Chapter 42: AdvancedxCourse

The air around us is still, thick with concentration. Hanzo stands beside me, his body already tuned to the harsh environment of this floor. The progress he's made over the past two days is impressive. He's mastered the Soundless Strike, and now, with that technique under his belt, it's time to turn back to Nen training. I can feel his energy a quiet intensity, a hunger for more.

"Good work with the Soundless Strike," I begin, my voice low but firm. "But we're just getting started."

Hanzo doesn't speak, but I see the glint in his eyes. There's no hesitation, no doubt. He's ready.

I move forward, feeling the familiar pulse of Nen around me. "You've learned the basics Ten, Ren, Zetsu, En, In, Gyo. But now, we'll dive deeper into the advanced principles. Over the next month, we're going to focus on Shu, Ken, Ko, and Ryu. This will give you more control, more power, and more versatility. We'll focus on learning the basics of each one for one full week each. We'll start with Shu."

I step forward and raise my hand. I extend my aura outward, feeling it flow from my body and into the object I've chosen: a large metal sphere resting nearby. Slowly, I channel my Nen into the sphere, wrapping it like a second skin.

"Shu," I explain, my eyes on the metal object. "Is about pushing your Nen into an object, making it your own. The object doesn't matter. What matters is that you connect with it. You need to wrap your Nen around it, and bond with it. You may think of it as extending your Ten to encompass the object and yourself."

I hold the sphere steady for a moment, then gently lower it back to the ground. I turn to Hanzo, who's watching carefully, absorbing every detail. "Your turn," I say. "Reach out with your Nen, but don't rush it. Let it flow naturally. Feel the object, and let your aura bond with it."

Hanzo steps forward, his posture steady. He extends his Nen toward the sphere, and I watch as his aura curls around it, slowly at first. It's unsteady, the Nen not fully connecting, but Hanzo doesn't panic. He takes a slow breath and refines his focus, finally managing to envelop the whole sphere with a light amount of aura.

"Good," I say, nodding. "You're starting to get the feel of it."

Hanzo doesn't respond, but I can see the subtle shift in his eyes as he refines the technique. It's not perfect, but he's getting there.

"Oh hey," I say.

"Let's start back up tomorrow get a good night's sleep you look tired and tomorrow will be much more difficult on your mental and physical state."

"Sure boss," He replies walking back to his room quietly.

Today Hanzo is more focused. He steps forward, eyes locked on the sphere, his movements more deliberate. His Nen flows out once again, but this time, it doesn't flicker. His aura wraps around the object, steady and unwavering. The sphere doesn't budge yet, but there's a change in the energy I feel around him. There's less hesitation now, and more confidence.

I watch him silently for a moment before speaking. "You're too tense," I tell him. "Let the Nen flow like water. Don't force it. It's a bond, not a struggle."

He breathes, deep and slow, letting the tension ease from his body. The next attempt is smoother. His Nen coils around the sphere like a protective shell, its energy vibrating with a quiet power. It doesn't move yet, but I can feel the connection strengthening. He's getting closer.

"Better," I say, a hint of approval in my voice. "You're starting to understand the flow. Now, try to strengthen the spear and throw it at me, that will be the real test of strength."

The first few tries his aura can't even stay around the small sphere long enough for it to reach me but around the twelfth try he manages it and when I punch it the sphere gets demolished breaking in several parts and most of it ending up lodged in one of the walls.

"It's so hard to do this with even just a little ball but I think I can get this exercise by the end of the day boss. If I do end up getting it what will we do next?" He asks and luckily for me, I planned for this. I have bigger heavier balls waiting with his name on them.

By the end of the week, Hanzo's control over the sphere is flawless. His Nen flows around it like a seamless extension of himself, strengthening it to a decent point with ease. This week has served for both make him stronger and strengthening his Nen Principles.

I watch him as he carefully lowers the sphere back to the ground, his eyes sharp and focused. "Not bad at all," I say, a note of approval in my voice. "You've got the basics of Shu down. But remember, this is just the beginning. There's much more to learn."

Hanzo says, "Bring on next week's challenge," with a smirk and I can see the fire still burning in his eyes. He's not satisfied yet. He's ready for the next challenge. And that's exactly what I want.

