Sorry it's taken a while to get back to this story… But here is the new update. (finally)

Let me thank all of you who left a review for the first chapter: captainkodak1, bigherb81, Katsumara, Comet Moon, MrDrP, Mr. Wizard, kim's 1 fan, CajunBeat73, JCS1966, screaming phoenix, Shrike176, Muzzelhatch, Sentinel103, Reader101w, Kwebs, JAKT, Yankee Bard, , Thomas Linquist, and Mengsk… As always, Y'all Rock!

Disclaimer: Not sure why I still do this, as nobody probably never reads it, but these characters are not mine, and I do not receive any compensation for their use.

Chapter 2

That afternoon Yori took the two young heroes on a whirlwind tour to some of Tokyo's tourist attractions. First they went to Asakusa Kannon Temple, and then on to Ueno park, where they ended the day at Toshogu Shrine.

It was at the exit of the shrine that Kim said she needed to use the little girls room, and Yori graciously pointed her in the right direction, leaving both her and Ron standing alone at the exit. The sun was setting illuminating part of the area the two were standing, and Ron was looking at an inscription that was written in Japanese calligraphy on a placard.

"Can you read that Ron-san?" Yori asked.

"I… think I can." Ron said while narrowing his brow, and then proceeded to do so. "It says…

Life is like walking along a long road shouldering a heavy load; there is no need to hurry.
One who treats difficulties as the normal state of affairs will never be discontented.
Patience is the source of eternal peace; treat anger as an enemy.
Harm will befall one who knows only success and has never experienced failure.
Blame yourself rather than others.
It is better not to reach than to go too far.

Whew… At least I didn't stumble on any of the words."

"You did very well Ron-san." She then stepped closer to Ron and hooked her arm in his, looking at the placard. "What does this mean to you?"

Ron glanced over at the young Ninja and swallowed hard. He couldn't help but almost get lost in those almond-shaped eyes of hers. "Well… umm… the first line, Life is like walking along a long road shouldering a heavy load; there is no need to hurry… means not to hurry through life, as it's going to be tough either way. The next line, One who treats difficulties as the normal state of affairs will never be discontented… means that anyone who views problems in life as part of life, will be the happiest. The next one is easy. Patience is the source of eternal peace; treat anger as an enemy… Be patient and don't get angry for no reason."

Yori nodded in agreement to Ron's crude, yet accurate views, and smiled almost wistfully at the young blond boy as he continued.

"Then we have Harm will befall one who knows only success and has never experienced failure… It says that anyone who has had nothing but success in life has never really learned of the hazards in life, so when they are finally experienced, they would be in real trouble. The next is a natch, Blame yourself rather than others… When something goes wrong in your life, you're the only one to blame. Now the last line is a bit confusing to me. It is better not to reach than to go too far… Always strive for greatness, yet don't set your goals too high?" Ron then noticed just how close Yori's face was to his when he looked at her. He couldn't help but notice that her lips were slightly parted, and that her eyes were almost completely closed. It was then that Ron heard someone clearing they're throat behind him.

Quickly backing away from Yori, Ron turned and saw that Kim was standing with a fist on her hip and a scowl on her face. "Did I interrupt something Ron?" She said with poorly veiled irritation.

"N… no, not at all Kim." He quickly sidled up next to his girlfriend. "I… I was just telling Yori here my own interpretation of these precepts of life by Ieyasu." Both Kim and Yori raised an eyebrow, as neither had any idea how Ron knew who this historical figure was.

"What? I learned about him at Yamanouchi." Ron said, feeling slightly perturbed that the girls had doubted him. "Sensei was quite insistent that I learn certain aspects about Japan's history."

Kim planted a kiss on his cheek. "Sorry Ron… It just looked like you and Yori were getting a bit… I don't know… close?"

"Well, we are kinda close, in that we're friends Kim." Ron said, misunderstanding what Kim was actually saying.

The red head was about to let out a growl when Yori spoke up. "Possible-chan, I am sorry for any misunderstanding that you may have towards Ron-san and me. I was… how do you say… enchanted, by his unique interpretation of this inscription." She indicated the placard they were still standing in front of.

"Well it's getting late, and I don't think 'Ron-san' here has anymore time to be… 'enchanting'." Kim then took hold of his elbow none too gentle. "C'mon Ron, let's get back to our hotel."

"Oh, I am sorry Possible-chan, Ron-san. But I took the liberty to cancel your reservations and have set up accommodations for you at Yamnouchi for the remainder of your stay. We thought it would be better for you to stay in recognizable surroundings." The young Ninja then glanced at Kim, then to Ron. "At least you will recognize the room, Ron-san. It is almost exactly as you left it. I will take my things from the room so Possible-chan will have room for her own things."

"Ron…" Kim said with a definite irritation in her voice. "Why does Yori have 'things' in your old room at Yamanouchi?" Ron immediately began to fidget, and Kim then turned to Yori. "And why did you assume that we would want to stay at Yamanouchi in the first place?"

"Would you not wish to stay in a place that you do not have to pay for room and board Possible-chan?" Yori asked, with an innocence that Kim didn't quite believe for some reason.

Kim was about to explain to Yori that they had planned everything out for their vacation, including expenses, but then she thought better of it when she thought of the extra money she would have for shopping. A corner of her mouth ticked up at the thought of purchasing night-wear that would make Ron one happy Monkey Master. That is, after she received a good explanation from her boyfriend about Yori's… things. So she didn't argue any further, and the three continued on to Yamanouchi for the night.

