This story has been beta by Steven Bodner and TheReader2011. Enjoy!
"Have you noticed something weird going on with Kano Sho?" asked Kenichi as he sparred against Miu.
"I don't see him that much, and I haven't noticed," replied Miu as she fired a few kicks at Kenichi, who blocked it and countered with a Silat strike, "But I have noticed that your attacks now incorporate some Supreme Silat."
"Not on purpose, I can tell you that," grumbled Kenichi, "Apparently when the Demon God Fist was teaching me it, he found out the best way was performing it on my body. Since I did learn Muay Boran that way from Apachai, it sadly stuck."
"Even then, having another style is beneficial, even if it was from Jenazad," said the Elder, carefully watching them spar, "Kenichi, I believe it's time for meditation."
Kenichi nodded as he disengaged his spar from Miu, following the Elder to the private cave in Ryozanpaku, underneath a giant tree.
Here, Kenichi, under the careful supervision of the Elder, began to circulate his new Ki type, Zen Ki, throughout his body.
"Good, good, looks like there are no unusual palpitations," murmured the Elder as he looked around Kenichi, "When I first created Ga Ki, I still had trouble balancing it properly. Perhaps it's your mastery over Ki no Shouka that allowed you to balance your own Ki type quicker. Now then, I believe it's time for the next step."
Kenichi shivered as he saw the Elder looming over him, his eyes glowing with Ga Ki. He did not like that look the Elder was giving him.
"Now, we spar!" ordered the Elder, "The best way to get used to your new Ki is to fight with it! Don't worry, I won't be too rough on you."
"Is there a better way to do this?" whimpered Kenichi, "Or can I get back up?"
"Nope," grinned the Elder as he launched a kick at the screaming Kenichi.
Few minutes later
"Hahaha, you managed to do pretty well against 0.0002% of my power!" laughed the Elder as Kenichi was halfway through the wall, his legs dangling in the air.
"Mercy… please," whispered Kenichi as the Elder pulled him back out.
"We'll do some more sparring, but for now, some rest," said the Elder as he let Kenichi down on the ground, "On the plus side, we can have a little talk."
"About…." said Kenichi cautiously.
The Elder sighed as he turned to Kenichi, and in an unforeseen move, actually bowed to Kenichi.
"You managed to protect Miu, even at the risk of your own. I know he targeted Miu first with his Boushinha Shougeki (Amnesia Fist), but failed to properly wipe all her memories due to your interference. I heard from Miu that even when you were brainwashed, you protected Miu despite everything that happened to you. So thank you for protecting my granddaughter."
Kenichi blushed at the praise the Elder was giving him, not knowing how to respond.
"But it doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you this next spar. If anything, I'll need to push you harder so you can truly protect her," proclaimed the Elder.
'Damn Catch-22!' cursed Kenichi, though fully accepting this torment if it meant being able to protect Miu.
"So, any leads," asked Sho as he impatiently shook his leg while sitting on a desk.
"Some," replied Elfreda, who was accompanied by Hayase, "Here are the three main suspects."
Elfreda tossed out a file, allowing the papers inside to scatter on the desk.
"First suspect, Taichi Koga. Known pervert with records. Was seen trying to peep inside the girl's locker room before getting caught by the PE teacher Tanaka. It wouldn't be far off for him to try to get into the locker room and steal a bra," began Elfreda.
"Second Suspect, janitor Koroke Tanina. He has access to all the buildings in the school. There have been rumors of him hovering over a certain spot near the locker rooms. When asked, he always seems to dodge the question. He has also been seen to be staring at girls a lot, moving his glasses, and seems to be breathing heavily when he does."
"Third Suspect, Kensuke Tanaka, freshman. Self-appointed playboy. He's already seduced a few girls, and rumor has it to be one of the teachers. Though that rumor is most likely false as it is directed to sensei Ono Kyoko. She may be naive and innocent, but with Yamamoto Taiki on the staff, it's hard to believe that the idiot can seduce her. He's been seen talking with Izumi, hovering over her a few times and seemingly getting closer every time they chat. The reason to believe he may be a suspect is because of his taste. He apparently prefers petite women rather than normal or big chest women, or petanko if you like. All his conquests were all rather flat-chested girls."
Sho felt something burst on his forehead as the hand gripper he had been playing with broke. Even if the suspect wasn't actually Kensuke Tanaka, he was going to pay the freshman a visit about trying to seduce Izumi into putting another notch on his bedpost.
"That's the main suspects at the moment. I'm working on making sure there are no loose ends, but I'm willing to bet it's one of these three. Kano Sho, you better keep your end of the deal after this," huffed Elfreda.
"Of course. I think I'm going to visit one of them now," grinned Sho as he picked up Kensuke's photo and left.
"If I may interrupt," voiced Hayase, "I don't believe it's Koga, despite his records. Lately, he's been avoiding the lady's locker room due to the latest punishment delivered by the PE teacher Tanaka. When asked why, he just curled up and cried, acting as if traumatized."
"Maybe, but we can't rule him out," frowned Elfreda, "He could've lapsed or gotten over his trauma. I'll go check out some more info."
