"My sword! I need my sword back!" Takuma yelled as the wagon left to go back to the Kayoshi Clan.
Natomi had to hold Takuma down as he reached for the opening of the tent.
"That sword isn't yours, Takuma. It's a cursed sword!"
"But it's mine! It's my sword! I have to use it! Please, get it back for me!" he yelled.
Natomi smacked him in the face and held his shoulders, shaking him a little.
"Takuma, it's not your sword! We should have never gotten it in the first place. We were duped into stealing it. Look at what it's caused you already..."
"My sword..." he whimpered, seeming to just go limp and not really notice what Natomi was saying.
Satisfied with his calmness, Natomi began to patch up the wounds that he sustained from the guard of the leader. It would be a little bit before they got back to the clan but whatever hold that odd sword on his friend, Natomi hoped that that yearning would subside by the time they got back home.

********************

When they stopped for camp, some hours later Mayori and his men entered the camp as well and Natomi walked out of the tent he was sharing with Takuma.
"Well?"
Mayori got off of his horse and sighed. Natomi noticed something wrapped in the saddle.
"Don't tell me you didn't give it back?"
"Not that we didn't try, we couldn't. The monks said that since we stole it, it was our responsibility now."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"He said that Jaakuna is a cursed sword for a reason. They were entrusted to deal with it because one of the monks accidentally found it in an abandoned building. He said that whoever touches the sword, that person or clan is now in charge of it."
"So we have to have this thing around Takuma?"
"What do you mean? What's the problem? We'll just lock it up or throw it down a well in the village."
"It did something to Takuma. What exactly is it cursed with? All we got out of it was that we shouldn't touch it because it was cursed. But with what?"
"I asked the monks and they said that it's cursed with something called basakashiru, a 'berserker seal'. He said that legend has it that it was originally supposed to be a blessed sword, something to help those who are faint of heart to learn to fight and gather courage. Over time, though, the sword's power grew and instead of just helping people fight, it turned them into berserkers. The unique thing about this sword is that not only does it allow for optimum fighting, but as long as the sword, or a piece of the sword, is being held against bare skin, the sword takes all attacks."
"What do you mean?"
"Remember when Takuma had a hold of the sword, he fought and even though the guard landed a lot of blows on him, he didn't bleed not once?" Natomi nodded. "That's because while holding the sword, the blows are nothing. When you knocked the sword from his hand, that's when all the cuts that the guard gave him suddenly began to bleed. The monks said that over the years, the selfishness and greed for the sword's power has turned it from a sword of benevolence to a sword of malevolence. Hence, that is why it is named Jaakuna."
"Did they say anything else about it? Like what if you only hold it for a moment like Takuma?"
"They said that just touching the sword will promote berserker feelings within you. They said each minute is an hour of pure malice within you. That is why it can't even be touched. They also said the more the sword is held, the crazier the person in possession of it becomes. They said that that is why the sword looks as it does, with all of the chunks taken out, because men have hungered for that 'ultimate power' and so they take a piece off to have against their skin at all times for the invincibility, but they go crazy at the same time."
Natomi sighed, hoping that the feeling within Takuma would have left him by the time they got back to the Kiyoshi Clan.

******************************

They finally got back to the Kiyoshi Clan and Yukorite met them at the gate.
"How did it go?"
"We got paid but we have some news in regards to the sword." Mayori said, handing him the bag of money.
"Oh? What's wrong with it?"
"It's cursed, sir. It's gotten to Takuma so we had to um, take some desperate measures."
Yukorite made a face as Natomi walked by with a struggling Takuma, bound and gagged. He looked at Mayori in confusion.
"What in the world is going on?"
"The sword, my lord, was Jaakuna. It is cursed and Takuma touched it, though not of his own accord. The lord we were supposed to get it from failed to let us know until we got there that he just wanted to sword. He said it was cursed and that it belonged to the village. We were deceived, Master. He only wanted it for himself and to test it out and make sure it was the right sword, he threw it at us. Takuma, under reflex, caught it and is now being affected by it. While we were sleeping, he got a hold of the sword once more but Natomi was able to stop him."
"Good god..."
"Taku! Taku!" Everyone looked as Satuya ran just out of Inoue's grasp and up to the ninjas. "Where's Taku? I want to see him!"
Mayori looked down at him and closed his eyes, walking past his master.
"I will see if Natomi needs any help."
Satuya looked at all of the ninjas but didn't see Takuma. He frowned and looked up at Yukorite.
"Master, where's Taku?"
"He's not here. It is best if you don't look for him, child. Sakauchi, please don't let Satuya go near Takuma at this point. We seem to be having an issue and I wouldn't want him to be hurt."
Confused, Inoue nodded as Yukorite left. Satuya looked up at Inoue and shook her arm.
"Nee-san, why can't I see Taku?'
"I don't know, sweetie. But it must be serious if even the Master told you not to go near him."
Satuya looked toward where Yukorite was walking. He hoped that Takuma was alright.

