Swordsmanship Basics: The Art of Blade [Class]

[Kashino Yuu]

Current Path​

When it came to missions, all he can feel was a mix of fear and excitement. But when it came to academy classes, Yuu was very nervous. It didn’t help that this time, he will be the one who will be the teacher for the academy. Thankfully, with the help of some shinobi, he managed to have some ideas on what he would teach.

Right now, he was organizing some of the weapons that were placed on the weapon racks in the academy’s dojo. However, these were not the usual weapons as most of them are several types of wooden swords such as longswords, rapiers, katana, and some short swords. After he remembered the time with his former teacher and the time that he almost got into trouble by carrying a formerly stolen spear, which was now one of his main weapons, he asked one of my father’s friends to make several wooden weapons for his classes. He also asked the blacksmith who made his weapons to make several lightweight swords for demonstration purposes as his Newborn Sword was now part of his Rinnegan abilities and using it might be a bit unfair and extreme for him to use in this situation.

The weapons aren’t the only ones he was checking on as several training dummies and bamboo straw bundle that he gathered from the forest. It’s not much, but it was enough to help him guide some students on the basics. Of course, he had to make sure his class was known as he already put up a poster not only at the dojo’s door but also on the bulletin board.

Basics of Swordsmanship: The Art of Blade
Open to all students and interested Genin!
You will be supplied with a sword if you don’t own a sword.​

While most of the items he brought for the class might be a bit scarce, Yuu was satisfied with them. Besides, he wanted to give his students the basics and he will make sure that his class would be the best first step for them to decide on their first weapon. Now all he has to worry about was how many students or Genin will be arriving.

[MFT/WC: 365 (Including the words in the Poster)]

---

Notes:

• This class is open to Academy Students and Genin!
• I will be posting the time limit soon, but feel free to let your characters introduce themselves to Yuu when they enter the dojo.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

"Oof!" A tanuki girl plopped onto the academy grounds. It took a few moments for air to return to her lungs, and finally she lifted her head and gasped. She reached for her glasses that had flung from her face. "Whew...not broken." She rose from the ground and dusted herself off while taking in the scenery. "This is...the academy grounds? Shit...is this another filler episode? I'm never going to finish the nunnery arc at this rate." She kicked the earth with her sandal before shrugging. "Whatever, what lesson that may or may not stick with my main character development will I learn today?" She assumed her destination was the inside of the academy, and approached it with a frown. Upon entering, she saw the poster on the bulletin board. "Swordsmanship... this isn't going to become a Detergent filler arc...is it? I really don't want to waste time sword-fighting vampire wannabes and get nothing out of it." For better or worse, there didn't appear to be any other classes running at this time. Rinko sighed. "Swordsmanship it is."

It took a bit of wandering around, but eventually Rinko found the dojo with a copy of the bulletin board poster. She slid the door open and lightly kicked her sandals off at the entrance. She scanned the room in search of the teacher, but only saw a boy no older than her. He must be here for the class too. Assuming the authority figure for the day was away, Rinko walked into the center of the room without an introduction. She curled her puffy tail underneath her and sat on it like a cushion. While she waited for the teacher to reveal himself, Rinko glanced at the array of weapons, pondering which one she would use.

[WC: 294]
[MFT]

 

[Omoi Tetsu]

More than anything, his teeth hurt. The bottle was ever so slightly swaying back and forth in Tetsu's mouth as he dipped his hands into the river with some weeds he thought he heard somewhere made a good replacement for shampoo. When they were wet, he'd dip his head back, letting the bottle's sweet contents start to warmly fill his stomach as he scrubbed the vegetation into his scalp; a little trick he learned to help him speed up the whole bathing process, since, you know, he'd have to put the bottle down to breathe sooner rather than later. There was nothing, in the end, that was more important to the development of a shinobi than efficiency, and today would mark an important milestone in the boy's life.

In some other way, and in some other place, Tetsu could have been the most important person in his whole village, carried on the shoulders of the stars that had come before him. 'The world was so full of hope, without a whole lot of justice, let's say,' the boy was thinking as he wobbled to his feet and eyed his little dirt-and-leave-filled sleeping tunnel with contempt, but all that could change on the heels of some phenomenon. Something that would shock people so completely that it would pull the breath from their lungs as they sat there stunned, watching history unfold before them. Tetsu had waited so long for this moment, and his hour in the sun was finally upon him; the love he felt for himself seeming so powerful that he swore he could feel it coursing through the forest floor beneath him, ready to bring every living piece of vegetation to blossom.

He stopped at the entrance of the academy, scrutinizing his reflection for any stray leave or particle of dirt that might have previously escaped his attention. He wanted to look impeccable. He needed for everything to go perfectly. He was ready, finally, for love.

He had watched, through his year of training in the forest, the progression of academy students and Genin that practiced in the academy, or at the obstacle course, or in the forest generally. He knew he was better than them. Better than their teachers too. There wasn't even a comparison to be made, and all the while, Tetsu had been hiding away in obscurity, training harder, it seemed at least possible, than any other shinobi that had come before him in Cloud. 'Just think of the women, too,' and the boy was really focusing intently at this point, 'Think of the women who'll be fawning over me when they learn that I'm really the secret prodigy of Kumo'. He briefly broke away from the little reverie calling him to define, precisely, what kind of girl he was really the most into, as if he was designing some character in a video game. He was speed reading the words on the poster, enough to see "... interested Genin!" Permission. "Perfect."

When he beats up the instructor, from a forensics point of view, it would be important to establish a clear line of justification. Even something as small as entering a class designated exclusively for academy students could be enough to cast aspersions on his moral character, and therefore take away from the pureness of the spectacle. Tetsu walked in, noticing that the room had kind of a dojo-ish vibe to it and some of the wind was immediately taken out of his sails. He arched his back to read the sign a bit more thoroughly. "Well this sucks..." The setting was a bit too beating-up-the-instructor appropriate to cause any kind of scandal. He looked around, ignoring Yuu for the moment and locking eyes with the girl sitting on a cushion, "Maybe I could..." Kill an academy student? Would he still be famous when he got out of prison?

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

Setsu had just finished submitting the paperwork for his exam application to the Academy’s main office and was on his way home when he noticed the class posting on the bulletin board. [lb2][/lb2]

Basics of Swordsmanship: The Art of Blade
Open to all students and interested Genin!
You will be supplied with a sword if you don’t own a sword.​

[lb2][/lb2]

Swordsmanship, Setsu thought to himself. He had mainly limited himself to kunai and shuriken as he was not the biggest fan of melee combat. Though that proved to be a setback during that “special lesson” Tanuki-sensei gave me. After some silent internal debate, he decided to attend. Even if he wasn’t very proficient with the sword, Setsu figured there might be something he could apply to his own fighting style. Plus, if he kept shying away from difficult tasks, it might become a habit to run away from things he didn’t like in the future.

