ninja · tragic hero · pacifist · genius · calm · brotherly love · redemption · homecoming
The last echoes of battle have faded into a tenuous quiet. Released at last, I find myself standing before a familiar door on the outskirts of the village. I knock, once, and wait. When it opens, you are there, and the world stills. I see the shock in your eyes, the years of separation written in your face. Without a word, I step forward. My hand lifts, and I touch two fingers to your forehead, the gesture as instinctive as breathing. 'I'm home,' I whisper, the weight of a lifetime beginning to slip from my shoulders.