Initial D: Legacy Stage

Chapter 27: Body, Soul, and Mind

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....

Takeshi stood up from the AE86 and said, "She is indeed a titan, she beat that FC of yours." He said throwing his chin at the white car Thomas brought.

Thomas nodded, "Fujiwara is truly a master of drifting..."

The old man stood up, "You. Hold old are you?"

"I'm 18."

"Hmm..." Takeshi said stroking his whitened chin, "Tricky, but do-able."

"What importance does my age have?" The teen asked looking at him walk away from the tiny garage.

"Allow me to explain." Takeshi said picking up his old wooden teaching staff.

"Look over there," The old man said raising his staff over his little farm, "What do you see?"

"Rice. Just a bunch of rice." Thomas said.

"No. Look further." Takeshi said.

Thomas looked into the water of the paddy, "A seed."

"Yesss!!" Takeshi said, "Very good grasshopper!"

"But what does that have to do with my age?" Thomas asked.

Takeshi put a thumb over Thomas' forehead, "You see, there lies inside every man's brain a seed. Your father and his friend Ryosuke called it the kick."

"The kick?" Thomas asked.

"The source of a drifters power." Takeshi said, "You harness the kick by either instinct like Fujiwara, or technique like Ryosuke, or in some cases like your fathers, both."

The old man then said, "The Chinese Philosophers called the kick chi, an energy force that circulates through us."

"What the heck is chi?" Thomas asked.

"You have much to learn grasshopper, come. I must show you something." He said, his hands holding his staff behind his back.

They walked inside his hut, where there were a long line of bonsai trees, "Notice anything about them?"

The American nodded, "Yeah. They're all perfectly trimmed."

"Yes. That's how I've refined my kick, the seed inside my brain. You must do the same young grasshopper."

"How do I do that?" Thomas asked.

"You must have such amazing control over your body, that your drift will become so perfect nothing can go faster. Here allow me to show you how I've disciplined my kick."

Takeshi walked outside and attached a short blade to the top of his pole, as Thomas watched him.

"There's a small bowl filled with beans next to you. Throw one at me. Go on."

Thomas picked up the bean and hurled it at the old man.

Takeshi's reflexes were superhuman.

The bean was cut perfectly in half, in mid air with one swipe of the staff.

"Again." Takeshi said.

Thomas kept hurling beans and Takeshi cut them all moving incredibly quickly, moving as fast as lightning, but as smooth as silk.

Thomas was shocked, he'd thrown about fifteen beans and Takehsi hadn't missed one. 

"Look over there." Takeshi said pointing to the small wooden obstacle course.

There were long and tall wooden poles, Takeshi stood on top of them balancing his foot perfectly on it before flipping in the air and landing exactly on the next one.