Well the trip's underway, how will our heroes fare this time?
Also, Kuwabara WILL get time to shine, but don;t forget, most of the opponents in this are women, so he can;t fight all aout due to his moral code.
...an issue that will be addressed soon...I assure you...
20th period.
Kuwabara sighed as he watched the girls run about the Kiyomizu temple stage, more accurately he watched for any potential mishaps as some of them leaned over the railing to get a better view of the infamous 'jump off' spot. We wasn't certain that the Kansai MA would try something so drastic, but if they had sabotaged the walkway the tantei was ready to swing into action.
"The dean told me the Kansai MA wouldn't sabotage a cultural landmark." Negi assured him, looking up at the taller sensei comfortingly "At least…not one on their home turf." he amended
"That's a relief." Kuwabara sighed, relaxing his guard slightly as he popped his neck joints stiffly "Still, better safe than sorry eh?"
"Hey Negi-kun!" Makie and the Narutaki twins chirped out, cutting off Ayaka in mid suggestion as they pushed the flustered boy forwards "Let's go, let's go!"
"Go where?" Kuwabara muttered, sweat dropping as Negi tried to protest, only to be pushed forwards against his will by the enrgetic girls.
"Jiju shrine." Yue responded in her usual bored tone, slurping away at some bizzare juice box "It's really popular with women for predicting love."
"Just had to say that out loud didn't you?" Kuwabara muttered, watching in trepidation as several of the more lively members stampeded towards the shrine at Yue's words. Sighing, the tantei shook his head and followed, only to find them gathered at a group of stones.
"These are the love stones." Yue explained, sipping at her drink of the day "Legend says if you can walk from one stone to the other with your eyes closed your dream of love will come true."
"You girls don't really believe in that stuff do you?" Kuwabara asked humorously, the self-proclaimed warrior of love blinking as Makie, Ayaka and Nodoka lined up to give things a whirl "Uh…never mind…"
"Sensei! Why don't you try?" Yuna insisted, the other girls clamoring around him encouragingly, much to the tantei's alarm and confusion.
"Yeah! Maybe your love will return your feelings!" Misa suggested, a coy smirk on her face as she nudged the professor "You know, a little T&A…?"
"THERE'S MORE TA LOVE THAN GETTING YER FREAK ON!" Kuwabara bellowed, spiking with indignation, only to blink as the girls gaped at him in shock.
"Wow…" Haruna noted, chuckling in amusement "I never thought I'd see the day a guy said something like that." She chuckled again, pushing up her glasses "You go sensei."
Kuwabara resisted the urge to strangle the manga-ka long enough for Makie and Ayaka's screams to catch their attention. He blinked at the sight of the cleverly hidden trap in the middle of the path, several frogs leaping out as the two girls screamed and tried to climb out.
'Hell of a start to the trip!' the lanky professor muttered, grabbing the two girls by their collars like soaked kittens and depositing them on dry land, not before checking for any residual magical aura. 'Not a trace.' He muttered 'But to pull off a trap like this they'd have to have known we were coming…the night before? Naw, how many people could have set it off since then?'
He blinked as several distinctly drunken hiccups filled the air, blanching as he turned to discover several girls lying in a disorderly heap, rather like Yusuke's mom used to be around 4o'clock in the morning, only with their clothes still intact.
"Kuwabara-san!" Negi called out from the roof of the shrine,how he'd clambered up there was a mystery "Someone's been pumping sake into the water!"
'How in th' heck are they doin' this?' Kuwabara ground out, slinging half a dozen girls over his shoulders 'They got ninjas workin' for 'em or somethin'?'
From the roof of an adjacent shrine, Sakurazaki Setsuna watched the proceedings with a neutral expression, before sighing disappointedly.
'…It seems I have no choice…'
Later...
"Sakurazaki-san?" Kuwabara repeated, the tantei blinking as he leant against the wall, listening in along with Asuna to Chamo's theory about the supposed spy "You sure 'bout this bozu?"
"Well not really." Negi admitted nervously, tapping his fingers together nervously "True she has been acting rather suspicious but that doesn't mean…"
"That can't be right," Asuna noted uncertainly "Konoka told me that she and Sakurazaki-san have been tight since they were kids." She held her chin "Tho' now I think about it I've never really seen them talk."
