The two students sat on the ground and listened to their sensei carefully.
"First things first, we will start with the basics. Do you know what prana is?"
"The life-force energy that exists in all living organisms," they both said, although Mikoto's beaming expressions showed more enthusiasm.
It was like they were back in one of Hideo's classes, however, they had not been taught anything about the subject Hanzo was about to venture into.
"But are we not heading into pseudoscience?" asked Takumi. "I have not read any scientific papers proving the existence of prana."
"I see, we have a skeptic in our midst." Hanzo smiled. "I guess one day you will be the one to write about it then after this. Originating from the sun, prana is also a c–"
"May I join the class Mr. Hanzo, sir?" Kazuo bowed his head, interrupting the lesson.
"Have you arrived at a reason to become stronger then?"
"Yes sir!"
"Which is?"
"Since I'm who the Shadow ninjas are after, I risk putting those around me in danger. So I want to be strong so I can protect myself and them. I wasn't there to save my mom… and she meant everything to me…"
"Well, Kazuo-kun, that is an excellent resolve!" Hanzo clasped his hands. "Grab a seat, we were just starting."
Kazuo sat beside Mikoto, placing her between him and Takumi.
"As I said, prana is also a current that flows in the body through energy pathways called nadis. Within living organisms, these channels are connected to seven main wheels called chakras. Located from the base of the spine to just above the head… these are Muladhara, Swadhisthana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddha, Ajna and Sahasrara (Sanskrit: Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat, Third Eye and Crown chakras)."
Hanzo paused, ensuring they still followed.
"They are opened from the lowest to highest. The exercise you just completed was to prepare you for opening Muladhara. Before going further, prana is divided into yin (dark) and yang (light), which refer to the direction of chakra rotation. There is clockwise and anticlockwise rotation, which are called conduction and projection. From the lowest to the highest chakra, the corresponding elements are earth, water, fire, air, ether, light and shadow."
Kazuo's eyes fluttered, and he started yawning.
"The first five elements can be grouped into the three dosha (Sanskrit: defects), which conductors may fall under. The first dosha is Kapha (earth–water), followed by Pitta (water–fire) and then Vata (air–ether). Everyone has at least one dominant element from their respective Dosha. With more training, all the primary elements can be mastered."
"So how does a person determine which category they fall under?" asked Mikoto.
"Great question, Mikoto-chan," said Hanzo. "A person's dosha can be found using chakra stones." He scratched his head, taking a long sip. "Those are rare finds, but we won't need them."
Mikoto and Takumi listened attentively.
"Some say one's dosha can be assessed by studying their personality. Or, more accurately, observing the elemental conduction that comes naturally to them. However, I'll use my Ajna to check the colour of your latent auras."
Takumi frowned, unconvinced.
Mikoto nodded. "So, what colour is my aura?"
Hanzo made the Chinmaya mudra. He brought the gesture near his forehead and closed his eyes. "You and Kazuo-kun are light green, which corresponds to air."
"Which means we're Vata!" Mikoto smiled.
"Yes, we're similar in that regard." Hanzo returned her smile and turned to the Artisan. "And you, Takumi-kun? Would you like to know yours?"
"Sure, why not?" said Takumi. "I'll play along."
"Yours is light red," said Hanzo. "And, judging from your intellectual and grounded personality, it corresponds to–"
"I'm guessing earth, so my dosha is Kapha."
"Yes! Let me demonstrate." Hanzo clapped his hands and pointed at Kazuo. "Wake him up?"
Mikoto nudged the snoring Kazuo.
Hanzo removed a lighter from his pocket and started a fire. "Since my dosha is Vata, watch me conduct the air around us to increase the flame. The stronger the wind, the faster the fire will spread." He placed his thumb on his index finger and brought the hand close to his chest.
After making the mudra, Hanzo took a deep breath and exhaled. With each breath, the intensity of the fire increased and decreased.
Mikoto and Kazuo were wide-eyed.
Takumi adjusted his sunglasses. "You're just blowing onto it. Nothing more than an illusion."
"An illusion you say, huh?" Hanzo grinned and made the Agni mudra. "Manipura!"
The Lightning trio jumped away from the huge conflagration. Hanzo and the flames stood at the same height. Moments later, he released the mudra, and the fire extinguished.
"Sugoi!" Kazuo's jaw dropped, unable to believe his eyes. "When are you teaching us that?"
"It was amazing indeed, but sensei..." Mikoto dusted herself, aghast. "Warn us next time!"
