Yup, this is me, shukuchi, on the 28th of May (and this is me, ladyknightsaiyu, her typist on the 16th of June). If you reviewed more, maybe I'd update quicker (grumble grumble). Seriously, thanks, I love the reviews, even the flames (cuz then I can go "HA find something wrong with this!) Please keep reviewing. Chapter 5 was the only one so far I haven't considered not putting up, I still put them all up but...I'm pretty proud of the last one. I hope Raiha isn't cheering up too quickly. If anyone cares, Raijin'll be tied up for a while.

Too bad. I like Raijin.

Anyways... I was actually waiting to update this until the next one was typed and I could put them both up at the same time(warning: mediocre chapter), but... oh well.

Gaah, must write chapter 8 relatively soon....

Oh yeah, FoR and its characters aren't mine. To the story!!!!

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"So Fuuko-san, want to train?"

Her main response to my innocently proposed question is to jump about five feet into the air and glare at me. I guess I did sneak up on her, just a little bit, but why get so worked up over that?

"It's just that considering I have no Uruha or assassins to attack on whim, my fighting skills are turning to mush. Besides," I pause to think of an appropriate compliment, "there doesn't seem to be anyone near your level around for you to train with. So it can't hurt to brush up on your skills, can it?"

She grumblingly mutters, "Yeah, Recca and Domon couldn't hit me if I was half asleep on a Monday. I guess we can train, as long as it's Madougu- less."

Ah yes. Fuujin is currently weak and effectively useless. What a sad fate for so great a weapon...

But you could change all of that. Just give her the main crystal...

NO!!! I will not-

"Uh, hello?" Fuuko-san waves a hand in my face and my eyes (and mind) refocus.

"Sorry, Fuuko-san, I guess I zoned out there for a moment," I embarrassedly chirp while rubbing the back of my head. "So when can we start?"

With a droll expression and raised eyebrows she responds, "Uh...now? I'm no the kind of person who has a really full schedule."

"Okay." I awkwardly chatter, "Guess we'll have to find a good spot for it."

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A few minutes later, Fuuko-san's led me to an appropriate forest that (I hope) wouldn't be missed if accidentally leveled. I smile and scratch an "X" on a nearby tree with a shuriken. "There, Fuuko-san, that'll be your target."

In the next few minutes, I find myself watching as the tree is subjected to more stabbing, punching, and kicking than is seen even at the average Uruha meeting. My mouth opens wide in horror that I quickly repress as I acknowledge a simple fact: her form's horrible! This will take a lot more work than anticipated.

To change the subject of my thoughts, I nervously ask, "So...what do you want to learn how to do? So far you seem," I quickly swallow, "Pretty good."

She raises an eyebrow as she exuberantly announces, "Pretty good?" I was on the winning team in the Urubutosatsujin, so you can bet that I'm more than just "pretty good." I'm rather proud of my skills. There is one thing that I'd like to do, though." I smilingly cock my head with an expression of interest and beckon her to continue. "Well the thing is that the student council election's coming up soon, and I HATE THE CANDIDATES!!!! They're all so annoying preppy "I'm so, like pretty and cool so worship me" people so I'd just love to see them realize they lost the big popularity contest that the student council is."

Wow.

There's a lot of "blink blink"ing on my part. "Isn't the student council supposed to contain the people who can do the most to improve the school?"

The response she gives is to put a hand on her head and roll her eyes. "My, aren't we naïve? You think anyone other than Yanagi-chan cares about the school?"

My eyes widen in surprise Is this my introduction to a new world that equals mine in the depth of emotions even if it contains less physical pain? But her eyes are carefree and I'm just being paranoid. Not everyone has lived my life or thought my thoughts and I resume the conversation with no hint of bitterness in my voice. "So you want me to help you sabotage the election? How do I help with that? I mean, I'm not even involved with the school, are you sure I should be interfering?"

Sparks of annoyance swim through the sea of emeralds known as her eyes as she growls, "You don't have to do anything! Just teach me how! Don't you have any weird ninja technique that might help?" I can practically hear the thought, 'what a wimp.'

"Uhn.." Sabotaging elections is on the list of things I've never even thought of doing, much less tried to. There's ways it could be done, I just don't happen to know what they are. "Fuuko-san, how bout this? I'll train you in lots of ninja techniques and you see if you can figure out how to do it with their help, ok?"

Most of the angry flame in her eyes and aura is gone but not enough that I can entirely relax. However, she is calm enough to coherently answer my question. "Alright. Guess we'll have to figure out a general time..."

"Actually, I can just stay here in my free time and you can come by whenever you feel like it. I don't really have anything better to do, so..."

"Good. I'll come when I can. See ya!" She flashes the competitive grin that gained her many fans at the UBS before departing. I raise my own handful of shuriken and gradually return to my usual patterns of training...

I guess I'll just wait for her to come back. Boy is my life boring....

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