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Title: Apprenticeship
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"So... What can you do?" I asked the lady sitting in front of me.
After accepting Hisashi's request, Tomoe came by the very next day. We've been sitting facing eachother for close to 5 minutes now and I must say, she has one determined set of eyes.
I knew she wasn't doing it to learn the art of medicine but to learn about chakra but I couldn't care less, I'll teach what I can and leave here in a month.
"A lot, I ca-"
"Stop. I don't care. Forget I asked. I know why you're here, but I couldn't be bothered. From today, you'll follow me and learn whatever I do and say. Whatever you're able to learn will depend on you." I said, "Follow me."
I said and stood up before walking into my workshop.
I stopped in front of a large shelf where all the plants necessary for drug making were kept.
"These here are various plants that will be necessary for the things we'll be making so as I talk listen because I won't be repeating myself."
"Hai, sensei." Tomoe replied enthusiastically.
"Landen Flower. A Flower that can be made into various things, tea, most especially. It is effective for nerves. Relaxing and lowers anxiety and stress." I introduced one of the plants at the edge of the shelf.
"The next. Moray Flower. Produces a hideous scent only monsters can smell. It helps drive animals away from the farms or even if you're traveling through a forest." I introduced another.
This plant was about the size of a small child. Its pistil was swollen, without any leaves or stem. It looked like some creepy monstrosity.
Glancing at Tomoe, I could see the disgust on her face and smiled.
"As a doctor or nurse, you'd have to get used to stuff like this." I said.
"But I'm not here to be a doctor or nurse." She muttered. "Hmm" I hummed.
"That plant can also be used as a deodoriser." I added.
"What's that?"
"Something that removes bad smell." Pointing at another plant, I said. "That there is a Birukosou. It is an extremely wild plants with a unique taste and aroma. It can be used as a sedative."
"What's that?" Tomoe asked again.
"Something used to make someone sleep or feel less pain." I answered patiently.
"The other one is an Arimana Grass. It's an antipyretic medicinal herb and is effective against stomach aches. It also has an hallucinogenic effect if taken excessively."
"Halluhcim... What's that?" Tomoe asked again.
"Sigh. It's a state of being in a self induced illusion." I answered.
"What? A plant can do that? I have heard that only people with chakra can do things like that." Tomoe asked in shock.
"There's a lot you don't know about this world Tomoe-chan. Even the littlest pebble outside can do something most people with chakra can't do."
"Now enough of that. Next up is the Rokushou Nut. It's a highly aromatic tree nut, a delicacy so to say. You can use it in your foods without any side effects or you can put it in a medicine to make it more enjoyable." I introduced before moving to the next which was a liquid extract.
"Ah! That is a landen extract, it lowers sex drive in certain circumstances and if mixed with the Arimana Grass, becomes a strong aphrodisiac while also strengthening emotions." I explained.
"How is that possible? The Arimana Grass causes illsuion right? How would it strengthen emotions just because it's mixed with another grass extract?" Tomoe asked.
"Hmm, good question but stupid too. The Arimana Grass only causes illsuion when taken excessively but when mixed with the landen extract, they amplify eachother while also eliminating some property of the other. Don't think too much about it, you'll come to understand soon..that's if you pay attention." I said.
"That liquid over there Is the Kuchikun Juice. Nothing special, just stimulates metabolism." I said offhandedly.
"What's that, Sensei?" Tomoe asked again.
"Metabolism is the process where your body converts food and drink into energy. This juice stimulates it, making burning fats easier." I explained.
"So it will make sure you don't get fat no matter what you eat?" Tomoe asked in a strange tone.
"...Yeah."
"Hehehe." She laughed weirdly from behind me causing me to look at her.
"What?"
"Nothing." She smiled sweetly.
Suspicious.
"Anyways..."
I then went on to give her a run down on the different plants and flowers in the workshop and how to process them manually without making use of her little chakra.
She was thrilled at first but with time she became frustrated at how mind consuming it was.
She'd have to observe and record any new findings, make sure she doesn't add more or little to a particular solution and even then, she'd have to make sure the drug doesn't have any adverse effect on the normal people with chakra.
"A week had passed since I started working here, Sensei, and I have to ask, what's the point of all this?" Tomoe asked me as I was reclining on my recliner outside the building.
Opening one eye to look at her, I smiled and said. "Tomoe-chan, do you know what makes you different from those who don't have chakra?"
She looked confused at how this has any relationship to the question she asked before shaking her head.
