I'm trying to follow the manga plotline as closely as possible but there may be some exceptions. In particular, expect a jump during the Kyoto arc.

That said, lets get this party started.


9th period.

"Are you serious?" Kuwabara asked, looking at the frantic denizens of 2A carefully, having had experience with their rumor-mongering "Are you sure this isn't another stupid rumor?"

"It isn't!" Sakurako insisted "Yuna and I saw the letter with our own eyes! If Negi-kun doesn't pull our class out of last place in the exams he gets fired!"

Yuna nodded for emphasis, the clamor rising up again as 2A began to lament the potential loss of their beloved child-sensei. You could almost SEE the desperation, with a few notable exceptions, not one student scored higher than the 300th percentile ranking out of the 737 second-year students currently enrolled. Factor in 2A's habit of going ballistic faster than a jar of Nitroglycerine in a blender and you got a pretty nasty picture.

In short, pulling the class out of last place at this stage of the game wouldn't take a miracle; it would take an act of God himself.

Kuwabara was pretty damn certain he was mortal, hell he'd nearly died enough times to be certain of the fact there wasn't anything other than red human blood in his veins, but he'd be damned if he let this go without a fight.

"Alright calm down!" he barked out, startling the girls out of their mass hysteria "Yukihiro-san, I want you to organize study groups within the class, the top ranked students are to tutor those who need it." He turned on his heel "I'm going to have a word with the headmaster."

Chao Lingshen quirked an eyebrow, impressed by the way her enigmatic new sensei had taken control, and so effectively too. In a way he was better suited to teaching than Negi, having actually had prior training, but in others he and the boy were so much alike they could have been brothers, and she suspected that the magi in training did consider the older sensei as a positive male role model.

However, that still didn't mean she knew anything about him, or his character. He seemed a decent sort, a little slow and easily flustered by the antics of her classmates. He was also powerful, and she didn't mean that flatteringly, she hadn't felt power like that since Setsuna's shishou had come for a visit last year.

'And unless I miss my guess,' the Chinese genius noted with a calculating expression on her face 'He's holding back a LOT of that power.'

"Chao-san!" Ayaka's voice finally broke through the genius' concentration "I asked if you could tutor the first group on Mathematics and Science!"

"Sure Iincho," she offered, "I was just wondering, what do you think Kuwabara-sensei's talking to the dean about?"

The question raised several discussions around the classroom, some of them hopefully wondering if he was going to make the dean reconsider. "Too bad we'll never know." Chao drawled, drawing it out with a sigh "It'd probably be to dangerous to spy on them."

"Is that a challenge?" Kazumi asked, a glint coming to her eyes as she smirked "'Cause if it is I accept!" She opened her laptop, connecting it to the main circuit and began typing away. "All the security cameras are linked." She explained, "if I can access it we can look in on the deans office without leaving this room!"

"H-hold on!" Ayaka cut in, looking indignant "That is an abuse of school property! Not to mention an invasion of privacy! As Class Representative I cannot allow you to do this!"

"Really? Too bad." Chao noted, looking at the blonde with a smile "I suppose we'll never find out what happens to Negi-sensei then."

Ayaka balked and held her head, conflicting emotions raging within her as Kazumi gave the genius a thumbs up. "I'm in!" the reporter announced "Hey look they've started!"


Dean's office...

"I understand your frustration, Kuwabara-kun." Dean Konoe noted, stroking his beard, a bandage atop his oddly shaped head "But it is not your decision to make, this is a final test to see if Negi possesses the skills to remain as a teacher."

"But he's just a kid!" Kuwabara insisted, "Sure he gets on well with them and given time he could probably have pulled them together but to put his job on the line for the chance to pull them out of last place? Isn't that going a bit far?"


2A...

"Kuwabara-sensei doesn't seem to have a lot of faith in us-yo." Chao noted, several of the girls slumping at this while others huffed or looked on impassively.


Dean's Office...

"I admit it is harsh." Konoe noted with a sigh, "But this is the only way he can prove that he EARNED his position here. This is the same task granted to adult temporary sensei's seeking to continue on as instructors here, though I'll admit pulling them out of last place was more of a personal twist."


2A...

"Ara, the dean doesn't expect much of us either." Chizuru noted with a smile, a hand on her cheek. The rest of the class sweat dropped at this. They really WERE in the doghouse then.


Dean's Office...

"Can't you reconsider?" Kuwabara asked, holding out his hands "C'mon, kid's got a load on his plate already, he's far from home and has to teach a class of girls older than him despite only being ten!" he shook his head "Then there's all the crazy stuff that's been going on and his own problems to think about!"

