Chapter 2

The Legendary Shinobi Appears

It was morning in Asakusa, as Ikaruga stepped out of her home, and called her friends to follow her to the school. At last they walked down the streets to Hanzo Academy, as Sora helped Katsuragi down the streets.

"You know, I always like to take hold of Asuka's merchandise," she said to him.

"Really?" replied Sora.

"Does that annoy you?" asked Katsuragi, who felt uneasy, after she saw his death glare.

"A little. I kind of think that it usually gets old with time," he remarked quietly.

Sometime before, at the academy, they soon learned that what they witnessed was something called Kugutsu, a technique that was used to cause them confusion after explaining what happened, but Sora was aware of the replicas thanks to what Riku told him before their final clash with Xehanort.

"Considering everything you've told me thus far, I'd say the shinobi that attacked you is probably likely a Kugutsu master," Kiriya said.

"I knew it," hissed Sora.

"What's wrong, Sora?" Ikaruga asked.

"Yeah, what is it?" Katsuragi asked as well.

"What I'm about to tell you comes from my previous experience when I met a replica of Riku in Castle Oblivion, thanks to Namine's magic. According to what Ienzo told me when he was Zexion at the time, Even's Nobody, Vexen, created a replica of Riku, thanks to the data he acquired from his battle against my friend, Riku. This version used the darkness freely, and it caused a lot of confusion, until Larxene, Elrena's Nobody, told me that the Riku I fought was no more than a puppet Vexen created, which made me think he was the real deal. But during my visit to San Fransokyo where I helped Big Hero 6 battle the Heartless and the original Baymax that Hiro's brother, Tadashi created, that same replica of my friend tried to trick me into destroying the Baymax that He created, after Hiro told me that he made a serious mistake in trying to have his brother's creation bring nothing but death and destruction," explained Sora.

"Sora may be right, sir. But why would someone attack us?" Ikaruga asked her teacher.

"I can't say for sure, but just be cautious," he replied quietly.

However, Ikaruga snapped back to reality when Yagyuu asked if something was wrong. This made the raven-haired swordswoman reply that she wasn't sure, but she felt like they would face a terrible calamity, which made Sora react in a rather unexpected way.

"Sephiroth," he murmured quietly.

"Sephiroth?" Hibari asked.

"The One-Winged Angel himself. A swordsman who was once a Soldier, became Cloud's hated enemy even though he hailed him as his hero, until he did a lot of terrible things. One of the worst things that he did was kill Nehelenia, and prevented the birth of their kid, Vassago," Sora explained to them.

This made Asuka worry about him, even though she knew that she wanted to prove she was the best. However, the thought of someone so evil, killing for pleasure sickened her to the core of her being. Sometime later, they were now training and honing their abilities as ninja, and Sora sometimes sparred with the two swordswomen as his way of helping them become stronger. Ikaruga unleashed hidden power, with a technique she called the Phoenix Flame Flash, and swung her sword with all her strength. Katsuragi rushed across the ground, she spun about on the ground like a breakdancer, which generated a powerful cyclone. Yagyu then utilized her own ninja technique called blade sweeper. Both techniques unveiled a dragon and a squid that danced about before them. Sora, Asuka, and Hibari were in awe, but Kiriya was impressed by their talents.

"Outstanding performance by the both of you, ladies," he said.

"That was awesome, you guys!" agreed Sora.

"Thank you, Sora," replied Ikaruga.

"Oh yeah, what do you think of our outfits?" Katsuragi asked, as she sidled up to him.

"Well, I do like Ikaruga and Yagyu's outfits, Hibari's is good too, yours is a bit different, but I do like Asuka's outfit most of all. It's almost like they're a representation of your own personalities. That's something I can respect about all of you," he answered.

Then he turned sharply towards the horizon, summoned forth his Keyblade, and pointed it to the sky.

"I call on the King of Pride Rock to come to my aid. Here my call, Simba, Son of Mufasa! Come to me!" Sora cried out.

He swung the weapon down, as the tip glowed with a golden light, then he held up to the sky above. Instantly, a whoosh of power and light surged upwards, revealing what appeared to be a lion stepping forth, and let out a magnificent roar that sailed out in front of him. Suddenly three Heartless emerged before him.

"Let's go, Simba!" Sora said to the Lion King.

Simba nodded, as Sora changed his attack to the maximum, and he unleashed another mighty roar that destroyed them. Everyone was in awe at what they saw, as they never knew that Sora could summon forth those he forged a strong bond with.

"No matter how far apart we are, our friendship will always stay strong," Simba said to him.

"That's right. We're all connected in the great Circle of Life," replied Sora.

"No way," murmured Asuka.

Her eyes suddenly lit up when she noticed Sora standing stoically like a veteran warrior. What was it that she felt when she was near him? She brushed it aside for now, as Kiriya told her and Hibari to perform their own summoning techniques. But Hibari decided to ask Sora a question about which creature was the right one for her.

"Hibari, the creature that you choose, can be a real one, like Simba, or it can be from any mythology that you've studied about. It's defined by our own characteristics, and what makes us truly compatible with it. But sometimes, the creature may choose us at it's master, not the person who chooses them," Sora said to her.

