Love Hina: A Change of Pace by Mr. Lee

Disclaimer: This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only. The author of this fanfiction does not own Love Hina or its characters. Love Hina is owned by Ken Akamatsu. Any other similarities are purely coincidental.

Author's note: Hey LH fans :). Mr. Lee is here with chapter 4 of my altered version of the series. First of all, to my Naruto fans, I'm deeply sorry for my several month absence :(. Not only is my time overall in the fanfiction world VERY minute, but my inspiration with the series and my chapters in my Naruto fics overall is at an all time low. My fans know that when I write, I want to give them the best that I can when it comes to my work. If my head is not clear and I don't have the inspiration, then I won't be able to give you that, even if you PM or e-mail me constantly.

That doesn't mean that I'm ignoring you guys. I hear you and I read every review, PM and e-mail you all send me, good or bad. But it is one of the burdens of being a writer with a hectic life. It wouldn't be fair to you or me if I gave you a crappy chapter when I know I'm not ready to write it and make it as good as I can. And for that, I'm sincerely sorry :(. I hope all of you who do write fics can understand this and forgive me for my lack of updates.

Also, there was a minor issue about my use of the word Sessha. Although what Peregrine829 said in his review is accurate, most Akamatsuverse and Negima fans know that it is also a condescending word used by samurai to refer to themselves. It also refers to a character from a book written in the 17th century who helped women who were down on their luck, which was explained by Akamatsu himself in Volume 3 of the manga. Since this is common knowledge with Negima and Kaede fans, that was my reason for not writing a translation to it, which is something I normally do when I write Japanese. Just keep in mind that Japanese words have more than one meaning and one use. One word for us who speak English may have several different uses and meanings in Japanese (Kawaii doesn't only mean cute.). Feel free to correct me if I do make a mistake, however. Just be polite about it and please keep what I said in mind. I always do my research on things like this, so mistakes can be avoided.

With that said, we shall now go to this new chapter where Motoko and Keitaro will do battle in the Kendo challenge in Hina 6 of Vol. 1. HOWEVER, I have made some serious changes to the chapter to the point that it will take a slightly darker turn. Some elements from the anime will also be added to this chapter (Instead of wooden kendo sticks in the manga, they'll be using real swords like in the anime.). I also will have a surprise at the end that NOBODY will expect. Finally, a recommendation from bigdave who PM'ed me some time ago will be added as well. I told you I listen to you guys. And for the record my friend, your idea was not corny, so have some faith in yourself ;). So here we go. I hope I still got my touch LMAO XD. Enjoy :)!

Chapter 4- Serious Swordplay Part 1: Motoko vs. Keitaro!

Hinata City Women's Detention Center-Visiting room

Sitting quietly in a gray looking visitor room is Kandori Akira. At one time, a proud member and enforcer of the dark organization Uroboros. A young woman whose skills in judo and power techniques made even grown men tremble. But now, she was nothing but a prison number, discarded and abandoned by the organization she once represented. As soon as she was taken in, she used her phone call to contact 'her people' and asked to be released since she knew it would be an easy task for them with the money and power they possessed. But they simply laughed at her and told her 'What would they want with a useless pawn?'. She was enraged at the question and asked to speak to Himuro himself.

The calm leader basically told her the same thing, making the young woman ask him what she was going to do. He told her that it wasn't his concern anymore and hung up. Completely floored by the leader's words, she put the receiver back and walked back to her cell with a lowered head. At that point, while she sat in that 4x4 room, she realized that she was alone. No allies, no friends, no family. She lost it all. All in the name of victory. All in the name of being stronger than anyone. And as the days passed by, she finally realized the heavy price of joining up with them and being seduced by the specter of power.

It was then that the woman once nicknamed The Steel Wall remembered the words of the one who defeated her. The one who told her a truth she didn't want to hear or believe, but now could not deny. The same one who just opened the door to the visitor's room, much to her surprise.

"Hello Akira. It's been a while." Urashima Keitaro greeted in a quiet voice with a wave as he closed the visitor's door behind him.

"YOU?! What are you doing here Keitaro?! Have you come to laugh at me? To relish in the humiliation of my defeat?" Akira growled angrily as she stood up from her chair and instinctively took a fighting stance.

"If you relax, I'll tell you why I'm here." He said in a gentle, but stern voice as he took off his glasses and looked her straight in the eyes. The judo expert gasped and froze as she looked deep into his penetrating gaze. Realizing that starting a fight would be pointless, she began to relax and sit back down, with Keitaro sitting in his chair a moment later.

"So…why have you come here? After our last encounter, I thought I would never see you again." She inquired bluntly.

"I wanted to see how you were doing. I was worried about you." The landlord replied sincerely, making her gasp in shock.

"Humph, I don't need your pity. I'm fine as you can see. Uroboros will come for me soon. Just you wait. There's no need for you to worry about me…" Akira mumbled as she turned her head away from him with a slight pink tinge in her cheeks.

"Are you sure about that?" Keitaro asked, still maintaining his calm.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" The judo expert countered.

"Exactly what I said. It was just a simple question. Or are you afraid to look me in the eyes and tell me the truth?" The landlord questioned with a frown. Enraged, the young woman got up from her chair and rushed Keitaro. Grabbing his shirt by the shoulders, she lifted him off the chair and slammed him against the wall. Guards came into the room and were about to restrain her, but Keitaro raised a hand to stop them.

"YOU WANT THE TRUTH? FINE, I'LL TELL YOU THE TRUTH!" Akira screamed in his face as tears started to fall from her eyes.

"You were right, okay?! As soon as I landed in this godforsaken place, those bastards discarded me like a pawn! I did everything that they asked of me, without question! I always obeyed them and went through rigorous and harsh training to become their weapon! I defeated countless fighters in their name! I did unspeakable things that made all of my friends leave me and my own family disown me! And yet…I was nothing but a lap dog to them. They threw me away like trash, like I was nothing! They were just using me! They didn't give a damn about me! So that's the truth! Are you happy now? Go ahead, laugh at me! You were right and I was wrong! Just laugh at me, hate me and discard me like everyone else has! Go ahead so you can get the hell out of here! Do it Keitaro! LAUGH AT ME DAMMIT!" The young woman bellowed in a begging voice as she shook him harshly.

The ronin remained silent as tears now started to fall from his eyes. The look he saw in her face was familiar to him, because it was a look he had long ago. A look of despair and loneliness. A look of immense pain and hurt. A look of a person who felt they lost everything. Lifting his hand slowly, he gently touched her face. Akira's eyes widened at his soft touch as he wiped her tears away, not once taking his eyes off of her.

"You already know I won't do that Akira. I won't do any of that…" Keitaro told her with a smile full of warmth. Akira's face started to scrunch up and she released him. Once she did that, the emotionless steel wall around her heart shattered and she fell to her knees and embraced her now former foe, wrapping her arms around him and burying her head in his chest as she started to sob. Keitaro kneeled down and held her firmly, but gently as he stroked her short blue hair.

"I'm sorry Keitaro. Please don't go. Please…don't leave me alone…" The judo expert whimpered.

