Sorry for before, the stupid thing got uploaded before I could edit it.

Anyways, I'll just correct tdhat mistake and post the next chapter as soon as I can.

23rd Period.

Kuwabara had stared death in the face many a time, he'd had a crush on her bubbly incarnation for a while too, but that's beside the point. The fact was that Kuwabara wasn't a stranger to putting his life on the line and had in fact only shown true terror a scarce few times in his life.

The first had been seeing Toguro-Outoto power up at Tarukane's mansion, followed by realizing the muscleman had been holding back. Following this up had been Hiei's first unveiling of the Kokuryuuha, then Toguro's revelation of his full power, and subsequently the moment he'd charged the former human in a suicide rush.

That had truly been the last time the tantei had feared for his life, the battle with Sensui and the seven had seen him primarily running on anger and concern for his friends, not to mention bloodlust after Yusuke's supposed death.

Now, for the first time since that fateful last encounter with Toguro, Kuwabara was staring into the less bubbly face of death…and it scared the ever lovin' shit out of him.

'…Move…!' he ordered his muscles, brain numb as his reikan enabled him to practically TASTE the woman's bloodlust, primal terror locking his limbs in place 'Move…gotta move or I'm dead…!'

Tsuruko began to advance, slowly, like a lioness on the prowl, Kuwabara staring at her like a deer caught in the headlights of an armed death star. "Not going to run?" she called out, her face a mask of demonic calm as she twitched the hilt of her blade "Then I'll make the first move."

Kuwabara's body, without orders from his obviously numb brain, moved into action out of instinctive self-preservation and leapt, reiki blasting him skywards even as Tsuruko sent a Ryuhazan at him. It flipped him over in midair, landing to the left of the swordswoman even as Kuwabara regained full control, his eyes snapping out of their daze.

"I applaud your swiftness." Tsuruko allotted, the words a demonic mockery of her previous sincerity "Perhaps you're ready to fight back now?"

She vanished, Kuwabara's reikan snapping his attention upwards, as the shihan of the Shinmeiryuu descended with a downward slash. He activated his reiken, blocking the blow but feeling as if he'd just been hit by a steamroller, the ground cracking beneath his feet as he fought to remain upright.

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"Is that a ki-blade?" the master noted in amazement, actually sitting up straight as his colleagues and fellows began muttering amongst themselves "The level of control required for that takes years of discipline!"

"And yet he has been able to use it since his teens." Seiko pointed out, thanking Genkai for the list of Kuwabara's exceptional progress from the moment he set foot at the psychic's dojo she had been included with the letter "And has fought in the dark tournament, on the guest team."

"Dark tournament?" the master repeated, eyes widening as whispers broke out amongst those watching the fight "You mean…he's THAT Kuwabara? The one with the-?!"

"Indeed." Seiko cut in, shooting the man a look that silenced all comments "But you are not to speak of this with anyone, if the dissenters learn that 'IT' has come into our possession, there could be another secret war."

The master flinched, facial muscles growing taut as he bowed slightly, scar aching as he recalled the LAST war "I understand," he agreed "I shall mention this to no-one…but if I may?" he continued at her nod "If he truly is who we think he is…why isn't he fighting back."

"Firstly, because he still has Genkai's limiter on." Seiko noted, chuckling in amusement at the boy's absentmindedness, before sighing "And secondly…because he's too chivalrous for his own good."

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"Impressive," Tsuruko noted with a smirk, her glowing eyes scaring Kuwabara stiff "Ki-blades take a lot of control to master." She twirled her sword; sparks filling the air as she swiped upwards "Come, let us test your swordsmanship!"

Kuwabara yelped as he continued to block as best he could cursing, as he felt the business end of the nodachi bite into his arms and legs repeatedly, leaving small, superficial wounds. 'She's as fast as Hiei!' the teen muttered, wincing as he tightened his guard as best he could 'Dammit! I'm a sittin' duck here! Why do I feel so sluggish-!?'

