A.N. - As per usual, all characters (with the exception of OC's) are not mine, but are the property Togashi Yoshihiro. Thank you to all of you who read & reviewed the last chapter, those of you who are new to the story, and most of all those of you who have continued to read despite my chronic absence from writing. Please accept & enjoy the latest TWO chapters of Poltergeist Report as an apology for my absence!

Poltergiest Report 2: The Untold Saga

Chapter 9 – Training Day pt. 3

By: Shisoukengo

Previously: Kuwabara Kazuma, having grown increasingly apprehensive of both the progress of his former teammates, and the lack of his own, as well as the outcome of the events in Makai that called his best friend & rival away, decided to go against his agreement with his sister and seek out Genkai for possible training. However, after learning from Yukina that the aged master had been training the surviving demon fighters from the Dark Tournament as a favor to Kurama, Kuwabara grew despondent and seemingly resigned himself to never fully reaching his potential. However, an appearance from a recently "escaped" Rando in the human world forced the teen into action, and Kuwabara defeated the demon in defense of Ningenkai.

Meanwhile, the Reikai SDF revealed that Koenma's father, Enma-daiou has figured out it was Kuwabara's new ability, the Jigen-to, that was responsible for cutting through the barrier separating Makai & Ningenkai. He has ordered all of Kuwabara's powers sealed away, but Genkai having overheard his discussion with Yukina and approached Shizuru to convince her to allow her to finally oversee her younger brother's training, manages to convince Enma's soldiers to give her 6 months to train the teen to fully develop & control his powers. To accomplish this, she enlists the help of not only the 1st Reikai Tantei, Kuroko Sato, but also the cocky former martial arts champion, Enomoto Takeo, and the enigmatic sword instructor, Kanekita Rentatsu. Now well into the second month of his training, what methods will we see now?

"Come on, my cute little student, keep pushin or you'll feel the burn!"

Enomoto spoke from the top of the thick tree branch he squatted on. His face rested on his cloth-wrapped fist, a cocky smirk prominently displayed as he watched the human teen below him with sharp eyes. The teen's agonized grunts did nothing to assuage the amusement on the older man's face. Hanging from the branch supporting him, Kuwabara Kazuma performed pull-ups, while alternating between raising his knees to his chest as he ascended, then extending them straight outward as he descended. The rule was that at no point was the teen to allow his feet to dip below his waist.

Additionally, chained to each leg were one of Genkai's weights, which the old master stated hadn't been used since she'd trained Yusuke prior to the Dark Tournament. The twist, however, was that Enomoto had the teen alternate to a different variation every 5 reps, from standard to alternating knee twists, to around the world. And as if to further incentivize his pupil, Enomoto had lit a fire just underneath the teen's buttocks, preventing him from lowering too far or stopping altogether.

"IS...THIS...SHIT...REALLY...NECESSARY?!"

The statement, grunted with each word, had become the teen's mantra in the weeks since his physical trainer and sword instructor had arrived. Although Genkai, with the help of Kuroko, still oversaw his spiritual training, since he'd been progressing at a rate that had admittedly even surprised her (at least until she accounted for his natural reikan abilities); more and more focus had been placed on developing both his body and combat prowess. However, as his spiritual training tended to take up the majority of his time, with 12 hours devoted solely towards the spike exercise, followed by at least 3 additional hours of either developing his current reiki-based techniques or learning new ones; he'd been forced to adhere to a schedule in which his spiritual training took place 4 days of every week.

This included strengthening and developing his reiken, learning to actively harness and sharpen his reikan, as well as honing his rei-shuriken. Kuwabara had completely forgotten about the attack, having instinctively used it on the fly; but Genkai revealed that she'd heard of the technique he'd unleashed in his anger at hearing Elder Toguro mock her death, and expressed that further developing a technique which could strike multiple targets would be a vital one in battle. While learning to strengthen and develop his reiki abilities proved to be a pain, Kuwabara would readily admit it was quite a bit easier than developing his reikan, since much of his training in that area revolved around different meditative exercises.

Being that Kuwabara had always considered himself a man of action, he found sitting around with his eyes shut a task only suitable for when he was sleeping. Of course, it didn't help that the first time Genkai told him to meditate, she had him do so on a bed of burning coals. Being someone who'd been in literally a hundred street fights, and stared death in the face numerous times as he fought yokai, there weren't many things that could intimidate him. However, roasting over a flaming pit while trying to clear his mind and train his reikan was definitely one of them. Genkai explained to him that the point of the exercise was to learn how to surround his body with a protective shield of reiki during his meditation, to train him in both the conscious and subconscious use of his reiki. As if the old woman hadn't done enough, for at least the next month, she'd removed him from the futon he'd been occupying in the training hall to have him sleep in a snake pit.

Kuwabara had the only reasonable response any one person could have when faced with that situation.

He fainted.

Genkai, having never been one for empathy, had the only reaction a person with her experiences could have. She'd promptly kicked him into the pit, then returned to her compound to retire for the night, muttering about spineless slackers along the way.

