A young man was at the far side of the bonfire, unnoticed by the invaders. He was in deep meditation until he was awakened by screams of the villagers. He ran and hid, trying desperately to get back to his house and save his wife and child. He saw the Ninja simultaneously burning down house after house without any regard for who was inside. He had to hold his ears to block out the deathly screams of families that he knew personally being burnt alive. He knew that his house might be next, so he tried to stay undetected until he reached his family. When he got back to his house he gathered up his wife and child and left, leaving everything behind. As the hysterical couple escaped the house, they looked back just in time to witness it burn to the ground. They never noticed the large puddle of blood that awaited them. Kaiya slide to the ground next to a decapitated corpse, and then she shuddered immensely as she saw the head lying on the other side of her. A strong sturdy voice rang in their ears, “God has not forgotten you. Now come with me if you desire to survive.” When they got up they saw a tall, strong-looking man wearing a straw hat. The man’s face was covered by the shadow of the hat, and his countenance was slightly facing down, so they couldn’t recognize him; thus, they assumed he must have been a surviving villager. In their mind, if he wasn’t wearing a brown jumpsuit with weapons from hell strapped around his body, he must have been a villager. The man took Akira and Kaiya to the border of the Erazen province and told them, “You will be safe from here on. You have entered the region of the Erazen Ninja; even now, they are aware of our presence. You are safe here. The Iga would not dare to enter into the Erazen territory for fear of starting a war, even for you. Go to the Erazen Temple and offer your child up to the master of the temple. Don’t worry about the lad; he will be well cared for. God has special plans for the boy. You will be guarded until you reach the temple. I leave you with this promise, and always remember it: God knows all, sees all, and is all. Nothing takes Him by surprise.” Black shadows saw Akira and Kaiya from a distance, and kept themselves concealed in the forest until they reached the temple. The couple approached the two large red doors, each with two half-circle knockers on it. It took Akira all his strength just to lift one knocker and slam against the door. When he did, it was so loud; it ranged throughout the estate, causing him to go temporarily deaf. Momentarily, somebody answered the door. “Please sir, I would like to speak with the master of this temple.” “To what is the reason of your visit?” “It’s concerning our son,” Akira responded with a quivering voice. The man understood. “I am Master Kizaru.” Akira bowed out of respect of the man’s position. “My lord, we are being hunted by the Iga Ninja. We seek refuge. We came to you in need of protection for our son, and we know the only way to do this is to offer him to you.” “Do you know what you ask of me? You are offering your only child to be raised as one of my own. What is the child’s name?” “His name is Uriah,” the child’s mother responded proudly. “Uriah? That’s not a Japanese name; that’s not even an Asian name. Where did you get this name, may I asked?” Kizaru said curiously. “It’s Hebrew,” Kaiya said sharply. “It means, ‘God’s light.’” “It is a very unique name for a Japanese boy.” Kizaru pondered the name in his mind for a few seconds and smiled. “I like it.” Akira told Kizaru how the Iga Ninja invaded Iva Village, killing every man, woman, and child inside. He also told them about the miraculous escape they took part in. “We believe the man who helped us escape and led us here was an angel, or maybe the Messiah Himself.” “Watch your tongue, blasphemer! Remember where you stand or you won’t be standing long! I know now why the Iga is after you. Be warned, that we will also finish what the Iga has started for the right price. But for now you can stay here for tonight in complete safety, that is, if you stay in your room until I say otherwise. I give you my word; in this clan a Ninja’s word is sacred. We would rather die than to break it. You will be safe until you reach my border; after that, no guarantees,” Kizaru said austerely. “You must leave in the morning.” Akira and Kaiya stayed that night at the Erazen Temple, but separated from their only child. Although, the beds were more comfortable then the cots they used to sleep in at their house they couldn’t sleep. Akira and Kaiya held each other tight and wept bitterly. They could hear little Uriah screaming in the hall but couldn’t do anything about it. Kaiya longed to cradle her child in her arms and gently sooth him to sleep, but knowing she would most likely die in front of him if she left the room. They doubted their decision, and believed wholeheartedly that they made a pack with the devil. So the young husband and his wife stayed in complete safety just as the jonin promised, and they left in the morning shamefully. It was hard for them to leave the child in the hands of such ruthless people, but they had God’s promise that nothing would befall the boy. As for Kizaru, he raised Uriah with his other children. When he got older, he would receive all the benefits of being the son of the great jonin.
|