The Tigers of Chi-Ha-Tan ReRise Volume 0: The Veil Before Glory

The Boy and The Shadow

Sengoku Period 1583

A dazzling pleasant day was in full bloom over the land, as the summer season was in full effect on this gorgeous afternoon. The vast countryside was engulfed by this radiance of the day, small rivers shine, the soft breeze was sweeping by, while keeping the day cool, and was making the vast trees and shrubbery sway gently with it, as if they were promoting their happiness with this day for all to see.

Coming down a dirt path, flanked on either side by vast tall trees, a large body of men travel as the warm sun beamed down on them. The inviting day seems to have to put these men in a fine spirit, as they were jesting with one another on their march down this little dirt path, that would lead to the promise of home and hearth, of warm food and drink, and of bountiful other pleasures.

The men themselves wore simple hakama's, clothe shirts, and woven sandals of various colors, though they were in a poor state. Some of them falling to pieces, and only being held together by loose sewing jobs done by the men themselves. Their grungy appearance didn't bother them at all really since most of it had come from a hard day's labor.

Though their labor wasn't one done in the fields cultivating them to grow food, or working iron over, or even just simply selling their goods. Instead, their labor had been done with great enjoyment, while at someone else's expense. Those someone's had been the people of a small village not far from where they were walking now, who had provided them fresh food, good drink, and some good fun to bring home.

Their labor had been taking these goods, not with money either, but by the force of arms. As these men were armed with Katanas, spears, bows, and sickles. For they were hardened bandits, fresh from a raid on the small village, that had no resistance to provide them, but simply beg for their lives. It did little to help, as these bandits put most of the village to the sword while burning it to the ground, while they took with them huge carts of food and drink pulled by oxen.

That was the reason for the men's good men, well that and the other prize they brought along for fun.

"Boy!" one of the men, who had just finished a long chug from his gourd filled with fine wine.

A young boy, who only had recently reached his 16th name day, standing of average height, with long brown hair that was in a need of a trim, with matching brown large eyes, turn around and spoke in a trembling voice. "Yes, boss Yukimura?"

Yukimura, the boss of this gang of bandits, was an imposing man towering over the rest of the group. With a large thick black beard, coupled with his messy greasy black hair. He was built like his arms and legs were made of trunks, which he put to good use. When he wielded his katana, the amount of force he put behind his swing would cleave a man in two, the boy had seen this happen just recently.

The front of Yukimura's kimono was drenched in blood that he hadn't bothered washing off, wearing it like a badge of honor. Yet all the boy felt seeing this, was complete disgust because the blood belong to an old man who had spoken out against Yukimura and his gang when they had gathered all the people in the village up during their raid, to which a sword was the burly man's reply.

"We're going to make a man out of you today!" Yukimura roared again, making his men raise a cheer as well.

"Ye...ye...ye...yes sir," the boy replied while continuing to trudge along.

"Ye...ye...ye...ye, damn me if I didn't take on the most scared street rat in all of Japan. I give you a decent life, teach you to hold a sword, keep you fed. Yet in return do I get a ruthless warrior for my trouble? No, just a boy who is afraid of his own shadow," Yukimura said with annoyance.

"Well can you expect boss, he's never even raised that sword in anger. Never felt the elation of cutting someone down," one of the other men in the group said, causing some chuckles amongst the group. Making others voice the agreements to his jest.