DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Lupin III franchise. So, there. Go away.

Hey, guys!

With summer coming, not really much to talk about. I hope everyday that they'll bring Lupin back to cartoon network. The prices for the DVDs are outrageous—I hope that maybe they'll bring it back someday soon. I know I'm not the only one who thinks this. Well, as always, enjoy reading this next segment, and, also as always, please, please review. See ya!

'But the fool on the hill,

Sees the sun going down,

And the eyes in his head,

See the world spinning 'round,'

--The Beatles, 'The Fool on the Hill'

Chapter Ten

A Few Days Later: Devil Woman

A Tokyo, Japan, Bathhouse:

"Nothing like relaxing after nearly being nearly blown to bits…" Fuji sighed as she laid back in the hot tub, and smiled. She opened one eye, and watched as a rubber duck floated past her. She looked over, and Heiji shrugged innocently, and grabbed the rubber duck, and set it aside.

"Especially when it's in a familiar turf," Ryo added.

"Jeeze, Ryo, I didn't know you had full arms, with all of those bracelets you usually wear!" Heiji laughed.

"Hey, Yuki, it's about time!" said Fuji as she looked upward and watched Yukiko enter the room, wearing a white two-piece bathing suit and her fedora.

"Sorry," Yukiko shrugged as she seated herself next to Toshiro, who looked down at her with surprise.

"I guess I have to get that car now," he chuckled lightly.

Yukiko raised her eyebrows with surprise, and quickly went to speaking to Odori, "Dori, you look like a drowned cat!"

"Yeah, I thought fish liked water!" Heiji chuckled. Odori silently pulled Zantetsu from behind her, and swung it once, and therefore slashing his rubber duck in half. Heiji frowned, and looked at his slain duck, and after a few moments pause, Heiji slowly removed his glasses, and then lunged for Odori with surprising grace. Odori disappeared under the water, and Heiji soon followed. Both kept up this argument, until they heard a moan of horror which caused everyone to silence and look over in the direction of Ally, who had busied himself by reading an American newspaper.

"What's up with you? You look like someone stopped you from running over their puppy…" said Yukiko as she lifted up her fedora.

"A team from the Southern U.S. is competing the Stanely Cup finals!" Ally grumbled, "Jeeze… I don't believe it! They don't even have ice down there! I might as well take Odori's stupid sword and cut myself up like a fish now! I just feel like I was stabbed in the stomach!"

"Better than shot through the heart," Yukiko said to herself with a shudder.

"Excuse me, I have to go hunt something down, before I get even more depressed…" grumbled Ally as he rose out of the hot tub, threw a towel over his shoulders, and grabbed his pistol.

"Wow… He's very brave to walk out in the middle of rush hour in Tokyo carrying a gun and wearing nothing a blue Speedo," said Heiji after a pause.

"He's brave now, but he's going to be freezing when he remembers that there's a cold front…" said Odori plainly. A few moments later, Ally ran back in, and jumped into the hot tub, soaking everyone, and landing on a baffled Toshiro's lap. Ally grimaced, and moved off of Toshiro.

"Why didn't anyone tell me it was so cold out there!?" Ally shivered.

"Because you blew out of here like the spring breeze," replied Odori.

"Um, excuse me…" an attendant entered room through a thin paper sliding door, "Is there an Ishikawa, Odori present?"

"Yes," Odori nodded, and rose out of the hot tub, "Why?"

"This came for you," she passed her a letter, and Odori nodded her thanks to the attendant. Odori opened the letter slowly, and scanned over it once before grabbing Zantetsu and running out of the establishment.

"Odori!" Toshiro called, and rose out of the tub. He looked downward, and saw the letter on the ground. He bent down, and opened the letter, and scanned over it quickly, as well. It was written in Hiragana handwriting, and written in precise penmanship.

Dear Ms. Ishikawa,

I have been told of your superb fighting skills with the legendary Zantetsu, and I believe none of it. I find it hard that such a petite woman could handle such power. I dare you to prove it me. Meet me in the Kami Temple Courtyard this evening. See you there.

--Miyamoto Musashi XIV

"Musashi?" frowned Toshiro, "Where have I heard that?"

