[60% credits of this chapter goes to Miyamoto Musashi. And shout out to whomever suggested this book but I don't remember who, though it was two persons, so show yourselves. This book has changed many things in the plot I had in mind and you will see the effects of it soon enough, thanks.]
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The room was quiet and only a few paper lanterns still glowed. A brazier in the corner had burned down to ash.
The air smelled of old wood, ink, and incense.
Outside, the sounds were muffled by the walls. An insect chirped somewhere in the dark
*flip* A page was flipped as a figure started to read.
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Do nothing which is of no use.
Your time and energy are precious. Do not waste them on things that do not matter.
Before you act, ask yourself this, does this help me reach my goal? If not, then stop.
You need clarity and see the world as it really is, not as you wish it to be. Strip away lies and cut through illusion, because looking at the ground beneath your feet without a clear mind, every plan will fail.
Your enemy will try to distract you with noise, fear, or anger, but do not fall for it and focus on what is important.
A warrior without purpose is like a ship without a rudder. It drifts wherever the water takes it.
Purpose gives meaning to every action. So, Before you do anything, ask yourself this, why am I doing this? If you cannot answer clearly, or if the answer is not worthy, then don't do it.
The worst waste is not failure, it is working hard on something that never mattered.
So If something pulls you away from your goal, turn it down. Even if it looks sweet, or even if it feels good, because the blade that cuts everything gets dull fast, but the blade that cuts only what is needed stays sharp forever.
*flip* A page was turned.
The WAY is in training.
Not training once in a while, and not training only when someone is watching...
Train every day, in every condition, until your body and mind move as one.
Doing the same thing over and over builds excellence and your body learns what your mind already knows. That way, your instincts get faster than your thoughts.
Be like water warrior!
Water fills any container, and It does not fight the container but adapts.
Water flows around any rock, the rock does not stop the water. The water goes around, or over, or under. In time, the water wears the rock down to nothing, and that is patience with persistence.
Water is soft, but it cuts through stone. Not with force, but with steady, constant pressure.
Being stiff is death and If you cannot adapt, the first surprise will break you.
Do not cling to one way of thinking and do not worship one technique, because the moment you believe you have found the perfect answer, you have already lost, so keep learning and keep flowing.
Water flows to the lowest place, it does not fight for height or attention. Yet nothing on earth is stronger than water over time.
The warrior who understands humility knows that strength does not need loud words. The loudest person in the room is rarely the wisest because the one who boasts before the fight is often the first to fall.
Humility lets you learn from anyone. A poor farmer can teach you patience, a child can teach you curiosity, and an enemy can show you a weakness in your own skill.
Pride closes the door to these lessons and humility opens it.
But, do not mistake humility for weakness. The humble warrior bends like a reed in the wind, but when the storm passes, the reed still stands.
Now look at the proud oak that lies uprooted. You see it?
So, bend bu.t do not break, and yield but do not give up.
*flip* Another page was turned.
And do not think dishonestly.
This is the hardest rule because lying to yourself is easy and it feels comfortable, but it makes you weak.
A warrior's strength starts with honesty, and lies poison your spirit and clouds your mind.
When you lie about your own skill, you will make mistakes. When you lie about your enemy's strength, you will walk into traps. When you lie about your own reasons, you will forget why you are fighting.
Do not trick others, but more importantly, do not trick yourself because that is the worst of betrayals. Once you believe your own lies, you are lost, and you will make decisions based on fantasy, not reality...
And reality always wins.
Honesty makes your eyes sharper, when you stop lying, you see the world as it is. You see cracks in your enemy's armor and you see weak spots in your own plans. You see chances that you would have missed while protecting your pride.
*flip* A page was turned.
Integrity means your actions match your words, and your words match your deepest values.
A warrior who talks about honor but acts with dishonor is already defeated, even if he wins the fight.
There is a story about a famous swordsman...
A young rival challenged him and the night before the duel, the swordsman sharpened his blade and coated it with a poison that would freeze his opponent's muscles.
"Why do this? Someone asked him.
He said, "Because winning is all that matters. Whoever comes out alive is the winner, no matter what it takes to win."
That day, he won the duel easily, but his reputation was destroyed and no one trusted him again.
He died rich but... alone.
So, a warrior known for honesty and integrity earns trust. Allies will follow him into danger because they know he will not leave them. Enemies will surrender to him because they believe his promises.
*Flip*
Become acquainted with every art.
This is a warning for the narrow minded people!
The warrior who studies only the sword will be beaten by the spear, because he does not know about reach.
The general who studies only war will be outsmarted by the merchant, because he does not know about money.
The leader who studies only power will be fooled by the politics and sneakers, because he does not know about influence.
