Author's Note

I'm a straight Guy.Why are you telling me your gender you may be asking?Well apparently one of the reviews says my fiction is full of misandry and This FanFic supports the marginalization of men. LOL what? i had to look up what these words meant which apparently is the hatred or dislike of men.So sorry if i looked like a feminists trust me when i say i wasn't intending that.But whatever Im just ranting

This chapter is the longest chapter I've ever written enjoy

As always reviews,ratings,Recommendations,Corrections,Questions and comments are greatly appreciated

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Chapter 9: The Nagayoshi clan and Bromance

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After two weeks of riding in carriage Edin arrived to the Nagayoshi Castle.

He’d never seen a real castle but Edin was amazed at the Japanese style castle.Behind the walls there was a small village

“This way.” said Lord Nagayoshi as he led Edin to his castle

When they arrived lord Nagayoshi was greeted by many of his vassals

Edin had no idea what they were saying.

Edin regretted not learning any languages as a child. He had heard that children up to the age of six could pick up languages easily.

Edin removed his shoes as he entered the lord’s home

“This is Sada he will show you to your room then you will shower, put fresh clothes and join my family and me to eat dinner.”

The short elderly man then started walking at a brisk pace

Edin then arrived to his room where the man then open the sliding door and revealed a fairly large room

He was then given a bucket of hot water and a rag to clean himself. He was also given Japanese style clothes to wear to dinner.

When he was done Sada led him to the dining room.

When Edin arrived he saw who he assumed must have been the Lord’s children.One was a boy perhaps two years older than the Nine year old Edin, the other a girl who seemed near Edin’s own age perhaps a year older. Where the boy looked the splitting image of his father, the girl looked half Japanese with her black eyes and dark almost black purple hair. She would certainly Grow up a beauty.

“These are my children, they speak English as good if not better than I” said Lord Nagayoshi

“My heir Nagayoshi Kojiro,”Introduced Lord Nagayoshi

Kojiro bowed

“A pleasure,” Said Edin as he offered his hand

“And this is my daughter Tara,” said lord Nagayoshi

Edin’s Training made him develop a silver tongue.

“It’s an Honor to meet a beauty such as yourself,” said Edin not noticing that he was subconsciously using his training in seduction

Tara’s cheeks turned ruby red But Edin didn't notice because he felt an immense killing intent coming from Kojiro

What the hell thought Edin as they sat down for dinner

Edin had never ate Japanese food but he could use chopsticks as when he used to order Chinese food he really like using chopsticks it was an unnecessary skill he had developed in his old life

“Itadakimasu.”Said Edin along with everyone else .Edin wasn't completely ignorant, he had watched a couple of animes.

“Edin-kun tomorrow you will start samurai training along with kojiro,”

“Yeah thank you,”said Edin

For the rest of dinner kojiro and Lord Nagayoshi spoke Japanese but to Edin it seemed like they were arguing. So Edin ate in silence. Edin should have probably improved his observational skills as he didn't notice the continuous glances tara gave him

The Next day Edin was woken up by Sada and led to what Edin assumed was a dojo.

When Edin arrived he was greeted by an old man

“I am your teacher Kuramoto,”

“Nice to meet you sensei Kuramoto,” responded Edin

“English is good?” Asked Sensei Kuramoto

“Better than my Japanese,” answered Edin

Edin noticed that Kojiro was also in the dojo swinging his bokken.

“Here bokken,”said Sensei Kuramoto as he handed the wooden sword to Edin

Edin was familiar with the wooden sword and held it in one hand as he had always held his sword

Kuramoto slapped Edin’s hand as he said

“Wrong, put hand in front of other like this,”

Edin did as he was told and started doing practice swings

“Wrong again,” said Sensei Kuramoto as he took the bokken away from Edin

“Lead with blade, use tip to cut,”Instructed Kuramoto as he showed the proper way of using the sword

Sensei Kuramoto was a strict teacher compared to the easy going drunk ninja sensei

For Three weeks he instructed Edin in the proper way of the sword.If Edin’s foot was an inch from the proper stance He would be reprimanded.

When Edin had his ninja training he half assed it like he always did. However Sensei Kuramoto would not take any less than a hundred percent effort.

After a few weeks

“Edin today you fight with kojiro,”said Kuramoto as he passed the wooden sword Edin

“Yes Sensei,”

The eleven year old easily beat The nine year old Edin in less than three sword strokes.

“Again, I was unprepared” Said Edin

But the results were the same. Three more times Edin asked for a rematch and three more times he gained several bruises

There would be no healing spells for Edin. The Empire of Yamato despised magic users. Only unhonorable men used magic. The only practitioners of magic were the noble families. They were called exorcists as they used their magic and swords to exorcise yokai. Yokai were anything not human thus other races were persecuted by theses exorcists who labeled them as monsters.

“Again!” Screamed Edin

And again Edin ended up on the floor.

The NEET inside Edin was hurt and tired. He just wanted to stay on the floor. However Edin was boiling with rage. Edin

carried the blood of some of the human’s fiercest warriors.

Edin smiled with anticipation to another spar. This sparked something inside Edin.

