Chapter 23

The next day.

Suiryu… has been walking with a bit of a limp as of late. Of course he wouldn't say as to why but…

"I should have known she kept one of the nails I made with my talons…" he muttered to himself. And she just so happened to have given him a warning when Nao shouted "Mother Trucker" in the communal dining hall…

"I really got to watch my swearing, that was a warning… next time… I think I am only going to get two kids out of this relationship!" he shuttered to think such a thing, and he knows she would do it too!

So he has to try and find a way of not swearing… especially in front of his daughters.

He has kept himself busy though. He has assisted the brothers in gathering what they needed for their soon to be brood. Baby blankets and what not, but the brothers have been more concerned on their food supplies to ensure there is more than enough to go around.

He got board of that rather quickly and the brothers had gone into baby mode so he was ignored pretty much! So, he wondered about looking for something to do, when an unusual sight caught his eye.

He found Kiyoshi, going to the spar pit with Sukuna!

"What the hell is this…" he kept close but also hidden as he watched the two enter the spar pit.

Sukuna peered over Kiyoshi. "We went overboard yesterday, but if there is one thing I would ever compliment your brat of a father on is the fact he can take a hit. So can you. HOWEVER with the recent… talk I had with him and consulting with Chusi on the matter, it's become rather difficult to gauge what intensity I should be sparring with you at."

Kiyoshi's shoulders slumped. "So… you won't train me anymore?"

Suiryu was taken aback, he sounded so heartbroken!

"I didn't say that,"

He perked up again. Sukuna then sighed as he held up some strong rope, he passed it along to Kiyoshi before he turned his back. "Tie my lower arms up so I can't use them."

It confused Kiyoshi but he nodded. When he finish. Sukuna then said. "Tie up my dominant right arm."

This time Kiyoshi paused. "You're going to spar with me with one arm!" he demanded.

"Just do what I say, brat!"

Kiyoshi did.

When he was done, Sukuna sighed, he held up his dominant left arm and then, merely flexed his index finger. "There, that's enough."

Suiryu got a closer look of this, Sukuna is going to go easy on him the only way he knows how. But, why?

"Are you kidding me!? Yesterday we sparred! It was fun! Now… THIS?!" Kiyoshi demanded.

"Truthfully brat, yesterday wasn't even a spar session. Can you remember hitting me?" Sukuna asked.

He froze.

"Yesterday was you jumping around without coordination, plan or even idea as to how you would strike me. I threw you off balance more than once and shoved you away. Nothing more."

Kiyoshi tried to argue that face. Apparently, he couldn't recall a moment he did strike him. "But… but this is stupid now!"

"No, not really!"

Suiryu paused as well. Rook was peering in and smiling. "Hi Oji!" he called.

Sukuna rolled all four of his eyes. "Why do I prefer being called Uba than that?" he muttered to himself.

"What are you doing here Rook!" Kiyoshi demanded.

Rook merely smiled. "You think he is not going to take you seriously since he is using one finger right? Kiyoshi, he STILL only uses one finger when I spar with him."

Kiyoshi paused. "So? You're younger!"

"Five minutes," Sukuna said and suddenly walked off!

"What do you mean?!" Kiyoshi snapped back. But then, he turned and noticed Rook warming up…

THIS he had to see.

Suiryu came out of hiding as he approached the spar pit. He even grew brash enough to sit next to Sukuna!

"So… training huh?"

"Shut the hell up," he snapped back. "I am merely doing this so I get lessons later on elemental power."

"Uh… sitting RIGHT HERE!" Suiryu snapped back at him.

Sukuna smirked. "Do you think I would believe for a single moment that what you were teaching me would be the proper way? Knowing you, you would make me look like an idiot."

"Fair," Suiryu said offhandedly. "At the same time, since you got nothing, I would have made an exception since mom told me that she is allowing you to have this power. I trust mom's instincts, you wouldn't have obtained it if she didn't want you to have it."

They fell silent, as Rook appeared to be ready. "We will go for five minutes, after five minutes… well… I think we have to stop since I know Oji wants to spar with you. I get him tomorrow!"

"Whatever, let's just get this over with."

