Jukei was now more pumped than he had been for years for training. It was time for him to continue pushing, to utilize the momentum that was now behind him before it was completely spent. Normally, the old him would have taken it slow and given himself the chance to acclimate to the new. That wasn't necessarily a bad method in which to continue forward, nor was it something that would necessarily hinder his growth. It would however postpone things much longer than what he wished for it to be postponed. He had finally gotten to the point in which he felt he could push on to the next aspect of his life, and that meant that he had to push forward. How would he be able to consider his yearning for more as true if he simply let it fizzle? It would make him one of those people who frustrate him among the general public. The people who talk a lot, but never actually step up and make their point evident. They were the individuals who wished to talk more than they wished to act, and that was an action in which he could not settle for. This was his chance to make it to the next door, and that is then what he would do.

Where better to do this than in the backyard of his own home, the place in which he had called home his entire life? It was his current home, the one in which he had been brought to shortly after his birth, and had been raised in ever since. The memories of this home were fresh in his mind, from his youth to adolescence, as if the whole thing had just happened yesterday. It struck him as a rather unique thing, for how many people could say that they fought their own parents with the intent to win in their own backyard? It was never with the intent to harm them, nor did they intend to harm him, it was simply a way for growth. His mind closed that out as he continued his workout, pushing his physical limits further than what they had been before. His mind would normally be trying to do both at the same time. Mental somersaults and physical strain to force himself to improve in multiple areas as quickly as possible. He didn't want to do that though. He wanted to give each aspect its proper focus now. His understanding of taijutsu was better now than it had been in the past, and with that increased comprehension of what was needed and what was capable of, he had come to the conclusion that he had to train himself smarter. It wasn't about saving time or being as efficient as possible, it was about taking his time and giving each aspect its due respect. For now, that meant putting forth the maximum effort in to his physical abilities.

That was what brought him out here at first. It had originally been planned to be a light exercise, but as he got started he felt the fire light itself in his belly. Push ups were only the current aspect, what he had done before this had been far more strenuous. He had decided to make it an overall workout experience rather than focus a specific muscle group. He wasn't focusing on bulking up. He was happy with his current size. It allowed both speed and power to be used explosively, and allowed him full flexibility. Muscles didn't stop people from being flexible under normal circumstances, but there was most certainly a thing as too big. People who could not properly use their body and bend their body due to the sheer bulk of their own muscle. It was a sad sight to see, and something that Jukei often took as a blessing rather than a curse. It meant that he would likely have an easier time against them, and even if he didn't notice any actual physical hindrances due to their size, they would almost always underestimate Jukei. He was relatively small, after all, compared to the bulkier individuals; it was easy to discredit him.

He had done lunges, sit ups, went for a run, and done pull ups. He had no weights lying around, nor did he want them. He was healthy enough to do all body weight exercises without causing any harm or grievances to himself, and so free weights would be a luxury that he did not need. The extra exercises they could allow him could be compensated for by other workouts that specifically targeted systems of his body, and so that was precisely what he was doing now. These push ups would be the finale of his physical exercising in this confine. After this it would be mental training, and he figured if he was going to do it he might as well start from the beginning. Not the beginning of everything of course. He didn't need to go through the fights in his academy days. They were still prevalent in his mind, and he decided that he would not need the fights against his parents to be something he trained on. Sensei’s who were holding back fought much differently than the average opponent did, and in the midst of society, his fights would be more against those people than they would be against teacher.

He would instead train himself against individuals in his mind. He would start with his father, his first fight against a major opponent when he wandered into the life of a ninja, and it was so far from his starting location. He had gone through his days as an academy student without finding a single reasonable opponent, and then he came across a monster of a man who was able to do him in with relative ease. His father, taking his son slightly more seriously, was like a completely different beast. It was from there that his adventure truly began, and so what better fight to run through his mind first? There had been plenty of impressive ones since then, and though his mind would remember them imperfectly due to the fallacy of human memory, he would have to try and be as modest as possible so he could gain the most out of the training. As his muscles screamed for rest, he decided to oblige them. Laying down flat on his stomach, he took in some deep breaths before rolling over onto his back. He felt like laying on his stomach was going to keep him from getting full breaths, as his chest was restricted and not allowed to fully extend to take in all the oxygen it could.

