It was a good day to be out to day. The sun was out, not too bright, not too warm, playing peek-a-boo with the passing white clouds in the clear blue sky. A soft breeze passed by on a regular occasion, carrying the scent of the flowers and plants which covered the mountains. A small river meandered through, too shallow to have a good swim but sufficiently deep for small fish to pass by and have someone see the water rise to their knees should they walk through it.

Along that river, wearing a tattered brown kimono with golden rim, walked the mountain hermit that had taken residence somewhere in this section of the Valley of Mountains. Her long black hair was put up with two needles, her face dirtied by sweat and grime, a fleck of blood yet having to be washed off. Once again, she had encountered a couple of bandits who felt the need to rise their blade with killing intent against travellers and so once again their corpses would now be feeding the worms. Falling into old habits despite usually sealing away her weapons, Mizuki's katana was positioned on her left side, resting against her hip and ready for the blade to be drawn at a whim's notice. Iaijutsu was but one of the arts she practised, and had come to perfection with time.

Kneeling near the river, her knees would sink lightly in the mud that had naturally formed along the river, hands cupping fresh water to wash the dirt of her face, refresh herself somewhat and take a sip to quench most of her thirst. She was familiar with the area by now, this river being just one of the many small ones that were hidden by grass and mountain alike, but what few knew was that the river, though small, ran across half the Valley and ended not too far off the main road that lead to Iwagakure itself. A small river nourishing a vast amount of land.

---

339

Makoto was a bit bored, graduating from the academy was no fun. He had not managed to find a squad or make any friends since all his peers seemed to have other things on their minds. Running through the valley on this beautiful day as the sun shined down upon the lands as the mountain itself looked to be full of life.

The clear blue sky and the passing clouds as white as mist, reminding him of the hidden mist technique which he managed to learn from the library. The breeze blowing through his hair as his heart was just beating a bit faster, Makoto wanted to master a lot of new jutsu and needed to learn how to use many different weapons as well. In the end he was too weak to do either of those, his chakra was so low that he could at most only use the hidden mist technique just over ten times, not counting he would need reserves for other jutsu as well.

However he stopped as he felt like something was wrong as he hid behind a tree as several bandits passed him by, he was a bit too curious as he followed them carefully only to find them corner a single woman. He did not want to try and save her and was only really interested in trying to grab one of their rusty weapons. However the woman they attacked killed them with a skillful sword technique he had never seen before, as she defeated the bandits as if it was nothing he stayed in hiding for a while in fear that she may try to kill him too.

Makoto then took a deep breathe as his heart was beating intensely, his curiosity drew him closer towards her. Her long beautiful hair was like dirt compared to the beauty of her long sword and her heavenly technique that seemed like a goddess floating on the water. He raised his arms up in a defensive stance to show he meant no harm while he also left some chakra on a rock nearby. He was being a bit careless, but he wanted to learn her techniques.

He decided to make sure his presence was known, even if she knew he was there if he just kept quiet she might attack him as well as he gathered his courage in that moment.

"Excuse me, Miss Sword Master"

As he waited there for her reply, hoping she would allow him to speak and that she was not going to violently attack him as well.

Words = 427

Chakra = 150 - 5 = 145

Fresh water splattered against her face, her hands rubbing away the dirt. The brief heat of the battle, though hardly something to worry about for a shinobi of her rank, would be replaced with the cool touch of the river's water. Slowly she sighed at the sad truth of having to take other lives yet again just to make the world a little bit of a safer place than it used to be. She hated taking away lives, but these men had deserved it. Much like those who had killed Kazuki's parents, these were hoping for an easy kill to feel the thrill running through their veins. Unfortunately for them, their skill was far from sufficient to deal with a trained kunoichi.

The crisp of grass would pull Mizuki's attention away, footsteps rustling in the short grass betraying the arrival of a single person. Mizuki would turn her head, blue-green eyes looking to a young kid carefully approaching her. A mixture of worry and determination reflected in his eyes, the reason somewhat revealing itself as he addressed her with 'Miss Sword Master'. She would rise to her feet, patting off what little mud that had stuck to her knees and pull up the straw hat that rested against her back, placing it on her head again to shelter her against the sun.

"Yes?", she'd reply questioningly, her voice calm, her expression one of certain peace brought forth by confidence. Her eyes would overlook the boy before her, seek out signs of hidden weapons or something that could reveal an affiliation to shinobi since she considered his youth somewhat of a strange solitary presence so far from Iwagakure. Finding nothing threatening in his composure, she would proceed to introduce herself to break the ice.

"Call me Suzume. I'm but a mountain hermit, however."