"Hold on Ane-san…" Chamo pointed out; looking suddenly alert and serious, never a good sign "You said that they've been friends since childhood?"
Kuwabara and Negi reached the same conclusion at the exact same time. The dean had told them Konoka was originally from Kyoto; if Setsuna truly was a spy, then the fact she'd been exposed to Konoka from a young age probably meant things were worse than they thought.
They broke off their discussion as Shizuna-sensei showed, dressed in a bathrobe and flushing from the steam of the onsen. Kuwabara nodded his thanks for letting them know the other teachers were hitting the hay before patting Negi on the shoulder. "Let's soak away our worries for a bit." He suggested, nodding as Asuna made herself scarce "After a day like today I'd say we deserve it."
Negi certainly didn't disagree, and the two men, and ermine, soon found themselves relaxing at the inn's open-air onsen, marveling at the scenery and the starlit sky.
"Things like this make you really appreciate the simple things." Kuwabara noted, sighing as the hot waters soothed his travel stiffness and removed the tension that had been building up in his muscles all day.
"The breeze feels so good!" Negi agreed, the cool air a charming contrast to the heat of the bath, slumping as Chamo reminded him of Setsuna. The trio blinked, turning as one as a noise behind the pillar they were leaning against caught their attention, choking down embarrassed squawks as the object of their conversation knelt on the flagstones bathing with a bucket of mixed water.
"Why in the hell didn't anyone tell me it was mixed bathing here?" Kuwabara hissed quietly, trying not to make too much noise as he sank as low as possible into the water. He gripped a stunned Negi and leering Chamo by their heads and attempted to drag them away from gawking at the girl when she spoke out.
Setsuna's POV...
"I'm in a tough spot here." The slim beauty noted, her features contemplative "Things could get interesting…especially if Negi-sensei is a wizard and Kuwabara-sensei is who the rumors say he is."
The dean had confided in her as to the identity of the homeroom teacher prior to his arrival, not that this was necessary; the name Springfield carried quite a lot of weight, far too much to be considered coincidence.
However, news amongst those few demons with loose tongues eventually got around, especially when you worked with Tatsumiya, who's information network was almost as impressive as the dean's, if a bit more far reaching.
Rumor had it that during the last dark tournament the guest team had won, an act that hadn't happened for 50 years. Three of the fighters were human, one of which was the renowned psychic Genkai. The other two were a pair of teenagers that had been getting in the way of the criminal underworld, more accurately the part of it that recruited demons.
Setsuna had been too young to remember that far back, she doubted if she'd even been born at the tournaments closing, but the champion had gone on to make a name for himself amongst demons, even those in Ningenkai knew of the half-breed heir of Toushin Raizen, Urameshi Yusuke, and his two demon comrades Jaganshi Hiei and the reincarnated Youko Kurama.
The name of the fifth member of the team eluded her, primarily because demons didn't really care much for humans when such high level threats existed amongst their own ranks, but all she needed was for Tatsumiya's contacts to come up with the video of the last tournament to confirm her suspicions, for if she was right then she had a potentially powerful ally on her side.
Sound to the left caught her attention, the Shinmeiryuu warrior shattering the lamp with a pebble, dousing the onsen in darkness before gripping Yunagi tightly. "Who's there?" she called out, scowling as she heard several noises make a bid for the exit "Trying to escape? Shinmeiryuu Ougi: ZAN GAN KEN!"
With Negi & Kuwabara...
Negi squawked as the boulder he ducked behind was sliced in two, the large chunk toppling over as Kuwabara backed away hurriedly. The mage cast a disarming spell at the girl, trying desperately not to look at her as he did so, a satisfying clatter as the nodachi was sent spiraling through the air sounding out, only for Setsuna to launch herself bodily at the larger target, darkness and mist obscuring their features as she jabbed her hand into his throat, striking him sharply between the legs at the same time. Kuwabara collapsed with a choked scream, even as the girl launched herself at Negi, gripping his neck tightly as her left hand traveled south, tightening around it's mark like a vice.
"WHO ARE YOU?" the girl demanded sharply, eyes glimmering threateningly as she tried to make out the features of the figure before her in the dark "If you don't tell me I'll crush you!" She added, tightening her grip for emphasis, a nervous blubber emerging from her opponent, even as the moon peeked out, revealing the traumatized features of her homeroom teacher "Ne-Negi-sensei?" she stammered, backing away embarrassedly, only to trip over the huddled form of Kuwabara, blinking at him in shock "K-Kuwabara-sensei too?"
