'Hohekyou Hohekyou'
The chirping of birds can be heard, echoing softly through the tranquil morning air...
The sky had a slightly dark blue color, which indicated the sun waking up for the day...
Leaves can be seen being carried away by the wind. Smaller animals and rodents can be seen running around.

Morning dew falling down the tip of leaves
Wind blowing softly, and having the natural smell of nature

The training area, which was a part of the academy lay on the east side of the academy, facing the forest. The forest seemingly enveloped the academy, with the open end being a river. There was a village on the other side of the river, which faced the ocean.

Takeshi woke up early and decided to start his training early. Kenichii told him to go ahead if he woke up early.

He had a lot on his mind, the first day of training wasn't exactly the bed of roses he expected it to be. the feeling of being powerless, regret of never using the opportunity to train with his grandfather, and his current inability to do even the base level exercises and drills. This rained down on him.

He wore his training haori and a hakama and took a bokken from the armory.

"Heading out early in the morning eh?"

Takeshi turned around to see Kanroji walking towards him from his room.

"Yes Sensei, I thought I'd start since i woke up early."

"Ahh, good good, that is good.
Remember not to overdo it.
You are not accustomed to this type of training and exercise, so it will take time for your body to get used to this. "

"Yes Sensei, I take breaks whenever I run of breath."

"Hmm, well that's not a good sign, but you have to start somewhere.
Keniichi will train you well, for the time being

As you know. I'm the head of this institution, I cannot be partial to you and train you, even if you are Tachibana's grandson."

"Yes Sensei, I understand, I don't think grandpa would want that for me either. I slacked off during the time he called me to warm up with him, so I rightfully deserve this hardship that I'm facing."

"Well, don't worry, you can get through this, while you may not be able to learn enough about the sword to clear the trial this time, you will get insight and experience to challenge it the next time."

'Next time? why not this time.. hmm maybe Sensei doesn't have enough faith in me, that he thinks i might fail this time. Its only natural for him to think that way. ' Takeshi thought to himself

"Yes Sensei.. although I will try my best to clear it this time itself. I want to show you that I'm worthy, worthy of carrying the name Tachibana"

Kanroji smiled at him "Alright, work hard at it, show me what you are capable of"

"Yes Sensei!"

"Alright, Off you go then."

Takeshi bowed his head and left for the training grounds.

"Hahh. challenging the impossible, just as reckless as he was...
He definitely has your blood flowing through his veins, Takahiro

Like your circumstance, this too is impossible, but you should the entire village a miracle that day, will history repeat itself, I wonder." said a Kanroji who seemed to be lost in his memories

Takeshi walked down the small series of stairs from the academy gate and headed for the training ground.

He could hear sounds of a girl shouting. He slowly walked towards the ground and stood at a distance where he was able to see her clearly.

A tall girl, with seemingly long black hair, tied in a very long ponytail with a red ribbon, wearing a hakama on top of a kimono, was standing there, swinging her bokken while making a fighting stance. Her hair was flowing as the soft wind caressed it.

Takeshi was mesmerized by what he saw, he was captivated, not just by her beauty, but by the elegance of how she swung her sword. She proceeded to train other stances and techniques as well.

"What are you standing there and looking at?
You think I wouldn't notice you, if you just stood there gawking at me without making a sound?"

"What? I'm not gawking at you" said Takeshi

"Ohh please" The girl turned around after completing her set of swings.

"I can see you even like this you know, you aren't standing right behind me"

She turned around, and looked at Takeshi. Her beautiful black hair was flowing with the wind, it reaching down all the way to her back, a part of her hair stuck out in the front covering a part of her eyes, but it would often move with the wind exposing her eyes.

Her eyes were captivating, with a violet shade. She had a very beautiful face with beautiful wide lips, a voluptuous figure, with a well endowed bosom for her age. She truly was a goddess that walked the earth.

As she turned around a particular cling sound made by the bracelet she wore can be heard.

The vibe she gave off as a samurai was menacing yet graceful at the same time. Any man would pause and take their time to look at her, even if they were about to meet their end by her hands.

Takeshi was at a loss of words, he had never seen such a beautiful woman in his entire life. Although what he felt right now wasn't a mere infatuation, it was rather admiration towards the swordswoman.

"Ohh so its you." Her expression and tone felt like it took a dip suddenly.

"Well, what are you doing here, that too early in the morning?" The girl asked in a sharp tone, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Well this is the training ground, I'm here for training."

Kaori raises her eyebrows, making a demeaning look.

"For any normal person, yes, but not for lazy, slothful arrogant piece of trash like you."

"What? Where is that coming from?
Its the first time I'm meeting you and you are bad mouthing me like this?

Do you seriously expect me to take this kind of crap from you and do nothing?"

"Heh, What can you even do? You stuck up, indolent waste of a great lineage.

You are nothing BUT A SHAME TO THE TACHIBANA BLOODLINE."

Takeshi gets really furious, this is the second time he showed any emotion on his face.
He gripped his bokken hard, but didn't do anything and tried to calm himself down.

"Ho? You wanna fight me slacker? I dare you to land at least one hit on a hair of mine, let alone my body.

And you are probably so dumb that you can't even understand why I'm raring to finish you off."

"OKAY THAT'S ENOUGH."

