Promising Progress - part 2 (Sage training)

A hot spring... Gensō no Niwa seemed closer to paradise with each uncovered secret. Still licking the metaphorical wounds from the training, Hara sank deeper into the steaming water. Though the fight had been short and neither side drew blood, the chance to clean up and relax was still most welcome. The Kitsune simply loved lazing about. Even better, in the pleasant heat her mind had all the freedom to wander and ponder. Right now, the biggest question was how to get even with the cocky swordsman fox. Perhaps oil on the hilts or glue in the sheaths... Or both. Yes, both sounded absolutely perfect.

"Thinking of revenge already, I see."

The sudden comment snapped the Kitsune back to reality. Don was sitting on a smooth stone next to her, legs crossed and paws brought together. He seemed oddly serene for a change. For many, seeing an old geezer -fox or not- in the woman’s bath would’ve been the very definition of sexual harassment. Hara found it merely comical. "Hee, what makes you think that?" However, Don wasn’t here to play games. The trickster could already guess where this was going. More training. "Irrelevant. It’s time to focus on something else, a new form of training to be precise: senjutsu meditation." And then... nothing. The old fart didn’t bother to elaborate.

By the time Don finally figured to continue, the silence had deepened to vaguely uncomfortable levels and Hara had slipped back to plotting. "Student... Clear your mind of dubious intentions and embrace the opportunity for enlightening training..." The trickster was too content toying with her devious plans to actually care. "Let me know when you start making sense, old man." Wrong answer. The sass was smacked right out of her within a heartbeat. "Quit plotting payback and meditate, you cheeky brat!" Hara nearly doubled over with a defeated whine. She still couldn’t understand how something so small and old could hit so hard, with bare paws no less.

"Didn’t you say we wouldn’t move on until I cleared the first trial or something?"

At the quizzical protest, the teacher just smirked mysteriously. "Irrelevant. Now follow my lead. Take a comfortable position that you can hold for a long time." Since arguing was pointless, Hara breathed a mocking sigh and conceded. She ended up mimicking the position perfectly, down to bringing her fingers together. Don nodded approvingly and closed his eyes. "Good. Now focus on gathering natural energy without actually entering Sage Mode. Whenever too much energy builds up, release it calmly and begin the cycle anew. Become one with the nature’s flow." The Kitsune could feel the waves of energy swirling around them as the teacher demonstrated. It sounded and felt simple enough.

Hara closed her eyes. Her focus peaked almost immediately. She could sense everything, the dancing steam, the quiet breeze and even the most distant sounds. The calm state wasn’t much different from silently observing a target during a spy mission, except that this time target could only be felt. It came in waves, like breathing, washing over her. In. Out. In... Out... Tapping into it was easy by now. She had always been a quick learner and the sink or swim lesson from some time back was still fresh in her mind. At least now she didn’t have to worry about dying. Failure, as if the word could even fit here, only meant gaining a surge of power.

While the trickster was lost in meditation, silent and motionless like a statue, the old fox suddenly poked for conversation. "Why haven’t you told the Hokage yet?" Only Hara’s mouth moved and the energy flow remained stable. "About what?" Maybe Don wanted to make it a little more challenging, or maybe he was just curious. "About becoming a Sage, you smart mouthed brat." Indeed, the kunoichi hadn’t spoken a single whisper about what she did during these disappearances. "He wouldn’t believe me." And she doubted Ryoko even noticed she was gone. He was too busy. Maybe. Probably. The teacher, however, disagreed. "Yes he would. In fact, he’s most likely the only person who would believe." Ah, sad but true...

The silence returned. So far Hara had managed to keep the energy flow slow and manageable, but the distraction was getting to her. She was nearing the limit. "I will tell him..." Almost slipped. "When I find a good moment..." She breathed in. The energy reached deep into her lungs and flowed through her heart. It tickled in her veins. Don tilted his head. "Isn’t he your friend? Why are you so careful about this one thing?" She smiled and breathed out. The energy left her body in one smooth wave. "Because I’m just a silly trickster..." Yes, that was the trick, the calm release. She could begin the cycle anew.

"...who wants to impress a Kage."