His screams from the multitude of snake bites that followed resounded through the night. And that was when he wasn't busy fending off a bone-crushing hug from a python. Fortunately, Yukina had been allowed to heal him in the morning, before his next day of hellish training began. It'd taken Genkai finally explaining to him that the point of the exercise was to calm himself, stating that if he were to still his body and center his mind, his reiki would actively shield him and the snakes wouldn't strike at him. That, and facing something as potentially frightening as sleeping in a snake pit would toughen his nerves, and make him much less likely to freak out when faced with a situation that tested his comfort.

But it didn't stop there. On the days he wasn't engaged in his spiritual training with Genkai, he'd spend the majority of the other days undergoing six hours of physical & combat training each. True to form, Enomoto had taken the task to oversee his physical training, enacting a workout program that as he'd promised would "give him a body that would be the envy of humans and demons alike". To do this in the quickest, yet most efficient way possible, he'd had Kuwabara perform only exercises that engaged and worked multiple muscle groups. Truthfully, Kuwabara would've admitted to being really impressed with his sensei's knowledge of the human body, if the workouts weren't so painful. However, the workouts weren't the only part of Enomoto's training, the older man also seeing to dedicating at least 2 hours of their time together to polishing his basic hand-to-hand combat skills.

"Alright, that's enough," Enomoto spoke as he leaped down from his perch, kicking over a nearby basin of water to douse the fire. Feeling the heat of the flames disperse, Kuwabara dropped like a stone to the ground as well.

Inhaling air in great bunches, the teenager didn't immediately register the presence of his sensei stepping in front of him. Enomoto gave Kuwabara a few moments to compose himself enough, knowing the ringing he was likely experiencing in his ears would make it all but impossible for his next words to be heard clearly. However, not wanting to linger too long, so that he could continue to maximize his student's workout, he finally spoke once he felt enough time had passed.

"Kid, if there's nothin else ya learn during your training, you're gonna have to learn one thing," he paused, watching as the gasping teen finally cracked an eye open to meet his gaze, "to breathe."

He saw Kuwabara startle at that, no doubt confused as to what exactly his sensei was trying to convey. Shrugging mentally, Enomoto squatted down in front of the prone Kuwabara, the now soaked pile of embers behind them cooling in the afternoon air, his hands resting on his knees.

"I'll ask ya this question, what do ya think is the most important physical aspect or skill for any fighter to have?" He could see Kuwabara try to answer, but was still attempting to gather the oxygen his body required to recover from the exertion it had just expended. Not surprised, Enomoto continued on.

"Is it power?" His question punctuated by the individual flexing of the tight, bulging muscles carved in his body. "Or speed?" The question punctuated by a single thrust of his hand towards a nearby falling leaf, a single finger puncturing a hole in the middle of the leaf without interrupting its descent from the tree.

"Perhaps size? Or maybe intelligence?" He paused a moment, both for dramatic effect as well as to give his student a chance to answer. When one didn't appear forthcoming, he continued on. "Those are physical traits that are unique to each person, and as varying as every leaf in this forest. They're also inherited, like a gift a person has been given, not earned."

Kuwabara, having finally caught his breath for the most part, regarded his sensei with a still beleaguered expression.

"Some people are born with inherent power, you see it all the time in most physical sports, like in martial arts where a guy just seems to have the ability to turn someone's brain to jelly with just one hit. Or American baseball or football, where some guys can just fling the ball with ridiculous speed or force, even though they're not the biggest or buffest guy on the field. Some people are born with great speed or athleticism, where despite being the same size as other folks, they can move like a frightened gazelle with a tiger on its ass. Same with size, obviously some people are just taller or have longer limbs than others; others have seemingly superior intelligence, where things are just absorbed so much easier to them, or come with much less effort than others receiving the same instruction."

Knowing that he had his student's rapt attention, Enomoto stood back up, still regarding the teen with that same sharp eye.

"However, there's one thing that EVERY human born in this world does the same, all across the board, and that is breathe. The ability to not only be able to properly breathe, but to control one's breathing, is arguably the most essential physical ability any fighter or warrior can have. Think about all of the functions of the human body that breathing influences: circulation, digestion, the nervous system. Breathing literally is the end all/be all of life itself. People who learn to obtain exceptional control of their breathing can do near superhuman feats. From being submerged underwater at great depths and pressure, to withstanding extreme temperatures, or even improving their body's ability to heal itself. There are even stories of people who have mastered breathing to such a degree, that they could even consciously control the release of hormones within their body.

Yokai bodies, on the other hand, are built differently from ours. They're powered by a nucleus, which in turn is powered by their own yoki, much like a battery. This enables them, particularly the more powerful ones, to do insane, physically demanding things like run or fight for hours, or even days at length. Our bodies, however, are powered instead by a heart made of flesh, and the blood it circulates throughout. As such, we must train ourselves twice as hard to produce half the results of our yokai counterparts. Learning to master one's breathing is the first, and most crucial step in gaining those results."

Gesturing to himself, his sensei obtained a combined look of pride and confidence.