*********************

Yukorite walked into the dojo where Natomi had taken Takuma and found both Mayori and Natomi standing in front of Takuma with their swords drawn. Upon hearing the door open, Natomi held out his hand without looking at who it was that came in.
"Don't come any closer. He's dangerous."
Takuma was holding his own katana, looking as if he could kill his comrades at any time.
"Why did you release him if he was dangerous?"
"We didn't release him. He fought against us and released himself."
"Give me my sword and I will be fine." Takuma growled.
"Takuma, it's not your sword. Look at what it's done to you. It will be destroyed."
"You can't destroy it." Mayori mumbled.
"What?" Natomi said, looking at him.
"I forgot to mention that the reason we have to keep it is because it sealed itself: it can't be destroyed. It must be kept under lock and key or be used, but it can't be destroyed."
"Well isn't that convenient?" Natomi snarled.
"If you just give me the sword then things will be fine. I need it."
Takuma suddenly fell forward, limp. Natomi and Mayori looked up as Yukorite looked at them, a nunchuck in his hand.
"Bind him and get him to the doctor. I had to hit him a little harder than normal. After that, come to my home and relate everything to me. Do not leave any details out."
The two bowed and picked up Takuma to take to the doctor.

*******************

Satuya had waited long enough. Takuma had come home two days ago and he hadn't seen hide or hair of him. He knew he was at the doctor's house and when Inoue wasn't looking, he slipped away from her and went to the doctor's house. Unfortunately, the doctor had been waiting for him and stopped him before he could get anywhere near Takuma.
"Where you going, boy?"
Satuya frowned and looked at the doctor, who was smoking a lean pipe.
"I want to see Takuma."
"He's not fit to be seen."
"Is he bloody?"
"No, he's just not fit to be seen. Run along before I tell Natomi that you snuck off."
Satuya made a face and ran off... around the other side of the house. He knew that the doctor always left the window open in the patient room. As expected, the window was wide open and Satuya jumped, trying to grab the sill but he was too little. He looked around and found a pail to get on and dragged it over, getting on it. Once on it, he scrambled over the window sill and fell into the room. He sniffled a little at hurting himself but he saw Takuma sitting in the corner of the room and smiled, his pain forgotten. He wasn't facing him so Satuya ran to him, wrapping his arms around him.
"Taku! I missed you!"
Takuma said nothing and Satuya let him go, confused. Takuma always hugged him back or at least said something to him.
"Taku?"
"Why are you here?" he said softly.
"I wanted to see you. They said you were here... are you hurt? Did you get a scar? I wanna see!"
"Shut up."
"Huh?" Satuya said in confusion.
"I said," Takuma said, turning swiftly and smacking Satuya across the face. "Shut up!"
Satuya scrambled against the wall, holding his face where Takuma had smacked him. This was not Taku. This was someone else... They brought back the wrong person... Satuya thought. He felt tears leave his eyes and stared at this... this person.
"You're not Taku! Taku wouldn't do that! Where's Taku?!"
"'Taku wouldn't do that', wahaha! Stop crying you, little shit. I hate you and I always have. I don't know what I thought I was doing, trying to kid myself into liking you."
"What do you mean?"
Takuma grabbed Satuya and grabbed him around the throat, beginning to choke him. Satuya tried to get away but he wasn't strong enough.
"I fucking hate you! It was your fault that I got these whip marks! It was your fault that Tsume was taken away from me! It was your fault for everything that happened! That stupid little face of yours pisses me off all the time! And I have to act like I like you! You worthless piece of shit!"
He continued to choke Satuya until something suddenly came over him. It was a calmness he hadn't felt since he had touched that sword. He looked down at his hands and saw where they were, what they were doing, who was there. Seeing Satuya, limp and his neck bruised, Takuma's eyes widened and he screamed a blood curdling scream as he hovered over Satuya. He picked him up and held him to his chest, beginning to cry uncontrollably.
The doctor walked in casually, thinking that Takuma was just having a small episode but when he saw Satuya in his arms, he ran over and pulled the boy from his arms. Satuya, by a miracle, was still alive, though barely. The doctor cradled him gently as Takuma laid on the floor in agonizing pain of what he had done.
Takuma knew what he had done and he wished he were dead than to know he had hurt Satuya. He would rather have been a hundred times than for that little boy to have heard what he had said to him. He had felt that resentment when Satuya was a baby but that should have been all gone by now. He had come to terms that it wasn't Satuya's fault for being born. He knew these things and yet... he had hurt him... He had laid his hands on him...
"Takuma, what have you done?" the doctor asked as he left the room.