Horror and Recognition

Isshin Dojo.

Kuina knelt properly, every movement precise and proper.

Mu Yu sighed inwardly. The family head's teaching by word and example was truly impressive; Kuina's every gesture revealed her excellent upbringing.

Although Mu Yu was not used to kneeling, he understood the importance of adapting to local customs.

However, Mu Yu was mildly surprised to see that Kuina had placed her Bamboo Sword on her right side.

Mu Yu did not understand why, but since Kuina had done so, he followed her example.

Kuina nodded. "Not bad observational skills. Do you know why the Bamboo Sword is placed on the right?"

Most people were right-handed. Placing the Bamboo Sword on the left allowed one to draw it at once.

Since this went against the principle of drawing one's sword as quickly as possible, it probably meant she was showing goodwill!

Mu Yu immediately thought of the United Nations sculpture representing peace, its gun barrel tied in a knot.

Kuina was surprised by Mu Yu's deduction, but also slightly annoyed.

She had been ready to give Mu Yu a proper lesson, but after building it up for so long, there was suddenly nothing left to explain!

"Your analysis is correct. A sword is placed on the left for ease of drawing, while placing it on the right signifies goodwill."

Mu Yu smiled. As expected of him—his brain really worked well!

Seeing the smile on Mu Yu's face, Kuina became even more annoyed.

"I just remembered. It's still too early for you to learn sword stances. I'll teach you a different training exercise today!"

Huh?

Mu Yu was bewildered. Had he done something wrong?

A woman's words were nothing but lies!

Hadn't she said she would teach him sword stances?

The small courtyard.

Kuina led Mu Yu to a small tree wrapped with a white rope loop. "Today's exercise is to strike the tree!"

"Strike the tree?"

Mu Yu was puzzled. What was there to train in that?

He had seen Zoro wildly slash at trees as a child, but honestly, it had looked rather foolish.

Besides, he was a Tree Planter now. Beating up trees so ruthlessly felt strangely out of place!

Kuina said coolly, "The feeling of practicing swings in the air differs from striking a physical object. The harder you slash, the stronger the rebound force, and that can damage your hands. This trains your arm strength, your slashing force, and your hands' ability to withstand the rebound."

"A sword is an extension of the body. Another purpose of this exercise is to train your control over your body, ensuring that every strike lands exactly where you intend."

Mu Yu understood. Seen that way, this seemingly foolish exercise was extremely necessary.

"Practice slashing ten thousand times!"

Mu Yu was startled. "Ten thousand times?"

Kuina answered seriously, "Is there a problem?"

"No problem."

"Then begin."

"Yes."

Seeing Mu Yu adjust his posture and begin practicing "tree slashing," Kuina revealed a faint, imperceptible wicked smile.

Mu Yu gave Kuina a strange feeling, but it was also refreshing.

For the first time, she truly found joy in being a teacher through Mu Yu.

Unlike before—

"Why are you teaching me?" "You're just a little girl!" "Why isn't Master Koshiro teaching me himself?"

Mu Yu's respect for Kuina pleased her greatly.

Her casual suggestion that she teach Mu Yu sword stances today had seemed offhand, but she had actually "prepared her lesson" last night.

After all, practical skill and theory were quite different.

It was like driving. You could take a veteran driver who had driven for years, but ask him to systematically explain the key points of a driving test, and he would probably be at a loss.

Yet Kuina had never expected that just as she was ready to launch into a lengthy explanation, Mu Yu would figure it out himself, rendering all her preparations useless.

Damn it!

Once he began the tree-slashing exercise, Mu Yu gradually sensed its value.

The rope loop tied around the tree was not very large. Accurately striking it was indeed not as easy as he had imagined.

A heavy swing could very easily veer off course.

It was like shooting at a target—you were full of confidence that you had scored a bullseye, only to find that you had missed the target entirely.

Moreover, the rope loop had been tied at a carefully chosen height, proportioned perfectly to Mu Yu's stature. This ensured that every swing trained his arm strength effectively.

However, Mu Yu's passive skill, [Complete Concentration], was no joke. After seriously slashing a dozen or so times, he entered a state of Complete Concentration.

After that, every one of his slashes was exceptionally precise, and every strike landed on the rope loop.

Later on, he became so exacting that nearly every slash landed on the very same section of rope.

Kuina was completely stunned!

Deep down, she even felt a little terrified.

Honestly, watching Mu Yu practice his tree slashes with complete concentration gave Kuina an unprecedented shock.

Even her hands could not help trembling slightly!

Was this... what boys were like?

"Kuina, if only you were a boy!"

Her father had never directly said anything like that, but his occasional sighs had made Kuina keenly feel it.

To be honest, Kuina felt hurt, but she felt even more unwilling to accept it.

In the entire dojo, not a single boy could defeat her. Even the very formidable Instructor Sosuke had been beaten soundly by her.

But now, she felt uneasy.

Could he enter the zone so quickly no matter what exercise he did?

Was this what a real boy was like?

Too terrifying!

If she taught Mu Yu sword stances, he would soon surpass her, wouldn't he?

If she did not teach him—ptui, ptui, ptui! Was she really thinking that?

How could she have such pathetic, vile, and shameless thoughts?

Mu Yu, fully focused on his tree-slashing practice, did not notice the complicated look in Kuina's eyes.

Seeing how completely absorbed Mu Yu was, Kuina took a deep breath, silently picked up her Bamboo Sword, and ran alone toward the back mountain.

Slash!

Return!

Slash!

Return!

Kuina performed Suburi again and again, more serious than ever before.

Before long, Kuina's clothes were soaked with sweat, and a smile appeared on her face.

That's right!

Mu Yu was incredibly talented and trained hard, so she would simply be even more serious and work even harder!

She would prove to her father that anything boys could do, girls could do as well!

Inside the dojo.

Instructor Sosuke smiled. "Recently, everyone has become much more serious and hardworking in their training!"

For a teacher, nothing was more encouraging than seeing students train diligently.

Koshiro also smiled pleasantly, clearly in high spirits.

"They were probably inspired by Mu Yu. That child... his talent is extraordinary!"

Sosuke nodded emphatically. "I watched him train. No matter what he does, he can immerse himself in it completely in an instant. It's absurd. With the way he trains, one year of his training would equal several years for others!"

"A good prospect. He really is an excellent prospect!"

Koshiro smiled and could not resist pushing up his glasses.

He had run the dojo for so long without finding a disciple he truly liked, but in Mu Yu, he saw that possibility.

Sosuke smiled. "You're tempted, Master. Are you planning to take him as your disciple?"

Koshiro said, "I am indeed tempted, but for now, let Kuina teach him first. His temperament still needs some polishing. What happened with Terukawa must not happen again."

Upon hearing Koshiro mention Terukawa, Instructor Sosuke said nothing more.

Terukawa was perhaps the person Koshiro least wished to mention—the disgrace of the dojo!

Mu Yu, practicing tree slashes in complete concentration, did not know that because he had gained the recognition of Instructor Sosuke and Koshiro, his Energy Points had surged dramatically.