"this kid is a monster..."
....
"hmnnn... what did i just do..."
he repeated the feeling but was not able to do get the same feel of his previous hammering...
ding ding ding dididing
"no its not the same... the rythmn is off"
he hammered again and agian
"no its not the same..."
Katsuna arrived, carrying a basket with their breakfast
"little Ryo breakfast is ready..."
but Rto is so focused remembering the feeling, that he has lost sense of his surroundings
"Katsuna, he cant hear you...
looking at the boy hammering, Ryoma could only shake his head
just arrange the tableand place the food there please..." then he stoodup and sat on the chair prepared for them
"big brother can you stop Ryo, he will be sick if doesnt eat..."
Ryoma looked at Katsuna with raised eyebrow
"even if i wanted to he is currently focused that he could only hear is himself and his forging..." then he looked back at the boy
"just invite Hiyori and katsumoto here..."
Katsuna nodded vanished
after a few minutes three persons walked at the workshops entrance, everyone greeted and bowed
it waa Hiyori along with Katsumoto and Katsuna
as they walked to where Ryoma is, they kept staring at Ryo
"focused state..." Hiyori said
Katsumoto looked surprised
Ryoma just smiled and called to them
"come lets eat while Ryo is working..."
"big brother, what happened?" the other two also womdered
"when he was temepering the ores, he suddenly did a ten strikes in one breath... then tgis happened..."
then he pointed at Ryo
"big brother, what did you just say ?" katsumoto asked in surprise
he may not be a blacksmith but he knew that what Ryo did was not a easy feat...
"you heard me, he learbed it on his own by accident, he is just a genius like his gamps,hahahaha..."
'nacissistic old man' they all thought
"what are yoy three looking at? im just telling the truth... hmf" Ryoma grunted
"in five more years he will be a blacksmith woth passable skills,hahahaha..."
'what a braggart...'
the three knew that Ryoma is currently happy now, he has been travelling for a hundred years now, and has not found a disciple to carry his mantle...
and by sheer luck and badluck Ryo met all his requirements...
in order not to let everything went to Ryos head, Ryoma would always put Ryos ego down... telling him how poorly he performs in forging, but unknown to the boy, whenever he is not around the old man would brag how a genius his granson is in forging... making the ears of all his friends and the emperor thicken with callus as he brags to them
Kisame felt so proud and happy for Ryoma, he has finally found a disciple, and this disciple is his own grandson...
didididididididididing...
dingding...
didididing...
didididididididididing...
didididididing...
ding...
"wrong... wrong... i missed the beat" Ryo murmured as he hit the ores
didididididididididing...
didididididididididing...
didididididididididing...
"i guess he is getting the hang of it"
'what getting the hang of it, he is learning too fast foe vods sake!'
after an hour...
didididididididididing...
didididididididididing...
didididididididididing...
didididididididididing...
didididididididididing...
didididididididididing...
didididididididididing...
didididididididididing...
didididididididididing...
didididididididididing...
after ten consecutive perfect hammering Ryo stopped and sat tired on the floor, he slowly looked at his hand holing the hammer smiling silly...
"he...he...he... hahahahahaha... i did it! i did it"
he looked at Ryoma smiling and he stood up and jumped,
"old man i did it"
Ryoma returned to his game face look and said "by sheer luck you learned ten strikes in one breath and you are jumping with joy?"
the three did not comment but dwep inside they were all shocked, they knew that what Ryo did is not something that only luck can achieve... but they did not speak nor show it on their faces, the shock that the boy gave them...
but only they knew that the old man is probably smiling ear to ear from Ryos achievement
"Ryo, being happy for some thing that is due to luck, ypu are still a million years to early from becomeing a true blacksmith...
what do you think being a black smith is? are you insulting the others by your mediocre hammering?" he reprimanded the boy
Ryo looked down sad
Hiyori and Katsuna wanted to comfort the boy but Katsumoto stopped them, shaking his head and pointed Ryoma with his head
"Ryo what did i tell you about geniuses?"
Ryo looked back at the old man down casted but replied
"geniuses are not born, they are made" then he looked back on the floor
"then are you a genius?"
he asked the boy
"no" he slowly answered
"yes you are not a genius!" he replied
everyone in the workshop wanted to shout back at the old man wgile glaring at him they all thought
'if Ryo is not a genuis then what are we?'
'stupid old man'
'i want to go home and drink myself to death'
'i wanna go home, my heart cant take it'
"Ryo, a real genius would have long learned what you did...
let me ask you... how long did you manage to learn about hitting ten times in one breath?" he asked
Ryo felt sad, he hesitated but still he made the effort to answer
"one... year..."
"did you learn it on the day i showed you how its done?" Ryoma asked
"n...no"
"then let me ask you agai. are you a genius?" ryoma asked again
tears fell from the boys eyes as he silently sobbed
"n.n...no"
Ryoma smiled and answered "you were not before, but you are made to be one today..."
"through your own efforts and perseverance you made yourself a genius today... but since youve just began, this small achievements must never go to ypur head and you must keep your motivation high and aim for perfection like you always do... this is how you will grow, this is the only formula to success, your formula to reach hieghts that i have not reached in my lifetime!"
'i know that the boss is teching Little Ryo a life lesson, but i still feel a bit shameful of my own achoevements...'
all the blacksmiths felt the same, but how can they complain, they must use this as a challenge and improve their own crafts
'this old man can sometime give proper advise...' Hyori smiled as she wiped a tear from her eye
Ryo looked at Ryoma with teary eyes, "i...im sorry gramps, i will do better next time, i wont be satisfied with just a lucky success"
Ryoma ruffled his hair while nodding his head, he is now smiling silly that, Hiyori and the other two have the urge to hit his face...
...