Year of the Sword, Month of the Staff, Lifetime of the Spear... Besides the long weapons requiring lifelong practice,
the sword, as the "commander of all weapons," also demands years of dedication to master.
Night, Tomioka Giyu, dressed in a striped haori blending red and yellow-green hues, hurried beneath the moonlight, one hand tightly clutching his Nichirin Sword, reminiscing about the letter from his master Urokodaki Sakonji addressed to the Lord.
The "anticipation" and "homesickness" in his heart grew stronger and stronger as he approached Sagiri yama.
Sadly, in his letter, the master mentioned that his new junior apprentice hasn't started learning the Breathing Technique yet, otherwise... Tomioka Giyu thought that this "test" might satisfy some of his craving.
"Hiss... inhale..." Breathing in and out... Tomioka Giyu maintained the Full Concentration·Constant mode on his journey home, until nearly two hours later, passing through the town, he saw Sagiri yama from afar...
In the mountain, a wooden cabin housed someone he missed dearly, deep in the forest, several grave mounds held his numerous fellow apprentices.
He exhaled a puff of white air, came closer, adjusted his breathing, slowed his pace, with a complex and indescribable excitement, walked up the mountain. From afar, in the moonlight, he saw a secluded spot where a small wooden cabin stood quietly.
Inside the cabin, a light like a bean flickered with a dim glow.
Through the paper window, a faint silhouette of an old back was seen, leaning forward, writing something, seemingly waiting for someone.
Tomioka Giyu took a deep breath, softened his footsteps, slowly walked over, as a gust of wind lifted the corner of the paper window, immediately casting a warm smile his way.....
"Master, Giyu-senpai is back!" Makomo moved the brush on the wooden table to write a small line, not needing her reminder, Urokodaki Sakonji's keen sense had already caught Tomioka Giyu's sense through the mountain wind in advance.
The elder exchanged gazes with his beloved disciple through the window corner, the former smiling kindly, and the latter nodded slightly, his eyes glistening with tears.
"Shh... Eiichiro is still sleeping." Urokodaki Sakonji quietly opened the door, letting Tomioka Giyu inside.
Early spring, the snow hadn't fully melted, hence the indoor fire pit was still burning.
Old Water Hashira seemed to calculate that Tomioka Giyu would arrive at night, already set up the hearth, warmed a pot of tea, poured a cup, and passed it over....
Tomioka Giyu took a sip, the familiar taste, the fatigue of the journey largely dissipated, he lifts his eyes to look at the corner of the fire pit, where a young boy lay peacefully.
His hands were crossed, resting on his abdomen, his breathing was steady, his sleeping expression serene, his fiery red hair illuminated by the lamp, shining bright like flames, even more resembling "fire" than Kyojuro's "fiery" hair,
and inexplicably... Tomioka Giyu had an absurd thought... perhaps the boy was more suited to practice "Flame Breathing" than the Rengoku family...
And once this thought surfaced, it rooted in Giyu's mind, remaining unshakable.
"Did you see?" Urokodaki Sakonji noticed Tomioka Giyu's gaze, glanced at Roy with a smile: "He is Eiichiro."
"Your little junior apprentice."
Tomioka Giyu remained silent.
Urokodaki Sakonji also knew his nature of calmness, took out a bedding from the wooden cabinet beside him, spread it out, still the same set he used to sleep on, smoothed the creases, saying: "Kasugai Crow came back late, didn't know in advance you were returning, so it didn't sun the bedding. You may have to make do for tonight, tomorrow noon when the sun is out, you can sun it."
"As for Sabito's set, it's already been given to Eiichiro."
Tomioka Giyu sniffled, silently stood up, saying: "I should first go pay respects to my senior and junior apprentices."
Just as he moved, barely reaching the door, Urokodaki Sakonji softly called him: "No need."
The elder made the bed, looked around, kindly gazing at him saying: "They're all here, no need to go far for the memorial."
Tomioka Giyu paused: "?"
Suddenly turning back, meeting his master's affirming gaze, the paper window dropped, inside the modest cabin, gusts of wind surged, among them one seemed overly aggressive, and was fiercely attacked by another swathe of sinister wind.
"Fukuda, what are you doing?"
"I told you to keep quiet, don't wake Eiichiro!"
"Just seeing Giyu-senpai, I got excited..."
"Who wouldn't be excited? You're just unnecessarily loud!"
"Yes, yes, yes... it's all my fault... I'm wrong, can't I admit that?"
Shinsuke slowed down the wind speed, circling around Tomioka Giyu... Giyu frowned, feeling a weight on his shoulder, it was his master.
"Come here." Urokodaki Sakonji patted Tomioka Giyu's shoulder, leading him to the table.
To his surprise... the brush autonomously rose, wrote on the laid-out paper:
"Giyu-senpai, welcome home, I'm Makomo."
Then... "Giyu-senpai, finally you're back, I'm Shinsuke."
And then... "I'm Fukuda... I'm Shimizu... I'm Watanabe... I'm... Yagiku...."
Line by line of small words, names both familiar and unfamiliar emerged before his eyes, Tomioka Giyu quivered!
Gripping the table edge tightly, bowing his head, taking a deep breath, lifting his head red-eyed, tremblingly asked: "Sabito-senpai, are you here too?"
"Flap~" The paper turned up a corner, revealing a phrase in the blank space: "I am."
"Giyu, welcome home."
Sabito smiled at the young man, a year went by, the lad had grown taller... darker, more fatigued, as if with his nature, must have traveled overnight, ignoring even meals, finally added another note on the paper: "The hardships."
For some reason, tears spontaneously wanted to escape his eyes. Tomioka Giyu clenched his lips, looking up, don't know when his cool cheeks bore two streaks of tears, dry them and they moisten, moisten and dry them, repeating endlessly, never completely wiped away....
Sabito teasingly wrote on the table: "Still like when you were little, a crybaby..."
Finally managed to smile through the tears, halting the flow of tears.
Once upon a time,
Tomioka Giyu was always thinking these years his master was alone, must have been lonely... now it seems, with his seniors and juniors around... even if he died in battle one day, no longer needed to worry.
It's all so good....
Young people, emotions come and go quickly.
Under the oil lamp,
Tomioka Giyu wanted to seize this precious chance to talk more with Sabito, Makomo, Shinsuke, Fukuda and others, to reminisce properly.
His head dropped, lifting his chin, he saw....
Urokodaki Sakonji, just like when he was little, patted his head, kindly said: "Having traveled these days, get some sleep first."
"Tomorrow morning, let Eiichiro bring you to see your senior and junior apprentices face to face."
Tomioka Giyu was taken aback: "..."
Still able to see them?