Sho whistled as he "educated" Kensuke on why it was a horrible idea to seduce Izumi. It may have involved introducing his fist to various parts of his body, but he made sure the boy wouldn't tell the others. Not with Yami's influence behind him. Was he abusing some of his power? Certainly, but if it meant keeping Izumi safe, then he'd deal with it.
But he was certain that Kensuke wasn't the culprit, though. The boy admitted to taking bras and underwear of girls, but only after his conquest and with their permission in bed. He would never stoop so low as to steal one.
While that may have freed him from being one of the suspects, it didn't stop Sho from giving him another lesson.
"Alright, let's check on the next one," muttered Sho as he began to walk through the school before hearing chirping noises.
Realizing it was a batch of hatchlings, Sho quickly followed it to the source. Though flightless for the while, Sho still adored the young hatchlings, knowing they would grow up to fly in the sky. It wasn't long before he realized he was standing where Elfreda had mentioned the janitor would suspiciously hover over. Sho heard someone coughing, and quickly jumped up to the second-floor building.
"My, my, you poor birds are always trying to fly off so eagerly," said a voice.
Sho looked down to see Koroke picking up one of the birds that had landed on the ground. Sho quickly scanned the trees before noticing a nest precariously balanced over some branches.
"It's too dangerous to fall here. There are many students that pass by this area, and unfortunately, many of our students are not of a kinder one. One unfortunate misstep and your life would end before reaching adulthood. So be patient and wait for your wings to fully grow before flying off," whispered Koroke kindly as he lifted the young hatchling back to its nest.
Sho gazed at the scene, taking in everything. With this attitude, it was hard to believe that he was the second suspect. Especially since this solved the mystery of why he kept hovering at this location, to protect the young hatchlings.
"Janitor Tanina is a kind soul who suffers from asthma and extreme dry eye as well as cataracts," explained Taiki from the window, shocking and surprising Sho, "He tends to squint if he wants to focus on something, which makes him look like he's glaring or staring at something. He also has a tendency to move his glasses to help fine focus his sight."
"I see…" drawled Sho slowly, moving away from Taiki.
"I was here already when you jumped up to the second floor. Word of advice, pay attention to your surroundings if you're trying to find a hiding spot to observe something," advised Taiki, "There's always that saying. 'Look before you leap.'."
With that, Taiki walked away, leaving an embarrassed Sho. But with this, the second suspect was eliminated from the list.
"Guess it's Koga then. The idiot hasn't learned his lesson, has he?" mumbled Sho.
To his amazement, he couldn't find the pervert anywhere.
The next day
"Where is that idiot," grumbled Sho as he walked down the hallways before finally catching sight of some of Koga's grunts. How the weakling idiot managed to retain some grunts since Rangnarok's disbanding was beyond him, but it didn't matter right now.
"Where's your idiot leader, Koga?" interrogated Sho, slamming his fist against the wall behind the grunt when he managed to corner them against a wall.
"He hasn't been here for a few days!" cried the grunt in terror.
"Huh!? Why hasn't he been here!" ordered Sho.
"He was suspended, and then his parents are thinking of transferring him to a boarding school," cried another grunt.
"Give me a clear timeline," ordered Sho, his eyes shining with a menacing look as the grunts frantically obeyed.
A few minutes later
"Shit it's not him either," cursed Sho as he compared timelines before tossing them in the trash, "He was playing hooky when the first incident happened. The next few had him accounted for somewhere else. But then who could it be?"
"Yo, got another suspect to add," said Elfreda, plopping down onto a chair in front of him, "I investigated a little further, and someone said they heard a female voice giggling down the hall right before the incident. So the culprit might actually be a girl. So perhaps a jealous fan of yours, trying to punish Izumi for getting so close to you."
Sho fell flat on his face at this logic. So was it his fault that Izumi was getting her underwear stolen and harassed?
"Shit, I need a walk," grumbled Sho as he got up from the chair and left, with Elfreda following him.
"So, you going to tell me more about Shirahama and his archery skill now?" asked Elfreda.
"Not until this case is resolved," grumbled Sho, "It's not like I can go to the girl's locker room, barge in, and find the thief right there."
He had no idea the path he was walking led right past the girl's locker rooms.
"You might not be able to, but I certainly can," laughed Elfreda, "Plus, it should be empty right now. See?"
With that, Elfreda pulled the door open, only to reveal a girl standing in front of Izumi's locker. The two could tell the girl was not Izumi just based on her body type, as the girl's chest was far more pronounced than Izumi. It was so huge to the fact that Sho had to think if it was even possible, as it somehow exceeded Rachel's own, and even Kushinada, and it was a young girl. The said girl was holding a bra that was certainly not hers, as it was way too small. Not to mention she seemed to be holding it quite intimately.
The two couldn't get a good look at the girl due to the shadows, but the girl immediately fled by jumping out the window.
"Stop her!" shouted Sho as he rushed forward, chasing after her. Elfreda quickly took another pathway to intercept.
Being a martial artist, it was easy for Sho to catch up to the girl, though it did surprise him that the girl was quite fast for someone of her... stature. Frankly saying, as soon as Sho saw the girl in a better light, he noticed the girl still had a little baby fat on her face and was quite small, but her chest didn't suit her figure at all, especially as it kept bouncing up and down so drastically that Sho swore it blocked her own eyesight as she was running.
