Originally this chapter was 2506 words exactly, and I would have deleted six words just to get my OCD satisfied... but I decided I'd just give you a pointless author's note instead !
"Confound this stupid weather ! It's been raining for three days straight ! When will I get the chance to continue ?" Badr snarled, smashing a mug to pieces.
The innkeep, a light brown rabbit, swiped up after him, cleaning the broken pieces of china and dusting the table off in the space of a few seconds.
Badr was not the only one pissed off. The inn was packed and the four of them were lucky to have rooms, some people slept on tables, on stairs, and even in the latrines !
Han Guan however, tried to soothe him. "Well if we can't go anywhere, they can't either ? Relax Badr-sama, I am sure once the weather gets better we will be able to catch up."
Badr glared. "Keep your muzzle shut if you want to keep it ! Do I make myself clear ?"
"Yes Badr-sama."
"Today I will accompany you to the village of Iwa." Zorari told Li I. To the rabbit it was like being told he could have all the sweets in the world.
"Yes ! Finally ! Oh boy, oh boy, have I been looking forwards to this !" He said, throwing his arms into the air and running in the wrong direction.
"You're meant to follow me." Zorari commented.
"Uh, yeah, I knew that... I was just- warming up !" Li I said, turning and running off in the other direction.
"Wait a moment. Zorori is getting ready."
To Li I it felt like a slap across the face. "Why is he coming ?! That brat ! He tied my ears together while I was sleeping !" Li I had been in Kentikarukage for three days now, and Zorori had been the only thing that had bugged him about the place. The ten-tailed kitsune was so annoying ! Every morning he would pull another prank out of his ass and try it on him !
"I promised I would take him ! He hasn't left Kentikarukage since last year, I thought it would be a good idea to let him have some fresh air."
Li I sighed. "Fine, but Kunjingle has to come as well !"
"He's already waiting." The Soncho soothed.
Li I huffed, but something was really fishy. "If you want to keep low profile isn't it best to just travel alone ? Won't your son attract attention ?"
"If someone in Tokyo sees me, then there's a problem. If someone in Iwa sees me they won't care. If someone from Tokyo in Iwa sees me, they'll think they're smoking something. Understood ?"
"Yes." Li I said, nodding vigorously, his heart pounding. He was so excited he could barely hear what she was saying.
Zorori emerged from the tree-house, looking as excited as Li I. He frowned upon noticing the bunny, but shrugged and skipped off to the Travel Rooms.
Li i hurriedly followed him, with Zorari bringing up the rear.
They found Kunjingle waiting, surrounded by his usual entourage of kitsune kits, many of whom were hanging from his back or clinging onto his fur. When he noticed them he patted the children goodbye and they scampered off.
"Alright let's go !" Li I shouted as soon as the gnarl of roots had moved apart and revealed the room behind.
Zorari led them to an orb around the back of the room. "I'm guessing you already know what to do ? Since there are four of us, you'll find yourselves a bit less tired than when you first got here, and since Iwa is comparatively closer, you should all be able to stand upon arrival. Now, put your paws on it."
Danzaburo was beginning to feel like his cover wasn't as strong as he'd like it to be. He was currently in the form of a pig, pretending to be depressed and stuck to sake. However, the Thing had been staring at him since he had first put on the disguise. He was sure by now that it knew something was wrong, but for some reason was not telling it's comrades. Still in all his time Danzaburo had never seen anything like it. It was made of wood, yet acted and lived like a normal animal. Still it was undoubtedly a deadly opponent, it's arms were swords and it's feet the tips of tridents. There were no ropes around it, so it wasn't a puppet. There was a possibility that someone was inside it, controlling it's action from within, but that would make it easier to deal with. Due to it's wooden nature... a bit of fire and the puppet and it's master would both be goners- unless it wasn't a puppet. Nooone came out of it, not to sleep, not to eat, not to drink... the lion had never even visited the latrines. And Danzaburo couldn't even begin to imagine how such a thing could live... some powerful magic ? If so would a little fire be enough ?
