[Jinjōi Chiyo]

Chiyo was looking forward to Saturdays.

On this day, she did not have any Academy classes. Her parents were not at work, so she didn't have to help them either. And, moreover, she got to see someone not from her immediate family, whom she liked very much. Ren-sensei! An old man from down the block. Used to be a shinibi of some renown, but now living his days in peace. He was the one who inspired Chiyo to become a shinobi. And he was the one who taught her the blade. In her eyes, he was an old master. Like in samurai movies! And he made her feel good about herself, whenever she trained. So, she was gonna pay a visit!

Having dressed in her samurai-like kimono, freshly washed and ironed, and having fitted her wooden bokken on her belt, and wearing her new wooden sandals, Chiyo ran down the lane, towards where she knew she would find, on a bench, a man in his sixties. He was hunched and wrinkly, his head bald, and only a white manchu-like moustache being what was left of any hair on his body. The man wore a gray outfit reminiscent of dock workers, servants, and peasants. There was a darker trim to it, too. Brown boots, kind of what shinobi wore, though worn all over. An eyepatch covering the left eye, and a nasty-looking scar dealt by what looked like a claw. A walking stick in his hands. He sat on the bench and smoked cheap cigs, while reading a newpaper of somekind. Chiyo ran to him, while waiving one hand, and yelling from afar.

"Ren-senseeeeeeei!"

She was here for another kenjutsu lesson.

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Wordcount: 280 words

[Jinjōi Chiyo]

The old man looked her way, covering his eyes a bit with a hand, and narrowing his eyes a little to see better. A small smile appeared on his wrinkly face.

"Ah, Chiyo-chan~ Is it Saturday already? Boy, time sure flies... How was your week?"

The man said as he stood up with a groan, looking at the girl. She ran up to him and looked up, smiling brightly. 

"Oh, oh, it was fun! I made a new friend! Her name's Kyoko. She's really nice and we played and even sparred with her! We fought with sticks! I even used that block you taught me to parry her attack! She thought it was very cool! Can you teach me some other move? I wanna be able to impress her next time!"

Chiyo said all of this in a very fast, chattermouth kind of way. She even hopped in place a few times, eager to start. The old man saw that eagerness and chuckled. He too used to be this way in her years. Or ... he hoped he was! It was so long ago, was hard to remember. The man patted the white-haired girl on her head and said:

"Friends are good to have. Some shinobi gonna tell you that friends are weakness or some kind of bullshit like that. Don't listen to that garbage. Better to have people have your back, than not. Besides... you might end up like me? Sitting on a bench solving cross puzzles all day. Bah... but you're not here to hear me ramble, are ya? Go on... do some practice swings to warm yourself up!" - Ren-sensei said, as he arched his back a little, and heard his spine crack. Chiyo drew her bokken.

The lesson was about to begin.

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Wordcount: 294 words

[Jinjōi Chiyo]

Chiyo always listened to Ren-sensei.

She loved his little moans and groans about old age, and the stories he told her. He was a veteran of the Pipeline war, that much she knew, but his tales were usually about incompetence, accidents, and situations where they survived through sheer luck. Such was the nature of war, she supposed. But it didn't feel like war. More so like some sort of a goofy adventure. The girl did as she was told, and took a stance - one left forward, another behind, soles at an angle to the body. Back straight, sword - up above her head. 

Sankyudo Shomen Uchi! 

The girl swung her wooden blade down, and stopped it once the tip of the sword was at her waist level. 

"Maen!"

She did so again. A few times, practicing it so that the motions would become automatic. All while Ren-Sensei watched what she was doing, paying specific attention to the posture. His eyes opened up a bit. His gaze bright and clear, despite old age. He only taught Chiyo the very basics. But she appeared to have mastered these simple maneuvers much. So much so he could be hard-pressed to find any serious flaws in her technique. 

"Hm-hm... Very good. Keep going. Do the Migi-men and Hidari-men strikes next.


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Wordcount: 215 words

[Jinjōi Chiyo]

"Mhm! Watch me!"

