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Unlike the riverbanks where Sunae trained, the area chosen for Daiku was an elevated, serene plateau within the Valley of the Elephants. Enclosed by tall walls of ancient stone overgrown with moss and thick-stemmed primitive bamboo, the place radiated a deep sense of peace.
A small pond of still water reflected the light of the sky, and the only sound breaking the silence was the whisper of the wind through the leaves and the steady dripping of a waterfall. It was an environment crafted for meditation, composure, and absolute focus.
In the middle of this courtyard of polished stone, Daiku stood with his feet firmly planted on the ground. A few paces away rose Iron. The formidable figure of Zoyu's older brother commanded immediate respect: his golden eyes reflected the serenity of an unyielding mountain and the wisdom of years of discipline.
The silence between them stretched for several minutes, broken only by the gentle rustle of the breeze. Daiku kept his right hand resting on the hilt of his katana, his body tense and ready to react to any signal.
"Relax your shoulders, Daiku," Iron finally spoke. His voice lacked Zoyu's youthful energy, carrying instead a deep, measured rumble that seemed to vibrate directly through bone. "A swordsman who holds tension in his muscles before unsheathing achieves only two things: slowing down his strike and draining his energy prematurely."
Daiku let out a slow breath and released the tension in his back, offering a slight bow toward Iron.
"Understood, Iron-sensei," the youth replied, adjusting his stance right away.
"Zoyu is impulsive; he favors momentum, pure speed, and direct impact force," Iron continued, taking a deliberate step forward that made the stone courtyard hum softly. "But the way of the blade demands a different understanding of combat. Your father asked me specifically to guide your path because he knows the dual nature of your abilities. Tell me, how do you conceive the fusion between your kenjutsu and your Shakuton?"
Daiku nodded, stepping forward and drawing his katana in one fluid motion. The polished steel blade caught the reflection of the pond's quiet waters.
"To me, the sword isn't just a cutting weapon—it's a conduit," Daiku explained, eyeing the edge of his blade. "My mother used Shakuton to evaporate the moisture of her enemies from a distance. My sister prefers wrapping her body in an armor of heat for close-quarters fighting. Me... I want to infuse that same scorching heat directly into the steel of my katana. I want every slash not just to cut flesh and armor, but to cauterize, incinerate, and destroy the target's cells on contact."
Iron listened intently, narrowing his wise golden eyes as he studied the young shinobi.
"An ambitious premise," Iron noted. "However, fusing Shakuton with the steel of a blade presents a severe physical and spiritual dilemma. Conventional steel, and even chakra-conductive metal, loses its temper and structural integrity when exposed to extreme heat without proper protection. If you simply pour thermal chakra into the blade, you will ruin it mid-battle or create an erratic edge that scatters power instead of channeling it."
Iron lightly raised his massive front foot and placed it back on the smooth stone floor. Almost imperceptibly, a warm green aura began to surge from his surface. The air surrounding the elephant didn't grow stifling; rather, it filled with an overwhelming sense of vitality.
Daiku's eyes widened as he recognized the nature of that energy.
"That chakra... it isn't just basic medical control," Daiku murmured in surprise. "It's pure Yang chakra... the energy of life and physical form."
"Indeed," Iron confirmed with calm gravity. "As the elder brother, I have spent centuries mastering Yang chakra. Many believe medical energy and Yang chakra exist solely to heal wounds or repair damaged tissue, but that is a limited view. Yang chakra is the vital force that imparts structure, cohesion, and resilience to both organic and inorganic matter. It is the art of breathing 'life' and density into whatever it touches."
Iron focused his gaze on Daiku's katana.
"If you attempt to channel the scorching heat of Scorch Release through your blade without a foundation of Yang chakra, the metal will collapse," Iron explained. "But if you learn to reinforce the steel frame with Yang chakra—granting it an unyielding molecular structure and durability—the katana will not only endure temperatures that would melt metal, but it will become an incandescent filament capable of slicing through space itself without dulling its edge."
