The dojo's wide yard, usually reserved for morning drills and evening meditation, now thrummed with excitement. The capital students had settled in, their laughter mixing with the curious chatter of Shimotsuki Village's youth. Wooden swords clacked together in mock duels even before the official sparring began, as though the air itself had become too heavy with anticipation to wait.
Koushirō stood at the edge of the courtyard, arms folded, his eyes calm as still water. Beside him, Hyogoro barked a laugh, his booming voice filling the grounds.
"Looks like our students are more eager than we thought, Koushirō."
"They've waited long enough," Koushirō replied with a faint smile. "Best to let their spirits clash."
At the signal, the matches began.
---
First Match: kouzo ( Student from Shimotsuki) vs. Haru (Student from the capital)
(Someone get us a picture of how these two look like...)
Kouzo stepped up first, eager as ever. His opponent was Haru, a wiry boy from the capital with sharp eyes that glimmered with quiet confidence.
As they bowed and raised their bokken, Kouza's stance was low and brimming with raw aggression. Haru, by contrast, moved lightly on his feet, like a reed bending with the wind.
"Begin!"
Kouza lunged in first, his strike powerful and unrelenting, forcing Haru onto the defensive. But Haru sidestepped, letting Kouza's blow whistle past before tapping his shoulder lightly.
"Too wild," Haru said under his breath.
Kouza growled, spinning back with another swing. Their swords clashed again and again, sparks of wood biting against wood. Though Kouza pressed hard, Haru's technique was sharp—clean, efficient, almost too polished.
In the end, Haru disarmed him with a swift twist and sent Kouza's bokken clattering across the yard.
"Winner, Haru!"
Kouza cursed under his breath, cheeks burning. From the sidelines, his peers jeered playfully.
---
Second Match: Denjirō vs. Urashima
A murmur ran through the gathered students when Denjirō stepped forward. He was a tall boy, his hair tied back neatly, his sharp gaze exuding composure beyond his years.
Urashima lumbered to the front, towering over nearly everyone. Broad shoulders, thick arms, and shock of pink hair made him look more like a mountain than a boy.
"This'll be over fast!" Urashima boomed, thumping his bokken against his palm. "I'll crush you!"
Denjirō bowed respectfully, unshaken by the taunt. His grip on his bokken was relaxed, almost casual.
"Begin!"
Urashima charged with surprising speed for his size, his strike heavy enough to send dust flying. But Denjirō was already gone, slipping past with graceful precision. He tapped Urashima's ribs with the tip of his sword—just enough to score a point—before stepping back.
Urashima snarled and swung harder. Denjirō parried effortlessly, his bokken gliding along Urashima's strikes like water over stone. No matter how many times Urashima attacked, Denjirō was always there—sometimes a step ahead, sometimes just out of reach.
"I wont lose , not to you "Urashima said as he clased wooden swords with Denjiro .
Urashima had an older brother, their parents died a couple of years after Urashima was born leaving his older brother to find for both of them as he was to young to do anything. His older brother took various kinda of jobs others often got him into to trouble but his older brother was a strong swordsman. One day his brother poured all his savings and gave them to Urashima sending him to Shimotsuki Village saying that he didn't want his brother to grow and live like him , he wanted him to grow into a great man while he left for the land where criminals and ronin reside . He planned on ruling over all of them through strength and might . This was the reason why Urashima wanted to grow strong nit only for himself but for his brother as well , he didn't want to waste his brother's efforts. However swordsmanship was not where his physical talents lie . He has yet to truly discover what that was
Finally, with a swift upward slash, Denjirō struck Urashima's wrist, sending the bokken spinning into the dirt.
"Dammit I've lost "Urashima said as he looked at his hands in contemplation
Gasps erupted from the onlookers.
"Winner, Denjirō!"
Urashima stumbled back, clutching his wrist in disbelief. "Impossible…"
Denjirō bowed again, expression calm, though the faintest smile tugged at the corner of his lips. His composure only added to his aura, making the Shimotsuki students whisper among themselves.
---
More Matches Unfold
The sparring continued throughout the afternoon.
Kaya from Shimotsuki dojo, quick on her feet, narrowly bested a capital student twice her size by darting in and striking his shins.
Riku, one of Hyogoro's promising boys, overwhelmed his opponent with sheer technique, making each move flow seamlessly into the next.
Even the younger children clashed, their wooden swords clumsy but their laughter echoing through the yard, drawing smiles from the old masters.
Every strike, every parry carried the weight of pride—not just for themselves, but for their dojos, their teachers, their hometowns.
---
Kouza's Return to the Ring
Unable to sit idle, Kouza stepped back into the sparring ring against another capital student, this time a boy named Shinta. His breaths were sharp, his jaw tight with determination.
"Again?" Shinta asked, raising his brow.
"Yeah," Kouza growled. "This time I'm not losing."
The clash was brutal. Kouza's strikes had grown sharper since his loss, his focus more intense. Though Shinta's defense was solid, Kouza powered through it with sheer willpower, landing a decisive blow to the chest.
"Winner, Kouza!"
The Shimotsuki students cheered wildly, though Kouza just sheathed his bokken, muttering under his breath,
---
As the sun dipped low, painting the courtyard in shades of orange and gold, Koushirō finally raised his hand.
"That's enough for now. Rest, eat, and prepare yourselves—for later, the true matches will begin."
Laughter and chatter filled the air as students from both groups mingled again, swapping playful insults and promises of rematches. Yet in the corner, Denjirō remained quietly sharpening his focus, and Zoro was nonchalant even falling asleep through all the noise
Something about the Zoro's presence gnawed at Denjiro. He didn't know why. Not yet.
'Could he be as strong as him ' He thought