The sun had risen for only a few moments before he rose. Springing out of bed, Takeshi headed straight for Kazuo, thinking that the quicker he got the old man out of bed, the quicker he could start his training. To his surprise, he found the room empty, with no trace of the old master anywhere, even the furnace had gone dark, a few embers clinging to life in the cold morning air.
"Did I dream it? Was this just another fantasy of mine?" Takeshi thought to himself, puzzled at the sudden absence of the swordsman.
He swung the door open and peeked outside, shuddering at a frigid gust of air. The village was empty, the only thing visible being the smoke billowing from huts trying their best to stay warm, Takeshi was confused but no less determined. So, in nothing more than his favorite blue kimono, he took off in search of the man he was sure had been more than just a figment of imagination. He combed through the square, scoured the garden, and even checked in the well, somehow imagining looking down to see the one bright eye looking back at him. After a fruitless search, Takeshi figured his last-ditch effort would be to look near the hill outside the village, though he saw no reason for the old man to visit the pond, nor did he think it was possible for him to even know it existed. After all, Kazuo had mentioned he had merely been passing by, talking about an abode in the mountains of Kiigawa where he had lived most of his life. As he made his way to the hill, he wondered what he would do if the man had been merely a dream, a wave of disappointment washing over his face as he longed for the opposite. His rumination was interrupted by a peculiar sight, something very peculiar was happening at the pond ahead. From a distance, it was hard to discern, but Takeshi was sure that he saw steam rising from the water. This seemed impossible, as it was the middle of winter, patches of snow still lingering in the grass, and there was no way the water would be warm enough to emit steam. Takeshi quickened his pace, feeling a burning sense of hope, praying that his eyes were not deceiving him. As he approached, he gasped at what was waiting for him, the sound of water rippling under the movement of something within.
"Join me young Yoshiaki, the water feels great this morning. There's no better way to awaken your body than through a pleasant soak," Kazuo said brightly, squinting his one good eye in the sunlight.
Pleasant was the last thing that came to mind when thinking about getting into the pond, Takeshi was still in shock that he had not been dreaming. Now, he may have wished he had been.
"I don't…" he started but quickly decided to table his questions and simply follow the old man's request. He had tried to rationalize long enough and his head began to hurt with all the stimuli. Takeshi shivered his way to the edge of the pond, stepping slowly onto the shallow bank as he inhaled sharply. The water felt as though kunai had dug into his skin, the cold shocked his body into a state of awareness, and he began to shake violently.
"Quicker now, no use waiting for each small fraction of your body to suffer individually, you cannot prolong it much longer," Kazuo said, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.
Takeshi glanced at the old master, he was still in awe at the fact that thick clouds of steam rose from his skin as he waded to his waist in the middle of the pond. Takeshi took one long look at his arms, now covered in goosebumps, then reluctantly leaped to the middle of the pond. His senses felt as though they had been hit with a sledgehammer, his lungs contracted and it suddenly felt as though breathing had become impossible. Takeshi struggled to move his arms and legs, suddenly becoming aware that he could no longer keep his head above water. He began to panic, but just as his head dipped beneath the water level he felt a warm hand pull him upright. Master Takahashi pulled Takeshi to his eye level and then placed a hand on his chest.
"Control your breathing, you cannot recover without bringing yourself to harmony," he said firmly. "Take a deep breath in and hold it in your lungs, let it burn inside you, spreading to all your extremities."
Takeshi took a deep breath, aided by the warmth of the old man's hand, his lungs filled with icy air and he had to repress a cough. After his lungs were taught, he held the air inside, feeling his blood pressure rise as his eyeballs felt as though they might bulge out of his skull. His body screamed for him to let go, to expel the air from his lungs and gather more oxygen. Takeshi held firm, his vision beginning to fade as he felt his heart thump slower and slower. He suddenly became less aware of the cold, and more aware of his situation, was he going to die here? In the middle of a pond with a steaming old man in the dead of winter?
"Release it!," Kazuo said powerfully. Takeshi suddenly snapped back to life, expelling all the air in his lungs with a dramatic cloud of steam.
