Strength

A couple years later

Mizuki POV

"Huff Huff"

I wipe my sweat with the back of my hand as there was no breeze that passed by. The blazing sun looking down at us as I trained in the yard with Michikatsu.

"Mizuki." Sato-san called out to me as he walked over to me. I stopped my movement of my wooden sword and he looked at me sternly. "Yes?" I say out as I wipe some more sweat as it drips down my face.

"Go and get water like usual. I'll be sending you off now." Sato-san says at me as he takes the wooden sword away from my grasp. My eyes widen as I look at him and nod my head. "Okay." I say without much complaint and look up at the sky seeing that the clouds were passing by quickly and a small breeze picks up ruffling my hair.

I walk away from Sato-san and went to the back of the house to pick up the buckets and put the stick on my shoulders. "I'll be back." I say as I walk past the two males now in the household and Michikatsu nods his head as he glances at me. With a nod from Sato-san. "Be back before lunch." Sato-san says before I get out of the house.

I nod my head as I close the front gate to the house. I sigh out as I have to wipe the sweat that continues to fall down my face with my hazel eyes looking straight ahead. 'I guess I should get going.' I thought to myself as I adjusted the buckets on my back.

I picked up my feet and began running down the streets of town. "Hi Mizuki!" a young boy waved to me as he walked down with Mika-san. I smiled and waved at the two. "Hi!" I said back as I ran past them and pet the boy's head. I smiled fondly as he giggled and smiled as I did that.

"You off to get water now?" Mika-san asked me with a look of worry on her face as she looks up at the sky. I chuckle softly and nod my head. "Yes, don't worry about me. I'll be quick like always. I must be off Mika-san!" I say as I wave and start running again to the edge of town where there's a river and a forest on the other side of the river.

As I near the river I take the buckets and dunk them into the stream, filling them up. Once they were full, I attached them back onto the wooden stick that I carry it on. I bent down and hauled it up onto my shoulders. "Time to go." I tell myself as I wipe the sweat as it gets into my eye and I wince.

I adjust the buckets and head off back into the village as I run down the pathway thinking of when I first started to do this.

Flashback Years ago

"That's enough. You will prove to me that you are able to train and wield a sword. Your body is still to weak." Sato-san tells me. sternly says scanning over my body. He walks over to the side of the house and picks up two buckets and a stick that is used to fetch water.

He passes me the buckets. "Prove yourself before you train with us seriously. Fetch us water, come back and fill up the container over there. Fill it up till it is full. Finish it by noon." He tells me and points at the water container. I nod my head and walk out of the Tsugikuni household.

As I'm walking villagers that see me whisper and stare at me carrying the water buckets. One woman that was passing by stopped me and asked me a question. "Excuse me young miss, but why are you carrying the water buckets? That's a man's job." She questions me. I smile brightly at her. "Ah you see, a family took me in and I want to repay their kindness by doing some chores for them. I saw that they needed their water refiled so I took it upon myself to get some. Plus, I figured that I should become a little bit stronger now for later in the future." I tell her so that she won't question me further.

"Ah I see. Such a good girl. Your right, you need to be a bit stronger in the near future when you happen to give birth." She tells me matter of factly. I sweatdrop as she tells me this and my face gets a bit red. "I must be off, the river is a bit farther from here but it was nice talking to you." I say and bow at the lady.

'Birth!!!! Noo! I'm not gonna be doing that anytime soon, not even in the near future! Is this how it is in the olden times!!!' I scream in my head as a red hue covers my face. I hurridly make my way to the river and fill up the buckets. It adds at least 10 pounds onto my shoulders as I walk back. The walk from the river to the house was about 15 minutes with the water on my shoulders it would take me a bit longer.

I fasten my pace and look towards the sun. 'I still have some time.'

I finally back it back to the house and empty the buckets into the water bin and see that it needs couple more trips. 'Ahh it seems that he's testing my stamina and perseverance and commitment to this.' I think to myself. I close the lid and run back out to the river. I fill it up and walk at a faster pace back to the house and do it again one more time. I filled up the buckets at least 4 times.

The last trip to the river was done and I put the buckets back down where they belong. I huff and sit down on the ground. I close my eyes and sigh out. "I'm f-finally done." I open my eyes and met with a cup in my face. I take the cup and see Yoriichi standing there. I smile and drink the cold tea. I sigh out.

