Disclaimer: Once again, Bisco Hatori owns Ouran High School Host Club and all of it's members. I do not.

CHAPTER 2

Depraved Motivation

Mori watched for a few moments as the pair made their way down the street before turning to walk back to the dojo. Grabbing a broom from the closet on the far wall, he began to sweep the floor, he allowed his mind to wander to the diminutive brunette that he had come to care so deeply about.

Haruhi had grown, the fact was undeniable and just as it had saddened him when Mitskuni had begun to mature, it saddened him to see Haruhi do the same. Looking at her now, you would never guess that she had been mistaken as a boy for her entire high school career. Her chestnut hair now fell to the tops of her shoulder blades, her bangs swept to one side of her face, her large chocolate brown orbs were still as bright and clear as ever, that same soft innocence still shone from them from time to time.

She had grown a few more centimeters but she was still tiny compared to him and even though most of the time her choice of clothing was still gender ambiguous, every now and then a dress would find its way into her rotation and that was when, to his chagrin, he had noticed her breasts had grown just a bit. Of course, it wasn't her physical maturation that had displeased him, it was the fact that he noticed such an intimate detail about his friend. But even so, those were Mori's favorite days, when Haruhi would wear a dress. She was far too cute to waste her time dressing in ill fitting sweatshirts and gym shorts but that's just the way she was. She had grown up in a gender ambiguous home and it rubbed off on her, which usually wasn't a bad thing. For the most part, he agreed with her philosophy that defining herself as a human being was more important than defining herself as male or female but sometimes that philosophy didn't apply.

Before Haruhi had walked up to them, he and Mitskuni were discussing her progress. Neither one of them thought she was progressing as quickly as she should have been so the small blonde had suggested teaching her just a touch of offense to see if that sparked any desire within her to learn. Mori didn't exactly agree with that, what were the odds that Haruhi would ever be one to provoke a fight? Had it been anyone else he wouldn't have let his usual indifference be broken, but he could share how he really felt with Mitskuni. He wasn't sure what good it would do to teach her any forms of offense when she couldn't even get the simplest defense down so he consented to at least think it over to placate the smaller man.

He and Mitskuni decided to meet up tomorrow to hash out a new curriculum for Haruhi, one that would work this time. They were both committed and determined to seeing this through. She possessed the potential to succeed, she just needed to see it was there.

He was brought back to the present as he soon realized he was not alone and he turned his head just slightly in the direction of the person, he already knew who it was. Katsu, the assistant sensei, stood just a few feet away smiling broadly at him. The expression unnerved him, Mori was sure that the words that came out of his mouth were going to annoy him.

"So… doesn't look like Fujioka is doing so well with this self defense thing, huh?" he said, his smile not wavering in the slightest as he spoke, as if he found some sort of amusement in his comment.

Mori chose not to answer the man, he wasn't sure if Katsu had even expected a reply. It wasn't very often that he spoke to anyone outside of the host club members unless it was absolutely necessary so most people tended to not even attempt conversation with him. Of course all the students in the course knew of Haruhi's situation and why he and Mitskuni were trying to teach her defense skills. In fact, the whole University knew what happened to her. Most students offered their help out of genuine concern for her but Katsu… Mori got the distinct feeling that he held ulterior motives.

In truth, he had never really liked the boy, which in a way made him feel guilty. He had no just reason to be wary of him, the man had never done him any wrong. Indeed, Katsu was exceptionally skilled in both the art of kendo and judo, that fact was undeniable which is exactly why he had been appointed the assistant master for the dojo but there was something off about him. Even with his abilities he was never able to reach the top spot in any of the national championships he participated in, he would always end up losing to someone whose talents weren't as developed as his. This issue had plagued Mori all throughout his years at Ouran, really ever since he had met the younger man but the one thing that bothered him more than anything else, what put his nerves on end and caused him to keep his guard up was the fact that he could never get a clear read on the man's heart.

His father, who had taught him everything he knew about kendo, had also taught him many other things as well. Akira Morinozuka, had taught his son Takashi, that strength and skill with a sword were not the only characteristics that made someone strong. Keeping true to his morals, carrying oneself with honor and dignity, these were also very important in the quest to become stronger. His father had assured him that if he could keep a clear, sound mind and a true and virtuous heart, he would certainly bring honor to the next generation of Morinozuka's, that he would be strong.

