The Overwatch Story

Chapter 6 - Dragons

On a warm night in October, Hanzo was walking in the shadows of the streets outside Shimada Castle in Hanamura, Japan. He is a middle-aged man with light skin and long dark hair tied into a small ponytail by a long piece of fabric. He wears a dark one-shoulder suit that covers his right side and arm. His left side is exposed and covered in two dragon tattoos that encircle his entire arm. A quiver of arrows is also slung on his back along with his bow. He climbed a few walls and started parkouring rooftops as he began remembering his childhood. He was the eldest son of Sojiro Shimada, the family's head, and was bound by duty to succeed his father to rule the Shimada empire. The Shimada family was established centuries ago, a clan of assassins whose power grew over the years enabling them to build a vast criminal empire in Japan that profited from lucrative trade in arms and illegal substances. From a young age, Hanzo was trained for that responsibility, displaying a natural aptitude for leadership and possessing an innate understanding of strategy and tactics. He also excelled in more practical areas: he was a prodigy in martial arts, swordplay, and bowman-ship. He had to deal with expectations that his younger brother, Genji, did not. Genji had little interest in the family's illegal businesses and although he excelled at and enjoyed his ninja training, he spent most of his time pursuing a playboy lifestyle. He was given the name sparrow as an insult by other members in the clan, but Genji grew to adopt it as his nickname. His father gave him leniency and space but other members of the clan thought otherwise and thought of Genji as a liability. When their father passed away, Hanzo took over the empire but left soon afterwards due to internal conflicts within the clan and as a result was marked for death by the clan. This is the reason why today he needs to sneak into the place he once called home.

Since the castle is very familiar, Hanzo knew where each of the guards are stationed and the perfect place to infiltrate the castle without being seen. After easily climbing the walls, he jumped rooftops of the temples and some of the courtyard structures to finally get to where he wanted to go, the dojo. There were no guards stationed here at this hour allowing Hanzo to take his time inside.

The dojo interior is colored in beige and dark brown. The entrance is a large shoji, a Japanese sliding door, that open to a large rectangular center and the back of it are two corridors that lead to a smaller arena. On the left side of the room is another shoji which is already open to a large balcony overlooking the city. The ceiling has a painting of two dragons intertwined. Across from the entrance sits a large Kanji banner with a white background with the words 竜頭蛇尾 which translate to dragon's head, snake's tail. It's ironic how this kanji poster resembles Hanzo's and Genji's constant bickering with each other growing up.

Hanzo took a right at the entrance to see a wall bearing with a few markings that are marked with names Genji, Hanzo, and Kiriko, the daughter of their fighting instructor. This bearing was used to monitor their height increase as they grew older in their training. He walked a few more steps and found some wooden swords used for training. He began remembering the lesson from their instructor Asa Yamagami with Genji and Kiriko. She taught them martial arts, climbing walls and the use of different weapons. Kiriko grew to become a cute little niece figure to both of them. Genji and Kiriko spent a lot of times at the arcade, where they racked up numerous high scores. Hanzo kept advising them not to spend so much time to avoid trouble because other clans spend time there as well. However, given their rebellious nature, they continued and Hanzo had to step in to help them escape from time to time. A smile was about to shine on Hanzo's face as he recollected those blissful memories before grief overcame. He remembered that today marks the 10th anniversary of something he regrets ever doing.

Hanzo turned around and walked over to the Kanji poster. It became clear now that it's been too long since anyone has tended to it, where it has a few slashes and tears at the bottom from a previous battle that took place here in this dojo 10 years ago. He approached it while feeling his steps get heavier until he knelt down placing his bow on the ground. From his pockets, he took out a sparrow feather and incense candles and lit them to pay his respects in honor of the memory of his long-lost brother, Genji. Even though Hanzo feels immense regret and sorrow about his brother, his face remains expressionless. This has been so since the past 10 years as the loss of his brother has broken him into a life of seeking meaning outside the Shimada clan.