Old Fashioned

I had thought; our training would intensify, but I was wrong. I decided to conclude all training, for the week. Himari was completely exhausted, and at most, it would take a couple of days; for her to recover.

She had reached the spot, I had hoped.

I had to reconsider my responsibilities, and get back to my kids. Not that I am getting attached to them, but I have to be responsible.

Yeah, that's it.

As a reward for their long wait, I brought a couple of rabbits. It took a while, to get used to living off the forest, but it is not too bad. I had no worries about adapting to the forest, but I had worried; for the kids. They proved me wrong, it turned out the eldest siblings were natural hunters.

The youngest of the siblings proved herself to be incapable. I hope that when she turns eight years old, she will be ready for training.

When that time comes, I might be finished teaching her siblings. I will dedicate more time to her development; creating the ideal successor.

I have long thought about the possibility of an early death. If I fail my goal, I will need a disciple or two, to pick up the mantle. Somebody will have to restore the country to autonomy, and I will make sure it happens.

It does not matter whether I live to see it. The benefit is not for me; it's for those who have yet to be born.

The disciples of my Master have pursued other paths, forgetting about the will of their Master. Others have twisted his will to that of madness, using his name and their pain, to justify their terrorism.

I will not do such a thing; I do not intend to be another Kosuke, I will be much greater than him.

The disciples of Akiyama Hideaki will be capable individuals in thought and power.

It took us an hour to reach our home ground. As we arrived, Kosuke had just returned from the woods, to gather wood for a fire. I am glad, he did, it saved me time.

Maki quickly sprinted over, embracing her sister's arms, which I found quite adorable. Despite what she experienced, the little one still had not lost her joy.

Our late arrival did not please, Kosuke.

"For a private training session, you sure took your time. What did you teach her that you decided, to exclude me from?" said Kosuke.

"You wish to know? I gave her a special lecture, reserved only to the best of my students! Maybe, if you were not so weak, I would have invited you," said Hideaki.

My response did not please him, as I intended it not to. His quick temper and youth got the best of him, and he barked back, "Maybe if you were a better master, I would be stronger! If I cannot receive proper training, I will find another master!"

"Settle down, brother. I promise you did not miss out. Everything we did today was to prevent me, from falling behind," Himari said, "the truth is that it's become a lot more difficult for me, to keep up with you."

"Really? Oh, I did not know," Kosuke said, "tell me, sister, why does this man enjoy, to mislead me!?"

"I can answer that," Hideaki said, "it's because, I enjoy crushing your ego!"

The girls burst into laughter, as I continued to get under his skin. Kosuke realized my tricks, he scratched his head, brushing off my remarks. Having done that, it was time to put the fruits of my labor, to work. Effortlessly, I began the fire and began, to pierce the rabbits onto the sharpest of the sticks.

Afterward, I had a seat. I noticed, Himari's exhaustion and asked her, to leave Maki under my care. She took me up on my offer and passed her over, to me.

"You feel left out, do you not," Hideaki said, "trust me, it is not my intention. As it stands, you are just too young, right now, but I promise to train you."

"I was told, everything is dangerous for me," Maki said, "do you believe that I too can fight?"

"To fight? Anybody is capable of fighting when they are pushed to the edge," Hideaki said, "everybody can become strong in their own right; however, it's simply untrue that all can achieve the same heights, as those gifted by the Heavens."

"I told you, not to worry about that, Maki," Kosuke chimed in, "you have no need to train, and that's because, I will become so strong that my sisters will need just me!"

"I admire the boldness, Son of Kosuke," Hideaki said, "However, do you not find that selfish of you?"

"Selfish, you say? I say this out of selflessness! I wish, to protect my sisters, and do what any man would for their loved ones!" said Kosuke.

"Love tends to fog our clarity, it does not allow us, to distinguish between our selflessness and selfishness," said Hideaki.

"Strength, like wealth brings you into conflict," said Kosuke.

"In what way?" said Hideaki.

