274 Chapter 49

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Title: Life and Death Training

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After my short talk with Tomoe, although she hadn't noticed any change in herself, I had, she had a better time in channeling her chakra, not that she bothered to notice since there was basically nothing she would do that needed chakra.

Our days passed as usual, in the morning she does some cleaning, prepare whatever medicine she could, sell to those who come by to buy, treat anyone with any kind of illness, eat in between breaks, and then leave in the evening.

Hisashi did come around to thank me for making his daughter more outgoing and meticulous.

Of course she would, after all, learning how to mix several herbs will also train you in noticing even the slightest detail in the things happening around you.

"This was how she originally was when her mother was around. Unfortunately she died too early." Hisashi said in a sad tone.

"Don't mind it. She's a big girl now. Whether she likes it or not she has to come out of her shell. Working in your pub may have made her hide deeper as those you mainly serve are men two or three times her age. Here, she has exposure to all manner of people so it's a given she comes out of her shell." I explained to him.

This was a time where even ladies were made to be house wives or ornaments to keep at home, so him giving her her freedom is already a plus on my book.

"Hmm. It's good to hear that from you, Shun." He said and then looked hesitant.

"What's on your mind?" I asked.

"Well..you see, Tomoe has had chakra for as long as five years now and she's been asking me to let her leave the village, but I was always firm on my refusal...."

"Just go straight to the point Hisashi."

"Hai... Can you teach her how to better protect herself?" He asked.

"You plan on allowing her to leave?" I asked in surprise.

"Yes. I can't keep her here forever. Others may not know but the Tomoe I see now, even if she's changed for the better, is still a far cry from the Tomoe of back then.. before everything went wrong." Hisashi said. "I know that only satisfying her adventurous spirit can she return to the little girl I knew from back then. So please, Shun-san, please teach her to better protect herself."

Hisashi pleaded as he almost brought his head down to the floor only for me to hold him still.

"No need for that Hisashi, I'll teach her all I can but I must tell you that I'll be leaving in three weeks time. What she learns in this time will depend on her." I said with a smile.

Nothing brings me much joy than training some newbies. The mere thought that I'll build someone into a better version of themselves is so satisfying.

Hisashi looked relieved to hear that and laughed for a while before realising something. "Shun-san, since you're leaving why not also take her with you. That way she'd be better protected."

"Hahahaha, Hisashi, a bird that doesn't leave it's nest would never know the dangers that the world has in store. I will reach her all I can, but leaving the safety of this village is up to her."

She should be proud that she has the fortune of being taught by me, but wanting me to protect her? Please, that would be an affront to everything I am.

Be it my children or the people I've taught all those years ago, after a good training period, whatever they make of themselves is totally up to them.

Should they die, then that is their luck. Simple as that.

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Standing in front of me was Tomoe. The are around the building I had bought was wide enough to serve as a training ground for her.

She wasn't all that strong to begin with, so none of her techniques, be it chakra or physical were strong enough to damage the area around here.

"You're here to learn how to protect yourself.. are you aware of that?" I asked the girl.

"Yes, sensei." She nodded.

"You're going to experience a whole deal of pain. Are you ready for that?" I asked.

"Why?" She asked back after a moment of confusion.

"Because the world outside is dangerous and I'll be leaving in three weeks. If you want to learn to protect yourself properly, we'll have to do it the hard way. Are you ready for that?"

"I'll do my best." She answered but didn't give me a proper answer causing me to smile. What a girl.

"Lemme show you a little of what you'd expect." I said and created a domain around us.

"In this space, I'm God. What I will becomes reality and as of now, your body is outside. What you have right here is merely your soul." I explained. "Don't ask what you shouldn't ask and follow my instructions, if you think you can't make it then you'll be on your own when you decide to go outside."

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Tomoe POV

Sensei was a monster.

He had explained a lot of things and said I shouldn't ask what I shouldn't ask but what I am experiencing now was enough to make any normal human run mad... I wonder why I am even still sane...

It has been a long time since we began our training but this was the third week since we began our training. As for why it was still the third day despite how long it has been for me, you'd have to go back to the very beginning.

Sensei said that this domain of his was totally under his control and that time too ran slowly inside.

At first I thought it was a joke but after the very first punch Sensei threw at me, I died and found that barely any time had passed as soon as I got back to my body.

The feeling of dying was not something pleasant. No, it was mind wrenching. I had thrown up everything in my stomach after that first experience but Sensei merely said. "The human body has an admirable willpower. It good that you're not lacking in that."

I had the feeling he was praising me but I didn't feel glad at all. Sensei killed me with nothing but a punch to the gut and said I wasn't lacking in willpower and that it was admirable.

"Seventeen seconds. That's how long we've been in there. Try and stay longer next time." He said as though it was a normal thing.

I looked at him to tell him I couldn't do it, but that was when I saw his eyes for the first time.

The normal ruby red eyes he usually had that exuded gentleness was no more. What stated back at me was something I hadn't seen before. It held an indifferent meticulousness that beasts of prey had when they hunted their games.

For some reason, the ruby red eyes I had gotten used to seeing was blood red and with a tone that didn't have any room for rebuttals he said. "The more you are forced out of my divine domain, the more time is wasted in your training. Even with the slowing of time, you will not be ready in three weeks."