"Samurai Matinee Sundays," replied Heiji. All stopped, and looked back at him, "What? None have you have ever seen a Toshiro Mifune movie in your life?"

"I have. Toshiro Mifune is the reason I'm stuck with my name," replied Toshiro, crumpling the paper is his hand and growling.

"Well, don't worry—Don't let Dad know this, but 'Goemon' sounds like a new type of Pokemon, to me," said Heiji.

"How reassuring," Toshiro grumbled.

"Come on, guys," Fuji sighed as she rose out of the tub, "Guess I can't even get five seconds rest without having to save someone's ass around here… Heiji, I want more information on Miyamoto."

"Usagi Yojimbo," added Heiji.

"He's a bunny?" frowned Ryo.

Heiji sighed, "I'm such a nerd for knowing this, but… It's based around Miyamoto's life. He was a famous samurai, as well as an accomplished artist, from what I hear."

"He boil anyone alive in oil?" inquired Toshiro as everyone exited the room and walked towards the changing rooms.

"Not that I know," shrugged Heiji.

"Good. Well, that's out of the way," Toshiro replied as he exited into the changing room, followed by Ally and Heiji, and nearly Fuji, who had begun to veer to the men's changing room, but was stopped by Ryo.

"Aw, Ryo-san, you ruin all of my fun!" Fuji moaned.

"Calm it, girl, before I throw some cold water on you," Ryo replied as she led Fuji into the women's changing room, where they found Odori's belongings gone, and her locker open, "Well, someone was a little excited to get their ass beat…."

"Why do you think she'll lose?" inquired Yukiko.

"Because she's still a kid," replied Fuji, "She's our youngest member, remember."

"Yeah, but I don't think you think she'll lose because of that…. It's because it's Odori, and to her, there's no such thing as 'p1anning ahead'. There's only 'rush forward and kill'," added Yukiko.

"Well, let's go grab her, before she loses too much blood," sighed Ryo as she finished changing and loaded her gun. Yukiko lit a cigarette, which Ryo promptly removed and placed in her mouth, and the three exited the room.

The Kami Temple Gardens, a Short while Later:

"MIYAMOTO!" Odori yelled at the top of her lungs as she stepped foot beyond the Tori of the garden, and held onto her sword, "Come out, you chauvinist cur!" She drew out her sword, and looked around, for any sign of Miyamoto.

"HYAA!!" a figured burst out of the darkness, and lunged towards Odori, who quickly rolled away and landed kneeling on one kneel, Zantetsu drawn. The figured disappeared, but Odori heard him from behind, and spun around. The darkened figure ducked down, but lost his balance, and toppled over a stone bench, and into a koi pond.

"Oh, great…." He moaned as he spat out a trail of water and pulled himself out of the pond, "I suppose you really are as good as they say…"

"Damn right," Odori snapped, "Now what's going on!? Why did you bring me hear!?"

"I… I…" Odori looked downward, stunned, and the wannabe attacker bowed down before her humbly, "I want you to take me as your pupil!"

"What!?" Odori gulped, taking a step back in shock, "My…"

"Your pupil!?" she swerved around, and saw a stunned Toshiro, amongst the rest of the group.

"Tee-hee… Dori found a Flounder to go swim with," Heiji chuckled.

"Shut up!" growled Odori. She looked downward, "Miyamoto?"

"Yes?" he looked upward.

"Get up!" Odori snapped.

"Hai, Sensai!" he nodded, and rose from the ground.

"Sensai! Don't call me that!" growled Odori as she walked to the group, only to find Miyamoto walking behind her. She swerved around to face him, and growled, "Why are you following me like some sort of puppy!?"

"Please, I must become a great swordsman!" Musashi begged, "I'm like my ancestors, in the fact that I received their artist skills, but I lack in fighting ability!"

"He looks kind of like a bunny rabbit, though…" Heiji muttered to Toshiro. Toshiro smirked, and nodded quietly.

"I need to be a good swordsman, so I can win back the treasure of my family, and reclaim its honor! I am the only survivor of the Miyamoto clan. Please, help me, Sensai!" Musashi said to Odori.

