Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Kung Fu Panda, these franchises belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 2

"Speaking"

'Thoughts'

"Beast speaking"

'beast thoughts'

The furious sound of fists meeting punching bag filled the air, angry and heavy, but at the same time almost desperate. Within the training hall of the jade palace, a lone leopard stood wailing away on a single bag.

Tai Lung desperately bashed his target, trying hard to tame his intense rage. Earlier that day he had been brought before Master Oogway to receive his destiny, but when the time came he was denied. Told that it was not his fate to receive the fabled Dragon Scroll.

This left Tai in a fury, his whole life he had worked and trained for that one moment and it was snatched away. Now he didn't know what to do, he didn't know who he was. He didn't know how he was going to be able to face Master Shifu and-

A hand was suddenly placed on his shoulder, stilling his arm as he prepared to strike the bag again. All at once, it seemed his fury vanished from him and he sank to his knees. Turning back to look at the figure behind him.

"Breath Tai, getting worked up is a good way to lose yourself in revenge. And I refuse to let you turn out like the bastard." Natsumi said.

It had been thirty odd years since Natsumi's departure from the hidden leaf village, and her subsequent arrival of at the Jade palace. And the years had been very kind.

The once small fox now towered over her charge, a beacon of cool confidence and wisdom. She held herself with the grace and dignity of any noble, but any who meet her knew the devious trickster and deadly warrior that lurked below the surface. Clad in a custom-made battle kimono, her two bladed battle fans hung at her side. She looked every bit the legendary warrior she was known as, but right now she was a teacher.

"I'm sorry, I nearly forgot all the teachings you gave me. I just, I didn't know how to face you after my failure." Tai said bowing his head, expecting a scolding from the fox. What he got instead was a light laugh.

"Pick yourself up silly leopard and come take a walk with me." Natsumi said, turning, and leaving the hall. Not a moment later and confused and slightly dazed Tai Lung followed her.

She led him through the gardens of the palace, past the flowers and trees until they arrived at a small pond. Tai knew what it was, it was the spot where Natsumi first arrived and met Shifu, the spot where the become friends. Now it served as her private meditation place, as well as where she came to practice her Fuinjutsu.

"Come, sit with me." She said taking a seat in front of the pond, Tai did the same and followed her gazed as she looked across it. The evening sun hung low in the air, and the mountains were framed with mist. It was a beautiful sight, one that Tai realized it had been far to long since he simply stopped and took in.

"You aren't a failure Tai, not to Master Oogway, not to Shifu, and certainly not to me." Natsumi said after a minute, breaking the silence of the moment.

"But, I failed to earn the Dragon Scroll. How can I call myself your student if I can't even achieve my destiny?" Tai asked, this earned a deep laugh from Natsumi.

"Tai forget destiny, it is a single minded and idiotic concept preached by fools to make up for their shortcomings." Was Natsumi's reply, one she whole heartedly believed and said whenever the subject of fate or destiny came up.

"Don't let Master Oogway hear you say that, he'll end up lecturing you again." Tai said with a chuckle.

"And he is free to if he wishes, just as I am free to not care." She said smugly before becoming serious once again.

"But, even still that doesn't change the facts. You are an amazing student Tai Lung, one of the best this temple ever produced and you having or not having some golden scroll isn't going to change that. Now, are you going to continue acting like an emo in which case ill be forced to beat you black and blue. Or, are you going to stand up, get back to work and act like the student I spent all these years training?" She asked turning to look at him.

Tai Lung didn't even need to think about it, he smiled and stood up, turning to her, and bowing.

"I think ill be that student, I'm not really in the mood to get my tail handed to me." He said with a chuckle, making her smirk.

"Good to see your sarcasm hasn't taken a hit, now go and get yourself cleaned up and ready for dinner." She said shooing him back towards the barracks, taking his que Tai left feeling a lot better.

For a few moments Natsumi sat in silence, eyes closed and meditating. Then her ears flicked, the soft sound of footsteps approached. Shifu sat down in Tai's vacated spot, bringing with him a pot of tea and a shogi board.

For a moment, Natsumi ignored his presence. The one of her tails lashed out and smacked him on upside the head, making him wince and stumble.

"I deserved that." He admitted.

"Yes, you do, and a lot more actually. If I hadn't stepped in and talked with him who knows what path Tai could have taken. I refuse to see that boy turn into another Sasuke, so tomorrow your going to be giving that boy an apology for raising your expectations far to high." She said harshly, turning to face him.

Shifu winced at her scathing tongue but, nodded all the same. He knew he would have to anyway.

After taking a breath Natsumi cooled her temper and poured them both a cup of tea.