Suddenly, a few blunt arrows pinned her down, stopping her in her tracks.
"Let go of me!" cried out the girl as Sho slowed down, glaring at the girl. In plain sight, she was holding Izumi's bra and panties, something Sho had viciously ignored.
"What's going on?" asked a voice
Sho turned around to see Izumi and Makoto coming out to investigate the commotion in time to see Sho standing over the girl who had Izumi's undergarments.
"I caught the thief!" exclaimed Sho, pointing to the girl.
"No, he's the thief! I caught him and he's trying to pin the blame on me!" cried out the girl.
"Bullshit!" shouted Sho, a tic growing on his forehead.
"Then how could you know I was in the girl's locker room? You're a boy and couldn't unless I caught you in there first!" argued the girl.
"I didn't open the door, Elfreda did!" shouted Sho, hoping the other two believed him. It was devious how this girl was shifting the blame to him.
"Pfft, as if anyone would believe that! You guys believe me right? Get the teacher to punish him!" cried the girl, tears coming out of her eyes.
While Izumi looked conflicted, Makoto merely sighed as she put her hand onto her face.
"Alright, let's clear this up some more. Sho, this girl is a freshman not only in my Naginata club, but she's also my little cousin. Meet Himeno Daimune. She was officially transferred a week ago."
"Onee-san! Help me catch this pervert!" pouted Daimune, only to receive a whack to the head by Makoto.
"Idiot, Now I certainly know it was you who's been stealing Izumi's stuff!" lectured Makoto harshly.
"Uhh…" blanked Sho, only for Makoto to sigh once more.
After making sure Daimune returned all of Izumi's items properly, the four of them were in a classroom.
"So… your cousin," mused Sho as he saw Daimune hiding behind Izumi, hissing at Sho.
"Yes, and unfortunately, it all makes sense now," breathed out Makoto.
"Makoto, don't be too harsh on your cousin," said Izumi as she kindly patted Daimune's head, "She's still young."
"And you're far too kind to her," grunted Makoto, "You need to be more firm with her."
"No she doesn't!" purred Daimune under Izumi's pants, "Izumi-sama is perfect the way she is!"
"Izumi… sama?" asked Sho with a twitch in his eye.
"She's just very affectionate," Izumi tried to explain.
"Mmm, and when we grow up, we'll get married!" shouted Daimune, "I'll wear a beautiful white wedding dress while Izumi-sama wears a tuxedo because she would rock in it! Then when it's time for our honeymoon night, it'll be a magical experience. Smooth skin upon smooth skin! Who needs men and their rough skin, bad hair, no chest, and a penis! Girl-on-girl actions are the best way to go! If we need a dick, we can always use a strap-on! Our chest would be pressed against each other, our nipples touching each other as we move!"
A few male teenagers that had been passing by heard this statement and flew out the window via nosebleed rockets. Sho had to stop himself from trying to imagine that situation while Izumi blushed crimson.
"All this will happen and you won't get in our way!" hissed Daimune, scratching the air as if trying to claw Sho.
Crack… Whack whack whack
"Owww!" cried Daimune as four bruises on top of each other suddenly grew on her head, "Onee-san, why did you do that!?"
"Because you're a shameless pervert! Don't drag Izumi down to your level!" roared Makoto, blood seemingly bursting out of her veins on her forehead, before forcefully pulling Daimune by the scruff of her shirt, "Just wait till auntie hears what you've been doing to poor Izumi!"
"No, no, no, I don't want to leave Izumi-sama with that scruffian!" cried Daimune, waving her arms fruitlessly, "Listen up you! Stay away from my Izumi-sama, love rival!"
While Makoto dragged Daimune away, Sho and Izumi blushed crimson at that comment. The two couldn't even look at each other.
"So… you know her?" asked Sho.
"Kind of. We met a few weeks ago when I was with Makoto," explained Izumi, "After that, she got rather attached to me."
'That's an understatement,' sweatdropped Sho as he waited for Izumi to continue.
"She's really nice though. She's always greeted me with enthusiasm, always treating me to my favorite food, and overall always helping me out," said Izumi.
'So she stalks you?' Sho mentally asked before shaking his head, "Well at least that's the mystery solved."
"Thank you for your help. Without it, it would've taken us some more time to figure out the culprit," thanked Izumi.
"Next time, just let me know, alright?" smiled Sho as he put his hands on Izumi's shoulders, "I can help."
Izumi nodded, and in an enormous act of courage, she stepped forward, tip-toeing up a little before giving Sho a kiss to the cheek.
"Next time, I'll do that," blushed Izumi as she quickly walked away, leaving Sho shocked.
Sho managed to regain control of himself, but as he walked away, his whole posture was rather slovenly.
'Hehe, she kissed my cheek. I bet that's more than she'll ever do to you, brat,' thought Sho before realizing something. His so-called 'love rival' was a big-chested girl with no real martial arts training.
'How did this happen!? My rival is an obsessed fangirl,' thought Sho as he dramatically fell to his knees, pounding the ground with his fist as Choju Giga bunnies hopped on by, 'The Kuremisago must never know about this!'
"So, you going to tell me about Shirahama and his skill in archery now?" asked Elfreda as she popped up next to him.