"Mastering the control of breathing allows me, a guy in his late 50's, to not only complete 4-hour workouts a day, but also engage in equally long Kumite sessions against a number of other fighters. That's why it's the most important physical aspect for any one person to have and control, but especially for fighters. Learn to master your breathing, and that, along with mastering your reiki, could give you abilities that aren't of this world."

Having taken in his sensei's speech, Kuwabara nodded in acknowledgment. At seeing this, Enomoto nodded himself, then his smirk grew feral.

"Alright! Up off your ass! We still got a lot more time to play together, and I ain't lettin up anytime soon."

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While his time with Kanekita-sensei may not have been as physically stressful as his time with Enomoto-sensei, Kuwabara found his time with the swordmaster far more mentally stressful and equally as taxing. He attributed a lot of this to his sensei's militant attitude and approach to his craft, which Kuwabara was initially surprised by, as it was something that contrasted with the more patient and gentile nature he normally exhibited during his classes. Under Kanekita's tutelage, Kuwabara's training consisted of an endlessly relentless repetition of what his sensei called "the first of seven blades". Kuwabara was notably familiar with the basics, as it was the only thing he and the rest of the new club members had been allowed to practice for their first year of the club.

Focusing specifically on target zones and movement, Kanekita had devised his own special training method for instilling these basics. He'd done this by having Kuwabara deflect reiki bursts fired from Kuroko's two children as they leaped through trees, whom he'd convinced to treat it as a game (which hadn't taken much effort), using only the wooden bokken he'd given the teen to use for the duration of his training. Kuwabara had been surprised to find that the weapon enabled him to channel his reiki through it, and Kanekita informed him it had been crafted similarly to the broken piece he'd used when he first realized his powers. He'd forbidden the teen from using his reiken, the idea being that he would not be allowed to use his signature weapon until he learned how to properly wield it.

To further complicate Kuwabara's efforts, Kanekita had him train his movements on numerous wooden pillars erected 15 feet off of the ground. The falls, which were numerous in occurrence, were high enough to injure, but not to kill. Kuwabara thanked whatever Kami was listening that he was built with such a sturdy body, as he only felt a combination of frustration and annoyance every time he either stumbled or was knocked off the pillars. It only took a particularly nasty spill near the end of the first month, which resulted in the teen's loudest and most colorful protests yet, for Kanekita to explain to him the point of the pillars.

"In any battle, but most especially a contest of swordsmanship, minding your footing is perhaps the most strategically crucial thing to learn. It is akin to building a house, no matter how sturdy a structure you design and build, it ultimately means nothing if you do not have a strong foundation for it to rest upon. Likewise, movement is extremely important when engaging an enemy. Much like a game of go or Western chess, both require knowing not just where to move, but how to move. Master players are capable of creating complex strategies that can accomplish things such as luring opponents into traps in order to capture key pieces or box them into near-impossible positions to escape from.

Master warriors function in much the same manner, and the one thing they have in common is the ability to mind their footing at all times. Knowing how to perform such actions, and when to perform them, can help you in both avoiding a critical strike from your opponent or maneuvering them in order to land one of your own."

Kuwabara nodded in understanding, grasping at least the gist of what his sensei was trying to explain to him. Standing back up, he brushed some of the dirt off of his bruised body before climbing back up the pole he'd fallen from. Taking back up his position, and once again channeling reiki into the bokken he held, Kuwabara winced from the exertion of tired muscles as he once again fended off the reiki attacks of the kids who'd been hovering in anticipation of resuming their game. The game lasted for over 2 hours, with brief pauses in between whenever Kuwabara was knocked from his perch, only for Kanekita to bark instructions at him to re-climb the pillars and start again.

Afterward, Kuwabara sat exhausted on the ground while his sensei lectured him on various combat principles and scenarios. The lecture sounded as if it were something recited straight out of a Miyamoto Musashi or Sun Tzu novel. Although he was bruised and ached all over from the numerous falls he'd endured, Kuwabara did his best to keep his attention focused on sensei's words. A feat that was easier to accomplish as he could feel his reiki slowly rebuild & surge through his worn body, helping him to slowly recover from his training ordeal. After over an hour of listening to Kanekita's lecture, the older man then began personally instructing the teen at the beginning of learning the next level of his sword style.

"You've learned quite a bit in the past few months, both since you joined the school club and during the month we've been here training, about the basics of our style, Shichi no Yaiba Tenkaippin Ryu*. As we informed all of you during the first day you joined the club, our style is composed of seven forms, or blades as we refer to them, each of which although different is also interconnected. It is a style which was bred from the collaboration of different sword experts who, under appreciation of each one's skill, pooled their knowledge together. This gave birth to a style in which users could either master one or multiple forms, or take from each form to create their own form of combat. It is also one in which you do not choose which blade you will wield. Instead, the blade in which you wield shall choose you."

Drawing his own bokken, the swordmaster took up a stance, feet shoulder-width apart with his weapon held out at his side at a low angle. All of a sudden, Kuwabara could sense a foreboding aura emanating from his sensei.

