nagamasa was affected by Yukimura's death but he knew there was no point nor time to grieve here, nor was there any need to dwell in the matter of how I was able to defeat Tadakatsu himself either. Gathering his troops, he concluded that the battle was now over and that they could set eyes upon returning to camp. And with that, the war had finally come to an end...
In the days that followed, the Tokugawa clan and their leader Ieyasu quickly called a truce, and having once again found my path of peace, I decided that it was better not to cause more bloodshed. Nagamasa agreed and everyone who surrendered was spared. I even let Hanzo Hattori go, despite every bone in my body calling for his head. I knew now that everything that had happened, was because of Nobunaga and Nobunaga alone, so I couldn't really blame them. However, Nobunaga wasn't responsible for his own actions, the actions that had caused everything bad in my life to happen. So therefore, I started preparing myself for the unavoidable battle that soon would be upon me. Only I could stand against my grandparents and stop them. Only I could avenge Nobunaga, Yukimura and all the rest and bring them to justice. Only then could the land fully witness true peace. Before that, a truce was made up between all the clans as I brought up a new sect and started spreading my teaching of peace across the land, just like I had always dreamt of and just like I had initially started doing all those years ago; staying true to the spirit of the old sect by naming the new one after it. Having also been able to clear everything out with Trea, I could finally relax a bit as things were rather quiet for the time to come. Yukimura also had a funeral so grand, that even his past rivals from across the land came to pay their respect to him. His son, Danivass, had written a poem to honor his father, which he presented in front of the crowd;
"Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush,
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die."
As the funeral came to an end, I could finally set my eyes upon the future. Coming over to me, Trea seemed rather quiet. I told her that everything was going to be alright and that she didn't need to worry. Having been entrusted by Yukimura and my father to do the right thing, I knew I had to get stronger in order to face my grandparents. I started experimenting with different techniques using my chakra, and studying the Founding Book of Jutsu even further, I one day managed to develop a technique to create what is now known as the Five Treasure Tools. This was only one of my many selfish desires that later would come back to haunt me, the one thing the wizard had warned me about. At the time, I didn't think much of consequences however, as I now felt that I was ready to face them. Looking far and wide, I finally came upon their palace high up in a snowy mountain. It was just as I had envisioned, just as Nobunaga had told it.
In my left hand was the Master Sword, in my right the Staff of Fortune & Destiny. On my back, a large rolled up scroll. As I first placed feet on the concrete floor leading up to the entrance before me, I immediately felt a shivering cold down my spine. A dark and powerful aura rested over this place. As I continued forward, I could feel a gentle breeze upon my face as it was mixed with a faint hint of snow. I pulled down the clothing covering my face a bit as I looked around. Not a single torch to spot. This place seemed not only dead, but also abandoned. Had I really come to the right place? I had walked halfway across the palace ground when I started hearing some indistinct voices. Clutching my head, I knew this was the same as with Nobunaga, but I still couldn't understand what they were saying. It was as if it was in another language entirely, maybe even from out of this world. I could feel a presence sneaking up on me as the voices only became louder and louder. Trying to block the voices out, I reached the staff out in front of me as I thrust it hard into the ground, as if trying to release a Genjutsu that had been cast upon me. Nothing happened. At first the voices disappeared, but then they swiftly came back. Once more I thrust the staff into the ground only this time, I shouted out something else instead. As I did, a bright light emitted from it as it spread across the whole ground, and out of the last flame of light, two dark fogs appeared, as if having been created by a black fire. The two fogs however, then started taking form as they floated around me with the voices still trying to speak. It was then that the vocal cords of the voices started changing as I suddenly could hear something I was able to understand. They both spoke to me, as if being alive. I was baffled.
'Who are you??...' One of the fogs vaguely uttered. The other one followed up; 'He's strong...' 'Yes, he has some powerful items with him... Is he human??' Their voices were so faint that I had to concentrate hard to be able to grasp what they said, but even through their stuttering voices, I could clearly hear that they belonged to two foul creatures. I had to be careful, and I knew it. 'How did you find us??...' 'Why are you here??...' Still floating around mid-air, the two fogs seemed more curious than anything else, asking one question after another. 'What is your name??' Stopping right before me, the two fogs came straight up to my face as if trying to take a closer look. I took a step back to gain some space but they only followed. 'He's not scared of us. He's no ordinary human, is he?' 'I can sense chakra within this man, could he be??...' Halting in front of me, the two fogs then started transforming. I watched closely as they changed into two humanized characters before me. They were indeed the ones I was looking for. 'You are Kaguya's kid, aren't you?' The older man asked. 'So this is Hamura?' The older woman followed. 'So that's how he was able to find us...' A smile then formed on the old man's face, but I had yet to realize why. 'Hamura is not my name.' I firmly replied. In disbelief, the two elders looked at me. 'I can sense that you are here for a reason... You are here for revenge, aren't you??' 'So our daughter's other child survived as well??... Then you must be Hagoromo...'
