Ryu found himself meditating underneath a waterfall, in mother nature's nurturing embrace. The birds were singing, trees were rustling, a wind gently soothing the street fighter's battle-scarred body, there never existed a more perfect setting to contemplate the power of nothingness. It may very well have been a simple slip of the tongue that his master, Gouken had so inadvertently uttered out, that drove Ryu to learn more about it.
{The power of nothingness. Just what is it?} Ryu pondered ever so silently, deadened by the cacophony of hundreds of gallons per hour of water beating upon his shoulders, standing firm all the while. {Hm. Small wonder that master Gouken survived his battle with Akuma.} He mused as a small kinkajou emerged from the treetops, to feed on some freshly dropped fruit.
Several minutes later, "he" would appear trundling down the jungle to face Ryu. That "he," is the undisputed king of Muay Thai; Sagat, also a national hero in Thailand. "Long time no see, Ryu!" Sagat called out, Ryu's reply being to stand up amid the waterfall, only to exit and walk up towards the eye-patch clad Sagat, a tayra making a break for it in the background.
"It's been a while since the last time we've met, Sagat. I only hope you've grown stronger." Ryu broached, still very calm about the matter. "Believe me, Ryu. I have trained long and hard in looking forward to this." Sagat growled getting into his fighting stance. "One-on-one. Hand-to-hand. It's the basis of all combat. If I am to master the power of nothingness, then the answer lies in the heart of battle." Ryu declared going into Shotokan Karate stance.
"I wouldn't have this any other way." Sagat growled. "Just as I expect from you. Don't hold back!" Ryu returned opening up with his "Hadoken!" Sagat threw a tiger shot, counteracting the surge fist, cancelling itself out in the process. Ryu performed his commando roll to the right, then to the left, and back again, dodging the tiger shots successively.
"Now's my chance. SHORYUKEN!" Ryu cried out in getting close to Sagat, and pummeling him with his rising dragon fist. "Senpukyaku Tatsumaki!" Ryu followed through with his hurricane kick, downing Sagat into a thicket. "Tiger death strike!" Sagat snarled clocking Ryu with his tiger knee charge, following through with his tiger uppercut, finishing with his tiger raid, all in order, all in midair!
"Metsu, Hadoooken!" "Tigeerrr! CANNON!" Ryu and Sagat screeched respectively upon contact with the ground, charging up their most powerful projectile techniques at each other, each dealing massive amounts of damage towards both fighters, ultimately resulting in a double knockout.
"Rrgh. Darn. I have to train harder if I am to face you again." "Hmph. Your fists. Their passion knows no bounds. Thank you, Ryu. This latest fight makes me that much more grateful to have stepped into the ring." "You're welcome Sagat. May we train all the harder. May we face each other again in the near future. Good bye." Ryu and Sagat conversed as both street fighters parted ways once more.
{This is it! I really have gotten stronger, haven't I? I can only start to feel the power of nothingness surging through my body. I'll have to train longer and harder if I am ever to fully awaken it, and show Akuma the errors of his ways.} Ryu declared as he returned to meditating underneath the waterfall, as the start of his renewed training resolve.