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A week later...

Just outside McDonalds Tokyo...

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Sakura, clad casually in loose-fitting jeans and a black t-shirt touting that she was the 'King Of Fighters,' her long brown hair curled up into a bun, waited calmly at one of the patio tables, quietly slurping a McFlurry as various teenagers milled about her, chatting about everything from their latest sexual conquest to who was the most badass member of the local pro-wrestling organizations.

"Disgusting..." muttered an elegant voice from behind her.

Sakura turned, and smiled to see her old friend and rival, Karin Kanzuki, standing there.

She had matured greatly since the mess with M.Bison, her body filling out in all the right places, until she had the beauty of a professional model in the build of a professional warrior. Her once long, curly blond hair was now cropped short, and the bow she once wore in her hair was now attached to the front of the elegant, black silk dress she wore. She had a briefcase over one shoulder, and Sakura guessed that she was on a way to a meeting of the Yakuza syndicate that she had inherited from her father. She was gorgeous. In fact, the only thing marring her beauty was a sneer on her face as she stared at the McDonald's sign and the man in a clown suit handing out balloons to giggling young children.

"Disgusting," she said again, sitting down next to Sakura and placing her briefcase on the table, "to see how American culture has invaded our land. How can you eat that trash, Saku-chan?"

Sakura chuckled, setting her McFlurry aside. "I happen to like ice cream and hamburgers, thank you very much."

Karin chuckled, shaking her head. "As long as I've known you, I'll never understand you, old friend. How have you been?"

"Keeping busy. Teaching boredom in my history class, training a girl who's slowly turning homicidal, you know, the usual. And yourself?"

Karin looked around quickly, and smirked. "Officially? My pharmaceuticals company is thriving, and Rainbow Mika's making me a ton of money. Unofficially? Aside from a few near captures by the police, things are running smoothly."

Sakura nodded, not wanting to hear any more than that about Karin's real business. Her expression turning serious, she said, "Did you find Ryu?"

Karin nodded. "Yes. It wasn't that hard, really. I just followed reports of strange happenings in various mountain regions. I finally found him during a training session with some weird old man named Oro."

Sakura nodded. "Ryu wrote me about him after the World Warrior tournament, so I wouldn't worry about him. Apparently Oro is as powerful as Bison was back then, maybe even a little more so, and has decided to train Ryu to be stronger."

Karin chuckled. "Well, from what I saw, it was working." She started to say something else, but started laughing.

Sakura blinked. "What?"

Karin managed to get control of herself for the moment. "Well, it's kinda funny, really. When I got to where Ryu was training, there was some people already there. You know the pro-wrestler Hugo and his bimbo manager?"

Sakura nods. "Yeah. I remember them, they took part in the last World Warrior tournament. They were there too?"

Karin nodded. "Yes. Oro had apparently contacted them to help with an interesting phase of Ryu's training. He added me to it when I showed up, something he called a 'Frustration Control Exercise.' He had Ryu holding up this boulder that had a flat surface on top. He had Hugo jumping up and down on top of the boulder and sing some stupid children's rhyme in German while he had Poison and I strip down to bra and panties and flirt with him. The expression on Ryu's face as Poison and I played up to that wrinkled old turd was absolutely priceless."

Karin broke up in laughter again. Sakura giggled too, but it was half-hearted. Karin noticed this and looked up. "Don't tell me you're jealous of me because Ryu saw me in my panties and not you."

Sakura blushed, and grinned. "A little."

The two women stared at each other. Then they both cracked up, laughing wildly. After they calmed down, Karin said, "Anyway, after Ryu had managed to hold up that rock to Oro's liking, he let him rest and dismissed Poison and Hugo after paying them. I asked him about the Satsui no Hado, explaining the situation with this Elena girl, and he told me everything he knew. Which honestly wasn't much."

Sakura nodded. "Tell me what you know."

Karin sighed, and said, "Okay, here goes: From what I understand of what Ryu told me, the Satsui no Hado occurs when a warrior dedicates his or her whole life to victory, to using any means to gain that win. The warrior severs all ties to his or her life, and dedicates their entire existance to training, to achieving perfect skill. The warrior then slowly becomes less and less human, more and more of a godlike fighting machine as their power grows."

