DISCLAIMER: I don't own negima and never wanted to nor will I ever want to.
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"I'm not satisfied, not with this.", a voice echoed through the tunnel of light. The light, it was blindingly bright. Shining all the colors within and outside the spectrum.
"I don't need it. I don't need anything, not this happiness nor this life. Take it, take it all", another man's voice screamed.
"I won't give up, I won't die here but I won't run away! EVER!"
The voices were becoming louder and louder. He couldn't take it anymore he wanted to leave. He couldn't comprehend all the rage and emotions within those voices.
"What do you want from me?", Sage screamed. On instinct he caught the fist that was only a couple inches from his face.
"Hmmm so you do have some potential", a sly voice spoke.
"Wow, is this how you say good morning to all your apprentices?", Sage looked at his attackers.
"I apologize. Mistress just wished to see how you would react", The green haired gynoid servant of Eva's answered.
"I think she just wanted me to die", Sage said under his breath.
"Hey kid you've got good instincts so I'm gonna push you into extreme training along with my two other students", Eva smirked.
"Students?", Sage looked bewilderedly at Chachamaru from his current bed.
"Negi-sensei and Konoe-san", Chachamaru replied.
"Oh gods, and I just got to bed", Sage slapped his forehead.
"Quit your whining it's your fault that you slept so late", Eva walked away.
"Wha-what the heck!? It's HER bloody fault I couldn't sleep! She assigned me this room and I had to stay awake till three in the morning to clean this place up!", Sage raged in indignation.
"Gomen, it used to be the broom closet before you came here", was Chachamaru's reply as she left Sage's room.
Sage's mouth was agape at what he just heard. She made him live in a broom closet! "Dammit who the hell does she think she is!", Sage bolted up. 'Oh right, she's my master and landlady', Sage hung his head at this thought.
Sage exited his room fully dressed in casual too big shorts that reached his shins and an overly large white shirt. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he approached the bathroom to brush his teeth. He opened the door and he was confronted by a scene in which his young eight year old mind could not process as wrong. Evangeline was in the bathroom taking her bath. It seemed she had forgotten that she now had a male living with her since she normally left the door unlocked. Eva froze midway in trying to scrub her back and luckily most of her body was submerged in the tub.
Sage just yawned and scratched his head saying, "Eh Eva-sensei? You're using the bathroom?". Eva mutely nodded as a reflex action. "I'll just brush my teeth and stuff in the river nearby then", Sage closed the door and walked away.
As soon as the sound of the cabin's wooden door closing was heard. Evangeline screamed bloody murder!
Maybe she should start believing in karma?.
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Sage had taken his toothbrush and other toiletries to the river and began the usual morning tasks. He finally finished everything but bathing. He slowly began to take off his clothes and submerged himself in the cool water. It had taken twenty seconds but he finally noticed two bamboo straws sticking out of the waters. His eyes turned to two small dots and he slowly submerged just till his nostrils were only a couple of centimeters above the water. He slowly made his way to the two pieces of bamboo till he noticed a couple of bubbles popping out the surface. Sage paused for a bit then continued on his advance. He then placed a finger on the hole of each bamboo straw. A couple of seconds later bubbles began to froth forth from the water around the bamboo. Finally two small pink haired girl's in loose ninja attire came gasping out of the water.
"W-w-w-wha!", the one with the chinese bun style hair choked.
"Ka-ka-Kaede-nee-chan!", the one who had her hair in pigtails cried.
The sound of rustling bushes was his only warning before a blur suddenly appeared collecting the two girls. Sage was alarmed at the speed of whoever or whatever this thing was and immediately made for shore before he would get hurt or anything. But when he reached shore he felt the cold touch of steel on his throat.
"E-eh?", Sage stuttered. Okay first he has to live and be trained to be this minister whatever thing by a small twirp, he's deprived of sleep by being forced to clean his assigned room, then he learns his room was actually a broom closet, his bath gets interrupted by two little girls and now he's got something sharp and pointy at his neck. Normally anyone would cry at such things happening to them within the last twelver hours but Sage wasn't actually normal.
"Dammit, get the hell off me!", Sage exploded, pushing the knife away. He leapt a good five feet through the air into a battle stance but all he sees are the two girls hiding behind a rather tall girl who has pine green hair that was cut just by the shoulders except for a long ponytail that reached the ground. She was also decked out in ninja apparel and in her hand was a kunai which would have been the object pressed against his neck.
"Wow, very impressive.", the taller girl complimented with a small smile.
"What the heck do you want?", Sage shouted out with the anger still pumping in his veins.
"well you could put your clothes back on for starters", the taller girl looked at his bare form through squinted eyes.
Sage had the grace to flush as he realized he was in a fighting stance naked and began to put his clothes back on. After he finished dressing Sage walked over to the girls who were waiting patiently.
"Now could you please tell me what you want?", Sage sighed wearily.
"Hmmm first of all I would like to ask who you are", The tall one spoke while the smaller ones hid behind her calm indian seated form.
"My name is Sage Kaiser. Just call me Sage", Sage sat down on the grass as well.
