A fierce thunderstorm hit Kyuden Gotei on the night of Yoritomo Haruki's birth. While his mother labored, diviners toiled to determine the meaning of the portentous storm- could the Fortunes be displeased? Ultimately, it was advised shortly after his birth to bring the child to Toshi no Inazuma to consult with the temple of Osano-Wo. When the chanting had ceased and the monks had worked their auguries, a clap of thunder rolled from a clear sky to startle those assembled... except the soundly sleeping Haruki. It was clear then that the Fortune of Fire and Thunder had blessed the child.
While he was first groomed for life as a courtier or perhaps a shugenja, owing to the spiritual import of his birth, Yoritomo Haruki was not a studious child. On a given day, he may be found at the top of the tallest tree in his family's courtyard or balancing, teetering, on a rock over a coursing river. Ultimately, the path of the bushi was Haruki's destiny and the young man took to it gladly, becoming an unpredictable and daring (some may have said reckless) opponent in battle while also learning how to manage his household's accounts, act as expected in court and keep a wary eye on his surroundings. On frequent voyages around the Islands of Silk and Spices, Haruki could be found in the rigging or the decks, enjoying the ocean in even the worst squall.
When meeting visitors of other clans, Haruki felt a sense of curiosity: often they were dressed more plainly, without the wealth and finery of his own family. Yet they held themselves proudly and looked down at his own clan in their subtle speech and gestures. When he asked his father or his uncle, Kojiro-sama, about their attitudes they simply told him,"Fortune favors the mortal man- especially the man who makes his own place and does not depend entirely on their provenance."
After his gempukku, Haruki served his uncle as a yojimbo for a time and their observed the trafficking of the Emperor's courts. He also observed his uncle's brusque style of negotiation, often using outright or implied threats to sway others to his family's favor. He also observed instances where Kojiro-sama overstepped himself and his threats and bluster were used against him by cannier courtiers or times when his uncle was simply ignored outright. Ultimately, the young bushi realized that he was best simply striving for what is expected at court and to remind himself of the tenet of Courtesy.
In his 25th year, during a season at home in Kyuden Gotei, Kojiro-sama discovered some underhanded dealings occurring in the shipping warehouses- embellished accounts and furtive dealings. Summoning a magistrate and his entourage, Yoritomo Kojiro and his nephew stormed a warehouse on the docks to catch a group of unscrupulous merchants in the act of smuggling Jade Petal Tea to the Spider Clan. Confronted with their crime, the heimin and their guards attacked the samurai and the emperor's magistrate in a desperate attempt to forestall the inevitable. Were it not for Yoritomo Haruki's quick thinking and bravery, his uncle may not have seen another day. With the smuggling ring dismantled, with proof of the Mantis Clan's diligence in their charge to guard the Empire from the Spider, Yoritomo Haruki was recognized as a worthy trainee to the Emerald Magistrates.