-Tricked-
-Disclaimer- I do not own.
-Author's Notes- FF.N wasn't working for me when I wanted to put up the 10th chapter. I wasn't about to change the ending author's notes. No way. Anyway, have fun reading this while I have fun writing it. ^_^ Its been a blast writing for you reviewers!
*Special thanks!
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Chapter 11: Tournament Training Pt. 1
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Yusuke sighed and blinked his eyes. The sunlight was pouring through the windows and blinding him. He didn't remember opening the curtains.. He suddenly became conscious of someone leaning over him. He jumped up and saw that it was Keiko.
"What are you.. Keiko!" He frowned and blushed slightly. He looked away from her and found the floor the most interesting thing in the room.
"Yusuke, Kurama's ready to train. He's been ready for two hours. C'mon!" She said in exasperation.
"Tell him I'll be right out." He said, trying to get her out of his room. She smiled.
"Okay." She left quickly enough and Yusuke let his breath out. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and walked out, going into the bathroom.
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Botan woke up pretty much the same way. She felt someone shaking her.
"Botan!" Yukina said worriedly. Botan sat up and rubbed her eyes.
"What time is it?"
"4:35, why?" Botan fell back onto the bed and groaned.
"Let me guess, Hiei." Yukina nodded and sat down on the bed.
"How are you feeling?" She asked, putting her hand on her friend's forehead.
"Just fine, except for a tad tired and worn out." Botan answered. She sighed and sat back up. "I'll be right out, okay?" Yukina nodded and left the room. Botan found a new training outfit laying on the chair beside her and changed into it. Then she tied the blue ribbon, that was the belt, around her waist and attached the sword. Then she examined herself. The blue matched her hair. She saw that the white outfit was just like her last one, except for the blue parts. She walked out of her room and into the bathroom. She knew Yusuke and the others weren't up yet because it was too early. Besides, Hiei was strict when it came to training. She tied her hair up and washed her face off with cold water. She had a day of fun training to look forward to.
"Are you ready?" Hiei asked when she came out. She nodded.
"As ready as I'll ever be at 4:30 in the morning!" She glared indignantly at him. He snorted and she followed him out with her arms crossed. He led her to their regular training spot and he pulled his sword free. She did the same and got into position. He launched at her at top speed and she jumped out of the way just in time. "Couldn't we warm up first?" She blocked an attack to her shoulder and rolled to side as another blow was aimed at her.
"No." He said simply, jumping behind her. She felt a kick in the back and found herself sprawled out on her back after she finished rolling down the hill. She sat up and used her sword to help pull her up.
"I lost a lot of blood yesterday!" She said with a grunt. Her back started to ache but she ignored it. She was angry that her sensei didn't care whether or not she was tired. He scowled at her and jumped, attacking her from above. She put her sword up and blocked it, her temper flaring. He was an ignorant little.. She gasped when she felt the wind from an attack that she dodged very narrowly. She attacked him this time, using her spirit energy to power it. Her bright amethyst eyes turned violet when he dodged it easily.
"Is that all you can do?" He taunted her. She growled and jumped at him, knocking him over. He stared up at her in amazement then rolled to the side when she tried to punch him. He dodged a few of her kicks and swings then managed to get a few in.
After an hour of this, Botan was just about dead. Or atleast she thought she was. She was laying on the ground under the cool shade of the tree. Yukina found them and gave them breakfast and water. Botan grabbed one of the bottled waters and chugged it. The temperature was starting to rise slightly and the sun was starting to come over the mountains. Botan knew it was dark, but how else was Hiei going to get anywhere in her training if she wasn't prepared? They watched the sunrise then got back to training. Kurama found them and watched for a little until he was fed up with waiting for Yusuke. He went back and found Keiko there so he asked her to wake the boy up.
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Botan eventually got Hiei to agree to give her a break at about 2:30. She then walked around to find Kurama. He had to be somewhere around the temple..
"Kurama-kun?" She called. Where was he when you wanted to see him? As it turned out, Yusuke had wanted a break too, so Kurama was there.
"Botan?" She turned and smiled at him. "How, may I ask, did you get Hiei to give you a break?"
