Leo waved one last goodbye to his family before turning back to the portal. He touched the pendant around his neck, which was his way back home to make sure it was still there. Taking a deep, steading breath, Leo stepped through the portal.
Usagi was waiting for him on the other side, his son Jotaro tied on his back. “Welcome, Leonardo.”
Leo bowed to his friend, “Thank you for allowing me to accompany you on your travels. This will be like stepping back in time for me.” He looked at the slumbering young bunny strapped to Usagi’s back. “He’s beautiful. I can’t wait to actually meet him.”
Usagi looked over his shoulder and a soft smile turned up the edges of his mouth, “I’ve grown quite fond of him. It was a bit overwhelming when I discovered that he was mine. I hope you don’t mind, traveling with a small child. I assure you that he is well behaved.”
“Of course not,” Leo smiled. “I love kids.”
Usagi’s smile widened, “Good. Come. There is a natural spring just beyond the mountains. I thought the first day of your visit should end with a pleasant soak.”
“That sounds nice,” Leo adjusted his small bag and checked the pendant again. “I am eager to learn all that I can from you and from those we meet. Your world is like living history, only mine was run by humans.”
Usagi laughed, “There are humans here too, Leonardo-san.”
Leo lifted an eye ridge, “Really?”
“Yes,” Usagi affirmed as he held out some items for Leonardo. “This is a kimono and geta. It may be custom for you to walk around unclothed in your world but the people here will take offense to it. Also, ninjas are not seen as good people so it might be wise to lose the mask. That is, if you don’t want people to judge you before they know you.”
“Right,” Leo blushed and removed his mask, belt and swords then put on the kimono. It was a deep blue, making Leo smile at the attempt made by Usagi. The material was soft enough and wasn’t too restrictive so he didn’t worry too much about being able to fight in it.
Usagi handed Leo a new obi and sheaths for his swords that would fit at his waist. “I hope they fit.”
“Me too,” Leo smiled as he accepted them. “I would hate to walk through this foreign land unarmed and defenseless.”
Usagi’s ear twitched and he stood a little taller, “You would not be defenseless as long as you are with me.”
Leo looked up at Usagi and balked a little at his expression, “I meant no disrespect. I just….”
Usagi let out a hearty laugh, cutting Leo off. “I know what you meant, Leonardo-san, and I understand your need to keep your weapons at your side.”
Leo let out a breathy chuckle and shook his head in disbelief. “You had me going. I honestly thought that I had offended you.” Letting out a deep sigh in hopes of steading his still pounding heart, Leo slipped into the geta. The sheaths suited his katana well enough but the obi felt strange around his hips; he was used to carrying his weapons on his back.
Pulling down on the kimono to adjust it, Leo stood before Usagi, “How do I look?”
“Like you belong to this world and as less of a target,” Usagi answered as a matter of fact. He looked in the direction of the sun to gauge the time. “We better get going if we are going to reach the springs by nightfall.”
Leo looked at the position of the sun and saw that it was barely over the horizon. He pointed towards it, “Is that west?”
Usagi shook his head as his smile widened, “That is the east.”
Leo looked at Usagi as he felt his heat sink, “Please tell me that your sun sets in the east.”
Usagi let out another burst of laughter, “No, my friend. The sun has only just come up.”
“Judging by the temperature, I’m going to guess it is summer and with turtle luck on my side, I’m going to guess that it’s closer to midsummer, meaning that we have a long day to make this trek to the hot springs.” He should have known that when Usagi promised a nice soak in a hot spring that it would come after a full day’s walk.
It wasn’t going to be like anything he had experienced before. He knew that the life of a wandering nomad wasn’t going to be one of leisure. None of that gave him pause. He knew what he was getting into when he stepped through the portal. “If it is going to be a long walk,” Leo held out his hand to Usagi, “at least let me lighten your load.”
Usagi removed the bag from his shoulder and handed it over to Leo. “I hope you are not upset about the walk.”
“Not at all,” Leo smiled at him as he adjusted the bag with his own. “As a matter of fact, I look forward to it.”
“Good,” Usagi led the way as they headed north to the mountains. Leonardo had four months to spend with Usagi on this journey and he planned on making the best of it.
They walked a well-traveled path through an open field. It was one of the most beautiful things Leonardo had ever seen. The grass was so tall that it came up passed his waist. The air was clear and almost sweet. Simple pleasures that were rare back home but were an everyday thing for Usagi.
