[Yoshioka Kouki]

_❝  After a couple more cycles of the leg exercises, Kouki lt his legs plop back onto the bed where his legs did a small bounce due to the springs inside the mattress. He let out a deep sigh at the mundane stretching of his legs. He would notice that his legs felt ever so slightly more limber as the circulation to his legs increased some. He closed his eyes for a moment as Lady Fifth regaled him with some sympathy and empathy. He nodded every now and then to show he was listening, and he could also feel…or a lack of a feeling of the biju within him. It felt dormant…or maybe a better description is it felt….far away.



"Lady Fifth…the biju….it feels…far away…or should I say tucked away deep somewhere. I’m not quite sure how to explain it.” Almost daily Kouki would feel the beast stir around within him even if it was a slight movement. It was like water rippling gently and Kouki could feel the vibrations. It would seem that the waters ran still. "I don’t know what to do. It always seemed to come into my consciousness every now and again, but I can’t find it…”

Yuki Shuka  ⚬ Notes

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AI ❤

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG Yoshioka Kouki - - WORDS - - -

T

hat statement was the slightest bit concerning. Shuka was not, truly, sure how to endure the bijuu. Were it at all possible she would probably attempt to hold it within herself for the good of the country, but those things tended to reject the bodies of older hosts. The young who resonated well with them were the ones who had the best chance of survival and actually containing the beast. That was the reason that Kouki had been selected in the first place. He had been young enough to survive and had been close enough to the beast's own nature. The advice she would be able to give on the subject would be limited to what she could observe only.

"Maybe, in the same way that you were in a coma, the Yonbi is resting deeply. They say the bigger they are, the harder they fall. It may be the case that the event at the Chuunin Exams exhausted it as well and it will require time to recover and reawaken. If you wish to reach it again, it may be worthwhile to add meditation to your daily exercises," she recommended.

Taking time to sit and breathe deeply, recover, explore the inner reaches of his mind. That may be enough to reawaken the creature. Though it might be better if it remained dormant and asleep, it resting also made it harder for Kouki to learn better control.

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[Yoshioka Kouki]

_❝  Kouki twiddled his thumbs as the Lady spoke. Training in a physical sense was like second nature to Kouki. The idea of honing his body was as simple as moving it the way you wanted to. Training of the mind seemed like something from another planet. Kouki was not much of a thinker. Instinct was typically what got Kouki this far into his life. Although, even Kouki would reluctantly admit that perhaps instinct’s usefulness might run its course. Kouki thinks acts before he thinks to a point where he’s lucky he’s still on this earth. Perhaps, it really was time to explore other ways to move forward and get stronger. Kouki scratched his temple with his index finger in curiosity. "Lady Fifth…what even is meditation? I mean…lying still and doing nothing doesn’t really sound like anything that can make a person strong. I mean, what am I even exercising if I don’t move anyway?” Kouki hoped it wasn’t a stupid question to ask. He assumed that someone of Lady Shuka’s age and experience might find a question like this to be downright stupid, but Kouki could not pretend to understand what it meant to meditate. It never felt good to actually state that he doesn’t understand something. This was quite the vulnerable moment for Kouki. He wondered why it was that Lady Shuka made him feel that he could be transparent once and a while.

Yuki Shuka  ⚬ Notes

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AI ❤

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG Yoshioka Kouki - - WORDS - - -

I

t was the nature of youth to question the methods of those who came before them. No one was born with a natural knowledge of anything except for how to cry for help. That was the way of a human and this was the reason Shuka accepted questions that may seem foolish. How were youth to learn without first being told? If someone had an inquiry, she would try to answer, no matter how basic it might seem to others.

"Even though remaining still might not seem like much at a first glance, meditation actually helps to hone several important skills," she began. "At the center of meditation is a concept called mindfulness. You are practicing being aware of yourself and your internal experiences, and engaging in self-regulation. In other terms, you're learning how to control your own mind. Forcing yourself to be attentive, to keep yourself in the moment, and learning how to calm yourself when you become worked up. These are all especially important for someone who harnesses a power such as yours."

To a child, meditating might just seem like sitting still, but to an experienced individual, meditation was at the center of unifying with one's own chakra. All power came from the root of the mind and keeping it sharp was very important to being a successful shinobi.

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[Yoshioka Kouki]

_❝  The mind was something that Kouki was all too aware of yet never truly explored. Kouki was not one to take time with his emotions. He was much more interested in how to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. Something that Kouki never considered is that getting things done fast did not necessarily mean being efficient with your time and energy. It was definitely a new concept for Kouki. One that seemed important enough to explore further. "I think that makes a bit of sense. Lady Fifth, it feels like my mind is not my own at times. The beast shrieks and makes so much noise inside my head. I can’t ignore it most of the time.” Kouki looked down to his lap looking slightly defeated. Ever since the Biju became a part of him, it has felt like he has been fighting for his body. After the fiasco at the chuunin exams, Kouki became aware of a frightening truth: the beast within wants to break free, and is willing to kill Kouki to do it. Kouki gripped his hospital blanket. "When can we start this...mind training?” The boy was fervent with his question.

Yuki Shuka  ⚬ Notes

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AI ❤

[Yuki Shuka]

Yuki Shuka --- TAG Yoshioka Kouki - - WORDS - - -

E

ager to begin, eager to learn. That was a good sign, it demonstrated a willingness to engage in the concept of mindfulness even if it wasn't something he had considered before. Kouki was a bold and impulsive boy. It was part of why he had been chosen - his own nature synchronized with that of the bijuu living inside of him well. That was all the more reason to help him develop an inner harmony. If he could control his own emotions, he could help to regulate the bijuu's. They could learn that control together.

"I do not want to start you on training too quickly after your recovery. Allow them to discharge you and go home and enjoy some time off first. Do stretches, eat good food, and eliminate some of your excess energy from your long rest. We can meet again for training in a few days when you will be more well-prepared," she instructed him.

"You can come into the office as for your normal duties when you're ready and we can begin our training then. Does that sound agreeable to you?" She knew he was the impatient sort and would probably arrive for the training sooner rather than later, but convincing him to take at least a day or two to himself would hopefully be effective enough.

ISHY of THQ & ADOXOGRAPHY

[Yoshioka Kouki]

_❝  Kouki was very focused on the words Lady Shuka had expressed. He could tell that his leader and teacher was ready and willing to help him on his journey to understand and control his newfound power. Kouki sensed a desire of investment from his Lady. This was a a nice change of pace from Lady Fourth where Kouki always felt a detachment or disinterest of Kouki’s well-being from the Previous leader. Kouki sensed an earnest desire from Lady Shuka that he had not previously experienced from other sensei or peers. It almost felt...maternal. A kind and understanding tone always seemed to exude from Lady Shuka’s words and actions. It was a change of pace that Kouki would gladly except although it felt foreign to him. A glimmer in his eye sparkled as Lady Shuka expressed that Kouki would need to take time to experience life and enjoy good food. "Don’t worry my Lady...there’s plenty of good food that I can eat and enjoy.” Kouki chuckled. There was a brevity in his speech that was uncommon. Lady Shuka seemed to have a way of helping Kouki drop his defenses that Kouki always instinctively kept up. Kouki’s face turned red after the statement. "Uh...anyways...I’m gonna take a power nap. Thanks for for the pep talk Lady Fifth." Without waiting for a response from Lady Shuka, Kouki hastily threw himself back into bed, pulled up his blanket and turned away from Shuka and pretended to sleep by snoring loudly until the Yuki Leader would walk away.

Yuki Shuka  ⚬ Notes

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AI ❤