Kage No Densetsu

As dawn broke over the horizon, the group gathered once more for training under the guidance of Sensei Shidou. The air was crisp, filled with the promise of a new day.

"Good morning, everyone! I hope you all slept well," Sensei Shidou greeted, his voice warm and inviting.

Kimikage stifled a yawn, rubbing his eyes. "I sure didn't, Sensei," he admitted, his voice thick with fatigue.

Katakuichi approached him from behind, a knowing smirk on his face. "You stayed up the whole night, didn't you?"

Kimikage's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, how did you—"

"I can see it on you; it's plain as day," Katakuichi interrupted, his tone casual.

Just then, Nozomi joined them, her energy infectious. "Hey, boys!" she waved, a bright smile lighting up her face. "Are you ready for today?"

Kimikage perked up at the sight of her. "Hey, Nozomi! Did Sensei Gaki let you off for the day?"

Nozomi took a deep breath, her expression light. "Yeah, he didn't mind! He wants me to challenge myself."

Katakuichi, unfazed, turned his attention back to Sensei Shidou. "So, Sensei, what exercise are we doing today? I didn't catch it earlier because of…" He shot a teasing glance at Kimikage. "…the loud mouth?"

Kimikage protested, "Oh, come on! I'm not a loud mouth!"

Nozomi chimed in, a playful smirk on her lips. "Weeeell, I don't know about that, Kimikage."

"Oh, c'mon, no—" he started, but was cut off.

Sensei Shidou sighed, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Of course, I'm glad you asked, Katakuichi. Before I was so rudely interrupted, our next exercise is shadow construction."

Katakuichi raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What is that exactly, Sensei?"

"Well, by using shadow style and clearing your mind, you can construct anything you set your mind to," Sensei Shidou explained, a smirk playing on his lips.

Kimikage's eyes widened in amazement. "Anything?"

"Yes, Kimikage, anything," Sensei Shidou confirmed. "Now, shall we begin?"

Kimikage and Katakuichi replied in unison, "Yes!" Meanwhile, Nozomi, already familiar with the exercise, prepared to observe their performance.

"Katakuichi, would you like to start first?" Sensei Shidou asked, pointing at him.

Katakuichi nodded, his expression serious. "Just tell me how to start, Sensei."

"As we practiced before, clear your mind of negative thoughts and connect with your style as if it were a sentient being. Focus all your positive energy into constructing something," Sensei Shidou instructed.

"Alright, Sensei. Here we go," Katakuichi said, determination etched on his face.

He closed his eyes, trying to focus all his positive energy into creating a construct. A shadow began to build up, but as he concentrated, it flickered and faded.

"Again," Sensei Shidou urged.

Katakuichi tried once more, this time forming something that resembled a tiger. However, it ended up looking messy and distorted.

Kimikage couldn't help but laugh. "Is that supposed to be a tiger? Haha!"

Nozomi joined in, giggling playfully, though she meant no offense.

"Shut up! I'd like to see you do better, Kimikage!" Katakuichi shot back, his tone serious yet calm.

Kimikage glanced at Sensei Shidou, excitement bubbling within him. "Oh, oh! Can I try next, Sensei?"

"Go ahead," Sensei Shidou replied, gesturing for him to step forward.

Kimikage took a deep breath, channeling all his positive energy into the construct. He focused intently, and soon a small knife began to take shape. It grew and solidified until he finally succeeded.

"Hey, I did it!" he exclaimed, a wide grin spreading across his face.

Sensei Shidou clapped, his approval evident. "Good job, Kimikage!"

Katakuichi, feeling a twinge of jealousy, muttered, "How the hell did you do it, you brat?"

Sensei Shidou exchanged glances with Katakuichi. "Well, you see, Katakuichi, it's easier to start with smaller constructs rather than big ones. Start small, then work your way up to the larger ones. You can try again," Sensei Shidou advised.

Katakuichi nodded, determination flickering in his eyes. "C'mon, Katakuichi, you can do this. Don't embarrass yourself again. Show everyone that you can do it," he muttered to himself.

With renewed focus, he began again, clearing his mind of distractions. Minutes passed as he concentrated, and slowly, a shadow began to form. This time, he aimed to create a shield. As it took shape, the shadow flickered, but he pushed through, pouring all his positive energy into the construct. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he succeeded, though he was left breathless from the effort.

Kimikage rushed over, patting Katakuichi on the back. "Great job, Katakuichi! You did it!"

Sensei Shidou clapped his hands, a proud smile on his face. "Congratulations, Katakuichi! Now shall we move on to bigger shadow constructs?"

The group nodded eagerly, excitement buzzing in the air.

