Lesson.

The day had come. The time of teaching hath come. The hour of judgement. The moment of truth. The culmination of all his efforts and late hours this week.

It was with these thoughts that Gaius went to the grounds he had been assigned Saturday morning. He was quite surprised when he found out that there were already several people in the grounds, for it was an hour before the lessons started.

Said people were Ma Jian, Akechi Michi and an abnormally tall man, regardless of ethnicity, for he reached at least 2.20 meters. The most peculiar thing about the latter is that despite his height and built physique his face still showed signs of teenage years. Gaius entered the grounds, and questioned them about their presence.

“I'm here to take advantage of the lessons and do some practice. My duties as Branch Head have taken time from my practice, since my predecessor retired just two years ago. Your lessons serve as a excuse to get out of endless paperwork. For that, you have my thanks.” Was Jian’s answer.

“I woke up early for my daily practice and decided to do it here for convenience.” Akechi said, while doing some stretches with a smile.

The third man didn't speak. Giving him a closer glance Gaius saw that he was hyperventilating a bit.

“Relax, I'm not going to eat you. You can speak freely, unless you want to get lessons you are not authorised to take.” Reassured Gaius.

“I, um. I'm Date Terumi. I’m-”

“Oh. One of my students, then. Sorry I didn't recognise you, you look older when seeing you whole than when watching a shoulder up photo.”

“Ah. Yeah, that's something I'm told a-a lot sir.” Affirmed Terumi, sweating slightly.

“Why are you so nervous? I haven't done anything, right?” Asked Gaius, looking around for confirmation.

“I-I, it's not you! I-I just suffer f-from anxiety, sir.” Was his response, trembling and stuttering.

At this Akechi intervened.

“Why don't you go practice to be in top shape for the lesson, Date.”

“YES, thanks! I-I mean, I'll do that sir, erm, Maam.” He looked relieved, before running to the the other side of the grounds.

Akechi began to scold Gaius.

“Gaius, you should be less upfront with him. He has severe social anxiety, as well as a lack of self esteem. He's not prepared for your, well, your lack of subtlety.”

“Is that so.” He began thinking, before widening his eyes and groaning. “In hindsight it was obvious yes, but I didn't see it at the time. Still, if we want him to surpass his anxiety we should make him confront it. Make him grow accustomed to contact with others. What has brought this situation about, though? I don't want to step on any land mines.”

Akechi sighed. “I get the feeling that your ‘getting accustomed to’ would be more akin to slamming him in the middle of a crowd, and I've only interacted with you for a few hours.” She stopped before continuing, “but your question has merit. He was bullied for his incredible height when he was young, so he has body image issues.”

Gaius groaned once again. “So I've just put my foot in my mouth, great start me.”

Jian interjected. “Actually I think both of you are right. Terumi needs to confront his issues, but he should do so little by little. Shock therapy doesn't work for everyone after all. Which seems to be Gaius’ response for all issues honestly. Confront everything head on! Break through all obstacles! Your will will surpass everything, as long as you are willing to accept change! Or something like that.”

“First, no, I don't sound like that. Second, worked for me to suppress my urges to disembowel and drink the blood of everyone who so much as looked me wrong.” Gaius said, affronted and unwilling to let them dismiss his methods of dealing with psychological issues.

“Wait, you WHAT!” Exclaimed Akechi.

Gaius kept speaking, ignoring her outburst. “There is no problem that can't be solved by acknowledging the problem, and using your will and perseverance to defeat it.”

“Not everyone is an example of determination like you, Gaius. You have to accept that not everyone is a monument to human will. Very few hermits have managed to fulfil their objectives in retirement, and even less managed to do so in just a decade. Much less have achieved Senjutsu in the way” Apported Jian.

“Putting worrying tendencies aside.” Akechi stressed the last word. “Hermit? And what does strength of will have to do with Senjutsu?”

“Yes I was a hermit, hermit monk to be concrete. And I will explain the latter during the lesson.”

After that the conversation halted, and they began to exercise. After some minutes had passed Akechi began to speak.

“Still, you have to be more careful. Even if you don't want to coddle him, you have to understand that not everyone is ready to confront their issues. Much less teenagers.”

“I was nine when I began to confront my issues, and a teenager when they began to become a nuisance rather than a problem.” Said Gaius, raising an eyebrow.

“Nine years old, no wonder he's so stubborn.” She whispered to herself. “Jian’s right, you need to learn to see that you are a special case, and when someone is simply not ready. Have some tact.”

“I'll try.” Answered Gaius, noncommittally. “But I won't coddle them.”

“It's not coddling, it's being considerate and kind.”

“That's. Huh. Alright I'll try to understand what this tact you speak of is.”

“You can't be serious. How can you not know what tact is!”

“That was joke. But I'm serious at having more tact. After all it did take me a lot to find my resolution, I just need to wait until they're ready, no?”

