The training continues...All through za NA-AIGHT!

Heaven or Hell?

LETS RAWK!

15th period

Chachamaru was sitting at one of the many café's that adorned the Mahora campus. A cup of coffee sat before her, untouched because she didn't require such forms of intake. "Negi-sensei…" she stated softly, only to look up as an exhausted figure in beige pants and jacket stumbled past "Kuwabara-sensei?"

Kuwabara looked at the Gynoid, startling her with how haggard he was. There was a day's worth of stubble on his chin and the bags under his eyes gave his the appearance of a badly inexperienced Tanuki. "Ohayo Chachamaru-san." The exhausted professor managed to get out with a smile, staggering towards the table "You look pretty good."

"Thank you." The gynoid replied, standing and helping her exhausted sensei into a chair, before handing him her untouched coffee "Sensei, have you been getting enough rest?"

"Nope." Kuwabara replied, taking a chug of lukewarm coffee and grimacing at the foul, chilled brew in disgust "Blech, tastes like sludge."

"My apologies, I was waiting here for…" she paused as footsteps approached "Ah, they are here."

Kuwabara blinked tiredly and looked up into the approaching faces of Evangeline and a girl he dimly recalled as Hakase Satomi, the number two genius of the class.

"Well now," Evangeline greeted, hiding her surprise behind a smirk "looks like someone's date went a little TOO well." She sat down at the table and regarded the unshaven instructor coyly "Little too wild for you sensei?"

'Something like that.' Kuwabara noted mentally, recalling having to outrun a goddamn bear for his breakfast. It didn't help that the bear seemed to know how humans thought either. The sole comfort he got that morning was finding two char cooking for him in the fire, and even then he chalked it up to Genkai.

As it were, since he had no classes to teach today, he was expected to train full on. His only reason for being in town was a brief moments respite, since Genkai had sent him for a change of clothes he now carried in his attaché case.

"But if the kid pulls anything earlier we'll deal with him." Evangeline finished, catching the dazed man's attention as she spoke to Chachamaru.

'Kid?' he wondered dimly 'They mean Negi-bozu?' he shrugged it off, flinching as he espied the time on the clock tower and getting to his feet. "Gotta go, by Chachamaru-san, Hakase-san, Eva-chan!"

"I'll murder that ape." Evangeline muttered, shooting the departing tantei a glare as she dug her nails into the cup he'd left behind "Where does he get off calling me that?"

"Master, you are his student." Chachamaru noted "And perhaps it is because of your size."

"One more word and you're a toaster oven." Evangeline growled, shooting the unresponsive robot a look that had caused balls to freeze and shatter. Hakase, sheltered behind the gynoid's head, thanked her lucky stars for doing so.

With Kuwabara...

"Remind me again why I'm doing this?" Kuwabara panted, doing one-handed pushups with Genkai sitting on his back. He was wearing only a pair of blue tracksuit bottoms and a vest, Genkai wearing her usual garments whilst she held his other arm behind his back.

"Because in order to advance we must first re-master the basics." The aged reiki master replied, "I'll admit it was a folly for me to allow you to neglect your skills as much as I did but with the tournament and that mess Sensui incited I had to consider my options and focus on the baka."

She gripped his wrist, forcing him to pick up the pace again, releasing it after a few minutes to vault off his back, allowing him to rest. "Now that you've maxed out your physical strength, we can work on your spiritual ones." She instructed, allowing him to catch his breath before gesturing him to hold out his hands. Kuwabara could only blink as she circled his wrists with a familiar yellow energy, only to yelp as said limbs were suddenly brought together by glowing yellow shackles.

"I'm sure you remember these." Genkai noted, attaching similar shackles to the struggling man's ankles, stepping back as he nearly toppled over "in order for you to be able to move you must simultaneously use the power of your body and spirit if you hope to move."

"So reiki and muscles together huh?" Kuwabara noted, grimacing as he did just that. His already active muscles tautened as the reiki flowed through them, fortifying the man's impressive natural strength with his immense spiritual one. Slowly, a light blue aura tinged with gold surrounded him, the shackles separating as if attached to a tightly wound spring, allowing Kuwabara to space his legs apart and his arms at his sides.

