Prologue

Five years old and a picture to behold. The world looked so bright that day, so pure and so tender. His tiny hand held a paint brush in one hand while the other rested by his side. His little face had a look of concentration as his mouth was drawn in a line, as if what he was thinking about was something that no elder could ever decipher in a lifetime. A tilt of his head then he did the final stroke, tender smile touching his lips as he looked at the portrait he'd painted. He took a step back from it and admired...

Springtime in Kyoto in 1857.

It was right there on the canvas, a reflection of reality. From his point of view up on this very hill, all the riches of the capital were spread on out by his magical hands onto the rectangular object that he had painted in. From the city below, buildings of business, art, religion, politics or merely the residences. From the rolling hills that displayed greenery of all kind. From the rivers that ran through in its clean state. From the lively crowd on the marketplace. From the swordsmen walking down the streets with their double swords. From the ladies in their beautiful kimonos. From the high cerulean skies and the soft white clouds that rolled on by. From the birds that flew up the sky. And finally, his favourite, the Sakura blossoms that rained down gently in its delicate form...

He painted them all, a perfect copy of the truth before his eyes. It was his talent - something to behold and something to be jealous of. It was God's gift, the elders said...

"Kaede-chan." A womanly voice broke through the child's current thoughts. She smiled gently, a perfect noble woman in her twenties. The boy looked up at her and she felt warm at the ready smile he gave to her.

"Mother," the little boy said in excitement. "Mother, do you see? Do you see what I've made? It's for you! Do you like it?"

"Kaede-chan..." The boy was confused why his mother forgot to smile for one moment. She seemed sad... But as if to reassure him as she saw his little frown of concern, she crouched lowly, holding her wooden umbrella tight so as to shield them both from the sun. She whispered words to him.

"Kaede-chan, you make pretty pictures with your tiny hands but..." She looked off to the side, seemingly troubled. "Kaede-chan, the shogunate has been strict these days about visiting these hills. There have been rebels found here just a week ago. You should know better than to go off here by yourself. Pack your things, Kaede-chan. We should..."

"But Mother..." The little boy looked down, hearing her words but confused all at the same time. "Mother, I'm just painting something for you. Why would the shogunate be mad at me for wanting to make you happy?"

The woman sighed and shook her head, amused at the innocence of her only child. And she smiled again - the perfect picture, the famous wife of an official in the city, the beautiful portrait of an angel. She looked into clear blue eyes - still untainted by the blood and horrors of society - and into the beautiful little face that reflected her own. "My child, when you grow up, things won't be so simple as you believe. Even now, as you are with your innocence, there are many things that have been set in the world that just must be followed. It is the way of the world, that which makes our lives orderly. Do you understand? So now, what you must do is to follow your mother's advice so that we can go back home. Is that alright?"

Small narrow shoulders shrugged - stressed - before a sigh escaped the little boy's lips. He seemed to be thinking about it before he looked up to his mother. "Mother, will it make you happy if I do as you say?"

She couldn't help but laugh softly at his innocent reasoning. "Of course, Kaede-chan. Of course."

"Really?" The boy's face brightened considerably and he rushed to arrange his paints, brushes and the canvas. He placed his materials on his bag and held the canvas securely with his tiny fingers. "Mother, I'm so happy you're happy. There goes, I'm ready now. Let's go back home then, okay? And... will you make some mochi for me? I'm hungry!"

She laughed as they began to walk slowly down the hillside. "Little one, mochi again? Sweet stuff can rot your teeth, didn't you know?"

"But it's my favourite!"

"Perhaps I will, perhaps I won't. You must behave the rest of the way home though. Will you do that for me?"

"Yes, of course, Mother! Anything for you!"

"And..."

She seemed hesitant about something. The little boy looked up in concern, his brows furrowing as he saw that his mother seemed tired about something. Wanting to make it all better, he held the canvas in one hand, trying hard to handle its weight with all the strength of his little body. And he used now his free hand to reach up to his mother's hand - to clasp it and hold it securely between his tiny fingers, as if that would make her pain heal.

She stopped. Surprised at his actions, she looked down at him and shook her head in quiet amusement. The little boy looked up in admiration, watching the way the sun touched her face - bathed in shadow, bathed in light. Under the wooden umbrella, she was lovely - with long raven hair cascading to her waist, with porcelain skin smooth to the touch, with sapphire eyes that seemed to know everything about the world, and finally, the rosy lips that smiled for him always.

"Mother, when I grow up, I want to be just like you." He couldn't help but say.

