A Song of Peace

As the sun would begin to set over the beautiful mountain range of the Land of Iron, illuminating the snowy peaks with its orange and yellow hues, Kensai Tanahashi would allow a soft smile to cross his lips. The newly named Shogun of the Land of Iron would simply appreciate the beautiful scenery around him, something that had truly been a unique experience for him. He had lived his entire life in the desert, never having a chance to wander far out of the Land of Wind. To be surrounded by such beauty and to be in the homeland of his people, the land of his ancestors, was a truly humbling experience indeed. He would hear the moan and chuff of his new friend, the large tiger rubbing at his side as Kensai would scratch him between the ears and under the chin, scanning the area to see if he could find a place to rest for the night.

”Don’t worry Tora, we’re almost done our adventure for today...”

It wouldn’t take him long to find a small outpost with a few houses and what appeared to be an inn set into the face of one of the mountains, which wasn’t something that Kensai had expected to see. He would chuckle and reach into his sarashi, wrapped expertly around the armour that was stamped with his crest, the crest of the Shogun, and pull out a tin of hand rolled cigarettes, pulling one out and lighting it as he inhaled deeply into his lungs, allowing the smoke to let his head swim before exhaling and watching it dissipate into the evening air. The two of them would make their way towards the outpost, Kensai wondering if they would say anything about the large tiger at his side, though Tora seemed to pay this no heed as he simply sauntered alongside the armour-clad samurai.

There were a few people walking around the small encampment, an older woman closing down a small stall outside of her house with the assistance of a man who appeared to be her son, a father chasing his children to try to get them back into the house for supper, and of course the Innkeeper outside sweeping the step of his inn. From the sounds and smells of things, dinner was being prepared to be served at the inn and a group of people seemed to be playing music, sounds of the Koto and Shakuhachi filling the air in a beautiful melody. The Iron Shogun’s eyes would light up as he heard this, and he would make his way towards the inn, the Innkeeper seeing him coming and giving a confused look before surprise had set in when he identified the insignia on Kensai’s armour.

”To what do I owe the pleasure, Master Tanahashi?” The Innkeeper would bow, though his eyes wouldn’t leave the large feline at Kensai’s side, something that the Samurai believed to be fair.

”We need a place to rest, and ideally some food Master Innkeeper...our Journey from the south has been long.” Kensai’s voice was strong but kind, and when he spoke the Innkeeper paused for a minute to think, likely about the logistics of potentially housing a tiger. ”My friend here likely wouldn’t mind staying outside if that is going to be an issue...he is far more used to this climate than I am.” This would draw a smile from the old Innkeeper as Tora chuffed while Kensai scratched him beneath the chin once more.

”A friend of the Shogun is a friend of mine, Lord Tanahashi. I wouldn’t dream of turning away any distinguished guests such as yourselves. I will...tell...the other patrons so that you don’t startle them. Feel free to make your way into the tavern if you wish, we will have fish served shortly, or if you’d prefer I can have your room made up quickly so you can retire.” Kensai would shake his head as he spoke the second option.

”No need to rush it, I could certainly use a bite to eat. Tora has eaten recently, so you needn’t worry about him.” The innkeeper almost looked relieved at not having to feed the Tiger, which Kensai supposed was quite fair. He would need to look into ways of getting the supplies he would need to feed his companion later, though at the moment as they roamed the mountains and valleys of the Land of Iron it was easy enough to find prey. They would certainly draw confused looks when they walked into the tavern, but as Kensai claimed a seat at an empty table, Tora would simply curl up near his feet and begin to huff before closing his eyes. It had been a long journey for both of them, and the relaxation would be well welcomed...

The warmth, the music, the people around who to be perfectly fair were mostly staring at him and Tora, being too nervous likely to approach the man, it was all a much welcomed change from the climate that he had spent the past several days in. He wasn’t used to the cold yet, something that would simply come in time, and he was greatly appreciative that Tora hadn’t decided that he would simply leave him. As he sat with a drink in his hand, a cup of green tea that tasted fresher than any he had ever had, he would allow his consciousness to take in what was going on around him, fine tuning his ki sensory ability to feel the activity of the village. He could feel the people moving among the paths, snowflakes falling through the air, the branches on trees rustling in the harsh winter wind. It was such an intense feeling, and nothing particularly felt out of place...

