Home Sweet Kenji:
Chapter 4: Unwanted Essence
A/N: [Disclaimers] I don't own Bloody Roar or any of its characters. I will not elaborate any further as it might take up all the author's notes space. Thank you!
I really liked the last chapter. Did you? Things seemed a bit boring at the start though, no? Since I like Kenji and Caruto so much, I'll spend the half of this for Caruto and half for Kenji! Sounds fair? No fair? Oh well! Read, review and enjoy anyway!
***
Kenji groaned as his eyelids half opened. The unwelcoming light of the morning sun immediately greeted him. 'Where have I been the last couple of hours?' He silently questioned himself. He could partially make out the quaint table next to the bed he was sleeping on and a clock. It was already 1:48 P.M. He stood up shakily and walked around to try and recognize his surroundings.
He walked around for a while until the sleepiness totally left him. He found his way to the window and looked down into the city. It appears that he had been brought into a building of some sort. He also felt a quick breeze run across his chest and realized that he had no shirt. He looked around for the rest of his clothes, prepared to leave this strange building.
"Kenji?" A familiar voice sounded from the doorway. Kenji hid behind the wall, preparing to meet whoever it was.
"Who's there?" Kenji growled menacingly. He rounded the corner, out of his brief hiding place to meet the stranger.
"Oh! I'm so glad you're alright!" It was Mitsuko, Uriko's mother. Kenji immediately dropped his offensive stance and approached her.
"I'm sorry Aunt Mitsuko." He replied, frowning slightly. Surely she's heard of Uriko's disappearance already.
"It's Ok." Mitsuko sighed. "If only I'd found Uriko too along with you."
Kenji kept his silence for a few minutes and much to his dismay, his stomach grumbled. It reminded him that he hadn't had anything to eat for the past two days already.
"Oh, you poor dear! I forgot! You haven't been eating now have you? Let's go get you something to eat! You've gotten so skinny!" Mitsuko exclaimed cheerfully in spite of the troubles they have been having.
~~~
"Hey! Caruto!" Uriko yelled from across the large lake surrounding Kato school's training grounds. Caruto told her that he and his master might be training a few times today, as Master Bakuryu had not received any missions yet. Oddly though, the training grounds seemed to be an arena surrounded by water in the middle of a huge clear lake.
"Caruto, do not be distracted by such things. Stay focused." His master said sternly.
"Yes master." He replied flatly, paying no attention to the voice calling his name.
Uriko pouted. 'Does he really have to listen to everything that old geezer has to say???' She patiently waited for a few minutes until she heard a scream from across the lake and a huge splash. Moments later, a sodden Caruto emerged from under the water and leapt in front of her.
"Finally!" Uriko squealed. "You done with the old fart yet?"
Caruto squeezed the last of the water from his gi and looked up to her. "Please do not refer to my master as such."
"Yeah, yeah." She waved off. "Are you done yet?"
"Yes." He confirmed, still looking a bit flustered at being hurled into the lake.
"Good! You can show me around!" She chirped happily. He merely nodded and tagged along with Uriko. They first visited the gardens and then some of the other quarters and a part of what was over on the other side of the lake. They soon returned to their quarters and as they walked around one of the smaller gardens, Caruto spoke up.
"Miss Nonomura?"
"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not Miss Nonomura anymore? I'm Mrs. Ohgami. If it confuses you so much, just call me Uriko." She crossed her arms and sighed exasperatedly.
"Umm...Uriko?" He started again uncertainly. "My master said he heir was unfit because he lusted for someone. Is that a bad thing?"
Uriko thought for a while. "What do you mean by 'lusted'?"
"My master...said it was something dangerous. It was...love?" He said, recalling all those times his master would say he lost a ninja because of this.
"Love isn't bad." Uriko laughed. She didn't mean to laugh at the poor boy, but as she thought before, he was too innocent and naïve about everything.
"Why did he say anyone who...loved was unfit to be a true warrior?" He said again, looking all the more confused.
"Look," Uriko said, scratching her head. "He only THINKS it's bad cause he hasn't experienced it himself."
"Umm...have you?" Caruto replied, looking embarrassed. Uriko flushed.
"You could say that...yes. Wait a minute..." She paused as a realization hit her. "Who is this 'heir' anyway?"
"Umm...I am not too sure. Master calls him Bakuryu." Caruto said, wide- eyed.
"Ba-kuryu?" Uriko stammered. 'Could it have been...Kenji?'
"Caruto!" A voice called from behind them. They turned to find another ninja in a similar gi walking up to them.