Chiyo was getting warmed up! Taking the 'Dragon stance' with her sword above her head again, she did as she was asked, and delivered a strike from the right, towards the 'head' of the imaginary opponent. She made a step with it, putting the rotation of her body into the blow. With another step, she did another strike, only this time from the left! Both times, the strikes stopped when the upper third of the sword were to connect with the unseen target. Every time, the stick made a 'woosh' noise through the air. Ren-sensei watched her, rubbing his chin.

Hmm... Her blows are strong. She puts a lot of force and speed in those strikes. Yet manages to stop them every time to prevent overswinging...

Chiyo did not have such thoughts. Her mind was blissfully empty. She found a kind of peace when practicing like this. Focus and physical exercise combining together in a single unity of purpose. It was like a dance, of sorts. You did not think, you just let body and instinct carry you through. The girl made a few strikes and steps, before turning around and making a powerful swing, as if cutting a foe behind her in twain.

"Heah! Ha-ha! Fight me, sensei!" - she asked, wearing the most sunny of smiles. That smile made the old man's heart ache. Like a shadow of the past coming up to him. He felt his knees buckle, the man dropping back onto the bench he sat at. His face briefly turning gray.


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Wordcount: 262 words

[Jinjōi Chiyo]

"Sensei? Sensei? Are you alright?"

Chiyo got worried! She saw Ren-sensei suddenly sag like a sack of potatoes, and drop onto the bench. She saw it happen before, but never really understood what it was about. It was an 'old people thing.' Still, she put her bokken away and rushed to the old man, bringing a bottle of water and a cloth. Spilling some onto it, she put it to his forehead. Maybe he had a sun stroke! Though... where would there be sun in Amegakure? The land of always raining. Soon enough, Ren-ensei came to, and straightened himself back up. 

"Eh-heh... Sorry, Chiyo-chan... I did not mean to frighten you! Tis an old people thing, happens... from time to time. You did very good, though. I was wondering if you'd like to uh... learn a new set of strikes to practice."

Chiyo grinned when she heard that. Truth to be told, repeating the same kata was fun but ... repetitive. She'd love to mix it up a little. So, she nodded vigorously.

"Sure! Are you going to show it to me? I mean, you were dizzy a moment ago..." - the girl sounded concerned.

"Oh, don't worry about me. Pick up your sword. Get in position. Old man's gonna teach you a few tricks."


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Wordcount: 213 words

[Jinjōi Chiyo]

Chiyo nodded and stood in position.

Somehow, she felt that whatever was gonna be shown was gonna be serious. Her smile was replaced by a look of determination, as she made small adjustments to her stance. A small focused frown appearing on her face. The man in front of her straightened out, gaining a few inches in height, his hands grabbing his walking stick as though it were a sword, and took a different stance, with the point of his 'blade' pointing backwards.

"You see, Chiyo, sword-fighting is 9 times planning and positioning, one time execution. When you execute your plan, there has to be no room for doubt. You perform your motions instinctively, one after the other. If you try to simply 'react' to what your opponent is doing, you will lose. Reacting takes time. Time is everything. So... predict, focus, plan ahead." - he says, his voice going lower, changing from the jovial tone to seriousness. The girl could feel that. Feel the responsibility, and the pressure. she nodded, and waited.

"I want you to think of a plan right now. Five strikes, in a row. And then try to hit me with such a flurry. If you're fast enough, you will force me to defend myself. Without giving me an opportunity to counter. Watch me... observe, then, when the time is right... attack!"


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Wordcount: 229 words

[Jinjōi Chiyo]

Chiyo nodded, as she slowly moved and circled around Ren-Sensei, observing him.

There were a few things she knew about him. He had a limp on his right leg, which is why he carried a stick. He had a missing left eye, meaning he had to be blind from that side and have to guess where the strike is going. His right leg was up in front, and most of the weight was on his left leg. It was like that time in the shows where the main hero had to strategize an opponent's defeat, in a matter of moments! Chiyo tried to do the same. 

If I strike at his right foot first, he will be forced to parry rather than move it away... Have to bring sword down. Next attack - to the head, from the left. Won't see it coming? Sword far away. If blocks somehow, strike the leg again. Then the head again. Finish with a thrust to the chest? Lets do it!

