Hey guys, Shunya Toshiki here to bring you the last four chapters of OOO season 1. And I have to say this another long time coming for me. Hehehe…
Anyway, let's get on with the story.
I don't own Kamen Rider OOO or Senran Kagura, those belong to their creators. This is for fun, not profit.
Chapter 17: The Legendary Senpai, the Sword, & the Shield
After the students of Hebijo had retreated, Yagyu was brought to the State Shinobi hospital that was designed to treat the injuries and illness of good shinobi.
A bandage up Yagyu was seen resting on a bed, where Hibari was sleeping by her side with her head on the bed as Yagyu was gently rubbing on her head.
Yagyu then heard someone knocking on the door. "You can come in."
"Thank you." Yagyu saw Yuuma opening the door as he was holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands.
"Oh Yuuma-san." Yagyu said as he walked to her bedside.
Yuuma then noticed Hibari resting her bed on Yagyu's bed as she was sleeping.
"Oh I'm sorry, is this a bad time?" Yuuma asked in worry and Yagyu shook her head. "That's good to hear. Also I brought you some, get well flowers." He said as he brought the flowers to Yagyu and she accepted them as she took the flowers from his hands.
"Thank you, they're quite pretty." Yagyu said in gratitude.
"I'm glad to hear that then." Yuuma said as he rubs the back of his head. "I wasn't sure what you would like, so I went with a recommandation."
"No it's alright. I'm fine with these." Yagyu told him.
"That's also good to hear." Yuuma sighed in relief before he looked down at Hibari and gently rubbed her on the head and Hibari smiled as it felt nice. "Hibari-chan, told us how you got injured protecting her."
"Did she now...Honestly she didn't have to do that." Yagyu said as she looked at her fellow first year before she noticed Yuuma smiling at him which caused her to blushed. "W-What is it?"
"You really care for Hibari-chan a lot, don't you?" Yuuma said and Yagyu's face fully turned red before she turned away from him.
"O-Of course I do. As her best friend and fellow first year, it's my duty to always watch for her." Yagyu tells him, and Yuuma chuckles to hear that. "Y-You don't have to laugh you know."
"Sorry, sorry...But when I look at you two, you're almost like sisters." Yuuma said and Yagyu was surprised to hear that as she turned to them.
"Y-You really think so?" Yagyu asked.
"Yeah." Yuuma nodded. "And it's very obvious that you're a big sister of Hibari-chan. I mean who knows, maybe you'll make a good sister for real in the future."
Yagyu flinches to hear that before she looks down in sadness, and Yuuma blinks to see that.
"Is...there something wrong?" Yuuma asked.
"I-It's nothing…" Yagyu mutters and Yuuma isn't convinced by that.
"You know, if you want to talk about it, I'm right here." Yuuma told her.
Yagyu thought about it, and she knows that Yuuma is a good man and a loyal friend and one she can trust with her life.
"Alright...but can you promise not to tell Hibari and the others about it." Yagyu requested.
"I promise." Yumma nodded.
Yagyu explained how she used to have a younger sister and how she passed away when she was very young.
"Oh I see...I'm sorry for mentioning that earlier. It was insensitive of me." Yuuma said and Yagyu shook her head.
"No it's alright. You didn't know about it so it's fine." Yagyu told him before she placed her hand on her eyepatch. "You see I created this eyepatch from my sister's ribbon and I put it to be a permanent reminder of her so I'll never forget her and the pain of losing her." Yagyu said before she looked at Hibari. "But when I met Hibari when we entered Hanzo together, she reminded me so much of my sister that I just have to protect her. I guess in a way, I thought of her as my sister who was reborn."
"Yagyu-chan…" Yuuma mutters before he smiles and begins to rub her on the head.
Yagyu blushed as Yuuma began to rub her on the head, and it felt really nice and warm coming from him.
"W-What are you doing?" Yagyu asked.
"You really are a good girl, Yagyu-chan. But you should know that Hibari-chan can't ever replace your sister. Just like how you can't replace your childhood pet with a popular doll, right?" Yuuma asked.
"No, not really." Yagyu said and Yuuma slightly tripped to hear that. "But I understand what you're trying to say. My sister is my sister, and Hibari is Hibari. I know that she can never replace her, but still…"
"Well...just as long as you know that, then it's fine." Yuuma said before he turned the clock and saw how late it was getting. "Oh boy, I didn't realize how late it was. I should probably go now." Yuuma said as he stood up and headed to the door before he gave Yagyu some parting words. "But just remember what we talk about, okay? Hibari-chan is Hibari-chan, your sister is your sister, and more than that you're you."
"Yuuma-san?" Yagyu said before he left the room. Yagyu turned to the window in the room and was in deep thought about Yuuma.
'Now that I think about it, he was the first person I ever spoke to about this. Hino Yuuma...he really is quite the interesting man.' Yagyu thought before she placed her hand on top of her head, as she could still remember the wrath of his hand which caused her cheeks to turn red.
As Yuuma had left the hospital his mind was still in thought of Homura, and the other girls of Hebijo and he still can't believe that their Evil Shinobi and that they're enemies of his friends of Hanzo Academy.
Yuuma sighed as he stopped walking.
"I can't believe those girls were lying to me this whole time." Yuuma said.
"And it really goes to show how naive you really are." Yuuma looked up at a nearby tree and saw Ankh looking down at him as he was enjoying a popsicle.
"I really wish you wouldn't say it like that." Yuuma said and Ankh huffed before he said.
"Well either way, what are you going to do now?" Ankh asked and Yuuma blinked in confusion. "It's very likely that you'll counter those five yet again in the future, so what are you going to do when that happens? Are you going to fight them with your friends from Hanzo Academy? Or will you choose to run away and let them resolve this conflict by themselves?"
Yuuma was left pondering as he was in deep thought about that as he wasn't sure himself.
(Cue Anything Goes by Maki Ohguro)
(You count the Medals: 1, 2 and 3 Life goes on, Anything Goes, Coming up OOO!) We start seeing the screen replaced with a rocky surface and the Taka Medal is on it followed by the Tora and Batta Medals. We then move to see OOO with a magnifying glass on him. As it goes on OOO, we see OOO with different parts. Finally, we see OOO in his default form posing behind the Tatoba symbol.
(Instrumental) A Cell Medal is flipped through the air by Yuuma as he soon catches it. He inserts the Medal in the Ride Vendor before allowing it to transform into a bike. Yuuma, as OOO, drives the bike down the street as the title appears.
(Inranai motanai yume mo minai FUREE na joutai sore me ii kedo {Kokkara hajimaru The show we're waiting for Count the Medals: 1, 2 and 3}) We then see Yuuma wandering a desert carrying his underwear tied to a stick, then changes to Asuka walking through a forest, and changes to Ankh was walking on a roof in the city. Yuuma placed his stick on the ground and relaxed while on the ground as Ankh (As an arm) flew around the screen before showing the Taka, Tora, and Batta Medals.
(Unmei wa kimi hottokanai kekkyoku wa susumu shika nai {Michi naru tenkai Give me energy Count the Medals: 1, 2 and 3}) Yuuma relaxes but gets up as he notices the Taka Medal and picks it up. Asuka notices the Tora Medal and picks it up while Ankh picks up the Batta Medal. The three stand back to back with their Medals as Ankh's arm flies around the screen again before showing the three Core Medals again.
(Daijobu! Ashita wa itsudatte Blank!) The Greeed are shown placing their colored sheets on the beach as they appear relaxed. Asuka runs after Ankh but a red curtain gets in between them. Asuka tears it down to find Ankh gone.
(Jibun no kachi wa jibun de kimeru mono saa!) Ankh grabs a bunch of Cell Medals and looks at them while Yuuma stares at him. Yuuma looks at the Medals in his hand as Asuka looks at him. Yuuma soon uses the O-Scanner to scan the Taka, Tora, and Batta in his Driver.
"Henshin!" Yuuma says before transforming.
(OOO! OOO! OOO! OOO! COME ON!) We see OOO posing, then appearing in this chapter, then appearing on his Ride Vendor, and then him attacking. We then see him in the desert where he raises his arm out and several Medals burst out of the ground.
(Anything goes! Sono kokoro ga atsuku naru mono!) OOO drives his bike and the next thing we see are the Tatoba Medals appearing on Yuuma's hand with a smile. We then see him transforming into OOO. We then get a close up on his helmet.
(Mitasareru mono wo sagashite!) We see the Hanzo students on one side of a Taka Cell Medal, and the Serpent Academy students on the other side of the Cell Medal, between them are Hanzo, Kiriya, and Suzune.
(Life goes on! Honki dashite Tataku no Nara!) OOO gets his Tora claws out before charging. We then see OOO driving his bike being followed by several Taka and Tako Candroids, the Tako Candroids then form a ramp that OOO drives on which makes him fly to the air with the Taka Candroids. Asuka hugs the red curtain; hugging Ankh from behind, Ankh then makes a somewhat sad face.