"However, beyond learning the basics of the first blade, the resolute blade, the only way you will be able to discover which blade will choose you is through the trial of combat. But, that is a process that would normally be carried out gradually over the course of years, and unfortunately, you don't have that sort of time. Therefore, we must accomplish this through hours of daily sparring, in order to draw out your blade."

"Uhm, sensei, I know ya told us that there are seven blades in the style. And ya mentioned the first blade, but could ya tell me something about the other blades?" At Kuwabara's request, the older man nodded after a brief pause.

"I understand, and it's good to see you're showing more of an interest in the particulars of our style." Bringing his weapon back up in front of him, Kanekita posed with the blade poised directly in front of his face. "As you know, the resolute blade is the beginning form, teaching the students the basics of movement, striking, parrying, and target areas. It is ideal in that is a safe form to rely on when no other blades will do, making it the most reliable of all the blades. As such, it is recommended that a student not move on to other blades, until they have a firm grasp of this one."

"The second blade, the precise blade," he spoke as he returned to his former stance, his blade held regally at his side, "is one which was designed more for blade-to-blade combat. It requires balance and fluidity of movement in order to outmaneuver your opponent; along with light cuts to disarm and incapacitate them, rather than the stabbing or slicing attacks common to most kenjutsu styles. Those who master this blade, are capable of dueling with almost any other sword style of combat. Of all the blades, it is the most gentlemanly, and is the one which I have long preferred and mastered."

Bringing both hands to the handle of his weapon, Kanekita brought the weapon back in front of him, the blade positioned with the tip pointing skyward.

"The third blade, the resilient blade, is the most defensive and less stamina draining of them all. It provides a near-constant barrier of protection around the wielder by keeping your sword's movements tight to the body. This, combined with subtle dodging maneuvers can allow you to defend numerous attacks from multiple angles. For those who master this blade, patience and a strong focus are required to obtain the best results. Your senpai, and my junior instructor, Daishi-kun, is partial to this blade."

'Huh, no wonder the bastard seems almost impossible to hit," Kuwabara thought of his ever serious senpai. His musing was brief, however, as Kanekita returned to the opening stance of the next style, drawing his attention.

"The fourth blade, the aggressive blade, is very much the opposite of the previous two blades. It is an advanced form of offense, not relying on balance or tight movements, but instead utilizes athletic movement and fast, wide strikes from multiple angles. For this blade, speed and power are essential, built to maximize the wielder's offensive capabilities. It is flamboyant in appearance, however, to wield it is to expend a great deal of energy, and therefore requires a lot of stamina to execute. My father preferred this blade, though he learned to fall back on to others as age caught up to him."

Kuwabara nodded, only now beginning to understand just how complex the school's system was.

"Now, Kuwabara-kun, that we have covered the intricacies of the first four blades, we will begin the practical portion of your lesson."

The serious, business-like expression coupled with the subtle, foreboding aura returning had the teen gulping, even as he wondered how much these lessons were going to hurt?

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The following week passed in a blur of fatigue and pain for the red-headed teen. Most of the time, his body either contained a mixture of the two and when that didn't happen, it alternated between the two. While Kuwabara considered the new additions to his training regimen the latest bane of his existence by far, Genkai found herself liking them very much. As she put it, maxing out his physical strength enabled him to maximize his spiritual ones, netting the best results in an efficient and quick manner. As such, Genkai still insisted he keeps to his early morning runs, followed by a light workout regimen Enomoto had designed, composed primarily of various stretches and isometric exercises. Both Enomoto and Kanekita had returned to their homes for the two days Genkai would be resuming his training, Enomoto reminding his pupil that he had a business to run, while Kanekita wanted to check on his students and submit Kuwabara's latest school assignments.

The exercises were limited to only two-hour sessions per day, thankfully in Kuwabara's humble opinion, but the effects were still apparent, as his reiki training seemed just about as tough as ever before. He could feel it during his first day of training after his only day of rest, where during his spike training he could literally feel his reiki fortifying his tired muscles even more than normal. This created a domino effect of sorts, as in turn, it caused his reiki to drain faster than normal, which in turn caused the teen to initially try rationing his reiki in order to meet the time limit. However, the ever-present and watchful eyes of Genkai could see the fluctuation of his energies and barked at him not to slack off and to keep pushing.

"This is the critical stage here for you, Kuwabara, right here and now. You need to decide if you're going to break past those self-imposed limits, or yield to them."

Gritting his teeth, Kuwabara fought to push his energies back to their maximum. He could feel his reiki pouring out of him once again, constant like a water faucet on full blast, and every bit as difficult to hold. Outside, he could hear the voices of laughter, innocent and unrestrained like those of children. But there was another one, much softer than the other two, and one which Kuwabara had come to recognize anywhere. Closing his eyes, he focused on the voice of Yukina as she played with Kuroko's two children, and felt himself immediately calm. Genkai noticed also, his energy responding to his entering what initially appeared to be a meditative state, even as the flux of reiki emitting from his finger shrunk to a point about the size of a nickel. Cutting her eyes toward the open doorway, she caught a glimpse of Kuroko's son running past, followed by his equally energetic sister and an almost jubilant Yukina.