"I kept asking. He got annoyed and gave in. He told me no more than an hour." She replied. He got up and walked over to her, tenderly kissing her lips. It was a quick, but sweet kiss. "How did Yusuke get you to agree to giving him a break?"
"He stood there and refused to fight with me. I couldn't do anything about it. So, I gave him an hour." She smiled.
"You let him off easy. When I get back to training.." She sighed, not wanting to finish the sentence. She plopped down on the porch and he sat down next to her.
"Don't feel bad, Yusuke is gonna get it too." She laughed. It had been a little while since she laughed.
"I feel bad for him."
"Whats that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, nothing." He glared at her then tackled her to the floor.
"Well?"
"I'm not saying a word!"
"Right.." He had her pinned underneath him and he was sitting on her. "Not even if I refuse to let you up?"
"Oh, I'm so scared." She rolled her eyes. He frowned at her. She was in a bad position to be mocking him.
"You should be." She caught the amusement in his gaze and in his voice. She knew he wouldn't do anything to her. She grinned at him then performed a move that Hiei had taught her to get people off you when they were on top. Kurama clung to her. He knew that move and he knew how to stop it. He rolled over until he was back on top and stared defiantly down at her. "Hiei taught you that move, didn't he? I trained with him and we often ended up like this. A few times he was on the bottom and I was punching him but he used that move. I learned how to use some other technique to stop it."
"Well, what if I said you were crushing my insides?" She asked, trying to move from under him.
"I'd tell you to tell me what you meant." He said defiantly. She glowered up at him.
"Idiot."
"Come on." He stated. "I'm still waiting."
"You'll be waiting a while."
"Why don't you tell me?"
"Why don't you get off me?"
"Because you won't tell me." She stared at him. He was so stubborn. He must've had a lot of patience. She struggled for a while.
"Kurama-kun.." She gave him her cutest face that disarmed him for about two seconds. "Please let me up." He stared at her with the same look on his face. "Get off me!" She growled.
"Why, will you bite me?" He asked sarcastically. She snorted.
"Yes! If you let me up then I'll go easy on you." His expression didn't change and he sat there. "Fine, honestly! I meant that I felt sorry for him because you don't exactly go hard on too many people. Sheesh, now let me up." He still sat there with a smirk on his face.
"What if I refuse?" She glared darkly at him.
"I hate you." He feigned hurt and shock. He had to admit, she had picked up on a few of Hiei's dark traits. Like teacher, like student. He grinned evilly. Two could play at that game.
"You know, of course, that I feel that same way. I'm glad all that is out in the open now." Her mood dropped rapidly.
"Really?" Her eyes began to water. She was only playing his game, though. He stared at her, those dark, brooding emerald eyes remaining emotionless. Then he narrowed his eyes.
"Don't give me that look." He said boredly. "I know you're only playing, same as you know I am." Her false tears disappeared and she grinned.
"Well, now that that's out in the open.." She trailed off, looking down. "Can you get off me?" Suddenly, they heard a chuckle and Kurama turned around, still sitting on her.
"Am I interrupting anything?" Yuusuke asked with a grin. Botan blushed and glared at him.
"This oaf will not get off me. He tackled me because I insulted him and this is my punishment." Kurama gazed idly at her and he shifted his position to make himself more comfortable.
"I am not an oaf." He said, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "You're the one who had the brains to insult me."
"Excuse me?" She asked defiantly. "I think it was you that started it by tackling me!"
"You insulted me first." She growled at him and he raised an eyebrow. "Starting that again, are you?" Yuusuke had never seen anything so funny in all his life.
"Get off me!" She moved and tried the technique again. He did the same thing as last time.
"I already told you that it didn't work."
"Shut up." She frowned. "I hope you know that this earns me a lot of extra training time if you make me late. Hiei will not be happy."
"Actually, this quite amusing." A voice said to their right. Hiei smirked at them from his perch in the tree. "I follow you to see why you wanted a break and you get sat on. Lovely."
"You must know why I must punish her then, do you?" At Hiei's nod, he smirked at the brooding female beneathe him. She started growling again and then glaring darkly at him.
"I hate you." She said again. Her eyes were violet pools of anger. She had him set for life.
