Seiko's brow furrowed as they paced the dojo, claws scraping lightly against the tatami mats as they went. Clasped firmly between their jaws was one of the many bamboo staves that lined the walls. The weapon was light, but learning to balance it and use it properly was not as easy as its weight might suggest. They'd briefly practiced utilizing it, with Akito so many seasons ago and a few times after, but they'd been admittedly intimidated by trying again. They certainly weren't ready to go charging into battle with such a weapon. They'd be just as likely to trip over it with their own paws as they were to knock someone out with it- no, the former was far more likely. Testing its weight and working with it until it felt properly balanced, they started to do a slow route around the room. They made to lash out at a training dummy they'd dragged out each time they passed it, trying to land a solid hit on it without either losing their balance or knocking themselves backwards in the process. Already they felt the force of the weapon tight in their jaws, but they persisted, doing another lap and shoving their weight forward hard as they passed the dummy again, landing a soft hit on its midsection.

Whenever Akito had spare time, he often found himself lingering around the dojo. The familiar feel of the tatami mats and the scent of hay filled dummies was comforting. It was a place he could expect to always be the same, unlike the rest of the world. As he approached it, the noise of someone smacking a training figure with a weapon. From the sound of the thwap against burlap, he figured it was probably bamboo. Sturdy and light, but could pack a hard enough punch. Wondering who was taking up the time to practice, Akito peeked into the dojo with a neutral gaze.

Noticing Seiko, he watches silently from a far for a moment. There appeared to be a hint of frustration on Seiko's expression as they did another lap and attempted another soft hit against the dummy's midsection. It seemed that the younger wolf was still struggling to adjust to the stave's weight and balance.

Stepping forward, Akito waited patiently for Seiko to take a break or to notice his presence. There was no sense in interrupting, watching Seiko would help anyway. But when the youth did finally turn in his direction, Akito nodded, stoic as ever. "Would you like another lesson?" He inquired, stepping forward, closer to the dummy that Seiko had dragged out. Coming to stand beside the dummy, he looks at Seiko, an inquisitive glimmer to his gaze.

"speech"

They'd come a long way since the first time they picked up such a weapon, but they knew they still had a lot of work to do yet. Progress was not linear, nor was there a limit to what they could possibly learn. Seiko fully believed this. They were rewarded with a bit of pressure, vibrating back through the staff as it collided lightly with the dummy. Score. If they swung too soon, they risked falling, thrown off balance with the awkward weight of their weapon- if they swung too hard, the motion would reverberate back through the stick and into their jaw. They remembered how sore it felt after training with the staff last time, and they were intensely focused on perfecting the movements, accounting for their shortcomings as they swung. They barely noticed Akito as he approached, nearly startling slightly when he spoke. Though Seiko tended toward being constantly on edge, it was easy to let down their guard as they focused on their training and their work, especially when they were somewhere so safe. The bamboo forest was no place for outsiders. Here, they were all safe. Seiko paused, giving a slow nod of greeting to the older wolf. Gingerly they paused, lowering the staff to the ground before speaking. "I think so, yes. I'd appreciate that," they agreed with a nod. Their gaze fell from Akito to the staff at their paws, considering, before lifting back to him. "I've been trying to practice using it while moving, instead of just standing still."

Akito listens, still and sure of himself. He remembers when he was uncertain of his abilities. It was no easy feat to master staff or any other weapon. Yet, the time old tale of ‘practice makes perfect’ rung true. Day after day, hour after hour, covered in sweat, panting, and exhausted, Akito practiced. Again and again until he could no longer stay on his paws. Was Seiko doing the same?

Hearing the words the younger Hattori speaks, Akito thinks. “Does your mind quiet enough for you to practice as such?” He questions, his own gaze traveling from stave to Seiko to training dummy. “Your paws work without you having to tell them what to do. Trust them,” Akito nods to the stave on the ground at Seiko’s paws. Taking a few steps back, he continues to ace Seiko as he moves in a circle around them.

“Try to hit me without thinking about it,” he offers, eyes never leaving the youth as he continued to move around the dojo’s training area.

"speech"

The amount of practice required to master a skill was not something Seiko feared. What was life, if not constantly striving toward perfection, in trying to grow one's skills endlessly? Failure did not deter Seiko in the slightest. Those values had long since been instilled in them by their father. "Sometimes," they admitted, thinking carefully over Akito's question. Maybe they were getting too tangled in their thoughts when they were focused on their training. Maybe Akito was right. Surely he was- he was far more skilled than they were, after all. "Maybe that's where I'm struggling. But how do you force your mind to quiet?" Highly analytical, Seiko felt like they were always thinking about something. Their mind was rarely a quiet place at all. Akito's further explanation made sense though, and they nodded understanding. Leaning down to pick up the bamboo staff again, they spend a moment adjusting its position in their mouth and taking in a few measured breaths as they ensure it's being gripped properly. Once they're confident, they follow his lead, aiming a steady swing his direction. A few clumsy motions later and they catch up with him, only landing a hit once they try to do what he says- moving the weapon without thinking about it quite so hard.