Sho grunted as he agreed, though only after some food. After everything that had happened, he could use some grub to get over it. He did enjoy Elfreda huffing and marching out, muttering words of threats after hearing how Kenichi discovered his talent in a shooting range.
The Elder looked around, making sure nobody was following him. After making plenty of detours, the Elder arrived at a bar that was quite hidden. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.
"Hello, welcome," greeted the greeter.
"I'm looking for a private party. Should be under… Miku," replied the Elder.
"Ah yes, right this way," nodded the greeter, taking him to another hall before leading him to the room.
The Elder nodded in thanks before taking another deep breath to open the door to see a bar with a countertop, suitable for only a few people as the countertop only had room for the customers. Behind the bar stood one bartender with slicked hair pulled back, though a few strands of hair hung on his face, busy cleaning a glass.
Sitting on a chair beyond the door sat Kushinada Mikumi, actually slouching on the countertop while swirling a rock bottom cup of what seemed to be whisky.
"Welcome to Eden Hall," greeted the bartender, "My name is Sasakura Ryu, and I'll be your bartender for the evening. Can I get you something started?"
"Just some water for now," said the Elder, "Could you give us a little privacy?"
"Of course," nodded Ryu as he walked a bit away to clean some more wine glass.
"Alright Mikumi, why did you contact me to come here? And why are you drinking? I thought the Kushinada style frowned on such things. And are you moping?" asked the Elder.
"I'm not moping!" said Kushinda with a very slight slur in her voice, "I'm just contemplating."
"That's the same thing," pointed out the Elder, to which Kushinada ignored, "Please don't tell me you're still thinking about the possibility of making my granddaughter yours."
"A little, but that's not it," sighed Mikumi as she took a sip of her whisky, "Today, I faced death."
"WHAT!?" rumbled the Elder, his eyes glowing with Ki as his robes began to expand with his muscles bulging, threatening to burst through his robes, "WHOM!?"
"Quiet, I didn't mean it in a literal way," sighed Kushinada, though slightly happy that the Elder reacted that way for her, "I meant I faced defeat so harshly that I might as well have faced death."
"Oh," blinked the Elder as he began to calm down, "You should've started with that! Getting me riled up for no reason. So who defeated you?... And was it in a martial arts fight?"
Being honest, the Elder knew that while there were hidden masters all over the world, very few could match Kushinada.
"No… it wasn't in a martial arts fight. It wasn't even in 'our' world. But nonetheless, I faced defeat so cruelly. As much as I tried, it was in vain," sighed Kushinada as she finished her drink.
"Just who was it?" asked the Elder with interest.
"A young girl who's about Chikage's age," bemoaned Kushinada, "I finally found the source of why she comes home with a pout and all those Mahjong and Othello books. So I decided to visit."
Flashback
"So this is the location my disciple-daughter has been going to," murmured Kushinada as she stood in front of the Tanimoto mansion. She had gotten to the point of referring to Chikage as her disciple-daughter while Miu was her disciple-granddaughter, despite the fact that Miu was older than Chikage.
Kushinada closed her eyes, letting her other senses take over before sensing someone of Grandmaster level Ki. She recognized it as belonging to Sogetsu Ma, the Fierce Fist God.
"So this must mean that this place belongs to his disciple, Tanimoto Natsu. How typical of a man like him to sponge off his disciple's wealth," sighed Kushinada before knocking on the door. It was only polite to do so instead of barging in.
Soon, the door opened up to reveal Sogetsu Ma, surprising Kushinada slightly. She thought that he would've had his disciple get the door instead of coming himself.
"What do you want?" asked Sogetsu gruffly, giving Kushinada a stink eye.
"Merely investigating where my disciple goes sometimes," replied Kushinada, "So she goes here. What business does she have with your disciple?"
Sogetsu coughed as he tried to think of a way to explain that Chikage had come not for his disciple, but rather to challenge his disciple's sister. Before he could explain though, a voice called out.
"Uncle Big Ma! You can't escape your 200th defeat!" called out Kaede as she popped her head out the door.
"Brat, you've barely passed the 100th mark, there's no way we're already close to that!" roared Sogetsu in anger and embarrassment.
"Defeat? What's this I hear? The Fierce Fist god Sogetsu being defeated by a child?" asked Kushinada with both a teasing and curious tone.
"Not in fighting," sighed Sogetsu, "The brat has potential, but has no interest. Not to mention my disciple would throw a fit if I introduced her to the underground world of martial arts. When she was younger, she was plagued with chronic bronchitis and asthma that was left untreated. It was by sheer luck that my disciple received a letter about their stepmother's treacherous deceit, and quickly brought her to a real doctor before it was too late. So now, he dotes over her and makes sure she lives a healthy life, one not fraught with perils like ours."
"I see," hummed Kushinada, looking at Kaede.
"May I ask who you are?" asked Kaede politely, "The way you dress and hold yourself, it's quite similar to Chikage. Are you perhaps her mother?"
'Polite and observant,' thought Kushinada, raising her eyebrow before replying, "That is correct. I am her mother and master."
"Greetings," greeted Kaede politely with a small curtsey, "Are you looking for my brother? He isn't available at the moment, as he is busy at his workplace overseeing his company."
At the company
Natsu was indeed hard at work, but he was also being pestered by someone whom he had no idea managed to get in.
