Kotetsu's face smashed into the dirt as he fell from the pillar he had foolishly tried to climb. After their earlier discussion, he and Rata had spent the last hour testing the other's defences, discovering a battle rhythm and using it to push each other to their limits. Kotetsu had grown accustomed to using his Chakra without much thought, moving around with such ease that would have made his younger self utterly jealous. He understood why the Uchiha relished fighting in the high ground, and the simple act of speedily moving wherever he wanted was incredibly freeing.
Even with that freedom, he still could not reliably walk on vertical surfaces, as shown by Rata's fist ripping through the pillar he tried to climb, disrupting Kotetsu's balance. So far, the two of them had only fought with Taijutsu and their Chakra enhanced strength. At the same time, they maintained a running conversation on Chakra theory, sealwork, and Chakra concepts. Apparently, every handsign held connections to several concepts, and the point of ninjutsu was to call upon certain concepts to achieve an outcome.
It was the same with sealwork, as Touma had told him; since seals could directly relate to handsigns, they shared concepts. Rata had explained all of this and more, all while actively attempting to punch the lights out of Kotetsu. This was acceptable to him, since he, too, actively manoeuvred to beat Rata senselessly.
Rata landed with a thunk next to Kotetsu's still prone body. Turning an expectant face up to the Senju, Kotetsu watched as the young man swiftly raised one leg with the intention of bringing it down on his chest. Having seen this move several times by now, he raised both arms in a cross motion and focused his Chakra toward his forearms. Rather than focusing on the rapidly descending foot, he instead thought about his arms and their position. A word echoed throughout his head as he brought a concept forward.
"Seal."
In an instant, the Chakra that flowed up and down his arms began to shift. The concept of sealing, as explained by Rata, was simply to secure in place. In this case, Kotetsu wanted his arms to be secure, and so made to seal them with his Chakra. At least, that was the idea.
Rata's foot drastically slowed at the last moment before impact, and Kotetsu's arms were forcefully trapped against his chest. Air escaped from his lungs as he was squished by Rata's downward kick, even reduced as it was. While his arms felt little impact, his chest and back still felt the blow.
"Oof…"
With a sigh, Rata lifted his foot. "You almost had it there. You just need to seal more than your forearms next time."
"I should be better about that…" Kotetsu complained. "I feel like I'm getting worse…"
"You are." Rata's succinct reply gave Kotetsu pause.
"...Whuh?"
"You are much worse than when you fought for your life, back during our first battle. However, you were also under a sizable amount of stress, if I am not mistaken. You are simply the type who performs at their best when faced with the worst."
Completely taken aback by Rata's analytical response, Kotetsu took several seconds to formulate his thoughts. However, Rata continued before he could get a word in.
"While I am disheartened at your lack of enthusiasm for our fight, just know that I will be here when you are ready to truly participate."
"I am giving it my all. Heck, I'm risking some serious bruising for this spar. Which, it is, by the way. We're not actually fighting to fight… right?"
The two looked at each other in awkward silence. Before either could continue the conversation, a third voice spoke out.
"As far as I'm concerned, the two of you might as well be trying to kill each other."
Kotetsu turned to face the newcomer. Rata remained where he was, seemingly already aware of Taisei's appearance as Kotetsu faced the younger Senju fully.
"And just what do you know about killing, huh?" Kotetsu mocked.
Taisei's arms were already crossed as he stared back with vague disdain.
"More than you, most likely."
Before Kotetsu could retort in any meaningful way, Taisei changed the subject.
"Have you eaten yet?" The sudden question put Kotetsu on edge.
"Uh…" Belatedly, he remembered the bell pepper still stuffed somewhere in his clothes. He was fairly certain that pepper would not be whole anymore. Not knowing if he and Rata were actually allowed to get snacks or not, he chose the safe reply.
"...Nope."
"Then come on." Taisei beckoned.
Not sure of what to do, Kotetsu turned slightly toward Rata. The older Senju nodded once, and Kotetsu followed behind Taisei's fast retreating form. Rata trailed along from a reasonable distance.
