6 Chapter 6: Arrogant kid.

As the time quickly flew by, Three years had already passed.

Outside the dojo there stood a seemingly 12 year-old kid with a flame like mark on his face, swinging his wooden stuff with a dumbbell made of stone in it repeatedly. The morning sun shines on his clotheless upperbody revealing his well defined muscles, the dripping sweats on his body glistens as the light of the sun reflects on it while the gentle breezes lightly brushes against his skin. The sunlight and the wind gently caressed him making him feel warm and comfortable as he continued swinging the dumbbell up and down relentlessly.

"Morning practice sure is good! " The kid finally stop swinging his wooden stuff and happily said. Of course this kid was Itsuki who just finished his morning practice and planned to go back to the dojo as he was starving 'cause he still didn't ate breakfast yet, although Itsuki look 12 but his true age was still 10.

Itsuki then headed to his room to clean himself up. He took a towel to wipe the sweats on his body and change his clothes to his usual purple training gi.

Getting out of his room and walking through the hallway, when suddenly he heard a sound of wooden footsteps thumping louder as its get closer to him, Itsuki look at where the footstep came from and saw a young girl with short dark blue hair quickly making her way towards him.

When the young girl finally reach him, she confidently said . " Itsuki nii-chan, let's spar! "

"Oho Kuina? You're that confident huh? Let me eat my breakfast first and we will spar after " Itsuki casually replied but deep inside he was still wondering of why and how did Kuina became a battle maniac during those years? Did she always want to get her ass beaten every time we sparred? Where did my cute and lovely little sister go?

While Itsuki was wondering about something."Ehh? Wait... you still didn't ate? I thought you already ate before you started your morning practice so I ate all of the food that father prepared as father told me to eat it all before it get cold! " Kuina ignorantly said making Itsuki frown as he look at her. Itsuki raised his right arm planning to smack it down to Kuina's head but dismissed it immediately and patted her head instead.

"It's alright Kuina, I was thinking of teaching you a technique that will surely improve your strength after we spar but decided not to because a certain someone ate all the food making me don't have any energy to spar with you and teach you... how unfortunate" Itsuki sighed as if he was dissapointed on something and walked away from Kuina slowly.

"W-What kind of technique?! " Kuina stopped Itsuki from walking away and asked him with her eyes began to shine like star.

"It's a breathing technique that can increase your strength and can also combine with your swordsmanship but I am too hungry to teach you about it or even spar with you..." Before Itsuki could even finished talking, Kuina interrupted him ."I think there still leftovers in the kitchen let me get it for you! "

Itsuki was speechless as he listened to her, This girl was only planning to make him ate leftovers? Can't she just just cook for him? Itsuki remember clearly that Kuina know how to cook although Itsuki can cook but he was too lazy to do it.

"Why don't you just get me some bread and milk instead? "

Despite Kuina's stubbornness, she has always been a well educated child and obedient so she quickly do as what he said and immediately runs towards the kitchen.

It didn't take long for Kuina to got back bringing along a bread and milk with her. "Thanks Kuina!" Itsuki thanked Kuina before taking a bite of his bread.

After Itsuki ate the bread and drunk the milk, they then went to the training area to spar as that what his uncle told them everytime they have a match so that other students can learn from them while they are fighting and the students watching them.

Arriving at their destination, they saw the students already started their practice by swinging their shinai ( Bamboo sword) repeatedly and Koushiro who was currently observing his students with his fellow teacher. The other students stopped what they are doing and look at Kuina and Itsuki who were picking up a shinai, they gave space for Itsuki and Kuina for their sparring match by simply moving into the sides.

"Who do you think will win this time? " A random student suddenly asked.

"Do you even have to ask who will win? Of course it's big brother Itsuki! Kuina still haven't won a single match and I think he just spar with Kuina so he can teach her while they are sparring! "Another student answered the former. This students had always been watching every match of Itsuki and Kuina and yes, Kuina haven't won a single match with Itsuki since day one. The times they sparred is almost countless as Itsuki always train Kuina by sparring with her hoping to help her achieve her dream.

While the students are discussing about the match, Kuina and Itsuki bow to each other before they start their battle.

Kuina put on a stance by holding her shinai both hands and on the other hand, Itsuki also put on a stance by holding his shinai with both hand just like Kuina. Once both of them are ready, Koushiro then told them to start the match.

Kuina didn't waste time as she kicked the floor and dashes forward to Itsuki at full speed, upon reaching Itsuki she then slashes her shinai downward to her opponent.

Facing the attack of Kuina, Itsuki didn't show any sign of panic or fear and simply moved his body slightly to the right and dodged her attack pretty easily. Itsuki then counter attack by waving his shinai to Kuina and commented on her attack" Your attack is fast but it's too predictable and lack precision."

