Ten Little Soldiers
Disclaimer: Not mine and I make no profit.
Chapter IX: With the Burning Intensity of the Sun
Two Little Soldier boys sitting in the sun;
One got frizzled up and then there was one.
It didn't snow often in Namimori, the city was too far in the south for long, cold winters, but the night had been freezing and the chill lingered and the ground was covered by thin layer of snow that glittered in the morning sun like someone had knocked over a treasure chest full of diamonds. It wouldn't last; the next day the warm winds from the south would turn the ground into a mess of melting snow and dirt, but for now the world was white and pure like a bridal kimono.
Hiwatari Takeshi was standing in front of the Namimori Middle School and feeling rather tired and cranky. He had woken up to some maniac jogger yelling "TO THE EXTREME" outside his window in a voice that could probably be heard from the other side of the city. He had jumped up in his bed, his heart beating rapidly in his chest, and all sleep had been effectively banished from his mind. It had still been dark and one look to the glowing numbers of his alarm clock had told him it was 5:30 am. He had fallen back into the bed, groaning, but hadn't fallen back asleep again.
He was standing in front of the Namimori Middle School and feeling more than a little foolish. Namimori prefectural police had previously participated in joint operations with Interpol and DIA due to the leader of one of the Vongola crime family's most secretive divisions originating from the city and his family still living there. The Vongola was widely reputed in certain circles for their eccentric choice in allies and affiliates, but he couldn't believe his superiors had actually agreed with this. The police inspector had sent a police officer undercover as a PE teacher so he could covertly investigate a middle school boxing club.
Sawada Tsunayoshi, son of Sawada Iemitsu, went to this school, true, and he was even rumoured to have been earmarked as the next leader of the Vongola. He was also a friend of Sasagawa Ryohei, the president of the Namimori Boxing Club. Even then, they were middle schoolers and as unconventional as the Vongola could be this went beyond unbelievable and straight into ludicrous. It had also been difficult to arrange. Japan wasn't a police state and Namimori Middle School wasn't a criminal organization, which meant they couldn't simply lie to his new employers about who he was and what he was doing there. Takeshi was counting his blessings; he wasn't the poor bastard who'd had to explain this to the teaching staff.
It was their luck the previous PE teacher had just moved to another town, though whether good or bad was anyone's guess.
He had received his orders and he would fulfill them to his best capacity. That was all that could be asked of him.
He could see a few students already in the hallway, all rather delinquent-looking,, which surprised him greatly. Takeshi knew one should never judge book by its cover, but with hair like that… they were all wearing red armband on their right arm that read Namimori Discipline Committee. He didn't have time to ponder this mystery longer, however, since he was ambushed by the principal. He was nondescript middle-aged man with glasses and graying hair. He could have been anyone's neighbour, worked at any company or convenience store or, indeed, school. He was staple like rice or bread, Takeshi thought. He would have hated to try and track this man based by description.
"I am Kawano Kunio, the principal of this school. I am pleased to meet you, Hiwatari-san," he said politely, but looked apprehensive more than anything.
"I am glad you agreed to have me here. I will make sure to teach the students to my best capacity," he promised in his turn, praying silently that the principal didn't ask any more questions about this insanity. And he didn't, but the glances he kept stealing in a manner that was far from covert didn't reassure him much.
In truth, Takeshi had known to expect this. This kind of reaction was the reason he had arrived at seven am. Even though his first class begun at ten; to give the teaching staff time to get the initial awkwardness out of their system. He made sure to speak with everyone in the common room and stretched his small talking skills to their limits, but in the end he had to concede that two hours were too short a time. But it turned out to not be complete waste of his time as he noticed certain peculiarities as he listened in on the teachers during their spare time. A student named Kyoya Hibari, the one leading this Discipline Committee, was mentioned several times in hushed voices, but then the teachers in question had looked at him, turned their gaze quickly away and changed the topic or simply fallen silent. Interesting. If Takeshi remembered right Kyoya-san's name was also connected to Sawada-san's and so he made a few conversational openings.
