A/N:
I apologize for the late update! School keeps hindering me from finishing chapters. Anyways, another character has been introduced! :D

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

Anguish was all Riku felt.

His parents' news were the least of his expectations, it was all too much to process it in his head. People say that goodbyes were often unexpected and occur at a worst scenario, but not like this. Riku knew his brother better than losing against those ninjas.

Ninjas. Just thinking about them leaves a bitter taste in his tongue. He wasn't really fond of that military force, their strategies and fighting style are rather absurd and nonsensical. He recalled acting perplexed when their history teacher mentioned about them in class, how they wait for the perfect opportunity to strike before revealing themselves out of the shadows. At that moment, Riku wanted to say, "Ha, how cowardly of them." But he kept his opinion to himself instead.

A deadly grudge caged itself in his heart, their actions were unforgivable. First, they trespassed into their territory, destroyed the village, and now they act as if the samurais were at fault. Just what in tarnation are they bluffing nonsense about?

"Ha!" Riku exerted his rage through his solo training as he swung the bokken downwards in a swift motion, sweat beads gathering at his neck.

He sported a kendo uniform which consists of a navy blue keikogi and a black hakama. He didn't know how long he had been swinging his training weapon around mindlessly, but he didn't care. For him, this is the only way to release all of his pent-up emotions.

Riku groaned in frustration as he wiped the blurriness in his eyes for the seventh time. "I'm not a crybaby," He uttered sternly. "If I cry, then what's the point of being a man?"

The young boy raked his fingers through his chalky white hair, his blue eyes glancing down at his feet to check his stance. Just then, tiny drops of water stained the smooth wooden floor. He blinked, confused. He was certain that they got the roof fixed a week ago. Upon feeling a hot liquid streaming down his cheeks, Riku finally lost it.

A loud thud reverberated through the dojo as he fell on his knees, quiet sobs being the sole noise in the room. He clamped a hand over his mouth, keeping his sniffles at bay as his shoulder trembled, completely overtaken by sorrow.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it all!" He slammed his clenched fist against the floor with every cuss, his eyes squeezed shut.

If only he had the power to turn back time, maybe he can do something to prevent the war from happening and save his brother, Haruto's life. Unfortunately, reality is merciless and fate has been decided. Peace has been restored in the Land of Iron, yet it was taken away once again. The fact that Haruto was proving himself at the battlefield while he was idling around didn't alleviate Riku's guilt and fury.

Little did he know, his father was watching him secretly from the entrance of the dojo, his figure leaning against the wall near the doorway.

"I'm sorry, Riku." The Commander muttered under his breath as a tear strolled down his cheek.

o==[]::::::::::::::::>

Riku's tiny feet sunk under the deep snow as he stepped out of his home. When he spotted tents assembled at a large clearing from a distance, he frowned. Despite his family's current safety thanks to the tight security of the Shizumi residence, the sight of the villagers' destroyed homes made him less grateful of his current condition. Due to the kenjutsu skills of his clan which specializes in water nature, it would only make sense that their house survived the fire.

His fingers played with the hem of his blue scarf as he ambled through the forest, puffs of smoke emitting with every exhale.

Winter trees shiver in the bitter wind, naked branches adorned with snow. Clusters of twigs, gnarled and twisted, extend like the very hands of old man winter, ready to catch the soft, falling flakes.

Over the horizon of the mountains, the sun rises like a canopy of gold, bright amid the blue, bidding the stars to take their nightly rest. As darkness surrenders, every color changes from tinges of charcoal to a vibrancy.

Riku was supposed to be in a deep slumber at this hour, however, thoughts of his deceased brother kept him awake.

He kicked a twig out of his way, his wrath directed towards the said object. It was enough the enkindle his rage, like a match lighted up in one strike.

Riku then halted his pace, suddenly aware of his surroundings. His absentminded amble had taken him to a certain place, a place that holds precious memories and moments in his heart. Though it was only a small clearing of the forest, his chest tightened at the familiar letters and tally marks carved into a tree trunk. Beside the letter H were twenty-four tally marks, and below it was just a capital R.

A tear strolled down his cheek before he could stop his emotions from overflowing. Riku's gaze then landed on a tree at the other corner. An X mark was carved into the wooden surface of the trunk, tiny holes scattered around it. Although, the hole by the mark was quite deep compared to the rest.

It was where Riku and Haruto used to do their archery practice during their spare time. Haruto was always in the lead whenever they'd compete, hitting  bull's-eye everytime. However, archery was Riku's weak point, as he is more exposed to sword fighting. A close range fighting style is his preference, but seeing his brother handle the bow expertly made his fascination towards archery grow gradually.

Riku's fingers brushed against the carved tally marks, his gaze filled with longing and solace.

"Why? Why do you have to leave so soon, big brother?" He uttered forlornly.

He wasn't even given much time to at least say goodbye, he had so much to tell him, but the chance was over that a second one couldn't even be granted.

"I... I haven't even defeated you, my goal was to surpass you! What's the point of my goal if the one whom I will surpass is long gone?!"

Riku made a vow to himself. A vow to find the one who took his brother's life and avenge him.

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

A/N:
Forgive me for the short chapter! It's hard to squeeze in writing inbetween academics and chores :(

Word Count: 1,112