Chapter 5.
"Alright c'mon, both of you wake up."
Lloyd's eyes shot open to see Koso leaning over him shaking his shoulder. Morro was next to him waking up as well, and when the green ninja looked at his surroundings he realized they were both lying on a couch. When Lloyd tried to stand up, Koso put a hand to his chest and pushed him back down.
"Now now ,stay down you're still too weak from our little lesson earlier, here drink this." The older man said handing him a strange looking red drink in a small glass bottle. Lloyd eyed it warily.
"What is this?"
"Medicine boy, and if you don't drink it you'll be in a world of pain."
Lloyd doubted it, sure that the man was bluffing. That was until he suddenly felt like his gut had been spearheaded with the sharpest sword imaginable, unable to process anything,but the burning pain ,Lloyd decided whatever the man was planning couldn't be worse than this pain and downed the drink as fast as possible. Unsurprisingly it didn't taste exactly right, however as soon as he ingested it Lloyd found his pain had somehow disappeared and he felt fine.
Koso, seemingly satisfied that Lloyd had done as instructed for the first time without complaint, turned to Morro offering the boy a drink as well ,only this one was green.
"Since I hit you twice, I had to brew a stronger potion ,it should do the trick."
Morro eyed the bottle suspiciously, through his painful writhing , before definitely turning his head away the best he could. Koso frowned perplexed, before he spoke in a firm voice.
"Boy you are going to drink this now, whether you do it obediently and save yourself a sliver of dignity is up to you."
When Morro refused to turn around Koso sighed.
"I suppose you just prefer doing things the hard way."
Before Morro could process what the man had said, Koso grabbed Morro by the hair and lifted the boy up shoving the bottle to his mouth, whilst tilting his head back. When the wind master tried to spit it out after he took the bottle away, Koso simply put his hand over the former ghost's mouth and used his other hand to pinch Morro's nose.
"Now if you want to breath you best swallow boy."
Morro looked completely enraged at the man as he began to turn blue. When Lloyd was sure the wind master would suffocate Morro finally gave in and swallowed. Removing his hands Koso spoke.
"Now was that so hard?"
If looks could kill Koso would be dying a thousand deaths right there. Morro was enraged even if he did feel alot better. Before the former ghost could say anything though, Koso had dismissed him.
"Now that that's taken care of," Koso pointed a long bony finger at the both of them.
"You two smell awful, I almost couldn't carry you here I was so tempted to leave you in the forest just to get away from your horrible scent." Koso took a deep breath to calm himself from his rant .
"You both need a bath is what I am saying."
Lloyd and Morro both gaped at the man.
"Are you serious?!"
"I am not bathing or doing anything else you tell me to ,you f***in-" for the second time that day Morro was cut off by a slap to his face. Koso stared him down sternly.
"I believe I told you what happens when you speak such vulgar language in front of me did I not"
"Shut up! YOU-"
Koso slapped him again.
Morro looked murderous growling under his breath as Koso narrowed his eyes.
"I also told you about disrespecting me did I not?"
"I-"
Koso aimed his hand up again appearing to be about to slap again Morro flinched back as Koso spoke.
"Did I?"
Morro lowered his head shame clearly displayed on his his hand print covered face.
"Yes."
"Good at least you remember that, now Morro remember this for me, you DO NOT get to break my rules unless you wish to reap the consequences."
When Morro didn't talk back, Koso seemed to be satisfied as he spoke again.
"Ok now, you two. bath. now."
Lloyd reeled back perplexedly.
"Wait are you really serious!?"
"Yes you two stink."
Before Lloyd could reply , the older man snapped his fingers and suddenly he,Morro, and Koso were in a cave, and behind them was a shimmering pool of crystal clear blue water coming from a small waterfall on the far side of the cave.
Lloyd stared at it in awe for a few seconds when he realized something….
He and Morro were only wearing their boxers.
Letting out a terrified scream both Morro and Lloyd jumped back away from each other and Koso as both refused to look at one another.
Koso raised an eyebrow at the two.
"What? You're only in your underwear, it's not like you haven't seen yourselves like this in a mirror."
Lloyd shook his head, hands covering his ears.
"No no no stop talking please stop talking!" He shouted while Morro had turned around and refused to show his face.
Koso rolled his eyes at the two before throwing a purple block at Lloyd. Catching it, the green ninja realized it was soap. Koso also dropped a pile of grey clothes onto the ground before them.
"You both get in the water and clean up when you're done get dressed, and call for me, and don't even think of escaping this cave has no exits or entrances you're trapped here." With that Koso disappeared into thin air leaving Morro and Lloyd alone together.
Morro still hadn't turned around and for that Lloyd was happy. Looking around the cave Lloyd saw that Koso was right no exits. The green ninja then eyed the pool of water wondering what to do.
Koso had defeated him, with one blow no less, either this was a dream or he really had just met the first spinjitzu master's brother. If that were true then would he really have any chance of escape?
As Lloyd stood there pondering Morro finally decided to speak up.
"You're a coward you know."
"..."
"Just going along with what he says cause you're afraid of a little magic, pathetic."
"Sigh If I'm so pathetic why is it you can't win against him either."
"I-"
"Maybe because you couldn't win against me!"
"..."
"Or maybe you like getting pushed around, getting a taste of your own medicine"
"..."