"Hate me all you want, love. I don't see how that makes the situation any different, now, do you?" The only response was a glare then she looked away from him. She was fuming. "Okay, I think your time is up. Go train. I hope you learned your lesson." He got up and dusted himself off. She avoided him completely, even the slightest contact. He raised his eyebrow.
"See you two later!" She said, her shining eyes smiling at them before she followed Hiei.
"You know, that was the funniest thing I've ever seen." Kurama gazed at his 'student'.
"Yeah, well, you try sitting on top of a fiery female and know that your life ends next time you see her." He said in a calm voice. Yusuke shook his head.
"There isn't any way I'm doing that. You're one brave dead man. I have to admit, if I did that to Keiko.. she'd slap me 'till I couldn't see straight." He rubbed his cheek, imagining the pain he'd be in.
"Time to continue training." Kurama said with a glance at the woods where Botan had been. He shook his head slightly and started walking toward his and Yusuke's training area.
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Kurama sat on the roof of the temple and stared up at the stars. He hadn't had much time to admire the wonderful small balls of fire. The moon was full and provided rich, silvery light for the world below. He wondered why his mind had been doing absolutely no thinking lately. He just acted on impulse a lot. His quiet moment was cherished and stored to memory as he stared at the silver moon. The wonders people went through just to see things up close. He shook his head. Too much work. He prefered to watch it from this distance. The perfect colors melted together and adjusted to each other, making the other seem more magical. For instance, the moon made the stars look like magic fairy dust, just as the stars made the moon look like a large, magical orb of silver fire. Put the dark black sky under it all and you've got a beautiful moment of wonders unimaginable.
"Admiring the sky?" Asked a voice from him. He turned his head slightly and saw Botan, shifting herself to get closer to him and to get comfortable. He smiled.
"Yes." He answered in a whisper. Then, she gently laid her hand on his and caught his attention with a motion she made. He looked to where she gestured. Fireflies. Atleast 15 of them hovered near them. Kurama could have sworn, in the wonders of the moment, that they looked like small fairies, like in the stories.
"All thats missing is a damsel in distress and a knight in shining armor." She said softly. He smiled and bobbed his head slightly. She had the same thoughts as him. Nothing could ruin that moment. He glanced at Botan out of the corner of his eye and saw the way the silver light of the moon reflected in her eyes and made her skin glow with a light silverish tint. Her hair looked like cerulean waters, streaked with a silver light. The music of the night included crickets and other mysterious nightly bugs. The soft hum of a firefly, fluttering near them, soothed and mixed with the other sounds. "Its almost like a magical dream, isn't it?" She looked over a him and smiled.
"It is." He agreed. He wasn't thinking again. His mind cleared of all thought as he just sat there and enjoyed the peace. It was so enchanting and indescribable. He pointed out the constellations to himself, then to Botan. Her eyes twinkled when she smiled at him. In the starlight and moonlight she looked like one they told of in stories. She looked like someone who was wise, powerful, and beautiful.
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The next morning, training went as usual. Botan was up early because Hiei came in her room and poked her with his sword hilt.
"Time to get up." He said in his cold voice. Botan sat up and glared at him.
"You could atleast knock before you come in my room." She said icily as she got up, pushing the covers back and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. It was still dark out. It was starting to brighten but not much. She shooed him out of her room and got her clothes. Then, she took a quick cold shower and got dressed. She then followed him tiredly as they neared their training area.
"We will be doing something different today. I doubt you will need any breaks." He stated bluntly. She glared at him, her temper flaring.
"Fine with me, just tell me what we're doing." He looked at her in a slightly irritated way.
"We're training, student. You are still an amateur in the way of fighting. Your motions need to be faster and more fluent." He said dryly. Botan started fuming. Why that little.. "I have to admit, you have become more graceful and cat-like. I want to improve that skill so that you can sharpen your senses and walk without making so much as a noise." He had interrupted her thinking, knowing that she was angry with him. That would only make her learn easier. The less relaxed she was, the better.
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My favorite scene was the one on the roof and the sitting incident.
Hope this was a good chapter. I like it. *scrolls up and looks at all the hard work* Hopefully its good. I added a bit of humor to make things blend.
