Grandpa led Ichi to a cavern. Water dripped in the distance, plopping sounds and rushing flows beyond his sight sent steady background noise into Ichi's ears. Light poured in from around them, but there wasn't a single source. More like it radiated out from the stone, Ichi thought. Across the vast open cavern massive doors with a symbol of white flowing into black painted on them.

"Is that the Dao symbol?" Ichi said stopping.

Grandpa urged Ichi to hurry along as he kept walking

"Close. This is symbol that existed before that, one that the spirit world understands. Your father, Genji Dansaburo, built this house on top of this cavern," Grandpa pulled open one of the doors, pointing with an open hand urging Ichi inside. "This room was built to store some treasures he left for you."

"I don't need anything from my old man," he said, but he walked through the doorway. Ichi's face furrowed in the darkness as more lights flickered on, revealing a small stone room with a cabinet at the end.

"This is it?" Ichi complained to himself.

Grandpa passed Ichi and stood in front of the cabinet facing Ichi.

"Your father believes a man grows like a tree in the woods. Strength must be earned by interacting from the world, alone, or it is not true strength. Dansaburo believes men become men once they pass that trial."

"And so that's why he left? To go play with girls and party in the spirit world?"

"That is his idea of being a man. As one of the highest ranking Tanuki in the depths of the spirit world, he did whatever he wanted, as an immortal being. It might be easier for you to think of him more like an animal than anything resembling modern man."

Ichi's face slackened. He supposed he could understand. Last night, there was more than a few times he wished he could break all the stupid rules and win, without cost, with no one to stop him from indulging in his instincts for victory. That freedom and power intrigued Ichi, but then his mother's face came to mind.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"He left Mom behind, to go play? And he left me this," Ichi waved his hand at the cabinet, "so that I could grow alone?"

Grandpa nodded at Ichi.

"Tell me, Ichi, how do you feel about your father?"

Ichi brows tightened again.

"He's not a good person."

Grandpa urged him again.

"But, what is the feeling, the gut reaction."

Ichi reassessed as he became aware of what Grandpa was trying to get at, slacking his face again.

"I don't like how he's having too much fun. He should have stayed with Mom and me. I'm angry."

Grandpa nodded his head, then he stepped aside.

"That will be good enough for now. You have will, your own will. Do not forget that," Grandpa pointed with an open palm to the cabinet. "Put your hand there."

Ichi listened, placing his hand on the cabinet, and a circle of intricate light designs floated under his hand. Then he heard a click. Ichi opened the door, and Grandpa lightly pulled Ichi's shoulder from behind and Ichi backed off in response.

"I only want you to have this one, for now."

Grandpa grabbed something from inside, then shut the cabinet door.

"The rest are beyond you. With this and that shikigami I gave you, and this, you could live a happy life alone."

Grandpa pulled back, showing Ichi a stick. A meter long, horizontally cut across it's length with one side colored black and the other white. Grandpa twirled it in front of Ichi easily in a circle, then grabbing with his other hand, he chanted out loud.

"Break."

Then he slammed the stick on his rising knee, snapping it in two.

Ichi saw it happen in an instant. One stick turned into two. One white, one black.

Grandpa held up the black stick.

"Punch."

Ichi punched it, and he felt his body jerk back when he hit it. It felt like he punched him own hand. Ichi's face went tight and he breathed out, giving Grandpa a menacing look which Grandpa ignored. Grandpa head up the white stick next.

"Punch."

Ichi followed the order despite his doubts. His fist this time felt like it was sucked onto the stick. The force felt equal in his mind to what he put into the punch. That was his instinctual sense talking, and he believed it right away.

"What is this thing?"

Grandpa smiled.

"A stick of balance. Grow like a tree so that your branches may support all life."