"Katakuichi, you start again. Clear your mind and focus all your positive energy into one big shadow construct," Sensei Shidou instructed.

Katakuichi took a deep breath, nodding as he began to form something larger. The shadow swirled around him, building up as he concentrated. It flickered dangerously, almost collapsing, but he pressed on, determined not to fail. Finally, he managed to summon a shadow demon, a dark and imposing figure that loomed before them. However, the effort left him gasping for breath.

Kimikage, feeling the pressure, decided to give it another shot. He focused hard, channeling his energy into forming a shadow construct. The shadow flickered and danced, but he remained steadfast. With a surge of concentration, he summoned a shadow wolf, its form sleek and powerful.

Katakuichi glanced at Kimikage's creation, impressed. "Cool," he said, his tone genuine.

"Uh, thanks, Katakuichi," Kimikage replied, a hint of pride in his voice.

Nozomi, her eyes sparkling with delight, knelt down to pet the shadow wolf. "Awww, who's a good boy? You are!" she cooed, showering the wolf with affection. "Have all the snacks you want!"

The wolf wagged its tail, clearly enjoying the praise, while Sensei Shidou joined in, chuckling. "Who's a good boy? You are!"

Kimikage, however, felt a twinge of annoyance. "Hey, knock it off, guys! He's supposed to be dangerous, not a cute toy!"

While Katakuichi continued to practice his shadow constructs, Sensei Shidou and Nozomi were busy lavishing attention on the wolf.

After a moment, Sensei Shidou turned back to the group, his expression serious yet encouraging. "Good job, both of you. You really are fast learners. Your shadow constructs will improve as time passes and the more missions you undertake."

"Now, for the next lesson, Nozomi is going to be your sparring partner. You will need to learn to work as a team and use teamwork to your advantage," he announced.

Katakuichi and Kimikage exchanged determined glances, both nodding in agreement. "Ready!" they said in unison.

Nozomi stepped forward, her expression playful yet focused. "Alright, boys! Show me what you've got!" she challenged, gesturing for them to attack.

Without hesitation, Katakuichi and Kimikage charged forward, each relying on their individual skills rather than coordinating their efforts. Katakuichi summoned a shadow creature, sending it lunging toward Nozomi, while Kimikage prepared a shadow knife to throw.

"Get her, Katakuichi!" Kimikage shouted, launching his knife.

But Nozomi was quick. She sidestepped the shadow creature and easily deflected Kimikage's knife with a flick of her wrist, sending it spiraling off course. "Nice try, but you'll have to do better than that!" she teased, her confidence shining through.

Feeling the pressure, Katakuichi decided to go all out. "I'll distract her! You hit her from the side!" he yelled, rushing in with his shadow creature.

However, in their haste, they failed to communicate effectively. Kimikage, thinking he had an opening, threw another knife, but it went wide, missing Nozomi entirely and hitting a nearby tree instead. The shadow creature lunged at Nozomi, but she easily dodged it, countering with a flurry of shadow tendrils that ensnared both Kimikage and Katakuichi.

"Ugh, this isn't working!" Katakuichi exclaimed as the tendrils wrapped around him, immobilizing him.

Nozomi released them, stepping back with a grin. "You guys need to communicate better! You can't just charge in without a plan

Katakuichi gestured for Kimikage to come closer, whispering a new strategy. "Let's try to coordinate our attacks this time. I'll summon my shadow demon again to distract her, and you can flank her with your wolf."

Sensei Shidou watched with a proud smile, muttering to himself, "Good, that's good… they're thinking strategically."

With renewed determination, Katakuichi began again, summoning his shadow demon. It surged forward, a dark mass of energy ready to engage Nozomi. Meanwhile, Kimikage summoned his wolf, directing it to circle around and disappear from Nozomi's line of sight.

"Now!" Katakuichi shouted, charging in with his shadow demon while Kimikage threw his shadow knives at her, running alongside the shadow demon.

Nozomi, caught off guard by the sudden onslaught, deflected some of the knives but was clearly overwhelmed by the combined forces attacking her. In a moment of desperation, she used a shadow repel technique, pushing them both back.

But she had forgotten about the wolf. As it reappeared from behind, it lunged at her, tackling her to the ground and licking her face playfully.

Alright, you guys got me! Great teamwork!" Nozomi laughed, clearly enjoying the moment.

Sensei Shidou clapped, his approval evident. "Great job, you two! And thank you, Nozomi, for being our guest for this exercise!"

As the lesson came to a close, Nozomi waved goodbye. "Thanks for the fun, guys! Back to training with Sensei Gaki for me!"

The trio watched her leave, their hearts lightened by the day's challenges and camaraderie.