Chapter 4: Rhythm, Root, and Roar
The morning haze hadn't yet lifted from the trees when I opened the training field's gates.
Three rings had been drawn into the earth with chakra chalk. Wooden dummies stood propped in the corners. Bundles of training gear—ropes, weights, mitts, and scrolls—were stacked on a bench like offerings.
I stood alone for a moment, eyes closed, centering my breath.
This is it, I thought. The first true step.
I could feel the techniques in my bones. Orochi Doppo's powerful karate stances. Akisame's manipulations and locks. The pulse and play of Rhythm Echo waiting to spill from my feet.
But none of it would unlock fully until they got better.
Until we earned it together.
---
By the time the class arrived, the sun had split the clouds. I called them to the center.
"We're dividing into groups starting today," I said. "Each group will learn a different form. You'll train together, grow together—and help each other improve."
I pointed to the rings.
"Group one: Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba, and Choji—you're with me on physical striking. You'll be learning a style built on bone, breath, and battle spirit: Orochi Doppo's Karate."
They all grinned—Naruto pumped a fist.
"Group two: Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru—you'll focus on internal control. Power in precision. You'll learn how to move silently, redirect energy, and build your bodies as tools. Your style is based on Rhythm Echo, paired with chakra control and body balance."
Sakura blinked. "Rhythm… what?"
"I'll show you."
"Troublesome," Shikamaru mumbled—but followed anyway.
"Group three: Hinata, Shino—you'll be learning Akisame-style Jujitsu. Subtle, clean, efficient. It emphasizes manipulation of joints, angles, and leverage."
Hinata looked nervous. Shino gave a quiet nod.
I clapped once. "Let's begin."
---
Group One: Karate Ring – Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba, Choji
"Stances first," I said, kneeling in the dirt.
I stamped my foot and spread my legs shoulder-width apart—low, grounded, knuckles to the waist. Traditional Karate. Power from the floor up.
Naruto immediately copied me—but wider. Much wider. Then fell on his face.
"Try again. Shoulder-width, not tree-width."
He scrambled up.
Kiba cracked his knuckles and leaned into a brawler's crouch. "This is my kind of style."
Choji took longer to settle in. I adjusted his shoulders gently.
"Feel the earth under you. Don't fight it. Root in it."
Sasuke copied my stance precisely—but when I moved into the first kata, he moved faster. Too fast.
"Slow down," I said. "This is about feeling your body."
"I can do it faster."
"But can you do it right?"
He didn't answer.
We spent the next hour drilling one movement at a time—just the forward step, the chambered punch, the weight shift. I moved with them, showing the technique. Decent, clean.
But not sharp.
Not yet, I thought. Not until they find the rhythm themselves.
Naruto was grinning, soaked in sweat. "This is awesome!"
"I've never punched this much in my life," Choji wheezed.
"It's not about punching," I reminded them. "It's about presence. Every stance is a declaration."
They didn't fully understand yet.
But they would.
---
Group Two: Rhythm Circle – Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru
I led them to a raised platform ringed in chalk spirals.
"Step where I step," I said, pacing through the spiral. "Match my timing."
I tapped the ground softly with each footfall, weaving my chakra in subtle pulses—soft echoes in the earth.
Ino stepped with grace but missed the tempo.
Sakura stomped too hard.
Shikamaru sighed. "This is like dancing."
"It is," I said. "Rhythm Echo is a movement technique used to confuse the opponent with false steps. But to master it, you need to own your pace."
We moved again.
I slowed. Sped up. Switched sides.
They stumbled.
And I still couldn't perfect the internal tempo. Not yet.
But the spiral beneath our feet pulsed with potential.
After a while, we paused to work on posture and breathing. I handed them weighted bands.
"You'll wear these daily," I said. "They'll force you to stay aware of your limbs, your movement, your intent."
Sakura frowned. "This is harder than sparring."
"Exactly."
---
Group Three: Grass Circle – Hinata and Shino
We sat cross-legged first.
"Jujitsu begins with patience," I said. "Then understanding. Then technique."
Hinata's hands trembled slightly.
I laid my arm across hers.
"Try to control me," I said softly. "Not with strength. With position."
She hesitated, then moved—awkwardly, but with a softness that surprised me. I guided her into a wrist lock, let her feel the angle.
"Like this?"
"Better."
Shino stepped in next. I tried to shift his elbow; he adjusted, resisting cleanly.
Good.
We repeated wrist turns, shoulder rotations, hip pivots.
"Every opponent has joints. Jujitsu lets you speak to them directly," I said.
They didn't smile. But they listened.
And beneath their quietness was resolve.
I tried applying a full Akisame throw—but it didn't land clean.
Not yet.
They'd need to learn more. Refine more.
Then I could finish the technique.
---
Later That Day
I had the students cycle through stretching and breathing exercises to cool down. I moved between groups, correcting posture, offering a quiet word here, a pointed nudge there.
We ate rice balls under the trees. No lecture. Just rest.
Naruto tried showing Choji his new "Karate Slam Fist." It failed.
Shikamaru actually asked a question.
Sakura and Ino tripped over each other but didn't argue.
Hinata smiled once. Just briefly. But I saw it.
And I felt something shift in myself.
I'd taught breathing before—but now, I felt it ripple through them.
My own form had improved, too. Subtle. But real.
Just as planned.