The children ran three laps, and despite their fatigue, with renewed energy and the help of their dogs, they completed the task. The dogs seemed to have simply sprawled out in the puddles, but those puddles did not disappear. They continued to lie at the start of the path, like a reminder of the unusual training.
Sora was breathing heavily, wiping the sweat from his forehead, and as he turned to see his father's reaction, he noticed that Takeshi… had fallen asleep. His father was sitting under a tree, holding a book that now covered his face. Next to him stood Tanaka—the senior mentor.
Seeing Tanaka, Sora quickly straightened his back, adjusted his clothes, and bowed low:
— Greetings, great elder Tanaka!
His words roused Takeshi. He jolted awake, sat up straight, and looked at his son with indignation.
— When will I become the great head of the Masuroboshi clan?! — his voice was full of discontent.
Tanaka, noticing that a quarrel was brewing, raised his hand and said:
— Sora, have you read the books I gave you?
Sora pointed to himself:
— I've been reading them for a few days now, for the second time.
At that moment, Haru and Yuki dashed into the yard. Their clothes were torn and smeared with some corrosive slime that clearly came from the dogs. Takeshi glanced at the clock and said:
— We finished with the warm-up today. Go eat breakfast.
Haru and Yuki, not hiding their exhaustion, quickly headed inside to take a shower. Their faces radiated relief, and their hands instinctively rubbed their shoulders as if trying to relieve the tension. Sora, however, remained standing in place and asked his father:
— Hey, why are those torn-up ones who came last going to eat their second breakfast while I'm only getting my first?
Takeshi, without even looking up, grumbled:
— Who said they already ate?
Sora pondered for a moment and suddenly realized: his brothers hadn't eaten anything in the morning. But this revelation brought not pity but a new wave of irritation. Frowning, he made his way home, clearly intending to discuss his brothers' "character flaw."
The house was large, but everyone quickly finished their tasks and gathered in the kitchen. The breakfast prepared by Tanaka was incredibly delicious, and each of them devoured the food with gusto. Once everything was finished, the brothers stepped outside, where they saw their father sitting under the same tree and… pretending to read again. Yuki, still holding a grudge over the morning events, decided to take revenge. He took a few steps closer to his father, but Takeshi suddenly opened his eyes and looked at him with a look of confusion.
— What, do you need something again? — he said sleepily, then remembering his plans for the day, he stood up and said:
— Do you know what is almost the most important thing for a ninja besides ninjutsu? Taijutsu.
Yuki, Haru, and Sora exchanged curious glances.
— Our clan is special, — Takeshi continued. — Due to the diversity of our abilities, we cannot have a single fighting style. But for the head of the clan, a special style was once created. Its name is "Kageyori". This style is not complete, and anyone who studies it must adapt it to themselves on the battlefield.
— Will you teach us this style? — Haru asked, barely containing his excitement.
Takeshi looked at him as if he were the biggest fool in the world.
— No, I'm just telling you this so you know. Go home and sleep; I don't care.
He demonstratively placed the book over his face and pretended to fall asleep.
Haru was the first to realize that this was a test. He bowed low:
— Father, teach me this style.
Yuki and Sora quickly repeated his gesture, hiding their pride.
Takeshi stood up and continued:
— In the "Kageyori" style, there are over a thousand stances, but I will teach you only five basic ones.
— The first stance is called "Shadow of the Core." It focuses on speed and sudden strikes. This technique is designed to surprise the enemy, delivering a precise blow before they realize what has happened.
Takeshi raised his hand, and his gaze became serious. He moved so quickly that even Sora wouldn't be able to catch all his movements. — "Shadow of the Sand" is next. Here, the focus is on shurikenjutsu and partially kenjutsu. The goal of this stance is precision and maximum efficiency in the use of small objects for attack. But for this, you need to clearly understand every movement and see the environment as if you were a shuriken flying through every obstacle.