Iron's words ignited a spark of revelation in Daiku's mind. The young man looked down at the hilt of his sword with a brand-new perspective.
"It's not just about burning with the edge..." Daiku deduced out loud. "It's about using Yang chakra to preserve the perfect integrity of the sword while the Shakuton concentrates entirely on the metal blade."
"Precisely," Iron agreed with a slight nod of approval. "And to achieve that symbiosis, you must master three fundamental pillars during your time here."
The wise elephant stepped forward and gestured with his trunk toward a row of thick bamboo trunks and stone blocks aligned along the edge of the meditation courtyard.
"First, you must elevate the precision of your kenjutsu. I don't want to see wasted movements or emotional displays of power. Every cut must be executed with maximum concentration of movement. Second, you must learn to project Yang chakra onto your katana's blade to reinforce it against your own Shakuton. And finally, you must adapt the Seven Cielos Breath—not by spreading it across your whole body, but by focusing it on what matters most for a swordsman: your arms and legs, pushing them beyond their normal limits."
Daiku gripped the hilt of his katana with both hands, settling into his combat stance. The resolve in his eyes was absolute.
"I'm ready, Iron-sensei. Show me the way."
"Let us begin with the test of cohesion," Iron commanded. "Step up to that stone block. I want you to channel your Shakuton into the katana and attempt to cleave the rock in a single stroke. Show me your current flaws so we may correct them."
Daiku walked with firm strides until he stood before one of the dense stone structures decorating the grounds. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes to focus his energy flow.
"Seven Cielos Breath... Second Activation!"
A burst of compressed air escaped Daiku's lips. His blood circulation accelerated, and immediately, Scorch Release chakra surged from his arms, flowing straight into the hilt and shrouding the blade in a bright orange flame.
The heat disrupted the serenity of the sanctuary. Daiku snapped his eyes open, lunged forward, and delivered a swift, precise diagonal strike against the stone block.
CLANG-BANG!!
A massive shower of sparks echoed through the yard. The blade managed to bite only a few inches into the rock before grinding to a halt. The fierce combustion of the Shakuton failed to slice through cleanly; instead, the violent vibration drove Daiku back, and thick black smoke began rising from his katana's blade. The edge had warped slightly, taking on a bluish hue from heat distortion.
Daiku retreated hastily, staring at his damaged weapon with a grimace of frustration.
"You see," Iron remarked, stepping closer at a calm pace. "The heat of your Shakuton acted chaotically. Rather than sharpening your blow, it softened your blade's metal prior to impact, allowing the density of the stone to win out. You focused on the power of the fire and forgot the structure of the steel."
Iron extended his trunk and gently tapped the damaged edge of Daiku's katana. In an instant, a surge of Yang chakra enveloped the steel. Daiku watched in awe as the warp and imperfections in the blade smoothed out automatically, restoring the katana to perfect alignment and a flawless sheen within seconds.
"Yang chakra bestows 'life,'" Iron explained, pulling his trunk back. "Now, try again. But this time, before summoning the fire of Shakuton, wrap the steel in a thin yet dense layer of chakra. Feel the structure of the katana. Make the metal indomitable. Only when the sword is shielded by that vitality should you introduce the heat."
Daiku gazed at the restored blade and exhaled a hot breath, clearing all doubt from his mind. He repositioned himself before the stone block.
This time, he didn't rush the technique. He inhaled deeply, connecting with the energy at his chakra center.
"Seven Cielos Breath... Third Activation!"
The aura of compressed air around him intensified dramatically, whipping his clothes back and forth. Daiku concentrated his chakra first, channeling it down his arms and into the katana. A thin sheet of glowing chakra encased the steel entirely.
Only then did Daiku invoke the Shakuton.
The scorching chakra flowed seamlessly, but instead of bursting into wild flames across the blade, the orange fire was contained and perfectly molded around the sword's edge. The katana suffered no damage; the metal neither bent nor lost color. Instead, the edge transformed into a razor-thin line of incandescent orange light, concentrating all the heat of the Shakuton into a fraction of a millimeter.