"Caruto," He began seriously. "Master has ordered you to report to him immediately. It's about a assignment he wants you to take."
With a slight nod, he followed the ninja and left Uriko staring after them until they were out of sight.
~~~
Mitsuko took Kenji to a fast food restaurant near the hotel and ordered for him. He was trying to say he wasn't hungry again and was being very stubborn. They ate in silence for a while before Mitsuko decided start a conversation.
"So...you mind telling me why you were on the street when I found you?" She started.
"You found me on the street?" He questioned in reply.
"Well, you were a real mess. And don't you still have collage and that part time job to do?" Mitsuko said much like a mother who found out her child had not finished his homework.
"I was looking for Uriko." He stated flatly.
"Still," Mitsuko said, disappointed. "You have responsibilities. You can't just slack off now."
"What's there to work for anymore?" Kenji said dejectedly. "I can't rest until I find my wife."
"Son, I know how you feel. I feel the same but..." Mitsuko sighed. "If you neglect your responsibilities at the moment of struggles, it will only lead to more problems! You can't afford that."
Kenji merely nodded. 'How could you know how I feel?! How can anyone know how I feel?! No one and nothing helps...' He resigned to focusing his attention on his half finished piece of chicken.
They finished the food soon enough and went back to the hotel in which Mitsuko was staying in. They were about to enter when Kenji sensed something or someone following him. He hastily told Mitsuko he'd forgotten something before Mitsuko had a chance to reply and sped off. He heard the rapid tapping of a ninja's footwork he had grown up hearing. He stopped only when he sensed the tapping had stopped and looked around for any signs of the said ninja.
He found himself in some kind of deserted alley. He walked further into a more secluded part, hoping for any sign of his stalker. Without warning, a hand shot out from the shadows and snagged his own.
"Who's there?" He hissed. The ninja had twisted his arm and pinned him roughly against the brick wall so he couldn't move, much less turn to look at whoever it was.
"Curiosity can be fatal." Kenji's eyes widened in shock, for that voice belonged to him, so did that particular line in fact.
"What the hell--!" He exclaimed as his stalker took out a small knife from one of his leggings.
"Silence. Die." The ninja said threateningly. The next thing Kenji felt was considerable pain. The blade his assailant was holding sliced through his side and he felt warm, thick liquid that was his blood. He winced but tried not to mind the pain much; he didn't want whoever it was to feel he had been conquered so easily.
With a burst of strength, Kenji managed to get a hold of the ninja's arm and flip him over. The ninja fell right in front of him with a thud and leapt right up. Kenji took an offensive stance and charged forward. The ninja had a mask of cloth that covered his face but traces of his brown hair escaped the sides of his mask.
Kenji threw a couple of punches and kicks his way, but he managed to block every single one of it. Getting a bit irritated, Kenji leapt back and charged again with another couple of kicks, this time going upward. The unknown ninja managed to block the first but got caught up in the last hit that sent him flying upward. That was all Kenji needed. He leapt up and brought the ninja spinning in the air and landing painfully on his head. Kenji watched him stagger up again while he posed his usual ninja sign.
"Now," Kenji began menacingly. "Tell me who the hell you are."
The other ninja replied with a "humph!" and leapt behind him. "Two can play at that game, Bakuryu." He muttered and did a grab move. He took himself and Kenji back up in the air and landed Kenji on the ground on his head. Kenji got up after a while of shaking his head and tried to focus on the other ninja. 'D-Did he call me...Bakuryu???'
"I'm afraid you have the wrong person." Kenji said firmly. "That person...Bakuryu, doesn't exist anymore."
"Oh doesn't he?" The ninja replied. He swiftly tore his mask off to reveal familiar eyes and familiar brown hair. Kenji could not hide his shock. It was himself...only in a different colored gi.
"Y-You...! What--!" Kenji stammered.
"I do not have time to play with you. At my masters command I shall bring you back to him." The brown haired ninja stated unequivocally.
Before Kenji found his voice to reply, the ninja punched him hard in the stomach. He soon tasted blood in his mouth as he fought to stay conscious. He felt something sharp pierce his skin and he soon felt drowsy. After a few seconds, he couldn't fight it anymore. He passed out cold.
Caruto lifted Kenji's limp body on his shoulder and leapt out of sight in a blink of an eye.
~~~
"WHAT?! KENJI'S MISSING???" Yugo thundered on the receiver.
"Yugo!" Alice exclaimed, trying frantically to calm him down. As if things weren't bad enough as it was. Alice could also hear the near hysterical voice of her mother on the other line that seemed half tearful and half outraged.