Sakura shook her head in disbelief, "My God..."

Karin shivered slightly. "Ryu had only experienced it once, in a brief moment of desperation during his first fight with Sagat. And well... We all saw what Akuma could do during the mess in Thailand with Bison."

Sakura nodded, "I know, but still, it's so hard imagining Elena becoming like that..."

Karin frowned. "That reminds me, Ryu had some advice on her, too."

Sakura blinked in surprise, and nodded. "Okay, what?"

"Train her for one more week, then tell her she's ready. Take her to Akuma. Back her up and try to get her to see that there are other paths to being a warrior than the Murderous Intent, and get her out of there if things go badly. He liked her as well, and admired her spirit and kindness."

Sakura smiled. "I can imagine."

Karin grinned wickedly. "I also think he admired her legs, but that's another story entirely."

Sakura snarled. "Not. Funny. Karin."

Karin shook her head, chuckling. "Still a schoolgirl... So how's Elena herself doing?"

Sakura shivered. "She's becoming more like Akuma everyday. She's developed a new trick, she can create an aura around her hands and feet that can cut through almost anything. And I'm not sure, but I think she's learned how to teleport. She's so much stronger, so much faster... She won't talk to her friends, and God help me they still care about her. They ask me about her every day. I have to blackmail Elena into continuing school by threatening to stop her training. But I don't know how much longer that will work. She's slowly losing patience with me, I can tell." She smiled weakly and said, "I think I'm starting to know how Dan felt when he was 'training' me."

Karin smirked. "Well, there's a break coming up. You can train her constantly for the week, and then get this whole mess over with. Remember, you're stronger than she is. I know you are, Saku-chan, so you can keep her in line if you have to. And I know for a FACT you're stronger than that dork Hibiki."

Sakura smiled warmly. "Thank you, Karin."

Karin grinned, and stood up. Sakura stood up with her, and the two women hugged tightly, holding on to each other for a long time. Karin broke the hug first.

"Anyway, I hope I was able to help. I need to get going, I have a promotional appearance to arrange for Mika and later on I have a meeting of some... company heads."

Sakura nodded. "Thank you, Kari-kun. You've been a great help to me. And it was nice to see you again."

Karin smiled, picking up her briefcase. She gave Sakura a quick peck on the cheek and turned to leave, only to run into a tall, solid young woman with long, bright white hair bound up in a ponytail and dark, deep brown skin. Sunglasses hid the girls eyes, matching the black jeans that hugged her long powerful legs and black jacket she wore to cover her chest. Karin backed away, trying to figure out why this girl made her so nervous...

Sakura frowned. "I forgot to mention, Karin. This is Elena. I brought her with me for lunch. She was down at a noodle cart, she didn't want anything from here. Elena, this is my old friend and rival, Karin Kanzuki."

Karin's eyes widened as she stared at the girl, looking at her in a new light. Elena, for her part, simply looked Karin over, briefly assessing her as an opponent, and turned to Sakura.

"Kasugano-sensei, I have finished my lunch. Are you ready to leave?"

Sakura nodded. "Almost. I just have my ice cream here."

Elena nodded, said, "Good. I will wait for you at the car," and turned to walk away. A group of teenagers passed behind her, and once they passed, she was nowhere to be seen.

Karin's eyes widened in shock.

Sakura chuckled weakly. "Like I said, I think she's learned to teleport."

Karin frowned. "Be wary, Saku-chan. And be careful."

Sakura sighed weakly, and nodded. The two hugged one last time, and parted ways. Sakura finished off her McFlurry and threw the cup away, walking back to her car, where Elena sat waiting for her in the passenger side. Sakura stared at her for a moment and sighed, getting into the driver's seat. When she didn't start the car right away, Elena looked at her in confusion.

Sakura bit her lip for a moment, then said, "Elena. In one week, I will allow you to contact this person who offered you a ride and take you to Akuma. I believe that one more week of training is all you need." She then turned to the girl, giving her a very stern look. "But I want to be there when you face him."

Elena grinned wickedly. "That's fine. Just remember that Akuma is MINE."