"While we wait for Ken Chan wake up, why don't you tell us what you did, Jack San." The Elder asked curiously. "None of us have seen that technique before."
"It was something I taught myself while studying with the Shaolin Monks. We spent much time in meditation, learning how to build and release our Ki. I learned how to control my Ki far faster than anyone else, and was already able to sense who someone was at the time others just started to release their Ki." He explained, "The Shi Tai Ye of the temple said that I was different than the other students, and showed me that unlike others who have their own Ki, I draw my Ki from Nature. It was why I was always able to adapt so quickly, fight much longer, and always more adept to use my Ki."
"But would that mean that your Ki is unlimited?" Sakaki asked
"No, far from it. In fact, if I do not take the time to build it up, I have far less Ki than most Martial Artists of lower classes. It takes more time to let it build and gather. However, I can build my Ki while I fight, unlike others, and it takes less to fight. It also is almost undetectable by most Masters, as it is the Ki of the Earth, and not of any human."
"Unless you take the time to build it up." Akisame interjected. "We do not detect it because it is like still air, present all around us and unmoving. We grew up feeling it, so unless something changes it, we do not notice anything. But when you release it, it is like a sudden gust of wind, catching our attention."
"Exactly. Even so, most inexperienced fighters ignore it." Jack agreed. "Anyway, when I found out what it was, I had to teach myself how to use it. The Shi Tai Ye was able to offer advice, however even he was not able to teach me. But because it was not truly my own Ki, as I have none, I was able to read other people's Ki far more accurately than anyone else."
"But how does that work?" Miu asked, "What would be the difference?"
"Picture your Ki like your own body." Akisame explained, "If you closed your eyes, and held a friend's hand, you would most likely be able to tell who that friend was, especially if you constantly held that person's hand. But if you held a stranger's hand, you would not know anything about them, because the feeling and limitations of your own body would get in the way. Now imagine if your body was made out of the air. You would be able to feel every detail of their hand when you enveloped it, down to their fingerprints."
"Oh, I see!" Miu exclaimed, "So it is like you were able to read the fingerprints of Kenichi's spirit!"
"Yes." Jack answered. "In many ways, I now know him better than anyone else. However, I still do not know much at all. I only know his emotions, and fighting abilities. I do not know the sort of things only a close friend would know about him, like the food he likes, or the sort of things he would say in a conversation."
"Whu… What happened?" Kenichi's sing-song delusional voice interrupted. "Am I dead?"
"Looks like he is ready to train again!" Kensei said happily. "He is all yours, Jack." Immediately, they all went back to their spots on the porch where they were watching before. Sakaki curling hand weights, Akisame writing something with an ink brush on a scroll, Apachai kicking a tree trying desperately not to break it, and Kensei reading a book. The Elder seemed to have disappeared, and Shigure he sensed on the roof for some reason.
Well I guess the conversation is over now. The samurai thought to himself. Looking down at the now quickly recovering boy, he noticed that Miu was still holding his head, stroking his hair.
"I'm sorry about them. " She smiled up at him. "They are more interested in his training than anything else, and they are also really looking forward to seeing your training style. It was all they were talking about earlier. I think Shigure was especially looking forward to seeing another Weapon Master's swordsmanship."
"Well they are going to be disappointed then." He answered. "Whereas I am a Samurai, and will teach him Bushido, I do not believe that I will ever get him to use a weapon. And he seems proficient in weapons defense. Right now, he would benefit best from spiritual lessons rather than physical ones. Perhaps she would not mind a sparring match later." He said the last part while looking at Miu, but he was truly speaking to the woman lounging on the rooftop. She opened her eyes lazily and rolled over, on her side facing the Samurai, and stated to feed rice to her mouse. "Well we should not waste any more time." Jack said suddenly, changing the subject. "Come Kenichi, it is time for your training."
Kenichi was still quite weak, but was able to walk, and speak properly, so he did not have a problem continuing his training, especially after he heard that there would be no physical aspect. "Yes, Sensei!" he got up quickly and followed the Samurai out the front gate. "Ummm, Master Jack, Where are we going?" He asked once they were a few blocks away.
"Somewhere it is easy to get into a fight." Jack said simply.
"But you said that we would be working on spiritual stuff! Not physical!" Kenichi exclaimed, rather upset that he had been tricked.
"We won't be doing any fighting." Jack answered, leaving Kenichi confused, before adding, "As long as you do everything correctly.
