Chapter 35

Kenichi the Boss and Chibi Lisa

Several Entries later...

Dear Journal,

Lisa and I are leaving Korea. We only stayed for about two months after we arrived there from America, but I feel like I've been on a winning streak lately! I've really grown a lot in the last two months. I even defeated three dojos of different martial arts (Hapkido, Tae Kwon Do, and Gyongdang: the details of that are in Battle Journal #7). It's time to move on.

I wonder where we should go next. I've been itching to get back to Europe. Maybe somewhere on the Mediterranean like Greece or something. I've been trying to come up with a good excuse, but I can't think of a reason to go there or anything! Darn.

I hope I can come up with something before we're due to leave, or we'll just end up going to China to visit Takeda and Renka (Jesus Christ, I still can't get used to that. When did they get so close?! I mean, sure they got married when their kid was already a year old, but why did Takeda impregnate Renka anyways? And why did she let him? I don't get it!)

Thank God I ran into Naoki.

Man. it really takes me back: Naoki Yamamoto from all that time ago! I didn't know him for very long, and I only met him briefly, but I still remember fighting with him on the mountain top, and he was such a squirt back then... times have changes... (He's still skinny, but...) (He's super tall) (;_;)

I met up with him while we were still in Korea! Apparently he became a master around the same time that I did and he was allowed to come down from the mountain at around that time too. However, his father spent a year or two in Japan with him (mostly Tokyo) so he could get used to city life. I mean, I can see how dealing with crowds and traffic and train stations and such can get really tiring and kind of scary if you've never seen anything like it before.

Since then, Naoki's been doing what I've been doing; traveling around to get experience. He went to China first for a few years, and then Korea. Since Naoki's so much smarter than me (…), he actually has a plan for what he's doing. He and his father organized a list of places and contacts in each of those so he can go around the world safely.

I didn't think to organize it that way at all, but I have a feeling that Sakaki-sensei and Ma-sensei would disapprove of that. Something about losing the "adventure" of it or something. They would probably encourage me to go wherever and do whatever.

Anyways, I asked Naoki about his list, and apparently his father is rivals with a swordsman in Italy (which is on the MEDITERRANEAN) and was headed there next.

I immediately asked if we could tag along and fight this swordsman as well, although I did wonder how a jujitsu master would do against a weapons master since he would probably be at a disadvantage. Naoki didn't seem to have a problem with it, thank God, so it was all sorted out!

When I told Lisa, her face lit up and she got all excited (cuuuuute) about the art and stuff! I haven't even asked Naoki which city we're going to, but I hope it at least has a descent museum for Lisa since she seems really psyched about it.

I'm pretty excited, too: even if it isn't a big-name city, I hear even the countryside is a thing of beauty. Although I'm kind of nervous about the language thing. Italy isn't famous for Japanese or English speaking people, and I hope the 1st-grade Spanish I know will carry me a lot farther than I think it will (my knowledge of the Italian language ends at "pasta" and "pizza"...)

Because of this, I don't think I'll be staying in Italy long- just enough time to defeat the swordsman and then I'll leave.

But wow! I'm off to Italy!

Yay.

Lisa, Naoki and I just got here and I can already tell right off the bat that this is going to be a tiring stay.

We're in the south half of the boot, so it's hot. Like, really hot. Japan gets hot too, but this is a little hotter than I'm used to. I will be buying sunscreen by the bucket-load while I'm here. Lisa seems just fine since, according to her, the summers where she's from can get pretty sweltering too, but Naoki isn't doing well at all. He spent the majority of his life on the top of a mountain. He's definitely not used to the heat, and this is a pretty radical extreme for him to be coming in on.

As usual, though, he's stoic about it. He keeps his mouth shut and deals with it, mostly because he sees that everyone else deals with it too. Once we got settled in, he decided to carry around six bottles of water with him everywhere he went to keep hydrated. I think it's a pretty drastic step, but maybe he's right. I always trust more experienced martial artists on matters like these since Naoki has a lot more talent than I do and knows "common sense" martial arts things like this.

He's taking us to meet the swordsman tomorrow, so Lisa's gonna get some training in today for when I'm busy tomorrow. I hope things go well. Fingers-crossed!

We went there walking because, frankly, Naoki and I didn't have a lot of pocket change to spare for public transportation or taxis. But it doesn't matter because we martial artists have enough stamina for this much at least.

Lisa trailed us diligently like a little soldier, rushing desperately to keep up but never falling too far behind. I couldn't go easy on her, but I made sure she was doing fine. I'm not sure how I should treat a little girl disciple.

Crossing the street was not a simple matter. It took several tries to get it right, because red lights are simply a suggestion for them and the speed limit doesn't even seem to cross their minds. We broke a few cars when they crashed into us too, so we really had to run for it. I eventually overheard a tour guide advising his American tour on how to do it.

"The way to cross the street in Italy is like this," the guide started. "Firstly, we all have to go in a group and leave no gaps for crazy motorbikes to pass. Second, you just keep your head down and walk. Don't worry if a car is coming, because they'll stop if there's someone in the way (albeit an inch from hitting you, but they'll stop)! If you glance up to look at them, it's like you're asking permission to pass, and they'll keep driving even if you're still in the street!"

