Training Begins

In Mikoto training room

As usual Mikoto and Tatsuya were sitting opposite each other, no one was in the room expect Yue who was there under the request of Tatsuya. Normally several ninjas were meant to be with them as per Mikoto's rank not only as a captain of a squad but the number one captain amongst all the nine captain. Right now Mikoto just decided that before going into the training schedule Tatsuya has to learn about the ninja way.

"So Tatsuya-kun, in other for me to teach you how to be a ninja I have to teach you what being a ninja means and the classes and rate of the ninja hierarchy"

"I wish to learn all Mikoto sama"

Tatsuya replies him

"That's a nice answer, so I'll start from the lowest to the highest, starting from the lowest you'll see the acedemy ninjas, which is what you are going to be next year"

Mikoto takes a pause to check if Tatsuya Is following before he continues

"One thing about the acedemy is that the rule 'survival of the fittest' is highly applied there, the normal age of enrolling into the acedemy is minimum six years old from birth, the moment you are enrolled you'll be exposed to excruciating and intense training, which most at times leads to death of the weak ones, are you ready for that Tatsuya-kun"

Mikoto says with a stern face

"Yes I am"

Tatsuya replied with no hesitation in his speech

"That's good, so I'll continue then. After roughly five years in the acedemy, the next rank is the junior ninja and the senior ninja, first of all dont get me wrong, the five years is not compulsory after all I only stayed a year there. Now the junior and and senior ninja ranks have no time limit or bracket in them, it all comes down experience"

Mikoto takes a little pause and looks at Tatsuya. Tatsuya was all ears to what Mikoto was saying, seeing Tatsuya in that serious mood gave Mikoto some sense of fulfillment

"After the acedemy you become a junior ninja but if your results are exceptional you mmget a direct promotion to senior ranks. In the junior rank the highest amongst the junior rank gets to join a squad depending on his grades. A squad is made up of six individuals, the captain being one then the remaining five, and in that five there are three senior ranks and two junior ranks. And after those ranks that's when we come in"

Mikoto said with a grin

"We??"

Tatsuya seems confused

"Yes Tatsuya-kun, we the Numbers. We go by different names, some call us lord some call us captain and our general name is The Numbers. We are the strongest and the last force of the shinobi village that's before the elder chief though. That's reminds me, I did a little research on your background and discovered that you were once arrested for different crimes, but most of them were robbery. Tatsuya-kun you are lucky you were a born child of this village if not, you'll be dead by now."

Mikoto says with serious expression

"What do you mean Mikoto sama"

Tatsuya asks

"What I mean is that, in this village due to the population crises we shinobis are experiencing the policy of kill on sight was not allowed anymore. In a simple way what I mean is, Tatsuya experiencing five years of hellish training did not go in vain, those lower rank ninjas you were always chased by were trying their best to hold back, if not a single punch from them would be enough to send you to the afterlife. Tatsuya the shinobi way is cruel and full of blood only the exceptionally strong ones survive, even the strong always die that why you must be exceptionally strong having no flaw at all. Do you understand Tatsuya"

Mukoto asks showing off a worried expression which is rarely seen

"Yes, Mikoto sama"

Tatsuya replied

"That's my boy"

Mikoto laughs loudly

"And now as for your training..."

Mikoto stands and gestures for Tatsuya to do thesame, Mikoto takes him outside the manor through the back door of the training room.

"Your training will be based on stealth, we ninjas are known for two things, first is speed then second is stealth, we move in the shadows so we don't need attention, and now here is your stealth training"

*Hiss hiss*

Mikoto gestures to a compound full of snakes

Tatsuya looked at the compound with a dead paned face

Tatsuya's expression made Mikoto laughs heartily

"Your training is to move to the other side 200 times daily, I know your immune to poison, yes yes we shinobis are immune to poison, but you are not immune to pain"

Mikoto says with a grin on his face

"That's impossible Mikoto sama"

Tatsuya freaks out

"Immpossible...?"

Mikoto faces the hoard of snakes, he then inhales and exhales slightly and jumps in. He then gently walks to and fro and returns to Tatsuya's side

"You see, it's not Immpossible just breath and feel the moment"

Tatsuya looks and the snakes warily and follows his sensei's instructions to breath and jumps in but he failed woefully

The snakes began to aim for him one after the other, but thanks to his quick response he evades some but few still found way to his flesh.

Luckily before he was sent to his grave he ran out from there and Yue began to tend to his wounds

"The first trials are always failures Tatsuya-kun, just keep it up and continue I'm sure you'll pass, and by the way you'll be practicing this training for the next three months, so bye"

Mikoto leaves the place

'three months are you kidding me, I guess I have to keep on going in other to get stronger'

Tatsuya stands up making Yue stops half way in her treatment

'Breath, feel the moment and.... jump'

Tatsuya jumps in and the same event reapeats itself for the next 25 times. Now Tatsuya had hole openings and blood gushing through them

He lay on the floor of the catching his breath and Yue bandaged him

'Breath, feel the moment and jump. Stealth breath feel the moment and jump.."

Tatsuya suddenly sits upright

"I've gotten the trick, its stealth after all, I've been getting it all wrong. Normally while watching cartoons and some movie series when stealth is mentioned what is brought into mind is quiet feet, but this time is the real deal"

Tatsuya walks around and begins to ponder

"Stealth doesn't mean being quiet or having no sound after your steps. Stealth means the absolute removal of ones existence, Mikoto sama was right I just need to breath feel the moment to move"

Mikoto stares at the Tatsuya through his window

"Oh? He had finally gotten the gist, like father like son after all"

Tatsuya closes his eyes and took a light breath in and out and steps one foot into the snakes nest, ge notices that nothing had happened, he took and step and from there he began to walk deeper and deeper into the snakes nest.

As he reaches the other end he makes a mark showing as evidence that he made it there then he quietly comes back few steps before reaching he loses concentration which made the snakes furiously jumps on him but he was able to evade a few but some bit him real hard

Two months later

Tatsuya is seen going to and fro the compound full of snakes without being ganged up by them

"...200"

That was the final rep, and with this 200 Tatsuya's stealth training has come to a complete stop