"Now, I believe we have time for a quick game." She said with a smirk, a matching one was worn by Shifu as they began to play. For the next few minutes, no sound was heard but the click of tiles being placed, and tea being sipped.

"So then, you'll be leaving tomorrow." Shifu said breaking the silence, it wasn't a question.

"Yes, I am, with any luck I won't be gone to long. Tai can help you manage defending the village while I'm away." Natsumi said in return.

"And, you're sure about this idea of yours? That you will be able to find who your looking for?" Shifu asked, he still didn't see the point of this whole endeavor of hers.

"I already have some potential candidates lined up. I think they will have what it takes to join this team." She said smirking at him.

"I still don't see the point of all this, you and I along with Tai will be enough for a good long while." Shifu countered.

"Shifu, I'm forty-three and you are turning forty-five in close to two weeks. Our prime is drawing close to ending even with all the training we do. And, while yes Tai is a very competent master in training, he still will need help." Natsumi said simply.

"But, five?" Shifu asked.

"Yes Shifu, five. And I know just where to start." Natsumi said, taking a sip of her tea.

Tigress sighed in boredom as she gazed through the bars of her sealed window, watching the other children all run around and play outside. It was so unfair that once again, she got locked in.

For as long as she could remember the young tiger cub had been feared by the other kids in her orphanage. The called her a monster, and provoked her temper to get her in trouble. And no matter what she said the care takers always believed the other kids.

Turning around she laid back down on her small bed, wishing she could be outside and running or training to burn off some energy and relieve her boredom. But, no she was stuck in her room.

Her gaze landed on the small desk across her room, a scroll half open showing a drawing that was half finished. Despite being made by a seven year old, it was decently well made and shown a lot of skill. The picture itself was of a familiar gold fox, one tigress knew all too well.

She remembered the first day she met Natsumi, some kids from the village had been picking on her, calling her names and threating to hurt her. She had been close to losing her temper, when suddenly the leader was decked by a closed fan, and behind the punks stood the infamous vixen herself. She scared them off and brought the tiger back home, and since then without fail Natsumi would come to spend time with her.

Standing up Tigress shook herself from her funk, she was about to continue working on her painting when the bolt to her door was unlocked and the door opened. Turning her face lit up when she saw who it was.

"Natsumi!" She cried out jumping into the large vixen's arms, Natsumi chuckled and hugged her back.

"Hey there little sister, sorry I haven't visited lately." She said with a chuckle, then held the girl at arm length." What's this I hear about you punching someone?" She asked with a mock angry expression.

"He was calling me names and being mean to the other girls, so I decked him." Tigress said completely unafraid, Natsumi smirked and set her down.

"That's my little sister." She said rubbing the girls head, the crouched down." So, remember that promise I made you. Well today I keep it." She said, making tigress gaps.

"You mean?" She asked hoping against hope.

"That's right, I'm busting you out. Grab your stuff, we're out of here." Natsumi said with her infamous fox grin plastered on her face.

Tigress didn't even need a minute, she ran over and reached under her bed. Pulling out a fully packed rucksack, she had kept it pack in preparation for this day since forever.

No more words were spoken, as the gold fox and her young charge left the cold room behind. Ready to step out and take the world by storm.

"You know, I am really starting to get pissed off here. Let me out of this damn cage and fight me like a real warrior!" A small mantis yelled as he threw himself against a firmly locked cage, not far off the vixen that had trapped him sat smirking on a rock as she sipped a cup of tea.

"And waste a perfectly good cup of tea? I think ill pass; besides why should I waste energy fighting when you will just burn yourself out soon?" Natsumi asked, only making Mantis more infuriated.

"Because, that's what Kung Fu masters do. You're suppose to be the great Golden Tailed Vixen, The Priestess of Seals, The Queen of Storms. So, man up and prove that you're all that, fight me like a real man!" Mantis yelled, which only made her laugh.

"First of all, I'm not a man." She said chuckling at her own bad pun." And second, I reiterate, why should I waste my energy fighting you when all I need is a bit of patience and ill win anyway." She said turning away from the small bug.

Mantis huffed and grumbled curses under his breath, this was so unfair. All his life the young mantis had fought for everything he ever got, protecting his people and being almost undefeated in battle. He firmly believed that any challenge with raw strength and speed, and yet here he was.

He sighed and turned away from her, trying to come up with a plan to help him get out. But, as he did something caught his eye that made him stop.

His cage was sat on a rock, overlooking a field of wild flowers. They swayed gently in the wind, loose petals danced up as they rode the small gust. Overall, a very beautiful sight.

'And when was the last time I can say I stopped to enjoy it?' He thought, asking himself the question. All his life Mantis had been running from one thing to the other, looking for the next fight, the next challenge, the next task. This, this moment was the first time he ever felt himself just slow down for a change.

