• The Story of Katakune Tamoku
    (Hardships)

    Chapter 1 - "Leaving"


    "Tsumi!"
    Aw man, he beat me again! I hang my head in shame and grab my poor little king piece, wondering just how he got me to checkmate so easily. It's ok though, right? I mean living with my brother is probably better than if had to live with my real parents, I think. He's just so good at teaching me so many things. I smile, staring into my hand, fiddling with the king-piece. He's so trustworthy, nice, and never keeps secrets from me.
    A burst of encouragment runs through my veins and I quickly jolt up to challenge him once more, but when I look into his eyes, I sense something wrong. "Brother? are we going to do another round?" He still doesn't answer me. "B-brother, what's wrong?" My clench to the piece gets looser as I get worried. "Brother, answer--" He finally makes a movement, no emotion on his face, staring blankly at me. He sighs and finally talks, "Katakune-katotekushi", he pauses, enough time for me to reply, "Brother? What is wrong with you? You have never called me by my full name before. Am I in trouble?"
    "No, Kune-kun, you're not in trouble, but there is something I must tell you." I got nervous, I could feel my heart beating faster. What was he going to say? What would my reaction be? "Uh, what--", I hesitate, "what is it brother?" He sighs and looks me in the eyes with his cold gray-colored eyes, concentric rings around the pupils. "I have to leave you here alone, Katakune." My eyes widen and my mouth drops, along with the piece, breaking into little pieces on the ground. I stutter, trying to get words out, but nothing comes out. I'm in such a great state of shock I feel as if my heart could explode from beating so fast.
    "I have to do this, Katakune. I've noticed that all the people I've sealed the demons within have been hated their whole lives. The people of their villages see them as the demon themselves and it's my fault. I made innocent kids have a whole life of sadness and sorrow just because I saved the rest of the land. I thought my way was the best way, but I guess I was wrong. I'm making an organization named The "Red Moon". It consists of only me. I'm going to go out there alone, try to find those lonely people, and unseal those demons within them. I see the wrongs I have done to the country and I'm going to go out to set those demons free, back into the land to stop people from hating me. To stop people from hating them."
    I had no idea what to say, so I just came up with the first thing that came to mind. "But what about me? Who's going to take care of me? Where are you going to go? I can't live here alone- I have to come with you! I'm only nine, Tatsuka, I can't live by myself like this, you know that! I'm not old enough. I'm not ready for this kind of pressure, oh, Tatsuka, please don't go! I beg of you!" Tears started to form around my eyes, and I started to deny it. "This is not true! you're just tricking me! You really aren't going anywhere, I know it!" I laugh like I'm the one telling the truth, "Isn't that right, Tatsuka? This is just one big trick you've told to me to teach me a lesson, right?" I stood there looking at him with a smile. That smile turned into and akward expression, and then into an unsure face. I slowly sat back down and rested my head into my legs. "You really are leaving, aren't you?" I mumbled.
    Tatsuka sighed again. "I'm afraid it's true, I only have a limited time left with you, I have to leave when the moon reaches high above us. Tonight is the night of the red moon." A single tear rolled down my cheek and i sniffed. mixed emotions ran through my head. "I can't believe you, but it seems I have no choice." I shut my eyes tight and bit my bottom lip to keep from bawling. I started to whine and Tatsuka stood up, walked over to me, kneeled down next to me, and touched my hand lightly. I suddenly looked up at him with red eyes and a trembling lip. Tatsuka wiped the wet glossy tear-tracks from my cheeks and smiled at me. "Katakune, it's far too late for me to change my mind. I'm going tonight no matter what. Please don't be sad, ok?" I looked back down, voice breaking, and finally acquiesed.
    We sat there in an akward silence for about twenty minutes and Tatsuka finally said, "Katakune," he got my attention and I weakly stared at him, "We have a few hours before sunset and moonrise. I have a little bit of time to teach you some weaponary techniques, because those seem best for your talent. I won't have enough time to teach you Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, or any other technique in a such short time. All of those special Jutsus would take about a day each, non-stop to master; it would take a week to do all of them. That is why I've picked the best one I think you could master easily. I see you are very smart and have very good aim." Tatuska gets up and walks to the back door. "I will show you how to attack and defend with any weapon that you have, ok? Now get your stuff and let's go." He opens the back door and a blinding light floods the whole house. I sheild my eyes, not saying anything until he closes the door.