"Then I know what to summon, Sora. It took me a little while, but I finally found a furry friend that I can be happy with," replied Hibari.

"Sounds great. Wanna give it a try?" asked Kiriya.

Hibari nodded, then skipped merrily towards the cliff, where everyone stood watching.

"Trust in your heart, Hibari, and the bonds you've forged with the people you cherish," Sora said quietly to her.

Encouraged by Sora's words, Hibari's spirit animal had appeared before her. It was a gigantic pink bunny, which shocked everyone, but Sora stood with a proud smile on his face. Yagyuu could sense that Sora was very supportive of those around him, and saw that he was indeed different from other boys she was suspicious about.

"Do you wanna join me?" Hibari asked kindly to him.

"Okay, sure," replied Sora.

They clambered up onto the bunny's back, and soon bounded off towards the forest beyond. For the first time, Hibari felt happy, even as Sora held on with one hand gently gripping it's back, and the other holding his Keyblade. Everyone stood watching in awe, until they saw their friends return, as Sora leaped off the bunny, then performed a spinning downward slash, landed in a crouch, and rose up to his feet.

"I totally summoned a bunny," she said.

"You did! I'm so proud of you," replied Kiriya.

"Well done, Hibari!" added Sora.

"Oh, thank you very much, you guys," Hibari chimed happily.

Then Sora turned to the others, and looked towards Ikaruga and Katsuragi.

"Like I said, the creature we summon may sometimes choose us to be it's summoner. That's one of the biggest yet cryptic mysteries of life as a warrior," he said to them.

Then he turned to Asuka, and faced her.

"By the way, Asuka, we were wondering if you'll be able to summon forth something that you have a strong connection to," he added.

Kiriya had to agree, even though Asuka was rather hesitant at first. She tried her best, but nothing seemed to come from her own concentration. Sora however, sensed a great deal of hesitation in his friend's heart. Finally, after several minutes, Asuka stopped. Back in the training room, all the girls were now relaxing from their training, while Sora stood respectfully outside so as to not suffer any form of beration for perversion. He could sense that something was troubling Asuka, even as she showered.

"I don't understand. Why can't I get this summoning thing down?" she asked.

"Got me, Asuka," replied Sora.

"Don't worry, it'll come in time," assured Ikaruga when she arrived.

Ikaruga also decided to shower as her friend did.

"You guys can talk it out. I'm gonna head off to patrol the town for a while, make sure there aren't any more replicas or Heartless," he said.

"Please be careful, Sora," warned Asuka.

Once he was gone, Ikaruga soon turned on the shower sprayer, and began to wash off all the sweat she had accumulated from the training.

"There's no need to rush yourself. It'll only frustrate you. Take your time," she said to her friend.

"It just sucks. 'Cause when I ask myself which creature I want to summon, my mind starts flipping through all the ones I like, and then I get overwhelmed. So tell me, how'd you decide on that giant fried chicken thingy?" explained Asuka.

"It's called a phoenix," answered Ikaruga, making Asuka surprised.

She turned silently to her friend.

"It chose me, actually," she said.

"Oh, seriously?" asked the ponytailed kunoichi.

"Yes, I think that's how everyone finds their creature. You just have to be patient and let it come to you when it's ready. I'm sure it'll happen for you, very soon," explained the swordswoman.

Asuka thanked her, and Ikaruga reminded her classmate that she was indeed the granddaughter of the great Hanzo; that she was destined for success. It cheered Asuka up immensely, as she swore not to be overcome by stress.

"That's the spirit. Seize the day. But, I've noticed something about Sora, even after he joined our class. He's very much like you in every way imaginable, despite being a boy. He believes in friendship, which gives him the strength to overcome our most powerful enemy, the darkness," she said.

"Oh yeah, you're right. I noticed how much he and I are alike, even when we were helping someone find some people they were friends with. I've been having this strange feeling when I'm near him. Like is it something that's real or not? I can't quite make sense of it," wondered Asuka.

She was still pondering about it, even as she was putting on her uniform, then turned and looked at her swords. At the same time, Sora stood on his own, looking out over the city on one of the skyscrapers of Asakusa.

"Alright, what to do?" he asked himself.

His answer came when he heard what sounded like a thunderclap, even though there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Time slowed around him, as he turned sharply and deflected the shot with his Keyblade. Up above was a girl wearing a cat themed gothic lolita styled outfit. Suddenly, he saw some Heartless emerge with a few replicas that were standing at either side of the girl, then with a great leap, he struck them all down without even breaking a sweat. He stood up, then held the weapon at his side, just as she slowly floated down with her umbrella that had gun attachments upon it, then landed and looked at him. Sora could see that she had an eyepatch like Yagyu's, but it was over her left eye.

"You're Sora, aren't you? Which, of course, would mean that you're not a ninja," she said to him.

"I'm a Keyblade Master," remarked Sora.

Then he stood firm with his weapon at his side.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm known as Mirai. And I'm a ninja like your friends, but on the side of darkness," she answered him.

This made Sora worried that she'd target his friends, but as he tried to run, he was stopped by heavy cannon fire.

"Just the two of us," Mirai stated, as she called a Heartless that resembled a fierce hound.

Sora readied his Keyblade as Mirai pointed her gunbrella at him.

