All The Same

Revelation

18 Years Ago

At the dead of night, the dead littered the estate of a renowned itako clan. Their power was unparalled, but they were simply no match to the bullets that rained on the entire compound, in a raid intended to wipe out an entire faction. They didn't even had the chance to defend themselves, except for the clan head who sensed imminent danger, only a minute too late.

Despite his valiant efforts, their assailants were equipped with shamanic abilities that surpassed his own. Sure, he could take on probably a hundred at a time, but it was impossible to take on thousands upon thousands of O-onis.

Before this, he was able to have his wife and child hidden in a special room, protected by a powerful barrier which supposedly cannot be undone lest by another family member.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the complex, another child had been secured by his parent. He went underground through the tunnels to escape death. For some reason, instead of going straight, he strayed to the left and found himself in a room.

The occupant nearly killed him but stopped midway when she felt the barrier weakened. Having no choice, she entrusted her infant to the child.

"Please, take care of her." She pleaded. The boy nodded, despite being terrified, took the baby and hesitantly closed the secret compartment. He caught a glimpse of the child's mother muttering something under her breath as spirits came to her aid, whilst the barrier broke and intruders made their way to finish her off.

He knew who she was, the clan head's wife, one of the strongest. He will never forget the look in her eyes when she begged him to look after her.

But who is he kidding, really? He is but a mere child as well. There's just no way. However, it wasn't his only problem. It's freezing outside and they had nowhere to go. Pursuers might be on their tail. Could they really account for every person in the clan? Unless there's a traitor...

The important thing right now was to gain considerable distance from the onslaught. He could only run as much as his tiny feet could take him. Running in snow and leaving trails were perfect if he was planning to get the both of them killed. What else can he do?

His hands and feet were numb, but he didn't care. First things first; clear his tracks to put off their enemy should they catch on the sacrifice made by the female head. Where to put the infant? He thought. There's just no way he could get it done if she's with him right now.

He quickly decided to leave her on that bridge near Mount Osore, where people mostly avoid passing through. He made sure she was covered enough so she would not freeze to death, although the trouble was, the snow didn't look like it would let up anytime soon. He knew he had to move quickly.

After making sure he covered their tracks, he hurried back to her location. As he was about to close in on her, he saw a man walked towards the bridge.

"Oh no." Hopelessness befell upon him. With his current state, he wouldn't be able to defend her. Although, from the his point of view, it looked like the baby succumbed to the extreme cold.

Ashamed of his failure, he started to retreat into the bushes, when he heard a faint cry.

"It's okay, child, it's okay. You're gonna be okay." The man spoke to the infant, voice tinged with concern. "Let's get you home."

He was gonna follow the man but decided against it.

"She's in good hands," Reluctantly, he had to think she was in good hands. He had no other choice.

"I will find you someday and together we'll avenge our families."

Eight Years Ago

"Master Yoh!"