AN: Right, before I fire this baby up, I'd like to clear a few points from my reviews...

1. Keitaro probably could stomach the training, if he can handle being launched into the skies that often and come back alive. Please stop thinking in 'reality' terms, this is based on anime and manga - read and laugh, don't fry your head over it.

2. Kanako and Motoko are raised on 'Aoyoma' family values, so expect them to be stern to Keitaro. Unlike Motoko, who's hated men for all her life, Kanako has shown that she's more forgiving then her sibling.

3. You folks ever had a mother who comes in on your saturday morning around 7am-ish when you were about 10 years old and began yelling at you to do chores? What was your response back then, similar to Keitaro's? I rest my case.

As always, Love Hina and its characters belong to Ken Akamatsu.


Lineages

Chapter 5: The way

Five years ago...

"It's astonishing and worrying at the same time..." One of the senior mentors commented to the Sensei of the dojo. The lesson of the day was for the students to split a log falling towards them with a single stroke from their swords. Most students made rough splits, but were passable. Motoko remained one of the dojo's favorites, as she made a flawless split with both halves being of equal size.

Kanako's log, however, was completely annhilated. There was little but splinters and saw dust left after her single stroke.

"Her power is extrodinary, but she lacks focus." Another mentor commented. "Perhaps it would serve her better if we were to focus her teachings in hand-to-hand combat?"

"Make it so." The Sensei finally replied after a long moment of silence, watching other students help the still shaken Kanako clean up the ground. "But let her continue learning the way of the sword to teach her focus."

"As your will, Sensei."

The present...

With a roar, Kanako drove down towards a giant tree stump in the forest with a knife-ridge chop. But instead of creating a split, her bare hand completely shattered the hardwood, before it exploded and sent splinters everywhere. With a sigh, Kanako slumped beside the newly created crater from where the tree stump once was.

"Dammit..." Kanako frowned, her eyes focused on her unscratched hands.


"You have to!"

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

"I just can't!"

Carting a load of laundry up to the balcony, Keitaro blinked at the Aoyoma sisters arguing with each other. As he sat the basket down by Shinobu, who was hanging the clothes up to dry, he whispered cautiously to the resident cook.

"What are they arguing about?" The landlord whispered.

"Something about their training..." Shinobu replied quietly, and the comment made Keitaro do a double-take. While Motoko is accustomed to wearing her training outfit, he has never seen Kanako wear it past her training sessions in the morning, and it was nearly noon...

"If you won't, I'll just have to make you!"

"You're welcome to try!"

With a roar, both Aoyomas swung at each other with unrestrained strength. Kanako's face was filled with rage as her fist blazed with fire and lightning as it shot forward with the speed and might of a freight train, while Motoko's face was calm as her bokken shot up quickly in an iaijutsu style strike, its wooden edge crackling with the same raw energy exhibited by her sister.

CRUNCH!

Blinking, the two sisters stepped back and gasped as Keitaro crumpled to his knees, having shielded the two from striking each other with his own body. Their arguement quickly thrown aside, the sisters quickly examined him as Shinobu ran to call for help...


"What happened, doctor?" Haruka asked, her usual stoic face filled with concern. As a member of family, she was the only one allowed to see the landlord while the others waited outside. As accustomed to Keitaro's nigh immortality, she was surprised and frightened that something could put him into the hospital.

Sighing, the doctor slipped an x-ray picture back into a folder before turning to the landlord's aunt. "I'll be honest with you, Miss Urashima." The doctor began, adjusting his glasses. "Your nephew suffered two blows: one in his head above the left eyebrow, and the other below his right ribs." He then pulled out another picture, holding it up to the light to point out areas to her. "I was quite skeptical when he said he fell down the stairs, as these breakages are not unlike a victim's from a car crash."

After several moments of discussion, the two left the room to let Keitaro rest in peace. As she walked out, the waiting tenants stood, eager to hear the condition of their landlord. Haruka then noticed that while the Aoyoma sisters were also with the group, they had a barely perceptible aura of guilt about them. Sighing, she walked just past the two sisters and spoke. "Keitaro is fine, the doctor informed me that he will be released tomorrow to be on the safe side." This drew looks and sighs of relief from the tenants.

"Everyone can go back now, we'll come back to pick him up at noon tomorrow." At that, the tenants began filing out of the waiting room, but Haruka turned to look at the Aoyomas, stopping them in their tracks. "You two, I want to know exactly what happened, right now."

