The sun had begun to dip behind the hills, casting long shadows across the training grounds. Yoriichi found Shin Kaminari and Kazuyoshi Iwamoto meditating beneath an old pine tree—one with roots deep and a trunk scarred by years of wind and war.
He approached them with soft steps, and both looked up—Kaminari with a grin, Kazuyoshi with a silent nod.
"I wish to hear your stories," Yoriichi said gently, "so I may understand the lightning and the stone that fight by my side."
Shin Kaminari – Thunder Breathing
Kaminari stretched his arms behind his head, his youthful face bright despite the fading light.
"I wasn't born into war like some of the others. My parents were merchants. My life was… loud, chaotic, full of joy."
His smile dimmed slightly.
"One night, a demon attacked during a festival. I tried to outrun it with my younger sister… I was fast, but not fast enough."
The silence that followed was bitter.
"That's why I trained to be faster than lightning. Thunder Breathing isn't just about speed—it's about not letting grief catch up again."
Yoriichi placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your heart strikes harder than any bolt, Shin."
Kazuyoshi Iwamoto – Stone Breathing
Kazuyoshi remained seated, his eyes closed as he spoke. His voice was slow, grounded, but each word landed with weight.
"I was raised in the mountains. My family were monks—men of silence and strength."
He opened his eyes, deep and unmoving like ancient earth.
"A demon came during a blizzard. We had no weapons, only prayers. None survived but me. I buried them all with my hands."
There was no sorrow in his tone—only a sacred calm.
"Stone endures. It breaks not from grief, but holds it. Stone Breathing was not something I chose—it chose me, in the stillness after the avalanche."
Yoriichi bowed deeply to him.
"Then you are the mountain we all stand upon, Kazuyoshi."
The three sat in silence after that, no words left to say.
The storm, the stone, and the sun—together in harmony.