There he was, sitting balanced across a plank of wood which teetered with even the slightest miscalculation. Both pupils were closed while he sat with both legs crossed upon themselves and a single leaf positioned between his eyes. The leaf which was being held in place by chakra focused in the single space where it was pressed against his forehead. Mentally he had at one point been taking the time, mentally counting down the seconds that the leaf was able to remain in place. The process was a gain as you fail, with countless times Kouza being able to maintain this direct chakra flow and equally more times failing to keep it in position. While he could have been doing the water walking training, he had found that this specific training would mold his concentration as well. Sitting in the middle of the training ground, the reoccurring winds and general interactions of nature would prove a distinct challenge. Naturally this would not be on the level of what would be acquired in a tense situation but it was at least a building block for this. Settling down his breathing, Kouza would replace the leaf that had fallen not to long ago before pressing his palms together.
Attempting to enter a state of solitude mentally, the sounds around him would to some extent begin to purge themselves from his ears. This silence, though not absolute allowed him to concentrate on the task while being able to reflect on various aspects of his current life. The first image which came to mind was that of Yoshi and how the stronger he would become the more liable he would be able to support his friend. Without aspirations of his own, Kouza had decided not to long ago to dedicate himself to being useful. Feeling the wind brush across his face, the flow of time was beginning to be lost to him the longer he remained stationary. Every once in awhile his body would wobble slightly along the board, re-establishing his balance without batting an eye. Slowly opening his eyes, he'd unwind his legs while still fighting to remain on the plank. Standing, his body would squat slightly before lunging upwards into the air.
Quickly withdrawing his blade from it's sheath on his back, Kouza's imagination created a shadow of himself as he motioned his katana outwards in a downwards slash. Mental sparks would fly as the tinge of his blade connected against his imagined enemy. Adjusting his handle, Kouza pressed the attack by making quick slashes in succession while constantly moving his feet and changing up stances. Avoiding the counters from the shadow, his weapon would cut upwards sending his foe's blade backwards as it would take a step back. Using the opening in the guard, he would slide his palm lower on the handle and tighten his grip by adding his left hand. Bringing down an above the head slash, his blade would slice through the imagined target causing it to fade from his mind.
Standing there with some labored breath, he'd be sweating slightly while at the very least the leaf had remained in place.
[WC: 524]