"I… Just, please let go of my gi," Odori begged as she looked downward at Miyamoto.

"Ah, yes, of! But, will you help me?" inquired Musashi.

"I suppose…" sighed Odori.

"Domo arigato!" he said, bowing to an obviously embarrassed Odori.

"Hey, why did you go to her, anyway?" inquired Heiji.

"I were told you were an out of shape pale nerd—And that you were an annoying-sounding Broadway dancer," replied Musashi.

"Well, at least you didn't terribly hurt our feelings," muttered Heiji after a pause.

"Thank you very much, Sensai. Do you think we could start training soon?" asked Musashi.

"Certainly—AND DON'T CALL ME SENSAI!" Odori growled.

"Damn… She can get pretty evil-looking when she wants…" Yukiko frowned, lifting her hat from her eyes.

"And I thought Dad got bitchy when I tried to use Zantetsu to cut a watermelon…" muttered Heiji.

Later, the Ishikawa Residence:

"Papa, Odori's here! With a boy!" said one of the Ishikawa children as she peered out of the window at the edge of the property.

"What?" Goemon practically tripped over one of the smaller children in order to look out the window with his daughter, and looked in awe as he matched Musashi follow Odori, "Amaya, quickly!"

"What, what's wrong?" Amaya asked hurriedly, running out of the kitchen.

"Look," he held the curtain back for his wife, and watched as her jaw dropped.

"What if she's marrying him?" Amaya whispered, "Do you think she met him in America? What if he's a doctor, or a lawyer!? Well, it'd be good if he were a doctor…"

"He is dressed in a gi, so I can perhaps place his values," replied Goemon as he placed the curtain back and stood back. The door opened, and Odori stood in the doorway, seemingly confused by her mother's immediate embrace.

"I was only gone a few weeks, Mom!" Odori choked.

"And who is this?" inquired Amaya as she looked back at Musashi.

"My pupil…" replied Odori.

"Your…. Pupil?" Goemon frowned.

"Yes," Musashi nodded, "Your daughter is teaching me to be a great swordsman, much like you were, and she is!"

"Oh, so you think she's a great…. Swordswoman?" Amaya swallowed dryly.

"Yes," Musashi nodded in response. "And may I add that it is a great honor to meet the great Ishikawa Goemon. You and the Lupin gang were my idols when I was a child!"

"A child?" Goemon muttered under his breath, thinking over how this made him sound aged.

"Yes. I couldn't have been more than four when I first heard of you!" Musashi added in a laugh.

"Four…" Goemon shook his head, "I'm going to get a drink…"

"No alcohol!" Amaya called as Goemon exited into the kitchen, "It's bad for your heart!"

"Yes…" Goemon sighed.

"And don't forget your afternoon pills!"

"Un-hmm."

"And—"

Goemon stuck his head out of the kitchen doorway, and looked at Amaya tiredly, "Write me a list, and leave it somewhere where I might find it."

"Okay," Amaya nodded, and turned back to Odori and Musashi, "Now, may I get you both something to drink?"

"No," Odori replied before Musashi could think to speak, "We must train. We'll both be in the dojo."

"All right!" Amaya called, "Dinner will be at seven!"

"Won't need it!" Odori replied as she walked through a long hall, and slid the wooden panel to reveal a large wooden room, "Here we are…"

"Yes. Let's get started!" said Musashi excitedly, smiling and drawing his sword.

Four hours later, Miyamoto was barely breathing, and Odori was just warming up.

"Come on, what's wrong!?" Odori asked.

"You… You're quite the fighter…" he replied as he slid down onto the floor of the gym, "And a good hitter, too. Do you do anything else well? Have any other hobbies? Like model ship building?"

"I don't think that falls under the category of your business," replied Odori as she sheathed her sword and seated herself on the floor.

"Sorry," Musashi chuckled, "Anyway… Where are your friends now?"

"Probably goofing off," Odori grumbled, "All right—Break's over. Let's go for another four hours."

"Four!?"

"Yes, you're right… Let's go for five, this time."

"Five!?"

"You want six?"

"No, no…. Five will do."

