Seiko made a wide circle around the dojo, surveying the weapon racks carefully. She'd never really thought about fighting beyond the basics, beyond just using her paws and her teeth, but she supposed maybe she ought to start. None of the weapons really spoke to her, though they were all intriguing in their own rights. There were long, curved swords that looked difficult to wield; her gaze fell on a flail of sorts after a long moment, something with a leather handle and an assortment of long leather strands that seemed to serve as a whip. None of it really interested her all that much, but studying them did get her mind whirling. Thinking would only do her so much good though. A fight would be much more worthwhile. Spinning around on the tatami mats, the girl raised her head high and called for her sister Hinata. They hadn't had a chance to properly spar, and surely she was around and willing? Reclining after a moment she sat and waited, patient but hoping she'd arrive sooner rather than later.

Akito was on his way to the dojo to practice alone when a call from Seiko rang out. Though the request was not for him personally, he wondered if she might take him up for a spar. Going against someone with more experience might do her some good. He thinks to himself as he continues to follow the bamboo corridors until they lead him to the location of the dojo. Glancing around the tatami mats, he spies Seiko in the middle without a weapon. It wasn't uncommon for wolves to not use weapons, but the bamboo staff across his shoulders made it obvious what he preferred. Using practiced steps to walk nearly silently across the mats toward the young wolf, he motions with his muzzle toward the variety of weapons positioned off to the side. "Do you wish to practice with one?" Akito questions as his gaze lingers on Seiko, mildly curious to see what she'd choose.

Seiko waited, as patiently as ever, but her sister never came. Strange - it wasn't like her to ignore a call. It wasn't really like any of her family, really, so she had to assume that Hinata just had other plans. Maybe she'd taken a trip away from Tojo-Kai's lands for the day. Brow furrowed slightly as she waited still, studying the walls of the dojo thoughtfully. It seemed she wouldn't be without an opponent, even if Hinata hadn't shown up. Akito approached and suggested she might want to practice with one of the weapons here. Barely able to contain the way her nose wrinkled, she hesitated for a long moment before making a decision on how to proceed. "I'd be happy to," she lied, only a little stiffly. Respect for elders was something she'd been taught, and she wouldn't stray from those teachings... even if Akito wasn't all that much older than her. Showing she was willing to learn was good look, too. She couldn't pass up the opportunity, even if she was a little disappointed she wasn't trying to beat her sister down into the tatami mats. Ah, well. Maybe trying one of these weapons wouldn't be so bad. Reaching high, she grabbed a similar-looking staff off one of the walls. It was smaller than Akito's but she hoped that meant it'd be easier for her to handle. "Could you walk me through using it?" She wasn't sure she'd be comfortable jumping into a fight without a short moment to practice beforehand.

As stoic as ever, Akito is patient with Seiko. His expression is mild, unchanging as her nose wrinkles and she stiffly lies about wanting to use a weapon. He can’t tell she’s actually lying, but something about her face tells him that Seiko isn’t terribly excited about it either. Perhaps he finds it a tad amusing that she is trying to fit all the nooks and crannies that have been placed upon her. Though it is easy for him to slide into the role of Hattori’s son, he can’t imagine or believe that all eleven of his actual pups would be the same. Did Seiko not want to be her own wolf? His mind rolls around these thoughts as Seiko turns to consider the weapon selection. When she chooses a short staff from the wall, his head cants slightly. Her question leaves him nodding in agreement before he turns to slip the staff from the shoulder holster strapped to him. “I will thow you more than thalk,” Akito says, an awkward grimace showing on either side of his muzzle with the staff still in maw. Stepping back so that there is ample space between them, Akito looks to Seiko, nodding once more before beginning his demonstration. Setting his paws slightly wider part to balance his weight and bending his legs so that his center of gravity is slightly lower to the ground, he waits for her to match his stance. “Firsth, you will wanth to geth used to the weighth of the staff,” he says then moves his head slowly to the left until the end of the staff is touching his thigh. Slowly moving his head around and to the right until it touches his other thigh, he does that a few times before stopping to watch Seiko. “We starth here to find where we needth to hold it,” Akito explains, giving Seiko time to adjust and test out of the staff and its weight.

