Sanjiro's Training Trip [Training, Private]

Age : 34 Posts : 1209

[This is training in regards to the my request. The desired SC is contained within the spoiler]

Improved Endurance:

It was too hot, it was always too hot in the summer. Mornings like this made Sanjiro feel sick and it also made him curse his own inability to tolerate heat. It would be a good hour before the sun had even begun to rise yet the boy had set out from the village, carrying with him nothing but his basic ninja equipment and a backpack full of some provisions, enough to possibly last him a couple of days. In all honesty, Sanjiro would have loved to have had more time for this long needed vacation, but he knew that with his new promotion came greater responsibilities and as such he couldn't afford to be away much longer than a couple of days. The boy mentally chastised himself for calling this trip a vacation. If anything this would be the furthest thing. This was a trip to hopefully push Sanjiro's mind and body in an effort test himself and hopefully grow stonger. The next few days would be tough but he had to persevere if he wanted to grow strong. These were the thoughts continued to run through the boy's head as he ran up the mountain's trail, his breathing heavy from fatigue.

Indeed, Sanjiro had made it here from the village gates while running at a moderately fast speed, a true test of endurance for almost anyone. As the boy ran up the incline of the mountain he knew that the air would only get thinner and thinner the higher he went. His body would need to adapt to the lower levels of atmospheric oxygen partial pressure. The boy could already feel himself getting tired. The run from the village to the mountain hadn't been too tiring but now as he ran up this incline, already up about one forth the way, knowing it would only get steeper and harder from here, he could feel himself starting to get tired. The level of fatigue he felt wasn't anything too overwhelming at this point but it was at the point where everything that worked against him became blatantly obvious and worked to slowly build the mental "wall" that so many runners described as the biggest obstacle in any long distance race or training regimen.

It was at this time that Sanjiro began to notice how steep the path was starting to become and how winding it was. How much simpler would it have been if he could simply cut through the brush, moving in a straight line up the hill. Such a thought was nice in theory but Sanjiro knew all too well that the mountain's natural topography didn't allow for such a feat. Steep drop offs existed all over the place and the paths had been carved to guide travelers in such a way as to prevent them from falling victim to these drop off points. The next thing on Sanjiro's mind was how heavy his equipment was becoming. The sword on his back, the ninja tools in his satchel and the backpack full of water and food was all becoming too much for him, or at least that's what it felt like as the boy continued to push himself to run up the path, his breathing now becoming more labored.

A soft growl escaped Sanjiro's throat as he felt his legs starting to burn ever so slightly. The lactic acid was starting to build, causing the familiar fatigue and burning sensation that every single human being who ever even remotely strained themselves would feel. It wasn't a pleasant feeling and it was one that subconsciously tried to force Sanjiro to slow his pace down, trying to adjust the level of activity in his leg muscles so that the demand for oxygen could be met rather than the cells undergoing their anaerobic methods of generating the necessary energy. He just needed to push himself a bit more, he was almost at his destination. With that thought he pushed himself a bit harder, forcing himself to move faster, he'd get to his desired campsite before noon, that was his goal...

[Word Count: 680/600]

Age : 34 Posts : 1209

[This training is in regards my request. The desired SC is contained within the spoiler.]

Great Endurance:

Sanjiro took a moment to collect himself as he finally reached the end of his running exercise, a warm up when compared to the current task at hand. The boy sighed lightly to himself as his eyes stared, with an unfocused gaze, at the wall before him. The boy had long left the path behind a couple of kilometers back, running through the forest at a rather hurried pace, trying to push his body past the point of fatigue. He felt like just sitting down to enjoy a nice nap or something of the like but the sun's light served to motivate the boy. He had set a goal: he needed to reach his campsite by noon. One may have wondered about the location the boy had picked for his designated training area for the next few days. How did he know about it and why was it so important that he make it to this particular spot? Of course with no one around to actually question the boy's methods, he didn't need to elaborate on the reasons. Another small sigh escaped his lips as he began to stretch a bit, knowing the climb would be a rough one. It had been a long time since he had climbed this steep incline and never had he done it when he was in such an exhausted state.