He made his way to the dojo indicated on the board and entered with a quiet, “Excuse me.” The young boy took a moment to see who would be his classmates this time. Once again, Tanuki Rinko was there. The boy tried to catch her attention with a wave, but she was intently observing the weapons that were neatly lined up on the racks. Still, Setsu felt a bit more at ease with the Tanuki girl there, though a small flashback of being smacked upside the head by a wooden hammer floated through his mind. I hope she’s still not mad at me.

He turned his attention to the other two people in the room. One older boy with a bottle, who seemed to have just come out of the bath or something. Maybe he was in a hurry? Setsu wouldn’t judge, he had been late to a lot of things and the Kumo Academy staff weren’t very kind to latecomers.

The other boy was about his age, maybe a little older than he was, but he had a forehead protector on his left arm. That makes him at least a genin then, I wonder if he’s the teacher? Setsu glanced over the older boy again, he didn’t see a headband anywhere, By process of elimination I guess it does. Setsu thought it was impressive that someone so young was already teaching a class. Might as well go introduce myself, then.

Setsu approached Yuu and bowed slightly, “Hello, I’m Suzuki Setsu. I’m looking forward to learning from you.”

WC: 412
MFT
[Entered as Free RP, forfeiting class rewards]

 

[Kashino Yuu]

Current Path​

As Yuu sat down in the middle of the dojo, he pondered at the possibilities that the students and Genin may bring. Back when he was a student, most of the teachers in his classes saw his potential in Taijutsu. Hopefully, he might able to find some who may have the same potential as him.

But there was one problem. Yuu was 13 years old and the path he was using right now is a near-perfect clone of his original body. In a sense, he may look like a Genin than a Chuunin qualified to teach in the academy. This was proven when he saw the first person entering the dojo and sat on the center of the room, ignoring him completely. He was sitting near the weapon rack, but he guessed that she mistook him as an Academy Student or a Genin. He was okay, yet he was completely dumbfounded that she has a big raccoon's tail behind her.

The next person who entered the dojo was even more confusing. He was a bit older than the young girl and he was carrying some kind of bottle. And like her, he ignored him as he sat down without caring about anyone. Considering his appearance, he can tell that he might be a Genin or Chuunin. Regardless, he has to do something about the bottle or his behavior to prevent any problems during his class.

The last person entering the dojo was a bit of surprise. The young boy was about his age, yet there was something about him that made him curious. In fact, the blue-eyed boy approached him and introduced himself. Then again, he might have recognized him by his forehead protector tied around his waist. Which made him wondered why didn't the other two notice it in the first place. Regardless, he bowed to the young boy, Setsu with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Setsu."

Upon seeing three people in the dojo, Yuu decided to start his class as he stood up and walked to the center in front of the students (and Genin). "Alright. My name is Kashino Yuu and I will be your teacher for this class. If you're wondering about me, then yeah, I'm actually 13 years old. But to tell you the truth, I started my shinobi career from the age of 10, then I worked my way up to Chuunin for three years now. So in short, I'm practically a veteran shinobi."

Okay, that was not a good introduction as a teacher. He was still nervous and he never taught three people before. Yet, he felt a little excited as it was his turn to teach the next generation of students what he knew. "Introductions aside, let's talk about the art of the sword." Yuu took a broadsword from the rack and showed it to the students. "I know what you're thinking. Using a sword is easy to use for any shinobi, right? Well, that's true, a one-handed sword like this one is easy to handle and a decent weight for you to carry. But as you continue to use it, it can be hard to master. If you don't know how to use it correctly, it would just become a dull blade that is useless in battle," he explained as he walked towards a bundle of bamboo straw tied together and prepared his sword. "But in the hands of a master swordsman..."

He then quickly swung his sword horizontally to the straw. In the eyes of the other students, it seemed that his sword missed the bamboo completely. But a few seconds later, a straight cut shown itself in the middle of it as the top portion of the bamboo straw fell on the floor. "It can be the most dangerous weapon in their arsenal yet." Yuu laid the sword's tip of the blade on the floor as he turned towards his students and said, "All of you grab any wooden sword from the weapon rack to your left. As for you two, please give this time to introduce yourselves. Speaking of which..."

Without any warning, Yuu pulled out a wire that he borrowed from Yuri and threw it to Tetsu's bottle. He then attempted to pull it away from him, which if he succeeded, he grabbed the rim of the bottle and said, "I will be holding on to this until the end of the class." Whether if he succeeded in confiscating the bottle or not, there was no way he tolerated any kind of drinking in the dojo.

[MFT/WC: 760]

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Notes:

• Feel free to take any kind of wooden sword that Yuu offered in the weapon rack.
• You have about 2-3 days to post until the next round. I'm really loose in the time limit, but I will inform you for any updates or delays.
• This is IC and only for Tetsu, but there is a chance Yuu may succeed on confiscating Tetsu's bottle or not, please feel free to roll a dice or decide what happens next.
• This is just a note, but as Setsu's reminder, he will be not taking any class rewards.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

The next person to enter after Rinko was a tall lad with an earthy smell to him. She met his eyes, but averted them quickly. Something about him felt awkward. She had a feeling she didn't want this guy to be her sparring partner, not only due to his odd presence, but also because he definitely had far more reach than her. Being small had its perks, but today would likely not display those advantages. She breathed a sigh of relief when the familiar form of Setsu entered the dojo. Perfect! I bet I could kick the crap out of Setsu! She avoided his gaze, not wanting him to see the wicked smirk on her face.

When Kashino placed himself before the group and confirmed that he was in fact their teacher for today, RInko cocked an eyebrow. As the boy explained himself further, the girl frowned. She too had entered the academy at ten-years-old. Sure, she'd been skipping classes and doing the bare minimum for a while, but to jump in rank so quickly either reflected poorly on her, or showed how talented this kid must be. At his declaration of basically being a veteran shinobi, Rinko visibly winced. She hoped he was joking. If not, that was kinda an insult to people like her Pops who had been serving for decades. She closed her eyes and took in some air, hoping to calm her irritation. You're not a failure Rinko...this kid is just the second coming of Jesus Saito...probably... She opened an eye to get a better look at the scrawny teacher. Maybe?

Having recovered her composure, Rinko listened to Kashino and nodded occasionally. While she felt that Ninjutsu and Genjutsu were superior due to their long range capabilities, she couldn't help but shiver as the bamboo toppled over. Her tail puffed up from under her as she imagined someone lopping off her tail with such a swing. Okay...maybe swords are scary. At the very least I've gotta respect this kid's proficiency with this kinda thing. Feeling a bit less confident than before the class started, Rinko rose and gave a small bow to Kashino. "Tanuki Rinko." She slunk to the weapon rack and grabbed the sword that had caught her attention earlier. It was a wooden sword crafted in the form of Bear Country's bonguk geom. Rinko didn't know much about weapons, but this one seemed good enough. She walked back to her original spot and stood with the sword apprehensively in her grasp.