"Next week," I say, "we begin Ken's training. You did good this week by the way I didn't expect you to get to the 8-ton ball." The commending of his effort and hard work brightens his spirit and gives him a glow that makes me feel like he's already rejuvenated and rested.

"Thanks see you tomorrow" He yells at me while walking back into his room.

Today air is thick with the weight of anticipation as I stand across from Hanzo, the intensity in his eyes betraying his hunger for more. The week of learning Shu has passed, and now we're entering a new phase. Today, we begin Ken.

"Ken is an advanced form of Ten and Ren," I start, my voice steady but filled with gravity. "It's primarily a defensive technique, but it requires far more control and energy than Ten. With Ken, you maintain a state of Ren for an extended period of time, strengthening the amount of aura surrounding your body."

I move forward, raising my hand, and I feel the pulse of my Nen as I demonstrate. "The amount of aura during Ken is about ten times more than Ten. The key here is maintaining that energy and keeping it constantly flowing. You'll be covering your entire body with it, which means it can block attacks from all directions. But that comes at a cost it's tiring, and it's difficult to maintain for long periods. By the end of this week, I expect you to be able to use Ken for 45 minutes or more but it will be very tiring and it will deplete your aura reserves faster than anything else I've ever taught you."

I take a breath and lower my hand, the air vibrating faintly with the lingering energy. "Ken also offers protection against Ko though you will learn about that next week, it protects your entire body evenly. It's not something to use when you're looking for pure offensive power. It's a technique for caution, for defense. Some Nen users also expand the radius of Ken, almost like a miniature En, to sense attacks they can't see, I wouldn't recommend it though."

Hanzo listens carefully, absorbing each word. His gaze doesn't waver, and I know he's already formulating his approach. The hunger in his eyes is still there, and I can tell he's ready.

Hanzo takes a deep breath and steps up. "Okay so..." He focuses, gathering his aura within him, just as we practiced with Ten and Ren "This time I use Ren but control it into a bubble-like structure around my body with Ten and use a bunch of aura?" I can see his Nen surge, strengthening and compacting, pushing past the comfort of Ten and into the realm of Ken.

At first, it's unsteady. The flow of his aura wavers as he struggles to maintain the amount of aura that Ken requires. He looks concentrated, his brow furrowed in effort, but the aura around him remains thin, fluctuating with the force of his focus.

"Release more but not too much," I call out, my voice firm. "This isn't just about increasing your aura; it's about maintaining control over it. Don't let it escape your grasp. Keep that energy flowing steadily around you just like with Ten but keep a tight grasp on it."

Hanzo takes a slow, steadying breath. His focus tightens, and this time, his aura begins to thicken, expanding slowly but surely. The air around him begins to hum with more intensity. I can feel the weight of his aura pushing outwards, like an invisible force surrounding him.

Slowly, his aura grows, the energy swelling to the point where I can feel the pressure. He's maintaining a steady state of Ren, but now it's bigger, heavier, covering his entire body. His Aura radiates outward, creating a dense shield around him, but it's still not quite there.

"Good," I say, nodding. "You're increasing the aura, but it's still not solid enough. Ken requires you to cover every part of your body, and that takes time. Keep pushing it."

Hanzo's posture is steady, his breath controlled. I watch as he refines his focus, gathering his aura and pushing it outward with more precision. The air crackles with the intensity of his Nen as it expands further. The pressure around him becomes more defined, a constant hum that fills the space.

"Better," I say, my voice quieter this time, acknowledging the shift. "Now, maintain it. You have to hold that amount of aura steady, covering your entire body. Don't let it drop."

The effort is clear on his face. His aura fluctuates slightly, but he works to bring it back in line, gathering and compressing the Nen until it's solid and balanced. It's still not perfect, but it's far more stable than before.

After a few hours the strain is evident in the tension in his muscles, the way his shoulders rise and fall with each breath. The intensity of the aura is there, but the real challenge lies in maintaining it.

"Good," I say, stepping closer. "But Ken isn't just about strength. It's about balance. You're using more aura than Ten, and it's still tiring, isn't it?"

He nods, sweat on his brow. "It's hard to keep it up."

"That's the point you'll get used to it," I reply. "Ken is a technique of defense. The more you can maintain it, the better you'll be able to handle attacks from any direction. You're learning to control that energy, to make it work for you. Keep practicing. Focus on holding it steady."