Prologue

"Jin! Son, I've got some news for you!"

After arriving home to the Mishima Estate, Heihachi Mishima wasted no time with relaxation or refreshments (though he made sure to give Kuma an affectionate rub). Without even shrugging off his jacket, he barged into the dojo where he assumed his grandson was. Of course, he had assumed correctly, a fact in which he took immense pride.

Jin did not reply as he was engrossed in his exercises, which irked the old man to no end. Even if he was doing what he'd been ordered to, Heihachi still expected his grandson to be like everyone else, in that they immediately recognise and revere him when he entered the room.

In a bout of irascibility, Heihachi picked up a towel from the seat near the doors and threw it towards him swiftly, and the boy caught it without opening his eyes or breaking form. Simultaneously impressed and ticked off, Heihachi barked "Alright, alright that's enough boy! And reply when your elders speak to you!"

"Forgive me," Jin said, fluidly bringing his actions to a halt and exhaling before wiping his face with the towel.

"Well, as long as you don't make a habit of it. Anyway, you'll have to stop practice for today," the old man said, earning a questioning glance from Jin. "You need to be well-rested for tomorrow. Then again, you already wake up pretty early so I wonder if it'll make a difference…"

"Can I ask why?" the youth asked while absentmindedly rubbing his head, a few wayward locks sneaking out from under the white cloth. Heihachi cut short his ramblings, remembering why he came here and responded "Why? I'm sending you to school, that's why!"

Jin was struck dumb by this revelation, causing the towel to slip from his head and hang precariously from his bare shoulders. The sight caused Heihachi to exclaim "Don't be so surprised, boy! I told you I'd be expecting certain protocol when I let you live with me!"

"Yes, I remember but-" he began, grasping the sodden towel when it started to slide down his back. However, Heihachi wasn't interested in whatever excuses he had.

"But, nothing! Boy, everyone becomes someone with a quality education! Surely you can't be expecting to be staying here your whole life, are you?"

"Of course not, but-"

"What did I say about 'but'? Jin, you need to start thinking about a future besides martial arts, and you need to attend school too!"

"But-" Jin caught himself just in time, so Heihachi's stern glare lasted only a second before he continued "You don't need to worry about anything. I've already arranged for your uniform and transportation, all the technical things. No, the only thing you need to worry about is actually attending! And learning something while you're there!"

"… Alright," his grandson replied, swallowing all his queries.

"Good! Seems we're remembering all I've done for you, giving you a home and a chance at revenge! Really, this is the least you can do for me!"

"I apologise," Jin said, kneeling in front of Heihachi. Enjoying the sight for a brief moment, Heihachi said "Alright, that's enough! You'd best get to bed now. I think you've earned yourself a few extra hours of sleep."

"Yes," the raven-haired boy replied, not moving an inch as Heihachi departed from the dojo. At that moment, one of the Mishima employees rushed up to the aged man, exclaiming "Sir! You're home!"

"Astute observation," he replied, making to leave before he remembered something. "Oh right, make sure you prepare the young boy's uniform for tomorrow and arrange for one of the chauffeurs to be available to drive him to Mishima Polytechnic. And don't forget your regular duties in the process!"

The employee, all too used to their Master's abrupt and unexpected commands, immediately departed to do as such while Heihachi left for his own room.

Well, that's one problem out of the way, he thought to himself. While sending Jin to Mishima Polytechnic would be beneficial for his future, it would also be the perfect thing to keep him away from the estate. The boy must not come across his plans regarding the God Of Fighting.

Jin, for the first time since he arrived at the Mishima Estate, was wasting his time lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. He found himself constantly letting out short exhales of frustration and he did not know what to do about it.

He felt that he should have been practising instead. He should be working towards attaining power and getting his revenge instead of waiting for sleep or sunrise, whichever came first. He vowed to himself that he wouldn't rest until the thing that took his mother from him perished by his hand, yet here he was.

After living with him for a few months, Jin had learned that Heihachi could be a bit eccentric but was otherwise deserving of the respect he received. Still, Jin didn't expect that the old man would really send him to school, especially when Heihachi was the one who was helping him in his quest.

