This story may periodically tie in with any other stories I may now have on this site under any of my pen names, or it may not. Or any still-future stories that I might eventually post on this site, at least in part, if not entirely. I have not yet decided that well enough, though. Unless and/or until I actually say otherwise, then, at any time or times whatsoever, this particular story is in a sufficiently different timeline than any of the now-known or still-potential timelines for any or all of those various other stories, people, just so you all know this quite well enough. Please try to keep that fact in mind, if and whenever you might actually read this story in the future, for sure.
This will be a story chock-full of many characters, and many quite substantial changes, in fact. Not to mention the fact that many parts of it may indeed be at least somewhat AU in their respective natures, if not greatly AU in them. This will definitely not be a story for fans of Naru, Motoko, and Mitsune, at least, if not anyone else as well, for reasons that will become quite evident in time. At least not at first, anyway. I really do hope that you'll stick with me and this story, just the same, though. Even if you are fans of the above three characters. You might just be surprised with just how this story turns out by the end of it, everyone.
All characters, settings, et cetera, in this particular story of mine here actually now do belong to their own respective owners/creators as they possibly can now and as appropriate, of course, people. Whether from they're actually from Love Hina or not, for example, you should all know quite well by now, I hope.
With no further ado, then, if we may, let's all get to the story here and now. I really do hope to see quite a lot of clean, courteous, and constructive reviews in the meantime, as you all read this story here, for sure, from any or all of you on this particular site! Until later, TUS out!
Chapter One: The Confrontations
Shinobu Maehara was preparing supper on June 6, 1992, when sounds of much yelling reached her ears. Those sounds were coming from the Apartments' hot springs are. She eventually realized this at least a few seconds later, if not at least a minute later. But still not soon enough to ultimately prevent what soon happened, quite unfortunately for many, both on the Apartments' grounds and not.
As a result of the yelling, she nearly dropped the potatoes she was just about to peel for supper on her feet. But she still somehow managed to keep them from doing so by laying them all on a nearby counter. When silence then reigned for too long after some more yelling and some crashing, she then hurried to the hot springs. She was still too late to somehow keep someone male from actually flying winglessly off into the distance, though. Three others there, with two of them being in towels, also watched him begin doing that. Much to Shinobu's own dismay in fact, even if she didn't yet realize it well enough.
After the three other women's chosen victim was quite far out of her sight, she secretly studied the three other women still with her now in the hot springs area. Not too much later, she found a work sign of some sort hidden under one of them as they then reclined on a lawn chair and drank sake. That soon caused Shinobu to steal both the sake and the sign from the lawn chair's occupant. Much to everyone's surprise, and most especially to her own, in fact. When she then quite unexpectedly did so, and quite quickly fled the hot springs area, a long chase of her soon began for the other three women who'd been there with her.
Shinobu quickly fled the hot springs area with three other young women beginning to very seriously chase her. She soon led them all through various streets still somewhat near the Hinata Apartments. This was the case, then, for at least 45 minutes, if not longer. No matter where those streets were, she still did so. And she did this at least until she was finally quite sure that she'd actually shaken them all well enough, somehow. Once she was, she quickly returned to the Hinata Apartments' grounds, for all the potentially obvious reasons, of course. When she did so, she soon learned her three pursuers hadn't yet returned there well enough, quite strangely enough.
After a short phone call to a certain nearby proprietress, she and that very same proprietress quickly began securing the Apartments' grounds at all known possible access points as best as they both then could. Even against all three of the young women who Shinobu had very quickly run away from some length of time earlier, in fact. It wasn't very easy for them to do so well enough just by themselves, of course. But they still somehow both managed to do just that in time, quite fortunately indeed. Both for themselves and for certain other people, by the way.
Once the grounds were then secured as best as they currently could be, the proprietress soon asked, "Shinobu-chan, just how far along were you, then, with tonight's supper preparations, if I might ask?" Shinobu sliced some carrots as the woman near her asked her that.
"About ten minutes or so, I believe, before Senpai was attacked. He was cleaning the hot springs, after telling me he was going to, in fact. Minutes later, possibly at Mitsune's instigation, Kaolla came in and asked me about supper. I suspect Mitsune sent her in then as a temporary diversion to keep me from interfering with her next planned pranking of Senpai. I found the work sign under Mitsune when she was reclining in a chair near the bath. The rest of what happened by now, you probably now know, of course, Haruka-san."
Haruka considered all that Shinobu herself had just told her, both on the phone and also in person. Soon afterward, she quietly asked, "Just how many places should I set for supper tonight, then?"