For as long as Mori could remember, the one and only thing he ever hoped or wished for in his life, was for the ones he cared about to be protected. For that reason alone he always strived to become stronger. Through years of meditation he was able to keep his mind and heart clear but there was one side affect he had not counted on. It seemed his years of silence made his sense of perception highly sensitive, he was acutely cognizant to the feelings of others. This offered him the ability to read the hearts of other's, able to clearly decipher intentions, desires, and thoughts. This was how he had known that Ritsu Kasanoda was a good person, despite his family's gangster ties.

But Katsu… Katsu's heart was unreadable. His aura always seemed clouded. It was as if some energy was constantly twisting and skewing his intentions and for that reason alone he never felt comfortable with the man.

At the older man's silence, Katsu's smile only grew wider, he could tell his senpai didn't wish to speak about this and the discomfort it caused pleased him so he decided to push further.

"Maybe I should try working with her next week? Perhaps, she isn't taking it seriously because her friends are the ones teaching her?" he offered seemingly offhanded, knowing what his senpai's answer would be. Morinozuka NEVER let anyone outside of himself or Haninozuka to touch Fujioka and with good reason.

She was the most desired girl in all of Ouran University.

Mori's head snapped up at the other man's suggestion, he could read the amusement in Katsu's eyes and he had to try very hard to calm the blood that was now boiling in his veins. It wasn't easy to get a rise out of him but Katsu was doing a fine job of it. His face, however, gave nothing away.

Katsu had done that on purpose. If there was one person in the entire world that he would never allow to touch Haruhi, it was Katsu. It was obvious now, Katsu did indeed have an ulterior motive with this conversation. He wanted a reason to get close to Haruhi… Mori would not allow that to happen.

"No. Mitskuni and I will continue working with her." He responded, his steely eyes holding the other man's gaze. He moved towards Katsu until he was standing directly in front of him, towering over the smaller man in a way that would have made anyone else back away in intimidation. He handed the smaller man the broom before saying "I have something I need to attend to. Could you finish cleaning up?"

Katsu's careful smile faltered for just a moment at his senpai's request before he was able to replace it. "No problem, Senpai! Leave it to me!" his voice was deceptively cheerful, masking the malevolence he truly felt. In all honesty, he felt this sort of task was beneath him but in the position he was in now, it was impossible for him to argue.

Mori nodded his head once in appreciation before walking towards the locker room. He grabbed his gym bag, his keys and his jacket and headed out the door. He walked at a brisk pace, as fast as he could without running in the direction of Haruhi's apartment. He wasn't sure why, but he just felt in his heart that he needed to get there.

Katsu's attitude and demeanor had unnerved him.

Katsu watched the retreating form of his sensei, he began to snicker, the action forcing the smile on his lips to contort into a sinister sneer. Soon, he would have that man on his knees before him, begging and broken.

For Katsu's entire teenage and adult life he had been compared to Takashi Morinozuka. At first, he had enjoyed the correlation that others pointed out between them. They were both highly skilled in the art of kendo and for a while Morinozuka was his idol, he strived to be just like him.

But not soon after he had begun to admire the older boy, did the comparisons take a turn. He would always hear "You're very talented but you lack spirit. Try to be more like Morinozuka." That was the moment his admiration changed, distorting into a resentment that he kept carefully veiled hidden from everyone he knew.

Why was Morinozuka so much better than him? Why couldn't he excel to the same level?

His sensei told him he needed to start meditating so that he could learn to be strong willed but it just wasn't for him, he couldn't ever concentrate long enough. What did they mean he lacked spirit?

He swore to himself that one day, he would surpass Morinozuka, no matter what it took. He was weary of always coming in behind the older man, convinced that he was better no matter what Morinozuka's many championships said. The opportunity had never arisen when they had attended the same high school but it seemed here at University his luck was beginning to turn. At first, he had never intended to involve anyone innocent in his personal ambitions but it seemed that Haruhi Fujioka would give him the perfect amount of leverage against Mori. It didn't hurt that she was cute, either. That would just make it all the more fun…

With the introduction of the antagonist, Katsu, and his sinister motivation Mori will have to keep his instincts sharp to keep Haruhi out of harms way. Will he be able to? Only one way to find out, new chapter should be posted sometime early next week! :)