[WC: 417]
[MFT]

 

[Omoi Tetsu]

Tetsu stared bleakly at his empty hands as his bonded and precious bottle of brandy was plucked from it. Longing, anxiety, and anger all mixed inside of him as he watched his old friend sailing in the air as if to some distant shore. He bit his tongue, but waited for the appropriate pause in murmurs and movement to very formally and dramatically make his way to the front of the class, to stand beside his ambitious young professor, smiling towards Rinko and Setsu, and addressing them as if the introduction request came with an implicit demand to formalize the whole process. "My name is Omoi Tetsu. I may not be as young and gifted as our brilliant teacher," He began, eyeing his classmates with a face brimming with evil mirth and childishness, "But I hope to one day follow in his footsteps, becoming talented enough to one day be given the most elite role in the village; teaching children how to play with wooden swords." He nodded politely to the class before snorting and laughing in decidedly impolite fashion, and finishing with, "Thank you." Before reaching out to grab a wooden Southern Broadsword-style sword, the one made of white ash wood, and walking over to stand beside Rinko, nudging her with his elbow without first looking at her, as if to be discreet with the gesture.

"Hey." He said, making her complicit in his little note-passing-style conversation, "Is that... fully articulating." He was staring now with narrowed eyes at the girl's apparent bushy tale, "You can move it just by thinking?" The girl he was still considering killing seemed like she was the type to live primarily in her head, either smiling to herself and at nothing or puffing up her bushy tail in shock at the teacher's little parlour trick. She seemed to be going through some kind of schizophrenically lonely phase, spurred on, it seemed likely, by growing pains, unable to open up enough to gain any recognition from her peers or gain their love and affection. It really was a shame that she'd never get a chance to finally come out of her shell and open up to people, and Tetsu thought that the least he could do was to offer a little bit of conversation that the girl wouldn't even have to work to get started. Even though she was probably technically an animal, and so it wouldn't be murder, he was still tempted to err on the side of sympathetic pity for her.

He was rapidly, however, getting restless with the situation he now found himself in. The image he had of how this class was going to go seemed to be suffering a kind of death by a thousand cuts. It wasn't even as if anything was going terribly badly, he just felt like a man about to yell out some thundering speech, and being interrupted by people in the audience trying to find their seats, or dropping a glass bottle that slowly rolled down toward the stage. His fingers almost felt itchy, gripping and relaxing against the handle of his wooden sword. He looked at Rinko, at the polite latecomer, and at the child prodigy.

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

Thirteen years old?!? The young empath was flabbergasted, their instructor was only two years his senior. What kind of training did you go through to get that powerful so quickly? Setsu shuddered at the thought of it. Will that happen to us? He looked at Rinko and the other boy. Kashino-sensei went on to describe himself as a veteran shinobi, something Rinko seemed to take umbrage with for some reason. Setsu on the other hand, was impressed that someone so young could be considered a veteran. Though if that were the case, the life expectancy of a shinobi was short indeed. Hopefully we all will be able to call ourselves veteran shinobi one day.

After demonstrating his skill with a sword, Kashino-sensei directed the other two members of the class to introduce themselves and then choose a weapon. But before anyone could follow those instuctions, wire wrapped itself around Tetsu’s bottle and yanked it out of his grasp. Kashino-sensei informed the older boy that he would be able to retrieve the bottle after the class was finished.

Rinko introduced herself with a curt bow, her speech and demeanor probably affected by Kashino’s display of technique, and selected her weapon. It was a long and thin blade, designed for slicing. It resembled the swords that the Lightning Country soldiers carried, though something was different about it. Setsu was not experienced enough with weapons to tell though. The older boy, introduced himself as Omoi Tetsu. Even Setsu could tell that the boy’s next words were laced with sarcasm. I guess he really liked that bottle, maybe Kashino-sensei could have just asked him to put it away instead of taking it. But that doesn’t mean you should just start insulting his profession, teaching is important too. Setsu decided to not get involved, hopefully Kashino-sensei would just ignore the slight and continue with the class. Tetsu moved to grab a sword, it had a wider blade that flared out and curved upwards at the tip.

Now it was his turn, “Um, I’m Suzuki Setsu! I mean I said that already, oh um I don’t really have much in the way of dreams, basically just seeing my family again. Haha…,” he trailed off. Tetsu seemed to be talking to Rinko, and Kashino-sensei was waiting to start the lesson. “I’ll just go pick something then,” he said quietly as he shuffled over to the weapon rack. He grabbed a shorter blade that resembled the ancient Kumogakurean xiphos. It was a short thirty centimeter blade that was designed for combat in enclosed areas. He then moved over to where Tetsu and Rinko were standing and waited for Kashino-sensei’s next instructions.

WC: 439

 

[Kashino Yuu]

Current Path​

Tanuki Rinko. She was a strange girl, he can't even comprehend regarding her raccoon tail. Then again, her name seemed to be a dead giveaway regarding her true nature. Her choice of the wooden sword was even unique. According to the craftsman who made the wooden weapons, it was one of the ancient weapons used in Bear Country. Though he can't tell whether she chose it out of a whim or just some random chance. The next person was Omoi Tetsu, the one with the bottle that he confiscated. On the surface, his introduction showed respect towards him and the students, but Yuu could tell a hint of sarcasm in his voice. It made sense since he had to take his bottle. He would have asked to give the bottle to him, but he doubted that he could comply his request. His wooden sword has a wider blade than his own and the one Rinko held. Nothing much from his observations, but he has to keep an eye on this young man.

Lastly, there was Suzuki Setsu. He seemed to be a shy, yet excitable side, yet he liked the motivation of his goals and mission. As for the sword he chose, he was surprised that he chose a xiphos replica, a sword that he saw from the books about the ancient Kumogakure era. In any case, it was a good pick for Setsu.

Once all of his students picked their wooden swords, Yuu sheathed his broadsword and grabbed a wooden replica of it from the rack before he walked back in front of the students. "Now then, let's start by going over several important points of swordsmanship. The first one is imagining your sword as an extension of yourself. Second, you have to decide the type of sword based on your preferred fighting style. And lastly, you must never underestimate your opponents. Just because you mastered the art of the sword doesn't mean you have to get cocky in a real fight. The first point is very obvious to everyone. It sounds a bit cliche, but it is important if you want to master it. I learned from experience that by using my sword, I can imagine it as an important body part to me. If you keep treating it as a tool, it would be useful as a wooden stick. If you lose it, you will not only lose a part of yourself but also your life. Please take note of that when you're in a real fight. Remember, the path of a shinobi is not a forgiving journey. One misstep and you're dead."

