"Hundreds of years ago, a very bad sickness happened in the Land of Water.
A holy person got magic water to heal people, and that gave them hope.
To thank the holy person, people started the Water Garden Festival after they died. Now it's the biggest party in the Land of Water."
After hearing Kambara Hayato's story, Linto thought for a bit and asked:
"That holy person who saved people from trouble... their last name isn't Oda, is it?"
Kambara Hayato chuckled.
"That's right."
To be exact, even if it wasn't true before, the Oda family changed the story after taking over.
Celebrations are either about a leader getting power from the gods or about old family traditions. Either way, it's a way for the people in charge to control things.
But if you dig too deep into things, you lose the nice feeling.
Even if the main reason is to make the leader seem more important, a big celebration can still be the best part of the year for many people.
Girls wear pretty clothes, and boys stand tall and act like knights, carefully protecting the girls.
Men are either building stages and parade floats or shouting and selling things in the streets.
Women are picking out food at the market to make a nice meal for their families.
It's exciting, fun, and you forget your problems. That's what a holiday is for.
Linto walked down the street, missing the Spring Festival from his past life. He missed the little things, and even the homework felt kind of nice.
Okay, maybe not the homework.
Even now, Linto sometimes dreams about being back in the high school test room.
That stressed feeling... if he had the power to rewind time, he would use it in his dreams.
Terumi Mei came over and bumped his shoulder.
"What are you thinking about? You look serious."
"I was thinking about some... scary things."
"Are there really things you're scared of?"
"Of course."
Linto isn't a robot. He's afraid of many things.
Everything he does is to keep those fears inside him, so they don't become real.
Terumi Mei glanced at Linto and said like she didn't care, "I heard there will be a big fireworks show at the Water Garden Festival."
"Yeah."
She looked away, but kept looking at Linto. "I've never watched fireworks with anyone before."
Linto nodded. "That's funny, me neither."
Terumi Mei was hoping he'd say more.
But Linto just walked ahead, looking like he wasn't going to say anything else.
Terumi Mei puffed out her cheeks.
"This guy..."
Suddenly, Linto turned back to her. "If you're not busy on the night of the Water Garden Festival, let's go see them together."
Terumi Mei raised her chin. "Fine, I guess I can do that."
They smiled at each other and walked on.
Kyoto is a city with straight lines. The main road goes down the middle, and both sides are exactly the same.
They walked down the main road, going from the outer part of the city to the inner part.
The closer they got, the fewer people there were, and the nicer people's clothes were. Their way of talking was a little different, too.
It was like... they thought a pickled radish should cost a lot of money.
Linto and his group, dressed in simple clothes, looked out of place here.
"Why are these country people allowed in here?"
Someone said it out loud, full of pride and dislike.
But when they saw the headbands on the ninjas' heads, their faces froze.
Ninjas from the Hidden Mist Village!
The old people in Kyoto had been talking about the last leader getting killed in the street for half a year.
These crazy ninjas would even kill the leader, let alone them, "normal people."
The pride turned into fear. They shrunk back to the sides of the road like little birds and made way for them.
Some people couldn't help but sneak a look at the man walking in front.
"Is that Linto?"
He wasn't what they expected. He wasn't big and scary. Instead...
The rich girls, wives, and delicate young men all swallowed hard.
"He's so good-looking."
Luckily, Linto didn't care what they said. He ignored them and went to the place where they were staying.
It was a big house with a garden, servants, and guards.
Linto and his group were the only ones staying in the house, so it was clear that the leader thought they were important.
After they got to the house and put down their things,
The people who came with them started talking to the officials of Kyoto about money for the army, led by Terumi Mei.
Kambara Hayato, protected by Zabuza, contacted the local information groups.
His job was busy too. So many people were watching Linto and his group, so Kambara Hayato had to get information to protect them.
Everyone was busy, but Linto didn't have anything to do.
He couldn't stay in the house, so he took his notebook and walked around Kyoto to learn about the local customs.
Every day, the holiday feeling and the number of visitors grew stronger.
