Scene IX
Solar Year 189
Tokyo Empire, Asakusa
. . . . . .
Benimaru couldn't believe what he was seeing.
It was incredible they could keep pace with each other, especially considering Kaede's height difference and Toshiro's greater physical strength. By appearance alone, it seemed obvious which one would be the victor and, maybe, if facing against different opponents, that would indeed be the case. Yet, Kaede was matching her cousin move for move and every bit of ground Toshiro gained, she found a way to take it back. She showed no sign of being intimidated by her cousin's height or his strength, choosing rather to face it head on.
As if to further demonstrate this, Toshiro executed a perfect sweeping kick and knocked his cousin off-balance. Kaede stumbled backward and Toshiro took advantage of the situation by launching a palm-heel strike at her solar plexus, hoping to draw the fight to an early close. Kaede, however, had other intentions. Instead of simply drawing a fast retreat and circling Toshiro for a time before reentering the fight from there, she took the bolder of the two options. Planting her feet, she pivoted to the left and then leaned ever so slightly to the right; thus, avoiding the blow entirely while also drawing herself into Toshiro's personal space. Attack broken, Toshiro's whole front was now exposed, allowing Kaede to launch two consecutive blows to his flowing ribs and a third to his solar plexus.
They connected, breaking Toshiro's stance and sending him backwards; Kaede, however, continued to press forward by delivering a series of kicks and punches while still managing to avoid her cousin's attempts to strike back. Again she merely sidestepped them entirely or turned in tight semi-circles, unwilling to allow Toshiro to force her into a full on retreat and thus, give up the advantage.
Benimaru blinked, stunned at the display before him.
It was like watching water beat against a cliff; only, Kaede had chosen to be the cliff instead of the water. A bold move on her part, because it seemed counterintuitive based on her physical appearance; not to mention her natural, caring personality. All of that seemed absent here, replaced by iron-clad control, intense precision, and a focus which only came to a martial artist through years and years of heavy training. Her strategy was nothing short of brilliant, as most opponents would bank on her fighting merely defensively until an opening presented itself. But, no. She was balancing the two, in close quarters no less, and demonstrating the true nature of her family's style by refusing to allow her opponent to overwhelm her senses.
All in all, Kaede made a fierce combatant.
So much of one, Beni wondered why in the hell she never beat the living shit out of him for calling her a mute. It was clear to him she was much more than what she presented herself as at tea (or just in general, really). The fact she had chosen not to, even when she could have, made him think twice about getting on Kaede's bad side. Ever. In fact, he probably wouldn't survive the encounter if he tried. Humbled, not to mention a bit intimidated, Benimaru made a quiet promise to himself there in the Shobu dojo. He would make a true and heartfelt apology to Kaede at tea afterwards. In fact, he'd even make a nice show of it with a full kowtow and everything.
Then another thought came to him; a terrible, horrifying one at that. If this was what Kaede, of all people, was like in a equally matched spar, then Shobu Tsubaki was gonna be hell.
"Beni?" Konro piped up on his left. "You okay?"
"Fine," Benimaru swallowed thickly, suddenly nervous. Damn, his palms were sweating and his knees had gone numb. "I'm fine."
He and Shobu had gotten into lots of fights over the past year, but he'd never seen her in true form before. A real spar with rules and structure rather than a back alley brawl where all bets were off and anything was on the table. If she could beat him there, no problem, then Shobu in a proper dojo with a partner who understood the same style was . . . a problem.
"You sure?" Konro asked again, voice barely above a whisper so as not to disturb the fight. "You look a bit pale."
"Quiet." Their Master leaned around Benimaru to give both of them a glare which could crumble mountains. This one was actually intimidating and promised swift retribution to the next one who opened his mouth. "I've taught ya both better than ta open yer traps durin' a demonstration. If ya can't keep it zipped, I'll haul ya both out myself an' save Shobu the trouble. Understand?"
"Yes, Master."
"Yes, Master."
Both students answered automatically, instantly shamed; they both straightened their postures and turned back to the spar, though Konro shot Beni a side-eyed glance, after the old geezer turned away, which all but said, "Don't worry about it."
"Hiya!"
