Chapter 12

The next day.

"GOOD WORK, GOJO!"

Rook was walking the halls, he found pretty much every boy lowering their head to him. It was out of both fear and respect at this point. Yet, as he peered about, he found a good portion of the student body lingering in the main hall. "OKAY LISTEN UP!" he roared.

Rook climbed up on to a bench and peered over the masses, it was silent as all focus came upon him. "From this moment on, if any of you make any sort of crack, hit, sexist joke or comment to my sister, the Fushiguros… or any girl for that matter that doesn't want that attention… STOPS IMMEDIATELY!" he shouted. "You make the crack, prepare to get your head cracked in by me! Got it!"

"SIR, YES SIR!" they roared back.

"Good, spread the word." He stepped down shortly after before turning to Mochi and gave her the thumbs up. If anyone hassles her now… they are going to get it!

Rook is also half expected to be called into the office for what occurred yesterday. However, as they day passed, no call went out, the teachers didn't treat him any differently so all in all, it was a win for him!

When lunch rolled around, he ate outside with his siblings, the Fushiguros and Kiyoshi. Yet, as they were sitting down to eat, the captains approached them from yesterday.

"Rematch?" he asked them before opening his lunch.

"NO!" they insisted and shook their heads. "No, not at all… if you want there's a place to eat over there, it has a table and you're out of the wind," said the sumo captain.

Rook peered over and saw it. "Thanks for that." he said.

"Also…" the sumo captain paused. "Yesterday… you beat us with our own moves… do you sumo?"

Rook, smiled. "I dabbled in a bit of everything," he explained. "I know some sumo, kickboxing and wrestling."

They exchanged looks.

"HOWEVER, I don't compete."

"That's fine!" they insisted. "But… would you mind… training with us?"

Rook wasn't expecting that.

"Sounds like fun," came out of Hoshi.

"In fact, I could help you with that if you wanted." Said Daku.

"Sure, you know what, I'll help out!" Rook decreed. "How about after school tomorrow, I'll train with the sumo guys with my guys. Then kickboxing the next day and wrestling the day after?"

He didn't understand why they were so surprised to hear him agree. In fact, they were downright confused!

"Did… did you want anything from us for this?" asked the kickboxing captain.

Rook smiled. In fact, despite what he said earlier, there were still some guys giving Mochi a hard time. "As a matter of fact, I do have a request…" he stood up off the ground. "Mind hearing me out?"

#

Shin watched on as his little brother took the three captains away. Mochi was a little concerned, however focused on her lunch.

"They are still whispering about you, huh?" asked Hoshi.

She paused from her meal, but nodded meekly. "Why won't they stop!" she protested. "I just want to be left alone, enough of this 'hey cutie' stuff… I don't want to hear it…"

Shin felt for his sister, despite the rapid aging before, she didn't mind it. She was a six year old with the world in her hand. She could make fire kittens and was rewarded for doing so at the right time. But now, she was upset. Being a teenager isn't easy.

He too was upset that he aged again, Shin wanted to stay younger a while longer, but, he also remembered what Oji said. 'You're power is growing beyond its container, the container needs to be adjusted in order to encompass what you have. It's necessary'

To him, it meant that they are growing stronger, faster than their bodies.

"Not to be rude, but I've been saying she's my girlfriend, it keeps them off of her when I am around but, when I'm not…" Hoshi explained.

"I don't mind that he calls me that," Mochi said.

Shin understood too. If the guys knew that Hoshi and Mochi were 'a couple' it will keep the boys off of her for the time being.

"I hate to ask, but, do you mind Hoshi…"

He laughed it off. "If anything, I'm the one who started it without asking Mochi for permission… sorry about that." However, she waved it off. "But for her protection, I'll be more than happy to be her… boyfriend as it were." He said rather proudly.

"Thanks,"

Rook returned a short time later, he brought everyone over to the eating table that the captains pointed out. They were able to sit and eat their lunch rather contently there. "I think this is a senior's table that they took from the cafeteria and brought it outside…" Shin said offhandedly.

"Yeah, they did… so… Fushiguros… wanna be sparring partners for these guys? They ain't bad people, they just needed to be knocked down a peg and I think we accomplished that."

"Sure, sounds like fun, granted, not that much fun but we could learn something new…" said Daku. He paused for a moment before a smile came over him. "I got an idea!" he decreed.

Shin listened to the notion, in fact, it sounded like a good one to him. Rook will alternate between the three groups. However, each of the Fushiguros will take one group. "So Hoshi, how about you hang out with the sumo wrestlers? You have always been good at sumo."

He nodded to that. "Ankoku, you like kickboxing… I am more incline for wrestling, and after a week, we switch it out!"

The triplets appeared to have an idea in place. Rook volunteered to alternate between the three groups throughout the week.

"Is this really a good idea?" Mochi asked. "Rook, I know you told everyone to leave me alone…" she said but her voice trailed off.

"Little sis… I assure you, this is going to work out for us. I promise" he insisted.

Shin smirked. Rook has a way of making things work, how he does… not even Shin knows. Sometimes he wonders if Rook has more of dad in him than he realizes!

#

With lunch over. Mochi went back into the school.

Once more, all eyes came on her and the whispers began once more. She turned and saw from the corner of her eye three guys who were trying to sneak up on her. Yet, before they could startle here… a wall came between them!

She turned and saw two senior students, heavy set and yet refusing to move. "I do believe it was made clear that you leave her alone, did he not announce that this morning?"

"I know he did, I was there" said the other.

"We're the seniors of the sumo club… gentlemen, look elsewhere!"

She froze, the sumo club was defending her now?

The three smirked. "Oh come on man, it's just a little play it's all!" one said. "Besides, we're not hurting her! And you're sumo wrestlers right? Isn't there some sort of honor of not fighting out of the ring?"

The two snickered. "Right you are, there is a rule we don't fight outside of the ring unless it is in self defense of the defense of another." Said one.

"However, that rule doesn't apply to the kickboxing and wrestling guys." She saw one of them point to the side, there were two guys waiting for them to make a move.

"What… what's this?! Come on man, it's just a little flirting!"

The two sumos turned, they peered at Mochi. "Miss, are you seeking this kind of attention?" the one on her left asked.

She meekly shook her head no.

"The lady says otherwise. So, you got some options. You can keep doing this, push your luck and see what happens. Or, you leave the lady alone and know you won't be hurt. Let's face it man, you're lucky it's us and not her brother."

The three sneered before they walked off. Mochi sighed with relief as the two sumo wrestlers turned to her. "May we walk you to class?"

Mochi accepted.

In fact, from that day onward, she had an escort to her classes if her brothers or friends were not around!