"My Master, you must understand, when one tends to have more of something, or an innate talent praised by others; it will bring unwarranted attention towards your person," Kosuke said, "for example, I hold you in high regard because of your amazing talent in combat."

"I noticed," said Hideaki.

"Due to that, I wish to test my talent against yours, but you never attempt to fight me earnestly," Kosuke said, "do you understand, what I am trying to say; or do I have to explain further?"

"No, I understand," Hideaki said, "your point is that the better one is at something, it will attract unwarranted attention. In your example, my talent attracted you, to engage me in combat, so you could prove your talent over mine."

"Yes, it was what I was getting at," said Kosuke.

"You must understand, you are my disciple. My purpose is to train and correct your mistakes," Hideaki said, "if I used the true extent of my capabilities, it would discourage you. By not acting at my capacity, I encourage you to grow."

"It does, but," said Kosuke.

"Do not speak further, Kosuke," Hideaki said, "you have to understand that the desire to learn, and the possibility of growth is human. You incorrectly defined competitiveness, as a sort of danger, the truth is that every warrior specializing in art will one day wish, to test his might against another."

"You fail to admit the danger," Kosuke said, "those exchanges could lead to the death of either challenger. What growth is there to be, if another's ends?"

"That's the premise of it, Kosuke," Hideaki said, "The slain challenger lives his life's purpose, and allows his victor the opportunity, to find the fulfillment they had dealt them."

"Is the life you are training us meant to end like this?" said Kosuke.

"I am not merely training you in the art of war, but also in the art of sacrifice. Let's continue this conversation another day, Kosuke," said Hideaki.

I had decided to leave the conversation at that, but my pupil's curiosity knew no bounds. As I pierced the rabbits into the sticks, he said, "And you would know a thing, or two, would you not? I mean, you do not have to hide her name, from me. She was father's most promising pupil, but as she grew in power, so did her bloodlust for a worthy opponent."

"Sometimes, I forgot you had the opportunity to meet us. You were much younger, but that memory of yours is sharp," Hideaki said, "you are partly correct, but I believe this was always, her true nature. All she needed was the right circumstances, to flourish and your father, provided it to her."

"Were her actions that atrocious?" said Kosuke.

"Atrocious? That would be an understatement, kid," Hideaki said, "your father's greatest failure was not reprimanding her, and those actions of his, gave rise to a great evil!"

"Am I hearing you right, Master? You are bad-mouthing my father!"

"And what if am, Kosuke?" said Hideaki.

"I was just saying," Kosuke said, "I never thought, I would hear it!"

"Your father was a great man, but he had his flaws," Hideaki said, "jis choice of teaching was not particularly great, but I still adore him. You constantly boast about your capabilities, but they are nothing compared to hers! The women could kill without breaking a single sweat. In every battlefield that she came across, no soldier could match her. She was truly the perfect killing machine."

"Terrifying to hear, but incredible, nonetheless," said Kosuke.

"And I once fought, a battle against her, putting my own life on the line! There are no women on this land that compare to her, but then again there's also her," Hideaki said, "Mukuro's greatest attribute is her ability to understand her opponent in battle, and it leads to her, evolving as a fighter. Usually, she was the only person in her battalion!"

"If she's truly this strong, I would like to face her," said Kosuke.

"You would? I would rather die than have to face that nut again," Hideaki said, "the lunatic would extend her battles, by limiting her combative ability. Vast numbers are pointless against her, but it varies on the quality of the warriors."

"So, a quality warrior would be like any of Father's disciples?" said Kosuke.

"Precisely," Hideaki said.

"She's truly something else!" said Kosuke.

"You praise her? She's a woman that lives by her pleasure alone, and that is not something I want for my pupils," Hideakis said, "if I were ever to give rise, to another Mukuro; I would kill them myself!"

"I do not praise her bloodthirst, but I am amazed at her combative ability," Kosuke said, "answer me this, if you and Mukuro fought again, what would the outcome be this time?"

"If she managed to improve her swordsmanship, and lost that habit of hers to hold back, it might be a little difficult," said Hideaki.