Benimaru jumped, taken aback by the intensity of the cry. Toshiro had managed to gain the upper hand again, trapping Kaede's forward leg with his own while catching her blocking arm with his hand. He swept her leg to the side and twisted her arm, forcing her body to the right while her leg shot off towards the left. Now being pulled into two different directions, Kaede was open to a full blown attack and unable to counter the situation either defensively or offensively. She allowed herself to fall, her back knee hitting the floor of the dojo with a muffled thump!
Tension rose and Benimaru held his breath, unable to see any way out of the current situation that would end in Kaede actually winning.
Then, surprisingly, Kaede spun sharply on that one knee, sending her body back around so she was facing her cousin. In turn, she gripped the arm holding her own and used that as leverage to propel herself upward and forward. This allowed her to the chance to get her other leg back underneath her and right her balance. Now firmly on two feet, though still held within Toshiro's grasp, Kaede pulled back her free arm and struck out with her elbow, aiming for a strike to the gut at close quarters. Yet again, she was denied, her cousin's other arm coming up in a side block, then sliding up her arm in the attempt to strike at her jaw.
"Ah, shit!" Konro unexpectedly exclaimed and though it wasn't a particularly loud shout by any means, it was certainly enough to draw the attention of those around them . . .
. . . Including, Kaede.
In one horrible moment, Benimaru could see it all go terribly wrong.
The young woman's gaze instantly flitted from her opponent to Konro, breaking her concentration on the spar entirely. Now distracted, Kaede was unprepared to counter her cousin's attack and Toshiro's fist struck hard against the underside of her jaw in the following moment. Benimaru could hear the audible clack! of the young woman's teeth slamming together before her body dropped like a stone to the hardwood of the dojo floor with a dull, echoing thud!
The dojo fell into stunned silence, not a soul daring to move let alone breathe.
None but Shobu Tsubaki, that was.
"Sis!" Tsubaki screamed and scrambled from her seat on the far left side of the training room floor, dashing across the space faster than Benimaru had ever seen her move. She fell to her knees beside her sister's unmoving form and grasped Kaede's shoulder, giving her a small shake. "Kaede! Can you hear me? Wake up!"
Meanwhile, poor Toshiro was staring blankly down at both his cousins, clearly in shock, eyes wide with horror. It was clear he had no previous intentions of actually striking her, most likely assuming that Kaede would have counteracted the attack or, at least, dodged. The fact he had managed to knock her out cold was an outcome he had not expected.
"Step aside, Tsubaki."
Old man Shobu was swiftly making his way across the floor, his face showing more concern than he ever normally presented to others publicly. He gently pushed aside his nephew, who finally managed to snap out of his stunned stupor, and took a knee beside his daughters. Tsubaki backed off a few feet, but still remained as close to Kaede as her father would physically let her. Shobu gently reached out and rolled Kaede onto her back before beginning a physical assessment of his eldest's condition. He pressed a hand against the pulse of her throat and then checked her breathing with the other. At one point, he paused and dropped an ear to her chest, listening for some sign of distress not discernable to the human eye.
After a moment, Shobu raised his head and met their Master's gaze, his expression serious. "Shinmon! I need your assistance!"
The old geezer immediately sprung to his feet, blue kimono flying about his thin shoulders as he ran to his friend's side. Kneeling down, Beni watched as his Master placed a hand to Kaede's forehead but anything more than that was blocked from view. "She's out o' it. Don't think it's a concussion but that's hard ta tell right now. Best thing ta do is get her outta here and in bed. We'll know more when she wakes up."
Shobu gave one curt nod of acceptance, then carefully braced himself as he gently lifted Kaede into his arms.
"Konro! Get the door!" The Master shouted over his shoulder, sharp eyes bright with an anger born from consternation and concern. "Konro!"
Suddenly remembering his companion, Beni turned and froze. If Toshiro had seemed horrified by the whole event, it was nothing compared to Konro. The man's face was deathly pale, his thin blue eyes fixed on Kaede's prone form. His jaw hung slack, mouth parted ever so slightly in shock and disbelief; his hands were fisted in the thin fabric of his trousers, knuckles turning bone white. He wasn't responding to anything around him, merely staring at the poor woman in her father's arms who still hadn't made any indication of regaining consciousness.