To be truly effective, you must learn from many places because the wisdom of other arts makes you better at your own.
I suggest you study music to learn rhythm because a fight has rhythm, just like a song.
It's like fast parts and slow parts, loud parts and quiet parts. The warrior who understands rhythm can control the fight.
Study painting to understand form because a painting has balance and empty space. The same is true for strategy... see the whole picture.
Become a farmer to learn patience because a farmer cannot rush the harvest. He plants, waters, waits, then picks the crop.
Just like farming, strategy sometimes needs waiting to bear fruit. So, do not force things before their time.
Study trade to understand risk and reward because every choice has a cost and every chance has a trade‑off. The merchant who knows this will not be surprised by unexpected outcomes, and the warrior who knows this will not risk too much.
So, every art has lessons for a warrior.
By exploring what you do not know, you become more adaptable and sharper.
Martial arts is everywhere and in everything. So, do not look down on any job or anything you might deem as unimportant.
The carpenter knows math and precision, the sailor knows the wind, the farmer knows the earth, and the blacksmith knows heat and timing... every craft shows the power of not giving up.
A narrow mind is a dead end. Since the world is wide, then your mind should be wider.
Travel and experience this wide world and see culture, nature, and people, then meditate and contemplate.
*Flip*
The warrior who thinks he has nothing to learn from others has already stopped growing.
Openness means being willing to take wisdom from any source, no matter where it comes from.
A lesson from an enemy can be as good as a lesson from a master. A truth spoken by a fool can still be true.
Openness also means accepting criticism because no warrior is perfect.
Every skill has a weakness, and every plan has a blind spot. So, be careful because those who surround themselves with Yes‑men will never see their own flaws. A true warrior asks for honest feedback, even when it hurts. He listens to his workers, his rivals, and his friends. He may not always agree, but he always Listens.
There is a story about a great general who kept a special advisor whose only job was to argue against every decision.
Other generals laughed at him and they said, "Why do you keep such an annoying man beside you?"
The general replied, "If my plans cannot survive his objections, they deserve to fail."
Know this... the army of that general has never lost a battle.
So, openness is not weakness.
Openness is the strength to say, "I might be wrong, show me where."
*Flip* Another page was turned.
Develop an intuitive judgement for everything. Logic and reason are important, but they are not enough.
Life moves faster than thought. In a fight, you have no time to think, you must act, and to act correctly, you need intuition.
Intuition is not magic, It comes from deep experience squeezed into a single moment of knowing.
After years of training and watching, your mind starts to see patterns before your thoughts catch up, THAT is intuition.
Train your instincts by watching the world closely and thinking about what you see, but do not just go through the motions. Pay attention and ask why things happen and look for patterns. Over time, your mind will learn to spot those patterns without you even tryingh..
And do not fear mistakes because Intuition gets stronger when you fail.
Every wrong guess teaches your mind, and every surprise updates your perception of the world. So, do not let failure bring you down and let it teach amd guide you.
Find balance between thinking and feeling. So, do not ignore your logic, and do not ignore your gut.
The best choices come from both working together.
Trust your inner wisdom, but stay humble and ready to learn because Intuition is a tool, not a god. So use it, but check it when you can.
Perceive those things which cannot be seen because the strongest forces in life are invisible. Like the wind, you cannot see it, but you can feel it.
You cannot see loyalty, but you can see what it does. You cannot see fear, but you can see people run. You cannot see someone's intent, but you can see small shifts in their body that reveal it.
Look past the surface and notice what others are feeling and planning, so train your awareness to sense danger or chance before it arrives because the unseen often shapes the seen.
Quiet your mind, because only when you are still can you notice the small and hidden things. A noisy mind is like a pond stirred by wind... you cannot see the bottom and you cannot see the fish, so calm the water, then you can see.
Trust the silence because it often carries truths louder than words. When someone is quiet, ask yourself why... What are they not saying? What are they hiding? What are they afraid to show?
To see the unseen is to have foresight, and foresight is sharper than any blade.
*Flip*
A warrior who fights without compassion becomes a Monster.
Winning through cruelty is hollow and it creates hatred and makes sure more fights will come.
Compassion does not mean weakness, it means seeing the humanity in your enemy even while you fight them.
There is a story about a swordsman who beat his rival. Instead of killing him, he bandaged his wounds and let him live.
The rival looked up at the man, "Why did you spare me?" The rival asked with confusion.
The swordsman replied, "You have children who need a father and a wife who needs a husband, and your death would bring grief to many. My victory is enough." Years later, that rival saved the swordsman's life in a battle against a common enemy.
Compassion also applies to yourself and a warrior who cannot forgive his own mistakes will be frozen by regret. So, learn from failure, and then let it go.