"Would you lose?" said Kosuke.

"Absolutely not, I am the strongest," Hideaki said, "I have no rival, but if I did, it would be him."

"Iwasaki Banri, right?" said Kosuke.

"He's a good friend, but a resentful one," Hideaki said, "we had our fair share of duels, but I hold the record for most victories!"

"So the six hundred duels rumors were true?" said Kosuke.

"Six hundred and thirty-eight," Hideaki said, "I won three hundred and twenty of our matches!"

"Quite the rivalry," Kosuke said, "you guys are truly amazing."

"You think? There's nothing special about it," Hideaki said, "if there's anything special in this life, it's this."

"What's special? Maki?" said Kosuke.

"No, but yes," Hideaki said, "The special things of life are moments like this, but also to be surrounded by great company."

"I do not get it, but maybe someday," said Kosuke.

"Someday you will, I am sure of it," said Hideaki.

Having made the most of the night, I settled down. It's astonishing, how we civilized animals tend not to value contemporary life! The taste of the meals and the abundance of options; how quickly do we forget our advantages over other creatures!

Perhaps, I should put the pen down. After all, in the upcoming months, I will be putting two on a strict training regiment! Every person needs to be pushed towards their limit, and this experience will allow them knowledge ofwhat's possible.

The following morning.

“Master, why is it that you have us climbing up this mountain? It’s so early, and I thought you did not like bringing, Maki; for training sessions,” said Kosuke.

“Surely, you realize that there’s no other way, to get up the mountain without climbing it, by hand. It will be difficult, for Maki, to even do such a thing,” said Himari.

“Of course, I do not plan on her doing that, Himari. I will carry her on my back. You two; however, will be climbing to the very peak on your own. We will be relocating our camp, to the peak of the mountain,” said Hideaki.

“Wait, you want us, to climb up there? With just our bare hands?” said Kosuke.

“How else will you get up there? Surely, you realize that. Anyhow, come here, Maki. It will take us, an hour at most; however, your siblings will probably struggle to get up there," Hideaki said, "also, I prohibit the usage of aura!”

“You would not!” said Kosuke.

“Really? It will take us days, to reach it!” said Himari.

“Indeed, it will. You two are too reliant on aura. You forget to train, the other aspects of yourself, like your physical body and mind," Hideaki said, "It is my intention, for you to learn this habit. Himari, I already taught you how; I suggest you, to help your brother in that aspect.”

Hideaki would have Maki climb onto his back; then, he would proceed to wrap a rope, which he made out of plant fiber. Looking back at the little girl, Hideaki asked, “Ready, Maki?”

She nodded; Hideaki turned his eyes to his pupils, saying, “Alright, let’s begin. I look forward, to seeing your progress!”

He left his two pupils, to their own devices. At first, Kosuke tried to call out his master’s bluff, by sensing, if he were using aura. He was in disbelief, to realize, he was not using anything, but his mere body.

“I hate to antagonize, you. If you stick down here, you will take even longer to reach the peak,” said Himari.

“You are right, but I cannot believe he’s serious. I mean, what even is the point of this?” said Kosuke.

“Only he knows, we will know, once we reach the peak,” said Himari.

I could not argue with that logic. Everything he does has a meaning, but there’s more to this. He’s challenging us, to be much more. If this is his idea of training, then I cannot imagine, what my father put him through; Hideaki Akiyama, just how great are you?

You’re the beloved disciple, the disciple. My father adored him, as if he were his flesh and blood. If this is what you want out of me, I will do so!

I refuse to be a failure, if it’s endurable, I will endure it!

And so, I began. To challenge myself, I decided that me and Himari, should not climb next to each other.

He never said not to, but this is meant to be an individual exercise. The first couple of minutes, I felt, as if I made no progress. Each time, I looked up, it felt as if I was never going to make it. Master was now out of our sight, it seemed like he was not kidding about it, not taking him long.

