6. The Training Camp

By noon the next day, they arrived at the training camp inside Black Kanji Forest. The dense trees, primarily Black Kanji, gave the forest its name. 

Standing at the back of the group, Kanoru observed those who had come to train alongside him. They ranged in age from eight to fourteen years old. Scanning the camp, he noticed ordinary people and freshly cut Black Kanji logs gathered in piles. He concluded that this must have originally been a woodcutting camp, now repurposed for their training. 

A loud clap from the front caught his attention. A middle-aged man stood before them—his body strong and his presence commanding. 

"Attention, everyone! I would introduce you to each other, but we don't have that luxury. The vile Niwais have invaded, so my job is to train you and prepare you for war." 

He clapped again, and a man stepped forward with two open carriages full of axes. 

"Take an axe and cut down one Black Kanji tree before the moon rises. If you succeed, you'll earn dinner with meat from impure-blood beasts. If you fail, you'll eat the same food as ordinary people." 

His voice rang out sharply. "Start!" 

One by one, the group took an axe, walked beyond the camp, and chose a tree. Kanoru glanced at the samurai patrolling the perimeter, watching over them. Taking a deep breath, he positioned himself and swung the axe. 

A shockwave traveled up his arm from the impact. The blade barely left a gash in the tree. He exhaled, gripping the axe tighter. 

"If ordinary people can cut down these trees, so can I," Kanoru thought. "If I do it without opening the gates, it will be even more effective training." 

He kept striking the same spot on the tree for an hour before stopping to rest. His arms ached, and he examined his progress—he had cut about an inch into the thick trunk, which was nearly a meter wide. The deeper he cut, the harder it would become. He needed a more effective way. 

Then, he remembered the scroll about the sword path. The first realm taught me how to strike in a way that released a sword wind with each attack. 

"An axe is not a sword, but the principle should be the same," he thought. 

Adjusting his grip, he swung the axe like a sword, using his entire body's strength. He became fully immersed in the motion, losing track of time. 

He only snapped out of it when the tree groaned and began to fall—toward him. 

Reacting instantly, he dropped the axe and caught the massive trunk. Carefully, he guided it down, ensuring it didn't damage nearby trees or hurt anyone. 

A samurai approached and asked, "What is your name?" 

"Matshuda Kanoru," he replied. 

The samurai noted something on a scroll and said, "You can return to camp." 

Kanoru nodded and walked back as the sun dipped below the horizon. The camp had changed—tents had sprung up, forming a larger settlement. A central clearing stretched from the camp gate inward, now filled with others from his group. 

Most who had returned were older than twelve. Among them, Kanoru spotted Takenaka and Tasuo standing together and made his way toward them. 

Tasuo, noticing him, said, "You're late. I thought you'd be the first among us." 

Kanoru simply shrugged. "How long did it take you both to cut down the tree?" 

Tasuo replied, "Four hours." 

Takenaka said, "Around three hours." 

Kanoru knew that cutting down a tree that quickly was only possible if they had opened their gates. 

"You two opened your gates to cut down the tree," Kanoru stated. 

Takenaka raised an eyebrow. "You didn't?" 

"No, I didn't," Kanoru replied. 

Tasuo waved it off. "It doesn't matter. We weren't told not to open them." 

Kanoru turned to Takenaka. "Do you know the name of the training camp master?" 

Takenaka nodded. "Yes, my uncle, Mori Junzo. He's a higher-rank samurai, but since he's over forty, he was assigned to this camp." 

Kanoru nodded, understanding that strength usually stagnated after thirty and declined after forty—at least for those below the Divine Samurai rank. 

Their conversation shifted to the war, and soon, others from their age group joined in. As the sun fully set and the moon rose high, the master of the training camp, Master Junzo, appeared. 

At his presence, everyone fell silent. 

Two attendants followed him, carrying a box, which they placed on a table that had been prepared in advance.

Master Junzo said, "Form a line and step forward to collect your identification scroll. From now on, without it, you will not be allowed to enter or exit the camp, nor will you receive food." 

One by one, everyone received their scrolls. Inside, their names and tent numbers were written. 

Master Junzo continued, "Everyone aged ten and above successfully cut down a tree. As for those below ten, don't worry—you will still receive impure blood beast meat for a week." 

A wave of excitement spread among the younger children. 

Kanoru felt satisfied. Eating impure blood beast meat would accelerate his chakra growth, strengthening his body. 

But Master Junzo's next words quickly wiped away the excitement. "However, don't be too pleased. Those who succeeded today—only one of you truly passed the test. The rest of you failed." 

Tension replaced the earlier joy. 

"I said only one succeeded because none of you were supposed to open your gates to cut down a tree. The only one who followed this was Matshuda Kanoru. For this, he will receive double the portion of impure beast meat and a herbal liquid made from a 100-year-old ninjin. Matshuda, after your dinner, come to me for your reward." 

All eyes turned to Kanoru—some filled with jealousy, others with resentment. 

He ignored them. He was used to this reaction ever since his talent had been revealed four years ago. 

"Yes, Master Junzo." 

An hour later, after finishing his meal, Kanoru walked toward Master Junzo's tent. As he digested the impure blood beast meat, he could feel his chakra increasing slightly and his body growing stronger. 

"Participating in the competition was the right choice. If I hadn't become Lord Mori's retainer, I wouldn't have had access to these resources before being called to war. I need to take advantage of every opportunity to strengthen myself." 

Standing outside Master Junzo's tent, he called out, "Master Junzo." 

A voice responded, "Come in." 

Entering, he saw Master Junzo seated behind a table, a bronze drinking glass in front of him. 

Master Junzo gestured toward the drink. "Drink it." 

Kanoru nodded and began drinking. 

As he did, Master Junzo spoke. "Tomorrow, you must cut down two trees before sunset. If you succeed, the next day, it will be three trees, and so on, until you can cut ten trees in a single day. If you maintain that for a month, you will earn a potion made from a blood beast." 

Kanoru finished drinking. 

Master Junzo nodded. "Sit down and refine your chakra. The liquid will help heal your hidden injuries."

While Kanoru refined his chakra in another tent, four boys sat inside a different tent, resting on their beds on the ground. Among them were Takenaka and Tasuo, along with two older boys. 

One of the older boys asked, "Takenaka, I heard that the Lord wants to marry Lady Asune to Kanoru." 

The other boy nodded. "Yes, my father told me to befriend Kanoru after arriving here. He also mentioned that Lady Asune is learning how to make sweets from Kanoru's mother at their house." 

Takenaka replied, "If the war hadn't started, my sister would have already gone to his house. But now, she's in another camp for girls inside the forest." 

Tasuo clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palm in silent rage. 

His family, the wealthiest merchant family in Entori, had secured their status by aligning with the Lord. But their ultimate ambition was for him to marry Lady Asune. His father had instilled this goal in him since he was five, sending him to train as a samurai in the Lord's house at six. 

Unlike those from samurai families, he had lived in the servant quarters, while his sister had been sent as a maid to Lady Asune. 

At first, he had only seen it as a duty—to fulfill his family's plan. But after meeting Lady Asune repeatedly over the years, he had fallen in love with her. He had come to think of her as his. 

This war was his only chance to prove he was stronger and better than Kanoru. 

Closing his eyes, he drifted into sleep, his mind consumed by the thought of surpassing Kanoru.