Turning back to her would-be student, she observed as he gained further control of his reiki while continuing to maintain its force.

'Well, it took him a bit longer than Yusuke to get to this point. Then again, he is dealing with a significant more amount of reiki than Yusuke had during his training, so I suppose I can let this go, so long as it produces results.' She smirked as she continued to observe the young man.

Over 10 and a half hours later, Kuwabara stood dripping with sweat in the training hall, wiping himself down with a hand towel. His body felt wound up as tightly wound like a spring, yet sluggish as he'd seemingly exhausted much of his reserves. However, he couldn't help the proud grin on his face at the fact that he'd finally lasted the full twelve hours, consciously at that, but had also managed to focus his reiki into the smallest point he'd ever achieved since his training started. Kuroko stood across from him, stretching her limbs out as she prepared to assist with the teen's training. At Kuwabara's side stood Genkai, eyeing him as she waited for him to finish.

"It took you a couple of months, but now that you've finally completed the spike training and lasted the full limit, you're ready for the next level." Kuwabara arched an eyebrow at that, curious as to what could be more intensive than what he'd finally just accomplished.

"Hold out your hands," the elderly master instructed, and upon Kuwabara doing so, she circled both of his wrists with a yellow glowing finger.

The ring of energy that surrounded his wrists shrunk suddenly, smacking his wrists together. A sudden weighted feeling nearly had the teen tipping forward, but his physically built body enabled him to remain barely upright.

"What the hell?!" He cried out, attempting to pry his wrists apart, only to be frustrated as they clamped back together once again.

While his attention had been focused on his hands, Genkai had knelt down by his ankles, applying the same energy construct there. His feet snapping together now as well, along with the additional weighted feeling, this time did cause Kuwabara to tilt forward, landing in an undignified heap on the wooden floor. Groaning more from frustration and embarrassment than any physical pain, Kuwabara resisted the urge to let loose a string of colorful words that would've had Shizuru rinsing his mouth out with soap as Genkai stood back up.

"I'm sure your memory isn't so bad that you'd forget these, but I'll give you the cliff notes anyway. These are the Ju Rei Jo: Shu no Gyo*, and you'll be wearing them from this day onward." She paused as Kuwabara struggled to rise back to his feet, still attempting to pry his hands apart, but still having no luck as the energy band snapped his hands back together like a steel spring.

"You can try all you like to pull those apart, those bands aren't something you can separate with just brute force." She paused for a moment as he absorbed the information, frowning at his enclosed hands and feet. "The only way for you to regain your mobility is by exerting the full power of your reiki, and cycling it throughout your body, combined with your physical strength. Otherwise, you won't be able to so much as scratch your butt, let alone train or fight."

She watched his frowning face as he appeared to mull over the elder's words, before closing his eyes as he once again attempted to focus his energy. It took a few moments, which Genkai attributed to his already exhausted reiki reserves, but his body eventually glowed as it was surrounded by a golden aura that settled around him. The glowing yellow bands that surrounded his wrists and ankles faded from view, a sign that Kuwabara had indeed reached the state she said he'd need. Once this occurred, she looked on as he finally managed to pry his hands and feet apart, regaining his body's movement albeit with some stiffness and rigidity.

"So, uh, how long do I have ta keep these things on?" Kuwabara asked as he looked at his limbs.

"You'll be wearing those for the foreseeable future. " At this, her would-be pupil became panicked, the thought of having to exert his reiki at full power on a constant basis just to move not an appealing one.

"What tha hell kinda time frame is that?!" He demanded in bewilderment.

"One that you'll adhere to if you want to have any chance of completing your training and reaching the full potential of your reiki. Especially if you hope to protect this world in the event things in the Makai end badly." That last part silenced any further complaint the teen might have launched. "Those bands of reiki aren't just accessories. By wearing them, and remaining in this fully powered state at all times, you'll increase your overall reserves to the point that the amount of power you possess now will be only a fraction of the amount you'll be capable of releasing."

Kuwabara glanced back down at his hands and feet, still consciously having to keep his energy flowing through his body. Looking back up, the teen nodded once in acknowledgment of the older master's words.

"Glad to see you've decided to stop your whining. Now, we'll be reviewing the basics that I've taught you so far, to see the progress you've made. We'll start with the spirit barrier."

Turning, the old woman nodded to her younger counterpart, who had finished warming up faced the teen. Gulping in nervousness, yet steeling himself for what was to come, Kuwabara channeled reiki into his arms as he brought them to defend the incoming projectile.

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It was a crisp, cool morning in which Kuwabara had found himself on one of his lengthy runs a couple of weeks later. Now entering the third month of his training regimen, he found himself having grown accustomed to his training schedule, something that he initially never believed would've been possible. Having long grown accustomed to the route he ran, Genkai and the other had thought awhile back that it would be a great idea to shake up his morning runs. At her behest, Kuroko, Enomoto, and Kanekita had come up with their own contributions to developing and testing his reikan. Enomoto set different traps for him along his run routes during the night before, while Kuroko and her children came up with the bright idea of launching various reiki attacks at him from different areas and angles while he ran.