As he continued explaining, Yuu walked around the dojo while he held his wooden sword with his two hands. "The next point is what we will be doing first for this class. Everyone has their different ways to fight and sword fighting is no different. For example, my fighting style is mostly focused on my swift strikes and my usage of Lightning Ninjutsu. For example, I used a broadsword because not only it's lightweight, but it is versatile and adaptable in many situations. Then, there's a Zweihänder, a large heavy sword that can be held with two hands. A swordsman who prefers strength and nothing else is a perfect candidate for this type of sword. Also, an agile warrior can have an option of wielding two swords at once. I also used two swords as well, but only in some certain situations that call for it. I can give you more examples, but you get the picture. The point is that it's up to you to decide on what kind of sword you will be using as it will not only aid you in battle, it will enhance your fighting style even more."

His lecture was starting to grow longer than he imagined. So it might be best if he should move on. With his sword on his armpit, he made a few handseals, which a clone of himself appeared in front of his class. "With that said, I want you guys to watch what I do." He then assumed his fighting position with his sword in front of him as his clone picked up the same broadsword wooden replica and copied him. Once they did, the clone moved first as he swung his sword vertically to Yuu. However, Yuu sidestepped to his right and attempted to counter it with a horizontal swing. But the clone noticed it as he blocked it with his own sword, which locked their wooden blade to each other. After a few seconds, Yuu quickly broke the lock as he thrust it to his clone's chest. It didn't stab through it due to being a wooden weapon, but he quickly melted into a water puddle as soon Yuu's sword made contact to it, which caused his wooden broadsword to drop on the wooden floor. Upon he saw this, Yuu sighed in relief as he "sheathed" his wooden sword to his left hand before he turned to his students.

"What you just saw was a small spar between me and my clone. We both use the same wooden broadsword, but I used a standard sword fighting style while my clone used the usual style I used in every battle I partake in. Just like the nature of Ninjutsu, every sword fighting style can have strengths and weaknesses. Like I said before, I'm a swift swordsman who relies on speed even without my Ninjutsu, but my attacks can have many openings that my clone would have used. So for this exercise, I want you guys to spar with one of my Water clones and subdue them. Don't worry if you failed to make them disappear. You just need to discover if those swords fit for your style."

He then made another handseal, this time with only one hand due to his path's ability, Without a warning to the class, three more clones appeared in front of them, which they took the same kind of swords that they picked earlier. As for Yuu, he then sat down and put down his wooden sword near him, waiting for them to try sparring against his clones.

[MFT/WC: 1032]

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Notes:

• It's just a simple task. Spar against one of Yuu's Water clones as he will observe what kind of fighting styles your characters have.
• Also, feel free to control his clones' actions as you like. There is no win or loss condition for this spar.
• You have about 2-3 days to post until the next round. Like before, I will inform you for any updates or any delays.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Rinko winced a little at the elbowing her side received. She glanced at Tetsu and blushed lightly as he questioned her tail. Her hand shifted to cover her rear, and she responded in a quiet voice. "I guess? It's like moving my arm or leg. If it's too distracting for you, Pops taught me how to hide my youkai traits." With a single hand seal, a small puff of smoke enveloped her tail and ears. When the smoke cleared, her tanuki appendages were gone. She was about to comment on his earlier introduction, but Kashino was already continuing on with the lesson.

By the end of the teacher's opening lecture, Rinko's face was scrunched in frustrated confusion. Those were two different styles? But it just looked like they were swinging swords around. She moved back to allow some space between the three trainees. She was slightly reassured when Kashino declared that failing was acceptable, because she was pretty sure she was at an extreme disadvantage. When the clone took its position and tensed, Rinko instinctively held the sword in front of her with two hands. An extension of my body my butt! This thing is heavier than it looks...or I'm weaker than I thought... The water clone lunged forward with a vertical swing, just like it had with the real Yuu during the demonstration. Rinko copied his earlier sidestep, but the additional weight of her arms along with her now missing tail caused her to lose balance. She staggered to the right, and hopped back before a horizontal slice could make contact with her chest. "Shit shit shit!"

A chase scene ensued. The clone, while not ruthlessly attacking Rinko, wasn't letting her regain her footing, and thus her only option was to duck and dodge her assailant if she didn't want to get hit. She rolled close to Setsu and noticed him in an edgy defensive stance. With her momentum, she latched onto the boy and swung his body ninety degrees. She dipped behind him and heard the loud clack of wood on wood. "Thanks Setsu! Bye Setsu!" She pounced away from him, avoiding a vertical slice from Setsu's opponent. Rinko continued her lap around the dojo, and found herself closing in on Kashino. "Excuse me! Sorry! Coming through!" She leapt up and used Yuu's shoulders as a springboard. With the extra height, Rinko was able to grab onto the rafters above and flip herself onto them. The clone refused to give up, and jumped up to join her. Rinko let out a small squeak of surprise before diving for the next beam. Her foot slipped, however, and she began hurtling to the ground. The Tanuki released her weapon long enough to perform two hand seals, causing a green vine to sprout from the rafters and catch her midair. But the clone was in hot pursuit, and he jumped down and aimed a swing at its target. Rinko used a gust of wind jutsu to push herself to the side, narrowly avoiding the downward slice. Unfortunately, the clone's sword caught the vine instead, cutting Rinko loose. She plummeted the rest of the way to the ground with a loud thud. "Oof!"

Kashino obviously paused his clone's assault, as he didn't want to strike a student while she was down, but Rinko wasn't going to take any chances. Despite her now aching hip, she forced herself to stand, brandishing the wooden sword yet again. Alas, Rinko had back herself into a corner. There was nowhere left to run, and the clone knew that. "Fine. You want me to swing my sword, I'll swing my frickin' sword." She tossed the sword into the air and quickly formed seals. She hopped up to catch the sword and brought it down towards the clone. It easily blocked it, and held Rinko in a standstill. She stuck her tongue out at her adversary as a Y-shaped twig sprouted from the sword, jabbing the Kashi-clone in the eyes. It staggered back, and Rinko took the opportunity to kick it in the shin. "There! You happy now you stupid thing?!" But such shenanigans weren't enough to disperse the clone, and it retaliated before Rinko could react. Its wooden sword came down on Rinko's head with a sharp thwack. "Owa!" The girl staggered before landing flat on her rear. She placed her hands over her ringing head and closed her eyes to stop the world from spinning.

 

[Omoi Tetsu]

The boy was staring with his mouth slightly open, frowning with an openly stupid look on his face as the girl explained how she could hide her demonic traits. He belted out a loud and tactless "Huh?" As she hid her more... inhuman qualities. So, it looked like the village just let any old demon hang around with children here. Not that it bothered Tetsu, of course; he was, after all, sufficiently drunk by this point. But what did bother him is seeing her take the initiative to go after the clones the teacher had sent out; he'd be damned if he was going to let some raccoon contract summon upstage him in the initiative department. "I'll show you," he started, pressing his heel against the floor and pushing himself forward at an aggressively fast pace, "How you disperse a clone."