Her tone of voice indicated she was running short of patience, especially regarding the issue of the tenants' constant abuse of her nephew. Gulping, the Aoyomas began recollecting the events of that morning...


Slowly opening his unbandaged eye, Keitaro looked up to find an unfamilir ceiling. With a confused look, he sat up and realized two things out of the ordinary.

One: He was in what appeared to be a hospital, and he was wearing a patient's gown.

Two: Someone was asleep beside his bed, and was holding onto his hand.

Having remembered the accident he had in the morning, the landlord was only mildly surprised at having wound up in the hospital. He was surprised, however, at seeing Motoko holding his hand in her sleep. Upon closer examination, he could see dried trails of tears on her face. Smiling slightly, he gently covered her with the blanket from his bed, before quietly sneaking out of his room.

After asking some nurses for directions, Keitaro finally found his way to the food hall. As he entered, he was surprised at seeing Kanako sitting at a table sipping tea. Upon his entrance, she smiled and gestured for him to sit across from her, to which he did.

"Well, you being here tells me that my sister finally fell asleep." Kanako began, taking a sip of her tea. "She doesn't show it, but she was definetly worried for you the whole time we were here..." A nurse than came to a table with a plate of food, to which Kanako motioned it be given to Keitaro. As the nurse left, the landlord did a double-take at the plate before looking at Kanako.

"How did...?"

"I asked Shinobu what your favorite dish was." Kanako answered with a slight smile. "Dig in, it's what you came here for, right?" Needing no more prompting, Keitaro began wolfing down the food in front of him like Su would on a daily basis...

"Keitaro...?" The landlord paused and looked up, his face comically stuffed with food. "Can I ask a favor of you?" Blinking at the suddenly quiet Kanako, Keitaro swallowed his food and nodded, encouraging her to continue...


"Welcome back, Keitaro!"

"Yay! Keitaro's back!"

The landlord of Hinata-sou smiled at the genuine affection radiated by the tenants, and walked towards the inn being flanked by the Aoyoma sisters, who had stayed with him during his stay in the hospital. As the group finally gathered together, Keitaro motioned for them to be quiet before speaking.

"I have an announcement to make." Keitaro began, and many of the residents instantly winced inwardly. There have been moments where their beloved landlord has taken long leaves of absence to get away from the inn, moreso after severe beatings. As the collective group were about to beg him to stay, he continued. "Kanako has asked that I help her with her training, to which I will need to ask each of you to help out with the chores, as I agreed and will be focusing most of my time assisting her."

The tenants merely stared in surprise at the landlord, while Kanako's face lit up in hope as Motoko immediately stepped into Keitaro's path, staring down the shorter landlord. "Absolutely not!" The swordswoman yelled. "You just got out of the hospital! I will not allow you to endanger yourself like this!" This was met with nods and murmers of agreement from the tenants.

"It's my decision, Motoko." Keitaro sighed. "Besides, it's the landlord's job to help their tenants whenever possible, right?" He then nodded to the others. "If you all could help out with the chores, it'd be greatly appreciated." He then walked past the group towards his own room, and soon the tenants dispersed as well, leaving only the Aoyomas to stare at each other.

"If you even harm a hair on him because of your training..." Motoko glared at her sister, her hand resting on her sheathed blade.

"I won't." Kanako replied boldly, her fists clenched tightly to her sides.


"So, Motoko..." The swordswoman glanced over at the resident slacker. "What exactly is Keitaro helping train your sister with, anyways?"

"Focus." Motoko replied, causing Kitsune to blink in confusion. "It may sound strange to you, but his dedication to entering Toudai as well as his position as landlord enables him to remain very focused..."

"Focus, huh?" Kitsune mused. "Is that why he's helping her study for her mock exams?"

"It's admittingly a great place to start building focus." The swordswoman nodded.

"Hmm..." Kitsune grinned. "You sure he's not in there teaching your sister 'other' things...?" The implications was not lost on Motoko, who immediately clenched her sword tightly.

"He wouldn't dare..." Motoko seethed, her eyes narrowing at Kitsune. She then stood and made her way towards the landlord's room, with the fox following behind with a devious grin. Finally reaching her destination, Motoko threw the door open and was about to accuse their landlord when she stopped and did a double-take.