"Ne ne, aren't you bored already?" asked Renka, poking at Natsu.
"I'm busy," said Natsu, gritting his teeth, "And how did you even get in here?"
"Your sister gave me a pass right into this office," grinned Renka, holding a pass, "Plus, you haven't said anything about my clothes!"
Renka was currently out of her usual Chinese cheongsam and wearing an actual gray business uniform for women. However, she opened the second and third buttons of her white shirt to create a window for her cleavage. Her skirt barely passed the appropriate length, too.
"So, do you like it?" asked Renka with a flirty tone.
"It passes inspection, but you look ridiculous in it," replied Natsu, "It doesn't suit you."
"Oh? I guess you prefer my usual dress then? You naughty dog," growled Renka as she playfully pawed at Natsu.
"I don't prefer you in any of your clothes," said Natsu curtly, "Now stop annoying me!"
"Pervert!" hissed Renka.
"What now!?" sighed Natsu, finally turning around to Renka.
"You said you don't prefer me in any of my clothes. That means you want me naked!" hissed Renka.
"How do you even get to that logic!?" gaped Natsu, dumbfounded at how she came to that conclusion.
"Doesn't matter, take your punishment, pervert!" shouted Renka as she made to slap him.
Natsu managed to stop Renka from slapping him, and immediately blocked another punch from Renka. The two of them scuffled around a bit, never actually putting real strength into their attacks so as not to damage the office. Soon, Natsu managed to pin Renka onto his desk, though the only real reason he could do so was that Renka's leg movement was constrained due to the tight skirt.
Suddenly, the door to his office opened, with his secretary popping her head in.
"Boss, I just wanted to remind you that your lunch meeting wit-" started the secretary, only to stop upon seeing the scene.
Natsu was hovering over Renka, whose back was on his desk. Renka's leg was parted, with her skirt scrunched upwards, with Natsu right in between the legs. Both teenagers were breathing heavily, too.
"Oops, I'm sorry for interrupting a very important meeting," stated the secretary with a teasing grin as she put her hand up to her mouth, "I'll just tell the other party you're busy and reschedule that meeting. You two enjoy yourselves but don't tire each other too much. Fufufu, ah young teenagers. Didn't think the boss had it in him, but I suppose the urge is too hard to resist at his age and power. "
With that, the secretary closed the door, causing Renka and Natsu to look at the departing secretary, clueless of her meanings. It was only when they looked at each other and their position before they noticed what the secretary meant and blushed crimson. From the secretary's point of view, it looked like they were about to have sex in the office.
"... Natsu?" said Renka, the bangs of her hair shadowing her eyes.
"... Don't call me so familiarly, but what?" asked Natsu, not knowing why he hadn't moved yet.
"That better be a dagger down there touching my lady parts down there," stated Renka, her eyes starting to water.
Natsu quickly backed off, only for the two of them to breathe a sigh of relief as a cup holder that had somehow managed to wedge its way between the two's private parts fell down. The two stared at each other, not knowing what to do next.
"I should get off your desk," muttered Renka as she hopped off the desk and onto the couch.
"I should get back to work," replied Natsu as he sat down, trying to focus on his work once more.
The two kept glancing at each other every now and then.
Back at the mansion
"I'm sure my brother can schedule a meeting with you at a later time if you need to meet him," stated Kaede.
"There is no need. I am here because I wished to see where my disciple goes, and why she constantly returns with a pout," said Kushinada, shaking her head.
"Ah, she must be upset about her 50th loss! No wonder I haven't seen her swing by for a while," giggled Kaede, "I'll have to make it up to her later."
'Perhaps an all-you-can-eat dessert buffet,' giggled Kaede, knowing Chikage's weakness for sweets.
Kushinada raised her eyebrow at this. Despite the fact she was loath to admit the Ryozanpaku disciples were stronger than hers, she was unwilling to admit that they were smarter than her. Chikage was a child prodigy in all fields, not just martial arts. For her to lose against someone else, and 50 times in a row apparently, was another anomaly to her.
At first, she merely thought Chikage probably lost to some board games that heavily relied on luck, before realizing that if it was such a case, then Chikage wouldn't have been pouting. Meaning the game she had been losing against Kaede must involve some skill as well.
"Is the game she's been playing against you perhaps Mahjong or Othello?" asked Kushinada.
"Mahjong," replied Kaede, "She hasn't won a game against Honoka in Othello either though."
"Hoo, is that so?" asked Kushinada with interest, "Then perhaps I could interest you in a game, too? I've always been looking for a proper opponent."
"Sure! It's always nice to play against new people!" smiled Kaede, "Uncle Big Ma can show you where to sit while I make some tea for us."
"Uncle Big Ma?" asked Kushinada with a raised eyebrow, only for Sogetsu to ignore the question as he guided her inside.
"I'll be watching your moves," warned Sogetsu, "Don't try to cheat. I know with your speed, it'll be difficult for Kaede to react to it, but it would be quite disgraceful for a woman like you to cheat a little girl."
"Hmph, as if I would stoop so low," huffed Kushinada as Kaede brought it the tea.
Taking a sip, Kushinada mentally marked her tea pretty good before sitting down.