Takumi remained silent, failing to rationalise what he had seen. That was more than a cheap trick! He removed his glasses before wiping them. "What's with the hand gestures?"
"Oh, these mudras? They help channel pranic flow from the chakras to the rest of the body." Hanzo paused and used his hand to demonstrate. "The thumb represents fire and is the activator. So, when you place your thumb on the little to the index finger, you get the mudras Varuna, Prithvi, Akasha and Vayu (Sanskrit: Water, Earth, Ether and Wind). For the Agni mudra, you press your thumb on the palm."
Takumi asked, wearing his glasses. "So, you used the Vayu and Agni mudras, correct?"
"Air and fire!" Mikoto added.
"Precisely!" Hanzo snapped a finger. "I first conducted air to control the flame's intensity before conducting fire to amplify it. If things go accordingly, you should be done chakra training in six months."
Hanzo took another sip from his hyōtan.
"After four months, you should have opened the first four chakras. For the fifth and sixth months, I'll focus mainly on kenjutsu with Kazuo whilst you two master elemental amplification. By the end of the regimen, you'll be far stronger than you are now."
Takumi raised a hand. "Back then, with the flame control, why didn't you conjure it from thin air? That would've been more believable."
"Well, I could but…" Hanzo scratched his head. "That would use up more prana than necessary. In a battle situation, that isn't ideal. Hence, conduction from a source is better."
"I see. On the topic of elemental amplification. Do the Legendary Sage's swords count as amplifiers?"
"Indeed, Kazuro-sensei made them with that in mind. All the blades are made of high-carbon steel alloyed with metals that conduct or resist their element the most. This makes the blades resistant to pranic attacks from their respective elements."
Takumi nodded, processing the information.
Feeling left out, Mikoto raised her hand. "If there's four swords named after elemental gods: Raijin, Kajin, Sūijin and Dōjin. How about Fūjin (Wind god)?"
"That is an interesting question, Mikoto-chan." Hanzo sipped some more saké. "You know what's funny… Rani and I we once asked Kazuro-sensei about it." He coughed and let out a laugh.
"When he tried forging Fūjin, he didn't know what metal best conducted air or wind. So, him being the perfectionist he was, he scrapped it altogether. We also tried to forge Fūjin but failed dismally. Our results were my Zanken(remaining sword) and her sickles."
Takumi rejoined the conversation. "Instead of conduction, you could have used convection. With a silver-steel alloy, you could heat the blade with fire conduction and then conduct the air around it—effectively forming a gale."
Secondary conduction! It could work! Hanzo dropped his hyōtan. "That's brilliant, Takumi-kun!"
Mikoto saw Kazuo dozing off and broke the silence. "Um, sensei... how will we know we've opened the Root chakra?"
"Short answer is… when you're able to lift Dōjin."
Mikoto and Takumi looked at each other with raised eyebrows. They could not believe their ears.
"I can do it," said Kazuo, hearing mention of the Earth blade. "Does that mean my Root is open?"
Hanzo smiled. "Not entirely. You're a special case thanks to your connection with Kazuro-sensei. As such, you still need to practice Muladhara meditation to balance the chakra."
"Cool…" Kazuo faced his comrades in turn and smiled. "Guess I'll join you guys."
[
The first month comprised of daily strength training. They did one hundred sets of pushups, squats and weight lifting. Muladhara meditation occurred at the end of each day. It involved concentrating on a red sphere rotating clockwise at the base of the spine.
During the sessions, they had to hold the Prithvi mudra in each hand. Halfway through the month, Mikoto could lift and hold Dōjin briefly.
However, Takumi's attempts resulted in loud grunts. Dōjin did not budge. The training had its benefits because he started gaining muscle. When the month's end came, he could lift and hold the sword for half a minute whilst Mikoto did it for five.
Kazuo could now swing Dōjin with ease. Due to his ancestral bond and Hanzo's training, the sword became as light as a feather.
"You've become centered and grounded," Hanzo told his students at the end of Hachigatsu(August). "Your Muladhara has been opened and balanced."
As Kugatsu (September) approached, the weather got cooler ushering in the fall season. Forests began taking on vibrant reds and oranges due to falling temperatures. The locals were in high spirits as they prepared for the various matsuri (festivals).
For the second month, the Lightning trio focused on flexibility with yoga each day. As the days went on, signs of a cold winter could not be disputed. During the evenings, they took part in Swadhisthana meditation. It involved visualizing an orange sphere located in the lower abdomen with the Varuna mudra. When Kugatsu came to an end, their Sacral chakras were open and balanced.