He was gripping the handle of his broadsword tightly as the point of the blade followed a smooth and slow curve that would see the blade held pensively along his opposite hip, ready to slice out along his left side as he crossed the clone on the right. The clone made an adept and much more efficient counter, moving it's sword to block in an upward curve before turning it in one smooth motion into an attack. It didn't matter though, Tetsu made no attempt at cutting up the clone, instead opting to dive and roll to it's side and behind it. Only, the boy wasn't quite expecting an attack so pointedly aimed, and the result seemed to be that he had to give the counter a much larger birth than he had anticipated, collapsing into a clumsy and drunken roll that would land him squarely into a nearby weapon's rack. The wooden frame practically exploded with a loud eruption of wooden weapons being strewn across the whole room as Tetsu scurried with an animalistic ferocity to get back to his feet, his shoes scraping against the floor several times before even catching the traction they needed to launch him back upwards. The demon might have beaten him to the punch, but he was, at the very least, going to be damned if he'd let himself be upstaged by the other nerd who introduced himself twice in class. He was going to take that watery kill first too.

He looked up at Yuu now, ready to reveal his true intent, an awful grin creeping up on his face as he approached the child. He started to hum a dark little melody, attempting to cast the mother of all of his bloodline techniques, Nocturne of Shadow, on the teacher. Just how bad an idea this was, Tetsu hadn't quite realized just yet, although he should have been tipped off by the adeptness with the sword that the man's clone displayed, but Tetsu was absolutely devoted to the narrative he had developed about the kid's skill level. It wouldn't be for mere show that he had perched his bokken so tightly against his side; he was ready now to slam it into the boy's ribs with his Eclipse Fury, attempting as he did so to send another shot at the apex of that first swing as a direct stabbing blow into the man's stomach, first pulling the handle into the right side of his hip before thrusting it outward in a straight line toward the teacher. He was going to wipe that cocky indifference from the boy's face. He wanted to see him wheeze with the agony of the hit. Tetsu might have been wielding a mere wooden sword, but there was real killer intent in each swing, mediated only by the fact that the weapon didn't have an edge.

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

Setsu listened to the lecture, trying to keep all of the points Kashino-sensei was bringing up in mind. These practical classes are really difficult, he thought to himself. Setsu much preferred having time to sit and take notes and then study said notes before trying out new techniques. But a lot of the staff at the academy liked to use the ‘sink or swim’ method of teaching. It had bothered Setsu a lot when he started, but now he had resigned himself the the fact that this was the norm in Kumo.

Kashino first talked about the sword as a part of his body, this was a bit of a foreign concept to Setsu. As someone who mainly threw his weapons at opponents, it was hard to see them as anything but a limited number of chances he had to hit an enemy. Even the small blades of emotion infused chakra he could use in place of actual kunai or shuriken weren’t limitless as they sapped his stamina with every use. As he stared at the small wooden blade in his hand he wondered exactly what being one with his weapon would entail.

The next point was about finding a style that fit him. Kashino brought up that his style was based around his lightning affinity and swift sword strikes. And that his style helped determine the type of sword he favored, the standard broadsword. Their teacher squared off against one of his water clones to demonstrate some examples of different styles of fighting and how they interacted with each other in combat. As they fought Setsu did notice a few of the principles outlined in a few of his other classes being showcased here. Firstly, parries weren’t the ultimate defense. The best defense was simply not getting hit. Parries were a last resort and should be used as one of many layers of defense. Kashino demonstrated this when he chose to sidestep the clone’s initial attack rather than attempt to block it. Secondly, don’t be overly dramatic in a fight. The blade lock the clone performed and held with Kashino looked really cool, like a fight scene in one of those historical dramas, but in a practical battle not immediately transitioning into another attack or disengaging was foolish and provided an opening for Kashino to slip past its guard and land a solid blow.

Now it was their turn to spar with a clone. The three students squared off against identical copies of Kashino. Rinko moved first, then Omoi, but Setsu didn’t notice what specifically they were doing as he tried just to focus on the clone in front of him. Like the other clones, the one facing Setsu opened with a quick downward slice. Setsu had opted to hold the blade in a defensive stance, arms tucked into his body and tip of the blade pointed online towards his opponent. However, instead of rushing towards his opponent he felt himself being pulled backwards and turned towards a second clone. “Wha-?”

“Thanks Setsu! Bye Setsu!” the cheery voice of Rinko rang out from behind the boy as he was pushed into the clone that Rinko was supposed to be fighting. Reflexively Setsu thrust the xiphos replica under the clone’s guard and managed to land a hit. I-I did it! He thought triumphantly until a sudden pain washed through his body as a wooden sword connected with his head. Dazed, Setsu fell face-first onto the dojo floor. Soon after a second thwack was heard, and Setsu assumed Rinko had met a similar fate.

The boy rolled over and sat up to see that Omoi Tetsu had ignored his clone completely and was attacking Kashino-sensei instead! Or maybe Kashino-sensei had been a clone this whole time? Setsu vision was still a bit blurry from the sudden strike, so he was having a hard time distinguishing which Kashino-sensei was the true Kashino-sensei.

MFT
WC: 650

 

[Kashino Yuu]

Current Path​

Well, talk about a surprising turn of events. The first student who was finished was Rinko and her antics with his first Water clone. He specifically said to showcase their swordsmanship by sparring, not flailing around her sword in an attempt to finish off his clone. Not to mention using jutsu was a no-no for this practical session, especially jumping on her teacher like himself. Thankfully, his clone somehow smacked her on the head as his way of giving her an incorrect procedure. With that, he stopped his clone from sparring her any further as he frowned and stared at the mischievous girl.

For Setsu, he was a bit impressed at his sword fighting skills. Despite a small interference from Rinko, he did manage to land a hit despite his loss. Regardless, he felt it was a great effort for him. Tetsu, on the other hand, was more troublesome than the young raccoon-tailed girl. As he turned around to see him, his eyes widened to see him ignoring his Water clone completely and aimed his sword towards him. However, he remained calm as he created a handseal from his right hand and before Tetsu's sword can reach him, a puff of smoke enveloped both of them. If Tetsu managed to see through the smoke, it seemed that he managed to hit Yuu's head. But if he looked closer, he can see how his sword penetrated his head, which revealed that it was actually made of water as the replaced clone began to melt into what he was originally made of.

As for the real Yuu, he attempted to place his wooden sword's blade near Tetsu's neck and said, "Don't make me repeat myself. You're supposed to spar with my clones, not with my real self." He would have used his Thunderfist to infused his wooden weapon and stun the Genin, but he wouldn't go that far. Instead, he lowered his blade and glared at the young man. "Well, since you have some interesting moves and that you managed to bypass my clone, I'll let you off with a warning. But..." With his ripple-patterned eyes, he glared at Tetsu and said in a harsher tone, "Do that again and I will report you to the higher-ups for your misbehavior. Do I make myself clear?"