"My name is Kaede Nagase and these two behind me are the Narutaki twins. Fuuka", she pushed the pigtailed one before sage, "and Fumika", Kaede pushed the other one out.
"H-hi", both chorused shyly.
"Pleased to meet you", Sage said apathetically and both girls immediately ran behind Kaede at the boy's, in their opinion, scary response.
"Now that we're well met and all. I would like to ask a question", Kaede smiled good-naturedly.
"Ask away", Sage sprawled over the grass on his back.
"Where are you from?", Kaede asked.
"A ways from here", was Sage's simple answer.
"Who are you staying with?"
"My master and her servant"
"So what were you doing here?"
"Bathing, at least till those two girls bothered me", Sage pointed at the Narutaki twins from his laid out position.
"I'm sorry, I apologize in their stead."
"Not that it bothers me", Sage shrugged it off.
"Let me make it up to you by taking you back", Kaede offered the boy.
"Nah I can get back on my own well enough", the white-haired boy got up and dusted himself off.
"But I placed various traps around the area. You might get caught up in them", Kaede reasoned.
"Traps?", Sage paused in getting up. A massive sweat drop appeared at the back of his head he imagined himself getting caught in various traps such as snare traps, mines, pitfalls and even swinging logs.
"Yes for ninja training", Kaede clarified.
"Ninja training?", Sage whispered to himself nervously. 'What the hell!?', was the only thought going through Sage's mid as he imagined chibi people in ninja attire not unlike the ones worn by the three girls, leaping through trees, walking on water, turning into various animals and objects and stuff.
"Have you changed your mind?", Kaede cracked open her right eye to give him a one eyed glance.
The boy currently being addressed slowly and mechanically turned his head back to them and shakily spoke. "Y-yes please", Sage gulped.
"good choice.", the squinty eyed kunoichi grinned good-naturedly.
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"Where the heck IS that twirp?", Evangeline screamed loud enough for the forest to hear. "It's barely been twenty-four hours and he's already walked in on me taking a bath and now he's not even attending breakfast!", Eva cursed.
"I'm sure the bathroom incident was just an accident master as for breakfast I'll just leave it till he comes back", Chachamaru said as she stood beside her master's chair.
"Tch! I swear Chachamaru you're getting soft", Eva began wolfing down her breakfast. A few seconds later the door creaked open.
"Eva-san", called a familiar girl's voice.
"Kaede-san", greeted Eva's android servant.
"Ah Chachamaru-san is this boy living with you two?", Kaede spoke as Sage stepped up from behind.
"Yes he is, did something happen?", Chachamaru asked.
"Not much really. We just stumbled upon him during our ninja training while he was taking a bath in the river", Kaede explained.
"I see", Chachamaru turned to Sage. "Breakfast is served please enjoy", Chachamaru bowed slightly to Sage.
"Oh yeah! Breakfast!", finally something for Sage to get happy about. For some reason the childish display from the eight year old made the two green haired girls smile.
"That boy sure is something", Kaede watched the pink eyed boy gleefully finish his rice. "I was surprised that he could move so well though his stance was kind of loose and open at some points and his movements rugged, they were firm and powerful but no surprise there since he is Eva's student", Kaede assessed.
"But master has yet to teach the boy Kaede-san", Chachamaru said in surprise. "He just arrived yesterday though he does have potential for such a child", the android observed the boy.
"Haha well I guess Negi'll finally get a rival other than that Kotaro kid", Kaede reminisced when she fought against that boy.
"If what you say is true then this boy will be a great ministra someday", Chachamaru commented.
"Ministra you say? Well that makes things much more interesting", Kaede cupped her chin. "Well we'll be going now", Kaede left with the confused twins.
"Please visit again", Chachamaru saw them off.
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"Okay kid, since Negi and Konoka aren't here yet I want you to show me what you got", Eva smirked in her white gosururi day wear.
'Does this girl know any type of normalcy?', Sage sweatdropped. Eva's dress of white and pinkish ribbons was to say the least 'different' from Chachamaru's school uniform like attire and Sage's casual clothes. "What do you mean by show you what I got?", Sage questioned her.
"Geez, what are you? Stupid? I want you to show me how strong you are so I can tell what kind of training you'll need", was Evangeline's scathing answer.
"I'm not really good at fighting though I know I can take on any thug who tries to mug me on the streets", Sage scratched his head as if trying to remember if he was any good or not.
"Well this morning you caught Chachamaru's fist in your sleep. That has to count for something so what I want is for you and Chachamaru to fight", Eva's smirk grew wider at the prospect.
"Are you serious? I don't wanna fight Chacha-nee-san", Sage whined.
"Nee-san?", Chachamaru blushed.
"What? nee-san? just forget it I want you to spar with her", Eva screamed.
"Spar?", Sage tilted his head cluelessly.
"Fight dammit!", Eva almost screamed her head off.
"oh all right", Sage faced Chachamaru.
Eva walked past Chachamaru and whispered, "Don't hold back".
"Affirmative", the servant droid replied.
