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Japan, Ozunu Orphanage

December 11, 2004

Two boys stood in the courtyard. Children of all sizes lined up in a neat row, their faces a mixture of curiosity and apprehension as they watched the two newcomers spar with bamboo swords.

Lucian, the newcomer with the piercing blue eyes, moved with an effortless grace that belied his youth. He deflected the incoming attacks with ease, his movements fluid and precise. Even though this was his first time wielding a sword, it felt natural, almost instinctive.

He couldn't help but think, 'Am I a genius, or is this just too easy? Or it's just because I'm fighting a kid.'

"It's talent. Maybe because your body has changed." Cortana said, her voice a whisper in his mind, a constant presence that always comforted him.

She knew full well Lucian had no prior sword training.

Lucian glanced at Ozunu, the stern, imposing figure who observed the spar with an impassive gaze.

He needed to end this quickly. He waited for his opponent to attack, then, finding an opening, he dodged. He used the hilt of his bamboo sword to strike his opponent on the nose, drawing blood.

He pointed the tip of his sword at his opponent's neck. "Yield."

But the boy remained silent, staring at him with a mixture of defiance and fear.

'Don't force me to beat you up.' Lucian thought, not wanting to hurt a child more than it's necessary. Making him bleed was already enough.

He knew the way to survive in this clan was to defeat your opponent. But the worst thing he could do was make their nose bleed a little than beating their entire body.

Ozunu, however, didn't share that sentiment. He strode towards them, his gaze unwavering, his presence a silent command.

"Hit him," Ozunu ordered, his voice cold and authoritative.

Ozunu noticed that Asura didn't follow his command. Lucian remained in position, the tip of his sword still at his opponent's neck.

"A Ninja of Ozunu would not show mercy at his enemy." Ozunu said, his voice sharp.

The stick in his hand slammed into Lucian's arm, the one holding the sword.

A sharp pain shot through Lucian, and he felt a warm trickle of blood. This was the first time in his life, both in this life and his past life, that Lucian had been hit like that. He gritted his teeth, enduring the pain.

'The pain in the void was much worse.' he thought, reminding himself of the darkness he'd faced before.

Ozunu observed Lucian with a flicker of approval in his eyes. He knew he couldn't change a child in a single day. He knew the process, and he confirmed Lucian's potential.

He was pleased that Lucian didn't cry out in pain. He was a child who had learned to endure.

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"You two go back in line first." Ozunu said, his tone dismissive.

Lucian and his opponent bowed to Ozunu, then returned to the line, watching the next fight.

Ozunu then called out two new names. "Mabui, Akira, you both go."

It was Violet and Garret, the two orphans who had arrived with Lucian.

They walked forward, holding their swords, ready to spar.

As Lucian watched, Cortana appeared in his vision.

"I think you could have beaten him up a bit more." she said, Her voice sounded sad.

She didn't want Lucian to become a killer, but seeing him wounded because he didn't beat his opponent more hurt her.

Lucian smiled, knowing her feelings.

'I'm fine. Like I said, this place wouldn't change me because of other people.' he said, observing the two kids fighting in front of him. He noticed their slight flaws, making him realize that he was gifted with swords.

Ozunu frowned at the two. He could tell they weren't trying to hurt each other.

"Stop." he ordered, his voice sharp.

He knew these two were acquainted before they arrived here. He looked at the children lining up.

Then he saw Asura, still smiling despite his wound.

"Asura, come fight them both." Ozunu said, his eyes glinting with a challenge.

Lucian was shocked, but he bowed.

Violet and Garrett stood side by side, their swords pointed at him as he walked forward.

As he observed them, he thought, 'Training orphans to be ninjas that's just bad news' knowing that they had appeared in Teen Wolf, cutting heads for bounty

"Maybe they've got a story that we don't know" Cortana said, her voice tinged with a hope she thought this children should not be cruel.

'It's possible. After all, this world is different,' Lucian thought, raising his bamboo sword. He felt a strange excitement coursing through him when he fights.