She had taken on that name since she had left Kumogakure, hoping to avoid the shinobi world as she rediscovered inner peace but the shadows of the past had their ways of coming back to haunt her. First the bandits driving her to make use of her talents, then the meeting with the Tsuchikage as she brought in Kazuki. She wondered what this youngster was about to ask from her.

---

378
Total: 717

Makoto was excited by her beautiful display earlier, but his fears also seemed to run wild as his heart was beating really fast. He felt like he could explode at any moment, but right now the most important thing was learning. Makoto never liked people much, having had parents who cared more about dirty old rocks and old books that could not even be read anymore. Makoto felt if you could use it and read it, then it was cool. A useless old tome meant nothing once it could no longer be of use to him, not that it had meaning if it was useful to others.

The girl turned her head to face him, her blue-green eyes were cool. They reminded him of that look you found near water that had grass and the blue light of the sky reflecting upon its surface. She began to stand up as a part of him felt like running away as he kept his arms up as if he was being held hostage, though it was mainly since he did not want to be mistaken for a bandit or an enemy. Her straw hat looked interesting as he wondered what you could do with that, could it be a straw hat with the power to cut down your enemies with sharp edges or that could help you resist the weather of a weak jutsu.

Her calm voice sounded so peaceful, to the point that it made him even more afraid. It was not that clear at first since it was on the side of his arm, but he was wearing his forehead protector on his right arm. Mainly cause it sometimes slid over his face or made the sweat stick to his forehead. The sweaty forehead protectors was something he had always find to be a problem, he wanted to find a way to fix the sweaty problem so his arm was all he could think of for now. He left his memento from his father at home and he was not really travelling with any weapons right now since he knew in most cases if he was in danger his first option was to run away as fast as he could.

She introduced herself as the Mountain Hermit Suzume-sama as he added the honorific in his mind for now, since she had things she could teach him. He was nervous as he blinked for a moment, however the blink was done faster then usually letting her know he was still really worried.

"Miss Suzume-sama, would it be okay to ask you to teach me?" as he looked down slightly, though he kept his eyes to face up to her waist since he was not skilled enough to react in most cases. Makoto at that point realized he probably made a mistake, however he could not back away now as he hoped for her to be okay with his request. If she had spoken with anger he may have even wet himself in fear, but for now all he could do was do his best to learn from her or run away if he had to.

Words = 427 + 527 = 954
Chakra = 145

The young Iwa-nin would ask an unexpected question. Was it okay to ask her if she wanted to teach him? Dropping the weird notion of asking for permission to ask being taught, she was not exactly certain why an Iwa-nin would ask a random stranger to teach them, not to mention he had yet to clarify what he wanted to be taught. Though she assumed he had taken notice of her blade, perhaps spotted the skill with which she had wielded it just a moment ago, or maybe had been drawn in by the rumours of the 'Akuma' in the mountains wielding a blade with unparalleled skill, the hermit preferred to keep her act up.

"Asking never hurts.", she'd reply to his question first. "I guess I can teach you how live off the land if that is what you're looking for. Survival is an interesting skill to have even for a shinobi such as you. You are a shinobi, right, what with that symbol on your arm?"

It was more of a rhetorical question since she knew the answer but it helped in keeping up conversation as she left the river side and continued her own path along the river. She didn't mind teaching the Art of the Blade and Bow, but when it came to shinobi she had grown quite cautious since they were rather quick to throw things upside down - and she could know. There was no saying who had sent him, where he came from or why he was looking for her in particular. Even then, were he to be taught, he'd have to follow her to the area of her choosing.

That area would lead to Iwagakure. The river continued its way to one of the main roads of the Valley of Mountains, which she would then pursue to arrive at Iwagakure itself. Her protegee was still at the hospital, recovering from PTSD he had suffered by losing his parents, and so she was about to return to the tavern where the Tsuchikage had allowed her to stay. Though he had offered plenty of resources to provide lodging in a comfortable inn, Mizuki had decided to pick a fairly simple one that had little customers and only basic accommodations. Not only because she didn't want to spend all of the offered resources, but also because it was the closest one to the hospital she could find.

Assuming the young shinobi would have replied to her question by now, perhaps even corrected her in the lessons he was seeking, and under the idea he had, indeed, followed her as Mizuki had picked up walking again, she would ask him, "Why do you seek me as your mentor when Iwagakure shinobi have their own sensei?"

---

465
Total: 1182

Makoto felt a bit better when she said that asking never hurts, she mentioned being able to teach him how to live off the land. That might be interesting, but he still felt her sword technique was of far more value to his curiosity and his obsession. The mention of survival was kind of expected as he realized she must have found out how weak he was, he was still scared though. Makoto resolved himself since if she attacked him now it was not like he could really do anything, other then hope she is merciful or not blood thirsty.