Realizing this, a smile also formed on the older woman's face. I wanted to get this over with, but somehow, they didn't seem hostile at all. Had they not foreseen this day? Or had they already seen tons of potential from this promising meeting? 'Then I must greet you, my grandson. My name is Kuroi Otsutsuki.' Reaching his hand out, the older man wanted me to take his hand. I knew it was a setup, this was exactly how Nobunaga had fallen under their control all those years ago. I jumped back as I holstered the Master Sword on my back, and reaching for the scroll, I quickly rolled it out on the ground as I stamped the staff into the writings displayed on it. As I did, the staff was sucked inside of the scroll, and in return, five legendary items suddenly stood before me. 'He seems serious... He wants a battle, doesn't he?' The older woman stated. 'He's been corrupted by Nobunaga's lies... So our attempts to get through to him when the spell broke was futile...' Kuroi declared, clearly reflecting back at the moment in the burning castle. 'So how is your father, Hagoromo?' He continued. 'No more nonsense, I know everything and I'm here to put an end to it all!!' Shouting out, I quickly picked up a large fan that would emit any element I so desired. I had named it, the Banana Palm Fan. Releasing an intense fireball their way, I watched as they easily transformed and dodged it without much of an effort. Reappearing once more, they simply looked at me. I knew they were stronger than any opponents I had faced before.
'You got it all wrong kid...' Kuroi then said. 'Are you not interested in hearing our part of the story?' My grandmother expressed. 'I know all about the Corruption Gene, how you broke the truce and put my father in trance for 28 years to do your bidding! I know you forced my mother and brother into hiding and that you commanded my father on a quest to hunt me down my entire life! You are the reason to all of my griefs! You are the reason why my life has been nothing but death and sorrow! Whatever you say, whatever you do, I won't be corrupted by your filthy lies!!' I had finally got serious as I let it all out, and instead of objecting, it was as if they understood, as if they knew there was no way turning me to their side regardless of what they had to say. Swinging the fan once more, I sent out one elemental attack after the other, with no concern of the amount of chakra I was spending. Simply dodging between the attacks, it was as if they were reserving their powers. 'This isn't working, time for another trick.' Realizing that I was only wasting chakra, I threw the fan up in the air as I clapped my hands together. With that, it was gone in the poof of a smoke as I then reached down for three of the other items on the ground. The first was a thick golden rope that I wrapped around my left arm. I called it the Golden Canopy Rope, and it was able to draw out the spirit word of anyone it came in contact with. Second was the Seven Star Sword, which could be used to sever the spirit word of those struck by the Golden Canopy Rope. And lastly, the Crimson Gourd, which would record and seal the drawn out spirit word, trapping the target inside. Taking up a special stance to wield them all at once, I knew that this was a bet that was as unreliable as it possibly could get, but on the other hand, this was probably my only chance at defeating them both, which justified the reason to why I created these tools in the first place. Leaping off, I aimed to take them head on.
"The harsh winds bite at my very soul,
Alone I sit, waiting for the fight to commence,
Heart racing, sweat pours despite the cold,
Caution…not today,
The warrior reaps the spoils,
Cowards merely pray,
Scars are reminders,
Painful, but not fatal,
Lessons of a fighter,
Forward! I march to claim what is mine,
Steel raised above my head,
My sword of truth transcends time,
Seize the day!
Lord steady thy hand,
Use wisdom, guide my way,
The moment is now,
Not past heartaches,
Nor future vows,
Slay the demons, for they must fall,
Thrust thy sword deep,
Only then will I hear Victory’s call."