"Hold!" the master said just as powerfully. So Takeshi held, feeling his heart beating in his neck, once again losing his vision to the vignette creeping across his surroundings. The old man kept this up for the next 20 minutes, commanding Takeshi to breathe, hold, release, hold, and then start the brutal cycle all over again. Takeshi felt as though he might collapse his lungs, the exercise moving his muscles in ways they had never been asked to before now. After a time, however, he was able to open his eyes, then he nodded at his master's instruction and even began to slowly feel his fingers again. In another 10 minutes, Takeshi was standing alongside Master Takahashi with nothing more than a slight tremble in his muscles. He had forgotten all about the cold, his mind was empty except for the three words that had echoed across the hills for nearly an hour now. He once again closed his eyes, focusing on his breath and trying to obey the commands he heard. He noticed that with each breath, a warmth filled his body as if he was a lantern being lifted by a flame. He felt his extremities tingle, the abundance of oxygen causing them to twitch and soften. For once, he felt comfortable, something he had never believed possible and even considered once again that he had reverted to a sort of dream. After another long moment, he opened his eyes once again, his breathing feeling natural and controlled, though the verbal commands had ceased a while ago. To his surprise, he found that Kazuo was no longer beside him, the old man instead now rested on the bank across from Takeshi, a cup of tea in one hand and a smile on his face.
"You look warm, nice day out is it not?" the old man chuckled, taking a sip of the tea. Takeshi was once again without words, he noticed how much steam was rising from his skin, he could not feel the water but yet he was so aware of his body.
"How am I?… Did you?... Where'd the tea come from?" Takeshi asked in rapid succession. The old man once again smiled, taking another long sip.
"Oh did you not see? Your mother brought it here after she woke, she was worried about you. She even called out to you," he said in a calm tone. "I assured her that you were safe and though I don't think she fully understood, she brought some tea and sat for a while."
Takeshi did not remember hearing or seeing his mother, it felt as though he had just stepped into the water a couple of minutes ago. He stumbled his way to the bank, pulling his wet kimono from his skin as he rose from the water. He knelt next to the master, still steaming and feeling the warmth still coursing through his body.
"Young Yoshiaki, what you just learned is an ancient breathing technique that will help you in many more ways than just taking cold baths," Kazuo said gazing at the sun that had now risen to show midday. "You took to Total Concentration Breathing quite quickly, you've taken your first steps to become a swordsman."
"Really? That's amazing Master Takahashi… Thank you, I don't know how to thank you enough sir. I really really appre-" Takeshi was cut short.
"Slow down, slow down, you're still learning and I don't want you to pass out on the first lesson," Kazuo grinned, taking another sip of tea. "Besides, I've never had a student thank me for putting them into a freezing pond in the middle of winter, I don't have many firsts at my age but you're full of surprises young one."
Takeshi took the praise and turned it into a beaming smile, he can't help but feel content when he gets praised, he loves acknowledgment though he never asks for it.
"Let's keep going, lesson two! When do I get to use your sword? Let's train more! More!" Takeshi said, springing to his feet, the wet kimono dripping water on the stones below. Kazuo chuckled and scratched his head, continuing to look forward.
"Easy does it, child, besides, you have a long way to go with Total Concentration Breathing before you can even raise a sword. This breathing will become the basis for all you learn, you have to trust a wise old man like me, I didn't get this platinum hair from sitting around and staring at a wall you know," Kazuo said, gesturing to his hair now tied back in a ponytail.
"Did you get it soaking in freezing ponds?" Takeshi asked seriously.
Takahashi smiled wide, turning to face the young pupil and placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I do love a soak kid, you got me there, but I think the cold water makes me more youthful don't you think? I can feel the wrinkles going away already," the master said with a bright tone. Takeshi was confused, but he didn't care, he liked listening to Takahashi. Throughout his life, he was always talking, rambling on about anything and everything that came to mind. His father would jest that the only time Takeshi was quiet was when he was sleeping, or when he was listening to the mourning doves he loved so much. Like the doves, Master Takahashi commanded the young man's attention, savoring every word out of his mouth. He wanted to be just like the master when he got older, the strength and kindness he displayed instantly the focus of his attention, studying his every move as if the way he sipped tea would somehow unlock the ability to command flames at will.
"Come on now kid," Kazuo said gently, getting to his feet and gesturing toward the village. "Your mother is waiting, and I must be getting on my way. Besides, your mother mentioned that your father will return today, you must want to greet him."
At the sound of that, Takeshi sprung to his feet and raced down the hill, the sounds of wet silk whistled through the air as he nearly tumbled his way to the village, ignoring his drenched body and all the obstacles ahead. Kazuo watched as the boy sprinted with all he had as if this was the first and last time he had ever been able to use his legs. Every so often, the boy's bright blue eyes would dart back at the hill, meeting the master's gaze. Kazuo watched, content, and wiped a tear from his cheek as he started on his own down the hill, knowing the conversation ahead of him was going to be challenging, but his anxiety quickly faded as he once again watched the bright young man skip his way back to his home.