…x x x x…

Just as the two young heroes and young ninja entered the courtyard of Yamanouchi, Sensei appeared in a puff of smoke. Ron jumped back about 5 feet, startled at the old teachers entrance. Kim backed up slightly in surprise, and Yori just smiled and bowed to her elder as if nothing had surprised her.

"New entrance Sensei?" Ron said, after recovering and bowing to his teacher.

"Yes it is, Chosen One." The old teacher intoned and raised an eyebrow. "Do you like?"

"Most def." Ron raised a fist, to which Sensei responded by raising his own fist, and they bumped each other's knuckles.

"And where is Rufus-san?" Sensei asked, looking down at Ron's empty pants pocket.

"We had to leave the little guy at home Sensei." Ron replied. "He's getting up in age, and he's been having more and more trouble on these longer trips. The strain is getting a bit too much for him."

"I understand completely." The old teacher said with a slightly bowed head. "I too have felt the results of getting older. This is also one reason that I asked Yori to request that the two of you stay here at Yamanouchi."

"But Yori didn't…" Kim started to say, but Ron gracefully interrupted.

"We are honored to stay here Sensei. How could we not accept your gracious offer? I'm guessing that we are staying in my old Room?" Ron took hold of Kim's hand.

"You will, but Kimberly will stay in the room next to you." Sensei said, as he could see a look of anger flash across Yori's face. No one else would have noticed, but Sensei's keen eye could always tell what was on the young ninja's mind. "We do not wish to set a bad example to the impressionable young students here now, do we?"

"No, we do not. I apologize for presuming so." Ron said with a reverent bow. When Ron straightened back up, he had another question. "Sensei? You said that your age was one reason for you wanting us to stay here… was there another?"

"Yes, I do. Please… follow me." Before walking away with Ron in tow, Sensei turned to the young female ninja. "Yori? Will you show Kimberly full respect, and show her where her room is?" The girl nodded, and proceeded to lead Kim to a nearby building.

"Come with me Chosen One. I have a question of great concern."

For approximately the next 5 minutes, Ron silently followed Sensei as they walked out of the courtyard and onto an old path he had not been previously aware of. He had not seen this particular path in the entire time at Yamanouchi before, and Ron didn't think much of the fact that the path had stayed hidden all that time.

"Sensei… Where are we…" Ron stopped in his tracks after following the old teacher through a narrow gap located in a large hedge. The view took his breath away.

A great valley stretched out beneath Sensei and his student. Ron couldn't help but gape at the scene as it seemed to go on forever, and finally ended in what appeared to be a fog bank that had to be at least 20 to 30 miles away. Other mountains could then be seen jutting up into the sky beyond the fog bank, their snow-covered peaks almost glistening against a bright blue sky.

"Cho… Ronald." Sensei's voice grated, getting Ron's full attention. "You have been having… nightmares, have you not?"

"Yes… yes, I have." Was the blond boy's response. He wasn't surprised at all to learn that his teacher knew something was going on with him.

"And they feel and seem… real?" Ron nodded with a look of worry on his face. "You may relax and not be too concerned with them as they only represent your own fears."

"But Sensei…" Ron said with more than a little apprehension. "Monkey Fist was there in his stone form, and so was Kim. Kim was… killed by a hooded ninja, and Monkey Fist eluded that I would understand everything after this hooded ninja revealed who she was."

Sensei raised an eyebrow. "I had a feeling that Monkey Fist was part of your dream, but I was not aware that there was a female ninja involved as well. This is most disconcerting to me."

"So wait… Should I be concerned about this?" Ron said, with worry still evident in his features.

"The dream itself, no." Sensei said and turned back to the view before them. "But this unknown female ninja, yes. It seems that this… individual that you have dreamed about is powerful. You say you could not ascertain her identity?"

"No. I have no idea who it could be." Ron's brow then knitted together in thought. "But it's almost as if I should know. It's all a bit confusing, yet not. Do you understand what I mean?"

The old man nodded. "Yes, I do understand, but it seems that I must meditate on this figure in your dream. It is almost as if this character wishes to reveal themselves only to you."

As the two walked back to the main courtyard, Ron remembered that there was something else Sensei wanted to talk about… something about his age. No matter. I'll ask him tomorrow.

…x x x x…

Later that evening, after Ron and Sensei returned from their stroll, Ron and Kim sat in the courtyard late into the evening talking and holding hands. The two sat on an old stone bench next to a fountain that was currently not in use. Moss had overgrown part of the neglected old fountain, but the artistry of the carvings were still in immaculate shape, depicting warriors of differing sizes in various Ninjitsu fighting poses.

Just as the two stood to head to their respective rooms, a loud scream came from the direction of Sensei's hut. Both sprinted to the entrance and arrived just in time as Yori stumbled out of the door, clutching onto her left shoulder with her still wrapped right hand.

"Yori! What happened!" Ron said as he touched the shoulder that didn't appear to be injured. "Is it Sensei? Is he OK?"

Before Yori could try to stop him, Ron quickly entered the home of his teacher, and Kim was right behind him. When Ron suddenly stopped in his tracks, Kim almost ran into him.

"Ron? What's the…" Kim immediately froze when she saw what Ron was looking at.

There in the middle of the room was Sensei, standing as if he was trying to block a strike of some sort. His eyes had a look of fear, yet sadness, and one arm was raised as if he was trying to block an over-handed strike. He was frozen in this position, never to move again, as Sensei was now solid stone.

To be continued…

I have decided to do something different here concerning all of my stories that I have in progress. I will actually finish this one before going to the next, then so on and so forth. I felt that I wasn't getting anywhere when trying to work on one then another.