Chapter 10 The Master
"The Blind Master, Gojo Satoru..."
'WHAAAT?'
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"YOU"RE BLIND?" She nearly screamed out. She was beaten by another blind person. "HOW?"
"Yes, I am blind, and for how, lets say I have a technique that helps me see. Nice to meet you, Lady Tough" He winked at her, hinting for her to keep her mouth closed. Toph's eye brow started to twitch at the insult.
"It's Toph" She said with her teeth clenched.
"Oh my apologies, Lady Toph. You remind me of a tough lady I once met, near a cliff." He teased again. Lu Beifong didn't seem to understand what was happening, which made his puzzled, but he just ignored it and asked.
"When would you like to begin her training?" Lu asked, he seemed eager for his daughter to learn
"But father, I-" Toph wanted to reject, but was cut off midway
"If you don't mind, as soon as possible. I already know of a place where we could train. You can send a guard with her as well. However they will have to leave us alone until sun set. If that is alright with you" Kypher answered after some thought. Better get it over with...
"Fa-" She tried again, only to get ignored
"Very well, Toph, please go and change your clothes to something more appropriate" Her father ordered
Seeing that her fate was already determined, Toph just sighed and was escorted to change clothes.
Soon after, Toph, Kypher and a singular female guard, were trekking to the forest and arrived a small cave.
"We will be here, the entire time." He turned to the guard, who just nodded in return and left.
"Great now that we are alon-" He was interrupted halfway, by a singular spike aimed for his legs.
*sigh*
Kypher dodged slightly to the left and activated his membrane.
"That's it, no sonar." He stated while walking up to Toph, who was looking around franticly trying to find the blasted man.
"Where did you go? Answer me before I start screaming for help." She threatened. Oh boy, was she wrong.
Instead of answering Kypher just punched Toph's chi points, blocking her bending. "There, now you can't pointlessly try to kill me." He said while deactivating his membrane. He immediately used Sound cancelation on the cave, preparing for Toph's next move.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?! HELP! GUARDS! HELP" Toph for the first time felt truly helpless against this person, what did he do to her? Did she lose her bending? She was horrified. Without her bending, Toph was truly blind. Even sonar didn't work.
"Don't even try. They cant hear you." Toph just fell to the ground and rolled into a ball. She started whispering quietly.
"Please stop, Please..." But silence was her answer. She started to tear up, "Please, I beg you, give me back my bending, I wont do anything, I'll follow your every word, just please." She tried again, only for silence to respond back.
After what seemed like eternity, a sad voice answered her.
"Fine Toph, I hope you learnt your lesson..." Kypher answered. He truly did not want to do this. But had to. If Toph wanted to learn something under his tutelage, she would have to listen. He walked up to her and unclogged her acupoints. The feeling of sight was returned to her, which made he relieved, but she was terrified of the man, who was in front of her.
"Look Toph, I get it, After learning to see, losing this sight is horrifying, but you have to learn to listen. I promise this is the first and last time I will use this on you, but if you truly want to learn, how to never be so vulnerable again, you will have to listen. Do you promise to do so?"
"Yeah, I promise." She mumbled.
"Good" He patted her head
"I bet you are tired after that, how about I send you home?" Toph just nodded, she was exhausted
"Ok let's go." He stood up and started walking.
"Hey mister." Toph suddenly called out after they had reached the guard who was waiting outside the forest. "How did you do that?" she asked.
"I'll tell you tomorrow, Toph. And do call me by first name..." he grinned widely
"...Master."
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Next Day...
"Morning Gojo," a voice sounded in the cave Kypher lived in. He decided to stay here for the time being, while he taught Toph a few things.
"Morning, how are you feeling?" He asked with genuine concern about her well being, He did traumatise her yesterday.
"Well enough to kick your butt." Hmm, it seemed a bit more ass whooping would be required to teach the girl some humility. Instead of saying anything he gave her a hard look, which seemed to make her flinch, even through the cloth.
"Good reaction." He praised, he was seriously about to beat her up just to prove his point, yet it seemed she relented at the look. "So what do you think I should teach you?"
"EHh?" This made Toph surprised, she did grin after a bit and answered "Father said you would teach me to see my surrounding, like you do. SO GO ON "MASTER" TEACH ME TO SEE" She said, her voice dripping in sarcasm at the last part. This just earned her a slap on her head
"Smart-ass. But seriously, what do you want to learn from me? I'll teach you one single thing you want me to..." He asked again. Toph was confused, was he serious, anything? Will he teach her how he disappears or how he can stop her from bending? Or maybe how he can become so soundless at points? Many thoughts had raced in her mind. There were too many options, choices, crossroads, and only 1 choice yet she didn't know what to pick. A sudden idea popped in her head. He smiled and asked.
"Can you teach me to be stronger?" She asked hopefully. Her answer, against her expectations was a grin and a word that determined her future for the next 6 months.
"Sure..."
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And so started Toph's training. Kypher had decided to teach her a few things, that might be handy later on in the show and some techniques he had created.
The first thing he taught her was internal chi-flow. The correct way to control chi-flow inside her body, how some techniques needed more chi while techniques need less. By doing this, not only did he allow Toph to expand her sonar range, he also let her use techniques more efficiently.
After Internal chi-flowing he had taught her many earth bending battle stances, and moves, which he had drilled into her stubborn mind.
And It took some time but she had finally called him master. It was a memorable moment for him.. Although, she only called him that when she wanted something from him.
Currently, Toph was on her way to report on her training. This was something Kypher like to do, to stay sane at times, and have some time for himself. Anyways, she had started telling Kypher, that she had started to feel the rock residue in the iron.
Yes that's right, Kypher was teaching her metal bending. Although, she could have done the same one her own, he still felt slightly proud about her learning metal bending so fast anyways.
"Master, I have a question" This was a first, she would usually ask immediately and not ask for permissions. Also she called him master...she never does that. Something's wrong...
"Go for it Toph, what's wrong" Kypher was surprised. Toph looked like she was nervous for something.
"Why are you teaching me anyways? I mean, I thank you for training me, but why me? It could have been anybody in the tournament" She asked hesitatingly.
'Oh, I see. She was worried about this? What a moron.' He jabbed at her in his mind, yet flashed a warm smile at her.
"Toph, I want you to think about yourself, why do you think you are special?" He asked back. Toph just sighed.
"I don't know, sonar?" Kypher just shook his head " Money?" Then immediately shook her head. "No, that's not it, you don't care for money, you live in a cave. Uhhhh..." She started to think hard about her self, what made her special, or different. Seeing her struggle, Kypher just shook his head.
"Go home Toph, you're free to go for today." Toph just nodded, still in thought.
The moment she left though, Kypher asked himself, why was he doing this? He had no benefit, in doing this, it wouldn't help him in anyway except the fact, that she helps Aang defeat Ozai. So why?
"Maybe it's time to visit him. He might be able to help me..." Kypher spoke to himself, to muddled up in his thoughts to realise, that his student was a few feet from the entrance to his cave.
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Hey guys!
Many thanks for reading this far.
Shoutout to
Chulian,SaysoShao, Leo_Siegenbrink, Leonardo_Porto, Gigachad_Ambi for the Power stones
Cya tomorrow...
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