Chapter 4- All For Nothing
Kazumi woke up exhausted. Her body ached from the pain she had been enduring from the Hado's struggle for control. It had been several weeks since Akuma declared her time of death and during that time, she had spent most of it training and meditating to help control the Hado. During the day, she would hone her physical abilities by sparring with her husband- when he was available. By night, she would meditate for hours at the Honmaru Temple, focusing her mind on the Satsui no Hado.
These meditations were actually the battle for control of her body. Every night the demon would appear before her to do battle in her mind. She learned that although the battle occurred in her mind, the damage the Satsui no Hado delivered was very real. There were some nights that left her sore and fatigued, some nights she would pass out from nausea, and others she had coughed up blood from internal bleeding, somewhere in her body.
Even though the pain seemed to worsen, she felt progress being made. She had somehow made it possible to block the demon's voice from her mind, but last night's meditation session has left her more sore than usual. She managed to somehow get out of bed and start the day. She got dressed and went to check on her family, who she could hear practicing in the dojo.
"Harder boy! All your strikes must have the intention to destroy!"
Heihachi had fully recovered from his injuries and took up the mantle on taking over Kazuya's training, since he was responsible for Jinpachi's disappearance. Kazumi never considered Heihachi a good instructor because of his brash and abrasive personality, but she didn't have the time to teach Kazuya herself, due to her own responsibilities with the Hado. She entered the dojo and saw her son who was crying and panting. His eyes glowed red with hate as he stared at his father. Heihachi stood in front of his son, arms folded across his chest.
"Hmph! How can you possibly be my son with such pathetic strikes? Is this really the best you can do?" Kazuya's tears rolled out of his face as he ran towards his father to attack him.
"Haaaaaaah!" Kazuya let out a desperate scream as he tried to punch his father. Heihachi easily dodges the young Kazuya's attack and roundhouse kicks him in his stomach it sends him flying in Kazumi's direction. "Blugh!" Kazuya grunts as he hits the ground.
"Heihachi!" Kazumi screamed as she ran to her son's aid. "Kazuya, my son, are you okay?" She held her son tightly. "He's still a child you brute!" She held her son tightly.
"He is a weak child. His grandfather and you have spoiled him for too long. Mishimas should be the vision of strength and power as we have always been. Get up boy! Show me you are indeed my son." Kazumi gave a disapproving look at Heihachi.
"No! His training is done for the day. You'll train with me for now." Heihachi was annoyed as he believed she was handicapping their son's strength.
"Tch! Do what you want!" Heihachi looked away from his wife's angry glare. Kazumi took Kazuya out of the dojo, who was still crying and angry.
"Why do I have to only train with him now? Where is grandpa Jinpachi?" Kazuya was visibly frustrated and angry. His panting and breathing were erratic, but she understood his frustration. What worried her was his demon-aura he received from her bloodline, it was pouring out of him.
"I'm not sure my little angel! Just trust that he will return soon." She hugged him tightly. She could only think of the last conversation she held with Jinpachi about the dream he prophesized with the statue and demon.
"Father said he's gone and never coming back!" Kazuya wiped the tears from his eyes.
"I'll deal with your father. For now, go get cleaned up and later I will take you for ice-cream in the city."
"Really!" His voice became more upbeat and the aura subsided.
"Yes." She said as she smiled. Kazuya ran off to get cleaned up.
She waited for him to leave from her sight before reentering the dojo. She was far too sore and exhausted to spar with her husband but she was angry. She wanted to pummel him for not realizing the care Kazuya needed. She knew he was not the kind of person who could be convinced with words to train Kazuya with care. Heihachi was sitting in the middle of the dojo, Indian style, waiting for Kazumi to enter. His arms folded and eyes closed to display his displeasure of Kazumi's decision stopping Kazuya's training.
"You're too harsh on him, Heihachi."
"Hmph! And you are too soft!" He quickly barked out. "I realized my father had been holding back from me all that he knew. So I will train my son different from how the old man was training him. I will train him correctly!"
"Very well, how about I propose a deal. If I win our match today, we will train him how I see fit."
"Ohhh? And if I win?"
"Then I will no longer interfere with you training Kazuya." She knew he would not pass on the opportunity to do as he pleased, but she had no intentions on losing today, despite her weariness. Heihachi stood up and started stretching his arms as if he getting ready for a simple exercise.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Kazumi! I will not hold back today. You are the only person who can excite my spirit like this." Kazumi smirked at her husband.
"That's good my husband. I too intend to go all out." Both of them bowed and took there fighting stances. They slowly circled and inched closer together. When they were no less than a foot from each other, Heihachi made his move.
"Haa!" He quickly stepped in deep an uppercut, which Kazumi swiftly side-stepped. She swiped at his open ribs with a very fast chop.
"Hiya!" She managed to just miss him, but still managed to slice through part of Heihachi's gi. Heihachi looked at the tear and smiled at his wife. Kazumi had a smug smirk on her face and nodded to let him know she is serious. Heihachi tightened his belt and stomped his foot before taking his fighting stance.
"Hmph!" Heihachi's stomp echoed through the dojo.