"Set seven places tonight. I'll make up some food and drink items for Senpai to have later, when he comes back." Shinobu dumped the carrots in the potatoes' pot.
"For who, if I might ask, then?"
"Seta-san, Sarah-chan, Nyamo-senpai, Mutsumi-senpai, Kaolla-senpai, you, and me. Unless Tsuruko-san and her husband, for instance, drop by suddenly. As they've periodically been known to do before around here, in fact. Akiko-chan was planning to come as well. But something suddenly came up for her, and she had to cancel somewhat unexpectedly."
"And what of Naru, Motoko, and Mitsune, then, Shinobu-chan?"
"I'm on strike now against them as much as I can now be, as of this exact moment. At least until I actually hear from and/or see Senpai well enough, somehow, anyway. I'll no longer somehow reward them for their abuse directed at Senpai, if I don't absolutely have to, for sure, Haruka-san."
"What do you think Keitaro will think of your strike, then, Shinobu-chan?" asked Haruka. She asked this even as she then handed some opened cans of corn to Shinobu for dumping into the necessary pot on the stove.
Shinobu quickly dumped the corn in the pot, before reaching for some other vegetables, and answering, "I'll deal with his thoughts about it when the need arises, if I must, of course. But until then, at least, I WILL do what I feel I must in order to best support him here and now, for sure, Haruka-san."
"I hope you know what you're doing here well enough, then, Shinobu-chan, obviously enough."
"So do I, Haruka-san. So do I."
"Are you scared, Shinobu-chan?"
"Of what?" Several prepared vegetable pieces then landed in the pot.
"Of them perhaps actually killing him, somehow, if at all possible?"
"Kaolla-chan often says he's unkillable."
"Maybe physically, at least, if not in any other ways as well. But you know they quite often get after him, and really hurt him greatly at times, don't you, Shinobu-chan? So are you scared?"
"Truthfully?" When Haruka nodded, Shinobu said, "Yes, honestly, of course I do, and I am, Haruka-san. Nobody, and especially not Senpai, truly deserves the you-know-what and where that he all too often gets from at least those three, if not others as well, for sure. Unless, of course, perhaps, they happen to be serial killers or mass murderers, for instance, quite obviously enough." She soon finished dropping various things into the pot, in very short order indeed.
Sometime later, Shinobu's three pursuers each finally got back to the Apartments' front steps, or nearly so, if not entirely. They soon found the nearby front gates quite locked indeed, at the very base of them. This they each did right upon their own respective returns to the grounds' immediate vicinity, quite unexpectedly indeed. When they tried calling either the Apartments or the Tea Shop to have them actually opened well enough, nobody at either such location answered their calls. For Haruka and Shinobu had both mutually decided to not answer their calls for at least a little while, if not permanently, for sure. So the front gates still remained quite closed and locked at the main steps' base, as well.
Shortly thereafter, the three decided to see if they could find at least one way, if not more than one, back onto the grounds well enough, of course. Starting with Motoko, and then with at least Naru, if not also Mitsune, in that order for sure. First Motoko quite unsuccessfully tried to get over several walls well enough several times. When she couldn't, she soon tried several non-ki-based attacks against various gates on and around the grounds. And especially against the front gates for them, in fact. When those attacks eventually proved sufficiently futile in her eyes, she soon made a very foolish decision indeed. That very foolish decision of hers was to start trying to get past the grounds' gates, especially the front ones, by using her ki-based attacks against them for a while. Unfortunately for her and her fellow miscreants, all the gates still held securely enough against all her attacks on them, somehow.
Motoko eventually stepped back, and Naru decided to try getting them all through the front gates for at least a little while, if not a long while. Naru then tried to find an intelligent way to get them all past the gates well enough without physical force, but was quite unsuccessful. Especially after she still couldn't get through to anyone now in the Hinata Apartments.
In great frustration quickly heading towards great anger, Naru then foolishly began trying to break through the gates and/or walls with her fists for at least a little while. This she did wherever and whenever she thought she could somehow do so well enough. However, just as they'd done against all of Motoko's attacks, they all held quite well indeed, in fact. Not only that, but Naru would very soon afterward learn that she'd possibly just broken at least a few, if not a lot of, bones in at least her hands, if not also anywhere else in her own body, for that matter, here and now. When the resulting pain from at least her hands, if not also anywhere else, finally hit her, she was quickly forced to back away from the front gates in rather great pain, of course.
