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(Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or any of the characters, all credit goes to the original creators at Sega. Please support the official release).

~Like Sensei, like Student Part 3~

It had been about a month and one week since Zander had begun his Ninjutsu training with Espio, and he had been improving greatly. Every day after school, he would meet up with his mentor in the forest and the two would begin with meditation, then Zander would walk up to the top of the plateau to do his weapons training.

Despite learning and becoming accustomed to the other weapons, Zander really did prefer using the Kusarigama above all of them; he would stay up there practically for hours honing his skills with each weapon, practicing on the little robot drones Espio had made.

When a month had passed, Espio decided that it was finally time to teach his pupil about unarmed combat. He presented to Zander something he referred to as the Ninja "Five Elements" system to explain the fundamental aspects of self-defense. According to ancient beliefs, human and Mobian nature is connected to the natural world and the five elements.

By understanding that connection, essential responses to any threat become clear:

Earth—Remain grounded in your thinking and footing to repel attempts to distract or deceive you

Water—Shift, angle and move fluidly to confuse attackers and put them off balance

Fire—See where a situation is going as it develops and intercept it at the critical moment

Wind—Stay light on your feet and move nimbly to evade attempts to pin you down

Void—Control a fight's direction by changing dynamics to confuse your attacker

Those were just the fundamentals, Espio also explained to Zander the ins and outs of fighting back. There was the science of locomotion from a martial perspective, this included rolling, breakfalls, inversions, climbing, leaping, running, and walking techniques.

Then there was striking, kicking, and blocking: developing one's skill with a number of different strikes including elbows, knees, nine fist formations, forehead, a few different kicking methods, and more. Learning the pressure points and targets for each different strike, and how to strike with one's body and fist as one.

Next was grappling: a focus on the science and application of joint-locking, pinning, throwing, choking, and tripping, as well as escaping from such techniques.

Next, there was escape for self defense: this is about learning to use what you have even if you have no experience under your belt. Learning strategies for preventing and dealing with an assailant; different parts of your body to use in defense, three key targets to focus on, simple movements to escape attempts to restrain or attack you.

Espio demonstrated each move to Zander, remembering to explain them carefully so as not to confuse or overwhelm his apprentice. "Show me your fighting stance", he said. Zander moved his body into a dynamic fighting pose, both fists clenched as his right arm was held at a ninety degree angle while his left arm was bent down by his waist.

His left knee was bent while his right leg was stretched out with the knee only slightly bent, and his chest was puffed out. Espio examined his pose, "Good. Your legs are the proper position and your body weight seems to be equally distributed, but I think your arms are a bit off. Move your right arm down just an inch or so and pull your left arm out a bit, also there's no need to puff your chest out so much", he instructed.

Zander did as he was told, relaxing his upper torso and adjusting his arms. Espio smiled in approval, "Good. Now try to see if you can block this", he said. Espio then swung his right arm at Zander's head, the wolf boy acted quickly and lifted his left arm to block it; then Espio went in for a gut punch, but Zander caught his fist.

He held it up as he then kneed Espio in then stomach, then performed a spin kick, knocking him to the ground. He looked down to see Espio lying on the floor, Zander wanted to check and see if his mentor was alright but he refrained from doing so; he knew if this was a real confrontation with someone who really wanted to hurt him, checking to see if his assailant was okay would be a fatal mistake, so he knew better than to do so during a practice fight.

Espio opened his eyes and stood up slowly, Zander was watching him closely, he knew this practice fight was still going on so he wasn't about to drop his guard. Suddenly, Espio pulled out a pair of Sai and lunged at his pupil; thinking quickly, Zander leapt out of the way and ran for the weapons crate.

He pulled out the Bo staff, turning around just in time to block an incoming attack. The Sai got caught on the top of the staff and in a swift move, Zander used the bottom of the staff to knock Espio onto his tail. Espio quickly stood up as Zander lunged at him for another attack, but he pulled out a Happo and tossed it onto the ground.

It exploded in a burst of greenish dust that suddenly blinded Zander. The young wolf cried out as the powder invaded his vision, temporarily blinding him; this allowed Espio to get the drop on him as he kicked him in the back, knocking him onto the ground. "Alright, that's enough for now", he said.

Espio bent down and helped Zander sit up, then he handed him a bottle of water. "Use this to flush the powder from your eyes, do so thoroughly or there could be lasting eye damage", he said. Zander took the bottle and dumped the water onto his eyes, scrubbing thoroughly with his hands until his eyes cleared up.

Then he looked at his mentor, "I held own against you pretty well, didn't I?", he asked. Espio nodded, "Yes but your reflexes need heightening, you should've been able to anticipate me using a Happo on you. Though, I saw how you were watching me closely just before I pulled those Sai. That was excellent, in combat its important to closely observe your opponent, studying how they move and think so you could counteract them", he said.

Zander smiled widely, even though he lost in the practice fight, he still did very well and it made him happy to hear Espio praise him for his clever approach. "So...what are you going to teach me next?", he asked.

Espio turned to him, "Tell me, Zander...what do you know about Chakra?", he asked.

"Um...nothing", Zander said unsurely.

Espio nodded, "That's to be expected, most people are unaware of what Chakra is. Chakra means “wheel” and refers to energy points in your body. They are thought to be spinning disks of energy that should stay “open” and aligned, as they correspond to bundles of nerves, major organs, and areas of our energetic body that affect our emotional and physical well-being.

"While any form of meditation is a wonderful practice to open up your chakras, specific guided meditations to activate your chakras are the best. Chakra is essential to even the most basic jutsu. Through various methods, the most common of which is hand seals, chakra can be controlled and manipulated to create an effect that would not be possible otherwise, such as walking on water, exhaling fire, or creating illusions", he said.