“Yes, that's all I ask. Now that that's dealt with, wanna spar? This time I won't forget about holding back.” She said with a predatory smile.

“How can you go from hen mother to bloodthirsty warrior in a few seconds I'll never understand.” Commented Jian.

“Oooh. Then are you volunteering for a beating, boss guy?” She responded with narrowed eyes, before getting within a few centimetres of Jian.

“Please. I'd crush you like the little girl you are. You may be a promising newbie but we elders can still beat you silly.” Jian answered smugly.

“Elder, huh. You're barely twenty years over me! You're just 46!”

“And thus I double your age. In our world age means power, so go on and leave serious matters to the adults. You can go play with your blocks over there. You even have sand.”

“Please, you are just a pencil pusher. I'll beat the crap out of you.”

“Daily reminder that I'm a 6 and you a 5. The difference between Ranks is not so easily crossed. Even a beginner knows that. Are you not even a beginner?”

“No shit, the Ranks are measures of combat ability after all. But just wait a decade, while you stagnate I'll be the second Rank 7 in this association.” Was her comeback.

“I dare you to try.” He looked down at her with narrowed eyes, and leaned back with a slight smile.

They once again fell silent and kept working out.

Gaius spoke after some time. “You two seem to know each other?”

“She was my apprentice for a while, before she began to take missions by herself. She was such an earnest kid, nothing like this violent hoodlum that she has become. Ah, where has the girl that called me senpai with stars in her eyes gone. Sniff.” Jian answered, faking tears.

Akechi looked outraged, and sputtered for a moment. At that moment Gaius entered the conversation once more.

“She doesn't seem like a hoodlum to me. Sure she's a little violent but she's also shown a motherly side with Terumi.”

“Motherly! Are you calling me old brat! At least say older sister!”

“'Twas but a compliment, young warrior. You should accept it with pride my young padawan. Do not deny your motherly instincts, they are part of you.” Commented Jian with a serious face.

“Ok, Gaius I forgive, he has the social awareness of a rock. I'll take the compliment at face value”

“Hey! I can tell when people want me to shut up, at least!” Was heard on the background.

“But I know for sure that you are teasing me, you unbearable old man!”

“Please, I'm happily married, so obviously someone disagrees. And my wife has exquisite taste.”

At that moment a young man and a teenaged girl entered the space. Gaius smiled and waved, recognising Araki Kotone, and the other man must have been Endo Kishi, his last student.

“Alright everyone gather round. We’re all here so let's begin the class already. I'll present myself first, I'm Gaius Atiius Quadratus, and I'm the new teacher of Touki and Senjutsu. I have already met all but one of you so we just need you to present yourself.” He signaled Kendo.

Endo bowed and presented himself, before Gaius continued.

“The first part will be a theoric lesson.”

He took out a blackboard from his prepared supplies and set it, while the others gathered.

“The reason why I've decided to give this first lesson to everyone, is because I think it best if you know the true nature of Touki, and that's best explained along Senjutsu. After the explanation is done I will begin the Touki lessons in advance, while training Kotone in Senjutsu. First, who can tell me what is ki.”

“Ki is energy born from intense training and living beings.” Answered Kotone, assuredly.

“Wrong answer.” Intervened Jian. “Ki is not as well understood as magical energy, but research has shown that it has both a spiritual component and a physical one. In order to acquire ki one must be under severe physical and psychological stress, while having a healthy body. One common way to awaken ki is to have someone train until they puke, and then have them train even further. If the person does so he will awaken ki.”

“Correct. To be concrete that happens because the spiritual presence of your determination to finish the workout mixes with a mystical energy field within your body, often called dynami. This force increases with physical fitness. So when the dynami and spiritual presence are high enough, the two mix and create ki.

Of note is that the threshold is of the combination of both energies, as such it is possible, though unlikely, to only train one of body or mind and still awaken ki. However it is nigh impossible to train your body to that point without incredible persistence so that has never happened to my knowledge. On the other side I've seen records of buddhist monks achieving ki through meditation. Now, what are the three ways to increase one’s ki?”

“Training of the body, training of ki, and hoping to achieve a moment of such willpower that your ki will spontaneously increase.” This time it was Endo who answered.

“Yes, and why?”

“I think that the first increases the dynami. The second I don't know. And the third increases spiritual presence which increases ki.”

“Yes and no. You have to remember that while ki is born of dynami and spiritual presence it is distinct from them. Once ki has been created the body gains the ability to generate it. This can happen through pushing the body to its limits, and once the human body can't handle the burden the body produces ki to deal with it. This combined with your answer is the full response.

The second is because of the same as the first, ki is like a muscle, it increases through use. As such learning to control ki kills two birds with one stone.

The third way is because of what you said, but while it gives the fastest growth it's highly unreliable.

You should remember that while the ki that your body produces is permanent it's control isn't, so don't slack of on qigong.

So, what are the benefits of ki?”

