Chapter 7 [Two Days Later—Yamanuchi
Yori rushed toward Sensei's office with concern. She knew he didn't summon students there right before morning workout without a dire reason. What happened to Ron San?
Riding in the pouch hanging on her sash, Rufus wondered the same thing.
She knocked on the door.
"Enter please," Sensei bade.
"I came as soon as I could," she explained while setting Rufus on the nearest chair's armrest. "Did something happen last night?"
He nodded. "Hai." "Stoppable San has passed the second test, Yori Chan."
"So he can come back?" she asked hopefully.
He put up two fingers. "He has two more tests to pass. Those will come by tonight." He glanced out the window toward the mists and the woods beneath them. Sensing his visitors' nervousness, he assured them, "Stoppable San is more capable than either of you or even he realizes. It is my hope that he discovers this for himself." As the gong sounded in the courtyard, he added, "I will see you shortly for drills. Thank youfor coming so quickly."
"It was our honor to do so," she agreed as she and Rufus bowed to him before leaving.
Sensei glanced out the window once again. Perhaps, he should have brought Ron back on that day. However, given that the student was exceeding even his own standards for the exercise, he decided to let things proceed for another twenty-four hours at least. "May you gain confidence from this exercise, Stoppable San. Tonight, you will need more than the Lotus Blade."
With that, he left the sanctum. Even as he headed toward the courtyard, he had a bad feeling that something was about to happen. If he wants to succeed as a ninja, Stoppable San will need to deal with misfortune and adjust accordingly!
Chapter 8
[That afternoon
Ron washed the soot off of his face at the water's edge and studied his new shelter. After the wind kicked up that afternoon, he'd lost the previous one (along with a substantial part of that tree) as embers from his campfire burned the bottom portion of the branches. After a momentary panic, he'd dumped the gear from his backpack and used it to haul water.
Fortunately, the damp conditions kept the fire under control allowing him to deal with it before it spread to any other tree.
"Why does this happen to me?" he complained while rubbing his forehead. Feeling frustrated, he threw his things back in the pack and picked up his blanket. His garbage bag had been lost in the fire. "Great." He rolled his eyes and headed off downstream looking for another shelter.
He tried several suitable trees but to no avail, finding bugs and other "surprises" under them and making him jump away for his own safety. "Geez!"
Two hours later, he found a tree with shelter and no "roommates". He quickly set up his blanket and went out to fish for dinner, hoping that the water's residents were as cooperative as their buddies upstream.
As he waited for results, he pondered the day's disaster. Granted, he would need to ask Sensei if he could plant a pine sapling or something to make up for the damaged tree. Still, all in all, he did get off pretty lightly. His backpack, things and blanket had been out with him. He also wasn't responsible for a major forest fire. The foggy cover would obscure the smoke from the school and all but Sensei, thus sparing him Hirotaka's good-intentioned gibes on the matter. "Maybe this wasn't so bad after all. The Ron Man's still got it." He blushed as he reminded himself that a little caution might not be such a bad thing when picking a place for the night's campfire.
Almost in response, the line went taunt. He pulled and yanked supper out of the water.
"Boo yeah! I eat well tonight! Who's your Daddy?" he crowed, trying to pick up his spirits.
[Four hours later
After the afternoon's respite, the rain returned that evening, soaking everything in sight. While the branches of the new shelter were thicker (and reinforced by other branches Ron had found), water still dripped down through them, managing to target Ron's head no matter which way he moved to avoid it.
"Ow! Quit it!" he complained, already missing the garbage bag's protection. He pulled the damp blanket over his head and closed his eyes.
And with that, the last test began……
[Dreamscape
Ron opened his eyes. His hair stood on end and he heard a loud and all too familiar bellow of challenge approaching his encampment. He huddled under his blanket, shaking like a leaf. "AHH!"
At that moment, the protective branches were ripped away by four giant hands.
Before they could grab him, Ron managed to scramble away from them. As he cleared the now-ruined shelter, he griped. "Man! Not another one! How am I gonna explain this to Sensei?" He stared in absolute horror at the two opponents.
Flanking him were the two gorillas dressed in the samurai armor from the "Gorilla Fist" mission. Just as they were at that point, the two simians were angry and looking to do him bodily harm. "KP! Yori! HELP! Run! Gotta run!"
However, there was no where for him to run for the gorillas had cut him off.
He trembled with wide eyes. His teeth abused his fingernails, working them over much as they would kernels on an ear of corn. He knew there was no escape and he was truly alone.
Then Sensei's words came to him once more. If it is a part of you, you can use it in the test. Face your fear.
"Face my….?" Ron asked as he just managed to avoid a swipe from one of the gorillas' fists.
Another grabbed at the back of his pants, tearing those as he avoided that.
"HEY! ALL RIGHT, THAT'S IT!" Ron growled. His embarrassment overcame the fear. He concentrated, somehow grasping his solution lay with what he feared most: his monkey nature and related powers.
As he did so, the scene took on a cobalt blue sheen. His eyes narrowed. He floated a good foot off of the ground.
A confident almost cocky smirk crossed his face.
He waved the two gorillas forward in challenge. Forgetting everything except his training and the fight at hand, he wove and dodged, letting his enemies tire themselves out.
When he was ready, he delivered a devastating blow to one gorilla, striking in the glow of the monkey discharge and its angry screech.
The second gorilla howled in rage at its unconscious companion's misfortune. He charged the human foe.
Ron barely touched the second one; his powers' discharge sending that one flying back into a tree. "Had enough?"
The hairy adversary staggered to its feet and bellowed another challenge.
Before it could charge again, Ron moved in and finished it as he had its friend: a hard blow to the face.
As with the monkeys from two nights earlier, the two gorillas disappeared from the scene.
Ron took a deep breath and relaxed, subduing the tai-sheng-pek-kwar once more. "I…I did it. I did it! YES!" He pumped his fist toward the sky. "I'M BAD! YEAH!"
Almost in response, a white blob hit him in the head from above.
"Fine! Be that way! I still did smash monkey!" he retorted defiantly to the bird up above before heading for the river. He washed the mess from his hair before settling back on the blanket. "Now maybe I can get some sleep."
With that, he settled back on his blanket and closed his eyes…..