    I slowly take my arm away from my face and blankly stare at the floor. Everything is going so fast. One minute we were playing Shougi cheerfully and the next minute i found out Tatsuka had to leave me forever. Today has gone downhill in a flash.
    Without a thought I get my scroll vest on, buckle up my shuriken pack, and strap on my kunai holder to my leg. I slowly walk to the back door, a thousand thoughts in my head, and open it. I quickly flench and force my palms to my eyes, shutting out every bit of light to them. I hear Tatsuka call out for me and I follow his voice. I open my eyes and blink until my vision clears up again. I look around me and see a bunch of up-right logs and scarecrows with targets on them. My eyes open wide in surprise, I've never seen anything like this! Tatsuka tells me it's a training field where skilled Ninjas go to test their skills in Jutsu and other abilities. I suddenly get into it, asking him a whole bunch of questions. He just stops me and tells me we have to get to work.
    "To start, Katakune, I'll show you how to attack long range with weapons." He throws it about ten meters away from a log and it hits directly into the target. "Bulls-eye!" I shout, "Good one, Tatsuka! Do another!"
    "Oh, no, Katakune, it's you're turn now. just aim and be sure to have a lot of power." I pull out a kunai, close one eye, and stick out my tongue. Next I pull back and lunge forward, throwing the kunai with enough force to go through an elephant. I was close though, it went straight to the center of the target and went right through the log, and into another one behind it, another bulls-eye. "Yes! I did it!" Tatsuka just stands there amazed at what I have done and looks at me with an opened mouth. I look back at him with teeth grinning from ear to ear. His astonished gaze turns into a confident smile and I feel like we're back to where things were supposed to be. Just me and my brother having fun every day like we used to.
    About an hour passed and Tatsuka kept teaching me everything he knew, which I, of course, passed with flying colors. I didn't even notice the sun set and before long we were training in the pitch black, dehydrated and sweaty. I fell down in the soft grass laughing at how much fun I had, spending my last hours with my brother. I look up at him looking up at the moon. I look up too and see it right above us. I guess the fun times had stopped. I stood up and clinged to him. "Brother, no."
    "Remember, Kune-kun, it's too late now, I've made up my mind." My lips trembled more, "I don't want you to go, I just want you to remember the fun times we always had, and the fun time we just had. doesn't that mean anything to you?"
    "Katakune. It means everything to me. I know how you feel right now, and I'm sorry. It's just my time to leave. I'll always be with you in your heart, you know." I started to cry, "But what about me? I doubt I can live only knowing how to handle weapons! That's surly not all, is it?"
    "You're right Katakune, it's not. I'm going to give you ancient artifacts made from nearly extinct jewels, these are the only ones left. They will protect you in any way you need, whether it be offense or defence." Tatsuka throws a red jewel onto my neck and a blue jewel to my left wrist. I get scared and they suddenly start to form onto my neck and wrist. I hesitate and try to pull them off but end up falling down, off balance.
    "I programmed those tools to stay there on your body so they can't come off no matter what. They will protect you throughout your life until you are ready. Be careful how you use them though, because if you don't use them wisely, it will cause a great effect that will probably scar you for life. If you use them wisely however, they will grow in power and evolve to your skill until you have learned enough Jutsu to fend for yourself.
    I stare at the objects then at Tatsuka. "Katakune, I know you will become a great Shinobi one day and I hope to see you when you are grown up and wise. Until then, take this black rose with you to remember me by. It will fend off bad spirits and keep you in as much harmony as it's possible to do. Goodbye, Katakune."
    Tears gradually fall from my emotionless face as I stare at the flower. I take out a kunai and get ready to cut the bud off. I feel that I should only have something to remember someone by only if they're dead, but my concious tells me to stop. I set down the kunai and cry into the flower as I hear Tatsuka's footsteps fade away from my hearing.
    I know I will see him again someday, just not soon. I don't really know what happened today, but at the same time, I don't want to remember. My body goes limp and falls to the side as I cry myself to sleep, flower still in grasp.