"You seem rather well informed about Negi's condition." The dean noted, eyeing the Tantei from under one bushy eyebrow "How much do you know?"

Kuwabara didn't say anything, the walls had ears and if the Dean didn't know about Negi being a mage the Tantei wasn't about to spill it now. Apparently his look said enough to the older man.

"I see, you're a good man Kuwabara-kun." Dean Konoe noted, a smile on his aged features as he stroked his beard "But my decision is final."

"Then let me help out!" Kuwabara insisted "The kid's probably tutoring th' baka…I mean, those missing students right now, giving them a crash course or somethin'!"


2A...

"You think that's what happened?" Yuna wondered, looking over at Haruna for confirmation.

"Probably?" Haruna lied, not really up to the task of explaining the group had gone missing looking for a so-called 'magic book' to jack up their brainpower.

"Oh, I wish I was being tutored by Negi-kun!" Sakurako squealed, eyes sparkling at the thought "It'd be fun!"

"Now hold on!" Ayaka barked blushing hotly "If anyone's being tutored by Negi-sensei it's me!"

"What for?" Kazumi teased "I thought you were already one of the top five, Iincho-san." She grinned foxily "Just what type of 'tutoring' did you have in mind?"

"ASAKURA!"


Dean's Office...

"You seem quite determined to help Negi-kun." The dean noted, his aged voice laced with amused intrigue as he quirked a brow at the man "Tell me, why go so far for someone?"

"'cause real men don't turn their back on a friend in need." Kuwabara replied, pointing at himself with his thumb "That's my principle, and I'll be danged if I don't do what I can ta help Negi out now!"


2A...

"Sensei…SUGOI!" Sakurako squealed, eyes shining at Kuwabara's words as she gazed at the screen. Several girls were staring at the screen in a similar manner, Haruna busy sketching away in her notebook.

"That's JUST the kinda cheesy one-liner I need for my next manga!" the manga-ka cackled, a hungry look on her face as she even made note of the man's posture. Nodoka flushed slightly and tried to reprimand her friend but trailed off as the Dean spoke again.


Dean's Office...

"Very well," Konoe acknowledge, "I will allow you to tutor the rest of 2A to the best of your abilities in order to help Negi-kun." He looked up, the aged eye locking onto the Tantei's own full of seriousness and wisdom "If, however, 2A does NOT pull out of last place, what will you do?"

Kuwabara grit his teeth, clenching his fists for a moment before calming down, face serious and decidedly calm as he looked the dean square in the eye. "If I can't help the girls out of last place," he stated, voice flat and level "Then I'll hand in my resignation along with Negi."


2A...

Silence, a decidedly foreign element, hung in the air of class 2A like a little lost cloud; it was confused, where was the clamor? Where were the shrieks of girlish energy? Where were the random explosions of noise that had warded it off for so long?

The girls of 2A gaped in shock at the monitor, unable to comprehend the magnitude of what had just been said. Quite a few had super-deformed teary-eyes.

"Kuwabara…sensei…" Ayaka breathed, eyes wide as she gazed at the screen in awe. She blinked, before snapping out of her daze and rounding on the rest of the class "What are you all doing?" she snapped authoritatively "You heard Sensei! To your groups!"

'Well played Kuwabara-sensei.' Was the thought of one Chao Lingshen, smirking to herself even as she began drawing up practice papers for her group 'Well played indeed.'


Deep in the bowels of Library Island...

Negi sneezed, rubbing his nose as he looked around in confusion. The books in this place weren't covered in dust or mildew, despite their location. In fact, most were in pristine condition despite being submerged in water!

Then what had caused the young Magi to sneeze?

Asuna moaned and rolled over, granting the ten-year-old a generous look at her cleavage as her unbuttoned shirt fell open. "Mn…Takahata-sensei…." She mumbled, wrapping around him like a boa constrictor as he freaked. He tried breaking free, only for another set of arms to wrap around him, eyes widening as Konoka rubbed her nose into his hair.

'Mmmm, Negi-kun…kawaii…' the dark haired girl mumbled, a sleepy smile on her face, even as her breast pressed against his arm, Ku Fei and Makie each snuggling a leg like teddy-bears.

'HELP MEEEE!'


Meanwhile...

Kuwabara was starting to feel a little unnerved. Ever since his speak with the dean the girls of 2A, minus the Bakas and Konoka, had been hanging onto his every word and following every order like clockwork.