Just before the now-sober Mitsune was just about to try getting them all back on the grounds well enough, several police cars began arriving in their general vicinity. For Shinobu had suddenly called the cops once Motoko had begun attacking the main gates with her various attacks. Mitsune soon said, "Oh, great! Girls, we'd better run now, or we might spend at least one night in jail or in juvenile detention, if not more! Now I don't know about you. But I really don't want to do that now if I don't have to, for the obvious reasons!"
Naru said, "Ditto!"
And, of course, Motoko didn't want to do so either, for sure. And she said as much as well, in very short order. The three of them then ran like the dickens, so to speak, away from the grounds. They all ran from that time on until they were all somehow able to finally slip underground perhaps a few miles away from the Apartments' grounds. By that time, however, all three of them had really dirty clothes on their respective persons, quite naturally enough.
All three of them ultimately found themselves spending the entire night, at least, underground, if not longer, much to their mutual great dismay. Not only that, but they all were even unable to find edible or drinkable enough things to eat or drink at the current time, at least.
Naru eventually said, as she tried to find a good place to sleep, "This really stinks!"
Motoko said, "I agree! We shouldn't be here at all, in the first place! We should be in the Dorm!"
"Keitaro shouldn't have been in the hot springs earlier, most likely," said Mitsune.
"Shinobu seemed to think he should have, Mitsune," said Naru, as she tried to improvise some sort of sleeping surface amidst piles of garbage, for instance.
Motoko noted, "Well, she has always been fond of Urashima, or nearly so, for quite some time, it seems. Of course she would take his side, if and whenever she possibly could."
"Why was she so unexpectedly angry this evening, however, besides that, then?" asked Naru.
"I think I played a prank that has now greatly backfired on us for at least a little while," Mitsune eventually forced herself to say now, quite reluctantly indeed, in truth.
"What?" exploded Motoko.
"Things seemed to be getting boring and dull of late around the Dorm. So I thought it might be a good idea to try to liven things up at least a little bit again. I therefore took his sign and set him up for you two to get after again for a while."
"So he WAS innocent, after all?" asked Naru.
"Yes, this time, at least, he was, Naru-chan."
"You foolish woman! You may have just destroyed things at the Apartments forever for us, at least, if not anywhere and/or anyone else as well!" shouted Naru. "And now I possibly have a few broken bones, at least, in at least my hands, if not elsewhere as well. All just because of it, at least a little bit, if not a lot, in fact!"
"Naru-chan, I'm REALLY sorry, for sure," said Mitsune.
"Just shut up right now, Mitsune, before I forget we're still best friends. I don't want to hear from you again for at least the rest of the night, in fact. For I'm really mad about what you just caused for us, for sure."
Mitsune looked at both Naru and Motoko for a little while before both of them suddenly turned their backs on her for the rest of the night. Motoko soon slept with her sword in her hand. Naru, for her part, then tried to sleep despite the pain she was now feeling in certain areas of her own body. As for Mitsune herself,l sleep quite completely eluded her, no matter how hard she tried to get at least some of it, somehow, during the night.
Meanwhile, as the three miscreants were either still Shinobu-hunting or trying to get back on the grounds well enough, Shinobu was finishing up supper with some help from Haruka when and where needed. Just before supper was ready, Kaolla at least briefly then joined both Shinobu and Haruka in Shinobu's very own kitchen, in fact.
Just then, the three of them began hearing the miscreants' efforts to get back on the grounds well enough. Kaolla soon asked, "What's going on, Shinobu?"
Shinobu said, "Mitsune pranked Senpai again with some help from you, and set him up for Naru and Motoko to blast needlessly as they quite often do. Where he is now, I really don't know yet, for sure, Kaolla. Because of that particular prank from Mitsune, Haruka-san and I have now secured the entire grounds as best as we can against them all for at least tonight, if not even longer than that. You may not have known just what Mitsune was planning for a new prank, I admit. But the fact still remains that you still helped her execute that prank. Because you caused me to forget Senpai told me he was going to clean the hot springs, he was blasted somewhere quite needlessly. Therefore, your primary punishment for your part of the incident will be no banana-related goodies of any kind whatsoever from me at least until Senpai returns, if he ever does. Furthermore, as a secondary punishment, all bananas presently outside your room on the grounds have actually been found, confiscated, AND secured in various places that not even you yourself will somehow be able to get into well enough, for that matter."
