Disclaimer and Author's Notes: The Walt Disney Company owns the rights to the series Kim Possible. I receive nothing for this endeavor but a few reviews. Ha! I've added two characters from the series and they fit nicely. Now, on with the legend of Toshimu.

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Toshimu's Story

Chapter 4

Toshimu and Kim hunched over the low table as they looked over the last of the five scrolls illustrating their new Kung Fu style when a monkey dressed in a green kimono came rushing into the room. It frantically bounced around and chattered in front of Kim.

"What is it Chippy? Is there trouble down at the old forge?" Kim queried as she quickly got up. "Did Ron hit his hand with the hammer again?"

"Uh uh," The monkey shook his head in the negative. He excitedly squeaked some more and made a few hand gestures.

"Oh, the gang found something in the forest while they were out gathering wood," Kim said as she turned to her adoptive father. "I think Chippy wants us to follow him." The kimono-clad monkey nodded emphatically and touched his nose with the tip of his finger.

"We are finished with our work here," the warrior said and stood up. "Let us go and see what they have discovered."

The three exited the room and passed by the stables and forge area. "Ron-san, follow us," Toshimu yelled to the boy who was bent over a sword, running a sharpening stone along the blade edge.

"But..." Ron got out before he realized he would fall way behind them if he paused to long. He dropped the stone and stuck the sword he had been working on in his sash. Ron grabbed a large towel, slung it over one shoulder bringing it across his back and tied it in the front. He shoved the knot around to his back then picked up Hanna and gently put her in the folds of the towel at his chest. "That aughta do," Ron said with a single nod before he took off after the others.

The four humans and one monkey hiked through the forest for a half hour before they came upon a group of simians gathering branches and logs from a tangled mass at the bottom of a hill.

"This landslide must have happened over a month ago during the heavy rains we had," Toshimu posed as he looked up the hill and pointed. "The trees originally came from up there."

Chippy excitedly jumped up and down and chattered as he pointed up the hill also.

"Chippy wants us to go up there," Kim said as she pulled up the hem of her kimono and tied it around her chest. "I guess we climb."

"Kim-san, why are you not wearing the sandals I got for you," Toshimu asked as he looked at Kim's bare muddy feet.

"I don't know Toshimu-san," Kim said rubbing the back of her head. "I kept slipping around on deck during our sea voyage so I took off my shoes while on board and lost them had when we came ashore. Between the ship and living at your house for over five months now I haven't worn anything on my feet for a year and a half. I really don't mind going barefoot. The wooden sandals you got me felt wrong when I put them on so I guess I don't like footwear of any kind now."

"Although you'll probably haveta start wearing them soon," Ron said with a laugh as Hanna reached up and pulled at his lower lip. "It's late fall now and the snows will come soon."

"Maybe," Kim sighed as she tweaked Hanna's little nose making both of them smile and laugh.

The three adults and one baby cautiously made their way up the hill occasionally slipping on the slope that was muddy from more rain the previous night. When they finally reached the top they stopped to catch their breath. "That's Mount Yamanouchi," Ron said as he indicated a nearby peak that towered above them. "How are you gonna get a school up there Toshi-san? I don't think I can even climb that mountain."

"There is a secret way up the slope Ron-san," Toshimu said as he gazed at the peak. "It is quite a climb but it is passable. My beloved Yori-chan showed me once."

"Is that why you want to build up there?" Kim queried. "To honor her fighting abilities and memory?"

"Hai Kim-san." The young couple looked over at their benefactor and saw a single tear rolling down his cheek.

"Well, if anyone can build a school up there, it's you Toshimu-san," Ron softly said with a deep bow.

"Thank you Ron-san," the warrior said before he straightened up and looked around. "Now, where did your Chippy run off to?"

"There he is," Kim hollered as she took off along the ridge. The others followed until Kim came to a screeching stop. "What is that?" In front of them, partially obscured by vines and weeds, stood a tall round rock that was carved with the face and body of a monkey.

Toshimu removed some of the debris and stepped back. "So, the legend is true."

"Legend?" Ron wondered aloud. "What legend?"