Espio let out a soft chuckle at look of wonder in Zander's eyes, knowing that the young boy thought the idea of using Chakra sounded cool. He then continued speaking, "Chakra is ordinarily not visible to the unaided eye unless it is highly concentrated or manifested in large amounts. This is rarely seen due to the restrictions of eight specific tenketsu known as the Eight Gates, which limit the amount of Chakra an individual can release at a single given time.

"Chakra has become a form of life energy that all individuals produce to some degree; those who run out of Chakra will die. Produced within and manipulated by organs such as the heart, the energy circulates throughout the body in a network called the "Chakra Pathway System", which is similar to the cardiovascular system. Groups such as shinobi have learned to generate more Chakra and release it outside their bodies through pressure points called tenketsu in order to perform jutsu.

"Chakra is created when two more primal energies, known collectively as one's "stamina", are moulded together. Physical energy is collected from each of the body's cells and can be increased through training, stimulants, and exercise. Spiritual energy is derived from the mind's consciousness and can be increased through studying, meditation, and experience. These two energies becoming more powerful will in turn make the created Chakra more powerful.

"Therefore, practicing a technique repeatedly will build up experience, increasing one's spiritual energy, and thus allowing more Chakra to be created. As a result, the ninja is able to do that same technique with more power. This same cycle applies for physical energy, except the ninja needs to increase their endurance instead. Some unique individuals have substantial potential that enables them to exponentially increase their Chakra reserves in a relatively short amount of time.

"Each person's Chakra is different and as such gives off a unique Chakra signature, which sensor type ninja are able to detect. Chakra signatures are passed genetically, allowing a person's clan to be identified by their Chakra. I can actually sense your Chakra, its dormant but I can sense it.

"Because Chakra takes time and a great deal of training to gradually build up, the key to its use is not actually having large amounts of Chakra but instead being able to sufficiently control and conserve it. This is called Chakra Control. In order to have good chakra control, a ninja should only mould as much chakra as they need to perform a given ability.

"If they mould more Chakra than is needed, the excess chakra is wasted and they will tire out faster from its loss. If they don't mould enough Chakra, a technique will not be performed effectively, if at all, likely creating problems in a combat situation. Because Chakra consists in part of spiritual energy, the user is more easily able to mould the correct amount of Chakra by remaining calm and focused", he said.

Espio was quiet for a moment before he spoke again, "Zander...do you have any upcoming days off of school?", he asked. Zander thought for a moment, "Oh yeah! There's Spring Break! From March 15th to the 21st, school is closed! Wait...why are you asking?", he said.

"I'm asking because if I'm going to be able to teach you how to access your Chakra and perform justu, you're going to have go through specific training exercises. General training methods for improving one's moulding and manipulation of Chakra are the Leaf Concentration, Tree Climbing, and Water Surface Walking exercises.

"And for you to learn, you must be in an environment that allows for it. So, for the entirety of Spring Break, I'm going to put you through Wilderness Survival Training. What I'm going to do is take you to a part of the forest far away from the city, and you'll have to find your way back to our campsite on your own, all the while surviving by using what is all around you", said Espio.

Zander's eyes widened, "I have to survive in the woods for a whole week? And I have to find my way back here by myself?", he asked incredulously. When Espio nodded, he sighed. "Okay...but I have to ask my Dad if it's okay, even though he's not very observant he'll wonder where I am if I just disappear", he said.

Espio nodded, "It is always important to let your parents know of your whereabouts. Go home now and ask him, I will prepare everything you will need for tomorrow in the meantime", he said. Zander nodded as he walked down the plateau to grab his things and go home.

[Time Skip]

When Zander got home, his house was strangely quiet and empty. "Dad? Where are you?", he called out. He looked around the house but his father was nowhere to be found; then when he entered the kitchen, he spotted something on the refrigerator. Held on the door by a pair of fridge magnets, was a note.

"Hey Son,

I'll be out of town for the week because a friend from work is getting married this week. I'll be in Casino Night Zone attending his bachelor party and then his wedding.

Don't open the door for any random strangers like census takers or creeps selling weird junk, keep the door and windows closed and locked. There's cash in a box inside my sock drawer, use that to order out if you get hungry. Do your homework and don't throw any wild house parties.

-Dad".

Zander sighed sadly as he placed the note back on the fridge, "Well at least he told me where he'll be and remembered to leave me food money. So that's a plus at least...", he whispered.

[Time Skip]

The next morning, after having breakfast and double checking that all the windows of his house as well as the front door was locked, Zander made his way to the woods to meet up with Espio. His mentor stood there holding a burlap bag and a piece of cloth, "What are those for?", asked Zander.

"The cloth is for you to blindfold yourself, if you can see how we get there, then it wouldn't be a challenge. And this bag has some items you'll need, I'll set them up when we get to the spot and you cannot remove the blindfold until after I've left", said Espio.

Zander tied the cloth around his eyes, completely obscuring his vision. He then felt Espio lift him onto his back as he began speeding through the forest at top speed, Zander could hear and feel the wind blowing through his fur and ears.

"By the way, how did you convince your father to allow you to come? Normally, parents would be very cautious of this if it's a summer camp, let alone Ninjustu training", said Espio. Zander sighed, "My Dad's not home. A friend of his is getting married this week so he left to Casino Night Zone to attend the wedding, he left me a note about it saying he left money for me to buy takeout if I get hungry", he said.

Espio let out a gasp of shock when he heard that, thankfully Zander didn't hear and just continued to sit quietly on his back as he traveled out of the forest and into the grasslands.