As his eyes slowly closed, he allowed himself to feel his consciousness drift away from him in a slow pace. He wasn't so tired that he was just going to fall unconscious due to stopping his movement, but he was tired enough that he would feel the exhaustion climb through his body. In a way, this was more evidence as to how he had grown. He had been able to understand what his body and mind were asking for and actually allow it, unlike before. When he was still worse with the training than he was now, he would fight against the requests his body made them. At the time he thought it made him strong. He felt like he was the master of his own body, but that was a naive way of thinking about it. His body was not a slave to be conquered by him and forced to work against his will. He was a part of the training in the same way that it was a part of him. All he ever knew was this body in which he had, and he had to learn to properly get along with it. When it needed rest, allow it to rest. When it was damaged, give it the time it needed to recover. And when it demanded sleep, allow it to sleep. There would always be exceptions to what he could and could not allow, but right now there was no reason not to.

Besides, there was nothing to say that sleeping was an escape from training. It wasn't necessarily that better mastery of his taijutsu had opened up this deeper understanding, but the two were tightly linked. The better he understood how to use his body, the better he understood the limits that his body had. He could better understand how to utilize it in specific scenarios, and then like puzzle pieces finally being located, he began to piece together the overall picture. Questions that he once had were finally being given answers, such as why his body was unable to do certain motions or tasks or why his growth had felt so stunted. These things did not magically get discovered from learning how to fight better, but the action of learning how to fight allowed him down the path of learning how to improve. It was a truth that most people didn't bother talking about, and that was that there was a way to train how one trained. That was to say, one could increase the efficiency for which they improved. It seemed so obvious that it could be done, and yet so many people didn't even bother to acknowledge that they should or had to do it.

It was an ego thing, to be perfectly frank. It wasn't that they thought themselves better or something, at least that's not what Jukei assumed them to think. It was more of an inability to comprehend that they may be inefficient for their own body. It could have been for any reason. Maybe they had done that specific methodology for their entire life, and the idea that they had been doing it wrong scared and infuriated them? Maybe they had been taught to do it that way by an individual they deeply respected and the concept of having to change it for better efficiency felt like an insult to that individual in their life? Perhaps it was even just that they had no reason to want to change, so the idea of changing and making things better didn't come as an idea. It wasn't something people consciously did in bulk, so it wasn't something that people got into their heads. It was all perfectly understandable, but it wasn't something that Jukei could allow himself to do. He had come further than he had thought possible in such a short time, but it was not the end of his improvement. That was another thing in which it was not a brag of his efficiency, but rather an understanding of a fact. There were certainly others who had been born at this sort of growth predetermined, or raised to this skill from other people who made it much easier for them. His father had told him stories of that, but he himself had never met an individual who literally started at knowing absolutely nothing about combat and then learned and grew to that point overnight.

It was something to be proud of, he thought. The ability to understand one’s own weakness and find ways in which to compensate. Pride was not necessarily a flaw, simply something that shouldn't be overly indulged in. As he felt his consciousness begin to fade into the darkness of sleep, he knew that his dreams would further his training. The mind was truly a fickle thing, and he didn't think to understand it in its entirety. He was not so rash nor brazen as to think he had mastery over that, either. What he did know though was that a feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that he was right to think that. Some people called it instinct, others intuition. Regardless the word for it, they all intended to get the same idea across. So with that in mind, Jukei finally succumbed to the feeling. His eyes closed, and they felt heavy. He knew that even if he wished to open them at this point it would be a struggle. His breath became even and deep, almost without him realizing it. He had fallen into a rhythm of comfort, and he knew now that the ever daunting threat of sleep was upon him. As his consciousness faded as a wisp into this relaxing feel that was fueled in part by the warm sun on his skin, he felt himself be overtaken by the feeling at last. His consciousness was now in a realm all its own, and that was where his training would continue.

WC: 2111

It had been his first time in the situation. He had recently come out of the Acadamy, though it wasn't how his imagination and stories portrayed it would be. Both Jukei and society seemed to shatter expectations. Jukei was not some idiot child who was unaware of how to communicate, and society was not some place of mystique and wonder. It was the forest, minus the wood and sprinkled with concrete.

Nothing was as it should have been, not how it had been told to him. He felt a little bit angry, and a lot a bit deceived. He had argued with his father for days on end that the whole place was wrong and they must have gone to the classes, or gotten the wrong teachers. His father had assured him otherwise, and so they began working together. Every town they went to had been the same. No one really cared. They lived in such a unique and interesting place, but for them it was as regular as his home was to him; after all, Iwa was indeed his home. The only difference was, he still marveled at his home. He found it interesting and new every time he explored, because it always changed.

