"So..."
"crunch crunch"
"Gulp"
"Hmm?"

"Did you kill that thing?" Takeshi asked Kiyomasa as they were eating.

"Eh? What thing?" Kiyomasa asked, making a puzzled face.

"You know, the beast that chased me. Did you kill it?"

"Ohh that, no, I couldn't kill it.

It ran away after I landed one hit. I wish I could get a better shot at it, and we would've been having that exquisite meat for dinner tonight... alas." The sadness was clear as day and was like a stain on Kiyomasa's face.

"Hehh, what a rookie!
You couldn't even kill one puny beast, you really are a weak ass third-world ronin." Seijūrō smirked as he replied.

"Oi, don't you dare, I would've killed it, if only I didn't have to look out for Takeshi-kun, who was injured and on the ground there." Kiyomasa turned to face Seijūrō, angling for another brawl.

"Oi, muscle-headed brats, don't you dare start another one of your brawls in this shack.

The last one you broke is still getting repaired. Sachiko-san might have let you walk away scot-free, but not me, you hear?" Aiko's voice thundered in the shack, which silenced the two samurai.

"Yes ma'am." Two of them spoke in unison.

"And don't bring in weird meat every day, you bozos. If you want to bring something, bring something that we can actually cook and eat.

Also, Takeshi, I'm making more food, so tell me if you need anything else. I'll also pack some for when you head back, okay?" Aiko turned and went inside the shack as she spoke.

"Yes, Aiko-san." Takeshi replied. 

"Well, that's that, and where did we stop?.
Ahh yes, the woeful tale of a wuss named Ki-yo-ma-sa who couldn't even hunt down a beast." Seijūro smirked as he continued to mock Kiyomasa.

"Just you wait, you bastard, I'll prove it to you by hunting it down.

Wait, why do I need to prove it to you?

Why am I getting provoked by this phony loser? Kiyomasa slammed his hands on the bench and ate another bowl of rice.

"If that bench breaks, you are responsible for it.

And you will make a new one as a replacement, got it?" Aiko's voice came from the inside of the shack.
 
"Damn her and her hearing capacity." Kiyomasa raised his hands to slam in frustration but stopped midway.

"Kekeke." Seijūro laughs as he sees this.

'Well, they sure are a lively bunch, reminds me of Kenichii and Kaori, but with less violence, I guess, haha.

Hahh, I do miss the three of them.

Well, I'll be able to see them again as soon as I finish my training and get as strong as these two are, at the very least.'

I'll grab some supplies from here and head back for training, I guess.' Takeshi thought to himself.

The three of them part ways after their meal is over, and each of them decides to depart for their training. For Takeshi, it was the cave, as for the other, they'd train on opposite ends of the village outskirts.

*****

Takeshi went to speak with Aiko about the food and supplies she was making for him.

Meanwhile,

'Hmm, but how exactly did that happen anyway...
The beast saw me leap over and appear right in front of it, and then we proceeded to fight.

It emitted an unusual and high amount of ki, with a reddish aura. It initially made me flinch and freeze in my path, but I was able to counter it with my ki.

My instincts were screaming to run away, but that just means that this is a challenge I have to overcome.

As I engaged it, it blocked my attacks with its horns and then tried to throw me off my rhythm by disarming me.

It didn't work, but I realised it was after Takeshi-kun, and I used his body as bait to draw it in and attack.

Which worked for the most part, it jumped in after I moved to the right side and aimed for Takeshi-kun with its claws. I saw the opportunity and slid in to attack and cut it from its abdomen to its lower half.

It then let out a shriek and jumped back, then it just stood there, looked at me for a second, and ran away quickly. It was really fast, despite being injured.

It should mean either one of two things.

My attack wasn't deep enough to mortally injure it.

or

It is stronger than I think it is.

If it being stronger is indeed the reason, then it would make sense that I was able to protect myself with my own ki, even when it wasn't focused on me.

Well, anyway, it doesn't matter. Next time I see it, I'm gonna kill it. To that end, I must get stronger—stronger than that knucklehead.

Takeshi-kun is still weaker than both of us, so there's less chance of him stealing my prey.

Hmm, I have to say, though, he had the balls to openly challenge Seijūro. Heh, that does take balls, if anything. Well, let's wait and see.' Kiyomasa was deep in thought as he thought about everything that happened today.

He went off to train right after.

Takeshi talked with Aiko, and she gave him a new randoseru to carry the food, which consisted of rice, some curry and tempura, and some onigiri, which lasted longer, along with a pair of hakama and haori.

"Oi, next time, come here properly like normal people, okay? Just come in whenever this food runs out, don't venture out too much for food. As long as there are people in this village, we can provide you with it.

Hahh, I never thought I'd be saying things like this to ronins that come to our village. I guess we are indeed lonely and pathetic, trying to find our happiness in feeding you all." Aiko-san said as she held Takeshi's hands.

"What are you saying, Aiko-san? You all aren't pathetic in the least. You all are warm people, only able to see the goodness in people, that's a good thing, right?"

"Hahaha... Ahh, Takeshi-kun, the way you say things like this means you are really a naïve kid, unaware of how the world is. This world is cruel beyond your imagination." Aiko-san smiles and responds to Takeshi.

"That maybe, but doesn't that make your actions more valuable and thoughtful? Providing kindness and respite to people in an unforgiving world. The way I see it, it is a noble thing."

Aiko paused for a moment and smiled at Takeshi.

"Hahh, look at this kid trying to lecture me on kindness and all that. Anyway, off you go. Don't delay or slack off in your training.

