Shadows of Knowledge

Summary: Kaiba has failed another year of high school due to how much school he's missed. Yugi and Ryou are in the same boat. The board of Kaiba Corp and his investors aren't happy. Instead of staying at Domino High School for another year SetoKaiba sets up his own school with plans to learn more about the Shadows.

Chapter Two

It wasn't quiet the end of his third year of High school. He'd just heard back from his teacher that he'd now missed to much school that he was going to have to stay another year in order to graduate. At least the school was allowing him to finish the second year. It wasn't a surprise. He'd missed a lot of school with his recovery from the Death Eaters. Helping Ryou get custody of Amane. Recovering the Millennium Tome. And the normal days he missed for work in general.

He didn't want to be staying at Domino High School for another year, but didn't particularly want to transfer to another school to finish his schooling either. Set was also restless, the ancient spirit didn't like to be cooped up at school, he saw it as a waste of time. Honestly Seto saw school as a waste of time himself. His adoptive father had made sure he'd known this information since he was a child. Unfortunately the board of directors at his company saw schooling as important. He only had himself to blame for going to school in the first place after his adoptive step father died. He could've easily stuck with the home schooling system. He hated to think what type of person he'd been if he didn't go back to a public school. He was a better person because he'd met Yugi.

"Apprentices served there purposes far better. You'd be finished already if you'd been an apprentice. You'd be a master in whatever profession you decided to undertake. I need to teach you and the rest of the council about how to wield Shadow Magic correctly. How are we going to do that when you all have different commitments and this school thing keeps getting in your way? You need somewhere you can all train together."

It was an argument he'd heard from the spirit before. One he agreed with. He been considering for the last couple of months making his own school to teach teenagers how to play Duel Monsters correctly. He'd never considered attending the school himself, but maybe he could finish his final year of schooling there. Having himself and Yugi both attend would be the boost they need to give attention to the school in the Duelling circles. Maybe even hold a tournament for the opening of the school. Or maybe a duelling tournament when they finished school, this year he didn't really want to deal with an influx of students.

He walked back to the classroom, Yugi and Ryou both looking quite upset. They'd been called to the office not long before himself so was assuming they had the same news he did.

"I don't understand. How can missing school cause you to need to repeat even though you both passed all you're exams so far?" The male Weasley sibling questioned them. Confirming what Seto suspected. "Hey, you missed more school then Yugi and Ryan." Did Weasley honestly not know Ryou's name?

"That means that you need to repeat as well." Joey pointed out.

"Unless you paid someone off rich boy." Ron continued, using Joey's insults.

He just gave Weasley a glare that said he didn't want to talk about it. He wished that he could pay someone off so he didn't have to come back. But he was trying to change his ways and not be a miniature Gozaburo. It was hard, he was so much like his adoptive father. It was the reason the old man had noticed him in the first place.

"He was number one on the state exams. I don't see why they would make him repeat school for another year, it would make no sense." Tea replied.

"I was number one on the national exams but they don't care about that. I've been told I need to repeat if I want it to count."

"Kaiba, what are you going to do? Won't you're share holders and investors be upset if you have to repeat again?" Yugi asked with concern. "Are you going to come back to Domino?"

"I refuse to spend another year at this school." He took his normal seat and put his book bag down before continuing."I was thinking more along the lines of starting my own school. A boarding school to be précis. On an Island, similar to Duellist Kingdom with different environments. Give us a chance to study to finish high school, duelling to improve our game."

He hadn't duelled since his cards had been destroyed and was finding he missed it a lot.

'Don't worry my cute descendant, as a part of your training we'll repair you're cards' the spirit told him in a comforting tone.

He let the spirit finish the last part since he knew that only Yugi and Yami could hear He'd fill Ryou and the other spirit in later. 'Best of all we can study and train in Shadow magic without getting interrupted.'

Yami perked up at the thought of training properly in shadow magic.

"You're going to start your own school?" Ginny looked at him in disbelief. "And it's going to be ready before the new school season?"

"I've already started the construction for the school. The original plan was for it to open in three years time, but if I need to repeat I may as well fast track my plans. The campus won't be suitable to take a full influx of students but will be enough for at least one of dorms and classrooms."

"Isn't that like, really expensive," Ron asked.

"Just a tad," he replied. Money wasn't a problem, he had more than enough disposable income to fund this project without it affecting any of his other business plans. Nothing else was being pushed aside.

"Sounds like fun, can I go?" Joey asked with excitement. Joey liked the idea of being able to duel all day every day. The mutt would be in for a surprise. His school would be harder than normal school. Sure they would learn more about duel monsters but they also had to keep up with normal classes as well.

"I'd rather you didn't. You'd get wet dog smell all over the place." He stirred up his rival. "But I suppose I do need other students attending the school besides Yugi and Bakura."

"What age group are you looking at?" Joey asked with much interest. "Can Serenity come? Or is she too young."

"She can attend if she wishes. Will give Mokuba someone his own age to talk to." He replied.