What kind of parent just leaves for week and the only notice they give their child is a note, he thought to himself in both anger and sadness.

In about an hour, Espio made it to the specific spot where he was going to drop off Zander: a large oak tree next to a frog pond. "We're here now, remember to keep the blindfold on until I leave. Zander?", he said. He looked to his back and heard his apprentice softly breathing, that's when it hit Espio that Zander had fallen asleep.

He quietly laughed as he gently laid the boy down on the grass and removed the blindfold, "He won't need to wait now. I'll most likely be long gone by the time he wakes up", he said to himself. Espio then took the items out of the burlap bag and stood up, he took one last look at Zander before he sped off.

[Time Skip]

Half an hour later, Zander awoke to find himself out in the grassland; he looked around and that's when he spotted the plateau, though it was very hard to see because it was so far away. Even someone with 20/20 vision like Zander would have difficulty identifying the tiny brown spec he saw as a plateau.

"Well...I know where it is at least, now the task is getting back while surviving out here on my own", he said. Zander then looked to the side and saw a large backpack, he opened it and inside he found his Kusarigama, four Kunai, a few Shurikens, a pair of Sai, an empty canteen and a scroll. Next to the backpack was a bow, a quiver of arrows and a Bo staff.

Zander pulled out the scroll and unfurled it, it was a note from Espio that held some instructions. Here is what it said:

"Zander,

While I do believe the student must learn to be independent in certain circumstances, it would be irresponsible for me to thrust you into this test without some guidance.

Firstly, remember when I said that training methods for improving one's moulding and manipulation of chakra are the Leaf Concentration, Tree Climbing, and Water Surface Walking exercises? You will be learning those during this test, allow me to explain what they mean.

Tree Climbing is quite self explanatory, so I won't have to clarify that much. Put simply, this training involves focusing a fixed amount of chakra to the bottom of one's feet, and using that to climb a tree without using one's hands.

Leaf Concentration is done by placing a leaf over an individual's forehead and having them direct all their chakra onto the leaf, using it as a focal point; the true purpose of the exercise is actually to hone the individual's concentration and to keep their mind from becoming distracted.

Water Surface Walking is is used to gain better chakra control. To do this, the user has to be emitting a constant stream of chakra from the bottom of the their feet and using the repellent force to walk across the water's surface. This technique is more difficult to master than the Tree Climbing Practice, because the amount of chakra that needs to be emitted changes constantly.

You will have to have mastered these three exercises by the end of this trial. Not only that, but this trial will test you on how well you can survive in an environment where you only have your wits to help you.

Secondly, I have a riddle for you: "I shine brighter than any star in the night sky, I see you but you cannot see me. Having me will cost you nothing, but losing me will cost you everything! What am I?"

If you have made it to the end of this trial and discovered the answer to this riddle, I will train you to perform justu.

I have left you with all the weapons you'll need to defend yourself. The canteen is for you to fill up with water, but you'll have to find your own food. Also, do not lose this scroll, it will helpful should you forget your objectives. Good luck.

-Espio"

Zander read the entire note, taking in all of the information before he rolled the scroll up and placed it back into the backpack. "Well...I've enough episodes of Man vs. Wild to know just what to do, I just have to work my training into it. First thing's first, find some water", he said.

He pulled out the canteen and slung the backpack onto his back along with the bow and quiver, using the Bo staff as a walking stick, Zander began his long journey back to civilization. As he walked, he admired the beauty of everything around him, the grasslands was far more breathtaking up close.

Just then, Zander heard the sound of flowing water. He ran towards it where he found a small stream, "I don't think I can practice Water Surface Walking here since it's so small, but at least I can collect some water", he said. He unscrew the cap on the canteen and dunked it into the stream, once he was sure it was filled to the brim with water, he made sure to screw the cap back on tightly so it wouldn't spill.

"Now that I have water, the next step would be to build a fire but it's only midday so I don't need to now. I guess that also accounts for building a shelter, both are things I should do in the evening when I have to bunker down for the night. So...what now?", he said.

Just then, Zander heard a low growling noise. He readied his Bo staff, thinking it was some wild animal but that's when he felt an uncomfortable heat building up inside his stomach followed by another growl. "Hehe, its just me. Guess I'm hungry, well then it's time to find some food", he said.

As he looked for food, Zander remembered the tips from the show he saw in regards to eating things in a forest. Rule #1 of foraging was to eat only things that you were 100% sure weren't poisonous. Sticking to common plants like clover and dandelions, bugs like crickets and larvae, and any fish or small animals you’re able to catch was the best way to go.

Zander came across a dead, hollowed out log on the ground; it looked moist from a recent rain storm and it was covered in moss. He knew that this was the ideal place to find little creepy crawlies like worms or snails, but he needed something to gather them with. He found a long stick on the ground and used one of his Kunai to sharpen it, then he found an enormous flat leaf which he'd used to hold the gathered bugs.

Then Zander used his Kusarigama to pry open the log, what he unearthed made his jaw drop. Inside the log were hundreds of what looked like fat, yellowish grubs. They were all about the same size as a pork sausage and they were all wriggling on top of each other inside the log, "No way! It's a bunch of Hercules Bettle larvae!", shouted Zander.

He was familiar with the squirming grubs since his science teacher had brought in a few for a class project, all the students had to partner up and take care of one while documenting its metamorphosis. Zander remembered him and Gabriel working on that project, both of them earning an A for how well they cared for their larva.

And now, Zander was looking down onto hundreds of the grubs. He tried to contain his excitement as he reached his hands inside the log and scooped out several of the wriggling grubs, dumping them onto the large leaf and picking it up. "Now...to cook these little guys", he said.