(Maker ki shinai hazu!) We see the rest of the Greeed, including Poseidon, in front of their respective curtains. OOO gets the Medajalibur, charges it with three Cell Medals, and slashes the ground. As he slashed the ground, Medals burst from the ground and the song ended with the Tatoba Medals appearing from the ground to the screen.
Kougami's secretary, Satonaka, had given him a report of the attack of Hanzo academy by Hebijo academy.
"Hmmm...now is this a turn of events. To think that the snakes of Hebijo had launched an attack like that." Kougami said.
"Indeed, but I can't help but wonder why they did such a thing. But you already know something about this, don't you sir?" Satonaka asked, and Kougami chuckled to hear that.
"You know me too well, Satonaka-kun." Kougami said as he turned to the window of his office. "Indeed, the headmaster of Hebijo academy wouldn't pull such a risk if the legends I heard aren't true."
"Legends?" Satonaka repeated, while Kougami smiled as he was looking forward to seeing what's going to come next.
(Days later)
Yuuma is seen walking to school with his friends of Hanzo, as they were walking together Yuuma noticed the depressed look on their faces. Yuuma understood that their fight against the Hebijo academy students must still be fresh in their minds.
"What's the matter, everyone? You're in low spirits this morning." Katsuragi said as she flips Ikaruga's skirt up much to her shock as she puts it down before she glares at the blond hair girl.
"Katsuragi-san! What are you doing, at this hour?!" Ikaruga asked.
"Are you still upset that those Hebijo girls pounded on us? We just have to beat them next time, right?" Katsuragi asked with a smile on her face, and Ikaruga sighed as she turned away from her fellow third year.
"It must be nice to be so carefree as you are." Ikaruga said as she was about to walk forward.
"Who are you calling carefree?" Katsuragi said as she flipped Ikaruga's skirt again and ran forward while laughing.
"Honest to goodness, that girl…!" Ikaruga said before she noticed Yuuma placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Ikaruga, I'm pretty sure that she was only forcing herself." Yuuma told her.
He was right as Katsuragi had lost her smile as she was in deep thought.
'Being depressed isn't going to beat them, right?' Katsuragi thought.
(Meanwhile with Kiriya)
Kiriya is seen in his office as he was seated by his table as he was writing down a report on a scroll. He soon stopped as he sighed, while a shadow of a cat was watching him through the screen window.
"Is that your letter of apology for the other day?" The cat asked.
"Please, just call it a report. There's no question I was responsible, but…" Kiriya said.
"Sensei," The cat calls out and Kiriya turns to her. "From what I observed, during the incident the other day, there was some assistance from someone who knew the campus." She told him.
"It's not possible that we have a traitor." Kiriya said and the cat huffed.
"Sensei, you must at least vaguely suspect that it might be her…" She told him, and Kiriya's eyes widened before he looked up in wonder.
Homura, Haruka, Yomi, Hikage, and Mirai were seen wearing white robes as they were doing waterfall training as a small waterfall was running down on top of them.
Yomi is shivering due to the cold water.
"This training is not a favorite of mine." Yomi said.
"Compared to the other training, it's a walk in the park, right?" Homura asked.
"Well, it ruins my hairstyle that took me two hours to set!" Yomi stated.
"Who cares?" Homura mutters.
"Oh right, did you hear?" Yomi asked.
"Nope." Hikage said.
"I haven't said anything yet!" Yomi told her.
"It's about sprouts again, right?" Hikage asked and Yomi smiles to hear that.
"I'd definitely like to talk about that, too." Yomi said and Hikage sighed as she smiled.
"Yeah, I figured you would." She said.
"I heard that Suzune-sensei used to be a good ninja." Yomi told them, and Homura was shocked to hear that as she turned to the blond hair girl.
"That's nothing but a rumor." Hikage stated and Homura huffed as she closed her eyes.
"Hmph, there's no way a good ninja would become a teacher at Hebijo." Homura stated.
"Are you sure?" Mirai asked, getting Homura's attention as she turned to her.
"Mirai, what are you saying?" Homura asked and Mirai smiled.
"You can't categorically say she wasn't, can you? I mean, Homura, you come from a line of good ninjas, right?" Mirai asked and that angered Homura.
"Shut up!" Homura exclaimed but Mirai continued on.
"I come from a good ninja line, myself." Homura narrows her eyes at her.
"If you say one more word about this…" Homura told her, and Mirai turned her head away from her.
"Ooh, scary." Mirai said.
Homura then looks down as she was in deep thought about this information.
'Suzune-sensei...a good shinobi?' Homura thought as Haruka chuckles at her before she remembers her conversation with Suzune.
(Flashback)
Both Haruka and Suzune were in the changing room of the academy's bathing room, as Haruka was kneeling before Suzune as the letter picked up a towel to dry herself.
"A set up?" Suzune said.
"It pained me to do so without saying anything, Sensei, but I couldn't refuse a direct order from the headmaster." Haruka told her as Suzune was drying herself.
"Sure enough, I have not completely earned his trust yet. But why are you telling me? This is a secret arrangement with him, right?" Suzune asked.
"Well, I am your student, Sensei. Besides, I am not against adding some more puppets." Haruka said before she chuckles.
"You're as inscrutable as ever." Suzune stated.
"That isn't true. I'm quite simple. I just want to enjoy myself, that's all." Haruka told her.
"I offer my thanks." Suzune said as she picked up her clothes to change into them.
"Come to mention it, about that interconnected kekkai. I'd heard that you came up with that when you were a student. It's lucky that such an amazing technique didn't fall into the hands of Hanzo Academy." Haruka said and Suzune stopped changing. "Well then, if you'll excuse me."
Haruka jumped to the ceiling and disappeared in the shadows.
As she is gone, Suzune remembers a certain memory of her past.
A young girl wearing a Hanzo Academy uniform, who has long purple hair tied in a ponytail and has red eyes, was seen talking to Kiriya as he was looking at a scroll she had given him.
"Interlocked kekkai, huh? Its disadvantage is its degree of difficulty to perform, but for a student to develop a new ninja art is unheard-of." Kiriya told his student.
"I'm going to be a super-ninja, after all. Something like this is only natural." She said with a cheerful and proud smile and Kiriya looked at her with pride on his face.
"You are my pride and joy. Well done, Rin." Kiriya said as he petted his student on the head and Rin chuckles as it felt good.
Suzune shook the memory out of her head as she told herself.
"Forget her. Rin is...dead." Suzune said as she put on her mask.
(End of flashback)
(With Kiriya)
Kiriya soon remembers the memories of his best and most beloved student Rin, who tragically lost her life in a mission.
"Rin is dead." Kiriya said with some sadness in his voice. "She failed in her mission."
Kiriya then turned back to the cat but saw that it was now gone.
"To fall in the course of one's duties is glory to a shinobi." Said a young woman now in the room as she was standing beside him. "But until I see her corpse with my own eyes, I shall not acknowledge it. Also...I have found something."
"Found something?" Kiriya repeated.
She then explains to the ninja teacher of Hanzo about how she found a piece of red cloth in a stormy seashore.
"There was an evil ninja presence about that clothing." She told him.
"An evil ninja presence?" Kiriya repeated as he turned to her.
"A wicked presence, in a different league from the evil ninja we fought." She told him and Kiriya looked down as he narrowed his eyes.
"Then who appeared back there…" Kiriya wonders as he remembers Rin again.
"As a teacher...in fact, precisely because you're a teacher you must know the abilities of the Hebijo Girls' Academy Girls. It is an application of the countless skills that she uses." She told him.
"I've only read reports, and never seen it myself. Wait, are you saying that this was plotted specifically so that I would be kept from seeing it?" Kiriya asked.
"Are you ready for this, Sensei?" She asks and Kiriya looks at her as she continues. "Are you ready to let your students get involved in this fight?"
Kiriya looks down as he knows there is no protecting his students from the coming trials ahead, especially with Yuuma, the Greeeds, and this Poseidon added to the mix. Kiriya raised his head as he made his decision.
Kiriya informed his students that they'll be doing a special training trip today, the girls were wearing their Shinobi uniforms as Kiriya had brought them to a large forest with a large mountain on the other side of it.
"We're going to climb that mountain?" Asuka asked.
"Yeah." Kiriya answered.
"It looks more like a dangerous exploration of the uncharted than an enjoyable hiking trip." Katsuragi said.
"You may be pretty close to the mark." Kiriya told her.
"Close?" Hibari asked, and Ikaruga realized what this place is.
"Is this, by any chance, a part of that so-called forbidden training?" Ikaruga asked.
"Well guessed, Ikaruga." Kiriya told her, and Ikaruga turned pale to hear that.
"I-I knew it!" Ikaruga said in some fear as the others looked at her.
"What do you mean?" Yagyu asked.
"I heard that there was some training that they did once, a number of years ago, but stopped because it was much too dangerous. It was called...Hai-kin-gu!" Ikaruga told them.