Of course, he used to attend school when… his mother was still with him, but now school would only be a derailment. He thought about how his grandfather chastised him for not thinking of the future, but as far as he was concerned, a future without his mother wasn't a future worth investing in.

Nothing else mattered to him anymore apart from revenge.

For a brief moment, he entertained the possibility of sneaking out to the dojo and resuming his practices. Though the thought was appealing, Heihachi's words from before put an end to his musings immediately.

He wasn't wrong. He had been very generous to him, more than what would be reasonable for someone in his position. Jin was eternally in his debt.

As such, the least he could do was suck up his pride and attend school.

He turned on his side, now facing the window. The moon was situated in the perfect position and could be seen fully through the window. It was unusually bright and ended up stirring nostalgic memories of nights spent in the open alongside his mother.

He sighed.

Without realising it, he found himself vacating his warm bed and sitting down on the cold, wooden floor. All the while, his eyes never left the moon.

With all the grace of a dying bird, a schoolgirl dramatically dived through the rapidly closing gates of Mishima Polytechnic. Panting, she doubled over as she tried to regulate her breathing while the teacher at the gate looked at her disapprovingly.

"Late again, Hirano-kun?" he asked, tapping a pencil against the clipboard in his hand. She made to reply but the response was incomprehensible due to her ragged breathing. She then held up her hand, displaying the digital watch wrapped around her wrist.

"Eight twenty-five," he read, returning his gaze to his clipboard. "Well, then I suppose you're technically on time."

She let out a grand sigh of relief.

"But you should aim for eight fifteen at least. We have rules Hirano-kun," he chastised her as she ran her fingers through her wayward auburn hair in an attempt to calm it.

"I'm sorry, Ito-sensei," she choked out, dipping her head in a disoriented bow. "The bus was late-"

The sound of a car approaching the school drowned out her words and both teacher and student looked at the gates. A sleek, black car stopped in front of the gates, from which a middle-aged woman exited. She was closely followed by a raven-haired boy in Mishima Polytechnic uniform.

"Ah," Ito let out, making to open the gates and seemingly forgetting about her tardiness. She supposed that she should've run then but her fatigue and curiosity kept her feet planted, staring at the unfamiliar boy. As the adults conversed, the boy stood next to the car, his bag lying on the car seat. He looked the street up and down with an irritated look.

The adults bade each other farewell with a bow and the woman looked over her shoulder at the boy, who walked up to them with his bag in tow. When he gave her a nod and Ito a bow, she smiled and returned to the car.

Looking at him, it was obvious that he was a new student. But it was a bit odd that the school was accepting people halfway through the school year, considering how selective the school was about its students.

Then again, if someone was getting the opportunity to get into this school, they'd probably drop everything and jump in.

The gates began to rattle shrilly, making her jump and bringing her back to the present.

"Don't you worry about anything," her teacher assured the young boy, stepping aside to let him through. "I'll have someone show you the ropes."

The boy walked silently, giving no indication that he was listening. He stopped a few feet from the gate and stared up at the main building, his expression neutral.

"Hirano-kun!" she heard Ito bark, and she straightened her posture. "Go and show our new student the ropes, and I won't mark you late this time!"

"Yes sir!" she exclaimed, all while the boy had already passed by her. Recovering quickly, she turned on her heel and called out to him, "Hey, wait!"

Surprisingly enough, he did wait, allowing her to catch up despite her low energy. Stopping once she reached his side, she asked him "Do you… by any chance, know your class?"

Without delay, he shook his head and she held back the groan building up in her throat. Though she allowed herself to sigh "Okay…" before lifting her head and putting on a light smile.

"Well, I've got time."

"I can look for it myself," he said, his voice deep and clear. "No need for you to trouble yourself."

Though the words "So you can speak!" were on her tongue, she immediately swallowed them and instead shook her head.

"It's no trouble at all! Besides, I don't want to be marked late. I have enough late slips to fill my bag!"

She let out a chuckle and she thought she saw his lips twitch into a brief smile, but she wasn't entirely sure. "Please, I insist!"

He glanced at the building behind him, his dark bangs swishing. Looking at him now, she thought he had pretty nice features despite his sullenness. Definitely one of the better-looking boys in the school. As she was pondering the reactions he was sure to elicit from her boy-crazy friends, he spoke up.

