Disclaimer: I do not own Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple.
Recap: After a thinking Kenichi is dead, Shigure realizes her true feelings for him. Now, after having come to terms with her emotions, and being given permission by the Elder, she has learned of Kenichi's bad state, while not life threatening, is bad all the same.
A/N: Check my page for voting on stories if you would, for what gets the most attention, and what will come first/last.
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Sakaki watched as the Elder came plunging out of the bunk house which housed Kenichi's room, watching as the large older man tore through the air at breakneck speed, coming to a halt a few yards short of Sakaki.
"So...how did it go?" Sakaki questioned teasingly, taking note of the slightly swelling bump on the back of the Elder's head, which had traces of blood on it, snickering as he watched the old man rub his head with a grimace.
"Quite well actually" The Elder replied, sending a glare at the snickering Sakaki before continuing, "much better that anticipated, seeing as this is the only wound I received.
Sakaki gulped, if Shigure was upset enough to be able to scratch the Elder. He Shivered as nightmarish images drifted through his mind of what could have happened if he had been the unlucky one to have to tell the scary weapons master the bad news. Upon thinking, a question rose in his mind, and he turned to the Elder.
"I expected to see you chasing that scream into the horizon, but you didn't come out until while after it" Sakaki half stated, looking at the Elder curiously before continuing, "So what did you tell her?"
"Let's go to the porch by the training grounds" The Elder replied, walking swiftly in that direction, attempting to put some distance between himself and Kenichi's room, "And bring some sake" the Elder added, almost as an after thought.
Sakaki observed the Elder making tracks, and remembered that the training ground was on the opposite side of the dojo from Kenichi's room. After coming to this realization, his eyes bulged, noticing he was now alone, and in apparently hostile territory, decided to follow suite. Running for his stash behind the main building before heading to the training grounds.
The Elder watched as Sakaki made his way, none to slowly, to the training grounds, smiling at noticing the spring his steep as he all but ran for the training grounds, smile growing ever so slightly as he saw the Saki bottle in his hands.
Waving at him, smiling still, The Elder greeted his friend.
"Hello there Sakaki, did you bring the TEA" The Elder questioned, winking at his friend, and nodding at the vent coming out from the Kitchen.
Catching on, Sakaki winked in return, sitting beside the Elder with an 'oof'. Passing him the sake bottle subtly. "Sure did!' Sakaki replied, a large grin on his face, "don't tell Miu that I like tea though, it would ruin my reputation."
"Of course not!" The Elder reassured, pouring that which was left of the tea into the two tea cups cups before pouring the sake into the now empty tea pot. After finishing, he produced two more tea cups, pouring sake into the two of them for Sakaki and himself, then after checking the sky briefly for any passing birds, the Elder drew back, and threw, hurling the evidence far into the sky.
Sakaki watched with an amused look on his face, watching the bottle hurl out of eyesight, still ascending, "Not as good as last time" Sakaki commented absentmindedly.
"Thats because Miu was coming around the corner and if she saw so much as a spec of glass she would have given both of us-" The Elder replied in a half whisper, cutting off as Miu came around the corner of the porch, followed by Apachai, with his usual, "Ap-pap-pap-pah!".
"Awh!" Miu exclaimed, none to quietly, looking at her grandfather and Sakaki with a smile.
"Have some tea before you go to school Miu, here's some for you to Apachai" The Elder stated sweetly, smiling as he offered them the two glasses with tea in them.
Miu gladly accepted the glass, gulping it all down before setting the glass back down on the tray. Turning to Apachai, who still hadn't drank his tea, she pouted, "Oh come on Apa, its not bad! Drink up!".
"But it-"Apachai started, but was interrupted by Miu.
"DRINK IT" Miu said with a creepy smile, "Its good for you!" she finished sweetly before turning to Sakaki.
"Isn't tea so much better that alcohol Sakaki?" Miu questioned sweetly, having been listening through the kitchen vent while she was finishing the dishes, "And don't worry Sakaki, we won't tell anyone that you secretly like tea!" Miu giggled, watching the look of mock horror appear on Sakai's face, waving, Miu headed for the gate.
"Heading off to school, I'll tell them that Kenichi is sick!" Miu called back, opening the gate and stepping through.
Sakaki waited until he heard the gate close before tossing back his glass, stopping half way as he spewed it all out into the training grounds. Noticing the Elder's curious look, he complied, "That was tea", he stated, an irritated scowl on his face as he poured himself some sake.
Both Sakaki and the Elder froze, turning to look at each other simultaneously, a look of horror.
"If that glass had tea in it-" Sakaki started, eyes growing large.
"Then who got the sake?" The Elder finished, looking around fervently, checking to see if there was a fifth glass somewhere the he had forgotten about.
Hearing running, they both looked into the training area, curiosity on there faces as they noticed the noise getting louder until recognizable."AP-AP-AP-AP-AP-PAH!" the noise went, as they watched, the source of the noise come into sight.
