Promise of the Forgotten Samurai

I do not own any of the rights to any of the Love Hina books or merchandise. These are the property of Ken Akamatsu. This is a fanfiction written only to entertain, not to steal anything or show the views of anyone else. The only character that is originally mine in this story is River/Soso Kawa. Any reviews would be nice.

Chapter 1: Duel at the Hot Spring

Motoko had spent half the morning training, and finally decided to head back to the dorm. She was still troubled by her dream, but she needed food and rest. She had been training at the waterfall, so the walk she had a long walk back. She couldn't figure out why she had that dream. She was worried that it was a bad omen. Perhaps she should stay awake tonight to guard the dorm. If River was returning to Japan, surely he would head for Kyoto first to search for her. But knowing Tsuruko, it wouldn't be long before he was on the right trail. And if he was able to track her to Hinata… Motoko was still deep in thought when she heard someone calling out to her. Shinobu and Keitaro were waving at her from the door to the dorm.

Keitaro was the only man living at the dorm, mostly because he was the landlord, and partly because it was an all girls dormitory. Keitaro was the grandson of Grandma Hinata, so when Hinata left to go traveling around the world, she had left the dorms to Keitaro. At the time, Keitaro was studying to get into Tokyo University, so if he lived at the dorm, and ran it as the landlord, he would be closer to the university. At first he had met with a lot of resistance, especially from Motoko and Naru, but now he was really starting to become more of a man instead of the wimpy pervert that he had been.

"Motoko, Naru told me that something was bothering you. Do you want to talk about it?" Motoko felt her heart rate start to increase at the offer. She still had some feelings for him, even though he and Naru were dating. She had helped them get together, but even then had still made her own attempt to get him. Somehow, he had worked his way into the hearts of all the women at the dorm, especially those of Naru, Shinobu, and Motoko herself.

"Thank you Keitaro, but no. This is something I must deal with myself." Motoko started to say more, but the phone started to ring inside the dorm.

"I'll get it, you guys can keep talking." Shinobu ran off, leaving them alone.

"Keitaro… I need to ask a favor."

"What do you need? I'll do anything."

Motoko almost wanted to take him up on his offer of "anything" but decided against the thoughts that ran through her mind.

"Tonight I'm going to-"

"Sempai! Come quickly!" Shinobu had come running back outside, she seemed to be excited about something.

"What's wrong Shinobu?" Keitaro looked serious all of a sudden.

"It's Grandma Hinata on the phone! She says she needs to talk to you about a new tenant!"

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The steps leading up to the Hinata dormitory were just a large as he remembered from his childhood. He had only come here a few times, mostly during his training under Tsuruko. She had known Grandma Hinata pretty well, and had brought River here to train away from the eyes of the rest of the Gods' Cry school. Both Tsuruko and Hinata had recognized that he had more potential than even the current master of the school, and wanted to give him special training. The only one who they felt could rival him was Motoko, but she was still too young to draw on her full potential. That had been almost sixteen years ago. Now River climbed the steps, his eyes burning with a fire that he could hardly control. Motoko was here. She was not hiding her ki energy at all, making it easy for him to sense her presence. He quickened his pace as he climbed the stairs.

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"NO WAY! ONE MAN HERE IS BAD ENOUGH; WE DON'T NEED A SECOND ONE!"

"Please calm down Naru. Grandma Hinata said he was very trustworthy. I think it will be okay, and he isn't planning to stay for long."

Kitsune had come back from the tea shop when she heard about the new tenant. She smiled to herself. This kind of reminded her of when Keitaro had come to the dorm. Of course back then, they hadn't had as much warning about it his arrival. They had all chased him through the house, with him wearing only a bath towel. They had thought he was a pervert who had come to spy on them, not knowing he had been asked to come by Grandma Hinata, who had already left before he even arrived.

Mutsumi, looking cheerful as always took a seat on the sofa, holding Tama Chan, the hot spring turtle that she had given to Keitaro. Though she didn't actually live in the dormitory, she was a member of their little family and often came over to spend time with them. "Did Grandma Hinata tell you the name of the tenant?"