Iron watched intently, giving a subtle nod at the young man's swift adaptation.
"Now, Daiku!" Iron's voice rumbled. "Do not think about striking the stone! Feel your breathing, your chakra, and your Shakuton becoming a single stream slicing through the target!"
Daiku gritted his teeth. He channeled the acceleration of the Third Activation exclusively into his arms and legs. In a fraction of a millisecond, his form blurred forward in a flash of speed imperceptible to the human eye.
"Heat Slash!"
The stroke cut through the air in absolute silence. There was no metallic clash, nor any noisy sparks. Daiku materialized three meters behind the block, holding his katana in a flawless finishing pose, its glowing blade still gleaming cleanly.
For two seconds, nothing seemed to happen to the stone structure.
Then, a fine crimson line appeared across the center of the block. Suddenly, the top section of the stone slid off with eerie smoothness. Before the severed half could even hit the grass, the intense heat built up at the cut point evaporated the stone, turning it instantly into reddish smoke and leaving behind a smooth, glowing-red flat surface on the remaining base.
Daiku exhaled the air held in his lungs, easing the energy of the Third Activation down. He deactivated his Shakuton and chakra, examining the edge of his katana: it was pristine, just as sharp as when he first drew it.
Iron walked over to his side, gazing down at the melted stone base with deep serenity.
"Exceptional progress for your first attempt," Iron praised in his low voice. "You've grasped the principle. Even though what you used wasn't true Yang chakra, but rather normal chakra, it worked—it protected the steel and preserved the blade's form, while the concentrated Shakuton consumed the material density without encountering resistance."
Daiku turned toward his mentor, bowing respectfully with sword in hand.
"Thank you for the lesson, Iron-sensei," Daiku said genuinely. "I never imagined chakra control could be combined with an offensive art like kenjutsu in this way—though I clearly still need to train to harness true Yang chakra rather than my standard chakra."
"Indeed. The true strength of a warrior lies not in hoarding destructive techniques, but in understanding how the fundamental energies of nature and one's own body interlock," Iron replied wisely. "However, do not grow overconfident. Cutting a stationary target in a peaceful setting is merely the beginning."
The armored elephant looked toward the quiet pond, where the reflection barely rippled in the breeze.
"Over the next three years, we will push this concept to its absolute limit," Iron stated firmly. "You will learn to maintain this symbiosis through prolonged combat, heal your own muscular micro-tears in real time using Yang chakra while executing the Fourth Activation of the Seven Cielos Breath, and shape your Shakuton across your blades to slice through targets and high-scale jutsu alike."
Daiku sheathed his katana with a clean click and smiled with quiet resolve.
"I'm ready for every test you place before me, Sensei."
Iron let out a low rumble of approval that vibrated through the stones of the quiet sanctuary. The first pillar of Daiku's training had been established, and his journey toward becoming the ultimate swordsman of the desert was officially underway.
The late afternoon sun filtered through the bamboo shoots, casting long shadows across the stone tiles of the garden.
"Daiku," Iron spoke without turning, his eyes fixed on the crystal-clear water. "I have a more personal question for you. What inspired you to choose the path of the swordsman? I met your father when he was your age, and even then, he had a clear vision of the path he intended to focus on."
Hearing Iron's question, Daiku walked slowly to his master's side, letting his hand rest on the hilt of his sheathed katana.
"If I may ask... what was it that Dad had so clear back then?"
"Ah, of course. I remember as if it were yesterday. When my grandfather sent him here, it was so he could master Yang control, which he accomplished through learning medical jutsu. Yet all of that was aimed at turning his Crystal Release into what it is today."
"I see... So what you're saying is that I need to build stepping stones toward my primary specialty."
"Correct. Your main focus is infusing Shakuton into your katana, so you must construct those stepping stones. First, learn to harness Yang chakra. Second, refine your control over Shakuton. And finally, strengthen your physical body alongside your breathing technique, concentrating its power in your arms and legs," Iron said.
"Sounds like a plan, Iron-sensei. Let's begin," Daiku replied.