Adam looked at the midday sky watching birds fly over him. He smiled. "Just as father said, he's become interested in raising falcons." He got off his horse, and walked out of the trees and stood watching the small group in front of him staring over the river as the falcons dived for fish.
"Not bad my lord. It seems you raise your falcons quite well. They seem to be very healthy. What do you feed them?"
"I don't, they hunt for themselves. They find their own food, after I cut it up of course. Hahaha." He smiled as he walked towards them. "Halt. Who are you? What are you doing around these parts?" He knelt on the ground bowing towards the small group. "I'm called Hattori Masanari, and I've come to give my service to the young lord."
"A Hattori. Like the one who serves my father?" He nodded as he kept his face to the ground. "Show me what you can do." He sat up. "What does my lord ask of me?"
"I want you to wrestle with me, I want to see the strength of the Hattori." He looked at the others with their hands on their hilts. "Stand down. Only a Hattori would approach me like this. So, what do you say?" He nodded standing up and placing his weapons on the ground. "Is that a kama and chain, with some rope and sword?" He nodded. "A warrior must be able to use any weapon that they can find to fight and kill their enemy."
"Hahaha. You are a very interesting man. You don't seem to be that old yet either." He shook his head. "I may look young, but I have the skills needed to make sure that my lord is safe at all times."
"Go on my lord. Wrestle him, and show the strength you're famous for." He looked at the one who had spoken, frowning in their direction. "May I ask you something? Why did you take the lord to this location? There're too many places an attack can come from, including those who wish his father to continue fighting for the Imagawa clan."
"We're safe here. The city is just over the bridge. We can keep him safe here." He shook his head. "Than how did you allow me to get so close without knowing I was watching this whole time? Do you have any idea how many enemies could be hiding in this forest so close to the city?" He heard silence from the guard, and stood shaking his head at the young lord. "Even if you're close to the city, if someone wanted you dead, you'd be dead already my lord. You need someone in your service that can identify those weak points, and keep you and your family safe at all times."
"What are you talking about Hattori?" He saw anger in the young lord's face and knelt on the ground. "While I was in training, I heard about your family. I heard a lot of things, about you meeting Oda, and what happened while you were held hostage."
"Why didn't you come when you heard those things?"
"I was stuck in training, and my father Hattori Hanzo forbade me going to you."
"I see. Than come and wrestle me. Lets see your strength." He stood up, bowing at the young lord before grasping his fingers pushing him backwards towards the riverside. He heard the young lord groaning and pushing back as hard as he could, while he just kept the pressure on him, moving his feet forward one step at a time.
"You're strong Hattori, but I'm also strong." He felt the young lord twist his body trying to push him into the water. He smiled, as he grabbed the young lord's wrists causing them both to fall into the river. "That was cheating Hattori. You haven't proved anything to me yet." He nodded as he stood in the water looking at the young lord. "How long can you hold your breath? Lets see who can hold it for longer?" He nodded. "As the young lord requests." He saw the young lord turn to the guards holding their swords out. "Hold your weapons. I want you to tell me who can hold their breath the longest under the water. Me or him."
"As you wish, but we know it'll already be you my lord." He smiled at the guards poor attempt at showing his favor. "Shut up and just do as I requested." He saw them bow at him. "Nice. He knows when people are just trying to get on his good side. I wonder what else he has learnt?" He looked at the young lord. "I'm ready whenever you are."
"Lets begin." He took a long breath and put his under the water with the young lord, and sat there watching the young lord, sitting across from him, smiling at him. He nodded back and closed his eyes forming the hand signals for the kujiin, causing his body to relax. He opened his eyes, watching the young lord go up to the surface, smiling. He followed him and saw him standing on the riverbank.
"Hattori. How long can you hold your breath under the water for?" He looked at the water, bowing to the young lord. "I can hold it for about forty five minutes. If the water was warmer I could hold it for much longer." He saw the young lord smile. "I want you to prove it to me. I'll sit here on the riverbank and count the time, while you stay under the water as long as you can. Prove this to me, and I'll take you into my service." He nodded at the young lord. "As my lord requests of me."
He jumped under the water and pulled out a small hollow reed, he placed in his mouth, and let the top of it break the surface of the water. He smiled as he breathed through the reed, while keeping his mind clear with the kujiin hand positions. He closed his eyes, and enjoyed the sound of water around him, and the occasional fish that would come close to him. He grabbed each one and threw it above the water to the riverbank. "That should give them some food while they wait for me. I'm glad the bombs are also waterproofed at the moment, in their cases. I hope I don't have to make new ones so soon." He looked at the sealed pouch at his side smiling. "Not broken yet."