"It was odd, she just said that he was from America and here to finish some business." Keitaro was glad that not all of the girls seemed as against it as Naru. Mutsumi didn't seem to mind, and Kitsune looked to be planning something. Shinobu was a little worried, but okay with the idea. He looked over to see Motoko's reaction and was stunned. Motoko looked at if she was frozen in place.

"Keitaro, did you just say he's from America, as in the United State?"

"Yes, I believe so. Why?"

"We can't allow him to stay here. He will bring only misfortune!"

Everyone was shocked by Motoko's sudden outburst. The only person who ever seemed to make Motoko this upset was Keitaro, but for some reason, this mystery tenant had set her off before he even arrived.

"Motoko, we can't turn away someone that Grandma has already said can stay here. Please calm down. It will only be for a few months at the most."

"Keitaro, please believe me. No good can come of this."

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. All eyes turned to the door, waiting. Keitaro went to the door and opened it. The girls tried to see who was there, but Keitaro blocked the view.

"Hello?"

"Good day. This is the Hinata dormitory correct?" The male voice was rich and sounded very friendly.

"Yes it is. I'm Keitaro Urashima, the landlord. Are you the new tenant?"

"Yes I am. I suppose lady Hinata contacted you. I would like to stay here for a few months."

"Please come in, the other tenants are waiting inside."

The man who entered with Keitaro was slightly taller. He was wearing a white tee shirt, blue jeans, and a black leather jacket. He carried a large bag over his shoulder and carried a cane that was half the length of his body. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark sun glasses, and a white ball cap sat on his head. He had a friendly face, and a warm smile that seemed to light up the room. Even Naru seemed to lose some of her anger.

"Please, call me Soso Kawa. That is my preferred name." His smile widened as a small gasp escaped from Motoko's lips. The rest of the Hinata tenants glanced at her in surprise for a moment, but their attention quickly returned to the young man before them.

Kawa set his bag down beside the door and removed his sunglasses to reveal eyes that were such a rich green that they resembled a pair of priceless jade orbs. Motoko locked eyes with the new comer and knew at once that her suspicions were correct. Kawa, River, had found her once more. She didn't realize the sword was in her hand, or that she was moving to attack until after she had struck. The rest of the group was staring open mouthed at their ronin friend. Her sword had not met flesh and bone, but cold hard steel. The smiling young man had brought his cane up and with his free hand, had pulled it apart to reveal a hidden sword. The smile on Kawa's face turned sinister. His left hand released the wooden sheath, freeing his palm.

"Evil-Cutting Palm, Second Form." Kawa slammed his palm into Motoko's chest, blasting ki energy into her body. Motoko fell to her knees, dropping her sword as her clothes were ripped by her own attack. The shock on her face mirrored that of her friends. They had never seen anyone but Motoko and Tsuruko perform a Gods' Cry technique before. Keitaro had once pulled off the Stone Cutting Blade when fighting Motoko, but that had been because he had watched her use it several times, many of which were on him. Without looking at Motoko's battered form, Kawa picked up his things and looked at Keitaro.

"Could you please show me to my room? I would like to get some rest after my long journey."

"S-sure…" Keitaro led Soso Kawa upstairs, soon followed by all the residents of Hinata house with the exception of the lone ronin who was still on her knees. Her head was bowed, and her tears flowed freely. She stayed there for several minutes until she heard Naru and Keitaro arguing upstairs. She was sure everyone else was there as well. They all knew now that something had happened between her and their new guest. That alone shamed her more than she would have liked to admit. She started to stand when she noticed something. He had dropped his sunglasses when she had attacked. She picked them up along with her sword and what was left of her clothing and went to her room.

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Su and Shinobu walked out to the hot spring, feeling exhausted from the day's unexpected events. Shinobu pulled her towel more snuggly around her as she began to wade into the hot spring. She wasn't sure about Kawa, but Motoko's actions were still a mystery to her. She had attacked the man without provocation, but even more mysterious was his use of the Gods' Cry techniques. It hadn't occurred to Shinobu that he was carrying a weapon concealed in his cane, or that he could overcome Motoko in a matter of seconds. It was almost as if he had anticipated the attack before it came. Shinobu was shaken from her thoughts when Su jumped into the water causing it to splash her. The younger girl came up in a spray of water and bubbles, giggling contently.

