A/N: First up, sorry for the delay in updates. Finals have away of screwing a guy's everything. As a result of not writing in while, this chap is the longest I've written yet. Which may be good or bad depending on your point of view, but once my fingers hit the keyboard they wouldn't stop. ^-^ Anyway, some finals are now off my back, but I still have others. So the next update may be delayed again. Gomen.

Second, thanks to Showstopper for the vote of confidence. I was beginning to think I wouldn't ever get any new readers and reviewers.

Alright, that's it. Enjoy everyone!

Love Hina: Healing Hearts

Disclaimer: Ken Akamatsu own Love Hina, not I. I can only claim the original characters I've created for the story itself. Like you all didn't know that already…

Chapter Eleven: A Past Revealed

He could not hear the wind as it whipped past his ears. He could not hear the shouts of people as he weaved through traffic. The only thing he could hear was the cries of a child in his mind. First came the cries of terror, then the cries of pain, next the cries of protest, and finally the cries of the mourning.

Ken revved his engine harder. He would not allow them to get away again. He gained ground on the van that raced ahead of him. For such a large van, it had an impressive top speed. He needed a way to slow it down without risking injury to those near by. He looked down as his jeans snagged on the jagged edge of the broken coupling rod that had been attached to the side cart. He kicked it once again snapping the remains of the steel bar from the bike completely, caught it on his foot, and flipped it to his right hand.

During this time, he had been steadily climbing closer to the van. He now pushed his bike into the red. Fast as the van may have been, Ken was faster. He pulled up beside the van, but rather than stopping he continued on past his target. He raced ahead until he and pulled an about one-eighty and raced towards the van. When he was fifty meters away Ken hurled the steel rod as though it were a dagger and watched as it pierced the hood of the car and buried itself deep into the engine.

Those who watched began to flee, fearing an explosion. Ken however, pressed forward knowing that no explosion would come. He had thrown just hard enough to disable the engine with out compromising the fuel lines. Dieing in a ball of flames would be too quick and painless a death for this driver.

Ken screeched to a halt and raced over to the driver side door. He roughly pulled open the door, nearly ripping it from its hinges, and yanked the driver out and slammed him against the car.

"Hey man! What's the problem?"

Ken hit him hard in the mouth. "Urusei!" He bought his knee up into the man's stomach, doubling him over. "You don't get to ask that after what you did!"

"But…I didn't do…any…" The man tried to gasp out.

Ken grabbed the man by the hair and slammed his head into the car window, shattering it. "I said shut up!" Ken landed another blow to the man's stomach. "It's your fault! You killed him!" Ken laid into the man again and again, his fists becoming bruised and bloody.

"Leave my daddy alone!" A young girl leapt from the car and booted Ken in the head. "Let him go!" She landed on the ground again and rolled away.

Ken stopped his attack, turning his attention on the girl. Behind her another girl appeared. Ken stared as the second girl stared back in abject terror. "Shino…" Suddenly the world snapped back into focus. It wasn't Shinobu he saw, but if not for the longer hair and tan skin she could have passed as her twin. Ken then continued to look around the scene he was in. "What the…where…" He looked down and saw the man hanging by his shirt from Ken's hands. He stiffened as he heard the sound of a gun cocking.

"Set him down on the ground gently and step away, now." Ordered a woman as she rounded the car and pointed the handgun at his head.

Ken didn't move. He simply stared.

The girl let out a frustrated yell. "Let my daddy go you dork!" The girl leapt at Ken again for a second kick to the head.

Ken let released one of his hands on the man's shirt and grabbed the girl by her ankle, hanging her upside down.

"Put her down!" The woman yelled. "Or, I'll put you down!"

There was a tense standoff for a minute as Ken looked over the two girls, then over to the woman. "Relax Haruka, I won't hurt Sarah, or the other girl. And I'll get Seta to a hospital right away. Besides, you know that gun isn't going to do you any good anyway."

***

"Whoa! Who's the hottie coming this way on the motorcycle?" Asked the newest Hinata resident.

Motoko looked up from the textbook she was reading. "Hottie?"

Naru shook her head. "If he's on a motorcycle it's probably Ken. He lives here too."

The new girl blinked her eyes in confusion. "A guy living in a girls dorm?" The girl's eyes lit up as a mischievous smile spread across her face. "How kinky. I'm going to go introduce myself."

Naru shook her head again and went back to helping Motoko study. She jumped as a loud crash was heard from the front of the building.

