That evening, they met up after finishing their chores. The sun had dipped just low enough to paint the sky in soft orange streaks, and a breeze carried the scent of smoke from nearby cooking fires.
Shinji was walking in front and let them to a small clearing near the edge of the woods, a space that looked wildly different than it had yesterday.
Ren stopped walking.
"…What is this?"
Before him stood a chaotic arrangement of logs, sticks, ropes, and bamboo on stones. Someone, clearly Shinji, had dragged things from all over the village. A stack of crates had been tied together to form a lopsided tower. There were ropes stretched between tree trunks like unstable balance beams, and a small pit dug out with sand poured into it from gods-know-where. It looked like part obstacle course, part junk pile.
It reminded Ren of the traveling performers that passed through Kinsen when he was little, the ones who juggled on stilts and swung from poles before someone broke their ankle and they got run out of the village.
He narrowed his eyes at Shinji. He's not gonna make us try that stuff, right?
Hana stepped beside him, staring at the makeshift construction with a knot forming between her brows. Her gaze flicked between the ropes, the crates, and Shinji himself.
Her stomach sank slightly. He built all this? Alone? She couldn't tell if she was impressed or concerned. She turned to him. He stood calmly, hands on his hips, like this was all perfectly normal. A slow, satisfied grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"This is where we'll be training from now on," Shinji said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Ren frowned. confusion lingering in his gaze.
Shinji turned to him, eyes sharp with quiet purpose. "How long can you hold your chakra? When you focus it into your body?"
Ren shrugged. "I dunno. Why?"
But before Shinji could answer, Hana stepped forward, arms crossing tightly over her chest.
"Explain."
Her tone was firm. Not angry, but determined to get answers.
Ren glanced at her, surprised. But she didn't waver. Her eyes were locked on Shinji's. Ren decided he also wanted an explanation and also decided to cross his arms.
"You made this place?" She said. "Just tell us what you're trying to do."
She hesitated, then added quietly, "Is something going on?"
Shinji looked at her for a moment, expression unreadable. His grin faded slowly, like he was deciding whether to respond or not.
He exhaled through his mouth and looked at the ground, then back up.
"If we really want to be of help and protect Kinsen we have to start practicing serious" he said simply. "We're getting older. And if we're going to learn chakra, really learn it… we need to train like it matters."
He gestured around him.
"I didn't build this just to mess around. This is where we get stronger, and we'll make sure that no one can hurt us or our loved ones again. The monster is still out there somewhere and we need to get rid of it. "
Ren stayed quiet, eyes scanning the rough wooden structures again. There were no jokes in Shinji's voice.
Ren's fists clenched.
The image of his father lying lifeless, flashed across his mind like a blade. He hadn't been able to stop it. None of them had. And even now, he still had nightmares about it. Hell he wasn't even able to help when the monster attacked Jiro, Daichi, Masato and all the others. He swore he would never run again. So he decided that he was going to take this serious.
He looked up at Shinji, something hot and heavy welling in his chest.
"Then tell me what to do." His voice was low, rougher than he meant. But he didn't care. His arms dropped to his sides as he stepped forward, past Hana, standing directly in front of Shinji.
"I'm serious. If we're doing this, if we're going to fight back, I'm not holding back either. I don't want to wait around until something else happens. I want to be ready. I want to kill that thing."
There was no hesitation in his voice now.
Shinji didn't flinch. He just nodded once, solemnly, like he'd been waiting for that answer. Maybe he had. He knew it was wrong but he needed to give them a real reason for training hard, he cared for these kids and he wanted them to at least be able to save themselves. He stepped aside and motioned toward a flat circle of dirt with two smooth stones placed at either end.
"Then we start with this. You and me, chakra control. I want to see how long you can hold it without moving."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"
"For now. It's harder than it sounds," Shinji said. "Try to focus the chakra through your whole body, not just your hands or feet. Feel it moving. Like a current."
Ren glanced toward the stones, then back at Shinji, jaw tight. He kicked off his sandals and stepped into the circle.
"I'll beat you at this too, you know."
Shinji smiled faintly. "We'll see."
Hana stood back, watching the two boys quietly. Her arms were still crossed, but her expression had softened. She didn't speak, but she didn't stop them either.
After a second, she stepped toward the crates and logs, circling them with cautious curiosity.
Shinji turned toward her. "We'll all take turns. I'll make a list of exercises. But for now, I want to test you both, see where you're at."
Ren dropped into a sitting position, legs crossed, and closed his eyes.