Hanzo raised a finger and spoke. "We will first start with the basics. Do you guys know what prana is?"
"The life-force energy found in living organisms." Takumi and Mikoto answered almost in unison. However, the latter's face beamed with enthusiasm. That moment reminded them of Hideo's classes.
"But are we not heading into the supernatural?" asked Takumi, eyebrows furrowed. "I haven't read a scholarly paper that proves the existence of prana."
"We have a skeptic in our midst, I see." Hanzo smiled, taking another sip. "Guess after today, you'll be the one to write about it someday. So, having originated from the sun, prana is also a c–"
"Can I..." Kazuo stood next to Mikoto and Takumi. "Can I please join you guys?" he asked with a bow.
"Do you have a good reason for me to train you?"
"Yes, sir..."
"Which is?"
"The Shadow King is after me, which means I risk putting those around me in danger." He paused, glancing at his comrades. "I want to be strong so I can protect those around me. My family got killed because of me and I wasn't there to do anything."
Hanzo gestured to Kazuo to take a seat. "Don't beat yourself up about it. There's nothing you could've done at the time..."
"I would've handed myself over!" Kazuo's tone sounded firm. "For their lives to be spared." Mom's...
"Kazuo-kun... I understand where you're coming from but there's no easy way to say this," Hanzo spoke calmly as they locked eyes. "Knowing the Shadows, they would've slain them in front of you."
Kazuo's face turned pale as he clenched his teeth.
Mikoto grabbed his shoulder. "It's okay, breathe..."
Excellent resolve! He's not lashing out like last time. Hanzo watched as Kazuo calmed. "As I was saying, prana is also a current that flows in the body through energy channels called nadis." He gestured a path from his belly up to his forehead with a finger.
Hanzo paused, ensuring they were still following.
"Within living organisms, nadis are connected to seven main wheels called chakras. Located from the base of the spine to just above the head; these are Muladhara, Swadhisthana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddha, Ajna and Sahasrara (Sanskrit: Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat, Third Eye and Crown)."
"The chakras are opened from lowest to highest. The exercise you just completed was preparation for the opening of Muladhara. Before going further, prana is divided into yin (dark) and yang (light), which refer to the direction of chakra spin. Clockwise rotation is conduction and anticlockwise rotation is projection. From Muladhara to Sahasrara, each chakra corresponds to an element and these are earth, water, fire, air, ether, light and shadow."
Kazuo's eyes fluttered, and he started yawning.
"The first five elements are grouped into the three dosha (Sanskrit: defects), which sorcerers can fall under. The first dosha is Kapha (earth–water), followed by Pitta (water–fire) and then Vata (air–ether). Everyone has at least one dominant element from their respective dosha. With extended training, mastery of the primary elements is achievable."
"How does someone find out what their dominant element is?" asked Mikoto with a cheerful smile.
Hanzo clapped his hands once and grinned. "Great question, Mikoto-chan! A person's dominant element can be determined using chakra stones, which glow when touched..." He scratched his head and took a sip. "They're very rare but we won't need them."
Mikoto and Takumi held on to Hanzo's every word.
"Some practitioners say that one's dosha can be assessed through a personality test. Or, more accurately, by observing the elemental conduction which comes to them naturally. However, I'll use my Ajna to inspect the colour of your latent auras."
Hmm... Takumi sighed with a frown. He took off the sunglasses and wiped his eyes. Still not convinced.
"What colour is my aura?" said Mikoto.
Hanzo made the Chinmaya mudra. He brought the gesture close to his forehead before shutting his eyes. "You and Kazuo-kun are light green, corresponding to the element air..."
"Which means we're Vata!" Mikoto smiled.
"Yes, we're similar in that regard." Hanzo returned her smile and turned to the Artisan. "And you, Takumi-kun? Would you like to know yours?"
"Sure, why not?" said Takumi. "I'll play along."
"I see red... and to support this with your intellectual and grounded personality, it corresponds to–"
"I'm guessing earth, making my dosha Kapha."
"Indeed!" Hanzo applauded the Artisan. "I'll make a visual demonstration. But before that..." he said, pointing at Kazuo. "Please wake him up?"
Mikoto nudged Kazuo, who was snoring.
Once everyone was awake, Hanzo took out a lighter and set it ablaze with a small flame. "Since my dosha is Vata, watch as I conduct the surrounding air to increase its size. The more air I feed it, the faster it grows."
Hanzo placed his thumb on his index finger and brought the hand close to his chest. Afterwards, he took a deep breath and exhaled. With each breath, the intensity of the fire increased and decreased.
Mikoto and Kazuo were wide-eyed.
Takumi adjusted his sunglasses. "You're just blowing onto the flame. It's just an optical illusion."
"An illusion, you say, huh?" Hanzo grinned, switching to the Agni mudra as he placed the lighter on the ground. "Manipura!"
