Chimper #3104
The trainees at the lakeside dojo will tell you Nobana was born old. They see the wise beard and carved cane and assume they were always a master who simply chose a humbler path. The truth is harder. Nobana spent their youth with scrolls, studying the chronicles of great sacrifice, including the tale of Yuji's life-staked mission. They believed knowledge was its own defense. They were wrong. When a challenge came to the dojo—swift and brutal—their learning was useless. They stood frozen while others fell. After the dust settled, Nobana put away their ink and picked up a wooden sword. The younger chimps gave them their name, watching them practice alone as the final rays of sun vanished behind the mountains.
