Author's notes: This story is mostly based on Tekken 4 and the currently (2004) released information on Tekken 5 and its characters. Though some infos were taken from Tekken Official, some situations, events and characters are all fanmade. Rated G
Disclaimer: Kazuya Mishima, Jin Kazama, Asuka Kazama, Heihachi Mishima, Ling Xiaoyu, Jun Kazama, Feng Wei and all Tekken characters referred in this fanfic are the property of NAMCO. This is only a fan fiction from the imagination of an obsessed fan. No copyright infringement intended.
Chapter 7: Kazama
Jin Kazama stared up at the large gates leading to the Mishima estate, a feeling of nostalgia overwhelming him. Six years ago, he had stood in front of these very gates, a frightened, naive boy of fifteen, who trusted and respected his grandfather at first sight. But it was this trust that almost got him killed.
Jin tucked his lips in and stared at the massive Mishima mansion beyond the gates. He had long since decided to leave his life up to Fate. He knew he will soon be overcome by the darkness in his soul; but before that happens, he needed some answers to the questions that had plagued him for most of his life. The chances may be slim, but he still hoped to find those answers in this tournament.
Sighing deeply, Jin walked towards the gates, where he was stopped by two security guards: a young man and the other, a guard in his fifties.
"State your name and purpose."
"Jin Kazama. I'm here to enter the Iron Fist Tournament."
The two guards looked at each other at the mention of the name.
"M-Mr. Kazama! Of course! Come in! Come in!" the older guard stammered and immediately opened the gate.
"Aren't you going to check and see if I have an invitation?" Jin reached for his pocket.
"No need, sir. Please," the guard gestured at the open gate. Jin nodded and entered. When he was a good distance away, the guards relaxed.
"That was Heihachi Mishima's grandson, correct?" the younger guard whispered.
"Yes...and Kazuya Mishima's son," the older guard added.
"Kazuya Mishima?"
"Ex-CEO of this company and son of Heihachi Mishima. That Kazuya's no better than his father...well, okay, maybe a little better. But still, they're both assholes who shouldn't be running this or any company for that matter."
"How long have you been working here, anyway?" the younger guard asked incredulously.
"I was in my 20s when I first worked here," the older guard smiled. "So I was here since the first Iron Fist Tournament. The thing is, Kazuya had Jin Kazama with one of the entrants of the second tournament. A woman by the name of...uhm...Jun Kazama, I think."
"Kazama? Isn't there another Kazama in this year's tournament? You think they could be related?"
"Who knows? Now stop it with that gossip. There's another participant coming..."
On the Mishima Mansion's balcony, an eighteen-year-old Chinese girl stood alone, watching the stars as the wind played with her dark pigtails.
Sighing heavily, Ling Xiaoyu rested her head on her open palm and continued to stare off into space. A lot of things have happened that pulled her deeper and deeper into the Mishima's dark history. After being saved by Yoshimitsu, he had told her everything that had happened...everything that made the Mishimas and most especially Jin, the way they were. Ling felt a sense of obligation to right all the wrongs Heihachi had done in the past and maybe give a brighter future to Jin and to the world.
"Time Machine..." Ling fumbled with her fingers. She was nervous but determined to win this year's tournament since it was the only way she would be allowed to use the time machine made by a mysterious scientist. If she loses, all her hopes of undoing the terrible present would be gone.
"Pretty cold night we're having, eh?" came a girl's voice. Ling turned her head sideways. There, stood a girl, about as tall as she was, with short brown hair. There was something familiar about her eyes. The girl smiled at Ling and held her hand out to shake.
"We're probably the only teenage girls here," she giggled. "I'm Asuka Kazama."
"L...Ling Xiaoyu," Ling's eyes widened as she let go of Asuka's hand. "Did you just say your a Kazama?!"
"Yes," Asuka gave Ling a perplexed look. "Why?"
"There's another..." Ling bit her lip. "How are you related to Jin Kazama?"
"Jin Kazama?" Asuka immersed herself in thought, her brows meeting in the middle. There was definitely some resemblances, Ling thought, especially in the way this girl held herself.
"Nope," Asuka shook her head. "Doesn't ring a bell."
"Really?" Ling raised her eyebrows. "Where are you from, anyway?"
"Osaka."
"Oh. That's far. Well...maybe you're distant relatives or something," Ling shrugged. "You both kinda look alike."
"Really?" it was Asuka's turn to raise her eyebrows. She had never really known anyone by the name of Jin Kazama. She had thought that all Kazamas were concentrated in the Osaka region.
"You have almost the same nose and eyes," Ling noted.
"Why are you talking so much about Jin? Is he your boyfriend or something?" Asuka asked innocently.
"No! No! Of course not!" Ling blushed. "He's a friend from way back. And...I think he's going to be entering this tournament too."
Asuka blinked rapidly at the information. She hadn't really gone through the list of fighters yet. She had just arrived and after settling in her room, had decided to check out the balcony, where she found Ling. She was only too happy to find someone to talk to, especially one her age.
"Are you entering too? Or are you just visiting?" Asuka put her elbows on the marble railing.
"I've been entering this competition since the third Iron Fist Tournament," Ling informed. "Doesn't look like it, huh?"
"No," Asuka shook her head, her eyes wide. "How old are you?"
"I was sixteen when I first entered. I'm eighteen now. I reckon you're not much older yourself, are you?"
"I'm seventeen," Asuka seemed to shrink in her spot. Here was a girl, about the same age as she was, and already a veteran of the tournament. She was only a newbie. How could she win now?
"Get a hold of yourself, Asuka!" her mind wailed. "You didn't come here to win! You came here to take on Feng Wei and nothing more."