Fighting everything in me that told me not to talk back I forced the words out and said. "You killed me in a single punch. That isn't how I had expected it to go."

"Hmm... Are you giving up or not?" He asked, not bothered about my opinion.

Every fiber of my being told me not to go back in there but I had a dream and I couldn't give up when I haven't even begun.

"I can keep going." I said deeply. Even I didn't know I had that kind of tone.

"Good. Then keep up, you're dealing with the sensation of dying quite well," he said, I didn't know if it was a compliment or not.

"What a wonderful compliment." I replied sarcastically.

He smiled slightly and for a moment the Sensei I knew seemed to have come back.. "Well then, let's continue."

Or maybe not.

The next moment, I felt my consciousness being separated from my body and I was back to the green lush field from before.

...

It's been over a week since I started this tortu... "Training" in what Sensei called his divine domain.

When we began, Sensei explained that I would fight in my soul state. Thanks to his domain, the pain I felt while dying would be greatly diminished.

It left me wondering how much more agonizing the pain would be in the physical world. Was this what mother felt as she died?

Counting the time spent out in the physical world, eating, sleeping and resting after drying too many times in the domain... I had spent over a few weeks in the grassland training with the even tempered and patient Sensei.

The first time I had come to the soul realm for training, j was killed with the first blow, unable to even react. Sensei's attack pattern was always the same each time, but even after a few weeks, I was barely able to dodge.

"Trust in your body Tomoe. As long as you're able, your body will be the only thing that will not fail you. Chakra can be exhausted, weapons can break, but your body will be with you till the very end." Sensei always said.

It's embarrassing, but that's just the power difference in power between us.

Boom!

The sound of Sensei's punch passing my face echoed in my ears. Luckily I had managed to evade this time but the air that came with the first managed to tear a part of my chin all the way to my ear, as blood flowed from the wound.

Not good.

I jumped back quick enough to evade a kick leveled at my knees.

"Good. You're keeping up longer than usual. Look past the pain, your body can handle it. Pain is merely weakness leaving the body. Do not grow desperate, and stay levelheaded." Sensei said.

Whoosh!

Sensei figure flashed and appeared in front of me as his elbow went for my chest. If that hit, I'll be dead for sure. Luckily I was able to notice and evade it on time.

Boom! Wham!

What!?

Before I could celebrate that, Sensei's leg connected with me head and I found my face planted into the floor. Luckily I wasn't dead.

Wait, was that even something lucky? I was feeling pain as usual but after so long, pain was my everyday experience.

Cough. Cough.

"You managed to not get yourself killed" Sensei said with a gentle smile that irked me a lot.

I managed to raise my hand and give him the middle finger. Why I did that, even I didn't know, but I felt it was something insulting so I did it.

Sensei smiled and continued. "Now, rest until your soul state is healed."

As he said that, a golden coloured light came out of his finger and went into my head.

The energy was a soothing energy. It felt like I was in my mother's embrace from those years ago and by the time I opened my eyes, I felt no pain and looking at my body, I found that I was completely healed. Even my clothes were as they were.

"We should take a break from combat training for a while." Sensei said.

"What do you mean? Am I not learning fast enough?" I asked as I cracked my neck.

"No, your ability to grasp and comprehend is actually frightening, because of that stubborness of yours, I'm afraid you're going to unwittingly break if we keep going at the current pace." Sensei said as he sat down cross-legged.

I followed and sat down. "Break? I thought this Domain of yours wouldn't allow me to die? Besides, my soul body has regenerated. As long as you don't kill me instantly, I should be okay, right?"

"I'm not talking about damaging your body, Tomoe. I'm talking about injuring you here." Sensei said and pointed to his head.

"You're experiencing constant death, death is no longer an end point, but the precursor for a level of pain that even Shinobis would find daunting."

Here he goes again saying things I don't understand. Shinobis? Sigh.

"That kind of trauma will start to get in the way of producing the sort of fighter I'm training you to become. When we're talking about this level of pain, too much of it and your body will instinctively try to save itself, regardless of whether you want it or not."

"Just enough pain, and it'll become your most reliable sword and shield." Sensei explained, although I wasn't getting it.

Standing up to stretch my self, I said. "Honestly, Sensei, I'm fine, we don't n--"

Boom!

At that very moment, I felt it. Death incarnate. I finally realized...

What has been happening, wasn't me dying, no, feeling this pressure, I knew that compared to this, feeling of death was merely me being knocked unconscious.

The killing intent coming from sensei was so strong that it manifested in reality. How I am able to still think remains a mystery even till this moment because Sensei's entire arm, was embedded inside my chest.

3rd POV

Cough!

Tomoe coughed out blood and fell but as Shun's arm was inside her chest, she remained standing.

Shun grabbed her and pulled out his arms and said with a kind expression back on his face. "Tomoe, you have experiences and instinct different from most. And as much as there are things to be taught, there are many things that you will have to unlearn as well. I would mold you into an unparalleled fighter, not just among the clan warriors, but among The Tengoku, Uchiha and Senju clans."

'I'm trembling... But whether it's because of the lethal wound in my chest, the excitement from training with someone as skilled as Sensei, or the potential of fighting against the warriors of the clans Sensei just mentioned... Haha, I have a feeling it was a mixture of all three.'

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A/N: Don't ask me how there could be blood coming from the soul form... There can be... deal with it