The battle went on for what seemed like an hour. I was totally exhausted at that point, having spent a large portion of my chakra already. I hadn't gone totally unrewarded though, as I had managed to use the three legendary treasured tools to seal away my grandmother. Kuroi was furious to say the least. Tossing the three of them up in the air, I once again clapped my hands together as all of them disappeared in a poof of smoke. It was time to bring out and use the final tool, the Amber Purifying Pot, as I called it. I was certain that there would be no other way for me to defeat my grandfather, not at this stage. Looking at me with a menacing look, he seemed hellbent on bringing me down. 'It's a shame it had to go down this way, Hagoromo... I had really looked forward to twisting your ways and putting you to much greater purpose. Now it seems I only got one choice.' 'So my father spoke the truth after all, you really are the embodiment of evil...' 'I guess since we are panning it that way...' 'I see... Well I guess your plan is to finish me off then. Isn't that right, Kuroi?' 'Yes...' Replying in a cold tone, my grandfather seemed calm. The next few seconds are a bit hard to explain, but as you know, the Amber Purifying Pot has the ability to suck the target in and seal them away. In contrast to the other tools, it requires a lot less, but at the same time, even more chakra than the others. The only requirement is to call out to the target and have them reply. And with that, my grandfather was swiftly being sealed away as he was swearing in all types of tongue-twisting sounds on his way out. Trying to transform into a fog to get out of the predicament he now found himself in, I quickly slammed the lid on top of the pot as I fell over with my one hand still firmly on top of it. It felt like I was going to die. This move had indeed been a risky one although it had worked just as I had planned. I needed something extraordinary to be able to defeat my grandparents like Nobunaga stated... I would not have been able to come out of this one alive without these tools and I knew it. Clapping my hands together once more, the last tool also disappeared in a poof of smoke. Heading over to the rolled out scroll, I wrapped it together and tied it on my back. Then, it was time for my trip home. What I didn't realize however, was that the battle wasn't really over just yet.
A foul indistinct voice then suddenly came shouting at me as I was walking towards the path I had used to get up here. Turning around, I felt a dark fog run straight through my body. Gasping for air, I turned around as my grandfather suddenly stood transformed behind me. Before I managed to think, a sword pierced through my left side as I grabbed on to it in pain, trying to stop its piercing motion. 'How, did you escape??' I uttered. 'You underestimated your own grandfather? Of course that was not the real me.' An evil smirk formed on his face as he thrust his sword even deeper through my body. Letting go of the sword, he watched as I fell to my knees in pain. This was not how it was suppose to go down, this was not the plan. Grabbing a hold of his sword again, pulling it out of me as he did, he then pointed it at my neck. 'You are powerful, but I can sense that something behind the scenes has filled you up with that strength. You learned all of your moves from something, from someone... You were instructed on how to awaken your chakra, weren't you? But not from Kaguya nor from Hamura? If someone else, powerful like us, exist in this world, I would like to meet with him.' Withdrawing his sword, Kuroi then turned around as he looked down one of the sides of the snowy hill. 'Maybe I should use you after all, you could be my most powerful creation yet, even more powerful than that invincible warrior you faced earlier... Your father was no use after all either, so I might as well see what you are capable of now that your grandmother is gone... I have you to thank for that, so I might call it a way of you paying your debt to me.' Turning around, he once again looked at me, only this time, he reached his hand out. 'Let me end your pain and heal your wounds here and now. Let's bring this pointless battle to an end... You will not even notice. No regrets, no pain, no worries... Together, we will claim this land our own, Hagoromo...' I refused to listen to him as I was clutching on to my wound which only continued bleeding. My vision was getting blurry, and I was losing blood fast. Somehow, as he was reaching his hand out, it was as if my right hand moved on its own, pulled forth by an unknown force as I tried to hold it back. But I couldn't, my powers were fading away as our hands came in contact with each other. Squeezing my hand hard, I could feel his powerful dark aura surging into me. I tried fighting it, but the more I sucked up, the better I felt. I had failed, not only myself, but I had failed everyone. I couldn't let him beat me, I just couldn't...
Shouting out, I tried to release my hand from his grip, but I had no strength left to break free. Seeing one last desperate move, I reached out for the Master Sword with my left hand as I drew it and swung it fast towards his hand. This was the only way I could cut myself free from him and I knew it. As the blade connected with him however, the part of his body that it had swung through had turned to smoke on impact, and our hands were thus still connected as it immediately returned back to flesh again as soon as the sword's swing had finished going through. 'You won't escape my control, Hagoromo. You are mine now. You know what they say, right? Like father, like son... This world shall be mine to rule.' Squeezing my hand even harder, I could only stare back at him. A furious rage shivered through my entire body. I was at my breaking point but I would not let him win, even if I was to go down with him, I just couldn't let him win. Seeing no other way out, I once again prepared my sword as he only looked at me smiling. This time though, I did the unthinkable. Swinging the sword at a rapid pace, I swung it at my own hand instead as I cut it clean through. I fell backwards in pain as blood was gushing out. My grandfather looked at me in disbelief as he let go of my severed hand. 'Now why would you do that?' He asked. I looked at him, now was my chance.