Beni reached out, about to tug on Konro's arm to rouse his attention, when the Master turned to him instead.
"Benimaru! Get the damn door! NOW!"
He bolted upright, leaving the stunned Konro to himself, and ran for the dojo door. Forcing it open, he made sure it locked in place so it wouldn't roll back and shut on the people filing out.
"Toshiro, go get Hiko and have him finish the lesson. You're in no condition to take over." Shobu insisted as he made his way towards the door, Shinmon right beside him keeping a steady eye on Kaede. "The rest of you, either stay and finish class or go home!"
Toshiro did as he was told and rushed out the door, nearly taking Beni with him if not for his foresight to get out of the way. The eldest Shobu cousin bolted around the corner in search for his father, his footsteps echoing loudly down the hall long after he was gone.
"Move, Benimaru," his Master placed a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him out of the way, allowing Shobu to exit first.
He had to turn sideways to get through the doorway so not to jar Kaede and make any possible injury she had worse. About to follow after, The old geezer paused and glanced quickly to Konro. The man remained firmly where he was, staring blankly into the ether and obviously in no condition to do anymore than that.
"Dammit." Murmured Shinmon, reaching up to card a thin hand through his silver hair. The lines on his face deepened and, for the first time since a long while, Benimaru saw the true depth of his Master's feelings for the man across the room. "He's gonna be kickin' himself fer a week over this, I jus' know it. Not that I blame him."
"Is-" Benimaru paused, uncertain if this was a situation in which he should run his mouth. Honestly though, seeing Kaede take such a bad hit was . . . not good. "Is she gonna be okay? Master?"
The old man looked down at him, his mouth twisting into a hard line. "Not sure yet. Gotta see what she's like when she wakes up. Gonna be hard too with her muteness in the way. Can't jus' ask her the simple questions like her name an' birthday. All comes down ta if she can see straight and if the motor control in her hands is good. If not, I might go get Hajime-sensei ta come down an' take a look at her. Jus' in case."
Beni frowned, real worry beginning to take hold of him now. He'd heard stories about people being changed after a hard hit to the head. The last thing he wanted was for Kaede to change. He might not like Shobu Tsubaki much at all, but Kaede was kind to him; apparently, even when he least deserved it. She never shouted at him or called him 'idiot' or 'brat'. In fact, she called him 'chan' a lot; only, when she said it, it didn't sound patronizing or childish. He found that he didn't mind the nickname when it came from her. She didn't tease him about his height either, which was something else everyone like to poke fun at. Probably 'cause she understood better than anyone what it was like to be shorter than everyone around her.
No, Kaede treated him like . . .
. . . a little brother.
"Wait!" Startled, he glanced up just in time for Tsubaki to rush the doorway, stopping at the top of the small steps. She stared at her father, worry and fear plain as day on her face. "I wanna help, please!"
"Tsubaki, go back to class-" Old man Shobu began, pausing enough to offer her a stern expression from over his shoulder.
"But, I want to stay with Kaede-!"
"You're of no help to anyone anxious and upset," retorted her father, tone bordering on commanding. "Now, go back to class. If something happens, I'll send Toshiro or Ryoji to let you know."
"But, I-"
"Enough, Tsubaki!" Shobu insisted, turning fully now while still clutching Kaede in his arms. "Do as I say and go. I won't ask you again."
"Fine!" She spat, fear and anxiety shifting into anger. She spun on her heel and disappeared back inside the dojo, murmuring various types and flavors of curses under her breath as she went.
Benimaru watched her go, unable to shake the thought that maybe keeping an angry Tsubaki on the training room floor was going to result in some poor bastard getting his balls kicked in. What was it those damn Imperials were always saying?
Ah.
Látom.
"C'mon, brat." Shinmon nudged him forward and Beni swung his arms wildly in order to not pitch face first down the small set of steps. "Ya'll be o' more use helpin' us than sittin' around lookin' after Konro. Shobu could use a runner."
. . . . . .
