Genzō stood in the heart of the forest.
"Another one."
With steady strikes, he continued splitting firewood for the fireplace.
Once he was done, he hoisted the pile onto his shoulders as if it weighed nothing and began walking back home.
"This should be enough for tonight…" he muttered to himself.
After a few minutes, he spotted the silhouette of the house through the trees.
He stopped.
"But this is…"
Near the entrance, there was already a stack of firewood.
The pieces weren't perfectly cut, but they were more than usable.
Genzō placed his own wood beside the pile.
"Could it have been…" he left the sentence unfinished.
With slow steps, he walked away from the house, heading east.
The sound of water grew louder and louder.
Once past the last cluster of trees, Genzō found himself in front of the waterfall.
"There he is…" he said, looking at the silhouette of his apprentice.
"Again!" Kaito repeated.
The strength in his fingers had increased.
This time, he finally managed to push them through the wall of water.
— In just two weeks since training began, he's improved drastically — Genzō thought.
"When they say discipline is power…" he smiled.
He approached the base of the rocks, where the boy stood as the water relentlessly crashed against him.
"Kaito!" Genzō shouted over the roar of the waterfall.
The young man turned toward the voice.
When he saw the old man, he stepped away from the waterfall, jumping across the rocks until he reached solid ground.
"Good morning, Genzō," he greeted him in his usual tone.
"I'm glad to see you've mastered this exercise," Genzō said, assessing him.
— And in such a short time — he added silently.
"I think you're ready for the next phase."
"What does it involve?" Kaito asked.
"Follow me, I'll explain on the way," Genzō replied.
"Do you know why I don't let you train with your blade?" Genzō asked.
"So I don't rely on it too much," Kaito answered without hesitation.
"Exactly. If someone were to take your weapon away, you wouldn't be able to block the flows anymore," he confirmed.
The two reached a barren part of the forest.
There were no trees, only the bases of cut trunks and hard-packed ground.
Genzō stopped.
"I've already shown you where to strike," he said calmly.
"But you know as well as I do: in a real fight, the body moves, the enemy doesn't stand still… and the mind isn't always clear."
From his pocket, he pulled out a black cloth.
"Your eyes can deceive you."
He tossed it to him.
Kaito caught it, studying it for a moment before looking back at him.
"You want me to learn how to detect the flows using my other senses?" he asked seriously.
Genzō gave a slight smile.
"Exactly. Over the past two weeks, I've taught you the exercise to strengthen your fingers, and we've sparred a bit…" he paused briefly.
"But starting today, for the next seven days, I'll be training with you constantly," he declared.
Kaito looked at the cloth in his hands.
Without hesitation, he tied it around his face, completely covering his eyes.
— Yume, I'll become stronger. Just hold on a little longer — he thought, as he took his stance.
"Very good, Kaito," Genzō said.
"Let's begin."
Kaito's senses seemed to fade.
The world around him felt different, empty.
— I can't see anything… I need to use my hearing — he told himself.
He focused.
Within moments, he picked up the sound of quick footsteps crushing the grass.
"There you are!"
He launched a horizontal strike with his arm.
"Where do you think you're aiming?!"
A sudden kick struck him in the side.
Kaito rolled across the ground for several meters.
"Focus more," Genzō warned him.
"Don't rely only on hearing. Use your sense of touch as well."
"Touch…" Kaito muttered, getting back on his feet.
— How am I supposed to—
He didn't have time to finish the thought.
A violent knee struck him straight in the face.
His body was sent flying backward, crashing through one of the remaining trunks.
Blood poured from his nose.
— Damn it — he growled, clenching his teeth as he brought a hand to his face.
"Is this how you plan to break into the most important prison in Fuyoko?" Genzō asked sternly.
"Absolutely not!"
He wiped the blood away with his forearm and stood up again.
"I intend to master this technique."
His voice trembled, but his resolve was firm.
"I won't let anyone else die…"
"Well, at least you don't lack determination," Genzō commented, dashing forward again.
A powerful uppercut lifted Kaito off the ground.
The old man prepared to grab him by the ankle.
— Now or never —
Midair, Kaito straightened his body.
"Spiritual Block!"
With his index and middle fingers, he struck his opponent's shoulder with force.
Genzō staggered backward.
He dropped to one knee as his apprentice landed back on the ground.
— Did I do it…? Did I hit him…? — Kaito wondered.
"Not bad…" the old man's voice was slightly strained.
"But we're not there yet."
"Now I'll show you what a real spiritual block looks like."
In an instant, he closed the distance between them.
A direct blow to the abdomen sent Kaito flying backward.
— No… I'm losing consciousness… —
The boy felt nothing.
When Kaito regained consciousness, night had already fallen.
— My… head… — he muttered, slowly lifting himself up.
He was lying on a log.
In front of him, a fire burned, illuminating the area.
On the other side of the flames sat Genzō.
"You're awake…" he observed.
"I'd say the training didn't go very well…" Kaito said in a tired voice.
"Hahaha, quite the opposite."
Genzō rolled up the sleeve of his shirt.
A large purple bruise had formed on his shoulder.
"That… I did that?" Kaito asked, incredulous.
"That's right." Genzō smiled faintly.
"You performed your first spiritual block. It wasn't perfect, but you're on the right path."
Kaito lowered his gaze, clenching his fists.
"But enough about training now."
Genzō's tone shifted.
"I want to ask you something."
"Go ahead."
"That girl… Yume. Is she your girlfriend?"
"What?!" Kaito flinched slightly.
"No. She and I are just companions. Nothing more."
"I see."
Genzō tossed another piece of wood into the fire. The flames crackled.
"I thought your desire to save her came from something deeper."
The boy remained silent for a moment.
"Then let me ask you something," he said, his tone turning serious.
"Go ahead."
"Who is it that you lost?"
The old man's hand froze midair.
"Was it that person who pushed you to abandon your family?"
The fire kept burning, but Genzō did not answer