Just then, all three of them actually heard Motoko still continuing her attempts to somehow get them all back on the grounds well enough. But this time, they now began hearing her launch ki-based attacks on the front gates, in fact. As soon as Shinobu then realized this well enough, she quickly moved to the nearest phone to call the cops. After a brief question from Haruka, she said, "Because they've all now apparently chosen to be barbarians now by quite needlessly attacking both Senpai and/or these grounds, they apparently now all want to spend the night, at least, away from them both. Because we can't currently afford to allow them to perhaps destroy this place's gates, at least, I'm actually going to prank them back, in return, by simply calling the cops. Of course, it really won't be a prank, you know. But I've had enough of them all grossly mistreating Senpai like they've all often done ever since he first got here. At least for now, anyway. If they want to act like criminals, then by all means, we should let the cops deal with them, if at all possible, it seems to me." Shinobu then briefly conversed with the cops while also telling them all that they currently needed to know, before hanging up and resuming her relocation of many supper-related items from her kitchen to the main dining room as needed. While she still did that, then, she also suddenly said, "Let's see if the miscreants' shoes are all too tight for them to actually dance in, so to speak, Haruka-san and Kaolla-chan."
"What do you mean, Shinobu-chan?" asked Kaolla, even as Mutsumi appeared after a post-study session nap in Naru's room.
"There's a saying that I've heard or read somewhere, I believe, that goes something like, 'My shoes are too tight, and I have forgotten how to dance,' if memory serves, Kaolla. I believe it means, in essence, or at least to me, anyway, that if a person is too wrapped up in themselves, as each of our miscreants perhaps seem to be, much too often, they'll somehow not actually give other people all the respect that they each might deserve, you see. I don't know just where I might have heard or seen the saying before, though. Yet, I strangely seem to think it quite appropriate sentiment now, mind you all, somehow."
"So you want to see if they can dance, so to speak, after they all most certainly wronged Keitaro yet again, I take it?" asked Mutsumi.
"Exactly, Mutsumi-senpai. If they want to play, so to speak, let's see if they can keep up with the music for our dancing game of sorts. At least for a little while, if not a long while, that is," said Shinobu, even as she finished moving certain things from her kitchen to the main dining room as needed.
Minutes later, the cops showed up near the grounds, hoping to perhaps catch one or more of the three miscreants somehow. But the miscreants all still managed to elude the cops at least for a while, just the same. When the cops couldn't currently catch the miscreants, they briefly called the Apartments to see how they should then perhaps proceed as least as of the present time. Haruka told them to keep eyes out for them, just in case they showed anytime in the near future before any of those now at the Apartments somehow found and caught them well enough. The cops soon finished their little chat with Haruka, quite naturally enough, of course.
Supper was somewhat lively, even without the three miscreants' actual presences at it. Not long after that, Haruka and Shinobu were alone again in Shinobu's kitchen, while everyone else went elsewhere as then needed and/or then desired. Even Nyamo, in fact, for sure.
Once they were both quite sure they'd not be disturbed or be eavesdropped on again for a while needlessly, Shinobu soon asked, "What's the current status of the miscreants with the cops?"
"Unaccounted for at present with them, it seems. But they'll still keep eyes out for them, just in case they might actually encounter or see them before we somehow do well enough."
Shinobu considered that information as she washed several things and Haruka dried them as needed. She eventually said, "So they've gone to ground, so to speak, it seems. Perhaps we'd all best plan some little surprises for them all when next we see them all, then, Haruka-san."
"What kinds of surprises do you possibly mean, Shinobu-chan?"
"I'm not sure just yet. But those fools all will soon learn NEVER to mess with a Maehara, if at all possible, I believe, Haruka-san."
"Care to elaborate, at least at this juncture, Shinobu-chan?"
"No, most definitely not! But if they think I'm just going to let them continue to grossly mistreat him any longer, if I don't have to, they'll all soon find out they're quite sorely mistaken! Senpai might allow it, but I no longer will, if I don't have to let those perverts continue doing so against him."
"They often call him a pervert, you know, Shinobu-chan."
"Well, the way I see it, even though he's obviously not totally blameless himself, they're quite often much more perverted in such situations than he is, Haruka-san. I know he has certain mature interests and collections of such things. But those things still aren't actually good enough reasons for them all to grossly mistreat him just like they all quite often do, for sure. No matter whenever or wherever any or all of us might be around him at any time, you see, for that matter."
Haruka nodded, then said, "I take it you want to be at least his girlfriend, if not his wife, someday. That's if it's at all possible, of course, Shinobu-chan.
Shinobu unhesitatingly said, "Most certainly I do. Listen, I know that I'm possibly still only a teenager, at least chronologically, and that he's now 21 himself. But I still really do care quite a whole lot for him. Even though he apparently doesn't realize just how much he actually means to me. Unfortunately, he's still gone on Naru-san, it seems. Even though she beats him up constantly whenever she can't make up her mind about him well enough. She certainly doesn't deserve him. And I probably don't, either, for letting most of the others, or even you, mistreat him so often since his first arrival here."