It had been as though people were born and raised to not realize the amazement around them. It was an odd concept for sure, but one that seemed to hold water. The people would surely argue that he had no right to judge. Of course the city changed, it was alive. It was made up of organisms that changed and felled so that new ones could emerge. It was changing, evolving, and no one day would be like the next. It was decent argument to make, but one that he didn't agree with at all. After all, how was any place any different as a whole? The towns each had their own personalities that the citizens lived up to startlingly well. The town, erected by man, changes with the times. The buildings, the roads, the layouts. It all changes depending on what is needed, and what is offered.

It evolves. It grows and expands, it condenses and improves. How was that any different than a living organism? Due to the fact that it needed humans to live? How were humans any different? Could they live without the outside influence of food and oxygen, or without the bacteria that made up their biome? It really wasn't, not if someone took the time to analyze it. Of course there were those who didn't wish to look through the glass from that angle. Such a thing was fine of course. No one was obligated to view the world the same as anybody else. Still, it was a shame that there weren't more willing to try.

Jukei had gone through this entire city it seemed, from its north to its south, in search of something. It was hard to find, seeing as how he was not aware of what it was yet. Still, he knew that the time would come when he would find it. When he did, he'd know. He hadn't taken anything such as quests or jobs, as there wasn't really a point. His father had continued to train him, though never pushing him beyond the limits that Jukei himself set. They had found this to be a way to train that worked for the both of them, allowing the young ninja to continue to grow and evolve and allowed his father to participate in his life while never truly hurting him. Instead, the academy level ninja was able to gather experience against someone overwhelmingly his superior. The experience was not directly usable, not entirely, but it was more than anything he was getting at the academy when it came to hand to hand. It was a thing called practice, not something that Jukei had ever ran from but something that his father knew more than enough about. Just because the young boy had never ventured off into this strange country did not mean his older, experience father had not. They were unique and different, and in no way bound by one another to be completely similar.

As they had come into the town, having been training outside of its boundaries, they realized immediately once more that it was a pleasant place to be. The sun shined high above their heads, bright and hot and forcing a sweat to begin to permeate on their skin. It wasn't necessarily an unpleasant feeling, as the humidity there was surprisingly nonexistent. It wasn't for sure whether or not that was due to there being little water, or the breeze was doing enough to make it feel that way, but it was certainly appreciated in its entirety. With that in mind, the young boy had decided to take himself to the house. His father was quick in tow, following this boys every step and answering his every question.

There was not a lot of him telling Jukei he could or could not do things, but rather an assurance that the boy was safe. Life was something that must be lived to be understood, and that meant that Jukei had to appreciate and understand his own mistakes if he was going to be able to do anything in this world. It was something that he had been taught when he first wandered into the world as a young man, before he had gather this wealth of knowledge or experience.

It was a story for another day, something that diving into now would not help with. After all, the flashback was being relived so Jukei could retrace his steps, better understanding himself. It was a training that he could only do now that he had reached this point in his life. Now that his head was facing forward, chin up high and prepared to tackle life as it came at him, could he stop to look behind him and truly understand the scene that unfolded.

Jukei decided to spend much of his time at the house. It wasn't something he was new to in any way, and yet it amazed him still. The tiny rocks that did not hurt his feet with every step, but rather comforted where his foot landed. It was a padding that shouldn't exist, and yet here it was. He asked his father, and of course the older man explained both what the reason for his feet having become rough enough to withstand the rocks, as well as why so many found themselves there. It wasn't something that he fully understood yet, but he was happy to have been given a real answer nonetheless. The two of them hung about the house for hours before Jukei had been ready to go into the next step. Taking his shirt off and dropping his backpack to the ground, his father took the job of raising his guard while Jukei decided to test the waters.

He didn’t move all out, but rather poked and prodded at the old man’s defenses. He danced around, and continued to try and force some sort of weakness. A drop in guard, a weakness on one side, an overlooked flaw that he had not closed up. And yet the old man seemed completely impervious to these attacks, and after having deflected enough, he stopped Jukei and insisted they leave. The backyard was no place for the spar to go in the direction it was headed, and so if his son wished to continue it, they’d both have to venture outside the village once more.


Stuffing his shirt and shoes in the backpack, the two of them decided to leave the house. They made their way from the location quickly, enjoying the feeling of his feet feeling new textures and groundings as he proceeded through Iwa. He wasn't so much a fan of the tiny rocks clinging between his toes, but his father simply laughed at him and told him that if he did not like the feel he should put his shoes back on. Jukei could take all the time to prepare once they got to their location. As they were walking in that direction, they decided to go through random roads and paths on their way. His father did not already have a specific plan in mind other than a spar, so they were going no particular direction. Merely following the winding roads wherever it led, deciding to try and learn some of the layout while they made their way looking for a potentially nonexistent area that they would test their skills for the day. Such travel would soon turn to be dangerous though, something that was either a bad omen for the two or for the criminals they were about to cross.

