Kotetsu had been adamant on learning, and he found the process… Incredibly frustrating. As he fell from above after his latest attempt, he wondered at the ease the boys had shown at jumping up and into the trees. The way they seemed to almost stick to the trees drove Kotetsu crazy. Every time he tried to question them on what they were doing, they would brush his inquiries off, telling him it ‘wasn’t important yet’. He was about to burst. It had only been 10 minutes.

  He got up, slowly brushing himself off, forcing long deep breaths. It didn’t work. The three boys sat a dozen feet away, watching with amused expressions. Kotetsu tried to light them on fire with his mind. Sadly, nothing happened.

  Dan spoke in an instructing tone. “You’re doing it wrong. You need to relax, and then jump. It’s critical that you feel as free as a bird…”

  Kotetsu couldn’t help but feel that Dan was talking to a child. He was, though Kotetsu wouldn’t admit that.

  Kotetsu jumped for the tree, foot outstretched, trying to imagine sticking to the tree. He slammed to a stop for a heartbeat, then plummeted back to the ground. He stayed still for several seconds. The others tried their hardest not to erupt into laughter. This had been the exact same result for the last 10 minutes, Kotetsu jumping, then falling back down. He was done.

  Kotetsu shot up and stomped over to his bag and sword, left hanging from a low branch. He grabbed the pack and roughly put both arms through the straps. Then, without any further words, he began to march away. Dan shot up from where he sat and shuffled over, following Kotetsu. The other two stayed put. Nose hair, who’s name was Okita, listened as stumpy legs spoke.

  “That was fun.” Shingo, which was stumpy’s actual name, said.

  “Giving up already?” Dan prodded, catching up to Kotetsu.

  Kotetsu kept walking.

  “I’ll learn this stupid move without three idiots watching me.”

  The two stopped talking and froze as Atsuo dropped right in front of them. Dan felt his body temperature drop, and suddenly had an image of his head poking up out of the dirt. Kotetsu stood, eyes wide. Atsuo had his arms crossed as he glared at the pair.

  “I thought I told you to get him out of here.”

  Dan felt his head sink into his shoulders. “Uh… He wouldn’t go. But, I was just on my way to get him out of here…!”

  Kotetsu felt Dan’s hand press down on his shoulder. He glanced over at the cowering form of Dan. Looking at Dan’s stupid face, Kotetsu suddenly had a brilliant idea. Dan watched in sudden fear as a smile plastered itself on Kotetsu. He tried to shake his head, but Kotetsu moved out of his grip and walked right toward Atsuo.

  “You’re their boss, right?” Kotetsu greeted him.

  Atsuo’s face turned up as Kotetsu approached.

  “Look. I have a simple question. You have the answer. All you need to do is give it to me. Then I’m gone, promise.”

  “You want to jump up trees.” Atsuo guessed.

  Kotetsu’s eyes lit up. “You know it! Like I said, simple. You could probably just tell me the secret, I bet I can figure it all out after that. Whadya say?” Kotetsu held his arms out, hands spread.

  Okita and Shingo had sat in the back as quietly as possible, hoping Atsuo wouldn’t notice them. Dan had taken a few long steps away as Kotetsu foolishly approached Atsuo. The three of them all waited for the kettle to go off.

  “Fine.”

  “Great! Let’s start right now. I’ve been trying to jump at the tree, but I don’t know what I’m supposed to do after that. How do you do it?” Kotetsu quickly spoke on the heels of Atsuo’s words.

  Dan, Okita and Shingo all felt their mouths drop. All they could do was stare. Had Atsuo seriously just… Agreed? Not just that, but he is willingly going to help an outsider. They were all clearly dead, or in a Genjutsu. There was no other explanation. They all sat in stunned silence as Atsuo began to explain the mechanics to Kotetsu that they had brushed off. Kotetsu stood in wrapped attention.

  —

  An hour had passed by. The cold winter day was approaching its peak, and the three boys, now joined by Atsuo, sat and watched Kotetsu jump up into a tree.

  The technique involved flowing Chakra in a controlled manner. It was specific; Kotetsu didn’t even know he could ‘speed up’ the flow of his Chakra. He connected the feeling to breathing faster and slower. Unlike breathing though, he couldn’t just ‘think’ about speeding up or slowing down his Chakra. The mental feeling of light from the sun spreading over his body would not be appropriate anymore. When he asked Atsuo what he imagined, Atsuo replied.

  “It’s less of a feeling and more of an image. I picture my entire body dropping into a burning pit of fire. When I want to speed up my Chakra flow, I make the fire bigger.”

  Kotetsu gave Atsuo a worried look before going back to his practice. Kotetsu had prepared and discarded a variety of mental images, even the pit of fire. Nothing seemed to work. Then, Dan had finally chipped in with something marginally useful.

  “Sometimes, when I am in a fight, my Chakra just starts flowing faster. I don’t even have to imagine anything…” Dan said offhandedly while talking to Okita. Something about the comment made Kotetsu stop after his latest failed attempt, which caused the group to pause their conversation as well. Kotetsu felt an idea begin to bloom in his head.

