SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 22 out, this is Chapter 23 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Pairings: Tao Ren/Fem!OC, Yoh/Anna

Disclaimers: I own absolutely nothing, except this plot and pairing.

Chapter 23: Bye Bye

Back in the desert...

Mikihisa was approaching Team the Ren who were battling each other with their Oversouls. "What are you guys doing?" the older Asakura asked.

"Training, obviously." Ren retorted.

"Did you find the grains of rice?" Mikihisa inquired.

"Looking for those isn't really training." Ren argued.

"We're better off having a practice match." Horo Horo agreed.

You guys," Mikihisa looked at the three boys. "You do really think you can become stronger by doing that? It's okay to get confused. But what about doing something you know is wrong?"

"Yeah, but..." Horo Horo protested. "What are you saying we should do?"

"There's no way we'd get stronger even if we find that rice." Chocolove voiced.

"We're going back to the inn." Ren disengaged his Oversoul and led his team back to town.

The next day...

"What are you gonna do, Ren?" Horo Horo asked, Team the Ren had returned to the desert. "Want to find that rice?"

"I'd never ever do that again." Ren answered.

"Then what?" Chocolove inquired. "Another practice match between us?"

"The problem is, you're too weak to be my practice partners." Ren sighed.

"What'd you say, you bastard?" Horo Horo glared.

"Try saying that again!" Chocolove demanded.

"It'll be a better training session if you get angry." Ren grinned.

"You know that kind of training is useless, no matter how much you try." Mikihisa chided from the cliff. "And yet... I still think finding the rice is much better kind of training."

"That kind of thing won't make my stronger, no matter how many times I do it." Ren scoffed.

"Coming to that conclusion without even trying is no good." Mikihisa chided.

"Shut up!" Ren snapped. "If you're trying to train me, then why don't you train me yourself?"

"You sure are short-tempered like the rumors say." Mikihisa tsked. "Young Hui Ling is going to have a very tough time with you."

"Limit of the thousands hands, respectful hands, unable to touch the darkness." said spell caster chanted a little further way. "Shooting hands unable to reflect the blue sky. The road that basks in light, the wind that ignited the embers, time that gathers when both are together, there is no need to be hesitant, obey my orders. Light bullets, eight bodies, nine items, book of heaven, diseased treasure, great wheel, grey fortress tower. Aim far away, scatter brightly and cleanly when fired. Hadō #91: Senjū Kōten Taihō!"

"Sounds like she's already practicing on Hadō spells of the 90's range." Mikihisa mused "Very well." he jumped down. "Now then, I'll be your opponent. Since you probably won't be content otherwise. Although, for someone who can't even find a single grain of rice, I wonder if you can follow my movements." he taunted, easily dodging Ren's sword.

"He dodged all of Ren's consecutive attacks." Horo Horo was astonished when Mikihisa skillfully avoided getting hit by Ren's multiple stabs.

"Now then, Ren." Mikihisa split himself into three and cornered the Chinese Shaman. "What are you going to do?"

"It doesn't matter if those are copies or illusions." Ren snorted. "I'll just have to pierce through everything. My medium, Bâo-Lèi Sword, can strength any spirit's soul. My special: Tōgen Kyō!" he stabbed his Oversouled sword in the sand, causing numerous bladed weapons to spout out from the ground. "Did you see my power?" he bragged. "Now then, your Oversouls should be..."

"What about my Oversouls?" Mikihisa countered, totally unharmed with Imari and Shigaraki at his side.

"I definitely felt them hit." Ren hissed.

"That's why I said you need training." Mikihisa chided. "In your current condition, you can't follow my moves." he knocked Ren to the ground.

"Shisen Tōgen Kyō!" Ren released his new attack at Mikihisa. "Spear, sword, halberd, trident! What?" he gasped when Mikihisa easily dodged all of the bladed weapons, the older Shaman then retaliated by using himself and his clones to knock Ren back on the ground.

"If you admit you've seen your own limits now, then it can't be helped." Mikihisa told Ren who had been knocked to the ground a third time. "When you no longer try to proceed, the path will close."

"Don't pretend I'm the same with you." Ren snapped. "I am not allowed to decide my own limits."

"It appears that you can't follow my movements at all." Mikihisa taunted, attacking Ren for a fourth time. "I just this is your limit. Now, what are you going to do, Ren?"

There! Ren managed to locate the real Mikihisa and landed a high kick on the older Shaman's face.

"That is your ability." Mikihisa ended the training session. "Let's stop here for today. Don't forget your cool down exercises. And have a talk with young Hui Ling; she's currently working on mastering two high-level seals to take Hao out. I think she'll really appreciate having your input on that matter."

SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Read and review.