Whether if Tetsu would heed his warning or not was up to him. Regardless, he decided to continue on with the lesson as he turned his eyes to Rinko. "As for you, Rinko-san, you seemed to panic during the spar and resorted to using your Ninjutsu to escape my clone. Although Ninjutsu is also essential to support your sword fighting techniques, please refrain using them again during this class unless you want to disturb your classmates again," he said to her with his normal calm tone before he turned to Setsu. "Setsu, you didn't win the spar, but it was a great effort. Despite Rinko's disturbance, you managed to use it to your advantage just to land a hit. I commend you for that."

With that said, he stood his wooden sword like a cane and turned his attention to his students. "In any case, I can see some interesting styles you showed me in your spars. However, the purpose for the spars is to determine if the type of sword you used are perfect for you, guys. In fact, ask yourselves this. 'Is the sword I used too light or heavy?', 'Is this sword perfect to use along with the element of the Ninjutsu to your choosing?' As long you think about these questions, it's only a matter of time until you can find the perfect sword to accompany you in your future battles. And regarding the final point of swordsmanship, I think it would be already obvious after what Tetsu-san did. Whether if they are young or old, weak or strong, they might be skilled swordsmen and if you let your guard down based on their movements or appearances, there is a chance you may lose your arm or your life."

He then walked around until he was back in the center of the dojo as he continued his lecture. "But a parry or a counter-attack aren't the only ones you should look out for. There are some people like bandits or some missing shinobi who would use underhand tactics to gain the upper hand. You can't predict what will they do next, but you can sense their movements based on sound and instincts. And yes, that means you have to rely on your hearing to do so. Not only that, you have to rely on your gut instincts to act or not. Battles can be unpredictable and it's up to you to react to turn the tide of battle." Yuu then drew his wooden sword and faced it in front of him as he assumed his fighting position. "Now then, you will have to use your hearing and your instincts to dodge my sword. When I called your name, I want you to sit in front of me and face away from me. I will not tell you if I should strike, so it's up to you to decide to dodge depending on your timing. Again, it doesn't matter if you fail this task, but I have you warn you that my swing can be a bit... strong."

That word was an understatement for him, considering how long he was using his broadsword for 3 years now. Thankfully, he has to hold some of his strength for this next test. Besides, he can't hurt his students during his first class after all. Regardless, he called out his students' names based on the order: Rinko, then Tetsu, and lastly, Setsu.

[MFT/WC: 955]

---

Notes:

• Fourth round everyone! For this round, your character has to sit in front of Yuu while facing away from him and they have to dodge his sword as he swings it to their head.
• You are free if they managed to dodge Yuu's sword or not.
• You still have 2-3 days to post. But due to NaNoWriMo coming up, the next round post will be slow. I'll let you guys know in advance.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Rinko eventually rose from the floor as Kashino finished his warning to Tetsu. She shuffled over to Setsu, giving the higher ranked shinobi a wide berth to avoid any collateral damage. When Yuu lightly berated Rinko for her use of ninjutsu, she lowered her head. She'd always been far better with ninjutsu and genjutsu, so she never needed to use taijutsu. She was beginning to see why some classes were more essential than others. She winced at the mention of her interference with Setsu's dual, but was glad to hear he got praised nonetheless. Rinko brought her hands to her cheeks and lightly slapped them. Okay, no goofing around. I'm gonna do at least one thing right today.

Rinko lifted her head when Kashino's lecture started up again. She fiddled with the wooden sword in her hand and indeed asked the questions the teacher brought up. It was pretty heavy. But I'd rather have the length of this sword than go with a lighter shortsword. If I hollowed out the center it would be lighter...but there's no way it would be durable enough to take a blow from...anything. I guess I could...actually train my muscles. Rinko frowned at this solution. Lifting weights always sounded boring to her, and she preferred her slim features. Naw. I'll just do a little research. I'm sure there's gotta be a sword that's long, light, and durable.

Focusing again on the teacher, Rinko smirked at their next task. If nothing else, she was skilled at avoiding things. However, when Kashino specified that they would be facing away from him, her pout returned. I can do that pretty easy, as long as... She glanced at Tetsu momentarily before quietly groaning. ...I have my actual ears. Now she had to decide whether to fail yet again, or place her youkai features back on display. She furrowed her brow in contemplation, before remembering her leaf pin. She reached into the base of her tail and pulled out the hair clip. She slipped behind Setsu and used her transformation jutsu to change it into a large leafy hat. She placed said hat upon her head, and let her ears reappear underneath. She slid out from her hiding place and began rubbing her arms in an attempt to appear cold.

With her cover on, she approached Kashino when her name was called, turned, and lowered her knees to the floor. Her hands held onto the rim of her hat, lifting it slightly to allow room for her ears to swiveling backwards. She closed her eyes to focus on the movement behind her. Her left ear twitched as it made out the small creak of the floorboard beneath Kashino's foot. She waited a moment to let the sword lower so she'd be closer to the definition of 'dodging' it. Rinko then moved her upper body forward and shifted her feet to get her toes pressed against the floor. She pushed off and did a small roll. While her head was against the floor, she removed her tanuki ears and followed through with her rotation. She rose to a stand and bowed with her hat in hand. One success is good enough to pass...right?

 

[Omoi Tetsu]

The furry put on some sort of leaf hat before attempting her trial. Tetsu wondered if he had missed out on some whole class of armor that might enhance your senses. Maybe there were hats out there that allowed you to see behind yourself. He would have to put a pin in that question though, it certainly wasn't immediately important. It was his turn to try this unbelievably easy challenge. Most people, Tetsu internally sneered, looked at an explicit objective, understood the intent and way of thinking that the person who had issued it had in mind when they did so, and acted like little mindless zombies acting out the implied directives of the person issuing the demands. Even when, in cases like this, the person issuing the orders had clearly arranged themselves to be your antagonist. What they didn't realize is that anything short of actual cheating would still lead you to victory, and only a fool plays a game fairly for the sake of fair play. In point of fact, entering into fights with a mindset of being fair and following the same rules your opponent would was a good way to get your teammates unnecessarily killed. Yes, Tetsu realized, he was in fact doing Lightning Country a great disservice by not joining their ranks as Academy Teachers, but it was not his responsibility to lower himself to the same status as this Yuu character just to ensure the survival of the next generation. If they wanted it so bad, they could at least make the pay worthwhile and also beg him and grovel at his feet for the exceptional opportunity to have actual elite shinobi cultivated by their educational system.