Motoko sighed. "It would appear that Su and Hotaru have returned as well." She closed her textbook. "So much for piece and quiet." She and Naru went down to the front door.

The door slid open quickly, and the new girl made her move as the group of people came into the room. She quickly singled out Ken. "Hi, my name's Moriko. What's yours?"

Ken brushed past her and dropped the load of boxes he was carrying. "Ken. Nice to meet you." He did not stop as he replied, but continued on to his room.

Moriko blinked. "Well, that was cold." She mused silently. She screamed a moment later as three girls appeared before her without warning.

"Heyas! You weren't here before! Have you come to play with Su?" The tan girl asked excitedly.

Hotaru looked up and examined the girl. "You're not his type. Besides, onii-chan's taken already."

"Who's this dork?" Demanded Sarah. "She better not have taken my room."

"Guys! That's no way to speak to a guest!" Shinobu protested.

A moment later Shinobu's beach tanned twin, Nyamo, came inside. Making a quick remark that most of the others couldn't understand.

"I agree." Replied Seta. "Where is my favorite part-timer?"

Haruka took a deep drag of her cigarette. "Knowing my nephew, he's getting himself into trouble right about now."

"Geez," Naru laughed. "It's like a who's who of Hinata-sou!"

Motoko bowed. "It is good to see you all again."

Shinobu turned to Nyamo and Sarah. "I want to hear all about your adventures, but first I want to check on Ken. He seemed really upset over something."

Sarah huffed indignantly. "Why should we care about that dork? He almost killed my daddy! Let him be upset!"

"Actually, the doctors said I would be just fine Sarah." Seta supplied. "Just a small concussion."

Nyamo turned and whispered something to Shinobu.

Shinobu blushed. "Yeah, that's part of it too."

Nyamo smiled and pushed her friend toward the steps.

Sarah looked on in confusion. "What was that about?"

Su mooshed her friend's hair playfully. "Ain't it obvious shrimp? Shinomu and Kens is all lovey dovey!"

A dumbstruck expression plastered the American's face. "Shinobu finally moved on from Keitaro?" She sighed. "I admit he has more backbone than the other dork, but he's still not much of an improvement."

Su laughed. "You're just mad cause you couldn't catch his attention the entire time he was in Molmol with us!"

"Urusei!" Sarah began chasing her friend around the apartments. "I didn't want that dork following us! He only got to come 'cause daddy needed his help with permits!"

Moriko looked on in confusion a moment. "Is it always like this here?"

"Pretty much." Shinobu laughed and headed towards the steps.

"Cool."

Shinobu heard Keitaro, Kanako, and Kitsune's voices entering into the loud conversation as she climbed the steps but didn't stop or turn around. She knocked on Ken's door, but received no reply. She slowly slid open the door. "Ken? Oh, not again." The window was open to Ken's empty room.

***

Shinobu found Ken a few minutes later back by the waterfall. He had changed his clothes and was now wearing a training uniform much like Motoko's, except it was solid gray all around. Shinobu watched in amazement as Ken walked beneath the waterfall and began chanting.

"It's the middle of winter, and that water has to be freezing!" Shinobu thought. "He's going to kill himself!" Still, his chanting hadn't changed in pitch, so she guessed that he really wasn't fazed by the water or the wind that were making her chilly despite her coat. "Chanting?" Shinobu then remembered she had seen Keitaro do something like this once for meditation.

By the time that she, Su, and Hotaru had arrived at the wreckage of Seta's van, what ever had transpired had already been sealed away. No one would talk about it except for Sarah. Ken had been in a frenzy, blaming Seta for killing someone. But that didn't make sense to Shinobu because no one had died. Something else was at work here, and Shinobu was quite worried about Ken. The fact that he acted so curt to Moriko, and was now meditating worried her even more since she had never seen him do either. "What's bothering you Ken?" She whispered. "Why can't I figure it out to help you?" She hid behind the nearest tree as Ken stepped from the waterfall.

"I know you're there!" Ken called out. "Show yourself!"

Shinobu didn't move, she remembered how he reacted last time. "Maybe if I stay still he'll think it was his imagination."

"Fine. Have it your way."

Shinobu peaked out from her hiding spot to see that Ken's back was to her. She also saw that he was holding a branch as though it were a sword.

Ken raised the branch over his head. As he brought it down a wave of ki shot forth and collided with one of the other trees, splitting it in two.

