Chapter 8: Chapter 8 : 8th Stance
Takeo continued training and working on his breath. Whilst he was training hard, Master Kenzō had already went down the mountain, leaving Takeo on his own. He was so focused that he didn't pay attention on his surroundings and only on his body. At this point his heart felt like it would burst out of his chest, but he didn't want to stop, he even began to smile. The only thing on his mind was the opportunity to fight so many strong people when he grew older. The faster his heart was beating, the more his temperature rose. Oxygen was supplied to all the cells in his muscle, as they slightly grew in size, to signify he was getting stronger.
After repeating this for another hour, Takeo had enough...he immediately fell to the floor and stay motionless for more than 20 minutes.
"HU! HAA! HU! HAA!", He huffed and puffed rapidly in order to catch his breath, and when he finally did he sat up straight. Looking around he noticed Master Kenzō was gone. 'He must have gone down the mountain', Takeo thought before he got up.
After using Total Concentration Breathing, he felt much lighter on his feet, his body felt full of strength. 'Good! This is good!', he thought, 'Who knows, maybe I could learn Total Concentration : Constant next'.
"YOSH! I'm feeling hungry, lets hunt for some food", he said, before taking out a dagger from his robe.
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In the forest, Takeo was hunting animals for food, when he saw a deer. 'That should fill me right up', he thought. Not wanting to scare it, and make it run away, he removed his killing intent and waited for the perfect opportunity.
MUNCH! MUNCH!
The deer munched on some apples it spotted in a tree. It was currently defenceless, as it had to extend it's neck upwards, leaving it open for an attack.
'It's time', he thought, before he pounced at the deer. Not wasting any movements, he closed the distance between him and his prey, his purple eyes shone....appearing right above the deer, Takeo hurled multiple slashes at the deer, whether they were vertical or diagonal, causing the deer to fall to the ground...cut into multiple pieces before it died....but blood splattered everywhere, covering all the plants and tree bark in the area.
Looking at how messy the kill was, Takeo couldn't help but sigh, "I need more work with my swordsmanship", he said out-loud, before he grabbed a a few sticks, put them in a hole, grabbed two rocks, and hit them against each-other to cause a fire. The energy created made sparks fly, before finally some landed onto the sticks, causing a fire to happen.
"Alright!", he proclaimed with a smile, before he made a make-shift rack for the meat above the fire. Letting it heat until it was ready to eat.
Whilst he was waiting to eat, he had a thought, 'If I have to survive in the cave for 3 days, surely I'll need lots of food inside'. Realising his dilemma, he quickly gathered some fruits and edible plants in the area, before quickly returning to his meal....
Having finally cooked, Takeo stared at the meat in satisfaction, before he took a big bite, "Yummy~", he proclaimed.
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After he was done eating, he decided to go home for the night. He wanted to try and spend his 3 days inside the cave after tomorrow.
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When he finally got home, it was too quiet, he didn't hear his master or see his master anywhere.
"Master, Where are you?", he spoke, but there was no reply. He was about to check his room but was told to never enter it, and since he never replied so he knew he wasn't even in the house. After 5 minutes, he went into his own room, and saw a letter on his bed.
It read :
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"Takeo I have left the mountain and will not return for a couple of months, keeping going over the Total Breathing Concentration Technique I taught you, and don't forget to train in the cave for 3 days. If you can go even longer than that is even better. If you succeed and I still have not returned, I want you to work on your stamina and agility, to ensure you completely master and properly utilise the Thunder Breathing Technique, to do this ; I want you to run up and down the mountain as fast as you can. By the time I return, I want you to be able to scale the mountain in under 3 minutes. If I still have not returned, I have left a Nichirin blade just in case in your room, so you can practise with. It's durable and useful so make sure you take care of it. Make sure you eat well too, I don't want to come home to a stick....goodbye Takeo.
Sincerely Master Kenzō"
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Whilst Takeo was reading the letter, Master Kenzō was travelling at unimaginable speed towards a volcano. 'To think that he's getting stronger, if he does then all hell could break loose', he thought, before he travelled even faster. 'The wisteria won't hold for long', he thought, before saying, "I hope you grow strong Takeo", he said out-loud, remembering that he left a journal of all the Flame-Thunder Breathing Style Techniques and A letter of recommendation to the Final Selection for Takeo for when he's older, on the chance that he may die....
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<Returning to Takeo POV>
'So Master's going to be gone for a while it seems', he thought before he stared at the spare Nichirin Blade on his pillow, "I wish you a safe journey Master", he said, followed with a bow, before he jumped onto his bed with a huge smile, before he hugged his new Sword.
'Thank you so much Master!', he thought as he hugged the blade before he fell to sleep.
While he was sleeping Takeo had a bad dream....a nightmare about his master not ever returning and a large demon surrounded with soldiers, eating his body, before he turned to Takeo with a sinister smile....
CRACK!!
"MASTER!", He yelled in his sleep, before he awoke, basked in sunlight. Waking up all sweaty before he looked outside....it was completely sunny, 'what a nightmare', Takeo thought, before he got up and went to toilet. He washed his face with cold water, before he got ready for the day.
The second he opened the door...
CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP!
The birds chirped in the morning, signifying it was a good day, and that nightmare was nothing more than a nightmare, 'Nothing but a nightmare', he thought, before he went to train with his new sword up the mountain.
Arriving at the cave, he immediately went inside with food in tow, 'I'll show master I can stay in here for longer than 3 days', he thought with determination.
Once he stepped inside, the coldness had reduced by quite a-lot, but once he got deeper into the cave, he immediately felt the effect of temperatures below -50℃, but it didn't stop him, as he found a place to sit, before he closed his eyes and meditated.
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