He would instead simply graciously demonstrate to his "peers" here how the challenge ought to have truly been tackled, using both the advanced shinobi tools of insight, tactical genius, and deception to safely accomplish one's goals. He could only pray that the other students were on his genius-tier level of thinking to properly absorb the lesson without him needing to verbally lay it out for them. His name was called, and he slowly and calmly approached, his eyes closed in order to deceive the teacher. It was as if Tetsu was projecting, with his body language, that he was calming his nerves and trying as best he could to open up a heightened state of awareness within himself. It was called acting. He hoped the other students could remember this particular presentation after they are slapped in the face with the shock of learning how he would overcome this challenge. It was likely that they would be knocked so far off their footing by what they were about to see that the past would simply become a blur in their mind. It couldn't be helped, he knew. It was nearly impossible to pass this level of insight down to academy students, and students that were led, no less, by someone like Yuu. His butt slowly and patiently descended to the floor, his eyes all the while turned away from Yuu. This, too, was a show. Tetsu would need to pretend here that he was very meditatively preparing himself to listen and rely on his senses.

Instead, as soon as the flesh of his bum made contact with the hard surface of the floor, he would shuffle his feet as fast as he possibly could under himself, scurrying, stumbling, and jumping forward to get out of reach of the teacher. He could feel the air of the swing at his back as he was running away (dropping his cumbersome sword in the process), but it was clear to him that it was not really even close to making contact. He had successfully, he could tell, caught the teacher off guard with his behaviour, and very easily accomplished his goal outside of the parameters that the child instructor had intended the challenge to be faced with. The boy turned around with a giant obnoxious grin on his face, awaiting the praise of the rest of the class. "Not exactly the hardest challenge I've ever faced."

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

Rinko and Omoi-san were scolded for failing to adhere to the instructions given, while Setsu was complimented for his efforts. Setsu was glad to be praised, despite his less than graceful actions, but still felt both of his classmates were probably better cut out to be shinobi than he was. Rinko’s strength was in ninjutsu, so it made sense she would fall back on it in a pinch, and even Kashino-sensei admitted it was essential to a fully fleshed out fighting style. Though since this class focused on the fundamentals, Kashino was insistent on his students trying to rely solely on their bodies to accomplish the task he laid out. Omoi Tetsu was more of a mystery to the young empath. Clearly he possessed skill far beyond that of Rinko and Setsu, so why was he in a class meant for beginners? Does he have something against Kashino-sensei? While young, Kashino-sensei carried himself in a respectful manner, so the boy couldn’t think of a situation where their teacher would have made any enemies. He could be envious and irritated at Kashino-sensei’s rise at a young age, I suppose. It was a logical train of thought, even Rinko had looked perturbed when their young sensei called himself a veteran shinobi. But still, between the two Omoi-san seems to be more childish, the boy thought. Who am I to judge though, I'm the youngest here.

Kashino-sensei continued the lesson, giving a small lecture on the intent of the previous exercise. Setsu set aside pondering the possible insecurities Omoi Tetsu might or might not feel towards Kashino-sensei, instead focusing on his sword choice. The xiphos replica was short and easy to wield, but resulted in Setsu having to get extremely close to his opponent to be effective. In a confined space like a narrow hallway this would be to his advantage, but if his opponent was in an open space with longer reach, like Kashino-sensei’s clones, it might prove to be a hindrance. Maybe I should try something a bit longer next time, or something with variable length. Or if I could have something at range targeting my opponent while I close in, or…

Kashino-sensei stopped the boy’s train of thought, announcing the class’ next task. While facing away from the teacher, they were to use their hearing and battle instincts to dodge a strike from Kashino-sensei. And this time they would be called up individually. Rinko was named first, she stepped out from behind Setsu, now clad in a leafy hat. When did she get a hat? Where did she pull it from? He saw the girl rubbing her hands together to generate heat and reasoned that it probably didn’t really matter where the hat came from, if it meant the his fellow student was comfortable in class. There was an uncomfortably long pause before Kashino-sensei swung his sword down at Rinko’s head. And then in a moment it was over. Rinko neatly rolled forward into a bow, and Kashino-sensei’s sword slashed at air.

Next up was Omoi-san. Setsu wondered if he was going to try and fight the teacher again, but his fears were groundless, at least at first. Omoi seemed oddly serene as he was called up. He slowly sat down in the place Rinko had a few moments prior, but this time there was no waiting. As soon as he sat Omoi-san rather comically began scampering away like his life depended on it. The wooden sword clattering to the ground as the elder boy threw dignity to the wind in an effort to put as much distance between himself and Kashino-sensei’s weapon. He turned and stated how easy the challenge was for him, and looked at Rinko, Kashino-senseo, and Setsu expectantly. Setsu clapped nervously, “Um..good job?” It appeared the young man had no intention to follow the teacher’s instructions without trying to subvert or embarrass Kashino-sensei. Naturally, the sword stroke missed.

At last in was Setsu’s turn. He gulped nervously as he knelt on the dojo floor. I have to listen for clues? Setsu tried but his nervous breathing prevented him from hearing the teacher’s weight shift. Will his emotions give him away? Setsu tried to grasp the current emotional state of Kashino-sensei but felt nothing. No clues there. Instinct? Setsu’s mind was spinning, telling him to dodge, or wait, or run. The boy’s lack of composure and hesistation earned him a solid whack to the head. Setsu sprawled out face-down on the floor clutching his aching head. Ow...

 

[Kashino Yuu]

Current Path​

In his honesty, after what he just experienced from the spar, he would expect the unexpected from this point. And boy, he didn't expect how they managed to get through his next exercise. After calling Rinko's name first, he prepared his wooden sword to strike at her head. But to his surprise, she seemed to put on some kind of leaf hat before she assumed her position. He was confused at her actions, but he might as well roll with it as he aimed his sword towards her head. But to his surprise, once he swung his sword, she managed to dodge it at the last second, which caused him to strike at the floor instead. He can't explain how or why, but he was relieved that she managed to avoid his wooden sword. "Good job, Rinko-chan. But I would recommend if you don't wear your hat during a battle. It might be a bit distracting if you're faced with a real enemy in the future."

The next student was Tetsu and he was cautious when he raised his sword again. During the spar, Tetsu tried to attack him instead of his clone, so he has to expect any more of his reckless and unpredictable actions. This young man might be a bit dangerous and if he didn't set him straight, he may lose his main path. Safety aside, he aimed his sword once Tetsu sat down below him. But just as he swung his sword, he just left his seat right before it hits him. Okay, maybe that was considered as a dodge, but he didn't mean that he has to sit down for a second before he dodged his attack! What was the point of this exercise if he just ignored his instructions like that? Sure, he was grinning at his "success", but Yuu just frowned at this sudden outcome. "Um... Good job, I guess? But when I say you decide when to dodge, I mean you have to stay in your seat and wait until I swing my sword!" But considering that it's already too late to make a redo, he just sighed in dismay. "But since you followed my instructions this time, I'll give you a pass." He had no choice, he has to continue the class unless he wanted to stall it just to scold him for ignoring his instructions.

