Jeongwoo had never expected in his life that he would be able to enter a history rich mansion. He slightly gawked at the beautiful japanese architecture when he entered it but the importance of his agenda was heavier than appreciating the relics of the past.

Jeongwoo stood in front of Watanabe Haruomi, the Watanabe clan's current head. His eyes challenging the older in a contest of determination and belief. He had a bokuto, a wooden sword, on his hand. He had never received training nor had he trained any martial arts but he knew that more than anyone here in the dojo, he most likely had the spirit of a real samurai.

"Young'un, you wish to challenge me?" Haruomi grinned, obviously underestimating the young boy in front of him.

"No, I wish to prove a point" Jeongwoo replied and readied his stance. One that he just recently learned from Asahi.

"Perfect stance" The swordsman approved, the kid might have the talent for the art. But, Watanabe's are known to be bad at holding back. As soon as the match started, Haruomi attacked Jeongwoo causing the boy to cough in pain. The swordmaster had done it to dampen the will of the boy and to show the difference in their skills.

Jeongwoo stood up despite receiving a blow from the wooden sword in his abdomen. Haruomi stared at the boy and asked, "Why are you doing this young boy? You are not a member of this clan, you alone cannot change anything"

Jeongwoo glared, vision slightly dizzy due to the blow. He clenched his teeth and replied, "I said I'm proving a point so I am." He stood still, "I heard from Mashiho hyung that the Watanabe was supposed to be a clan of samurai that protects their masters"

"We are" Haruomi replied as he landed another blow to the kid. He did his best to hold back as to not accidentally kill the young man. Jeongwoo smiled as he received the blow and immediately struggled to stand up.

Yoonbin held Jihoon who was about to rush and help Jeongwoo up. He signaled the hacker to stay in his place with his eyes. Jeongwoo felt his body becoming heavy, pain soaring throughout his every joint. Yet, he chose to stand up, he stared at the clan leader. "But before you served a master, the Watanabe's were a clan that fought for the future of its country"

"What are you getting at, kid?"

"That you and you're clan is wrong. That the outdated way of thinking does not match modern society and that change is something does need to be resisted!"

Haruomi landed another blow to the boy, he had slightly forgotten to adjust his strength making Jeongwoo cough blood slightly. The boy wobbled as he stood up and the fire in his eyes has not once died down. There was a will undying inside the eyes of the young boy, an aura that draws everyone into reverence. "Why do you take life for granted? Pride? Pride is when you struggle to keep the things you cherish protected. You take life as if its a toy that you can dispose of any time. You've long forgotten the way a samurai lives"

"What do you know of how we live?"

"I don't but at the very least I know that those that come before you, those that established this long-standing clan had done it for one dream. For the future of their loved ones. Harakiri was performed to show the zeal of life and invigorate the country. At the very least, the samurai that I imagined was that samurai!" Jeongwoo bit his lips, hissing. He took an unsteady step forward, the blood due to cut near his eye made him lose his focus slightly. "At the very least, the samurai I know does not steal the future of their offsprings. They do not block the path of their future. And for what? To invigorate the old generation" Jeongwoo laughed darkly.

Haruomi watched the boy refusing to give up. There was a tug in his chest that made him admire the boy. He watched the boy raised his head and stare at him with a burning conviction, "THE OLD SHOULD PREPARE THE PATH FOR THE YOUNG"

Jeongwoo fell down unconscious. Jihoon rushed towards their youngest and stared hatefully at Yoonbin. Doyoung who was silently sitting next to Yedam immediately stood up and checked the boy.

Haruomi threw the bokuto on the floor. He stared at Mashiho who was staring at him with a smile, a proud smile. He sighed, "Young master, is this why you brought him here?"

"I can't voice out my thoughts due to my position. And, you guys are too stubborn to listen. So I brought him here, the one who had no bias but knew how a samurai should be."

"The old should prepare the path for the young" An aged voice echoed inside the room. Jihoon and Doyoung had carried the unconscious Jeongwoo to the corner where Yoonbin and Yedam were sitting. Haruomi stared at the old man who entered the room. "To think that I would hear the old familial rule from an outsider"

The old man smiled as he stared at the sleeping Jeongwoo. He then bowed politely to Mashiho, "Young lord, it has been a long time since I last saw you"

"Hiroaki-jiji, apologies for letting you witness this mess" Mashiho smiled back at the old man, current Japan's Self-Defence Force current four-star general and former clan head of the Watanabe Clan, Watanabe Hiroaki.

"To think that a boy of your son's age would have a better spirit of the sakura emblem than you, Haruomi" The old man sighed and allowed his grandson to enter.

Haruto entered the room in confusion, he was imprisoned in the cellars and was waiting for the order to end his life. He stared at his grandfather who was warmly smiling at him. "Haru, I apologize that this old man had not taken care of the mess inside this family before I left"

"Ojiisama?" Haruto blinked slightly in confusion. He had already known what his outcome would be and he was fine with that. If there was any regret that he had, it would only be Jeongwoo and not being able to serve Mashiho in his greatness. So, when his grandfather who was busy with the security of the country apologized to him. He was more than surprised.