"It's alright Akira. I'm not going anywhere." He told her soothingly as he rubbed her back. Her only response was gripping him more tightly, showing that she believed him.

Thirty emotional minutes later

"Are you okay now Akira?" Keitaro asked as the two sat back down at the visitor's table after the guards left.

"Yes. Thank you for earlier. I can't even remember the last time I cried. It felt…good to let that out…" Akira replied in a quiet voice as she wiped her face with a handkerchief he gave her.

"Looks like even The Steel Wall can let her guard down." The young Urashima chuckled.

"Hmm…I guess you brought out some of my old self." She said with a blush.

"I'm glad I got a chance to meet her." He said with his trademark smile.

"Thank you, Keitaro…" Akira said with a small smile.

"Is that a smile I see?" Keitaro asked in a teasing voice.

"Yes it is. I know who I am now, thanks to you. Defeating me was the best thing you ever did for me. It just took me now to realize that." The young woman said honestly.

"Well, I'm not exactly proud of how I won. I took advantage of a weakness you had and I used it against you. I'm sorry Akira." The ronin said as he lowered his head and bowed to her in apology.

"There is no need to apologize. I nearly took you and Narusegawa's life doing the same thing. I've done horrible things in Uroborus's name. I don't deserve forgiveness for the things I did to you and your friends." She said as she lowered her head disgracefully.

"Akira…" He said with a frown.

"It's alright. We both know it's true. But by defeating me, you saved me from what I was becoming. A beast that was less than human. If only I had met you before joining Uroboros, perhaps I too would have true strength like you do. Perhaps one day, I can redeem myself and atone for my sins." Akira said in a sad voice as she lowered her head.

"Of course you can Akira. And you do have true strength. It was just misplaced." Keitaro said gently as he placed a hand on top of hers, giving it a squeeze.

"Thank you. I truly don't deserve your kindness." The former Uroboros member said, her face now as red as a beet. The young man released her hand and stood up, heading for the door.

"I spoke with the police. Me and Haruka-obasan are dropping the charges against you. They'll be releasing you in a week." The landlord told her while looking at her over his shoulder which made her gasp. "If you need a place to stay, Haruka-obasan has a spare room for rent at her place and she could use an extra hand at the café. You're welcome to stay as long as you want." He added.

"W-Why? Why are you doing all of this for me?" She asked in disbelief.

"Do you always need a reason to be kind to others?" He asked back as he turned to her and smiled brightly.

"Keitaro…" Akira said softly as her cheeks started to burn red.

"Well, I have to get going. See you soon." Keitaro said as he opened the exit door.

"Wait Keitaro!" The judo expert called out as she ran to him.

"What is it? What's wrong?" The landlord questioned with concern.

"Um, despite what I've done, I'm grateful to you Keitaro. Thank you…for knocking some sense into me…" She said in a warm tone which accompanied her smile.

"Heh heh, you're welcome." He said with a flushed face as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Someday, when I'm worthy of it, I want to challenge you again, if that's okay with you." Akira requested in a polite voice.

"I would like that. As long as you don't try to kill me or my friends." Keitaro said sheepishly.

"Don't worry. That Akira is gone and she's not coming back. But don't think for a second that I'll go easy on you." The blue haired woman promised.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." The young Urashima said with a small smirk as he lowered his glasses slightly. They looked at each other silently for a minute before holding each other's wrist in a warrior's handshake. With a silent nod to each other, Keitaro left the room.

'Maybe…Yes, I can trust him. And maybe, I can…' Akira thought as she unconsciously gripped the handkerchief he gave her. When she noticed it, her face became flushed and she smiled warmly. 'I guess I just misplaced my old self too. I won't waste your second chance, Keitaro-sama…I'll be there soon.' She vowed in her mind as she called for the guard. Only this time as she headed back to her cell, she now had something else that she thought she lost when she thought she discarded her old self when joining Uroboros. Hope.

Hinata House-Motoko's Room-Late night

"Uh…unh…" Motoko moaned in her sleep as she tossed and turned. The grip of a powerful dream covering her body in sweat.

Dream Sequence

Deep in the mountains of an area that looks like ancient Japan lies a lone pagoda mansion surrounded by the forests. Inside this lone place, in a room in the far back, sits a large group of unsavory characters watching a single young woman. The woman in question, sitting in front of a Buddha statue with her trusted katana Shisui (Deep water) by her side while in the seiza position is one Aoyama Motoko. Her eyes are closed and her body unmoving as if in deep meditation, but her mind is preparing itself for her attack and escape from this place.

Opening her eyes and suddenly standing up with her weapon in hand, she turns to her captors, who are no longer silent. They lunge at her, with various weapons of their own, ready to stop her in her tracks. But the swordswoman shows no fear as she cuts through them like a scythe through wheat.

Leaving her now fallen enemies, she leaves the room and runs down the dark halls. She dodge, jump and slashes through pitfalls and traps. She finally reaches her escape route in the form of a single window. Jumping out and landing on the ground safely, she races through the bamboo laced forest like a cheetah, passing through it within mere minutes.

She reaches the clearing, where at the bottom of a waterfall, the leader of her captors, who was wearing a black kimono with a sleeveless dark purple hakama, awaited her. The leader looks up at her with a smirk, making the kendo girl's blood boil. Gripping her precious weapon, she jumps off the cliff without hesitation. She raises her sword into the air to attempt a downward slash, the thought of vanquishing her foe burning throughout her being. But the leader simply raises his sheath with his left hand, effortlessly blocking the attack.

Motoko's eyes widen in shock as the man unsheathes his sword with his right hand and attacks her with a powerful upward slash, defeating her with one stroke and knocking her weapon out of her hand and herself into the water. As she lifts her head out of the water, holding her now ripped top together to protect her decency, her enemy points his sword at her and raises it in the air to give her the final blow.

'Damn it! Is this the best I can do? Is this the end?' Motoko thought as she closed her eyes and prepared to accept her fate. But it would never come.

"Stop!" A voice shouted from behind them. Turning to the direction of the voice, they see a young man with glasses on wearing a royal blue kimono with a gold dragon design, along with a katana strapped to his waist.

"Ryuousama (Dragon King) Keitaro!" The leader shouted in fear.

"U-Urashima?!" Motoko said with wide eyes.

"Foul villain! You will not lay a finger on this beautiful raven haired princess!" Keitaro swore in a courageous voice, which made the said princess's heart pound and blush heavily.

"Oh? And who will stop me, noble samurai?" The villain asked with a sneer as he turned to the young man.

"My sword and I will show you the answer." He replied as he drew his weapon. With a battle cry, the two men charged each other and jumped in the air. Once they were close enough, they slashed each other as they passed each other and landed on the ground. Time seemed to stand still for everyone, nobody moving an inch as only the rushing water of the waterfall was heard. A minute later, the victor was decided as Keitaro sheathed his sword while his opponent fell to the ground, vanquished by the young man. Once the battle was over, he walked to the mouth of the waterfall where Motoko was waiting.

