10 years past by like the wind.....everyone have forgotten bout the village that have been totally destroyed by Zankuro. people continue their living as if nothing has happened....

In the Monastery, Monks teaches young children to learn and study. they only have 1 class where all children are taught at the same time by the same Monk.. "...ok, children. what have you learned so far about the difference between good and evil?" said the Monk
"nothing." said the oldest student. his name is Shogun, "one day i'll be the GREATEST general and i'll capture every bad guy there is..!! kill every demon!!"
"KILL???" freaks the Monk, "Shogun...evil doesn't have to be killed to END the evil.."
"but that's what the legendary Hoahmaru is doing..!!" said Shogun, "he kill every samuria there is to end evil!!"
"but Shogun...not all demon have to be killed to restore peace." said Shogun, "killing will lead you nowhere..understand?"
"YEP"
"so what did i just said?"
"GOOD GUYS ARE GOOD, DEMONS ARE BAD. good guys KILL bad guys." said Shogun, praticing his sword skills. the children laughs...
"[sighs]" the Monk sighs, and gives up....then he turn to another student, who sits AAALL the way in the back, "what do you think Shizumaru?"
"..." the student turns around. he have red spiky hair, kinda short. his red eyes are full of innocent....and he looks weak. the other students stare at him....including a small girl. she stares at him wondering what he will say....
"so what do you think Shizu-chan?" said the Monk, "should all demons be punished?"
"..." Shizumaru didn't say anything at first....he doesn't feel like joining the crowd. he never does. he whispers, "....demons...punished? are they....EVIL?"
"well..." the Monk tries to explain..
"YEA THEY ARE!!!!" shouts Shogun, "YOU ARE A DEMON CHILD!!!! SO YOU'RE EVIL!!!"
"....!!" Shizumaru is surprised, but instead of go and beat the crap outta Shogun, he just sits there, and be silence as usual, with his head down. "SHOGUN!!! Shizumaru is NOT a demon child!!!" said the Monk "my grandma says so. and the glow in his eyes...it's SCARY!" said Shogun, "and he doesn't even belong here..!! he lives in the Monastery with a Monk instead of parents like us..!! he must've eaten his parents alive!!!"
"...." Shizumaru didn't say anything, just sits there....and his head down...
"Shogun!!!" said the girl, telling him to stop. she wears the SAME pendant Julia wore 10 years ago...
"but there is a TRUE evil.." said the Monk, "it's an old legend...Ambrosia. Ambrocia is the "body" of evil. every evil man or monster is said to be born from Ambrocia....the HEART of Ambrocia...the TRUE evil.....a demon called Kojiro. it's not human nor monster. but it can form in any creature it wants...and walk through shadows. Kojiro was feared by all life forms.....instead of bringing life, it brings death. instead of bringing joy, it brings pain and sorrow. instead of bringing dreams, it brings nightmares. a demon who brings the Apolocapse to all....and to the universe."
"...so what happened to Kojiro?" said the girl
"legend has it that the Sacred Sage used a special weapon, and sealed of Kojiro into the darkness forever. after that, peace returns.." said the Monk, "but every 1000 years, Kojiro will sent his "other" half, his messenger, to free him. the messenger is the most powerful creature alive....it will destroy anything in its path until it finds the key or the special weapon to free its master and bring the Apolocapse once again..."
"..." Shizumaru heard the story...
"BUT IT'S ONLY A LEGEND. we shall continue class...but this time, NO MORE TALK ABOUT DEMONS." said the Monk, and turn around, getting some books....

the Monk is busy getting books, and couldn't see what his students are doing....
"it's our chance!!" said the girl, "c'mon Shogun!!"
the girl and Shogun sneeks away......
"???" Shizumaru saw them, and like all children, his curiousity told him to follow them. what are they doing sneeking from class?

Shizumaru follwed them all the way near a inn....then he quickly hides.