"My inability to think further in the future has caused this, Haruto. I apologize. To think that after Akito, you would be used as pawn to games for power. I have underestimated the greed of people" The old man hugged his grandson making Haruto stiffen. "Forgive me one last time, dear child. I have to do this cruelty"

The old man detached himself from his grandson after taking a closer look at the face of his only grandson remaining. He sighed and stared at Haruomi, "Watanabe Haruomi, I have received commendation from our lords, the house of Takata, the house of Terazono and the house of Kazama, which was approved by the imperial family, his majesty to name Watanabe Haruto as the next clan leader of the Watanabe family. This would mean that I shall oversee the crossing of the blades from the new to the old"

"Jiisama?" Haruto stared at the old man still confused. He stared at his father who was smiling at him weakly as if he was expecting this outcome. "But, I--"

"Watanabe Haruto, you have been implicated as a samurai who had failed in his duty to protect his liege. Is that correct?"

"Yes, it is" Haruto answered. Mashiho who was sitting calmly clenched his fist in anger. Haruomi frowned slightly.

"Then, I'm also to be punished since I challenged the authority of the Watanabe clan head. Can you punish me with him?" Jeongwoo weakly declared as he struggled to sit up with Jihoon's help.

Haruto snapped at the voice direction and froze. He saw Jeongwoo wounded. His vision darkened at the sight of blood on the other's face. Bloodthirst, anger, misery, frustration, and hate mixed in the pressure that Haruto released. Mashiho and Keita smiled as they finally were able to successfully allow Haruto's emotion to burst.

The thick miasma of rage and despair made Haruomi choke. He had never expected that the dark emotions welling inside his cheerful and lazy son were to this extent. Haruto heavied a sigh as he forgot all manners and rushed towards Jeongwoo, pushing Jihoon slightly aside. Yoonbin caught his boyfriend while Yedam pulled Doyoung to safety.

"Woo" Haruto reached for Jeongwoo's face and traced the cuts in his body. Each wound and bruise that he finds, his heart burned with deep hate. "Is it painful?"

"It is" Jeongwoo answered as he let Haruto caressed the cut in his lips with his thumbs. "But, it is nothing than the pain I felt at the thought of you leaving for good"

Haruto bit his lips, almost crying. He honestly had given up on his life. He was raised to follow the traditions, to follow the rules. He had always done so. He strived to be perfect. But, somehow seeing the boy who taught him that imperfection is sometimes perfection by itself and that traditions are just relics of the past get hurt like this -- there was something inside him that just snapped. A heavy restraint that had been broken. "Woo, I don't care what happened to me but" Even if it's my father, no one is to hurt you. Even the tip of your hair needs to be safe.

Haruto walked towards Mashiho and performed a ritual dogeza, the act of submission -- different from the act of apology. "My liege, your permission for 'tis one to use a sword"

Mashiho smiled happily, "I am glad you remembered that you are always my retainer. No one takes over that place. Permission granted"

Keita handed a sword to Haruto. It was a sword that has been resting for a long time. "This would be the perfect sword, Haruto"

Haruto stared at the sword and nodded as he took from Keita. He stared at the sword forged on the same day and time he cried to announce his birth. Murasaki no Renge. The Purple Lotus.

"Father, prepare thyself" Haruto muttered as he readied his stance. Haruomi took out his sword. Both had unsheathed their swords at the same time.

Hiroaki took a step back and stood at a protective distance away from the father and son. Haruto was the first to make a move, he took a step forward and immediately crossed swords with his father.

The scene of two swordmasters clashing was a surreal scene. Jeongwoo has once again seen that Haruto and he lives in a different world. Haruto's attack has become aggressive and speedy. Haruomi did not expect that the level his son has reached is now exceeding his own.

Haruto parried his father's sword away from his hands. His long purple blade stopped in the neck of his father, dangerously close to cutting it. Hiroaki waited for a moment, wanting to know which action Haruto would take.

Haruto withdrew his sword and sheathed it yet had not relaxed his guard down. His black eyes narrowed as he let his hands hang on the hilt on his sword. "Someone had told me that before I am a samurai, I am human. I do not wish to partake into patricide"

Hiroaki smiled while Haruomi chuckled, "What a day. I was first challenged by a boy with a will of steel then defeated by a brat"

Hiroaki laughed as he tapped the shoulder of his son, "It only means that time is moving forward and that we are getting old. I trust you know what to do, son. As for those old mongrels, I believe they have long forgotten the horror of messing with his old bone's family"

Haruomi chuckled slightly. His father has always soft towards his grandsons. The one who mourned for Akito's lost the most and the one who grieved and rage in Haruto's behalf has always been the aged army general. He stared at his son and asked, "Haru, have you found it? The reason for your sword"

"I did" Haruto closed his eyes and smiled gently. He blinked it open and stared straight to his father's eyes. "And what you told me was right, father. It was indeed the most beautiful thing"

Hiroaki and Haruomi stared at each other laughing. Keita and Mashiho were watching the whole scene joined them. While, the rest stared at the japanese in confusion. Little did they know, that another possessive, clingy and totally whipped Watanabe was born.

If there is one thing that the main line of the Watanabe's shares all throughout their history, it would be that all Watanabe clan head are loves and dotes their partners too much.

"My boy, I approve of your choice" Hiroaki laughed as he slapped Haruto's back in full strength. The old man then stared at Jeongwoo and grinned, "Jeongwoo was it?"

"Yes!"

"Take care of my young'un here, okay!?"

"Of course! With Pleasure!" Jeongwoo automatically replied as the old man suddenly raised his voice. His answer earned the laughter of everyone inside the room.

The Purple Lotus

Haruto's Sword