MEMORIES OF THE HISTORY'S GREATEST LOSER

This story originates from the Sengoku Jidai period of Japan. In English, it's translated as the Warring States period. A period of  countless civil war because of the power vacuum in the country of the  rising sun. Japan was divided, a bloody battle emerged every now and then between the power hungry feudal lords who called themselves 'Daimyos'. These Daimyos fought with each others to capture areas with  the help of Samurais. Samurais were elite swordsmen of Japan who dedicated their lives to their cause. They fought alongside their trusted  'Katanas'. These katanas were their swords, a special kind of sword originated and perfected in Japanese history. For a samurai, his katana was never seen as a weapon, but as an extension of his soul. For them, it was a living breathing part. This story is about a samurai, who's katana was as peculiar as he was. The history's greatest loser, a samurai named Sassakashi Kojirou.

The Daimyo sat there, with a face red with anger. His side lost again, all because of him. "If you find that worthless samurai, you should tell him to stop disgracing his family name. And to never come back here. There is  no place for cowards in my side." He glares with anger, still no sign of  him. "Should we kill him?" Another samurai, standing beside the Daimyo was matching the intensity of his master. "That will be a waste of your precious time and skill. He probably will surrender and tell you to be quick with it. Your katana deserves someone better Hashashi." The Daimyo looks at Hashashi and says, "If he enters our province, throw him away. I doubt he will return. It's always like this." A samurai who  abandons a fight, and flees was considered a disgrace, the worst.

In  a peaceful land near outskirts of the province, a person was resting  calmly under the cool shade of a tree. The wind made his white hair flow, like the clouds floated above his head. One arm covered his  eyes, the other arm rested on the tsuba ( handle ) of his long and withered katana. It was unsheathed, peculiarly long and shone brightly under the sun. "You did it again
didn't you." A voice breaks his sleep spell as he opens his eyes and sits back looking at the  person in front of him. "Please can you stop it?I was having a beautiful dream.But you.....you have to ruin all good  things don't you, Hashashi." He looks at his friend with his cold blue eyes. "I told you not to surrender. I was coming for backup from behind. Why did you.... actually don't even answer. I already know the pathetic answer you gonna reply with. This is a war Kojirou, not our dojo. You may have gotten lucky until now but not every samurai will respect your decision to surrender. Someday, someone will strike you down." He frustratingly glares at Kojirou, who is now stretching after his long slumber. " Well that samurai was pretty good, and I had already learned what I wanted to learn from him. No need for extra bloodshed in the name of Daimyos. Why are you here though? He sent you to kill me?" He  smirks as he wipes the dust of his clothes as he gets ready to move.  "He banished you from the province. I asked him, If I could kill you. But he predicted you will surrender so he just asked us to keep you away from the province" Hashashi pats him on his back and points to the opposite side of the province gate. Kojirou smiles at his friend and moves farther and farther away from the province. He wandered in search of new knowledge and kept on sparring and losing every duel he could find. Every samurai, every dacoits, every person who can fight, knew about him. A samurai warrior who is yet to win his first battle. A samurai who lost every fight. Who surrendered every single time. A samurai disgraced by everyone. Someone carrying a double edged katana which was always considered inferior to the normal single edged katana. Because of  his actions he was thrown out of every province as Daimyos hated a  samurai who had no integrity. But his attitude to pick a fight and  then lose made him a living legend, but of the worst kind.

Wandering in the wilderness, he reached a pond. A perfect place to rest and quench his thirst. He sits there, under a tree and reaches for the water  from the pond. He hears footsteps charging towards his direction. His hands reflexively grabs the sword, ready to disarm the threat. He turns to find a person running towards him, his arms gesturing to get out of the way. He side steps, avoiding the  person who ran as fast as he could. As the person passes him, he finds out what was he running from. Soon enough, a rumbling noise started approaching through the bushes. As he looks closely, a giant wild boar comes charging towards him. The boar was ready to kill anything in its path. Kojirou closes his eyes to concentrate on the sound. He slightly tilts his sword and as the boar pounces onto him, with a swift slight of hand, he cuts the boar's leg. Making it loose control and stumble on the ground. Regaining control, the boar struggles to stand up and runs away with a bleeding leg. "It's over, you can come out." He says as he cleans his sword. "Thanks a lot. This boar started rampaging behind me out of the blue. My sword was not with me so I had no option other than to run."  The man explains as he comes out from a bush behind. "By the way, the  skill you used, that was pretty neat. But the sword,it must be weak,it  only scarred the beast." The man saw everything from the back and was surprised how fast Kojirou turned. "It was my intention to only scar the beast. That's why I tilted the sword a little. Why kill if you can make it run away. A hunter I fought taught me this movement." He smiles as he drinks water from the pond.The other person looks at him, a feeling  kept lingering his mind. As if he knew this person from somewhere. "I may be wrong but is your name....ummm..... Sassakashi Kojirou?" The man looks at him as he stops drinking and smiles. "Well I am kinda famous for all the wrong reasons. Nice to meet you. And you are?" The other man  smiles back at him and bows, "My name is Nobunagi Oda. Soon,  everyone will remember this name. And I thank you for saving my life." This person, down the history, became one of the three great Unifiers of Japan who ended the Feudal Daimyo system in Japan.