"Chakra is an energy that comes from the combination of the mind and body energy, do you know that?" I asked.
She shook her head.
"Hmm, normally, every single Human has chakra, as far as you eat, and walk around, you develop physical energy. The same goes for the mind. As far as you think, focus on something or even look at the sky and wonder why it is blue, you develop your spiritual energy. But it all comes down to Luck."
"Luck?"
"Yes, luck."
"What does luck have to do with using chakra?" She asked.
"It has everything to do with it. In ancient times, chakra wasn't used to fight, wage wars, and make fanciful techniques. No. Chakra was originally an energy used to connect one person to another. I pass my chakra to you, you pass yours to me, a continuous circle. But now, who would want another's chakra in them? They'd fear they will be manipulated, or killed without even knowing how."
"Centuries have passed and then we see various clans of people with chakra. As far as one possesses a father or mother with enough chakra, they too would have chakra but that chakra also have to be stimulated from an outside source before the child would be able to use his or her chakra. It's only on rare occasions that any random individual goes through a stressful or emotional experience that will stimulate their chakra. Such experience is the Luck I'm speaking of."
This explanation I was giving her was just a baseless explanation. In most Chinese novels, there's always mention of Lucky Encounter, fortuitous encounter or opportunity.
What makes luck and opportunity important in most protagonist journey is that said opportunity is there for all to collect but only the protagonist will be fortunate enough to get it at the end.
Said luck is just the author making it happen but that goes to show how important luck is in any world. Whether you're on the protagonist side or just a random canon fodder, luck (Author) may decide to shine upon you every once in a while.
"So I have chakra because I was lucky?" Tomoe asked.
"Maybe, maybe not. I wouldn't know, but that brings me to your question. Over these past few days, have you noticed anything different about yourself?" I asked.
"Different? How?" She asked causing me to frown. "How would I know, it's all about you and your body and mind. Find out yourself."
"Sigh. You see, Tomoe, the mind is a powerful place and what you feed it can affect you in a powerful way. You tell yourself, this is useless, and it becomes useless. You tell yourself, this can be useful, and it will become useful." I advised. "You have seen some plants here that have the same ability as most techniques I have shown you, and yet you ask, what's the point of all this. That's disappointing."
"Go and reflect on yourself a little, meditate, walk around the village. Just check out the you now and the you from before, are your thought process still the same?"
She looked down in contemplation for a while before giving me a bow and walking away.
Kids these day, always want to put the cart in from of the horse. Why can't they just take things as it comes. I'm here teaching here unique things on nature and she's asking for ways to develop her chakra.
Sigh, ignorance simply is bliss, but it can cost you a fortune sometimes.
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Tomoe POV
Sensei can be annoying sometimes but what I've learned over the last few days is to not look down on him.
When we fiirst met, I had assumed him to be some lucky idiot who had managed to travel outside without encountering any dangers whatsoever and what I felt at that time was jealousy.
I was jealous that someone as weak looking as him could go outside, and travel while I was being shackled in this little village where all that they know is to hide under the protection of the Priestess.
I admired the priestess from the bottom of my heart but the fact that she was the only one to possess chakra was also a cause for my envy.
If what Sensei said today was true then I probably got access to my chakra due to my deep envy and desire to be free. But Sensei said that freedom is an illusion, whatever that means.
I had gotten my chakra but papa, said I shouldn't leave, I was all he had, and he was all I had too. I couldn't bear to see him suffer after mama died.
She was killed by some clan mercenaries but all we got was an apology, compensation and a village of people who looked at us with pity.
Pity, because we lost someone who we wouldn't have had to lose if we had chakra to protect ourselves.
To make matters worst, they made no effort to seek revenge. Father said it was how the world worked.
Sensei said that the strong will get stronger while the weak Will get weaker. This was what Sensei said when I asked him how the world works.
"The law of the Jungle. The stronger fist wins."
That was what he said.
Since that was the case, why couldn't I be the stronger fist? Why do we have to remain as we are when we know that we'll only get weaker as time passed.
I asked sensei how I could get stronger and he said that the truly strong people are people that have reached a state of 'One with the World.'
According to Sensei, being One with the world was being able to take advantage of the situation and conform to the changes in everything in a natural way.
Till today, I have no idea what that means, always cryptic. But what I did understand is that if I remain as I am, probably in a few years, I'll be killed the same way mama was and no one will ask for justice on my behalf.
Sigh. I wonder what Sensei expects me to understand about myself. Maybe I should try out that boring meditation once again. I wonder how anyone even endures that amount of boredom.