Books and study notes were scattered through nearly every inch of the room, leaving only a small pathway purposely made from the doorway to the study table. Both Kanako and Keitaro looked up from their books and notes and blinked at Motoko, before turning back to the books.

"Canada, then?" Kanako spoke, tapping a pencil to her chin.

"Um, no..." Keitaro adjusted his glasses. "It's in the United States. But you were close!"

Scowling, Motoko slid the door shut and walked away, while Kitsune rolled on the ground uncontrollably with laughter.


"Um, are you sure about this Kanako...?" Keitaro asked nervously as he was tied up to a wooden post in front of a large boulder.

"Of course, Keitaro." Kanako replied, gathering her chi. "Mastering the zanmaken strike is the pinnicle of focusing one's chi."

"Yeah, but your sister took several tries before she smashed the boulder without killing me!" By now Keitaro was sweating nervously, as Kanako settled into a stance.

"Then I'll make an effort to use less tries..." She then reared her fist back, concentrated on the technique in her mind, and let fly...

"Oh my! That looks fun!" Mutsumi's sudden voice beside her made Kanako lose her concentration in that one critical moment, and Keitaro was sent screaming into the distance before landing in a cloud of dust.

"Oh my! I didn't know Kei liked playing in the dirt!" Mutsumi seemed to remain clueless with the same warm smile on her face, causing Kanako to look at her in disbelief before rushing after the landlord...


"That's getting repetitive..." Kitsune muttered as she took a drag from a sake bottle and continued watching tv, while several of the other tenants nodded in agreement. Moments later, the whole building seemed to shake as if in an earthquake, and dust billowed outside the glass screen door in front as it has done so roughly every few minutes for the past week.

Unable to sit idly any longer, Motoko rose from the sofa and tucked her sword into her obi. "I'm going to stop this nonsense, it's gone on long enough."

"How come, afraid he won't perform as well at night with bruises?" Kitsune grinned at the swordswoman.

"No, Kitsune." Motoko sighed, having expected the comment from her. "I'm worried that if he gets sent to the hospital one more time, either Haruka or my sister Tsuruko will kill me." Nodding in agreement, the tenants decided to go as one. As they walked outside, however, another cloud of dust blew past them, causing them to cough before it cleared away, allowing them to stare at the scene before them.

Kanako and Keitaro were laughing and cheering as they danced around in each other's arms, while the boulder behind his post was crumbled into three pieces. Upon seeing Motoko, Kanako rushed over and spun her in circles while laughing in joy, making Motoko woozy from being spun around like a top.

"Did you see that, sister?" Kanako beamed. "I mastered the zanmaken! With my fists, no less!"

"So I see..." Motoko raised an eyebrow, then glanced over at Keitaro. "Looks like our family is in your debt once more, Urashima." This caused the landlord to chuckle and waved his hands, indicating he didn't mind despite the bruises covering his body.

"Alright, this calls for a PARTY!" Kitsune cheered, pulling out two monstrous sake bottles. The tenants merely sighed and shook their heads, while Haruka, who had just arrived, began passing out anti-hangover pills to the tenants while Kitsune wasn't looking...


After partying, drinking, and everyone generally making a fool out of themselves, the Hinata-sou was finally restored to peace and quiet as most of the tenants turned in for the night. As Motoko made her way towards her room, she noticed that the light in Keitaro's room was still on. Curious, she knocked on the door , hearing no response she decided to open the door, and her jaw dropped at what she saw.

Keitaro was sound asleep while sitting up, with what appeared to be a photo album in his lap. But what drew the swordswoman's attention was her sister Kanako, who had fallen asleep with her head against his shoulder, and her arms wrapped around his waist. Briefly Motoko considered either sending Keitaro flying with one of her techniques, or simply prying Kanako off him and carry her back to her room. She then decided against neither, as Kanako would likely be awakened and be upset at her.

Turning off the lamp, Motoko spared one last glance at the pair. Any funny business, Urashima... The swordswoman thought to herself as she narrowed her eyes. And you'll never live long enough to regret hurting my sister. With that, she closed the doors once more, letting the room descend into darkness.


Like? No like? Please review!

Thanks to those of you who are still here, as I am sorry with the late update. Real life has a way of interferring with everything, but rest assured that I'm still at it! Stay tuned, as more is along the way!