And don't come here the way you did today, got it?"

"Yes, yes, I will come to the village like a normal person." Takeshi scratched his head as he smiled.

He then left the village and headed back to the cave. He set down the things he was carrying with him and stepped outside of the cave to train.

He partially removed his haori and let it hang from his torso.

His body was still developing from a teenager's to an adult's. Muscles were starting to develop in his torso and forearms.

His chest had the remnants of the wound from his first fight, but what remained prominent was the scar he got from the leopard.

He took his sword in his hand, changed his stance, and readied himself. He swung his sword and tried to move.

He tried to do the First-draw style and moved as intended, and wobbling accompanied him.

He repeated the process a couple of times more, and he got tired some time later. He let himself fall to the hard ground and laid there. He breathed heavily, as he was sweating.

He looked at the sky for some time, then picked up his sword and lifted it straight up.

He thought for some time and remembered some of the things Kenichii had taught him about putting weight into attacks.

'Hmm, maybe... maybe I could try putting more pressure into my foot while I'm moving to the final stance for the attack, maybe it'll prevent it from extending too much?'

Takeshi stood up and tried to do what he had thought of.

"Huff...

Hiyaaah"

He found himself wobbling in the earlier positions itself but still decided to follow through with it, as it didn't make him lose balance. He then entered the last stance, and as he put more weight into his right foot, he lost balance as his left leg couldn't keep up, and he fell as a result.

"Okay, so that didn't work out well. I'll keep trying, I guess."

This went on for hours even after the sun set, and it involved him falling in various ways to the ground.

Although, to some extent, he started to use his hands and feet appropriately to avoid hard blows when falling.

After a lot had passed, he thought he'd end the footwork training for the day and go on with his other exercises and sword-swinging practice.

Takeshi continued on with this training routine for days. Every now and then, he would head back to the village and chat with the folks there. He had meals with Kiyomasa and Seijūro and helped out with the village chores along with them and Aiko.

The three of them spent a lot more time in the village than before, chatting with Sachiko, Hamuro, and the other elderly and young villagers alike. The three of them often caught the attention of the younger women there, and they talked quite a bit with them before being dragged out and put to work by Aiko.

As for Kiyomasa and Seijūro, they were building themselves up quite well, and their ki levels were stronger and better than before. Takeshi's ki too had grown stronger, but it was just enough to be a Sword Apprentice realm. While the other two were reaching higher levels.

They had friendly brawls like usual and kendo matches as well. And Takeshi seemed to lag behind these two in terms of fighting prowess. It wasn't as if he showed his fighting prowess to them, but his legs hindered him a lot.

"Oi, why are you moving yourself like that?" Seijūro asked Takeshi, appearing puzzled at his bizarre movement and the inevitable fall.

"I'm not exactly sure why, it's just that my legs are like that. It moves beyond what I want it to." Takeshi responded as he sat on the ground.

"Oi... wait. Don't tell me, are you a cripple?" Seijūro asked him.

Takeshi didn't know what to say to that. Is he a cripple? Is he not? He doesn't know. All he knows is that, despite the fact that this condition is a hindrance, his grandfather turned out to be one of the strongest samurai there ever was. So, now, his failure was clearly his own.
 
"Are you dumb? He can walk, he can jump, and he can run. He can swing his sword and emit his ki, just like us. How is he a cripple?

Do you train your body so much that you do nothing for your brain, huh?" Kiyomasa replied to Seijūro.

"Oi Kiyomasa, you jerk. I was asking him a genuine question. Why are you interpreting it in the wrong way? Or is it that you are trying to provoke me into a fight?"

"Ahh shit, here we go again." Kiyomasa sighed.

"Come at me, see what happens, you bastard." Seijūro tried to provoke Kiyomasa, which got ignored by him.

Kiyomasa turned to look at Takeshi, who was looking at the ground and seemed to be lost in thought. He really didn't know what was up with Takeshi either, but he realised that Takeshi didn't know what the issue was either. He thought he shouldn't poke around it too much.

After that, they had their dinner, and the two of them went on with their usual chitchat again.
Takeshi was once again lost in thought.

Despite the fact that he was working hard at it, he was sad as there was no progress for him. Even though three weeks had passed, he hadn't figured out a way to fix his movement.

But this wasn't going to let him down. Takeshi was determined to see it through with this.

Once again, he returned to his training arena. He took up his sword and went through with his resolve. Each and every swing mattered, no matter how futile it seemed for him. In reality, it was aiding him in some way or another. Improving his stamina, endurance, and physique.

"Huff, Huff

Okay, so this isn't working either." Takeshi wipes the sweat from his face using his left hand and closes his eyes as he breathes in.

The cool breeze of the night wasn't a good enough respite for this tired soul.

"You know what? I'm done with the First-draw style. I can't do it, that's it.

I'll just swing my sword randomly and see where it takes me."

Takeshi tries to swing his sword, and he does the same stances involved with the First-draw3 style and stops midway.

"Wait, this is the same thing. WHY AM I DOING THIS AGAIN.
Ugh."

Takeshi decided to go at it again. This time, he carefully tried not to do it.

He swung his sword randomly.

To any person seeing this as an outsider, it would seem as if Takeshi was swatting off flies with his sword. Well, moving on.

He moves again and again, and finally he reaches his limit and falls down. He landed on his hands with his knees bent and on his toes, as he did usually, to soften his falls.

But only this time, he noticed something.

"Wait, isn't this just like..."

Something he hadn't noticed before.

Be-beng...

To be continued.