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"Not trying to brag or anything, but I'm sorta something like a master chef.
You see, it's like a feeling that I've had… A burning, shining sensation... It was something that just made me into a genius of the culinary world I guess.
I mean for crying out loud, when I made Shintarou my specialty dish, 'Thousand Heavens Nature Ramen'; a delectable meal made from the animals and green of the earth, he was so amazed that he even shed tears! Talking about 'Never thought he'd even see the pearly gates of heaven instead of hell, much less meet his grandma there' or something like that.
Heh, I didn't even know he had a grandma!
Not gonna lie, it did put a smile on my face knowing that my cooking did that. Now that I remember, even Mother and the maids couldn't help tearing up once I get to cooking… Whenever they would eat 'normal' food they would then start to weep silently, wetting themselves with their own tears.
-Obviously, they were sad that the meals couldn't compare to mine, I bet. In fact, they'd even start crying if I even said the word 'Cooking'!
Though Shintarou was talking about taking me to some 5-star restaurant once we were done with one of his jobs…
-I gotta wonder, what for though? Not to be arrogant or anything, but I'm pretty sure that I can blow their skills out of the water… So what for?
Once again, not that I wanna brag or anything, but I'm pretty sure that I can be perfect at absolutely anything I train at it in time, even cooking."
-Myoujou Kurogami's Self Titled Journal Entry; "GOD TONGUE; The God Of Cooking" (Excerpt) 2002.
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-Kuremisago Compound-
"Wait… What's the meaning of this? Of all of this nonsense I've been hearing?" Saiga piped up, his voice laced with utter confusion.
"That's what I would like to know as well, Saiga." Senzui nodded along with the other clan members.
The clamoring and chattering of the group before them came to a halt as one of the clansmen questioned Saiga. "Hey Saiga, did you kill them?"
Saiga frowned upon hearing this. "What? No, I didn't."
"Exactly! Saiga was either with us or Lady Shizuha, so could he have done what they claim!? An angry Liberationist clansman shouts.
Yesterday, they had found a group of clansmen from their faction dead within one of the many manors they use for recognizance. But worse yet, not only were they killed, but all others in the manor were disposed of, whether young or old.
Even if they were a non-combatant uninvolved in their battles.
"I don't know who they are, but they seem to be trying to create strife in our group, using me as a scapegoat since I'm considered an outsider to the Kuremisago Clan." Saiga explained.
"Obviously!" Another clan member remarked. "Saiga is a comrade that's been with us for years! Why would he do such a thing?"
"So that would mean that whoever is targeting the clansmen from our side must know of our secrets and which routes we might take." One clanswoman murmured. "Meaning that if there isn't a member of the Traditionalists who's spying on us..."
"...Then we might have a traitor in our midst..."
"A traitor..."
"Could that be so...?"
"Damn it..."
Murmurs from several clansmen were heard as the hall erupted into a heated discussion. Neither possibility was good as what it potentially spelled for the Liberationist faction of Kuremisago meant that they could receive a heavy loss even greater than the loss of their lives.
-The loss of freedom for the future clan members.
"Well, I agree," Senzui said. "We all know that it can't be Saiga, meaning that it could only be a sabotage attack aiming to take full advantage of the fact that he's an outsider to sow discord between us.
"What we need to do, is figure out who is the culprit immediately!"
"Understood! We'll do so right away!"
"That's right! Find them and get rid of them!"
"What a silly attempt to attack us, we must respond by fully defeating the other side!"
-SLIDE!-
"!"
As the meeting between the Liberationists reached a unanimous agreement, a beautiful tall fair-skinned woman possessing a sizeable bust who wore a long floral kimono entered.
She had grey eyes and waist-length dark-colored hair as her bangs were cut in a short fringe that reached her cheek with two red hairclips in her hair.
This woman was none other than Shizuha Furinji; The 'princess' of the Kuremisago clan, and Saiga's wife.
"Shizuha!" Saiga's eyes widened in surprise. "How's Miu doing?"
"She's doing fine. She just went to sleep." Shizuha said with a soft smile. It was a captivating serene smile that slowly started to fade as she looked at the arguing happening within the meeting hall.
