As the sun cast its first light on Tenshi Dojo, the air was thick with the scent of discipline and the promise of learning. Kazuki, still feeling the sting from Hakurou's reprimand, entered the dojo alongside Matsuri, his mind a whirl of anticipation and doubt. All the 50 samurai aspirants in the dojo stood from their places & greeted Hakurou sensei.
"Üf! What ruckus did you raise this time, Kazuki? You never change a bit, always causing trouble for Hakurou sensei," Ishikawa Shimazu (brown ponytail, brownish eyes, dojo mate of Kazuki) asked him.
"Listen! Ishikawa, I didn't do anything this time, Yamato Tachibana interrupted me while I was performing an act & then challenged me for a duel & I just knocked some sense into him."
"Oho, you knocked him out," Ishikawa Shimazu retorted.
Another punch landed on Kazuki from Hakurou. "It hurts!! It hurts!! Hakurou sensei's punches hurt like hell!"
"Moron!! How can you forget the core principles of Bushidō (the way of the Samurai warrior) & you want to become Taisho?"
The dojo was not just a place for physical training but a crucible for shaping the soul of a samurai. Hakurou, standing before the assembled students, asked, "So who's going to tell us the essence of what it means to be a samurai – Bushidō, the way of the Samurai warrior?"
"Sensei, I will explain," Shizu Shirogane (beautiful white hairs, red-eyed young samurai girl) volunteered.
"義 – Gi – Rectitude: 'To act with justice and integrity in all things,'" Shizu's voice was firm, her eyes scanning the room. "This is the foundation upon which all else rests."
"勇 – Yū – Courage: 'Not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it,'" She continued, her gaze falling on Kazuki, perhaps seeing the need for this lesson more than ever.
"仁 – Jin – Benevolence: 'Compassion, even in battle,'" She added, her tone softening slightly. "For true strength lies in understanding and protecting."
"礼 – Rei – Respect: 'To all, even your enemies,'" Shizu explained, demonstrating the bow of respect before any duel or lesson.
"誠 – Makoto – Honesty: 'Speak truth, live truthfully,'" She instructed, her words echoing in the quiet dojo.
"名誉 – Meiyo – Honor/Glory: 'Your actions define your honor, not your words,'" She emphasized, looking around at the faces of her dojo mates eager to prove themselves.
"忠義 – Chūgi – Loyalty: 'To your lord, to your comrades, to the code,'" She concluded, her voice resonating with the weight of tradition.
Kazuki listened with a blush on his face, his mind grappling with these concepts, so different from the survival instincts that had guided him thus far.
"Wonderful!! As always, Shizu. You see, Kazuki - that's the way of the Samurai warrior that makes you different from others," Hakurou praised.
"I humbly apologize to Sensei!!" Kazuki replied in a firm voice.
"Tomorrow, all your dojo mates will pass their Kenshi exams & you just waste your time bunking off from classes & doing stupid acts!! You Moron," Hakurou scolded.
"Sorry Sensei," Kazuki replied while other students laughed at him, and Shizu looked at Kazuki, feeling pity.
"Today in class, we will be reviewing the arts of Kenjutsu (the art of the sword). All you have to do is conjure a form just like me." Then we see Hakurou's stance, suddenly using his RYU (life force of every being) on his bokken (wooden sword), and fire envelops his bokken. Students form a line & start conjuring a form in a similar process as that of Hakurou.
"Excellent! Bravo, right next one now!" Hakurou called out to the students.
It's Shizu's turn, and every student in the class is now quiet, looking at her, including Kazuki. She's in Gedan-no-Kamae stance (right hand under the sword guard, the left hand placed behind the right. The blade faces downwards but pointed at the enemy's lower half of the body). She then applied her Ryu, its black raging fire (Yamihonō) enveloping her bokken; everyone was in shock & applause. "Well Done! Shizu, You should be proud of yourself."
Next here comes Benimaru Hanzo (hot, cool Kenshi Aspirant, all girls have eyes on him).
"You can nail it, Benimaru," every girl shouted.
Benimaru takes his stance of Kasumi-no-Kamae (legs to be strongly bent and the body posture held at a lowered position. The sword is held strongly with stiff hands above Benimaru's head while the blade's edge faces the opponent). Here he uses his Ryu & his bokken suddenly swirling mix of elemental energies (one side with fire, other side with wind).
"Excellent! Benimaru, now next up, Kazuki," Hakurou said.
"Don't do anything stupid this time, Kazuki," Ishikawa said.
"Wanna bet! Ishikawa, he will do it again," Momochi Imagawa said in his funny tone.
"You can do it, Kazuki," Matsuri encouraged. We see Shizu feels a little jealous, her grip tightening on her bokken when Matsuri cheers for Kazuki but says nothing.
"Here comes Kazuki Kurotsuki's Kenjutsu!" Kazuki yells & takes his stance Tosui-no-Kamae (involves the martial artist keeping their shoulders and torso open with the blade held under the waist). Then he took a deep breath 'aaaaa,' then we saw bright light & elemental energies swirling around him instead of his bokken; he is completely frozen in ice & the ice is covered in blue fire.
"Bhahahahah, ahahha," Momochi Imagawa & others laughed loudly at him "serves him right."
Then Hakurou shook his hand & suddenly Kazuki's ice & fire vanished.
"How big a jerk are you, Kazuki? A samurai's blade reflects his soul, Kazuki. Yours is a mirror shattered by doubt." Hakurou scolded.
"Sorry Sensei, It's like the Ryu has a mind of its own, Sensei! I'm not choosing chaos!"
"Everyone!! Class dismissed!" Hakurou declared.
"You are not leaving, Kazuki, until you perform it correctly."
Kazuki, now alone with Hakurou, felt the weight of expectations and his own unruly Ryu. "I'll do it, Sensei. I'll show you I can control it," he said, determination sparking in his golden eyes.
The room was silent except for the sounds of Kazuki's breathing and the subtle hum of his Ryu. He took his stance once more, focusing not on the chaos his Ryu usually brought, but on the calm, the balance, the principles of Bushidō. With every breath, he sought to align his wild energy with the discipline of a true samurai.