(Translate to: Crawling tense dread)
"Hai-kin-gu. One of the shinobi's most severe forms of training. They must survive in an extreme space with a minimum of gear for two full days, and then carry out a mission given to them. It is used chiefly for strengthening survival skills."
"Th-This is not the kind of hiking I'm familiar with." Asuka said in fear.
"N-None that I know, either." Hibari said in fright as tears were forming in her eyes.
Kiriya smiles before he points at the mountain.
"I placed a scroll at the top of that mountain. Whoever obtains this scroll will be the winner." Kiriya told them.
"So we're all rivals, is that what you're saying?" Ikaruga said with a smile in excitement.
"Sounds like fun, doesn't it?" Katsuragi said with a smile as she was excited as well.
"I wish this was regular hiking." Hibari said in fear.
"Don't worry, Hibari, I'll protect you." Yagyu told her fellow first year.
"I-I'll do my best too…" Asuka said.
"But Kiriya-san…" Kiriya and the girls looked and saw that Yuuma and Ankh were with them as Yuuma was wearing his regular nomadic clothes. "Is it really alright for me and Ankh to be here?" Yuuma asked.
"I was about to ask the same thing as well, sensei." Ikaruga said getting Kiriya's attention as he turns to her. "Yuuma isn't a shinobi like the rest of us, why would you bring him to take this test as well?"
"Because, I think this will be a good opportunity for Yuuma as well." Kiriya said before he turns back to Yuuma. "Well you may have grown stronger as a Rider, I can tell that you're starting to have doubts."
"Doubt?" Yuuma repeated and Kiriya nodded.
"That's right. I can tell in the look in your eyes that both your heart and your spirit is in doubt, and I know for a fact it's about those Hebijo girls that you've met." Kiriya told him and Yuuma lowered his head while his friends looked at him in worry. "Which is why this is the perfect opportunity for you. In a way to help you clear your doubt and harden your resolve. That is if you're willing to undergo this test as well."
Yuuma thought about it before he remembers, Homura, Haruka, Yomi, Hikage, and Mirai, and then turns to Asuka and the others, and the thought of both groups were fighting against each other was still weighing on his mind and when that time would come he would have to choice his side.
Yuuma made his decision as he faced Kiriya as he nodded.
"Alright, I'll do it." Yuuma said and Kiriya smiles to hear that.
"Good. That's what I wanted to hear." Kiriya said.
"Hmph...if that's what you want, then count me out." Ankh said as he sat down on a rock to enjoy a popsicle. "Not like I'll get any Medals out of this."
"You…!" Asuka growls as she glares at Ankh, before Yuuma placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Asuka-chan, it's okay. This is my problem to deal with." Yuuma told her.
"Yuuma-kun…" Asuka mutters before she turns back to the Greeed. "Well if you're not going to come, then at least give Yuuma-kun the Medals for now. After all, you still need him alive to help you."
Ankh scoffed but he knows that she's right.
"Oh screw it...Yuuma!" Ankh calls out and Yuuma turns to the Greeed as he tossed him the O-Medal Holder as Yuuma catches it. "Since I'll be staying behind, I'll entrust you with the Core Medals for now. But you better not lose them."
"Okay, you got it. Thanks." Yuuma said and Ankh huffed as he continued to enjoy his popsicle.
"I swear...how selfish can that guy be?" Asuka said.
"I know, but it's best not to worry about it." Yuuma assured her.
Kiriya coughs in his hand to get everyone's attention as they turn to him.
"Now if you're all ready, then let us begin." Kiriya told them, and they nodded in strong determination.
Yuuma steps forward as he puts on his Driver and soon brings out the Taka, Tora, and Batta Medals and inserts them into his Driver and scans them.
"Henshin!" Yuuma said.
TAKA
TORA
BATTA
TATOBA, TA-TO-BA, TATOBA
Yuuma transforms into OOO as he and his friends are now ready for Kiriya's test for them as they head into the forest.
"Alright, go!" Kiriya told them as he pointed at the mountain.
"Right!" They said as the ninja students jump a head of OOO as they head into the forest.
"Hey, I know this is a race but wait for me!" OOO calls out as he uses his Batta Legs to jump into the forest to catch up to his friends.
As they were now gone a black cat appeared for Kiriya as it walked to him.
"While we may not know their true intentions, is it evident that those six are the enemy's objective. The special qualities those six possess are worthy of merit, but the thought that their development is wanting is a qualm within you, yourself, Sensei." The cat told him which Ankh noticed as he turned to her.
"Hey, did that cat just talk?" Ankh asked while Kiriya turned to the Greeed.
"I'll explain later." Kiriya told him.
OOO had arrived in the forest as he walked through it as he looked around the area.
"Man this forest sure is different from others. Kind of reminds me of the Amazon RainForest." OOO said as he looked at the mountain as it was still a far distance from where he is right now. "That mountain is still a long way to go. And no doubt the others are still ahead of me, I have to catch up soon. Lucky for me, I have the right Medal for the job."
OOO brings out the Medal Holder, but then something swings in front of him and takes the Holder as it was now missing in his hands.
"Eh?" OOO said before he looked and saw that it was a monkey that took his Medal Holder as it swung and landed on a tree branch with its friends as they were laughing at OOO as the one who took his Holder waves it around in its hand. "Hey! Mind giving that back to me! I need it right now!"
The monkeys stick out their tongues at OOO before they leave by swinging on vines.
"Oh moi...Come back here!" OOO calls out as he chases the monkeys.
(With Asuka)
Asuka is seen flying on a kite but the winds were rough as she had a nervous look on her face.
"This sure is hard, right from the start." Asuka mutters before she grits her teeth. "A-Alright!"
Asuka jumped off the kite as she was spinning in the air, she said.
"Ninpo! Flying Squirrel Flight!" Asuka brings out a large cloak behind her back as she is flying with it as she heads to the ground.
"Ninpo, flying squirrel flight, a technique for getting to the ground from an elevated location by using a special drape woven of special fibers as a glide wing."
Asuka had made a crash landing as she was lying on top of a tree branch.
"Landing...failed." She said with a smile before she looked up. "I wonder if everyone else is alright."
(With Ikaruga)
Ikaruga landed on the edge of a deep mountain path and looked at the large mountain where the scroll is and saw she still has a long way to go.
"Still a long way to go, huh?" Ikaruga said as she remembered Kiriya's words about the summit.
"It is impossible to reach the summit in one day. If you fail to allocate your stamina accordingly, it could cost you your life."
(With Katsuragi)
Katsuragi had landed on a snowy mountain field as she let go of her cloak as it flew with the hand, and she turned to the mountain with a smile on her face.
"Alright! I definitely aim to be first!" Katsuragi swore to herself.
(With Hibari)
Hibari lets out a cute scream as she falls on her rear, Hibari sits up as she rubs on her butt as she remembers Kiriya's advice.
"Be sure to get enough rest overnight."
"That hurt!" Hibari whines.
(With Yagyu)
Yagyu is seen riding on her umbrella as she was riding on a river to the mountain.
"This is part of your training."
Even though this is part of her training, she only had one person in her mind.
"I need to rendezvous with Hibari right away." She said.
(With Asuka)
Asuka was walking through the forest for a while before she stopped to take a minute to rest as she pants and placed her hands on her knees.
"It's so hot...Is this really Japan?" Asuka wonders as she takes off her scarf and leans on a tree as she stretches out her shirt to cool off, but then she sees a leech flying on top of her breast.
Asuka blinks before she cries out in fear before she sees several more leeches falling on top of her as she cries out again as she looks up as more is still falling to her.
(With Katsuragi)
Katsuragi is seen walking on the snowy fields as she fights through a strong blizzard.
"It's so cold! Is this really Japan?!" Katsuragi said before she stopped as she spotted something appearing in front of her.
It was a polar bear as it roared at her, which really surprised her.
"Huh?!" Katsuragi gasped.
(With Ikaruga)
Ikaruga carefully walks through the mountain path as she uses kunai to secure herself as she walks on top of stone ledges one at a time, but stops as she feels a strong wind blowing in front of her.
"I feel like I'm going to be blown off any time." Ikaruga said before she saw a snake by her feet as it was looking at her while hissing at her before it began to climb up on her leg which surprised her.
(With Yagyu)
Yagyu was still riding on the river before she smelled a familiar scent close to her.
"Hibari should be right around here." Yagyu said before she saw a piranha jumping at from the river as it bites onto and rips off her skirt. "Wha-"
Yagyu then saw the piranha diving back into the river, and saw more piranhas jumping at her from behind.
"Oh no!" Yagyu said as they headed towards her.
(Meanwhile)
Kiriya was flying on a kite himself and was wearing sunglasses, as he was watching his students' progress through the forest.
"Teimapaku here is no ordinary mountain. But knowing you all, you should be able to handle it." Kiriya stated.
"Teimapaku, a special training space where countless contrivances have been set in place to plunge trainees into severe conditions."
(With Ikaruga)
The snake has made its way to Ikaruga's thigh.
'What an evil, repulsive vibe I'm getting from this snake! It's no wonder, Yuuma can't stand these things!' Ikaruga thought.