In her presence the originally tense room had become calm and collected, her aura soothing the whole room of their worries. It was an unintentional ability of the so-called Kuremisago Princess, the reason they've been fighting this battle in the first place.
But she carried not only a soothing presence, but she carried deep power within those steps that anyone who had the ability to could tell, and could understand...
-That she was strong.
"Well, have we figured out what was the cause of our clansmen's deaths? They were strong, but it seems that they were killed so easily..." Her brows furrowed as she sat next to Saiga.
"Easy now, Shizuha." Calming his wife, Saiga spoke with less tension than before she entered the room. "Unfortunately, we don't know who exactly is doing it, but we're in the process of finding out now."
It was obviously a case of 'Divide and Conquer', but what made Saiga nervous wasn't the fact that it was done.
-But rather, how easily it was done.
'Because it means that whoever's doing this, is at least strong enough to instantly kill highly trained martial artists...' Saiga thought. 'It's almost disgusting how easy it was to pull off.'
Upon hearing the other hypothesis from her clansmen, she wanted to massage her temples in tiredness.
It was indeed suspicious. Wasn't it too suspicious that in their bid to open up the Kuremisago Clan from its isolationist views, this event happened right as they were preparing for a big counterattack on the main branch?
It didn't even happen before, so why now?
But with the unshakable faith she had in her husband and her allies, she was sure that they would find a way through this hard moment in their lives to reach better days in the future.
She had even sent a letter to her father-in-law; the man who's ended many conflicts known in the martial arts world as the 'Invincible Superman' Hayato Furinji, whose rivals could be counted on one hand for advice for this matter.
"Don't worry, Shizuha. We'll surely find a way." Saiga gave a tired smile as he held Shizuha's hand.
"Darling..." Shizuha gave a soft smile in response.
Senzui stared at Shizuha for quite some time as he began to formulate his own plans on how to move forward.
"All right, everyone!" Saiga then stood up, addressing all present. "We'll meet again in a few days, and then...."
"We'll get ready to launch the final assault on those traditionalists."
"For a freer future."
"Osu!"
And eventually, with the cheers of the Liberationist's Faction, the meeting swiftly ended.
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-5 Hours Later-
-??? Path, Kuremisago Clan Compound.-
'So it is that time again… The frosty period of the winter season…'
Little by little, the miniature crystallized flakes of ice slowly began to fill the sky, moistening the ground as it fell forming little patches of pure white around the empty forest lands, and in the center of it all, was one lone man casting his gaze upwards to the heavens.
It was none other than the young master and future head of the Kuremisago Clan, a man who was said to be 'talent incarnate' who very few could ever hope to equal in the coming years.
-Kuremisago Senzui.
With his medium black hair slicked back, and calm black eyes, he painted a serene picture of calmness and neutrality, however, his true intentions were anything but neutral.
There were many things that he wanted and expected in this life.
Some he was able to obtain, and others had unfortunately slipped from his grasp.
He had loved a woman before, the 'Princess' of the Kuremisago Clan, but it wasn't in fate's decree for them to be together.
He had felt great warmth from his family, but in the end, even his own father had been slain by his hands at the height of his clan's feuds.
And though he had wanted his clans to be fruitful, multiply, and rise even higher within the world, the feuds resulting in blood spilled between his clan members had lessened the members of his clan, slowly changing the once-bustling Kuremisago Clan into a ghost town.
But most of all… There was something that he really desired…
-And that was 'change'.
Why was this?
For a long time, the Kuremisago had been entangled in a perpetual battle amongst themselves, from those who held the doctrine of pursuing the height of 'Martial Arts' by killing and slaughtering without emotions, and those who found such lengths to be unnecessary, hoping not to have to kill anymore even if a middle ground couldn't be found.
-'With the birth of a new generation, so will new schools of thought be born.' -Some would say.
But what they did agree on, was that they couldn't get along, nor could they ever realize their ideals without fighting each other
-And so they fought one another.
-And then when things seemed peaceful, they fought again.
-And then they fought, over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over again.
-And then they even fought some more after that!
-Just how many times did they fight one another, you ask?
-Too damned much.
The declining population of their clan held no weight in some of their minds if it meant that the opposing side would continue their contrary way of thought, and so they continued to fight even more.