"Well. Maybe three," she smirked.

(Play Rufus's battle theme from FF7 Remake)

"Let's get it over with," he said firmly.

"Don't say that," Mirai remarked slyly, as she stood her ground.

Sora lunged at her, but Mirai blocked the blow with her weapon, then fired at him, forcing him to dodge and jump back. The doglike Heartless lunged at him, forcing him to roll out of the way. He tried again, but the result was the same, only to be shot in the back, sending him flying near the ledge. Sora however, decided to target the Darkstar Heartless, and began to attack it, as well as defend himself with caution. At her beck and call, the Darkstar pinned Sora to the ground, grabbed him by the neck with it's mouth, then flung him up into the air.

"Shameful," sighed Mirai, as she fired at him.

Recovering quickly, Sora unleashed a fire spell from his Keyblade, seriously burning the Heartless, only to be blasted back again. He knew that he had to take her seriously, but he seemed hesitant somehow, but he knew that through his experience fighting Larxene, Ursula, Yuffie, and Tifa meant that female opponents were not to be underestimated. He unleashed another fire spell at the dog, then at Mirai, who did her best to endure it.

"Hmph. Not bad," she said.

The fight was now truly on, as Sora fought against the Darkstar, hacking and slashing it with his Keyblade. He made a daring leap, then performed a downward slash upon the Heartless. Another shot sounded, causing him to roll out of the way, even as he lunged at Mirai, who dodged him.

"Mirai, as soon as you're done we need you back at our side, pronto," an unfamiliar voice said.

Mirai nodded, even though she was locked in battle with Sora.

"Got my number?" Sora asked her.

"Not at all. You're making me sweat. Good thing I came prepared," remarked Mirai, pulling out two coins.

She tossed them into the air, then pulled out a second cannon, and fired at the coins. Two beams of energy surged towards Sora, forcing him to dodge roll to the side.

"That's a new trick," he said.

"Oh, you like it? I knew you would," the lolita clad kunoichi replied with a proud smirk.

She fired several rounds at Sora, who tried his best to deflect them, until the darkstar attacked him, and made him stagger. She did the same thing again, and it's aim was true. Things were starting to go in Mirai's favor, just as Sora feared that he would die, but he remembered that his friends were the source of his strength. Quickly healing himself, he did his best to adapt to Mirai's other tactics, as he attacked the darkstar once more, then began evading more of her attacks, as well as deflecting the shots that were fired at him. He unleashed another burst of fire magic at her, but the darkstar howled, and healed her.

"Okay, that's cheating," quipped Sora.

He knew that he had to take out the darkstar fast, as it would start to be a major inconvenience to him, despite having to endure their tag team combo. Again and again, they tried to find new ways to outdo each other, but it almost seemed like the stalemate would continue.

"Okay," murmured Mirai.

At last, Sora managed to stagger the doglike heartless with a few well placed strikes with his Keyblade, while enduring his opponent's attacks. At last, he managed to defeat the Heartless, and it's heart soon returned to Kingdom Hearts, so that it would rest in peace. This made Mirai a bit surprised, but she was a little impressed by the Keyblade Master's skill.

"Now it's just the two of us," he said to her.

Smirking proudly at what she heard, Mirai flicked the coins away, then charged towards Sora, who blocked her first attack, then deflected a shot that was at point blank range.

"Let's make it a day to remember," she replied.

"It's on for real now?" Sora asked her.

"Oh yeah. You should feel honored," grinned Mirai.

They continued to fight, as well as evade each other's attacks, even as it was a bit grueling for Sora. he continued deflecting shot after shot, as well as finding ways to outfox Mirai, who continued laying down heavy cannon fire. She unleashed several smoke grenades to help her create a powerful smoke screen to cover up her next strategy. Both combatants knew that they didn't want this fight to drag on, So they decided it was time to truly end it. They still exchanged powerful blows at each other, trying to undermine their own fighting styles, but Mirai was slowly starting to grow impatient.

"Fine. I'm desperate," he hissed.

He concentrated hard.

"SHINOBI SOUL!" he cried, unleashing a burst of light that engulfed him from head to foot.

"You'd better believe it!" finished Sora, now that he was in his orange jumpsuit, but he still had his Keyblade in his hand.

"Interesting, Sora. It seems that even you have the heart of a shinobi," observed the gothic lolita.

Not wanting to die, Sora quickly healed himself with Curaga, then continued the battle.

"Don't get cocky," she quipped at him.

She sent several more grenades at him, and as she began to reload, Sora tried to strike at her, but was soon pushed aside and blasted back. Once more she was pushing him towards the brink of death, but Sora still refused to die a failure. Finally, Sora found the perfect opening, and began channeling his full power.

"Let's dance, Kitten!" he cried out, brandishing his Keyblade.

Without wasting a second, Sora began hacking and slashing at Mirai, until she was finally defeated, forcing her back to the edge. Charging furiously at her, after reverting back to his normal self, he managed to knock first her main weapon out of her hand, then her secondary firearm out of the other, sending them over the edge. Mirai glared furiously at him.

"I could finish this- here and now," he said.

"No, not quite," remarked Mirai, as she summoned a toy helicopter, which lowered a rope ladder towards her.