(With Asuka)
Asuka was running forward as several leeches were clinging around her body.
"No!" Asuka cries out as she takes off her shirt and vest, and dives into a river in front of her.
The leeches were off of her body as Asuka watched from floating on top of the river, which was much to her relief as she sighed.
Asuka didn't notice a large shadow was swimming to her in the river, before it lifted her out of the river and wrapped its tail around. Asuka looked and saw it was a giant…
"A-An eel?Mm-mm, no it's not. It has whiskers, so it's a loach! But this is no time to be telling them apart! If that's how it's going to be…" Asuka said as he pulled out her sword with it's sheath still in it, and then she used it to whack the giant loach on the head which made it let go of her as it sank back into the river. "Sorry, Mr. loach."
"Wait right there!" Asuka looks and sees OOO jumping out of the forest as he catches the monkey who took his Medal Holder as they land by the river.
"Yuuma-kun?" Asuka said as she blinked and OOO turned to her.
"Oh hey, Asuka-chan." Yuuma greeted his ninja friend before he turned to the monkey. "Now, are you ready to give me the Medals back?"
The monkey showed him a cheeky smile before he offered the Medal Holder to him.
"Thank you." OOO said as he took the Medal Holder as he let's go of the monkey. OOO opens the Holder but to his shock the Medals were missing. "What the…"
OOO realizes something as he turns back to the monkey as it laughs at him as he shows the Medals in its hands.
"Why you little...give me those back right now!" OOO demanded but the monkey just throws the Medals to the river as OOO cries out in dismay as they fall into the river, the monkey laughs at him as he shows him his butt and spanks his hand on it before it leaves. "Oh come on! Asuka-chan, quick we need to find those Medals!"
OOO dives into the water to look for the Core Medals.
"Hai!" Asuka said as she took a deep breath and dove into the river to help look for the Medals.
(With Ikaruga)
The snake was right around Ikaruga's waist and soon made its way to her chest.
"N-Not there!" Ikaruga said.
(With Katsuragi)
Katsuragi was behind the polar bear's neck as she was giving it a choke hold with her arms and legs around its neck.
"How's that? You give up?" Katsuragi asked as the polar bear was struggling to breathe.
After a few more minutes, Katsuragi let go of the polar bear it was lying on the ground panting as Katsuragi was looking down at it.
"You bears better think twice about taking on Hanzo Academy's number-one shooter, Katsuragi!" Katsuragi told the down polar bear.
Katsuragi sneezes due to the cold air and snow around her before she turns around.
"Right now, I need to transform into some warm clothing, or I'll catch a cold." Katsuragi said as she transformed into a large sumo costume. "What is this? Well, as long as it's warm and since Yuuma's not around to see this, who cares?"
Katsuragi then marches forward while saying. "Dosuko! Dosuko! Here I go!"
(With Yagyu)
The piranhas were clinging around Yagyu's body as they ate through her clothes.
"Using my weapon as footing was a bad choice. Now I can't hit back." Yagyu mutters before she feels a piranha bite into her skin which makes her cry out.
"Yagyu-chan!" Yagyu looked and saw Hibari was running along the riverside as she followed her.
"Hibari, keep back!" Yagyu told her.
"Fish?" Hibari said as she saw the piranhas.
"These are piranhas!" Yagyu told her.
"Piranhas?!" Hibari repeated.
"Hibari, don't worry about me, keep on going." Yagyu told her, but Hibari stopped running and faced her.
"No!"
"What?" Yagyu said.
"I'm going to help you, Yagyu-chan!" Hibari told her.
"Hibari…" Yagyu mutters in awe.
"H-Hidden Ninpo!" Hibari shouted and her bunny with a cloud body arrived by her side. She now rides on top of it as they fly to Yagyu to help her. "Ninja Bunny Boom!"
Hibari and her bunny rides on top of the river which knocks some piranhas out of the water, as she was getting closer Hibari reached out to Yagyu.
"Yagyu-chan!" Hibari shouted and Yagyu grabbed onto her hand as they flew off of the river together.
When they were out of the river, Hibari's bunny had left as it flew away while Hibari was waving it goodbye.
"Usegi-san, thank you!" Hibari told her Animal Guardian, and Hibari then turned to Yagyu who was sitting on the ground as the piranhas were now off of her. "Yagyu-chan, are you okay?"
"I just had my clothes chewed up. I thought the river would be safest, but apparently, it's not." Yagyu mutters before she says. "Hibari…"
"What?" Hibari asked with a smile, and Yagyu blushed.
"Nothing. I'm grateful." Yagyu told her, and Hibari soon noticed something on Yagyu's body.
"Oh, Yagyu-chan! Your breasts, your beasts!" Hibari told her.
Yagyu blinks before she looks down and sees that there was still a piranha stuck between her breasts much to her surprise.
(With Ikaruga)
Ikaruga was able to get the snake off of her as she throws at a stone wall as it falls, and Ikaruga smiles in triumph.
"You got careless, didn't you?" Ikaruga said before she turned back to the mountain. "I have to hurry on ahead."
(Later)
It was now night as the full moon was above the mountain.
Ikaruga had arrived at the mountain's bottom as she walked up a path she found the moment she arrived.
"I'll camp out around here until daybreak." Ikaruga said before she stopped as she heard movement and saw someone standing above her. Ikaruga pulls out her sword as she is ready to battle. "Who's there?!"
"Wait! It's me, it's me!" Said Katsuragi as she waved her hands.
"Katsuragi-san, is that you?" Ikaruga asked.
Shortly after meeting up, Ikaruga and Katsuragi made camp in a cave, after Katsuragi changed back into her shinobi uniform, she and Ikaruga made a campfire. They then exchanged stories on how they got here.
"Is that right? That really happened?" Ikaruga asked.
"This place is even crazier than I imagined." Katsuragi said.
"It's all a part of our training." Ikaruga reminded her fellow third year.
"Yeah, yeah." Katsuragi said before she heard her stomach growling. "Ah, I'm hungry."
Ikaruga sighs to hear that.
"For heaven's sake. I can't believe you didn't secure any food." Ikaruga said as she brought out a small pouch and handed it to Katsuragi. "Here."
Katsuragi accepted the pouch and empty it as acorns fell on her hand.
"These are acorns, aren't they?!" Katsuragi said.
"I gathered them up along the way." Ikaruga told her with a smile.
"Still, are you sure?" Katsuragi asked.
"Go ahead." Ikaruga told her.
"Thank you! Leave it to our class chairman! This is something you wouldn't ordinarily do, rub salt into an enemy." Katsuragi stated.
"I think what you mean is to offer salt to the enemy." Ikaruga said as Katsuragi showed her a cheeky smile.
"Don't nitpick the little things. Well, thank you, I'll help myself." Katsuragi said as she began eating the acorns.
"Oh yeah, there was a hot spring up ahead." Ikaruga told her and Katsuragi's eyes had stars in them to hear that.
"A hot spring?" Katsuragi said.
Both Katsuragi and Ikaruga had arrived at the hot spring, they soon took off their clothes and took a nice and relaxing bath in the spring as they could feel their fatigue fading away.
"I wonder if everyone else is alright." Ikaruga said in worry for their friends.
"I'm sure they're managing." Katsuragi assures her and Ikaruga chuckles as she turns to her. "What?"
"I was just remembering the past." Ikaruga told her.
"The past?" Katsuragi repeated as she blinked.
"I was thinking, when we first enrolled at the school, it was only the two of us, just like this." Ikaruga said.
"Yeah, you're right." Katsuragi said as she looked up at the night sky. "That sure takes me back."
Both third years laugh as they turn at each other.
"A lot sure has happened back then." Katsuragi said as she stretched out her arms.
"Indeed." Ikaruga nodded as she reminisced. "At first we didn't get along, but we became good friends. Then we had the granddaughter of the legendary shinobi join our class. Then Hibari-san and Yagyu-san join us. And then Yuuma-san joined us as well."
Katsuragi chuckles.
"Yeah, a lot of things got crazy the moment he arrived. First it was monsters that are made out of Medals and desires. Then there's the creepy arm monster Ankh who took over Asuka's cousin. And then there's this other Kamen Rider who wanted to fight him. Kind of you makes you wonder if our lives will ever be the same again after this." Katsuragi said.
"I presume not. That's one of the things of being a ninja, there's no such thing as normal in our lives." Ikaruga stated.
"I guess that's true." Katsuragi chuckles before they look at the night sky together.
There was silence between them before...
"Hey, Ikaruga, I have a question." Katsuragi said.
"What is it?" Ikaruga asked.
"Do you love, Yuuma?" Katsuragi asked, and Ikaruga blushed as her eyes widened
"Huh?!" Ikaruga criest out, as Katsuragi turns at her with a cheeky grin on her face.
"You do, don't you?" Katsuragi asked in a teasing tone.
"D-D-Don't be ridiculous!" Ikaruga exclaimed as she turned away from her. "As if I'm interested in those sorts of things!"