Makoto followed her from a relative distance as he replied while she was walking, "I am Makoto from Iwagakure, I wanted to know if I could learn those skills you have with the sword."

She seemed to remain quiet as they kept walking and over time she eventually seemed to either slow down, or he might have started pacing a bit faster. Either way he finally got a question he had not really thought about as she asked him. He did not seek her as a mentor for any fancy reason, though her question made sense as he finally replied to her.

"I have not gotten a sensei yet, but I saw how beautiful your skills were and just wanted to learn to do that too."

He looked down slightly feeling embarrassed, the other genin were getting sensei's and even joining squads. He needed to join them to learn jutsu, but maybe he just was not strong enough for them to want to teach him. Though it was clear he simply wanted to learn something new from her, simply because he saw her do something that was beyond him.

Words =954 + 290 = 1344

So he was a shinobi from Iwagakure that had yet to find his sensei. Mizuki's eyes would lift to watch the direction of Iwagakure, the place they were currently heading to. Was it wise to teach him the basics of kenjutsu when his village was nearby or would it be better to leave the boy waiting until he found a teacher of his own accord? A question more difficult than one would imagine. Mizuki had tried to stay away from shinobi affairs lately but no matter how much of a recluse she was trying to be, fate just loved to mock her new lifestyle. Here it was again, now requesting to be taught her sword style. Starting lessons in kenjutsu was not a matter done in a single day, even if the boy would prove to know how to wield a sword. She sighed softly.

"What experience do you have with the katana?"

A single question which would answer many others for Mizuki. If he had never held a blade nor practised with it, it would be safe to assume she'd have to teach him the very basics of kenjutsu itself - conquering the sword. A dull exercise so many youngsters loathed and disregarded as pointless yet where so many had failed because of their ignorance. They'd believe holding a sword in front of them with arms stretched was the exercise but the 'conquering the sword' began only when their arms were getting tired and the blade started to feel too heavy to bear. A test of strength of will. What was being tested was the desire to continue carrying a sword despite all odds, despite fatigue. The soul and the katana had to become one being. Ninety percent of the aspirants failed to 'conquer the sword'.

Mizuki disliked believing potential new students would fail so barring the truth of the first trial's difficulty she would look beyond that to the next lessons. Kata. Countless repetitions of basic strikes. A hundred overhead slashes, a hundred sideways slashes, a hundred stabs, a hundred parry and ripostes... the list went on. As with all martial arts, practise was the best way to learn the art, all the while being corrected in minuscule details most students didn't notice or failed to understand. While Mizuki loved the idea of disciplined practises, she mostly wondered if this young shinobi saw the same thing as she did. Beauty always came with a price, after all.

---

413
Total: 1595

Makoto looked at the beautiful lady and her more beautiful sword, if only those things were as beautiful as her technique. However maybe her beauty was true and techniques were just a way to show one’s true beauty to the world. Makoto was really hoping she would agree to teach him, and watching alone was not enough to help him get through this. He knew about weight shifting and balance due to the basics in bukijutsu that he had already mastered, however he had no weapons to utilize his sojutsu and he had a tanto that was rusty and gathering dust that he had no idea how to use.

Makoto did not really care much about the academy sensei’s since they only ever taught the basics of the basics. He kept on following along as she finally asked him a question that he gave an absolute honest answer to, as if living up to his own name he told her the truth.

“None…” as he gave just a momentary pause before adding on the words. “I do have experience in sojutsu though.” Makoto was not really sure if it mattered, but he just wanted to let her know he can use weapons better than most ordinary academy students. Sadly his physique did not match up to the rest of the class, which still hurt deep down inside. However he did not care about that, all he wanted was to learn new jutsu and new techniques.

He did not care how hard it would be to learn as long as he was able to learn it he would not care. For now Makoto would do his best to learn from her if she would teach him.

Words = 1344 + 287 = 1631

Spotting the end of the river that would lead into the main road, their exchange of words would continue with intervals of quietude as Mizuki took her time to mull of her words and thoughts. Knowing that he knew soujutsu was somewhat of a relief since it meant he held at least a modicum of discipline and diligence required for martial arts, but since she was not familiar with soujutsu herself it was hard for her to determine to what extend their basic kata ran alike to those of kenjutsu. Did they had a practise similar to the 'conquering of the blade'? Details such as these would not reveal themselves to the kunoichi, leaving her to guess to his ability to hold up a weapon despite possible arm muscle strain. Since she couldn't write him off entirely as inept or untrained, she felt compelled to give it a try at least.

"Soujutsu should do as the base for weapon training but I will put you to the test nonetheless."