"Sorry I took so long. Are you alright Motoko-chan?" Keitaro asked in a gentle voice.

"Y-Yes, I'm okay. You came to…rescue me?" Motoko inquired as her heart continued to pound.

"Of course I did Motoko-chan. It's my honor and pleasure to protect you." The young man replied with a warm smile as he went into the water and picked her up bridal style. Too stunned to even protest, the still blushing Shinmeiryu heiress allowed him to carry her, feeling safe and warm in his arms as she leaned her head on his chest. Once he reached land he set her down and placed his hands atop one another in an X-like formation. His hands started to glow and the energy went to the kendo girl, covering her entire body from head to toe. A minute later, all of her wounds were gone and her maiden's outfit was dry and repaired. Once that was done, he took off his glasses and kneeled down next to her. Taking her hand gently, he pulled her into a warm and loving embrace, effectively shocking the young woman.

"U-Urashima…?" Motoko squeaked in a weak voice while her head was buried in his chest.

"Time is like an endless abyss. Since the first time we met, I have dreamed of this moment, my koishii (beloved)." Keitaro said in a tender voice.

"Y-You h-have?" The kendo girl stammered, her heart threatening to thump out of her chest.

"Yes. Please take these, my truest feelings into your heart." The young 'samurai' replied without hesitation. Motoko sighed happily and gripped his kimono tightly as a warm and welcome feeling coursed through her body. "Aoyama Motoko, sword princess of my dreams, I love you." He told her as he stroked her hair gently. That did it for the normally anti-male girl as she gasped softly and buried her head deeper into his chest, making the taller girl look smaller in his embrace as a wellspring of love and happiness began swelling into her bosom.

"Keitaro-sama, I…" She started to say as she lifted her head and looked into his caring eyes with her glazed ones. Keitaro gently placed two fingers on her soft lips.

"I know Motoko-hime. There is no need for words." He said as he leaned his head down towards hers. As if completely under his spell, she lifted her head up and linked one of her hands with his, ready to receive his precious gift. Their lips reached closer and closer until…

End Dream Sequence

"AHHH!" Motoko yelled as she sat up from her futon, soaked in her perspiration. "Oh Kami! What a nightmare! Stupid romantic movie!" She panted as she wiped her brow while she stood up and looked at her mirror. 'W-Why…is Urashima polluting my dreams…?' She tried to concentrate as her heart continued to pound. 'Why does that…man…make me feel…?' She couldn't even complete her thought. It was as if something was holding her back. No longer wanting to think about it, she crawled back to bed and eventually fell asleep, trying her hardest to suppress her 'nightmare.'

The next day-Motoko's kendo class

But her luck didn't improve as the young woman fell to the floor, her opponent soundly giving the swordswoman her first loss ever in kendo.

"I can't believe I won. Against Aoyama-taicho no less!" Her opponent squealed in delight as the raven haired warrior grumbled before she stood up and bowed to her opponent. After the kendo class ended for the day, three of her fellow kendo members walked up to her while she changed.

"I beg your pardon, Aoyama-taicho. But we need to talk to you." The first student said.

"Talk to me? About what?" Motoko inquired with curiosity.

"Well, we really don't mean to be nosy or anything. We just noticed that you've changed recently." The second student replied.

"What?!" The kendo girl shouted as she sneezed a minute later.

"Until recently, nothing could disturb your sense of inner calm. Your aura was like that of a wide, smoothly flowing river. But lately, we've noticed that you've been discontent or troubled in some way." The third student explained.

"Do you think it's possible that living under the same roof with that man you mentioned has something to do with it?" The first student questioned.

"D-Don't be ridiculous! My loss has nothing to do with him! Now excuse me!" She said with her face as red as an apple as she slammed her locker and pushed pass the three students. 'Still…what they said does have merit. Ever since Urashima came to the house, I…' She thought as she lowered her head so her hair covered her eyes, her heart beginning to race once more. This lasted for a minute until she lifted her head up and a scowl appeared on her face. 'There's no alternative then. If I'm to be myself again, I must get Urashima out of the house immediately! Even if it takes brute force!' She vowed as she coughed a bit before leaving her school.

Outside Sasagi Seminar-A half hour later

Meanwhile, Keitaro, Haitani and Shirai talked about their results for the end of November.

"Waah?! 25 percent?! It's the end of November and this is my score?" Haitani grumbled.

"I didn't do much better with 30 percent. That sure blasted my hopes." Shirai sighed.

"Well, I got 60 percent." Keitaro said sheepishly.

"No way!" The guys said simultaneously as they looked at his results.

"Wow! You've come a long way, Keitaro! What's your secret?" Shirai asked.

"I'm just studying with a friend, that's all." The ronin told them honestly.

"A friend? Do you think your friend could hook us up?" Haitani questioned hastily.

"I don't think that's a good idea guys. It would be very bad for your health." He chuckled lightly. The two young men raised their eyebrows at the comment, but he just waved his hand as if telling them not to ask.

"Oh well, there's no use getting down. Let's go babe hunting and forget all about the entrance exams!" Haitani said with a smirk and a gleam in his eye.

"We can't forget them!" Shirai shouted at him.

'Oh brother…' Keitaro thought with a sweat drop. As they started to walk together on this rainy day, they saw three young women of various heights walking in front of them.

"Hm! Straight off the bat! There's a good looking trio!" Haitani yelled as if he struck gold.

"Oh yeah! They're hot!" Shirai agreed.

"I like the one in the middle with ebony hair." Haitani said.

"But isn't she too tall?" Shirai asked with a slight frown.

"Hmm…The girl on the left has good proportions." Haitani said with a wide smile.

"Dummy, that's a junior high student!" Shirai said in a scolding voice. "Now I like the girl on the right…" He said in a pleasing voice.

"You guys…" Keitaro said as he laughed at them. 'Hmm…now that you mention it, they do look familiar. I'm getting a bad feeling about this.' He thought with a worried brow. "Um, guys. Wait a second…" He started to say, but it was too late as his two friends ran up to the girls.

"Hey!" Shirai called out, making the girls stop.

"Hey cuties, do you have some time? Do you wanna stop for some coffee?" Haitani asked, trying to be smooth.

"Stop being so obnoxious…" The tall girl in the middle said in a harsh voice.

"Huh?" Haitani said as the wind around them started to pick up suddenly, making Keitaro's eyes widen in shock.

'Oh crap! That girl is using a ki attack!' The landlord screamed in his head with horror as he quickly took off his glasses. "Guys, move out of the way!" He bellowed to them in a deep voice. But it was too late as the tall girl closed her umbrella and swung a strong ki attack in their direction. Keitaro covered his chest with his arms in an X-formation to block the attack, but his friends weren't as lucky as they were flattened by the attack, effectively knocking them out and leaving them sprawled face first on the sidewalk. The girls turned around, revealing themselves to be Naru, Su and Motoko.

"So it is you!" Keitaro said in surprise.

"Hmph! Urashima Keitaro! You've got some nerve acting like a hot-shot playboy as a second year ronin." Motoko said in a cold voice.