Violet and Garrett took a step closer, their eyes narrowed.

They saw that Lucian wasn't making a move, and they attacked first. They rushed forward, attacking from left to right. Their movements were coordinated, almost as if they'd trained together before.

Lucian blocked Violet's sword, then deflected it, his movements precise and swift. He then used his momentum to strike Garret on his knees, forcing him to kneel. He moved quickly behind them, kicking Garrett on the back of the head, and then pressing his bamboo sword against Violet's neck, while simultaneously using his foot to push Garret's head down. The battle ended in an instant, with both Violet and Garrett disarmed and subdued.

Ozunu walked in front of them, holding a stick. He looked at Asura, but this time, he didn't hit him.

"Next, you will be training with your older brothers and sisters." Ozunu said. His voice was still authoritative, but there was a hint of approval in his tone.

Lucian bowed, letting go of Garrett, who stood up, ready to fight back, but Violet pulled his sleeve, calming him. Garrett, still focused on Ozunu, remained silent.

Ozunu looked around at the children.

"You should all do as most children do. Yet without a home, without someone to take care of you, you will be gone in this world," he said, his voice a low rumble.

He looked around at the children, making sure they were listening.

He pointed at their bodies, which were covered with wounds and bruises.

"Yet you all fought to survive, and you will get stronger. Your wounds will become scars, and those scars will become part of your story. Now rest. We are done for today."

All the children lined up in a row, bowing their heads in unison. "Yes, Master," they said.

They left to get some rest, but before Lucian could follow, Ozunu called him back.

"Asura, stay here. I want to talk to you about something." Ozunu said.

Lucian walked back in front of Ozunu and bowed, waiting for his words.

"You are very special, Asura. You are different from them, but great strength doesn't mean you will win. You will need to control it." Ozunu said, knowing about Lucian's strong body, fast reflexes, and heightened senses.

"I have great expectations from you, Asura." Ozunu said, his voice a low.

"Thank you, Master," Lucian said, thinking, 'Great, if I fail, he's going to beat me up so hard.' He grumbled inwardly.

"Don't think you will fail. It hasn't even begun. And I know you can do it." Cortana said, trying to cheer him up, her voice a soothing balm in his mind. She was still sad that she couldn't help him, but she believed in him.

Lucian sighed. Although he wanted to learn, he didn't think the process would be easy.

He joined the other children on their way to rest, none of them speaking.

They were all tired, exhausted from the day's training, but they all knew that it was only the beginning.

-Evening-

After the children had eaten, they were called into a room. This time, it wasn't the new arrivals who were sparring; it was older children.

The older children fought with a ferocity that sent shivers down the new kids spine.

Lucian tried to learn their moves, their fighting styles, but it was difficult. His memory was excellent, and his weapon mastery was good, but that didn't mean he could fight like them, As he didn't have there experience.

One of the older children was hit on the abdomen.

He stopped, gasping for breath.

But his opponent didn't let up. He struck the boy directly in the neck with his bamboo sword.

The boy had a bruise on his neck and was struggling to breathe. He collapsed to the floor, his body convulsing as he fought for air.

Yet no one in the room helped him. Ozunu just looked at him coldly. If the boy couldn't survive, then that was his fate.

The room was silent. The children watched, their faces etched with a mixture of fear and a grim acceptance. The boy's body slowly stopped convulsing. He lay still, his face pale, his eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling. He was dead.

The silence stretched on, heavy and suffocating.

Yet, all the children, both old and new, knew what they had to do. They had to survive.

Lucian looked around the room, taking in the faces of the children, the older ones hardened, the newer ones still carrying a flicker of hope.

Although he's ready to learn even if he suffer

He still felt a cold chill run down his spine.

This was a brutal world, a world where death was a constant threat, and survival was a constant struggle.

This place, the Ozuru Orphanage, was a training ground, a crucible for turning children into weapons. And he was now a part of it.