Hori Unemi

{ Hori Unemi's Pov }

My name is Hori Unemi,a child born to a normal family in the land of iron.

I've always been weak,I was burdened with a frail body since birth,even the most mundane actions like walking and swimming would tire me out easily.

Even so,staying still was never an option for me,I was always jealous of the other kids,seeing them run around freely and play while I was perpetually bedridden.I too wanted to touch the green patches of grass,I too wanted to feel breeze up against my face,I too wanted to feel the sunlight hit my skin.So every day,little by little,I tried my hardest to sit up on my own,even if it ached my whole being,I didn't stop,I kept trying,eventually I was able to stand up on my own when I was 6,it wasn't very impressive for someone my age but to me it was precious,the fact that I could even stand gave me hope.

With baby steps,I was gradually increasing the strength of my frail body,from taking a few steps to walking and finally running.The first time that I ran was when I was 7,It was phenomenal,the wind brushing up against my body,the feeling of my clothes fluttering in the breeze,the sound of my hastily beating heart.Since then,I've tried my best to become a lot more active,even to the point of being able to play with kids my age!! Although not for very long.

On one faithful day when I was 8,my mother,who is a cook at the 1st division of the samurai order took me to her workplace,she originally took me there intending to teach me how to cook and secure my future as one of the 1st division's cook,at first I was content with that,with a frail body like mine,I wouldn't be able to do professions that require an adequate amount of strength,but all those thoughts of mine were quickly destroyed when I observed the samurais training for the first time.

Something switched in me,the way that they handled their swords were simply mesmerizing,the way that they masterfully deflected each other's attacks,the way that they moved their foot and shift their bodies to bring out the most strength in their strikes,the way they confidently step up and counter their opponent's advances,what I saw wasn't techniques used to kill but a graceful dance.As if everything else in the world had disappeared,all that I could see was their swordsmanship,after that,whenever that I had free time,I would go and observe the samurais,to the point that I had completely memorized their techniques.

One time when the samurais were on break,I snuck into their training field and stole a wooden practice katana,i ran as fast as I can into the food storage and closed the doors,just those actions alone were enough to leave my frail body breathless but I was determined to swing the katana.After a short while of resting up,I stood up,katana in hand,I closed my eyes and began to envision the techniques that the samurai used in my head.

The area was filled with incredible silence as I began to move,I got into various stances and weaved my sword through the air exactly as I remembered the samurais did.As I continued to swing,I lost track of time as my body gradually became more and more exhausted yet I didn't feel and hint of fatigue.Just as I was about to finish the last techniques I remembered,my body gave out,I lost all strength in my legs.

My body fell through the air,but just as I was approaching the ground,I was caught by a pair of gentle hands.

As I opened my eyes for the first time in presumably hours,I saw that I was in the hands of a kind looking woman with shoulder length pink hair.

"Ah,miss Suzune"

I spoke out in surprise,the woman before me is a very talented samurai that had been quickly rising through the ranks,as for why I know this,this woman here is quite the glutton so she's a regular face at the 1st division's kitchen.

"Hori?What was that?!?"

Miss Suzune asked me in a flabbergasted tone as her face expressed clear amazement.

"I saw the samurais do it,so I copied them…I'm sorry for stealing the wooden katana"

I replied timidly fearing that she'll scold me for stealing the wooden sword and willy nilly copying the proud samurai's techniques.

"No no no,forget the wooden sword!!You managed to perform those techniques just from watching?!?!?!"

Miss Suzune loudly asked as she violently shook my back and forth while I timidly nodded.

Suddenly let her down,sitting me on the floor before standing up with her feet wide apart and her chest puffed forward,with a gleam in her eyes,her eyes made contact with mine as she pointed at my face with her finger.

"I've decided,from today onwards,you're my disciple!"

From then on,I earnestly followed Miss Suzune as my master,she taught me all that she knew about swordsmanship,according the her,my talent in swordsmanship was monstrous,I was a able to perform every single technique that she showed me,I absorbed everything like a sponge but because of my weak physique,all that I could do was performing the movements,I was far from replicating the power and effect of those moves,at the end of the day,I was just imitating.

Because of this,master shifted the focus of my training to increasing my physical strength and teaching me how to use my muscles more efficiently.Instead of fighting offensively,the style that master adapted for me was focused on parrying and deflecting using a minimal amount of strength and sneaking in counters to wear down my opponent's,with this swordsmanship style tailored for me by my master,I was able to defeat apprentice samurai's from time to time.

After 2 years of grueling training,I was able to become an official samurai at 10 years old and joined the rookie tournament as one of the first division's representatives.Needless to say,I am aiming for the champion spot,to continue the 1st division's legacy and make my master proud.The first two rounds went rather smoothly,me and Mizugestu was able to defeat them without much trouble.Just as I thought that it wouldn't be different for the final round,I was greatly mistaken.

Our opponents are two odd boys from the 19th division,the first boy is a member of the Uzumaki clan recognized by his distinct red hair and gigantic chakra reserves.Even if I didn't show it,defending against that boy was incredibly straining,but the real danger is the his teammate,a black haired kid with bandages wrapped from nose to neck and different colored eyes,his abilities are a complete mystery to me,he was able to see through my facade of an unmovable wall and pinpointed my weakness with high accuracy.

Just as we were able to wear down the red headed boy,the bandaged kid appeared out of nowhere and attacked his teammate??This kid is definitely something else,looks like winning won't be easy.