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. This is also the sequel to my previous fanfics, Tekken 5: The Kazama-Mishima Connections & The Kazama-Mishima Connections 2. Rated G
Disclaimer: Kazuya Mishima, Jun Kazama, Jin Kazama, Asuka Kazama, Wang Jinrei, Ling Xiaoyu, Hwoarang, Steve Fox 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 26: Berries
"Let me go! Let me go!" a four-and-a-half year old Jin struggled against the ropes that wrapped tightly around his small body.
"Shush, young man! You're already in big trouble as it is!" Mr. Hikimori, one of Jin's nursery school teachers, scolded and knocked on the cottage door.
"I'll bite you again! I swear I will!" Jin threatened but the man was unfazed. The door slid open and out came the shocked face of his mother, Jun Kazama.
"J-Jin!" Jun regained her composure and pulled the boy towards her. "What did you do this time!"
"I'll tell you what he did!" Mr. Hikimori interrupted, showing her a reddish mark on his arm. "Your son just bit me! Before that, he punched two of the students! He wouldn't stop and so we had to tie him up!"
"Jin, is this true!" Jun asked sternly, cupping her son's face to make him look at her but he simply shifted his eyes away.
"I suggest you implement a harder method of discipline on your son, Ms. Kazama," Mr. Hikimori handed Jun a piece of paper. "The other parents are complaining of his behavior so we had no choice but to suspend him...again."
Jun pressed her lips together and took the suspension papers. Mr. Hikimori pivoted sharply and hurried down the dirt path.
"Kami..." Jun shook her head and threw the paper on a nearby table. She led her boy in, quickly untying the ropes that were beginning to chafe his skin.
"My God, Jin! Why did you go and do that!"
"They started it!" Jin declared his usual excuse.
"That's not the point, Jin. The point is you punched two little boys."
"They weren't little, Mama. They were big!" he spread his arms wide emphatically. "They were already six and seven!"
"Six and...Jin, you know I don't like it when you lie."
"I'm not lying, Mama. You remember Kutaro and Mito?"
"Them again?" Jun sighed. "They're Mrs. Takano's kids."
"Them," Jin walked past her and spun around, doing some signature Kazama moves. "I gave them a left, and a right, and a kick here and--"
"Jin, I didn't teach you the Kazama-ryu to bully the weak."
"They were the bullies," Jin made an annoyed face, which strangely, made his mother look away. "I was just playing when they called me something bad."
"Something bad?"
"They called me a bas...tard. Yeah, a bastard," he nodded in confirmation. "I don't know what it means but it sounded bad. So, I got angry and punched them. Even Mrs. Takano called me a bastard child. Mama, what's a bastard?"
Suddenly, Jun pulled Jin to a tight embrace.
"Jin, just promise me you won't do that again," she whispered in a shaky voice.
"I don't want to promise, Mama," Jin retorted softly. "You said we should always keep our promises. I don't want to promise because I'm not sure if I can keep it."
A moment of silence.
"Mama?"
"It's still early," Jun looked out the window. "There's still time for your first punishment."
"Punishment?" Jin squeezed his brows together.
"Berries," Jun smiled and handed him a bucket. "Pick up some berries but don't wander off too far. Fill this bucket to the brim and come back by sundown."
"Mama..." Jin started to complain but Jun pushed him along.
"Surely you don't expect me to make things light for you in the next three days," she chided. "Off with you. And remember: don't go too far and come back by sundown. Don't go by the cliff or the lake, alright?"
"Alright," Jin rolled his eyes and made his way outside the cottage. One look at the bushes told him that he would never be able to complete his task.
"Aww..." Jin groaned. "MAMA! There's very little berries here!" he turned to find Jun, walking to the path towards the cliff, the way she usually does during the afternoons. A mischievous smile crept up to his lips as he stealthily made his way to do exactly what his mother didn't want him to do: wander off.
Jin expertly traversed through the thick forest and high shrubs. He was getting so close to the lake, his excitement was clouding his judgment. He ran and tripped on an exposed root, causing him to fall face flat on the soft earth.
"OUCH!" Jin yelped and sat up, holding a wounded ankle by his hands.
"Kid. Hey, kid. Are you alright?"
A large shadow blanketed Jin's small form. He looked up to see a man with dark glasses and a scar across his face, standing almost formidably before him.
"Hey! Did you hear me! I asked if you were okay!"
The man's harsh tone caused Jin to start whimpering.
"Don't cry," the man ordered flatly and knelt down beside him. "Strong boys like you shouldn't cry."
"Strong?" Jin pressed his lips together and held his sobs in. The man didn't answer, but checked up on Jin's wound instead.
"This isn't so bad," he mumbled and took out a bandage, which he quickly wrapped on the boy's ankle. "There. All done. Well? Shouldn't you thank me?"
"Mama says I shouldn't talk to strangers," Jin stated crossly. That brought a small smile to the man's lips.
"I'm no stranger," the man helped Jin up. "I...I'm a friend of your mother's. Her name's Jun Kazama, right? And she works for WWWC?"
Jin nodded silently.
"What's the bucket for?"
"This? Mama punished me for beating up some kids in school. She told me to fill this bucket with berries but I couldn't find any near our house, so..."
"So you wandered off even though your mother told you not to?"
"How did you know that, Mister?"
"Just a wild guess," the man shrugged. "If you can tell me where we can get more buckets, I'll help you gather lots of berries."
"Really! Arigato! We have some in our tool shed..."
As the hour rolled by, the man talked more about Jun, which caused Jin to feel at ease. The stranger even managed to teach Jin some new skills.
"I can't wait to show these berries to Mama!" Jin declared. "I'll show her what you taught me, too!"
"You go and do that," the man egged on and put the buckets on the cottage porch. "Make sure you do it well. Make sure she sees it."
"I will," Jin nodded, then, put on a slight frown. "You're not going to stay, aren't you?"
"You're very sharp," the man commented. He stared thoughtfully at Jin for a moment before kneeling down to put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're mother is very special. You should consider yourself extremely lucky to have her for a mother so please don't do anything to disappoint her. You must always be good to her and to other people as well. Can you promise me that?"
"I don't like keeping promises," Jin curled his lips up a bit. "But for Mama, I'll try my best."
"Good," the man nodded and walked away. "I had a pleasant time with you, Jin. Take care," as mysteriously as he came, he vanished into the woods.
Chapter 27