"There's nothing we can do now." Alan Gado said calmly from the couch he was seated on.
Yugo muttered a hasty goodbye and put the phone down. "What the fuck do you mean by that?!"
"Yugo, yelling at the top of your voice at two in the morning's not going to help us any. Unless you're suggesting both Kenji and Uriko will pop out in front of you because of your howling." Gado said. Yugo could not measure the amount of sarcasm he must have used.
"Thanks for the sarcasm, Gado." Yugo replied sourly, seating himself opposite the lion zoroanthrope.
Alice glanced at them both for a few minutes and seated herself next to Yugo. "Has Jenny fount anything yet?"
"No. I'm afraid not."
Alice opened her mouth as if she wanted to ask again but Yugo stopped her. "Gado's right. There's nothing WE can do."
The trio was silent for a few moments. After a while of nervous shuffling, Alice stood up. She took her coat and headed to the door. Yugo's hand shot out from behind her.
"Where are you going?"
"To the hospital." Alice stated simply. "I'm going to ask Master Long some questions."
"Ok. I'm coming too." Gado spoke up hastily and took his coat as well.
"Argh! I can't stand it. Alright already. I'm coming too." Yugo said and took his car keys.
They drove to the hospital; it wasn't really a long drive. The hospital was only a couple of blocks away. They stormed into where Long was confined. Thankfully, he was awake and Jane, who was sitting by his side, told him they had come to talk to him.
"Long," Alice stated as Long's head turned to face her. "Could you tell us who attacked you?"
"Hmm...I could not be sure..." Long replied, closing his eyes.
"Any marks we should remember?" Gado tried.
"I know what I think I saw." Long said. "But it's not possible..."
"Who is it?" Yugo interrupted. Jane made a sound as if to say something but Long stopped her.
"It was Bakuryu."
***
A/N:
Was this chapter a bit more...boring or something? Yeah. I didn't feel much up to writing when it came to the last part. I enjoyed the fighting scene though! ^^v hope you guys did too! Oh...umm...I really like the fic 'Love me, Phantom'. I dropped you a review Tiger5913! Actually two...Oh yeah! Thanks to all of you that took time to drop me a review...even a short one! Please review this too! Umm...and comments and suggestions will be highly treated...if you know what I mean! Adios Amigos! Catch ya in the next chapter!
Chapter 4: Unwanted Essence
A/N: [Disclaimers] I don't own Bloody Roar or any of its characters. I will not elaborate any further as it might take up all the author's notes space. Thank you!
I really liked the last chapter. Did you? Things seemed a bit boring at the start though, no? Since I like Kenji and Caruto so much, I'll spend the half of this for Caruto and half for Kenji! Sounds fair? No fair? Oh well! Read, review and enjoy anyway!
***
Kenji groaned as his eyelids half opened. The unwelcoming light of the morning sun immediately greeted him. 'Where have I been the last couple of hours?' He silently questioned himself. He could partially make out the quaint table next to the bed he was sleeping on and a clock. It was already 1:48 P.M. He stood up shakily and walked around to try and recognize his surroundings.
He walked around for a while until the sleepiness totally left him. He found his way to the window and looked down into the city. It appears that he had been brought into a building of some sort. He also felt a quick breeze run across his chest and realized that he had no shirt. He looked around for the rest of his clothes, prepared to leave this strange building.
"Kenji?" A familiar voice sounded from the doorway. Kenji hid behind the wall, preparing to meet whoever it was.
"Who's there?" Kenji growled menacingly. He rounded the corner, out of his brief hiding place to meet the stranger.
"Oh! I'm so glad you're alright!" It was Mitsuko, Uriko's mother. Kenji immediately dropped his offensive stance and approached her.
"I'm sorry Aunt Mitsuko." He replied, frowning slightly. Surely she's heard of Uriko's disappearance already.
"It's Ok." Mitsuko sighed. "If only I'd found Uriko too along with you."
Kenji kept his silence for a few minutes and much to his dismay, his stomach grumbled. It reminded him that he hadn't had anything to eat for the past two days already.
"Oh, you poor dear! I forgot! You haven't been eating now have you? Let's go get you something to eat! You've gotten so skinny!" Mitsuko exclaimed cheerfully in spite of the troubles they have been having.
~~~
"Hey! Caruto!" Uriko yelled from across the large lake surrounding Kato school's training grounds. Caruto told her that he and his master might be training a few times today, as Master Bakuryu had not received any missions yet. Oddly though, the training grounds seemed to be an arena surrounded by water in the middle of a huge clear lake.