Shinobu gasped. "That was Motoko's Rock Splitting Sword!" As the dust cleared she could see the outline of another person. It was Moriko holding two swords, one white, and one black. Unsure of what to do, Shinobu simply watched.

"So, you're of the Shinmei Dojo." Moriko leaned back against the tree. "I thought you'd be of a different school with your aura." She focused on Ken intently. "Your aura is the most peculiar I've ever seen. It's even stronger than my brother's was."

"Wonderful." Ken lowered his branch. "Now leave. I don't like people spying on me."

"What's your problem anyway?" Moriko demanded.

Ken shrugged. "I have a lot of them, but right now it's you."

"Me!  Why?"

"I don't need to explain my reasons to you. If you leave, I'll have one less problem, so go."

Moriko stuck her tongue out at him. "I'll go where ever I want. And right now I want to be here."

Ken nodded. "Fine." He turned and began to walk away. "You stay here, I'll leave."

Moriko blinked, she hadn't expected that. "Oh, no you don't! You don't mouth off at me and walk away!" She drew her swords and fired off two waves of ki at Ken.

Ken didn't turn. He brought his branch up over his shoulder and swatted the attacks away.

"Nani!?" Moriko nearly dropped her swords. "No way a Shinmei weakling should be able to deflect my attacks!"

Ken turned. "You're the one you decided I was Shinmei." Ken shook his head. "I'm not, I have no affiliation with anyone anymore. I am alone." He raised and pointed his branch at Moriko. "You wanted to know why I have a problem with you. It's because your aura is dark, angry, and malicious. And after hearing you speak, I like you even less. So consider this your warning Moriko. Raise those blades to me, or any of my friends here, and you will live just long enough to regret it." With that he stormed off back to the dorm.

Moriko fell to her knees. "What the hell have I gotten myself into now?"

Shinobu looked on in confusion. She had had enough. She was tired of the lies and the secrets. She wanted answers, and one way or another Ken would give them to her. She quickly made her way to the apartments, leaving Moriko alone with the forest.

***

"Why the long face Shinobu?"

Shinobu turned to the source of the voice and saw Keitaro sitting down beside her.

"I haven't seen you up here by yourself in a while." Keitaro leaned down. "Is everything ok?"

Shinobu looked out over the city. "Sempai, do you keep secrets from Naru?"

Keitaro blinked. "Well, I wish I could say no, but…yeah, I have a few."

Shinobu felt her hopes become crushed. "I see…"

"Shinobu, sometimes secrets have to be kept." Keitaro went on. "I'm not proud of the fact that I can't tell Naru everything, but if I told her everything, things could get weird. You know?"

"I guess…" Shinobu paused. "No, no I don't." She turned and gave an accusatory glare at her beloved sempai. "You two are engaged! There should be no secrets between two people who love each other!"

Keitaro nodded. "You're right, there shouldn't be."

"Then why do you?"

Keitaro sighed. "Because telling her these secrets would scare her, maybe even hurt her, and I don't want that. I care about her too much to risk putting her through that."

Shinobu looked down at her hands. She felt like a total fool now. "Of course Sempai would keep a secret for that reason. He's been so open with everyone for so long, how could I believe that he would have no secrets at all."

"Shinobu?"

Shinobu didn't look up. "I'm sorry Sempai. I didn't mean to accuse you…"

Keitaro smiled. "Yes you did, but that's ok. It shows you care as far as I'm concerned."

Shinobu looked up and offered a weak smile. "Arigato Sempai."

Keitaro nodded.

Shinobu paused and looked away. "If Naru asked you to tell her everything, would you?"

Keitaro nodded. "If she asked."

"Because you care about her." Shinobu stated more as a fact than a question.

"Yeah."

Shinobu leaned over and gave Keitaro a small kiss on the cheek. "Thank you Sempai."

Keitaro rubbed his cheek as Shinobu got up and walked toward the deck stairs. "For what?"

"For being you."

Keitaro watched as Shinobu disappeared from sight. "Damn you Ken." He whispered. "If you hurt her…"

***

Ken opened his door after hearing a knock. "Hey Shinobu. What's up?"

Shinobu held up a textbook. "I was wondering if you would help me study?"

Ken raised an eyebrow. "You do remember I got a four on my test this morning right?"

Shinobu nodded.

Ken shrugged and laughed. "Ok, as long as you realize that I absolve myself of any blame for your next test score." They studied for the next hour or so before deciding to take a break.

"I still don't understand why you study over winter vacation though." Ken teased.