She'd summon an old katana of hers with the Item Sealing Technique, revealing a black leather scabbard topped by an equally black tsuba and cling. The katana, despite being well-cared for, didn't fail to reveal the years of use it had come to suffer. Halting in her tracks, she drew the blade slowly, blue-green eyes running across every inch of the blade as it was being unsheathed, and eventually passed it to the boy beside her.

"Hold this katana straight before you with both hands. Do not lower or drop the katana by any means. If you can impress me, I'll teach you."

At those words, once Makoto would have accepted, Mizuki would sit down again in the grass and watch him. Watch him and wait until exhaustion would finally slip into his arms. Only then would the sword test truly begin and reveal his determination for the Way of the Blade.

---

327
Total: 1922

It seemed that the end of the river was within view as they kept on walking in their exchange of words as she did not seem as threatening as she was at first glance. She then spoke about putting him to the test as she unsealed something that took him slightly by surprise, he had the item sealing technique as well though he was not really that skilled at using it. He looked at the sword and it looked rather beautiful in its black form, he felt a bit worried as she drew the blade, even that simple motion seemed far more skillful then the rapid withdrawal he would usually give to his tanto.

Makoto was a bit confused as he took hold of the blade, it was far more balanced then a spear or staff. Though the grip felt a bit awkward as his stance was just a bit off. He spread his legs a bit to lower his stance for better balance and so that if he needed to defend it was more ideal for one to widen their stance. Makoto stood like this as he became nervous as time just passed by, he was not sure how long he had stood like that but was told not to lower the blade or drop it.

Not dropping a weapon was easy, but keeping this blade raised might be a lot as some time passed he then realized they had been walking a lot as his knees seemed to shake slightly as he just twisted his ankles a bit to make his stance more firm once more. He then closed his eyes and took a deep breathe inhaling and then exhaling as he felt the chakra flowing through him and began to calm down again.

However to the trained eye one could tell his legs may not hold him for much longer as he stood like that his arms were able to hold the katana rather steady since a polearm was usually heavier and less balanced it was easier to hold, though he was glad she did not ask him to swing the blade since compared to a tanto this blade was definitely of a finer quality and the added range was also something that could throw his balance off.

He was also sweating as he kept on breathing wondering when the test would end after about half an hour or more, he was not even sure anymore he began to sway slightly. The hot sun might have been giving him a bit of heat stroke and his legs seemed to be swaying or was he dizzy as he thought he heard a sound as his tummy was actually growling as he forgot it was lunch time already.

Words = 1631 + 459 = 2090

Mizuki would be sitting in seiza as Makoto underwent her father's strict trial. It was a simple exercise but his trained eyes would quickly figure out those with the personality for the sword and those who wouldn't be able to bear the disciplined training. It had taken a while for her to understand how such a seemingly dumb practise delivered insight into the matter, but as she grew up and underwent his training herself, she would grow to see the same thing as he did. The exercise was a matter of endurance and perseverance.

Time ticked by as Makoto stood there with the sword held up. His legs would tremble, fatigue was slipping in his arms. The katana would lightly sway down, then up as he corrected his stance and composure. A normal thing. What was important was that he didn't allow the blade to lower despite the fatigue. Half an hour would pass. The blade didn't fall. Considering it more than sufficient, Mizuki would rise to her feet again and nod.

"That'll do.", she'd walk over to him and pass him a gourd of water. "Here, drink some and take a break so your muscles can relax. I will show you the basic kata of the sword after that so you can practise it."

If she taught him the basic stance and the handful of basic attacks that made up the standard kata and he trained it on a consistent base every day, he'd be able to use a katana in a good and safe way. In time he'd get used to wielding one and a more practical approach would reveal itself. Spars and proper fights would present themselves as he grew practised with the katana, and if he'd keep up the way of the blade then perhaps he would reach the level of expertise she had attained through years of practise. Time alone would reveal if he did.

---

329
Total: 2251

Makoto was not sure how long it was, to him it felt like an eternity as his consciousness seemed to waver, she appeared to console him and said that he did enough as she passed him a gourd of water he held it shakily with his right hand as he took hold of the gourd with his left. As he took hold of the gourd he lost balance slightly as he reacted and just downed the water as he fell back on his butt. It hurt, but his thirst was more important as he then placed the sword gently on the ground next to him as he now held the gourd with both hands downing the water as some of it flowed over his cheeks, landing on his neck and shoulders as he then lowered it having only drank about half of it.

"Okay" as he replied to her offering to show the basics his eyes were still a bit tired, but he seemed more full of energy when she went to begin displaying some of her technique. He watched her basic stance and some of her basic techniques with eagerness that was even more intense then earlier showing that what he loved most of all was learning more then anything else. Unlike her though he sat with his legs spread out as if he was so unrefined, but it showed that he had not yet undergone the daily practice of seiza which in itself was something he could do. However he was a bit too tired to do something that awkward when it was more ideal for him to rest at that point like she said.