Zander found a small empty cave to settle down in, he set down his stuff and went to gather some twigs and branches and dry leaves to make a campfire; he bunched the branches together and put rocks around them to keep the fire from spreading accidentally. Zander then grabbed another rock and struck it with a Shuriken, creating sparks that instantly lit up the branches, creating a fire.

"Now that that's done, let's get cooking", he said. Using a Sai like a kabob skewer, Zander stabbed the middle prong into one of the grubs and held it over the fire; the fat larva writhed for a bit before it died, and soon it began browning due to the fire. When it started to become slightly charred, Zander pulled it away from the fire.

"Wow...I can't believe I'm about to eat a bug!", he said to himself. Zander opened his mouth and bit down on the grub, tearing its upper body away; he chewed it thoroughly and then swallowed it. His eyes lit up, "Oh my gosh! This is really good! It tastes like bacon!", he shouted happily as he ate the rest of the grub.

Then he skewered a few more and roasted them over the fire, eating them once they were done cooking. After gorging himself on Hercules Bettle larvae for twenty minutes, Zander wrapped the rest of them in the leaf and placed it inside his backpack. He then laid down on the ground close to the fire, its warmth combined with his full stomach making it very easy for him to fall asleep.

The next morning, Zander awoke to the sound of birdsong, it was honestly more pleasant than the incessant ringing of his alarm clock back in his room. He sat up and stretched his limbs, "I'll make some breakfast and then I need to start my training", he said.

He walked out of the cave and looked around to see if he could find anything to eat. When he stopped by a rather thin tree, he heard loud squeaking from up above. "There's probably a bird's nest up in this tree and if so, then that means there'll be some eggs. Not only that, but this will be the perfect opportunity to do my Tree Climbing training", said Zander.

He set his backpack down near the tree and looked up at it, "Okay. Espio said that this training involves focusing a fixed amount of Chakra to the bottom of one's feet, and using that to climb a tree without using one's hands. So...I just need to concentrate my Chakra into my feet", he said.

Zander stood away from the tree and began to focus intently, trying to center his Chakra into his feet. Suddenly, a blue aura surrounded his feet; Zander cried out in shock when he saw this, causing him to lose his concentration and the aura to vanish. "That must've been my Chakra! Whoa! Okay, I need to focus so I can climb this tree", he said.

Once again, Zander concentrated on centering his Chakra into his feet. The aura appeared around his feet, this time it was much stronger now. "Alright, now let's do this!", he shouted. Zander took off, running up the tree's trunk at top speed; what Espio had failed to mention was that if the stream of Chakra was too weak, the user will lose their footing on the tree and fall off. If it was too strong, the user will be pushed away from the tree, causing the tree to break around the point of contact and the user will fall.

Zander hadn't realized that he had put a little too much Chakra into his feet and the thin tree was beginning to bend due to the pressure of his running. Then when he reached the middle of the tree, it suddenly snapped in half; Zander shouted as he fell but then he quickly did a backflip and landed on his feet.

Then he leapt out of the way of the falling upper half of the tree. Zander combed through the foliage to see if he could save any of the bird eggs but he couldn't even find a single nest, "But...if there's no nests, where did that squeaking come from?", he asked. Just then, Zander heard the squeaking noise again, and this time noticed some of the leaves rustling.

The leaves shook for a few moments, Zander quickly picked up his Kusarigama to protect himself in case it was an animal that might attack him. After a few seconds, the rustling stopped and something poked out of the foliage; Zander looked at the creature in awe, it was a small pink creature with dark pink skin and blue spots on the ends of its limbs and long ears, it had cyan eyes and a yellow and cyan halo over its head.

"Huh, hello there. What in the world are you?", Zander said. The creature looked at him equally as confused, what he didn't know was that this creature was known as a Chao, specifically an Angel Chaos Chao. They were a rare breed of Chao, but it was understandable why Zander knew nothing of these creatures' existence, only Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends knew about the existence of Chao.

Zander put down his Kusarigama to show he wasn't a threat, the Angel Chaos Chao looked at him curiously before letting out a soft squeak and flew up to him; it sat on his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek with its head, making the boy giggle. "Well you seem really friendly, huh? I've never seen an animal like you before", said Zander.

Then he looked back at the tree and his face turned red, "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to break your home, I was just looking for food", he said. The Chao smiled and hugged his face, accepting his apology; this made Zander smile, "I'm glad you're not mad at me, but I still need to find some breakfast", he said.

That was when the Chao flew off of his shoulder and floated away, beckoning him with its little paw. Zander grabbed his stuff and followed the Chao, it led him to a cluster of purple mushrooms; before Zander could point out that the mushrooms may be poisonous, the Chao picked one and ate it. Zander waited to see if there were any negative effects, but when the Chao appeared to be okay after ten minutes, Zander picked up a mushroom and ate it.

"Mmm, not bad. Kinda spongy but with a slight salty taste, thanks for leading me to these and showing me they're safe to eat. Say, I'm trying to find my way home. Do you wanna come with me?", said Zander. The Chao let out a happy squeak as it flew around his head, the wolf boy laughed at this. "I'll take that as a yes but first, you're going to need a name. Now...what do I'll call you?", he said.

The Chao flew down to eat another mushroom, nibbling on it cheerfully. Zander smiled at this, "Huh, you really seem to like mushrooms don't you? Wait, that's it! Would you like it if I call you "Shroomy"?", he asked. The Chao sat quietly for a minute, then squeaked excitedly; Zander bent down and picked up the Chao, setting it down on his head. "Well then, Shroomy it is. Come on, let's get moving", he said.

[To be continued...]