Sakaki and the Elder watched as Apachai ran to them, a cloud of dust in his wake, coming to a screeching halt in front of them.
"Apa..That was good tea" Apachai stated quickly, falling in a heap in front of them with a light, 'Apaaa'.
A look of shock was on the faces of Sakaki and the Elder, looking at each other, they both burst out laughing, The Elder holding his knee's for support while Sakaki just fell back, laughter spilling from the two as they watched there light weight friend attempting to gain his feet in his drunken stupor.
"So" Sakaki turned to the Elder, speaking through small fit's of laughter that were still escaping despite his attempts to control it, "H-how did you , hahaha, tell Shigure?" he questioned, still laughing.
At this time Apachai was able to somewhat right himself, placing himself in a heap beside the Sakaki, listening intently now that he had the gist of the conversation,his eyes showing alcohol and curiosity.
The Elder, still laughing, replied between laughs, "I-I, hah, I-told her t-that he was dead".
Sakaki and Apachai looked the same, eyes large, and jaw's hitting the floor with a collective 'Bam!', causing the Elder to laugh harder, "don't worry, I told her the truth after that though" he finished.
"You did WHAT!" Sakaki and Apachai yelled simultaneously, disbelief showing on both of there faces, Apachai looking in drunken wonder at the Elder at his prowess for escaping after such a statement, while Sakaki eyes the Elder curiously, searching him for any cut's or bruises that he hadn't seen before.
"It was necessary" The Elder began, launching into his explanation.
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A book fell into a pile of books on the floor beside Shigure, as she continued her search. Shigure continued to rummage through the massive pile of books she had discovered in a bag in Kenichi's room, thanking Kenichi silently for his wide variety of 'How To' books. After a while of searching to no avail, she simply up-ended the bag, pouring all of the books on the floor.
Dropping to the floor to continue her search she push onward, convinced that he must have a book matching what she was looking for, coming to a halt on seeing a book that caught her eye.
On closer look the cover read, "How to have a teenage relationship". Her interest spiked as she opened to the first page, reading a few lines before throwing it into the discard pile where she had thrown the other's that had not suited her search.
"How to... survive in the..wilderness...sing...make friends...fly a..plane.." She read to herself, going through the book names, throwing each one into the discard pile as she continued her search, "Make lemonade...eat with..class...build furniture" She continued, " Have and..maintain a..relationship.." she stopped, taking to book into her hands and flipping it over to read the back reading, "for couples..who want..a future..ages 20 up..".
Finding what she was looking for, Shigure began placing books that were scattered on the floor back into the bag, being careful seeing as they were Kenichi's.
After finishing, and having put the bag back where she had found it, Shigure walked over to where she placed the book picked it up and walked over to the bed, sitting down and opening the book.
She looked at the first page to see a picture of a young man, looking to be in his mid-twenty's kissing a girl looking to be the same age.
Shigure stared with wide eyes, then shut the book quickly. Placing the book inside her Kimono she stood, "Maybe..later" She told herself quietly, heading to the celling tile which she came through, jumping through.
After placing the ceiling tile back in its place,"Now..to check on..Kenichi", and she started off.
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"Here's...to a brave man" Sakaki toasted after the Elder finished his explanation, a distinct 'clink' was heard as the Elder bumped his glass with Sakaki's.
Having heard the reason behind why the Elder did such a thing,Sakaki had to agree with his methods, though crude, they proved to be effective. He knew as good as any of the masters how Shigure could be, when, of course, she was even somewhere to be found. Having normally been as quiet at a mouse and as scarce as Apachai after nailing something to the Elder's tree.
Sakaki was woken from his deep thoughts as a figure dropped off of the roof above them, landing before them with a rush of pink and black. Gulping simultaneously with Apachai, they looked at Shigure.
"Hey there Shigure" The Elder smiled, waving at Shigure.
Shigure nodded at the Elder before taking in the picture before her. Apachai, sitting cross-legged and rocking back and forth, coo-ing to a bird which was perched on his finger, Sakaki, legs hanging off of the porch, leaning against one of the columns, tea glass beside him, raising an eyebrow at that, and the Elder with legs crossed and arms behind him, propping himself up with a smile on his face. Taking a sniff of the air she noticed the distance smell of alcohol coming from the three.
"Your all..drunk.."Shigure stated accusingly.
"What makes you think that?" The Elder asked, still smiling.
Shigure pointed at the tea pot matter-of-factually.
"Aah" The Elder said sagely, stroking his beard in a wise manner, "It does appear to be that way" the elder continued, a thoughtfully look on his face,"Don't tell the other's if you please".
Shigure nodded again, opening her mouth once again to speak, but was cut off by the Elder.
"So I take it you are going to go see Kenichi now?" The Elder stated more than asked, looking at her closely before continuing,"Do you wish anyone to accompany you?"
Shigure shook her head then began walking away from the trio to the nearest wall, leaping over it and out of eyesight.
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Hope you liked it, R&R guys.
My Regards,
-Shaw, SR-