The door opened suddenly, and for a second Danzaburo thought it was the wind. Instead his eyes widened-if only slightly- as four figures walked in. The first two, dripping wet and panting, were the bear and bunny he had seen pummel the bandits. The other two were more intriguing. A pair of kitsune. One wore the traditional robes of their clan's Soncho... the other was a child, around thirteen or twelve, but possessed the rare ammount of ten tails- all tipped with black. Was this the Pom-Poko clan ? Were they still alive ? He had lost track of the kitsune since Masuta-dono's... declaration. But they were the eternal rivals of the tanuki...
Li I noticed the eyes staring at them. He searched for any signs of a rabbit in the crowd, but spotted only one...
The innkeep was a light brown bunny, with an ugly round head, a pair of buckteeth that weren't the same length, but were yellow and... curled ?
"Uh, dad ?" Li I asked hesitantly, half hoping the old man was not his father.
The innkeep blinked, he didn't understand a single word of Chinese.
Zorari sighed and put a paw on Li I's shoulder. "I'm sorry, we came to the wrong place." She was about to address the crowd in Japanese, but was cut short when Badr finally noticed who had strolled in.
"You !" The feline yelled, getting to his feet, glaring at Li I and Kunjingle.
"See, I told you we'd find them !" Han Guan cheered.
Kunjingle made a strange noise and cocked his head to the side.
"Han ?" Li I's jaw dropped, then he spotted Li II, and his eyes practically exploded out of their sockets. No amount of change would prevent the two from recognizing one another. After all... they were the same person. "And the other me! Man this was so worth it! How you been guys? Wait, Han I thought you died! Am I dreaming?"
Kunjingle whistled, clicked, made a popping Boise and sneezed.
"Yeah I'm not dreaming either! This is the best day ever!"
Then the Thing stood up, Badr stood up, Li II stood up cackling, and Han Guan looked confused.
Zorari looked from her entourage to that of Badr. "What is it Li-kun ?"
The Thing made the first move, dashing forwards with a sudden burst of speed, and slashing at Kunjingle's neck. The sword hit the neck, and found it was as solid as rock.
Kunjingle made a grunt that probably meant 'my turn' before uppercutting the wooden lion into the roof.
The innkeep, acting quickly, ordered the people to head upstairs, while he himself ducked behind the counter.
Badr also charged, slashing the air with his claws as he prepared to kill the rabbit. Li I readied himself, and drew his fan, Badr was tripped however, when a small plant suddenly grew out between the floorboards. The feline landed on his face, and Li I brought his foot down on the back of his head.
"Zorori get behind the counter !" Zorari ordered while tapping the points along her paws.
"But mu-"
"Just do it !"
Zorori reached the counter quicker than expected when a dart just barely hit his eye.
Li II thew his darts forwards, while Li I blocked them with his fan. "Li, whats wrong with you! And Badr! What're you fighting us for?"
Kunjingle grabbed the Thing and threw it against a table. The piece of furniture was obliterated by the force of the landing. Kunjingle then leapt into the air and free-fell onto the wooden lion. The Thing raised it's blades and caught the bear, who just managed to tense in time, before hurling him with impressive strength behind the counter.
By now the inn had been evacuated to the second floor, leaving Pig-zaburo as the sole observer of the battle.
Badr swung for Zorari, but the kitsune was too quick for him. Her tails reared up around her and created four separate balls of pure light, which with a single wave of her paw were sent flying towards Badr Tamod. The cat back-flipped away from all four of them as they obliterated the floor of the inn.
"Not bad... for a woman." He taunted.
"Not bad... for a handicap." She threw right back, before slamming her paws together. A pair of vines crashed through the floorboards behind Badr and caught him round the torso. "But I think you'll find I've been doing this for too long to be caught unprepared."
She summoned four other balls of light from her tail.
Han Guan stood up. "Guys, why are we all fighting ? I thought we were all friends."