Senzui however wanted to change this way of life, and in fact, it was his penultimate goal leading to the finale of his lifelong plans.
-Friends?
-Comrades?
-Family?
To Senzui, who used to be a man who cherished such notions, they now became mere pawns of a game of chess, pieces of varying value that were simply needed to push this game forward into its next stage.
Though, among the drivel of fodder and trash alike, there was all but one exception.
-The man named Shintarou Satou, whose epithet was known as the 'Phantom Titan'.
Appearing nearly a decade or two ago from the obscure depths of The Inside, the 'Phantom Titan' was a giant of a man and as elusive as one can be, known to disappear like a ghost when he felt like it.
In a way, it was almost a work of art how one that possessed such a nonchalant, 'devil-may-care' attitude and a robust frame as he did manage to reduce his presence to almost nothing at all in the blink of an eye.
Seeing his worth, Senzui wanted to recruit this Shintarou into his personal group he had been busy creating for years on end.
-A group that after his goals in this place were accomplished would help catapult not only him, but eventually the entirety of Japan into a new era, or so he believed.
-YAMI.
And to make such a dream into reality, he planned on recruiting many, many martial artists from across the globe at all costs.
And so, he sent out many invitation letters.
-To the fierce yet devoted 10th Dan Karate Grandmaster and head of the Shinshinkai Karate School; 'The Tiger Slayer' Doppo Orochi.
-To the many deadly members of a powerful notorious clan of assassins known throughout the criminal underworld as The Taboo Descendants known as 'The Kure Clan'.
And to a renowned assassin within the criminal underworld, boasting a near-perfect success rate with his deadly techniques, 'The Devil Lance' Kuroki Gensai.
In fact, he even sent out an invitation to a man shrouded in infamy named Silkwat Jenezad, 'The Hero of Tidet' who was also known as the famed 'Kenmashajin/ Demon God Fist'. He was known to be frighteningly adept at nearly every form of 'Silat', daring to call the version he devoutly practiced as 'Supreme Silat', and was rumored to be at least on a level higher than what any master could ever hope to achieve.
-Truly, such a man was beginning to be revered as a 'God', if not a 'Demon' of Martial Arts, an unkillable existence soon etched into the annals of history in the Underground world.
Well, though he has yet to receive a response as expected, Senzui didn't fret about that matter.
In fact, he didn't expect most of them to even give him a reply much less read it, but he did so regardless.
'Maybe I should invite 'The Ogre' into my little group?' Senzui wondered, chuckling softly as he pictured the odds of such a man agreeing. 'Though, with a willful guy like him… I bet it might be quite hectic, I presume...'
The Ogre, Hanma Yujiro was known to be quite the 'pot-stirrer' if anyone unfortunate enough to be in his presence were to agree. Known as either a heroic god in some countries or a dastardly devil in others, he was a man who possessed overwhelming strength to not only go against almost all of the greatest fighters in this world, but to contest them on all fronts; skill, technique, and power, if not defeat them completely.
Though, in all honesty, he was quite sure that 'The Ogre' would certainly reject his invitation.
But things like that didn't matter to Senzui. After all, the strong had a right whether to or not to consent, and the weak had no choice but to consent.
'That is the way of the world.' Senzui believed.
Thinking of such topics, Senzui let out a soft exhale as he closed his eyes. And while he stood still letting the snowflakes settle on his personage, his mind eventually drifted to the reports he received from his henchman.
-The 'Phantom Titan' was currently on the Kuremisago Mountains, and he had a disciple with him.
'That boy… Though young, the talent within him is undeniable -The choice of bringing him alongside you and training him in the fiery depths of life rather than a peaceful climate certainly was the correct one.'
-FWOOOSH!-
Just as Senzui turned to face his current guests, his attendants shawled in robes darker than the stygian night sky appeared in gusts like the wind with speeds well surpassing the likes of even the best of Olympic athletes many times over.
-It was the time to enact another arc of this play of his.
Bowing respectfully, the attendant at the frontmost proffered a scroll which Senzui gleefully unrolled.