After about an hour of walking, Jotaro woke up. He shifted in the sling, rubbing his face against Usagi’s back as he fought wakefulness. Opening his eyes, Jotaro looked around. When his eyes fell on Leo they snapped open and a wide smile spread across his face. “I’m ready to get down, Uncle Usagi.”
Confused, Leo looked at Usagi. He thought Jotaro was Usagi’s son. Usagi shook his head, indicating that it wasn’t the moment to discuss it. “I have been telling him all about you,” Usagi said as he undid the bindings holding Jotaro to him. As the sling came loose, Usagi dropped to his knees and let Jotaro slide from his back. Usagi looked up at Leo, “He is excited. He has never met a ninja before.”
“Can you teach me how to hide in the shadows?” Jotaro pleaded.
Leo chuckled. “The best ninjas are the ones who hide out in the open and blend in with the common folk.”
“Like you’re doing right now?” Jotaro asked, his eyes going wide with wonder.
Leo nodded, “Yes.” They continued down the path and Jotaro stayed close to Leo. A soft smile spread across Leo’s beak. Even if Jotaro didn’t know Usagi was his father, Usagi had a son and Leo couldn’t help but be a little envious of it. “Maybe,” Leo ventured, “if Usagi allows it, I can show you a few katas. It may give you an upper hand one day.”
Jotaro gasped in excitement and looked up at Usagi. With a soft chuckle, Usagi nodded his head. “There is no harm in learning the techniques of a ninja. There is an advantage in knowing such things.”
“This is going to be great,” Jotaro said in excitement. “Thank you, Uncle Usagi.”
They continued to discuss what techniques they would teach each other as they continued on the path. It wasn’t long before Jotaro grew bored of the conversation and he started to run in and out of the tall grass. He was so short that only his ears could be seen through the brown, swaying grass. He swung his bokken through the air, fighting invisible opponents and Leo could see the skill Jotaro displayed. Leo couldn’t help but think of his own childhood, back when he started to study the sword.
“Do not run too far ahead,” Usagi warned.
“I won’t,” Jotaro called back.
With Jotaro out of earshot, Leo took the opportunity to talk to Usagi. “If you don’t mind my asking, why does he call you Uncle Usagi instead of father?”
“He does not know that I am his father,” Usagi answered. “His mother, Mariko and I…. It was before I left for my training. I did not know she was pregnant. I would have returned home if I had known. Instead of sending me a message she allowed Kenichi, my childhood rival, to persuade her to marry him so she wouldn’t have a child out of wedlock. He raised Jotaro as his own. When Mariko told me that Jotaro was mine, she requested that I not tell anyone. She didn’t want to jeopardize the relationship he had with Kenichi.”
“It must have been hard for you,” Leo said, feeling his heart sink for his friend. “At least you get to train him now.”
“I never intended to be his master,” Usagi replied. “The plan was for him to train with my former master, Katsuich. But….” Usagi looked down for a moment to regain his composure even though he had yet to lose it. “That area was hit hard with an earthquake. It devastated my village. I hurried home as soon as I heard. When I got there…. I could not find my master. Mariko and Kenichi were severely injured and were being tended to by the rest of the village. Their resources were scarce so they were sending who they could to friends and family in other villages. Not wanting to stay and use up their precious resources, I offered to take Jotaro with me.”
“How long are you going to keep him with you?” Leo asked.
Usagi shrugged, “I figured that we will go back to the village to see how they have progressed after a year has passed. There were no remains at my master’s home so I am hoping that he is alive. Maybe when I return with Jotaro my master will also be there.”
“Wouldn’t you rather be the one to train Jotaro?”
Usagi shook his head. “He would be better trained with my master. It would not be right for me to train him.”
Leo nodded his understanding and let the difficult subject drop.
The further down the road they traveled the thicker the air became and the land didn’t look as pleasant. “There is a village just up ahead where we can take a short break and get some water.”
“Have you traveled this way before?” Leo asked as he felt a shiver run up his spine. There was something about the area that put Leo on edge.
“Yes,” Usage answered. “On my way to my village, not too long ago.” They walked past a farm that looked like it had been abandoned. The crops were dead and the soil was parched. It was the time of year where the fields should have been flush with ripe crops, ready for harvest. “I do not like this,” Usagi stated. “The farmers were tending their crops when I last past.”
As they neared the village, Leonardo’s unease only heightened and his heart pounded in his chest. Usagi also looked to be on edge. Jotaro didn’t seem to notice and continued on the path just a few feet ahead.