"What is your damage Motoko-chan?! They were just being friendly! There was no reason for you to attack me or my friends!" The ronin said angrily.

"Are you talking back to me, you weakling?!" The young woman spat back.

"Keitaro, a playboy likes girls, right?" Su asked. Keitaro and Motoko glared down at the foreign girl, effectively silencing her.

"Urashima! Let me tell you one thing! I detest weaklings like you! Hmph!" The kendo girl said as she pointed her covered kendo stick at him before turning and starting to walk away.

"At least I don't do tsujigiri (A dishonorable act where samurais sharpened their swordsmanship on innocent people in the street.)." He said. This immediately stopped the young warrior in her tracks as she turned around and walked up to him until they were face to face.

"What did you say, Urashima?!" She growled in a threatening tone.

"You heard me! Did I stutter? Or do all users of Shinmeiryu use their techniques to beat up innocent people?" Keitaro growled back with a stern glare, making her body flinch and shake with unrestrained anger at the shot to her honor.

"You bastard! How dare you!" She bellowed in a choleric voice as she started to remove the wrapping off her kendo stick before Su grabbed her arm.

"Hey Motoko, calm down!" Su said with concern.

"Yeah Keitaro, take it easy!" Naru said as she pulled him away slightly.

"I'm fine! It's kendo girl over there that has the problem!" The young man said as he shrugged her off of him and turned to tend to his friends.

"K-Kendo girl?" Motoko said in a stunned voice at the term.

"Motoko-chan, I like you, along with the others." He started to say calmly as he puts his glasses back on and picked up his still groggy friends. "But don't you ever attack my friends again…" He warned her as he glared at her one last time before walking away with his friends so they could find a place to dry off. The girls stood silently for a moment before Naru began to speak.

"Motoko, why did you say those things to Keitaro? I thought you two were friends." Naru asked. Motoko's face turned red at the question as her friends looked at her. Without saying a word and her now wet hair covering her eyes, the tall young woman walked away from them without a word.

"Her temple was throbbing." Su mentioned as she looked at her friend. The brunette just shook her head and started to walk home.

Hinata House- An hour later- Keitaro's room

"Naru told me what happened between you and Motoko. The other girls are shocked that you said that to her. No guy has ever stood up against her without feeling her wrath." Haruka said as she sat his table while watching her nephew practice with his katana near the window.

"Hah…Hmm! She had it coming after what she did to my friends. Uhh…Heh! But why does she hate me so much all of a sudden? I didn't do anything to her!" Keitaro grunted with as he swung at the air with quick strokes.

"Don't take it too personally Keitaro. Motoko suffers from the same issues with men as Naru. Though her reasons are slightly different. At least that's what I heard." The café owner responded as she sipped her tea.

"But I'm four years older than her. She ought to be a little polite at least." The landlord said as he stopped and sheathed his weapon.

"It may not be such a good idea to make Motoko mad." She said with a chuckle as he sat down, put his glasses back on and drank some tea with her.

"Hmm…you may be right. From what I've heard, Motoko comes from the Aoyama clan of sword masters that live in Kyoto. She is so skilled that the elders of her clan granted her full mastership at the age of 15, which is a rare accomplishment these days. One strike of a wielder of Shinmeiryu techniques can rend the heavens and crush boulders. They also use their skills to fight demons and evil spirits." He explained in detail.

"You've done your homework Keitaro." Haruka said with a smile.

"I wouldn't be much of a martial artist if I didn't. Besides, we are one of the Yon Tenchuu (Four Pillars Supporting Heaven), so we do know a lot of martial art families all over Japan. The Nagases and Narutakis of Koga, the Kukis and the Kawakami clan to name some of them." Keitaro said as he rubbed the back of his head, thinking about the friends he has in each one.

"Hmm…Funny that your face turns red when you think of the Kuki clan, eh nephew?" The beautiful woman teased slightly.

"S-Shut up, Haruka-obasan!" He stuttered as blood started to come out of his nose while thinking of a certain Kuki family member that he was very close to.

"I wonder what Kaede-san and your other 'friends' would say if they knew who you were thinking about right now? Not that I can blame you. Weren't they all rivals during that fighting tournament you had in high school, my lucky nephew?" She snickered as she playfully punched his shoulder while he wiped his nose.

"C-Cut it out, Haruka-obasan! Geez, you can be worse than Kitsune sometimes." Keitaro grumbled with a red face of embarrassment, making the normally stoic woman chuckle.

"Heh heh, I'm sorry. But in all seriousness, you should try to work things out with Motoko like you did with Naru." Haruka recommended in a wise voice.

"Well, I guess I went a little too far today. I'll go talk to her now." The ronin said with a small smile.

"Wise choice, landlord. Good luck and I'll see you at dinner." His fellow Urashima said as she kissed him on the cheek and took the tea tray on her way out. After drying himself off from his short training session, he climbed the stairs to find the other resident sword user.

'Ah, there she is. But what is she doing? It just stopped raining, and it's too cold out here to train.' He thought to himself at the foot of the stairs. He climbed up a couple more steps quietly and watched as she was cutting something with her sword. 'She's cutting the falling leaves with her sword with little effort. Impressive. She truly is skilled.' He said in his mind as he smiled at her while finally stepping up to the roof. Unfortunately, when he stood on the roof, the Shinmeiryu warrior's keen senses caught track of him.

"Who's there!?" Motoko shouted as she threw a tanto dagger at him.

"Whoa!" Keitaro shrieked as he used his quick reflexes to grab the dagger just as it was coming toward his chest.

"First a playboy and now a stalker Urashima?!" The kendo girl said as she crossed her arms while holding her sword.

"No, I'm not either! I just came to apologize for what happened earlier." The young man explained as he tried to calm himself down from the near death experience.

"I'm not interested in talking with you!" She spat as she turned her head away from him.

"But I am!" He yelled in a strong voice as he took off his glasses. Realizing why he came up to see her in the first place, he took a deep, cleansing breath and calmed himself down before speaking once more. "Look Motoko-chan, I don't know why you're angry with me. But if I did or said anything to hurt or upset you, I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me." He said softly and sincerely as he bowed to her like a gentleman bows to a lady.

'K-Keitaro…' Motoko said in her mind as she started to blush and a part of her 'nightmare' flashed through her mind, making her heart flutter. But as soon as it did, she quickly shook her head and stomped it out of her mind.

"Hmph, I told you Urashima! I have nothing to talk to you about! Just remember this! Unlike Naru-sempai and the others, I haven't accepted you yet. If you try anything funny with me, I'll remove you from Hinata House by force!" She seriously warned in a hard voice as she lifted her thumb to unsheathe a part of her sword. Keitaro gasped in surprise as he sensed the young woman releasing killer intent at him, showing him that she wasn't joking. His visage changed until it was a mix of sadness and anger. The tension on the roof increased as they stared at each other without saying a word. Their silence was broken by the energetic member of Hinata House.

"Keitaro, Motoko, dinnertime!" Su shouted as she dropped down from the tree near Motoko upside down.