As it turned out, being a runner meant fetching water and any other odd job Shobu or his Master wanted done. Preferably, as quickly as possible. Luckily, Benimaru happened to be very fast and took a great deal of pride in that fact. They managed to get Kaede to her room with little difficulty, though navigating the narrow stairway and the halls took more time than anyone would have liked. Explaining things to Himiko was also difficult because the woman wouldn't shut up with the commentary and the needless exclamations of womanly worry which grated Beni's ears. Honestly, how hard was it to just shut up for five minutes without threatening tears?
Old man Shobu, his Master, and Toshiro were all gathered beside Kaede's futon, speaking in quiet tones while Beni helped Himiko in the kitchen by acting as a go between the two. Hiko had been properly informed of the chaos and had gone to the dojo to take over the lesson until everyone had their spar and went home for the day. Ryoji, the middle child of the Shobu cousins, had also volunteered to help his father by dividing up the students into two groups in order to speed through things. Beni hadn't seen hide or hair of Kai since arriving, but figured he must be out of the house somewhere.
"I've got the water." He murmured, trying to keep his voice down as he reentered the room.
"Thank you, Benimaru." Shobu answered, his voice resuming his rather cool nature once again. He gestured beside himself at the head of the futon, "Bring it here, please."
He did so before taking his place slightly behind his Master, watching as the old man dipped the washcloth into the water and rung it out. Carefully, he laid it over his daughter's forehead. All any of them could do was wait.
"Has she-?" again, Beni trailed off, unsure if he should be speaking or not. But, he wanted to know.
"She's moved a bit," Shinmon said quietly in his usual gruff way, but his face conveyed a soft worry which, ordinarily, wouldn't be there. "Opened her eyes at one point too. Don' look like she has a concussion but, she's pretty winded an' tired."
As if on que, Kaede opened one, blue eye and fixed it on Shinmon. She blinked, incredibly slowly, and offered them both a small smile.
"Kaede!"
The whole room seemed to brighten at once, everyone leaning just a bit forward to be a little closer to the young woman.
"How ya feel, girl?" The Master asked, raising a hand to brush away a stray lock of hair blocking her sight. "Ya got clonked real good, so ya best be honest 'bout it."
Kaede blinked heavily, inhaling sharply, and let the breath move through her carefully before exhaling slowly. Judging by that alone, Beni assumed she was trying to get her thoughts together to form a response.
Then, she carefully raised her hands, though they were shaking ever so slightly, and began to sign. "Tired. Jaw hurts. Hit shoulder on the way down. But. Room isn't spinning. I can see. Sleepy."
"That's to be expected," Old man Shobu remarked gently as he stroked her forehead.
The young woman closed her eyes at the touch, sighing softly. Then she opened them and found her cousin, sitting anxiously on her right. "Toshiro. Alright?"
"You're asking me?" Toshiro laughed humorlessly, a wry and self-depreciating sound which made everyone in the room wince. "Really, Kaede? You're the one on the futon here, remember?"
"I'll be . . . fine."
"Stupid." He shot back, hands gripping his knees tightly in obvious distress. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have gone so hard."
"Not . . . your fault. I . . . should have paid . . . attention." Kaede responded, her hands carefully working their way through the signs. At least her memory was good, because she wouldn't have been able to sign if it wasn't. "Got distracted . . . that's . . . on me."
"That's one way ta put it," the Master professed under his breath.
Old man Shobu shot him a foul expression, clearly not impressed with Shinmon's sense of humor at the current moment.
"Consider it a lesson you've been told over and over," her father began curtly, staring down at her with a firm look. "Only to now have it physically reinforced."
"Yes, Father." Came the meek response and Kaede's face changed from one of complete exhaustion to one of stone-cold acceptance.
Something about the exchange rubbed Benimaru the wrong way. Was it just Shobu's way of expressing worry? Or was he normally one to be firm and unyielding in his lessons, only to throw them back in his daughters' faces when they messed up? She hadn't meant to be distracted by Konro. She had been doing well in the fight before that; clearly, she was skilled and disciplined. So why? Why sound so . . . disappointed.
His Master must have been of a similar opinion because his sharp eyes hardened instantly at the passive rebuke and his mouth twisted in a small snarl. "C'mon Kintarou, the girl was doin' fine fer the most part."
