How to Harden a body (Private Training)

Fuji entered the forest it was a sunny day and extremely hot out. This was the perfect conditions to try to learn Stone Skinned God’s Techniques. He knew the basics but knew that simply hardening one's body wouldn't allow a person to take as much physical punishment as he had seen Master Golem take. And to learn this stance he decide to find Master Golem who resided in the forest, he was a very quiet, reserved man, and preferred his solitude. Finding him was said to be a challenge and that if you were able to get up the mountain he lived on; he would train you. Many tried this but failed, the mountain constantly had trees and boulders falling down it.

The mountain proved easy enough to find, but Fuji saw that the real challenge was getting up. As he approached the base of the mountain when he noticed a sign that said "Stone Skin Seeker: No Shunpoing or you will be DISQUALIFIED!" it was signed by Master Golem. Fuji noticed the falling boulders and tree trunks, there was no way that he would be able to dodge all of them and climb the wall. He realized that was the point of trying to get up the mountain, it would harden his body.

Fuji removed his shirt and started to climb the 100 yard cliff, this was only a quarter of the way to Master Golem's home. The first 10 yards were easy, there was only a little falling stuff but all of a sudden it started to pick up. Small rocks and branches fell in great number at Fuji. Fuji was hit by these things, they caused him to lose grip and fall back down the 10 yards onto his back. "Ow.... That hurt..." Fuji realized that someone had to be throwing that stuff down.

Fuji restarted back up, at 10 yards height and the stuff started falling again. Fuji gripped tight and slowly moved up the cliff. He tucked his and was taking all of it to his back and arms. When he got up to about 20 yards height, Fuji noticed the branches and rocks were getting bigger. He than looked up and noticed a small cave and ledge about 50 yards up the cliff side, if he could get to that ledge than he could take a breather. At that moment he was struck in the top of the head, and lost grip once again falling 20 yards to ground. Laying there on his back, he looked up the cliff. He never thought climbing up 100 yards would be so difficult. He decided there was no time to just lay there, he got up and started up the cliff again making up 10 yards with little difficulty then making up the next 10 yards fairly easy.

The next thirty up the cliff was the same story, though Fuji noticed that the falling rocks, branches and stumps were getting bigger as he climbed higher and higher. When he reached the cave he pulled himself up and noticed the ledge was about 10 yards wide and the actual cave was about 10 yards x 10 yards. He noticed another sign here and it read "Stone Skin seekers: There is water and food at the back of the cave, you must train with Slate, under his rules for three days, to get it" Fuji was tired, hungry and dehydrated and he was planning on defeating this Slate guy. Upon entering the cave he saw a small man meditating in front of a tent, a table of food and a fountain.

Slate stood up and said "O it has been a while since anyone made it this far without giving up, you must be determined. Well you can have some food, water and take a rest if you can take everything I throw at you without being moved out of the cave. And no attacking." He thought this would be easy he thought, how much could this guy actually dish out. "Well then let see what you got" Fuji said, noticing that Slate had a smirk on his face as he took ta fighting stance. Fuji realized that he had underestimate the boy, he was obviously trained. "Wait, your trained in Martial Arts?" Fuji questioned. The boy laughed and said "Yes I am, but I only know boxing and the Stone Skin, don't be afraid."

Fuji wasn't afraid, he just wanted to know what to expect. He took a neutral stance and waited for Slate to attack, then all of a sudden Slate dashed at him and threw a quick jab at him. Fuji dodged it to the but was surprised by a hook that sent him flying and almost out of the cave. The boy was a lot stronger and faster than he looked, Fuji was going to have to use his head to stay in the cave. Fuji dodged the next three strikes but backed into a wall and got hit by a straight to the gut. Fuji realized that he didn't move though, the wall gave him the necessary fortification to take the hits. Slate sent a barrage of punches at Fuji's gut, legs, and face. Fuji took them all as long as he didn't fall or move off the wall he would be fine. After about a hundred punches Slate was obviously tired and stopped attacking.

"Very good you used your head and realized that I could knock you out of the cave if you were against the wall, then you tensed you muscles and kept your breath with each hit. You don't know how many idiots try to stand in front of the opening and take my hits most end up flying off the cliff." said Slate while he sat down by the tent. "You can eat all you like and rest here for as long as you want." he said while smiling, but at that moment Fuji's body gave out. Slate caught him before he hit the ground, he laughed and said "I'm surprised you are still conscious, I didn't hold back at all." As he walked Fuji over to the tent, he told Fuji about the others who came before him. For three days they did this type of training.



3 days later



After 3 days of hanging out wit Slate, Fuji learned that he was the youngest of Golem's sons and that there was another test like this lay at the top of the cliff and one more after that. At that he bid farewell to Fuji.

Fuji started to climb back up the cliff, only another fifty yards and he would be at the top. Now instead of branches, rocks and stumps there was boulders and logs falling towards him. Though compared to Slate's hits these felt like pebbles and twigs, Fuji made his way up the cliff slowly but surely he made his way up the cliff when he finally made it to the top, Fuji noticed a large man and another sign. The sign read "Stone Skin seekers: You must train with Brick to proceed. Obey the rules of his training and he will allow you to pass when he believes you are ready." After reading the sign Fuji approached Brick and said "So you must be Brick, what am I supposed to take a beating from you too?" Fuji was being sarcastic.

Brick answered "Yes you will. My training involves me beating you with this" he lifted up a large log. "These will break if you are as sturdy as a rock. I will hit you in each limb and all over the torso. Including your head. If you are not sturdy as a rock then the log won't break, we will start with smaller logs and work our way up to these." Then Brick told Fuji to take a Horse stance as Brick picked up a small log. Fuji tensed his whole body in anticipation.