"Su, do you think Motoko is alright? I mean that guy beat her so easily. The only person who can do that is her sister."

"Oh I wouldn't worry! My buddy Motoko isn't going to give up that easily. And I have a plan!"

"Really? What is it?"

"Well, I'm going to construct a bomb and place it under his bed. While he sleeps I'll set it off. Of course the whole area will radioactive for the hundred years or so…"

"Su! You can't blow up our home! We'll be killed too!" The blonde foreign girl laughed loudly at her friend's distress. Su was a genius inventor, but her inventions were all extremely dangerous. She was never short of powerful weapons, and her newest Mecha Tamago was more powerful than any of the designs before it. Su funded her inventions because she was a princess. Her country was small, but very wealthy. Su was an oddity there though. Most of the country wasn't very advanced when it came to technology. One of Su's dreams was to make her country the most technologically powerful nation. That dream was dwarfed by her biggest dream; to rule the world.

The door leading to the hot springs slid open again and the two girls looked up to see who was joining them. It was Motoko. She was carrying her sword and seemed to be lost in thought. Neither of the girls had seen her for hours. Both Motoko and Kawa had stayed in their rooms and not come down for dinner. Motoko didn't seem to notice she wasn't alone as she sat down in the water with a sigh. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to sink lower into the water, a small moan escaping her lips. She was finally about to relax when the water in front of her erupted as Su Sprang up shouting and waving her arms in a silly manner. Motoko yelled and stood, almost drawing her blade before realizing who she was facing. It was then that Motoko noticed Shinobu as well.

"I'm sorry Motoko! I didn't see her dive under the water or I would have warned you."

"Its okay, I was being careless. I was just thinking too much."

"What were you thinking about," giggled Su, a curious and silly smile on her face.

"I was thinking about River. That is what my sister always called him. Soso Kawa isn't his real name, just one he took after training under Tsuruko."

"So that's why he was about to use that move? I didn't know that the Gods' Cry had that many students."

"It doesn't Shinobu. There are very few people in this region, let alone from other countries that are accepted into the school. There is another branch of Gods' Cry that accepts more students, but most of them act as bodyguards and mercenaries. They don't follow the guidelines of our school as closely as the rest of us."

"Then why did your sister train him? And why did she give him the name such an odd name?"

"I'm afraid I don't have the answers to either of those questions. All I know is that he showed signs of potential at an early age, and then he suddenly decided to leave the school. I tried to stop him from leaving, but I did not succeed."

"That's because you let your guard down in the middle of the match."

The new voice caused the three young women to jump. They had been unaware of a fourth presence in the hot spring with them. The fog that almost always hung around the hot spring had cloaked Kawa, keeping him from view. Now that they knew he was there, they could make out his outline at the far edge of the hot spring. He was standing on a rock holding an extremely long sword, a nodachi. He would have looked quite scary, but on his head was perched Tama-Chan, the cute hot spring turtle who lived in the dormitory as Keitaro's pet. The small turtle waved on his it's flippers at the girls, causing Su to giggle and Shinobu to smile a little. Motoko stood up, drawing her blade. She couldn't believe she had let her guard down with him here. She hadn't even sensed him arrive. The fog began to clear a little and she realized why. He was soaking wet. It wasn't that he had walked in on them, but the other way around. Kawa had a towel wrapped around his waist, and had a basket full of soap and hair products tucked under his left arm. As usual, the friendly smile was on his face, but his green eyes were alight with a fire that Motoko didn't understand. It wasn't anger she saw there, but something else. Something she couldn't figure out.

"How dare you come here? What is it that you want? Why do you wish to torment me even more?" Motoko was about to continue her rant when she saw his smile falter a bit and the fire in his eyes die down and be replaced by something else. She saw pain in his eyes, and a growing sadness. But why would that hurt him? He was here to destroy her, so why would he care how she felt about him? It didn't make sense.

