Chapter one
All great samurai begin as only a learner.
“Ryuu, Ryuu:” it was the call from my one and only friend Sauka Sakura. I saw her running up to me with her usual smile and with all of her energy. “Hey Sakura what’s up” I said “your father wants to see 당신 Ryuu” she said. I wonder what my father would want to see me for; he is a samurai and unfortunately doesn’t have much time to spend with me. I pick up my bokken and put it in my belt, Sakura grabs my arm. “Come on lets go” she says exited. Ever since we met when we where little kids we did everything together, we have faced pretend danger with our pretend swords and when we got in trouble we would both be there to face our fathers together. It was the Edo era in 일본 so until I’m officially a samurai I am not aloud to wear a full sized sword; I instead carry around my wooden sword, the bokken. Sakura has a kind of 칼, 나이프 called the tanto that her mother gave her when she passed away. I remember when her mother passed away because we where both there to cry with each other, I was 8 and she was 7 but that was 10 years 이전 and now I’m 18 and she is 17. Sakura walked me into my father’s house and we met my dad at the door. “Come Sagara Ryuu, 당신 Sauka Sakura will stay outside” my father said. “But” Sakura began to protest. I give Sakura a gentle 키스 on the cheek. ”it will be ok Sakura 당신 can wait outside for me, can’t you?” “Ok” she said. I walk into the house and my father closes the door behind me and sits down at the end of the room 다음 to his swords. “Sit Ryuu” he said, so I sat in front of him like a formal meeting. “The shogun himself sent me a letter that I received just today, now as 당신 know I’m not a very rich 또는 important samurai but he has called on your help.” He said. “My help, but I’m not even a samurai yet” I said. My mother comes in carrying a set of two swords on a soft cushion; she is carrying a typical long sword known as the katana and a short sword known as the wakizashi. My father picks these swords up and hands them to me and he says “well now 당신 are a real samurai.” “So father what was it that the shogun needed me for?” I ask taking my swords and my mother leaves the room. “He didn’t say in the letter he just said 당신 need to visit him at the Edo palace.” That’s going to be some walk because we are in Kyoto. “Take the letter too so 당신 can prove that it is you” he said. “Good idea” I said knowing I would wave forgotten otherwise. My father hands me the letter and I put it in my pocket. I stand up and put my swords in my 벨트 and walk out the door to find Sakura waiting anxiously just outside. “Oh wow Ryuu 당신 have 2 swords, 당신 must be a samurai now just like your father” she says with excitement. “Yes I am Sakura” “hey Ryuu 당신 don’t mind if I….” she pulls the katana out of the 집, 칼 집 and swings it a few times. “Sakura your not supposed to use full size swords” I say “what are 당신 going to 신고 me” she says taunting me and running into the woods. She did the same thing when I got my bokken; she took it and ran of into the woods and she started using it to cut down branches on a tree, so I can only expect that she will do the same now so for the sake of the 나무, 트리 I ran in after her.
I catch up to her and another samurai is near her and he draws his sword. I told her she shouldn’t have run off with a katana. I draw my wakizashi and charge at the other samurai. The samurai tries to bring his sword down on Sakura but I block his sword with mine. “Ryuu you’re here.” Sakurai cries. I take my katana from her and hold it in my right hand and the wakizashi in my left. The samurai goes for me and tries to 슬래쉬 at me horizontally. I block the attack with my wakizashi. The samurai brings his sword for a vertical 슬래쉬 but I put my katana in a position to strike horizontally and 슬래쉬 before he can attack. My sword cuts into his chest and causes blood to spurt out of the wound in the samurai’s chest where my sword hit. The samurai falls down to his death bleeding on the ground. A few 더 많이 samurai come in to the forest near me and see the fallen samurai. “Who are you?” says one of the samurai. “My name is Sagara Ryuu” I said “son of Sagara Riku” the first samurai draws a huge sword from a 집, 칼 집 on his back and the 초 one draws a small one from the 집, 칼 집 on his belt. “An odachi and a kodachi” Sakura says. Both samurai run at me at the same time but because of a weight difference in the swords I parried the large one first and the smaller one 다음 and slashed at the guy with the large sword cutting him and he falls over unable to attack but when I 슬래쉬 at the samurai with the short sword he blocks it. I don’t worry I just take my left hand off the katana and go for the wakizashi and 슬래쉬 him with it. I pick a piece of cloth out of my pocket and wipe down my sword’s blades and put them both in the scabbards. “Wow 당신 just killed your first three samurai Ryuu” said Sakura. “Yes I did” I said looking down at the samurai corpses lying on the ground before me. “It feels weird” I said. “What do 당신 mean 의해 it feels weird Ryuu” she said. “Well it’s a weird feeling, 당신 know killing a man.” She put her hands on my shoulders and said. “Well its not like it’s every 일 당신 kill a samurai” “That is true, 저기요 we should go back down to our houses and gather supplies for a trip to Edo.” I said. “Why Edo though?” she asked me. “Well the reason I stand before 당신 as a samurai is because the shogun has sent my dad a letter asking for my help, not my dad’s help, mine. So I need to go to Edo to meet him in his palace.” “Well Ryuu I don’t care if the shogun wands it 또는 not but I’m coming with you.” “It’s not an easy road Sakura but I’m sure 당신 can handle it” “you know I can.” She says while pulling out her tanto. “Ok so for tonight let’s get some rest and we will take off tomorrow.”