"Oh come on, don't even try to deny it. You didn't feel that way at first, but in the end he won you over didn't he?" Katsuragi asked.
Ikaruga was thinking of an excuse to say otherwise, but then flashes of Yuuma appeared in his mind one at a time. Ikaruga sighed as she lowered her head.
"Alright...I'll admit...I do love him." Ikaruga said and Katsuragi laughed to hear that.
"See I knew it!" Katsuragi said. "You were cold towards him the moment he joined us, but he eventually won you over in more ways than one!" She soon laughs.
"T-That's not true!" Ikaruga exclaimed and Katsuragi laughed. "W-Well what about you then?"
"Eh?" Katsuragi said as her jaw dropped.
"Didn't he win you over as well? I mean you do tend to cling to him every chance you get." Ikaruga asks and Katsuragi blushes before she turns away from her.
"No of course not! That's just my way of having fun and teasing him a little!" Katsuragi told her and Ikaruga showed her a narrow look as she wasn't convinced by that.
"Hmmm…" Ikaruga hummed as she continued to stare at her, and Katsuragi was sweating bullets before she sighs in defeat.
"Alright fine...He also won me over too." Katsuragi mutters and Ikaruga smiles to hear that.
"I know it. And you said that he won me over in more ways than one." Ikaruga said.
"Well it wasn't like that at first. I just wanted to have fun with him and tease him a little, but I guess in the long run he won me over with his kindness." Katsuragi said.
"Oh...How about that. It would appear you do act like a girl her own age." Ikaruga said with a smile and Katsuragi glared at her.
"Yeah, what about it?!" Katsuragi exclaimed, while Ikaruga showed her a confident smile on her face.
"Oh nothing. Just looking forward to the idea of having a rival, especially since it's you." Ikaruga tells her and Katsuragi blinks in confusion.
"A rival?" Katsuragi asked.
"That's right. Because I will be the one who will win, Hino Yuuma's heart." Ikaruga told her and Katsuragi was surprised to hear that before she smiled.
"Alright, challenge accepted. I'll make Yuuma fall for me so hard he'll forget all about you." Katsuragi told her.
"Then let the best girl win then." Ikaruga said as she and Katsuragi smiled at each other.
(With Yagyu and Hibari)
Hibari and Yagyu decided to make camp in the forest as they started a campfire as they were cooking some fish, frogs, and mushrooms around it. They also took off their clothes so that they'll wash up.
Yagyu is seen digging in the ground using her umbrella as she stabs it in the ground a few times before she stops and water soon pops out of the ground like a geyser.
"Amazing!" Hibari said in amazement and Yagyu smiles in success.
After they ate their food, Hibari and Yagyu soon made a makeshift bath using the dirt and rocks on the ground, and when the water had filled it up, they soon began to bathe in it.
"A spring water pool." Hibari said.
"It should be enough to wash away the sweat. The river is too dangerous, after all." Yagyu said.
"We'd be attacked by those piranhas." Hibari said.
"Thanks for earlier." Yagyu tells her, and Hibari blinks in confusion.
"Huh?"
"I was only thinking of letting you get away, Hibari, and never imagined you'd end up saving me. I didn't have enough faith in you." Yagyu said and Hibari smiled before she shook her head.
Mm-mm, I wasn't thinking that I could help you." Hibari said as she stretched her arms forward. "My body just responded on its own, before I could think. You always think too much, Yagyu-chan."
Yagyu smiles.
"I'll admit that." She said before they looked at the night sky together, and as she was staring at the stars she remembers the words Yuuma had told her during her time recuperating in the hospital.
"You really are a good girl, Yaygu-chan. But you should know that Hibari-chan can't ever replace your sister. Just like how you can't replace your childhood pet with a popular doll, right?"
Yagyu turns to Hibari who was smiling as she was looking at the stars in the sky, and soon remembers her sister and how she died, and the day she met with Hibari the first day they entered Hanzo together.
Then she remembers that time Yuuma had taken both her and Hibari to the amusement park, to help bond with the two first years.
"Hey, Hibari…" Yagyu calls out and Hibari turns to her.
"Hai?" Hibari said.
"I was wondering...What do you think about, Hino Yuuma?" Yagyu asks and Hibari blinks before she hums and tilts her head.
"Well at first I was a little nervous about the idea of interacting with a man around my age. But he was really friendly and nice, not to mention he's really soothing and warm to be around with. That's what I think at least." Hibari told her.
"I see…" Yagyu said before she thought about the last words she told her, on how Yuuma's so soothing and warm to be around with.
Yagyu then remembers the times he carried her on his back and how he petted her on the head, which caused her cheeks to turn red.
(With Asuka and Yuuma)
It took a while, but Yuuma and Asuka were able to find all the Core Medals that had fallen into the river. Yuuma had changed out of his armor as he and Asuka were seated by the river side as they were sitting around a campfire as Asuka had hung her clothes and swimsuit to dry as she was now wearing Yuuma's shirt.
"A...A...Acho!" Asuka sneezes as she feels cold and rubs her hands on her arms.
"Are you alright, Asuka-chan?" Yuuma asked as he was cooking some fish they caught as they were on top of the campfire.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine don't worry. Not to mention your shirt is really warm." Asuka said as she really felt warm in Yuuma's nomadic clothes.
"I know right. It's one of the reasons I like those kinds of clothes. But if you want, I can give you my pants too." Yuuma told her and Asuka blushed before she shook her head and waved her hands.
"N-No that's alright, your shirt is just fine, really!" Asuka told him.
"Okay…" Yuuma mutters in confusion as Asuka sighed.
'I swear, Yuuma-kun, are you really that clueless?' Asuka thought before she remembered Homura's words to her.
"You're not worthy of calling yourself the granddaughter of a legendary shinobi!"
Asuka frowns as she lowered her head as she can't shake those words out of her head. Yuuma noticed as he was worried for her.
"Asuka-chan...Oh!" Yuuma shouted as he pointed at the campfire and Asuka flinched as she lifted her head back up. "Looks like the fish is done now!"
Yuuma then pulled out two of the cooked fish as he was holding them by the wooden sticks and soon handed one to Asuka.
"Here you go." Yuuma said, and Asuka smiled before she gratefully took the cooked fish.
"Thank you." Asuka said before she blew on her fish and took a bite out of it. "Oh wow, this is really good."
"Thanks, a fisherman I met in Seattle taught me how to cook fish like this." Yuuma told her as he took a bite out of his own fish.
"Well either way, thanks Yuuma-kun." Asuka told him. Yuuma smiles to hear that.
"You're welcome." Yuuma said before he brings out the Medal Holder and opens it to look at the Core Medals in it.
"I'm just glad we were able to find the Core Medals in time. I can just imagine how angry Ankh will be if I lose these." Yuuma said in relief in his voice.
"Well if you ask me, I say good riddance to those things." Asuka said as she took a bite of her fish.
"Come on, Asuka-chan, don't say it like that." Yuuma said as he closed the Medal Holder.
"Yuuma-kun, you have to admit, those Medals were nothing but trouble the moment they arrived. Especially for you, and Shingo…" Asuka said in some sadness, and Yuuma hummed as he scratched his finger on his cheek.
"Well, I guess I can't deny that. But there's no use complaining about it. They're here now, and I'm using them right now, so it's best to just go with the flow." Yuuma said as he took another bite of his fish.
"I guess that's true…" Asuka mutters as she is now done with her fish. "Hey, Yuuma-kun, I have a question."
"What is it?" Yuuma asked.
"Do…" Asuka mutters as she looks down. "Do you think we would've still met and become friends if the Greeeds had never awakened, and if you didn't become OOO?"
Yuuma blinks before he hums in thought before he shrugged.
"I'm not really sure to be honest." Yuuma told her.
"Really?" Asuka asked and Yuuma nodded.
"But if you ask me, those kinds of things don't really matter to me. Though if it was possible, then yeah, I would've like to meet you and the others again. I mean you girls have been crazy, but you were fun to be around with." Yuuma said with a smile, and Asuka blinks before she smiles.
"I guess that's true…Hmmm…" Asuka said before she realized something and soon glared at him. "Wait a minute! I'm not crazy too am I?!"
Yuuma flinches before he waved his hands.
"What? No of course not! I think you were...the silly kind of crazy, but in a cute way." Yuuma told her and Asuka blushed to hear that.
"Wait a minute, you really think I'm cute?" Asuka asked, and Yuuma nodded.
"Yeah, I mean you're really cute to me." Yuuma assured her and Asuka's face turned bright red before she placed her hands on her cheeks as she turned away from him.
"B-Baka! Don't say those kinds of things so casually!" Asuka exclaimed in embarrassment, but for some reason she felt a little happy to hear that.
"Oh not to mention, Katsu, Ikaruga, Hibari-chan, and Yagyu-chan are pretty cute as well." Yuuma said and Asuka's face darkens to hear that before she stands up and slaps him on the face. "Itai!"