"Caruto, do not be distracted by such things. Stay focused." His master said sternly.
"Yes master." He replied flatly, paying no attention to the voice calling his name.
Uriko pouted. 'Does he really have to listen to everything that old geezer has to say???' She patiently waited for a few minutes until she heard a scream from across the lake and a huge splash. Moments later, a sodden Caruto emerged from under the water and leapt in front of her.
"Finally!" Uriko squealed. "You done with the old fart yet?"
Caruto squeezed the last of the water from his gi and looked up to her. "Please do not refer to my master as such."
"Yeah, yeah." She waved off. "Are you done yet?"
"Yes." He confirmed, still looking a bit flustered at being hurled into the lake.
"Good! You can show me around!" She chirped happily. He merely nodded and tagged along with Uriko. They first visited the gardens and then some of the other quarters and a part of what was over on the other side of the lake. They soon returned to their quarters and as they walked around one of the smaller gardens, Caruto spoke up.
"Miss Nonomura?"
"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not Miss Nonomura anymore? I'm Mrs. Ohgami. If it confuses you so much, just call me Uriko." She crossed her arms and sighed exasperatedly.
"Umm...Uriko?" He started again uncertainly. "My master said he heir was unfit because he lusted for someone. Is that a bad thing?"
Uriko thought for a while. "What do you mean by 'lusted'?"
"My master...said it was something dangerous. It was...love?" He said, recalling all those times his master would say he lost a ninja because of this.
"Love isn't bad." Uriko laughed. She didn't mean to laugh at the poor boy, but as she thought before, he was too innocent and naïve about everything.
"Why did he say anyone who...loved was unfit to be a true warrior?" He said again, looking all the more confused.
"Look," Uriko said, scratching her head. "He only THINKS it's bad cause he hasn't experienced it himself."
"Umm...have you?" Caruto replied, looking embarrassed. Uriko flushed.
"You could say that...yes. Wait a minute..." She paused as a realization hit her. "Who is this 'heir' anyway?"
"Umm...I am not too sure. Master calls him Bakuryu." Caruto said, wide- eyed.
"Ba-kuryu?" Uriko stammered. 'Could it have been...Kenji?'
"Caruto!" A voice called from behind them. They turned to find another ninja in a similar gi walking up to them.
"Caruto," He began seriously. "Master has ordered you to report to him immediately. It's about a assignment he wants you to take."
With a slight nod, he followed the ninja and left Uriko staring after them until they were out of sight.
~~~
Mitsuko took Kenji to a fast food restaurant near the hotel and ordered for him. He was trying to say he wasn't hungry again and was being very stubborn. They ate in silence for a while before Mitsuko decided start a conversation.
"So...you mind telling me why you were on the street when I found you?" She started.
"You found me on the street?" He questioned in reply.
"Well, you were a real mess. And don't you still have collage and that part time job to do?" Mitsuko said much like a mother who found out her child had not finished his homework.
"I was looking for Uriko." He stated flatly.
"Still," Mitsuko said, disappointed. "You have responsibilities. You can't just slack off now."
"What's there to work for anymore?" Kenji said dejectedly. "I can't rest until I find my wife."
"Son, I know how you feel. I feel the same but..." Mitsuko sighed. "If you neglect your responsibilities at the moment of struggles, it will only lead to more problems! You can't afford that."
Kenji merely nodded. 'How could you know how I feel?! How can anyone know how I feel?! No one and nothing helps...' He resigned to focusing his attention on his half finished piece of chicken.
They finished the food soon enough and went back to the hotel in which Mitsuko was staying in. They were about to enter when Kenji sensed something or someone following him. He hastily told Mitsuko he'd forgotten something before Mitsuko had a chance to reply and sped off. He heard the rapid tapping of a ninja's footwork he had grown up hearing. He stopped only when he sensed the tapping had stopped and looked around for any signs of the said ninja.
He found himself in some kind of deserted alley. He walked further into a more secluded part, hoping for any sign of his stalker. Without warning, a hand shot out from the shadows and snagged his own.
"Who's there?" He hissed. The ninja had twisted his arm and pinned him roughly against the brick wall so he couldn't move, much less turn to look at whoever it was.
"Curiosity can be fatal." Kenji's eyes widened in shock, for that voice belonged to him, so did that particular line in fact.
"What the hell--!" He exclaimed as his stalker took out a small knife from one of his leggings.
"Silence. Die." The ninja said threateningly. The next thing Kenji felt was considerable pain. The blade his assailant was holding sliced through his side and he felt warm, thick liquid that was his blood. He winced but tried not to mind the pain much; he didn't want whoever it was to feel he had been conquered so easily.