Description
(Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or any of the characters, all credit goes to the original creators at Sega. Please support the official release).

~Like Sensei, like Student Part 3~

It had been about a month and one week since Zander had begun his Ninjutsu training with Espio, and he had been improving greatly. Every day after school, he would meet up with his mentor in the forest and the two would begin with meditation, then Zander would walk up to the top of the plateau to do his weapons training.

Despite learning and becoming accustomed to the other weapons, Zander really did prefer using the Kusarigama above all of them; he would stay up there practically for hours honing his skills with each weapon, practicing on the little robot drones Espio had made.

When a month had passed, Espio decided that it was finally time to teach his pupil about unarmed combat. He presented to Zander something he referred to as the Ninja "Five Elements" system to explain the fundamental aspects of self-defense. According to ancient beliefs, human and Mobian nature is connected to the natural world and the five elements.

By understanding that connection, essential responses to any threat become clear:

Earth—Remain grounded in your thinking and footing to repel attempts to distract or deceive you

Water—Shift, angle and move fluidly to confuse attackers and put them off balance

Fire—See where a situation is going as it develops and intercept it at the critical moment

Wind—Stay light on your feet and move nimbly to evade attempts to pin you down

Void—Control a fight's direction by changing dynamics to confuse your attacker

Those were just the fundamentals, Espio also explained to Zander the ins and outs of fighting back. There was the science of locomotion from a martial perspective, this included rolling, breakfalls, inversions, climbing, leaping, running, and walking techniques.

Then there was striking, kicking, and blocking: developing one's skill with a number of different strikes including elbows, knees, nine fist formations, forehead, a few different kicking methods, and more. Learning the pressure points and targets for each different strike, and how to strike with one's body and fist as one.

Next was grappling: a focus on the science and application of joint-locking, pinning, throwing, choking, and tripping, as well as escaping from such techniques.

Next, there was escape for self defense: this is about learning to use what you have even if you have no experience under your belt. Learning strategies for preventing and dealing with an assailant; different parts of your body to use in defense, three key targets to focus on, simple movements to escape attempts to restrain or attack you.

Espio demonstrated each move to Zander, remembering to explain them carefully so as not to confuse or overwhelm his apprentice. "Show me your fighting stance", he said. Zander moved his body into a dynamic fighting pose, both fists clenched as his right arm was held at a ninety degree angle while his left arm was bent down by his waist.

His left knee was bent while his right leg was stretched out with the knee only slightly bent, and his chest was puffed out. Espio examined his pose, "Good. Your legs are the proper position and your body weight seems to be equally distributed, but I think your arms are a bit off. Move your right arm down just an inch or so and pull your left arm out a bit, also there's no need to puff your chest out so much", he instructed.

Zander did as he was told, relaxing his upper torso and adjusting his arms. Espio smiled in approval, "Good. Now try to see if you can block this", he said. Espio then swung his right arm at Zander's head, the wolf boy acted quickly and lifted his left arm to block it; then Espio went in for a gut punch, but Zander caught his fist.

He held it up as he then kneed Espio in then stomach, then performed a spin kick, knocking him to the ground. He looked down to see Espio lying on the floor, Zander wanted to check and see if his mentor was alright but he refrained from doing so; he knew if this was a real confrontation with someone who really wanted to hurt him, checking to see if his assailant was okay would be a fatal mistake, so he knew better than to do so during a practice fight.

Espio opened his eyes and stood up slowly, Zander was watching him closely, he knew this practice fight was still going on so he wasn't about to drop his guard. Suddenly, Espio pulled out a pair of Sai and lunged at his pupil; thinking quickly, Zander leapt out of the way and ran for the weapons crate.

He pulled out the Bo staff, turning around just in time to block an incoming attack. The Sai got caught on the top of the staff and in a swift move, Zander used the bottom of the staff to knock Espio onto his tail. Espio quickly stood up as Zander lunged at him for another attack, but he pulled out a Happo and tossed it onto the ground.

It exploded in a burst of greenish dust that suddenly blinded Zander. The young wolf cried out as the powder invaded his vision, temporarily blinding him; this allowed Espio to get the drop on him as he kicked him in the back, knocking him onto the ground. "Alright, that's enough for now", he said.

Espio bent down and helped Zander sit up, then he handed him a bottle of water. "Use this to flush the powder from your eyes, do so thoroughly or there could be lasting eye damage", he said. Zander took the bottle and dumped the water onto his eyes, scrubbing thoroughly with his hands until his eyes cleared up.

Then he looked at his mentor, "I held own against you pretty well, didn't I?", he asked. Espio nodded, "Yes but your reflexes need heightening, you should've been able to anticipate me using a Happo on you. Though, I saw how you were watching me closely just before I pulled those Sai. That was excellent, in combat its important to closely observe your opponent, studying how they move and think so you could counteract them", he said.

Zander smiled widely, even though he lost in the practice fight, he still did very well and it made him happy to hear Espio praise him for his clever approach. "So...what are you going to teach me next?", he asked.

Espio turned to him, "Tell me, Zander...what do you know about Chakra?", he asked.

"Um...nothing", Zander said unsurely.

Espio nodded, "That's to be expected, most people are unaware of what Chakra is. Chakra means “wheel” and refers to energy points in your body. They are thought to be spinning disks of energy that should stay “open” and aligned, as they correspond to bundles of nerves, major organs, and areas of our energetic body that affect our emotional and physical well-being.

"While any form of meditation is a wonderful practice to open up your chakras, specific guided meditations to activate your chakras are the best. Chakra is essential to even the most basic jutsu. Through various methods, the most common of which is hand seals, chakra can be controlled and manipulated to create an effect that would not be possible otherwise, such as walking on water, exhaling fire, or creating illusions", he said.