"Ack?!" Motoko squeaked in fright as she started to fall to the ground. She closed her eyes and prepared to take the fall, but it never happened. For when she opened her eyes, the same young man she threatened had his arm around her waist firmly, stopping her descent.

'Wow…she's pretty light for her size.' Keitaro thought for a fleeting moment. "Are you alright Motoko-chan?" He asked with genuine concern.

'Hmm…?' Motoko thought as she calmed down. When she realized what position she was in, which had the added effect of making her face heat up, she knew that she needed to get away from him…now. "Let go of me!" The young woman said sharply as she stood up and pushed Keitaro, making him land on his behind. "That was unnecessary! I can catch myself! Weakling!" She growled at him as she collected her sword and dagger and quickly ran down the stairs. As Su watched her friend leave, she noticed the sad look on Keitaro's face.

"Are you okay Keitaro? Does your butt hurt?" The foreign girl inquired. He said nothing at first and just got up and dusted himself off, putting his glasses back on a moment later.

"Don't worry Su. I'll be okay. Go downstairs and wash up for dinner." The ronin requested with a small smile.

"Okies Keitaro!" She said happily as she ran downstairs on all fours. But as soon as she left, Keitaro frowned sadly, feeling slightly hurt after everything that happened with Motoko.

'I'm getting a bad feeling about this. I hope that I'm wrong…' He thought as he looked at the sky while heading down the stairs as dark clouds started to roll in.

Dinnertime

"I'm impressed as always Shinobu! This meal looks amazing! Unlike someone else's rice balls and sandwiches." Keitaro chuckled as he ate.

"And who's that someone else?" Naru asked him with a vein pulsing on her forehead.

"Well, Keitaro does have a point. Your cooking looks terrible, but it tastes darn good." Kitsune admitted with a laugh.

"If you guys don't like it, you two can cook instead!" The brunette grumbled as her face started to steam.

"Hey Naru! If your face turns any redder, we can fry an egg on it!" Su joked, making everybody laugh, save Motoko. She just quietly ate her meal and started to reach for the soy sauce until she felt a hand on top of hers. Lifting her head, it was the hand of the person who's been on her mind all day.

"Whoops! Sorry!" Keitaro said as he pulled back his hand.

"Don't touch me! Hmph!" Motoko snapped as she snatched the soy sauce away and started to pour some on her food. But what she didn't realize was that she poured more than anticipated.

"Do you have enough soy sauce there?" Kitsune chuckled, making Motoko look at her food.

"Ah!" The kendo girl shrieked as her food turned into black soup instead. Becoming even more incensed, she wolfed it down quickly. "THANKS FOR THE MEAL!" She shouted uncharacteristically as she sat up.

"Um, Motoko-chan?" Keitaro called out.

"W-What?!" She called out with a blush on her face.

"You got some rice on your cheek." He replied as he showed her the spot.

"Wh-Why you…!" The young woman said in a fuming tone as she made a motion as if reaching for her sword. When she realized what she was doing, she looked at Keitaro's face and saw a somber expression on it as if he was disappointed with her. With a quick gasp and a lowered head, she excused herself and quickly headed to her room, letting out a couple of sneezes.

"What's with her? Motoko's face was all bright red!" Naru questioned as everyone stared in the direction the young warrior ran.

"Was she mad, excited or what?" Kitsune added.

'Hmm…' Keitaro and Haruka thought with a serious face as they glanced at each other.

"You haven't done something to her, have you Keitaro?" The hotheaded girl questioned with an evil eye.

"Be quiet Naru and go do the dishes. It's your turn tonight." Haruka said calmly as she bopped her on the head lightly.

"Yes Haruka…" She mumbled as she rubbed her head, still giving Keitaro the evil eye of suspicion as she walked into the kitchen.

"Sigh...why me…?" The landlord groaned to himself as he finished eating.

Hot springs-Fifteen minutes later

Some time later, Motoko douses some water over her head and body as she took her evening bath alone. The look on Keitaro's face flashes to the forefront of her mind as she places a hand over heart.

'What is this? What's happened to me? Whenever I look at Kei-, Urashima, my face gets so red and I feel all distressed…' She thought as a wave of sadness washes over her as she sees his face at dinner once more. 'And…my heart just won't stop pounding. My head feels light and I can hardly breathe. Just thinking about it now is making me crazy.' She added as she lowered her body into the water.

'Oh, this is silly. Getting all worked up over a man. But how else can I explain what's happening?' She said as she clenched her fist. 'This is what you see in those films and novels! This is…love?!' She said as she sneezed once again.

'Well…thinking about it now, I've spent all my life working to improve my skills to eventually take my role as the heir of the Shinmeiryu. So I've hardly ever spoken to boys before, and especially not as a friend. You could say that Urashima is the first one I've ever thought about this way. But…' The kendo girl said, still thinking to herself as she quickly stood up from the water. "That's not a good enough reason for him to be my first love! I won't accept it! Damn you, Urashima Keitaro! How dare you defile my pristine heart into thinking that you are my first love! You will pay for this! I'll make you pay if it's the last thing I do!" She shouted in a rage as she headed for the exit.

Keitaro's Room

Meanwhile, just as Motoko was ranting to herself, the object of her 'hatred' shook a bit while he was talking to Kitsune.

"What's wrong Keitaro?" Kitsune asked with concern with a cup of sake in her hand.

"I just got a serious chill." Keitaro answered as he shook a little more with his arms wrapped around himself.

"Well, you have your kotatsu (Heated table) on, so it isn't cold. Or do ya want me to heat you up another way? I don't mind, if it's for you…" She purred as she slinked up to him sensuously while wrapping an arm around him.

"Uh, heh heh. No thanks, I'm good." The ronin stammered as she got closer until she was close enough to touch his leg.

"Oh come on, Keitaro-kun. I know ya don't mean that. Let Kitsune-chan massage you this time. I promise, it'll be one you'll never forget." The fox woman said in her sexy voice as she placed one of her perfect legs on his lap and rubbed a finger under his chin.

"I-I'll take a rain check." He squeaked out in a quiet voice as he started to sweat profusely. "Seriously though, you wanted to speak to me about something?" He asked once he got focused from Kitsune flustering him. The beautiful woman's mood changed from flirtatious to depressing in record time as she sat back normally and frowned. "Hey Kitsune-chan, what's wrong? Why do you look so sad?" He asked in a gentle tone.

"I wanna talk to you about something important. I don't know why I'm asking this, but I just can't get it outta my head lately. But if you don't feel like answering me, I understand." She answered seriously as she looked at him with her eyes wide open.

"What is it?" Keitaro inquired as he looked at her seriously.

"As I told you before, Haruka told me a bit about your past. And…about your first love that betrayed you and broke your heart…" Kitsune answered in a sensitive voice, remembering what the café owner said. As she expected, the young man took off his glasses and wore a painful expression on his face, letting out a heavy sigh.

"What do you want to know?" He asked quietly as he closed his eyes.