Meanwhile, in Italy.

Anyhow, I quickly translated this to Naoki (who doesn't speak English) and took Lisa by the hand. And we charged. It worked, but it was all very stressful. After figuring out some of the more crucial quirks of the place, we managed to find the place we were looking for.

The home of the Italian swordsman wasn't big: in fact, he didn't really have a home at all. When Naoki showed me what was meant to be a great master's dwelling, I couldn't help get the feeling that he was a bum.

The man himself was actually quite young- he had longish dark brown hair that curled slightly at the ends, sleepy looking eyes that looked like melted/burnt sugar. According to Naoki, his name was Lovino (which, to my understanding, is not even an Italian name). He stood behind a table that was decorated with an astounding array of swords of every size and form. When we first arrived, he was just unsheathing one of the to admire the craftsmanship. Behind him was a blanket bunched up against the wall and a lumpy-looking pillow along with a couple pairs of running shoes.

Does he live here? I thought. Was he homeless? I mean, it's not like martial artists have an income or anything. It's a miracle Ryouzanpaku didn't go bankrupt a long time ago (thank God Miu didn't let that happen).

"Naoki Yamamoto," Lovino interrupted my thoughts. He smiled widely, blinking with amity. However, he wasn't even looking directly at me. His eyes never left the beauty of the sword. "I've been expecting you! Although I didn't expect to see some man and a cute little girl with you!"

"This is an old friend I picked up along the way," Naoki said, pointing to me. "He became a master some years ago and is on the path to become elite."

"That's interesting, but what about the little girl?" he stared at Lisa. "I doubt she's a master at her age, although she's clearly a martial artist already. Quite impressive in skill, actually, although her ki is a bit diminutive."

"She's my… friend's daughter," I said. "I'm training her for now." Lisa looked up with wide eyes. I didn't want to say she was my disciple because, for some reason, I've always thought that a master who isn't elite doesn't have the right to have an actual disciple.

Lovino stood up abruptly, ignoring the man who'd been a potential customer. He glanced down at his table for a few moments and selected two swords, one made with dark steel and the other pale. He grinned widely and glanced at Naoki. I glanced at Lisa, wondering if I should move her to a different place.

Lovino's ki seemed pretty under control- surprisingly so for one who was supposedly an elite master. Shigure-sensei's ki was impossibly daunting, as all my master's were, but swordmasters were generally of cooler ki type than most. I hypothesized that Lovino was a sei fighter, and judging from his body-type he would be speed and agility oriented.

Oh boy, was I wrong.

All in one blow, Lovino's ki spiked from Lisa's level to Sakaki-sensei's level. His eyes, previously dark, were now illuminated with his fires. With the eyes of a martial artist, I could see that his ki almost seemed to be ablaze.

"Let's start, then!" He yelled. The crowd of people around him turned and stared, backing up a little in fear.

Lovino burst from his place behind the table and launched himself towards Naoki at full speed.

"Wha-" Naoki was only surprised for a split second before springing into action as well. It took seconds for them to bounce off of each other and slowly ascend to the buildings' roofs.

I glanced from them to Lisa. It would be dangerous to bring her with me. It might be more dangerous to leave her here. I don't want to leave her in the path of dangerous master martial artists, though.

"Just, just, just…" I said. I heard a sharp cry coming from their direction. "Wait here!"

I left in a flurry. I rushed up the building quickly and looked around. The roofs were relatively even, so I could see them, their attacks moving so quickly they practically made sonic booms.

I rushed to get closer. Even from that distance I could see that Naoki was not doing well. After all, it was hard to expect a jujitsu master to easily best an elite swordmaster. However, I knew his father, and I was sure that he'd chosen Lovino to challenge him. Naoki knew, too.

My God. Lovino was definitely a dou fighter.

I got closer, my eyes trying to catch up with the speed of their attacks. I paid the most attention to Naoki and his techniques for fighting hand-to-hand against swords. I'd been taught techniques before and I knew how to fight in those conditions, but I wanted to see the techniques Naoki employed since he only knew the one martial art.

I looked down to the streets. Policemen stood there, glancing up now and then lazily. One seemed to ask the other whether they should maybe do something or not. The other shrugged, like maybe it wasn't worth it. I laughed.

Lovino's sword style is completely different from many of the styles I have witnessed thus far. I mean, talk about efficient! This guy somehow managed to use fewer moves to accomplish more things. Naoki was doing his best, but there was little he could do with a limited arm span, especially compared to Lovino's extended sword territory.

The power in each swing was daunting. I'd originally contended that Lovino was speed-oriented, and although he was certainly no slow-poke, there was a serious focus on power. His techniques seemed to be specifically designed to compliment his strong swings and powerful attacks.

The first sign of Naoki's defeat came with the slit on his forearm. It was very small to the point where even I could barely see it, but in a battle of this magnitude the first blow was everything. I cringed when I saw it.

"Go, Naoki!" I yelled out at him. "You can do this!"

He smiled briefly since he didn't have the time to properly respond without dying. They kept getting further and further away.