"I hope you're ready, little one," warned Kushinada, "While it is impressive you defeated my daughter, I am far stronger in both reading other people and predicting their moves."
"Then I hope I can be a worthy challenger," smiled Kaede as she pulled out the Mahjong set.
Flashback ends
"From there, it was a complete rout," sniffed Kushinada, wiping a tear from her eye, "I couldn't even read through her smiling face, and even if I could, there was nothing I could do. Even when I hit Riichi so early, she cruelly denied all my tiles somehow. I strained my senses, thinking she was cheating but to no avail. Thus, I faced defeat so badly that it was like seeing death."
"You're exaggerating," coughed the Elder, though remembering how Kensei reacted to losing so badly to Kaede.
"I'm pouring my heart out to an old friend, and you won't comfort this single woman?" pouted Kushinada, "I'm so heartbroken at my heartless friend."
The Elder felt his eyebrows twitch as Kushinada looked away, knowing she was laughing behind her hand right now before she called the bartender over for two drinks.
"Did you have anything specific in mind?" asked Ryu, to which Kushinada shook her head, telling him to make a recommendation.
"I might have one," smiled Ryu as he took out some bottles.
"⅓ Rye whisky, ⅓ Dry Vermouth, ⅓ Campari," explained Ryu as he began to pour a mixing glass before adding ice. Stirring it to chill, Ryu strained the drink into two martini glasses, adding a slice of orange twist onto the side.
"Old Pal, enjoy," smiled Ryu as he passed the finished drinks to them, "I noticed the two of you seemed to be very old friends who haven't seen each other in a long time. Perhaps over some sort of subject. But in the end, the two of you are still here. Apologies if I've overstepped my boundaries."
The two masters took a sip of the cocktail, enjoying the flavor while letting their memories roam about the past. When the two of them traveled together, stopping the Setting Sun the first time. The friends that they made, the ones who had traveled with them before splitting apart. The argument that led the two of them to split. And now the two of them were sitting next to each other once more, with most of the martial artists in their generation having either retired or passed away.
"I should go," said the Elder as he began to move, only for him to stop when he felt Kushinada pulling his sleeve.
"Stay for a little longer. It's been a long time since we've sat down and talked like this," pleaded Kushinada.
The Elder stood still for a second before sighing, complying with her wish.
"Hey, where'd you go?" asked Sakaki as the Elder came in.
Sakaki wouldn't have asked that question… except for the fact he left last night and didn't return until early morning.
"Just seeing an old friend," replied the Elder as he walked away.
He passed by Miu, who had suddenly stopped, staring at the Elder for a bit.
"Is something wrong?" asked the Elder.
Miu suddenly took a step closer, taking a small sniff before replying, "This scent… it smells… familiar. Like… Sandalwood? But where would I have smelled that? Is it from one of the dates with Kenichi to the botanical gardens?"
Just as she said this, Kenichi happened to pass right behind Miu, causing her to react. Except for this time, instead of grabbing whoever was behind her with her hands, she used the Kushinada Jiujitsu and threw Kenichi into the ground without seemingly moving her arms, which made it even more scarier.
"Why?" cried Kenichi.
"Kyaa, Kenichi! Sorry, I didn't mean to do that!" apologized Miu, distracted by what she had done.
"Hehehehe… That's a feeling I haven't experienced for a long time. But it certainly was different, as somehow my body felt compelled to throw myself into the ground," coughed Kenichi.
"That was from when I learned a bit from Chikage's master," explained Miu before realizing something, "Wait, why was I kidnapped by her? Grandfather, do you-"
As Miu turned, the Elder had vanished from his original spot. Though if one was careful, one could notice small sweat drops on the ground where he had been standing.
"Master?"
Kushinada turned to the source of the voice to see Chikage coming out from training.
"What is it?" asked Kushinada.
"Master, I was trying to find you yesterday, but could not locate your presence for the whole day. May I ask where you went? I asked Kajima if perhaps he knew, but he was unaware of where you had gone either," stated Chikage.
"Merely wandering around," replied Kushinada, "Nothing that needs to concern you. If Kajima asks, just tell him I was scouting the area for any remnants of Jenazad's troops. I can't afford to have some of his crazed followers trying to break into my house again to harm you."
As Kushinada left, Chikage noticed that her master seemed to have a light spring in her steps… as well as a slight limp. Not to mention, her hand kept rubbing her stomach. Shrugging, Chikage went off to train and study some more Mahjong books. She swore she would defeat Kaede at least once!
"Wonder what Natsu wants," pondered Kenichi out loud as he, Miu, and Niijima were walking towards Natsu's mansion.
The fact Natsu invited the three of them for a private dinner was quite surprising, as this had never happened in the old timeline. They had been ready for Ryozanpaku to tackle one of Yami's bases when this invitation came out of the blue. Still, they had no reason to decline, so they accepted. Niijima especially wanted to talk to Natsu about investing on some other projects for the Shinpaku Alliance.
They soon arrived at the mansion, where Natsu 'kindly' greeted them, which scared the shit out of the trio. Natsu had hired a chef to cook a full course meal for them, too, which raised their suspicions. Still, they did enjoy the Mediterranean cuisine that had been prepared for them. They did notice though that only Kaede was attending the dinner, with no sight of Sogetsu.