Kotone answered again, wanting to prove herself after her previous failure.

“Ki just by existing in the body decreases the chance of illness. It also passively creates a force field over the skin that increases with ki flow. This forcefield can reduce a blows strength. When ki is used actively it can enhance the body further in all respects. It can also be sent outside the body for force projection or, it's only other known use, scan materials it passes through.”

“This time you are right.” Continued Gaius. “We arrive at today's lesson. Touki. Touki can be described as the upgraded form of ki. There are two routes to achieve it, through having a body of a certain quality, or through achieving a higher spiritual state. The first can't be trained, either you have it or not, but it can be achieved through methods such as the transplant of a dragon’s heart. Terumi, this one is your case, do you still not know what your father was?”

“N-no, my mother didn't know my father was i-inhuman and he left us l-left long ago.”

“A pity, for reasons I'll say later aside from the obvious. The second way can be achieved through many ways. One is single minded training that is a torture to go through, done every day without pauses, until your body is at the verge of breakdown. And yet you persevere, that constant training of ki and determination cause a mutation in the ki that transforms it into Touki. And the last one relates to Senjutsu, all Senjutsu practitioners have Touki.

Have you all followed me until now?”

Once they confirmed their understanding he paused to drink water.

“Senjutsu. Unity. So many have seeked and yet so few are taught. This is for one reason only. People misunderstand what Senjutsu is.

Senjutsu doesn't absorb the ‘Energy of the Universe’ or something like that. It absorbs spiritual presences and remnants and transforms them into energy for the practitioners use, whether it is magical or ki. That is, the aura produced by all things with a spiritual component and the remnants of emotions. And a Senjutsu user experiences those as his own.”

At those words Akemi shouted. “Doesn't that mean that Senjutsu users are under control of those remnants?!”

“Yes and no. Yes that can happen, and is the reason so few are taught it. After all if you give a man a nearly limitless power source, making his mental resilience his limiting factor, and he has immense strength already he will be extremely dangerous. Thankfully that energy isn't permanent and can only be used to replenish your resources, but just that speeds training, since you can train for longer periods.

Now, take that man and fill him with rage, despair, fear and hatred until he is driven insane. Now you have a berserker with nearly limitless stamina. They can cause great destruction. This is why practitioners take only the most resilient as students.

However there is a silver lining. If you identify those foreign feelings you can expel them, leaving you with only the energy, and none of the problems. But even that requires great strength of will.”

Gaius paused, to see if his public had the adequate reactions. Seeing their shock and fear, albeit Jian looked as if he already knew and Kotone was pale as a ghost, he was satisfied, and continued.

“There are two ways to achieve Senjutsu. One safe, but with great difficulty. And one less safe, but more reliable.

I belong to the first group. Natural users. Those who developed their spiritual virtues until they would be able to handle Senjutsu’s burdens, and were rewarded for their achievement with it.

The Head and you, Kotone, are of the second group. You were forcibly awakened to the spiritual realm, making you aware of all the presences and remnants, by a Senjutsu user. This method only makes you aware of the realm and the user must train to take them in and transform them into energy, but they run the risk of not being able to deal with the corruption.”

He paused once again to drink. This time noting that Kotone had grown very pale and had a tearful look in her face.

“Kotone, are you alright?”

She began to deny it, before reconsidering.

“Do you know how I was made aware of the spiritual realm?”

“Your mother, a six-tailed kitsune did it.”

“Yes. You see, I don't meet my mother much, but a few months ago she came and began teaching me things. I was overjoyed, I thought she was finally showing me affection. But then she left after I succeeded. I began to wonder if she truly loved me, and know I hear that he taught me an incredibly dangerous thing and didn't warn me.” As she spoke her voice grew thin, until it was just a whisper. Tears impacted the floor.

“I can't reassure you, I don't know your mother. However I can say that it requires great effort to awaken another spiritually. No one would put the effort for someone they didn't care about, it might be love or hate, but your mother feels something for you.” Gaius tried to comfort her, but she just flinched. Akechi went to her side, hugged her, and began caressing her head.

After some time she had calmed down.

“Please continue.”

“Alright. I have finished with how to acquire it. What it can do is replenish your energy banks, give you awareness of the Spirit realm in a radius of you, gives you Touki, and I've heard there are techniques, but I don't know any.

So why does it give you Touki? For natural users it's because their spiritual presence is immense, and when they achieve Senjutsu it's so high that by itself it can force the change to Touki. For learned users the awakening to the Spirit realm increases their spiritual presence, even if their spirit is lacking, to the same effect as natural ones.

This is all I have to say about Senjutsu. Do you understand why you're not allowed to learn it? Among you only Kishi may have what it takes. Or Akechi or Branch Head, I don't know your cases.”

“Western dragon blood.” Answered Akechi.

“The Ma family are descended from some Chinese god.”

“Alright, so Kishi then.”

They all reassured him that they understood.