He trailed off, cursing himself before rolling to the side and disengaging his reiken, standing up even as Tsuruko turned to him. "Hoh? Running away are we?" the shihan asked, only to raise an eyebrow as the tantei crossed his wrists, stretching them out to reveal the cuffs "I see…finally getting serious."

"ABIDAS!"

The cuffs snapped, a white light flashing out briefly, before the sum total of Kuwabara's aura erupted from him in a golden blaze, surrounding him and causing an updraft worthy of an Akira Toriyama sketch.

'I see…' Tsuruko noted, impressed by the sheer level of aura the young man was giving off 'A-class for certain, and high caliber at that.' She smirked 'Were he truly a demon I'd be thrilled, the likes of this power hasn't been seen in centuries since Sukuna was sealed.' She eyed her opponent with a smile 'Strongest spiritually indeed…but he's lacking in the very basics, he should have attacked me the minute the restraints came off.'

She blinked as Kuwabara reached into his pocket, pulling out the hilt of a sword whilst never taking his eyes of her own. 'Some sort of weapon?' she wondered briefly, even before the man's aura surged again. Her eyes widened, as did quite a few others, as the hilt released a sparkling reiken, different from the one he'd employed up till then.

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"Hoh…quite an impressive toy he has there." Seiko noted, raising a delicate eyebrow coyly "That lightning aura not only boosts his offence, but his defense as well…Tsuruko will have a hard time getting through that."

"That weapon…" the scarred master noted offhandedly, his eyes narroed in a calculating expression "No mortal forged that, of that I am certain."

"Genkai-san is many things, but she is not a fanatic." Seiko opined, "If it means getting the job done, she is quit comfortable with associating with demons." She smiled at the man "Something you yourself are noted for."

"Sakurazaki was an EXCEPTION." The master shot back, but had the grace to look embarassed as he did so "She is only HALF demon, I am not so fickle as to lump her with the rest of the bird clan."

"And she blossomed under you, as Tsuruko did." Seiko noted, smiling at the man gratefully "You have my thanks, Umino-sensei."

Umino Iruko, former instructor of Aoyama Tsuruko, and sole surviving instructor of Aoyama Seiko, flushed slightly and bowed his head, before turning back to the fight, just in time for Kuwabara to slide back, guard up and firm.

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"You dodge and strike at me to ward me off." Tsuruko noted as she approached, like a prowling tiger cornering a deer "There's hesitation in your swing…why?"

"I don't want to hurt you!" Kuwabara shot back, blocking a stroke from the woman and stepping back to avoid the onslaught "I wont break my vow! I'll never hit a woman!"

"You have already broken that vow." Tsuruko reminded him, noting his flinch and pressing the attack "Twice now, if the reports are to be believed. And on both occasions, you did so to protect your students, to protect others!"

She looked into the man's eyes, noting the stubbornness from earlier battling with confusion and uncertainty. Truly, her words were beginning to have effect she had intended, the walls that was impeding his development were fractured. Not one to dally for long, she grabbed his wrist, sweeping behind him to place her blade at his throat, the sword clattering to the floor from the hold she put him in.

"I will allow that men who strike defenseless women are the lowest of scum." Tsuruko assured him, a kind smile on her elegant features "And to see chivalry such as yours in this day and age is refreshing, for it gives me hope for bushido." She frowns "However…to lump all women into the same category of weak defenseless maidens is the same mistake that led many a man to his death…and still does to this day." She tightened her grip on his arm "The Shinmeiryuu are charged with the protection of Japan…as Tantei, your jurisdiction is the world."

Kuwabara stiffened at this, his eyes widening as he realized just how important the post he'd inherited was "As such," Tsuruko continued "Can you really expect to protect the world…with such indecisiveness in your heart?" she leaned in close "How can you protect…the girl you love?"

Kuwabara's aura flared at her words, actually startling the woman, but not enough to loosen her grip. "Impressive" she allotted "But it will take more than that to-!"

She leapt back, barely dodging the aerial blade that slashed at her without the aid of a hand to wield it, deflecting it away from her, only for it to return to it's master's hand as he turned to face her.