"You've proven your point Hattori. You can come up now. I don't want to sit here and wait for the time to run up." As he heard the young lord's words he grabbed the hollow reed, and put it back in his robe before standing up, looking at them setting a fire to start cooking the fish. He bowed at the young lord. "Hattori. What shall I call you? I'm sure you don't want to be called Hattori all the time, and I don't call those under my service by their family name, but by who they are and what they do." He smiled, and stepped on the river bank, letting the excess water fall off him. "My name is Masanari. You can call me that name, until I become the next Hanzo."
"Masanari it is. If your father is Hanzo, does that mean you have similar skills to him?" He bowed at the young lord nodding. "Correct, and I have been taught more skills than my father knows of."
"Exciting. I'm also a fan of kenjutsu. Show me your skills with your blade there, and than you'll be in my service." He bowed at the young lord. "As you wish. Who do you want me to use my skills on?"
"Use them on the guards over there. They've been wanting to break your arms and legs for a while now. Beat them and you can enter my service." He nodded and stood, looking at the small group as they circled him. He bent his legs and place his hand in his hilt. "Here I come weakling. See if you can beat this." He took a step to the left missing the blow, and pulled out his blade striking the back of the guard with the dull side of his blade, before putting it back in its sheath. He saw the guard fall to the ground in pain. "That hurt. I didn't even see his blade move. He has skills with his sword young lord."
He looked at the surprised lord. "Should I continue, or is this enough?"
"Its enough for now. I should say my thanks for only using the dull side of your blade. The bruise on his back is what he gets for trying to attack you." He smiled, nodding at the young lord. "Come kneel in front of me." He knelt on the grass in front of the young lord, and heard the sound of his blade being drawn from its sheath. "Hattori Masanari, from this moment on, I take you into my service. Serve me as you serve your family, protect me as you protect your family, and find honor in my service and plans for the future of Japan." He felt the blade touch the both of his shoulders, and waited until the blade was sheathed again. "Rise Masanari. From now on you're my retainer, and also my guard. Keep my and my family safe, that is your duty. If you fail it, only seppuku awaits."
He stood and stepped to the side of the young lord. "Masanari, lets go eat the fish you caught. They're starting to smell delicious. How did you catch them by the way? I don't see any bait or hooks on you."
"I caught them using my hands, its more efficient that way. I just have to wait for them to come to me, and than I can catch them, by tickling their belly."
"Strange technique. You'll have to teach me how you do that in the future. Where were you training?"
He waited for the the young lord to sit, and knelt on the ground. "I spent my years on Kurama training with the tengu monks."
"Tengu taught you?" He smiled and nodded. "Many different tengus taught me, different skills, that'll help keep the lord safe and his family."
"What about your family. They're Hattori, did they teach you anything as well?" He nodded. "Yes. They taught me how to survive in a war, and how to finish the battle before too many are lost."
"You know, I've asked your father to join my side. But he's been following my father, and won't stop serving him."
He smiled. "My father is like that. He'll keep serving the lord, until his death, and even then after death he'll keep serving."
"That's loyalty for you. Are all Hattori's loyal? He shrugged his shoulders. "I haven't met them all, but the ones I have met, they're loyal. If I show my strength and become Hanzo, they'll come to your banner, and join your ranks."
"That's good to hear Masanari, than I expect you to become a Hanzo. Your lord demands it." He bowed at the young lord. "As you wish."
"I also demand that you eat some of the fish that you caught, or I'll think you did something to it." He smiled, and took a bite out of the cooked fish enjoying its taste. "The river fish here are delicious."
"They are indeed. You're one of the first who sought me out. The others here are from my father, and their allegiance is to my father. I hope that we'll find more that want to join under my banner." He smiled at the young lord. "Many will come. They'll come from all across Honshu to join you when your banner is called to fight."
"Good words. You seem very wise for your age Masanari. I'm glad that I've met someone like you, and hope we can also build a friendship and trust between the two of us." He nodded. "As do I."
He sat behind the young lord. "The three of you, can go back to the bridge, and wait for my arrival. I wish to discuss some things with Masanari here."
"As you wish." He knelt on the ground with a smile on his face. "Finally he's going to ask me."
"Masanari. Many of the tasks I give you will be considered secret, and must never be spoken. Your skills show you have what's needed to be a man of Hattori and Iga." He nodded, while he kept his eyes on the ground. "I have a mission for you that requires your abilities and those who follow you."