Sasagawa Ryohei's name only caused long-suffering sighs and remarks about how enthusiasm and industry were things to have, but there was also such a thing as too much enthusiasm and industry. Gokudera Hayato's name, however, caused Kyoya-esque reactions. He wondered about it for a few moments before shaking his head. He shouldn't let perfectly normal school problems cloud his judgement.
Sawada-san's name caused no reaction at all. It was like the teachers had a hard time trying to remember who he was.
Takeshi learned that the lights in the gym took about five minutes to turn on, brightening slowly like a sun rising to the sky and shuddering like they might burn out at any moment. The first class he had was for the first years and he didn't turn the light off after, but the second was the one Sasagawa Ryohei attended. Originally the plan had been to play soccer outside, but due to the snow and the unexpected cold the school's winter gym clothes couldn't quite protect the students from he had his classes playing basketball in the gym instead. The boys walked into the gym talking animatedly, though they soon fell silent, peering their new teacher curiously. Takeshi hadn't really understood the words of the teachers before he saw the tall, light-haired boy with a band aid on his nose, but there was no mistaking those springy steps and wide hand gestures, that voice…
"I'm EXTREMELY happy to meet you, Hiwatari-sensei, and I will EXTREMELY give my all to be a good student to the EXTREME!"
It was him. The maniac jogger who had woken him up that morning. Takeshi felt a twitch develop in the corner of his eyes.
"I am glad to hear that, Sasagawa-san. I am your new PE teacher Hiwatari Takeshi and I am pleased to be here and teach you. Please form a line, everyone, and step forward and tell me your names." Sasagawa-san ushered his teammates – or strong armed, Takeshi thought – into an alphabetical line and he checked everybody's name from the student roster he had been given. All were present and accounted for and so he told them to count to four and form four teams.
Soon the class had been divided up into quarters, and he had one half doing push-ups while the other half was playing. Sasagawa-san's team had the first turn to play and it wasn't a coincidence. Both teams, in their identical gym uniforms, chattered excitedly before a whistle blew and the game began. The other side had one less player than Sasagawa-san's since all had agreed it would only work towards lessening the unfair advantage a little.
He gestured a student named Sakuragi Kyo to take the ball. The tall, coltish-awkward boy smiled with more trepidation than pride and took a ready stance with the ball. When all were in position Takeshi whistled sharply. Sakuragi-san faked right, then went around another student's left. That was the moment to stop to take her shot – half of the gym didn't make for a very big court – but that was when Sasagawa-san leapt at him and knocked the ball out of his hands, leapt to the basket and dunked the ball through, whooping victoriously. Soon he raced towards the end basket again, dribbling the ball as fast as he could and that was fast. And he blocked the poor member of the other team and took the ball, and he took a shot and it went in with a big loud swoosh. Before the first five minutes were over the game was already eleven zero and Takeshi had to conclude it was less team one against team two and more Sasagawa-san against team two. He blew his whistle again and the game ceased, the whole class turning to look at him.
"Maybe you should let your team participate also, Sasagawa-san. Unlike boxing, basketball is a team sports," he admonished.
"I am sorry, Hiwatari-sensei. I just forget that easily." He honestly drooped. Takeshi felt a niggle of pity in his mind and, besides, he should get to know the boy better at any rate. A close mentor-student relationship would be ideal.
"There is another set of baskets. Sakuragi-san, please switch teams so they will be even. I will practice with Sasagawa-san."
The boy immediately brightened and run to the equipment storeroom to get another ball. Takeshi had always liked sports very much and while basketball wasn't his favourite he was proficient at it.
"At your pleasure," he said and gestured towards the basket at his back with his head. Sasagawa-san grinned blindingly. Takeshi had only just enough time to think that his healthy habits extended to good dental hygiene and then the game was ON.
