Isamu clasps his hands together in a final gesture of greeting.

I copy him bowing my head.

His figure is tall and looming, powerful from years of training.

From now on he will join the king’s ranks in his army, I can only hope my training has prepared him enough for what is to come.

“Goodbye, Master Riku, I shall carry your wisdom the rest of my days.”

The young warrior proclaims

“I have no doubt you will.”

You remember the little boy who used to race the other boys to the temple. The one who piled his plate at dinner higher than anybody else, always bounding with energy yet you also remember the boy who would cheat to avoid his studies, the nights you would spend with him disciplining him for his poor academic performance.

He would lash out in frustration bearing his teeth, eyes welling in angry tears, always letting his emotions get the best of him. It wasn’t always like this however.It took years of discipline. And It certainly didn’t get any easier, but his studies got better. His anger was controlled.

I know better than most though that years of progress can be reversed in an instant.

So I wish Isamu luck in his journey that is life.

I wish it to be full of prosperity and contentment.

I watch as Isamu walks down the beaten path, the same path generations of warriors have tread before him, wandering further and further into the countryside.

I have trained many, yet I remember their names. Their faces. Each unique, each carrying their own weaknesses. Their own strengths.