The Lightning trio jumped to their feet when a huge conflagration exploded from the lighter. Hanzo and the flames stood at the same height. Moments later, he released the mudra, and the fire extinguished.
Kazuo's jaw dropped. "Please teach us that first?"
"It was amazing indeed, but sensei..." Mikoto dusted herself, aghast. "Warn us next time!"
Takumi remained silent, failing to rationalise what he had seen. That was more than a cheap trick! "Interesting," he said, adjusting his glasses. "I admit but... what's with the hand gestures?"
"Mudras help channel pranic flow from the chakras to the rest of the body." Hanzo paused, raising a hand to demonstrate. "The thumb represents fire, which activates every other mudra. Placing it on the little up to the index finger, you get the mudras Varuna, Prithvi, Akasha and Vayu (Sanskrit: Water, Earth, Ether and Wind). For the Agni mudra, you press your thumb onto the palm."
"Back there..." said Takumi. "You used the Vayu and Agni mudras, correct?"
Mikoto's eyebrows raised. "Air followed by fire..."
Hanzo snapped his fingers, smiling. "Precisely! Air conduction to manipulate the flame's intensity and then fire conduction to amplify it. If all goes well, your chakra training should be complete in six months."
He drank once more, finishing what remained in the hyōtan. "After four months, you should have opened the first four chakras. For the fifth and sixth months, I'll focus mainly on kenjutsu with Kazuo whilst you two master conduction. By the end of the regimen, you'll be far stronger than you are now."
Takumi raised a hand. "Back then, with the fire manipulation, why didn't you conjure it from thin air? That would've been more believable in my opinion."
"Well, I can…" Hanzo scratched his head. "Just that it uses up more prana than is necessary. In a battle situation, that's not ideal, especially when you have low prana reserves. Hence, conduction is easier and more effective using a source."
"Still on the topic of conduction, do the Legendary Sage's sword count as amplifiers?" asked Takumi.
"Indeed, Kazuro-sensei forged the four gods with that in mind. The blades are high-carbon steel alloyed with highly conductive metals. This makes them resistant to pranic attacks from their elements."
Takumi nodded, processing the information.
Feeling left out, Mikoto raised a hand. "If they're named after gods. What about Fūjin (Wind god)?"
"That's an interesting question," said Hanzo, scratching his head with a chuckle. "You know what? Rani and I once asked our sensei about it."
"What was his answer?" asked Mikoto.
"When he tried forging a wind sword, he didn't know what metal would conduct air the best. Him being the perfectionist he was, he scrapped it altogether. We also tried to forge it but failed. What resulted from our efforts were my Zanken(Slashing Sword) and her grass-cutting sickles."
Takumi rejoined the conversation. "Instead of conduction, you could've gone the convection route." He adjusted his sunglasses. "With a silver-steel alloy, you could heat the blade using fire conduction. Then, conduct the surrounding air–forming a gale."
Secondary conduction could actually work! Hanzo widened his eyes. "That's brilliant, Takumi-kun!"
"Um, sensei..." said Mikoto, noticing Kazuo doze off. "How will we know when our Roots are open?"
"Short answer is… when you're able to lift Dōjin."
Mikoto and Takumi looked at each other in shock.
"I can do it," said Kazuo, hearing mention of the Earth blade. "Does that mean mine is already open?"
Hanzo smiled. "Not fully because you're a special case thanks to your ancestral connection. As such, you still need to practice Muladhara meditation to balance the chakra. That's how you master it."
"Cool…" Kazuo turned to his comrades, grinning. "Guess I'll be joining you guys. Let's go!"
[
The first month involved daily strength training. They did one hundred push-ups, squats and weightlifting. Muladhara meditation was saved for each evening. It involved concentrating on a red sphere rotating clockwise at the base of the spine. During the sessions, they had to hold the Prithvi mudra in each hand.
Halfway through the month, Mikoto could lift and hold Dōjin briefly. However, Takumi's attempts resulted in loud grunts and the blade did not budge. The training regimen also helped tone their muscles. When the month ended, Takumi could lift the sword and hold it for two minutes whilst Mikoto did it for ten.
In that time, Kazuo could swing Dōjin with ease.
"You've become centered and grounded," Hanzo told his students at the end of Hachigatsu(August). "Your Muladhara has been opened and balanced."
As Kugatsu (September) approached, the weather got cooler, ushering in fall. Forests took on vibrant reds and oranges with the falling temperatures. Local villagers were in high spirits as they prepared for the various matsuri (festivals).
For the second month, the trio focused on flexibility with yoga each day. As the days went on, signs of a cold winter were undisputable. During the evenings, they practiced Swadhisthana meditation. It involved visualizing an orange sphere located in the lower abdomen whilst holding the Varuna mudra. When Kugatsu ended, their Sacral chakras were open and balanced.