He would continue to watch her until she gave him further instructions or advice as he was clearly a diligent or focused student.

Words = 2090 + 300 = 2390

Mizuki's eyes would take note of Makoto sitting down, drinking and observing her movements. He looked tired. Too tired to actually pick up the kata in a decent fashion but much like her father had taught before her, she would teach him that martial arts was not about lazying about. "Loyalty, Vigilance, Perseverance", had always been the pillars the Raiu Dojo had sustained and she wouldn't change that now. Today would be a lesson in perseverance. Drawing her own katana, Mizuki would take on the most basic of stances there was. One foot forward, the other backward, aiming about a 45° degrees away from the body.

"Note the stance of the legs and feet. About 60 to 70% of your weight rests on your hind leg, but you'll have to find your own balance and practise a stable stance. From this position you can easily step in for an offensive strike...", she'd explain as she stepped forward with a swift jab of her katana into an invisible enemy. Then she'd step away from her position as her body leaned slightly into the direction of her hind leg. "... or find escape by moving backward."

She'd relax her stance for a moment, watching Makoto to see if he got it all. Once she was sure he understood everything, she'd proceed with the first few strikes of the katana. Stepping into the basic stance again, she'd raise her katana and explain the proper, balanced hold on the weapon before starting the first attack. A jab forward, immediately followed up by a short, sideways slash.

"If the jab connects, the sideways slash allows your katana to exit the body. If he dodges the strike, it serves as a follow-up strike should he have moved to the side."

Positioning her katana straight up and a little in front of her chest, she'd show the second kata. The blade would seemingly fall down before the tip would make a curt L-motion in the air.

"Don't be fooled by the blade's fall. While practising, you do it slowly. In combat, you can easily dismember hand or arm with it if your opponent doesn't parry or positions them wrongly. The actual intent is to cut through the arms and rip open the stomach with the last motion so the enemy's guts spill out. A painful but deadly strike. If done right, your opponent's armour means little."

The third kata would follow. Holding her katana in the same position of the second katana, she would allow it to swing backwards now. The tip making a full circle as it traced its direction to the front, the blade would enter from below and slash the air upwards as she took a step forward.

"Slow but powerful. Legs or arms, the target is any unprotected limb with intention to cripple or dismember your opponent. If he doesn't wear any armour at all, it can carve open his chest just as much when done right."

The next kata was another simple strike. Positioning her katana on her left side, she'd slash horizontally once at the height of the chest. Having passed the chest's area, her katana's tip would once again backswing for a half circle before the katana would come back with a second slash from the top to bottom. Halting there, she'd restart the exercise, slashing horizontally for the second time but aiming at the height of the knees. Lastly, she'd repeat it a third time with a slash to the ankles.

"Basic slashes aimed at the gut, the knees and the ankles. Three weak areas that can end the future of your opponent. The basic slash and follow-up attack for a single kata to be practised, but can easily be followed up by the first kata I showed you in a combat situation. You are fighting close quarter, so your opponent should not be given the time to breathe."

Mizuki would finish with a flourish of her blade to shake off the non-existent blood of her katana before she ritualistically sheathed it back into the scabbard on her side. Expecting Makoto to have observed the moves with full attention, she'd nod at him.

"These are the basic stance and kata of kenjutsu. They don't look anything special but master these and you'll be a better swordsman than those who prefer fancier techniques. The katana is meant to kill, not to be played with. That said, show me your kata so I can help you improve on it before we part ways."

---

778
Total: 3029

Makoto watched with some excitement and a bit of enthusiasm as she placed one foot forward and the other one backwards, just like how ninjutsu had hand seals, using weapons had their set of stances and forms. The angle looked to be around forty five degrees more or less, a balance between an acute stance meant for high speed movement and redirection, and a wide stance meant for absolute defense and powerful strikes.

She began to mention that just over sixty percent of your weight rests on your hind leg as he wondered if it meant that you dominant leg had to be at the back. He decided to take note of this inside his head, some of these things he might have trouble recalling. Though for the most part he had a decent memory and with practice it would not be difficult to find that sweet stance again. She emphasized stability which is something you needed a lot of when it came to using pole-arms. While some liked to fool around like a bunch of monkeys bouncing on their poles with elite balance and technique with fluid motion, others preferred to strengthen their stance and utilize power along with their impressive reach.

When watching the first action his mind had at that time picked up on something, that he would consider in the future. The technique that he would later name the hit and away technique. A quick strike had a strong chance of hitting the target, and being light you had the option of still backing away as all your weight was not simply going into the attack.

Makoto would think about it as he would stand up just showing a rough stance of what she did and doing a slow strike forward and then backing away. His stance was a bit off, but he had gotten the general idea as he wobbled slightly, mainly from his earlier fatigue.

