Chapter 3: Overcoming Weakness

Toru opened the door up to the classroom only to see that the room was pitch-black. The only light source in the room were lit candles that were formed in a circle, showing two cushion mats in the center of that formation. One of which was already taken up, "Please come in Toru." Ikaruga called out. She was sitting down, criss-crossed, on her cushion, hands on her knees, and her eyes closed. Toru did as she asked and sat down, criss-crossed as well, on the empty cushion. He was looking around the room, trying to see if this was a test and thought the other girls would attack him. "They're out on a mission. All you need right now is silence." Ikaruga stated.

"Yesterday, Kat worked on physical training with you, telling you what you should focus on when fighting an opponent. Today, I will be working with you on mental training, telling you what you SHOULDN'T be focusing on while fighting. Can you tell me what you shouldn't be thinking about while fighting?" Ikaruga opened her eyes slightly to look at Toru who sat there, in front of her, silent. "…I um…guessed as much?" Ikaruga tilted her head, forgetting that he couldn't talk. "Um, ahem. The answer is nothing." Toru blinked, listening to Ikaruga.

"Yes Toru, nothing. That should be what a Shinobi should be thinking about twenty-four seven. If there was ever an exception to think about something, it would be the mission, that's it." Toru looked he couldn't comprehend what she was saying. Thinking is a human function. How could he just stop doing that? "I understand your confusion, but the truth is, we are being trained as killers. In the end, we all will have to throw away our ideals, views, and even emotions, for the only person whose ideals, views, and emotions we care about are the clients'. It is a sad truth, but a truth none the less." After Ikaruga explained, Toru sighed out, looking at her like he already knows this. "You must still be wondering why you're here then if you already know this. For each shinobi, we all have a reason for wanting to be one. Most of the time…those reasons are tragic or scarring." Ikaruga glared right over at Toru who's eyes widened in response and leaned back some as if to try and distance himself from her gaze. "I'm sure you are one of those people with said reason. It must be why you are unable to talk. Am I correct." Toru slowly closed his eyes some, looking away to side, wearing a sad guise. "I thought as much." Ikaruga sighed.

"Toru, these candles were made to help a person try and focus on a certain memory. The memory I want you to work on, is the reason why you can't talk, the reason why you became a shinobi. Do you think you can do that for me?" Ikaruga leaned over to look Toru in his eyes. He slowly, and hesitantly, nodded his head. "Alright then, close your eyes. Focus on that memory. Overcome it and you will be ever so closer to the title of Kagura." Toru stared down at the ground, at a candle that was in between him and Ikaruga. After staring at it for a while, his eyes slowly closed as if he was going into a deep sleep.

Right now, all he could see was black, not even the light from the candles could illuminate on his eyelids. Everything was silent. Slowly as if rising from an unknown the sounds of screaming could be heard as it was slowly getting louder and louder. As it was getting loud, a flame seemed to have ignited from the darkness. Toru opened his eyes only to see that he was in the middle of a burning village. People were running around all over in every which direction only for shadowy figures to leap into the middle of a crowd and start slicing and cutting people down with swords, screams of pain and suffering echoing even louder. Trying to escape from this vision, Toru held his head and closed his eyes until the silence eventually returned. Opening his eyes once more, Toru now noticed he was standing in the middle of a field of corpses, making his breathing heavy into panting. Looking in front of him, the quick slice of a sword could be seen coming at him.

Toru awoke for real, hearing the voice of Ikaruga, "Toru! Toru are you okay?!" She was shaking his shoulders before his eyes opened, making her look down in relief that he responded to her. Toru noticed that he was still panting heavily, like he was still in that same situation from the vision. His heart was racing and he felt some sweat rolling down his forehead. After seconds have passed, tears started to roll down Toru's face and he started to lightly cry. Shocked, Ikaruga held him close, the fact that he was still a kid hitting her hard, emotionally. "Oh god Toru, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry." She ran her hand through his hand trying to calm him down. "Th-This lesson is never easy for anyone to pass. To be honest, it takes shinobi years to overcome these kinds of things…I'm still trying to myself." Toru's eyelids snapped open, hearing her say this. "I-I'm from a wealthy family. Not to mention I'm the heir to said family. Usually some people would feel blessed to be a part of something like that." Ikaruga started to tell. "But…the reality is I was adopted into that family…and they already had a kid too. The fact that a person, not even blood related to the family, has become the heir of such a family…it makes you think about how that biological child felt, being older and actually having the parents' blood flowing through them…" Toru felt something wet drip onto the top of his head. "A-And…you try and understand how much hatred that sibling has for you that you even try to recompense with them…that…that's my curse…that's my scar, to know that my life, my existence, is the sole reason why someone else's is miserable…" Hearing Ikaruga sniff and rest her face on top of his head, Toru slowly wrapped his arms around her side and placed his head on her shoulder, hugging her back.