Hibara wrote the kanji '鳥' stroke by stroke on the sandy ground with a wooden stick.

"To-ri, say it," she read the kanji.

"Tori!" The children who surrounded her repeated her words.

"Good!" She exclaimed, "let's continue with-"

She moved the stick and its tip which touched the sand left traces of kanji strokes which read '山' meant mountain. She taught the children in the small village how to read since she was the only youth who could read kanji.

Hibara was the most beautiful woman in the hamlet and the villagers saw her as a special girl because of her hard work and she was born without a right leg. She was 16 years old. She used a wooden prosthetic leg crafted by her uncle to stand and walk but she still wobbled when walking. She was popular amongst the others and they all loved her. Her best friend who grew up with her was Hibari who lived next to her hut wooden house and she was 2 years older.

"Hibara, it's almost dark," her mother shouted from her house.

Soon, the other children also left and headed straight back home. She tried to stand then a hefty and young handsome man in dark greyish yukata helped her to stand. Hibara put her hand around his shoulder then he pulled her up then helped her to walk back to her house which was nearby.

"Thanks, Kazawa! See you tomorrow," she waved her hand then entered.

Kazawa waved his hand back and smiled. Kazawa was a man of age 23 and he had set his eyes on Hibara since the first time he heard her reading poems to the villagers beautifully when she was 10.

After the sun had set, nobody could be seen roaming outside around the hamlet. Every family was busy with their own entertainment in each hut and the night in the hamlet was only noisy when there was an event, a ceremony or even a celebration celebrated there in the small village.

This hamlet consisted of only 6 families and their houses were all connected in a long L-shaped hut. It was surrounded by thick forest and there was only one path which led to a town but the journey took hours to end thus only the elders and strong men were allowed to leave the hamlet and supplied food and other things needed by the villagers. They usually left the village to sell their products since most of the family were very skillful in wood crafts, blacksmith and arts.

It was dawn, an hour before the sun rose, the villagers were awakened from their night dream and worked to their bone. They began their life with a normal daily routine, washed faces and had some breakfast for each family.

The sun rose and everyone was awake and proceeded to their work and finished what needed to be done. The children were playing in the middle of the village together with Hibara.

Kazawa, who was cutting wood at the moment, stopped as he saw Hibara laughed and smiled while playing with the children. Her smile stole his heart, her beautiful light brown hair waved beautiful in the brieze, her glowing fair skin.

Shigeru, one of the young men, put the axe on his shoulder and clapped Kazawa's shoulder. Another two young men approached them. Shigeru watched Kazawa who set his eyes on the village's special yet beautiful beauty.

"Kazawa-kun, have you asked her?" Shigeru smirked.

"Ask what?!" Kazawa replied.

"If you haven't made a move on her, then we will definitely take the opportunity to approach her first," teased one of the two young men.

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"Don't joke around!" Kazawa punched the man's stomach slowly then they laughed, witnessing Kazawa's face which immediately turned red.

"Hehe, look at his face, it's red like a chilli," they teased him again.

One of the children who played with Hibara whispered to her then they all set their eyes on Kazawa and the others. Kazawa's heart beat quickly. Hibara, who witnessed his embarrassment, smiled and giggled.

"Nee Kazawa, I think that this is the best time to propose. Tell her, or you're a chicken?" Shigeru whispered and smiled wryly.

"I'm not a chicken and I'll definitely do it!" He replied and strode in Hibara's direction.

"Go go Kazawa!" Shouted the men.

Kazawa stopped in front of Hibara then they exchanged glances. The children surrounded them and smiled. Kazawa was nervous and staring at her beautiful light brown eyes made his heart beat even faster. His yukata was soaked in heavy sweat. He swallowed saliva and breathed in the air of courage. He took her hands and stared at her eyes.

"Hibara-chan, will you- uhh- may I, uhh-" Kazawa mumbled with his hands shaking in her palms.

"Will I?" Hibara replied with a charming and nervous smile.

He leant closer to her ear and whispered, "can you make miso for me everyday after the vow?"

Hibara was surprised and gazed at his eyes.

"Yes," she cried, then she hugged him.

The children threw petals on them and sang a song while they circled them. Shigeru and the others shouted a congratulatory message for Kazawa.

They felt exalted over the engagement but it didn't last. They heard a loud engine sound coming from the only path leading to the outside of the village.

"Children, girls! Go inside the house and hide!" Shouted the elders.

Hibara stared at Kazawa with her teary eyes then Kazawa bridal carried her and hid her in her house.

"Kazawa," Hibara cried.

Kazawa kissed her lips then hugged her then immediately left her without a single word.

The elders immediately represented their products and pooled them in the middle of the village. Each elders exhibit their extraordinary arts, and wooden sculptures and other valuable work crafts.

Three vintage cars and a truck entered the village then parked them. Men in black suits, armed with guns, got out of the cars and surrounded the valuable products. A man in a grey suit with his black hair combed to the back, got out of the maroon car which was bigger in size than the others.

He exhaled the greyish light smoke of his cigar and stood there watching the products. Four of his men scanned the products then one of them shouted in rage. An old man in a grey yukata marched nervously forward. The man picked up a wooden Russian doll toy and showed it to the old man.

"How valuable is this doll, old man?" He growled.

The old man shook his head but didn't let his eyes escape from the ground. The man was annoyed by the old man's attitude then he kicked him in the face and pointed his pistol to his head.

"I swear, I've no other valuable things that I can offer to you, sir," cried the old man.

"Liar!" The man stomped on his head.

The man in a grey suit walked closer.

"What's the commotion?" He asked in a deep and slow but angry voice.

"This old man has nothing to exchange. Should we take his life instead, papa?"

The man in the grey suit saw a shadow of a woman from the window of one of the rooms in the house. He immediately ordered his man to storm that room. It was the old man's house.

"Find anything that's valuable," the man in a grey suit commanded.

The old man tried to scream but his head was spinning after being hit multiple times. Two of the men in black suits entered the house then soon they heard a screaming voice of a young woman.

"Let go of me!" The woman cried.

The two men dragged Hibara and dropped her harshly onto the gathered products. She got close to the old man then she hugged him.

"What have you done to my father?" Hibara cried in anguish.

"She will hit a good price, papa," one of the men suggested to the Mafia don.

"Take her," he turned back and headed to his car.

The men harshly dragged Hibara away from her father, neglecting her scream. Her father was too weak to defend her. Kazawa got closer and punched the men in the face. He hijacked a pistol from one of the men and aimed it at the Mafia don.

"Papa!" His men immediately aimed their guns at Kazawa.

"Take my life and leave her alone!" Scolded Kazawa.

"Kazawa! Don't do this!" Hibara cried and hugged him from behind.

"As your wish but your life won't pay the price," the Mafia don shoot Kazawa's forehead with his classic golden pistol, "take the girl."

Hibara cried and screamed as she watched Kazawa's frozen body lie on the ground with blood flooding around his head. Her head was hit then she was unconscious.

All of the products together with Hibara were put into the truck then the Mafia gang left the village and left traces of sorrowness to the village. Kazawa's death was an honourable death, he dared to sacrifice himself for his loved one.