  He jumped.

  Kotetsu could feel the Chakra at his feet flowing differently from the rest of his body. It was a strange tingling sensation that felt the strongest at the soles of his feet, dissipating up his legs. His foot hit the tree trunk, and stuck. Kotetsu was so surprised by the action that he tried to pull his foot away, planting his other foot to gain leverage. Both feet ended up stuck to the tree. He awkwardly pumped both legs uselessly as he was unable to free himself. After a few seconds of flailing, there was an audible crunch of wood before Kotetsu was sent flying several feet away from the tree, falling back to the ground.

  Kotetsu looked up from the dirt. On the tree, roughly 7 or 8 feet in the air, were two clear foot-sized indents in the bark. Atsuo and Dan suddenly appeared in his vision, standing over Kotetsu, Atsuo’s hand stuck out. He took the hand and let it pull him roughly from the ground. Dan brushed Kotetsu off as Atsuo and Kotetsu stared at each other for several seconds. Then, Atsuo let a small grin show, as he spoke.

  “Congratulations.”

  Dan, Okita and Shingo felt their mouths drop for the second time that day.

  —

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Kotetsu was an anomaly. Simultaneously knowledgeable in some subjects, while entirely useless in others. Atsuo did not quench his curiosity as the day grew old. Atsuo wondered at how this boy had learned how to fight so effectively like a shinobi, while seeming so lost in Chakra control. These thoughts plumed through Atsuo’s mind as the four boys continued to watch Kotetsu practice tree jumping.

  Kotetsu had been given an unintentional hint by Dan during the earlier discussion. He found a mental image that gave him the same feeling of Chakra flowing through his body, while also giving him a way to control the speed of flow. He used the image as he jumped at the tree, finding success in sticking to it with his feet. In his head, Kotetsu imagined himself running on a hot summer day. When he wanted to speed up or slow down his Chakra flow, he imagined himself running faster or slower. He began to climb, carefully pulling and placing his feet in quick succession as he made his way up the tree. Kotetsu could only move a handful of steps up the tree before he had to let go.

  The sun began to vanish through the trees, casting long shadows over the floor. Atsuo spoke suddenly.

  “I need to speak with Kotetsu alone.”

  Shingo was the first with an easy excuse, claiming bathroom needs and running off. Okita and Dan began to walk away, Dan looking over his shoulder worriedly at Kotetsu. He didn’t quite know why he suddenly felt bad for the kid. Atsuo and Kotetsu stood in silence, waiting for the sounds of the three to grow quiet. Atsuo spoke again.

  “It’s time for you to leave.”

  Kotetsu had been practicing all day. By this point, he had completely forgotten that he had promised to leave if they showed him how to jump up on the tree. His lower body and feet were sore after the day. He felt a twinge in his chest. However, he felt the tension from Atsuo, and understood that his presence was no longer welcome. He began to turn and leave.

  “...Is what I should say. But first, I need something from you.”

  Kotetsu stopped and looked over his shoulder, confused. His eyes went wide at the aggressive stance Atsuo had taken.

  “You and I are going to fight first. I’ve been curious about this all day…”

  Atsuo took up his stance and challenged Kotetsu. After giving those words, he was sure that Kotetsu would drop everything and turn around, raring to fight. Instead, Kotetsu stood, turned, and stared at Atsuo. Kotetsu carefully removed his bag. Without further preamble, he spoke.

  “Are you sure?”

  Atsuo couldn’t believe what he just heard.

  “I’m not afraid of some shrimp that barely grasped Chakra control earlier today. Come on.”

  Kotetsu closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and moved.

  Atsuo had carefully watched Kotetsu during his spar with Dan earlier that day. The boy had a strong grasp of his unorthodox technique. However, Atsuo could clearly see that it was incomplete. From the perspective of a seasoned fighter, that spar was nothing more than a brawl. Kotetsu jumped right for him. He casually dipped to one side.

  Kotetsu was surprised to find his fist striking air. He stumbled forward, failing to keep his balance upright as he tumbled to the ground. Sharp rocks and twigs dug into his palms as he slid across the forest floor. Then, a sudden sense of urgency pushed Kotetsu into motion as he heard quick footsteps coming from behind. He rocked to one side, barely avoiding the foot that came down where his back had just been. He watched the foot pound down on a stick, which snapped with some force. Kotetsu quickly got to his feet to find Atsuo standing idly before him, watching.

  “Again.”

  Atsuo spoke the command, keeping a sharp eye on Kotetsu. Kotetsu charged again, missing. Then again. The next five minutes were excruciating, as Kotetsu found himself completely unable to even graze Atsuo. Kotetsu felt frustration rise, and his confidence plummet. He didn’t know how it could get worse, until Atsuo began to fight back.

