Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of Games of Body and Soul

Progress Through Meanness

"I see..." a trainee monk nodded his head with an affirming conviction.

"So am I going to become an awesome ninja monk?" Meiko wondered. She opened her eyes, got out of her slouched and tense stance, and bent her arms up in excitement as she awaited the answer of the helpful trainee monk whom she was having a blast training with so far.

"At this rate, you will merely move all your effort through your bowels and right into your underwear. In my entire life, I have not met a single person with as little reception to the Gift of the Hermits as you, Meiko." The trainee admitted with a shake of his head, about as confident as his previous nod.

Meiko's hands weighed down and she slouched her entire body in disappointment.

"Do not fret, young lady. While Kirume's words are harsh, they are truthful. They do not wish you harm, they merely wish to tell you that this path is not for you." Another trainee monk stepped in, trying to brighten Meiko's mood.

"Asaruda is right. It is sometimes a good thing to know which things are not worth wasting one's time on. One thing is sure, spend a hundred or a thousand years on this and that time will be wasted." Kirume corrected his own words by elaborating on their context as well.

"Oh, yes. In fact, your connection to the Gift of the Hermit is so loose that it may be proper to inform elder Seishiri of this." Asaruda raised a point and his index finger to gesticulate his suggestion.

"A fair idea. Perhaps this revelation means that the connection of humans to the Gift of the Hermits is slipping in general with each passing generation. It is a matter worth looking into on someone's pilgrimage." Kirume scratched his chin.

"Pilegremage? What is that exactly? I think I've heard that word but..." Meiko scratched her own head in confusion. She was not glad hearing that the Gift of the Hermits was forever outside her reach but the sentiments of the monks did make sense as well. At least it told her right where to focus her efforts.

"Oh, it has plenty of different meanings. That may be why you are confused thusly. Our trainees leave on a pilgrimage to investigate certain matters, such as this one, or on a mission they must complete. It is the final task one has to accomplish before becoming a real ninja monk." Asaruda explained.

"Oh well, either way, I guess I can train in solitude now." Meiko shrugged finally putting the matter of this Gift of the Hermits to rest.

"Oh? Perhaps we have been somewhat harsh on you with our words. Forgive our rudeness and allow us to aid you with your own training, Meiko." Kirume nodded his head submissively while Asaruda rushed off to speak to the elder monks.

"Do you know anything about imbuing weapons with chakra?" Meiko squinted one eye in suspicion. Given their diet and weird training, the blacksmith felt quite skeptical about their odd approach to everything. The two simply appeared too different for them to be able to help each other at all.

"Why certainly!" Kirume smiled, extending his hand aside as if asking his fellow trainees to toss him a weapon. Within moments, a battle-worn and bloodied staff was tossed at him and at the very instance of it touching the monk's fingertips it ignited with blue, neutral chakra-colored glow.

"I... I would like to learn that. I was practicing for too long and I just cannot do it." Meiko admitted. She dragged her arm over an armor piece and pulled out the aid weapon of her father that was supposed to help make mastering the technique easier.

"Hmmm... It is a moderate difficulty technique. If you have so much trouble with it, perhaps you simply do not belong on this step and must tread backward to learn the lessons you have skipped?" Kirume closed his eyes.