Kanekita, on the other hand, had taken to not only attempting to distract him and break his focus by unleashing attacks at him during his meditation attempts but had also taken to attacking the teen while he slept. The real, sharpened sword the older man wielded only added a further element of danger to an already dangerous situation. Kuwabara's feet carried him with great speed as he tore along his route, side-stepping spike-filled pits and weaving between sharpened spears that shot out from nearby trees. As well as ducking underneath wooden beams that were nothing more than huge tree trunks, as well as avoiding the occasional reiki projectile released by Kuroko's two energetic children. All with a blindfold and earplugs, while maintaining his speed in order to best the time limit Genkai had set for him.

He could sense himself nearing the end of his course, his calves and thighs burning as his feet carried him up a steep hill, whose summit would overlook the forest he'd traversed. Leaping and ducking under the final traps, he cleared the trees and continued his sprint, until finally, he reached the crest of his destination. Arriving at the top, he stopped and lifted his blindfold, before removing the earplugs as he watched the sunrise over the horizon.

'Amazing that I've gotten so used ta gettin up so early.' His musing was accompanied by a contemplative expression as he noticed another change in his body. 'I'm not really even breathing all that heavy either. And I've been running for like, 12 miles.'

Taking a few moments more to gaze at his surroundings, the teen began engaging in the various stretches Enomoto had instructed him on. They were designed not only to loosen up his body prior to his various training exercises but also to keep his body loose in between those exercises. As he finished up his stretching, he once again glanced down at his body, seeing how it differed from when he first arrived as muscles that he'd always possessed were now toned and ripped. While newly acquired ones that he hadn't had before now further fortified his already physical form.

'Enomoto-sensei sure knows his shit, even if he can be cocky as hell.' He thought to his physical trainer, who saw to it to break him down, only to rebuild him at the next training onset. 'Looks like I've gotten pretty used to those spirit shackles Baa-san slapped on me too.' He added as he observed his now settled aura.

His thoughts were interrupted as his reikan flared, a subtle yet insistent feeling tracing from his brain down his spine, his muscles tensing as he turned facing a trump of trees toward the east of his position. He stood for a moment, body prepared for a possible confrontation.

"Who the hell's out there?!" He called out, wondering for a moment if his mind was playing tricks on him. 'I swear, if Enomoto-sensei or so those kids are messin with me, I'm gonna be freakin pissed.'

That thought didn't explain the aura and impending sense of danger he felt. Although he'd never seen the older man angry, he honestly couldn't fathom he or the bratty children exhibiting such a cold and murderous aura. As if in answer to his question, a tall, turquoise-haired figure stepped through the tree line, the expanding sunlight from the rising sun revealing his familiar face and the tell-tale scar that adorned his forehead. Kuwabara watched bewildered as the human-faced yokai approached.

"Wh-what the hell're you doin out here?!" He took a step back in response as the yokai finished its approach. The feeling of danger grew further as the yokai's barely restrained aura grew even more.

"I've come seeking the detective," his deep voice reverberated ominously in the field. "Where can I find him?"

The yokai never broke eye contact, however, as Kuwabara straightened, wondering if he'd able to avoid a confrontation.

"What do you want with Urameshi? And how did you even find out about this place?" Kuwabara narrowed his eyes even as his body still readied for an attack.

"That is none of your concern." The yokai's expression grew even more antagonistic.

"Then I got nothin ta say to ya, Bui, especially regarding Urameshi."

At his words, the yokai's response was for his murderous yoki to explode out from his body, no longer being held in check. Kuwabara's eyes narrowed once again, reflexively entering the basic combat stance he'd learned during his time under Enomoto's tutelage.

'Great, here I am stuck wearing these freakin shackles that Baa-san won't even give me tha freakin password for. And ta make matters worse, Kanekita-sensei won't even allow me to use my damn reiken.' He silently mused as he continued to read the yokai's aura. 'Then to top it all off, I got tha misfortune of comin across a guy strong enough to have taken a shot from Toguro and lived, and turn Hiei's Kokuryuha around with his bare hands. Just freakin great!'

He was brought out of his musing once again as Bui levitated into the air, his eyes no longer concealing the vitriol he'd been barely masking only moments before. The yokai's aura flared once more as he summoned energy into each of his hands, crossing one over the other above his head.

"If you will not tell me, then I will wipe you out here, and make his master tell me where he is!" The yokai's declaration was followed by him thrusting his arms forward as he unleashed his attack. "Bucchigai jin kougeki!"

That attack the yokai unleashed was a familiar one, a projectile in the shape of an X barreling down on the human teen. Allowing his body to react on instinct, Kuwabara dove to the right at the last second, the attack speeding past him. Moving to stand up from his crouched position, Kuwabara's eyes widened suddenly as he heard the projectile, even as his reikan continued to flare and warn him of the still-present danger.

'Shit, I forgot tha damn thing can follow its enemies like freakin heat-seeking missile!'