The two men gaped at her in horrified awe, one cradling his bruised package whilst the other was so traumatized by the mishandling of his own he merely stood there, a trembling, violated wreck. Setsuna looked between the two in embarrassment, before bowing her head so low it near touched the water.
"Uh…sorry…" she stammered in embarassment "going for the delicates is a theory of attack in my line of work so…" she bowed again "S-sorry sensei!"
"Just as we Suspected!" Chamo declared, outrage at the mishandling of his friend and source of pactio-related coinage overwhelming his natural cowardliness "You're a spy from the Kansai Magic Association aren't you?"
"You're wrong! It's all a mistake!" the girl insisted, grabbing her sword and sheathing it as she tried to cover her modesty with a towel "I, Sakurazaki Setsuna, am your ally for the time being!"
At that moment a scream tore through the night air, belonging to a girl both parties knew quite well.
"KONOKA-SAN!"
"OJOU-SAMA!"
Kuwabara lifted a head weakly as the other two dashed off, holding up a trembling hand as if to call them back, "Wait…for…me…" he squeaked, before collapsing face first into the onsen, his knees still needing time to recover.
Setsuna's POV...
A dozen images were currently racing through Setsuna's mind even before the last decibel of Konoka's scream had started. She could imagine the naïve, sweet-mannered girl being beset by numerous underlings from the Kansai MA, being carted off by summoned demons or hired mercenaries to parts unknown, where unspeakable acts would no doubt take place.
So naturally, the sight of Konoka and Asuna fighting a losing battle to retain possession of their undergarments from a horde of cheeky monkey golems left the swordswoman a little off kilter, it certainly threw Negi for a loop.
A particularly determined group managed to strip the heiress of the Konoe family of her unmentionables, before proceeding to leap around her in glee as she stared at the newly arrived duo in embarrassment. "AH! Set-chan! Negi-kun!" she stammered, blushing in childish embarrassment "I don't want you to see me naked!"
"What are these things?" Negi stammered, gaping at the little simians in mortification, only to shiver as the fury rolling off the girl next to him cause his hair to stand on end.
"You Perverted Monkies...!" Setsuna ground out, holding out Yunagi threateningly, her eyes glowing dangerously "What are you doing to Oujo-sama?"
"ACK Sakurazaki-san! What are you doing?" Asuna yelped, backtracking nervously, with good reason, from the murderous kendo-ka "Is that sword the real thing?"
"Don't do it!" Negi called out, grabbing the startled girl by the torso as she advanced on the menaces "You don't have to hurt the monkeys!"
"What are you doing sensei?" Setsuna demanded, mild annoyance in her tone "These are nothing more than second rate Onmyo gods! Killing them merely reduces them to pa-WHOA!"
A particularly crafty, or perhaps lucky monkey, had grabbed Setsuna's towel and yanked it off with enough force to spin the girl around, toppling the other two over as she fell on top of a startled Negi, legs spread in what could only be regarded as an improper position, his head between her thighs turning an amazing shade of magenta.
"H-HEY!" the flustered girl stammered, waving an arm in embarrassment as she got off the wizard "I told you I was your ally didn't I? Please don't get in my way!"
Negi's rebuttal was cut off as Asuna espied the monkeys trying to slip out to the onsen with Konoka. Setsuna was on her feet faster than greased lightning, sword drawn and ready to unleash one of her trademarks when something blurred forwards, a blade of reiki reducing the golems to their paper forms, a stunned Konoka blinking up at her savior.
"Alright." Kuwabara growled out, an annoyed vein bulging on his forehead as he held the dean's granddaughter close to his chest, making sure his towel was on tightly, the reiken dissipating before the dazed girl got a good look at it "I want answers, and I want 'em now."
In the shadows...
'DAMMIT!' a shadowy figure muttered from the tree line, biting her lip as the man she'd deemed a brainless Neanderthal displayed some impressive skills. Chi users weren't that unusual, this was Japan after all, but few had the dexterity to form weapons out of the stuff, favoring blasts of energy or reinforcing their own strength with it.
