In the old literature, there was a saying that urges us to stay patient and low profile when the time is no right. Once an opportunity comes, soar like the dragon with no scruples.
Hence the saying that the timely dragon hid in the deep pool when the time had not come.
Moving from Spring to Autumn, Saburo Nagato had been practicing sword technique for fifteen years. His goal was to catch up with his elder brother.
The elder brother was twelve years older than him and had become a samurai at seventeen. Now that the elder brother was getting older, but he was increasing in age.
The young Saburo Nagato believed that he would achieve more than his brother, like the dragon hidden in the pool. Once it soared, it would be magnificent!
“Marriage?”
When he just returned from exercise, his brother came to his place of residence.
Saburo Nagato was surprised to hear his brother’s suggestion. He suddenly recalled that his elder brother Nagato Munechika seemed to have married at his age. Munechika had a family already. The nephew was approaching seven years old. The following year would be the age when he could learn sword skills.
Nagato Munechika, who was about forty years old, was older than what Saburo Nagato thought. The elder brother had gray hair on the temples. When did it happen? Saburo Nagato looked at the gray hair on his elder brother’s temples, distracted.
“Her name is Haru Narukami. She is the successor to the next shrine witch.” Nagato Munechika said indifferently, “I have discussed with the current witch. Haru Narukami is not suitable to take over as a witch. Master witch intends to choose another candidate. Haru Narukami has grown up and should consider marriage. It just so happens that you are at the age of getting married, so I decide to help you agree to this marriage.”
Nagato Munechika, who had inherited the Nagato family business, had unquestionable authority in the Nagato family. Saburo Nagato was obsessed with sword practice. He did not have much thought about his marriage. But the eldest brother was like a father. Although Saburo Nagato didn’t expect much from Nagato’s arrangement, he did not resist it.
“Everything shall follow my brother’s arrangement!” Saburo Nagato nodded directly.
Haru Narukami was a child adopted by the witch. She had attended the annual worship ritual in Unripe Rice Village several times. Saburo Nagato had already met her. She was indeed an excellent woman, so he didn’t resist his brother’s arrangement.
But he sought another thing, “Brother, the secret of the Nagato family. Please allow me to practice it! I feel that my strength can no longer grow!”
The secret profound art – the foundation of the Nagato family. At the time, the Nagato family’s ancestors survived the battle with the powerful fox demon beast in the Unripe Rice Village area because of the secret profound art. As a result, they acquired rewards from the Unripe Rice Village too.
However, only those who inherited the family inheritance had the qualifications to be bestowed upon the secret profound art. Saburo Nagato, even a sibling of the Nagato clan, had no qualifications to practice it.
Nagato Zong looked at Saburo Nagato for a long time with a cold expression. He just dropped a comment, “Wait until you get married for this matter.”
Saburo Nagato could only give up asking.
Looking at Nagato Munechika’s back, Saburo Nagato whispered to himself, “Brother, are you so afraid that I will surpass you? The god of Nagato’s family…”
…
The marriage news soon came out. Everyone was happily discussing it. When Saburo Nagato went out, he could hear praises everywhere.
This made him feel a kind of irritability inexplicably. He made a decision. He quietly went to the mountain to take a look at his fiancee Haru Narukami before getting married.
The shrine used for enshrinement was familiar to the people of Unripe Rice Village. When Saburo Nagato came to the shrine, he did not see the witch here. He waited outside the shrine for a while, and yet he still failed to see Haru Narukami. On the other hand, he couldn’t help but get drawn by the beautiful scenery on the mountain.
A few years ago, Saburo Nagato went on an adventure and visited many places. There were many places more beautiful than this mountain scenery, but this place was incomparable. There was a unique trace of tranquility.
Behind the shrine was a path leading to the back. Saburo Nagato walked toward there subconsciously. When he turned around, he came to a cave.
Perhaps the children in the village had come to this place to explore when they were young. But Saburo Nagato, who was focused on his goal since childhood, had been committed to tampering with his body since childhood. He had never let himself relax for a day.