"Can ya…tell me a little bit about it? As much as you feel comfortable with?" The resident slacker asked while still keeping her voice sensitive and neutral and her eyes on him, indicating that she was serious. After taking another deep and hurtful sigh, he began to speak.

"Well, a girl, who was my best friend since we were kids, introduced me to a girl who became my first love when I was in my first year of high school. My friend said that I should go out with her, so I took a chance. She said yes and she became my girlfriend. Her name is Uzume Ise, but her nickname around the school was Amaterasu, after the Shinto goddess of the sun. She is an expert martial artist and is very powerful with a sword. She genuinely made me happy, even though we never actually kissed." Keitaro began with a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "Then one day, another close friend of mine told me that she was working for an organization called Uroborus, and that she was just using me." He continued, making Kitsune gasp.

"I didn't believe her. And I almost ended our friendship because of it. But I found out she was telling the truth, the hard way." The landlord said as he lowered his head. "The organization was getting impatient and its acting leader told her to speed things up. They did that by setting me up and capturing me. They tortured me very badly, Kitsune-chan. But finding out that the girl I cared about was a cold and heartless person wasn't the only thing I discovered. I also found out that my childhood friend was working with them the whole time." He choked as he wiped some tears from the side of his eyes.

"Keitaro…" Kitsune said sadly.

"They wanted the secrets of Urashima-ryu, and since I was one of the few who was closest to Hina-baachan, they thought I knew them. Unfortunately, I knew very little about my family's fighting technique at the time, save for the little bit Grandma told me and taught me when I was a kid. When they discovered they had no use for me, Amaterasu…she…tortured me using her sword for nearly an hour and they left me for dead. If it wasn't for a precious friend from the Kuki family, who is also a skilled fighter and a friend of the family, I wouldn't be alive right now." He finally finished.

"I see…" The young woman said, not knowing what else to say.

"Not everything…" The landlord said with a sad smile as he stood up from the kotatsu and took off his shirt. What she saw made her eyes widen all the way. "Though my life was saved, the memories and scars of what someone I once loved did to me will be with me forever. One of my dreams is to find someone special to settle down with someday. But I swore to myself I would never let anyone use or hurt me again. And yet, everything that happened to me that day has not only scarred my body. It's also scarred my heart…" He said softly as he showed all the permanent scars and markings on his chest and upper arms to Kitsune.

"K-Keitaro…" She gasped as she stared at all the deep markings that no amount of ki healing could remove. 'S-So, that's why he got so angry that day. I…can't believe…that he…that I...' She thought as that forgotten day was remembered. It was then that another face from her past appeared before her and a sharp pain hit her dead in her heart. The normally strong willed woman lowered her head and she started to whimper as tears started to fall down her face. Those whimpers started to turn to full born sobs, shaking Keitaro to the core.

"Kitsune-chan…?" Keitaro said in complete surprise as he sat back down next to her. As soon as he did, she fell into his arms and buried her face into his chest. "Kitsune-chan, why are you crying?" He asked in confusion as he stroked her hair to calm her down. She made no reply as she increased her embrace. "Hey…are you...? Come on, that happened a long time ago. There's no need to cry for me." He told her softly, deeply touched that she would do this for him.

"Yes I do. Somebody does…" Kitsune said as she looked up at him with a melancholic face.

"Kitsune-chan…" The young Urashima said with a small smile as he wiped the tears from her eyes. After about five minutes, she calmed down and released him.

"I…I'm sorry about that Keitaro. I don't know what came over me." The beautiful fox said with a blush of embarrassment.

"There's no need to apologize Kitsune-chan. Are you alright now?" He asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'll be okay. But there's something I need to tell ya. And you hafta promise me you won't tell Naru and the others." She replied in a deadly serious tone.

"Okay, I promise. What is it?" He asked, surprised at the look of intensity in her visage.

"You see Keitaro, it's about Uroborus. The truth is that…I…I…" Kitsune started to say nervously, her body shaking in fear at the secret she was about to reveal. But she never got the chance as someone slid his door open forcefully.

"Urashima!" Motoko shouted out to him as she barged into his room with her sword in her hand.

"Motoko-chan! I was talking to Kitsune-chan! What's going on?!" Keitaro inquired in shock.

"Prepare yourself! I challenge you to a duel! RIGHT NOW!" The kendo girl replied in earnestness as she glared at him.

"WHAT?! Are you serious?!" The ronin asked with his eyes bulging out of its sockets.

"Spare me your babbling! You will fight me, you weakling! No holds barred, winner take all!" She yelled in a rage as she unsheathed Shisui and pointed it to his face.

'Motoko-chan…she's releasing killing intent at me! She's not joking!' He thought in astonishment, never expecting something like this to happen. "You won't take no for an answer, will you?" He questioned in a deep voice as he removed his glasses.

"No. You will face me, weakling! Or you will leave Hinata House by force!" Motoko vowed as she increased her killing intent at him.

"Motoko, have you seriously lost it?!" Kitsune asked with a look at her like she was insane.

"Stay out of this, Kitsune! I'm doing this for the good of the house!" The Shinmeiryu warrior answered, not taking her eyes off of Keitaro.

"Is that so? Fine then, I accept your challenge." He said calmly.

"Good. Meet me at the waterfall grounds in the back of the house in ten minutes. I'll be waiting…" She said as she walked away, leaving Keitaro and Kitsune completely befuddled.

"What was that all about?" The fox woman asked a moment later.

"I have no clue. But somehow, a part of me expected this. I just never thought…" Keitaro drifted off as he let out a heavy sigh. Standing up, he took his sword from the corner. "Sorry Kitsune-chan. I guess we'll have to take a rain check on our talk too." He said regrettably.

"It's alright. We can talk about it…another time." She said as she got up and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks. You better go get the others while I meet my 'opponent'." The landlord said with a smile as he walked out of his room.

"Will do!" She said with a foxy grin. But once he was further away, she lowered her head in sorrow. 'I…I can't tell him. If I do, will he hate me? Will the others hate me?' She thought cryptically as she closed his door and went to get the others.

Waterfall grounds- Ten minutes later

At the back of the house, as a light drizzle fell, the two opponents faced each other on a small island, with the waterfall as a back ground. While Haruka and the rest of the girls watched on land with umbrellas to keep them dry, Motoko stared down Keitaro, her sword resting on her shoulder while he looked at her with his sheathed katana in his hand.

"I challenge you to a duel of swords, Urashima Keitaro! The last person standing is the winner! If I win this duel, I'll take over as manager of Hinata House! Then you'll pack your things and leave at once! That is, if you survive this…" Motoko said with full confidence in her abilities. 'I won't forgive you, Urashima. If you are my first love, then I will kill you and destroy the evidence!' She swore to herself as she released killing intent at him.

'So that's what this is about. And she's serious enough to severely hurt me or possibly kill me to get me out of the house! There has to be more to this. But at the same time, it would be a good test of my skill with a sword. Especially when I fight Amaterasu in the future. I guess I have no choice.' He thought with a sigh as he shook his head while the rain became slightly heavier. "I accept the conditions. However, if I win the duel, you will accept me as the manager of the house without question, backtalk or malice. And you'll have to honor three requests I make of you, no matter what they may be." He said with a smirk.