As Sanjiro thought about the wall, memories began to replay in his head. Visions of his old team scaling this obstacle played out in his mind like an old movie. It had been one of the many training exercises that Ichiro-sensei had subjected the team to in their early days as genin. Of course, back then Ichiro had never forced the young children to run as fast as Sanjiro had ran today. Also Ichiro had never forced the genin to climb the wall without taking about a fifteen minute rest. Sanjiro was older now, and he was stronger than he was back then. He didn't need to rest, or at least that's what he told himself. With this thought in mind the boy quickly made his way toward the wall, quickly finding a hand and a foothold to help lift his weight from the ground, now adhering the cliff's face. Sanjiro already felt his arms beginning to fatigue due to him expending so much energy during the long and fast run up the mountain's path. He needed to push himself harder though if he hoped to go beyond his limits and become stronger. While the boy knew that he could, at any time, focus chakra to his hands and feet to assist him in this task; such an act would defeat the purpose of his training.

Sanjiro's eyes quickly searched for the next handhold, easily spotting it and subsequently stretching his body out to grasp it, his fingers pressing hard against the stone before he pushed with his planted leg while his free leg searched for a suitable foothold, eventually finding one at a slight distance that required him to extend his body sideways and upwards. His foot pressed tentatively on this slight outcropping of rock, testing it's integrity before finally shifting his weight to the foothold and the new handhold as he began to search for his free hand's next destination. And so it was that he continued on like this, slowly scaling the side of the mountain, weighed down by both his equipment and his own fatigue that was only growing as he tried his best to move at a quick pace, racing the sun to the highest point in the sky. The air was already starting to grow slightly thinner, or perhaps that was simply his imagination.

Sanjiro sighed lightly to himself, his breathing now coming in slight gasps as he truly felt overwhelmed. He had been climbing for what seemed like hours now, though he knew better. Perhaps it had been close to an hour but he knew that his body, in its current state wouldn't have been able to last hours. Despite knowing this though, he couldn't help but feel as though the sun was truly rising faster than usual, racing him to the zenith of its path. Sanjiro had passed his old campsite about fifteen minutes ago, finding the climb to have been easier than he remembered. Now he pushed himself to go further, searching for the next suitable flattened area where he could spend the next few days honing his abilities. He knew how foolish it seemed, to aimlessly climb this mountain when in such an exhausted state was probably considered suicide, but at the same time, something whispered to the boy to keep going, to keep climbing upward and skyward. The thought made him think about the red kanji insignia on the back of his jacket. The symbol was for the word "sky" and it served as both a reminder of his mother and his mother's words of encouragement.

"Sanji, remember, the sky is the limit."

The thought brought a rueful smile to Sanjiro's face. He wished she was here to see this-well not this, but he wished she was around to see him growing up and to see him get stronger and become a more skilled ninja. She had always wanted him to be a great shinobi, for whatever reason, he supposed it was a dream he would acknowledge after all, despite all his missteps. Indeed, Sanjiro was truly surprised that he had made it this far as a shinobi, and in a way he likened the journey to his climb up the mountain. Each stretch seemed like a small impossibility that Sanjiro could never accomplish, yet he pushed through it, climbing higher and while each pull brought him higher, each action taken individually was unimpressive. It was only when Sanjiro paused to look down that he realized the progress he was making. He was now in a rather precarious position, being so high off the ground. A small slip would prove fatal for the chuunin, yet he was confident he wouldn't fall and if he did he was sure he could save himself. He was good with acrobatics and things of that nature. Running, jumping, soaring, falling, it all came naturally to him. He was truly a master of his own movements and each day he seemed to tap more and more into that ability.

