The second morning broke with the cry of crows over the ruined shrine. Akira sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes. His blanket was damp with dew, his hair a messy tangle. Master Ryoko was already awake, kneeling in silent meditation, his armband balanced across his knees. Akira yawned. "Do you even sleep, Sensei? Or do you just… charge your wisdom like a lantern?" Master Ryoko opened his eyes slowly. "The body rests when the mind is at peace. You, however, snored so loudly I doubt the wolves could sleep." Akira's face reddened. "I don't snore!" A fox barked in the distance, almost as if laughing. Ryoko raised a brow. Akira sighed. "Okay, maybe a little." They broke camp and set off, the path narrowing into rocky trails. The forest thickened, gnarled roots clutching at the earth like claws. Soon the air grew colder, a mist drifting between the trees.
Akira frowned, holding his hand out. "Master… this isn't normal mist. Feels heavy. Like it's… watching." "Good," Ryoko said. "Your instincts grow sharper." The mist curled unnaturally, hiding shapes. Whispers drifted on the wind, low, chilling. Akira gripped his katana. Suddenly, a shadow lunged from the fog, a Mist Beast, its form shifting like smoke, eyes glowing pale blue. Its claws swiped at Akira, who ducked just in time. "Not bandits this time," Akira muttered. "Great." Ryoko's voice was steady. "Remember, illusions feed on fear. Do not give them power. I will demonstrate" Akira exhaled and Master Ryoko rushed forward. He summoned a flame clone, which burst through the fog and tackled the beast. The explosion lit the mist in fiery hues, scattering the form into drifting vapor but two more shapes emerged, snarling. "Wow! Ryoko-Sensei is so cool" Akira said with his eyes wide open. Master Ryoko swung his Kusarigama, trusting his hearing. His kusarigama sliced through one, dispersing it. The other lunged, jaws wide. The air vibrated, and the beast dissolved like smoke in a breeze. "How on Earth did he do that?" asked the surprised Akira.
The mist thinned, retreating as if wounded. Silence returned. "That… wasn't normal wildlife." Akira said still surprised. Master Ryoko nodded. "Old spirits linger in these woods. Some test you. Some destroy you. Always know which is which." Akira forced a grin. "So, that was a test, right? I passed?" Ryoko's faint smile appeared. "You didn't even do anything."
By midday, their path became a jagged ravine, rocks slick with moss. Their supplies had dwindled; they'd eaten the last of the rabbit from yesterday. Akira's stomach growled loudly. He groaned. "Sensei, I'm starving. I'd fight another Mist Beast for a bowl of ramen." "You may get the fight without the ramen," Ryoko said. They searched for food. Akira tried fishing with a sharpened stick but fell face-first into the stream. When he surfaced, spluttering, Ryoko was already holding two trout caught with his bare hands. "…You could've taught me that before I drowned myself." "Experience is the better teacher," Ryoko replied. They cooked the fish over a small flame. Akira devoured his share, licking his fingers. Ryoko ate in silence, watching the trees as though waiting.
Later that afternoon, the wilderness broke into an open clearing ringed by cliffs. But as they crossed, a whistle pierced the air. From above, ropes dropped, five figures slid down, armed with curved blades. Rogues. Their leader, a tall woman with scarred cheeks, grinned. "You two look valuable. Leave your weapons, and maybe we'll leave your bones intact." Akira muttered, "Why does everyone on this road want to rob us? Do I have a sign on my back?" "Two signs," Ryoko said dryly. "One says 'young' and the other says 'naïve.'" The rogues advanced. Master Ryoko cracked his knuckles. "Guess it's trimming time again." He charged, hurling two explosive clones that detonated at the enemies' feet, scattering them. Master Ryoko slashed at another rogue, sparks flying as steel met steel. Master Ryoko moved like water, his Kusarigama weaving arcs that disarmed two foes with effortless strikes. One rogue lunged at him, Master Ryoko sidestepped, letting the man's own momentum send him tumbling into the dirt. The leader faced Akira, "I will kill the boy then", blades flashing in a flurry. Akira blocked, his arms straining, but he was pushed back. He slid, panting. Ryoko's voice cut through. "Patience. Do not match her strength, redirect it." Akira inhaled. When the leader struck again, he angled his blade, guiding hers into the ground. With a twist, he knocked the weapon from her grip, got his Katana from thin air and pressed his katana to her neck. "Yield." He shouted.
