章 5: New Teacher
With the newfound happiness in my dismal life, I put just a little bit more effort into everything that I do. This both allows me to increase my control over my water breathing forms and to actual reach the stage in which I can use water breathing instead of a quasi-breathing or half-breathing.
Having achieved this feat, Urokodaki decided to check the current strength that I had and challenged me to a spar.
Being beaten black and blue by Urokodaki even though he only used a practice sword while fighting me, I gained valuable insight on how to improve. Both on how to make myself more agile and more fluid in the motions that I conducted.
Spending the time to train that way, I receive a special piece of information from Urokodaki.
"The Demon Slayer Corps conducts its indoctrination of members every year during the same period. However, to take this test, you must be at least nine years of age. Personally, I believe that age to be way too low for someone to take, but as I continue to train someone like you, I can finally understand why it's so low."
Hearing a clear sigh come from Urokodaki, he continues.
"So, as I believe in your clear talent to improve over these years, I have decided to prepare a small surprise during the month of April. It's fortunate that this surprise was willing, but all that matters is that it arrives."
Knowing that the surprise wouldn't arrive for another month, I continue to improve my form and skill while using Water Breathing. I continued a usual spar with Urokodaki for a time until Urokodaki stopped sparring me suddenly.
Wondering as to why he stopped, his only response was to lead me once again through the forest. However, this time he led me to a rock with a rope tied around it.
Placing his hand on the boulder, he turns his head towards me and says, "I feel as though I have nothing left to teach you and that you can only improve your form further. So, as a challenge from master to disciple, you must cut through this boulder with your blade."
Urokodaki then proceeded to walk away and leave me all alone to deal with this boulder. As I raise the sword above my head and prepare to strike down upon the rock while using Water Breathing, but I freeze in place when a chuckle come from behind me.
Whipping around, I investigate the tree lines, but spot nothing of interest. However, upon feeling contact to my shoulder, I immediately strike behind. Feeling my blade stopped by what I can presume to be another blade, I spin around again and come face to face with kitsune mask that has a scar like image painted along the left of its mouth.
The two of us just stare at each other until the kitsune masked boy starts to speak.
"I'm rather surprised that Urokodaki was willing to take someone else in after our immediate demise, but after seeing the absolute monster that you are, I can understand where he is coming from."
"Sabito, I thought we weren't going to reveal the fact that we were dead." I hear a sweet voice come from above.
Tilting my head upwards, I see a girl wearing a flower covered kitsune mask on the side of her head.
"He would have figured it out anyway Makomo." The now named Sabito answers. "His senses have been improved continuously by the training he's been put through, and he would eventually question as to why he can't feel our presences."
"But that just adds to our mystery, doesn't it?" The now named Makomo giggles back.
"So, um, what exactly can I do for you?" I uncertainly ask the either of them.
"Hmm," Makomo goes into a thinking pose. "I think all we wanted to do was just to speak with master's newest student and try to guide him a little bit."
Sabito nods his head in approval.
"Your arrival is a blessing upon master as with you, he might finally be able to relieve the pressure placed down onto him by all his dead disciples. With your inherent talent for becoming a demon slayer, we thought we could use our knowledge to help you improve, even if it is by a small margin."
Bowing to both, I say, "Then I will gratefully accept."
After saying that, every time that I would go back to the boulder, I would spar with Sabito while receiving critiques in my technique by Makomo. So, over the month, I was able to reach a sort of enlightenment stage for water breathing. This enlightenment was a feeling in which I felt as though I could improve the speed of my techniques since I need to be able to compensate for my current lack of strength.
With this enlightenment stage, I also found a way to develop my eleventh/final form. Taking inspiration from Giyu's eleventh form which is:
---
11th form - Lull - a skill that disables and nullifies incoming attacks by touching the tip of the sword to the ground and entering a state of calm.
---
Having adequate inspiration for my eleventh form, I spend my remaining time until my surprise arrives to train my eleventh form. Unfortunately, I can't reach it yet since my surprise has finally arrived.
Waking up one morning, I go outside to go and run up and down the mountain, but I stop myself when I see Urokodaki standing in the path of the dirt rode while looking expectantly to the east. Walking over to him to see what we were waiting for, I see a short shadow carrying a lamp appear over the horizon, slowly getting closer to our location.
As the shadow moves closer, I see that it's not one but two people who are travelling together.
Once in front of us, I can see that the man in the lead is a very short, elderly man with notably bushy eyebrows and a large mustache. The person behind him is a seemingly six-year-old boy with black hair and bunny shaped apple slice eyebrows. Standing in front of us, the short old man immediately brings his cane up and crashing down upon the shin of Urokodaki.
"You deserve more than that for their deaths, but I didn't come here to bicker with you, I am here for your disciple and only your disciple." The old man states with venom clear in his voice.
The old man then turns towards me and looks me up and down before saying, "So you're the brat that he wanted me to so desperately come over and see. I don't see anything other than a brat showing off. My name is Jigoro Kuwajima and the kid next to me is Zenitsu Agatsuma, my current student."
Zenitsu seemed to perk up when he heard his name, but other than that, he remained completely silent.
Bowing my head to Jigoro, I say, "My name is Shiro, the adopted grandchild and student of Urokodaki."
Hearing Urokodaki's name, Jigoro's nostrils seem to puff out in anger.
"Anyway, I came here to give you additional advice and training. If you manage to pass my standards, I will even consider taking you on as a student. But first, since we have travelled a long way here, I would like to have a place for my student to sleep."
I bow my head once again towards Jigoro and lead both Urokodaki and me lead him inside. With this house only being a two bedroom, both Urokodaki and I give up our beds to our new guests. Zenitsu, upon entering what used to be my room, falls upon the tatami mat I lay and starts snoring immediately. Which causes me to sweat drop at his ability to fall asleep instantly.
Leaving the room so Zenitsu can sleep, I walk back into the main room and see Jigoro waiting for me there.
"Follow me, I'm going to be testing how far you've progressed while under his teaching." Jigoro says while walking outside.
Following him, he first checks the basis of my breathing form to see if I'm using it properly and then we move onto using each of the water breathing forms. Flowing from form to form with quick execution, I finish with the tenth form.
"It seems you've been able to conquer water breathing, but your attacks lack power. Even with speed, if you attacks can't cut the head of a demon, then it is all for naught." Bowing my head at understanding the already plainly obvious facts, Jigoro continues. "Now, Urokodaki most likely wants me to try and get you to have Total Concentration: Constant while I spend my time here. But I have a strange feeling that you might be able to learn my breathing technique. Normally this would be impossible since it already takes the entire body of a human to withstand one breathing technique, but I'll hold onto this feeling."
Applauding Jigoro in my mind, Jigoro asks a question.
"So, how old are you? Urokodaki told me you were five, but your build and skill are that of someone much older."
"That's right, I'm five, but I will be turning six this month."
Jigoro then goes into heavy thinking until he states, "Alright, I decided, I will train you along with Zenitsu for as long as I'm here."
"Then I will be under your care." Both of us walk in with a smile on our faces.
One smile was genuine and pure, while the other was sinister in style.
Unbeknownst to me, Jigoro would do everything in his power to get me to learn his breathing technique, even if it kills me.
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