January, Tensho 8 (1582).

  The air within Himeji Castle in Harima was biting with winter’s chill, yet it held a simmering heat. An auspicious ceremony was about to take place—one that would determine the future of the Kuroda clan.

  It was the Genpuku (coming-of-age ceremony) for Shojumaru, now fourteen years old.

  In the Warring States period, where tomorrow was guaranteed to no one, aging another year was proof of stepping one pace further from the abyss of death. For Shojumaru—who had once been ordered to be executed and was miraculously saved by Hanbe'e Takenaka’s cunning—this day was more than a mere ritual. It was a rite of passage where he would shoulder a heavy destiny: repaying his debt to the late strategist and succeeding his father, who had returned from hell.

  Days before the ceremony, Kanbe'e sat alone in his silent room. With the obsession of a grandmaster reading a shogi board, he contemplated the name his son would carry. Using the character “Naga” (長), granted by their lord Nobunaga Oda, was an absolute requirement.

  At the end of his deep thoughts, a shadow emerged: Nagamasa Azai, the tragic and noble lord who once ruled Northern Omi.

  The Kuroda clan’s roots lay in Omi. Nagamasa Azai, the hero of that land, had once defied his brother-in-law, Nobunaga, to uphold his honor (Gi) with the Asakura clan—his family’s ancestral allies. He eventually perished at Odani Castle. To the current Kanbe'e, Nagamasa’s defiance against Nobunaga’s overwhelming power and his martyrdom for his beliefs represented the ideal image of a samurai.

  (The name shall be Nagamasa...) Kanbe'e thought. (On the surface, I will claim I took the "Naga" from Lord Nobunaga and added "Masa" from our former lord, Masamoto Kotera. The world will see it as a beautiful tale of loyalty to the new master and mercy toward the old. But... my true intent is different.)

  (This name, Nagamasa, shall inherit the soul of the hero of Omi—the man who kept his word and stood defiantly against the Demon King. My son... every time I call your name, I will remind myself: in this chaotic world, do not merely obey great power. Sharpen your fangs in silence and walk the path you believe in. Even if your opponent is the conqueror of the realm, never let your heart surrender.)

  The night before the ceremony, Kanbe'e summoned Shojumaru, who had recently returned from Gifu. Having spent his years as a hostage there, Shojumaru now bore the dignified expression of an adult.

  "Shoju... tomorrow, the name I grant you is 'Nagamasa.'"

  When Kanbe'e spoke in his low, raspy voice, Shojumaru did not look surprised. Instead, his eyes lit up with recognition.

  "Nagamasa... like Lord Nagamasa Azai!"

  "Oh? How did you know?"

  Shojumaru smiled nostalgically.

  "When Mr. Hanbe'e was hiding me in Gifu, he told me stories every night. He said, 'In Omi, there was a general—pure and valiant—who stood head-on against Lord Nobunaga. A warrior should strive to be like him.' Mr. Hanbe'e always spoke of Lord Azai with such affection and pride. I have long wished to be a man of great honor, just like him."

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  Kanbe’e was caught off guard and lost his words for a moment. While he had been rotting in the dungeon, Hanbe’e had granted Shojumaru more than just the means to survive. He had bestowed upon him the pride necessary for the heir of the Kuroda, using the life of Nagamasa Azai as a blueprint.

  Kanbe’e stared at his son’s healthy limbs with a piercing gaze. For a fleeting second, a dark shadow of resentment for his own broken body crossed his mind, but he immediately sank that emotion into the abyss of his soul.

  "Is that so... Hanbe’e did that for you..."

  A surge of hot gratitude toward his late friend rose in Kanbe’e’s chest. He placed his hand on Nagamasa’s shoulder without hesitation.

  "Listen well, Nagamasa. Your life is the very soul of Lord Hanbe’e. Carrying the pride of that late man and your father, wield your martial prowess for Lord Hideyoshi."

  Nagamasa's eyes widened upon hearing that his name was an homage to the Azai. But deep within his father’s eyes, he saw something new—a cold, burning "blue flame" that hadn't been there before.

  The next day, the ceremony was solemnly held in the Great Hall of Himeji Castle before the gathered vassals.

  Shojumaru’s childhood hair was untied, and his pate was shaved in the Sakayaki style with a sharp blade. The childhood that had served as a protective shell was stripped away, revealing the silhouette of a true warrior.

  Acting as the Eboshi-oya (godparent/sponsor) was Hideyoshi Hashiba. He ceremoniously placed the Eboshi (samurai headgear) upon Nagamasa's head. This act forged a powerful bond of mentorship, akin to father and son. Hideyoshi struck Nagamasa’s shoulder firmly and declared in a voice that echoed through the halls:

  "Behold the legitimate heir of the Kuroda, granted a character from Lord Nobunaga’s own name! From this day forth, he casts aside his childhood name. I permit him to be known as the eldest son of Kanbe'e Kuroda: Nagamasa Kuroda !"

  "I accept! From this day, I shall be known as Nagamasa Kuroda! I vow to serve Lord Nobunaga and Lord Hideyoshi with absolute loyalty, even if it wears my bones to dust! I ask for your continued support!"

  At Nagamasa’s dignified declaration, the Kuroda vassals—including Zensuke Kuriyama and Tahe'e Mori—let out a collective gasp of joy and excitement. Zensuke, the lead elder, prostrated himself in celebration of the new young lord.

  "Oh... Young Lord! A truly magnificent sight. We, the vassals of the Kuroda, shall look upon you as our new master and support you with our very lives!"

  As Nagamasa left the hall, Kanbe'e watched his son’s retreating back before turning to Hideyoshi.

  "Lord Hideyoshi. At last, the 'Fangs' of the Kuroda are complete."

  Hideyoshi nodded with satisfaction, but as he caught a glimpse of Kanbe'e’s profile, he felt a slight chill.

  "Fangs... eh? Kanbe’e, calling your own son—who has become such a fine man—a 'fang' isn't exactly warm. Do you not have any fatherly words of joy?"

  "In this chaotic world, a man who cannot forge even his own son into a 'sharp blade' to seize the realm has no right to protect the House of Kuroda. That... is the answer I learned within the darkness of Arioka."

  Kanbe’e’s eyes seemed to be looking at the celebrating vassals, but in truth, they were staring far ahead at a battlefield cold enough to freeze blood.

  Hanbe’e had once lamented that Nobunaga saw people only as pawns. Kanbe’e carved those words into his heart, but chose a different path: he would not treat his son as a pawn, but elevate him into a "weapon" to fight alongside him.

  Nagamasa Kuroda.

  The name was a chain of loyalty to Nobunaga, but at the same time, it was a sharp blade meant to one day sever that very chain. As the monster Kanbe’e calculated the great shogi board of history, he integrated even his own son into the equation. Behind the light of the new young lord's birth, the Kuroda clan took a step deeper into the darkness of a shadowed ambition.

  Produced and written by a Japanese author, rooted in authentic Japanese history. Translated with the assistance of Gemini (AI).