Getting breakfast was less eventful than the previous day. Instead of being showered in attention like he had been before, the Senju partaking in their breakfast rituals completely ignored Kotetsu. No one even bothered to look his way as the three trickled into the clearing, assembled their food, and walked out. While Kotetsu and Rata piled mounds of eggs, pastries and sausages, Taisei chose his usual assembly of fried vegetables and sliced fruit, with several large slices of toasted bread on the side.
When the three were far enough away to no longer hear the commingled sounds of breakfast, Rata began quietly whispering to Kotetsu. Taisei was too far ahead to properly hear the two, but he made out bits and pieces of their hushed conversation.
"...Yes, you need to focus on…"
"...What about when I'm trying to…"
"...No, that only wastes energy…"
Taisei could tell that they were likely discussing their earlier sparring. What bothered him wasn't that they were leaving him out of the conversation, but the nature of the discussion. Despite his lack of care for barbarians, he still liked to talk about Chakra theory. When the three arrived back at the clearing with the once neat ring of wooden pillars, recently adorned with spiral cracks and even one now completely destroyed, Taisei attempted to carefully listen in on their discussions.
"...You said the mystical concepts aren't like normal concepts or whatever. So I can't use them with handsigns, then?" Taisei could barely make out Kotetsu's whisper over the usual forest ambiance.
"That is partially correct. They are called the mystical concepts because they do not inherently require a connecting action, or corresponding seal. They are simple concepts and only require mental conjuring, and so exist in your Chakra by extension. That does not mean a handsign or seal cannot be used, however…"
Taisei had, of course, learned about the mystical concepts when he was little. They were a fundamental aspect of ninjutsu itself. Not knowing about the mystical concepts would be like not knowing about wall walking, flowing one's Chakra, or other basic facets of Chakra control. Which made him wonder just how Kotetsu progressed in Chakra control without hearing about them once.
Taisei listened in for a while longer, picking at his food. Both Kotetsu and Rata seemed to be in a race to finish their own breakfast, yet they paused when deep in discussion. Taisei didn't know what to think of the situation set before him. At some point, the topic of seals was brought up. Taisei had only been half listening by this point, and so was startled when he heard his own name.
"...Taisei had mentioned something about sealing strain a while ago. He said that it might be caused by mental energy, but also that he wasn't so sure about that."
Taisei inwardly cringed at hearing Kotetsu repeat what he had told him many days ago. After gaining access to texts related to static seals, Taisei was more unsure about what caused sealing strain now than he was before. As he did his best not to react to Kotetsu's words, Rata interjected.
"Well, as far as I am aware, sealing strain has many potential causes. The largest factor may be mental energy, but it could just as easily be tied to the user's total Chakra, or some other unknown aspect."
Rata took a few seconds to take a hefty bite from a sausage on his plate before continuing, swallowing hastily so as to beat Kotetsu, who was slowly chewing on some eggs.
"Sealing strain is not something you should be worried about regardless. It is simply a limit that you will learn to grow beyond."
Kotetsu took a moment to swallow his food before speaking.
"Okay, well… What about you? What's your sealing strain limit, or whatever?"
"Last I checked, fifty nine."
"Woah!"
Taisei had stopped listening as he almost choked on the bite of food he had in his mouth. He was sure he had misheard Rata. Besides himself, Touma and lady Aina, Taisei had not seen anyone else regularly practice seals. He had never seen the Matriarch using seals, but she obviously did too. Either Rata was lying about his sealing strain limit, or he was somehow one of the top sealworkers in the clan without Taisei even knowing about it. He had to be lying, obviously.
His father, Touma, had related his own sealing strain limit years ago. Back then, it had been in the eighties. Now, it was likely in the nineties. As for lady Aina, Taisei had never personally seen her limit, but from sensing the dozens of active seals filled with her Chakra scattered around the clan, he estimated that she must have a relatively high sealing strain. Even then, Rata's confident answer implied an amount of training equal to the daughter of the Matriarch. There was something worrying in that thought, but Taisei could not identify what.
Making a sudden promise to himself, Taisei aimed to raise his own sealing limit into the tens and twenties if possible. If not in the next few months, then soon. He would not be left behind by the likes of Rata, or any other barbarians for that matter.
Clearing his throat in an attempt to brush off the near-choking incident, Taisei picked himself up off the ground with his nearly empty plate and casually walked toward the pair, who had stopped their discussion at his movement.
"It's time to go, Kotetsu."
