When a man decides between two choices, how far into the future does he look?

Is it perhaps only me, but have Koin and Kazuma been getting antsy? I have never cared much about human interaction before, so I usually don't bother to pick up on such cues, but to me it seems as if Koin and Kazuma have been more tense than usual.

Perhaps its' because I've started ambushing them?

...nah.

Watching from atop a branch, I inspect the frightened Koin as he flees from the main camp. Lately, the size of the camp has grown to four-hundred strong. I would be insulting those four-hundreds' intelligence, but at least now that they're all together we, as a race, can eliminate a large portion of stupidity from the gene pool, thus increasing the future generations' survival. I wonder if our childrens' childrens' children will look back upon this gathering, and thank their ancestors who had the common sense to kill off such idiotic bastards?

...I doubt it. Idiocy has a way of infecting those near to it. Our great-grandchildren will probably be so brain-dead the rocks will be keeping us kenneled in order to stop us from hurting ourselves.

I have concluded that my faith in humanity is...somewhat absent.

Continuing to shadow Koin from the treetops, I watch his every move. He looks all around himself, like a rabbit that has spotted a wolf.

I wonder, if I cut off his foot, would it be lucky...?

Casting such idle thoughts aside, I move slightly ahead of Koin and await him. For the horseman to be moving on such a predictable path, I fear that I have taught them nothing. I will simply have to be more unforgiving. Hehe, that is quite an entertaining thought. As I think of new ways to torture educate the horsemen, Koin arrives at the ambush site.

It is not my ambush site, however. Honestly...

Why do these men even try to fight back?

I drop from the treetops, and land heavily on Koins' back. Pinning him to the ground with my feet and sword, I await his response. I make sure to watch his face closely.

With a face brimming with the joy of victory, he yells, "Now!" and looks toward where Kazuma and a dozen of their most trusted men wait in ambush. And Koin keeps waiting. And keeps waiting. He coughs loudly, then repeats his signal for his fellows to assist him. Noting his confusion, I poke him in the head and point upward. Koin looks up...

There, suspended with rope, are thirteen blindfolded and gagged soldiers in full armor and carrying their weapons. Poking his head again, I whisper in his ear.

"Instead of letting an assassin kill you so that your fellows can defeat said assassin, just learn to take care of the assassin yourself, ne?"

Like an ashamed child, he nods his head and taps my foot in signal of defeat. With his help I unstring the thirteen hapless would-be ambushers, and knock enough consciousness into them in order to bring their motor functions online. Little more can be expected from humans, sadly.

I lead a depressed and defeated group of men back to camp.

I look up from sharpening my blade to see Rei walk in. He is still limping from when I broke his leg by throwing him several feet into the air, but the physician expects that he'll make a full recovery.

...I'll have to throw him harder this time...

He stands at attention, waiting for my order to relax. Needless to say, I will give no such order. If they wish for direction, they can ask the moon for all I care. Maybe if I tell the lot of them to catch the moon, they'll get off my back...

I resume running the whetstone across my masters' swords' edge once more, not looking at Rei. After several minutes, I let out a quiet sigh. Immediately, he begins to speak. I sigh once more.

"Sir! I have served you for a little less than three years, and in all that time you have payed little to no attention to my exploits, brought suspicion upon me from my fellows under you, bullied me verbally and physically, and broken several of my bones." He took a pause for breath. I respond with-

"Your point?"

He charged on. "I have never known you personally, but from what I have seen you are a senseless killer who basks in the blood of his enemies and I have wondered several times whether your mind is completely right."

"That is a fair evaluation. What of it?"

Rei took a deep breathe. "While serving you these two and-three-quarter years, I have found so much fault with you that I question why I'm still here."

I hesitate to hope, but I timidly prod..."So that means..."

He looked deep into my eyes, and said with heartfelt sincerity, "Sir, you are undoubtedly the most unbearable asshole I have ever met. The most bloodthirsty murderer to ever grace this earth. I have hated you to such a degree that I even contemplated killing you and facing your cult-like horde."

I said nothing, but let just a tiny flame flare to light within my soul. I got to my feet, walked up to him, and slapped him in the face. With a bright-red hand-mark on his cheek, he slowly turned his face to me.

Then he slapped me in the face. Due to me having the stature of a fourteen-year old, and because the one slapping me had the physique of a grown man, I was tossed to the floor with considerable force. After I got up, we looked into each others' eyes.

Then I laughed, punched him in the gut so hard he passed out, and went out and got two plates of food. Mmm, rice and fish, my favorite! Well, it would be, except I can't taste.

When I got back to the canvas house with a recently patched hole in the top, I placed the food on the ground and woke up Rei the only way I know how.

That is, by taking a cushion and holding it on his mouth and nose until he struggles to remove it. Damn...I thought I hit him hard enough he wouldn't wake up while I was smothering him...Well, next time. Next time.

He and I shared a meal, and for the first time since I sat and ate with my master, I thought deeply.

Rei was indeed a thinker. He had a vision, a purpose, which was one of the reasons he had joined me. Now, he thought we could do something more. As for me...

"I'll get to kill people, right?"

He nodded.

I grinned, bit the head off a fish, then called together Isei and the horsemen to announce something.

We, the Fel Band, are going to kill the Shogun. Hehehe...

Oh, this is going to be so much fun!

Ahem, just kidding. Sane people do not enjoy the thought of meaningless slaughter. Such things are for crazies and nuts.

I have concluded that I am a very good liar. I should get a medal...

This will not be meaningless slaughter, however fun it might be. I will be toppling a corrupt power and replacing it with chaos. Other, better men can decide what to make of this country after I've reduced it to rubble.

I have concluded that, like other children, I can be very short-sighted. Ignorance is bliss, as the saying goes.

He looks just far enough to ascertain its' safety, but no farther. Sometimes, the consequences of our actions are too frightening to imagine, and are better left for others to deal with.