Espio let out a soft chuckle at look of wonder in Zander's eyes, knowing that the young boy thought the idea of using Chakra sounded cool. He then continued speaking, "Chakra is ordinarily not visible to the unaided eye unless it is highly concentrated or manifested in large amounts. This is rarely seen due to the restrictions of eight specific tenketsu known as the Eight Gates, which limit the amount of Chakra an individual can release at a single given time.

"Chakra has become a form of life energy that all individuals produce to some degree; those who run out of Chakra will die. Produced within and manipulated by organs such as the heart, the energy circulates throughout the body in a network called the "Chakra Pathway System", which is similar to the cardiovascular system. Groups such as shinobi have learned to generate more Chakra and release it outside their bodies through pressure points called tenketsu in order to perform jutsu.

"Chakra is created when two more primal energies, known collectively as one's "stamina", are moulded together. Physical energy is collected from each of the body's cells and can be increased through training, stimulants, and exercise. Spiritual energy is derived from the mind's consciousness and can be increased through studying, meditation, and experience. These two energies becoming more powerful will in turn make the created Chakra more powerful.

"Therefore, practicing a technique repeatedly will build up experience, increasing one's spiritual energy, and thus allowing more Chakra to be created. As a result, the ninja is able to do that same technique with more power. This same cycle applies for physical energy, except the ninja needs to increase their endurance instead. Some unique individuals have substantial potential that enables them to exponentially increase their Chakra reserves in a relatively short amount of time.

"Each person's Chakra is different and as such gives off a unique Chakra signature, which sensor type ninja are able to detect. Chakra signatures are passed genetically, allowing a person's clan to be identified by their Chakra. I can actually sense your Chakra, its dormant but I can sense it.

"Because Chakra takes time and a great deal of training to gradually build up, the key to its use is not actually having large amounts of Chakra but instead being able to sufficiently control and conserve it. This is called Chakra Control. In order to have good chakra control, a ninja should only mould as much chakra as they need to perform a given ability.

"If they mould more Chakra than is needed, the excess chakra is wasted and they will tire out faster from its loss. If they don't mould enough Chakra, a technique will not be performed effectively, if at all, likely creating problems in a combat situation. Because Chakra consists in part of spiritual energy, the user is more easily able to mould the correct amount of Chakra by remaining calm and focused", he said.

Espio was quiet for a moment before he spoke again, "Zander...do you have any upcoming days off of school?", he asked. Zander thought for a moment, "Oh yeah! There's Spring Break! From March 15th to the 21st, school is closed! Wait...why are you asking?", he said.

"I'm asking because if I'm going to be able to teach you how to access your Chakra and perform justu, you're going to have go through specific training exercises. General training methods for improving one's moulding and manipulation of Chakra are the Leaf Concentration, Tree Climbing, and Water Surface Walking exercises.

"And for you to learn, you must be in an environment that allows for it. So, for the entirety of Spring Break, I'm going to put you through Wilderness Survival Training. What I'm going to do is take you to a part of the forest far away from the city, and you'll have to find your way back to our campsite on your own, all the while surviving by using what is all around you", said Espio.

Zander's eyes widened, "I have to survive in the woods for a whole week? And I have to find my way back here by myself?", he asked incredulously. When Espio nodded, he sighed. "Okay...but I have to ask my Dad if it's okay, even though he's not very observant he'll wonder where I am if I just disappear", he said.

Espio nodded, "It is always important to let your parents know of your whereabouts. Go home now and ask him, I will prepare everything you will need for tomorrow in the meantime", he said. Zander nodded as he walked down the plateau to grab his things and go home.

[Time Skip]

When Zander got home, his house was strangely quiet and empty. "Dad? Where are you?", he called out. He looked around the house but his father was nowhere to be found; then when he entered the kitchen, he spotted something on the refrigerator. Held on the door by a pair of fridge magnets, was a note.

"Hey Son,

I'll be out of town for the week because a friend from work is getting married this week. I'll be in Casino Night Zone attending his bachelor party and then his wedding.

Don't open the door for any random strangers like census takers or creeps selling weird junk, keep the door and windows closed and locked. There's cash in a box inside my sock drawer, use that to order out if you get hungry. Do your homework and don't throw any wild house parties.

-Dad".

Zander sighed sadly as he placed the note back on the fridge, "Well at least he told me where he'll be and remembered to leave me food money. So that's a plus at least...", he whispered.

[Time Skip]

The next morning, after having breakfast and double checking that all the windows of his house as well as the front door was locked, Zander made his way to the woods to meet up with Espio. His mentor stood there holding a burlap bag and a piece of cloth, "What are those for?", asked Zander.

"The cloth is for you to blindfold yourself, if you can see how we get there, then it wouldn't be a challenge. And this bag has some items you'll need, I'll set them up when we get to the spot and you cannot remove the blindfold until after I've left", said Espio.

Zander tied the cloth around his eyes, completely obscuring his vision. He then felt Espio lift him onto his back as he began speeding through the forest at top speed, Zander could hear and feel the wind blowing through his fur and ears.

"By the way, how did you convince your father to allow you to come? Normally, parents would be very cautious of this if it's a summer camp, let alone Ninjustu training", said Espio. Zander sighed, "My Dad's not home. A friend of his is getting married this week so he left to Casino Night Zone to attend the wedding, he left me a note about it saying he left money for me to buy takeout if I get hungry", he said.

Espio let out a gasp of shock when he heard that, thankfully Zander didn't hear and just continued to sit quietly on his back as he traveled out of the forest and into the grasslands.