Rest time was over now though, Sanjiro snapped out of his own musings as he began to climb up the side of the mountain in a slow yet deliberate manor, searching for any sign of finding a flattened land scape of suitable size for him to set up camp. Sanjiro began to think about what he needed. He needed ample space and preferrably a cave of some sort. Even if the cave was inhabited by animals, he'd make sure to chase them away if they weren't friendly. His training was too important to let animals distract him. He didn't mind sharing if they didn't though and he wasn't about to force out animals of docile nature. As Sanjiro thought about all this, his mind lapsed causing him to suddenly slip from one of his footholds while reaching for the next handhold. Suddenly his body started to drop like a pile of bricks, only to be stopped as both his left hand and leg braced themselves, trying to keep his body as stable as possible. Unfortunately his body began to swing, causing him to lose his footing, leaving him hanging rather painfully by his left hand. The boy let out a rather loud grunt of pain as his muscles strained to halt his body's swinging. He'd hang there for a moment, his breathing both fast and heavy as his heart raced. Despite his earlier confidence about being able to deal with a fall, he found himself starting to panic. What if he was wrong? What if he couldn't handle it? Death seemed like a very real possibility at this point and to die in such a manor was a scary thought. He didn't want to die due to his own foolishness in underestimating this mountain.

No! He wouldn't go down like that. With that thought in mind he reached upward with his right hand, finding a small hand hold, now with both hands grasping the wall he began to pull himself up slightly, quickly finding a foothold with his left foot then eventually his right. He remained clinging to the wall in this manor as he took a moment to regain his composure. Once he had calmed down a little he'd begin his climb again, aiming to reach his unplanned destination.

Word Count: 1443/1200

Age : 34 Posts : 1209

[This training is in regards my request. The desired Jutsu is contained within the spoiler.]

Two Tomoe:

The sun hung high in the sky, close to its zenith, signalling the coming of midday. Sanjiro stared upward, holding a rather tight squint as he did his best to keep the sun's rays from rendering his vision useless while trying to check the sun's position. He hadn't much time left until his deadline passed and he feared that the sun would win the race that he had proposed. With that thought in mind, Sanjiro began to move faster up the side of the cliff, his fingers, raw with pain, clawing at any handhold they could find. Eventually his hand would find a flattened outcrop. His fingers dug and clung to the rock as he used his feet to push himself up the side of the cliff until he managed to pull his exhuasted body up on the outcrop, rolling over slightly so he was now on his back, staring up at the bright blue sky with a haggard expression. He didn't think he could keep going. This place would either have to be his camp or a simple rest point. He conceded to the sun, declaring the bright celestial body the winner of this race as his eyes began to slowly close. As his eyes began to shut he could have sworn he heard the familiar sound of someone drawing a blade from its sheath...

Sanjiro's eyes snapped open as he suddenly rolled to the side, a blade coming down and slamming its tip hard against the rock where his body had just been moments ago. Without a second thought Sanjiro was on his feet, sword in hand as he glared at his opponent, a dark haired, older swordsman who was glaring at Sanjiro with dark brown hues much like the young chuunin's.

"What are you doing here?"

The man spoke with a calm voice that belied his initial hostile action. Sanjiro felt his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword as he glared at the man, teeth clenching.

"I'm Sanjiro Hikari, now stand down and identify yourself or face the consequences."

Sanjiro did his best to sound as authoritative as possible, trying his best to demonstrate that he indeed had control of the situation despite the fact that his body felt exhausted and he was only inches away from being pushed off the edge of this cliff. The older man's left brow perked up for a moment before he brought his own blade up, holding it in a reverse grip style, a counter to Sanjiro's standard grip.

"A shinobi I take it. Let's see how good you are..."

Without a second's delay the older swordsman was on the move, rushing toward Sanjiro at an incredible speed. Sanjiro instantly activated his special vision in hopes of being able to better track the man's movements. In a situation like this, timing would be everything. Any misstep would result in Sanjiro either being cut down or being pushed back and off the cliff's edge. Sanjiro stepped forward, rushing at the man and as the man brought his blade up and across in a horizontal angle, Sanjiro bent his body backwards, dropping to his knees as his enemy's blade swung forward. The result of this action allowed Sanjiro to slide across the ground while his body was nearly folded completely backwards, allowing the ninja to pass under the older man's blade. Sanjiro could feel the air around the man's weapon moving in a disturbed fashion as the man's swung the blade with such speed and force. Upon fully sliding under the man's sword the boy quickly slammed his free right hand on the ground as he kicked off with his left leg by forcefully extending his leg at the knee joint. This would cause Sanjiro's weight to shift as he picked himself up off the ground, now suspended off the ground by only his right arm as he used the hand as a pivot point by forcing his lower body to swing around the central point so that he was now facing the older man who had by now turned to face Sanjiro, aiming a forward thrust at the boy.