'This definitely wasn't in the report.' She muttered, growling slightly 'I made need some help on this one.' She blinked, a shiver running up her spine as the man turned his head and looked directly at her, the look in his eyes making it clear he knew she was there, and the Shinmeiryuu runt was following that look to her position. 'DEFINITELY need some help on this one!' she acknowledged, teleporting out of the tree to the safety of the staff changing rooms.
Later...
"Alright spill it." Kuwabara ordered, looking at Sakurazaki as she checked on the wards of the inn, Negi and Asuna seeing to Konoka back at the changing rooms "So you're not a spy, I get that, why should we trust you?"
"I said I was sorry." Setsuna repeated, looking away in embarrassment from the heated glare she was receiving from the older sensei.
'Sorry doesn't change the fact you nearly smashed my gonads to a pulp.' Kuwabara growled mentally but didn't say anything aloud. He admitted he was being childish but dagnabbit not even Urameshi had struck him below the belt and he was KING of dirty fighting.
"The enemy is stepping up their attacks." The girl uttered, subtly changing the subject with a cough, still avoiding Kuwabara's stare "If this escalates, sooner or later Konoka-Oujo-sama will get hurt." She frowned "We HAVE to prevent that."
"You don't hear me complaining." Kuwabara muttered, agreeing with the girl as they made their way to the lobby, where they met up with Asuna and Negi "But what I don't get is why these guys are targeting Konoka-chan, aren't you guys from Kyoto originally?"
"Most likely because of those in the Kansai Magic Association that did not approve of Oujo-sama being sent to Mahora in the east." Setsuna noted calmly, frowning at the thought "Perhaps those same people are trying to use Konoka Oujo-sama's power to take control of the entire Kansai MA."
"A coup d'état ." Negi breathed nervously, whilst Asuna tried to get the idea of Konoka having badass powers around her head. Could you blame her? The girl was so...normal!
"More like a civil war." Kuwabara muttered, his scowl deepening. This was some seriously smelly stuff they'd gone and stepped in, and from the sound of things they may as well have put a ribbon on their asses by bringing Konoka this far into enemy territory. "So what exactly are we up against?" He asked Setsuna "I doubt a few birds n' monkeys are all these bastards have up their sleeves."
"You guess correctly." Setsuna agreed "Unlike western Magi like Negi-sensei and Evangeline-san, it is common practice for Onmyo-sorcerers to summon demons of the superior and protective variety to shield them in battle."
"Great, so we got spell casters with demonic henchmen." Asuna griped, looking annoyed and concerned at the same time as she shook her head "Please tell me that's it."
"I'm afraid not," Setsuna sighed "The Shinmeiryuu, of which I am a student, have been contracted since ages past to act as shields for talisman users, so we may meet other warriors of the style on the trip."
"Better n' better." Kuwabara muttered sarcasticaly, shaking his head grimly as he eyed the slip of a girl "You sure you can handle them? They're your comrades after all."
"True…" Setsuna agreed, lowering her head "from their viewpoint my following Konoka Oujo-sama to the east makes me a traitor in their eyes." She smiled "But since I wanted to protect Oujo-sama I had no choice…I'll be content if I can protect Oujo-sama."
'She's loyal I'll give her that much.' Kuwabara noted, as the other two gaped at the swordswoman in awe, Asuna declaring her a friend outright.
"All for one and one for all!" the redhead declared, putting her hand out as the others complied "You too sensei!" she insisted, Kuwabara adding his own to the pile with a chuckle.
"Bozu, I'll handle the outdoor patrols, you stick indoors and keep watch." The tantei instructed, holding up a hand before the boy could continue "You're still a kid, you need to take a load off now and again, and I'm used to going a few nights without sleep…Todai graduate and all."
Negi didn't look to pleased but consented in the end, bowing to Kuwabara gratefully as he accompanied Asuna and Setsuna back to the dorms. Kuwabara waved after them, smiling encouragingly. He whirled round suddenly, reiken skewering the monkey that had been listening in on their conversation, reducing it to its talisman.
'Enough of these damn games.' He muttered, gripping the talisman between two fingers and closing his eyes 'Time I took th' fight ta them.'
Elsewhere...
Amagasaki Chigusa watched through the eyes of her golems as she waited for the group to settle down for the night. The tall one was going off to patrol the inn's surroundings whilst Oujo-sama's bodyguard was patrolling the halls with that child-sensei.