What was that?

Someone was moving very slowly towards the building that he was situated in, he could feel the movements through the wind as it seemed as though the cold had been draining the energy from the individual. He could feel heavy breath against the wind, laboured breathing. This person was having a difficult time reaching the place, but they we re there now, certainly nothing could...

Oh shit!

He felt the figure begin to collapse, Tora’s ears perking up as he snapped to attention when Kensai jumped out of his seat, using his impressive speed to get himself towards the door where he saw...her. She would be falling towards the ground, nearly hitting it before Kensai was able to catch her, diving forward so that the girl wouldn’t hurt herself as the Innkeeper returned with a concerned look on his face. He would run to throw Kensai a warm towel before going to get some supplies to help the girl. Ken would wrap the towel around her, should she allow it, and shake his head.

”Dear girl, what have you been through?” Something about her felt oddly familiar, but at the moment he simply couldn’t put his finger on it...

Spoiler:

Kensai frowned as the girl fell asleep in his arms. He looked towards the Innkeeper as he returned, telling him to lead him to the room that he had prepared as he brought a kettle, more towels and blankets, and some cups. He would lay the girl carefully on the bed in the room, putting a warm towel on her forehead to try to normalize her temperature. Tora would sit at the side of the bed, chuffing a greeting before groaning and resting his large head on the girl. Kensai would have chuckled at the idea of this if he wasn’t as concerned as he was. He didn’t have much medical experience, and realistically none when it came to cold, but he would attempt to keep the girl warm, and make some tea for when she awoke.

It was hard to shake the feeling that she looked like someone that he knew, but up until this point in his life, he had only ever met one man from the Land of Iron. The person he was thinking of was someone whom he had met once, and briefly, but he couldn’t shake the fact that this girl looked somewhat like him...What were the chances that the only person he had spoken too from the Land of Iron would look so similar to this young girl...unless...

Did she call me dad?

Maybe she was lost then, looking for her father...though the chance of that being Hagane was almost zero, though of course the similarities were certainly there. Otherwise Kensai could have reminded her of her father, but that seemed unlikely. He had white hair and darker skin than she, no resemblance at all between the two of them. He would simply take another sip of his tea and wait...

The Iron Shogun would watch as the girl began to stir, seeing her begin to struggle at first, though slightly, before petting Tora, who would moan and chuff his appreciation. He wound watch the big cat nuzzle into her hand before lifting his head, clearly satisfied that she wasn’t dead. Kensai would shake his head at the goofy cat. He had truly never had a companion like him, and he was greatly appreciative for Tora’s help. Ken would grab the free cup of tea, looking towards the girl.

”I am sorry, dear girl. I am not who you seek.”

The samurai would walk towards the girl with the cup, pulling the chair closer so that he could sit beside her. His cup sat nearby as he examined her once more. She was breathing normally, and appeared to be doing...better? He honestly wasn’t too sure, but she was breathing, and awake, and that was about as good as he could hope for all things considered.

”Can you sit? I’ve brought you some Oolong Tea...you should drink it, it’ll help you to relax and feel better.” He would offer her the cup, a soft smile upon his face as he had allowed his voice to drop to a more comfortable cadence than his normal strong tones. ”Why don’t you tell me what you’re doing in this place? Maybe I can help you.”

Kensai would nod as the girl would speak and tell him where she was trying to get to. A smile would cross his face at the statement, before she had introduced herself. He would ponder how to introduce himself for a moment, Tora enjoying the attention he was receiving as Kensai would move to scratch him under the chin as well. ”My name is Kensai Tanahashi, and I have come here to rebuild the home of our people. This is my companion Tora. I promised him I would bring him home when a poacher had deemed it fit to take him to the desert, and he has stayed by my side ever since.” He would poor another cup of tea and put it on the night stand beside the bed as he continued to sip his.

”You are already in the Land of the Samurai, as this entire country belongs to us. After the Shinobi came and decided that it was theirs to do with what they wish, I was tasked with bringing it back to its former prominence and helping the Samurai rebuild and become stronger.” He wondered if the thought of being in the room with the Shogun woulds be a bit overwhelming. While many had heard, there were those who may not know, and Kensai knew that. It wasn’t something he wanted to wave around if he didn’t have to.