Sasagawa-san got the first two points, jumping to hang from the basket and dunking the ball inside. Takeshi gritted his teeth and managed to even the score. He had obviously been careless. He started to dribble the ball again when Sasagawa-san lunged and if he had been quick before now he was night unbelievable. For a second Takeshi could have sworn he saw something like pale almost-yellow flames flickering in the boy's wake and that moment of surprise cost him the ball as Sasagawa-san struck it from his hands and scooped it up. The student had gotten behind his back so quickly turning his head gave Takeshi a whiplash. His breath came heavily, but not uneven yet as he gave his new student a tight, appreciative smirk and accepted the ball for a new round. He faked left and run, his opponent at his heels.
He evened the score. Sasagawa got a lead again and this went on and on. His legs started to feel like lead, clumsy and heavy, and then his steps became springy again. The ball was rough against his palms when Sasagawa-san stole it from him and he could feel it dream-clear. He could barely believe this was true. He could keep up with Sasagawa-san, but not surpass him. He could even the core again and again, but he didn't get a lead once.
He was a police officer and he wasn't going to lose to a middle schooler, his pride wouldn't allow it. He had reached that point where his body moved freely and as light as a feather. Sasagawa-san jumped with strength and precision that surprised him and when he dribbled with all his admittedly extreme might it sounded like automatic fire against the wooden floor. The ball slipped from Sasagawa-san's hands and bounced. Once. Twice. Snatched! Takeshi had the ball now and he was dribbling it, throwing it, evening the score! He turned to look at the younger boy and saw the same excitement in his eyes, sheer joy in the motion. He smiled, sweating like a pig and laughing breathlessly.
The chime of the school bell sounding broke the spell. Takeshi's world had narrowed down to him, Sasagawa-san, the ball and their baskets, but now he was again aware of the open space around them and the eyes of the students who were… applauding? He felt colour rising to his cheeks, but above all else he couldn't believe a mere student had made him go all out like that. He was breathing so heavily that for a second he thought he couldn't possibly speak. He wondered if the students had switched turns at playing basketball at all or if they had just watched them play.
"That was an EXTREME match, Hiwatari-sensei! You must join the Namimori Middle EXTREME boxing club!" Sasagawa-san shouted, bouncing up and down. His white shirt was barely sweaty at all. Takeshi couldn't believe it.
"I'm a teacher, Sasagawa-san, the clubs are for students. Now everybody go to the shower, you still have school after this," he commanded his chattering students, only realising after he had been left alone that he had just missed a prime chance to infiltrate the boxing club. He was torn between thwacking himself over the head and grinning like a loon, because hard on his pride or not, that had been the best match any single opponent had ever given him.
He needn't have worried about lost opportunities. Sasagawa-san cornered him in the hallway after his lessons were over and renewed his offer/demand, this time with more volume and accompanied by a grab on his wrist to physically drag him away. He was a strange kid, much too loud and disrespectful, but he also radiated good will and childish energy all around him like a puppy and Takeshi found liking him much easier than it by all rights should have been. He would have found it worrisome if this had been a serious mission.
Rather than back to the gym Takeshi noticed that Sasagawa-san was dragging him out. He asked about it and Sasagawa-san explained that the training was going to begin with an interval training variation three: sports conditioning. First five minutes light jogging for warm up, then running two minutes at moderate or high intensity followed by two minutes low intensity, thirty seconds of high intensity followed by thirty seconds low intensity repeated four times, then ten sixty yard dashes followed by ninety second rest and five minutes cool down. Takeshi was common with this method of training; in addition of making more well-rounded runners it helped to improve an exercisers' aerobic capacity to exercise longer at varying intensities. He hadn't expected a middle school boxing club act so professionally, though after one class with Sasagawa-san he probably should have.
During the day the students had trampled the pristine white snow into sleet under their feet. And there, among the small footprints of preteens, were footprints of some kind of animal. They weren't very clear, but the hind legs had long, narrow feet with two toes and the smaller, roundish prints were either front legs or from different animal entirely. Unresisting, Takeshi allowed Sasagawa-san to lead him, wondering what kind of Japanese animal could make tracks like that. They turned around the corner of the school and abruptly Takeshi stood still like he had walked into a wall. The students were all standing under a few trees, jumping up and down and stretching, but what that huge shape hopping around them eagerly? It was a kangaroo. A huge, two meters tall kangaroo with reddish-brown fur that faded to pale buff yellow on the limbs. And that wasn't all. Someone had tied very real-looking double-barrel cannon to its back, shoulder pats to its shoulders and bright blue boxing gloves to its front legs.