Last, but not least, it was Setsu's turn. Unlike the other two, he didn't manage to get into some kind of trouble during his class. He did lose the spar like Rinko, but at least he tried his best. This time, he has to see if he has the skills to dodge his wooden sword. Raising his sword, Yuu used several seconds to give Setsu the time to decide when to roll out of his seat. He even closed his eyes to make sure to give him the chance. But once 90 seconds have passed, he swung his wooden sword and the last thing he heard was a noise of his wooden sword making contact and Setsu's wince. Guess he didn't need to open his eyes to know that he failed, which was a surprise since the last two managed to avoid his sword. "Guess that's that. Setsu, I know you're going to be a great shinobi, but you still got a lot to learn. For one thing, you can't let your mind cloud your senses as overthinking the possibilities may cause you to lose enough time to react in any situation. Also, I know this sounds a bit cliche already, but you have to listen to your heart sometimes, let it decide when to flee or react. However, you must remember not only to avoid letting your thoughts cloud them but also your feelings. Anger, sadness, and jealousy are one of the main factors that will result in your downfall. Make sure to not let them control your actions and remember that there are people and the village that you want to protect for their sake."

Yuu then stood up and turned to Rinko and Tetsu. He knew that he has limited time in the dojo, so he might as well finish this class before sunset. "And that goes the same with you two. I know what I said isn't related to swordsmanship, but it does apply to anything that may help your journey as a shinobi. And while that's all I can teach you about swordsmanship for now, just remember that there are several ways to train the art of the blade. It depends whether if you want to train alone and develop your own fighting style or find a mentor to teach you more. And even if you want to learn with another weapon, you have to remember that all weapons can be an extension to yourself. Just don't forget what I taught all of you and learn from your mistakes. "

As he said this, he packed all of the wooden swords into his bag as he prepared to clean up the rest of the dojo. "With that, class dismissed. Be careful on your way out." Once he declared this, he then said his farewells to the students and once he reached Tetsu, he decided to leave some parting words before he leaves the dojo. "As for you, Tetsu. I know you have the potential to become one of the greatest shinobi. But you have to remember to respect your elders, that includes your teachers who may be younger than you. If you can do that, I feel you have a bright future ahead of you."

As the students left the dojo, he spent the rest of the day putting away the dummies and bamboo sticks, hoping he has some time to pick up his brother from his classes before he can go home.

[Topic left unless stopped)

[MFT/WC: 972]

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Notes:

• That's it! Congrats, Rinko and Tetsu! You two passed the class! Just leave the exit post right here and I'll put up a class completion request very soon!
• And sorry for the long wait! I was very focused on other RPs and my fanfictions and Wattpad lately. I hope I can do better next time.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Rinko gave her instructor a nervous smile. It did seem a bit silly that she went out of her way like that, and handicapping herself just to prove a point probably would get her into trouble in the future. She would need to ask her father for more lessons on transformed fighting at some point. Tetsu seemed rather proud of himself as he thought he had outwitted the teacher. With his attitude and previous actions, Rinko really questioned why the boy had even come to this class at all. Setsu was last to go, and received a solid strike to his head. Maybe humans really did have a disadvantage in this sort of task. It almost seemed unfair that she had swiveling ears.

Regardless of whether it was cheating or not, the class came to an end. While she wasn't going to be winning any kendo tournaments or the like, Rinko at least felt a bit more confident should a need ever arise for her to wield a sword. For now, though, she'd probably just stick with throwing money or using her tail. She gave Kashino a bow, slipped on her shoes, and exited the dojo. Once in the hallway, she waited for Setsu to come out. She felt a bit bruised and wanted some comfort food. With the magic of emotions, surely Setsu could bag them some free chocolate.

[Topic Left]

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

Setsu rubbed his aching head. Kashino-sensei’s strike wasn’t intended to cause any lasting damage, but it was still hard enough that Setsu didn’t want to repeat the experience. Kashino then gave everyone some parting advice. First he cautioned Setsu about overthinking. Trusting in himself and his instincts wasn’t the wisest move in all cases, but spending too much time thinking about what he should do and how he should do it might cause him to lose the opportunity to do anything. The young boy nodded slowly, still wincing a bit from his sore head. The other half of his speech concerned about taking care not to let his emotions control him, standard advice for any empath, but good advice nonetheless.

The words he gave everyone together were about being at the starting point, that from here on there were numerous ways they all could develop and that the lessons they learned today could be applied in all sorts of areas, regardless of it was swordsmanship or not.

After he was finished speaking, Setsu bowed in thanks for the lesson and followed Rinko out of the dojo.

[Topic Left]

 

[Omoi Tetsu]

Sometimes a person will go through an event, struggling and wading through it without ever realizing they were trying to pursue a goal. In the depths of their mind, of course, they know on that truer, deeper level, but it is an objective which will not bubble to the surface until they have a moment's peace to contemplate it with. It didn't exactly strike Tetsu even as he took notice of the other young boy in the class for the first time, who applauded his cunning technique humbly and genuinely. It seemed as though there was only one other person there that day who could recognize true genius when he saw it, and Tetsu made a quick mental note to keep an eye on this young man for possibly moderately impressive accomplishments in his future. The teacher praised Tetsu too, but it felt a lot more empty as he listened to it, probably because it was immediately followed by a string of meaningless criticisms (meaningless because the person criticizing him had nonetheless failed to prevent the boy from bypassing the teacher's intentions to carve a path to victory). Still, recognition was recognition, and he'd try to focus on the positives.

After that, Tetsu found himself hopelessly bored as the teacher started talking about following your heart or something. It was kind of tough to follow since the boy was trying to relate it in some way to the technical skill of whipping a sword around. Maybe the lesson was to give yourself over to spontaneity, a message which Tetsu might have happily received if it wasn't being delivered by an eight year old seemingly trying to imitate a forty year old family man that was deeply invested in the futures of the students he'd spent a single day with as he hit them with wooden swords. It was somewhat surreal, which is to say that Tetsu was having more fun mentally pressing the boy under his thumb than he was actually listening. As he was getting up to leave the class though, the teacher stopped him specifically to give him some advice.

Now, Tetsu was, of course, fairly cynical, but he was still human; a human who had gone through the better part of his teenage years being actively ignored as he belligerently and drunkenly wandering though the streets. It was... Unusual to be getting any sort of attention at all that wasn't focused very blatantly on mitigating any further trouble that the boy was going to give a person, but here, Tetsu was going to leave the teacher's sight and life, so his interruption struck him as odd, to say the least. "If you can do that," The smaller boy said, after advising Tetsu to respect his elders, "I feel you have a bright future ahead of you." The words themselves should've meant nothing to Tetsu, but seemingly out of nowhere, he felt like he was being pulled into the present moment. He realized that he was acting out all this time in the class with a purpose; he had a reason for being there, which he had realized only now, and only after having accomplished it, if unwittingly. It was to learn nothing. To prove to himself that he was good enough to make it on his own. Truly, if there was something important to learn, he would have failed, right? Tetsu felt a contentedness washing over him as he walked through the door. He briefly turned to his instructor. "Thank you."

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[Topic Left]