Pein owned a small hardware store in Gifu. It was located on a side street off a busy main street in the heart of the town. There had been rumors that besides handy-man services that Pein was involved with darker services, but they were just rumors. Average people still trusted his business and the rumors only reached those who had ears for those sort of things.
The tough looking man was surprised when a small red-headed teenager came into his store asking about a manual labor project he was involved in.
The orange haired man played with a nose stud as he looked down at the skinny teenager. He really didn't look like he was going to be doing any manual labor. Especially manual labor that involved the type of tool he was looking for.
The boy's tenor voice sounded polite as he asked about the sledgehammer. "Shop keeper, I'd like your advice. I am... doing a home improvement project. We're breaking up rocks in the backyard. Would the sledgehammer be the best choice to break them up?"
Pein poked a stud in his cheek with his tongue as he sized the teenager up. "Yeah."
"Hnnn..." the boy muttered to himself and he picked up the sledgehammer to test its weight. He tried to raise it up in a batter's position like he was playing baseball.
The store owner raised a studded eyebrow and questioned his customer, "Ever used one of those?"
"...No. What is the best way to do so?"
"Well," Pein paused and considered for a moment, "I'll show you and tell you at the same time."
The teenager looked like he was struggling with the weight. When Pein took it from him, he handled it with ease. He staggered his feet and brought the sledgehammer over his shoulder. "First, dominant hand on the handle. You can place your other hand near the end. The higher the head goes, the more power you have when you swing. You know how heavy it is, right?"
The fragile looking teenager nodded and focused intently at the store owner. He knew he picked the right place to go.
"Let gravity pull the swing down for you. If you try and swing with your shoulders, you're going to be sore for a long time. Trust me on this. Before you swing, bounce up on the balls of your feet and then drive it down, letting gravity do the rest. Keep your eyes on the target, in your case, the rocks, right?"
The boy look startled as the question was directed at him but he quickly recovered and agreed, "Yes, the rocks." The orange haired man thought he saw the teenager smile, but he must have been mistaken...
Pein brought the sledgehammer down slowly and stopped before he hit the floor. He glanced at his customer; the brown eyes staring and calculating, almost creeped him out. Pein cleared his mind of troubling thoughts and handed the sledgehammer back to the red-haired boy.
The owner of the store looked out the wide window of the store and noticed the rain. "Huh, you're pretty dedicated to go work out in the rain. Shame, it was so nice and sunny earlier today."
The red-haired boy didn't look out at the street. His eyes were glued to the sledgehammer he held. But he nodded and acknowledged the shop keeper, "Dedicated? Yes, I'd say so. This work is very important to me."