The woman cursed, then spat. But she raised her hands. The other rogues fled, dragging her with them. Akira wiped his brow. "Okay, I'll admit it… that was harder than the thieves yesterday." Ryoko studied him. "And you handled it better. You listened." Akira allowed himself a small, proud grin.
By evening, thunder rolled over the horizon. Dark clouds swallowed the sky, lightning splitting the distance. They made for a rocky outcrop, finding shelter beneath a ledge. Rain poured, drumming the stone. Akira huddled by their small fire, shivering. "This feels less like training and more like punishment." Ryoko's gaze softened slightly. "Every storm is a teacher. Endure it, and you will see clearer skies." Akira smirked weakly. "Do storms ever teach lessons without soaking your sandals?" The master almost chuckled, almost. They sat in silence, the firelight flickering against the cave wall. Outside, the storm raged but Akira found himself calmer. Despite the hardship, despite the danger, he felt stronger than yesterday.
When the rain eased, they laid out their blankets. Akira stared up at the dripping stone ceiling. "Sensei," he said softly, "do you ever get… tired of this? Fighting, wandering, training?" Ryoko's eyes were half-closed. "Tired, yes. But never weary. A ninja's path is not comfort, it is growth. You will understand when your purpose becomes clear." Akira thought about that, his hand resting on a small pillow given to him by Hana. He didn't know his purpose yet but he knew he would find it. Slowly, the sound of the storm faded into crickets and dripping water. Sleep claimed them both. Thus ended Day Two of their journey.
The dawn of the third day was heavy with silence. Mist clung to the valleys, and the rising sun cast an orange glow across jagged ridges. Akira stirred awake, stiff from the damp ground, his body aching from the past two days of struggle. His master was already standing at the mouth of the cave, he planted a long stick firmly for reasons best known to him, eyes locked on the distant horizon. "Is that it?" Akira asked groggily, rubbing his eyes. Ryoko nodded. Beyond the trees, faintly visible through the haze, rose a monstrous silhouette, Mount Timboku. Its peak was crowned with smoke, and faint embers glowed against the morning sky. Even from this distance, Akira felt its heat brush his skin like the breath of a furnace. Akira exhaled slowly. "It looks… alive." "It is," Ryoko said. "And it will test you more than anything else has." They gathered their things and descended from the cave, the path sloping into rocky hills.
Not long into the morning, they heard frantic shouts echoing from below. Following the sound, they came upon a small farming hamlet clinging to the mountainside. Villagers huddled near their broken carts, faces pale with fear. "What's wrong?" Akira asked. A man stumbled forward. "Boars… great mountain boars! They've been raiding our fields, tearing down our stores. We can't fight them, they're too fast, too strong." Before Akira could answer, the ground trembled. From the treeline burst three massive boars, their tusks sharp as spears, bristles glowing faintly red as if heated by the mountain's fire. Akira grinned nervously. "Of course they're fire boars. Why wouldn't they be?" The beasts charged. Akira drew his katana from thin air, fire clones sprung into existence beside Master Ryoko. "We'll drive them away!" Akira shouted.
