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Chapter 17: The Prisoner of War
Yuuki carried me back to the temporary camp. The villagers, the elder, and my group was in a grove inside a dense forest. I regained enough strength to stand and walk on my own. The villagers looked at me in amazement.
"Did they...?" I began to ask Yuuki.
"Yes, they saw the battle with the Juubi. They believe you caused an entire forest to raise up from the ground," she answered.
"But that isn't true. It was Uzima," I replied.
"These people are in hysterics. Right now there is no point in arguing with them," she explained. I watched as the bewildered people clutter around my feet and call things such as 'Kami.' I pulled away from them.
"I am no god. I am just another person," I explained.
"You are our savior!" one villager announced.
"You who took on the Juubi, bare-handed! You must surely be a god!" another proclaimed.
"I am just one person. My power can be wielded by anybody. All that is needed is Chakra! Once you learn Ninshu, you can begin to defend yourself," I replied. The villagers began to speak with each other quietly.
"Teach us this power!" they demanded.
"Yes, We will begin tomorrow. But for now, you should all return to your homes. There is a lot of work to be done," I replied. They all agreed and returned to their homes. I took a deep sigh of relief as Kaguya and Uzima returned, and I was greeted by two others of my group. They carried with them, a man in samurai armor. He looked young, a few years younger then me. He bore the crest of the imperial army.
"Tengen, this man attempted to flee, but we caught him," one of them told me.
"Please, do not kill me! I will do anything!" the man begged.
"It is dishonorable for a warrior to beg for his life," I replied calmly. He began to cower in fear. "...but it is also dishonorable to kill a man with no way to defend himself." The man sighed in relief. "May I ask you your name?"
"Yes, I am Ginrei Hikifune. Former private of the imperial army," he replied.
"Former?" I asked.
"Yes, you see, after the commander was killed and the fortress was destroyed, we were disowned by the great lord. Since then we have needed to use the resources of this village to survive," he replied.
"I see, well that is a start. So what is it you plan to do now?"
"I have nowhere to go. Those guys were the only ones I had left. My family lives on the other side of the continent and I have no money. I would surely starve on my return trip," he explained.
"Tell me, are you loyal to the emperor?" I asked.
"Tengen...what are you getting at?" Kaguya asked.
"What is it you think I am doing?" I replied.
"It looks like you are planning on getting this soldier to join us," he answered.
"Perhaps," I vaguely answered.
"They are the enemy!" he shouted.
"I don't remember starting a war," I replied.
"Maybe so, but..."
"Kaguya, we are not soldiers. We are missionaries. We are spreading ninshu around the world. Through Ninshu, the people of the world can achieve equality. And through this equality, the world shall know peace. How can we preach peace if we declare war?" I asked.
" I suppose we can't," he answered.
"Alright then, so Ginrei, are you loyal to the emperor?"
"No sir," he replied.
"Very good then. So tomorrow you shall join us on our journey. And on the way, I shall teach you Ninshu and help you get home," I told him. His face glowed with excitement.
"Thank You!" He yelled. I smiled as I watched him breath a sigh of relief, but out of the corner of my eye, I watched Kaguya walking away.
"This is not a good idea."
Chapter 17: The Prisoner of War
Yuuki carried me back to the temporary camp. The villagers, the elder, and my group was in a grove inside a dense forest. I regained enough strength to stand and walk on my own. The villagers looked at me in amazement.
"Did they...?" I began to ask Yuuki.
"Yes, they saw the battle with the Juubi. They believe you caused an entire forest to raise up from the ground," she answered.
"But that isn't true. It was Uzima," I replied.
"These people are in hysterics. Right now there is no point in arguing with them," she explained. I watched as the bewildered people clutter around my feet and call things such as 'Kami.' I pulled away from them.
"I am no god. I am just another person," I explained.
"You are our savior!" one villager announced.
"You who took on the Juubi, bare-handed! You must surely be a god!" another proclaimed.
"I am just one person. My power can be wielded by anybody. All that is needed is Chakra! Once you learn Ninshu, you can begin to defend yourself," I replied. The villagers began to speak with each other quietly.
"Teach us this power!" they demanded.
"Yes, We will begin tomorrow. But for now, you should all return to your homes. There is a lot of work to be done," I replied. They all agreed and returned to their homes. I took a deep sigh of relief as Kaguya and Uzima returned, and I was greeted by two others of my group. They carried with them, a man in samurai armor. He looked young, a few years younger then me. He bore the crest of the imperial army.
"Tengen, this man attempted to flee, but we caught him," one of them told me.
"Please, do not kill me! I will do anything!" the man begged.
"It is dishonorable for a warrior to beg for his life," I replied calmly. He began to cower in fear. "...but it is also dishonorable to kill a man with no way to defend himself." The man sighed in relief. "May I ask you your name?"
"Yes, I am Ginrei Hikifune. Former private of the imperial army," he replied.
"Former?" I asked.
"Yes, you see, after the commander was killed and the fortress was destroyed, we were disowned by the great lord. Since then we have needed to use the resources of this village to survive," he replied.
"I see, well that is a start. So what is it you plan to do now?"
"I have nowhere to go. Those guys were the only ones I had left. My family lives on the other side of the continent and I have no money. I would surely starve on my return trip," he explained.
"Tell me, are you loyal to the emperor?" I asked.
"Tengen...what are you getting at?" Kaguya asked.
"What is it you think I am doing?" I replied.
"It looks like you are planning on getting this soldier to join us," he answered.
"Perhaps," I vaguely answered.
"They are the enemy!" he shouted.
"I don't remember starting a war," I replied.
"Maybe so, but..."
"Kaguya, we are not soldiers. We are missionaries. We are spreading ninshu around the world. Through Ninshu, the people of the world can achieve equality. And through this equality, the world shall know peace. How can we preach peace if we declare war?" I asked.
" I suppose we can't," he answered.
"Alright then, so Ginrei, are you loyal to the emperor?"
"No sir," he replied.
"Very good then. So tomorrow you shall join us on our journey. And on the way, I shall teach you Ninshu and help you get home," I told him. His face glowed with excitement.
"Thank You!" He yelled. I smiled as I watched him breath a sigh of relief, but out of the corner of my eye, I watched Kaguya walking away.
"This is not a good idea."