Today marks a new beginning for our next meeting!" she finished, as she soon took off into the sky.

Sora looked up at her, until the chopper turned and fired at him. He tried his best to defend himself, until he slipped and fell, but managed to grab on to a ledge, as Mirai disappeared from sight. Sora tried his best to hold on, as memories of his friends flashed through his mind. Suddenly, he heard footsteps running toward him, then felt a hand grabbing hold of his own. It was Hibari, who sensed that he was in trouble.

"You need to be better than this… if you want to play the hero," she said.

Sora nodded, then gripped her hand tightly, as she pulled him up. After his ordeal with Mirai, Sora downed an elixir, restoring him to full strength and mana. He returned to the academy soon after to report his findings to Kiriya who was impressed by his prowess, yet was a bit surprised by his decision to patrol the town. At the same time, Asuka picked up her dual swords, and wondered what she would do next, as she thought back at how her grandfather passed them to her, which he called a family heirloom that served him well, until his eventual retirement, and to treat them with proper respect so that they would serve him well. Asuka knew that her grandfather was a famous celebrity who performed great feats, as well as founded the school that was named in his honor. How could she even live up to that name? She soon returned to her friends, but noticed Sora, standing near the wall, with his arms over his chest. Asuka knew she had to do better. But before she could continue, Katsuragi grabbed her ankle, and dragged her towards the inflatable pool, where she landed with a splash. Just like in the canal, she was now soaked from head to foot. Hibari asked her to play with them, but the brunette complained about changing her clothes, even though Sora still kept pondering about his opponent, Mirai.

"Is something wrong, Sora?" Katsuragi asked him.

Sora shook his head quietly, even though he triumphed over the kunoichi in the cat themed lolita outfit.

"Guys, I have one question. Have you ever had someone as a rival?" he asked them.

"A rival?" questioned Asuka.

"I had a few rivals during my visit to another world, but they were on the side of darkness. My first true rival was a man from another time called Prince Demande, the de facto leader of Nemesis' Black Moon Clan, following his exile from a glimmering metropolis called Crystal Tokyo, along with several others, who refused to accept someone as it's rightful ruler of light. Even though they were horrible people, one of its members, Berthier, the second youngest of the four Specter Sisters, decided to talk to me of her own volition, after I put both Usagi and Chibiusa in their place, thanks to some nifty information Petz and Calaveras gave her and the others about me. That's when I told her that I sensed conflict in her heart, along with several others, despite the fact that she was a pawn of the same darkness that lingers in our hearts. So, to tell you the truth, I had to let her know that darkness wins by making us think we're alone, because I refused to believe in that kind of bull crap. In the end, both she, Koan, and the rest of their sisters accepted redemption, and embraced the light. But there were those who chose the path of the lost cause, Rubeus and Esmeraude, they chose not to accept redemption, and paid the price for their foolishness. But when Usagi was taken by Prince Demande, Mamoru and I agreed on a rescue mission. We stopped him, but rather than retreat, I chose to remain behind and face the prince in battle, so that I could buy them some time to escape. That was the moment Demande and I became rivals. As for our second meeting, I knew that I had to fight to protect her, even though I knew that there was good in Demande's heart, following the death of his brother, Saphir. He tried to perform the same trick on Sailor Moon again, but I knew I had to fight him, despite doing something that wasn't like me. I used the power of darkness to try and beat him. Thankfully, Sailor Moon warned me not to give in to his trickery, so I tried my best to not fight him, even though he'd still goad me into opening myself to the same darkness he was part of, believing it to be the one thing that would allow us to protect those we cherish, until he made the mistake of targeting someone who represented Venus, Minako Aino, the Goddess of Love, as well as an Angel of Light. When Demande said that he would make her his queen, all the anger I tried to hold back burst out, causing me to shout, 'Never!' even though it scared Sailor Moon immensely. I managed to defeat him, but when Demande goaded me into finishing him off, just so that I would take his place at Death Phantom's side, Sailor Moon stopped me, as well as told me that if I did those things, Vanitas would be set free, and he would never be able to see redemption. This freed me from my rage induced trance, and after telling him that Saphir loved him, even in death, I let him know that nothing's impossible for people to live in a peaceful, harmonious world, no matter how many differences they have, as well as recounted how Rubeus turned his back on the Specter Sisters for what he believed to be their final failures, only to be saved from the darkness, because of how that cloaked sorcerer treated them as expendable. After realizing the truth, he told me and Sailor Moon to stay back, and leave Wiseman to him. He managed to defeat him once, but after he was wounded, he passed away, asking us to make sure that those who were banished to Nemesis were looked after. And yet, after saving Chibiusa, we vanquished Death Phantom, and ended his dark deluded ambition of destroying the realm of light. However, I recovered Demande's body and gave him a warrior's funeral, burning his darkness and the evil of his actions, as well as stating that his name would be a light that lets others know that redemption brings light to all," explained Sora.

"To be honest, even though killing without a reason gives way to darkness, there are times when people have no choice but to do that terrible thing after the person they defeat chooses to become a lost cause. However, from what you told me, honoring someone who fought as a true warrior, by giving them a funeral, is what's known as the way of the samurai," Yagyu said, just as Kiriya arrived in a burst of smoke.