"What?!" The kendo girl bellowed at the last part of the conditions.

"I heard that a warrior of Shinmeiryu honors their word. I'm willing to honor your conditions. Are you willing to honor mine?!" He asked in a calm tone, totally throwing her off balance.

"Hmph! Since there's no chance of you defeating me in my element, I accept your foolish conditions." She said as she lowered her sword from her shoulder and prepared for battle. Once he nodded at her with a smile, it immediately was replaced with a look of pure concentration as he unsheathed his katana. They stared at each other, nobody moving or making a sound, save the rain that was falling. It was then that Motoko raised her sword and made the first move.

"Here I come, Urashima! Shinmeiryu Hiken: Zankusen Kai (Gods-Cry School Hidden Sword Technique: Air Cutting Flash, Revised)!" Motoko shouted as she unleashed a more powerful version of her normal Zankusen technique, hoping to take him down in one shot. Keitaro made no movement and just shut his eyes.

"Sempai!" Shinobu shouted in horror.

"What is he doing?! Motoko will win if he gets hit with that!" Naru said matter-of-factly.

"Don't count on it. In fact, Motoko is the one who should be worried." Haruka said with a smile.

"What do you mean Haruka?" Kitsune asked in curiosity.

"Just watch." The café owner replied as the girls looked back to the action. Opening his eyes, Keitaro changed his stance and flipped his katana so that the blade was pointing down. Placing his other hand on top of the hilt palm down, he struck his sword into the earth as his hands started to glow with ki energy.

"Urashima Haigo Seki-ryu: Rimen Onkyou (Urashima Back Gate Style: Reverse Echo)!" He called out as his sword started to glow with ki and pulled Motoko's ki attack into it.

"I-Impossible!" Motoko cried out in shock.

"How did Keitaro do that?!" All the girls asked at once.

"Well, you've seen Keitaro fight hand to hand right?" Haruka asked them, all of the girls nodding a minute later. "Well, our family technique uses weapons a little differently than most. We use a type of style called the Urashima Seki-ryu (Gate style)." She explained.

"Gate style?" The fox woman questioned.

"That's right. There are three types. What Keitaro used is called Haigo Seki-ryu, or Back Gate style. This style focuses on defense tactics, breaking through their guard and using an opponent's strength against them. Then there's the Zenbu Seki-ryu, or Front Gate style, which focuses on offense and powerful attacks to defeat an opponent completely. Finally, there's the Ryu seki-ryu, or Dragon Gate style, which combines Haigo Seki-ryu and Zenbu Seki-ryu to attack and defend while using the full power of our ki to decimate an enemy. Only advanced users of Urashima-ryu can successfully use the techniques of the Dragon Gate style without killing their opponent. It's that powerful. This is one of the reasons our family rarely uses weapons and stick mostly to hand-to-hand combat." Haruka answered in detail.

"Can Keitaro use the Dragon Gate style?" Naru inquired.

"Yes he can. I can use it too. But he's only used it three times, and only as a last resort. And two of those times, he nearly killed his opponent. That's one of the many reasons why he tries to avoid conflict at all cost and tries to settle matters peacefully. But when he does fight, he'll keep fighting until the finish." She replied in a quiet tone as she looked at her nephew intensely.

"Amazing. Sempai is really strong…" Shinobu said in wonder, making the others nod in agreement as they returned their attention back to the duel.

"That was a very powerful attack, Motoko-chan. If I had gotten hit with that, I might've been seriously hurt." Keitaro said in a slightly harsh voice as he picked up his sword, the ki energy still swirling around it. "Let me pay you back for that…" He said as he changed his stance and gripped his sword with both hands. "Urashima Zenbu Seki-ryu: Rimen Onkyou Kai (Urashima Front Gate Style: Reverse Echo Release)!" He shouted as he swung his sword and sent her ki attack right back at her.

"AAH!" Motoko screamed in terror as she quickly jumped out of the way of the attack as it obliterated one of the big rocks behind her. The young woman turned to see the destruction caused from her own attack and it made her shudder. But it only lasted for a moment as she rushed her opponent and jumped high in the air. "Shinmeiryu Ougi: Zanganken (Gods-Cry School Secret Technique: Stone-Cutting Sword)!" She yelled as Keitaro dodged just in time while she cut a large stone in half. She quickly recovered and tried for a wide slash across his chest, but he parried her and blocked her sword with his.

"Motoko, let's stop this! There's no reason for us to fight each other! Let's just talk about this!" Keitaro pleaded as they pushed back and forth with their swords.

"I won't be taken in by your tricks! You take me for a fool because I avoid men! Well, you won't pollute my dreams anymore!" Motoko growled as she jumped back from the sword standoff.

"Huh?!" The landlord said in confusion at what she was talking about.

"Die!" The kendo girl cried as she dash passed him with a slash, cutting a part of his shirt off, stunning him and the others.

'I can't believe it! That was a killing blow! One of us will get seriously hurt if this keeps going. In that case, time for a little strategy to end this once and for all!' He thought as he began to concoct a plan. Charging fire ki into his sword despite the pouring rain, he called out "Urashima Zenbu Seki-ryu: Enryu Tama (Urashima Front Gate Style: Flame Dragon Bullet)!" making a flaming projectile in the shape of a dragon speed towards Motoko.

'Hmm…? That's strange. Why would Keitaro use a fire ki technique in this weather?' Haruka questioned to herself with a raised eyebrow. A moment later, it hit her like the flash of thunder that appeared in the sky. 'I see. So that's your game, nephew. Clever. Let's see if Motoko takes the bait…' She thought with a smirk.

"Ha! Very foolish, Urashima! You should choose your attacks better if you want to defeat me!" Motoko said with a confident smile as Keitaro's ki attack slowed down slightly and shrunk due to the rain. "Shinmeiryu Hiken: Zankusen (Gods-Cry School Hidden Sword Technique: Air Cutting Flash)!" She said as her wind ki attack collided with Keitaro's fire ki attack.

'Good. Just like I figured.' The ronin said with a smile as the attacks, combined with the rain created a large steam cloud, covering the entire island. Motoko, surprised by the steam, covered her eyes. A few minutes after the steam cleared, the young woman looked around only to discover that Keitaro had disappeared.

"What the…?" The kendo girl said out loud as she looked around and saw no sign of her opponent. "Hmph, coward! Come and get it Urashima!" She shouted as she looked around the small island, still finding no sign of Keitaro. "Where are you?!" She yelled once more as she stood at the edge of the water while holding her sword with one hand. Little did she know that she was closer to him than she thought.

Just as she was about to turn around and look on the other side, Keitaro jumped out of the water and stood in front of her. Before she could even react and raise her sword, he used his left hand and gave a knife edged chop to her wrist, stunning and disarming her of her precious Shisui. Once that was done, ki quickly started to glow at the hilt of his now sheathed sword, which he was holding with his right hand.