"Or maybe-"
All of the sudden. Lloyd was being tackled into the water.
The two wrestled wildly Morro kept harshly tugging on Lloyd's wrist while Lloyd resorted to pulling Morro's hair as hard as he could.
They went on like this a little while longer until they both were being pulled apart and hauled out of the water by their hair.
Koso looked down at them both deep scowl painted on his face.
"I thought I told you two to bath not try to drown each other."
Lloyd looked at Morro
"It was his-"
"His what? His fault? I don't care. I ordered you two to get clean and instead of that you're both playing around like a bunch of toddlers!"
Lloyd looked down, refusing to speak back for fear of something happening to him. Morro couldn't get himself to say anything as he finally realized he was in water! Water that had burned him so many times before, it was so strange to be able to stand in it without fear of harm. He became so transfixed on it he almost didn't hear Koso's next words.
Koso huffed." Fine, if you two are too irresponsible…."
Trailing off the older man raised his hand which held the purple bar of soap from earlier and before Lloyd or Morro could respond Koso dunked both of their heads into the water and began furiously scrubbing their hair.
The two teens struggled under the water for twenty seconds until Koso finally let them up for air…..
…..For two seconds before they were dunked again and let up three seconds later. As Koso continued to scrub their face, arms, and legs until they were squeaky clean. Then dunked them underwater again to rinse off the soap.
Morro and Lloyd both spluttered as they came up. Koso rolled his eyes as he walked away and got up out of the water and beckoned the two to follow him. Lloyd and Morro both looked at each other skeptically before reluctantly following.
Once they were all out of the water, Koso turned to them whilst snapping his fingers, immediately after he did so, Lloyd and Morro both found that they were completely dry and fully clothed in the grey clothes he had left with them earlier. Koso's clothes were also now completely dry. What kind of magic was this man even using?
Lloyd stared perplexedly at the strange clothes ,while they weren't uncomfortable they did feel strangely light compared to the heavy green ninja gi he was so used to wearing.
Before the blond could question Koso about what he had done with his clothes though, the older man had already snapped his fingers again and the trio were back in the same cottage from before.
Lloyd vaguely noticed on the table was a freshly cooked meal of grilled chicken and what looked like asparagus.
Koso nodded towards the table."As you can see while you two were fooling about I prepared dinner, I expect you both to eat and be quiet and thankful that I am allowing you to do so after such abhorrent behavior." As he spoke Koso took his see at the far end of the small table like earlier and gestured for Lloyd and Morro to sit down.
However neither teenager moved, both as tense as a tightly strung violin.
Koso didn't seem to notice though,(either that or he didn't care) and simply spoke again.
"You two do know what I am capable of yes? I'd prefer not to have to beat you two all the time ,but if you insist…"
Before the older man could act upon that threat however both Lloyd and Morro reluctantly sat down and ate their food in complete silence. When they were finished, Koso stood up from the table, taking both of their plates and dumping them into the sink beside them. Once that was taken care of he turned back to the pair. With his amazing speed Koso leapt across the room and grabbed the two of them by their collars and dragged them into the two bedded bedroom from earlier and quickly dropped each of them on their separate bed before walking to the door saying,
"Now, you'll be getting up plenty early tomorrow, best you both go to bed now."
Morro and Lloyd both shot up from their beds angry looks on their faces.
"What?! A bedtime are you serious old man?!"
"No I am not sleeping here! I don't care about if what you said about being my grand uncle was true or not I-"
Before Lloyd could finish Koso narrowed his eyes as he stepped towards Lloyd menacingly.
"And I don't care if you like it or not great nephew! You will be here as long as I want you here understand?"
Lloyd shook his head in defiance, "No! I don't understand! I want to go home! I want-" Lloyd was cut off as Koso's hand made contact with his face once again.
"Calm yourself boy you sound pathetic."
Koso eyed the green ninja sternly whilst Lloyd finally realized he had started to tear up as the salty liquid drops cascaded down his cheeks.
No one said a word, not even Morro who gaped at the blond in shock. The only sound was Lloyd's hiccuping as he tried to calm himself down.
It was Koso who eventually broke the strained silence.
"Oh c'mon now, stop getting yourself worked up like this it's so unbecoming of the green ninja now isn't it?"
Lloyd didn't respond for a couple of minutes, until finally he was able to choke out,
"P-please I can't sleep i-in the same room as him" Lloyd nodded towards Morro, who glanced away and suddenly had a vast interest in staring at the floor.
Koso frowned seemingly considering what Lloyd was saying as he spoke his next words carefully.
"I see you are former enemies that much I can tell, you must truly fear that he will attack you while you sleep isn't that right great nephew?" Before Lloyd could respond Koso continued. "Well no matter I have the perfect solution." As he spoke Koso snapped his fingers and Morro and Lloyd both fell to the ground unable to move in the slightest.
"There now neither of you can do anything to the other."
The green ninja gasped as he laid there paralyzed along side Morro who looked absolutely furious.
Koso didn't seem to care though and simply hefted both teenagers into his arms before depositing each of them unto their beds and surprisingly tucking the covers of the bed over them, almost gently.
Lloyd and Morro stared at man in embarrassment and shock as he headed towards the doorway.
"Sleep well you two have a long day tomorrow" With that Koso shut the door, leaving them in complete darkness.