"Yagyu's right, Sora. Honor is just as powerful as having dreams. However, I'm not sure if we finished our training for the day," agreed Ikaruga.

"Ah, of course. I simply forgot to mention something to you earlier. Until I tell all of you otherwise, I want you to refrain from interacting with the public," replied Kiriya.

This made them all confused, until Yagyu asked if it was about the puppets they fought against.

"Yes, that is correct," he said.

"We'll be careful, Kiriya Sensei, sir. But if we do happen to come across any more replicas, then our only course of action is to take care of them as discreetly as possible," replied Sora.

"Hey, I was about to say that," quipped Katsuragi, only to be put in her place by that death glare again.

As they walked down the city streets, the blonde was growing annoyed about the whole thing, but the moment she asked Asuka about the replicas, the brunette told her that she didn't fight against them, until Sora spoke up.

"During my patrol, I was ambushed by someone who had a few replicas at her side, but it wasn't the same girl called Homura. It was someone else, wearing what looked like a cat-themed gothic lolita outfit. I fought her, and even though I managed to defeat the replicas and Heartless under her command, she made a hasty retreat, until Hibari came to my aid, and brought me back to you guys. Still, something about this doesn't add up. I think something is making Kiriya act a bit differently," he explained.

"I'm afraid Sora may be right about that. I could be wrong, but I have a gut feeling he knows more about our attackers than he's willing to let on at the moment. Am I the only one getting that vibe here?" wondered Ikaruga.

"What could it be?" asked Asuka.

"I think you're being a little paranoid here," added Katsuragi.

"Katsu's right, Ikaruga. Paranoia is our enemy, just like fear, pride, and darkness. Our objective at the moment is to stay on high alert, and patrol the city when we're told to do so, or for a good number of reasons when we feel like going on patrol for a little while. We have our orders. Also, if we want to fulfill our own dreams, we must have honor as well. That's something I learned from Cloud Strife, whenever I visit Radiant Garden. I refuse to let you be hurt by whoever sent those replicas after you, because I'll make sure to keep you safe," explained Sora, as his expression darkened.

This made Asuka stumble back towards a tree, when she noticed Sora's eyes flash yellow for a brief second. Something landed on her and made her scream and squirm, causing him to summon his Keyblade. Thankfully, Katsuragi helped her get rid of the frog by pulling her shirt up, even as Sora stood with his back to her, out of his respect for her. The frog jumped out and landed on the blonde's fingers.

"All that over a tree frog?" she asked.

Sora relaxed a bit after that, then he turned to Asuka and helped her to her feet. But he did allow her to adjust her shirt.

"It's hard to believe that the granddaughter of the great Hanzo could be brought down by something as trivial as a frog," sighed Ikaruga.

"Asuka's afraid of frogs?" wondered Sora, even though she complained about how she didn't like it being slimy and disgusting.

Yagyu however, quipped about it being a stupid phobia. That night, everyone was now asleep in their rooms, but since Sora had no place to sleep in, Asuka allowed him to sleep at her side. He did, however, know that everyone's rooms were styled their way, due to how they mirrored their personalities, like their own outfits whenever they transformed. It was sort of like how his Sailor Guardian friends would transform in their world. Asuka didn't sleep however, she was looking through books of different animals, despite being aware of how the creature chose her. Something about it didn't make sense, even though Ikaruga and Kiriya could be cryptic about it. Sora however, couldn't help but understand Asuka's hesitation, as he stood up and looked out the window.

"Don't stress about it. Get some rest. It's been a long day for you, Asuka," he said to her.

"I know I can do better, Sora. That's what I believe in," replied Asuka.

"Okay, suit yourself. But I don't like it when you're thinking negatively," sighed Sora.

"I do try not to think negatively, but I just don't like it when I'm treated like a kid," she quipped.

"You must have patience. What are you trying to prove to Ikaruga?" he asked her.

"That I want to be just like my grandfather," Asuka said.

"Asuka, a very wise warrior once said that nothing happens by accident. It's the guidance of our hearts that brought us together. I just wanna make sure that no one dies for my sake. There are some things that you can't do on your own forever. As long as you believe in the people you cherish," Sora assured her.

"How can you say that? Even though I dislike frogs," muttered Asuka.