"The fan bit, for example, whenever he calls me 'Aunt Haruka,' Shinobu-chan?"
"Yes, I DO mean that, for example. It's NOT right for you to hit him when he does that. If you don't like him calling you that, FIND a better and more appropriate way to express your displeasure with him calling you that. Do NOT hit him again needlessly with anything physical, at least, or you WILL certainly come to greatly regret it, I promise you that!"
"I see, Shinobu-chan. I'll try to remember that, then, of course, for the obvious reasons. But you must also realize that I am a Urashima, just as he is. And you aren't technically one just yet, if you ever will be, you know."
"That just makes what you do to him needlessly at least a little bit, if not a lot, worse here in my eyes, at least. If not anyone else's as well, for sure. Family members should never needlessly hit each other, I feel. Or otherwise mistreat each other, for that matter, in any possible way whatsoever. I may indeed not yet be a Urashima, somehow, if I ever will be. But I'm not just going to let you mistreat him again needlessly, if I don't have to do just that, just as sure as I am now Shinobu Maehara, Haruka-san. Do NOT make me get after you for doing so again with him needlessly. Or you WILL begin to experience the often-fierce wrath of the Maeharas, at least to some degree, if not to a great degree!"
Soon after Shinobu said all those things, the two ladies finished doing the dishes, at least, and parted from each other for the rest of the current night, most likely. Haruka soon slept in Keitaro's room, and Shinobu soon did the same for herself in her own room, quite naturally enough.
Several hours later, Shinobu woke up and began making breakfast for almost everyone, if not everyone, then on the grounds. While she was then doing so, the phone in the living room unexpectedly rang. Seta answered it, and briefly conversed with the callers, before eventually giving Shinobu and Haruka the phone conversation indirectly through Mutsumi. While Haruka and Shinobu then talked to the callers, Seta stayed in the living room and Mutsumi monitored things in the kitchen, as needed.
The callers, who'd actually been both Keitaro and Grandma Hina, eventually told both Shinobu and Haruka that they'd both be returning to the Apartments very soon indeed, if at all possible. And that they'd both also most certainly not be alone at all when they eventually did so, for that matter. Not only that, but they were also both told to find and catch the missing tenants before eventually bringing them all back to face the potential consequences of their actions. Both Shinobu and Haruka then agreed to fully carry out Grandma Hina and Keitaro's order to the letter, if at all possible and appropriate, of course, in very short order indeed, before eventually hanging up their end of the conversation to a dial tone of some sort.
Hours later, the missing tenants were eventually found and caught well enough by several people, with at least some, if not a lot of, help from several Kaolla-created devices of some sort. With not the least of them actually being Shinobu, quite surprisingly indeed. Three battles eventually began, with two tenants apiece facing off against each other in them, for that matter. When the tenants faced off against each other in them, Mutsumi chose to battle against Motoko and Kaolla did the same with Mitsune. Which then ultimately left Shinobu to battle against Naru here, quite obviously enough.
The three battles between various tenants eventually began in full earnest after the cops ultimately dropped back following some attempts to subdue the miscreants and some requests and/or orders from certain other people. Even though some didn't really want to, for sure, they still did so, just the same.
After the cops then dropped back enough, Motoko secretly thought she could still defeat Mutsumi in the applicable upcoming fight, for various reasons. At least at first, anyway, she did. Mutsumi mainly fought defensively in the fight, hoping to wear the still-strong Motoko out at least a little bit, if not a lot, before she began to fight back much more in that fight. Eventually, after Motoko had been battling Mutsumi for at least fifteen minutes, if not even longer, Mutsumi gradually began to turn the tide, so to speak, in her current fight with Motoko. And no more than ten or so minutes after that, Motoko quite unexpectedly indeed found several spikes quite suddenly pointed at several different places all over her own body by Mutsumi. Mutsumi soon promised even more serious vengeance on Motoko in the future, if Motoko didn't actually change her ways well enough by any possible time at all in it. And most especially as they each might then somehow relate to Keitaro well enough, for that matter. After Mutsumi eventually finished speaking well enough to Motoko here and now, Motoko soon found herself subdued and secured as needed, where needed, by the necessary people.
Mitsune and Kaolla's fight was very heated indeed. And it featured quite a lot of punches, kicks, grabs, and throws, for instance, during it from both of them. Eventually, Kaolla somehow managed to outlast Mitsune in it and wrap her up in a net of some sort. Then Kaolla told Mitsune various things in very short order. Many of them, if not all of them, were quite similar to the various things Mutsumi had earlier told Motoko, in fact. Once that battle's resolution arrived well enough, Mitsune quickly found herself actually subdued and secured much like, if not entirely like, Motoko had already been by various people.
