From author: Thanks for staying with me. Soon enough, it should be getting quicker paced, with more people coming. Also, if any suggestions you wanna see in this fic, let me know! If it can be reasonably worked in, I'll try it.
Thanks.
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"Hey kiddo!" Ken smiled.
"I'll kiddo you!"
"Easy there, Sakura." Ken ruffled her hair, as she seated herself in his American rental car. "Well, I told you I'd take you see him when I got back. You ready?"
"Yeah, I want to see how I do against him!" Sakura grinned
"Get in line." smirked Ken. "So, what about YOUR rival?"
"Karin? She's doing alright. I think I'm over her, as far as rivalry. I want more out of the fight."
"Don't take her lightly. Thats very disrespectful to a fighter. You think because she's rich, that she doesn't care about it as much, or thats it's just a time-killer to her?" Ken already knew Sakura's reasoning. "In a few years, you'll eventually want a family, and you'll grow out of this stage."
"Why do you think it's just a stage?" She responded.
"Teenagers pick hobbies up all the time. Point is, you don't know why she fights, and you don't know your own dedication right now."
"Fair enough, Ken. But I'll have to kick your butt to get the point across." Sakura jabbed Ken's arm. They enjoyed the rest of the afternoon trip toward the dojo, taking in the scenery of the Japanese countryside. It was a nice contrast to Sakura's city, and Ken place in Seattle. They finally arrived at the dojo, in the evening.
Ryu noticed a car pulling up to the dojo. He hadn't had any visitors since this happened to, and wasn't expecting any. He wasn't into cars, but this was definetely not a Japanese car. He walked down the stone path, toward the car, and was about to tell them "I'm sorry, at the moment..." He stood in shock. "You guys!!!"
"Me?" Ken repeated, standing next to the car, "Who are you? I thought Ryu didn't care for anyone but Chun-Wiiii!!?" It was an inside joke, perhaps innaproriate. Girls do get jealous.
The girl stood there red faced. Ken noticed, not with anger, but embarrassed. "Sorry about the joke!" The continued "I'm Ken, my friend here, is Sakura. I'm Ryu's best bud, and she is his...wannabe student, haha". He noticed that this girl looked related to Ryu, and pretty cute. Too bad she was dressed like a guy, infact She might have something under all those clothes.
"Ken!" Sakura glared about his comment.
"And you are???" Ken asked, taking her in. He offered his hand. Ryu could feel him checking him out. Ryu would only be able to take so much of Ken hitting on him so, he decided to go ahead and tell them, but trip them up a little.
Ryu began their costomary handshake, which Ken relfexively returned, he looked down, in shock, and back at the girl. "Who are you...?" Ken asked again
"Who else lives here?"
"Nah uh" Ken looked at her more closely.
"Are you related to Ryu?" Sakura, who'd just been looking so far, chirped in.
"You could say that." This girl smiled.
"Can you fight?" Sakura asked, appraising her. Whoever she is she must know Ryu, and she looks related, to him, whats the harm of asking if she can fight? In her eyes, a girl trained by Ryu would be a much better rival than Karin. Hopefully they werent too close.
"Hmmm...I'm alright." She sweetly said.
"I'll be the judge of that." Sakura, dressed in her fuku, started stretching, as if getting ready.
"Talk about a first impression, Sakura." Ken nodded. He then focused back at the young girl, standing calmly, watching Sakura get ready. She then turned to Ken,
"I know, buddy. After I take her on, you can be next." She smirked toward him.
'What is it about her...' Ken asked himself, as he looked her over.
"Hey, aren't you going to get ready for me!!??" Asked Sakura.
"I am ready." Came the response. Sakura thought she was being taken lightly, so she charged without warning.
"Kya, kya kya!" Sakura unleashed a barrage of attacks, but her opponent expertly dodged them. She jumped back, readying for another wave. She first moved left, then right...
...Ryu watched Sakura move left then right, rushing him. As she stepped in, he flipped over her head touching the top of her head, with his index finger, while spinning. Sakura stumbled forward, amazed. But instantly she got her bearings back, she spun and shot her Hadoken fireball up towards Ryu. Ryu, still airborne, blocked it. 'Damn, that stings!' Ryu thought...
...Seeing this girl's momentum change, Sakura wave-dashed under her opponent. Jumping, she began an airial combo, with her opponent parrying the attacks easily. "Fight me back DAMMIT!!!!!!" Sakura blasted out another Hadoken, powerful enough to send the opponent flying toward the ground. This girl really pissed Sakura off. But she's good...
...Ryu landed. "Hm, so that hurted me now. Damn." He decided to give her what she wanted. A fight.
Ken watched on. Damn, she is playing with Sakura. I might just have to see what she's really got. He watched as the two exchanged blows, now that this new girl was on teh offensive, Ken could clearly see Ansatsuken in her fighting. Ryu couldn't have been training her that long. She wasn't even around when Ken was there last...only a few months ago. And whats up with her comments?
"This is what I like. This is a real fight.!!!" Sakura proclaimed, huffing.
"Yeah. It's pretty fun. You're better this time, Sakura" The girl, a little bruised, said, in a familiar tone.
"Huh?" Sakura AND Ken both wondered aloud.
"Ready!!!!!" The girl screamed. She moved her hand into the classic Hadonken forming formation.
"You bet!!!" Sakura answered. "I'll show you my all. You're worth it." Sakura did the same.
"A classic fireball war. Sweet," Ken laughed. "Wonder who's gonna do a drop-kick first."
"SHINKUU HADOKEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" both yelled in unison. Each girl shot a huge blue beam at the other.
'How can she?' Sakura wondered. 'Who is, that Ryu decided to train personally...over me!?'