Getting back to his feet, Kuwabara leaped backward, clearing well over twelve feet in one jump. Seeing the attack rushing back toward him, the teen inhaled a deep breath, expelling it as he crossed his arms in front of him in the same manner as his opponent's attack. The attack exploded just before it reached the teen, crashing into a near-invisible barrier of reiki. A basic defensive maneuver that he'd seen Yusuke, Toguro, Genkai as well as Kuroko use, Kuwabara still felt a sense of both relief and gratitude wash over him as the dust cloud began to clear from the attack. Relief that he'd been able to pull it off reflexively, and on the first try to, since he'd only just been able to do it consecutively a handful of times during his last training session with Kuroko. And gratitude that the old woman had taught him such an effective and useful technique.

However, his brief moment of respite didn't last for long as his active reikan once again flared, alerting him to another cross-shaped projectile having been launched at his backside.

"Shit!" He muttered just as the attack slammed into the spot he was standing.

Bui simply watched in cold detachment from his floating position in the air, as he hadn't much of anything at all from who he considered being the human flunkie and weakest link of the detective's group. As he began to lower himself to the ground, however, a shadow from just above him caught his attention, and his eyes widened as they took in the sight of a descending Kuwabara. Having narrowly avoided the attack by leaping straight up over it, the teen's gaze stony and his expression formidable, his right fist drawn back, Bui brought his hands up to defend the strike as Kuwabara swung his fist forward. Bui brought his hands together while turning slightly, capturing the teen's arm even as narrowly avoided the punch. Continuing with his momentum, Bui completed his turn as he used a shoulder throw to launch Kuwabara toward the ground.

The force of the throw added to the momentum from the teen's descending from the sky, caused Kuwabara to speed toward the ground at a faster pace than he would have otherwise. Recalling memories from his various training sessions with Enomoto, he tucked his body into a rolling position just before he hit the ground. The sharp feeling of pain in his shoulder and upper back was brief even as he rolled several feet, before skidding to a stop on his own two feet. Before he had stopped skidding, however, more recollections from his training, this time with Kanekita, came to mind as he'd drawn his left hand back by his hip. With his right extended forward, palm open, Kuwabara adopted a pose similar to Genkai's when she used Yusuke's spirit shotgun (or hers since he knew now she'd been the one who had taught Yusuke the attack).

With his left concealed by his body, Bui, who had also decided to immediately follow through on his own attack and was flying toward the teen, had no way of seeing the glowing clenched fist Kuwabara held behind him. Waiting until the yokai was too close to change direction and was committed to his attack, with a roar Kuwabara thrust his left hand forward, launching his own attack as numerous blades of reiki exploded out from his hand. This time it was Bui's turn to look shocked, as the rei shuriken attack slammed into his own yoki, not only stopping his pursuit but forcing him backward. Though his battle aura managed to shield him from the brunt of the attack, Bui still grimaced as some of the blades managed to pierce his aura, causing superficial cuts along his arms and shoulder.

The yokai leaped backward and out of the way, Kuwabara's eyes following the demon as he took the moment to assess the situation, while Bui himself observed the cuts and wiped at the blood drawn from them.

'I actually managed to get through freak's yoki! Could that mean,' Kuwabara looked down at his hand for a moment, a look of wonderment on his face. 'I've gotten stronger? I haven't been in a fight since the crap with that bastard Rando, so I haven't been able to tell just how strong I might've gotten. But now, I can see it, the training from hell that Baa-san's put me through is actually payin off!'

Glancing back up at his opponent, Kuwabara noticed something else further.

'Tha fucker's no longer floatin in the air, that means, this is my best chance to beat em.' At that realization, Kuwabara's determined gaze returned as he launched himself forward, once again covering a great distance as he sprinted toward his enemy.

The burst of speed initially caught his opponent off guard, and once in front of him, Kuwabara unleashed a combination of punches aimed at various points of Bui's body. Although he managed to avoid an initial pair of blows aimed at his head, the yokai wasn't so fortunate as the human managed to drive a knee into Bui's body after feinting a punch upward. The blow clearly had an effect on Bui's body as the yokai's face grimaced from pain. Looking back upon the human teen, Bui's eyes once again filled with rage as he gave up on any pretense at defense, and instead launched his own succession of attacks. Unwilling to back away and give the yokai the space necessary to retreat back into the air, Kuwabara absorbed a return blow to his jaw, as the battle devolved into fisticuffs.

From the treeline nearby, Kuwabara's physical trainer, Enomoto stood and watched the fight between ningen and yokai. The squirming and gagged children of Kuroko held under each arm to prevent them both from getting involved in the battle and distracting the young man engaged in it.

'Not too bad, my cute little pupil. Let's see if you can finish strong.' He thought as his student absorbed another blow from a left round kick to his ribs. 'Whoops, might've been a big mistake there, yokai-kun.'

The older man's assessment was confirmed as his student's arm wrapped around the demon's leg, trapping against his body. This caught Bui off guard momentarily, giving Kuwabara enough time to launch a straight right punch at the demon's jaw. Bui managed to bring one arm up to partially block the blow, but still stumbled backward from the force of the blow. He still had the presence of mind to spin to his left, yoki coalescing in his right hand to form his trademark battle-ax as he completed his spin. The ax traveled in an arc aimed to decapitate his ningen opponent. However, Kuwabara's active reikan had the teen well aware of the incoming attack from the moment the yokai had begun to draw on his yoki to summon the ax.