She really wanted to impress Ren-sensei. And so, when she felt the time was right, she stopped circling, and looked her teacher into the eyes. Not needing to see where her wooden sword was going, for what was coming next. 


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Wordcount: 206 words

[Jinjōi Chiyo]

Ren-sensei expected Chiyo to fight smart. She was a smart girl. And capable, too. But he also did not think of her to come up with an overly complicated plan. So, when she attacked, the first strike he saw coming. Trying to throw an old man off of balance, huh? How clever... - he thought, as he blocked the strike with his walking stick. A resonant thwack was heard as the two wooden weapons collided, and he felt his hand ache a bit. Strong... - he thought. But Chiyo did not wait or ruminate on her failure to hit the leg. She did as she was told, and followed her plan. Not thinking made her go faster. The second attack followed to the head. Her body rotated and put all the force it offered with it. 

Ren used to be an accomplished swordsman, sometime in the past. He knew he couldn't block it now. But he could dodge. He leaned back and took a step back, gritting his teeth a bit as he had to rely on his old injured foot to avoid the strike. Chiyo stopped her blade right in front of his nose, to avoid overswinging. The third blow came towards the leg again. With a step forward, to not let one break distance. After that, to the blind spot again. Both times, forcing Ren-Sensei to backpedal. With each step he felt out of balance.

Four blows... Fifth one should be it. 

The fifth blow came. Then the sixth. The seventh. Chiyo felt her body carrying her forward. And when she felt the old man was off-balance, she finished with a tsuki - a stab towards the throat!

"Hyah!" - the girl let out a Kiai, as she did her best to reach her teacher!


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Wordcount: 293 words

[Jinjōi Chiyo]

Twack!

The final stab did not meet cloth and flesh, but instead - the flat of Ren-Sensei's stick. He used it to block the tip head on, as it was inches away from his throat! Chiyo tumbled back a bit, as she did not plan that far ahead. She panted, a little, the swinging exchange having taken a lot from her petite body. The old man panted a little too, before smiling, and straightening himself out. 

"Very good, Chiyo-chan. Remarkable, even! I actually had to use a special technique to protect myself from that final attack of yours, eh-heh..."

Being praised made the girl grin widely and scratch behind her head, swiping her foot a little against the floor, not sure how to feign modesty and not seem overly excited about the words said to her.

"Oh wow... I um... I did not what came over me! My body kind of moved on its own... Way past what I have planned!"

"It's called finding your center, and being in the Zone, Chiyo-chan. If you're not in the Zone, if you have to manually guide your body through battle, you will fall to a slower opponent. Its uhm... surprising you managed to find your center so quickly! You are going to go very far, if you keep at it, young lady!"


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Wordcount: 219 words

[Jinjōi Chiyo]

"He-he, I will! I will become the best swordslady in the village! They'll call me... The Samurai of Amegakure! Or something like that!"

This little boast brought a smile to Ren-sensei's face. Though his eyes, for a brief moment, looked distant, as if he was looking at something very far behind Chiyo. He stood like that, for a few moments, before snapping back, and reached to pat her on the head. 

"Eh-heh. You remind me of someone I knew, Chiyo-chan. She too was very talented with the blade, and sought to make a legend of herself in Amegakure! If she could see you now, she'd be very proud of you."

Chiyo giggled a bit at the headpat, but did not pull away from it. 

"Aw, really? Who was she?"

"That's a story I'll tell you someday. But for now, lets keep practicing! You still have yet to land a hit on your old sensei. You wouldn't let an old cripple best ya, right?"

"You have dishonored my honor, Ji-ji! Prepare thyself!"

With a laugh, the two continued their little practice for an hour more or so. Despite it being fun and games, the regime was hard. And pushed on the girl's stamina as well as her swiftness and intelligence. Ren-sensei had a gentle hand. But there was a reason he kept tutoring Chiyo every Saturday. And why, despite the encouragement, he expected and demanded the very best of her. Watching the girl practice swings, and taking a swig from his canteen, the old man thought to himself:

She'll end up alright. Don't worry, Ryoka, this won't turn out like last time. Promise...


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Wordcount: 272 words