"I appreciate the help."

"Alright then!" she beamed, walking to the main building. He walked a few steps behind her but kept a good pace. "I'm Miharu Hirano, by the way."

The day had begun as per usual. Come in and have a nice and hilarious chat with friendly acquaintances, be the first to sit, rise with the rest of the class when the teacher entered and then prepare for whatever classes were to follow.

But it seemed that today would provide some variation. Instead of proceeding with roll call, there was an abrupt but quick knock on the classroom door. Seeing as the days were usually uneventful, this grabbed everyone's attention.

"Come in," called out the teacher, Chigusa. The door opened and a boy with dark hair and a serious face walked in. He wore the MP uniform, but he wasn't at all familiar. Hirano also stood by the open doorway uncertainly.

"Ah," Chigusa said, a small smile present on her face as she turned her head to face the class. "Students, I meant to inform you of the news, but it seems the news beat me to it."

A few students let their surprise show and Hirano sighed in relief. Chigusa looked at the new boy expectantly, but he remained quiet for a bit. He took in the classroom, his countenance disinterested before he finally spoke.

"I'm Jin Kazama."

And he just left it at that. There was no room for silence of any kind after that because the teacher was quick to pick up after him.

"We're very pleased to have you with us, Kazama-kun. And I expect you all to treat him well. Kazama-kun, you can sit anywhere…"

The only empty seat available was one in the very back with the wall. Kazama wasted no time as he walked to the back through the desks. Heads turned and whispers were exchanged with every step he took.

"Hey, Kamiya," whispered Hamano. "Look at the way the girls are swooning over this guy!"

Shin Kamiya looked from the new kid to the desk beside his own. He offered Hamano an amused smile as he jibed "Can't stand him already?"

"It's because he acts so chill, I tell you," Hamano scoffed, eyeing their giggling female classmates with disdain. "Girls always go crazy over the ones that don't give a fuck."

Shin shrugged his shoulders, staring at Kazama. Having reached his seat, he dropped his bag near the legs of the desk and sat on his chair. Thinking about it, Shin didn't think he seemed chill. If anything, he seemed pissed off.

"Ugh, even Miyoshi-chan is giving him the eye…"

"She gives everyone the eye," Shin countered, returning his attention to his neighbour. "Ever since the year began. That is, except for you."

"Asshole."

Shin chuckled, but another thought soon entered his head.

"Hey, Hamano-kun. Don't you think it's a bit late to be transferring?"

Hamano contemplated on this, leaning back into his seat. "Well, this is Mishima Polytechnic. If I managed to make it in, I'd drop everything to attend."

"Right…" Shin said, absentmindedly brushing back chestnut locks.

"Makes you wonder what's so special about him…"

Shin hummed in agreement, looking around the class.

Chigusa was thanking Hirano for guiding the new student and his classmates were still buzzing over Kazama. The man of the hour was essentially a statue, not moving a muscle or making a sound. He had settled for slouching on his desk, his crossed arms cushioning his chin.

Hamano raised a valid point. He must have really impressed the headmaster…

The teacher soon tapped the desk to get everyone's attention back and she continued with roll call. Hirano waved at Kazama, who acknowledging her by tilting his head up slightly, before closing the door. No doubt, she was heading over to her own class.

Though he was still curious about the new kid, Shin chose to concentrate on the giant statue of the headmaster, Heihachi Mishima, which was clearly visible from his seat beside the window. He could hear his classmates murmuring among themselves and Kazama's name kept popping up.

As the day would go on, he would become accustomed to the sound of Kazama's name as said by a million voices.

"I see some saps!"

"Positions everyone!"

Everyone moved to the walls of the alley, some deciding to sit on discarded items to further give the impression of nonchalance.

"Yo, Hwoarang! Get over here!"

One of the boys turned his head at that and smirked. The boy who had called out to him, Togoshi, took up a fighting stance. Hwoarang stood a few paces away from him, standing casually. Everyone waited for the cue of Kobe, who was keeping watch at the end of the alleyway.

"Let's see if you can go further this time," Hwoarang jibed.

