Wisteria Eyed

16

I was at a stage where I still practiced with my wooden sword; and since I was not learning the forms of the breath style, Shigeno-sensei just went on to teach me the basics of how to fight with a sword.

And I kid you not, it was way more than just slashing as they showed in the films.

Not only your hands or arms, but your whole bloody body worked and moved during a single swing of a sword and watching it may be very empowering, but doing it was more tiring than anything. Especially for my five year old body. Shigeno-sensei's ruthless training didn't help much either.

It was like, he never hesitated to hit me whenever he found an opening even once. And even though it was good for my training, the soreness my body had was almost not worth it.

>×<

"Ojisan, are you not being a little too harsh on her...?"

"No, Hitoshi. She needs this."

"But she's only five! You didn't started training us like that since we were almost eight..."

"She is different, Hitoshi. And I don't think she will learn anything if I do not force it into her bones. She thinks too much and always tried to find the easier way out of doing things; if I don't teach her to work hard from now, she will never start and will always try to opt out of things as much as she could."

>×<

"This is stupid... Why are we to climb such a steep mountain in the middle of the night?"

"To meditate in the morning." Hiroshi replied, his eyes shining in amusement. Since that day in the kitchen, (when I got my first smack for this lifetime) he started behaving more and more casual and somewhat attached to me, which I necessarily didn't mind until both the twins kept bugging me like no other.

It was like I was their source of entertainment at this point.

"Meditate...? Were we not doing it in the temple, these past few weeks?"

"It's different under the waterfall though." Hitoshi replied casually.

"Under the waterfall?!"

(~<>~)

"AACHOO!" I sneezed loudly as I lied on my futon miserably.

"I think we shouldn't have started that part of the training this sooner..." Shigeno-sensei mumbled as he changed the cold cloth on my forehead.

Yeah, like no shit, Sherlock.
Apparently sensei trained his students to meditate and maintain their concentrated breath under the high pressure of the waterfall, so that they could get used to doing it under extreme conditions.

Turned out that I passed the supposed lesson on the very first class. (Since I've been practicing it full time)

But unfortunately, my body didn't.
And now I was as sick as I could get. For the first time in this lifetime too, surprisingly.

"But you did very well though, Miyasha." Shigeno-sensei praised, as he pressed the wet cloth on my forehead again. "I can't say I expected you already to master doing the concentration breath all day long before today's training."

"Here's the rice porridge!" Hitoshi suddenly declared loudly as he opened the door for Hiroshi, who brought a large bowl of rice porridge on a tray.

I tried to sit up, but my hands trembled under my body weight and almost made me topple back onto the futon.

"Shh, let me feed you!" Hitoshi claimed as sensei helped me sit up properly.

And before I could even say anything, he suddenly stuffed a spoonful of warm porridge into my mouth, almost making me choke.

"Hito! At least ask her first!" Hiroshi scolded Hitoshi loudly as he smacked his twin's hand, "Let me feed her. You go on and do something else."

"Ojisan! Hand over the cloth! I will do that!"

"You won't do that properly either."

"Ojisan, Hiroshi is bullying me!"

"...you two are about to be twelve, don't act like five. Otherwise I will give you twice as much training as you both already do."

The silence that followed sensei's statement made me giggle loudly. Maybe change wasn't that bad after all.

But that thought went out of the window as Hiroshi spoon-fed me the porridge— it had absolutely no taste.
Did they even put salt in it...?

"Did you," I asked as I somehow swallowed the porridge in my mouth, "put salt in it?"

"You put salt in porridge?"

...
How in the name of Heaven and Hell did these three survive these past few years?

_________________________________________

So, here's the chapter I promised!

Sorry it took time, but I have to prepare for my Constitutional law viva for tomorrow, lol. Wish me luck xD 

I really can't wait to get over this arc and start with the next one! Especially since we'll meet everyone there! 

Please do vote and comment if you want to!

I love reading from you guys, and honestly, it motivates me like no other :D