Oda took Kojirou with him to his province. He wanted his help to make an army for his one and only dream, unification of whole of Japan. And for this he has to defeat every feudal lords of Japan. Kojirou had no interest in this but Oda asked him to spar with every samurai in his province as a teacher. So, it was a win -win situation for Kojirou. He enjoyed learning while sparring with everyone and stopped whenever he wanted. And in return, the samurais too learned a great deal from him as his arsenal of knowledge knew no bounds. Oda too sparred with him. Every single spar he understood more and more. The loses he had all this time, the tricks other used on him, every single thing that made him lose, he mastered it. His arsenal of moves kept on growing and growing. And that's why every spar he did with Kojirou, it felt like a new person was fighting in the same flesh and bones. This symbiotic relationship between both became a deep seeded friendship as time passed. The Oda clan become renowned as they captured more and more. Soon they became a threat to the feudal lords and they conspired to attack at the center of the Oda province. The attack nearly finished the story of Nobunagi Oda before it even started. But because of one man, and his first taste of victory, a great page of history was written.

When the attack happened, most of the samurais were not there as they went to capture a small province. 3 Feudal lords joined hands in this conspiracy. In a strategically planned movement, they targeted the only person they feared, Oda Nobunagi. Kojirou was resting inside a dojo when he got the news. At first his mind, in an instance, instructed him to run away. But Oda and the people of this province were the only ones who didn't even tried to change him and gave him respect despite his attitude. So, for the first time he ran towards the danger, and reaches Oda's room. "If you want to fulfill your plan, get ready to surrender Oda." He says entering  room. Oda smiles and look right through his eyes into his soul, "You seriously think these people will listen to me when I surrender? They are here for blood, I am the only one who can throw their thrones of gold. They will kill me. So why not die with a little dignity?" He smiled but his eyes had tears, his plan to unify Japan was coming to an abrupt end. And that's when, an unsung hero was born in the face of desperation. Kojirou looks at Oda's face. For the first time, he felt that this person needs to be saved. This clan needs to be saved. This idea of a unified Japan needs to be saved. He drew his sword and said, "Ahhh.... As much as I hate war, this is the one I can't back out from. So Oda, never forget your goal. What you are going to witness, is a once in a lifetime show. So enjoy it." He smiled in the sight of danger, rumbling noises of footsteps closing in . It was time! Oda throws a  sword towards Kojirou. " Your sword, it will be too weak for this. Take this one. " But Kojirou rejects,  "You know what is my sword's name? It's  OMOIDE ( translates to Memories ) . Like memories, this one is a double edged sword. Like memories, it can make you feel weak. But, like memories, it also makes me stronger. This sword has fought countless battles and lost. All the memories of the loses, it's  in here. It has served me for so long. So, for me there is no better  sword to experience a win. This sword is my memory." And with these words, he goes outside, smiling, ready to experience win for the first time in his life.

In a ground, bathed in red. Oda walks, slowly. The attack was subdued. Something amazing happened. Kojirou was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he  surrendered or left. And then, " I found him!" A samurai calls out, his voice shivering in pain. Oda runs towards the direction along with others. And what they saw, was like a scene from a mythological tale. On a hill made up of piled up bodies, rests the history's greatest loser. 3 katanas protruding from his back and 2 broken ones from his shoulder.  He sits there smiling. Looking at the sky with his precious Omoide, giving perfect support to his arm which was drenched in blood. Oda runs towards the hill. "I am fine Oda. I saved my last breaths for this moment only. To see we won. To tell you I won. I finally won." And  with these words, the person who lost every duel, finally won. Against  hundred of opponent, he stood tall. For the first time, his opponents begged him to surrender. For the first time, he wanted to win and he won. Alone, he fought. He cleared a whole group of samurais. The history's greatest loser ended his losing streak with his last breath.

We also have a double edged sword with us called memories. These memories can make you weak, or exude enough energy to make you do the unthinkable. It learns from the mistake and also shows whats important from time to time. To harness its power, you should understand that this sword might cut you too. So believe in yourself, make mistakes, make memories and use them to propel yourself rather then succumb to it. Everyone has potential. Your memories are a maze. Either you find your worth in there or become sad exploring the wrong ones.