"We are Han! You're a very good friend!" Li was promptly kicked between the legs.
"Han Guan you imbecile ! Release me or I'll die !" Badr yelled in desperation.
"Okay Badr-sama !" With one flick of his wrist he extended his claws and sliced the vines clear off the cat. Badr leapt out of the way just as the balls of light made another huge hole in the floor.
Li I kicked Li II away from him. "Naughty clone ! You're meant to fight with me " Li I tried to summon the orange chi that had once created and kept back Li II. He could feel it's warmth reach his eyes. "You're going back in !"
"No I'm not !" Li II punched Li I in the gut, breaking the collection of chi, before following up with an uppercut. "I'm not part of you anymore ! I'm no longer Li , I'm my own person !"
"Don't be ridiculous ! I created you !"
"I have nothing to do with you !" Li II said, burning with rage. "You let me die ! I have no memories with you ! No similarities ! Nothing ! I am no longer a part of Li I !"
Li I blinked. "You can't say-" He was promptly punched in the gut again.
"Less talk more walk !"
Zorari glared. She would be destroying the cat... but there were people here, she couldn't use her most destructive justus. She could head back to Kentikarukage first, recuperate and fight another day. But her allies had to leave first.
"Zorori, Kunjingle, Li I, run for the orb ! Don't leave without me !"
Kunjingle smashed the Thing into a wall with a powerful thrust of his belly. Li I kicked Li II in the balls and raced for the orb.
"Got it Soncho !"
Kunjingle was the next out the door, but paused when he spotted the Thing going for Zorori and the innkeep. The bear roared and ran back... he wouldn't get there in time !
"Harem Technique !" The Thing stopped functioning as it was faced with three nude vixens, all of whom were blowing kisses at him.
Pig-zaburo facepalmed. The most vulgar technique I have ever seen. So distateful yet... Familiar.
Zorori then hopped over the counter, while the innkeep headed for the stairs. The Thing turned to catch the kitsune, but was sent sprawling by the head of Kunjingle.
"Thanks big guy." The bear picked up Zorori in his jaws, tenderly just keeping hold of the back of the neck, before racing to the orb on all fours. "Hey, I did not say you could mommy me around !" Zorori exclaimed, thrashing around in Kunjingle's grip. The bear however didn't let go. Unbeknownst to him they were being followed by a pig, who looked like he had had a little too much sake.
"Hey kitty, what do you say to taking this fight outside ?"
"I'm all ears !" Badr exclaimed.
"You'll have to catch me first !" Zorari teased, throwing a normal kunai at the cat.
Badr avoided it easily. "Get her men !"
The Thing, Li II and Badr raced after her. Han Guan stood confused for one more second. "But aren't we friends ?" He shrugged his shoulders before following the group.
"Finally, you're here. Let's go !" Li I placed his paw on the orb. They were under a tree, soaking wet, with their paws dripping with mud. Still they felt their remaining chi filling up at their paws and connecting with the orb.
Badr came running into the clearing. "No !" Instinctively he grabbed hold of one of Zorori's tails.
"Get off !" Zorori demanded. The Thing slashed downwards, but his metal arm connected with the orb instead. Li II grabbed hold of Li I's ear and felt his stomach get tighter.
"Where are we going ?" He asked nonchalantly.
Han Guan came under the tree, looking even more confused.
"Grab the orb !" A drunken pig suddenly barged him forwards, so that his nose connected to the sphere of blue light, while the pig himself held onto the wolverine's tail.
There was a bright flash of blue light, and then there was just the orb and noone else, lying under the tree in Iwa... where it seemed to only rain more and more.
Footnote: Finally some action ! You can expect lot's more of this in this story ! MOOOOOORE COMBAT ! I left you on a bit of a cliffhanger though, didn't I ? I guess we'll find out what happens next... after I do some work on the 'Prequel Arc' side of this story. I left you on a cliffhanger in that as well didn't I ? And I left you on one in BitDTT, what can I say ? It's a good technique !
Enjoy !