"Did you forget? You're Hanzo's granddaughter. In other words, you're the descendant of a celebrity. If you chose to give up now, not only would he be disappointed in you, but Ikaruga, Katsuragi, Yagyu, Hibari, and Kiriya would feel the same way. Giving up is the way of the rookie, and you are no rookie, Asuka. Do you know what that means? It means that even if people start off as rookies, they'll still keep pushing hard with all their hearts. So believe me when I say this. There's no such thing as true perfection. Sometimes, like any frog, we have to make a leap of faith. That's something everyone has to make, no matter how much doubt weighs in on our hearts. As long as I'm with you, you have no right to give up on something that you want most of all. I always choose to say what's on my heart and my mind. Kiriya may be right about some things, but there are times when he's not, even though he's aware that some secrets come with a heavy price. That's why there are three reasons as to why that is. 1: These are the years when a man or woman changes into something they're about to become for the rest of their lives. 2: We need to be very careful of what we change into. The replicas our friends fought against, they probably deserved to be taken down. But being brave doesn't mean we have the right to go and search for trouble. That's a lesson that Rainbow Dash had to learn the hard way, even after I snapped at her. And 3: It's important to remember, that with great power comes great responsibility. But sometimes, even if you do have the power, it starts to feel good, until you lose yourself to it. I still regret allowing Vanitas to break free, after Professor Soichi Tomoe used his own daughter, his flesh and blood, Hotaru, to take Chibiusa's heart, just so he could awaken her dark side, Mistress 9, the Messiah of Dark Silence. If there's something that I can teach any of you, it's this. Embrace your dreams. And no matter the cost, defend your honor as a warrior. It's a lesson that will always stick with me, no matter where I go. So transform your crisis into a golden opportunity, because even though things may not go your way, it doesn't mean they should go that way when you choose to let it be that way. So always stop and think about it carefully, and you'll know there's a brighter side to it. That's why everyone has the power to use that to their advantage, whether they're on the side of light or darkness. People make mistakes all the time, just like I did. One of the greatest mistakes I made was losing myself to darkness, so that it would bring out my dark side, Vanitas," he explained to her.

To prove his point, he pulled out his gummi phone,and showed her a holographic image of the Keyblade Wielding Warrior of Darkness.

"He's my dark side, just as Ventus was his dark side. The shadow of our true inner selves. You need to know that whenever I defeat the Heartless, the hearts that they've captured would return to those who lost them. But when Organization 13 began taking those hearts, it was so they could create Kingdom Hearts, so that they would become vessels of Xehanort's will. I was afraid that I'd lose faith, trust, and confidence in myself. Xehanort was the one who manipulated everything this entire time, just so that he could use the true Kingdom Hearts' power to make himself become a god, and that everything we'd done was for nothing. To make a long story short, Xehanort wanted to be reborn as a God of Destiny. That's something I could never forgive him for, after I believed that he killed Kairi, until I learned that he scattered seven fragments of her heart, when I used the power of waking one last time. And although Xehanort was finally defeated, he passed the X-blade to me, and praised me for teaching him a lesson that he'd forgotten all those years ago, that a true leader knows that destiny is beyond their control… and accepts that. Nothing is ever truly set in stone. Because we won't allow darkness to overtake the light, even if things start to become risky. But risk is part of the game if you want to achieve the impossible. Even though I regretted helping the Death Busters, I thought that I didn't deserve to help my friends. My family. Anyone. That's why I did a bit of soul searching in my sleep, and found the strength to forgive myself, thanks to both Hotaru and Queen Serenity's faith in me. No matter how many enemies I defeat, no matter how many worlds I save, we always stick together and watch each other's backs, as family. So never forget, Asuka. You can't give up. Not now. Because we won't let that happen," he finished.

When Asuka heard what Sora said to her, she smiled admirably at him, as he gave her a friendly nod.

"Hey, Sora. Hearing what you said to me just now, made me realize that Ikaruga was right all along. We're more alike than we could possibly imagine. And seeing your smile means I have no right to give up that easily. I'm honored to know that you will always carry that hope in your heart, and I too choose to carry it as well, if you're willing to share it with us. And like you said, nothing is ever truly set in stone. Because we forge our own destiny, and not follow something that someone could write in a book, just because they had a vision of something that's about to happen. Some futures deserve to be a blank page," she said.

"Yeah. But the one thing I chose to do, when I hesitated to kill VesVes, even though she was an unwilling servant of Nehelenia's twisted desire to be fairest in the land, by killing off those who were part of the White Moon, or were allies of it, I let her know that I would never do something that my friends would never forgive. Then I let Usagi know that when she and Mamoru rule Crystal Tokyo, the city of love and light, they'd make the foundation of their new society, a warrior who never would. That's the belief I chose to acknowledge. But, when I was lost in Quadratum, and all alone, I thought that there would be no going back to my friends. It made me feel the same fear and loneliness that I had when my home, the Destiny Islands, were destroyed by the darkness, and I was suddenly transported to Traverse Town. But I'm not alone at all. I have people who can count on me. Because if I see any of my friends are about to be struck down by those who want to hurt them, I'll still protect them. I'm never going back on my word. That is the promise of a true Keyblade Master," replied Sora.

Then he turned and looked deeply into her eyes, with a firm look of unyielding courage.

"I'll always find a way to make a difference, no matter what," he said quietly.

The next morning, inside the training room, Sora and the girls stood before what looked like a stall, which left everyone bewildered. Suddenly, they heard an elderly man's voice, which Sora found rather familiar.

"It's about time," it said.

"No way," murmured Asuka.

"Yes way, Asuka," remarked Sora.

Out popped Hanzo, Asuka's grandfather, the man who asked Sora to attend his school, which was named in his honor.

"I've missed you so much," she said happily.

"You couldn't have missed me too much, it hasn't been that long since you left for school," assured her grandfather.

"Hey, you guys, could this gentleman possibly be…?" Ikaruga asked in surprise.

"Yep. That's Hanzo," answered Sora.

"Thank you for looking after my granddaughter," he said to them.

"It can't be!" gasped the swordswoman, and she quickly bowed to him.