More surprised than before, she sighed and shook her head at him. The little boy was confused why that was so. She spoke in a gentle manner...

"Little one, the elders worry about that. They worry about you..."

"Huh? Why? Why do they worry, mother?"

"You... You shouldn't be like me when you grow up, alright? We all want you to be like your father, strong and brave. He is a warrior, you see."

"A warrior?" He inquired with confusion.

"Yes. He who walks bravely anywhere he may go. He who can wield a sword and win in any situation."

The woman did not expect the little boy to frown. He shook his head at such reasoning...

"Mother, if that is what a warrior is, then why does he hurt you? I... I saw you... and him... and when he slapped you hard... I... I..."

Tears came.

"Child..." The mother clasped her son's hand more tightly. It made the little boy look up to her. "My child... No matter what he does to me, no matter what you hear or what you see, he is a great man. And your father loves you. Always remember that."

"He... he does? Even if I'm... I'm only an illegitimate child... he does? Even if he doesn't talk to me or look at me... he does?"

"He loves you, Kaede-chan. He does." She looked away.

That was the first time he knew how a person lied...

"Now let us go on, alright? He'll be home anytime soon. He came from Edo , you see, and I'm sure he brought something for you as well."

The boy said nothing and just let his mother tug on his hand as they walked through the streets of the city, passing the bridge that crossed over the river, and walking through the noisy day market. Truthfully, he didn't want to go home yet. For in their house, his brothers and sisters - true children of his father - tormented him to no end, calling him names and occasionally hurting him too. He did not want to see them laughing at him, pointing and shouting. He did not wish to see the old matron who treated his mother and him like an outcast. He hated to see the scorn in their eyes...

They paused. The boy looked up and saw that a man purposely stood in their way. He was tall and proud, with two long swords strapped on to his waist. He seemed like a young man, looking down menacingly at the both of them.

The woman bowed her head politely, seeking permission to be excused. "I'm sorry sir but may we please pass?"

The man smirked. He looked her up and down. "No wonder my master has always sought you. You may pass as you wish. You and your beautiful child..." As he said that, he moved to the side, looking from her face to the young boy's.

The boy could only look back at the man. The man had blue eyes like his own - but mysterious and almost inspiring fear in him. But really, he could only look at the man unfazed, unafraid, wondering only why he acted oddly. It was the same manner his father often treated his mother, true, but he could not help but think that there was something wrong with the way the stranger had acted.

"Kaede-chan, don't look at him." The woman whispered to her child. She clasped his hand tighter. "Look only ahead, my child."

"Yes, mother..." He looked away immediately from the mysterious blue eyes like his own. He looked back at the road - at the shadows of both himself and his mother's in front of them, at the trees up high with their branches swaying to the cool spring wind, and finally, at the sakura blossoms that fell softly towards the river at the side of the road. He could not help but smile.

The boy would only find out later on that that was the last time that he would be allowed to smile...

When they reached their home, they entered through the gates. It was an odd thing to arrive there in its state though - the wooden gate unguarded by the strong men who should have been there. The woman breathed deeply the sakura-scented winds and dismissed the oddity as something trivial, then lead them both towards the household. She slid the main door to the side, beckoning her son to enter with her.

Something made her pause - something that caused her eyes to widen, her lips to part and her heart to quicken in fear and in horror...

It was the sight of the true wife of her son's father, the sight of the boy's elder brothers and sisters - three grown male and two teenage females. All their eyes were directed to them - with expressions that she did not even want to comprehend. It made her want to scream. They all looked mad and menacing.

All of them dead...

The floor covered in their blood.

"Ka... Kaede-chan..." The woman immediately covered the eyes of the little boy, unwilling to expose him this early to the horror of this era, this country, this world. She continued to look wide-eyed at those who brought them both suffering, unable to say anything else as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Mother?" The little boy asked. He pulled away gently the hand of his mother off his eyes. She seemed disoriented enough so the hand gave way to let him view...

Let him view hell on earth...

He screamed. The perfect portrait of the beautiful city slipped from his hand and fell to the floor. The canvas touched the wood as the spilled blood of his family soaked into the magical painting done by his little hands.

Like innocence darkened by the stain of blood.

"No, don't look, little one. Don't look!"

But it was too late. The boy's scream was heard and there was some rustling heard from one of the rooms. The woman, panicked about the noise, turned around, intending to escape this madness...

But failing all the same...

