This came on my mind while thinking about Yutaro's father, one of my short 
stories.

Warning as always:
Mayor grammar and vocabulary mistakes might be ahead, hopefully you are not
distracted by them.

*COUGH* This are my thoughts about Yutaru and his father, I don't want to 
confuse you. I forgot this one completely till volume 6 was released some days
ago in Germany.



PATERNAL LOVE

Lost in thought a lone man was sitting in his garden, close to a small pond, 
the sun was setting and the frogs had started their every evening concert.

In the next morning he would leave together with his son Yutaro for Prussia to
seek medical advice, the Japanese doctor's stand of knowledge was not as
developed as theirs.

It was his fault, that his son had been injured, would he ever forgive himself?

His son despised him for what he had done, selling swords to far away,
foreign countries, selling their pride, bowing deep in front of others,
begging for his life.

Is it possible to sell pride? Is not pride something we carry deep inside us 
independent from obvious 'signs' like swords we carry along with us? Is 
someone whose 'pride' is based on status symbols actually 'proud'?

Being a low class samurai he wasn't given the chance working for the new 
government, many of his friends had ended their life's, not able to conform
to the new rules. 

Again he had failed, he didn't have enough pride and courage to end his life,
he feared death to much. But was it really death he feared?

Yutaro was his pride and joy, when his wife died short after Yutaro's birth 
he promised her to take good care of him.

Everything he wanted was a better future for his son, he continued living for
him, trying to give him what he had missed and lacked in his life.

For this aim he 'sold' his 'pride', refused to kill himself, lowered himself,
can't Yutaro see it? Is it possible to sell pride? 

He had lost his privileges with the new era, he had lost his wife,
he had lost his honour and dignity.

His son was all what was left for him, his hope, but Yutaro despised him 
for what he has done.

In that moment their carriage had been ambushed and Raijuta came to help 
them, their fate was damned completely.
He saw his son admiring Raijuta for all he thought his father would lack.

Looking back he had been naive, inviting Raijuta and asking him to train 
Yutaro was a mistake, a irreparable damage. But all he wanted was his son 
growing up strong and courageous, Raijuta seemed to be a good choice as a 
teacher.

Was it really irreparable?

Maybe things would change for the better, his son's arm would be saved
and they would return to Japan.

Yutaro would be able to train again at the Kamiya Dojo together with his 
'friend' Yahiko.

Finally the man at the pond smiled in the darkness lost in thought.