"Hey! I think that's him!" Ling shook her new friend's shoulder and pointed down by the fountain. Asuka turned to look. Walking towards the entrance of the building, was a young man with flaring black hair, thick eyebrows and a rather pale complexion. Though he was very good-looking, the somber expression he wore wasn't really helping.
"Jin! Jin!" Ling waved her hand. "Up here, Jin!"
Jin Kazama looked up and gave a tight smile when he saw his former classmate. He raised his hand and gave a small nod at Ling, though his eyes were fixed on the person beside her. It certainly wasn't Miharu, Xiaoyu's best friend from Mishima High School.
"Come on. Let's go meet him downstairs," Ling invited and sped off. Asuka had to run twice as fast to catch up with the over-excited girl. When they arrived on the first landing, Jin was already standing on the foyer, waiting for them to come down.
"Jin! I'm so happy to see you!" Ling grabbed at Jin's arm. She wanted to hug him, but she thought it would be too impulsive. Plus, there was Asuka to consider.
"How've you been, Ling?" Jin asked, his voice, quite solemn.
"Fine," Ling shrugged. "Oh, by the way, this is a new participant of the tournament. Her name's Asuka Kazama and she's seventeen years old. Asuka Kazama, meet Jin Kazama."
"How do you do?" Asuka did a small bow and held her hand out.
"Kazama?" Jin asked with interest, shaking Asuka's hand quickly.
"I had the same reaction," Ling observed. "She's from Osaka. Maybe you two are related."
"Maybe," Jin pressed his lips together and swallowed. "Excuse me, ladies. I...I need to rest now. Good luck on the tournament."
"See you soon, Jin," Ling called as Jin hurried up the staircase.
"Break a leg," Asuka whispered sarcastically in a singsong voice. "Jeez, he's uptight."
"You don't like him?"
"If you meet someone for the first time with the same surname as you, wouldn't you like to get to know him or her a little better? That guy barely spoke a word to me."
"Yeah...I don't know what's wrong with him..." Ling sighed, her determination to win fueled by the troubled look in Jin's eyes.
"Another Kazama...another Kazama..."
Jin paced around his room, double-checking the list of fighters to make sure it was right. There was no denying it. That girl's name was Asuka Kazama.
"But how could that be?!" Jin thought. "Mother never mentioned anything about her or any relatives from Osaka!"
Jin sat heavily on his bed, now more confused than ever. He came to this tournament for answers; not for more questions.
Of course, he wanted to know exactly who she was but he couldn't ask her. Not in front of Ling. He tried to reason that Asuka could be a distant relative and that he should leave it at that.
"But why can't I get it out of my mind?!" Jin dragged his palm across his face and breathed out exasperatedly. There was just something about that girl that really troubled him. He didn't know why, but he saw some connection between them that went beyond their surnames.
Jin stood up and threw the list on his dresser. He hurried towards the door. He came here for answers so he might as well get to the easy ones first...
"Thanks for making me feel at home," Asuka smiled gratefully at Xiaoyu. "I feel better already."
"No biggie," Ling smiled back. "I'm just happy to have another teenage girl around. Everyone's just so much older than me before. At least now I get to be a little older but I dunno if it feels so good..."
The two girls looked at each other and let out a hearty laugh.
"Well," Asuka held out her hand again. "Good luck in the competition."
"You too," Xiaoyu shook Asuka's hand. "And if we get to fight, you better not hold back."
"You too. Bye now," Asuka giggled and started for her room. It had been fun hanging out with Ling Xiaoyu. Now, she was even more eager to see just how well she does in battle.
Asuka hurried to her door and took out the key from her pocket. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her...and it wasn't a very friendly one. In a flash, she bent down and did a floor swipe but the person dodged that by jumping so she resorted to a double high-kick and several moves that seemed instinctive to her...until one of her kicks was blocked by the strong arm of Jin Kazama. The two Kazamas had a staring match before they finally stepped away from each other.
"What's wrong with you?!" Asuka cried out. "You could've given me a heart attack! Jeez!"
"Where did you learn that?!" Jin demanded, his eyes, wide.
"Learn what?!" Asuka scowled. "Hmph! Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to--"
Jin grabbed Asuka's arm, preventing her escape. It was clear by his expression that he was in complete shock.
"My mother's moves!" Jin pointed out. "Where did you learn that?!"
"Your mother's moves?!" Asuka repeated, pulling her arm away from Jin's tight grip. "What are you talking about?! I got my moves from my father! We have a dojo at Osaka! The Kazama-ryu has been in my family for generations!"
"Your...father?"
"Yes, my father. Now, will you please explain to me the purpose of your attack?!"
"What attack? You were the one who started kicking like crazy!"
"Well, you shouldn't sneak up on people like that!"
Jin rolled his eyes and shook his head. This was going to be harder than he thought.
"Look. I'm sorry if I was rude," he apologized. "But I couldn't ask you questions with Ling around."
"Why not? She's your friend."
"It's complicated."
"Why is it complicated?"
"Didn't I just say I'll be the one asking the questions?!"
"No, you didn't! You just said you can't ask me questions with Ling around!"
The two Kazamas glared at each other. They certainly were getting off on the wrong foot. After what seemed like forever, Jin broke away.
"Fine. I ask a question, then you, and vice versa," Jin tilted his head slightly to see if Asuka agreed.
"If that's what you want," Asuka grumbled. Jin's behavior was getting in to her nerves but her curiosity got the best of her.
"We need to go someplace where we can talk privately," Jin motioned for Asuka to follow him. Still pouting Asuka reluctantly followed him deep within the mansion.
Chapter 8