"Impressive." Genkai noted, actually impressed. Yusuke had been studying the spirit wave with her ever since the defeat of Rando, so his ability to grasp techniques was a given. Kuwabara had had no such prior training, yet he was nonetheless equally as talented, if not a little more controlled.

'But then he DID show promise the first time I saw him.' She conceded, recalling the first time she'd seen him in action 'And he only got stronger with time, chasing after Yusuke and pushing the baka to new heights.'

"Now then, you must keep those cuffs on at all times." She instructed to the man "While they are on you are to remain at full power 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, if you so much as want to pick your nose, are we clear?"

"What about going ta the bathroom?" Kuwabara asked in a nervous voice, only to shiver at Genkai's chuckle, noting the dangerous humor in her eyes.

"I'll come back for you on Monday." The aged psychic called out, looking over her shoulder at him with a smile "Try not to upset any more bears."

Two Days later...

'Stupid old woman leaving me out in the stupid woods without any stupid toilet paper.' Kuwabara muttered, already on the second day in the woods and fairly set in his mind about his new opinion of his rival's old master. The bear from before had ambushed him earlier too, only to be scared off when Kuwabara bellowed at it.

Hey? What did it expect attacking him when he was taking a dump?

'Now I gotta get breakfast because she forgot to leave me any rations.' The tantei muttered, grimacing as he felt the cuffs tighten somewhat 'lets see, that river was somewhere over-!"

He froze, a breeze rustling through the trees as he felt a presence nearby. Normally he had little trouble discerning locations but something about these woods and the cuffs was throwing off his sixth sense. "Who's there?" he called out, readying his fists for a punch-up, even as a, rather appealing, figure in ninja clothes stepped out, the light brown robes accenting her figure nicely as she smiled at him.

"Ho? Another sensei comes to visit Sessha in the woods?" Kaede called out, smiling at her stunned professor "Ohayo, Kuwabara sensei."

"N-Nagase-san?" Kuwabara stammered, blinking as if unsure the sight of the Koga beauty was an illusion "What're YOU doing here?"

"You're one to talk sensei." Baka blue pointed out coyly, before leaping down from the hill and landing before him "You look haggard, have you been here all night?"

"Yeah." Kuwabara muttered, grimacing at the countless insufferable insect bites he'd suffered in the process "I'm set over that way."

"Then lets get your stuff." Kaede insisted, taking his hand and walking back to the impromptu camp "yare-yare, you really didn't plan ahead sensei, you didn't even pack a tent."

"I did," Kuwabara muttered, looking off to the side, "but it got…damaged."

Kaede blinked, before following his gaze to see a mangled monstrosity that could only be regarded as a tent at the greatest stretch of the most twisted imagination. "Ah well," she offered, smiling comfortingly "Sessha's more than happy to share."

Negi looked up from his mug of tea as Kaede returned, only to blink at the sight of Kuwabara lumbering behind her, a sleeping bag over his shoulder. "Kuwabara-san?" he called out, looking confused but glad to see the other professor "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing bozu." Kuwabara replied, blinking at the sight of his friend whilst shooting looks at a perpetually smiling Kaede "You two out camping?"

"Negi-sensei got lost in the woods until Sessha found him." Kaede replied, patting the boy on the head "Good thing Sessha comes out here for training every weekend."

"What kind of training?" Kuwabara asked, before slapping his forehead, a little stiffly because of the cuffs "Right, the outfit, Ninja training eh?"

"What now?" Kaede asked, whistling offhandedly whilst looking to the side "Sensei has some strange ideas de gozaru."

'What's strange is how you avoided the question.' Were the thoughts of Negi and Kuwabara, who shared identical sweat drops. They shook themselves as the girl smiled at them.

"Well Sensei?" Kaede asked, looking at Kuwabara "I already asked Negi-bozu if he wanted to join me, care to join Sessha for training?"