"I should've known you were going to say something like that!" Asuka said before she huffed and turned away and soon lied down by the campfire. "I'm going to sleep. You keep the first watch."
Asuka went to sleep as Yuuma was staring at her in confusion as he rubs on his swore cheek.
"I really can't understand girls sometimes." Yuuma said, which Asuka overheard as her eyebrows before she slightly opened her eyes and puffed out her cheeks.
'You didn't have to say it out loud, baka…' Asuka thought before she closed her eyes and went to sleep.
(Next day)
After they had gotten a good night sleep, Ikaruga and Katsuragi woke up early as they were now climbing up the mountain together, as Ikaruga was head of Katsuragi.
"Once we climb to the top of this, we're at the summit." Ikaruga said as she climbed by using her kunai.
Katsuragi catches up to her as she climbs by using only her hands and feet.
"I'm not gonna be beaten!" Katsuragi told her fellow third as they still continued to climb up the mountain.
(Meanwhile)
Yuuma had transformed into OOO and Asuka was wearing her shinobi uniform. The pair had arrived at the mountain and found a dark cave that leads inside as they were looking at the inside of it.
"Man it sure looks dark in there." Asuka said as she and OOO saw how dark it was in the cave.
"Yeah, it might be tough to see in there...Oh wait!" OOO said as he brought out his Lion Medal. "Problem solved!"
OOO soon changes to his Lion Medal and scans it with his Scanner.
LION
TORA
BATTA
OOO's head changes into the Lion Head as it lights up to illuminate the darkness in the cave to make it easier for them to see.
"Oh wow, great thinking, Yuuma-kun." Asuka told the Rider and OOO chuckles as he rubs the back of his head.
"Thanks. Now let's get moving." OOO said as he and Asuka walked into the cave together.
OOO and Asuka were walking through in the caves for a while as Asuka was looking at the map of the cave's labyrinth to help guide them.
"If we go through here, it should be a shortcut." Asuka told OOO.
"That's good to hear. But don't you there's something creepy about this cave?" OOO asked, and Asuka nodded in agreement.
"Yeah...and it's a little scary too. I hope nothing pops cut." Asuka said before she shook her head as she and OOO stopped walking as OOO turned to her. "Mm-mm, I can't let myself be spooked over just this. I am...the granddaughter of the legendary ninja, after all." Asuka said with strong determination in her voice.
"Asuka-chan…" OOO said before…
"That's a laugh!" A woman shouted in the cave which surprised OOO and Asuka as they looked around for her.
"What was that?" OOO asked a little spooked to hear that voice.
"W-Who's there?!" Asuka calls out.
"The legendary shinobi? What is it worth, being his granddaughter?"
Soon both OOO and Asuka saw two red eyes appearing in front of them as they looked at the form of a giant cat as it was looking down at them.
"A-A monster!" Asuka shouted in fear while OOO tilted his head.
"Actually, I think it's more of a giant cat." OOO stated.
The giant cat roars which shook the cave and caused a few large pieces of rock to fall from the ceiling as they head to both OOO and Asuka, which they dodge by jumping backwards and they manage to dodge a few more rocks that were falling at them.
"Bloodlines are nothing more than memories of family ties." The cat stated as it was marching towards both Asuka and OOO as Asuka grabs onto her sword. "It would be foolish to place oneself at their mercy!"
The giant cat soon swings her paw and claws at Asuka and OOO, Asuka was able to parry it as she draws out her sword and OOO dodges it jumping backwards.
When OOO and Asuka landed on the ground, Asuka faced the giant cat holding her sword with both hands.
"I-I'm not at their mercy!" Asuka stated.
"Do bloodlines make you any stronger?" The cat asks and Asuka's widens before the giant cat swings her paw at her again which sends Asuka flying before she manages to land on her hand on her foot.
"Asuka-chan, are you alright?" OOO said in worry.
"I am...Yuuma-kun, look out!" Asuka told him, and OOO looked and saw the cat attacking him with her tail, and he dodged it by jumping over the tail and rolls on the ground before he stops on his knee and foot.
"If not, then what are you?" The cat asked as she stared at Asuka.
"Me…? Myself…?" Asuka mutters as she was in deep thought about that.
"Asuka-chan, look out!" OOO calls out, and Asuka looks up and sees the giant cat swinging down her paw at Asuka to attack her, and Asuka dodges it by jumping backwards.
Asuka lands on her feet as she readies her sword and says.
"I am…" Before she could finish, large rocks had broken off from the ceiling as they fell towards Asuka.
Asuka saw the rocks but was too late to dodge them as they fell on top of her which made a large smoke cloud that blinded OOO.
When the smoke cleared, OOO soon saw Asuka was buried by rocks as they were on top of her stomach to legs and her sword was out of her hand.
"Asuka-chan!" OOO said in worry as he stood back up and was about to run and help her.
"You should worry more about yourself!" OOO turns back to the giant cat as she swings her paw at OOO which sends him crashing on the wall and falls to the ground.
OOO managed to stand up as he saw the giant cat looking at him. OOO then turns to the down Asuka as he runs to her, but the giant cat attacks at him again and OOO dodges her attacks by jumping using his Batta Legs' jumping abilities before he lands on his knee and foot as he faces the giant cat again.
"Can you leave me alone please? I need to help Asuka-chan!" OOO told her.
"So even in a battle, you still worry more about others than yourself. That's indeed noble, but naive!" The cat started as she swung her paw at OOO and he dodged it by jumping over it and rolled on the ground. "That naivete might work for others, but to the shinobi world that would cost you your life."
OOO looks down as he remembers Homura's words the other day.
"Someone who calls his enemies his friends makes me want to puke!"
OOO clenches his hands as he stands up and brings out his Tora Claws as he and the giant cat attack each other as OOO's Claws and the cat's giant paws clash against each other several times.
As OOO parried the cat's next attack he jumped up at her head and was going to clash the giant feline's face, but the cat swung her tail at OOO sending him to the ground as he crashed into it.
OOO was about to get back up but the giant cat slammed her paw on his chest to pin the Rider on the ground. OOO groans as he struggles to push the paw off of him.
"What's wrong little man? Is that truly all you got?" The cat asked in a mocking tone.
"Yuuma-kun…" Asuka mutters as she struggles to remove the rocks off of her but soon lowered her arms. "It's no use…" She mutters as she remembers Homura's words.
"You're not worthy of calling yourself the granddaughter of a legendary shinobi!"
"She was right...I'm not worthy…" Asuka mutters before she remembers a certain memory of her childhood.
"You take after your father, huh?" Hanzo's voice was heard.
"Huh?" Asuka's voice heard.
(Flashback)
A child Asuka is seen eating some sushi as she was sitting on her grandfather's lap as they were in her family's sushi restaurant.
"My dad? I do?" Asuka asked.
Hanzo was watching Asuka's parents as they were making sushi for their customers.
"When I was fiercely opposed to him marrying your mom, your dad gave up his dream of becoming a lawyer, and said he was starting a sushi shop." Hanzo told her.
He then remembers the times that his son-in-law would often bow his head to the legendary shinobi, begging him for his approval to marry his daughter as Asuka's mother was seated beside him with her hands on his future husband's back.
"He said, 'To live my life with the one I love, I don't need dreams, or money, or land, or rank, and right now, that's all I'm determined to do!" Hanzo told her before he chuckled as he reminisced. "And with that determination, he convinced me. Your father is a stronger man than he may look."
Asuka smiles as she turns towards her parents.
"And so is your mother, who fell in love with that man." Hanzo told his granddaughter.
(End of flashback)
Asuka opened her eyes as her determination and spirit were reignited.
'What am I doing? It doesn't matter if I'm worthy or not.' Asuka thought as she managed to pull herself free from the rocks over her as she stood back up.
As OOO struggles to break free, the giant cat soon raises her other paw and swings at the Rider as he braced himself for the incoming attack.
"Stay away from him!" The cat turns back at Asuka as she jumps towards her as she slashed on its heads making the cat cry out in pain as she moves away from OOO as Asuka lands beside him.
"Asuka-chan…" OOO mutters as he looks at her, and Asuka turns at him as she smiles and offers her hand to him.
"You alright, Yuuma-kun?" Asuka asks and OOO smiles under his helmet as he accepts her hand as Asuka helps stand back up.
"Yeah, I'm fine. But what about you? Are you okay?" OOO asked and Asuka nodded.
"I am, don't worry. It was thanks to that I learned something important." Asuka said as she and OOO turned to the cat as it was glaring at them. "It's because of Grandpa, and because of Mom and Dad, that I'm here now! And just for that, I'm going to continue down my path as a shinobi!" Asuka said as she drew out her other sword before she and OOO turned at each other. "Ready to finish this together, Yuuma-kun?"
OOO smirks under his helmet as he and Asuka turn back to the cat as OOO brings out his sword.
"You bet I am! Let's do this!" OOO said as he inserted three Cell Medals into his sword and scanned them with his Scanner.