Of all three fights for the tenants, though, which all began at roughly the same time, the longest by far was the one between Shinobu and Naru. And it was still being fought somewhat fiercely by the time Mitsune and Kaolla's battle eventually ended.
Naru held the advantage over Shinobu for most of the third applicable fight somehow. Even though she was then fighting with potentially cracked and/or broken bones in her own hands, at least, if not anywhere else as well for herself, she still did so, just the same. But Shinobu still somehow managed to stay in the fight, much to many people's great surprise, of course. Almost as if she was fighting for at least her own life in at least one way, if not in more than just one way, in fact. And whether or not she was also fighting Naru for others' lives as well, for that matter.
Eventually, Shinobu managed to begin turning the battle's tide in her favor, somehow. Although it wasn't without some great effort, just the same, for sure. That didn't happen, however, until at least an hour had actually passed during it, if not more time than that. And it only happened right after Shinobu quite suddenly threw Naru into a pile of garbage between two large warehouses some considerable distance away from the Hinata Apartments, in fact. Not only that, but Shinobu also briefly threw sand in Naru's eyes right after sending her into the aforementioned garbage pile.
"Shinobu, stop this! You don't need to fight me now!" shouted Naru, as she simultaneously tried both to defend herself and to calm down Shinobu, somehow, if it was at all possible for herself to do just that here and now.
"No, you're wrong, Narusegawa! I DO need to fight you, before you potentially DO kill the man I love! And if I have to break you down, piece by piece, in order to protect him from your monstrous ways, the so be it! No matter how many bones of yours I might have to break in order for me to somehow make quite sure your days of bullying him are forever over, if at all possible!"
As the fight still continued turning Shinobu's way, Naru soon shouted, "You'd let that pervert mistreat you, or anyone else, by molesting a young girl such as yourself, for example, who doesn't really know what true love is?"
"He WOULDN'T actually be molesting me, Narusegawa! And he is NOT quite as perverted as I know you and several others HAVE actually considered and perhaps called Senpai numerous times before! Not only that, but I also DO know that true love is NOT where someone normally beats up their potential mate or mates, at least! He really still loves you, as far as I now know! And, yet, how do you actually repay his very deep and very great love for you? You CONSTANTLY beat on him, and far too often without just cause! You definitely do NOT deserve his love, due to your great cruelty to him in the past, for sure! For all you've done to him, you truly ARE deserving of at least lifetime imprisonment, if not death, in my view, with no chance of parole! I USED to really look up to you, as a matter of fact! But no longer will I EVER do so again, for sure! That's UNLESS and UNTIL you somehow actually DO redeem yourself, at least, if not also others as well, to a sufficient enough degree in your own life and/or the lives of others! I OUGHT to KILL you because of your great cruelty to Senpai! But at least for Senpai's stake, if not also my own, at least, I shall not! At least not at this particular juncture, anyway!"
Several dozen punches, kicks, and/or throws later, perhaps, from both of them, Shinobu suddenly shouted, "But from this time on, normally, we ARE now mortal enemies, at least, until and/or unless you actually somehow are able to redeem at least yourself, if not anyone else, well enough! If you EVER hurt him again needlessly, I WILL kill you someday, if at all possible! Just as sure as I am now Shinobu Maehara, in truth, in my own mortal life, I promise you this without any possible doubt at all!"
Shinobu then quite quickly rendered Naru quite unconscious temporarily. Although it wasn't entirely without at least some, if not a lot of, resistance from Naru against Shinobu, of course. Shinobu soon bound her as she then saw fit with some rope and some handcuffs, for that matter. After she'd bound Naru sufficiently to her own satisfaction here and now, she soon did the same with Motoko. But she only did so with Mutsumi's own prior permission to do so, for various reasons, of course, in very short order indeed.
Mitsune, however, she eventually didn't bind. For Kaolla had already done that quite well enough with the quite secure net around Mitsune here and now. Once Shinobu finally realized this, she quite firmly indeed ordered that the three now-bound miscreants be taken back to the Apartments' grounds to each await their quite-likely fates.
Everyone who then needed to be on the grounds before Keitaro and those he'd be returning to them with arrived there were all soon on it as needed, of course. Once they all were, everyone now present who needed to get patched up was patched up as best as they then could be, if they'd not already been, for sure. Even the miscreants were, by the way. Although not by any of their fellow tenants, Haruka, and Seta, at least, if not also Sarah and/or Nyamo as well. This was for all the obvious reasons here and now, of course.
