It was around nine in the morning when we arrived. The place we planned to stay in Tottori was the top of Mt. Ouginosen, set on the far outskirts between Tottori and Hyogo. From what I'd read, hikers seemed to enjoy the mountain, though that didn't matter much to me. My main concern was keeping people away while we stayed there.
As I parked the car, I glanced at Retsu, who was taking in the scenery in the daylight. "The view will be better from the top." I commented. She hummed in agreement. "Retsu, do you know any Kidō barriers that could deter any wandering hikers?"
We exited the car, and as I grabbed the bags Retsu had packed, she answered, "There's one. I'll need to channel my Reiryoku to maintain it." I nodded and shifted Eri to one arm.
"Alright. We'll be staying here for up to two years if everything goes as planned." I aimed to regain my strength within the first year, the second would be focused on breaking through my previous limits. "We'll need to intensify our training, and that includes you, Retsu." She nodded, unfazed, as we continued our trek in silence, each of us taking in the calm before the trials ahead.
~Scene Change~
As we neared the top of the mountain, I realized just how cold it had gotten, I'd completely forgotten it was winter. Looking down at Eri, snug in my arms and warmed by both my body heat and the layer of Reiatsu I was coating her with, I remembered all the moments we'd shared, festivals, fishing, jumping off waterfalls, having picnics, and lying in the grass. 'I'll do better this time, I promise Eri.'
I turned my focus back to the path and noticed Retsu walking a few paces ahead, absorbed in her surroundings. 'Must be refreshing not having so much weight on her shoulders.' I thought, snorting quietly. She glanced back at me.
"Are you catching a cold, Ryou-san?" she asked, her tone light.
I shook my head, quickening my pace to catch up. "No, I was just thinking how relaxed you seem."
She nodded, turning back to admire the view. "I feel better." I listened as she continued, her voice soft but resolute. "The sin of weakening Kenpachi Zaraki haunted me. But you… you brute-forced that sin away." I raised an eyebrow. "You brought out his true strength, saved me from my own demise, and now have freed me from the duties of a captain—from being Yachiru Unohana." She turned to me, a kind smile lighting her face. "I'm free because of you."
She raised her hand and gently poked me on the forehead, prompting a giggle from Eri in my arms. Retsu chuckled, too.
"We're at the top, Ryou-san."
Blinking, I turned to see the summit before us, a small two-story house nestled at the peak, steps leading up to its door. Nearby, a small group of people sat on benches around a campfire, laughing and chatting. I glanced at Retsu, who looked back expectantly. Handing the now-quiet Eri to her, I set the bags down and withdrew the Honjo Masamune from my waist.
'I'll just hit them hard enough to make them forget my face and what they were doing.' I thought, stepping forward and taking aim at the back of an older woman's head.
Screams were heard briefly which were mixed in with a baby's laughter.
Once we'd taken care of the former tenants, we began settling into the house. It had no electricity, but it was equipped with a wood stove, a soaking tub, and a few futons. I checked around for firewood, but the entire stockpile was used up. Clicking my tongue, I grabbed an axe, headed toward the door, and passed Retsu, who was organizing our belongings along with those left behind by the previous occupants.
"Where are you going, Ryou-san?" she asked, glancing over at Eri, who was sound asleep on a folded futon.
"Grabbing some wood and water for the utilities." I replied.
She raised an eyebrow. "I understand the water part, but why would we need wood? Just use Spiritual Power."
Shaking my head lightly, I started out. "It's part of the training. I'll be collecting water from the Iwai Waterfall, a seventeen-hour walk from here. My goal is to make it there and back in under an hour. While I'm there, I'll cut down some trees and carve out storage for the water."
She simply hummed, letting me go without further question. I turned in the direction of the waterfall and took off.
~Scene Change~
It took me nearly three hours to reach the waterfall and an hour to cut down a tree and shape it to hold water. After filling the log with water, I hefted it onto my shoulder and was just about to take off when the water spilled out, soaking me in the process. Letting out a groan, I set the log down and filled it up again. But just as I lifted it and started to move, the water sloshed over again. Sighing, I repeated the process over and over.
An hour later, after cutting down a dozen trees, I sat on a rock, soaked and frustrated. I buried my face in my hands, groaning. "Why the hell doesn't this work?" I muttered through my fingers. I'd carved out the trees and filled them with water, but each time I tried to carry them, it spilled out. Sighing, I looked up at the sky and blinked, noticing an old, wrinkly dark-green kappa sitting in a tree.
"Kip~ Finally noticed me, brat?" it spoke in a raspy voice, making it hard to tell if it was male or female. "Kip~ Are you just gonna stare, or keep wasting time?"
I felt a twitch of annoyance as I picked up my axe, eyeing the kappa's odd appearance as it jumped down from the tree, about 4'3, with dry wrinkled skin, a missing arm, and a bite scar where the arm used to be. The kappa smirked. "Kip~ Staring at it won't make it grow back, you know."
Turning to fully face the kappa, I tightened my grip on the axe. "What do you want? And how long were you watching?"
The kappa snorted, vanishing from sight before I could track it. 'Fast.' "Kip~ What do I want? For you to stop chopping down these trees. How long have I been watching? Since you set out from Mount Ōgi." My eyes widened, and just as I was about to release my Reiatsu, the kappa smacked me on the head with a stick.
"Kip~ Calm down, brat. I'm not here to fight you." it grumbled. "Kip~ I know what you're trying to do, even if you're failing miserably at it." Rubbing my head, I narrowed my eyes as it continued, staring into the waterfall. "Kip~ You don't strike me as the type who uses his brain much." it muttered, as I felt a vein throb in my forehead.
"Kip~ Nor do you look like someone who thinks on his feet." it added, which only made me grip my axe tighter.
"Kip~ Yes, you might just be the dumbest human I've had to teach." That was the last straw. I swung the axe down, aiming to split the wrinkly turtle in half, only to feel an impact on my chest as it sent me flying into the waterfall.
"Kip~ You just proved my point, brat." I heard its voice echo from the other side of the water. 'How the hell is this wrinkly old turtle so fast?' Groaning, I picked myself up, Shundō'd out from the waterfall, and prepared another swing, aiming to catch it off guard.
But as I swung, the kappa sidestepped, unfazed, and kicked me in the chest. The force winded me, sending me upward. Before I could react, it grabbed my left arm and swung me into the ground, face-first. I groaned, feeling the kappa step beside my head.
"Kip~ This is the wielder of the Honjo Masamune?" it scoffed.
{Author's rant}