Brick smiled as he took a swing, the log hit Fuji in the leg but it didn't break. "Your leg moved, thats why it didn't break" Brick said in a stern voice. This went on for about three days, until finally Fuji had broken the ten small logs on various spots on his body. "Looks like its time to upgrade to the medium log" Brick said with a smirk. The first swing with a medium log knocked Fuji to the ground, and the next one swept his legs out from under him. "Weakling, your stances isn't sturdy enough" Brick stated in a condescending tone. This went on for a week, finally when Fuji had broken ten logs Brick said "Hmm.. I guess you have earned a rest. The next step is these, plus most of the people who come here to train give up while being belted by those medium logs." The next two days Fuji talked to Brick and relaxed. He found Brick to be a lot like himself, he didn't show emotion and he was a little shy. Brick told Fuji that even being willing to attempt to finish this part of the training took balls.

After two days of rest they resumed training, these logs were as big as tree trunks. The first hit from one sent Fuji flying, and so did the second and third. But after 4 days of this he was able to take it and not be moved but it still moved his body quite a bit, twisting his knee upon contact and making him sway. This went on for 3 more days, and eventually he only moved in small increments. Finally, Brick swung at Fuji's leg and the log broke, then the right and broke. Brick smiled and said "You have passed, you may go to see Granite. You are the first one to make it this far in about 30 years, since I took over this post. I wish you luck, my friend." Fuji smiled and made his way to the forest ahead, before entering he rested for a few days.



3 days later



Fuji awoke, he walked through the forest which was otherwise uneventful. He then came to another sign that read "Stone Skin seekers: You must push this boulder up the hill. At the top Granite is waiting to instruct you in your next training phase. These will be the final tests before meeting the Master." Fuji smiled but he knew from the other tests that this wouldn't be easy. He looked up the hill and noticed that it was about 200 yards long, it slowly got steeper and steeper, plus it was sandy. He looked over at the boulder, "This is gonna be hard, but I will not give up."

Fuji took a running start and put his hands out in front of him and pushed the boulder. He pushed as hard as he could and the boulder moved up the hill very slow. The sand made it difficult to walk, the first 100 yards was pretty easy but the increasing incline of the hill was making it harder and harder. He turned his back to the boulder to stop and rest for a few minutes, but it didn't provide much rest. Holding the boulder in place caused his legs to tire. He turned back around and started pushing at a slow steady pace, the next 100 yards was taxing and when he finally reached the top he was exhausted, a young man approached him and said "You can rest an hour but you have about 9 more boulders to push up the hill. And then the real training will begin."

Fuji rested for an hour then sprinted down the hill and repeated the process of pushing the boulder up the hill. He did about five boulders and he couldn't feel his legs anymore, he had been going for 24 hours straight. He saw the man sitting there laughing, he wondered what was so funny. He looked down and his legs were shaking. He had done the last three boulders, each weighing a ton, without a rest. He decided to rest an hour and then go at it again,

After an hour Fuji made his way down the hill, he pushed the next five boulders up the hill. After the last one he was exhausted, He hadn't rest, his legs were trembling and his whole body was exhausted. The man stood "Now it is time for the real train young man. You will face me in a duel. Losing means that you will die, you won't be able to tense your muscles to absorb hit like you would normally. You will learn the secret of Stone Skin or die." Fuji knew Granite wasn't lying and that if he didn't figure it out he was a dead man.

Granite sprinted at Fuji, and swung at Fuji catching him in the gut. Fuji was too tired to react quick enough to block, this hit knocked the air out of him and he stumbled back. Granite didn't give him any time to regain his footing as he swept Fuji's leg. Fuji hit the ground and then was met with a kick to the ribs that sent him flying. He decided that if he didn't do something he was going to die, Fuji stood up and took a defensive stance. Granite charged him and swung a big right, Fuji barely moved to the right of it. Then he focused all the energy he could and put a left hook into the ribs of Granite. It didn't phase Granite, he had shifted his body with the punch but Fuji noticed this right before being hit by a left roundhouse kick to his ribs that sent him reeling. Fuji smirked and said"I.. got.. it.."

Granite smiled and said in a sort of proud tone "Really? Then show me!" He charged Fuji and threw a straight right to Fuji's gut and it contacted. But this time Fuji moved with the punch until it stopped, he felt barely anything. Granite smiled as he stood and bowed, "You have passed. You are the first one in a 30 years to get to this stage, but you are the first one outside of our family to fully complete the training. I congratulate you. You may now meet my father." Fuji started to collapse upon hearing this and Granite caught him, he was near death. "Whoa there we don't need our first student to pass to die right after." Fuji laughed "I don't die that easy. By the way, this training is psychotic." he passed out after saying that. Fuji awoke a day later, wondering where he was he walked out of the large house to see and old man shirtless meditating in a zen garden, the man was covered in scars and was completely ripped. "Fuji, I congratulate you for completing the training. You have now learned the secrets to Stone Skin, and I knew you showed promise when I saw you sparring in your first life. Only four of us have become masters in the last 100 years of the Stone Skin, and you are the only one to master it so quickly and maybe one day I will be calling you Master Fuji of your own style. I am surprised though, you are the youngest man to attempt this training. Now for your final test" this confused Fuji. All of a sudden a rock was thrown at Fuji's gut, it contacted but Fuji moved with the rock's motion until it stopped and fell to the ground, Fuji felt nothing. Master Golem smiled "Good you actually mastered it, I thought my son may have gone easy on you. He is a little soft at times."



"O come on dad don't tell him that." Granite said in a confident voice. "Fuji I will show you the secret path to easily get down the moutain, you can come back anytime and visit. It gets dull up here. The lift stops at each training station." Fuji got on the lift and bowed to Granite, He saw the other two on his way down, they smiled when they realized he had passed. Both bowed to him and bowed back.