For a while he simply gazed out over the flowers, watching them, and thinking over his life. Soon he closed his eyes, and found himself slipping into meditation, something he always struggled with. The outside world seemed to vanish as for the first time, he found a sense of peace.

He was so set in meditative state that he jumped a little when the cage door was opened, turning he found the fox was standing above him, a calm smile on her face.

"Hmm, much faster then I would have thought." She said with a light chuckle.

"Wait, there was a point to all this, wasn't there." Mantis said stepping out of the cage, though he made no move to attack her.

"You remind me of another student of mine, he was always rushing from one thing to the next. Never finding the time to simply take a break." Natsumi said, reaching down, and picking a flower.

"Life moves pretty fast little Mantis, you don't stop and look around every once and a while, and you find you can miss a lot of amazing things." She said sniffing the flower.

Mantis couldn't help but reflect on those words, they seemed to echo inside his soul and make something shift.

"Now, I've finished my tea, so if you still want that fight, I'm more then happy to oblige." Natsumi offered.

"No, no think I could use a break from fighting for a bit. But, if you have more tea I wouldn't mind a cup?" He asked smiling at her, a gesture she returned.

"Come sit with me, I think we have a lot to talk about." She said, walking over to her spot, mantis following behind.

Viper panted as she sat atop the large gorilla bandit that had assaulted her village, She couldn't believe she had actually gone and done it.

After the bandit had ransacked the place and broken her father's teeth, there wasn't a lot of hope they could be stopped. But, with a burst of courage the likes of which she had never felt before she had taken down the bandit leader. Without teeth, using the ribbons she loved so much.

Her gaze travelled across the square, to where she could see her father speaking with the newly arrived guards. When their eyes met, she could see pride, awe, and love in her fathers. It made her heart swell with joy.

She turned and slithered off the bandit, leaving it to the guards and her father to clean things up. She turned to make her way home when the sound of clapping caught her attention, turning she gasped.

Not far at a small sweet stand sat a golden fox with crimson markings, a smirk plastered on her face. Viper knew who she was in an instant. Master Natsumi of the jade temple, her hero.

"I can say I've seen many great feats over the years Viper, preformed a few myself. But, none come even close to the display I just witnessed." She said, Viper didn't know what to think, here was her idol saying she did amazingly.

"Th-thank you m-master Natsumi, I I don't know what to say." She said blushing and looking away, Natsumi chuckled and patted the stool next to her.

"Come sit with me." She said, Viper didn't hesitate to do as told, how could she not want to sit with her.

"You showed an amazing degree of talent back there, a sense of versatility and skill rarely seen in most even among masters. With the proper training, you could be great." Natsumi said.

"But, I don't have the teeth to use my fathers style." Viper said sadly, it was the truth, she would never be able to use her venom.

"And that is a bad thing? It is true you cannot use the style your father made famous, but that is your strength. It means you can find your own path, create a style unique to you and that one day will become just as famous as your fathers." Natsumi said, Viper was shocked, she had never thought about it like that before and yet, it seemed so easy to see it now.

Natsumi stood and finished her sweets, paying for them with a tip before turning.

"I'm looking for a new generation of students to train, ones who I know can be great. If tomorrow morning you decide to see just had far you can go, meet me at the village gate." Natsumi said walking away.

For the rest of the night Viper would grapple with that choice, but in the end, she knew which one was the path she needed to walk. Her father knew this as well and gave her his blessing. The next morning Viper slithered up to the gate, a pack held with her tail, and found Natsumi waiting just as she promised.

No words needed to be say, the two simply turned and vanished into the morning fog.

Crane let out a resigned sigh, pushing the doors to the hall open and leaving the enrollment room. He supposed he should have seen this coming in the end.

After he had found the courage to attempt the obstacle course once again, and break a record at that, He had still sadly been rejected from being taught. It seemed no matter the courage he displayed, or the skill he had shown, he simply was not cut out to learn Kung Fu because of his skinny body.

He made his way back to the janitor closet, intending to get back to work when a voice spoke up behind him.

"You know, that little display back there is why I firmly believe some people just shouldn't teach Kung Fu." A voice said, Crane whipped around and felt his jaw drop at who he saw.

"I mean, if they can't see the raw talent that you have. Well, then they are either blind or fools and personally I am believing the latter." Natsumi said walking up to him.

"You-you're, you're Natsumi Uzumaki, The Golden Tailed Vixen." Crane said trying not to stammer, what was one of the most famous people in all of china doing talking to someone like him.

"Last I checked I am, and you my friend are someone with a lot of potential. If you can figure out how to apply it." Natsumi said leaning against the wall, her trade mark smirk plastered on her face.