TRIPLE SCANNING CHARGE
"Hidden Ninpou! Nito Ryozan!" Asuka shouted as she jumped at the cat and landed a double energy slashed on its forehead, causing it to cry as she landed behind it.
"Seiya!" OOO shouted as he sent an energy slash on the cat's body, which caused it to cry out some more.
"It is the pressure of expectations, and the feeling of inferiority that comes from that pressure, that are miniature shadows over the mind, and the shadows are not worth fearing." The cat told them before it disappeared as a white mist.
"I-It disappeared?" Asuka said as it was a little shocking to see that.
"Well that was something you don't see everyday." OOO said as he and Asuka looked around the area.
Unknown to is that the mysterious woman that spoke with Kiriya was watching the pair in the shadows and from a good distance.
"Pay heed. What is truly fearsome are one's own weaknesses!" She said.
Hibari and Yagyu were seen running through the forest as Yagyu was using her umbrella to cut through the leaves and smaller trees as they headed to the summit of the mountain.
"I think once we get through the jungle, it's just one more hop to the summit." Hibari said.
"Yeah." Yagyu said in agreement.
"That's just my hunch." Hibari told her.
"That's good enough. I believe in you, Hibari." Yagyu said before she and Hibari jumped up to the top of the mountain.
The girls soon arrived to the very top of the mountain at the same time, and OOO was able to make at the same time as well as he placed his hand on the top, as he was now wearing his Taka and Tako parts as he used his Tako Legs to climb the mountain.
"Man...and I thought that Mount Everest was a tough climb…" OOO said as he managed to pull himself on top of the mountain.
The girls soon saw that they arrived at the same time, as OOO was taking a moment to catch his breath as he was panting and had his hands on his knees.
"Gah! All at the same time?!" Katsuragi said in disappointment as she stood up and with a hand on the back of her head.
"Who won?" Ikaruga asked as she stood up as well.
"Doesn't really matter at this point?" OOO asked.
"Of course it does!" Ikaruga told him.
"What's the prize for first place?" Hibari asked.
Yagyu looked to the side as she stood up and noticed someone else was with them. The others looked and saw someone standing on a stone pillar as she was looking down at them as the sun was shining behind her.
"W-Who are you?" Katsuragi asked.
Even by the bright light of the sun, they were able to see her appearance.
She was a young woman in her early 20s. She is a tall, muscular woman with long, flowing black hair and reddish-brown eyes. She wears a tattered gakuran with a cap and metal epaulets, a rope belt, and a pair of tengu-geta. She wraps her bosom in a sarashi, and her wrists with the bandages typical of open-hand fighters.
"If thou wishes a testament to the victor, perform to the utmost of thy ability." She told them.
"Eh?" OOO said in confusion.
"What do you mean?" Ikaruga asked.
The mysterious woman showed them a scroll in her hand as the shadow of her cap covered her eye as it turned red.
"I am the final gateway of Teimapaku, and the objective of Hai-kin-gu." She told them.
"The scroll...Then, if we defeat her…" Katsuragi said in realization.
"We're to take it from her, are we?" Yagyu said.
"Yeah, it seems like it." OOO said.
"Who are you?" Ikaruga asked.
"I am Daidoji." She introduced herself to them.
"Daidoji?!" Katsuragi said in shock.
"You mean, you're the legendary...Daidoji-senpai?" Ikaruga asked in shock.
"You know who she is?" Asuka asked Katsuragi.
"Just the name. We'd heard there is a legendary ultimate upperclassman, who despite having passed her graduation exams, has volunteered to stay behind for many years." Katsuragi explained.
"Seriously?" OOO said as he looked at her.
"Th-There's a person like that?" Asuka asked in shock.
"She stayed behind for many years? That's worthy enough of legend." Yagyu said.
"But is she a woman or a man?" Katsuragi asked as she narrowed her eyes at Daidoji.
"Katsu, don't be rude. She is quite obviously a woman...I think…" OOO said as he tilted his head.
"Oh now who's being rude?" Katsuragi asked as she narrowed her eyes at him.
"She's awfully manly to me." Hibari said with an innocent smile.
Daidoji jumps down to face her kohai and their friend OOO.
"One-on-one, I won't even break a sweat. All of you, come at me together!" Daidoji told them.
The shinobi students of Hanzo turn at each other and nod before Asuka turns to OOO.
"Yuuma-kun, will you let us handle this. This is something we need to do ourselves." Asuka requested.
"Everyone…" OOO said as he looked at the determined look on their faces, and nodded. "Alright, I understand."
The students of Hanzo Academy charged at their legendary senpai, as Asuka and Ikaruga drew out their swords.
Daidoji roared as she stomped her foot on the ground which created a shockwave in front of her kohai students, which sent them flying and damaged their shinobi uniforms.
OOO was worried to see that before he saw Katsuragi, Ikaruga, and Yagyu standing back while Asuka and Hibari were still on the ground.
"This is ridiculous!" Daidoji said in some disappointment.
"What power…" Asuka said in some fear.
"She's on a whole other sphere…" Yagyu mutters.
"I didn't come this far to be beaten!" Katsuragi shouted as she, Katsuragi, and Yagyu charged at Daidoji together as Yagyu pulled out her hidden sword from her umbrella, and soon they attack the legendary senpai at the same time but with a swing of her arms she created another shockwave that sends them flying and further damage their shinobi uniforms before they rolled on the ground.
"Oh no…" OOO mutters as Daidoji is further disappointed as she folded her arms.
"This is ridiculous. The shinobi reputation weeps." Daidoji said before she sets her eyes on OOO. "Hey you, Hino Yuuma was it?"
"Yes?" OOO said.
"How about you and I go a round. I want to see what you're made of." Daidoji said as she gestures to him to come at her.
OOO pondered about this and saw the state Yagyu, Ikaruga, and Katsuragi were in and saw the fear and doubt in Asuka and Hibari's eyes.
OOO made his decision as he walked forward and faced Daidoji.
"Alright, I accept." OOO told her, and Daidoji smirks to hear that.
"Good. I always wanted to test my strength against a Rider." Daidoji said as she lowered her arms.
"Yuuma…" Katsuragi mutters before he turns to her and the others.
"Don't worry, you girls take a moment to rest. I handle her." OOO told them.
OOO removes his Tako Medal and soon inserts his Batta Medal into his Driver and scans them with his Scanner.
TAKA
TORA
BATTA
TATOBA, TA-TO-BA, TATOBA
OOO changes back into his Base Form and was now armed with his sword, he soon channels energy to his Batta Legs as he jumps high in the air and falls to Daidoji to attack her with his sword, but the moment he lands on his feet Daidoji catches his sword with two of her fingers.
"Eh?!" OOO said in surprise before he struggled to pull his sword free but Daidoji had a strong hold of his weapon.
"Come on! You need to do better than that!" Daidoji shouted as she punched in front of his face which sent OOO flying as he let go of his sword before he crashed on his back.
OOO manages to sit up as Daidoji throws his sword away as she faces the Rider.
"Seriously...you call this your best?!" Daidoji said as OOO slowly stood on his feet. "With that level of strength and resolve, how can you expect to save or protect anyone?! Let alone your friends?! Or are you really that reluctant to fight those girls from Hebijo."
OOO flinches before he looks down as he remembers that girl he couldn't save in Africa, then to Asuka and Homura's battle the other day and to the other girls he met in Hebijo.
OOO growls as he clenches his fist before he looks at Daidoji.
OOO soon pulled out his Taka and Batta Medals from his Driver, and brought out the Lion and Cheetah Medals as he inserted them into his Driver and scanned them.
LION
TORA
CHEETAH
La-Tah La-Tah, La-Tora~~Tar
OOO changed into the Latorartar Combo before he roared as he unleashed a brought light, which forced both Daidoji and his friends to cover their eyes.
As the light has died down OOO faces Daidoji as he is ready to face her, and she smiles in excitement as she assumes her combat stance.
"Alright little man, let's see what you got!" Daidoji said in excitement in her voice.
OOO soon brings out his Tora Claws and charges at Daidoji, in high speed to attack her with them.
When he was close enough Daidoji punches at OOO, but he dodges her attack by the last second using his fast speed which surprised the legendary senpai as she saw him moving to her back to attack her from behind as OOO swings his Claws at her.
But Daidoji quickly turns around and blocks his Claws with her forearm, which surprised OOO as she pushed his Claws away to punch him again, but OOO dodges it again as he moves under her fist and runs past her.
As Daidoji turns around, OOO stabs one of his Tora Claws into the ground, to turn back at Daidoji as he runs up to her again before he spins around her as he makes a circle with his enhanced speed.
OOO was about to attack at her side, but then Daidoji stomped her foot on the ground which created a shockwave that sends OOO rolling on the ground.
OOO quickly stands back up as he and Daidoji face each other.
"Come on! I know you have more than that! Give me your best shot!" Daidoji told him.
OOO growled before he pulled out his Scanner and scanned on his Driver.
SCANNING CHARGE
OOO readies himself as three energy rings appear in front of him and to Daidoji.