The only thing on my mind was to find, a place where I could rest. I could feel that my fingers and toes were at their limit, but I kept pushing. The trick to this was to find a part of the mountain, where you could dig your fingers deep into the cracks, for a break.

I did it a couple of times, and when I looked up, Himari was completely going through this without a problem! I doubt, she even took a single break. It’s not hard to believe, when considering she’s physically stronger than me. It’s always been like that, and the only thing that I had on her was my technique, in which, I was able to increase my strength. However, even without using aura to strengthen her body, she’s still strong.

Instead of taking a break, I should get climbing. I was foolish trying to rush this, like I could use my technique, to get me out of this. As a result, I would misplace my hand onto a part of the mountain, in which would break and I would fall with it. I made the mistake of putting all my weight into it, and I began falling to my death.

This would catch the attention of Himari, who looked down in panic, but I think she realized that there was no use; there was no way she could help, from where she was at.

For a moment, I found my situation hopeless, but I refused for it, to be the end. I clinched onto the mountain with all my fingers and toes, in an attempt to slow my acceleration, my digits would burst into blood. At last, I managed to save myself. I shivered in pain and cried in agony.

At that point, Himari looked at me in contempt, but she kept going. I wished, she did not. I wanted help, but my pride wouldn’t allow it.

From where I was now, I had to start from scratch, even with my bloody feet and hands. By now it was noon, and I wasted all this time; my setbacks did not help.

How long, will I stumble?

I did not wish, to turn my back on my brother, in his time of need. But it would go against, what we set ourselves up for. I found this to be grueling; the sun hitting my face was the worst feeling. Of course, he picked the summer to do this. Every minute, I felt like I giving up, but.

But what?

I don’t know.

Do you not know why you’re doing this?

I know.

Then, why do you say, what you say?

To find a way, out of it.

Typical of your character.

What?

What do you mean, ‘what’? You know better than anybody, you have to keep on going. There’s no stopping in this world of ours. You climb up this mountain with your back against this sun, just like you have always been.

You have been climbing up all your life, it just never occurred to you, until now. Even way before your life, even began. Since your first seconds in this world, the laws of nature have been testing you.

So, nature decided it would be best for me to live like this? Without my parents?

That is not for me to say; I am merely, just you. I can only answer so much. There’s no use, you have to keep climbing. There’s no use, you have to keep climbing.

You just have to keep focus and keep climbing. Keep on climbing, there’s no stopping.

There’s no stopping.

Whatever comes your way, just keep climbing!

As I grabbed onto the next part, I realized that I did not even know, what I was doing. It was already sundown, and everything I did, I did unconsciously. It was not my body, stopping me from reaching the peak, it was my mind! Heck, I can see the peak now! No sight of brother, but in a couple of hours, I will reach it!

I know, I will!

For the last twelve hours, I have been trying to get across. I spent the whole day, and I could not get to it. Physical strain can be dealt with, but mental strain is something different. If I learned anything, it’s that I cannot be reliant on my technique.

I have become much less disciplined. As a result, it has led to my current struggles and the pain, I feel. Climbing up with the sun hitting your back, felt difficult, but I was wrong. It’s much worse at night, when the cold brutal winds hit your body.

Even then, I still climbed. The peak was much more visible to me, yet out of my sight. This is a familiar feeling, the feeling of hopelessness.

One, I am too familiar with.

I have reached my limit, I will not spend another day doing this. And so, I forced my fingers into the cracks, tearing my fingers up, even more. I no longer cared about not dying. I was perfectly okay, with it; if it meant, I could choose to not struggle against this mountain.

I pushed myself, graze after graze. I could feel my body calling out to me, to seize this recklessness and to give up. My soul told me otherwise, if there’s anything I can be certain of it’s that...

I must have lost track because, in moments, I reached the peak. I smiled in relief, using the little strength that I had left, to bring myself up. I intended, to now locate master, but I underestimated myself. Seconds after, I fell to the ground in exhaustion, and I could not help, but to close my eyes.

I felt at peace at long last, and if this is as far as go, it’s fine. I no longer have the same energy, as I did earlier.