-Jess-
-Disclaimer- I do not own.
-Author's Notes- FF.N wasn't working for me when I wanted to put up the 10th chapter. I wasn't about to change the ending author's notes. No way. Anyway, have fun reading this while I have fun writing it. ^_^ Its been a blast writing for you reviewers!
*Special thanks!
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Chapter 11: Tournament Training Pt. 1
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Yusuke sighed and blinked his eyes. The sunlight was pouring through the windows and blinding him. He didn't remember opening the curtains.. He suddenly became conscious of someone leaning over him. He jumped up and saw that it was Keiko.
"What are you.. Keiko!" He frowned and blushed slightly. He looked away from her and found the floor the most interesting thing in the room.
"Yusuke, Kurama's ready to train. He's been ready for two hours. C'mon!" She said in exasperation.
"Tell him I'll be right out." He said, trying to get her out of his room. She smiled.
"Okay." She left quickly enough and Yusuke let his breath out. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and walked out, going into the bathroom.
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Botan woke up pretty much the same way. She felt someone shaking her.
"Botan!" Yukina said worriedly. Botan sat up and rubbed her eyes.
"What time is it?"
"4:35, why?" Botan fell back onto the bed and groaned.
"Let me guess, Hiei." Yukina nodded and sat down on the bed.
"How are you feeling?" She asked, putting her hand on her friend's forehead.
"Just fine, except for a tad tired and worn out." Botan answered. She sighed and sat back up. "I'll be right out, okay?" Yukina nodded and left the room. Botan found a new training outfit laying on the chair beside her and changed into it. Then she tied the blue ribbon, that was the belt, around her waist and attached the sword. Then she examined herself. The blue matched her hair. She saw that the white outfit was just like her last one, except for the blue parts. She walked out of her room and into the bathroom. She knew Yusuke and the others weren't up yet because it was too early. Besides, Hiei was strict when it came to training. She tied her hair up and washed her face off with cold water. She had a day of fun training to look forward to.
"Are you ready?" Hiei asked when she came out. She nodded.
"As ready as I'll ever be at 4:30 in the morning!" She glared indignantly at him. He snorted and she followed him out with her arms crossed. He led her to their regular training spot and he pulled his sword free. She did the same and got into position. He launched at her at top speed and she jumped out of the way just in time. "Couldn't we warm up first?" She blocked an attack to her shoulder and rolled to side as another blow was aimed at her.
"No." He said simply, jumping behind her. She felt a kick in the back and found herself sprawled out on her back after she finished rolling down the hill. She sat up and used her sword to help pull her up.
"I lost a lot of blood yesterday!" She said with a grunt. Her back started to ache but she ignored it. She was angry that her sensei didn't care whether or not she was tired. He scowled at her and jumped, attacking her from above. She put her sword up and blocked it, her temper flaring. He was an ignorant little.. She gasped when she felt the wind from an attack that she dodged very narrowly. She attacked him this time, using her spirit energy to power it. Her bright amethyst eyes turned violet when he dodged it easily.
"Is that all you can do?" He taunted her. She growled and jumped at him, knocking him over. He stared up at her in amazement then rolled to the side when she tried to punch him. He dodged a few of her kicks and swings then managed to get a few in.
After an hour of this, Botan was just about dead. Or atleast she thought she was. She was laying on the ground under the cool shade of the tree. Yukina found them and gave them breakfast and water. Botan grabbed one of the bottled waters and chugged it. The temperature was starting to rise slightly and the sun was starting to come over the mountains. Botan knew it was dark, but how else was Hiei going to get anywhere in her training if she wasn't prepared? They watched the sunrise then got back to training. Kurama found them and watched for a little until he was fed up with waiting for Yusuke. He went back and found Keiko there so he asked her to wake the boy up.
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Botan eventually got Hiei to agree to give her a break at about 2:30. She then walked around to find Kurama. He had to be somewhere around the temple..
"Kurama-kun?" She called. Where was he when you wanted to see him? As it turned out, Yusuke had wanted a break too, so Kurama was there.
"Botan?" She turned and smiled at him. "How, may I ask, did you get Hiei to give you a break?"