The three miscreants all then generally sat silently in one part of the living room. Even while everyone else kept their respective distances from them to the best of their own abilities to do just that here and now. Nobody talked to the miscreants any more than they absolutely had to, and vice versa. Even while everyone waited for Keitaro and any number of others to actually return to or arrive on the grounds again well enough, for that matter.
As they all then awaited what was going to happen and/or who was going to show up later, the living room phone suddenly rang without any warning at all. Shinobu was closest to it when it did, so she was the first one able to reach it, quite naturally enough. She quickly answered it, and then she quite quietly and quite secretly conversed for a while on it with the caller, for various reasons. Some possibly obvious, and some possibly not. In fact, that particular caller was Keitaro, although she didn't reveal that to anyone else for at least a few, if not several, minutes, for sure. And she most certainly did not do so while she was still talking to him on the living room phone, of course.
Once she eventually hung up the phone, she suddenly moved silently to Haruka's side before pulling her into her kitchen sufficiently away from all known eyes and ears. That was whether they were actually physical, mental, or electronic ones, for sure, in fact. When her kitchen was undeniably quite secure from any and all potential eavesdropping, Shinobu soon said, "The miscreants' combination attack sent Senpai to Molmol yesterday. He landed there during his 42nd orbit because of that combination attack of theirs. Grandma Hina was visiting and meeting there with several important people when he suddenly crash-landed right into the middle of it. And she is now quite furious with the miscreants' most recent actions towards Senpai. And I daresay she'll be even more so, once I reveal certain major secrets I've kept so far regarding certain people here, for that matter. She and Senpai will actually be joined by at least four parents, if not more, for example, when they get here."
The conversation eventually ended, but not before Shinobu had suddenly asked Haruka to monitor everyone in the living room where and how needed as she herself then attended to certain other things in her room for a while. Haruka quickly agreed to do just that, much to Shinobu's gratitude, in fact, just before Shinobu then quickly went up to her room again for at least a little while, if not a long while.
Shinobu went right to work doing and/or collecting whatever she then needed or desired to do and/or collect once she was safely behind her bedroom door again. She then remained in her own room for quite a good while mostly filling either a box on her desk or a backpack, in fact. Eventually, she put on the backpack and picked up the box and one or two other things then in her physical possession as well. Once she finally did so well enough to satisfy herself sufficiently well at the current time, she quickly left her room again for the living room.
Several minutes later, at most, she then was back in the living room quite near Haruka. Shinobu then very briefly conversed with Haruka about a few things that she currently wanted her to watch, for the obvious reasons. Haruka quite quickly agreed to do so very silently and very secretly indeed. Especially after Shinobu gave her a certain look that promised her substantial trouble if she didn't safeguard them all quite well enough while Shinobu was elsewhere.
Shinobu then quickly went to the top of the main steps to wait for her Senpai and various others to finally reach the grounds later on, in fact. Once there well enough, she then quickly pulled some art supplies and a new sketchbook out of her current light jacket. As she proceeded to await the now-imminent arrival of any number of other people, including both Keitaro and Grandma Hina, she also began sketching various people and things in her sketchbook as the mood then struck her to, for sure. No matter who or what they might then be, for that matter.
Eventually, a large group of people actually arrived at the base of the main steps, with both Keitaro and Grandma Hina in the lead as they all then did so quite well enough. Promptly at 4 pm local time, then, Keitaro said, "Everyone, we're here. Now it's time to take care of some possibly-unpleasant business up there soon, it seems."
Grandma Hina said, "Agreed, Keitaro. Let's see just what we all have to do here, then, of course."
Just as soon as Grandma Hina said that, the young lady then sitting on the main steps' top step quite suddenly dropped her art supplies there and silently raced right down them all quite well indeed. And quite surprisingly, at that. She especially raced right for Keitaro over everyone else then with him here and now. Before he could then react fast enough, somehow, Shinobu was most definitely on Keitaro, and giving him lips-to-lips kisses quite often for several long seconds, at least. She absolutely refused to release her grip on him well enough until she'd then given him at least forty such kisses straight, .if not more, in fact.
"Senpai, I'm SO glad you're finally back now, for sure!" shouted Shinobu, as she cried many tears of extreme joy over her beloved's most recent return to the Hinata Apartments' grounds. "I was REALLY scared that I'd just lost you forever, in fact!"
"I'm at least partly glad to be back, Shinobu-chan. But not totally, for all of the obvious reasons as well, of course."