On the back of the woman, it was none other than the man from earlier on - the blue-eyed man from the street. More than ever, he looked tall, commanding and overflowing with confidence. How could he not? He was facing a woman and her little child. Defenceless and fragile against the world.

Laughter echoed through both the house and their hearts. It was a laughter of madness. The woman and child looked back in and saw that a tall man that resembled the blue-eyed man was standing amongst the corpses. In his hands was none other than the head of the household...

"Father!" the boy screamed, wanting to go to the captured man.

"Touya!" the woman screamed in horror. But thankfully, she was sane enough still for she stopped her son from going over to his father - from danger.

The father - the warrior, the official of the shogunate... He was weak now, bleeding from a wound from a deep cut on his chest. Bruises were on his face and arms. From his lips, blood trailed down to his neck. His eyes could barely open...

The laughter stopped. All eyes focused on the tall man amongst the corpses. Smirking in ill pride, he let the wounded man's body fall to the floor - to let the wounded man's rich clothing soak the blood. And he looked up in amusement towards the woman and the boy.

"My, my, look at this reunion we have here. Isn't this nice? Touya here, lying on his family's blood, Shigure there at the back of you - my first son, Me - your lover from long ago, you - my dear beautiful Sakura, and finally, the little innocent one, Kaede-chan."

"Leave him out of this! He's innocent! Let him go! Let him go!" she cried into deaf ears.

The man snickered. "Innocent? Innocent boy? Haha, that won't last for long. Today, he will know what hell is."

"No..."

All eyes turned to the man fallen to the bloody floor. He was trying to get up from his humbling position. Trying to stand as he went to his hands and knees...

The tall man could only laugh. "No?"

"No... Leave them... My last wish..."

"Last wish?" The man mocked. "And why should I give you your final wish, Touya?"

He kicked the wounded man back to his position on the floor before nearing the the woman and the child. He looked at the woman first, smiled at her, then crouched down to be face to face with the boy. The chains of innocence were slowly being shattered. Instead of the wondering gaze, fear was being awakened in the little one's heart. The man reached out and touched the little boy's silken cheek with his calloused and bloody hands.

"Kaede-chan, little one, innocent of heart and soul. Watch now and learn that this will be your life from now on..."

And with that came the events that tore the boy from everything he believed was right. Standing there, the son of the evil attacker holding him securely, making sure he'd never look away, he was made to witness...

First, his father's last howls as a sword severed his head, caused a torrent of blood to flood the floor once more - forever to make it crimson in appearance. How he tried to reach out to his woman and to his son...

But failing...

Then, his mother's screams as her clothing were ripped away. Her cries of mercy as the attacker took her against her will. Her meaningless tears as she begged only for her child to be spared. And finally, her last words as a dagger let her blood flow endlessly from the cut made to her stomach...

"My child... please live..." She whispered in her final strength. "For... me..."

He was speechless, the little boy, tears flowing continuously from his eyes. Silent he was, something he was going to be for the rest of his life...

He looked forward, eyes nearly sightless from what his innocent eyes just witnessed. The massacre of his family, the beheading of his father, the rape and murder of his mother...

He wondered if all the beautiful things he'd seen in life had been just a dream. And for the years ahead, those same beautiful memories would forever be questioned as only a dream, a fantasy, a picture painted into a canvas...

"What about the boy, sir?"

Voices overhead. He could barely hear them now.

"The boy? Little Kaede-chan? Hmm, pretty little boy looking like his mother..."

"What would you do with him, sir?"

"Revenge." There was the mad laughter that boomed loudly amidst the chaos and blood and tears. "Revenge for Touya's betrayal. To make him suffer forever, this is the final revenge..."

His voice was lustrous with feeling, so passionate in his decrement of the boy's would-be life. "Forever shall Touya never rest, his soul crying for mercy. His family massacred, his woman raped and murdered, his own head decapitated. And finally, his youngest son... His most innocent son..."

The little boy looked up with wet cheeks and eyes that continued to overflow with tears...

The man smirked. "To the brothels he shall go. There, to have the highest disgrace that a human should ever suffer through. To serve men even as he himself is a man. To become like his mother - a whore with his beauty. For his heart and his mind and his soul to lose the innocence of his currently angelic self. Never let him die. Never let him escape. Never let him go. He shall suffer for his father. Sins of his father to become his own..."

And with that he was whisked away from the home, away from it, his eyes still wide even on that horse-ride with the son of the devil who killed his family. Behind them, he watched in horror as his home was lit up in flames.

That was just the beginning of his life...

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