Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Sanju ichi, Sanju ni..."

Kenjirou was also sitting up to the left and right, as well as to the center. To work as many abdominal muscles as possible. It was not long before he began to feel the stressing burn of his muscles being worked. Like fire working through each strand of muscle in his stomach. Kenjirou did not think about it. He did not ignore nor deny the burn, but instead simply let it be. Not focusing on it, not devoting more stress to it. It burned yes, but not quite as badly as it would were he to devote all of his attention to over coming his weakness.

"Hachi ju san, Hachi ju shi..."

Kenjirou did not allow himself to stop. He simply kept going. At about one hundred and ninety nine, sweat trickled down his forehead. His well toned body glistened in the forest sunlight, perspiration reflecting the warm light.

At about one thousand, Kenjirou finally allowed himself to stop. He put the rock over his head, letting out several long sighs. He lay for a moment, staring out into the sky, but not for long. The longer he hesitated, the harder it would be to work.

Kenjirou rolled over, placing his hands on the rock, and began to do his push ups...

Now, for the legs. Kenjirou stood, his arms feeling much similar to jelly. His stomach felt like it had acid poured on it. But he did not mind such things. He reached down, picked up the rock, and lifted it above his head.

Kenjirou performed squats, lowering the rock with his legs and lifting it above his head as he rose up again. Kenjirou felt that one should balance out their strengths in the body, and he needed to work on his legs more. His legs were probably the weakest part of his body.

In his youth, he had focused on a single thing: Defeating his father. All of his hatred and all of his anger had been focused on that one thing alone. So much, that he had neglected his mothers love. He cared for his mother, but in his malice, the pain inside of him became everything. He felt he was doing it to defeat his father, but he was only becoming a servant to his suffering. He believed he was doing the honorable and right thing by killing his father, when he only brought destruction and shame upon his house. Honor and bravery were simply foolish when they blinded one from the effective path.

If ones honor compromised their chances at victory it is foolish. If ones courage only brings about havoc and destruction upon others, it is stupidity. Though one cannot be without fault. There is not a day when one does not make a mistake. This is not an excuse to be as weak as one wants, but if one makes effort to do things in the right of mind, even their mistakes can be with benefit. For one can truly learn, then. And should the right descion be made in the right of mind, then good shall come of it.

It is impossible to eliminate desire from the body, the body IS desire. But if one can find that purer virtue within all of us, then even the act of murder can be made in the right of mind.

Kenjirou finally stopped at 300 squats, lowering the rock and wondering what to do next...

It was now time, Kenjirou decided, for some more strength training. He grabbed his things, but stayed topless. He approached a nearby tree, placing all of his belongings under it. Looking up at the tree with his arms crossed, Kenjirou gaged how difficult it would be to climb up the trunk. He would use no Chakra what so over, only his muscles.

He nodded, setting his goal for the lowest branches. That should be challenge enough to climb.

Kenjirou sprang at the tree with a nimble leap, wrapping his arms and legs around the trunk before crawling as well as he could up the rough trunk. While it didn't take him long, there was also the issue of getting back down.

So he came down as well, then went up the tree again. But farther. Then down, then up again but even farther than the last time.

Kenjirou repeated this process till he had gotten to the very top of the tree, then back down again. After brushing the bark off of himself, he contemplated what to do next...

Kenjirou figured out what to do next quickly. He gathered his things, and returned to the tree he had been climbing earlier. Setting his things down, he searched, and eventually found a sturdy stick. He refused to disrespect his katana by using it for this step of the work out. So instead, he used the firm stick,

And proceeded to raise it above his head and strike the tree.

"YAHH!!"

He let out a kiai with each hit, taking time to make sure each and every hit was perfect. Without letting it distract him, though. It woulden't be to long before his palms began to bleed, despite all of the callouses his skin had endured. Regardless, he continued.

Fortunately, the stick never broke. He had been sure to find a stick that would not break under the amount of pressure he was putting it under. He continued to do this, for another hour. Kenjirou was very, very tired at this point but was not satisfied. He would continue to work, till he could work no more.

Kenjirou felt he did not have much strength left in his arms. But it did not take long for him to figure out what to do next.

Using the same branch as he had before, Kenjirou nimbly leapt up onto the branch, curling his legs around it. The end result being, Kenjirou hanging from the tree upside down. He crossed his arms over his chest, then began to perform upside down crunches.

This was by far one of the most excruciating forms of exercise Kenjirou could perform, after about 50 he felt as if he were about to hurl. He was already drenched with sweat from all of his previous exercises.

Kenjirou lowered himself from the tree at last, after at least 100 of these painful crunches. The obvious question now,

was what next?

It was time to cool off. Kenjirou grabbed his sword, put it at his side, and went through all of the katas he had gone through last time, 10 times each. Slowly though, as to let his tired body relax itself. It was only after a work out like this did Kenjirou feel a deep content. He was exhausted, but he felt good, too. Not joyous, just peaceful.

He was done now. He gathered up his clothing, put his keiko gi back over his shoulders, sliped on his Haori and made sure his hand was on his sword. Kenjirou left the forest, intending to return home and have a bath, then a nap.

Kanti sighed lightly, reaching into the back pouches once again he pulled more shuriken from them, as he got them out he leapt back and began to throw the shuriken one by one from his fingers aiming at the one point in the tree he had focused on from before. After letting fly one group from his hand he set his feet on a tree as he spun his body and flung the last of the shuriken out. All the way less struck outside targets but he was still far from getting the hang of long range for having not used it in so long.