"Yes, Senpai, I DO know that as well, quite unfortunately. Let's just do what we all might now HAVE to do with the guilty up there, if at all possible, then. No matter what might then happen somehow up there, for sure."
Several minutes later, at most, then, for everyone, Keitaro and all his current companions arrived at the main doors for the Apartments' main building. Leading them all there now were the quite-mad trio of Keitaro, Grandma Hina, and Shinobu. Keitaro was at the vertex of a leading V-formation consisting of just three people, with Grandma Hina to his left and Shinobu to his right. Everyone else soon fell into groupings of varying sizes and configurations behind one or more of them as the need or desire then arose for them all, in fact.
"Fools, prepare to meet your potential dooms! No matter WHO you are, and WHAT they might be!" shouted Keitaro, Grandma Hina, and Shinobu, all at the exact same time, quite strangely enough, somehow. When everyone inside heard them all, especially the three miscreants, they all quickly realized something big was inevitably just about to happen. Motoko, most of all, began getting an extremely bad feeling here and now, and much more or one than did Naru and Mitsune. Especially after she suddenly picked up several huge ki spikes, with the largest of them all somehow coming unquestionably from her very own sister Tsuruko Aoyama Sakagami.
Motoko suddenly blurted out, "Oh, no! She's here! And I'm probably toast, so to speak, once she gets after me well enough, for sure!"
"What, Motoko?" asked Naru and Mitsune.
"My sister's with Urashima and many others, you two, that's what! And she's VERY angry at me, if I can read her current ki level well enough, for that matter!"
"Oh, dear! That must NOT be good, if I get your drift well enough here," said Mitsune, a few seconds, at most, later.
"You better believe it, Konno-san!" shouted Grandma Hina, as everyone now with her quickly began crowding just as best as they then could into the living room here and now. "Your times of grossly mistreating Keitaro quite unfairly and quite unjustly indeed are now over forever, for sure, Konno-san, Narusegawa-san, and Aoyama-san! Prepare yourselves to face the now-possible consequences of all your actions against my dear grandson, right here and right now, for that matter!"
"Just what supposed unjust actions of ours are you speaking of, Grandma Hina?" asked Naru.
"I forbid you three to ever call me or refer to me by that designation in my sufficient enough presence again! At least until, and unless, any or all of you have sufficiently redeemed yourselves somehow in any or all of your lives, anyway! From now on, until any or all of you do, if ever, I must be called by you, or referred to by you as, 'Hinata Urashima-san' or 'Urashima-san!' Or else you miscreants will eventually regret your doing otherwise, one way or another, if at all possible, somehow!"
Shortly thereafter, things really started to get very volatile in the living room. And especially after Keitaro soon said, quite suddenly indeed, "It has now come to my attention that certain massively important matters have greatly BEEN neglected for far TOO long! That must DEFINITELY change now, and change FOREVER around here, at least, if not elsewhere as well, everyone! And they WILL change now, or else!"
Chapter Two for this particular story of mine will be rewritten as soon as possible, and then Chapter Three's writing will eventually be completed, if it's not actually posted before the brand-new version of Chapter Two is uploaded. This version of Chapter One, however, took quite some time, most likely, for me to actually complete well enough. But hopefully it will ultimately prove to be the best version yet of it so far. I hope that you all really like how it turned out this time, of course, people.
Shinobu's quote regarding shoes perhaps being too tight and people forgetting how to dance comes from an episode of Babylon 5 called "War Prayer," I believe. Although, if memory serves, Babylon 5 was not on the air until sometime after 1992, in our own real timeline. Please correct me if I'm wrong about that, people, if you please.
For future contemplation, at least, just how will Naru, for instance, then somehow deal with Grandma Hina, Keitaro, and certain others who've already been seen in this particular story? Will she actually act up just as she quite often does, or will she somehow actually see reason in time to save her current place here in the Hinata Apartments well enough? Only time will truly tell, of course, people. And if she does the former, instead of the latter, will certain others in them now actually be forced out of the Hinata Apartments as well? Just some questions we might all want to consider here, for sure.
Well, I suppose that's just about enough stuff to talk about here for this particular story, at least. I really hope you all really enjoy this story a whole lot, and also leave me a lot of quite clean, quite courteous, and quite constructive reviews for it as I still continue to post even more chapters of it, come to think of it, everyone. As for any other stories of mine here on this site, whether past, current, and/or future, I hope to be able to post much more content for them sometime in the near future,if at all possible and appropriate enough, of course. Until later, then, I suppose I'd best close this part here, for the obvious enough reasons, for sure. TUS out.