Kotetsu and Rata looked up at the approaching Taisei. Glancing between each other, the two stood with their empty plates. Their silence left Taisei guessing as to what they were thinking, as their faces remained mostly neutral. Taisei did not bother to start any conversation, and the other two seemed to understand that the time for discussions were over.
—
Kotetsu was nervous to say the least. After returning their plates to what he was mentally calling the open kitchen, Rata had said something about needing to return to his 'post', or whatever. Kotetsu wasn't confused at the term, but rather that Rata suddenly had a job to do. After everything the two had discussed, he had learned that most of what Rata did all day was sit around, beat the crap out of people, and… whatever else he wanted. It sounded like the older Senju was just waiting to be put to use, honestly.
After Rata left, Taisei pulled Kotetsu toward an unfamiliar section of the forest. The trees grew longer and wider, and the forest floor began to noticeably dip until he recognised they were moving downhill. Kotetsu hadn't kept very good track of where he was going however long ago, but the idea that the clan sat atop a hill or mountain had not occurred to him. Before he could wonder if there was any significance to that thought, the two boys came across their goal: A pit filled with boars.
The pit itself was more like a series of trenches and dens, carved several meters into the ground and connected with a ludicrous number of tunnels. The tunnels and trenches seemed to stretch off in every direction as far as Kotetsu could see. Walking close to the nearest trench, he noticed that his view within seemed to be obscured slightly, like looking through a dark mist. The sound of rustling and squealing could be heard from the depths, and Kotetsu spotted several tufts of hair, both human and otherwise dashing beyond the pit's boundaries. Stepping forward to get a closer look, a hand suddenly pulled Kotetsu back before his foot could lift more than a few inches.
Turning, Kotetsu found Taisei's hand holding him back, and expectant eyes watching the ground. Following his gaze, Kotetsu found thick wooden roots crawling around the edge of the trenches. The roots split and flowed everywhere he could see. Following one root, he noticed tiny engravings etched into its surface. Without further prompting, he immediately guessed that they must be seals, and bent down to confirm the presence. It was just as he thought; and even though he could not read the characters, he recognised a few.
As Kotetsu wondered why he was here, a potential answer came in a familiar croaking voice. He whipped around to face the sneaky old matriarch, and found Touma standing just behind her.
"Boy… it is time for you to pay your dues."
Kotetsu felt his hairs stand on end as he considered the situation.
"What the hell is this? A friggin' torture pit?" Kotetsu attempted to keep the shaky nervousness from his voice, but it crept in regardless.
"In a way, I suppose it is as you say." The hunched old woman proclaimed.
"You will be dropped into this pit. You will be faced with Asuras of a dangerous nature. If you survive, we will discuss what you learn. If not, well…" A cruel chuckle escaped her lips.
At the same time, a familiar pressure at the back of his head pushed in on his senses. Kotetsu had never felt a more inviting pressure. In his very short experience, that pressure meant only one thing: his sword was nearby.
Knowing that little fact, Kotetsu felt determination rise and his roiling gut settled. He didn't know exactly why the matriarch wanted him to be in this pit, or what he would face when he was down there, but he knew that he would get through this. He would not die in some hole in the ground.
From the corner of his vision, Kotetsu spotted another figure approach. He recognised Aina's silhouette, and furthermore, recognised the sleek handle poking just beyond her shoulder. His sword.
From his other side, Kotetsu caught Taisei's unsettled visage, and turned with a questioning look toward the older boy. Before he could say anything, however, the matriarch spoke again with finality.
"Good luck."
Then, two roots aggressively wrapped around his feet, and he was rapidly pulled into the depths below.
—
For a brief moment in his fall, Kotetsu felt as if he passed through something. It was quick, and nearly unnoticeable, but there. It felt like a thick fog. Then, his brain caught up with the rest of his body.
"CRAAA- Oof."
He fell a few short meters with a thump. Stinging gravel pressed into his clothes and burned his skin… and soul.
"YeoUCH!"
Standing and manically brushing away the small rocks embedded into his body, he discovered one detail that prevented him from properly seeing into the pit earlier. Part of the dirt and stones making up the pit's walls and ground were blackened, as if burned to a crisp. He recognised the distinct dusky black of ebony, and immediately became defensive in response to the hostile environment.