“The village looks abandoned,” Leo stated. “Maybe a disaster hit it as well.”
“No. The buildings have not collapsed,” Usagi replied, looking over at Leo.
“Could it have been raided?” Leo ventured.
“Possibly,” Usagi nodded and then stopped. “Do you smell that?” The stench Usagi referred to could only be described as death. Fear prickling his fur, Usagi yelled, “Jotaro, come here! We will not pass through this village. It would be best if we walked around.” He added in a whisper, “Maybe it was a plague.”
Jotaro’s eyes were wide and he trembled as he slowly walked back towards Leo and Usagi. His eyes were fixed on a point behind them. Fear kept him from moving closer to them and he stopped just beyond arm’s length.
Leonardo and Usagi turned to look behind them to find that there was someone there. The fact that he was able to walk behind to trained warriors, undetected put a knot in Leo’s stomach. The man was a grey dog with sunken eyes and a blank look on his face. He just stood there unblinking.
Usagi turned to face the man and took a step back, reaching for Jotaro as he moved. Leo followed suit, putting some distance between himself and the man. The man didn’t move or react to them at all. He just stood there, unblinking, looking off at nothing in particular.
Without taking his eyes off the man, Usagi lifted Jotaro and continued to move away. Not wanting to enter the village, they walked backward along the edge. After a point, they turned around only to find someone else standing behind them.
The woman’s eyes were just as vacant as the man’s. Leo couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran through him.
The sound of something being dragged could be heard behind them. Leo had no desire to turn around again to see what it was. Usagi pushed Leo to get him to move around the woman and Leo obliged. Leo wanted nothing more than to run but Usagi held his arm tight, keeping him at a steady pace as they walked.
Jotaro kept his face buried in Usagi’s chest, mumbling “Yurei” over and over to himself. Shushing Jotaro and keeping a tight grip on Leo’s arm, Usagi kept his eyes ahead despite the fact that the dragging sound was getting closer.
They came to a fast moving river and had to stop. The dragging sound stopped right behind them and Leo could feel hot breath on his neck. The dark presence of whatever was behind them made Leo’s skin crawl. Usagi’s grip on Leo tightened and Leo chanced a glance over at him. Usagi looked as if he didn’t know what to do.
Reaching over, Leo took Jotaro and moved closer to the water. The river was fast but it wasn’t far to the other side. He grabbed Usagi’s hand and pulled them into the water. Leo used the current and angled towards the shore. With one arm holding Jotaro to his chest and his other hand holding Usagi’s, Leo only had his legs to swim. It was all he needed, even in the rough waters.
He was able to get them to the other side and Usagi was able to grab hold of a tree root. Leo let go of Usagi to insure that his rabbit friend would be able to pull himself from the water. “Leonardo,” Usagi called after him.
A moment later, Leo was able to work his way to shore and pulled himself out of the water. Jotaro took in a deep breath and coughed. Comforting the small bunny, Leo made his way back down stream to get to Usagi.
“Leonardo! Jotaro!” Usagi called out.
“We’re here,” Leo called back. As Usagi approached them, Leo held Jotaro out. “He’s a little shaken up but he’ll be alright.” Usagi took Jotaro from Leo and the two rabbits hugged.
“Uncle Usagi, I was so frightened,” Jotaro sobbed, holding tight to Usagi.
“What was all of that?” Leo asked. “Why couldn’t we run?”
Usagi looked back over his shoulder. “It appears that the village has fallen victim to an Oni. The spirits of the villagers wander as yurei since their bodies were never properly laid to rest. They were probably trying to warn us so we could get away from the Oni. Running only excites them more. It was waiting for us to show fear before it attacked. They are difficult creatures to defeat and if Jotaro had looked at him….” Usagi held Jotaro up and looked his son in the eyes. “Did you look at the Oni?”
“I only saw the one yurei, Uncle Usagi. I promise.”
“Good,” Usagi pulled him close. “Children are susceptible to Oni, more so than adults. We will have to make sure to tell a priest in the next village so that this one can be cleansed and so that the people can be laid to rest.”
“Is this common?” Leo asked, still a little out of breath. “Should I expect to see more demons over the next few months?”
“There are various other worldly creatures around us,” Usagi nodded. “As we travel there is a chance that we will run in to them. Not all of them will be like that, though.”
Leonardo reached up to make sure that his necklace was still there and then checked the bags. Fortunately he hadn’t lost anything to the river. It had been an interesting first day and it was only half over.