Kuwabara's face was set in stone, the indecisiveness from earlier replaced with a grim determination, a coldness that brought to mind battlefield steel.

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"He's changed." Iruko noted calmly, sounding mildly alert as the other onlookers muttered in alarm at the man's last maneuver "Not just his face, his aura…his stance."

"So we finally see it." Seiko noted with a smile, hands placed calmly in her lap "This is the true face of the yondaime Reikai Tantei…this is Kuwabara the warrior." She frowned, looking between the two with concern "Still…perhaps this has gone on a bit too long…"

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The battle between the two resumed, Kuwabara still on the defensive, but nowhere near as sloppy as he had been. True his guard still had gaping holes for Tsuruko to exploit, but for every three hits landed he managed to deflect one, and for every five blows received he gave back one as well.

'Just have to hold on until she calls it off." The tantei muttered, face grim as he delivered a backhand strike to deflect the sword from his gut, fist shielded by his reiki 'She's as fast as Hiei, and a far better swordsman than Sakurazaki…' he grunted in alarm 'I don't stand a chance of beating her with swords…so lets see how she does unarmed!'

Tsuruko struck out, only to blink as Kuwabara released his weapon, the swordswoman stumbling forwards, only to blink as he shoulder rushed her, knocking her off balance. 'I'll keep catching her off guard by switching between street fighting and my reiken.' Kuwabara noted, activating both of his own swords even as the Tameshi no Ken spun back towards him 'All I gotta do is last till the bell!'

He struck out, deactivating the swords even as he ducked under a swipe, reactivating them as daggers as he swiped at Tsuruko, intending to catch her off guard, only to flinch as he accidentally scratched her cheek, drawing blood. He stumbled back, an apology on his lips, only to freeze as Tsuruko appeared right in his face, a demonic, almost gleeful, glint in her eyes as she readied her sword to strike him, pupils flashing like beacons.

"RYUHAZAN!"

Kuwabara crashed backwards, smashing into the walkway, only for a strong pair of arms to wrap around him, halting his progress and lowering him to the floor.

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"That is quite enough Tsuruko." Seiko noted, her hand gripping her daughter's wrist tightly, having stopped the attack before it could connect fully, sparing Kuwabara from all but the shockwave "You were supposed to test him…not immolate him."

Tsuruko looked to her mother, before sighing and bowing her head, eyes once again the normal serene black, rather than the glowing gold in a sea of darkness. She looked to where her opponent had been tossed, only to chuckle at the sight of Iruko Sensei flattened against the wall, a completely unconscious Kuwabara plastered against the man. "I must admit I got carried away," the former heiress offered, sheathing her blade as she walked to the men "Still, I haven't fought anyone of that level for quite some time." She frowned, "But his skills…"

"Are abysmal, true." Seiko agreed, a solemn look on her face "His talent is extraordinary, but his upbringing crushes it." she sighed "Yet another result of the changing times, in days long gone, we'd have snapped this one up and trained him to his fullest." She sighed and nodded to Iruka "Bring him to the guest house."

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As Kuwabara was lead away, the gaggle of onlookers continued to chatter amongst themselves. Many were alarmed by what had just occurred, others were mildly impressed, a majority of the more revered members were suspicious, and were already trying to implement this new predicament into their various scenarios.

Several of the younger trainees, most notably the males, had been astounded how someone with so little training had not only lasted so long against THE Tsuruko-sama, but had actually drawn blood. The females, having already experienced Kuwabara's chivalry before, were chatting excitedly amongst themselves, particularly concerning how Tsuruko's comments on the man's 'beloved' had incited him so.

However, certain figures, which had long harbored feelings other than loyalty to the clan, were carefully making note of what had just occurred. The dissenters would need to kept well informed of this new…predicament.

But one thing was absolutely certain, Kuwabara had DEFINITELY made a lasting impression on the Shinmeiryuu…whether he lived to see what it wrought depended on how they saw him.

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"I've bandaged his wounds, what little there are." Iruko assured Seiko as he stepped away from the man "Still, his hardiness is admirable, even though he was hit several times by Tsuruko-sama, he has little to show for it save rudimentary cuts, which as you can see, are already healing."