"But, how? You heard them in there, how can I learn Kung Fu if I don't have to skinny of a body for it?" He asked, a dejected tone in his voice.

"Well, how about you let someone with years of experience under her belt be the judge of whether or not you can learn." She said walking past him, he turned to face her startled.

"Wait, do you mean that?" He started but, she cut him off.

"Tomorrow, at the docks, if you're interested." She said without looking back, leaving him standing there alone.

"Crane." A voice called out, breaking him out of his stupor, he turned and found his friend Mai running up to him.

"Hey, I heard about what happened in there. Listen don't believe a word they said, you would make a great student skinny body and all." She said taking his wing, that seemed to make him think.

"Hey, Mai. If you had the chance to pursue your dream but knew you would have to leave the people you cared for behind. Would you do it?" Crane asked her.

The snow leopard pondered this question for a minute, before nodding.

"If I was following my heart and know the people I would leave would be proud of me. In half a heartbeat." She said, and that seemed to be the answer that crane needed.

The next morning, a boat left the small village. And one crane didn't show up for work.

Monkey laughed as he scaled up the side of the building, below him the sound of yelling and curses was heard which only served to make him laugh harder.

"Honestly these fools are way to easy, getting riled up over the simplest of things." He said to himself, lounging on the roof.

"I have to agree, but then again that tends to happen when you prank people and steal their belts." A voice said behind him.

"Ahh but, where's the fun in life if you can't prank a few unsuspecting merchants." Monkey said back, only to pause before jumping straight up into the air in fright. Turning with a scowl he found a grinning fox standing across from him.

"Well a word of advice, if your going to be a prankster. Then you might want to make sure that no one can catch up to you." Natsumi said.

Monkey scowled, he knew who this was but, he didn't care. He won every other fight he had, just because she was famous didn't mean he was gonna lose to here.

"So, what are we gonna do now. You gonna try and catch me and haul my ass to jail, cause I can tell you sweetheart that legend or not, this monkey isn't going anywhere." Monkey said slipping into a fighting stance.

"Oh, well then. Come prove it to me." Natsumi said doing the same.

After a brief pause monkey leapt at her, striking, and kicking with everything he had. Unfortunately for him Natsumi could easily read his style, and easily deflect any attack he sent at her.

Pushing away Monkey rushed low, intending to grab her belt and trip her up. Unlike before Natsumi didn't block it and merely danced around him.

"Damn it stand still!" Monkey yelled, getting frustrated at his lack of success.

"Now why would I go and do that?" She asked smirking as she continued to dance around him.

"Damn it why are you doing this!" He yelled jumping back and panting.

"It hurts doesn't it?" Natsumi asked, making him pause. Her gaze turned out to the village they were in.

"No one sees you, at least not the real you. All they see is what they want to see, the troublemaker, the outcast, the loser." Natsumi continued, by now angry tears were running down monkey's cheeks.

"And what the hell would you know." He growled not wanting to hear her words, but he did.

"Because, once upon a time I was like you. No one saw the real me, and I didn't have anyone to lean on when I needed it. I was ignored, so I acted out to get attention, and was labeled the loser of my home." Natsumi said, monkey sank to his knees.

"Why are you telling me this?" He asked, his earlier overconfident attitude reduced to pieces.

"Because you reminded me a lot of how I use to be, before I found people to help me, and give me a place to call home." Natsumi said, walking over, and holding out a hand for him.

"Come with me, let me be that friend, the one to help you pick yourself up when your down." Natsumi said.

He didn't know why it was, but in that instance, monkey knew that it was right. So, he reached up and took that hand.

Natsumi walked in front of her five pupils, each from different places, different lives, but all here for the same goal.

"You are all here to become Kung Fu warriors, I won't lie. The road ahead of you will be filled with trials, and bumps, hardships, and happiness. But, if you can tough it out and make it to the end. Then I promise ill make you all into legends that will be spoken about for ages to come." Natsumi said.

Her five students straightened up. And for a moment Natsumi could see behind them what they would become, heroes of justice. And so, with fours simple worlds she began the next chapter of her adventure, joined by her young students.

"Your training begins…Now!"

What is up everyone, its tenzo.

So, I must admit I am shocked at the feedback I got on that first chapter, guess I never knew how much you guys liked my story. Well I hope this chapter satisfies just as much. So, lets' chat.

If any of you have ever seen the anime Assassination Classroom the you might notice something, I based Natsumi's teaching style this time around more like Koro-Sensei. Tough love when its needed, but always praise and words of wisdom. I hope this time around you all enjoy the mini arcs, and before I get flames saying that's not what happen keep in mind, a lot of things have changed from canon so don't expect me to follow every step. Otherwise, what's the point of writing.

As always I look forward to your reviews and favorites, until the next one. Peace out.