Everyone else was in awe, until Sora explained that the reason he came here was because he was invited to attend by request of the elderly man's old friend, Master Yen Sid.

"Now then, while you are here, how about I treat you all to some lunch as a way of showing you my gratitude?" Hanzo asked them.

Hibari agreed instantly, due to Asuka's surprise that he set up a counter to treat them to lunch, which her grandfather felt would make the surprise even more special.

"I would expect nothing less from the Legendary Shinobi, Master Hanzo. Beautifully done," Ikaruga said to him.

"It was a pain getting all this stuff here, but your smiles make it worth it," replied Hanzo.

"Well, anyway. I just want to thank you for letting me attend this school, Master Hanzo. So, thank you," said Sora.

"You're quite welcome, Sora. It fills my heart with respectful joy that you've become such wonderful friends with my granddaughter and her friends here. However, if I do pass away and become one with Kingdom Hearts, my spirit will live on, not just in Asuka's heart, but in your heart as well. Should you ever need my guidance, just call to me with your heart, and I'll be there to help you keep walking the road to light," he assured him.

"You may not know this, Sora, but my grandfather's very wise. Even though he retired, he always has time to teach people a few important lessons. That's why my parents are looking after the shop in his stead," said Asuka.

Sora was amazed, just as Ikaruga was.

"Having a loving family is a great honor, Asuka. It's just like with my family, even though I despise my father when he left me, on the day I was born. Ever since then, all I have is a scar on my heart, that can never truly heal. But the past is the past. And I've learned to move on from it for now, but this scar will always haunt me no matter where I go," he explained.

Hanzo understood this, and passed his futomaki rolls to them. He watched them munch it down, but thanks to Sora's Saiyan Soul Drive power, he munched the whole thing down without even choking on it.

"Nice to know my rolls are still being appreciated by this generation of shinobi, they have rather excellent taste," he said.

He turned to Asuka, with a serious look in his eyes.

"I hear your summoning isn't going too well," he added.

"Sorry, Grandpa, but it's true. I still haven't mastered the technique. And if I can't, I'll bring shame upon your family and your legendary name," sighed Asuka.

"Asuka, don't talk that way. Thinking negatively will always lead to darkness, and that in turn will draw the Heartless to you, just so they can take your heart," Sora tried to assure her.

"I agree with this young man's honesty. But I'm afraid our family is responsible for your issue. It's not uncommon for our shinobi family line to share the same summoning creature," added Hanzo.

"Seriously?" questioned Asuka.

"That's right. And the trend is particularly strong in families with multiple generations of shinobi practicing their arts together," he replied.

"Hmm… sounds fair. But, uh, what's the creature that's been in your family for generations, Master Hanzo?" wondered Sora.

"Nothing too exciting. It's rather traditional for shinobi," answered Asuka's grandfather.

"Traditional, like how?" asked Asuka.

"I'd like to know as well, if it's okay with you," agreed Sora.

Hanzo nodded, then said that their summoning creature was indeed the frog. The revelation struck Asuka like a gigantic tidal wave. Her grandfather admitted that it truly was his fault for how she feared the creature, but he told her that she had to overcome that fear, despite her reluctance.

"Master Hanzo, sir, with your permission, We'll all help Asuka try to confront her fear, so that she can truly laugh in its face. Also, Kiriya should be arriving right now, via smoke bomb," Sora said.

And it turned out he was right, because he used a shield spell to protect himself from the smoke that erupted near them. Sometime later, the group was now searching for frogs, which Katsuragi griped about being so difficult. Asuka thanked her friends for their help, despite her belief in how they were wasting their time. But Yagyu told her that she had to face her fear, so that she could be near them without any hesitation.

"Like I said, Asuka. No more negativity. If you quit now, the darkness wins. Fear and darkness will always be your enemies. So I promise you, that we'll all help you work hard to be better. And I know that your grandfather would agree that you're not just dead weight. Because if I said that you were, then I would truly be a heartless jerk. And that's a very important fact. But, there's something else you should know. If your grandfather hadn't met your grandmother, they wouldn't have brought either of your parents into this world, and that means, you'd never be born. That too, is a biological fact. People who don't face their fears are nothing but cowards," explained Sora.

Behind them, Kiriya saw that Asuka was afraid of frogs, since it was her family's sigil, even as they watched them continue the search for a frog, only to come up with nothing. Unknown to them, Hanzo performed a symbol with his hands, and they soon heard the sound of several frogs croaking. Asuka jumped back and ran for her life. Kiriya, on the other hand, felt that Asuka's dislike of amphibians wasn't due to her grandfather.

"I've heard from the grapevine that you've been attacked recently," murmured Hanzo.

"Forgive me, I wasn't aware that you'd been informed," replied Kiriya.

"I assume you've come to the same realization. You know what this attack implies," he said, making the other man react in disbelief.

He closed his fan.

"I think it's safe to say, they're already on the move," added Hanzo.

Somewhere far away, inside what looked like a haunted castle, the five girls bowed to someone who was dressed in dark armor.

"What are your impressions of our adversaries?" the woman asked the five girls.