Forcing myself up to my feet, I swiftly swung the sword in his direction as he easily dodged, but I didn't stop there as I kicked my severed hand towards him as he covered his face not to get hit by it. That was the only opening I needed as I leaped towards him so fast that he didn't manage to react in time. Plunging the Master Sword through his chest, I landed on top of him as I still retained a firm grip on the sword, pressing my body-weight on top of it to pierce the sword even deeper into his body. Blood gushed out of his mouth as he tried to get himself free, but to no vain. 'I can't transform?!' He stuttered. 'This is the Blade of Evil's Bane, the Legendary Master Sword... No evil can escape it!' Pushing the sword even deeper, I knew I had hit a vital point. Everything was almost black now as I struggled to keep my focus due to the blood-loss. I jerked the sword further and further through him as I shouted out the names of my fallen allies and friends with each inch it further dug into his body. 'This one is for Yukimura! This one is for Nobunaga!! This one is for the Sanada clan!!! This one is the harm you caused to Trea!!!! This one is for the Sect!!!!! This one is for my Father-in-law!!!!!! This one is for my foster parents!!!!!!! AND THIS ONE IS FOR THE PAIN YOU HAVE INFLICTED UPON ME!!!!!!!!' Screaming out, I used the last bits of my energy as the sword finally came through, hitting the ground on the other side. One last gasp left his body, as Kuroi, my grandfather, was no more... The Master Sword began beaming in a bright color as his entire body was sucked into it, sealed away for all eternity. Pulling it out from the ground, I quickly holstered it as I crawled over to my hand. 'I can still make it.' I thought to myself as I attached the hand to my arm, using up the final bits of chakra I had left as it instantly grew back on like nothing had happened. With that, I toppled over as my eyes closed shut. I had no more chakra left to tend to my other wound. A miracle had to happen now if I was to make it, and the only thing I could think of, was if I only had learned to preform medical techniques sooner so that I could have saved Yukimura back then. With that, everything went dark.
What was suppose to be the end and the start of a new beginning with true peace being able to thrive in the land for the first time in thousand years, was only just the more of the same, at least for god knew how much longer. I slowly came to myself sometime later on, still on the top of the snowy mountain. I could only see a bright light blinding me as the appearance of a man could barely be seen though the intense light. 'Am I dead?' I asked. 'Your life has just begun, Hagoromo.' The answer sounded. With that, both the light and the man were gone as I came to myself gasping. Feeling out my body, I quickly realized that my wound had been healed and that I felt totally recovered. How was that possible and who was that man? I quickly got back up to my feet as I started the long climb down. I wanted to head home to Trea now, and that was the only thing I could think about. Returning home, I was glad to see that everything was alright as she welcomed me. I laid out the details as she was quite shocked to hear them. She told me not to think too much into it though as whatever I felt like I had to do, was now finally over. She was right, there was nothing more for me to do now than working to make sure that the peace thrived. Packing away the scroll with all the Treasured Tools I had in my possession in a secret place, which included the Staff of Fortune & Destiny, the Founding Book of Jutsu, The Amber Purifying Pot, the Golden Canopy Rope, the Banana Palm Fan, the Seven Star Sword, and finally, the Crimson Gourd, I then turned my attention away from the house for some fresh air. The only thing I kept with me, was the Master Sword, as I went to see Yukimura's grave. I had to tell him that both his own and the rest of the Sanada clan's spirit, had finally been avenged. His dream had come true, and peace was all that mattered now.
Two years then rapidly passed by without as much as a single incident of wrong-doing taking place. I had already spread the basic concept of Ninshu far and wide and things really started to look like what I had always imagined it to be, ever since being accepted into the Holy Sect of Peace, all those years ago. One day, a mysterious visitor suddenly came to see me; at my house of all places. I heard Trea calling me as I came into the main room. Just like that, he once again stood before me. Why had he come to see me now? I could only listen to find out. Yes, it was the great wizard himself, and I immediately sensed that something of big proportions, were about to go down.
~ End of Chapter 6 ~
Fun Facts & Author's note:
1: This has to be the biggest chapter yet, and I needed it to be. Not only to just satisfy my own need for one, but because it simply had to go down this way. I had after all, been stalling the plot that takes place in the next chapter, for three or so chapters already, originally planning to have the Jubi appear around chapter 4.
2: Much inspiration for writing this chapter came from going through and re-reading the already 5 released ones. That is also why I've had Hagoromo reflect back on what has happened, what he had said in the past, and so on. Even the quote from the monk, his Father-In-Law & Trea's father, came from the 1st chapter. It helped me to sort of "conclude" the first arc of this storyline.
