Katsu sat in silent prayer, one of the silent members of the brother hood. Although he had come as a samurai, he did not feel that this order was beneath him. In fact, he viewed his brothers and sisters as equals. Their skills were satisfactory for the brotherhood; a few exemplary and with practice, they were all improving, that is the mark of a true samurai, to continually strive toward excellence. One knows he will never achieve perfection, but constantly working hard while seeking excellence is a necessity to keep the tip of the spear honed to an exacting sharpness.<br/><br/>Several members sat with him, including Hoshi Hitasune who appeared to be restless and fidgety. If Katsu were not deep in a trance, he would tell her to allow her spirit to sink deep into a meditative state. It was the easiest way to endure times when one's patience was being tested. Besides, interfacing with the Shinto Gods on this level was the best. It helped to cleanse the soul and spirit of impurities. Katsu used this time to mentally rehearse the minor details of each movement of his martial prowess armed and unarmed. His body, perfectly motionless, but a battle raged in his mind as he slashed, parried, spun, thrust, side kicked, front kicked, round kicked and axe kicked. He executed flawless running side kicks in his mind and practiced the jab, cross, hook, upper cut, hammer fist, palm heal strike and asundry other movements with and without kamas. It was as though he were rehearsing, training his body, while clad in a dark blue silk kimono.<br/><br/>Katsu was at peace with his body, his mind and his soul. He felt that he was in the best shape of his life and enjoyed where he was. He appreciated the camaraderie at the Mikawa Assassin's dojo. Although, he would not permit himself to become complacent. He sought challenges to help him further his progression toward enlightenment.<br/><br/>Nothing or no one could break Katsu's focus. Not even pacing Hiroshi Ketto, another who could learn about meditation. With eyes closed, Katsu Yoshida knew the location of every brother and sister in the room. He was tracking their movements based on their sounds alone, aware of their breathing, their heart rate and their states of mind.<br/><br/>When two new people entered the room, Katsu opened his eyes. He identified Yoshina as a member of the order. He assumed the other young woman was the new initiate to the brotherhood. At six feet tall, Katsu may have been the tallest members. He slowly rose to his feet when the young women entered and bowed out of respect. He clasped his hands in front of him and waited to be invited to the initiation ceremony.