'They're pretty good at this.' She noted with a grudging note of respect, 'Still, they've underestimated me…which will be their undoing.'
She waited until she was CERTAIN the professor was well out of sight before slipping in under the guise of one of the Inn's workers, making certain to trip up as many of the mundane students as she could.
Hey, a girl's gotta have some kicks while on the clock. S'not like she was doing any lasting damage.
With Asuna...
Asuna sighed as she removed the coat she wore with her sleeping kimono, muttering to herself about everything that seemed to be going on. How in the hell had she gotten wrapped up in this mess? Oh right, she had to be the one sent out for snacks just as Negi rescued Nodoka.
'Coulda been worse.' She allotted, with a chuckle 'Coulda been the cheerleaders…or Kasumi.' She jumped as Konoka sat up, eyeing her sleepily "AH, Sorry, did I wake you?"
"Need go potty…" Konoka mumbled, still half asleep by the sound of things, she stumbled towards the restroom, Asuna shrugging and waiting up, just incase the monkeys, or whatever, tried anything. As the minutes went by she began to get worried, and Yue hopping around trying not to wet herself and demanding Konoka get out of the restroom wasn't helping matters.
'Boy, what the heck did Konoka drink before she went to bed?' the volatile redhead wondered, only to blink as Negi and Setsuna burst in, looking worried.
Needless to say the Kendo-ka didn't take too kindly of being made a monkey of twice in the same evening.
With Chigusa...
'Too easy.' Chigusa cackled, an unconscious Konoka held bridal style in her arms as she vaulted across the roof of the inn towards the train station 'That's what you brats get for underestimating me-URK!'
An arm like an iron girder shot out of nowhere and effectively clotheslined the talisman user as soon as she entered the train station, only the thick padding of her protective monkey suit saving her from a crushed larynx. She collapsed, coughing and spluttering desperately at the feet of her attacker.
"Going somewhere?" Kuwabara asked, his face carved from stone and eyes like steel flints "Bit old ta be trick or treatin' aren't ya?"
"D-damn…you…!" Chigusa choked out, not losing her grip on Konoka, who she held over her shoulder. "How…how'd you get here!"
"Little something called intuition." Kuwabara shot back, not letting her in on his reikan "I sensed your talismans in the area and came to investigate." He glowered at her "Now are you gonna come quietly or-!"
Chigusa hurled a talisman at the man, Kuwabara yelping as it set his jacket on fire, rolling to suppress the flames even as Chigusa leapt into the train. "Sayonara, sensei." The talisman wielder taunted over her shoulder, making for the apparent safety of the train, only to blink as the rest of the brat pack showed up "Hmmph, you're a tenacious bunch." She appraised, even as they boarded the train, Kuwabara sliding in just ahead of the door "maybe you should cool off for a bit…O-fuda-san, O-fuda-san: Aid our escape!"
The group could only gape in shock as a torrent of water blasted at them from the flimsy piece of paper, filling the cabin in seconds, spray trailing from the cracks and windows. Kuwabara tried to hold up against the current for a few seconds, reaching desperately for the talisman only to be swept off his feet and hurtled toward the back of the cab.
'Shit!' he swore, watching desperately as Negi, Asuna and Setsuna struggled against the current futilely 'At this rate they're gonna drown!'
"Fufufufu…." Chigusa chuckled, a coy look on her face as she held up her suit's paw to her lips, "Drown like the vermin you are."
Reikan: Sixth Sense; Kuwabnara's sixth sense is so strong he can find his way out of cursed mazes and even detect booby traps. It's also what enables him to form a sword out of reiki, unlike Yusuke, who can only fire energy blasts and power himself up.
Not to be confused with Reiken: Spirit Sword; Kuwabara's most versatile and oft used weapon of choice. In the anime, it makes a sound similar to a light saber when de/activated and used, and despite it's rough appearance, is rather sharp.
Cue the Nadesico Music
Oh no! what a predicament!
Chigusa: Ohohohohohoho!
Could our heroes wind up sleeping with the fishes!
Kuwabara: Blorp! Blugh! Glack! (TA HELL WITH THAT!)
What dastardly plans does Chigusa have for poor kono-chan?
Next time on Reikai-sensei kuwabara: Cosplay Convict!
Chigusa: You want to die too?
Review or be molested by monkey Golems!
Ukee!