  The first punch Atsuo threw was fast. Kotetsu only saw the arm retreating and felt the solid punch that dug into his abdomen. He began to keel forward, grabbing his stomach, when another punch came for his chest. His body was thrown up and back. His breathing grew laboured as he barely stood upright, attempting to keep focus on the growing threat.

  “I think I’ve figured something out.” Atsuo spoke calmly.

  Kotetsu watched Atsuo with wary eyes. He forced his arms away from his body and back into a fighting stance. Kotetsu responded in between breaths.

  “What?”

  Atsuo didn’t speak further. Instead, he moved again. Despite Kotetsu’s renewed efforts, he couldn’t keep up. Fists found their mark all across his body, from his legs, waist, sides, chest, and back. Kotetsu noted that Atsuo could have easily attacked his head or other soft spots. As the cruel match continued, Kotetsu grew less certain about what Atsuo really wanted. Is he being tested? Does Atsuo want the sword? Why hasn’t he been knocked out yet? He couldn’t figure it out. That is, until Atsuo spoke again, pausing from the beatdown for the moment.

  “You somehow fight like a Hyuuga, yet not exactly. It’s not easy to get that kind of experience without extensive studying. You are clearly not a Hyuuga, so… Who are you really?”

  Kotetsu drank the air in large gulps while he still could. He thought about Atsuo’s question, finally thinking he understood what the teenager wanted. He spent almost a full minute just catching his breath, Atsuo not pushing any further, waiting. Kotetsu spoke.

  “I’m not allowed.”

  Atsuo felt an eyebrow raise. “Not allowed to… What?”

  “To tell you my last name.”

  Kotetsu made direct eye contact as he spoke his words. He could taste blood in the back of his throat. Atsuo’s face showed no reaction, so Kotetsu continued.

  “It’s part of the shinobi rules. I’m not supposed to tell anyone what my surname is.”

  “I know about the rules.” Atsuo spoke in a clipped tone. His face was suddenly exasperated.

  Atsuo pondered the situation. In front of him now was an unknown shinobi of unknown origin, carrying a strange sword and knowing how to fight like a Hyuuga. He believed he had a good measure of Kotetsu’s skill now. Despite that… Some part of Atsuo wanted to trust Kotetsu, simply because he knew the boy hadn’t lied. Atsuo didn’t think that Kotetsu could actually hide anything, especially if he used his Sharingan, though he wouldn’t use that in front of the kid. He found himself wondering why he even bothered to question the situation. Clan law specifically states that outsiders are to be discouraged from entering their territory, either with threats or force. Atsuo’s thoughts were disrupted suddenly when Kotetsu spoke again.

  “I want… I want to fight again.”

  Kotetsu took a fighting stance again. His hands were no longer open palms, instead becoming balled fists. Atsuo looked over his new pose.

  “Okay.”

  Kotetsu restarted the spar. While Atsuo had been thinking silently, Kotetsu had been going over the fight, replaying everything in his head. He tried to pull apart Atsuo’s fighting style, feeling like he could find a weakness if he just paid enough attention. Re-entering combat, Kotetsu tried every possible thing he could think of one after another. Atsuo dismantled and discouraged Kotetsu every step of the way. The single largest factor inhibiting Kotetsu was the speed difference; Atsuo was clearly on a different level, approaching the speed of his sister, Emilia, if not matching it. His movements were graceful yet concise, making small but powerful motions. Yet even with that, Kotetsu noticed a similar issue with Atsuo that he had found earlier with Dan. Their fighting style felt somehow incomplete. He couldn’t parse the feeling properly. Despite that, Atsuo was clearly much more skilled than Dan, even though the two were roughly the same age.

  Kotetsu was covered head to toe in sweat when the fight finally concluded. He had not landed a single hit on Atsuo, who was breathing heavily, yet remained in far better condition than himself. Kotetsu welcomed the comforting cool breeze as the last of the winter sun glimpsed between the trees. He fell to the ground, trying to catch a breath that wouldn’t burn his insides.

  “I’ve beaten you. Now, get out of here.” Atsuo said with finality, looking down at Kotetsu. He had decided trying to decipher whoever this kid is wasn’t worth it. He wouldn’t bring that kind of trouble to his clan, and especially his father. Almost immediately after he spoke, Kotetsu began to stand up, stumbling to his feet. Atsuo felt surprised as he looked at the boy’s grinning face.

  “You’ll have to force me out then. Until you get me away forever, I’m gonna keep challenging you. I will only willingly leave when I have thoroughly beaten you.”

  Kotetsu had decided to stay. There was something he just had to know. He wanted to know how to fight like Atsuo.

  Atsuo first felt shock, then anger, then disbelief as he looked into the completely serious face of Kotetsu.

  “That’s not… You’ll just get yourself killed. If not by my hand, then someone else from my…” He caught himself. “...My group will kill you.”

  “I can guess you're from a clan. It’s kind of obvious.”

  Atsuo grew annoyed. It was irrational, since he knew it was obvious as well. Kotetsu took a stance, his entire body shaking with fatigue. He beckoned with his hand and spoke.

  “Come at me.”