"Not quite right, Saito-kun. Again," said Grandfather Copycat, his shadowy form perched in a low-hanging branch of a nearby tree in the Ancient Forest as he watched his many-times-great grandson push himself though combat maneuver after combat maneuver. Ever since the boy's 10th birthday in the land of Tea, where his shadowy heritage had awakened in an explosion of darkness and drive to fulfillment, Grandfather Copycat -- one of Saito's ancestors, linked to an ancient ritual that connected Saito to the long lost power of his heritage -- had been a part of the young boy's life. To fully restore the dormant powers of the clan of his long-dead grandsires, the shadow spirit adapted Saito's training routine to bring out skills long thought vanished from this world with the loss of the Family Book. Fire and water combined made shadow, but the Elder Samsara taught Saito how to turn nearly any jutsu into shadow by the touch of his hands. Taught him how to coat himself in power, where even his very touch would scald and suck away the life of his enemies. Showed him the ultimate skills of his clan, the release of incredible amounts of energy in many forms to deal catastrophic damage to his foes.
The boy worked hard, but even he felt this training was beyond him. He didn't expect so much pain, to begin. Though Grandfather Copycat had told him it would pass, the chakra cloak that would corrode the flesh of his enemies at his touch still scalded his own skin, and no transformation through any of the three levels of the hidden Samsara technique occurred yet without the young boy's suffering. It was the most difficult training he had ever endured, so much so that the Genin actually slept all night. His energy would be low, he'd yawn at all hours, and not even eat a great deal -- important physiological changes that, privately, began to worry the boy. Would he even survive the harsh training that would make him into a proper scion of the Samsara? Grandfather Copycat had warned him of the potential of death. It would be important to push his training, but not past the point of no return. The old shadow spirit seemed to think that the brink was much further away than Saito suspected it was. While the young boy only wanted to collapse after hours of drills, the Elder Samsara showed no mercy. "Again, Saito-kun. Spin the fire thinner. Its aura must be barely visible, and its touch must burn hotter as well as freeze colder."
Saito could not help but attempt improvements on the traditional Samsara fighting style, and his chakra nature helped him immensely. Grandfather Copycat let slip a rare show of pleasure when the boy phased his weapons together and proceeded to execute a series of rapid strikes that left the wooden dummy broken, simultaneously cut up and beaten down. Already he advances the bloodline further...<i></i> the Elder Samsara thought to himself, even as his stern expression killed any of the child's hopes for an early dismissal from training. Both entities, the living child and his long-dead senior, knew that he would need much more work before he even came close to using his heritage style in battle. Saito didn't know how to quit, however. The work would continue. Continue until complete mastery, or death.
[MFT, WC = 566]
The boy worked hard, but even he felt this training was beyond him. He didn't expect so much pain, to begin. Though Grandfather Copycat had told him it would pass, the chakra cloak that would corrode the flesh of his enemies at his touch still scalded his own skin, and no transformation through any of the three levels of the hidden Samsara technique occurred yet without the young boy's suffering. It was the most difficult training he had ever endured, so much so that the Genin actually slept all night. His energy would be low, he'd yawn at all hours, and not even eat a great deal -- important physiological changes that, privately, began to worry the boy. Would he even survive the harsh training that would make him into a proper scion of the Samsara? Grandfather Copycat had warned him of the potential of death. It would be important to push his training, but not past the point of no return. The old shadow spirit seemed to think that the brink was much further away than Saito suspected it was. While the young boy only wanted to collapse after hours of drills, the Elder Samsara showed no mercy. "Again, Saito-kun. Spin the fire thinner. Its aura must be barely visible, and its touch must burn hotter as well as freeze colder."
Saito could not help but attempt improvements on the traditional Samsara fighting style, and his chakra nature helped him immensely. Grandfather Copycat let slip a rare show of pleasure when the boy phased his weapons together and proceeded to execute a series of rapid strikes that left the wooden dummy broken, simultaneously cut up and beaten down. Already he advances the bloodline further...<i></i> the Elder Samsara thought to himself, even as his stern expression killed any of the child's hopes for an early dismissal from training. Both entities, the living child and his long-dead senior, knew that he would need much more work before he even came close to using his heritage style in battle. Saito didn't know how to quit, however. The work would continue. Continue until complete mastery, or death.
[MFT, WC = 566]