The room was his fathers. Hato was one to never enter it, for it was the location of his darkest nightmare. Years ago he watched in agony as his own brother Karasu, murdered his father with the fabled Sword of the Dragon, in this same room. Since then Hato refused entry to any who would try to enter. But now was a different time. The White Ninja knelt down in the room surrounded by a circle of candles he previously lit. In front of him laid the urn holding his fathers ashes, and above him, strapped to the wall was the same sword used in the patricide. In honor of his father, Hato had the sword welded shut, never to be used again. For the sword had tasted the blood of a one above all and as such would be deemed unworthy of anything else. But again this was a different time.
With an undying respect he lowered his head only to look up with an enraged intensity in his eyes. “Father, for long now Karaus has evaded me. I spent half our fortune searching for him, but alas you taught him well.” As he continued his confession to his father's altar his fist clinched tight. “I know one day he will come back for the sword but the wait is unbearable. I know you taught us to remember that even a simple rain-drop must travel up to later fall down, but Karaus is no rain drop.” He then looked down only to see small red stains of his fathers blood dried on the wooden floor, and again he clinches his fist even tighter. “I almost had him once in Tibet and was even closer in Scotland, but every time I close in, he vanishes away like the wind.”
Then from behind him a quiet sound, so quiet it was almost impossible for any human ears to hear, whispered like a squeak, as a highly trained Ninja appears in the door way. In that brief instant, Hato drew forth one of his shurikens and launched it across the room based only on the sounds he had heard and his training. Then as he stood up to turn around he saw that his throw hit the mark as the Ninja in the door now had a paper cut size slit bleeding out on his left cheek. Without moving the guard respectfully informs “A hundred pardons my sensei, I know we were ordered not to interrupt you but I have important news,” after which using a rag to dab his wound. “And may I say your speed has improved. I did not even see you throw.”
Hato exited the room in a huff making sure to bump his way past the guard and replied “You weren't meant to, and you are right you weren't suppose to interrupt me. For that I gave you your scar.” But not being one to hold a grudge he looked back and gave a quick wink just to break the ill tension between them. Now back in a state of friendship, Hato simply asked “So what is this important news you have for me?” Immediately the guard stood at attention and with a smile said the five most important words he could ever say to his master and friend “We have found him again!”
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