"Alright! Now we're talking…" Daidoji said as she brings her hands together in front of her and OOO runs through the rings as his body channels with energy.
"Hidden Ninpo…" Daidoji said as she brought her hands back as she channeled energy in one of them. "Tenchi Senran Mokō Ken!"
"Seiya!" OOO shouted as both he and Daidoji's attack clashed against each other, which created an explosion of a bright light that forced Asuka and the others to cover their eyes.
When the light died down, everyone looked and saw OOO skidding on the rolling on the ground as he reverted to slightly injured Yuuma.
"Yuuma-kun!" Asuka said as she and Hibari ran to him, Asuka knelt down and picked him up with her arm on his back and her hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay?"
"Don't worry...I think my armor has protected me from the worst of it…" Yuuma said as he stood up on his own but winced as he felt a sharp pain on his hand as he looked at it and saw it was shaking.
They look back at Daidoji as she was still standing on her feet, as her hand was slightly burned before she smirked at Yuuma and shook her injured hand.
"Alright, I'll admit that wasn't half bad. But you're still 10 years too early to even beat me." Daidoji told him.
"Not even, Yuuma-chan, was able to beat her." Hibari said in worry, and Asuka grits her teeth.
'There's no way I'm a match for her...but…' Asuka thought as he looked at Yuuma, and remembered the battles he fought until now and against Daidoji.
Asuka stands up and picks up her sword as Yuuma watches her.
"Asuka-chan?" Yuuma said.
Asuka roars as she charges at Daidoji and throws three kunais at her, but she easily caught them with her fingers but she soon saw that Asuka was now gone.
Daidoji looked up and saw Asuka was falling towards her as she aimed her sword at her.
'If I run away, I've lost to myself!' Asuka thought as Daidoji dodged her attack.
Daidoji smirks as she lands a powerful palm strike on Asuka's abdomen which sends her flying as her uniform is further damaged.
"Asuka!" Her friends said in worry as she landed beside Yuuma.
"Asuka-chan!" Yuuma said as he crawled to her and placed his hands behind her head and back. "Asuka-chan, come on wake up! Please say something!"
"The quality of students in shinobi schools has fallen." Daidoji stated as everyone turned back to her.
Then a smoke bomb exploded between them, and when it died down Kiriya was now with them as he smiled at Daidoji.
"That's enough, Daidoji." Kiriya told her.
"Kiriya-sensei?" Ikaruga said as she coughs a few times as she was surprised that he's here.
"What are you doing here?" Yuuma asked.
"Yeah, what's going on here?" Katsuragi asked.
"It was Daidoji here that planned this Hai-kin-gu excursion." Kiriya told them which surprised them. "She wanted to play a part in her kohai's training."
Daidoji then walks to Asuka and Yuuma as the others step out of her way as they look at her.
"Why would the legendary senpai…?" Ikaruga asked.
Daidoji stops in front of Yuuma and Asuka as the latter begins to wake up as she sees the legendary senpai smiled at her as she brought the scroll to her.
"While your attacks lack experience, you did fight back, and there is value in that." Daidoji told them.
Asuka smiles before she accepts the scroll as she and Yuuma look at it with smiles on their faces, and the others were smiling as well.
"Does that mean that Asuka won?" Katsuragi asked.
"Well, I guess there's not much we can do, huh?" Ikaruga said as she shrugged and Yagyu nodded in agreement.
"Isn't that great, Asuka-chan?" Yuuma asked and Asuka nodded.
"Yuuma." Yuuma and Asuka turned and saw Kiriya walking to them as he looked at the Rider. "Has this test helped you to clear away your doubts? If so, I want to hear your answer."
Yuuma ponders about this as he looks down as he remembers the times he spent with Homura, Hikage, Mirai, Yomi, and Haruka, and soon looks up at Kiriya.
"Sorry but, I still don't have a clear answer yet but...Regardless of what those five did, and regardless if they're the enemy or not, I still think of them as my friends." Yuuma told them, and his friends of Hanzo Academy were surprised to hear that.
"Yuuma-kun…" Asuka mutters.
"I know this might sound naive, especially from me. But I want to find a way to resolve things with those girls in my own terms, and I'll find a way to fight them without intentionally hurting them. I'll find a way on my own terms." Yuuma said, and his friends and Kiriya smiled to hear that before Kiriya placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I guess that's a good enough answer." Kiriya said.
(Later)
The sun was beginning to set as Kiriya and Daidoji were talking with each other.
"That girl has considerable strength still dormant within her. She still hasn't realized it, though." Daidoji said as Kiriya turned at her.
"You can tell that, huh?" Kiriya said.
"Latent strength is unconscious strength. As such, she is a double-edged sword." She said with a smile before she frowned as she eyed on Asuka as she was rubbing the scroll on her cheek. "If she takes the wrong path, she could arrive at the same place as the other."
"I won't let that happen. Not again." Kiriya swore as he looked up at the sky and saw Rin's face smiling down at him.
"Sensei, I'm going to be a super-ninja!"
Kiriya lowered his head as his bangs covered his eyes.
"What is written on it? Hurry up and open it!" Katsuragi demanded as she was eager to see what was inside.
"I'm with Katsu on that one. After everything we went through to get it, I'm quite curious to see what's in it." Yuuma said.
"S-Sure." Asuka nodded as she began to open the scroll.
"Katsuragi-san, you're being improper. And Yuuma, you shouldn't agree with her like that." Ikaruga told them.
"Oh sorry." Yuuma nervously chuckles and rubs the back of his head.
Katsuragi pouted as she got close to Ikaruga's face.
"You're interested too, aren't you?" Katsuragi asked, and Ikaruga's cheek turned slightly red as she smiled and Katsuragi smirked to see that.
"Well, sure…" Ikaruga mutters.
Hibari smiles as Asuka opens the scroll and Yuuma looks at it with Asuka, and to his surprise there were only seven words on it.
"What? There's only seven words on it." Yuuma said.
"Seriously? Well, what does it say?" Katsuragi asked.
"Power is a sword and a shield." Asuka told them.
"Okay, but what does it mean?" Yuuma asked.
"That is the greatest secret of the shinobi written down by Master Hanzo himself." Daidoji told them as they turned to her, and Asuka then remembered the words Hanzo told her when she decided to become a shinobi.
"Power must be a pairing of the katana and the shield."
Asuka finally understood what her grandfather meant by that, before she walked forward holding the scroll in her hands as she looked at the setting sun.
'I'm not going to whine anymore. Grandpa, I'll do my best!' Asuka swore to herself.
(With Ankh)
Ankh was seen in the area where Yuuma and the others had started their test. He was lying on a rock as he yawned.
"Honestly, how much longer are they gonna make me wait?" Ankh asked in annoyance as he was growing impatient in waiting for their return.
(Meanwhile)
Poseidon is seen in a dark alleyway as he was waiting for someone. He then saw an Aurora Curtain appearing before him and walking out of it was his lord and master, Dark Decade as he walked to him.
"Master." Poseidon bowed his head to Dark Decade.
"Hey, Poseidon, I didn't keep you waiting did I?" Dark Decade asked and Poseidon shook his head.
"No, I just arrived here myself. So what is the reason you called me here?" Poseidon asked.
"To give you a gift obviously." Dark Decade said as he raised his fist forward, and Poseidon understood as he brought his hand under Dark's Decade fist as the leader of the Dark Riders opened it as two Medals had fallen from his hand as they landed on Poseidon's own hand.
Poseidon looked at the Medals in his hand and saw that they were Core Medals.
One Medal was pure black with purple markings, and has the yin symbol on the front.
The other Medal was pure white with golden markings and has the yang symbol on the front.
"Core Medals?" Poseidon said.
"That's right, and they were created by yours truly. After the successful tests of the Proto-Special Medals, I was able to create these two by using the data of the Yummies they created." Dark Decade explains as Poseidon was looking at the Medals before the turns back to his master.
"And let me guess, they're supposed to work on the Yin and Yang Scrolls?" Poseidon asked.
"Exactly, and just our luck it's almost time for those Scrolls to awaken. As much as I like to see it, I'm afraid there are some urgent matters that acquire my attention. Poseidon, can I trust you handle it?" Dark Decade asked and Poseidon bowed his head.
"Of course, my lord. It shall be done." Poseidon said and Dark Decade smirks to hear that.
"Good, I look forward to hearing the results." Dark Decade said before he walked into the Aurora Curtain before it disappeared.
Poseidon then looks at the Yin and Yang Core Medals in his hands before he absorbed them into his body.
"Now then, how should I proceed from here on?" Poseidon wonders before he leaves the alleyway to figure out his next plan.
To Be Continued…The Stolen Scroll, the Runaway, and the Passing Through Rider
There you have it, hope you like it. Review to tell me what you think of the story.
Current Core Medals:
Taka x2
Lion
Tora
Cheetah
Batta
Kamakiri
Kuwagata
Unagi
Tako
Sai
Gorilla
Zou
Alright! One down and three more to go!