"I'll be the judge here, since Sukuna is a little tied up…"

"Oh shut up!" Sukuna snapped back, it was a bad joke on his part.

Kiyoshi froze. Rook snickered. "Good dad joke!" he called.

Which made Suiryu pause. "Wait, I ain't THAT old to be cracking a dad joke!" he protested.

"You did, mine cracks them all the time… I think he's been doing that since Megumi." Rook said offhandedly.

"Are we going to do this or not?" Kiyoshi asked in a board tone.

"Yeah, yeah, call it," Rook said.

Suiryu smirked as he stood between the two of them. "This is a five minute spar, if it gets to the point where I have to interfere, I will. Mind your strikes. Begin."

Well, Kiyoshi was taken aback when Rook was instantly in his face. He moved fast, that was certain, he is faster than Yuuji with no curse energy. Kiyoshi was quick to adapt, but then… Rook smiled.

"Buckle up brat," came from Sukuna.

Suiryu paused as he noticed Rook began to pick up speed, he began to go faster, hitting harder and pushing Kiyoshi back. It caught him off guard! But Kiyoshi was quick to recover and began to see how Rook moved.

Sadly though, he didn't land a hit on Rook, and Rook had knocked him back more than once.

But then, Suiryu saw it.

"ENOUGH!" he shouted, grabbing Kiyoshi in the nick of time as his hair went on fire. "You don't pull that shit!" he scolded.

Kiyoshi froze, he stared at his hands that were turning clawed, and he was summoning his dragon strength.

"I… I'm sorry," he muttered.

Rook was stunned, yet what shocked Suiryu was when he put Kiyoshi back down. Rook lowered his head!

"I'm sorry! I pushed you too hard!" he said with great sincerity.

This… made Kiyoshi sneer a little. "I didn't need the dragon's power to beat you…"

"But you didn't beat him, not one hit." Came from Sukuna. He happened to have approached and turned to Rook, he gave a satisfied nod to him. "You kept within your limits, while respecting your opponent's situation. Your mother taught you well."

"What the hell do you mean?!" Kiyoshi demanded. "He was going easy on me?!"

"Yes," came out of Suiryu and Sukuna, Rook nodded his head.

"Just because you possess a dragon, doesn't mean you are unstoppable." Sukuna warned. "What Rook has shown you here and now is all the training he has done with not just me, but those who possess heavenly restrictions. Toji Fushiguro and Maki Zen'in. They don't go easy on him, neither do I."

"But… I should have won!" Kiyoshi protested. "I'm older than you!"

"Age doesn't matter, brat."

"Yeah, remember, you old man kicked his ass, he's got over a 1,000 years on him!" Suiryu said and snickered.

"That was a mistake, and he knew how to use the dragon's power!" Sukuna protested.

"SSSUUUURRREEEE" Suiryu said sarcastically. "Besides that, don't think for a moment that you are being shit on here. What we say is true. Despite the fact he's only using one finger, he's holding back for your sake and for the sanity of your father."

Kiyoshi sneered.

"Make you a deal then, I'll watch you two spar today, you land ONE hit on him, I'll make sure he fights you seriously. You can't, then you keep training like this until SUKUNA thinks you are ready to increase your training."

This, made everyone pause. "Really? You'll let Oji decide?" Rook asked.

"It's a trap," Sukuna muttered.

"No so much a trap, it's just that if he DOES go overboard, he has to explain to HIS Mrs. as to why. It's a win win either way, you either get a chance to kick his ass or his wife does."

"Told you, it's a trap," Sukuna muttered once more.

Kiyoshi sighed aloud. "Fine, I'll agree."

"Good, Rook, get back to your lessons." Suiryu ordered.

"But I am in the middle of one… but I got to go now…" he suddenly ran off like a shot, not before Toji suddenly came out of nowhere!

"Good, his perception is getting better!" Toji said with a grin. "He's learning…"

"You really are taking this seriously huh?" Suiryu asked offhandedly.

Toji, smiled a little. "Let's say it brings back one of the only good memories I had as a kid," he said before wondering off to hunt down Rook once more.

When he was gone, Sukuna peered at Kiyoshi. "Ready brat? My hands are falling asleep here…"