A Hotel in Osaka:

"Ally, come here, will ya?" Ryo demanded as she sat seated at her dresser.

"Yeah, what?" Ally inquired, "Hey, what are you doin'!?" He yelped as his sister went to apply rouge to his face.

"There's no mirror here, and your skin tone's the same as mine. I want to see how it looks," replied Ryo.

"I don't trust this Miyamoto guy," said Yukiko from the couch where she laid reclined.

"I wouldn't trust anyone if I were in your position, either," admitted Heiji, who busied himself playing a video game, "Speaking of not trusting, anyone seen Fuji lately? She's sure taking a long time to get a hamburger."

Yukiko sat there a few moments silently before rising off of the couch and walking out of the room, "I'm getting a cigarette."

"I'll go talk to her," sighed Toshiro after a pause of silence from the group. He rose from the seat where he had been reading, and walked out of the room, and into the hallway, where Yukiko was smoking a cigarette. He leaned against the wall next to her, and smirked.

"Gonna share?" he inquired. Yukiko nodded, and handed him a cigarette, and lit it for him after he placed it in his mouth. After the first drag, Toshiro began to cough wildly, and he extinguished the cigarette, "It's been a while." He admitted in a chuckle.

"I wouldn't recommend it. It's a bad habit," replied Yukiko as she took another drag, "Hey, you remember when we were kids, and I took you driving?"

"How could I forget? It was possibly the most traumatic experience of my life—Next to seeing my father disguised as a woman several times over the years. Why do you ask?"

"I just… You want to go driving sometime? Just you and me on the road—We can take that stupid Vespa of yours! Drive through Europe, or something!"

"That sounds good, Yuki," Toshiro nodded, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

"No, I mean, are you all right?" he implored.

Yukiko breathed in deeply, "Nah, but, what am I going to do?"

"If you ever want to talk, I'm still your friend. Remember that," Toshiro patted her on the shoulder, "I'm going to get some ice…" he called as he walked down the hall.

"'Kay. I'm goin' in!" shouted Yukiko in return.

"Sounds good!" Toshiro replied as he turned to the right, stopped, and banged his head against the wall tiredly, "How long am I going to be able to keep this up? She probably hasn't even thought of it before, but… No, no—I have a good friendship, and I need to keep it at that. A professional friendship!" he said firmly, "But is that really all I want in life?" he inquired as an afterthought.

Paris, France:

"Max, why are they clapping?" Leo mumbled as both walked down towards the chief's office to the sound of clapping officers.

"Maybe the Commissioner's got a loaded rifle on the other side of the door," Max replied blankly.

"Hey, the Commish ain't in today!" shouted an officer, "Got some good news for the both of you, though!"

"Yeah?" both perked up at the sound of this.

"While you were gone, we gave out our annual awards," said the officer.

"You don't say…" mumbled Leo.

"Here we go," Max rolled his eyes, and covered his face.

"Yep," the officer nodded, and passed the two a sheet of paper, "You made the office's Couple of the Year. Congrats, lovebirds."

"You smartasses!!!" growled Max.

"Wow, that's a nice font they used for the award. And they spelt my name right…" said Leo, "You see, they usually spell it—"

"I don't care!" Max grumbled, "Let's get the newest Lupin file!" he said, pulling Leo along by the jacket to the desk of a fellow employee, "We need the latest update on Lupin IV!"

"Still at large, thanks to the brilliant detective work of Mr. and Mrs. Zenigata," replied the officer blandly.

"Now, before I force your head through that water cooler!" demanded Max.

"Here," he sighed, passing the two a folder, "And I'll need your report…."

"Here you go," Leo replied, passing him a neatly typed report.

"Fancy staples," he muttered as he threw the file into a bin and went back to work, "Have fun in Japan, guys. Go visit the relatives…"

"My family lives in San Francisco!" Max replied.

"Doesn't surprise me," he said quietly.

"C'mon, Leo. We're out," said Max, leading LeBlanc back to the exit of the building.

The officer chuckled to himself, and reached for his bin of paperclips, only to find it gone, "Now, what the hell happened to that?"

"LeBlanc, are you rattling?" inquired Max.