[SWORD CLASHING] 2 samuria are fighting in front of an inn. the people just stand there and watch as these samuria fight fiercely. Shizumaru watches the fight not far away, hiding behind the inn. he also noticed the little girl who's with Shogun...
the samurai are Hoahmaru and Jubei

[SLASH] Jubei falls in the grounded, wounded. he lost the battle, "...you have improved, Hoahmaru.."
"so did you, Jubei." said Hoahmaru, and gives his hand to Jubei, want to help him up...
but Jubei refuses, and gets up himself....
"hmphr!!! one fight doesn't make you the best samuria, Hoahmaru!! you will lose one day!!" said Jubei, kinda pissed that this
sake-loving-irresponsible-lazy slug could beat someone like HIM
"one day?? HA HA!!! YOU'RE A JOKE, JUBEI!!! YOU'RE ALWAYS FULL OF IT!!!" laughs Hoahmaru
Jubei walks away, murmuring, "@#$%..."
"hmm..something i said?" said Hoahmaru, scratching his head, "A PEACEFUL TIME IN A PEACEFUL VILLAGE LIKE THIS IS THE TIME FOR SAKE!!!! YEAAA!!"
he opens the sake bag....
....
there's nothing. it's empty. he drank all the sake.
"@#$#@$#@$!!%$#^$%^$#%$#%$%&$%&..!!!! NO MORE SAKE???!!!" freaks Hoahmaru, getting cranky, "i must've drank them all from my last battle back with Nakoruru..."
he looks around, "where could i find Sake? this village is like a maze!! i'll NEVER FIND ANY SAKE!!! NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER...!!!"
then he looks in front of him. an inn.
"aaahhh..SAKE!!! I KNEW IT I KNEW IT I KNEW I'LL GET SOME SAKE!!!!" smiles Hoahmaru, "..and i could sure use a bath RIGHT NOW!! i smell like a pig..!!!" then he went into the inn.

Shogun and the girl watches Hoahmaru go into the inn.
"there goes the greatest samuria.." whispers Shogun
"no one can seem to beat him. not even my father.." whispers the girl, then she turn around, "someone is spying on us.."
"??" Shogun don't see any spies..
"C'MON OUT, SHIZUMARU!!!" the girl calls on him. Shizumaru comes out....kinda scared at first.
"YOU??!! YOU WERE SPYING ON US??!!" freaks Shogun, "YOU BETTA NOT SAY ANYTHING TO THAT STUPID MONK OR..."
"Shogun!!! he won't." said the girl, then she turn to Shizu, "we're going to play a game, do you want to play?"
"...play?" Shizu blinks, kinda confused.
"yes." nods the girl, "you just saw Hoahmaru, right? he just beat my daddy, Jubei. we're gonna get revenge on him..."
"we found out that the "Great One" is afraid of.......ROACHES!!!" smiles Shogun
"while Hoahmaru takes a bath..." said the girl, "we'll use a fishing rod and put a roach in his tub..!!!!"
"WHAT??!!" freaks Shizu
"we're gonna scare him!!!" said the girl
"..isn't that bad?" said Shizu, hesitating, "what if we get caught..?"
"if you don't screw us up we won't!!" said Shogun
"Shogun!!" the girl smiles at Shizu, "c'mon..!! Hoahmaru already went to his room!! let's do it..!!"
Shogun went into the inn...
the girl and Shizu is still outside. the girl was about to go to the inn, then she stopped and turn around, "oh!! i'm sorry..i haven't introduced myself." she gently put her smalls hands on the pendant, and closes her eyes, "my name is Akane, daughter of Jubei."
she have black hair, some of them brown, in a small ponytail. she have brown-black eyes. she's about 9 years old, a year younger than Shizu. very cute in tomboy clothes ^_^ she also wears Julia's pendant.......but how did she get that?
"and your name is Shizumaru?" said Akane
"Hisame Shizumaru."
"[giggles] i've heard of you." giggles Akane, covering her mouth, "you never hang out with the other kids!"
"...." Shizu lowers his head, not saying anything..
"C'MON AKANE!!!! LET'S GO!!!" shouts Shogun
they went into the inn and joins with Shogun...

"LA LA LA LA LA LA..." Hoahmaru is taking a bath, singing HORRIBLY. anyone only a feet away even through concrete walls can hear him..!! he take a sniff his armpit and freaks out, "PHEW!!!! damn THAT STINKS..!!! when was the last time i took a bath..???!!"