"Uh…I guess so." Kuwabara muttered, wincing as his stomach growled like a ravenous beast "But do you have anything to eat?"

"That's what the training is." Kaede replied with a smile "Gathering food, this isn't a superstore you know."

The tantei moaned before moving to catch up. At this rate he'd pass out from starvation.

Gonna need a montage...

'Something's changed.' Kaede noted, regarding Kuwabara carefully as the day went on, or more accurately his aura 'It isn't like before, I can sense he's continuously letting it out, but at the same time its as if something's holding it back.'

She regarded the man carefully, he didn't seem to be under any stress, but the straining of his muscles told her otherwise. Her unusual sensei was apparently channeling his energy into his muscles, whilst said muscles were being put under tremendous pressure. It was almost as if he was running with weights on.

Then there was the aura itself, it was nowhere near as awe inspiring as it had been the other day, but she still got the feeling he could go toe to toe with quite a few jounin and come out on top. But at the same time all that power was being held in check by something, most of it being held back whilst the remnants fortified the man's body, supplementing his already impressive physical reserves.

'Truly an impressive training regimen.' She noted, even as she watched Kuwabara tackle a bear that had snuck up on Negi, chuckling at the look on both the boy and the bear's faces as Kuwabara supplexed the beast 'But then again, Sensei always was full of surprises, de gozaru yo.'

Bath-time yo...

"AH, nothing like a bath after a hard days work." Kuwabara sighed "Good thing I found this hot spring huh?"

Negi nodded, letting the hot water soothe his aching body with a sigh. "You always seem to find what you're looking for Kuwabara-san, you should be a detective."

"I'll keep that in mind bozu." Kuwabara chuckled ironically, shaking his head at the boys comment as he sank deeper into the waters.

"You two look like you're having fun." Kaede noted, stepping out from behind a boulder with a towel and not much else "Mind if Sessha joins in de gozaru?"

"ACK!" was the general outcry, as both males scrambled to cover themselves, only for Kaede to chuckle at their antics and sink into the water, quite comfortable with herself.

"Still," she noted, settling into the water a modest distance away from them "It IS amazing you found this place sensei, even Sessha never knew this spring was here." She smiled at them "Bet you're glad he came, Negi-bozu?"

Negi smiled at the older man before looking over at his student shyly "I…have to admit you impress me too, Nagase-san." He admitted shyly "For a third-year junior high school student you have an impressive-"

"Chest?" Kaede cut in cheerfully, Kuwabara spitting in shock and Negi flushing in mortification as she bounced slightly to emphasize her assets.

"Well yes but…I mean NO!" the welsh wizard stammered hurriedly, stubbornly trying to focus his eyes anywhere but the girl's assets "I meant the way you carry yourself, so relaxed and dependable." He nodded at a flushed Kuwabara "You too, Kuwabara-san, I envy you for how well you manage to keep your cool."

"Aw c'mon bozu," Kuwabara replied, recognizing the beginnings of a childish depression "You're pretty darn respectable yourself!"

"It's true de gozaru." Kaede agreed with a smile, hugging the boy from behind, much to his embarrassment and Kuwabara's shock, as he hadn't sensed the ninja girl move "already a teacher at ten-years old, not even Kuwabara or Takahata sensei could pull that off."

"Yeah bozu." Kuwabara agreed, trying not to look at Kaede's assets as he smiled at his friend "You got a long ways ta go, so life's thrown you a few lemons, I say screw the lemons and go buy a soda, life's too short to be plagued by doubt."

"Very insightful de gozaru." Kaede chuckled, resting her chin on Negi's head to his embarrassment "you should've been a philosopher sensei."

That night...

Negi lay beside a snoozing Kaede, whilst Kuwabara snored away inside the confines of his sleeping bag. The ten year old was enawed at the determination of his classmate and colleague, feeling a little ashamed of himself for being so bigheaded that this would all be a breeze.

Sure his magical grades had been top notch, something that had not been seen in one so young in centuries, but did that matter in the real world? He kept falling back on magic when he was in trouble, but just what part did magic have to play in the role of a high school teacher?