Do not carry the weight of past errors into future fights.
Lastly, compassion belongs to the innocent.
The true warrior does not raise his blade against those who cannot defend themselves, and he protects the weak not because he expects a reward, but because strength without protection is just bullying.
A village that fears its protectors is already defeated.
"..." There was a pause as the figure read that part about compassion. The words truly resonating with him.
*Flip* Another page was turned and the figure continued to read.
Loyalty is the bond that turns a group of warriors into something stronger than any one of them alone.
Loyalty to a good leader, loyalty to your comrades, loyalty to a cause. These are the chains that hold an army together when fear would make it run.
But loyalty must be earned and not demanded. A leader who expects loyalty without giving it back is a tyrant! And tyrants are always betrayed.
Loyalty goes both ways and the general who risks his life for his men will find that his men will risk their lives for him.
But Loyalty also has limits.
Blind loyalty is foolish and a warrior must be loyal to his values above all. If a leader orders something that breaks your honor, the true warrior refuses.
Better to die with integrity than to live as a traitor to yourself.
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The man sat alone at a low wooden desk. His fingers rested on the cover of the book that broke the scholars, Samurais, and nobles of fire country for months which lead for some reforms and laws to change.
The title of the book was written in bold strokes that had caught his eye and would not let go.
-The Book of Five Rings by Hatake Garou-
[Picture]
Date Masamune, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, had read many books in his life.
He had studied strategy, history, poetry, and philosophy. He had read the words of great generals and the journals of failed ones. He had read treaties, trade papers, and the rambling memories of nobles who thought their lives were more important than they were.
But this book was different.
He had started reading expecting clever tricks or useful advice on how to manage samurai or deal with ninja villages like the Art Of War.
Instead, he found words that cut through the noise in his head and pattern of thinking.
'Do nothing which is of no use.'
He thought of his endless meetings, the small fights between clans, the merchants and GMA members who begged for favors, and the samurai who clung to old ways that no longer worked.
How much of his time was wasted on things that did not matter? How many hours had he spent listening to advisors who offered nothing but flattery and bullshit?
'The WAY is in training.'
He thought of his own youth, when he had trained hard every day, before ruling had made him a little lazy and soft.
When was the last time he had sparred? When was the last time he had studied a new text? When was the last time he had pushed himself past his comfort zone?
'Become acquainted with every art.'
He thought of his generals, who sneered at merchants and dismissed the GMA as a bother.
They did not understand that trade was a kind of war and they did not see that money was a battlefield. And Shogun-sama was winning because he understood this while they did not, which is creating some problems amongst the Samurais who didn't like the way Shogun-sama moved and called for more traditional and rigid ways to be back.
'Do not think dishonestly.'
He thought of his own lies... the lies he had told himself to justify choices he was not proud of.
The book had been open on his desk for hours. He had read each part twice, sometimes three times.
He thought of the boy himself that wrote these things, Hatake Garou, The chakra‑less cripple who had become one of the richest men in the Land of Fire and hailed as a great philosopher and revolutionary.
There was something about Garou that bothered Date.
'How? Is he really 16 years old? Did Gintoki teach him these things? No I doubt it. That dumbass Gintoki is the last person to be good at teaching.' Date thought as he couldn't get his mind around the fact that a person who has never seen war, good, or evil in their truest form to have such a deep understanding of the world.
'Is this what a genius is? Did all the chakra sacrifice itself to give the world a generational mind?'
Date closed the book and set it down. His fingers stayed on the cover for a long moment.
Then he looked up.
"Kuroda," he called.
A shadow moved in the corner of the room and a middle‑aged samurai came into view in dark armor.
"Yes, my lord?"
"Send a messenger to Konoha. I want Hatake Garou brought to the capital. I want to talk to him regarding our business ventures."
It was finally time to meet the son of that bastard even though he disliked the idea because he didn't really want to have anything to do with the Hatakes.
His disappointment in Gintoki and the Hatakes was immeasurable.
Kuroda bowed. "Shall I inform the Hokage as a courtesy, my lord?"
"No." Date picked up the book again with a smirk.
"This is not a request. And that disgusting monkey should become aware how insignificant I feel about him more." He held up the book.
"And if he refuses to come? Garou's personality has been studied and he isn't the type of person to go with what's told. I am afraid he wouldn't even listen and just beat the messengers."
"Gahahahah! Then tell him that the Daimyo of the Land of Fire will personally go there to bust his ass and drag him to the capital!"
Kuroda bowed again without adding on the fact if Date did that then Konoha or wherever the two men met will probably become a battlefield. "As you command, my lord."
The Samurai left and the door slid shut with a soft click.
The End.
[This was the extra chapter since we got the 5 reviews.]
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