"I kept asking. He got annoyed and gave in. He told me no more than an hour." She replied. He got up and walked over to her, tenderly kissing her lips. It was a quick, but sweet kiss. "How did Yusuke get you to agree to giving him a break?"
"He stood there and refused to fight with me. I couldn't do anything about it. So, I gave him an hour." She smiled.
"You let him off easy. When I get back to training.." She sighed, not wanting to finish the sentence. She plopped down on the porch and he sat down next to her.
"Don't feel bad, Yusuke is gonna get it too." She laughed. It had been a little while since she laughed.
"I feel bad for him."
"Whats that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, nothing." He glared at her then tackled her to the floor.
"Well?"
"I'm not saying a word!"
"Right.." He had her pinned underneath him and he was sitting on her. "Not even if I refuse to let you up?"
"Oh, I'm so scared." She rolled her eyes. He frowned at her. She was in a bad position to be mocking him.
"You should be." She caught the amusement in his gaze and in his voice. She knew he wouldn't do anything to her. She grinned at him then performed a move that Hiei had taught her to get people off you when they were on top. Kurama clung to her. He knew that move and he knew how to stop it. He rolled over until he was back on top and stared defiantly down at her. "Hiei taught you that move, didn't he? I trained with him and we often ended up like this. A few times he was on the bottom and I was punching him but he used that move. I learned how to use some other technique to stop it."
"Well, what if I said you were crushing my insides?" She asked, trying to move from under him.
"I'd tell you to tell me what you meant." He said defiantly. She glowered up at him.
"Idiot."
"Come on." He stated. "I'm still waiting."
"You'll be waiting a while."
"Why don't you tell me?"
"Why don't you get off me?"
"Because you won't tell me." She stared at him. He was so stubborn. He must've had a lot of patience. She struggled for a while.
"Kurama-kun.." She gave him her cutest face that disarmed him for about two seconds. "Please let me up." He stared at her with the same look on his face. "Get off me!" She growled.
"Why, will you bite me?" He asked sarcastically. She snorted.
"Yes! If you let me up then I'll go easy on you." His expression didn't change and he sat there. "Fine, honestly! I meant that I felt sorry for him because you don't exactly go hard on too many people. Sheesh, now let me up." He still sat there with a smirk on his face.
"What if I refuse?" She glared darkly at him.
"I hate you." He feigned hurt and shock. He had to admit, she had picked up on a few of Hiei's dark traits. Like teacher, like student. He grinned evilly. Two could play at that game.
"You know, of course, that I feel that same way. I'm glad all that is out in the open now." Her mood dropped rapidly.
"Really?" Her eyes began to water. She was only playing his game, though. He stared at her, those dark, brooding emerald eyes remaining emotionless. Then he narrowed his eyes.
"Don't give me that look." He said boredly. "I know you're only playing, same as you know I am." Her false tears disappeared and she grinned.
"Well, now that that's out in the open.." She trailed off, looking down. "Can you get off me?" Suddenly, they heard a chuckle and Kurama turned around, still sitting on her.
"Am I interrupting anything?" Yuusuke asked with a grin. Botan blushed and glared at him.
"This oaf will not get off me. He tackled me because I insulted him and this is my punishment." Kurama gazed idly at her and he shifted his position to make himself more comfortable.
"I am not an oaf." He said, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "You're the one who had the brains to insult me."
"Excuse me?" She asked defiantly. "I think it was you that started it by tackling me!"
"You insulted me first." She growled at him and he raised an eyebrow. "Starting that again, are you?" Yuusuke had never seen anything so funny in all his life.
"Get off me!" She moved and tried the technique again. He did the same thing as last time.
"I already told you that it didn't work."
"Shut up." She frowned. "I hope you know that this earns me a lot of extra training time if you make me late. Hiei will not be happy."
"Actually, this quite amusing." A voice said to their right. Hiei smirked at them from his perch in the tree. "I follow you to see why you wanted a break and you get sat on. Lovely."
"You must know why I must punish her then, do you?" At Hiei's nod, he smirked at the brooding female beneathe him. She started growling again and then glaring darkly at him.
"I hate you." She said again. Her eyes were violet pools of anger. She had him set for life.