"Urashima Haigo Seki-ryu: Mizo Tsuka (Urashima Back Gate Style: Drain Hilt)." He said normally as he thrusts the hilt of his sword into her stomach. The Shinmeiryu warrior lets out a forced gasp as the air is knocked out of her.

'Ugh...wha? My strength…' Motoko thought as she felt her body weaken and her ki being absorbed, courtesy of the attack. She fell to her knees with a groan, and Keitaro unsheathed his sword and placed it near her neck, signaling the end of the duel.

"You fought well, Motoko-chan. You're a true warrior of Shinmeiryu." Keitaro told her honestly with a smile as he ruffled her now wet hair a bit, making the girl look at him with a surprised look on her face while her cheeks turned red. But when he touched her forehead, his eyes widened as the young Aoyama started to cough violently. 'I don't believe it.' He thought with a stunned expression as he quickly called Kitsune and Shinobu over. Surprised for a moment, the two girls came over quickly as Keitaro ran up to him to see what was wrong.

"What's the matter, Sempai?" Shinobu inquired after coming over.

"It's Motoko-chan. She's burning up with a fever!" The landlord replied in a worried tone.

"What?! You mean to tell me she was fighting you like that with a fever?!" Kitsune asked incredulously.

"It looks that way. But that doesn't matter! We need to get her inside! I'll carry her in. Kitsune, take my sword to my room. Shinobu, head back to Haruka and Naru and tell them to prepare her room and get her some dry clothes so she can change." He ordered as he went into landlord mode. The girls nodded and quickly ran off to do their tasks. As soon as they left, Keitaro walked back to check on Motoko, not realizing that she was in her own world.

'I…I can't believe I lost. And for some reason, I'm not sad. A weakling, a man…defeated me…' Motoko thought as she lowered her hair until it covered her eyes. It was then that she saw a vision of her past, as her elder sister walked away from her with a man, both of them laughing happily at each other. 'Sister…don't go…don't leave me for that man…' She thought as tears started to fall from her eyes, her fever starting to finally catch up to her.

"Come on, Motoko-chan. Let's go inside where its warm." Keitaro said warmly as he reached his hand out to her. But she made no response as she gripped the sword at her side without him noticing.

'My…my heart is racing again. Am I really in love? In love with a weakling? In love…with him?' She thought as her teeth slowly started to grind. 'I…I won't believe it! I won't accept it! I WON'T!' She screamed in her head as ki began to slowly swirl around her sword.

"M-Motoko-chan?" The ronin said as he took a step back from her when he saw her body start to shake. But just as he did, something happened that would change the both of them forever. Time seemed to slow down as the swordswoman quickly stood up and looked at Keitaro with a look of pure hatred, her mind hazed and confused by the powerful fever that finally gripped her. Using the last of her ki, she charged her sword with the full power of lightning, her aura creating an electrical field around her as she jumped.

"How dare you make a fool of me!" Motoko screamed in the air with blind rage as she called out "SHINMEIRYU OUGI: RAIMEIKEN (Gods-Cry School Secret Technique: Thunderclap Sword)!" at the top of her lungs as she slashed Keitaro right across his chest.

"AAAAHHHH!" He shrieked in pure agony as the sword along with the lightning ki burned his shirt completely off and gave him a devastatingly powerful shock throughout his whole body, the atmosphere from the thunderstorm along with the lightning aura around her amplifying her attack to monstrous proportions.

"KEITARO!" All the girls shouted, Haruka included, in utter horror as he slowly fell to the ground. Once the attack was finished, the lightning aura around Motoko disappeared and she was breathing hard, her sword smoldering with smoke from the attack.

"How…do you like that…Urashima…? That'll...teach you...you weak man..." Motoko panted in a weak voice, not realizing what she had done just yet. But as her relief brought recollection, it took about a minute for the fever fog that was clouding her mind to lift. When it did, it was a scene that would haunt her for the rest of her life. She looked at her sword and noticed that it was covered with blood. "Wha…?" She gasped as she instinctively dropped it and looked down as she saw a trail of blood being washed away with the rain. Almost afraid to look up, she looked at the source.

Her body begun to shake as she saw a fallen Urashima Keitaro lying on the ground with a deep gash across the center of his now bleeding chest, with the rest of his body covered in second degree burns, his remaining clothes burned and melted, and some blood coming out of his mouth.

'Oh Kami…what…what have I done…?' The kendo girl thought in fear as she covered her face with her hands. But when she looked at them a second later, along with her wet maiden's outfit, she saw blood covering her from top to bottom, his blood. At that point, her eyes widened and she fell to her knees, as the weight of her sin hit her like a ton of bricks. Haruka, Kitsune and Shinobu quickly ran to the severely injured young man while Naru and Su tried to speak to Motoko.

But she didn't hear them; she didn't look at any of them. All she looked at was him and his blood that continued to flow into the water as Haruka hastily tried to heal him, her tears falling along with the rain. Gripping her head like a vice and her body going into convulsions while hot tears fell down her now bloodstained face, Aoyama Motoko saw another vision. The vision of the 'nightmare' she had with Keitaro, where he valiantly protected her and told her he loved her. The 'nightmare' cracked and shattered into a thousand pieces, and Motoko did the only thing she could do.

She screamed…the loud boom of the thunder barely drowning her out.

To be continued…

Author's note 2: And thus, this fourth chapter comes to a shocking close (No pun intended.). I told you that the ending would surprise you ;). But before any of you get on my case, let me remind you of something. As true LH fans know, despite Motoko being the most improved character in the series (Even more than Naru.), she has tried to 'kill' Keitaro on some occasions in the manga as well as the anime. This was one of those times. I decided to take this event and give it a dark twist. Just goes to show that even the most skilled of fighters can lower their guard from time to time (Even the great Bruce Lee was defeated a few times in his life.). Then again, like Keitaro, I'm sure NONE of you expected Motoko to do that. Not even Motoko herself.

With that said, you guys know the drill. Read , Enjoy and Review. The polls are still open until further notice, so if you haven't voted yet on my profile on who Keitaro should be paired with, then feel free to do so (Don't worry, Motoko is not going anywhere.). Also, any suggestions for the next chapter or in the story itself will be appreciated.

Special Announcement as of 12/11/12: Attention LH fans and fans of this story! As some of my old fans have noticed, I have been making some slight changes and improvements on the story. I have also read the poll I made back then and have decided, by your recommendations, to make this a Kei/Harem story. I'll do my best with this when I have some time. However, I regret to inform you that Maya Natsume will not be a part of the story (My apologies to my old bud Kin-Ryu Chikara). I'll be removing her name from my notes and story as well as shutting down the poll soon. But who knows? Maybe I will make something with the beautiful Tenjho Tenge woman in the distant future when I come back to doing this full time. She will be replaced by a woman you'll meet in the new chapter, which is in the works right now and I hoping to release before the new year. Stay tuned.

Well, that's all from me for now. Remember, if I have the time and the motivation, then I will update your favorite stories. You may not always hear from me, but I do listen to all of you and appreciate you. Don't forget that. So thank you all for your patience and understanding. I'll see you guys next time. Later for now :).