All I wanted was to rest. That’s all.

The following morning, Hideaki awakened, as he heard the bushes ruffling. He grabbed ahold of his katana, thinking, somebody would strike at him and Maki.

As it got closer, he began to sweat a bit. Eventually, a foot would step out. It would be revealed that Himari found him. Exhausted as ever, she smiled.

“Am I glad to see you, Master,” said Himari.

“Himari, you have made it. So, what do you feel?” said Hideaki.

“Tired, but relieved,” said Himari.

“Oh, and what’s to feel relieved about? Surely, it must have been difficult,” said Hideaki.

“I cannot describe it, but I feel ready, to take on the next level of training; when can I begin?” said Himari.

“Hmmmm. Once, I find your brother, we can begin. I was hoping to have a lot more free time, but you seemed, to have gone beyond my expectations.” said Hideaki.

“My brother? He was having a difficult time, trying to climb; he nearly fell to his death. Luckily, he managed to grasp onto something, but it was evident that he was in pain,” said Himari.

“Oh, so had his fall from grace? Great, it will do him well. I imagine, you spent all day and night, trying to reach me. Surely, you must be tired?” said Hideaki.

“Not one bit, but I did get into a fight,” said Himari.

“Into a fight? With who?” said Hideaki.

“With this!” said Himari.

She began to chant, channeling her aura. The brightness of her aura, awoke Maki; she was stunned, to see her elder sister in such a state, but curious of what she was doing.

Hideaki, knew well what she was doing. It was unbelievable that she managed, to subdue a spirit on her own. Hence, spirits only tend to make themselves visible, to those of the ‘Ergolavos' type. Their presence can be felt, but their appearance is not made visible, except to the Nawaki, who is known for producing individuals with ocular powers, to further understand aura, granting them the gifts to go beyond their human capabilities.

“Come forth, Otharri! The Glory of Helios!” said Himari.

I could not see, what she summoned, but I felt its presence. It was not necessarily powerful, but that just might be because of her current capabilities. Perhaps, in the future, this can change.

“Master, you must be wondering how I managed, to bring it under my control! Well, after I reached the peak, I immediately followed your aura. As I roamed through the forest, I came across this spirit, and it had no intention of letting me get by,” Himari said, “so, I used everything I had to fight it, but it proved no use. Kick after kick, punch after punch. I did no damage, but then I noticed this emblem in the palm of my hand, it was glowing; and it was at that moment, that I began to notice the emblem on the body of the creature. I acted on instinct and made sure to make contact with my emblem. That was how I managed to subdue, Ohtari.”

“I am impressed, and here I thought, I would struggle to teach you that. I guess, it comes naturally. Interesting, so that's how the way you people manage, to subdue the beasts. I thought, it would be different,” said Hideaki.

“I have a better understanding of my technique, but I realize, I still lack the power, to make full use of it. Is there a way I can improve on this?” said Himari.

“Only with time, Himari. You cannot rush your growth; but before we go find your brother, there’s something, I would like to tell you. It’s about your sister, she’s a lot more capable than I expected,” said Hideaki.

As the party had concluded its relocation to the mountain, a certain figure of short stature made his presence. He would be no less older than the Younger Kosuke, nor less younger than the two daughters of the Elder Kosuke. 

It were not malice, in which sprouted this young boy, to pursuit the lives of our heroes. His bloodshot eyes and anxieties, tell us another story, a story of fugitive fighting for his liberty.

'I had spent all day, feeling this surge of power nearby', Toshiero thought, 'I' am not accustomed to feeling such strength, especially in the middle of nowhere!'

Dashing side to side, his anxious thoughts continued, 'One stands out from the three. Probably, an adult. The other two might be stragglers, or maybe they are concealing their power?'

'Actually, I sense a fourth signature! They are surrounding me from all directions, but this one's nearby. I will check it out, and see if these people are who I think them to be. If it is, who I think, I have no intention of returning to them, I WILL KILL THEM ALL!'