Every morning he was greeted with a zeal that would have made the strictest drill sergeant weep for joy. The focused stares looking back at him almost made him miss the multitude of demons that had poured out of Sensui's gateway to Makai. On the other hand, lessons were carried out more smoothly, he no sooner asked a question than every hand rose up in an attempt to answer it. True most hadn't a clue what the answer was but they were trying.

All in all he noticed a steady improvement in their knowledge, even when substituting for Negi's English classes he was amazed at the lack of questioning relating to the absence of the wizard.

'Perhaps they're not the simpletons everyone expects them to be.' He noted, smiling as Fuka answered a question he was CERTAIN she hadn't known the answer to a week ago. 'When the chips are down they know when to play ball.'

He didn't notice the looks of admiration he was getting from quite a few members of the class. Several even volunteered to help him in class, most notably Hakase Satomi, Chao Lingshen and Yukihiro Ayaka, three members of the top five in the year. Other notables were the reserved Mana, who often kept watch when he took a break and Nodoka, who provided a number of useful textbooks and reference notes from the library.

All in all, things were starting to look good, except for the fact that Negi and the others were nowhere to be found.

"They can't have gotten too far." Botan noted, sitting on the fence of the roof after school, Kuwabara leaning against it with his arms folded; Sayo hovered next to him, looking concerned.

"I mean true the campus is pretty big," the ferry girl continued "but there have to be only a few places that could provide a peaceful, welcoming environment to tutor in."

"Ano…" Sayo interrupted "What about library island?" she asked, looking at the two nervously "I…I remember getting lost in there once, it's really big, and seems to go on forever."

"How big could a library possibly be?" Kuwabara muttered, eyeing the building in the distance, only to blink as a chuckle sounded behind him.

"You'd be surprised, Sensei." Evangeline pointed out, stepping into view with Chachamaru in tow as always "There are quite a few secrets at this academy, and Library Island has several all to itself."

Kuwabara blinked at the girl, shivering as she regarded him with those cold eyes. Was it just him, or did her gaze linger briefly over at Sayo, who was hiding behind his shoulder? "See you tomorrow sensei." The blonde offered, turning and walking of, Chachamaru offering a polite bow and following after her roommate.

'Something about that girl seems familiar.' Botan noted, feeling a chill pass through her at the memory of Evangeline's stare 'I just know I've seen her face somewhere before…' She was snapped out of her thoughts by Kuwabara walking off, hands in his pockets. "Where are you going?" she asked, jumping off the fence and catching up to him "is something wrong?"

"I don't know why but my sixth sense always seems to go off whenever Eva-chan shows up." Kuwabara muttered, "I don't think she means any harm, heck if she wanted to she could've slit my throat in my sleep, but something tells me she knows more than she's letting on." He shrugged "Ah well, let's check out this library."


Library Island...

"Any luck?" Kuwabara asked, looking over as Botan came running back from the other side.

"Nope." The ferry girl sighed, patting her knees and looking up sadly "Locked up tighter than a Scalper's wallet."

"Kuso." Kuwabara swore, glaring up at the looming structure in annoyance. It hadn't taken them long to find it but this late in the day the library had been shut off. It was only his rank as instructor that had warded off the campus security "there's gotta be a way in there."

"A-Ano…" Sayo spoke out, hovering into view "I think I remember Yue-san mentioning a secret door the Library Exploration Club uses."

"Secret doors, disappearing students, wizards and ghosts." Botan noted with an intrigued smile "This would make one heck of a good book."

"Yeah sure." Kuwabara snorted, following his living-impaired student to what looked like a flooded out old church, a pair of double doors set in the wall. "They were here." He noted, sensing the day old remnants of several familiar auras.

"Bingo." Botan noted, smiling confidently "You're lots better at tracking than Yusuke was Kuwa-kun!"

"But of course!" Kuwabara boasted, his nose growing slightly as Sayo giggled at his antics. He flinched suddenly, a sudden feeling of concern rising in the pit of his stomach as a tremor from below sounded.

"What was that?" Botan wondered, only to blink as Kuwabara tore through the doors like a bat out of hell, the heavy stone slabs left open to the night air.


With Negi and co...

Negi ran frantically behind his semi-nude students, who were currently dressing on the go. Behind them, the massive animated statue lumbered after them, demanding that they return the book currently held in the hands of Ku Fei.

'If I had my powers I could zap us out of here in no time.' The professor thought morosely, staring glumly at the single black mark around his wrist that held his abilities in check for at least another day 'but if I did my secret would be out and I wouldn't be allowed to return to Mahora, I wouldn't be a teacher anymore!'