Haru listened intently, trying to grasp every word, as he felt that this knowledge was truly important.
— The third stance is "Shadow of the Sea." It is most useful in the early stages of a fight when you need to assess your opponent. Constant movement to avoid attacks is not just about physical agility, but also about psychological pressure. You must make the enemy expend their energy until the moment it becomes most advantageous to strike.
Yuki, realizing what was being said, pressed his lips together, focusing on every word. He was curious about how these stances could be combined in combat.
— The fourth is "Shadow of Fire." This stance is for maximum attack and pressure. It involves intense use of kenjutsu and ninjutsu, and even though few in our clan love it, it still plays its role at times. This is a combat technique that gives the opponent no chance of victory. Your primary goal is to force the enemy to retreat or even throw them off balance.
Takeshi looked at his sons to see if they understood the importance of this stance. The eyes of each of them sparkled with interest.
— The last stance, "Shadow of the Rock," focuses on defensive maneuvers and counterattacks. It includes a special technique for developing the body in the right direction. Only the most resilient can master it, and some obsessed with the Susa no Uchiha even created new jutsu using the principles of this stance. But you don't need to worry about that now. It's important to learn how to move with maximum efficiency so you can counterattack in any situation.
It seemed that even Yuki, the calmest of the brothers, could not hide his fascination. He understood that these stances would change everything.
Takeshi fell silent and gave his sons a few seconds to digest the information they had received. He noticed their eyes shining with newfound understanding.
— Today I will show you the basics of these stances. We will practice them on the training ground. If you are ready for a real fight, then this will be exactly what you need.
Takeshi vanished from the spot, and Sora instantly activated his chakra conversion into energy. He felt his body gaining power, as if breaking through an invisible wall. Quickly and almost soundlessly, he approached his father. Haru and Yuki, not wanting to be left behind, tried to follow him, although they lagged slightly. However, Yuki, who had a bit more agility, outpaced both of them and became the first in front of Takeshi.
Takeshi, noticing this, raised an eyebrow in satisfaction, then nodded.
— Well then, let's begin. Are you ready?
Sora, realizing the importance of the moment, nodded. All three took their positions for the start. They knew that this training was more than just a physical effort. It was a moment when they had to become stronger, ready for any challenge.
Takeshi assumed the first stance and said:
"The initial stance of the 'Shadow of the Core' appears simple, even modest, but within this simplicity lies the potential for lightning-fast action."
The body leans slightly forward, as if ready to dissolve into motion at any moment. The left leg is slightly extended forward, with weight evenly distributed between both feet, but the toes barely touch the ground — this is for lightness. The knees are slightly bent, ensuring maximum maneuverability.
The hands rest in a natural position: the right hand slightly raised, the left lowered, fingers half-curled, ready to grab, strike, or deflect an enemy's attack. The elbows are relaxed, allowing smooth, unrestrained movement.
The head faces directly toward the opponent, but the eyes focus slightly below their face — toward the chest or stomach — to catch even the slightest movement of their body. Breathing is calm and deep, setting a rhythm, as if your body dances with an invisible partner.
There is no unnecessary movement or posture that could betray your intentions. This is not just a starting position; it is a moment of absolute calm before the burst of speed, where you are like an arrow waiting to be released.
After these words, he vanished and reappeared in front of a massive tree half a kilometer away. He struck the trunk, and although the difference in size might have seemed laughable, the base of the tree where Takeshi had hit was cleanly severed. However, neither Sora, Haru, nor Yuki could see where the missing chunk had gone. All they could witness was the upper part of the trunk collapsing onto the lower section. It failed to hold its balance and began to fall.
Meanwhile, Takeshi appeared before them, casually cracking his neck as he spoke:
"This is what you can achieve if you take the time to master this stance."
But Haru, Sora, and Yuki were mature enough to understand that it would take them years of training to even approach such a feat. They knew this was only a fraction of the strength of the world's strongest warrior.