Kuina jumped backward to avoid his attack but before she could gain a footing Itsuki strike again to her side, she moved her shinai and held it both hands, her right hand was holding the handle while the other was holding the tip of it to blocked the incoming attack but the tremendous force of the strike still made her roll on the floor.

Itsuki didn't strike again and instead waited for her to recover a bit. After all, the purpose of this sparring was to train Kuina not to dominate and trash her to the ground. He also didn't use transparent world or any technique and only relying to his swordsmanship and physical strength.

Kuina stand up and seriously look at Itsuki. After recovering for a bit she charged again to Itsuki but this time instead of slashing her shinai at him, she ducked and do a low spinning sweep kick to her opponent, however Itsuki immediately jumped backward before her kick even hit him and said "That's quite good Kuina if I hadn't been carefull maybe that would have caught me off guard"

Noticing her attack is not working she gritted her teeth while clenching her sword harder and kick the floor again to pursue Itsuki. Dashing forward to Itsuki, she trusted her shinai with all the momentum and her strength contain in it.

In spite of her attack, Itsuki turned his body in the direction of her attack while his shinai was at the back of his shoulder pointed downward to simultaneously guard against it, he did not waste time and took the advantage of the opening as he slashes downward after his spin to his opponent leaving Kuina can't do anything to defend against it and thus can only close her eyes waiting for it but to her surprise, his strike did not came and only the empty wind hits her.

She then opens her eyes again and saw a bamboo sword near her head, Itsuki's attack halted before it even hit her head, if not then with the momentum and force created by the spin of his body and swing, Kuina would seriously be injured or even worse.

'Damn it! lost again! ' Kuina was somewhat discouraged and dissapointed at the same time although she lost but losing is a lesson so she can improve her skills but losing again and again was frustrating and she wanted to win and get even with him!

However, Itsuki happily complemented and comforted her saying "That's a good spar Kuina! your recent progress has been improving very quickly than ever and you almost got me in you trick but your last attack was your mistakes if you had been patient, waiting for the right moment to come and attack again instead of letting your emotions get over you, the situation would have turned out different. "

"You are just comforting me... " Kuina pouted and sat to rest for a bit.

Itsuki smiled and added "I also noticed that you choose to close your eyes in that moment although you can't do anything against that but don't admit defeat immediately such as closing your eyes while the match still not ended because the moment you closes your eyes is the moment it was all over as only a small blink of an eye can take your life if it's a battle of life and death as your enemy would take your slightest flinch as their advantage."

"Yes Itsuki nii-chan! " Kuina thought for a moment and replied.

The students in the dojo look at Kuina and Itsuki full of adoration could be seen in their eyes, they were wondering if they can also have that kind of match but reality was always against their expectation because if it was them facing Kuina or Itsuki they would undoubtedly be defeated in a moment.

Koushiro only smiled at them and did not say anything as he knew the result even before the match started though he was quiet surprise that Kuina last that long. He opened his mouth and told the students to get back to their practice "What are you waiting for? Start your practice already."

The students quickly stand in row to go back to their practice and began swinging their shinai up and down again, as every time their bamboo sword were being swing the students made a sounds of "Heh! " so they won't get tired easily.

Just then, a loud voice suddenly reverberated in the dojo. The voiced came from the outside but it's so loud that it resounded inside the dojo.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! "

"I'm here to challenge your dojo! Someone strong, come out! fight me! " The voice that came outside loudly said.

Koushiro still had the smile on his face walks outside to see who was challenging his dojo but when he saw the one who is making the noise was a brat, he lightly laugh and said. "Dojo-challenging is certainly rare these days. "

"Hmph! Don't take me lightly just 'cause I'm a kid! I'm unrivaled in the next village over! " The brat snorted and proclaimed.

Seeing the kid before him was determined, Koushiro accepted his challenge saying "Very well, we accept your challenge."

"If I win, I get your signboard! "

"And if you lose? "

"Then, uhh... I'll become a student here!"

Koushirou and the brat betted before Koushirou lightly laugh again and said " That will be fine. Now, then... Itsuki! "

The brat raised his eyebrows and squinted his eyes as he look at Itsuki along with Kuina that walks out from the door.

"Yes, Uncle? " Itsuki responded questioningly. He then took a good look at the brat who Koushiro was talking to and saw a green haired kid wearing a rugged and dirty white shirt with leaf in his mouth standing at the entrance of the dojo, he immediately recognized who it was just by seeing the color of the brat's hair.

Strawhat's stray swordsman, Ronoroa Zoro.

-----

Author's note - Well sorry for the delay as I have been pretty lazy lately and I only write when I got clear ideas or only when I'm satisfied with my work so it took a while.

As for Zoro's title doesn't it suited him pretty well?

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