"Well, well, well… This is good news… Wonderful even." Senzui smiled wholeheartedly, shining with the beaming countenance of one who didn't have anything to do with the blood war that was currently on its way. "It seems like the 'Bewitching Fist' of the Kushinada Clan has accepted my proposal to join forces alongside me…"
"!"
The attendants hearing this shook slightly in surprise before reigning their shock in completely.
Their young master was quite the ambitious one, wasn't he?
And for there to actually be other Martial Artists interested in the dream he shared?
They could only sweat as they thought about what chaos such a line-up would unleash onto the world in the coming years.
"Now it's time to wrap things up… You all know what must be done, don't you all?" Senzui gave brief orders to his attendants as they dispersed in gusts of wind, just as swift as they had arrived as he held out his palm to catch the falling snowflakes.
"And as for the rest of these folk…" Stifling a yawn as he thought about the remaining Kuremisago clansmen busy fighting, Senzui coldly decided their fates. "Well, their corpses will merely be the Grand Guignol, the bloody yet glorious start of a martial revolution…"
"In a few days, the underworld will be the first to know..."
"-Know the surprise of the fall of our fellow clansmen and guests, and the greatness of the rise of our new organization, Yami..."
Senzui smiled as he watched the snowflakes melt in his hand, seeping through his fingers as they dropped to the ground. "Because soon enough, the land of the rising sun will reign supreme, and with me at its helm at that… After all, there's no better way of promoting peace than showing the results of violence, now is there?"
"However." Senzui halted as he gazed at the heavens, his countenance briefly falling somewhat. " -Do forgive me for what I am about to do, Saiga, Shizuha…"
"But it is for the best… As regrettable as it sounds... It is not only for us... But the future of Japan itself."
Fiddling with something in his pocket, he took out a piece of paper and held it in his hands.
'It seems as if the Elders of the Kuremisago Clan wishes to see me.' Senzui sneered. 'I'll soon get rid of those senile dinosaurs soon enough...'
Senzui walked off into the darkness, his destination; the Elder's abode, but what he might do on the way there, remains unknown.
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-FURINJI HOUSEHOLD-
Within an eastern dojo sprawling with a rustic simplicity situated in the town of Tokyo, Japan, a spectacular aura spilled forth endlessly, seeping through the very greenery itself, moving as if they were trying to escape from the dojo.
And from the middle of the green field, one could see where the aura from before was spilling out.
It was a tall imposing figure, easily around two meters with long blonde hair and a blonde beard with a well-sculpted face quite suited for a fearsome warrior.
-And who was this man?
This man was none other than Furinji Hayato 'The Legendary Master', the man known as "The Invincible Superman", hailing from the Furinji Clan, and the name of this dojo he owned was 'Ryozanpaku'.
Befitting of his title, Furinji Hayato was an old figure within the Martial Arts Community, an undefeated force of nature who participated in many fights and battles of a bygone era where he defeated even those who wielded the modern marvels of man such as tanks, guns, and weapons as they had no effectiveness against the likes of him.
But most importantly, this man was an advocate of the 'Katsujinken/ Life Saving Fist' way of life. He was one of the many who believed life itself was sacred and that one man can not take another's life, hence he never fought to kill, but to always end fights with those involved alive, eternally seeking to preserve the lives of all.
And though many, many people may disagree with his way of living, he still managed to remain steadfast in his belief as he stands undefeated in the Martial Arts World.
After all, if you're that strong and still alive, then you can't be completely wrong, right?
Though, unlike the fearsome aura the muscular blonde gave off, his facial expressions remained impassive and calm as he continued to meditate.
"Haaaaahhh..."
"!"
Opening his eyes, the blue crystalline orbs shone with a fierce aura as personified hot winds flew out rustling the areas and surroundings before finally cooling down, returning to the meek, cool temperatures it once was before.
Even if one were to be afflicted with blindness, they would still be able to tell that this man was a Master at Martial Arts
-No. Most definitely even beyond that.
-Caw!, Caw!-
A carrier pigeon landed on the outstretched hands of the man as he calmly rustled the feathers of the bird before untying the letter attached to its back.
"Well, well, little birdie... Would you like a treat?" The muscular boulder of a man asked, placing the letter at the side as he reached into the pockets of his robe, unrolling several candies and lollies from their wrappers before chomping down on them happily.