3: Now that we have finally dived deeper into the Otsutsuki clan, I would like to state something that might be conflicting with the canon story. The fact that we haven't heard much about the background story for the clan in the manga, I decided early on that I would go with my own imagination when describing it. However, also knowing that the Last Naruto the Movie dives further into this as well (a movie I won't be able to see before it comes out subbed on dvd I would Imagine - Can't stand the cam rips), I'll most likely have to disregard most of what's being established there due to not knowing about it, and due to most likely completing this story before then.
4: Today's fun fact is... With this chapter, it was finally confirmed that Nobunaga Oda was in fact Hagoromo's real biological father. With this fact out on the table, it's cool to think that Hagoromo also have actually met his aunt (Oichi), as well as heard of his uncle (Nobuyuki, who died in the war). Whether Hagoromo himself has realized this or not is another matter. To be said though, he couldn't tell Nagamasa what truly went down between Nobunaga and himself, so even if he knew, it would be wise to keep that fact to himself.
5: And now for the big one... This chapter is by far my favorite one to write in this tale, not only because of the content (it was crammed with content for sure), but also because of everything that happened. Having to write the deaths of one samurai legend after another with so little time in between, really impacted this chapter a ton. And now you're all wondering... "How could you have the heart to kill off Yukimura?!?!" Well truth been told, this was one of the harder decisions I've made when it comes to my writing (probably top four with having to kill off Revan in The Forgotten Tale, and Rin & Bruce in the Series Finale of my TLSoK Series). One thing is that Yukimura was/is one of my all time favorite characters to write, but also the impact he had on the first half of this story was also one of the bigger ones. I had originally thought out that he would survive, but it was only later that I figured that I would have him die in the hands of Hagoromo instead, "passing on the torch". In my eyes, it was a beautiful death, despite the fact that he lost out to his rival and didn't manage to avenge his family and clan members. I figured that instead of having to write him out by having him totally absent from the rest of the chapters in this story, I would instead give him something to conclude his character with and to make a bigger impact on the reader. I would love to hear your takes on this, because some of you might not agree on this.
6: There's a lot of notes this time around, but I know they're only here for those who are extra interested (pointing at Kuroi for instance, haha), so if you don't read them, that's fine too. For this note, I want to talk a bit about the "general surrounding elements" that I use to slowly form Hagoromo into the Sage of Six Paths. Now, since not a lot is known, I've used most of these free reigns to my advantage, and since he's basically "father of all jutsu," despite the wizard's influences, it's easy to not go into details of everything Hagoromo accomplishes. For example, the things he did to revive Trea, what he actually did to create the Five Treasured Tools, the nature and the explanation behind his techniques, and so on. So yeah, I've given Hagoromo free reigns as I don't see him "bound" by the restrictions of the Shinobi we see in later generations. That's even how he managed to sense that something was wrong with Nobunaga, and how he eventually managed to find his grandparents.
7: Every installment in this tale only gets bigger and bigger, and staying true to that formula, this chapter was the biggest one yet. In fact, judging by words count alone, this was one of the biggest chapters I've ever written (excluding the obvious ones like my Series Finale Parts of course). I also decided to try something new so I included some "poems" along the way, both taken from the internet (which means they don't belong to me whatsoever and I can't take credit for them), and one I even made by myself. Here's the link to it:
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8: As this chapter sort of ends the "Samurai" era of this tale, I've been reflecting a bit back on the characters that made their way into this story, and I can't help thinking that I should have gone for even more samurai influences of the Sengoku Jidai. Then again despite how it looks, this tale was never suppose to be about samurai, and the next chapter will finally drive the plot in the direction it was always suppose to take.
9: For those of you who saw the whole thing of the Extra Credit: Sengoku Jidai (The Warring State Period), and to wrap up my video linking "run," I thought I would link you to something new they released, something they release after every period of time they go through apparently. It's a video about the errors and such that was made/said in the original 6 parts series. Worth a watch:
Link for those who can't see the YouTube video for some reason:
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10: That's all I got (10 notes, for real Michael? xP). Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I, and that you have some things to say about it! As a bonus to this chapter, I made myself a new signature to give you guys a better understanding of how I envision some the characters in this tale to be like, so be sure to take a look at it
I'll be taking a small break (call it a "Mid-Season" Break if you like) from writing to focus on something else in the coming weeks, so I don't think the next one will be up before three or four weeks' time, sorry about that. On the good side though, with the first "arc" of this story concluded, it will feel like a fresh start for the most of it. Comment, rate subscribe (lol), and hope to catch you later. Bye ^^
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