Maybe she doesn't proceed excitedly, but Seiko doesn't really face most things with anything but seriousness and caution. Not being good at things isn't something she feels comfortable with; she wants to exceed in everything she tries, right away. Learning didn't bother her, but she didn't like seeming weak or unskilled. She knows fully well she'll be obviously inexperienced with weapons, hence her hesitation in learning to use them. Akito seemed to oblige her feigned interest. His words, though muffled, were easy enough for her to understand. He'd show her more than explain. Seiko nodded in understanding. Carefully she picked the staff up in her mouth, finding it strange to hold. Something she'd get used to in time, she supposed. She mirrored his pose as best as she could, widening her stance. She moved her head slightly with the staff clasped between her jaws, testing its weight - her head moved down and then up again, then to the side, twisting the staff around to nearly touch her tail. It was light enough, but felt heavy against her teeth, the feeling unfamiliar. Noting it did feel a bit uneven, she adjusted it slightly, trying to balance it so it didn't feel as though it was pulling too heavily toward either side. After some adjusting, and a little grunt, she decided she was ready. "Whaf now?" Her voice was muffled, though she was eager to start the next part of their lesson. Each slight movement made the staff wobble a bit, and she could feel the strange way it shook from one end to the other.

Once more, Akito is patient. It is important to allow Seiko time to find how the staff fit best between her teeth. A staff would not quite be like a stick a pup would chew on to help alleviate pain. This was different. They were smooth, finely carved and hollowed out so that they were light, flexible, but still packed a punch when used correctly. He watches Seiko intently, noticing how she adjusts the staff and fixes the position of it within her mouth. Pleased that Seiko picked up on things quickly, he nods in agreement to moving on to the next step. Without a word, Akito suddenly steps forward with his right paw, swinging the staff from left to right in front of Seiko. The sound of the staff whirring through the air is one of few sounds he finds enjoyable. As he reaches full extension toward the right side, he steps forward with his left paw and swings it back toward the left. A simple left and right swinging motion, but as fast as he can. He looks to Seiko, nodding at her to give it a go. If she isn't careful and focuses too much on the force of her swing, she might lose her balance. Or if she's too cautious with keeping her balance, she won't swing hard enough. "You muth make thound with it like muthic," he mentions so she can get the gist of what the goal of the exercise it.

Something about the way the staff moves is rhythmic, in a way that feels almost soothing. Methodical, even. It hardly feels intuitive, not in the way it seems natural for Akito to hold, but maybe in time? She'd give anything a try before ruling it out, no matter how she might feel about it in the first place. Even the sound is oddly soothing to her ears, and she gives what he was demonstrating a try, extending it all the way to her right side - mirroring Akito's movements - and then swinging it sharply around. So sharp, in fact, that she slapped the side of her hind flank with it - stumbling a little, as Akito had predicted - and held back a little yelp of surprise. It hadn't even been going very fast, but she supposed that was a testament to the sheer power of the long staff, despite it not being very heavy at all. Regaining her composure, she tried again, this time with less force. She had to repeat the movement a few times before getting it right, though once she did she all but dropped the staff, panting softly. "Do you get used to how holding it in your mouth feels? At least a little?" It wasn't comfortable, but maybe the perks of using it outweighed that discomfort, or maybe it got better over time.

Akito watched silently as Seiko gives the exercise a try. As she swings it around, slapping her flank, he doesn’t flinch. Rather, his expression remains unchanging. If he were to react, she might become discouraged which wouldn’t be helpful. He is pleased though as she continues, swinging it back the other way in a slower motion.

After a few swings, Seiko near drops the staff, panting. Akito places his own staff back into the sheath upon his shoulders as he considers her question. Humor laces over his stoic slate, a hint of a knowing smile upon him as he nods.

“All things we practice eventually becomes easier over time,” he begins. “When you learned to fight with your teeth and paws, do you not lose first before winning?” Akito poses the question to give Seiko something to think on.

Akito answered her question with one of his own. It made sense, and she nodded in understanding. For a long moment she mused over his words, taking them to heart. It was something she'd get used to then, over time, with practice. She wondered if any of her siblings might be interested in trying to practice with her. Already her mind was shifting to the next thing she wanted to learn. On top of just using the thing, maybe learning to avoid those long swings would be useful too, though being smacked with it over and over again sounded less appealing. "Thank you for giving me your time, Oniisan," she stressed the word carefully. Akito was not a biological brother but it was impossible to not view him, at least somewhat, as an older brother figure. If her father viewed him as a son to him, she was inclined to think similarly. "It's appreciated." With that she'd give Akito a deep nod, practically a bow, before she made to depart. -exit Seiko-