บท 31: Weights
As the morning sun illuminated the training ground, Riku unleashed his training regimen upon Renjiro, Aiko, and Hiro with a zeal that could only be described as demonic.
His approach to physical conditioning was as relentless as a demon's pursuit, pushing the boundaries of the three genins' endurance with a merciless fervour.
The workout was a symphony of sweat and strained muscles, orchestrated by Riku's seemingly boundless energy.
'I had expected to go to hell after dying then I was happy I came to this new world but it seems the devil sent Riku to come collect his dues.'
Renjiro, accustomed to challenges, found himself in uncharted territory, realizing that Riku's definition of intensity surpassed anything he had ever encountered.
The training made the team miss the good times when Riku was late for their early morning meetup. Just like most good times, which was only one instance in this case, it was short-lived.
In the midst of the gruelling routine, Riku's laughter echoed like a mischievous imp revelling in the chaos it had unleashed. Each drop of sweat seemed to be a tribute to the training demon, and the genins couldn't help but lament as they navigated through a sea of physical demands.
'I want to die!'
That was Renjiro's last thought as he collapsed in training ground 51. Right beside him were Hiro and Aiko, both in similar states. He supposedly lasted longer than the two in the first segment of their training, but that was nothing to brag about, as lasting longer only meant more pain.
"That's for today's workout. Take an hour's break, then we will move to the next segment." Riku declared, seemingly ignoring the fact that none of his students were in a state to listen to him.
The usual day for team 15 began with a brutal awakening as Riku expected them to rise at the crack of dawn, commencing an intense body workout that spanned from 5 am to 8 am, a complete three hours.
Following this early morning crucible, a brief respite arrived as Riku allowed them to take a break until 9 am.
However, as the clock struck 10 am, the next phase commenced. From 10 am to 2 pm, the genins would find themselves entangled in taijutsu battles against the seasoned master himself—Riku.
Despite their concerted efforts, the matches unfolded with a predictable rhythm as Riku, an expert taijutsu specialist, dominated every encounter.
The score stood at an overwhelming 18-0, all victories leaning in Riku's favour. Undeterred by the defeats, Riku forced them to engage in at least three battles every day.
Today, the trio, fueled by the determination to break the 18-0 streak, moved with a newfound intensity. It was weird that the hour-long break Riku gave them did wonders, and they actually recovered most of their strength.
'Must be chakra.' Renjiro noted.
Despite being in this world for close to three years, the capabilities of Chakra never stopped to amaze Renjiro. It was like a gift that keeps on giving. But that was for later now, Renjiro needed to focus on their spar with Riku.
Renjiro darted with speed, launching calculated strikes. Aiko also launched her own kicks and punches. Hiro, the agile force, aimed to disrupt with unpredictable manoeuvres.
Yet, Riku moved like a blur, effortlessly countering every strike. His movements were fluid and precise, a nod to years of experience he had accumulated. The battle unfolded in a mesmerizing dance, each clash resonating with the clash of steel and flesh.
Despite their concerted efforts, the genins found themselves constantly outmanoeuvred.
"Yes, Faster!" Riku's voice echoed through the training ground, a mix of amusement and encouragement.
As the battle reached its conclusion, Riku, with a satisfied nod, acknowledged the progress they had made. The 17-0 streak had changed. It was now 18-0.
"Good job guys," Riku said with a mocking smile on his face.
Although Riku continued to accumulate the wins, it was not as easy as before for him to win. The team was clearly making visible progress when it came to taijutsu.
'A win is a win.' Renjiro surmised.
It was impossible to better a jounin with their current strength. They could only do so if the jounin was largely holding back, but Riku was not that type of person.
He knew if he did so, his students might become conceited. So he preferred to show them how far they still need to go to become decent shinobis. So lasting longer than before against Riku was more than enough to depict their progress.
"I think it is time to include ninjutsu in your training," Riku said with a thoughtful look on his face before he continued, "Since it would actively reduce the time we spend on the current segments, I guess I will have to just increase the intensity of all the segments."
'Increase the Intensity? There's even more to this? I might have actually chosen the wrong career here.'
His last statement killed the all signs of life that were coming back to his students' eyes as they thought they were getting some sort of relief. Depleting chakra reserves was worth it to them if they could be able to avoid any physical contact with Riku.
Renjiro, having endured the gruelling training regimen under Riku's relentless guidance, returned home with a body that bore the echoes of exertion.
Aware that meditation was not only a personal practice but a vital means of restoring his depleted chakra reserves, Renjiro sought solace in the quiet of his room. With closed eyes, he assumed a meditative posture.
Drawing upon the chakra within, Renjiro entered a meditative trance. His energy flow, disrupted and intensified during the day's training, now found equilibrium. Each breath became a rhythmic dance, harmonizing with the pulse of his chakra network.
'I need to buy weights, even with Riku's demanding training, my body has only seen minuscule improvements. I should have enough money to get them, so I do not need to disturb Miwa with this.'
Renjiro emerged from his meditation with a new sense of refreshment. He prepared to the town in search of training weights.
These specialized weights, intricately inscribed with Fuinjutsu, were used by shinobi seeking to enhance their physical strength and speed through intensive training.
Renjiro made his way through the familiar streets of the village. In the town's market area, with its array of shops and vendors, Renjiro sought out merchants known for dealing in unique shinobi equipment who might offer such specialized tools.
Entering a shop adorned with various ninja tools, Renjiro inquired, "Hello, do you have training weights?"
'Ooh, what a nice and respectable boy.' The shopkeeper, a middle-aged woman, thought before replying, "Yes we do. What type do you want?"
"What types are there?"
"We have three types of training weights. The first two are of the chainmail variant. The first type is designed for the limbs. They are worn on specific limbs with the singular purpose of accelerating and refining the shinobi's movements.
The second type of weights is the full-body armour type. It covers the whole body, especially the torso and legs. This weight allows the user to exert control over the additional burden by manipulating the weight distribution through chakra infusion.
The last type, which is the most expensive out of the three, comes in the unique form of a seal. It is a seal matrix inscribed on chakra-infused paper. This compact yet formidable weight adheres directly to the user's skin. But I can't sell this to you."
"Why?" Renjiro was perplexed, because why would she tell him about it if she couldn't sell it to him? This made him just want to buy it more!
"The seal requires a fully matured body and since you are a chi-, I mean a young shinobi, you'll be at risk of stagnating your natural body growth if you use it."
'That makes sense. Although some risks pay off, I don't want to take this one.'
"Okay."
'The first type is most likely what Rock Lee was wearing while I have no problem with it, the second type would be better since it covers more areas of the body than just the limbs.' Renjiro thought.
"Then I will take the second type of training weight. How much is it?"
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