Then there was the way he kept running away from his problems; first the debacle with Asuna, then library-island, and now the threat of Evangeline. How could he become a Magister Magi if he kept running away?

If he couldn't defeat a monster like Evangeline here, where her powers were confined, what hope did he have of battling the other evils of the world?

Resolve set, the ten-year-old rolled over so his back was to Kaede, sleeping the night through and rising at first light, ready to go.

"Heading off Bozu?" Kuwabara called out, startling the boy as he stepped out of the tent, scratching his stubble "Don't blame ya, just know if ya need ta talk, I'm here for ya."

Negi smiled, thanking his colleague, before closing his eyes and summoning his staff, which flew from its place in a tree to his waiting hand. The boy smiled, mounting it and taking off, waving back at Kuwabara as he flew off back to Mahora.

As Negi flies off...

"You can quit pretending to be asleep now." Kuwabara called out once Negi was out of earshot, Kaede climbing out with her usual smile in place "I hope I can trust you not ta say anything?"

"Say what?" Kaede replied, smiling all the while "Sessha didn't see anything, Negi-bozu just went home right?"

Kuwabara eyed the girl carefully, before smiling, nodding in thanks before picking up his own stuff, "I better get back to training." He sighed, wincing as the shackles flared slightly "see ya around."

"Sessha would be glad to help in your training." Kaede offered, smiling helpfully "After all, it's better to train with someone than to suffer alone de gozaru-yo." She smiled "Besides, it's easier to gather food with two around, and the bears don't seem to bother you." She chuckled at the embarrassed look on Kuwabara's face, before leading the way down to the river for breakfast.

Later...

"He's late." Genkai muttered, glaring at her pocket watch as she waited for Kuwabara to meet her at the stop "It's ten, he should have been here thirty minutes ago."

"Do you think he's in trouble?" Yukina wondered, looking around in concern "The birds tell me the bears in these parts are savage."

A roar erupted from the woods, one of the so-called violent bears if Genkai was any judge. The aged psychic braced herself to send the beast flying only for it to tumble out of the woods, locked in mortal combat with a snarling, cursing Kuwabara, who bore several scratches along his arms.

"HOOOI-YAH!" Kuwabara bellowed, slipping around the beast's back and supplexing it, following up with a headlock as he pounded its face "Say uncle! Say uncle!"

Genkai merely stared at the sight, as if unable to comprehend what she was seeing. It was simply ludicrous; like any other martial arts instructor she'd heard of 'wrestling bears' for training shtick, it was considered a private joke amongst fighters, a tall tale to tell awestruck youths and would be disciples.

Until now she'd never seen anyone stupid enough to actually do it.

"Ha!" Kuwabara crowed, as the beast scampered off in defeat "I'm still king of the mountain!"

"Your royal fly is open, your highness." Genkai pointed out snidely, snorting as the tantei leapt straight into the air in shock, gaping at the two of them as he landed, before checking his groin, forgetting that track suits had no fly "You seem well, guess you adjusted to the cuffs rather easily."

"So that means you're taking them off?" Kuwabara asked hopefully, holding out his wrists in anticipation only for Genkai to snort in dismissal.

"Nope, just making note to increase the training regimen from now on." Genkai replied, chuckling to herself as Kuwabara slumped miserably.

The next day...

Kuwabara yawned as he awoke, feeling a little more refreshed than he had in a while. Genkai had promised to let him off during the school week to teach, but that merely meant his weekend plans were shot to hell.

He blinked as a coughing fit came to his attention as he made his way down the stairs, doing up his tie. "Eva-chan?" he called out "You okay?"

Eva shivered, not entirely the fault of the teacher as she glared at him, face flushed and eyes drowsy. "Fine." She ground out, only to cough and sneeze almost simultaneously.

"Yeah sure." Kuwabara muttered, placing his hand to her head, not noticing her look on shock as he did so "Damn! You're boiling!"

