Chapter 5 : 5th Stance

It's been a couple of days since Takeo first met Master Kenzō, and he still can't figure out how he's so strong and yet not in the main story of Demon Slayer.

'Maybe compared to the Hashira's and the Demon's he's weak', he thought, but then immediately got rid of that thought, as he remembered how fast and strong he was.

'Either way....I'm glad someone as strong as him is my master', he contemplated, still resting on his bed as he stared at the ceiling.

CREAK!

Opening the door was Master Kenzō, "Takeo, I'm going to go hunt for food, make sure not to do anything stupid", he stated as he looked suspiciously at Takeo. Kenzō has suspicions that Takeo had been secretly training when he's supposed to be resting, and so added that disclaimer just in-case.

"Alright Master Kenzō, have a safe journey", Takeo retorted with a smile as he waved.

"Alright".

CREAK!

CREAK!

With that Master Kenzō shut Takeo's door and then exited using the front door.

'Is he gone?', Taeko thought, trying his hardest to hear any kind of movement, no matter what it was...but he couldn't.

"Finally!", he proclaimed with happiness. Master Kenzō's suspicions were right, nearly everyday, Taeko would get up from his bed and exercise on the floor while he was away.

'Even if I'm injured I have to get stronger!', he thought.

"YOSH!", he muttered, before he got into a push-up position....but just as he was about to go down...

CREAK!

Raising his head quickly, he met the face of an angry Master Kenzō....

"Uh....Master you're early...I was just cleaning the floor so I could sleep in a good environment", he stated quickly.

"Ho~, Is that true", Master Kenzō said with his eyes illuminating, revealing a sharp look, which made Taeko sweat.

"Yeah...It's true Master", he retorted before he scratched the back of his head with a forced smile....

"Where's your cleaning equipment if you were cleaning...and also you think that my environment isn't already good?", Master Kenzō expressed with fury...

"Eh....Master...", Takeo said nervously, as Master Kenzō approached slowly with his fist clenched....before he was hit on the head with Kenzō's fury...

BANG!

After being hit, a huge bump appeared on Takeo's head, as he was restrained in bed by Master Kenzō with a special material.

"Master I'm not an animal so why am I restrained?...Can you please let me go?", he pleaded in a comical manner.

However, Master Kenzō wasn't laughing, "Listen Takeo you have to understand, It's good to strive to become stronger, but rest is just as important as training. And you're going to need all the rest you need right now before you're real training starts", Kenzō expressed his disappointment, which Takeo noticed.

"Patience is more beneficial than eagerness, because eagerness causes mistakes if you really want to be a Demon Slayer".

Hearing his Master's words, Takeo tried to understand, 'If I'm overeager it might be the death of me', Takeo realised.

"Master is wise~", Takeo stated with utmost respect.

"Don't get it confused young one, some times one needs to be eager in any situation", Kenzō said before he patted Takeo's head.

"If you are really bored next time, meditate and wait...there's only 6 more days till your training begins, make sure to rest properly and get some sleep", Master Kenzō said one last time, before he left Takeo's room.

CREAK!

CLICK!

'Meditate huh?', Takeo thought before he turned off the lamp and closed his eyes after staring at the ceiling.

-------

And with that 6 days passed by quickly. Takeo didn't train in any way besides meditating. It was now dawn, and Takeo was still asleep....but not for long, as Master Kenzō busted into his room suddenly.

BANG!!!

"Your Training starts now!", he shouted, immediately waking Takeo up from his slumber, alarming him in the process.

"Eh! Yes Master!", Takeo quickly replied, after he got out of bed.

"Follow me!", Master Kenzō proclaimed, "Yes Master!", in which Taeko replied.

'I wonder what training it'll be!!', Taeko excitedly wondered.

He was taken to the dining room, where they ate breakfast.

"That is the last meal that I will provide for you", "It's your responsibility to take care of yourself, your master won't always be there!", Master Kenzō told Takeo.

"I understand Master!", Takeo replied, he was more than prepared to hunt his own food, as he'd done that before he even met Master.

Getting up from their seats, they walked to the front door and left the house. Wearing a black robe with purple pants, Takeo was more than ready for his training. When they stepped outside, his white hair flowed in the wind, and his purple eyes shone.

"Follow me~", Master Kenzō stated, before he walked with Takeo up the mountain they resided on.

------

After walking for more than an hour, they finally reached their destination. The entrance to a cave. Inside the temperature was below -50°C, which shocked Takeo, 'Surely he doesn't want me to go inside there.

"Now we have arrived Takeo....before you enter that cave, I'm going to teach you how to properly control your breath using the <Flame Breathing Style>, when you have learnt how to use it properly, I want you to enter that cave and stay inside for a whole day. The concentration of Oxygen is a-lot less than it is down the mountain so you need to be careful. This training segment will end after you can stay inside the cave for a period of 3 days. Understand?", Master Kenzō, overloading Takeo with information.

'3 DAYS! IT'S BELOW -50°C', Takeo thought with a shocked expression.

"Hoo~, you can't even handle this, and you want to be the strongest. When my master done this to me, I had to withstand temperatures below -100°C", Master Kenzō retorted, almost as if he was reading Takeo's mind.

'Monster...', Taeko thought with an emotionless expression, but he wiped away his shock and was filled with determination, 'If he can do it, so can I', , "YOSH! Let's begin Master!", he proclaimed with a fire burning inside of him.

Smiling at his response, "That's the attitude~", Kenzō retorted...