As he stood there, footsteps from his right caught his attention. Turning wildly, he was just in time to see a rushing boy, brown hair, dirty and unkempt, maybe ten or eleven in age fly right by him. There was panic in the boy's eyes as he sidestepped Kotetsu, before sprinting off down another tunnel. Utterly confused at what he had just bore witness to, Kotetsu turned in the direction the boy came from as a new sound grew louder and louder. Before he knew what was happening, a stampede was upon him.
Four, five, then six boars flushed down the tunnel straight for Kotetsu, each one easily reaching his waist in height. They squealed and growled upon spotting his suddenly trepid form. Once upon a time, Kotetsu may have tried to face down the charging mass of boars. However, he was smarter and wiser now. Flowing Chakra through his body, Kotetsu made the split second decision to tactically retreat from the hazardous situation by leaping straight into the air.
Pushing off the ground with mighty force, Kotetsu idly wondered why any other kids trapped in here didn't simply exit like he was about to do. For that matter, any hog worth its salt should have no difficulty in digging its way out. Before he could fully comprehend the significance of that thought, his head slammed into a wall right as he reached a meter in height above the trench. His body followed suit a mere instant later, and he precariously dangled mid-air, seemingly suspended off the ground.
A cackling voice met his ears as Kotetsu fought to retain consciousness. Looking around in a daze, he caught the tail end of the matriarch laughing maniacally, before she spoke haunting words.
"You cannot simply escape, foolish boy! If it were that easy, this pit would not serve as our grindstone, gahaha!"
Then, he felt the slow inevitable pull of gravity peel him away from the invisible wall. He had seconds to act before he would be thrust back into the terror pit below. Scrambling to find perch, his hands only met a smooth… something. Even with Chakra, it felt as if the air refused him. What his body pressed against was not earth, or stone, or any kind of material he had ever felt. It was as if he was touching solid air, or the smoothest metal in existence. Either way, there was nothing for his hands or Chakra to attach to, and he slipped back into the pit with a yelp.
Once again, he landed with a thump, his head somehow finding the largest and hardest rock to crash into. Luckily, the boar stampede had passed him, moving beyond the trench he was in and down some other tunnel. The matriarch's voice echoed from above, pulling his attention once again.
"There is only one way out for you in this maze… find it, and you will be free, for now. Failing to leave the pit within the next hour will result in continued torture. Enjoy your stay, boy!"
Kotetsu abruptly stood with anger. He had expected something like this, but to know that he was effectively caged yet again only served to fuel the little ball of hatred beating in his chest. Something hot ran down the back of his head as he stood. Sliding his hand over his neck, he found a trickle of blood coating his fingers. Turning to look at the offending ebony rock that had tried to crack his skull open, he stomped it with fury, instinctively pushing willpower toward his descending foot. The black rock instantly shattered into dust as Kotetsu's foot brought down his anger in one swift motion.
The simple act of breaking something brought momentary calm to Kotetsu's mind, which raced with a series of horrible thoughts of his own making. Rather than being haunted by what he now knew to be memories of his ancestors, he saw images of himself standing over the wretched old lady that tortured him, his hands wringing her neck and shaking back and forth. After going to his happy place, he felt a little better, and proceeded to turn his attention toward his newest predicament.
The sound of grunting boars and yelping children brought his attention to a particular tunnel. The matriarch's words came to mind, and things clicked into place. This must be a training ground for younger Senju to learn combat, or perhaps survival. It made sense to Kotetsu, as disgusting as it was. His father had gone through his own tortuous training, and something like this just kind of fit with the image the Senju projected. An idea slipped into his mind while considering the trenches laid out before him.
With an evil little grin spreading across his face, Kotetsu whispered softly to himself.
"I'll show them torture…"
Then, he ran toward the demented sounds of boars.
—
From somewhere above, Mutsue observed with amusement while Aina, Taisei and Touma stood by, waiting for something to happen. Touma stood as a silent witness to Kotetsu's fall into the boar pits, not questioning his matriarch's decision after learning of her objective. Aina had retrieved the sword from its hiding spot at her mother's request, and now observed the unfolding chaos below.