-tweet.-
The bird left.
'Haaah... Guess that's a no then... Well, maybe he's not fond of sweets.' Shaking his head, the man unfurled the letter he received.
-
-'To Furinji Hayato, from Furinji Shizuka'
-
'Oh, Shizuha? This time it's from the wife of my idiot son.' Hayato said, chuckling as he opened the letter.
It was always good to hear about his son, daughter-in-law, and his grandchild since they lived quite a distance from him in Tokyo, so he would commonly read letters sent by them.
In a way, these weekly and monthly updates he made them be sure to send were his revenge against his son for deciding to live somewhere far away from him where he couldn't see his precious granddaughter twenty-four-seven.
-"Hmph! Because of you, I haven't been able to see my precious granddaughter because she lives so far away!" Would be a common complaint coming from Furinji Hayato.
Fortunately, due to him being Japanese himself, this 'grudge' if you could call it that wouldn't cause him to yell something along the lines of; 'I won't forgive the Japanese!', like a certain bizarre fedora-wearing old man that lost one of his hand in a 'car' accident with a camera smashing hobby.
"He- Hooh..."
On the other hand, after reading through the letter his good mood would cool down rapidly, like a pot of hot water left out in the cold outdoors, quickly subsiding as it got cooler and cooler after reading through the letter.
-
'-As much as I would like to say that everything amongst us has been sailing smoothly at the Kuremisago, unfortunately, I cannot say so if I were to remain completely honest.
As you may have heard, friction between the clan has sent them splintering off into two different forces against each other in a battle of ideals, traditions, and principles... And as the climate steadily grew tenser, so will the anger and negative emotions of our clansmen.
It may be naive, but I pray that we could all get along once more, and that the slowly dwindling numbers of the Kuremisago would stop, and its manors and rooms would be filled once more just like the older days that have passed.'
-
The letter from his daughter-in-law spoke intensely about the trepid state of affairs of the Kurmeisago Clan, the constant wars, infighting, and the general dour mood there. She also spoke of the dwindling numbers of their clan but that wasn't what garnered his attention
-
'-It has been rough for Saiga, having to deal with all of this, though he remains strong for Miu, Senzui, I, and everyone who depends and fights alongside him...
I only hope that the weight on his back eases up, and everything turns out alright in the end...'
-'Sincerely, Shizuha Furinji .'
-
The following paragraphs spoke in great detail about his son, Saiga Furinji. His son's struggles on the path of life, and his life with his new family.
Getting quieter than it already could be, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, Furinji Hayato cast a steely expression, placing the letter aside with a heavy hand befitting a heavy heart.
'This…. This doesn't sound like good news whatsoever…'
The sorrowful yet hopeful feelings that emanated from the handwritten letter were enough to tell Furinji Hayato's guts and instincts what was wrong, and whenever he listened to them, they never let him down.
Something amiss seemed to be brewing at the Kuremisago, and he didn't like the implications whatsoever.
"Hmmn... Something urgent such as this..." Furinji Hayato stood up abruptly, staring at the sky as he made up his mind.
"I should go and check it out myself."
And with that, the Old Master Furinji Hayato leaped up, and made haste as he left his dojo.
He had a destination in mind, and if his instincts were right...
Something truly vile and sinister was afoot.
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Chapter 9: Quo Vadis? Persona Non Grata (REDUX) END
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You Know, a lot of Clans In Kengan, HSDK, And Baki Have Names That Start With The Letter K. Funny, Huh?
Also, I Understand That Senzui Has His Reasons, But He's Still A Little Bitch That Went Off The Deep End Because His Love Got Taken Away From Him.
Alrigh, I Jest, But You Can't Deny That It's A Large Part Of Why In Canon
Foods Mentioned:
Sakura-Niku/ Cherry Blossom Meat: Raw Horse Meat.
A delicacy in certain places like Japan, France, and Italy. Depending on how it's cooked, it could have a tougher beef-like taste
Bird's Nest Soup: Soup made from the nest of a bird that lives like bats, and their nests are made from their dry saliva, known to have youth-preserving effects.
Has a rubbery taste and is incredibly expensive as a pack of bird nest needed to prepare the soup can cost around $3000- $5000
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