2 weeks later-
Ameyuri's claim was not chatter. It was a statement to prepare their wills for a grueling journey.
The moment they could walk on wobbly legs, she deemed them ready to train in the blistering cold.
Tayuya's complaints died in the howling wind that nearly took her voice by frostbite alone, the first lesson was adjusting to the cruel weather–gone was the warm sun of the Leaf, their bodies had learn to be comfortable with snowflakes and frostbite. A hack that Ameyuri taught them to adapt faster is by pumping chakra constantly in their blood to stay warm, this also improved their breathing and muscle growth.
"Would you rather die of chakra depletion or hypothermia?" Ameyuri wagered.
Tayuya smoothes the bridge of her nose with her own cold fingertips, "Wouldn't the former end with you getting hypothermia either way?"
The Mist swordswoman glares at the redhead. " Shut up."
Tayuya cursed under her breath, standing ankle-deep in snow wearing a grey kimono with a black obi(sash), her scarlet hair has lightened in colour to more of a rose red tucked in her black bandana.
"Your freckles are showing ~" Kin teases, wearing a similar outfit to her teammate but her midnight black hair was tied in a chignon(French, meaning bun) with two senbon forming an X.
"Don't get all cheeky now Kin." Tayuya snorts, controlling her breathing as the cold creeping from her legs is threatening to spread across her body.
Unlike her counterparts, Kin discovered her impressive chakra control which allowed her to easily master the circulatory flow technique. She advanced to walking on snow without sinking her feet to find stable ground, a feet Taiju and Tayuya have been struggling to master since yesterday morning.
"Very impressive Kin." Ameyuri praises the black-haired swordsman.
Kin avoided eye contact with Ameyuri as a faint blush appears on her cheeks. "Thank you..." She whispers.
Woosh
"Huh–Eep?!" Kin lets out a swine-like squeal as Ameyuri flashes behind her, sweeping her legs to send the girl back- first to the waiting snow.
Crunch
"You okay there Kin?" Tayuya fakes a concerned tone, holding back her building laughter.
Taiju has his back facing them, whistling like his taking a stroll throughthe park, clearly trying to suppress his own creeping laughter.
Yugao stands a few metres away from them, holding her katana. Her training was mostly focused on finding a connection with her blade since Ameyuri didn't shatter her beloved weapon.
[Flash back]
2 days ago~
The snow battered on their healing bodies as if nature had a personal grudge against them– every breath they took invited prickling cold into their lungs and the constant heckling of wind in down their ear drums made training dominantly a mental battle than physical endurance.
"Focus Yugao. " Ameyuri snaps her fingers.
The purple-haired anbu meets her gaze, nodding in acknowledgement.
Ringo holds Kiba out, her twin blades with miniature protruding blades near the point and handle. Her blade crackles with lightning, coupled with the violent winds. Yugao involuntarily takes a step back.
Ameyuri shakes her head, "Your katana, does it have a name?"
Yugao ponders her question, the naming of a weapon meant there was a personal factor that comes with wielding it, as an Anbu, there was no point in naming weapons as at any moment that cherished weapon can be broken in battle or rot due to lack of care in their busy lives.
"No, my blade has no name." She answers honestly.
Ameyuri lets out a sigh," This generation of swordsman is quite disappointing. " She mumbles.
Yugao analyses the Redheads face for a hint of humour like Tayuya carries behind every comment. In her observation, Ringo-sama is being completely serious.
"Listen Yugao. I'll tell you the same thing I told that stubborn boy Taiju, a blade is an extension of a swordsmen's body first. Once you have achieved that, then you can move to aligning your soul with your blades will." Ringo explains, gesturing to her twin blades.
"Before I even mastered Kiba, they would zap me for trying to use them like some object." She grins at the memory.
"Zip, zip" Kiba boast.
"Annoying brats." The Mist swordswoman rolls her eyes, looking back at Yugao.
"You have the most experience outside of me, so I'll be bias and give you a shortcut. " Ameyuri bites her lip, eyes shining with childish glee.
"Now talk to it."
[End of flashback]
Present day-
Yugao holds her katana out, the last few days she has tried to use her sword like a limb during spars with her fellow Konoha nin.
At first she would lose focus mid-battle as her attention would split from her opponents to adjusting her katana in a style that flowed with the movement of her moon dance without breaking the fluidity of hand-to-sword movement was very complex and barely suitable for her fighting style.
Today felt different for some reason, the minute she reached for her blade it felt similar to rotating her wrist, such a ordinary movement for her hand somehow translated to her unsheathing her blade in record speed.
Swing
Taiju halted at the sound of steel cutting wind, the way his body tensed at the mere sight of me holding my katana, made my pulse skip.
"Yugao...how did you do that?" He gulped.
His question barely registered in my mind, all my attention was on my katana, the way it felt more light in my grasp and how I could hear a soft sound every time I stared long enough.
"She can hear them." Ameyuri hums.
"Hear them?" Tayuya looks confused. Her perception of Yugao's odd behaviour was probably hypothermia kicking in.
"Are you sure the cold isn't kicking her ass?"
"Focus on your breathing Tayuya, a pack of wolves could hear you from miles away. " Ringo reprimanded the talkative ginger.
"Hush." She added.
Tayuya cursed her under her breath.
---
Yugao kept her gaze on her blade, her surroundings became white noise at the moment.
"I can hear you." She whispers, letting the words manifest.
Taking a deep breath, she channels her chakra to her katana, sharing the energy equally with her steel, this wasn't a medium of combat anymore–this is an extension of herself, Yugao Uzuki, the Moon swordswoman of Konoha, calls out her blades name.
"Runa."
WHOOOSSHH
A gust of wind travelsfrom her blade to the surrounding area. Snow making way for the burst of power as Yugao's blade glows ivory white, the majestic blooming of her sword left everyone present speechless.
...
Once the glow faded and Yugao stood there holding her newly black blade, the carbon coating looks intimidating and near the sword's handle is crescent moon symbol, flashing with a white glow, Runa is born.
Yugao observes them with the calmness of a predator watching prey, the annoyed stare they were used to is no longer present, this Yugao frightened them without even going in the offensive.
"I always wanted to see a sword awakening!" Ameyuri excitedly jumps, landing on the snow without crushing it.
"What the hell just happened?" Taiju questions.
"That was a sword awakening. I've heard stories from blacksmith about a phenomena that happens when a swordsman evolves from a ignorant warrior to a polished blade."
Silence followed her confession.
"Only a few swordsman live long enough to see their second life cycle, there isn't a particular way to achieve it, this a rebirth that happens between man and blade." Ameyuri grins madly.
"I'm truly jealous Yugao."
Yugao paid her words no second thought, she felt different, her movement feels more linear and her senses were more sensitive to her environment and the most damning sensation is how she could feel everyone's heartbeat as if it were her own."
"This power...is terrifying. "
Author's notes:
Do you guys like the– Kenjutsu(swordsmanship) aspect?
Should Ameyuri join the harem?