He'd actually planned for Serenity and Joey to attend the whole time, not that he'd ever tell the mutt that. That would give the siblings a chance to be together on a more regular basis. Plus Yugi had struggled those weeks in England without his best friend. Serenity would also be good for Amane. He had a feeling that Amane would get along better with Serenity then she did with Tea. Tea was the type of girl that didn't really get along with other girls.

'Maybe Tea wants' a reverse harem and see's other woman as a threat to her harem.' The sprit suggested of Tea. 'She's always surrounding herself with the boys all the time.'

He wanted to roll his eyes at the spirit, but he was at school where others could see. The old spirit seemed to be such a perv. He hoped he didn't turn out like that when he was an old man. Yugi didn't have as much control as he did and started laughing at the spirits comment.

"What are you laughing at Yug? Is Kaiba saying that my sister and I can attend really that funny." Joey asked.

"It wasn't anything Kaiba said." Yugi continued laughing. "It was something Set said. He suggested that Tea wants a reverse harem since she's always with us and never really around any girls."

Joey, Tristan and Ronald all started laughing along with Yugi.

"You jerk," Tea slapped Seto over the back of the head.

"What was that for you bitch!" He couldn't believe that Tea would actually hit him. People had died for less than that.

"You were gossiping about me with Set. What where you saying about me?" Tea was angry.

He stood up and looked down at the girl that had the audacity to slap him. He glared at her. "I wasn't talking to him. He says things like that all the time. I have no control about the comments he makes. I'm not Set. But since you're so offended about what he said, I guess it's true."

'She sure is a feisty one.' Set laughed.

"Who's Set anyway?" Ronald asked.

"No one you know or need to know." Kaiba he snapped.

He picked up his books and put them back in his bag. He was angry at Tea and Ronald. If he didn't leave now someone was going to get hurt and it wasn't going to be him. There was no point at being at school any longer. He'd already been told he'd missed to much school for the year. There was no point coming in for the remainder of the year anyway. He had more important things he could be doing. He picked up his bags and stormed out the classroom. Making a point to slam the door on his way out. He felt slightly better after slamming the door.

"He's just like a girl with PMS." Ronald commented after he'd slammed the door. Not realising the Kaiba Corp. president was on the other side. "So moody. Are you sure he isn't a girl? Is this Set guy his boyfriend?"

"Set's a distant relative of Kaiba. Before this year I would've agreed with you that Kaiba was maybe a girl. Since he never shows any skin. He wouldn't even change with the other guys for sports," Joey replied. "But having to help him get dressed for sports and go to the toilet when he was wheelchair bound I know for a fact he's not a girl."

"Considering his upbringing, it wouldn't surprise me at all if he really had been a girl." Tristan replied. "I don't see his father accepting a female heir."

"If Kaiba had been a girl, would she have been adopted by Gozubura?" Tea asked.

"Kaiba's one of a kind when it comes to his intelligence. He would've been noticed anyway." Ryou replied.

"I wish Kaiba never went to that man. He would've been easier to make friends with. Not as closed off. Tea you need to apologise to Kaiba once he cools down. Set is his own person and says comments like that about everyone, not just you. Kaiba's not the type to gossip. They are two separate people. Set has his own thoughts and opinions that differ. Just like Yami and I." Yugi told them.

"Who's Yami?" Ronald asked. "I've heard you talking about him before."

"Just like Set, he's a relative you don't need to worry about." Yugi replied.

"Anyone else I don't need to worry about?" Ronald asked.

"Yes." Ryou replied but didn't elaborate further. "You know what. I think Kaiba has the right idea about leaving." Ryou stood up and gathered his books. "Being here isn't going to make a difference. I'll still have to repeat next year even if I attend every single day from now till end of term."

"I'm going to stay with Joey, Tristan and Tea." Yugi told Ryou. "I don't think my mother would be to happy if I stopped coming to school even though I already need to repeat the year."

"I don't think my father cares if I go to school or not. Just as long as I'm not getting arrested or putting people in the hospital." Ryou told them.

Ron laughed not knowing that Ryou wasn't joking.

"What are you going to do until the next school year?" Joey asked.

"Spend time with my sister." Ryou replied.

"I'm really hoping Ma lets Serenity attend Kaiba's school. I'm looking forward to getting to spend time with my sis again." Joey smiled at the thought of getting to spend time with his sister.

"You heard all that" Ryou stated when he saw that he Seto was still standing outside the classroom.

"I did."

"Were you waiting for me?"

"I had my suspicions that you'd also leave. Let's go. I've already called a driver."

"Thank you." Ryou replied.

True to his work Ryou used the opportunity to spend the time with Amane like he'd told the others. Mokuba had asked to stop attending school for the next few months and was disappointed when he'd been told he needed to keep attending. Seto was using the chance to start planning for his new school and getting certain business ventures out the way. He didn't need his brother hanging off him during that time. As much as he loved his brother, Mokuba could be annoying when he was clingy.