"I see. You've learned nothing about me at all then have you Motoko. You have no idea who I truly am or what I wish to achieve."

"I know all about you! You are a demon who corrupted my family and twisted their teaching to make your own technique! You turned my sister against me and made me look like a fool!"

"You needed no help there Motoko. Everything you said just now was a lie. The only thing twisted is your perception of the past. Do you want to know why I'm here? I came to force you to remember, to force you to submit to your own past."

Kawa left into the air, causing Tama to fly away, coming down with a powerful slash with his nodachi. Motoko deflected his blade with her own, but was forced down to one knee. She threw her left fist out a blast of wind ki energy, aiming for Kawa's exposed left side. Her attack slammed into his basket, but he was no longer there. Kawa had jumped back and now stood atop the water, his feet planted as firmly as if he was walking on land. Motoko rose up from her kneeling position, slashing with her sword to send another blast of ki energy. Kawa leapt again, bounding over the attack and landing safely behind Motoko. She knew she couldn't turn in time, but still she tried. She spun, raising her sword to block an attack that didn't come. Kawa stood watching her, still smiling. She saw his eyes once more. The pain was as evident as before, but he still had his sword held in an offensive stance. She saw him glance off to her right, and he suddenly sprang into action again. Su opened fire with a gun she had been working on before coming out to the hot spring. Where she had hidden it was something no one could figure out. The shots were red beams, instead of conventional bullets or her normal rockets. Su had used her most powerful weapons against Tsuruko before, and they had no effect. Because of that failure, she had begun developing the new beam weapons. These weapons could have easily broken through Tsuruko's barrier. The only problem was that Kawa wasn't Tsuruko, and he never used a barrier to protect himself. As the shots flew at Kawa, he raised his left palm allowing the beams to make contact. To Both Su and Motoko's horror, the beams stopped in front of him and began to form themselves into a tight little ball of energy.

"Beam weaponry? So Tsuruko was right about your friends Motoko. She said that there were some interesting people around you. But I'm afraid I can't use this energy. Please allow me to return it to you Su." The ball of energy flew back, at Su, hitting the water beside her and causing an explosion that sent her flying across the hot spring. She pulled herself up and climbed out of the water, panting heavily. Su tried to stand but was too weak from the attack.

"Motoko, he's too strong for me! I'm sorry I could not help you!"

"Su… Please stay back. This is my fight." Motoko turned her attention back to Kawa, her anger rising again. "How could you do that to her? She has nothing to do with that!" Her anger was met with a dark laugh.

"She attacked me, and you blame me for defending myself? How dare you Motoko? How dare you feel you are so righteous that I am nothing but mud on the bottom of your shoe? I didn't want to do this, but you need to learn the truth and stop living in your pitiful delusions." He ran at her again, but this time he was reckless. He raised his sword to bring it down in a powerful attack, but left himself open completely. Motoko took the opportunity and stabbed upwards with her blade, forcing it into Kawa's exposed chest. A gasp arose from the three women as the saw him look down at the blade and smile. His eyes rolled up into his head. Motoko realized what she had just done and memories of her childhood began to flood back into her mind. She saw when she had gotten a splinter in her finger that River had been the one to pull it out, and when she scrapped her knee a few days later it was River that had been there for her. He had cleaned he wound and placed Band-Aids on her knee. She remembered chasing him as he sang a silly song about bugs. She remembered them sharing their lunches when they took breaks from training. He had let her win in several of their practice matches the same way. He would intentionally leave himself open for her to attack him. The memory that burned inside of her the most was that he had been her best friend.

"RIVER! PLEASE NO!" Motoko screamed as she saw him begin to drop to his knees, the life draining from him. All of her anger had been replaced by fear. She knew now that he wasn't here to harm her. But now she was afraid of something else. She was afraid she had just killed the first man to ever care for her. She screamed again as she watched him, dying with her blade in his chest.