WC: 1467

The alley was dark, but still allowed people to see.

The sun was still up, and so any sort of darkness to think of was not too intense. Only enough to make one realize that they were out of the direct view of the day, and now covered by shade. To go into this shaded area to just rest would not be something that should be considered weird. The sun was not giving out too much heat now, but it had been earlier in the day. For people who had been trapped out in it unable to escape into the sanctity of the indoors, finding a place like this would be a wonderland. It would shield them, offer the perfect breeze, and allow people the chance to regain their traction before going back out into the world.

The people who occupied it though didn't seem too interested in all that. Instead, the five individuals seemed to be more interested in those who came in and out of the alleyway. Well, not necessarily out. After all, Jukei had not seen anyone leave, nor enter, other than himself. Only he and his father had entered, but they immediately drew the attention of the five, who all seemed to stand and shift to face the two. Neither of them seemed phased, or to even notice particularly, and chose instead to continue venturing forward. Such was precisely what the people who noticed wanted, but could not have possibly been what they expected. What they likely saw was a weird, seemingly naive adult and a younger male who were perfectly susceptible to being mugged. What they could not have known was that his father was strong as, if not stronger than, any opponent they had ever met and Jukei was stronger than any mere boy.

Within moments the clash had ended. The first two had come in and been crushed immediately by the impressive power of the older man, who had been passed and ignored by the other three. Had they waited, they'd have seen that they were outclassed. They were but normal people without training, armed with only knives and malice. They were face to face now with a young boy whose strength was much higher than theirs, speed and perception much more honed, and with a willingness to kill that they could have never known about. Jukei instantly shifted, and this was not as the modern day individuals who considered Jukei a friend would know him. This was how he was without the full perception of life, nor the meaning of death. Ruthless, without mercy.

The first came in with a grab, reaching for Jukei's hair. Ducking and moving to the right, Jukei delivered a powerful inside leg kick that lifted the mans leg off the ground and brought him crashing forward. As he did so, Jukei stepped past him and looked at the other two. One of the two was now stuck on the other side of his falling companion, but the one closest was lunging at Jukei with a knife. Moving to the outside of the man with a quick rotation, Jukei also used his two hands to capture the man. A hand on the mans wrist, and a hand on the outside of the mans elbow, Jukei instantly and savagely broke the arm. As the knife dropped, and the man went to grab at his arm, Jukei delivered a powerful punch to the mans face.

As the man fell back and Jukei grabbed the knife from the ground, he leaped further back into the alley.
The one man had made it around his friend, who was now standing, and both coming after him. They were no longer calm and angry, they were panicked and scared. As the injured man fell in on Jukei, Jukei heel kicked him in the groin and stabbed upwards as the man lurched forward. The knife planted itself deep into the mans skull, and Jukei grabbed the man by the hair and threw him backwards as he pulled the knife back out. Leaning back as he did so, the other mans fist flew in front of his face. Popping his elbow out and up, Jukei hit him on the chin with a decent amount of force.

Stepping back and kicking forward, the man leg checked Jukei. It was good, surprisingly so, but their fate was sealed. As the leg check happened, the man put his leg down and received another leg kick, this one a heel kick that was aimed for his knee. It forced him to put that leg back, and off balance he leaned forward to compensate. With that, Jukei would grab the back of his head with his free hand and shove down while lifting his knee. Breaking the individuals nose, Jukei then proceeded to slash the blade. Opening the mans neck, he turned and threw the knife at the fleeing man with a broken arm. As it impaled itself into his back, stabbing into his heart, Jukei whipped back forward.

The two his father had dealt with were also dead, and with a shrug, they continued forward out of the alley. The alleyway was not expected to be a place of danger, as the tight space would obviously give advantage to either the smaller individual with more skill, or the larger with more power. Jukei had skill, his father had power. While they couldn't have possibly known, how could it have been worth the risk? Jukei didn't understand people, and neither did his father truth be told. Still, they did not feel proud for what they did. They neither felt regret nor anguish. They felt as they would if they had killed a bear or wolves in nature, or any other thing that attacked them. Life was of predator and prey, and those men had tried to be predators. They lost, as they knew not what they were attacking, and for that they forfeit their life. It was simply the way of the world, and nothing to feel guilty or anything.

[EXIT]
WC: 1009
Total Word Count: 4587