Soon, they finished, where Natsu dismissed Kaede back to her room on the premise of an important business meeting. Kaede obeyed, pulling back, but not before giving his brother a goodnight hug.
"So what is this about?" asked Niijima, being the cunning one of the trio, to recognize Natsu had created this situation for a reason. However, Natsu seemed focused on sipping on his tea, enjoying its taste while creating an even tenser environment.
Kenichi soon arrived at the point of asking to go to the bathroom to take a break from this situation when Natsu finally spoke.
"So… timelines," spoke out Natsu.
Though it was merely two words, the three of them froze at that.
"Ehehehe, what about that?" asked Kenichi, "Are you asking about the timeline of when Ryozanpaku will react against Yami again?"
"Or perhaps the timeline of some of my projects," intervened Niijima quickly, "I can give you a guideline if you like."
"Neither," said Natsu harshly, his hands clasping over each other as he leaned forward, "I mean this timeline, our life, in general. Back at the school trip to the mountains, I overhead you say old timeline. You three weren't surprised when I was revealed to be Hermit, when I joined Yomi, when Yomi came to school. You were all too prepared despite acting surprised. I can easily read a mask, considering I've always worn one. When I came to this conclusion, I thought it was too far-fetched, too sci-fi. But when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
"Hehe, a quote from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from Sherlock Holmes," said Kenichi, trying to deflect, only to fail.
"In the end, either you lot have access to some sort of fortuneteller than can predict the future…. or you somehow managed to time travel. Either sounds ridiculous, but it's the only thing I can think of, and I'm leaning towards the latter," concluded Natsu, "So, I'm putting down an ultimatum. Either tell me the truth and what have you changed, or I'm bringing this theory to Yami, even if I get laughed out."
The trio looked at each other, uneasy and unsure what to do.
"This is your fault," hissed Niijima, "How many times did I tell you to stop using those words period! And how did you not notice him, aren't you supposed to be sensitive to people nearby!?"
"Sorry if I was mentally exhausted!" retorted Kenichi, "I had to deal with Jenazad-sam…. Dammit, stupid brainwashing… Demon Fist God attacking me at that trip."
"What's done is done, what's next is what should we do?" said Miu, cutting the argument short. If only they knew the Elder's Shockwave of Forgetfulness, then they could use it on Natsu. Yet they couldn't discount the fact that perhaps he had a recording of this somewhere just in case.
In the end, Kenichi decided to bite the bullet and sighed, "What do you want to know?"
Natsu leaned back in surprise, not expecting such a straightforward response. He had kind of been bluffing about exposing them. He didn't dare to bring it to Yami as he would be booted out as a conspiracy lunatic, or worse, killed. Now that he had the upper hand, he intended to push through.
"So time travelers, correct?" asked Natsu, "Exactly how did that happen, and when?"
"Eternal Setting Sun, a few months from now. What do you know about it?" asked Kenichi.
"Not much," admitted Natsu, "Master Sogetsu didn't really care about it, and threw it in a fireplace."
Niijima cursed at the lost chance while Miu took over, "In short, Yami wants to start a world war, with their first strike being Japan."
Natsu narrowed his eyes at that, "Explain."
And so Kenichi, Niijima, and Miu began to explain the Eternal Setting Sun from the last timeline, how the nuke detonated earlier that it killed everyone on the island, him included. And lastly, how Niijima's strange barrier technique somehow managed to shield them before the radiation and heat collided into his barrier creating a wormhole that ripped them from the present to the past.
"So you've been making sure not to make too many disruptions so as to keep information that once happened relevant," hummed Natsu.
"Except all bets are off now," cackled Niijima, causing the three to look at him, "Yami's been hemorrhaging money a bit, correct?"
Natsu raised his eyebrow as he thought that over. He had noticed during his trips inside the bases, the logistics team was working overtime on funds. While they had enough capital for years, they had been trying to work on some new venues. He had even been requested to donate funds from his own company, to which he rejected. With Ma Sogetsu behind him, the requests weren't pushed further down his throat.
"I'm assuming because Shirahama was captured that you began to really invest into the stock market and undercutting Yami?" inquired Natsu, receiving a nod in reply, "So he wasn't supposed to be taken. I assume Furinji was the original victim, considering there are signs of Supreme Silat in her movements. I originally thought it was from being taught by her grandfather, but now that you've confirmed the time traveler theory, then it's obvious Miu was taken in the first timeline. Not only that, but it's almost the end game for you, isn't it? The moment where it all began."
Natsu took a deep breath before continuing on, "Any major changes you've made in this timeline?"
"Some," admitted Kenichi, "Ryuto's Ki network isn't as damaged as last time, so the repercussions from using Seidou Goitsu aren't as bad. Sho died in the last timeline after the DFOD, saving Miu from being shot down. We didn't expect Yomi's Armed Division to join Koryo High. Tanaka's family was saved instead of being reduced to one widowed husband."
"There's one more thing, isn't there. One that's related to me," said Natsu, narrowing his eyes when Kenichi finished, "What did you do? Sneak someone into my company? Or is it why Renka seems so damn attached to me?"
"I lived. That's the biggest change in the Taninmoto family, isn't it?" voiced Kaede, suddenly walking into the room.
"Kaede? Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" blinked Natsu.