"Don't you know? 'There's no vacation for ronins'." Shinobu did her best impersonation of Motoko.

Ken laughed. "Not bad! Though that theory needs some work, especially since neither of us are ronins."

Shinobu smiled. "Ken, I was wondering if maybe we could talk?"

"That doesn't sound good…" He stood, and offered his hand to Shinobu. "Come on, the walls have ears in this place." He turned towards the door and opened it quickly. "Ain't that right Kitsune?"

The fox lady abruptly fell forward on to her face. "Now, hold on. I can explain!"

Ken smirked. "Forget it, I'll let it slid this time." He smiled menacingly. "But next time is going to cost you." With that he and Shinobu left the room.

Kitsune sighed. "And it was just getting interesting too."

Ken and Shinobu made there way to the "garage", mounted up, and took off.

"Where are we going?" Asked Shinobu asked after they had rode towards Tokyo.

Ken shrugged. "Not sure yet. I kind of lost it before, and cut our outing short. I figure I owe you something to make up for it. Perhaps, dinner out?"

Shinobu considered the idea. "That would give us the time to talk." She thought silently. "I'd like that." She replied with a smile.

Ken nodded. "Alright." A short time later they reached the city. "Uh oh…"

"Uh oh?" Shinobu asked nervously as the motorcycle began to slowdown.

Ken sighed as the bike came to a stop. "Kuso." He climbed off and looked under the cover of his bike, and cursed again. "Sorry kiddo." He apologized to the bike. "I pushed you too hard after letting you rest for too long."

Shinobu looked down at the gears unable to tell heads or tails from it. "What's wrong?"

"I must have burnt something out during my chase with Seta this morning." He smiled apologetically. "Gomen, but it looks like we're going to have to walk. At least until we find a phone." Just then something hit him in the eye. "Nani?" He looked up to see the dark thunderclouds hanging overhead. "Oh you've got to be kidding…"

Shinobu turned to him and took his hand. "Come on!" She laughed as she ran through the rain towing Ken behind her. At last they arrived under a shelter from the pouring rain.

Ken looked over at Shinobu. Although she was laughing, she was also wet and shivering despite her coat. Although it wasn't any dryer, it did offer better insulation and a small degree of water resistance and Ken wrapped his coat around her. He shook his head in amusement. "Come on, looks like we're going to be stuck here a while."

***

"The Ambassador's Suite…" Shinobu marveled at the size of the room, or rather rooms. After accepting Ken's jacket they had run through city until they arrived at this hotel. Upon seeing the name above the door, Shinobu had insisted they continue on. Ken however, had simply smiled and led her inside. This hotel was renown for it's five star standing, and it's expensive price tag.

"Shinobu-chan? The bath is ready. You go ahead first." Ken offered as he exited the washroom.

Knowing that Ken would only force her in as he had last time if she refused, she accepted his offer. She washed quickly knowing that Ken was also soaked to the bone and in need of the bath to warm himself. For a moment, Shinobu contemplated the idea of inviting Ken into the bath with her. She felt the blood rush to her face as she blushed fourteen different shades of red in a matter of seconds. "Ok, maybe not." She toweled off and looked around to find something to put on. Expecting to find a simple hotel brand kimono, she was surprised to find a very expensive looking yukata awaiting her in her clothesbasket. She felt the material. "Silk? How much did Ken pay for this room anyway that they give you silk clothing." She exited the washroom and saw Ken hanging up the phone.

"I hope you don't mind, but with us being…" Ken paused as he turned to face Shinobu. "Whoa."

Shinobu couldn't help but giggle at his reaction. "Isn't it pretty? And it's almost identical to the one I tried on that time you took my shopping!"

"Yeah, beautiful." Ken agreed. "Umm, like I was saying, since we're stuck here I asked that a menu be sent up." He smiled. "It's not exactly going out to dinner, but this hotel does offer one of the best restaurants in the city down in the lobby and they offer room service."

"That's great! But first…" Shinobu ran around behind Ken. "Go wash and warm yourself up!" She placed her hands against his back and pushed him towards the washroom. She gasped and pulled away as she felt Ken stiffen at her touch.

Ken was shaking. "Yeah, I'll go do that."

Shinobu sat down nervously as he walked away. The thin material of the wet shirt couldn't hide them. She heard the door close to the washroom and quickly rushed over to it. "Ken? I'm sorry! Please don't be mad! I didn't know!" She received no reply.