"A kangaroo," he spoke out loud. His tongue had some difficulty forming the unexpected word. He was fairly sure he had gone at least the last five years of his life without once thinking or speaking the word kangaroo.
He wondered if this counted as animal cruelty. In any case, having a kangaroo as a pet had to be illegal.
"Kangaryuu is our EXTREME mascot!" Sasagawa-san exclaimed and punched the air.
But the worst shock had yet to come. Takeshi almost didn't see it, so overwhelming was the entirety of Kangaryuu, but once noticed it made his mouth dry and heart skip a beat. On Kangaryuu's forehead was a round gold-coloured jewel with the Vongola crest engraved on it. And, he thought, I have a bad feeling about that double-barrel cannon. It looked awfully real.
How could this be? Namimori Middle School Boxing Club was an organized crime affiliate and not to any garden variety small town gang either.
"No animals other than class pets allowed on school grounds," cold, menacing voice sounded from behind Takeshi, making him jump a little and squeak in a very embarrassing manner. He turned around to meet the steady, unemotional eyes of the Discipline Committee leader Kyoya Hibari. The boy stood still, but all the same seemed to occupy much greater space than his small body too by the sheer personality he emitted. He didn't seem particularly surprised to see a tank-like kangaroo on school grounds.
"Kangaryuu is the boxing club's mascot. Besides, the Discipline Committee has Roll and all students deserve the same rights to the EXTREME," Sasagawa-san protested. Kyoya-san only snorted and allowed tonfa slide out from both of his sleeves.
"I'll bite you to death," he growled and struck with speed that only just allowed Takeshi enough time to process that there was going to be a fight that needed to be prevented or someone would be seriously injured or even die. He straightened and shifted his weight from one leg to another, but his step forward was halted when Sasagawa-san blocked the steel tonfa with his bare knuckles, and blocked again and again and again. He ducked out of the way along with the boxing club members, listening to the fleshy slams and the clanging of metal hitting something hard with a sick feeling to his stomach. And Sasagawa-san was laughing the same innocent, delighter laugh he had when they had played basketball.
"Not again," a boy Takeshi didn't know by name groaned beside him. Again, he wanted to ask, but then the insanity got upped another notch.
The kangaroo joined the fray, cutting in from the left and giving a mighty kick of one muscular hind leg. Visions of the kick tearing open the dark-haired student's stomach flashed through Takeshi's mind, but Kyoya-san jumped nimbly backwards and pulled handcuffs from his pocket. A flash of purple light and then the boy wasn't holding handcuffs anymore, but a hedgehog. Takeshi's eyes saw it, but his mind refused to profess it. Hedgehog, hedgehog, hedgehog, it chanted. It had to be smoke and mirrors, some kind of sleight of hand, but why a hedgehog? Kyoya-san threw the animal towards the charging kangaroo before attacking the Sasagawa-san, who had gentlemanly waited for him to finish throwing his animal, again. For a moment he was torn between watching the boys and the animals, but then there were two hedgehogs rather than one. Then four, eight, possibly sixteen and then a veritable brown wave of cute, spiny animals attempted to crash over the kicking, punching marsupial.
"This happens every day. You get used to it, sensei," the boy said and grabbed his shoulder in a way that was meant to be comforting.
"Every day?" Takeshi groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. No wonder the teaching staff had accepted him. They had most likely been completely desensitized to anything strange and desperate for a new teacher. Not that he intended to stay. He would leave the second he found a way to tie the boxing club, armed kangaroo and self-multiplying handcuff-hedgehogs to the Vongola. A fool-proof, bulletproof and attorney-proof way just so no one would have a reason to send him back.