They both stood there for a while. Neither moving nor taking a stance. 'The kid's smarter than I thought. He's not rushing in or anything', Eva thought. A couple of minutes later it seemed Chachamaru was the first to make a move. The olive haired robot slowly approached the boy and then flicked his forehead. Sage fell to the ground rolling around clutching his forehead.
He stood up still clutching his head, "What's the big idea waking me up nee-san!".
'He was sleeping while standing and with his eyes wide open!?", Eva's eyes bugged out of her skull.
"Please pay more attention to the fight", Chachamaru said apathetically as she threw a right straight at the hurt child.
Sage saw the punch as it sailed towards him. Before he even knew what was happening he spun around the punch and grabbed the Chachamaru's arm. Using the force of the punch and spin Sage easily flung Chachamaru away all with only his gloved right hand.
Chachamaru landed on her feet and crouched. 'He's fast', she thought surprised by the sudden move. It was the same for Eva who watched from the sidelines but still couldn't believe what happened.
'That move he just did is only possible if one can confuse and manipulate your opponents balance but Chachamaru's balance is almost perfect. She shouldn't fall to such a move!', Eva mentally berated Chachamaru.
'There it is again', Sage thought to himself as he carefully watched Chachamaru.
Chachamaru got up and, with one leaping stride, closed the distance. Chachamaru began to throw a barrage of punches but most of them were being blocked by the eight year old child. At most only one or two hits were going through every thirty strikes and Chachamaru was now at a hundred.
Sage could feel the blows he wsa taking and his mind screamed for him to stop and take a break but his aching body had a mind of its own of sorts. It ignored the orders from his mind and kept blocking, knowing which strikes he could block and knowing which strikes he couldn't.
Eva was watching absolutely shocked at what she was seeing when a voice spoke from behind her. "Whoa Chachamaru-san is really going all out", Konoka spoke as she, Negi, Setsuna and Asuna came unto the scene.
"Wait, who's Chachamaru-san fighting against?", Setsuna strained her eyes to see.
"From what I can tell he seems to be holding his own quite well though Chachamaru-san doesn't even seem to be trying all that much", Negi added.
"Whoa! It's that Kaiser kid", Asuna pointed out. Negi and company recognized the white hair and small childlike frame from yesterday through the blur of appendages.
"It's really him", Konoka said surprised.
"Yes it is him. And you're wrong boya. It may seem like that boy is holding his own quite well but he's really getting the snot beat out of him little by little, though I don't doubt he's passed my expectations judging from the fact that this is the first time he's ever fought Chachamaru.", Eva crossed her arms over her chest.
"This is his first time!?", Negi's eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"Yes and before that he was able to do a rather crude but high level counter against Chachamaru", Eva grudgingly admitted.
"I don't think he's had any formal training either judging from his movements", Setsuna spoke up.
One,just one opening. It was all Sage was looking for. An opening that soon revealed itself after he took an uppercut. Chachamaru went in for another right straight but Sage's next move surprised her. Sage bent backwards luring Cahchamaru into his attack range. His body bent backwards and his hands touched the ground. 'This is my chance!', Sage thought through grit teeth. He shifted his full body weight and brought his heel crashing into Chachamru's chin. Sending her hurtling through the air. Sage completed the backflip and landed on his feet. Sage was breathing hard and he looked to be bruised all over but his eyes still burned with fighting spirit.
Chachamaru was surprised with such a counter. She was wide-eyed with shock, the counter was so simple and childish yet it still connected, albeit it didn't do much damage to her but it was still something. She sat up to see him still ready for a fight. "That was quite a counter", were the only words that came to Chachamaru's mind.
"So... is it over?", Sage asked repressing his urge to charge on and continue the fight till his body was damaged beyond repair.
"I've seen enough", Eva answered. She stepped in between the two who were fighting before, "From the looks of it you can hold your own well enough at this level of combat so I don't have to take it easy on you". A devilish smirk crossed Eva's face and she closed her eyes imagining the pain she would inflict on him. "From this day on you are to train with Negi and Konoka", she pointed at him for dramatic effect but face faulted when she saw that he was knocked out on Konoka's lap getting fussed over by the others.
("He's sure popular with the girls for a new comer"-Chamo, "He is just a kid"-Chacha-zero)
"Hey what the heck do you think you're doing falling asleep on me in the middle of my speech!", shrieked Eva.
"Too loud", Sage mumbled in his sleep and snuggled into Konoka's lap which tickled Konoka prompting her to giggle, Setsuna to blush red, Asuna to choke Negi just to let out some steam and Negi to nearly turn blue and sputter nonsense from being choked by Asuna.
"Eva-san, Sage-kun seems to be spent. I think he should take a rest", Konoka reported as she began healing the boy's wounds.
"No, he's gonna get his training starting today wether he likes it or not", Eva stomped the ground.
"I think she's lost it", Asuna whispered to Setsuna.
"I think she's just acting her physical age", Setsuna whispered back.
"Is she throwing a tantrum?", Negi wondered out of nowhere as Chachamaru had to restrain Eva from thrashing around too much.