Takeshi and Kaori, both turned to see Kenichii at a short distance, He proceeded to walk towards them.

"That's it Kaori, you are crossing the line. I told you about Takeshi because you are my friend, and so is he, I'm not asking you to be his friend, but you don't need to insult him like this."

"Hah, now you're siding with him Kenichii? Look how you have fallen."

"What's so fallen about sticking with a friend?
Not to mention, you are the one who is deranged, insulting someone who you have just met for reasons that weren't even his fault."

"Oh yeah? Really? Not his fault? People coming here dream, of being taught personally by someone who was a sword emperor, or even someone who is their equal.

Every year, hundreds of students from lands afar come here so they can learn under Kanroji sensei

And look at this insolent brat, he's the grandson of one of our war heroes and he never even bothered to learn the sword. He just goofed off like a fool.

And then, he let his grandfather die for his sake, and he tries to put up this show to enact sympathy from onlookers and uses his grandfathers name for gaining favors'. How shameless can this man even be? Does he even qualify as a man?"

Kaori spoke so loud and in such a sharp tone that it felt as if every other sound that can be heard suddenly came to a halt.

"SHUT UP KAORI.

He didn't even know his grandfather was a sword emperor, Tachibana San never even bothered to tell his grandson about who he really is and tried to keep it a secret."

"And whose fault is that? He is the only one to blame. Not to mention, he himself said that he used to ignore his grandfather whenever he called him for training.

Now that he's no more, he realized that he can't use his grandfather as a shield no more, so he picks up his sword and decides to play pretend in front of others that he's a dutiful grandson. "

"Kaori, that's it don't say another-"

As Kenichii spoke, Takeshi raised his hand forward to signal him to stop.
Kaori's was unfazed, but she was listening intently to what he had to say.

"You are right, I did use my grandfather as a shield, I was fed, sheltered and taken care of by him for years, and I never thought of asking about his past, what he did before I was born, or anything like that.

When I was younger, I asked him what happened to my parents, he didn't say anything. A few months back when we were stuck in a village due to the rains, I asked him again, and all he told me was "I'll tell you when the time is right, so.. wait until then. I don't want you to get involved in this until you've grown strong enough to protect yourself."

Kenichii noticed that his face reverted to the state when he first saw Takeshi.

"That's when I told him that Ill learn the way of the sword and get strong enough to protect me and him. Although I realized later that I might take an entire lifetime and still not reach his level.

He then told me that a friend of his has an academy deep in the village south of Ube and that there is a trial that is held in order to enter the academy, he told me that i have to train very hard in order to stand a chance and then he taught me to wield. But due to the rampant bandit attacks, I never got time to settle down anywhere and train. And here I am.

Like you said, I have no one to blame, but myself, which is why I'm trying to rectify it, by training, taking part in the trial, and enter the academy by coming on top."

Takeshi pauses for a moment to catch a breath. He looked down to the ground and slowly turned his head up to look at Kaori and Kenichii.

Kaori, who had initially lashed out at him after seeing his initial relaxed demeanor, had collected her thoughts and calmed herself down while she listened to Takeshi.

'He doesn't seem like a bad person given the way he reacted after I shouted at him. Either that or he's a cunning man who is trying to score some sympathy. Either way, I can't forgive him, regardless of his circumstances.

Let's see, If he's worthy to carry the Tachibana name, or I'll end him myself, before he disgraces Sir Takahiro's name.'

Kaori thought to herself.

"Hmph, you think you spurt out a stupid sob story and everyone around you will buy it?

Sensei might, this simpleton and others like him might, but not me."

Kaori takes her bokken and slowly walks away

"Lets see if you keep your word, Takeshi Tachibana
I'll be watching you."

Kaori leaves the training ground, with her long black hair waving in the air behind her.

"Hahh, that girl sure is a piece of work." Kenichii sighs as he says this.

"Takeshi?"

Takeshi remained silent, with his eyes focused on the way Kaori took.

"Umm hello? Earth to Takeshi?"

"Y-Yeah? What is it?"

"Don't mind her, she's like that, she will lash out at others in an instant.
But she normally doesn't mean everything she says, the incident with Tachibana San really saddened her.

She was very much looking forward to meeting him someday, she used to say how her family has ties with the former sword emperors and how she could see them whenever they want, but she never got to see him alive."

"Is it because he was a former sword emperor that she looked forward to it so much?"

"Well, partly, and almost everyone who wields the sword wishes to see a sword emperor in the flesh.
Her case well, I'm not sure, but I've heard that her family was somehow indebted to her, and I'm guessing she grew up hearing stories of him and hence she idolized him."

"Well, She's not wrong for the most part, he sacrificed himself for me, I am the one who is responsible for his death, I can understand why she would be angry, and now the only remnant the great Tachibana has left in this word is a talent-less pretend swordsman."

"Hey Hey, Her yelling at you to venting is one thing, don't use that to make yourself more gloomy, My god,, Ill probably run out of jokes to get you cheerful at this rate."

Takeshi says softly as he takes out his bokken and walks forward, "Your jokes are bad anyways."

"What was that? I can still hear you, you know?."

"Ohh right, I haven't introduced her properly have I?

That's Kaori Himejima, second daughter of the Himejima Clan and second in line to inherit-..."

The banter continued, and Takeshi's training as well.

To be Continued.