Taisei stood with uncertainty, watching two scenes play out. One before his eyes, and one in his memories. Overall, Taisei had fond memories of the boar pits; not because of what he had to do while stuck below, but because of the time he got to spend with his mother. Casually sweeping his gaze across the edge of the pits, he spotted several others who were also observing the action below. These were the custodians meant to step in should anything unfortunate happen. His mother had been one such custodian, tasked with minding the boars and watching the poor Senju kids who had to survive down there.
An approaching presence brought Taisei around to find Aina closing in on him. His posture stiffened as he saw her, unsure of her intention, until he saw that she simply wished to get closer to the edge of the pits to see within. He kept his guard up, however. When she grew close enough, she spoke, affirming his decision to remain cautious.
"What do you think might happen with this training?"
Taisei's well-kept guard remained steady while he considered the question.
"Kotetsu is… brick headed. It is likely that he will fail spectacularly."
He remembered Kotetsu's explosive introduction to seals. He was certain that such a reaction was standard for anything the younger boy attempted.
"I am worried that this experience will not just end poorly for him. He may drag others down with him, whatever he does."
Aina considered Taisei's response. She had been thinking something similar, but hearing Taisei's words helped with her own suspicion. Neither spoke again, but Aina remained standing near the edge of the pits with Taisei.
Mutsue waited with no small amount of patience while the idiot boy ran around somewhere beneath their feet. She could sense his movements, his anger with each step, and knew that he would soon be forced to survive. Only then was she certain that he would reach for knowledge, and the sword would grant it to him. Part of her earlier conversation with Touma replayed in her head while she waited.
"...If you will excuse me Matriarch, but what purpose is there in teaching him sealwork, then? The sword grants him knowledge to survive, as you explained it."
Mutsue had carefully set herself into her rocking chair before speaking.
"It is likely his environment that controls the type of knowledge the sword grants him. Before, with his restraints, I am confident that there were several methods the sword could have shown him to break free… However, for whatever reason, he learned to manipulate mental energy rather than creating a seal. I hypothesise that if we 'prime' his subconscious with knowledge ahead of time, then he may be more likely to reach for that type of knowledge if it is relevant to his current situation…"
Mutsue perused the seals lining the trenches she had tossed the boy into. The barrier was a complex piece of sealwork created by the modern Senju, fit to hold dozens of wild creatures, both Senju and Asura alike. It was near impossible to break unless you held intimate knowledge of seals. The barrier could easily withstand the direct pressure of several third shedding Asuras, and there was no way this boy could be much stronger than that.
Mutsue spoke almost inaudibly in self assurance.
"...You will show me… show me the way forward, show me the depths of knowledge hidden in that sword of yours…"
She sensed Kotetsu approaching what she assumed was his destination. She wondered when he would find out it was the den of the Asuras.
—
Kotetsu moved with little caution through cramped tunnels and between open trenches. The screeching of distant boars were occasionally overlaid by a screaming child, which then called forth a rumbling stampede as several boars made their way toward the new victim. Kotetsu wasn't sure if anyone was actually in perilous threat down here, or if it was simply the result of frightened children. Either way, he planned on causing quite the disruption with his goal.
While he ran, Kotetsu had been intently focusing on a very specific idea. For the first half minute or so of his efforts, nothing happened. No pressure, creeping thoughts, or cascading memories came forth, so Kotetsu tried something else. Before, when he received memories from the horrible thoughts, what had he been doing? He was trapped in a cage with no promise of reprieve or real end in sight. His torturer had been merciless. Back then, the thing he had focused on more than anything, was simply wanting out.
And in a way, he was shown a way out. Kotetsu felt a chill tingle up his spine as something began to coalesce. What he wanted, more than anything, was not to simply escape, or beat this test, or learn any knowledge. All he wanted was to punch the matriarch in the face.
And at his will, a memory pushed itself forward almost unbidden.
—
"...Kouga, you are far from done."
Kotetsu found his eyes blinking open. At first, he panicked, thinking that he had just sent himself into unconsciousness to witness a memory. But rather than seeing out of someone else's eyes, he was still running across ebony rocks, still in control. At the same time, another sight vaguely overlapped his own. Simultaneously, the earlier voice of his grandmother sounded distant, as if speaking through water.