”Where did you come from, if not here?”

He would grimace at the mention of the Hidden Sand. While he had loved there for the past couple of years, it had always been the place that had taken his family from him. He would never forget what had happened to him there, but finding it in his heart to forgive was much more likely. If his words had gotten through to Nozomi, then Azuma would lead the village and it would become a far better place for it. Her next statement would break his heart. This was the homeland of the Samurai, of his people, and yet this girl had opened a wound that he didn’t want to think about. He was here to rebuild, here to free the people of the Iron, here to lead them into a bright new future.

“I grew up in a small town outside of where the Village Hidden in the Sands was originally located. My father was a great Samurai warrior, a member of the Tanahashi clan, who had been sent by the Shogun at the time to learn more of the shinobi and report back. He trained me as a child with bow and blade, and when I was old enough he sent me on my own voyage of exile to survive in the desert...” Sadness, hurt, anger, all of these things flooded him in a split second, but he fought them all down.

”In that time, the Ninja Village of Sand had decided that it wasn’t large enough and had decided it would take over the small villages surrounding it, incorporating them into the sand village. My parents fought to stop the expansion, but the forces of the shinobi were overwhelming. They both died that day, and I never got to say goodbye...The shinobi took my family from me, like they took the homes from the Samurai.”

Determination remained, the only thing that was important. The drive to bring his people back to their peace and prosperity. “It was then that I was nominated as Shogun of the Land of Iron by a group that swore to take down the shinobi caste. It was there that my mission began. I seek the village home of our people so that I might unite the Samurai Clans once more, this time under the Tanahashi banner, and that I might lead us into an age of peace and prosperity. We will not allow hatred to consume us, for to do so would break the Bushido Code. We will act justly in all things...”

Judging by the girls response, it seemed as though she was likely still delirious from the sickness. It was as though she had completely misheard him, and with the fever it was fully possible that had happened. He had spoken of peace, of uniting the clans, and of acting justly, and yet here she was saying they had to ally with...who? He didn’t know. He supposed she likely mean the shinobi, which the idea was to stay out of their wars completely, but also open to trade with them. He was a peaceful man, a man of integrity and of justice, he was a good man. He had no intention of the world falling back into war, and he would do whatever he could to prevent that from happening.

He saw the tear run down her face and frowned, moving to brush it away with a hand towel beside him. He wondered if he had struck a nerve, but the girl hadn’t given him much indication of what was going on in her life. It was unfortunate. Looking at her, he was once again reminded of the man whom he had met before coming here, but their personalities were nothing alike. Hagane had been calm and relaxed, and realistically didn’t seem like the type to be determined or passionate about anything. He had pledged himself to Kensai during their meeting, but it was after Kensai had shown his compassion. Meanwhile, this girl was an emotional rollercoaster. Kensai didn’t know what she had been through, but he wasn’t the type to simply dismiss someone’s pain.

”Worry not. Peace is my intent. Now why are you crying, dear girl? I am sorry if I’ve in some way upset you. I simply want to make sure you’re okay...”

She was speaking as though she was hysterical with weakened voice and repeated sentiment. Kensai already knew how he would create peace without war. It would likely even happen sooner than later, but of course there would always be apprehension and those who wouldn’t believe. This was a clearly extremely upset child who had been hurt in some way. She was giving him nothing to work with, however, and he was going to give one more attempt to get to the bottom of things before he simply left. There was only so far someone could take such a thing before they had to accept the other person’s hystaria and just let them sleep it off.

”Unfortunately there’s no way to guarantee you won’t lose anyone. Life is destined to end eventually. And as I have stated a few times, I am a man of peace. I don’t intend to tear families apart...So tell me child, is this what happened to your family?” It was a pretty forward and likely uncomfortable question to answer, as well as to ask honestly, but Kensai thought this might actually get her to talk about something that wasn’t just her going around in circles. If there was a fallout from the question, he was prepared to deal with it. If it lead nowhere, he would simply drop it and move on. Tora rested his head on the girl’s lap once more, letting out a low groan.