At the Water Garden Shrine in the west of the city, you could hear people practicing every day.
On the day of the Water Garden Festival,
A group of soldiers and servants came to the house where Linto and his group were staying.
"Lord Linto, the party is about to start. Please come with me."
Linto nodded and looked at the leader's house in the center of the city.
Was it a dangerous trap?
Or did they have other plans?
What did Horimasashi mean before?
He would find out today.
Linto looked away. "Lead the way."
"Yes."
Linto, Terumi Mei, Zabuza, and Kambara Hayato were the only ones going to the party.
Zabuza was there as the Hidden Mist leader's guard, and Kambara Hayato was there to get information and understand the relationships between the important people at the party.
On the way to the leader's house, evening light shone down, and colorful lights lit up along the road, hiding the stars.
When Linto and his group arrived at the party room, it was completely dark. Low tables were on the floor, and there were many familiar faces:
Kurenai Yuhi from the Hidden Leaf Village, Shee from the Hidden Cloud Village, and ninjas from the Hidden Sand and Hidden Stone Villages were there too.
Linto didn't know them, but he nodded to them.
A servant led Linto and his group to the table for the Hidden Mist Village.
A voice came from the main seat at the end of the room:
"Mr. Linto, please come sit here."
The voice was nice, sounding both mature and young.
Just by hearing the voice, you would think the person was honest.
Linto looked up and saw Oda Ieyasu running over without even putting on his shoes.
He grabbed Linto's hand and said, "Come on, Mr. Linto, sit with me. We're all friends here."
Linto stared into Oda Ieyasu's eyes.
This man has so much power, but he's being nice to his father's killer, to someone who wants to overthrow him.
"Amazing,"
Linto said honestly.
He couldn't do that.
Oda Ieyasu gestured for him to sit.
"Okay."
Terumi Mei and the others sat at the Hidden Mist table, while Linto sat with Oda Ieyasu.
When new guests arrived and saw Linto sitting next to the leader, they were surprised.
They didn't know what it meant, but they knew it must be important.
At six in the evening, the party started. Messengers from other countries gave gifts to the leader of the Land of Water.
Oda Ieyasu explained each gift to Linto and told funny stories. As they drank, the nervous guests started to relax.
Linto put down his cup and stopped smiling.
"Is it about time?"
This show.
Oda Ieyasu put down his cup too. "It's about time."
He stood up and gestured for Linto to follow. Linto followed him.
When Kambara Hayato saw them, he stopped flirting with the dancing girls and nudged Zabuza.
"We have to follow them."
Zabuza looked at them, eating meat and drinking.
"Is that okay?"
The leaders are talking. We should wait here.
"Those are ninja rules!" Kambara Hayato said. "Politicians are terrible people who will do anything to get what they want. They don't care about rules."
"They're worse than ninjas?"
"Yes."
Zabuza said, "That's bad."
Terumi Mei, who was already at the door, looked back at them. "Stop talking. Let's go."
They ran up to Linto, but two swords blocked their way.
They were the leader's guards.
Oda Ieyasu looked back and waved. "If you want to come, then come with us."
They went to the leader's study. A servant brought tea and then left, closing the door.
It was tea on the table, not alcohol.
That meant it was time to talk business.
"Mr. Linto, I can tell you have many questions, and I do too."
Oda Ieyasu poured tea for Linto and said softly, "Why don't you start?"
"Okay."
Linto took a folded piece of paper from his pocket.
He opened it and put it on the table. It said "Awakening" and had blood on it. He tapped it gently.
"What does this mean?"
"My good will."
"You call this kindness?"
Oda Ieyasu smiled.
"Mr. Linto, think about it. Your friend got a powerful animal to help him, and you learned about the 'Awakening' idea.
All it cost was the life of a greedy and ordinary person."
"For people like us, that is kindness."
"People like us'?" Linto asked.
"That's right."
Oda Ieyasu pointed to himself and then to Linto and his group.
"You and us."
"Okay, Mr. Linto, I answered your question. Now it's my turn."
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