Benimaru blinked, taken aback by his Master's sudden defense of the young woman. Not that it wasn't warranted, but because it was out of his normal behavior. When training Beni, the Master never held back on his criticism. He always took the stance of 'tough shit, do it again' or 'stop whining and do what I tell you'. There was always the classic, 'learned a lesson now did ya?' when it took a more physical example to get the point across. Yet, here was the Master calling old man Shobu out for the exact same thing.
And everyone thought Benimaru was the 'goddamn' idiot.
"I don't need you," Shobu snapped, staring his friend down with an icy gaze, "of all people, telling me how to train my children. Especially when your own disciple is one predisposed to fight every living thing on this earth."
What?
Beni's temper instantly rose to a fevered pitch, pissed at being suddenly drawn into the stupid argument. It wasn't his fault everyone liked to piss him off every chance they got. If they stayed out of his way and left him alone, then they wouldn't get clobbered every single time.
"Ah, an' holdin' yer girls ta the level o' utter perfection is acceptable?" Shinmon bit back, his snarl deepening. "Rather dangerous, in my opinion. There's a point in expectin' the best outta a student, another when ya refuse ta allow any kind o' mistake."
"At least I have standards to hold my students to," retorted the old dojo master. "Mistakes can kill, Shinmon. Or have you forgotten that?"
"Damn, ya Kintarou." The Master spat angrily, eyes blazing. "This, this is why that philosophy o' yers is such a pain in the goddamn neck."
"The Shobu Style imparts a level of expectation of its students and holds them to it," Shobu countered; the man's expression, if possible, grew even colder. "What does yours teach? As far as I can tell, the Iai Chop only gives way to utter destruction and that boy of yours," here he pointed a sharp finger at Benimaru, his face morphing into one of quiet loathing. "Is the poorest decision you have ever made in an heir."
All of Beni's anger drained from him, instantly replaced with the cold, icy hand of genuine hurt and a small part of self-deprecation.
"Uncle!" Toshiro's exclamation of shock went unacknowledged.
"All he ever does is fight and bicker and lord his strength over every child and man he comes across," Shobu continued, unaffected by the shifting mood taking over the entire room. "I saw what he did to Kantaro last week. I thought you said, a year ago, that Tsubaki would be able to have some sort of effect on him. But I fail to see any change at all."
Beni jumped to his feet, defensive anger washing over him like a wave, and fear tugging at his heart. "Shut up, old man! Like I need a lecture from a guy who don't care 'bout whether his daughter is actually good or not!"
"Sit the hell down, brat!" His Master grabbed his shoulder and forced him back down, sending him an expression filled with warning. "Keep yer goddamn trap shut fer once in yer life!"
"I'll have a go at anyone who pisses me off!" Benimaru shouted, throwing out a hand in agitation.
"And that," Shobu remarked coldly, green eyes stony and unfeeling. "Is why you're such a menace to Asakusa. It's utterly disgraceful."
"Shobu," Shinmon warned quietly, golden eyes narrowing in displeasure. "Enough. I can handle the brat jus' fine without ya an' yer philosophy gettin' in the way o' things."
"Clearly," snorted Shobu, obviously not buying the Master's words any longer.
Benimaru had it. He didn't need to sit here and take this load of crap from an old dojo master who didn't understand anything about him. Especially one who apparently thought Kaede, of all people, was some kind of disappointment simply because she got distracted one time.
"Take yer Style and shove it!" He bit back through clenched teeth, then bolted from the room.
Timeline
SY = Solar Year
SY 195 (current year, as of now): Benimaru age 19; Konro age 35; Tsubaki age 20; Kaede age 28
SY 189: Benimaru and Tsubaki become friends through a rather unfortunate incident. Benimaru age 13; Konro age 29; Tsubaki age 14; Kaede age 22
SY 188: Benimaru and Tsubaki meet for the first time. Benimaru age 12; Konro age 28; Tsubaki age 13; Kaede age 21
SY 186: Benimaru is adopted by Shinmon Hibachi. Benimaru age 10; Konro age 26
SY 184: Shinmon Himawari dies. Konro age 24; Kaede age 17; Tsubaki age 9.
SY 180: The Shobu Matriarch, Shobu Ryoko, dies. Konro age 20; Kaede age 13; Tsubaki age 5