"Reiko-Hadouken is indeed a formidable art." Seiko stated admirably, an appreciative smile on her face as she looked over the slumbering tantei "But I agree with Genkai that this one is ill suited to that art…he's too straightforward."

"I'd have said 'dense' but that works as well." Iruko chuckled, the humor in his eyes negating the harshness of his words. "Still, it's not like Motoko was much different."

"I apologize once again for my daughter's lack of decorum." Seiko offered the man sincerely "I know you had your reasons for refusing to teach her, I just couldn't see them."

"She never truly recovered from her father's death," Iruko agreed, his face solemn at the memory of the younger Aoyama sister's attitude during her early training "It left a hole in her heart that made her incapable of studying the full extent of the Shinmeiryuu under me."

"Which brings me to my second point." Seiko noted, looking at the aged sensei with a solemn expression "We need to bring out his true potential, but I fear that, for the moment, he is still routed firmly in the 'Yin' side of his ki.

"Understandable." Iruko muttered solemnly "Very few people choose to acknowledge their darker aspects…and those that do tend to go…astray."

"Such as Tsukuyomi." Tsuruko muttered bitterly, a scowl marring her elegant features "I apologize once again sensei…it would seem your first impressions of the girl were correct."

"Too much 'Yang' in that one," Iruko agreed, wincing at the memory of the first time he'd laid eyes on the girl "A shame…such prodigious skill…" he frowned, "Still, how are we to handle things…Seiko-sama?"

Seiko sat in silence for a few moments, her eyes closed in contemplation, her face as calm and serene as ever, but lacking in the amusement that normally graced her presence, finally, without opening her eyes, she lifted her head to address them "We will use the Gate."

"S-SEIKO-SAMA!" Iruko gaped, eyes wide and paling considerably as he knelt in front of the woman he'd trained and come to love as a daughter "You…you can't be suggesting-?!"

"I am," Seiko insisted, her face neutral, her eyes remaining closed as she spoke "It is the only way we can ensure that Kuwabara-kun unlocks the sum total of his potential."

"Maybe so!" Iruka continued, his arms wide, still kneeling "But there is a reason that the gate hasn't been used! Many a potential master has had that potential cut short! That gate is ill suited for humans! Tsuruko-sama almost died in there! And even you Seiko-sama-!"

"I am well aware of the dangers of the gate." Seiko assured her aged sensei, her hands in her lap and eyes closed, the epitome of calm were it not for a slight temble of her fingers "I still recall that hellish place, but it was the only way for me to become strong enough to protect my title as heir."

"Aoyama Shinmei himself barely survived that horror!" Iruka pleaded, his eyes desperate to dissuade his former student "The damage it wrought nearly crippled him, and shortened his lifespan!"

"My mind is resolved, Umino-Sensei." Seiko stated, her tone final, if apologetic "Kuwabara does not have time to be coddled, the Gate is the only choice we have."

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Kuwabara awoke to find himself dressed in a white sleeping kimono, a cool cloth placed over his head. Sitting up, he gazed around the room, dislodging a relieved Sayo as she hovered near him.

'Where in the heck am I?' he wondered, wincing as his joints popped and cracked, though there was no pain 'Feels like I went ten rounds with Urameshi's old man...'

Not that Kuwabara had ever met Toushin Raizen, the demon king of battle having passed on well before the Kekkai was dropped, but from what he had managed to gather from Kurama and Yusuke, the old coot had been the strongest opponent Urameshi had ever faced, and if he'd been at his peak, the former tantei wouldn't have stood a chance.

'Hell, Sensui got bitch slapped around by the guy's spirit controlling Urameshi.' The current tantei muttered, shivering at the recollection of Yusuke's transformation, wondering, not for the first time, if the longhaired, tattooed teen's form had been a shadow of the late demon king.

"Ah, you're awake." A voice noted, Kuwabara turning to find a relieved Seiko sitting nearby in the seiza position, her Nodachi resting at her side as always "Umino-sensei has not lost his touch."

