After being scolded by Ryōkōjū, Tuziku used his traumatic memories to fuel his determination and summon the wind once more.
And finally—
FWOOOOSH!!
Powerful streams of wind surrounded Tuziku's body.
FWOOOO!!
"It seems you're finally starting to get used to summoning the wind, boy..." Ryōkōjū stroked his beard.
"Now... use it to blow all those leaves off the tree."
Tuziku stepped forward.
"Yeah!"
"That was my plan from the beginning...!" He clenched his fist.
Then—
Tuziku slowly raised his hand toward the tree.
"Heavy... Gust!"
FWOOOOSSH!!
FWOOOOOOO!!!
A strong gust of wind erupted from his hand, violently shaking the tree.
However, the leaves still remained in place.
Then—
A single leaf fell to the ground.
"Impossible..." Tuziku mumbled.
"Well..."
"That was a good try, boy!" Ryōkōjū said.
Tuziku gazed at his sweaty palm.
"That's obviously not how it's supposed to be done, but..."
"I learned something."
"It seems summoning a strong gust of air—the Heavy Gust attack—is a common ability that I unlocked upon connecting with the wind, since I was able to use it despite not unlocking a form," he explained.
Ryōkōjū's face brightened with a grin.
"Those are some impressive deduction skills, boy..."
"Indeed. Heavy Gust is a basic form of attack that anyone can use once they've successfully connected with the wind," he explained.
"But it's still not enough!" Tuziku stepped forward, clenching his fists.
"I need to keep trying until I can create an even more powerful gust of wind!"
FWOOOOO!!
Tuziku aimed his hand toward the tree.
Then—
FWOOOOSSH!!
A powerful gust of wind once again struck the tree.
However, once more, the leaves remained intact.
"Damn it!" Tuziku shouted as his frustration began to swell.
"I won't give up!"
FWOOOOO!!
Strong winds swirled around him.
"Heavy... Gust!"
FWOOOOSSH!!
The tree shook violently, but not a single leaf fell.
Tuziku panted rapidly as his frustration continued to grow.
"I won't give up... until I succeed!" His expression was filled with determination.
Tuziku spent the rest of the afternoon desperately trying to pass the test.
During that time, he failed miserably over and over again. But despite his lack of progress, he still refused to give up.
Ryōkōjū watched in silence as Tuziku desperately struggled in vain.
Until eventually, the sky began turning dark.
Grooowl...
"My goodness..." Ryōkōjū rubbed his stomach.
"We've both been so absorbed in your training that we forgot to eat lunch."
Groooowl!
Ryōkōjū's stomach growled violently.
I'm so hungry!
Besides, it's already getting dark...
"Tuziku!" He waved at him.
"It's already getting dark. Why don't we call it a day?"
FWOOOO!
"Damn it!" Tuziku clenched his teeth.
"It's already gotten dark, and I still haven't managed to pass this test!"
Damn it!
I'm still so weak...
He gazed at the palms of his hands with a sad expression.
"What're you doing, boy?!" Ryōkōjū shouted.
Tuziku lifted his head, locking eyes with the old man.
Ryōkōjū approached him.
"So much happened today that we both forgot about lunch!"
Grooooooowl!
He let out a nervous chuckle.
"Let's go have dinner already before I die of hunger!" Ryōkōjū shouted.
He walked off, heading back toward the village.
Tuziku slowly followed behind, still disappointed with his lack of progress.
A few minutes later—
Ryōkōjū and Tuziku returned to the house after spending the entire day outside the village.
"We're back!" Ryōkōjū shouted.
"Old man Ryōkōjū... and Tuziku!" Kutcher greeted them upon their arrival.
"You guys spent all day training outside the village. Did it go well?"
He turned toward Tuziku.
"How's your training coming along, Tuziku?" Kutcher asked.
Tuziku avoided eye contact and remained silent.
"What's up with him?" Kutcher turned toward the old man.
Ryōkōjū chuckled.
"Well... he's just a little upset because he didn't pass my test..."
"Although, it isn't one that can be passed in just a few hours..." The old man stroked his long beard.
"I see..." Kutcher replied.
Tuziku...
"Where is my granddaughter?!" Ryōkōjū shouted.
"She's in the kitchen preparing dinner," Kutcher replied.
Grooowl...
"Well, I better go see what's for dinner!" Ryōkōjū stormed off toward the kitchen.
A few minutes later—
Tuziku, Kutcher, Prīōra, and Ryōkōjū all sat at the table and ate dinner together.
During their dinner—
"My sweet granddaughter, your cooking has improved so marvelously that I could almost cry," said the old man as he stuffed his face full of meat.
"Thank you, grandfather," Prīōra replied.
She glanced over toward Tuziku, who sat just opposite her.
"So, Tuziku..."
"How's the training coming along?" she asked.
"It's okay..." Tuziku replied in a soft tone without making eye contact with her.
"What's with him?!" She turned to Kutcher.
He shrugged as he continued eating.
Suddenly—
"Geez..."
The old man scratched his head.
"Boy! How long do you intend to keep acting like this?!"
...
Suddenly, Tuziku stood up and left the table.
"I'm going to bed now," he mumbled as he walked off.
"What's going on, Grandpa?!" Prīōra shouted in confusion.
Ryōkōjū sighed.
"Your captain is having a difficult time passing the Form Revelation test..."
"And because of that, he's been in a bitter mood since we got back," he explained.
"Is that what's got him so worked up?" She chuckled.
"Hmm?" Kutcher gazed at her, his mouth stuffed with food.
"It seems he's underestimating the Hakashi Technique!" Prīōra grinned.
"Hmm..."
"You may be right, child..." said the old man as he stroked his long grey beard.
The next morning...
Just before sunrise—
Tuziku got up earlier than everyone else in the house.
Without waiting for Ryōkōjū, he left to continue his training.
However, Ryōkōjū was already awake and had already gone on his morning walk.
As he returned, he saw Tuziku leaving the house and secretly watched him from afar.
He thought to himself—
Boy...
I understand how you must be feeling...
You're just a kid, and yet... you've been through so much, and now you've set out to achieve something almost impossible!
The old man followed behind Tuziku.
Soon after, they arrived at the tree near the base of Mount Yakushi, where Ryōkōjū watched secretly in silence as Tuziku attempted the test once more.
Tuziku exhaled sharply.
"Clear your mind..." He closed his eyes.
...
Suddenly—
FWOOOOOSSH!!
A burst of powerful wind began surrounding Tuziku's body.
As Ryōkōjū watched in secret, he thought to himself—
Amazing...!
He's able to produce more wind than he could yesterday!
But suddenly—
FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
FWOOOOOOOSSSHH!!
Even more powerful gusts of wind began circulating around Tuziku's body.
"HEAVY—GUST!!!"
FWOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Powerful winds shook the tree violently, causing several dozen leaves to be blown away.
FWOOOOOOOSSHH!!!
The old man's jaw dropped as he witnessed the powerful display Tuziku unleashed on his second day of training.
Ryōkōjū clenched his fist and grinned passionately with excitement.
This boy...
Just how much is he going to surpass my expectations?!
CHAPTER 45 END