Sanjiro watched the blade as it approached with amazing speed and quickly brought his left arm down and across his own chest, letting his blade catch his enemy's and force it down and to the side, redirecting the blow so that it totally missed its intended mark. Sanjiro now allowed his body to drop to his left, pulling his legs under him so that they met the ground, allowing Sanjiro to regain his footing before parrying another blow from the enemy. The sound of metal against metal echoed softly across the mountain as the two continued to have their little duel on the limited ground they had, both knowing that any error could result in death by blade or fall.

The older man's speed was amazing and even with Sanjiro's superior vision, he was beginning to feel overwhelmed as he struggled to follow the man's movements. Whoever this warrior was, he was a true master of the blade, someone who Sanjiro was quickly realizing that he'd never be able to beat. The boy continued to fight though, despite that thought, his eyes working hard to track the man's movements, parrying each incoming blow, but seldom striking out for fear of leaving an opening. Sanjiro began to feel his body reaching its breaking point. He had no time to rest since his run this morning and now his body was being pushed to the limit. His form was starting to get sloppy and with each passing minute he could feel his enemy's strikes growing more precise and more deadly, leaving the chuunin less and less time to react.

"You're good, boy. You must have realized that you can't keep fighting like this. You're body is too slow, your strikes lack power. The only thing you can do is dodge and wait for an opening, though I doubt you'll find one!"

The old man taunted as he swung his sword with a sudden rapidity that Sanjiro hadn't anticipated. All of a sudden it had seemed as though the man's speed had increased. Sanjiro stepped backwards, barely avoiding the first cut. The man didn't stop however, he stepped forward, bringing his blade downward in a diagonal cut to the left. This time Sanjiro brought his sword upward to meet the man's blow, slowing the decent of the man's second strike enough to allow Sanjiro the time to step backwards and avoid the second cut. As he moved back he could feel his heel come to the edge of the cliff, leaving him no more room. Now the man stepped forward again, bringing his blade in a forward thrust straight for Sanjiro's center of gravity.

At that moment Sanjiro began to realize that the man's speed was no longer what it used to be. The man's third strike in this combination was slow, sluggish even. Sanjiro, now abile to follow the sword's movement quickly brought his own blade up, both batting the man's thrust slightly to the side as he side as he both side stepped and advanced on the man, slamming his shoulder into the older swordsman's shoulder, causing his enemy to stumble backwards.

"Good, good. You have a lot to learn but you show great potential. Though I would be careful about using those eyes of yours so carelessly. There are people in this world who would kill you for them."

As the man spoke he brought his blade to the sheath on his hip, allowing sword to slide in with a light slicing noise. Sanjiro, a little confused, hesitated to sheath his weapon until the man gave a small nod with a smile. The chuunin nodded as he sheathed his own blade. At that the man motioned for Sanjiro to follow him as he headed toward a small cave that bored into the body of the mountain.

"Come on boy, you must be tired and hungry. I was just cooking some food, I have plenty so help yourself and get some rest."

Sanjiro watched as the man stared to head toward the cave. He didn't know if it was a good idea to trust this stranger, especially after the earlier fight. But as he thought about the fight a thought came to his mind; if the man had wanted him dead then Sanjiro wouldn't be standing her now, the man was too good. A small sigh escaped his lips as he began to follow the man, curious as to who this man was and what he knew about Sanjiro's eyes.

As Sanjiro headed into the cave he was blissfully unaware of the second tomoe that had appeared in his eyes during the fight, a detail the older swordsman had not missed.