"Thank you Yoriichi-san!" I smile at him brightly. He nods his head and walks back to the porch. I get up and head over to Sato-san. He seems to have noticed my presence and nods his head. "Have you filled up the water container?" I nod my head. He then looks up at the sky and nods. "Yes, it seems that you have made it in time as well."

I smile slightly "Does that mean that I can still train?" I ask expectantly. He sighs and sternly looks down at me. "You will receive strict training, I don't care if you are a girl. You will follow through and if you can't meet my requirements then you're done. You need to do that every time I tell you. Expect it to be hard and you won't get any where with the sword if your weak and lacking." He tells me.

I nod my head understanding. Sato-san passes me a wooden sword. "Take this and swing it up and down like this 100 times." He tells me while showing what I was supposed to do. I take the wooden sword and do as I was told.

Flashback END

______

"I'm back." I say as I open the gate and close it as I walk past Sato-san and Michikatsu in the yard as I make my way to the back of the house where I dump the water into a large barrel which holds our water. The barrel is completely full after a two trips.

I place the buckets down and make my way back to Sato-san. "I finished getting the water." I say and he nods his head as he passes me a wooden sword.

I grab it and walk over to the training spot which I begin my swings again. A constant perfect form which I swing the sword up and down. And when I'm done with my reps, I change the form doing side swings.

From swings it goes on to Sato-san and our other teacher showing us new forms and positions as we take turns sparing him. As well as our teachers watching over Michikatsu's and I spare against each other.

This routine continued on and on. Sparing and practice. Water retrival and stretching. Running and exercise routines which Sato-san makes me do with Michikatsu doing some of them. Me doing late night practice when everyone is asleep with practicing concentration breathing.

Meditation and focusing on my breathing as I swing the sword down.

__________

Later on that night.

I close my door and walk down the hall hearing crickets chirping. I walk out of the building and head towards the back where I come to Yoriichi's old room. I stand in front of the small building which was far and detached from the house.

I slide the door open and look inside seeing it was just the way how he left it. A futon folded up in the corner of the room with a small lantern on the floor. A little drawer where he had his clothes in.

I take a deep breath in and out as I walk inside and close the door. As I walk in the little room, I sit down in the middle where I cross my legs and place the wooden sword down beside me.

I close my eyes and listen to the crickets and listen to the wind blow against the building. I take a deep breath in and fill my lungs. I hold my breath with the air filled in my lungs where I let it slowly out. I imagine a tranquil place where I see my friends and family from my world. I see their smiling faces with my brother running up to me.

My vision changes over as I look to the right seeing Michi-san and Tsugukini family. 'Protect....Live.....Get stronger...' I tell myself as I look at the people in my vision seeing them all on this plane.

'Become strong where you are bright to lead the way. Become silent where you can trick demons...Become something to help those who helped me and to get back to my family....Don't become useless, don't die...I have something to do here. And this is one step towards it.' I tell myself as I feel my lungs hurting and my heart beating out of my chest.

"Breath." I mumble out as I open my eyes where I'm doing concentration breath. I slowly stand up where I feel my lungs burn and parts of my body aching.

"Become stronger. Practice. Fight. Train." I say to myself and pick up my wooden sword as I open the door to the little room and leave.

'Breathing all this time, practicing all this. I have finally got the hang of it.' I determinedly think and look at the wooden sword in my hands.

I move my arms and swing down as I do reps while working on my concentration breathing. As I finish doing the reps I drop my arm down and close my eyes.

Bend my knees as I point the sword in front of me. 'Become faster. Become strong. Pave the way.' I think as I imagine a demon standing in front of me.

I move forward as I swing my sword down and move my body to where I imagine the demon attacking me. I move my feet swiftly as I lean back and forward swinging the sword to the side, above, below, and jabbing the sword out.

'Don't stop! Continue!' I scream and encouraging myself as I continue to swing and move my body swiftly. I take a jump and swing my sword where I imagine a demon's head being cut off.

As I imagine the head falling and the ashes like in the show, I open my eyes to see dust from the dirt which I created as well as the cold breeze blowing.

I stare at the wooden sword in my hand and pant feeling my whole body aching. 'I'm getting closer!' I think to myself with a smile. "Just you wait. I'll protect you!" I mumble to myself as I start walking to the training grounds to put the wooden sword back. Making my way back inside the house.

'You'll be happy! I promise you! Yoriichi! Michikatsu!'