It was only when she heard a knock at the door for the attendant with the menu that drew her away after a few minutes. Shinobu went back to the main room and sat down. "No wonder he's so secretive." She murmured. "Those couldn't have been anything else…it makes sense now." At last the door opened revealing Ken in a plain cotton kimono. "Ken…"

Ken shook his head. "Don't apologize Shinobu-chan, it was bound to come out sooner or later." He walked over and sat down beside her. "Well, you said you wanted to talk. I'm guessing it's about the way I acted earlier, ne?"

"Well, I…" Shinobu glanced at him uncertain of what to say.

Ken sighed. "I suppose I have a lot to explain." He gave Shinobu a small smile. "It's ok Shinobu, you can ask."

Shinobu nodded. "Were those scars?"

Ken nodded.

"Do they hurt?"

Ken shook his head. "No, not anymore."

Shinobu knew that she shouldn't ask anymore, but she couldn't help it. "May I see them?"

Ken swallowed hard, but nodded, and turned his around in his seat. "Are you sure? They're kind of a lot to take in at once."

Shinobu nodded.

Ken nodded and turned away. He untied his sash that held his kimono in place and allowed the material to fall down off his back.

Shinobu gasped at what she saw. The skin on Ken's back looked as though it was patched together by a blind seamstress. His shoulders and arms were in the same condition. The lines intersected at every angle covering his entire back. Some of the scars were simply cuts or welts, but others were black, clear signs that they were badly infected prior to healing. She reached out and tentatively traced her finger over the scars. Once again Ken stiffened, but did not pull away this time. "How…"

Ken turned to face her while retying his sash and kimono, but not before Shinobu saw that the scars were also present on his chest. Judging by the way Ken always dressed, she guessed that the scars covered everywhere on his body except his hands and face.

"How did I get all of these?" Ken finished the question that Shinobu couldn't seem to. Ken sighed again. "I guess it's time I explained myself. Some I got going to those fight places I told you about before. Others I got during my training growing up." Ken sighed heavily. "But most are because I wasn't strong enough to stand against my father when he decided I wasn't behaving properly or I took the punishment for others to prevent them from being hurt."

"Others?" The memory of Ken's breakdown at the dorm the other night passed through Shinobu's mind. "Please no more, I've bleed so much for you already…"

"What?"

Shinobu turned to Ken. "That's what you said when Hotaru called out to you the night you started acting weird." Suddenly it clicked. "You have other siblings besides Hotaru, don't you?"

Ken shook his head. "Not anymore."

"I don't understand." Shinobu looked deep into Ken's eyes, seeking answers.

Ken returned her gaze. "If I tell you, not a word of this reaches Hotaru."

Shinobu nodded.

Ken nodded. "I've kept things hidden a long time. Told a lot of lies and half-truths. Now isn't the time to reveal all of the secrets, so please understand that." He paused. "The first lie is my name. I abandoned my name because I couldn't bear the meaning behind it anymore."

"When you first came to the Hinata-sou, Su called you Kenji. Is that you're real name?" Shinobu asked.

"It's the name I was born with, but my real name…no, I won't let that be what defines me." Ken looked down at the floor. "Anyway, I trained everyday for years to please my old man. We all did…"

"We?" Shinobu asked.

Ken nodded. "My brother's and sisters…

Shinobu was now confused. "You just said you didn't have any other siblings."

"I don't now, but I did then. I'm dead to them…they think I died. Same with Hotaru." Ken turned away and walked to the window before he continued. "I'm getting ahead of myself. Like I said, we trained everyday. Onii-chan would push me to my absolute limits, and I to his. When the two of us were together we were damn near unstoppable."

Shinobu watched as a small smile crossed his lips for a moment, before disappearing just as quickly. "Don't make wishes like that. You'll be real sad if they ever come true." Ken's words resonated in Shinobu's mind.

"Then came the day for our 'graduation exercises' from training." Ken began to tremble violently. "The task we were… were given was to…" He stopped.

Shinobu listened quietly. Although she knew he was upset, she also knew that he was finding away to tell a 'half-truth' as he put it.

At last Ken began again. "My brother and I were part of a gang, and our task was to confront one of rival gangs and kill them all."

Shinobu gasped.

Ken nodded. "Yeah. Anyway, we got there and our targets were a lot stronger than we had been lead to believe, and they brought back up. Still, we fought on, and we may very well had won…" Ken stopped speaking. He was shaking again. "I never saw them coming at me with a double team attack…but onii-chan did. He pushed me out of the way and was able to block the attacks, but…"

Shinobu went up to Ken and embraced him protectively from behind as she saw the tears begin to fall. "It's ok Ken-kun."

