As the years went on his motivation became extreme to such an extent that he began sacrificing his family time to his own studies. He not only focused on his mind, but his body as well, learning Aikido and Kenjutsu and all that those arts encompassed from the elders of his family. His father and mother became very sick during this period of time, and yet he hardly noticed. He graduated from college with honors and immediately opened his own electronics company. He would build an empire. He would give his family the things they never had. He would create a better life for them, and there would be new stories of greatness. Their lives would be changed and everyone would be happy again. Then a few days later his mother died, and his world suddenly changed.

He realized that everything he had done was selfish and he had neglected those things that really mattered, and he turned to his father for guidance, and asked for forgiveness. His father now very ill now as well, told him the stories that he had always heard were in fact true, and that it was time for him to learn more. It was time for him to finally learn the truth about his family's past. It was time to be happy with life and not dwell on those things he didn't have. His father told him to forget about the material things, and he sent Tanaka on a quest to seek out a hermit that lived on the top of a mountain faraway from the cities and villages. This man held the secrets that the Hiroshi family had kept to themselves for so long. Tanaka's father told him that his change of heart and realization of responsibility to family had finally set him on the path to greatness.

Tanaka sought out the hermit, and after a year and a day of questing found the hermit in a cave at the top of a mountain as his father had described. Upon entering the cave the hermit recognized him and invited him in by name. Tanaka was shocked and stunned. The hermit brought Tanaka to the fire and began speaking to him in a soft and wise tone, and Tanaka soon found himself drifting in and out of consciousness. He suddenly awoke to find that he was sitting in the same cave, but there was no hermit or fire. As Tanaka began to rise a sword fell from his lap. He realized that he knew this sword. In fact, he realized that this was the reason for all the stories he had heard. He knew this sword was now his. He traced his finger across the ornamentation of the dragon on the scabbard, and realized that this was his ancestor. He was descended from an ancient god! He stepped outside to discover that the season had changed. He wondered just how much time had past. Tanaka knew that he had to go home immediately.

Upon his arrival at his father's home he found it deserted. There was an ill feeling in the air, and he feared the worst. Stepping into his father's home he was shocked to find bodies on the floor. Everywhere he found his relatives lying dead some with swords obviously having tried to defend themselves. He moved cautiously and silently toward his father's room when he found the first of the attackers dead on the floor. He quickly examined the black garbed figure and discovered a tattoo of a tiger on the fallen man's forearm. Fearing the worst now he ran to the room, and moving through the hole that was once a wall found the rest of his family dead, as well as several more of the attackers. His father was lying in his bed, dead as well. He moved through the carnage to his father's beside and cried. He swore that the family would be avenged and that this and any other injustices like it would not happen again so long as he lived. It was at that moment that he remembered the sword he carried. He drew the sword from its scabbard to show his father that he had completed his quest when he felt a burning sensation in his hand that quickly traveled up his arm and through his body. The last thing he remembered was the floor racing toward his face.

When he awoke again, he was still lying on the floor amid the carnage clutching the sword in his hand, but there was a new feeling as well. This was a feeling of warmth and power. He stood up and clutched the sword in both hands and spoke the name of Ryunosuke, and his body erupted in fire. From the fire came a suit of ancient Samurai armor ablaze with the fire. Memories assaulted him. These were memories of a time long forgotten; a time in which gods battled among themselves for control of the universe. He was a champion, he was Ryunosuke!