Return of a Samurai, Return of a Friend
By Sonic Angel

Disclaimer: Don't own LH.

A young man was walking toward Hinata Inn, wearing traditional kendo clothing, and on his belt, was a bokken shaped like a real katana. He had green hair, brown eyes, and a Z shaped scar on his right cheek.

When he made it to the entrance, he closed his eyes and said, "Are you really here, old friend?"

The entrance of the door opened and there was a woman who was identical to the man except she had black hair and no scars on her face.

The young man opened his eyes and said, "I do not wish to fight you. I only wish to see the manager of this inn… Keitaro san? Is he here?"

The woman yelled, "Why do you want to see that pervert?"

The young man smiled slowly, "I still see that Keitaro kun has not changed dramatically over the years."

Just then, a young man about the age of 20 with glasses came in and said, "Uh, hi there!"

The young man jumped up and yelled, "KEITARO SEMPAI, YOU EECHI! TAKE THIS! KAI RYU SHIN SEN!" He drew his bokken and unleashed four diagonal gale wind breezes and blew him into the front desk.

Keitaro, the young man who got blown into the front desk, slowly stood up and smiled ever so slowly, "You haven't changed either, Daisuke Takenouchi, heir to the Kaji Mitsurugi Ryu."

Daisuke Takenouchi
Age: 17
Height: 5'4
Weight: 110 lbs
Blood Type: O
Nicknames: Dai tomo, Battosai Danshi
Kendo school: Kaji Mitsurugi Ryu
Daisuke's a sweet, charming, young man who could make friends with anyone. Get him mad, however, and you'll see a different side to him. That, of course, would be the Battosai Danshi. Keitaro's experienced that personality of his friend quite a lot, but that didn't help him to be prepared in the Hinata Inn!

Keitaro said, "Daisuke, warn me the next time you go Battosai Danshi on me again, okay?"

Daisuke smiled, "You should've gotten used to Battosai Danshi, as you call my 'Other side', by now, Keitaro kun."

Keitaro sighed, "Unfortunately, I'm not."

Daisuke sighed, "You also should've been used to my Kai Ryu Shin Sen by now." (AN: Kai Ryu Shin Sen is: Shell Dragon Spirit Strike, BTW.)

Keitaro smiled, "I'm still not used to that technique, no matter how many times you've used it on me."

Daisuke sighed, "I see that."

Then, Keitaro offered, "I can get you some green tea, old friend."

Daisuke replied, "That would be wonderful. Just like old times, huh?"

Keitaro smiled, "Not necessarily. Because some things do change."

Daisuke touched his right cheek. "And some things never change at all."

The two went to the dining hall, and the woman that Daisuke faced followed them.

As Keitaro prepared green tea, he asked, "So why are you here? I trust that you've taken the Todai entrance exam?"

Daisuke cried, "AND FAILED!"

Keitaro was shocked. He said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. You failed the Todai entrance exam? You graduated first in my class! You should've aced it no problem! Not to mention that you were the youngest senior in our high school!"

Daisuke sighed, "My lowest grade in high school was in math. A C, as you may well know. Math was never my best subject. I may have been at the top of our class, old friend, but I'm not that smart!"

Keitaro smiled, "We all have our special talents."

Daisuke smiled slowly, "Mine just so happens to lie in Kendo."

Then, Keitaro noticed that Daisuke was hurt. He asked, "Dai! Are you all right?"

Daisuke replied, "Just some bruises that I got from my training."

Keitaro said, "I'll go find you a room. You're in no condition to stand up."

Daisuke replied, "I… Too… Can stand up, Kei kun."

Keitaro snapped, "No, you can't! You've been ignoring pain throughout your life! You're not afraid of love, but why, why are you so afraid of pain?"

The woman was shocked. She thought, 'Keitaro's friend is afraid of pain, but not afraid of love? What kind of samurai is he?'

Daisuke said, "Pain… Is nothing I can't handle, Keitaro, you know that. You don't…"

Keitaro said, "Oh yes I do. You've saved my life often. And, you and I go way back. That gives me the right to worry about you."

Daisuke smiled, "Keitaro, you can't… Be worrying about me too much."

Daisuke used his bokken to stand up, and then, walked to the kitchen. He lit the stove and put his bokken on it. The bokken caught on fire and he turned the stove off. I put his hand on the bokken and focused his energy.

Then, he yelled, "KAJI MITSURUGI RYU, GOO KAJI SEN!" (Healing Fire Strike) He used the burning bokken and hit his chest with it, and his energy was back to normal.