She seemed to want him to go again until she was satisfied with something, so after a few more attempts he looked to have a grasp on the technique as he was sweating. She then raised her blade as she returned into the stance as he watched her hold the katana even better now, then she proceeded to stab forward and follow up with a sideways slash as he managed to notice that she may have actually used this earlier. Just that she did it a lot faster with the bandits, he was not sure but he tried to take note of that.

She explained the two fold are of this technique and with that he watched her raise the blade in front of her chest. He did not really care about how she looked, but he decided to focus on her hands and her sword more to get the idea on her grip as well. The motion she made was a bit swift and while it looked simple when she gave the explanation it made the technique just seem really cool to Makoto. Though he did take note not to think too much about the guts as he began to wonder if he could form a water element technique for cleaning his weapons.

The third technique looked like she was performing a bladed upward strike that looked like the sword version of a smash which was an extremely low uppercut that went from low to high, though in the case of a sword it might strike your leg first before leaving a scar on your chest.

She then started to demonstrate various horizontal slashes from high, to mid height and then finally low as well. Though for some reason these strikes seemed easier to avoid then what she had shown earlier, but then something occurred to him as he began to wonder a bit. She then confirmed that you should follow it up with the first technique she shown which made sense, if they dodge or avoid the horizontal slash it would be really difficult to avoid a high speed follow up attack.

"I will do my best"

Makoto did the first kata, though on first attempt he lost balance as he fell and hit his knee.

"sorry, still a bit tired from all the walking we did" as he stood up again having not actually lost the grip or the centering of his sword. He made his stance just a bit wider then hers to make up for his fatigue and then performed the first kata again, Makoto thrust the sword she had given him to practice with forward, though the aim looked slightly off, he followed up with a side ways slash as his body seemed to sway slightly as he realized even though it was not as long as a pike, spear or staff their was still quite a good amount of weight behind it.

Makoto would center his stance and try again, after about twenty attempts with each one looking slightly better then the previous one, but still not perfect he stopped. "Am I getting it Suzume-sensei?" as he was not sure of himself having lost a bit of his confidence at this point. He knew he was getting somewhere, but he was not sure what he was doing wrong as he kept struggling with the follow up slash as he wondered if it was just that he was tired, or that maybe he was lacking talent, as he was trying to perfect it even though he was improving he was not sure what counted as a satisfactory starting point for all this.

Words = 2390 + 930 = 3320

At this point, there was little more to teach when it came to the basics. He'd have to show his understanding and be corrected here and there to improve his stance or swing. The rest would basically be practise from morning till evening and turning exercise to experience during spars and missions alike. Such was the ease and pain of any martial art. And it would not be different now.

Makoto attempted his stance and swung her old katana about a twenty times. She could see his unfamiliarity with her katana, but that was to be expected. The boy had never held a katana in his hands. One could not expect him to master stance, balance and perfection in a single exercise. Each of his strikes would slightly improve, telling her that he understood the kata, his expertise with other weapons shimmering through as he held the potential for a greater understanding of how weapons worked than others generally would hold. Yet, rather than continue his kata and notice his own growth, he'd show signs of self-doubt and ask if he was doing good. Mizuki would nod.

"You're doing fine. I'll correct you if this is needed, so don't doubt yourself simply because you are not familiar with the katana. That is a matter of finding your own weapon, forging a bond with it and practise the kata against dummies, friends and enemies alike."

Perhaps training in Iwagakure was different. Her father was not of a habit to assure those that were practising their kata in front of him. As long as he didn't halt their training, they were doing fine. His silence was the confirmation that the sensei had nothing to remark and thus the student could carry on until it would suffice.

"Mastery doesn't come in a single day, so try the second kata for now"

She'd observe his moves and point out corrections where they were needed. A lowered blade, a wrong grip, imbalanced position. Every little detail would be improved until the basis of his kata would be considered acceptable in her eyes. Perfection was not expected on the first day, as that could only come through experience. Neither would she linger too long on a single kata as it would not help him to repeat a kata until his muscles would end up sore. Body memory was practised not through enforcement but through consistent repetition until one could execute the manoeuvres blindly. Every kata would come to pass from the first to the last as pointers were given and minute adjustments shared.

---

436
Total: 3465

Makoto felt something at the time, a feeling he did not understand for a moment. It did not show on his face, but it was something he felt he could never come to understand. She said he was doing fine and that she would correct him if she needed, he did not understand how she could have this much confidence in him. His own mother and father never really took note of how well he did anything, though they did tell him to always just keep busy and not bother them as he listened carefully for Suzume-sensei's instructions.

