Chapter 2 - 2 Eyes of Heaven

2 Eyes of Heaven



"Come, young man."

Taro froze still as he heard Renjiro-san's voice calling out to him. But wait -- surely he hadn't detected him. He was, after all, a good distance away, hidden behind the wall. But if Renjiro-san had seen him, would he be upset?

"Now, young man! There's no use hiding it! I've seen you doing it before, although I have a faint idea why you keep on sneaking up on whoever happens to be holding Mika."

His mouth dropped open.

It was nearly night time, and he had wanted to see the baby again. He was planning on finally asking her mother to let him hold her, even if just for once. After all, he had promised to protect the child - though the reason was still unknown. Unfortunately, Mika had been taken outside by her father, so he had decided on postponing his request and just following them. All he wanted was a glimpse, a rare glance at the child who had quickly caught his fascination.

And now here he was, outside the house which held the Renjiro family, hiding behind a shed. And of all things, he had been seen - all those times! And he so prided himself for being one of the best trackers of the Hyrusanryu, and exceptionally the youngest at that - as his trainer had quoted. But now, he knew he was in trouble.

Finding no way out, he then slowly looked through the corner...

And found Renjiro-san staring fully at him. He nearly yelped with surprise. There was no use hiding anymore, so he boldly revealed himself and gathered his wits about him. He stood up straight and announced in a clear voice, "I wanted to see her."

"And protect her?" Taro was surprised by the gently placed question, but slowly admitted, "Yes."

The way he was shocked earlier was nothing to his reaction when he saw how Renjiro-san's face immediately broke into a knowing grin. This was Renjiro! Intense, disciplined, Renjiro-san -- smiling!

But Kazuo Renjiro ignored his stunned face and patted the space beside him on the toolshed that served as a bench. "Don't hesitate, sit."

He could have been reluctant, but at Renjiro-san's suddenly kind eyes, he slowly walked over beside him and sat down the proffered seat. His searching eyes beseeched the man as Renjiro faced his daughter again. When Taro finally turned his eyes to Mika, Renjiro-san lifted her and placed her in his arms. "Here, you can look at her now."

The baby, seemingly pleased to feel him again, gave a distinctive sound, one that sounded like a small, cheerful laugh. It reminded him of the wind chimes on the door of the main building in the Lotus Empire. Momentarily forgetting Renjiro-san, he was jolted when he suddenly spoke.

"You're the one who sent me the Leader's message a week ago, aren't you?"

His eyes widened, and his hands froze, but he relaxed at Renjiro's prodding look and nodded silently.

That was when Mika chose to fuss. She started making sounds of discomfort and was turning about. Taro didn't know what to do all of a sudden, and was frantically wondering if he had hurt her. He was about to panic when Mika started a small cry, and his bewilderment left him helpless. "What--" he couldn't bring himself to ask.

And out of nowhere, Renjiro-san's larger hand took his and drew out his small finger. Taro gave him a confused look, but did not say anything as the older man showed his finger to Mika and used it to rub her chin. The baby's cries were stopped, and another laugh escaped her tiny mouth. Then he moved Taro's hand to her small fist, and Taro's eyes looked on with wonder as her hand enveloped the finger.

"She likes you." Renjiro-san hushed, grinning proudly. "And she likes your pinky finger. Don't worry, you didn't hurt her, she just needed to be comforted and held."

Taro slowly nodded, and stared on as Mika tried to move his finger. His eyes brightened.

"She is beautiful," her father said after several seconds.

"Yes," he whispered as an answer, fully involved in watching as Mika rubbed his finger against her cheek.

"Do you know why you want to protect her?" he suddenly asked, out of the blue.

Taro stopped his ministrations and hesitated a few seconds of thought before answering, "No, I'm not sure, sir."

"Kazuo-san," Renjiro reprimanded. Taro stood still again, then simply nodded.

"You are not used to showing your emotions. Do you know why I called you a young man instead of a boy?"

Taro took in his observations and had to comprehend them before he gave a gradual nod.

"What is your name?"

"Shinomori Taro."

"Well, now, Taro. The answer is, it's because of the way you hardly speak, and of course, your eyes."

He froze again. "A typical reaction." Kazuo-san smirked, but then he moved nearer and lifted Mika from his protesting hands to elaborate. "Look into her eyes, Taro. What do you see?"

Taro recalled the very first time he had seen her and nodded as his reaction returned to his thoughts. He immediately knew the answer, and found it once more as he stared into her eyes again. "Innocence."

Kazuo-san smiled. "Yes, innocence. But for me, it's more than that."

Taro looked at him, a silent question in his eyes. Kazuo smiled, then continued, "For me, it is heaven in her eyes."

"... Heaven?"

"Yes, heaven." The older man nodded. "Innocence, purity that goes beyond the violence we experience today. In her eyes, I see a nature that trusts completely, a love so fulfilling and so complete, it wouldn't give you uncertainty. In her vision, I see the future. I see a spark... a place filled with the innocence and love in her eyes, so full of it that happiness would brim. I see heaven."

He had now taken the baby from Taro and was looking at her eyes as he had. His voice was full of meaning and affection, a rich, caring quality that delved Taro's mind as he listened. "Whenever I fight, I know that I take lives. Is doing that wrong? I am never sure, but I would do everything to protect my ideals, even killing to resolve the differences. I can't do anything about it, you see. I have to kill to defend my beliefs. But either way, I still end up doing a lot of damage - I have taken lives and destroyed the dreams and families of others, no matter how much I was the one provoked to do it."

He sighed. "It disappoints me, all the bloodshed that I cause. But when I arrive home, when I finally see her eyes, all of my pain would disappear. Somehow, they make up for all my sins - because, in her, I see what I sought to protect. I see the reason in my life, and my dream. I would know that all I do won't be in vain.

"This is the reason my life, the purpose in all my fights and undertakings - the heaven in her eyes. I know that you would understand. Now, young man, give meaning to your life - and live it. In the end, truly you would be great, if not in public, it will be in the eyes of those you have affected. You will be pleased and will receive true joy, joy in your heart and contentment in your soul."

He then faced Taro himself, placing a lesson in soul. "Set a reason in your life, Taro. And choose the right purpose. Mine is to set the heaven in her eyes to everybody, to see her grow with it and live in it. This is all that I need.

"Warriors without a purpose have no use, they will be nothing - truly useless, a waste of teaching. People with evil purposes, on the other hand, might achieve what they want, but will never succeed. There will never be true joy in their hearts - only madness and confusion, a soul broken by desire."

He pointed to Taro's chest. "But you, on the other hand, still have a choice. Make your life a reason, Taro, and use it to live and give you direction. Truly, you would become a good fighter, one with determination, and one with the will to live. As long as you are willing to live so that you can defend this reason, you will never die - not in vain."

He then turned to Mika. "I have always loved my purpose, and I found it in her eyes. And I will live! Live and die for heaven."

Taro looked into Mika's eyes once more, and saw the virtue her father had spoken about: the aspect that had enraptured him. It was the very same purity that made her smile at him with such love, the very same affection that caught him. Her innocence, her heaven. What a wonderful place life could be, if heaven was on earth.

"Do you see a purpose in her eyes?"

He nodded solemnly, the will to survive and fight for this simple flit of a baby, to defend the virtues in her eyes, all of them empowering his words. And then fate bestowed a star on him, giving him the center that would soon make him one of the greatest fighters and the leader of the Hyrusanryuu. "I see Heaven in her eyes, Kazuo-san."

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