"My grandfather used to tell me bedtime stories that his grandfather told him of a group of Monks that lived up in these mountains. They were called the Monkey Monks and they worshiped the simian inhabitants of the forest. They are suppose to have their temple around here somewhere, although they disappeared over three hundred years ago."

"Do you mean a temple like this one?" Ron asked as he strained to pull aside an extremely tight packed growth of bamboo and some very large ferns.

The three peered cautiously through the small opening Ron had made and gazed at the stone building overrun by forest growth. "Yes Ron-san, that must be it," Toshimu said in excitement. "But how are we to get there/ The forest has ringed it in so no one can approach?"

"Your sword!" Ron yelled as he let the opening close up. He pulled the weapon he had been working on for the past four months out of his sash and handed it to Toshimu. "I'm not quite done sharpening it but you should be able to cut through the bamboo with it."

The warrior hefted the sword a few times and then peered down the length of it's blade. He swung it a few times testing its feel before he smiled. "Yes, it is balanced perfectly Ron-san. It feels very good." Toshimu looked at the single, delicate etching near the hilt. "What is this? A Lotus Blossom?"

"Yeah," Ron tittered as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Kim and me talked and thought it should have some kinda decoration on it. The lotus flower seemed to be fitting."

"A flower that will weather the worst storm and bloom when the Sun next shines," Kim waxed poetically. "A very strong, hardy flower, like a blade should be."

"Yes, I like it," Toshimu said with a single nod. He took a stance and swung the blade, slashing at the base of the bamboo curtain. Nothing happened.

"Well, I do need to sharpen it a bit more," Ron said in disappointment.

Hanna stirred in her sling seat, peered over the edge and giggled. She puffed up her cheeks and blew out a breath at the sturdy bamboo. It swiftly toppled over, neatly severed where Toshimu had struck it.

"Or it could be extremely sharp as it is," Kim said in amazement.

"Hey, I've only been sharpening it for a week and a half so far," Ron said defensively. "I thought I'd haveta work on it for another week at least."

"Tell Toshimu-san how many times you ended up folding it." Kim practically bragged about her husbands accomplishment.

"Well," Ron stalled and scratched the back of his neck, "I kinda lost track around two hundred seventy folds so I did it another forty just to make sure."

"A katana folded over three hundred times," Toshimu marveled as he held it out at arms length in front of him. The hilt snugged perfectly in his right hand while the blade lay across his clenched left fist. "It is truly a blade for the ages." Toshimu twisted his wrist slightly and the katana stood up straight into a two-handed grip. He let the blade slowly fall forward to a horizontal position before he swept it to one side and swiftly put it to rest at his hip. "Now, let us explore the temple. But be very careful, many of the stories I was told as a child mentioned traps all around."

The three adults, one still carrying the infant at his chest, stepped through the opening in the bamboo and cautiously approached the rock building. Suddenly an extremely large tree truck with a monkey's face carved into the leading end swung down from the trees on a set of vines.

"Ack!" Ron yelled. Kim grabbed Ron by the shoulders and plastered the both of them to the ground, her lying on top of him.

Toshimu unsheathed his new katana and, with a mighty grunt/yell and very little effort, sliced the tree trunk in twain letting the two halves pass to either side of the group. With purposeful flair and ceremony he sheathed the blade again before he smiled broadly. "Yes! Truly a katana for the ages, my Lotus Blade."

Kim rolled off her husband and smiled. "Are you okay Sweetie?"

"Oh I'm just dandy KP," Ron whined. "If you can call having a tree almost run you over and scare the shiatsu out of you being okay." Hanna poked her head out of her sling seat and giggled at her adoptive father, grabbing his nose. "Yeah Han," Ron laughed and tried to remove the small hand from his nose, "Lots of fun, right?" The baby giggled again and nodded.

Kim stood and helped her husband up. "Come on you two. Let's go explore the temple."

"You wanna explore a sacred place that has traps like that last one?" Ron begged in disbelief as he started to back up.

