Kanda Yu - The beginning
Wooden swords clashed in the rain as two figures danced around each other. The taller gaining the advantage and bringing the sword down on the smaller kids head. "onee-san!" The little boy dropped to the ground his hands on his head glaring at his sister. "Yu chan quit whining it was only a little tap." Yu pouted at his sister as he sat rubbing his head. His sister smiled and she held out her hand. "You are improving Yu-chan and are far better than I was at your age. You just need to grow more and practice harder. MO-YA-SHI. " Yu jumped up off the ground and started chasing his sister waving his wooden sword in the air. "Onee-san I`m gonna get you for that, I`M NOT A MOYASHI!" His sister being older, taller and faster reached the house before him and ran to her room. Yu was screeching as he followed as fast as he could.
Yu hated being the youngest, he hated being five years old and not to mention the smallest. He also hated that he had four elder sisters. He wanted a brother...preferably younger so he could have some one to bully around just like his older sister Azumi did to him. Well he had decided it was bullying but really he knew she would do anything for him. He also hated that he would miss her in a years time when she would be sent away like his other sisters when they reached the age of sixteen. Married off to other clans to build allies. He was the only male so he was to become heir to the samurai clan, the most feared and respected in all of Edo. Yu hated that too, he didn`t want to be in charge he just wanted to be able to fight. Right now however he wanted to kill his elder sister.
"What on earth is that noise?" Yu skidded to a halt on the tatami mats. He was dripping wet and knew he was in trouble...again. "I...Uh...It`s all Azumi`s fault she called me moyashi." Looking up at his mother through his dripping bangs and hoping that she would go into pity mode. His mother scowled and grabbed his ear dragging him along behind her. Once she reached Yu`s room she dried him off and put him into his sleep wear. She then grabbed his ear once more and took him to the meditation room. Yu knew his father spent time in there meditating. He was too young for that and knew whenever his mother took him there it was because he was in trouble and needed to calm down. Something about controlling his temper or whatever. "Yu, you will sit in seiza until I return, and no cheating I will know if you do. No faking pains either. I know you have bad pains but faking them to get out of punishment will only hurt you in the future. If you do try it I will leave you there for four hours regardless of how much you whine. Understand?"
Yu nodded and sat as instructed sighing as he watched his mother leave. He had tried to fake one of his chest pain episodes once to get out of punishment but his mother had beaten the hell out of him for it. Not that she did that often but she had been so worried about him, she had wanted to teach him to never do it again, and when he realized the extent of what he had done he had made a promise to himself to never hurt her again like that or scare her. Yu rocked from side to side trying to make the ache in his legs and feet subside but nothing was working he had been sitting there for thirty minutes already. Finally his mother returned smiling as she saw how frustrated her son was. "OK you can break position now just sit there until the feeling comes back to your legs. Dinner will be ready soon. Just try and remember Yu, you can not run around trying to kill people with a wooden sword."
Yu stretched his legs out in front of him and wiggled his toes for five minutes, then he headed through to the dining area taking his place at the low table to the right of his father. His father was gazing evenly at him with his dark violet eyes, his long dark brown hair was pulled up into a traditional top knot. Yu knew that his sister Azumi looked the most like their father, the only thing that he had was the shape of his eyes, nose and mouth everything else he had received from his mother, which annoyed him to no end as due to being a child he was quite ambiguous and most people mistook him for a female. Yu sat down worried his father was angry at him. His father leaned closer to him and whispered. "You know Yu, your mother is correct, you should not attempt to kill people with a wooden sword. Get a real one it`s much more effective. I mean come on you what kind of half assed samurai would fight with a wooden sword?"
Yu grinned at his father he loved it when he gave him advice on how best to do things, or how many ways you could kill your enemy or torture them. His father had taught him how to hold a sword and use one since the moment he could stand, he was easily the best in his age group and could fight the bigger kids on equal footing. Except for his sister, but then again his father had trained her also. She was still two hundred and sixty three to zero ahead of him in their sparring matches. When his father leaned close to him once again he snapped out of his thoughts to listen to what he had to say. "You know what Yu, Samurai these days are getting fatter, and some are getting lazy...not this clan of course. They eat all that fancy crap, dango and all that. Real samurai have no need for sweets A true Samurai lives of the most humble of foods plain and honest soba. It is the food of a true warrior. Stick to that and you won`t go wrong my boy." Yu nodded committing yet another piece of wisdom from his father to his memory.
Yu waited for his food to be served by his mother and sister and then for the tea to be poured. After saying thanks they all ate quietly sitting at the table after-wards to talk. His father being the first to speak. "Ah Yu tomorrow is Yamazaki-kuns Tonsure, from tomorrow he will be an adult so I am taking you with me. There will be a number of Daimyo there Yu so I want you to have a good look around and find one you like, you are old enough to think about Shudo and Bido. Your mother has prepared a new silk kimono for tomorrow and since you are the most beautiful boy in all of Edo it should be easy for you, just have courage, and when you find one fear nothing and make your move." Yu flushed a little red he knew he would have to start shudo soon other boys his age had already started looking, he had to find a good Daimyo one not too old that he could be with and experience 'the beautiful way' nothing was more pure than that which was of a samurai in training and a seasoned master. He had to find one and make his father proud of him. Some of the boys he had talked to had told them that it was painful and had cried a lot but he wasn`t going to cry he wasn`t going to be weak.