'Sakura's much more powerful now...'
'Her power feels exactly like Ryu's, but something's off.' Ken thought. Ken watched as the beams collided, making teh ground rumble. "There some power in these chicks!"
Sakura, while glad about this opponent, was also angered by the fact that Ryu took this girl over herself. What was so special about her? She channeled the energy for the Hadoken stronger, and her beam began top overwhelm her opponent's.
"Whoa!" Ryu gasped as his fireball was eaten alive, and Sakura's was fast pushing in on him. Ryu Hadokent make it anymore powerful. "Is Sakura this strong?"
"Yaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" Sakura increased the pressure yet.
"Okay!!! GWWWWWOOOOAHAHH" This girl made a noise that shouldn't be possible from a female mouth. Ryu's fireball changed from blue to purple, as it pushed back against Sakura's.
"What the hell????" Ken shouted, "Thats the Satsui coming from her! Sakura! MOVE!!! This new girl's fireball had began to engulf Sakura. "HADOKEN!!!!!" Ken blasted his own green Hadoken at the purple beam, which stopped this girl's attack. It was powerful, but not as much so as Ken's. Ken watched as she passed out from exhaustion, and ran over to Sakura. "You okay?"
"Yeah, just a little bruised." She said, sitting on the ground. Her clothes were tattered, her face scuffed.
"You're lucky you didn't take the full force of that." Ken warned.
"I know" Sakura said, as they both looked to her unconsious body. Sakura didn't expect competition from a new girl. Not in martial arts, and not for Ryu's attention. Ken had to get some answers, she could not have been around long, yet, she can beat Sakura, and used the evil intent. Then there was the way she spoke to them with such familiarity.
Ken picked this light girl up, looking at her peaceful face. Does Ryu have a little sister? She could sure pass. That was the best explanation, for now but once Ryu arrived, he'd ask him. They walked up to the dojo, and Ken layed her on a cot.
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"Welcome back." Ryu saw only Ken's face looking at him.
Ryu allowed a sigh, and was aware how feminine it was. "Ken. Where's Sakura?"
"Right here!" Sakura waved, with a cheezy smile.
Ryu smiled back. "I'm sorry about that."
"No problem...are you okay?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
Ken cut in. "Say that was some display back there. If you don't mind, please fill us in on you. You had some nice moves, and are pretty good at me and Ryu's style. Then theres the Satsui."
"Its MY style too!!!!" Sakura said.
"lol"
Ryu smirked at the two "kids". "It's me. In the flesh. The much softer flesh."
"What?" Both Ken and Sakura exclaimed.
"Sakura. You don't think I took on a student, did you?" Sakura blushed, sitting with her hands in her lap. "I said you could be the first, when I'm ready." Sakura blushed even deeper. It had to be him, Ryu didn't know how oblivious he was...
"So, man, you use your winning to become a girl?"
"Shut up, Ken!!!!!" Ryu sounded the part of angry girl.
"I mean, I coulda paid!"
"Pfft." Ryu sat up.
"Seriously. Whats going on...uhh"
"Its me, dammit. Ryu."
"Uh sure."
"Anyway...a few days ago, I was challenged to a match. The physcho said my life was at stake. Basically, the guy was not from this world. He was a Vampire."
"Vampire?"
"Yeah. A real one. His power was just huge. He even smacked away my Shinkuu Hadoken, as if it were nothing. His speed, too much, this power, too much. Satsui didn't help."
"But you're not supposed to use it...like against Sakura."
"I know, Ken. I couldn't help it. I've been getting drawn into the power, it was like an auto reaction. Against Sakura, I couldn't even win the match without it, so it came."
"Ryu, you're saying." Sakura was excited. "I basically beat you?"
"Yeah, kid. You're pretty stong."
"Sakura." Ken chided. "This is serious.
"My power has decreased, and it's hard to focus the power I do have. But my speed has increased, and my movements much easier."
"So, you'll have to shift the focus of your training." Ken acknowleged.
"I don't know about that. If I get to fight him again, I need power. You'd have to have fought him..."
"Glad I didn't." He looked at Ryu "Sorry bro. So more about him."
"His name is Demitri Maximoff, I don't really know much more than that. When he said I was fighting for my life, this is what he meant. He can turn guys into girls, and if he bites you, you'll do what he wants forever...so I'm told."
"So you're not bitten?" Sakura asked.
"No. It was actually Akuma who saved me."
"Akuma..." Ken repeated.
"Yeah."
"So he's strong enough to beat something like this?"
"I don't think they fought, but he must think highly of Akuma, to hand me over."
"So," Sakura cut in "How do you like it?"
"Like what?" Ryu asked.
"Don't play!" Sakura accused.
Ryu really dodn't know what she was talking about. "What???"
"Being a cute girl!!!!"
Ryu almost choked on his own spit. "Gaaah"
"She's right bro, I thought you were your cute little sister, or something." Ken added.
"I think nothing of it!!! Stop messing!!!!"
"You get mad like a girl too." Sakura teased.
"Ryu, what are you planning on doing?" Ken asked, getting serious again.
"I have to fight Demitri to the death. Maybe that will undo this."
"Haven't you lost power?"
"That doesn't mean, I should just give up. I will work on my physical combat, but I will get more powerful, as all fighters should. I must get to my previous ki levels, then take it from there."
"That might be no quick task" Ken warned. "Sakura gave you problems with her Shinkuu. Until you..." Ken reevaluated "You're not planning?"
"No. I have to do this without the Satsui no Hado. If I give in to that, I'll be no more than Akuma is. He is a great warrior, but at what cost? I am not willing to pay the same price."
"Thats good. You got all the help you need with us."
"That's right!" Sakura agreed.