SC:

Jutsu:

CP: 98/100

Word Count: 1469/750

Age : 34 Posts : 1209

[This training is in regards to my request. The desired SC is contained within the spoiler.]

Large Chakra Capacity:

"Focus."

The man's voice echoed within the dark cave, reverberating off the walls of the cavern as the two sat cross legged, facing one another, eyes closed. Sanjiro inhaled deeply, clearing his mind the best he could. The two had made this a morning ritual, meditating for hours on end each morning before doing anything, even eating. Over the last few days Sanjiro and this older swordsman had grown closer, the man acting like the father Sanjiro never had. The man was well traveled and was a master swordsman, something that Sanjiro admired. The boy felt a strange connection to this man, though the reason eluded him. The man was much older than Sanjiro, a good twenty to thirty years older yet Sanjiro couldn't help but feel as though the man's physical form was very similar to his own. The young chuunin could easily imagine himself looking like this man in the next few decades or so, the thought had initially struck the boy as odd but he had done his best not to let it distract him. Another similarity between the two were their names. Sanjuro, that was this man's name. Like most travelers though, no family name was given, as such this man had become known as Sunjuro-sensei due to the fact that this man was willing to teach Sanjiro the way's of the sword.

The two had spent a great deal of time working on Sanjiro's form and Sanjuro had even taken the liberty of showing Sanjiro a few sword techniques. The boy considered himself extremely lucky to have found a teacher, this was truly a windfall for him! Now though, the two sat within the darkness as they did every morning, breathing deeply as Sanjiro tried to focus his mind.

"The mind of a swordsman must be as sharp as their blade. If your mind is dull so will your blade. Your discipline must be as strong as steel. If your discipline is weak then your blade will bend. Your focus must be deadly. If you lack focus you will lack lethality and thus you will be struck down.."

Sanjiro inhaled deeply, listening to Sanjuro's words. This was the teacher he needed for so long, this was the teacher that the village couldn't provide for him, this wandering swordsman, this ronin, it was a gift from the Gods and one that Sanjiro would embrace. Sanjiro's mind cleared once more, looking within himself, trying to find his center. He needed to always be centered and to never let himself fall out of balance. Swordsmanship was not just a style but it was a discipline and a way of life. He needed to live his life by the blade or his own blade would be weak. The boy and the man now sat in silence, both looking inward, centering themselves and mentally preparing for the day's training.

The darkness enveloped Sanjiro's mind, pushing all other thoughts away as he dove deeper and deeper into his consciousness, heading toward his subconscious. The journey was difficult, it required absolute focus, any little distraction would pull him out of this state, but it was not something he was unfamiliar with. Sanjiro had grown used to meditating, and while his sessions with Sanjuro had been more structured than he was used to, it only helped to increase his mental discipline and his sense of self awareness. When Sanjiro meditated like this, he felt at peace, even when looking at all the flaws within him. Nothing mattered, the past didn't burden him when he was in this state of mind. This was the mind the of a swordsman, it just had to be. Sanjiro continued to dive down into his own mind, now searching for whatever it was he was supposed to find. Within his mind's eye a small blue light appeared, the glow gently warming Sanjiro's mind, causing a strange feeling to wash over the boy. This sensation was knew, never had Sanjiro experienced something like this. Was this really happening or was his mind imagining it?

The light began to grow, casting its glow in all directions, continuing to warm Sanjiro from the inside out. As Sanjiro remained seated with his eyes closed, he did not realize that the man in front of him was now staring at the boy, not with normal brown eyes but with crimson red eyes sporting three ink black tomoes. The man's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the boy focus himself.

"Good..."

Sanjuro's voice was soothing and it only caused Sanjiro to move closer to the light. Sanjuro watched the boy, noting how his chakra seemed to be in a state of constant flux, steadily growing outward as if signaling to the world that Sanjiro's very spirit was growing! A smile came to the man's face, his crimson eyes slowly closing, only to revert to their original brown color as the man's eyes opened once more. Sanjuro knew that Sanjiro was reaching the next step in his own journey, he had achieved a greater state of internal awareness and focus, tapping into his latent potential and drawing more from it. Yet, despite that, Sanjuro knew that the boy could go further, or perhaps the man was being biased. After all, it was hard not to be biased when training your son.