After dinner Yu went to his room to practice reading, writing and mathematics. It was expected that a samurai be skilled in more than just a sword, he also practiced archery, horse riding, dancing, Go, Literature and poetry. Whenever he was not studying he was training with his wooden sword. Thing was he wouldn`t change anything. Well maybe have less sisters and have a brother instead. Once he had finished with his studies he took a walk to the ancestors shrine knowing that his sister would be out at the Dojo with their mother practicing the naginata...she was scary with one of those things.
When he reached the shrine he took a quick look around to make sure no one was there to see him the quickly ran inside. Lighting the lamps and the incense he made his way to where the ancestors armor was kept along with the great ancient blade Mugen. He loved that sword more than anything but was forbidden from touching it. His father had told him many tales of Kanda Ryoku the greatest Samurai their family had ever know and the founder of their clan. Yu couldn`t wait until he was eighteen to be allowed to choose his own last name. He had already picked Kanda so he would be Kanda Sakamoto. At the moment he had three names as was tradition Kenshin was his clan name Yuji his child name and Sakamoto his future adult name. He hated having to write the whole thing all the time as Kenshin Yuji Sakamoto was such a pain in the ass to write. Often when practicing his calligraphy he would write his name as Kanda Yu since he was still a child, he could change it to Sakamoto or maybe just Saka when he received his tonsure. He was excited about being able to cut off the long bangs that hung down his face and get his hairline changed so that he could wear the top knot like all the other samurai.
Until then he could pretend. Saying a quick prayer asking for forgiveness he climbed up the shelving and grabbed Mugen swinging it around with deadly accuracy and precise movements like he had been taught in both is dance classes and sword training. Happily going through his training moves fighting imaginary monsters. He didn`t realize he had moved under one of the incense holders and swinging Mugen upward sent it crashing to the floor and a large cloud of ash to cover everything including Yu and Mugen. He was so dead...
The shrine door slid open his fathers glare was so icy it could have frozen a volcano Yu could practically see the vein on his fathers head swell to epic proportions and start throbbing. "KENSHIN YUJI SAKAMOTO WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" At this point Yu realized a few things one his name really did suck especially when being shouted by his pissed off father with a murderous intent. Two having Hasami his fathers sword approximately zero point five millimeters from his face was not in the slightest bit good and altogether scary as hell and three...He really was going to die, he could only hope it would be painless...unless his father made him commit Seppuku. His father actually growled at him then sheathed his own sword and snatched Mugen out of Yu`s hand saying a quick prayer and placing it carefully on the stand. His father then turned his back on him and before he left the shrine he stopped, not turning around to face his son. "You have one hour to get this shrine spotless before your mother returns." His fathers voice was cold and demanding and Yu knew he had to get it done in time. "Also when you finish here find me in the meditation room and then you will be punished. You CAN NOT desecrate your ancestors shrine in such a manner Yu. This place is for honoring the dead not playing silly games. If you ever want to be a great samurai give up on being a stupid little boy reign in your emotions and give up those stupid dreams of fighting monsters and being some great demon slayer, you are a samurai you must follow the bushido and monsters do not exist. They are just fairy tales. Grow up Yu and tomorrow you will choose a Daimyo or I will choose one for you. I had no intention of forcing this on you, but this has shown me how lax I have been with you as my only son, it is my mistake and something I intend to rectify."
Yu stood quietly watching as his father left the shrine, he`d screwed up big time and now he was going to pay for it. He had to find a Daiymon tomorrow because he had heard that if your father picks one for you then it is not a good match and things are bad. He had never seen his father so angry...well not at him before, he had to honor his father and he had to grow up and starting tomorrow he was going to do that and prove himself. Yu went outside to the well to get a bucket of water carrying it carefully back with two hands. He then made his way to the back of the shrine dipping a cloth into the water he cleaned all the stone surfaces, shelves and armor first. when all that was clean he pushed the bucket over so that the water would stop the ash on the floor from getting back all over the shelving and things he had already cleaned. He then crawled around on the floor pushing all the dirty water out with his cloth. The floor was still streaked with dirt so he went and fetched another bucket and spent time bent over pushing his cloth along the floor to clean it rinsing it as he needed. Eventually he finished cleaning the whole shrine and he still had five minutes left. Returning his bucket and cloth he hurried to his father.
When he reached the meditation room he entered quietly his face and clothes smudged in dirt. He then sat on the floor leaning forward into a bowing position and waited for his father to acknowledge him. "I see you finished in time, at least that is something. Come with me Yu." Yu quietly followed his father back outside and there he saw two small buckets full of water they were made so that someone of his height could easily hold one by the handle in each hand. "You will hold these buckets and keep your arms at shoulder height and at the sides not in front of you. Keep your feet together. You will not spill a drop and you will stand there until your mother returns then you will tell her what you did and ask for her forgiveness then accept whatever punishment she wishes to give you."
Yu picked up the buckets and held the position he wasn`t going to screw up he would prove he could take his punishment all of it. By the time his mother returned with his sister, Azumi gave him the what did you do this time look then ran off to her room before she could get dragged into it. His mother scowled at him. "What did you do this time?" Yu explained noting his mother was getting really angry and it was possible she may even explode. "since it is late you can go to bed for tonight, tomorrow after you return you are in seiza for an hour then you will have to do all your sisters chores and I will get your sensei to send more work over for you to study. You will do this for a week eat, sleep, study, train, chores and pray for forgiveness from your ancestors." Sighing she went inside. Yu set down the buckets and headed to bed.