Shogun, Akane, and Shizu is at the next room where Hoahmaru is. Shogun put the string around the roach, "all right....this is gonna be so cool!! HEY, DEMON KID!! take this rod." he hands Shizu the rod with the roach, "you see that window at the top of the wall over there? that's where Hoahmaru is. throw the roach in there using the rod....then lower it until it falls in his bath water!!"
"bath water???" blinks Shizu, thought he heard it wrong...
"YES!!! just lower the rod until the roach lands in the water where Hoahmaru is!!" said Shogun
"IT'LL FREAK HIM OUT SO BAD!!! this is so cool!!!" smiles Akane
"..." Shizu hesitates, "...isn't that bad?" he worries about getting into trouble....
"if you want to be one of us, then DO IT!!" said Shogun
Shizumaru doesn't have any friends...he always wishes to hang with other kids. so he climb up to the shelf next to the window, and throws the roach into the window using the rod.....
.....
nothing happened?
Hoahmaru didn't scream or anything....he's still singing and bathing.
"hmm...strange." said Akane, wondering why Hoahmaru didn't scream..
"maybe he's not afraid of roaches." said Shizu, "let's go back to the Monastery.."
"NO WAY!!" said Shogun, stubborn, "you didn't lower it enough, demon kid!!! LOWER IT MORE.....MORE!!!!"
Shizu panics a little by Shogun's shouting and lowers the rod more and more.......in a sudden, he lost balance on the shelf......and CRASHES INTO HOAHMARU'S ROOM..!!!! (remember in Japan, they don't have concrete walls...only paper walls)
"SHIZUMARU!!!" gasps Akane
[CRASH] [SPLASH]
"WHATTA @#$%..????!!!" freaks Hoahmaru, very surprised. there's a HUGE hole in the paper wall and Hoahmaru can see Shogun and Akane..!! but...where's Shizumaru?
he stare at the kids, still butt-naked in the tub, "WHAT ARE YOU KIDS DOING HERE???!! huh...?"
[bubbles]
"huh..?" Hoahmaru sees some bubbles right in front of him in the tub. he takes a closer look....
[SPLASH!!]
a head pops out..!!
"WHATTA @#$$%%%$%2...??!!!" Hoahmaru freaks out..!!!
it's Shizumaru. he fell into the tub...right in front of Hoahmaru. they stare at each other.....silent for a minute. very surprised. then a roach surface from the water between them......the little bug legs still moving in the water........Hoahmaru saw the roach.....
[silent]
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH....!!!!!!!" Hoahmaru freaks out completely, "WHATTA @#$%@$@#%$#^#$^#$%@$@$#!$#...!!!!!! A ROACH...!!!!!"
"RUN SHIZUMARU!!!!" shouts Akane, and she and Shogun runs out of the inn..!!
"...!!!!!" Shizu quickly jump out of the water. he's all wet. he begin to run...!! Hoahmaru quickly grabs a towel, wrap around his waist, and jump out of the tub and after Shizu and the other kids, "COME BACK HERE YOU KIDS!!!! STOP!!!"
Shizu is all wet, and having a hard time running...quite clumsy. but he keep on running. he finally got out of the inn, and can easily escape from Hoahmaru...
"AAAAAAAAAHH..!!!" Akane slips and fall...!!! and cut her knee. she's still on the ground near the inn....
"COME BACK HERE!!!" shouts Hoahmaru, still in the towel...and getting very close to Akane..!!
"SHIZUMARU..!!" Akane is still on the ground, screaming for help, her hand trying to reach Shizu....
"...AKANE..!!!" Shizu quickly turns around. he saw Hoahmaru coming...if he goes back for Akane, they'll both get caught, and Shizu will get in BIG trouble especially cuz he lives in a Monastery, and he was taught never to do bad things including scaring a Samuria with a roach.
but he can't just abandon her....
he went back....., "[GASPS]" and stopped. Hoahmaru is in his way, standing right in front of him....
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU KIDS DOING THERE AND....huh???" Hoahmaru notice something, "....you're eyes....??!!! anyways i'm taking you two back to your parents..!!!" he reach his hand toward Shizu.....
Shizumaru is afraid, then he shouts, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...!!!!"
[SLASH]
"OUCH..!!!!" Hoahmaru backs off...
"C'MON AKANE..!!!!" shouts Shizu, run to her side. then they run away as fast as they can...
"ouch...you @#$% kids...!!" Hoahmaru is pissed. he touches his chest....there's blood. Shizu cut him with a sharp object he found in the inn. this cut means no biggie to Hoahmaru...it's more like a baby cut. he have worse than this...
Hoahmaru stare at the blood, thinking... kids don't know how to fight. don't know how to use a sharp object and where to aim to kill its opponent. but Shizu does. he only missed it a little...if it was a bit higher, it would reach the neck and kills Hoahmaru...
and the glow in his eyes... Hoahmaru hesitates......who is that kid?


Chapter 3-----Friends Forever