The thought brought a sad smile to Sanjuro's face. In front of him sat his own child, a boy he had left behind 15 years ago and now that the boy was here, only an arm's length away, Sanjuro hadn't the courage to tell him the truth. He tried to convince himself that it was just enough to train the boy and watch over him from these mountains but he knew in his heart that it would never be enough for him, there were too many regrets and too many things unsaid, but now was not the time to reveal this secret. The boy had climbed these mountains to train, to prepare himself for the next leg of his life long journey and it was Sanjuro's duty as a father to prepare his son the best he could.

Sanjiro inhaled deeply once more, letting the warm of the light grow within him once more. Now the glow had become nothing short of a miniature star, casting its light to all corners of his mind. Sanjiro could feel the energy overflowing within him. This was nothing short of amazing. He had so much energy within him and he could tell that there was still more to be uncovered. The chuunin began to wonder just how much more he had in him, would he ever find the bottom of his reserves? How long would it take him to find that limit?

"Let the energy flow through you. Memorize this feeling and become familiar with its power and usage. In battle you will not be able to meditate such as this, but you will need to draw upon this energy. The human body has a large supply of untapped energy that most people never even realize. You have taken the next step in uncovering your potential. You have much more energy within you, but uncovering it and tapping into it will take time and dedication. You must remember to meditate regularly and to practice looking inward and tapping into your latent potential so that when the time comes, you can use it without restraint."

Sanjiro opened his eyes slowly, now staring at the man in front of him. The boy nodded with a look of determination. He could feel the energy flowing through him and it felt amazing! His left hand twitched as he lifted his arm up slowly, suddenly he'd ball his left hand into a tight fist, as though he were crushing some invisible object with his vice like grip.

"Yes, Sanjuro-sensei, thank you."

Word Count: 1308/1200

Age : 34 Posts : 1209

[This training is in regards to my request. The desired SC is contained within the spoiler.]

Quick Speed:

Sanjiro's breath came in spurts as the boy gasped with each inspiration, doing his utmost best to take in as much precious air as he could. He could already feel himself growing exhausted from this morning's training yet the sun had barely even made it to it's highest point in the middle of the sky. This indicated that the day was still young and that there would be more harsh training to come. Sanjiro sighed as he slowly turned around to face the older swordsman. Sanjuro held his sheathed blade at his side as Sanjiro's hand reached up for the hilt of his own sword.

"Again!"

The older man's voice cut through the crisp mountain air, echoing all around them as the two figures rushed at one another with blinding speed. As the two closed in on one another they each drew their respective blades, the two weapons acting as mere extensions of their users. Though the two swung their weapons with tremendous force and speed, the sound of metal colliding against metal was strangely absent, as though the exchange had never happened. It was all over in the blink of an eye as the two continued on their own paths, seemingly running past one another. Sanjiro let out a small cough as his right hand drifted toward his left side, pressing on the tender area where he had repeatedly received several injuries.

"You're too slow. You'll never hit me like that."

The man's voice was soft now, calm as a small stream as he turned around to look at the cringing boy. Sanjiro mentally cursed himself for his lack of speed. How long had he prided himself on being one of the fastest shinobi in the village? All that mental boasting seemed to be lie now in the face of this master. Sanjiro was no where near this man's speed. Sanjiro wasn't fast, he was a snail! Memories of his fight with the masked missing ninja began to play out in his head, reminding the boy of his lack of speed. Back then, Sanjiro had cursed his lack of speed for the first time in his life and now, he was doing it again. Sanjiro growled lightly as he turned around, facing the man with a look of determination. No more, he'd not continue to be slow, he needed to possess the speed to be deadly and decisive. Without speed, Sanjiro would surely meet his end one day. If this had been a real fight, Sanjiro knew that he'd be dead.

"Again."