The clones darted forward, exploding against the boars' hides. The blasts only enraged them, smoke curling from their nostrils. One boar barreled straight at Akira. He rolled aside just in time, its tusks gouging a trench into the dirt. Master Ryoko stepped calmly between the panicked villagers and the beasts. His Kusarigama spun in smooth arcs, striking pressure points on the first boar's neck and flank. The animal stumbled, dazed, before Akira finished it with a precise slash across its leg, toppling it. Another boar lunged for Ryoko, but the master vaulted over its back with effortless grace, landing behind it. He tapped its spine with the tip of his elbow, and it collapsed with a groan. The last beast circled Akira, its breath steaming. Akira stood tall, gripping his blade. "Come on, then." The boar charged. Akira dashed forward, the thunder of hooves, the rush of air. At the last instant, he sidestepped, pivoted, and slashed upward. The katana sliced across the beast's chest, sparks flying. It bellowed, stumbled, and crashed into the dirt. The villagers erupted in cheers. One old woman clutched Akira's hand. "Thank you, young warrior. You've saved our lives." Akira blushed, scratching his head. "It was nothing. Really." Ryoko's gaze lingered on him. His student was growing, hesitant still, but bolder with each step.
Leaving the grateful villagers behind, they pressed on. The land grew harsher, jagged cliffs, loose rocks, and choking heat radiating from the ground itself. Vegetation thinned, giving way to black stone and patches of glowing magma that oozed between cracks. Akira wiped sweat from his brow. "Is it just me, or is this mountain trying to cook us alive?" "Not just you," Ryoko replied. Their water flasks were nearly empty. Game was scarce. Akira's stomach groaned in protest, but he trudged on, determined not to complain again. At one point, the path narrowed to a ledge barely wide enough for a single person. On one side, the cliff face loomed; on the other, a sheer drop into a chasm glowing faintly with magma. The air shimmered with heat. Akira's foot slipped on loose gravel. He wobbled, arms pinwheeling. Ryoko's Kusarigama shot out, steadying him just in time. "Eyes forward. Trust your steps," the master said. Akira swallowed hard, then nodded. Together they inched along until the ledge widened again.
By midday, they rested near a boulder. The silence was heavy, too heavy. Akira's instincts prickled. Something moved above. With a shriek, a massive flame hawk dove from the sky, its wings spanning twice Akira's height, feathers glowing like embers. Its talons slashed at the ground, tearing up chunks of stone where Akira had been sitting moments before. Akira leapt back, drawing his blade. "Why does everything on this mountain want to eat us?" The hawk screeched, circling again. Master Ryoko hurled three kunais into the sky and made a sign; it detonated near the bird's wing, scattering feathers of fire. The hawk faltered but swooped again, faster this time. Ryoko closed his eyes briefly, then stamped his foot. A shockwave rippled through the ground, knocking the hawk off balance as it dove. Akira seized the chance, he leapt, spinning midair, and slashed across the creature's side. The hawk shrieked, banking wildly before retreating into the smoky sky. Breathing hard, Akira landed and wiped sweat from his face. "If the mountain's guardians are this tough, what's waiting at the top?" Ryoko only said, "What you fear most."
By late afternoon, they reached a plateau. From here, the volcano loomed directly above, its crater glowing like the eye of a sleeping god. Rivers of magma pulsed down its sides, hissing when they touched the ground. At the center of the plateau lay what they had come for, the Scalding Pool, a vast basin of steaming, boiling water said to sharpen a ninja's spirit through endurance training. Its surface bubbled, releasing waves of blistering heat. Akira stared, sweat already rolling down his back. "You're not serious. We're supposed to train… in that?" Ryoko's eyes never left the pool. "Endurance is not forged in comfort. Tomorrow, your training begins." Akira groaned. "I knew I should've stayed in the village. At least there, the worst thing trying to kill me is Lin's cooking." For the first time, Ryoko chuckled, a low, rare sound. "Then you may survive this after all." They set up camp near the pool, the glow of magma lighting the night. Akira lay back on his bedroll, staring at the fiery sky. Despite the exhaustion, despite the fear, a strange excitement burned in his chest. He was here. At the foot of Timboku. Ready to begin the next step of his journey. And for the first time, he truly believed he might succeed.