Chapter 3 [Later that afternoon]

[Rose Garden]

Fresh off of a session in the dojo and two hours of meditation, Ron meandered through the freshly blossomed blooms. He admired the bright reds, fragrant pinks and pure whites laid out by the ninja groundkeepers. He took a whiff of them in admiration of their scent….

….and sneezed several times as a result….

He kicked at the cobbles in frustration. "That tanks!" He slumped onto the planter's outer lip and shook his head. "How am I supposed to channel power if I can't deal with nature?" He rubbed his nose to eliminate the itch there. Then he noticed Hirotaka watching him. "Hey, Hiro. Kind of private, ya know?"

"Pride kills, Stoppable San." Hirotaka approached his fellow shinobi with care. Between the monkey power and the recent possession incident, he didn't know how Ron would react to his presence. In addition his own recent experiences had tempered his suave and brash veneer. "I considered myself above everyone too."

Ron quirked a confused eyebrow. "Look, Hiro, I do not think I'm better than anyone else here! You all don't need my sitch! I failed!"

"You fail with your American style whines." Hirotaka produced a stick of gum and popped it in his mouth with his old bravado. He could sense that Ron was drowning in his self-pity. Out of duty to the school, he buried his own fear and stood tall. "First position."

"Huh?" Ron failed to get the point until he just managed to avoid the other's foot flying at his face. "HEY! WHAT'S THE SITCH?"

"I told you. You are too self-absorbed to listen! Defend yourself!" Hirotaka swung with a downward chop of his right hand.

Ron instinctually avoided the maneuver before narrowing his eyes. "Quit it!"

"No. We have all failed each other, Stoppable San. It is time to set that right," Hirotaka disagreed. He waved his hand at Ron. "I am not going to let you brood like a sick dog." He moved in on Ron again.

"I ain't no sick dog!" Ron moved between his adversary's strikes and nailed him squarely in the chest. As the other hit the planter on the far side, he pointed to Hiro. "Take that to your Mama!"

"If my mother were alive, Stoppable San, I am sure she would approve." Hirotaka bowed to him. "You will owe me a rematch at some point. It is my honor to remind you that we are here for each other. You have done so for me. Now it is my turn."

"I…what?" Ron felt confused.

Hirotaka rolled his eyes. "After Arighatto shamed me, you helped me. You reminded me of our purpose. Now I am doing the same for you. Besides we did not believe in the ceremony. We could have unified behind Sensei for your sake to drive the demon away. Our fear and doubt insured our failure. Yours will do the same." He stood and bowed once again. "This is a day for first times, Stoppable San. I make amends to the greater good by doing so. Consider how you might do the same." With that he left the area.

Ron rubbed his forehead while trying to process Hirotaka's words. He'd always given everything allowing himself to be subsumed in the team role whether that be with Kim or Yori. He'd relied on the ladies to pump his ego up and drive him toward a goal. Since coming to Yamanuchi, Sensei had redirected the focus toward a balance of confident individualism and filling a part of the collective whole.

Then the light bulb went on his head. He smacked himself in the head. "OW!" Then he rushed toward the dojo.

He had a message to deliver to a certain baddical other half…