Ever since Keita Otake returned from studying under Master Red Kite, he had opened a school in the village to teach the children how to read.
He would also occasionally deal with threats to the village, but unlike Danzo, he only acted reactively.
Logically speaking, someone as formidable as him should have enjoyed great prestige.
But because he kept a low profile, people only saw him as a frail scholar.
One day, a pair of samurai arrived at the village.
With their noses in the air, they looked down on these lowly commoners.
They gathered everyone in the village together, then immediately spotted Keita Otake among the crowd.
It could not be helped. No amount of modesty could conceal a person's bearing.
"Who are you?"
One of the samurai pointed at Keita Otake in the crowd.
"My lord samurai." Seeing the samurai point at Keita Otake, the village chief hurriedly stepped forward. "He is our village teacher. He only knows a few words and has no great abilities."
The samurai carefully examined Keita Otake. Compared with the farmers standing beside him, his face was indeed very fair. He was not particularly tall either, and his coarse linen clothes concealed his build, though he likely could not have been very strong.
"You all listen carefully. The daimyo has recently begun recruiting soldiers. If any of you possess some skill, you may pledge loyalty to the daimyo and become an honorable samurai."
The samurai then told them that anyone who wanted to become a samurai could go to the nearest town.
After saying that, the samurai left. They did not even glance at the village chief's attempts to keep them, clearly not taking him seriously.
In their eyes, what formidable figure could possibly exist in such a tiny village?
After the samurai