"Ma'am, I dealt with Asuka, the granddaughter of the legendary shinobi. She's an idiot. To be honest, I wouldn't even consider her a minor threat. But the boy, Sora, has a unique talent for sensing darkness within people's hearts, no matter where he goes, even if he senses good in their hearts. I have a feeling that he might be an even bigger problem, unless we draw out the darkness that lingers in his heart," answered Homura.

"The same goes for the others. The poor dears barely put up a struggle, and they were only fighting a handful of my adorable puppets," agreed Haruka.

"Then we have no reason to fear them?" questioned their leader.

"None," she replied.

"We must not underestimate the enemy after only one encounter. Carelessness leads to death after all," the woman stated firmly.

"I agree with your words. Double your training, and victory shall be ours, on our path to my ultimate prize, Kingdom Hearts. There's no point in trying to unleash a full frontal assault on them, as it would surely compromise our objectives. For if you are impatient, you will surely be destroyed by it. Only with cunning and deceit, can you truly erase them from existence, and drag their hearts into the deepest darkest pits of pandaemonium," agreed Sephiroth, who had been sent by the wicked Maleficent.

"Understood," the five girls said.

"Good, then with your permission, I suggest we have Yomi try and charm Sora, while also testing their mettle," said Akechi.

"I'm looking forward to it," replied Yomi.

This made Sephiroth chuckle, as he stalked out of the room, with his coat flaring behind him. Back in the training room, Asuka was still hesitant about getting into the inflatable, while everyone tried their best to assure her that they weren't poisonous. Despite her hesitation, as she tried to step in, the largest of the bunch landed on her foot, causing her to squirm and squeal. Meanwhile, Kiriya was informed that Hebijo Academy was already on the move. Hanzo nodded, and explained that they revealed themselves to their presence, just as Master Yen Sid's image appeared before them via a special form of communication.

"I would advise caution, my old friends. I hope that your students, as well as Sora, are prepared to face them in battle, but they must also beware of the Heartless that might be helping them, thanks to Sephiroth, one of Maleficent's many allies. Whether they're training is complete or not, they must never let their guard down. Hanzo dislikes going into this situation without understanding their overall goal, but the flames of war are slowly being stoked," he said.

Kiriya nodded, as the image of a young woman flashed through his mind. Back in the hall, poor Asuka slipped and fell into the pool, causing the frogs to scatter everywhere. One of them landed on Ikaruga causing her to squirm as Asuka did, but Sora carefully picked up the frog, and held it in his hand.

"Don't worry, little guy. I've got you," he said to the frog.

He walked past Asuka, as he gently carried it to the exit, and allowed it to go out the door. She could sense a deep kindness and respect within his heart, which still made her even more curious.

"It's sweet that you want to throw a party for Grandpa, but he'll get upset if he thinks everybody went out of their way," Asuka said as they were in the shopping district.

"It's the least we can do. I mean, it's a big deal. The man our school is named after is visiting us. We need to show him some hospitality," replied Ikaruga.

Sora nodded, but noticed that Asuka was feeling sad. He placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, don't worry, Asuka. I know you'll find a way to let go of your fear. Like I said, we promised to help you overcome it. Feeling fear can be natural for all of us, but it doesn't mean you're holding us back. After all, you can still proceed even with doubts. That's why your positivity is stronger than negativity," he assured her.

"Thank you, Sora," replied Asuka.

"I agree as well. Besides, I really can't say anything after my little freak out earlier, you know?" added Ikaruga.

"Hakuna Matata," Sora said to her.

"Kahuna Kalata?" asked Asuka.

"What's that?" the other kunoichi asked as well.

"It's a phrase that's stuck with me for as long as I can remember, and it means no worries. Sometimes you have to put the past behind you. And sometimes, you have to face it, without any sign of fear or hesitation," explained Sora.

"My goodness, these bean sprouts must cost a fortune," a voice said from nearby.

The three of them turned to see a girl with blonde hair like Katsuragi's, but it was more combed out rather than wavey, with a small green clip in it. Her outfit seemed to resemble that of a maid, consisting of a teal green dress with a white slip beneath it. The top part of it came up towards the upper most part of her chest, near her collar bones, towards the single white collar wraps around her neck. Her arms were adorned with long white gloves with diamond shaped sleeves over some white frills, a white apron around her waist with a shuriken pattern on them, and a grown belt that had a brown bag and strip that had some form of ammunition in it. On her head was a teal beret with a large white bow at the back, and a larger bow on the back of her dress. Beneath her dress were a pair of whtie stockings that were covered by a pair of long brown boots with black bows at the top. But when Sora saw her turn to face them, something in the bag of his head made him think she looked pretty.

"It's highly a robbery, don't you think?" she asked them.

"Um, well…" Sora replied, as he pondered it for a bit.

He quickly motioned for Ikaruga and Asuka to give them some time to each other, which the raven haired kunoichi agreed to do, due to Kiriya's orders. Suddenly, a dart whooshed past them and embedded itself into the sign.

"I'm a bit surprised your friend's still here, talking to me. Though it's impolite to leave without any proper introductions," the girl said to them with a bit of a wicked smirk.

This made the two girls turn and face her, as Sora readied his Keyblade.

"However, I actually think this boy actually is quite handsome," she admitted.