"Hate me all you want, love. I don't see how that makes the situation any different, now, do you?" The only response was a glare then she looked away from him. She was fuming. "Okay, I think your time is up. Go train. I hope you learned your lesson." He got up and dusted himself off. She avoided him completely, even the slightest contact. He raised his eyebrow.
"See you two later!" She said, her shining eyes smiling at them before she followed Hiei.
"You know, that was the funniest thing I've ever seen." Kurama gazed at his 'student'.
"Yeah, well, you try sitting on top of a fiery female and know that your life ends next time you see her." He said in a calm voice. Yusuke shook his head.
"There isn't any way I'm doing that. You're one brave dead man. I have to admit, if I did that to Keiko.. she'd slap me 'till I couldn't see straight." He rubbed his cheek, imagining the pain he'd be in.
"Time to continue training." Kurama said with a glance at the woods where Botan had been. He shook his head slightly and started walking toward his and Yusuke's training area.
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Kurama sat on the roof of the temple and stared up at the stars. He hadn't had much time to admire the wonderful small balls of fire. The moon was full and provided rich, silvery light for the world below. He wondered why his mind had been doing absolutely no thinking lately. He just acted on impulse a lot. His quiet moment was cherished and stored to memory as he stared at the silver moon. The wonders people went through just to see things up close. He shook his head. Too much work. He prefered to watch it from this distance. The perfect colors melted together and adjusted to each other, making the other seem more magical. For instance, the moon made the stars look like magic fairy dust, just as the stars made the moon look like a large, magical orb of silver fire. Put the dark black sky under it all and you've got a beautiful moment of wonders unimaginable.
"Admiring the sky?" Asked a voice from him. He turned his head slightly and saw Botan, shifting herself to get closer to him and to get comfortable. He smiled.
"Yes." He answered in a whisper. Then, she gently laid her hand on his and caught his attention with a motion she made. He looked to where she gestured. Fireflies. Atleast 15 of them hovered near them. Kurama could have sworn, in the wonders of the moment, that they looked like small fairies, like in the stories.
"All thats missing is a damsel in distress and a knight in shining armor." She said softly. He smiled and bobbed his head slightly. She had the same thoughts as him. Nothing could ruin that moment. He glanced at Botan out of the corner of his eye and saw the way the silver light of the moon reflected in her eyes and made her skin glow with a light silverish tint. Her hair looked like cerulean waters, streaked with a silver light. The music of the night included crickets and other mysterious nightly bugs. The soft hum of a firefly, fluttering near them, soothed and mixed with the other sounds. "Its almost like a magical dream, isn't it?" She looked over a him and smiled.
"It is." He agreed. He wasn't thinking again. His mind cleared of all thought as he just sat there and enjoyed the peace. It was so enchanting and indescribable. He pointed out the constellations to himself, then to Botan. Her eyes twinkled when she smiled at him. In the starlight and moonlight she looked like one they told of in stories. She looked like someone who was wise, powerful, and beautiful.
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The next morning, training went as usual. Botan was up early because Hiei came in her room and poked her with his sword hilt.
"Time to get up." He said in his cold voice. Botan sat up and glared at him.
"You could atleast knock before you come in my room." She said icily as she got up, pushing the covers back and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. It was still dark out. It was starting to brighten but not much. She shooed him out of her room and got her clothes. Then, she took a quick cold shower and got dressed. She then followed him tiredly as they neared their training area.
"We will be doing something different today. I doubt you will need any breaks." He stated bluntly. She glared at him, her temper flaring.
"Fine with me, just tell me what we're doing." He looked at her in a slightly irritated way.
"We're training, student. You are still an amateur in the way of fighting. Your motions need to be faster and more fluent." He said dryly. Botan started fuming. Why that little.. "I have to admit, you have become more graceful and cat-like. I want to improve that skill so that you can sharpen your senses and walk without making so much as a noise." He had interrupted her thinking, knowing that she was angry with him. That would only make her learn easier. The less relaxed she was, the better.
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My favorite scene was the one on the roof and the sitting incident.
Hope this was a good chapter. I like it. *scrolls up and looks at all the hard work* Hopefully its good. I added a bit of humor to make things blend.
-Jess-