The cave entrance behind this shrine had a forbidden rule that the shrine put down. Saburo Nagato was curious, young-minded, unscrupulous at the moment. He moved toward it, gradually stepping in, vaguely hearing the sound of the water. There should be a water source.
There was indeed a water source, a naturally formed pool. When Saburo Nagato saw this pool, he thought the water here should be cold.
So, wouldn’t the person washing their body at this place feel cold? The woman with long hair in the water with her head lowered was like a painting under the light of the ignited oil fire.
He met Haru Narukami at this place first.
In the water, she had discovered the arrival of Saburo Nagato. Her face blushed. She used her hands to cover her body, and she sank entirely into the water, only showing her face.
Saburo Nagato looked at her obsessively. He suddenly realized that the marriage arranged by his brother was incredible.
Saburo Nagato turned around and left.
He claimed he had no intention of breaking in, but even so, he would not be able to forget this scene in this life.
Under the woman’s astonished gaze, Saburo Nagato left the cave with spring water without looking back. It did not mean that they would stop seeing each other again.
The next day, Saburo Nagato came again. He did not go anywhere else but stood still in front of the shrine for a long time. Haru Narukami did not come out. Saburo Nagato did not leave until late at night.
On another day, Saburo Nagato came again almost at the same time and stood still until the moon set before leaving.
Day after day, no matter whether it was drizzling or the scorching sun. He remained unchanged no matter the weather.
“Sir Saburo, you don’t have to be like this. Naru is about to be your wife. I won’t blame you.” The shrine’s door finally opened one day.
“I finally get to see you.” Saburo Nagato smiled slightly and turned to leave, “I will come back tomorrow.”
Then, Saburo came again tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow would remain unchanged. Saburo Nagato started to wave the wooden saber for practice in front of the shrine’s temple while Haru Narukami was cleaning in the courtyard.
There was prosperity in spring and lively fish in summer. On the other hand, Autumn had flying geese and snow dropping in winter. At the long stone steps leading to the shrine, they accompanied each other as the days passed.
The following year, Saburo Nagato married Haru Narukami, which happened to be the day when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom.
The time of the newlywed joy passed quickly.
The Nagato family also began to build a new house.
The Nagato’s Family Head was still Nagato Munechika. In the school year, Shinji Nagato also began to practice the secret profound art of the Nagato Sword Technique under the Nagato Munechika’s guidance.
…
The passing traders spread the news of the war breaking out into Unripe Rice Village. Saburo Nagato came to Nagato Munechika.
He looked at his elder brother but found that the white hair of his brother’s temples seemed to be less. Is it just an illusion? The brother’s complexion doesn’t seem to be good.
“Are you going to contribute?” Nagato Munechika was guiding Shinji Nagato’s practice. When he heard the words, he waved his hand and let the young Shinji Nagato leave.
“Yes, I can only become a real samurai only by making contributions on the battlefield.”
Nagato Munechika walked to the place where the weapon was placed. He reached out and picked up a katana. Then, he threw it in front of Saburo Nagato. The katana had not sharpened yet. At the same time, Nagato Munechika also picked up another unsharpened [1] katana.
“If you win against me, I will allow you to leave. I will support you so that you can take our men into the battlefield.” Nagato Munechika had always been indifferent, “But if you lose, you must promise me one condition. Otherwise, take it as if nothing had happened.”
“Brother, you can’t keep your peak state forever.” Saburo Nagato picked up the katana directly without any hesitation.
Even if he was newly married, he never slackened a little bit in practicing sword skills. He even left Haru Narukami alone in the vacancy when he practiced late at night.
Nagato Munechika utilized the sword beyond what Saburo Nagato could have imagined. Saburo Nagato could hardly hold the Katana.
“You can’t beat me.” Nagato Munechika was like a mountain that could not be surpassed.
For Saburo Nagato, this had always been the case.
[1] Unsharpened refers to the official procedure to sharpen the knife before using it. The main goal of this procedure is to remove the oxidized metal.