They stopped at a coin shop where Jack convinced the clerk to buy his future currency for the straight metal price before spending several minutes wandering around what Kenichi remembered to be somewhere near the underground boxing arena, where Jack finally entered a bar. Jack felt bad about what he was about to do, it was not at all in his character, and was extremely morally questionable, but it would hopefully teach the boy a valuable skill. "Master Jack, What are we doing here? This is no place for you to take a minor!" Kenichi yelled, but followed him in anyway. The Samurai was used to places like this; He had stopped in far worse places in his travels through the future. In fact, this place –which by most people's standards would be considered to be extremely dangerous- was church compared to some bars Jack had sat in.
Despite his odd appearance, and the fact that a minor was accompanying him, No one said anything to Jack. He walked up to the bar silently, sat down and asked the bar tender for some hot water. When it was brought to him, he pulled some dried leaves out of his pocket, and dropped them in the water, stirring it around with a spoon. He did not speak to Kenichi until his drink was ready, looking at the boy, he saw him to be shaking, and gripping the edge of the bar as hard as he could. "This is a bad place, Master Jack! We need to get out of here!" He stammered nervously.
"Kenichi." He spoke finally, "Do you know the English word, 'Meek?'"
"N-No. I don't." he answered, extremely confused. Why was this man talking about random English words right now?
"Its' meaning is commonly misunderstood for weak or submissive. However it is quite the opposite." Jack stood up suddenly, bumping into a very large man who was carrying two mugs of beer, which spilled all over himself. The man looked like a very stereotypical American biker, complete with studded leather jacket, bald head, and tattoos covering his muscular body. He turned in a flash, dropping the now empty mugs, letting them shatter on the ground, and grabbed Jack by the front of his Dougi.
"Watch it punk!" the man yelled in Jack's face, "I ought to make you pay for that!"
Even in the face of such hostility, Jack remained calm, and smiled, "My deepest apologies, Friend. It was an accident. Here, let me buy you another round to replace those two."
The man squinted at him, still not satisfied with the result, "What about my shirt, huh? It's ruined because of you. Normally, I'd make you give me yours, but I don't wear dresses."
Jack continued smiling, "It is still fresh, if you go now, you can rinse the alcohol out in the bathroom. I will even buy you an extra drink while you are gone." The shirt was far from ruined. It could have waited a year before being washed, and would have been fine. But Jack ignored this. He was trying to prove a point to his Disciple.
The man held him for a few more seconds, before dropping him, and laughing. "How about you buy a round for my table, and we will call it even. Huh, little man?"
Jack looked around the room, and saw a table with four other men dressed the same as the man in front of him, "That seems fair. " Jack said, continuing to smile.
"Good. Hey boys! This Lady here is going to buy our next round of drinks!" they all laughed while the man went to the bathroom to rinse off his shirt.
Jack turned to the bar tender and ordered the five drinks for the table, and two extra to replace the ones the man spilled. He paid the Bartender, and he and Kenichi left as quietly as they came. "That was close!" Kenichi exclaimed as soon as they left the bar, "I thought for sure he was going to kill you!"
The samurai arched his eyebrow at the boy. "Do you think any of those men could have stood against your masters?"
"No, they wouldn't have had a chance." Kenichi said without hesitating.
"Then they would not have had a chance against me, either." Jack said solemnly.
"Then why did you let them bully you like that!?" Kenichi asked, "It was not your fault, you should have defended yourself!"
"Remember what I said about Meekness?" Jack asked. Kenichi nodded, prompting him to continue. "Meekness is not weakness. It is controlling the power you have, and knowing when to use it. It is the most valuable thing a Martial Artist can have. Just because You can win a fight, does not mean you should fight at all. I think you have some experience with this, but not enough. You need to learn how to avoid violence in any situation, and only consent to fighting when you believe you need to. The peaceful path is always the one you need to pursue."
"Y-You did that on purpose!" Kenichi yelled at him, "You set that up! You made him spill his beer deliberately!"
Jack frowned slightly. "Yes. I did. Although I took no pleasure in it. Just as I do not take any pleasure in this." Before Kenichi could ask what he meant, Jack grabbed him by the collar, and threw him into another bar, making sure to knock down as many tables as he could aim for. "My apologies, young one." He spoke calmly to the empty alleyway.
Not quite what most of you were expecting, I don't think. Also quite Out of Character for Jack, but then again, he has never had a Disciple before, so no one can really say what he would do in that situation, except maybe Mr. Tartakovsky. In any case, I feel sorry for Kenichi.
I am not happy with My Ki explanation, but whatever. It is what it is.
art/True-masters-356043860 Something I did today if any of you are interested.
Also, it is kind of funny how people stopped asking questions when I said I would start answering them. weird.