What kind of parent just leaves for week and the only notice they give their child is a note, he thought to himself in both anger and sadness.

In about an hour, Espio made it to the specific spot where he was going to drop off Zander: a large oak tree next to a frog pond. "We're here now, remember to keep the blindfold on until I leave. Zander?", he said. He looked to his back and heard his apprentice softly breathing, that's when it hit Espio that Zander had fallen asleep.

He quietly laughed as he gently laid the boy down on the grass and removed the blindfold, "He won't need to wait now. I'll most likely be long gone by the time he wakes up", he said to himself. Espio then took the items out of the burlap bag and stood up, he took one last look at Zander before he sped off.

[Time Skip]

Half an hour later, Zander awoke to find himself out in the grassland; he looked around and that's when he spotted the plateau, though it was very hard to see because it was so far away. Even someone with 20/20 vision like Zander would have difficulty identifying the tiny brown spec he saw as a plateau.

"Well...I know where it is at least, now the task is getting back while surviving out here on my own", he said. Zander then looked to the side and saw a large backpack, he opened it and inside he found his Kusarigama, four Kunai, a few Shurikens, a pair of Sai, an empty canteen and a scroll. Next to the backpack was a bow, a quiver of arrows and a Bo staff.

Zander pulled out the scroll and unfurled it, it was a note from Espio that held some instructions. Here is what it said:

"Zander,

While I do believe the student must learn to be independent in certain circumstances, it would be irresponsible for me to thrust you into this test without some guidance.

Firstly, remember when I said that training methods for improving one's moulding and manipulation of chakra are the Leaf Concentration, Tree Climbing, and Water Surface Walking exercises? You will be learning those during this test, allow me to explain what they mean.

Tree Climbing is quite self explanatory, so I won't have to clarify that much. Put simply, this training involves focusing a fixed amount of chakra to the bottom of one's feet, and using that to climb a tree without using one's hands.

Leaf Concentration is done by placing a leaf over an individual's forehead and having them direct all their chakra onto the leaf, using it as a focal point; the true purpose of the exercise is actually to hone the individual's concentration and to keep their mind from becoming distracted.

Water Surface Walking is is used to gain better chakra control. To do this, the user has to be emitting a constant stream of chakra from the bottom of the their feet and using the repellent force to walk across the water's surface. This technique is more difficult to master than the Tree Climbing Practice, because the amount of chakra that needs to be emitted changes constantly.

You will have to have mastered these three exercises by the end of this trial. Not only that, but this trial will test you on how well you can survive in an environment where you only have your wits to help you.

Secondly, I have a riddle for you: "I shine brighter than any star in the night sky, I see you but you cannot see me. Having me will cost you nothing, but losing me will cost you everything! What am I?"

If you have made it to the end of this trial and discovered the answer to this riddle, I will train you to perform justu.

I have left you with all the weapons you'll need to defend yourself. The canteen is for you to fill up with water, but you'll have to find your own food. Also, do not lose this scroll, it will helpful should you forget your objectives. Good luck.

-Espio"

Zander read the entire note, taking in all of the information before he rolled the scroll up and placed it back into the backpack. "Well...I've enough episodes of Man vs. Wild to know just what to do, I just have to work my training into it. First thing's first, find some water", he said.

He pulled out the canteen and slung the backpack onto his back along with the bow and quiver, using the Bo staff as a walking stick, Zander began his long journey back to civilization. As he walked, he admired the beauty of everything around him, the grasslands was far more breathtaking up close.

Just then, Zander heard the sound of flowing water. He ran towards it where he found a small stream, "I don't think I can practice Water Surface Walking here since it's so small, but at least I can collect some water", he said. He unscrew the cap on the canteen and dunked it into the stream, once he was sure it was filled to the brim with water, he made sure to screw the cap back on tightly so it wouldn't spill.

"Now that I have water, the next step would be to build a fire but it's only midday so I don't need to now. I guess that also accounts for building a shelter, both are things I should do in the evening when I have to bunker down for the night. So...what now?", he said.

Just then, Zander heard a low growling noise. He readied his Bo staff, thinking it was some wild animal but that's when he felt an uncomfortable heat building up inside his stomach followed by another growl. "Hehe, its just me. Guess I'm hungry, well then it's time to find some food", he said.

As he looked for food, Zander remembered the tips from the show he saw in regards to eating things in a forest. Rule #1 of foraging was to eat only things that you were 100% sure weren't poisonous. Sticking to common plants like clover and dandelions, bugs like crickets and larvae, and any fish or small animals you’re able to catch was the best way to go.

Zander came across a dead, hollowed out log on the ground; it looked moist from a recent rain storm and it was covered in moss. He knew that this was the ideal place to find little creepy crawlies like worms or snails, but he needed something to gather them with. He found a long stick on the ground and used one of his Kunai to sharpen it, then he found an enormous flat leaf which he'd used to hold the gathered bugs.

Then Zander used his Kusarigama to pry open the log, what he unearthed made his jaw drop. Inside the log were hundreds of what looked like fat, yellowish grubs. They were all about the same size as a pork sausage and they were all wriggling on top of each other inside the log, "No way! It's a bunch of Hercules Bettle larvae!", shouted Zander.

He was familiar with the squirming grubs since his science teacher had brought in a few for a class project, all the students had to partner up and take care of one while documenting its metamorphosis. Zander remembered him and Gabriel working on that project, both of them earning an A for how well they cared for their larva.

And now, Zander was looking down onto hundreds of the grubs. He tried to contain his excitement as he reached his hands inside the log and scooped out several of the wriggling grubs, dumping them onto the large leaf and picking it up. "Now...to cook these little guys", he said.