"I'm fine!" Eva snapped, slapping the hand away as she glowered at him "I don't need you babying me-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Chachamaru?" Kuwabara called out, lifting Eva up bridal style, ignoring her beating at his chest weakly "Could you stay behind to keep an eye on Eva-chan? I'll send a doctor over to look at her."

"But of course sensei." Chachamaru replied with a bow, noticing the look of angered betrayal on her master's face as she was carried up to her room.

"I tell you I'm Fi-Fi-FOAACHOOO!" Evangeline sneezed, spraying the wall with liquid as she sniffed, moaning exhaustedly "Dammit."

"No more out of you," Kuwabara muttered authoritatively, setting her on the bed as Chachamaru came in "Don't let her out, change her clothes and make sure she stays under that quilt." He instructed, before smiling down at the crossly huffing Evangeline and ruffling her hair "Don't worry, I'll explain things ta Bozu and th' dean."

Eva scoffed and looked away, watching as the irritating Neanderthal made his way down the path to school. "Baka," she muttered half-heartedly "acting all concerned, like he really cares."

"You seem embarrassed master." Chachamaru noted, only to receive a face full of pillow from the flushing midian.

Later...

"Negi-bozu's gone ta see Eva-chan?" Kuwabara repeated, looking down at a helpful Ayaka in confusion, having just come in to let the boy know the girl wasn't coming to class "Must be worried about her."

"But of course he is!" Ayaka praised, flowers blooming out of freaking nowhere as she went into gush-mode "Negi-sensei is the pinnacle of gentlemanly behavior, oh how I envy Eva-san for being visited by him!"

"Yukihiro-san." Kuwabara noted, sweat dropping as the girls face grew more flushed and her breath more heated "I don't know if you've heard of this but there's a word for people that think like that…"

"Shotacon." Asuna muttered, starting a fight between her and the rep that would have escalated into a riot had Kuwabara not separated them by their jackets.

"Asuna! That was uncalled for!" he rebuked, the redhead looking away in shame "And Ayaka! As Iincho you should be settin' an example ta the rest of the class, what kinda example's startin' a catfight supposed to set?"

Ayaka looked away in shame as she and Asuna were set down, neither looking at the other, but apologizing in their own way. "Now I'm goin' ta look into gettin' you a substitute," Kuwabara instructed, "So Ayaka, please keep an eye on-!"

"KUWABARA-SENSEI!" Botan's voice called out suddenly, Kuwabara stumbling in shock before gaping at the frantic ferrywoman as she appeared in the doorway, dressed in a school uniform "TROUBLE! WE GOT BIG TROUBLE!"

"Eh? Botan-chan?" Kuwabara stammered, only to blink as she grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him out the door, slamming it shut behind them.

"Who was that?" Ayaka wondered numbly as the sound of dashing feet faded away "So rude, bursting into class and hauling sensei off like that!"

"Wasn't that the girl from Asakura's scoop?" Misa wondered, touching her lip playfully "The one sensei said was 'just a friend'?"

"Maybe they're childhood friends and she transferred here because he works here!" Sakurako noted, sparkles filling her wide eyes "Think about it, he only sees her like a little sister but she…"

A scene forms overhead of bishi-kuwabara in a high school uniform waving to a girl in an elementary school uniform as he boards the bus to college.

Bishi-Kuwa: "Ja-na, Botan-chan!"

Chibi Botan: "Kuwabara-nii-chan! Daisuki!"

Bishi-Kuwa: "Eh? What?"

The bus doors close just as she yells the last part.

"SO romantic!" the girls scream, starting another full-fledged riot whilst Ayaka futilely tried to regain control.

It was at that moment that Murakami Natsumi looked out the window, sighing softly, only to shriek as Kuwabara-sensei fell past the window on his way to the ground below.

Cue Nadesico music:

What's this? Kuwabara has commited sucide?

Natsumi: KYAAAAAAA!

And Negi has fallen into the grips of the dreaded Evangeline!

Negi: Eeeeeh!

Ganbare Negi-kun! just hold on till help arrives!

Next time on Reikai Sensei Kuwabara: feed courage to starve a vampire!

Chachamaru: This statement seems incorrect.

R&R!