David became a member of 🔷 Chūnin - Rising Flame!
thanks for your support!
_____________________
In this small town, there existed three dojos in total.
If ranked by area, the first place naturally belonged to the "Soryu Dojo" now under Keizo's name, which mainly taught karate.
The second place was the swordsmanship dojo located next to the Soryu Dojo, which undoubtedly taught swordsmanship.
As for the last place, it was naturally the "Centenarian Dojo" under the name of the hundred-year-old elder where Mitsuba currently worked, which also taught swordsmanship due to her presence.
But if ranked by the number of disciples, the first place would go to that swordsmanship dojo.
The one falling to last place would instead become Keizo's Soryu Dojo.
The entanglement behind this, as Mitsuba heard from some townspeople, was because the old man who originally owned the Soryu Dojo had intended to entrust the dojo to the neighboring swordsmanship dojo after his death.
Even the people from the swordsmanship dojo had always assumed that this massive dojo was already theirs for the taking.
But because he coincidentally met Keizo and was saved by him, the old man ultimately changed his mind and decided to give his dojo to Keizo instead.
This immediately made the people from the neighboring swordsmanship dojo feel as if the sky had collapsed.
They had waited bitterly for so many years, finally waiting for that old undying bastard to kick the bucket, only for you to hand over such a huge dojo to an outsider at the last moment?!
Old man, you son of a...
In any case, from the day Keizo took over the dojo, the people from the neighboring swordsmanship dojo had been at odds with him.
Over the years, they had been using all sorts of methods behind the scenes to slander Keizo and obstruct anyone who wanted to become his disciple.
Their ultimate goal was only one: to force Keizo out, to make him obediently hand over the dojo again.
And Keizo himself couldn't care less about this.
No, perhaps it should be said that this man possessed an extremely simple and honest kindness.
He must have been more or less aware of the little tricks the neighboring swordsmanship dojo was playing behind the scenes, but Keizo said nothing and simply continued doing his own things.
Without disciples, he would go out to promote himself.
Without income, he would go work at a general store to earn money.
When encountering people from the neighboring swordsmanship dojo, he would always greet them cheerfully and enthusiastically.
Keizo seemed to firmly believe that as long as he continued to treat others with kindness, then one day, others would repay him with kindness as well...
Well, every human in this world had their own unique way of surviving. Even if Mitsuba didn't agree with it, she wouldn't interfere too much.
In any case, due to being fellow outsiders in the town, plus Keizo's friendly and amiable personality, Mitsuba's relationship with Keizo was quite good now. The two could be considered friendly acquaintances.
"Yes! I was just preparing to return to the dojo! Is there anything Miss Mitsuba needs help with?"
"Not at all."
Looking at Keizo beside her, who was all smiles, Mitsuba—who had almost reached her own dojo—first glanced with the corner of her eye at the several children poking their heads out from the dojo entrance, then replied with the same smile:
"Alright, Mr. Keizo, don't chat idly with me here. Hurry home and take care of your daughter instead.
I visited last time, and that child's health is not very good. You really need to pay more attention usually..."
Keizo had a daughter.
If she remembered correctly, the name should be Koyuki. Mitsuba had seen her a few times before by chance—a very beautiful girl, but her health had always been poor.
Truly pitiful.
"Got it! Thank you for your concern, Miss Mitsuba! I'll be going back now!"
"Yes, take care."
Waving goodbye and watching Keizo leave, Mitsuba then turned and walked into the dojo before her.
The moment she entered, she saw several children around ten years old immediately surround her, chirping and chattering nonstop.
"Big Sis Mitsuba is helping others again!"
"My mom said no matter what it is, as long as you ask Big Sis Mitsuba, she'll agree."
"If Big Sis Mitsuba is always like this, she'll easily get scammed, you know?"
"Big Sis Mitsuba, please marry me!"
"Wait until you've grown up a bit more, little brat."
A precise forehead flick landed on the child who shouted this, and Mitsuba laughed as she waved her hand, driving them all into the dojo.
"Alright, hurry up and change clothes, pick up your bamboo swords. It's time for training."
Yes, these children were the disciples of the dojo where she worked.
Since most of the children in town who wanted to learn kendo had been snatched away by the other swordsmanship dojo.
Being a swordsmanship dojo as well, but with only Mitsuba as the swordsmanship instructor, the Centenarian Dojo naturally could only recruit these children that the neighboring dojo didn't want.
Or rather, it should be said that the reason the Centenarian Dojo could still recruit these children was entirely because they had her as a female instructor.
These children's parents, rather than hoping their children could learn something here, seemed more like they hoped she could take care of their children while they went out to work during the day?
Hmm, titled as an instructor, but actually a babysitter.
Forget it, in the end it was practically the same...
For Mitsuba, who was now over a hundred years old, this was nothing more than going from raising big children to raising small children...
It was all the same.
"Full of energy every day, little Mitsuba."
An aged voice suddenly sounded from the courtyard nearby.
It was an old man leaning on a cane, sitting leisurely under a large tree in the courtyard, brewing tea with a smile.
This was the master of this dojo, that hundred-year-old elder who had taken Mitsuba in.
Yes, the old man's name was literally "Centenarian Elder."
This was of course not the old man's original name. It was said that after his age officially crossed the threshold of one hundred, the old man had always demanded that people call him this.
It felt somewhat boastful...
But one had to admit, it was indeed a rare thing for a normal human to live to this age, worthy of pride and envy.
"After all, my principle is to spend every day happily... but as for you, Centenarian Elder."
Turning to look at this always smiling little old man, Mitsuba asked with a teasing tone of concern:
"Drinking tea outside in the cool breeze so early in the morning, you'll easily catch a cold and fall ill, you know?"
"Hehe, no matter, no matter. I've already lived over a hundred years, I've long since earned back my investment in this life..."
"Big Sis Mitsuba! Stop chatting idly with the Centenarian Elder! Hurry up and come teach us swordsmanship!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
"Alright, alright, you little brats are really pushy... then I'll go in first, little old man, take care of yourself."
"Got it."