Daisuke said, "Yeah, I may still be hurting from the training, but…"

That's when Keitaro yelled, "DAISUKE NO BAKA!"

Daisuke said, "You… You're mad at me, aren't you?"

Keitaro calmed down and sighed, "Yeah. I'm mad at you. Mad at you for being a stubborn baka as always. Pain is normal, you have to understand that." He continued, "And I know that you're still hurt. Just let me heal your wounds."

Daisuke asked, "Will it hurt?"

Keitaro sighed, "Everything hurts. You know that."

Daisuke laughed lightly, "That's what I'm afraid of."

Keitaro thought, 'He may be a samurai trained in Kaji Mitsurugi Ryu, but he doesn't know much about real life. Being afraid of pain's not normal for most people, but not for him.'

Keitaro held his hand, and Daisuke grabbed it, and the duo left for Keitaro's room.

Keitaro sighed, "So what can you do now?"

Keitaro noticed that his best friend was asleep. He smiled, "Guess you're tired. Rest, my friend, you'll need it for your trials ahead."

At Keitaro's room, Keitaro prepared his futon, and let him sleep.

Keitaro was exiting the room when Motoko, the Kendo girl that Daisuke refused to fight, showed up.

She said, "You seem to know him, Urashima. Who is he?"

Keitaro answered, "An old friend of mine. We go way back. His name's Daisuke Takenouchi."

Motoko looked shocked. She said, "Did you say Takenouchi?"

Keitaro nodded. "Yep," he replied, "That's his last name."

Motoko said, "So is he the heir to the Kaji Mitsurugi Ryu?"

Keitaro nodded. He said, "He's the only boy in their family. I guess, he got his wounds from the really intensive training that his uncle gave him."

Keitaro noticed that Daisuke was awake. "Daisuke," Keitaro said, "You should sleep."

Daisuke said, "I see you got my bag."

Keitaro said, "Wouldn't be much of a manager if I didn't."

Daisuke said, "Thanks."

Daisuke said, "In my bag, you'll find a normal First Aid Kit, and a Kaji Mitsurugi Ryu First Aid Kit as well."

Keitaro asked, "And what's the difference?"

"The latter is all natural. It has all the healing herbs of ancient Japan." Daisuke replied.

Keitaro said, "Old fashioned as always, Swordsman of the Heart." Daisuke laughed, "It's been a while since I last heard that nickname." Then, Daisuke sighed, "I wish I hadn't been so injured." Then, he looked up at Motoko, he said, "So I can fight you."

She said, "Rest, brave warrior. You can fight me another day." Then, she realized she hadn't introduced herself. "Gomen nasai. I haven't introduced myself. I am Motoko."

Daisuke said, "I am honored by your prescence. You seem to be the kind of person that can make Keitaro kun fly."

She replied, "I have, on several occassions."

Daisuke smiled, "I would like to fight you, when my wounds are healed."

Motoko asked, with a slight blush, "Are you saying that you want to spar with me?"

Daisuke said, "Seeing as you are very skilled…"

Motoko answered, "I would be honored to fight you."

Daisuke said, "Ii."

Motoko asked, "Why did Keitaro call you 'Swordsman of the Heart'?"

Daisuke replied, "He calls me that because… I am very old fashioned."

"Old fashioned. I see," Motoko replied with a small smile.

Daisuke said, "You should smile more. You look better when you smile."

Then, Daisuke closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Keitaro sighed, "I don't know how he does it…"

Motoko said, "Explain."

Keitaro said, "How he can look so innocent like that, and yet, he can send me flying with his Kai Ryu Shin Sen."

"The body of an innocent young man, and the mind, heart, and soul of a warrior." Motoko replied.

"Actually, half of his mind is a warrior." Keitaro replied.

Motoko raised an eyebrow, "And his other half is…?" She asked.

"Don't worry. It's… Nothing perverted. Daisuke Takenouchi has skills beyond kendo." Keitaro replied.

Motoko asked, "And you know this, how, Urashima?"

Keitaro fixed his glasses and grinned, "Just a hunch."

Sonic Angel: Whoa, ho! What does Keitaro know about Daisuke? Next time, Daisuke's wounds are healed, and he meets the rest of the girls of the Hinata Inn! And, what's this? He seems to know one of them? Who is it? Find out, on the next chapter of 'Return of a Samurai, Return of a Friend'… "Wounds of a Sword healed, Secret talents revealed!"