Zander found a small empty cave to settle down in, he set down his stuff and went to gather some twigs and branches and dry leaves to make a campfire; he bunched the branches together and put rocks around them to keep the fire from spreading accidentally. Zander then grabbed another rock and struck it with a Shuriken, creating sparks that instantly lit up the branches, creating a fire.

"Now that that's done, let's get cooking", he said. Using a Sai like a kabob skewer, Zander stabbed the middle prong into one of the grubs and held it over the fire; the fat larva writhed for a bit before it died, and soon it began browning due to the fire. When it started to become slightly charred, Zander pulled it away from the fire.

"Wow...I can't believe I'm about to eat a bug!", he said to himself. Zander opened his mouth and bit down on the grub, tearing its upper body away; he chewed it thoroughly and then swallowed it. His eyes lit up, "Oh my gosh! This is really good! It tastes like bacon!", he shouted happily as he ate the rest of the grub.

Then he skewered a few more and roasted them over the fire, eating them once they were done cooking. After gorging himself on Hercules Bettle larvae for twenty minutes, Zander wrapped the rest of them in the leaf and placed it inside his backpack. He then laid down on the ground close to the fire, its warmth combined with his full stomach making it very easy for him to fall asleep.

The next morning, Zander awoke to the sound of birdsong, it was honestly more pleasant than the incessant ringing of his alarm clock back in his room. He sat up and stretched his limbs, "I'll make some breakfast and then I need to start my training", he said.

He walked out of the cave and looked around to see if he could find anything to eat. When he stopped by a rather thin tree, he heard loud squeaking from up above. "There's probably a bird's nest up in this tree and if so, then that means there'll be some eggs. Not only that, but this will be the perfect opportunity to do my Tree Climbing training", said Zander.

He set his backpack down near the tree and looked up at it, "Okay. Espio said that this training involves focusing a fixed amount of Chakra to the bottom of one's feet, and using that to climb a tree without using one's hands. So...I just need to concentrate my Chakra into my feet", he said.

Zander stood away from the tree and began to focus intently, trying to center his Chakra into his feet. Suddenly, a blue aura surrounded his feet; Zander cried out in shock when he saw this, causing him to lose his concentration and the aura to vanish. "That must've been my Chakra! Whoa! Okay, I need to focus so I can climb this tree", he said.

Once again, Zander concentrated on centering his Chakra into his feet. The aura appeared around his feet, this time it was much stronger now. "Alright, now let's do this!", he shouted. Zander took off, running up the tree's trunk at top speed; what Espio had failed to mention was that if the stream of Chakra was too weak, the user will lose their footing on the tree and fall off. If it was too strong, the user will be pushed away from the tree, causing the tree to break around the point of contact and the user will fall.

Zander hadn't realized that he had put a little too much Chakra into his feet and the thin tree was beginning to bend due to the pressure of his running. Then when he reached the middle of the tree, it suddenly snapped in half; Zander shouted as he fell but then he quickly did a backflip and landed on his feet.

Then he leapt out of the way of the falling upper half of the tree. Zander combed through the foliage to see if he could save any of the bird eggs but he couldn't even find a single nest, "But...if there's no nests, where did that squeaking come from?", he asked. Just then, Zander heard the squeaking noise again, and this time noticed some of the leaves rustling.

The leaves shook for a few moments, Zander quickly picked up his Kusarigama to protect himself in case it was an animal that might attack him. After a few seconds, the rustling stopped and something poked out of the foliage; Zander looked at the creature in awe, it was a small pink creature with dark pink skin and blue spots on the ends of its limbs and long ears, it had cyan eyes and a yellow and cyan halo over its head.

"Huh, hello there. What in the world are you?", Zander said. The creature looked at him equally as confused, what he didn't know was that this creature was known as a Chao, specifically an Angel Chaos Chao. They were a rare breed of Chao, but it was understandable why Zander knew nothing of these creatures' existence, only Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends knew about the existence of Chao.

Zander put down his Kusarigama to show he wasn't a threat, the Angel Chaos Chao looked at him curiously before letting out a soft squeak and flew up to him; it sat on his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek with its head, making the boy giggle. "Well you seem really friendly, huh? I've never seen an animal like you before", said Zander.

Then he looked back at the tree and his face turned red, "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to break your home, I was just looking for food", he said. The Chao smiled and hugged his face, accepting his apology; this made Zander smile, "I'm glad you're not mad at me, but I still need to find some breakfast", he said.

That was when the Chao flew off of his shoulder and floated away, beckoning him with its little paw. Zander grabbed his stuff and followed the Chao, it led him to a cluster of purple mushrooms; before Zander could point out that the mushrooms may be poisonous, the Chao picked one and ate it. Zander waited to see if there were any negative effects, but when the Chao appeared to be okay after ten minutes, Zander picked up a mushroom and ate it.

"Mmm, not bad. Kinda spongy but with a slight salty taste, thanks for leading me to these and showing me they're safe to eat. Say, I'm trying to find my way home. Do you wanna come with me?", said Zander. The Chao let out a happy squeak as it flew around his head, the wolf boy laughed at this. "I'll take that as a yes but first, you're going to need a name. Now...what do I'll call you?", he said.

The Chao flew down to eat another mushroom, nibbling on it cheerfully. Zander smiled at this, "Huh, you really seem to like mushrooms don't you? Wait, that's it! Would you like it if I call you "Shroomy"?", he asked. The Chao sat quietly for a minute, then squeaked excitedly; Zander bent down and picked up the Chao, setting it down on his head. "Well then, Shroomy it is. Come on, let's get moving", he said.

[To be continued...]