"Ah, yeah. Got to through some trash away," Leo smirked, walking over to the desk of an employee and silently slipping a bin of paperclips onto her desk.

"Hey, you took my paperclips!" said the officer whom Leo had robbed to the female officer.

"What?" she looked upward, "I did no such thing!"

"Look, there they are! Right there!" he yelled, pointing to the paperclips.

"Well, I didn't do it…"

"Yeah, right…"

"Are you calling me a liar!?" she inquired, rising to face him.

"Maybe I am," he replied, crossing his arms, "What are you going to do about it?"

"This!" she answered throwing his paperclip bin across the room into a fish tank on another employee's desk. She looked up, and shot a death glare, and soon was in the argument, as well. After a short while, the entire office was embroiled in an argument, while Max watched, stunned, and Leo tried to fake a stunned expression.

"They had it coming…" grumbled Max.

"Yep, they sure did. Isn't fate weird?" Leo chuckled as he exited with Max, "Come on, I'll buy you coffee."

"Really?"

"Sure! Anything for my loving husband!" Leo replied.

"You little—C'mere!" Leo broke off into a run, followed by Max. As they ran to the car, Leo made sure to yell 'Spousal Abuse!' as he dodged Max. And during this, two old men playing a game of checkers at a market across the street shook their heads and wondered where Leo and Max's generation had gone awry.

Back in Tokyo:

"It's three A.M…. Time to quit…" said Odori as she sheathed her sword once more.

"Finally," Musashi puffed, "You're a demon with that sword!"

"I'm only a novice," replied Odori quietly.

"No, you're great! I've never seen anyone so good!"

"No, my father… He is—was—A master… Better than I could ever be…"

"Well, I'm sure if you work hard enough, you—"

"No. Not it my lifetime," answered Odori, "And, I—"

"Am I missing anything?" they heard, and turned to see Fuji in the window.

"Where did you come from!?" Musashi yelped.

"I was just checking in…" replied Fuji as she shrugged and jumped into the dojo, "You really beat his ass, neh, Dori?"

"It was all part of the plan," replied Odori, "Now what's the story, Fuji?"

"Well, I just heard about exactly what your family's treasure is, Miyamoto, and I want to help you out," said Fuji, going to shake Musashi's hand.

"For a cut," replied Musashi, "Sorry, no."

"Well, I was nice. If I can't help you, then I'll just take it," said Fuji with a shrug, "It'll just be me. Never mind the other guys. As far as they know, I'm getting a hamburger."

"Why are you doing this, Fuji?" inquired Odori.

"Dori-kun…. Walk with me, talk with me…" Fuji said, walking with Odori and putting an arm around her shoulders, "This is the Miyamoto family treasure. Heiji-chan found it on the Internet for me…."

"That's a lot of gold," said Odori in a wide-eyed whisper.

"I know. Hey, he won't need it all, anyway—He's the last one left in his clan! I know I sound like a complete bastard, but that's how I am, you know? Just like Daddy. It's better that we get a cut in it than get nothing at all!"

"But why not all of the others, too?" asked Odori.

"Because they've all been pissy lately… Ryo stole my last boyfriend, Ally's still sulking over that stupid hockey game, Yukiko's been depressed over that Spanish guy, Toshiro's been watching over Yukiko in case she decides to freakin' off herself and Heiji's obsessing over this new video game! You're all I've got!"

"Well, I… All right. But only if Miyamoto agrees to it," replied Odori.

"Well," Fuji brushed her hair aside, "I guess it's time to turn on the ole' feminine charm, then!"

"Not in my parents' house, with six minors! And if my father sees you, he'll have a—"

"Heart attack?" Fuji finished. Odori grumbled, and gripped onto her sword.

"Fine," Odori sighed, "Now go home, all right!?"

"Yeah. Have fun with your boy, now, 'kay? I'm goin' home!" chuckled Fuji as she exited the dojo through the window once more, "Have a little fun for me, Odori! And don't be too hard on him!"

"Don't worry! I'll know to give it a rest when he begins to sweat blood!" Odori shouted in return, leaving Miyamoto obviously nervous.