She also told him to find his own weapon and to forge a bond as his mind began to race with thoughts, what were bonds as he once read it in the dictionary. Bonds were something that bound you together, and kept you from falling apart. Just like the bonds of a flame that spread out, however remaining bound to that from which they were born. The bonds of water that sometimes clung together while moving instead of simply falling apart straight away, the cohesion of water and the wild flames that never strayed too far from their source.

She told him to practice the kata with dummies as he thought about getting one for his home later on when he got back there since it was looking rather empty. Also practicing with friends would be the most difficult of all since he barely had any friends, to be honest he had no friends at all as he really never made any bonds in class as he began to wonder what bonds Suzume-sensei was speaking about.

She told him to perform the second kata as he thought about it he then remembered the stance thinking of the blade centered near his chest, but then he raised it but he then lowered it slightly as she seemed to indicate when it was right as he then practiced simply getting into the position again as his body felt pain remembering what he had been asked to do earlier as he shivered for a bit. He re-adjusted his grip noticing he had his hands too close together at the time since you had to spread them out just a bit since the handle was not meant to be held with one hand, or with two hands on the same spot either as he finally got into position his balance a bit better now that he rested and watched her for a while. However his fatigue was still their as his forehead had some sweat and his hair looked wet as Makoto wondered how far he could get.

The moment of truth was now as he lowered the blade and with a some what disjointed shift into the L-motion as he performed the kata he felt something was wrong and then without waiting for her to ask he tried again then looked a bit puzzled as he stopped to look to her for an answer.

"How do you switch directions so easily Suzume-sensei, it's just so much easier with a pike" as he left her with this question as he was just puzzled since he just felt something in his movements for the second kata were wrong, but he had no idea what it was since he was used to pole-arms where you could compensate with how spread out your arms were and more of it was dependent on weight shifting and besides the shifting of weight his body had a lot more to do with pole-arms then swords is what he was thinking. While he had a tanto, it was a lot shorter and smaller making it rather easy to balance or transition as he looked to her to help him solve this puzzle, the one thing that kept him from going further with the sword or at least that was limiting his progress.

Words = 3320 + 658 = 3978

His practising told her that Makoto was suffering from a problem many other students ultimately found themselves confronting: a solid stance. Most focused on proper wielding of the katana and the correct execution of the swings. Not a bad focus but nothing could ever be build up without a solid base. In this case, the base of martial arts was a balanced stance. She'd smile at his question which revealed he thought about his exercises and would explain the situation.

"60% of your weight rests on your hind leg so that you are able to escape as swiftly as possible. A sword, while having range, is mostly an art of speed and flexibility rather than strength and endurance. The position I showed you is Ichimonji no kamae, which is attributed to water, a defensive stance with the ability to shift quickly between offensive and defensive - like the ebb and flow of the sea. The key of its flexibility is in changing the direction of your energy."

She would take on the stance herself, demonstrating it once again. Then, she'd slowly shift her stance to an offensive one, moving the weight of her body to her other leg while rotating her hips so she could stand tall and might by the end of the change in position. To accentuate the main difference, she'd return to the defensive posture where her weight rested on her hind leg and reveal the direction of her energy by moving her hands to her hips.

"In the defensive posture, note how my line of attack is aimed at about 45° degree away from my opponent. This is the direction I will escape.", she'd shift her body into the offensive stance again, once more showing with her hands what the direction of her energy was now. "When you attack, you change the line of energy to strike forward. Your body follows your intent, your sword aims to strike down the opponent in front of you."

Easing out of the stance, she'd fold her arms as she let the words sink in. The way of the blade was one of flexibility and swiftness. One moment defensive to avoid or parry an attack, the other moment offensive to strike down their enemy in kind. Always moving since a sword's range was lower than that of a spear or any ranged attack. As such, the body needed to follow the intent of the swordsman at all times. Ready to escape when defending, fully committed to the enemy when striking.

"It's all in the hips. Movement and flexibility. Much like the weapon itself, balance is the key to sword mastery. If you understood this, proceed with your kata."

---

454
Total: 3919

Suzume-sensei explained to Makoto once more that he had to rest sixty percent of his weight on the hind leg so that he could escape as swiftly as possible, as she mentioned that while the sword had range its main attribute was speed and flexibility. He knew with a pike you had reach and power with a solid firm stance or the more unorthodox styles that require momentum and weight shifting to maintain balance. She named the position that she showed earlier as Ichimonji no Kamae, which she said was attributed to water and was a defensive stance with the key ability being able to shift quickly between offense and defense like the waves of the ocean.