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Kojiro’s POV

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I did not like this foreigner named Edin. I who am a noble speak three languages yet he only speaks one. I saw him as lower than I who am the heir to the Nagayoshi clan then he dares flirt with MY little sister! I was proven correct that he indeed was inferior to me when I easily beat him in our first spar.

Then he had the audacity to stand up again. Not just once but several times but then I saw him wavering on whether to continue or lie on the ground. Then he had a savage grin that terrified me. I who trained from Dawn to Dusk was scared of this trash. I hit him until he went unconscious.

A couple of days after Sensei Kuramoto asked Trash a question

“Why do you fight,Why do you Train?”

That was easy I fight for family and honor as all samurai should is what I would have answered

“For my family,” answered trash

But then sensei Kuramoto slapped him

“Why do you fight!?”

“For honor.” answered Trash

Sensei then punched him in the gut

“Guh!WHAT THE FUCK!?”

“Why do you train to fight!?”Asked Sensei again

“I wanna beat him at his own game; I want to see him lying down on the floor after I’ve kicked his ass!” Screamed trash as he pointed at me

WHAT! Is that why he trains?

I always practice with my bokken at dawn. I head to a small hill in my garden and every day I train at the crack of dawn. Then one day trash without saying a word joins me in my routine. I simply ignored him.

At first it would take 30 seconds to disarm trash but after a month it took an entire minute. Then after three months our fights would take several minutes but I would still win. I finally decided to ask him a question

“My father says you have ninja training, Why do you not use your tricks to defeat me?” I asked Trash

“That’s not what I want, I want to defeat you as a samurai,”answered Trash

Then I started talking with Trash even more.We discussed tactics when fighting the enemy.

“The waist is key, apply power from the heel and change your hands flexibly,” I explained to Edin

He also taught me some ninja techniques such as how to sneak around.

Whenever we fought Edin was always grinning. Did he enjoy getting beaten I asked myself but then I was bewildered for I too was smiling. Huh when did training start becoming fun? I always trained because it was my duty. I took no joy in training but here I was enjoying the spars with Edin

We started playing games together with my sister Tara. We played a game called tag. When we played hide and seek with Tara, Edin and I would always use ninja sneaking techniques to win.Together we also trained and played with Edin’s Dog Echo

“Edin-san” I called to edin

“Stop.” answered Edin

“Wha…what?”

“Drop the san aren't we bros,” said Edin

“Bros?”I asked

“Yeah you know brothers,Best friends,BFFs,” said Edin

I never had someone I could truly call friend. I was a noble so all the children would treat me as young master. I always felt like there was a wall. I could not be friends with other noble children as fathered said that one day we may end up enemies.

I was happy for the first time in my life as I had a friend. No a best Friend

So we spent month’s training and playing with my sister tara.I always felt like protecting my little sister Tara from boys but I felt I could leave her in Edin’s hands.

It was fun time passed so quickly that we even celebrated Edin’s tenth birth day. Edin’s family sent him a collar for his dog. My family gifted Edin with a brand new Katana. However these fun days did not last

The twelve year old me and My Ten year old best friend Edin were running on the castle’s rooftops. A messenger had arrived for my father and we always made it a game to sneak in and listen to the reports given to my father while hiding.

However what I heard was bad very bad. Edin noticed my worried face. Edin did not speak Japanese he only knew a few words. So I would usually be his translator.

What the scout reported was that the Umura clan was sending an expeditionary force to burn Hawk’s Nest and the village of Porahi to the ground.

The Umura clan was our sworn enemy. They had taken our farmlands which was our main source of income. We had no money and so relied on our savings to pay for our army. That is why my father threatened Lord Freestone because we could not pay we used force.

I explained to Edin that the Umura clan had sent a small army to attack his home. I also told him that our forces could not reach his home in time to defend it as mobilizing the army took days.

“I have to go right now!” screamed Edin. Certainly a lone man could maybe reach Hawk’s nest before the expeditionary force.

“Ok I’ll help” I said

I did not want to see my friend go and perhaps die but as Samurai there are things one must do.

We packed some provisions and loaded it onto our fastest horse.

I handed Edin his Katana

“Pound it motherfucker.” said Edin

We pounded our fists together because Edin said this is what friend do when greeting or saying goodbyes.

“Ah take Echo with you.” I reminded Edin

“Ah right.”

Edin whistled then echo arrived

“Will you not say goodbye to Tara?” I asked while Edin mounted his horse.

“No time,” Answered Edin as I handed him Echo

“See yah later dude!” screamed Edin as he galloped away

“Good luck Brother,” I said

I managed to buy Edin a few hours before I had to inform father of what Edin had done.

My father was mobilizing his army

”Why did you help him Kojiro!?” Screamed my father as he slapped me

“Because he is my friend,” I answered

“No I lied he is more than a friend He is my brother”

“Damn it.” said my father

“Father why are you taking so many men only for 200 enemies,” I asked father as he mobilized 7000 men

“Because there are two forces, the expeditionary force and a larger force behind the expeditionary force.” Explained my father

“We won’t be able to stop those 200 soldiers but we can stop the larger force.”]

I then went to a shrine and prayed for my brother to be able to warn his family in time

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