underground fights.

The old man walked with the bearing of a 22-year-old, showing no sign of his advanced age. Such vitality at his age could only come from years of rigorous training. There was an aura about him that transcended the human norm, reaching beyond the peak, embodying superhuman endurance, and adaptation to unknown environments. His martial art was one learned for war.

-Roshi has told me many things about you, - said Takemoto.

-I hope they're all good things, Sensei, - Kei Kazama said cheekily.

-Haha, Roshi also mentioned your cheekiness. Tell me, boy, what do you hope to gain from this little chat? - Takemoto Hisayasu asked.

Kei saw the peaceful expression of Master Takemoto. He didn't know this man well and didn't know much about him. All he had now was a preconception of a man with many disciples. The only person that mattered to him was Roshi, who had provided him with food during his long waits.

-"I want to become strong to survive, to be independent, and of course, to find a beautiful wife, - Kei said, listing some of his thoughts.

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- I don't have much to lose, so I have everything to gain. I'm just a kid from the lawless sector. My brothers only care about their lives, my father is absent, and my mother is hopeless. That's why I want to be your disciple. Even if I have to live through hell on earth, it's much better than bowing down to others, much better than what awaits me in this life, - Kei said, gauging the master's reaction.

-Besides, I don't know why, but I feel like you haven't been fulfilled as a master, - Kei added.

He began to look at him closely. They stared at each other for a while. Kei was a bit confused; perhaps he had offended Master Takemoto. What should he do to break this stalemate?

-There's that fierce tongue Roshi spoke of. Do you think my disciples are trash, kid? - Takemoto said, letting a bit of his killing intent seep through.

-Ah-hh, Sensei, - Kei took a deep breath. - It's true, I apologize if I offended you. But have any of your disciples surpassed you? Have any of them exceeded your expertise in your martial arts? It's because they don't want it badly enough, Sensei. Only someone willing to immerse themselves in the world of martial arts, even at the cost of their own life, can surpass their master. What do you say, will you be my Sensei? The great Kei Kazama, - Kei said, having mentally practiced these words for seven days.

-You talk as if you've achieved many things, but I don't see much experience in you, - Takemoto said.

-Just test me, Master, please. Push me to the human limit. Show me I'm a fool. I beg you, Master, take me to the edge of my abilities, - Kei Kazama said in a loud voice that echoed in the room. It was surprising for Takemoto Hisayasu to see a child asking for such rigorous training.

-Very well, we'll start now. I'll put you through the training I did with my comrades during the Second World War, infiltrating all over Southeast Asia. Know this, I won't go easy on you just because you're a child, - Takemoto said.

-Good, that's music to my ears, - Kei said, ecstatic that they had accepted. For now, it might just be a test to push his abilities to the limit, but that was enough.

Master Takemoto could only observe him in silence. He had seen many like him in the war. Let's see what kind of person this boy is. They walked to an open courtyard of traditional Chinese style, with a small garden and some trees at the edges of the grounds.

-Master, - said a man who looked to be in his thirties or maybe forties, showing respect.

-You will train this boy in military forms for the next two weeks, in the strictest manner possible. You can follow the course used by special forces, - said Takemoto, pausing. - Use rubber bullets and needles; he's too young to be playing with knives. Show no mercy to the kid. -

Kei swallowed hard. The man turned with a serious look. Was he military? Part of the Japanese special forces? The master grabbed him by the neck. Master Takemoto, in a lotus position, gazed at the fish pond as Kei was taken to a giant warehouse filled with military equipment, numerous guns, luxury cars, and military trucks.

-We don't have suits in your size, so you'll have to wear what you have on, - said the man, putting on a military suit that fit him, with large boots. - The first thing you'll do is a little run. You'll wear these special weight bags. A soldier has to carry at least 40 kilos of equipment. Only those who can run 10 kilometers without stopping can call themselves soldiers. Let's go, I'll follow you. -

They ran through the buildings until they reached a park, a nature reserve. Kei followed the soldier with all his might. The loaded backpack was very heavy, and despite running nonstop for almost a month, he ended up falling after slipping on a mud patch. He tried to get up as quickly as possible but couldn't.

-Soldier, this isn't a vacation club! - the man shouted.

Kei tried to get up but received a strong blow to his back.

-Soldier, you're slowing us down. We don't want garbage in a battalion, - said the man, hitting Kei on the head again with the palm of his hand. Kei swallowed the mud once more.

-Yes, sir, getting up immediately, - Kei said, concentrating his body. After much effort, he managed to get up on his knees and continued trotting with all the strength he could muster, but he was exhausted in many ways. His legs burned as if tubes of fire were running through his muscles.

They returned to the clearing where the warehouse was located. Without giving him time to rest, they ordered him to do multiple military conditioning exercises: jumps, rolls, crawling through the field as much as he could until he couldn't move anymore. He lay down, quietly resting.

-Soldier, wake up! - the soldier yelled. Kei tried to get up again but found it impossible, even after constant yelling, he could only fall asleep.

The peace after a day of exercise. He rested as much as he could. The cold woke him up. He was in the same place where he had fallen asleep. Even if he tried to get up, his legs hurt intensely.

The military sergeant was nowhere to be seen. He heard the sound of a strike. The soldier, who was probably Takemoto's disciple, was practicing martial arts. His blows were controlled. In his hand, he held a long knife. His vacant stare, expressionless, was perhaps the look of a soldier.

-You're awake. Let's continue combat practice. A soldier must be ready to fight at any moment. The most important things in a fight are survival, awareness, and reading about the environment. In the Amazon jungle, the first move you need to learn in a fight is how to fall, learn to dodge, and wait for your opportune moment, - said Kovac.

-First, the fall. You need to turn your body and take the hit with your whole body. Always be mindful of any environmental aspect that might be a mistake. Come on, there's no better practice than experience, - he said.

Both got into a fighting stance. Kei received a strong push that made him fall on his back, hitting his head hard against the ground.

-You weren't prepared to fall, - said Kovac.

-Sorry, I didn't expect you to move so fast. Again, - said Kei.

The pushing process lasted another hour until the accumulated hits began to hurt progressively. The pain intensified when his shoulder dislocated after a bad fall.

-Ahhhhh, my shoulder, - Kei said, feeling nothing but pain.

-An unfortunate event, - said the soldier, who adjusted behind Kei and set it back with a loud crack, making Kei scream. The training ended, and he took Kei to the infirmary for medical assistance. They would continue tomorrow if the doctor gave the green light.

-It hurts like hell, - said Kei.

-Come on, we'll call the doctor. These events are more common than we expect, - said Kovac.

...