"It was just one little log," Kim dismissed before she realized something, grabbed Ron by the arm and swiftly yanked him forward. She picked up a stick and tossed it to where Ron had been backing towards. When the stick landed on the ground a pile of leaves gave way creating a deep hole. "Okay, two traps outside," Kim said warily.

They proceeded toward the wide open front entrance to the temple where Toshimu had stopped and was looking around the frame of the doorway. "Very clever," he clucked and took a step back. He poked the flat edge of his katana into the opening until he heard a slight rumbling. Toshimu dropped the tip of the blade low before he swung up, cutting edge leading the way. A large boulder came crashing down in the doorway before it was cut in two by the Lotus Blade.

"Come, we can enter safely now," Toshimu said confidently as he again sheathed his katana and casually strolled into the temple.

"What about traps inside?" Kim asked as she peered into the temple from the right side of the open doorway. Ron looked in from the left side.

"There are no traps inside the temple," the warrior stated as fact as he continued to walk ahead. "The Monkey Monks would never disrespect their Gods like that, allowing the unwanted to step foot anywhere in the temple. No, they put all of their traps outside to keep out the thieves and disrespectful. It would be sacrilege to put traps inside." Toshimu disappeared into the darkness.

Hanna stirred and got one arm out of her baby sling seat, pointed into the temple and clearly said, "Goo Goo!"

Kim had taken three steps into the dark interior before she stopped in her tracks and spun to Ron. "Did Han just tell us to go?" The tiny tot gleefully bounced in her sling seat.

"I don't know KP," Ron said as he stepped into the doorway, "but Toshi said it's okay and Hanna seems to think so too. I'm game."

"That's my warrior," Kim cooed and wrapped Ron in a loose embrace trying to avoid squishing Hanna between them. She gave him a loving kiss that lasted long enough for Hanna to peer up at the two adults for a few seconds, yawn and snuggle back into her sling seat for a nap.

The teenage couple joined hands and walked into the temple. As they rounded a corner they saw a flickering light coming from one of the rooms off the corridor. Kim and Ron tip toed over to the room and glanced inside. There was a single, blazing torch in each of the four walls. Each torch was perched above a dark green stature with the face of a monkey carved in it. Toshimu was facing away from the door, kneeling in the middle of the room. An elbow was planted on the upraised knee and his face was buried in the hand.

"Are you okay Toshimu-san?" Kim said softly as she took a tentative step into the room.

"Please, do not come in here Kim-san. It is the most sacred room in the temple and you do not want to anger the Monks." Toshimu stood, still facing away from the couple. "I am fine."

Ron warily leaned into the room and looked around. "I don't see no Monks."

"They are not here in body," Toshimu said as he turned to face his adopted son, daughter and granddaughter, "but they are here in spirit and have spoken to me." Kim and Ron could now clearly see Toshimu's eye had changed from their normal dark hue to a robin's egg blue with vaporous flames that danced around the orbs.

"Father, your eyes!" Kim almost screamed in astonishment.

"Yes, my eyes," the warrior marveled as he raised his hand, clenching and unclenching his fist, "and my body. I feel stronger and see things more clearly than anytime in my life. "Kim-san, call your monkey gang to come in here."

The auburn-haired girl turned in the doorway to fulfill Toshimu's order. "No, stop," Toshimu said and bowed his head in his hand. The glowing flames quickly spread around his body for a few seconds before the ebbed and disappeared completely. The warrior looked up at his charges and smiled. "They will be here shortly."

"How do you know?" Kim queried. "What happened in here before Ron and I got here?"

Toshimu grabbed a priestly robe that was hanging on one wall and put it on. "I will tell you tonight, after supper. After I have thought through the situation."

Nine monkeys entered the room and bowed before Toshimu in a single line. "Chippy," the warrior addressed the single monkey dressed in a kimono, "you will direct your gang to take these statues back to the house. Put them in my room and be very careful with them."

The monkeys all bowed and Chippy directed the gang in their work, assigning two monkeys to each statue. They picked up the statues and cautiously left the room.

Ron watched the proceedings, turned to his adoptive father and begged, "What's going on?"

"Tonight Ron-san," Toshimu said as he snugged his new attire around his body and headed for the door. "I will tell you tonight, son."