"Who?" Kuwabara asked, looking up as Tsuruko entered, her bird leaving her shoulder to crouch on his own. It cooed softly, rubbing its head against his as if asking to be pet, to which he responded.

"That is indeed strange." Tsuruko noted, an approving smile on her face as she watched her companion croon at the treatment "Shippu generally doesn't warm so well to people."

Kuwabara normally would've made a crack about animal magnetism, but considering his short-term memory was slowly coming back, he was eyeing the younger Aoyama woman nervously. Seiko noted this and chuckled, her uwagi sleeve hiding her mouth as she did so. "Be at ease, Kuwabara-kun." She assured him, "Tsuruko-chan merely got carried away, she is not like that normally."

"I do apologize for my actions," Tsuruko offered humbly, bowing her head slightly, the epitome of humbleness "I have not been truly challenged since I retired from my position, it was…nostalgic, to face someone so strong."

'If that's what retired looks like I'd hate to see what she'd been like in her prime!' Kuwabara muttered, accepting the apology with a bow of his own, idly patting the feather's of Shipuu's crest, much to the bird's pleasure.

"Kuwabara-kun." Seiko began, drawing his attention back to herself, "As you are no doubt aware, the Shinmeiryuu is a long-standing style that focuses not only on mastery of one's weapon, but of one's self." She nodded "As such, years of discipline and training are required to bring out the best results." She eyed the man carefully "You have talent, and more power than any other trainee that has been sent here before, not to mention vast reserves of untapped potential. Given the choice, I would personally see to it that you stayed with us to complete your training."

"But…I can't stay here!" Kuwabara stammered, Shippu ruffling it's feather's in disapproval at the noise "I mean, no offence, but my students ain't exactly safe at th' minute, and th' class trip is only for another week or so!"

"Calm yourself." Seiko asked, looking him in the eyes reassuringly "I would not hold you here against your will, it was our folly for not learning of you sooner, had we done so, you'd have received the proper training…without the risks."

"Risks?" Kuwabara repeated, looking at the suddenly solemn looking matriarch in concern, noting a matching expression on her daugter's usually serene features "What are you talkin' about? What risks?"

"I will say no more at the moment." Seiko stated, with an air of reserved finality as she rose to her feet "Please, dress yourself, Tsuruko will escort you to the training grounds."

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"Did…did I say something wrong?" Kuwabara asked, looking after Seiko as she left the room. He didn't no why, but he could have sworn the woman's hands had trembled for the briefest of seconds.

"Of course not." Tsuruko replied, her voice reassuring despite her earlier attempts to terrify him "My mother is merely preoccupied with plans for your training."

"Really?" Kuwabara wondered, only to blink as he realized that not only were his clothes coming off, He wasn't the one removing them "ACK! Tsuruko-san! What th-?!"

"Please calm yourself Kuwabara-kun." Tsuruko assured him, removing his sweat-soaked kimono and offering him a pressed training uniform "I am merely assisting you in preparing, as is tradition."

"You make it sound Like I'm preparing for a duel." Kuwabara muttered, still flustered at being undressed, only to shiver at the coy smile on the woman's face.

"Believe me…Kuwabara-san." She offered, her eyes glimmering ominously "By this evening…you'll wish you WERE."

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And we'll wrap thing's up right there for now.

The earlier version listed Iruko's name as Iruka, that was a typo.

He looks like an older version of Iruka, true, possibly a descendant...or an alternate version.

Cue the Nadesikp music:

Narrator: Kuwabara has survived against the demon blade of Kyoto!

Sayo: YATTA!

Narrator: But the shinmeiryuu compound holds many dangers and secrets!

Random trainee: KYAAA PERVERT!!!!

Narrator: Amidst the sparking Sakura blossoms, a warrior's training begins!

Narrator: Next time on Reikai-Sensei Kuwabara: The mainden's secret cavern!

Seiko: Are you a fan of the Icha-Icha series by any chance, Narrator-san?

R&R or we'll sick Tsuruko on you!