Swords Drawn (Mission)

[Juro]

Mr. Akadou's dojo left a lot to be desired. It sacrificed any sort of embellishment, modern trappings or general color for the bare essentials. Four walls, a few windows and a roof overhead; that was the most fitting description of Mr. Akadou's dojo. Takeda noted this as he strolled down the stone path to the front door. To its credit, the building looked well constructed and relatively well-cared for. And as he opened the screen to the main chamber, the Genin could not help but think that it was a perfect complement for its occupant. Akadou Jishu was an aging swordsman who was clearly built to last, dressed in clothing that looked as though they had seen just as much as he had.

Takeda felt over-dressed for the occasion. He had opted to wear one of his old robes which, though showing signs of age, looked fresh off the seamstress's table compared to his new sensei's attire. "Um, excuse me..."

"Are you here to learn the sword?" The sensei rumbled, like a statue slowly coming to life.

Takeda flinched. "Yes, sir... Well, um... not precisely. I actually know a thing or two about swordplay, I'm just here from the Academy and..."

"Show me."

Takeda flinched again. Nothing but his reflexes allowed him to catch the wooden sword that came flying his way. "Um... sir?"

Mr. Akadou rose to his feet heavily. "I will be the one to determine just whether or not you 'know a thing or two.' Wield that sword as if you intended to hurt me." Almost immediately after he had said that, however, he shook his head. "No, no, what are you doing?"

Takeda stood at the ready, his sword in his right hand, blade pointed towards the ground, right foot leading. "What do you mean, sir? I haven't even begun to attack yet."

Mr. Akadou reached for a spare wooden sword on the wall. "We've got a lot to cover. Apparently, we'll have to start with the difference between a full-weight steel katana and one of those light little fencing foils."

[Juro]

A few minutes later, Takeda found himself without a sword. It had been knocked clear out of his hands and across the room. "No, no no! You're still treating your sword like one of those foreign pig-stickers. You'll never get anywhere like this."

Takeda grimaced, retrieving his sword. "That 'pig-sticker' is all I've been trained to use. I don't understand; the books all say it is supposed to be unbeatable against any other style of swordplay."

Mr. Akadou advanced, swiping left, then right. As Takeda backpedaled, leaning his head out of harm's way, his teacher spoke. "Swordsmen all over the world have been making those same claims for centuries. In truth, its the ones who think they are unbeatable that wind up losing more often than not."

Takeda tried to thrust for Mr. Akadou's legs, but was parried and knocked aside with ease. "What are you saying? That domestic sword styles are superior?"

Mr. Akadou grabbed Takeda by the wrist, tossing him to the ground with a growl. "Will you stop looking at styles for a second and look at your sword?" He held up his own sword for comparison. "The katana evolved to meet the needs of warfare in specific areas of the world. The art of kenjutsu evolved around that. It is, first and foremost, a slicing weapon. Why, then, are you so insistent on using it like a rapier, a thrusting weapon? It is like trying to chop wood with a hammer. Fencing may be a formidable style, but only when one has a weapon suited to it. It's the same with kenjutsu."

Takeda looked at his own sword, begrudgingly seeing the wisdom in Mr. Akadou's words. It felt extremely awkward trying to hold and balance such an evenly weighted sword in one hand, and the point was practically non-existent. No wonder he was being thrown off-balance so much. With a sigh, he bowed. "My apologies, Akadou-sensei. It appears I don't know nearly as much about swordplay as I had said. Please, teach me how to handle a katana."