He ran towards Kazumi with a combination of punches and kicks. She blocked all of the heavy attacks and waited for him to over extend himself. He lifted his leg high for a heel kick and she interrupted him with a quick jab combo that knocked Heihachi to the ground. Heihachi quickly returned to his feet. Kazumi didn't wait for him to recover for the next attack; she jumped at him with leaping kick, which Heihachi managed to block at the last second. She immediately threw a second kick which he also blocked, but slightly threw him off balance. Kazumi, forgetting about her soreness somehow maneuvered her body for a third kick but Heihachi noticed this kick was slower than the first two and took a defensive stance. He caught the third kick and front kicked Kazumi to the ground. She rolled back and he was closing the distance rapidly. She glided back to keep her distance but Heihachi was too fast. He jumped forward with a spinning roundhouse that. She barely had time to block. The force of the kick forced her to lose balance when she turned around Heihachi was already in motion for a thrusting palm attack in her ribs. "Ha!" The impact from the strike sent Kazumi flying on her side. Kazumi came to a sliding stop on the floor. Heihachi didn't chase her, instead he laughed.
"Waaaah ha ha! What's wrong Kazumi? You seem slow today!" He loudly taunted.
Kazumi got up grabbing her side. She began to sweat profusely and was slightly dizzy from his kick. "I should say the same thing to you. Are you sure you've completely recovered from your injuries?"
"Ha!" Heihachi laughed at his wife's quick wit. He took his stance once again. His blue electricity flailed around his body.
That one attack should not have affected me this badly. Is it the Hado? Kazumi took her stance. Her breathing became heavy and her vision slightly blurry. She could make out Heihachi's shape in front of her but she also saw something else behind him. She concentrated and made out the Hado demon behind her husband, smiling menacingly as it was reaching for Heihachi's back. What?! She wasn't sure if it was an illusion or not, she feared for her husband's life. Heihachi started to notice something wasn't right with his wife and dropped his guard slightly. When Kazumi tried to call out to him, she lost all of the energy in her body.
"Hei...ha...chi..." Her nose began bleeding and she fell to the floor.
"Kazumi!" Heihachi ran to his wife's aid. He picked her head off the ground. "Kazumi! Kazumi! Say something!" She wasn't responding and her body temperature was unnaturally hot. He picked her up and quickly brought her over to a small sleeping mat he kept in the dojo. He wasn't sure what was going on but he wanted to do something about her temperature which seemed to be getting hotter. He grabbed several towels and dipped them in cold water. He placed the towels on her chest and head. He turned around to grab several more cold towels for her. When Kazumi seemingly woke up.
Heihachi with his back turned didn't notice his wife who was silently approaching him. It wasn't until the last second when he felt the murderous intent from an intense spinning axe kick Kazumi had intended to hit him with. He dodged at the last second and the heel of her foot broke through the floor.
"What the?!"
Without a second to gasp, she rushes Heihachi at a break neck speed. She dishes out vicious, hate filled attacks towards her husband. Heihachi is left on his heels as he has to constantly defend attacks from the woman he was sure needed his aid less than a few seconds ago. He noticed her eyes were glowing red; something he had never seen before. Her face had an evil grin with each strike delivered. It was like she was a different person. He tried to create some distance between them when he slipped on a wet towel he had dropped before.
"Shit!" He fell on his back side before he could even blink she was on top of him to deliver the killing blow. She reached back and quickly struck. All he could think to do was close his eyes and call out his wife's name.
"KAZUMIIIIII!" His scream was so loud Kazuya could hear it from inside the mansion.
He opened his eyes and saw his wife stopped her attack centimeters from his throat. Her breathing was heavy, the sweat on her body was steaming, her eyes changed back to their natural brown color. Her face had an expression of fatigue and confusion. She stepped back from her husband who was still too shocked to move from his unexpected near death experience.
"Kazumi..." She bowed to him and quickly stepped out of the dojo. "What the hell was that?" Heihachi said as he slowly rubbed his throat.
Kazumi had made it a good distance outside the dojo before tripping and falling over. The Hado took control? No, everything was going well. How is this possible?!
"Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!" The Hado demon's laughed echoed in her ear. "Do you feel like a fool yet cursed one? I played you! I made you wait until you were confident things were going your way!" Kazumi was on her hands and knees. Still short of breath and dripping with sweat. "You don't have much time left cursed one. This world will shortly be mine. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha-" The demon's laugh was cut by the sound of a kunai that zipped passed Kazumi's head and hit the ground next to her hand.
The kunai had the Hachijo clan emblem engraved on the blade. There was a note wrapped around the handle. She picked up the kunai and read the note
-Contact will be made in three days for mission report.
Her frustration had finally reached its peak. She balled the note up and threw it. She began to start uncontrollably crying. Not too far from where she was Kazuya was watching his mother scream out her sadness. He balled his fist and grit his teeth in anger, believing his father to be the cause of her sadness.
[SOMEWHERE DISTANT FROM THE MISHIMA COMPOUND]
Akuma was meditating in a dark cave. The Hado veiled his large physique and illuminated the cave like a red flame. He opened his red demon like eyes and tilted his head towards the opening of the cave. "So, it is time." He stood up slowly as the Hado surrounding his body gathered to the center of his back, forming the Kanji symbol for heaven. "Kazumi... prepare yourself.