Ken gripped her small hands gently. "He was thrown to the street… right into traffic…he never had a chance as the van rounded the corner…" He let go of Shinobu's hands and roughly wiped at his eyes, almost as though he was ashamed to be crying at all. "By the time I got to him…" He shook his head. "The paramedics took his body and closed the ambulance doors. That was the last time I ever saw 'Ichi."

"I'm so sorry Ken…"

"It wasn't you fault Shinobu." Ken cut her off. "I was the one to blame."

"No…" Shinobu began.

"That's what I believed for a long time." Ken finished as he dried the last tear from his face. He turned around and returned Shinobu's hug. "Thank you."

"I didn't do anything." Shinobu insisted.

Ken smiled. "You did." He went back over to the couch and sat down and waited until Shinobu sat as well. "I found out later that my old man was responsible for setting up the fight that my brother and I went into. I blamed them for my brother's death. I wanted to know who these people were and avenge him. That's when I learned just how twisted my old man was. My family had history with the targets in the medieval sense. He used us to try and exact vengeance on them." Ken paused as he felt his anger beginning to surface again. "When he tried to get me to take 'Ichi's name as my own, I finally realized what he was doing."

Shinobu shook her head in confusion. "I don't…"

"He was trying to create his own personal little army. We were replaceable to him." Ken's words hung in the air. "After that point I trained for the sole purpose of becoming strong enough to defeat my father. But I defied him a lot, that's how I got all these scars. His solution for disobedience was to beat it out of me."

"That's terrible." Shinobu whispered.

"Yeah, but I could take it. My sisters couldn't have." Ken looked away. "So whenever they would get in trouble, I would take their place."

"Your father did that!"

Ken shook his head. "No, I did. After 'Ichi died, I vowed that I wouldn't let him hurt anyone I cared about again." He looked back at Shinobu. "Then came "The Incident". My father arranged for my two of my sisters to prepare for 'graduation exercises'. Knowing what was coming, I wanted to tell them what happened to me, but he found out my plans. Before I could say anything, he summoned me to his study and the final straw was placed on the proverbial camels back. That's when I confronted him for the final time." He gripped at the scars on his wrist. "That's how I got these, and the three deep scars on my back."

Shinobu blinked in surprise as Ken spewed off a series of what could only be curses in a language she didn't understand.

"I wasn't strong enough to take him out. I remember him over powering me, and then it all gets hazy. Next thing I know, I'm in a hospital bed with Hotaru in the next bed over." Ken sighed. "I thought we were free, but I was wrong. We just got lost in the confusion of what ever had happened. Now he uses them to hunt us."

"That's the second time you've mentioned 'them'. Who are they?" Shinobu asked.

"My other sisters, and my younger brother."

Shinobu was couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But, why don't you tell them the truth?"

Ken shook his head. "It's been to long. We've all changed to much to have the problem fix itself fast enough to make a difference."

"But you should still try." Shinobu insisted.

"I have Shinobu-chan. Believe me, I have." Ken leaned back in his seat. "It's all to little, to late."

"What? Why?" Shinobu leaned back as well.

Ken shook his head. "The less you know, the safer you'll be."

"I've told you before Ken, I don't like secrets." Shinobu looked at him intently.

Ken sighed. "And I don't like putting the people I care about in danger."

Shinobu blushed.

Ken blushed too as he realized what he said. "Look, all I can tell you is that all the players are gathering. Is that enough?"

Shinobu leaned in against him to rest her head in his shoulder. "No, but it'll do for now."

Ken wrapped his arm around Shinobu. "Sorry." He glanced over at the menu that sat on the table. "So, you still want room service."

Shinobu sighed. "Maybe later."

***

Outside the hotel room door a figure slowly moved away. "To think your weakness is so openly visible." He figure laughed menacingly. "I'll have my revenge yet for what you did to me."

Good? Bad? Other? You all know the drill. Leave me a review and let me know what you think.

Name meanings:

Kenji- strong second son

Ichi- one or first

Moriko – ??? Wouldn't you like to know, ^-^ This will give some insight to the story, so look it up if you want to know, since I don't want to reveal to much just yet. ^_^

Think of it as a contest, anyone who figures it out and lets me know will get an honorable mention in the next chap. 'Till the next, live well all.