A flash of hot anger would overtake Kensai, though he wouldn’t allow it to show on his face. From the girl’s words he could deduce one of three things. The first was that the girl’s family had broken the Bushido Code, and that the “Samurai” who had come to destroy them were enacting justice upon them. The second was that the people who had attacked them had broken it themselves, and they would need to be hunted down and made to face the scales of justice themselves, execution being their only option. The third was that the girl was lying, or perhaps simply misinformed, and that they were indeed not Samurai (and more likely shinobi posing as them) who had committed this horrible atrocity. The question that she was asking him was not something that he was in any way prepared to answer, and that if she had a father figure he should be the one telling her. It was unfortunate to think that there was the chance that she had been lying, as that itself would break three of the tenants of Bushido that he had sworn to uphold when trained by his father.

He would consider his words carefully before speaking to the emotionally distraught girl, Tora nuzzling into her side and chuffing as he did. He seemed to be comfortable around her, and as far as Kensai had been able to tell, the animal was quite a good judge of character. He believed that she was likely not lying, and was simply misinformed, which to him made the most sense. Unfortunately, how do you explain something like that to someone like this?

”I believe...that the people who killed your family were not Samurai. The Bushido Code would never allow such a thing to occur, as it is an atrocity that breaks every one of our governing principals. Since the first summit of the clans at the Three Wolf Mountains, there has never been such an act carried out by Samurai, as the Law of Bushido has strict statements against such things. We buried that kind of action after the War of Iron. My father educated me extensively on the subject when I was training under him...”. He would sigh, the girl clearly distraught. While she was smiling he could feel the hurt radiating from her, and it was something that broke the Iron Shogun’s heart.

”In my travels I have met few Samurai, but all of them were very similar. Besides my family while I was in the Land of Wind I met a man who went by Hagane. He was a kind and gentle soul, his dedication to the Bushido Code clear from his actions and his demeanour. Every Samurai I have known has been the same...The Shinobi, however, are known to use underhanded tactics such as sabotage and disguises in order to forward their political agendas...I believe it was likely one of them who did this to try to incite combat between the clans.” The next words that he would say would be from his heart, as he would trail his fingers through the soft fur on the side of the large feline in front of him, feeling his tail lash against his leg as he did so.

”Finally, I believe that you survived for a reason. You are meant to be here, in order to help your family name live on. You are strong, as evident by your determination to make it here through the harsh weather conditions of the area. You may not believe me, but I am a peaceful man. I want to end the war between the shinobi without bloodshed. I want to abolish the shinobi treating children as soldiers through diplomacy, and I want to create a lasting peace that will govern the land and make it so that nobody will ever have to live through what you have...This is my goal, this is what I am working towards. And I am happy that you are here, for you will be able to see the beauty of a world at peace.” He would await the girl’s response. He hoped that she would be able to see his vision, or at least understand better that her being alive is not a bad thing, even if sometimes it may see that way. He had doubted his own existence many times, but he was sure of this right now.

Kensai would nod at the girl’s words. He didn’t know what to think of her, but when he mentioned Hagane’s name she stopped crying for a moment, and that seemed to confirm a thought he was having. He wouldn’t mention it, as it wasn’t an important thing to bring up. He imagined that Hagane and Akahana would reunite soon. All that mattered right now was that the girl was safe, and slightly more calm. ”I’m glad to hear that. Now then, you should get some rest. I am going to eat. Sleep that fever off.” Kensai would smile once more as he walked out the door, Tora giving her one more nudge before following the Shogun out of the room.

He would move back to his table, listening to the music once more as the innkeeper brought him a plate of assorted sashimi, apologizing that they had no rice but the lands around here seemed to be fairly barren. Kensai told him that it was alright, he appreciated what the man had to give. He told him that the girl would be resting in the room, and Ken would pay for it. The innkeeper then asked if Kensai wanted another room made up, but he said he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight at this point. He would leave the inn and make his way towards his new home instead, fire in his heart as the ambitious man ate and grabbed his things, quietly leaving and continuing on his journey. He would leave the girl a letter saying to come to him when she felt better...

{Exit Thread}