This time the word came from Sanjiro. As soon as the word was spoken both figures rushed toward one another once more. The word had acted as the starter pistol, signalling the start of the race and as both males approached one another their hands quickly flew to the hilts of their respective weapons, ready to draw the blade and strike as quickly as they could, yet always careful to strike with the blunt edge of the sword as not to seriously injure one another.

As the two rushed one another, Sanjiro was nearly overcome by the urge to use his special vision, but in the end he decided that doing so would defeat the purpose of this training. The boy needed to be able to fight without using that power. If he could learn to fight without relying on such an ability then he'd only be that much stronger in actual combat when he did decide to use it. Once again the two rushed past one another, both letting their weapons swing toward one another in such a rapid fashion that any bystanders who may have been watching would have had trouble perceiving the respective attacks of the two combatants. Sanjiro wondered, in the back of his mind, what it all might have looked like, unfortunately there was no one here to watch this session, no one to tell him how this all looked.

As the two swords swung at one another, Sanjiro was somehow able to notice the intended path of Sanjuro's blade and at the last second was able to raise his own weapon in a feeble attempt to block the blow while adjusting his path so that he moved away from Sanjuro's body. The whole thing had taken place in an instant and as Sanjrio and Sanjuro separated, the chuunin was left wondering as to how he had managed to parry the older man's blow.

"Good. But you still haven't hit me yet. Again!"

As soon as the word was spoken both men spun on their heels, rushing at one another again. Sanjiro could feel his body crying in protest, exhausted from the high speed movements and the constant stream of adrenaline flowing through his veins, but the boy couldn't stop now, he had to keep fighting, he had to master the speed that one needed to be a great swordsman. Once more the two ran past one another and instantly the sound of metal clashing against metal was heard as the two blades kissed one another for but a moment before gliding across each others' surface, letting the two fighters run past one another in the exact same fashion as they had been doing for what seemed like hours.

"Again."

The man barked, barely giving Sanjiro any time to rest, forcing the boy to pivot on his left foot before pushing off, sending his body forward at break neck speed in an attempt to strike his teacher. The two closed in on one another, both drawing their blades in an instant, ready to strike with both speed and precision. Sanjiro swung low, the man swung high and as the chuunin's blade drifted closer toward his teacher's form he quickly dropped his own form into a low crouch as his feet ceased their movement, allowing momentum to continue to propel the boy forward as he slid across the rocky ground, the sound of dirt and stone grinding coming from under his feet. The boy gritted his teeth as he felt the air just inches above his head give way to the man's swinging weapon, informing the chuunin of the tremendous speed and power the man possessed when swinging his sword. What Sanjiro noticed next was the odd sensation of vibrations carrying up his own blade and into his arm as hiw own weapon struck his teacher's flank, causing the older man to stumble as he rushed past Sanjiro, nearly dropping to one knee due to both surprise and reflex.

"I did it?"

Sanjiro's voice was filled with surprise and awe as he realized that he had just struck his sensei. It was something that he never thought he'd be able to do. The man had been too fast for Sanjiro, almost untouchable. When Sanjiro had first encountered the man, he could tell the old swordsman had been holding back during their initial fight. The thought that the man may have been holding back still, remained in his mind and as much as it displeased the chuunin, he knew that it was something he'd have to accept. This man, if he was fighting at full power, would have destroyed Sanjiro. There was no point in the man wanting to destroy the boy though, the two were now training together and had been for the last few days. In that time, Sanjiro had grown very frustrated with his shortcomings but every time the sense of frustration had become almost too much to bear, Sanjuro was always there to remind the chuunin about the progress the boy had made in only a few days.

"It would seem so...I'm proud of you."

The man spoke as he turned around, smiling at the boy who was now glancing at his teacher from over his own shoulder. Truly, Sanjuro was proud of the boy, he was proud of his son and he had to admit that this was the happiest he had ever been in a long time, being here, training his boy, despite the fact that this whole experience was a bittersweet moment, the bitter aspect being that Sanjiro had no idea who Sanjuro truly was...

Word Count: 1359/1200