"I'll get someone to mark it down," Togoshi retorted, hopping in place.

"Now!" Kobe hissed, jogging back to the group. Without delay, Togoshi kicked Hwoarang in the stomach and sent him flying out of the alley. Hwoarang purposely landed in a heap in front of a couple of passer-by's. He was sure to make a big deal about the blow, groaning and struggling to get up, while also evaluating their potential suckers.

They were two young men who were dressed in workout clothes and seemed pretty surprised by his sudden appearance.

"I win, again!" Togoshi called out over the jeering of the boys. "Had enough yet?!"

Hwoarang growled loudly, adding a stumble to his recovery. "I'm not through with you yet!"

He charged at Togoshi, throwing a slow, amateur punch at him that he dodged easily. The boys laughed at him and the two chumps were intrigued by the event as well. Togoshi swept at Hwoarang's legs and he took the fall.

"Unbelievable!" Togoshi exclaimed, shaking his head. He then tilted his head up and said to the two observers "Can you believe this guy? He thinks he's the best, even though he sucks, and won't take no for an answer!"

"I am the best fighter here!" Hwoarang snarled at him, wobbling theatrically as he got up.

"Please… You couldn't even handle those two over there!" Togoshi retorted, pointing at the men. Hwoarang turned to look at them.

"I can, and I will!" he proclaimed. The alleyway erupted with laughter and jeers.

"Sure… I'm up for seeing your ass get kicked," Togoshi said. He waved at the two men. "Hey, you two! Do us all a favour and show him how much of a jackass he is, would you?"

They both looked a bit wary, but Hwoarang knew that they were still caught.

"Oh, is that how it is?" he said, simulated ire bubbling underneath his breath. He then brandished a finger at the two. "How about this?! I bet 5000 yen that I can beat you both!"

Hwoarang resisted the urge to smirk as his fellows began to whoop in amazement and the two men looked intrigued. They discussed something briefly with each other, during which Hwoarang impatiently yelled at them.

"What's the matter?! Afraid of this?!" he exclaimed, gesturing at himself before throwing his arms out. "Pussies, the both of you!"

That seemed to break the dam.

The both of them entered the alley, one of them giving his bag to the other.

"I'll take you up on that, you little shit," he said, cracking his knuckles. Hwoarang sneered.

"Alright then, cash upfront where we can see it!" Togoshi ordered over the din of his group's raucousness. Hwoarang was quick to throw his notes on the floor from his pockets, while his opponents took their time.

"For the sake of sportsmanship, we'll let you pick one of us to fight," said the first after the last of the money was on the ground.

"Please, I bet the two of you together wouldn't even make me sweat," the Korean retorted, hands on his hips. The two of them exchanged a look before the second man dropped both of their bags.

"So much for keeping it fair," the second man said, not at all guilty as he and his partner faced Hwoarang off. The alley was filled with cheers, jeers, and remarks.

"Bring it," Hwoarang said, beckoning them forward. The two of them swooped toward him, throwing their punches at the same moment Hwoarang took up a proper stance. He easily evaded the attacks thrown at him, inspiring shock from his opponents and laughter from his fellows.

"You done fucked up, guys," mocked Togoshi as Hwoarang went in for the kill.

Welcome to The Missing Years, the story with the most original title ever XD

I decided to write this because I wanted to experiment with the period between T2 and T3, which seems to be full of material for me to work with.

This story will likely be referenced by my other fics whenever I feel it's necessary since this will essentially act as my headcanon for Jin's high-school years. For any reader who is reading my other works, I can confirm without a doubt that this story is linked to 'The Raven, The Wolf & The Ocelot', potentially 'Sere', and various other in-progress works of mine. That said, it can be read as a stand alone story too.

Here's something to get out of the way.

Shin Kamiya is a character in this fanfic, but he's not the same one from Blood Vengeance. Though I felt his character was ultimately useless and pointless, I like the idea of Jin having a friend in high school and didn't want to create an OC. Besides, Shin could have been completely different before all of that bullshit in the movie, just like Jin, so this could be plausible.

Think of this as less OoC and more creative license XD

Do let me know if there are any mistakes or concerns and I hope that you stick around for this story ^^

May Peace Be Upon You.