He tripped suddenly, eyes widening as he realized he hadn't bee paying attention, the tree root snagging his ankle as he fell face first onto the ground. "HOHOHOHO!" the oddly familiar voice of their pursuer echoed, "YOU CANNOT ESCAPE NOW!"

"NEGI!" Asuna cried turning to help him even as the statue lumbered forwards, red eye gleaming. She blinked as something blurred into motion behind the statue, a flash of light slashing through it, followed by a shocked cry from the Statue as it's arm fell to the floor.

"Ne Bozu." A familiar voice announced, "You sure get into some weird troubles don't you?"

The girls turned as one to gape at the figure that walked out of the dust past their stunned pursuer, his hands in his pockets and a devil-may-care grin on his face.

"K-Kuwabara-sensei?"

Kuwabara grinned, raising his fingers to his head in a mock salute. "Yo."


Minutes Later...

No one had ever called Kuwabara-Kazuma handsome. He'd been called several versions of the opposite numerous times but never that. Right now, for the baka rangers, there was no one else they were happy to see...except, in Asuna's case, Takahata T. Takamichi.

With the aid of the second professor they managed to locate a hidden doorway whilst 'the rock' was recovering from the loss of its limb, the winding staircase inside blocked at random intervals by doors with questions carved into them.

'Its as if this place KNEW what they came here for.' Kuwabara noted, Yue riding piggyback due to a sprained ankle. 'But that's impossible…right?' He snapped out of his musings as the service elevator came into view, the statue behind panting heavily as it tried to catch up to them. They dog piled into the lift, waving cheekily at the statue as they hit the button for the top floor, only for the 'Over Capacity' alarm to sound.

"Now what do we do?" Negi cried frantically, looking up at the taller sensei desperately, only to blink as Asuna spoke up.

"I can't believe I'm saying this…" the redhead muttered "But STRIP! Toss the clothes! They're excess weight!"

'Damn! Any excuse!' was the shared opinion of the two males as they averted their eyes from the sight of their students tossing their modesty aside, not that it did any good, other than giving their gleeful pursuer an eyeful. Kuwabara grit his teeth a prepared to summon his reiken, damn the consequences, when Negi dashed forwards, face determined and staff in hand.

"MONSTER! I'm your opponent!" the ten year old yelled, prepared to sacrifice himself for the girls, only to blink as a large hand grabbed his collar and threw him back into the lift, where a stunned Asuna caught him. "Kuwabara…san?" the Welshman stammered, looking out at the lift at his taller colleague, who was facing the oncoming threat with his back to them.

"Sorry Bozu…but you weigh a lot less than I do." Kuwabara stated, voice level "And besides, what kind of man would run and leave a child to fight for him?"

He turned his head towards them, eyes shut, making him look years younger as he smiled.

"Ja-na."

"KUWABARA-SAN!" Negi called out, even as the man lunged forwards, fist drawn back with a yell as he rammed it right into the statues startled face, sending them both plummeting over the edge. The last thing the group heard before the elevator door shut was the roar of the falling golem and Kuwabara's higher yell, and then they heard no more.


As the elevator rises...

"Kuwabara-san…" Negi sniffed, holding his legs, head lowered on his knees and bangs covering his eyes as he sobbed "This is my fault, if only I hadn't messed up…if only I…"

"Sensei?" Makie asked, reaching out to pat the boy on the shoulder with a trembling hand. She couldn't believe the friendly, slightly goofy sensei was gone either. He'd always managed to make her feel better about herself, and actually made studying fun.

Around the cramped elevator the feeling of woe was pretty much the same. Even the normally unflappable Yue looked down. Asuna gripped the Melusedek in a vice grip, wondering if it was worth getting it after what had just happened.

"Negi…" she said at last, startling the others with the her solemn voice, "Kuwabara-sensei…wouldn't have wanted us to mope around like this." She gripped the book tightly "He'd have wanted us to get back in one piece and kick butt on the exams!"

She looked around the lift, eyes burning with unshed tears as she held up a fist "C'mon guys, lets do this for sensei!"

"YEAH!"


Cue the Nadesico music.

Terrible! Inconceivable! Kuwabara has fallen in combat!

Negi: KUWABARA-SAAAAAN!

The maidens of Mahora shed tears for their beloved mentor!

Ayaka: Negi-sensie! Allow me to console you!

But the dreaded exams are looming on the horizon! can they make it in time?

Next time on Reikai sensei Kuwabara: a tragic Loss!

Chisae: We hardly knew the man, what's so tragic about it?

R&R or be junk-punched by Naru.