Therefore, he had already ducked underneath the weapon to avoid the attack, shocking the demon as his momentum and the weight of his weapon left him wide open for a counterattack. This is exactly what occurred as Kuwabara, springing up from his crouched position with a left uppercut that drove his fist into the rib cage of his opponent. Bui's body buckled from the blow, bringing his chin down, only for it to be struck by a glowing straight right fist. The blow had an incredible impact, not just from the reiki that had surrounded the teen's fist, but also from the twisting motions of the teen's hips. This had the effect of giving Bui the impression that he'd been struck by a sledgehammer.

The yokai, having been knocked off his feet, slid backward on the ground before coming to rest a couple of feet away. Kuwabara stood, having managed to maintain exceptional control of his breathing throughout the confrontation, despite having just finished such a lengthy run. The teen watched as Bui moved to sit up, clutching at his side even as a line of blood ran from his mouth down his chin.

"Ya know, I couldn't tell this at first, cause I was kinda freakin out about you showin up outta nowhere. But, I don't think you're lookin for Urameshi to settle some imaginary grudge, since Toguro's dead and all. If that were tha case, ya'd be lookin for the midget instead of Urameshi. I think you're lookin for Urameshi, cause ya got a death wish." Kuwabara's words caused Bui's eyes to widen, stopping his struggle to sit up. The look that flashed across the demon's face was all the confirmation the teen needed.

"Now that I think about, I recall ya tellin Hiei that ya felt you'd maxed out your strength when ya finished training to fight Toguro. But, I think ya might be wrong on that. If there's one thing I've learned in the past year, and especially with tha training I've been under these past couple of months with Baa-san; it's that unlike physical strength, reiki has the potential to grow without limits. I assume yoki works much the same way, hell probably easier, based on what my physical trainer told me at least. I know some people who can help ya move past the limit you think you're stuck at, and hell, maybe you can get a rematch with the half-pint or even get a shot at Urameshi somewhere down tha line."

Walking to the youkai's side, Kuwabara extended a helping hand to his seemingly suicidal opponent. Bui regarded the teen for a few tense moments, before brushing aside his hand as he moved to stand back to his feet. Still clutching his injured side, the demon moved past the teen, stopping once he'd taken a couple of steps as the teen spoke again.

"Ya know, you and I got a lot more in common than ya may realize. I used to get my ass kicked by Urameshi a bunch of times. Actually, about a hundred times if I'm tellin the truth. And after the last mission we had for Reikai, I was willin to stop fightin period, using my Sis and school as an excuse to avoid havin to admit somethin that I didn't want ta admit. That Urameshi, Kurama, and Hiei have surpassed me so much that there's probably no point in me tryin to become stronger. But, I recently was reminded that I do have not just one, but a number of reasons to get stronger, and to keep chasin Urameshi. And one day, I WILL catch him, and make him acknowledge me as an equal." Turning, he looked at the back of the still yokai.

"I think we both can catch who we're tryin to catch, but only as long as we're unwillin ta quit. Whatta ya say? Ya agree to work with me, and maybe help me out with my training, and I'll talk to Baa-san about helping ya control and develop that yoki of yours?" Kuwabara waited silently, wondering if the skills Kanekita had taught him about how to read an opponent's overall personality and psyche during combat had worked for him.

"Are you sure you could help me increase my strength, and regain my honor?" Turning to meet the eyes of the ningen, Bui watched as Kuwabara gave a nod in reply.

"Osu. I can't guarantee ya won't meet some resistance. In fact, I'm willin to bet I'll probably get my ass chewed out for this. But as long as you're willin to put in the work, Baa-san will probably still do it, if only just ta keep me on my toes the rest of my training."

Bui stood still for another moment or two in silent contemplation, before giving a subtle nod in agreement of the teen's offer. Kuwabara grinned in reply, stepping forward as he clapped a hand on the yokai's shoulder. Turning, the two walked back into the woods as they began the trek back to Genkai's home.

A possible partnership between Kuwabara & Bui? And how will Genkai and the others respond to this new development? Stay tuned to find out!

Song used as inspiration for this chapter: Changes by 3 Doors Down

To Be Continued...

Glossary:

Shichi no Yaiba Tenkaippin Ryu – Seven Peerless Blades School, a sword style created through a combination of multiple other sword styles, primarily Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and European into one hybrid style. The name comes from the number of forms, or blades as they are referred to, which total to 7.

Ju Rei Jo: Shu no Gyo – Cursed Spirit Shackles: Path of Training, used to increase spirit energy reserves, a bearer of these cuffs needs to actively cycle spirit energy throughout their entire body in order to simply move, let alone fight. The command to release this technique is the word "ante".

Bucchigai jin kougeki! - Literally X-shaped cross battle attack, an anime-exclusive technique, this cross-shaped energy blast homes in on opponents.