Direction changing and a balance between offense and defense, when he looked at it the option to switch was not always available with a pole-arm since attacking left you vulnerable to counters and defending left you unable to fully use your range and power. It was a draw back that came with the trade off of having good range and a weapon that could take down targets before they even reach you. He watched her more intensely than he had done previously as she took the stance he slowly mimicked her movements, not perfectly but to the best of his ability.

He watched the shift as he attempted the same then he noticed the key he was missing, the one key thing he did not notice earlier and then when she moved back he understood that this was true weight shifting based off the hips and the rotation of the torso. He noticed that her stance looked like one made to deflect oncoming attacks as well as having her body set up for an escape route in advance. While it might give away your intentions, having it preset meant their opponent would have to aim for that from the start. However as she had shown to him now, any trained person after learning from this genius would know that going for that escape route attack was a risk in itself meaning that showing your escape route actually made it even greater as a path to freedom.

Her words rang through his mind as he now understood that what she meant more clearly after the demonstration and explanation. Then while it was not perfect he felt a change as he performed the second kata once more only to feel like the air around him was one with him as he seemed to go with the flow as he let his hips go. His strike was more fluid as he performed the L-shape and that was when it hit him as he fell to one knee as his left arm seemed to freeze in place as he held the blade up with his right arm.

"uh..." as he tried as hard as he could his left arm was partially going numb it eventually lost grip of the blade as he held onto the blade with his right arm. Makoto had already surpassed his limits at this point, but he never expected for his arm to completely give out like it did now as it then hit him so hard. His body was starting to hurt even more then earlier as he carefully sheathed the sword and then dropped to his knees in a seiza position that had his feet spread out to the sides as he put the sword down carefully. He may not have been a katana user from the start, but he at the very least knew how you had to lay down a weapon carefully as he then pressed his right hand down and was breathing heavily.

The rest could only recover so much as he coughed a bit as well as his body seemed parched, from the walking to the endurance of holding up the sword to practicing the kata which his body was not fully trained for yet. He felt something inside, this feeling that could not escape him as he resisted letting it out as he hit his right fist into the ground before holding his left arm as he realized his legs might also be giving out completely soon. "sorry I could not finish it all Su..." as he felt that surge of emotion, he was not really apologizing to her but to himself at failing to do what he felt should be simple. "zume-sensei" as he held it in barely as the fatigue had long since passed what he was normally capable of.

Words = 3978 + 760 = 4738

'As water', that was the element associated with the Ichimonji no Kamae, mimicking ebb and flow as it shifted from defence into offence and vice versa. His movement became more fluid as the execution of his stance became better, but the exhaustion creeping up on him was inevitably making his training sloppy. It became clear he was at best a genin, perhaps freshly out of the academy. Training in proper breathing, a minimal amount of energy consumption and other such finely tailored expertises were not at the order just yet. And with the expressive exhaustion he was showing, it would hardly be achieved either.

"That is fine. You've seen the basic stance and the kata, it is now a matter of practising it. Let us cease training for today so you can return home and rest."

She'd open her hand in expectation of the katana he had been given for his training, the sheathe waiting in her other hand so she could seal the weapon again. An old trusted ally of hers, the weapon Makoto held had once been her first and personal katana. It would not be a weapon she'd give away so easily.

"Starting tomorrow, you should be practising your kata. In a couple of weeks we will meet again to see how much you have improved and where your form needs some additional adjustments. After that, you'll be on your own to become the master of your new weapon style."

After having her katana returned, she'd sheathe the weapon and seal it once more. The hermit would bow, forming the seal of reconciliation to denote the training had officially ended and after having wished him good luck and goodbye, Suzume would continue her own path once more, expecting the given instruction for training to be followed.

---

[EXIT]

304
Total: 4223
-4000 Suiton: A -> S rank

Makoto did not really understand the feelings he felt inside
As he did his best to take his frustrations and start to hide
He looked really tired at the ground as he raised the blade once more to give to her
The sweat from his brow burning hot like grizzly fur

She told him he could practice it all again tomorrow
Leaving him alone in his painful sorrow
As he looked to her hoping he would grow
to become good enough to one day follow

He watched as she just walked away
He had no strength left to continue the day
While he start to cry while other kids would play
He did not really care what they would say

He got up once more, stood back on his feet
His stubborn mind, not accepting defeat
He would make his way back to the village streets
As he tried to keep it together with raging heart beats

Did anyone understand the feeling of having to fail
Was he just conceited as he made his own trail
He went as far as he could go all the way home
He shut the door behind him to be all alone

In the end what more could he do
But get stronger before the next time he met Suzu

Words 4738 + 216 = 4954

[exit]


Training Katana Weapon Style = 1000
Training Endurance E1 - D3 =  1850  (150+225+300+325+400 + 450)
Training 2 C-Rank Jutsu (Shakkaho and Fire Clones) = 2000 (1000x2)
Total = 4850