"You have completed every trial I have set forth. And yet…"
Kotetsu rounded a corner, entering a trench and catching the sight of another child rushing away. A boar was not too far behind. In his double vision, he could see the vague outline of a woman sitting in front of him. The double vision panned down, and he could see sets of scrolls, books, and loose papers laid out before him.
"...You have yet to fully understand the threat that Asuras pose to our existence. They are the antithesis of us… of Chakra… of souls…"
His head grew dizzy as the vision flashed, the sensation of hours passing by in the span of seconds. His breath caught in his throat while a string of crisp images filtered into his mind. Complex diagrams, paragraphs of text, dotted with notations and definitions that quickly made Kotetsu regret reaching for whatever kind of memory this was. With every other experience he'd had so far, there was nothing quite like this. Up until that point, he had seen combat exercises, torture machines, and training regimes.
By the time the memory faded away, Kotetsu found his hands gripping the sides of his head. He had completely ceased all movement while his mind tried to sort through the new information that was just dumped on him. After a few seconds, his breathing steadied, and he took a moment to assess what just happened. Very quickly, he felt that there was still much, much more to that memory, and he understood how much worse that could have been.
When he was calm again, Kotetsu opened his eyes to see black gravel- ebony beneath his feet. Instantly, several images flickered across the surface of his mind at the sight, and just like that, he understood something vital. Ebony… came from Asuras. All of the pebbles he stood on, the cracking walls, all of this ebony was formed from dead Asuras. Their blood coated everything it touched, carrying with it their latent power, capable of transforming something as insubstantial as a rock into a dangerous weapon.
Kotetsu's vision flickered as he pulled on his soul sight, and he leaned closer to the walls of the trench he was in to see the ebony lining it. Suddenly, he could see something undulating beyond the edge of the walls, almost like they were covered in a black slime. Only slightly disgusted, he bent down and reached for one of the countless black pebbles. Flinching before he could commit his mistake, he remembered what would happen on contact, and ripped up one of the cloth wraps on his arm, using it to grab the rock instead.
After lifting the rock for his inspection, there was a black outline flowing just beyond the physical edges of the stone. His gut grew queasy as Kotetsu felt like he was touching something dead. His instincts told him to drop it, but Kouga's memories beckoned him to continue learning. An image of a hand catching a descending black rod flitted through his mind as he remembered Kouga's 'training'. With no small amount of hesitation, he focused his will into his left palm, and carefully dropped the small pebble into the hand.
On hitting his hand, the burning sensation was immediate. But… not intense. Cutting out all other sensations, Kotetsu focused purely on conquering the burning pebble in the palm of his hand. It was possibly the most difficult fight of his life, for about three seconds. Once he understood what the pebble was doing, however, the struggle transformed into a valuable lesson.
With his soul sight, Kotetsu saw the pebble's outline passing through his palm itself, and therefore pushing back his soul. Thanks to his much earlier discovery, he knew that his soul and body were connected, so if one was deformed then the other would 'deform' as well. This meant that the pebble would essentially push- or burn a hole through his palm should he let it.
That was where his willpower came in. With a little effort, he imagined a pocket of willpower in the palm of his hand pushing back against the rock's outline. He watched a small circle of willpower form. After that, the burning sensation was reduced to a light tingle, and then, nothing.
"Huh… hah!"
Kotetsu barked a laugh as the black stone that had troubled him so much in the past became nothing but a minor annoyance. Experimentally, he spread the willpower to the rest of his hand and rolled the pebble around. There was some tingling here and there, but the pebble's outline no longer burned him. With a giggle, he held his other hand out, copying the willpower trick and bouncing the pebble back and forth between his palms.
Something occurred to him, making him lose focus. Suddenly, the ebony pebble burnt his fingers, causing him to drop it with a yelp. He disregarded the rock for the moment. In his memories, Kouga had to use a large amount of Chakra in combination with his willpower to stave off the big ebony slab from crushing him. So, why did Kotetsu not need to use Chakra? Or was he, and he just didn't realise it? Maybe if he walked himself through the mental steps, he could figure out just exactly what was different. However, as he moved to grab another pebble, a rumbling close by disrupted his thoughts.
Turning with sudden haste, Kotetsu came near face to face with a dozen massive charging boars. And with his soul sight still active, he could see undulating black outlines surrounding them all.