Tanran's Strength Training

Tanran's father Saisho had finally enrolled him in Kumogakure's Ninja Academy, which meant he had lived up to his base standards. Being his only current son, he wanted to get him going at a young age, which happened to be 10 years old. His father had taught him that extensive training is what creates the ultimate shinobi, so as soon as Tanran set foot in the Academy, it was straight to the training grounds for him. Saisho recommended that Tanran visit the open dome training ground that he himself trained his strength at as an Academy Student. He was never one to disobey his strict father, so this was his first visit of all training areas.

As Tanran walked up to the entrance of the dome he noticed that it was missing a roof, as his father had told him. Thick clouds polluted the sky, as per normal in Kumogakure. They don't call it the village hidden by clouds for no reason. The walls of the dome were degraded and dotted with holes from what seemed to be endless training from various generations. All plant life seemed to be at a stand still, maybe due to the training performed, or the inadequate sunlight from the over watching clouds. Various size rocks and other heavy objects littered the group, which showed that Tanran's father was correct about this being the best place to train one's strength as an Academy Student. Which object or size rock was to be lifted and thrown first, was the first idea that popped into his head.

A boulder, a rock about his size, a rock half his size, a cart on wheels loaded with a bunch of heavy objects and rocks or a thick stump with endless chopping marks with a large axe beside it were some of the many options this training ground boasted. The thick stump and large axe were the first to be chosen, as Tanran believed this would be the most entertaining of the choices from which he had to train his strength. As he approached the stump, he noticed it getting larger as the distant between them decreased. The stump was much larger than first thought, about half of Tanran's height. The axe resting beside the log had to weight a good 50 or 60 lbs as he had a decent amount of trouble lifting it up to his shoulder.

There are many factors to splitting wood with an axe, which Tanran remembered from his father's often lectures on every aspect of life. First is to look for lines to split the log from and avoid all knots. As Tanran began searching for such lines, he could find none, but a bunch of intertwined knots. He knew he was in for a bunch of shit from his father, who was probably watching from a nearby tree or rooftop, if he did not even attempt to split this large stump. Instead of complaining about his current situation, Tanran assumed a neutral stance, with his feet placed at about shoulder width. Slowly the heavy axe was pulled straight above and beyond his head before coming crashing down on the stubborn stump with all his might. This was opposite of usual log splitting technique, as it is said that one should let the weight and momentum of the axe do the work instead of brute strength, but Tanran is easily aggravated and this was not a normal log.

Repeatedly, over the next few hours he performed the same motions attempting to split this unforgiving brute of a log. Although Tanran left large gashes in this stump, he could not split it, so he decided it was best to choose another type of strength training. His body was sore from the consistent attempts at chopping the stump, but he knew without pain there would be no gain, so he chose to work with the rock about half of his own size. The Keitoku's are not ones known for wasting time, so as soon as Tanran reached this rock he bent his legs and waist following with a solid grip with a hand on each side, palms facing upwards. With a swift movement his legs and torso became straight and the rock was completely above his head. With a slight bend of the legs and another powerful thrust, Tanran launched the boulder across the training ground. Again and again he would complete this cycle until his body was shaking immensely from the consecutive training of this day.

When heading for the exit of the dome to retrieve his shirt and towel, his father Saisho quickly appeared. Just as he had thought from the beginning, his father had been watching from the rooftop of a nearby building or a close tree branch. Regardless of the hiding spot, Saisho had been there for his son's whole training, and was quick to congratulate him on his first training in the Academy's dome. Of course this came with criticism on how he should have worked through the shakes and made the training a few hours longer and the lot. Tanran shook this off and thanked his father for his kind words before again reaching for his shirt and towel. Tanran dried the dirt and sweat from his body with his towel before putting his shirt back on. The once white towel then appeared brown and soggy which he and his father both laughed at.
Contrary to Tanran's believe that the training was over for the day, his father began sprinting to their home which had to be about a mile and a half away. Whenever his father started a race, it was best to catch up if you could not win, unless you didn't mind missing dinner. Normally, this would be an easy feat, but due to his consecutive hours of training, his body was worn out. Maybe it was the will of god, but somehow Tanran caught up with his father and got to enjoy a hearty meal. Soon after, he retreated to his room where he quickly fell asleep after a long day of hard work.

Word Count: 1018
Character Count: 5550
+5 Strength

Approved