'Hiruzen' Part 2: Chapter 7: Training With the Lifemaster
Hiruzen set his bag down in his room, and sat down on the wooden board that would now be his bed during his stay in the temple. He took out a photograph of "Team Senju": Him, Koharu, Homura, Hashirama, and Tobirama. That team had been shattered by the actions of the group of renegade rock shinobi that was still anonymous...
Hiruzen didn't get a chance to delve deep into his thoughts, since soon came an abrupt opening of his bedroom door. Standing in the doorway was Master Inbaku. Apparently, he didn't make much of a point that he was the monk in charge of everything.
"Good afternoon, Hiruzen," said Inbaku with a smile, "Let's take a walk."
And so, without a word, Hiruzen stood up, and walked out the door, closing it behind him and following Inbaku.
"So, you must be the 1st's and the 2nd's student, eh?" Said Inbaku, still smiling.
"Yes. They were like my family... You must've heard what happened to them... Why are you smiling??" Replied Hiruzen, a bit taken aback at what he took as a lack of care for the deaths of his masters.
"Oh I meant no disrespect, it's just that... there's no such thing as death." Still smiling, said Inbaku. "Life and existence are both one eternal circle, without a beginning, and without an end. One is not born, nor does one die. Such starting and ending points are meaningless in the grand sceme of things."
"That's easy for you to say; from what the legends say, you've found a jutsu that's granted you eternal life..." Hiruzen replied, his head hung low.
"We all have eternal life, my student. All I've figured out is how to eternally exist in this world through making peace with it. It is no jutsu, it is simply a state of mind or, rather, a state of being." Inbaku sagefully stated.
"What's the fun in living "in this world" forever if no one else can?"
"An astute question, Hiruzen, but you're forgetting something: you're looking at this whole thing through your own, unrefined view. Once you make peace with existence and yourself, you learn to look beyond these things. Such a thing is true power, not all of your jutsus." Answered Inbaku. "But then again, one can't be expected to ever accomplish such a task. I did so through 60 straight years of meditation, without movement or talking. I fed upon natural spiritual energy. You see, the health of the soul surpasses that of the body."
"You speak like you fear death, that you're afraid to go to the next world. If you're not, then why do you stay here?" Hiruzen asked, accusatorily.
"It is because my job here is not done yet... my purpose in this world is to teach others what I've been given by the gods. After that task has finished, I will most likely pass on, which I look forward to with open arms." Stated Inbaku, his smile turning from one of happiness to one of peace.
"That makes sense, I guess..."
At this point, Hiruzen and Inbaku arrive back outside Hiruzen's room. A bit shocked, not remembering where he had walked, Hiruzen looks around quickly, then turns to where Inbaku was standing, catching a glimpse of his new master turning the corner.
(Next Chapter: Learning Inner Mastery)