With a burst of strength, Kenji managed to get a hold of the ninja's arm and flip him over. The ninja fell right in front of him with a thud and leapt right up. Kenji took an offensive stance and charged forward. The ninja had a mask of cloth that covered his face but traces of his brown hair escaped the sides of his mask.
Kenji threw a couple of punches and kicks his way, but he managed to block every single one of it. Getting a bit irritated, Kenji leapt back and charged again with another couple of kicks, this time going upward. The unknown ninja managed to block the first but got caught up in the last hit that sent him flying upward. That was all Kenji needed. He leapt up and brought the ninja spinning in the air and landing painfully on his head. Kenji watched him stagger up again while he posed his usual ninja sign.
"Now," Kenji began menacingly. "Tell me who the hell you are."
The other ninja replied with a "humph!" and leapt behind him. "Two can play at that game, Bakuryu." He muttered and did a grab move. He took himself and Kenji back up in the air and landed Kenji on the ground on his head. Kenji got up after a while of shaking his head and tried to focus on the other ninja. 'D-Did he call me...Bakuryu???'
"I'm afraid you have the wrong person." Kenji said firmly. "That person...Bakuryu, doesn't exist anymore."
"Oh doesn't he?" The ninja replied. He swiftly tore his mask off to reveal familiar eyes and familiar brown hair. Kenji could not hide his shock. It was himself...only in a different colored gi.
"Y-You...! What--!" Kenji stammered.
"I do not have time to play with you. At my masters command I shall bring you back to him." The brown haired ninja stated unequivocally.
Before Kenji found his voice to reply, the ninja punched him hard in the stomach. He soon tasted blood in his mouth as he fought to stay conscious. He felt something sharp pierce his skin and he soon felt drowsy. After a few seconds, he couldn't fight it anymore. He passed out cold.
Caruto lifted Kenji's limp body on his shoulder and leapt out of sight in a blink of an eye.
~~~
"WHAT?! KENJI'S MISSING???" Yugo thundered on the receiver.
"Yugo!" Alice exclaimed, trying frantically to calm him down. As if things weren't bad enough as it was. Alice could also hear the near hysterical voice of her mother on the other line that seemed half tearful and half outraged.
"There's nothing we can do now." Alan Gado said calmly from the couch he was seated on.
Yugo muttered a hasty goodbye and put the phone down. "What the fuck do you mean by that?!"
"Yugo, yelling at the top of your voice at two in the morning's not going to help us any. Unless you're suggesting both Kenji and Uriko will pop out in front of you because of your howling." Gado said. Yugo could not measure the amount of sarcasm he must have used.
"Thanks for the sarcasm, Gado." Yugo replied sourly, seating himself opposite the lion zoroanthrope.
Alice glanced at them both for a few minutes and seated herself next to Yugo. "Has Jenny fount anything yet?"
"No. I'm afraid not."
Alice opened her mouth as if she wanted to ask again but Yugo stopped her. "Gado's right. There's nothing WE can do."
The trio was silent for a few moments. After a while of nervous shuffling, Alice stood up. She took her coat and headed to the door. Yugo's hand shot out from behind her.
"Where are you going?"
"To the hospital." Alice stated simply. "I'm going to ask Master Long some questions."
"Ok. I'm coming too." Gado spoke up hastily and took his coat as well.
"Argh! I can't stand it. Alright already. I'm coming too." Yugo said and took his car keys.
They drove to the hospital; it wasn't really a long drive. The hospital was only a couple of blocks away. They stormed into where Long was confined. Thankfully, he was awake and Jane, who was sitting by his side, told him they had come to talk to him.
"Long," Alice stated as Long's head turned to face her. "Could you tell us who attacked you?"
"Hmm...I could not be sure..." Long replied, closing his eyes.
"Any marks we should remember?" Gado tried.
"I know what I think I saw." Long said. "But it's not possible..."
"Who is it?" Yugo interrupted. Jane made a sound as if to say something but Long stopped her.
"It was Bakuryu."
***
A/N:
Was this chapter a bit more...boring or something? Yeah. I didn't feel much up to writing when it came to the last part. I enjoyed the fighting scene though! ^^v hope you guys did too! Oh...umm...I really like the fic 'Love me, Phantom'. I dropped you a review Tiger5913! Actually two...Oh yeah! Thanks to all of you that took time to drop me a review...even a short one! Please review this too! Umm...and comments and suggestions will be highly treated...if you know what I mean! Adios Amigos! Catch ya in the next chapter!