"Since Jūgatsu (October) has begun, it's time for Manipura training." Hanzo took a sip of saké and stared at the ocean. "From now onwards, the regimen will get more intense and the cold is only going to make things worse."
The trio were in awe of how sober he looked.
"I hope you guys are ready!"
"Hai, sensei!"
"Right. This time we'll focus on endurance which will include aerobic exercises. You'll run ten kilometres every morning and evening. During daytime you'll swim for five kilometres." He paused, facing the Inazuma prince. "Kazuo-kun, you should be able to retrieve Sūijin by the end of the month."
Hanzo savoured another sip. "I shall also introduce bujutsu (martial arts) and Budō Seishin (Spirits of Budō) which is made up of five states of mind. The levels from lowest to highest are Shoshin, Zanshin, Mushin, Fudoshin and Senshin (Beginner, Lingering, Empty, Immovable and Enlightened mind)."
"What a minute sensei..." said Mikoto, furrowing her eyebrows. "What does bujutsu have to do with opening the chakras?"
"Bujutsu is the proportion of strength to speed an individual has with respect to their mental state in a given situation. It is the original martial art developed by ancient masters. Budō states correspond with the chakras. For example, you cannot open Manipura without knowing Shoshin. Understood?"
Mikoto nodded, trying to follow. "I see."
"As such, with mastery of each state, your strength, speed and mental fortitude increases tenfold. Shoshin is fairly easy to achieve, it refers to the openness and eagerness you showed when you started training..."
Hanzo checked to see if they were still following.
"Zanshin is a state where you're fully aware of yourself and environment. It requires practice and mindfulness meditation to master. Next is Mushin–"
"Mushin?" asked Takumi before adjusting his glasses. "I doubt I can ever be in a state of no mind."
"Mushin is about being able to act without thought. It can't be understood with intellect, it's an experience. You simply act–almost out of instinct." Hanzo cleared his throat with a raspy cough. "However, I had reserved Mushin and Fudoshin for Kazuo-kun in the last two months."
"What will we be doing during that time?"
Hanzo looked at Takumi and Mikoto. "You guys will work on and master your elemental affinities."
Kazuo grinned from ear to ear, unable to hide it.
"But why sensei?" Mikoto protested with a frown. "That's not fair!"
"Those states require at least one year to learn–"
"Ehhh!" Mikoto gasped, eyebrows raised. What makes him special?
Hanzo almost read her mind. "Not only does Kazuo-kun have more prana reserves thanks to Kundalini awakening, he's been to the shadow plane before. That's how we'll beat the training period..."
"Yes!" said Kazuo, eyes wide open. "The time moves way faster there! An hour in is a minute out."
"Ten points for you, Kazuo-kun!" Hanzo clapped twice. "That's it for the lecture, let's begin training."
The group started jogging with Hanzo leading. Halfway through the lap, he had not broken a sweat. Kazuo and Mikoto followed from a close distance while Takumi dragged a bit further. At the end of the ten kilometres, the Lightning trio looked drenched.
They rested for an hour before starting the second round of training. After the five kilometre swim, their limbs felt like tentacles. Hanzo cackled during lunch, seeing them struggle to use their chopsticks. As the days flew by, they grew accustomed to the pain.
In the middle of Jūgatsu, their endurance had increased tenfold. They could finish the regimens without succumbing to fatigue longer periods. The month went on and dread turned into enjoyment.
Towards the end, they looked forward to each day of running and swimming. For the calmer evenings, they carried out Manipura meditation. The practice required them to visualize a yellow sphere just above the navel while holding the Agni mudra in each hand.
Hanzo got up from the lotus position and gazed at the grey, evening sky. "Your Manipura is now open and balanced. Which means you can use Shoshin–"
Mikoto and Kazuo jumped up and down with joy.
Takumi laughed. Finally, this month was the worst.
"So, in whatever you do..." said Hanzo, gesturing for Mikoto and Kazuo to be settled. "Approach it with an open mind." Afterwards, he turned to the latter. "Kazuo-kun, I think you're ready to retrieve Sūijin."
The following morning, Hanzo led them to the beach and they stopped before the shoreline. There were fewer birds flying about and the sky had no cloud in sight. He faced Kazuo and spoke. "If you follow that current for about twenty metres, dive underneath and search for a blue katana. Got it?"
"Yes, sensei..." Kazuo nodded and tossed his clothes aside, leaving only his undergarment. He ran barefoot until the sand under his feat disappeared. As he swam at full speed, he left a stream of splashes in his path and reached the twenty metre mark in record time. When Hanzo signaled to him, he took a deep breath and dived into the sea.
With the water reflecting the sky, searching for a blue saya proved to be a challenge. Suddenly, Kazuo noticed something shiny at the bottom and swam even deeper, passing several critters readying for the coming winter. When he got closer, he saw the water sword stuck underneath some rocks.
Meanwhile, Hanzo and the others started worrying. Six minutes had elapsed and Kazuo was still submerged. Tension started rising but their faith did not waver. Two minutes later, Hanzo decided to go after Kazuo. He raced for the water and was stopped by Mikoto's scream. At that moment, he sighed–having seen a purple head emerging from the sea.
"Ahh!" Kazuo gasped for much needed air. He raised Sūijin while splashing water everywhere. "I found it!" he said, trying to swim back but failed.
Hanzo dove in and quickly swam towards Kazuo. Once he reached the boy, he carried him and Sūijin back to shore. That was a close call... but he did it!
"You had us worried there for a second," said Mikoto, staring at Kazuo with concerned eyes.
Kazuo coughed up a bit of water and blushed.
☯
Jūichigatsu (November) was the month of balance. They practiced tai chi forms during the day and rigorous breathing exercises. For the evenings, it was mindfulness meditation for Zanshin and balancing Anahata. Heart chakra meditation was about focusing on a green sphere located at the chest while they held a Vayu mudra on each hand.
As Jūichigatsu went by like breeze, the trio got better at balance exercises. Some of these included standing on a tight rope whilst holding a bō staff for extended periods. At the end of the month, they had balanced Anahata and grasped the basics of Zanshin. With their lung capacities having increased tenfold, they became stronger, faster and more alert.