All great samurai begin as only a learner.
“Ryuu, Ryuu:” it was the call from my one and only friend Sauka Sakura. I saw her running up to me with her usual smile and with all of her energy. “Hey Sakura what’s up” I said “your father wants to see 당신 Ryuu” she said. I wonder what my father would want to see me for; he is a samurai and unfortunately doesn’t have much time to spend with me. I pick up my bokken and put it in my belt, Sakura grabs my arm. “Come on lets go” she says exited. Ever since we met when we where little kids we did everything together, we have faced pretend danger with our pretend swords and when we got in trouble we would both be there to face our fathers together. It was the Edo era in 일본 so until I’m officially a samurai I am not aloud to wear a full sized sword; I instead carry around my wooden sword, the bokken. Sakura has a kind of 칼, 나이프 called the tanto that her mother gave her when she passed away. I remember when her mother passed away because we where both there to cry with each other, I was 8 and she was 7 but that was 10 years 이전 and now I’m 18 and she is 17. Sakura walked me into my father’s house and we met my dad at the door. “Come Sagara Ryuu, 당신 Sauka Sakura will stay outside” my father said. “But” Sakura began to protest. I give Sakura a gentle 키스 on the cheek. ”it will be ok Sakura 당신 can wait outside for me, can’t you?” “Ok” she said. I walk into the house and my father closes the door behind me and sits down at the end of the room 다음 to his swords. “Sit Ryuu” he said, so I sat in front of him like a formal meeting. “The shogun himself sent me a letter that I received just today, now as 당신 know I’m not a very rich 또는 important samurai but he has called on your help.” He said. “My help, but I’m not even a samurai yet” I said. My mother comes in carrying a set of two swords on a soft cushion; she is carrying a typical long sword known as the katana and a short sword known as the wakizashi. My father picks these swords up and hands them to me and he says “well now 당신 are a real samurai.” “So father what was it that the shogun needed me for?” I ask taking my swords and my mother leaves the room. “He didn’t say in the letter he just said 당신 need to visit him at the Edo palace.” That’s going to be some walk because we are in Kyoto. “Take the letter too so 당신 can prove that it is you” he said. “Good idea” I said knowing I would wave forgotten otherwise. My father hands me the letter and I put it in my pocket. I stand up and put my swords in my 벨트 and walk out the door to find Sakura waiting anxiously just outside. “Oh wow Ryuu 당신 have 2 swords, 당신 must be a samurai now just like your father” she says with excitement. “Yes I am Sakura” “hey Ryuu 당신 don’t mind if I….” she pulls the katana out of the 집, 칼 집 and swings it a few times. “Sakura your not supposed to use full size swords” I say “what are 당신 going to 신고 me” she says taunting me and running into the woods. She did the same thing when I got my bokken; she took it and ran of into the woods and she started using it to cut down branches on a tree, so I can only expect that she will do the same now so for the sake of the 나무, 트리 I ran in after her.
I catch up to her and another samurai is near her and he draws his sword. I told her she shouldn’t have run off with a katana. I draw my wakizashi and charge at the other samurai. The samurai tries to bring his sword down on Sakura but I block his sword with mine. “Ryuu you’re here.” Sakurai cries. I take my katana from her and hold it in my right hand and the wakizashi in my left. The samurai goes for me and tries to 슬래쉬 at me horizontally. I block the attack with my wakizashi. The samurai brings his sword for a vertical 슬래쉬 but I put my katana in a position to strike horizontally and 슬래쉬 before he can attack. My sword cuts into his chest and causes blood to spurt out of the wound in the samurai’s chest where my sword hit. The samurai falls down to his death bleeding on the ground. A few 더 많이 samurai come in to the forest near me and see the fallen samurai. “Who are you?” says one of the samurai. “My name is Sagara Ryuu” I said “son of Sagara Riku” the first samurai draws a huge sword from a 집, 칼 집 on his back and the 초 one draws a small one from the 집, 칼 집 on his belt. “An odachi and a kodachi” Sakura says. Both samurai run at me at the same time but because of a weight difference in the swords I parried the large one first and the smaller one 다음 and slashed at the guy with the large sword cutting him and he falls over unable to attack but when I 슬래쉬 at the samurai with the short sword he blocks it. I don’t worry I just take my left hand off the katana and go for the wakizashi and 슬래쉬 him with it. I pick a piece of cloth out of my pocket and wipe down my sword’s blades and put them both in the scabbards. “Wow 당신 just killed your first three samurai Ryuu” said Sakura. “Yes I did” I said looking down at the samurai corpses lying on the ground before me. “It feels weird” I said. “What do 당신 mean 의해 it feels weird Ryuu” she said. “Well it’s a weird feeling, 당신 know killing a man.” She put her hands on my shoulders and said. “Well its not like it’s every 일 당신 kill a samurai” “That is true, 저기요 we should go back down to our houses and gather supplies for a trip to Edo.” I said. “Why Edo though?” she asked me. “Well the reason I stand before 당신 as a samurai is because the shogun has sent my dad a letter asking for my help, not my dad’s help, mine. So I need to go to Edo to meet him in his palace.” “Well Ryuu I don’t care if the shogun wands it 또는 not but I’m coming with you.” “It’s not an easy road Sakura but I’m sure 당신 can handle it” “you know I can.” She says while pulling out her tanto. “Ok so for tonight let’s get some rest and we will take off tomorrow.”
