Nathan and Hanzo had chosen a secluded clearing well away from the village for one final training session together. They had trained for the entire day without realizing how much time had passed. The hours slipped by in a blur of exchanged blows, corrections, and quiet instruction. Hanzo offered her last pieces of advice with the sharp precision of a true shinobi, and Nathan absorbed every word with focused intensity, refining each movement until the techniques sat cleaner in his body.
Only when the sun began to sink and the light turned gold and amber did they finally stop. Both of them were drenched in sweat, chests rising and falling hard, muscles trembling from the long hours of work.
"You're progressing at a frightening rate," Hanzo said, still slightly breathless. The familiar note of shock colored her voice. She had watched many students, but Nathan's ability to learn and adapt remained something else entirely. A true genius.