"I'm sorry, Brother, but I couldn't when I knew you were planning a private meeting with Miu and the others. You even sent Uncle Big Ma away for this. So I decided to eavesdrop. Forgive me for my disobedience."
"It's alright, I should've known you'd be able to see through me," sighed Natsu before pausing, "Wait. Lived?"
Natsu slowly turned his head towards the trio, as if hoping they would deny this claim. His face paled when they didn't deny it.
"I didn't make it in the past timeline, did I?" asked Kaede, making it sound more like a statement.
"... Yes. You passed away due to your illness," confirmed Miu.
"How? I got Kaede to a doctor in time, didn't I? Why didn't I do that in the last timeline!?" asked Natsu, his hands starting to shake, "Why wouldn't I have done so? There is no way I wouldn't have cared for her!"
"The letter. You were the ones who sent it to my brother, warning him about our stepmom's fake identity and treacherous ways," whispered Kaede softly, causing Natsu to flinch, "In the last timeline, there was no way you could've known, Natsu. You trusted our stepparents at that time. Kenichi and the others probably didn't meet you until Koryo High, making it too late to intervene. But when they came back to 1992, they have the information and the time to do it."
"That was Kenichi's idea," nodded Niijima, jabbing a thumb at Kenichi, "He wanted to save everyone he could, including your sister."
"Well, it worked out for the best," shrugged Kenichi, slightly blushing, "Honoka got a new best friend out of it. But how did you guess that?"
Kaede was silent for a moment before continuing, "Before the letter, I kept having dreams. Dream of dying. Dreams of leaving my brother alone. Despite the 'lie' that everything would be alright, those dreams kept plaguing me. I didn't want to scare my brother, so I kept silent, saying it was just a dream. It wasn't until after my brother took me to another doctor that those dreams suddenly faded away. I couldn't understand why… Until now. So thank you, for your gift of life, for the chance to keep living with my brother. A chance to see the future."
Natsu remained silent, his hair shadowing over his eyes for a good while before speaking again, "You three can leave now. Rest assured, none of this information will reach Yami."
Seeing a dismissal, the three time travelers quickly did so.
As Kaede sat on Natsu's lap, Natsu quickly hugged his little sister, not wanting to imagine a life without her. Kaede gently snuggled against him, putting her head against his chest to listen to his heartbeat. The two slowly fell asleep in that position, snuggled against each other on a chair. Sogetsu entered the room, sighing as he saw this sight before grabbing a blanket and gently putting it on the two, closing the lights as he left.
Takeda was practicing punching the sandbag while a television, generously donated by Niijima, was playing the current lightweight championship fight. He had finished the final fight of the Class A tournament, ranking first in the JBC. All he needed to do was wait for that fight to be over, and he'd be able to send a letter of challenge to the current champion. He hadn't paid attention to whom the current champion was fighting, as he had bigger fish to fry, so to speak. The only reason he was in it, and that James Shiba was along for the ride, was for the money his sensei was earning from those fights. If anything, both wouldn't have been interested in it at all.
The biggest reason was that Niijma had told Takeda that Kenichi wanted to win a Naoki Prize, and that an autobiography of his life to becoming a champion would 'surely' be a big hit that may be able to win it. Takeda was all in for it if it helped Kenichi fulfill his dream of writing. James Shiba was in it because Niijima promised a small percentage of the sales if it hit big.
"Hmph, amateurs," huffed Shiba as he blew a puff of smoke from his cigarette, "Looks like we know who's the winner now."
Takeda finished his set with a left straight, turning his attention towards the television when he saw just who was the champion, and narrowed his eyes.
"And the winner and continuing champion of the JBC Lightweight division is… Akeshita Shin!"
Takeda had completely forgotten about his ex-best friend being the current Lightweight champion of Japan. Still, he gave a small maniacal grin as he saw that he would be challenging Akeshita. This was the perfect little revenge for him, and damn if this plot wouldn't give Kenichi that little edge.
"I remember this brat," frowned Shiba, "Believe he was in that little hurdle when those idiots tried to gang up on you with the alien brat."
"Yea, he was a friend…. Until he was the one responsible for hiring people to take out my left arm," nodded Takeda, "It's going to be good to knock him down a few. For that fight, can I go at 100%?"
Takeda had been limiting himself to 30-60%, depending on the opponent, so as not to finish the fight too fast. Still, he did finish most of his fights in 1 round, if not 2 if he was feeling generous.
"A grudge eh? Well, it wouldn't be manly for me to say no!" laughed Shiba, though frowning a little. He had sent letters of challenges to the champion's gym before the whole class A tournament, only to be rejected. Now he had a good look at the champion, he was beginning to realize they were rejected out of probably cowardice. Still, Takeda was the number one ranker in the JBC, so there was no reason for rejection.
Shiba decided to make a little call to the alien brat, just to make sure he could get a little more… persuasive power. It didn't hurt to get that help, even if it meant him having power over his gym, even if he was the major backer of it as well as the person to make it happen.
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!
Reminder, I have a pat reon, look up azndrgn making fanfic. Donators get to read my chapters earlier!
A bit of a filler chapter, but I promise next chapter will continue the story!
And ohohoho, what could have happened with the Elder and Kushinada? 0.0 wink wink