Lovino's swords flew, his techniques both wild and lazy, careful and forceful. For a moment, I thought of Shigure-sensei. I recalled her grace and skill, as well as the tacit passion she bore for her sword style. She'd attempted to pass that on to me, and I guess I should have paid more attention to it. That's one of my biggest regrets of my training in Ryouzanpaku: I never gave Shigure-sensei the true disciple she wanted and deserved.

I mean, I picked things up eventually. I'm pretty bad at learning things like that (;_;), but I learned some of her techniques fairly well. Although I've already become a master in my other martial arts, I am pretty well off in Kosaka-style. I'm definitely at least an expert with a sword. I really need to refine my skills.

I resolved to practice Kosaka-style against Lovino. I owe it to Shigure-sensei to practice the gifts she gave me. I know the techniques- all that's left is to perfect them and to achieve the master class I'm determined to become.

-Kenichi Shirahama

…

A leaf from the diary of 5/6-y-o Lisa Kugenin

Dear diary,

Ken-sensei asked me to write down the things that happen while we train. He says my mama wants me to learn things too, and writing things will helped me learn. He says I should write in English and Nihongo. He says I need to practice them or I'll forgot. I said I'll write in Nihongo first.

My name is Lisa and I'm 5 yeers old. I'm almost 6 yeers old. My mama is from Nihon and my papa is from Nihon but I'm from America. That's short for the United States of America. They also call it U.S.A. Someone in America told me one time America is the best place in the earth. I don't know if he's write.

I am going lots of places and learning things from Ken-sensei. We are budoka. That means we fight with our bodies to pretect ourselves. That's what mama told me.

I fight with a staff. My mama told me that I'm a girl and I need a staff when I fight boys. Ken-sensei says I don't need to, but he's nice to me and says I should still practice my staff fighting. That's good cause I don't want to forgot it.

Ken-sensei has a friend who was fighting with the man from Italy. It was really cool seeing two strong peeple fight like that. Ken-sensei was acting wierd when they had start, but I don't know why. He said a funny word that sounded like "key" in English, but I don't know what he means in Nihongo.

When the friend and the Italy man went away while fighting, Ken-sensei folowed them. He told me to stay because it was dangerus. I really wanted to folow them to, but I do what my sensei says.

I weighted their for Ken-sensei and a boy who was older and bigger than me came to talk to me. He said I was pretty. I told him, sei italiano, which means "you are italian" in italian. He laughed at me and I got really mad.

"You're mean!" I tolled him in English. He laughed more. "I'm from America, so you back off!"

"Ooh, it's a big scary American!" he said with really dumb English. I thought about laughing at him to, but I'm not mean so I didn't. "Are you the student of the Chinese guy?"

"Yea," I said. "But he's from Nihon!" He didn't not know what Nihon was.

"He's watching Uncle Lovino fight, right?"

"He's your uncle?" I said.

"Yes," he said. "Do you know a lot of martial arts?"

"I'm still learning," I said. "But I know some things."

"Care to spar? I'll take it easy on you," he offered with a small smile.

I asked him if he was a budoka too, but he didn't know what that means so I told him and he said no.

"My dad says I'm not manly enough for that, so I haven't been in real fights or anything. I have a job cleaning people's houses for them," he said.

"Like a maid?" I asked. He got a little mad, but then he said yeah I'm right. I pulled out my staff and showed it to him. He was dum so he didn't no what it was at furst. I tolled him, and he said sparring would be fun.

When I fighted him, I worked really hard. He was strong and he used a little sord, but it looked wierd because it was small and I don't think it was made of metal. It looked like it was made of wood and I think it was that thing that peeple use to lern how to use a sord but not hurt anyone.

He was strong and he used a lot of tekniks that I didn't no. I had to use some things that Ken-sensei teached me befor and all the things mama teached me. But it wasn't that hard on account of he was slower than me and I just did the tekniks really fast and he didn't not no what I was doing.

I beat him! I was happy, but he was sad and I didn't no why. He tolled me he was 8 and I was sad for him because he is 2 yeers older then me and I still beat him.

I tried to look for Ken-sensei, but I didn't see him. I said that Ken-sensei's friend was probally still fighting his uncle. He was surprized because his uncle is really strong and it takes a strong master to beat him or even last this long.

"My name is Feli," he said. "My Uncle and I both have uncommon names, so they're easy to remember. Wanna come over to the place I'm staying while they finish up? We can come back later!"

"Sure," I said. When the took me to his place, I was surprized because there was a cello! I tolled him I play the cello, and he got really happy! He said he was pretty good but the other peeple in his music school was better. He played a song for me and I said he was still better than me. He said he could teach me some things.

I was so happy. That way when I see my papa next I can play a song for him and he can be proud of me. I like it when papa is happy, and he'll like my melodies on the cello.

I'm going to stop writing now. Ken-sensei is going to read this and check my work so he can help me learn how to write better. He said it will be like school so I have to try my hardest to write good.

Bye, diary. I'll write in English next time.

-Lisa Kugenin

Author's Note: Lisa entries will be uncommon in these sections. I just wanted to show what she was up to. Just sayin'

-Jub Jub