Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ Pride and Honor ❯ Reunion ( Chapter 2 )

Pride and Honor: Chapter 01 - Reunion

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Summary:

The Hinata-sou has seen many a weird moments. It used to always be rather calm and peaceful, almost boring in a sense. That is until the day Urashima Keitaro showed up looking for his grandmother. Not knowing that granny Hina no longer was there and that the inn he remembered from his childhood was now an all-girls dorm, Keitaro suffered pretty harsh punishments.

After awhile it was discovered that Keitaro was, in fact related to Hina, and he was the new manager. Being a young male, the girls in the dorm resisted bitterly. General wackiness ensued, but eventually the situation calmed back down.

So why, exactly, were all of the tenants watching their manager with their mouths agape?

Well, it seems that a visitor had appeared in the night.
He was about thirteen years old, a little small for his age, wearing a ninja gi, with his mask off, and wearing a black bandana on his head.
But more importantly he's Keitaro's son.

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A silence fell over the inn as the girls looked from Keitaro to Sora with bulging eyes. Sora shifted uncomfortably under their gazes, edging closer to Keitaro.

"Otousan...." he whispered. "I wasn't finished...."

"You explain it then!" Keitaro whispered back sharply.

Finally a reaction came. Though it wasn't what Keitaro had expected.

Mitsune laughed and patted Keitaro on the back. "Way to go, Kei-kun, I knew you had it in you!"

"Okay, pervert, how old was the poor girl you impregnated and why did you abandon her!?" Naru yelled, fists balled and ready for action.

"You got a young girl pregnant and didn't even have the courage to support her!? This is unforgivable, Urashima!" Motoko said in a rage.

"Ooh... pregnant... is it edible?" Suu cooed.

"N-no..." A blushing Shinobu replied.

Keitaro began backing away from the advancing ladies, hands up in a futile attempt to shield himself. "W-Wait! I can explain! That isn't it at all!"

"Enough of your lies! This cannot be forgiven! Rock Splitting Sword!!" Motoko brought her blade down towards a cowering Keitaro, but it was stopped cold as Sora jumped in and deflected it with his own blade. They stood there locked for a moment, staring each other in the eye.

Still looking up at Motoko, Sora spoke quietly. "Put it away."

Motoko growled, but complied. "Dirty ninja..."

Looking back at Keitaro, Sora addressed him. "You didn't have to scare them, otousan." Turning back to the girls he sheathed his blade and bowed to them. "Gomen nasai, otousan wasn't thinking clearly. Urashima Keitaro is my STEP-father. He married my mother when he was fifteen."

"What? How old was your mother?" Naru asked, unclenching her fists.

Already tired of speaking, Sora allowed Keitaro to answer for him. "About twenty-seven. Why?"

Naru rolled her eyes. //Perverts...// she thought distastefully, //the world is FILLED with perverts...//

"Well... um... sempai...?" Shinobu sputtered, still blushing. "You didn't f-fall i-in l-love with her, did you?"

"Oh, well I definitely loved Sora's mother, but not in the way you're probably thinking." Keitaro shrugged, "She was my teacher. When she was near death she married me so I could be the legal guardian of Sora."

"Why? Didn't he have any other living relatives?" Mitsune asked, now listening with interest.

Keitaro rubbed the back of his head. "Well-"

"It complicated," Sora broke in quietly.

Keitaro shrugged again, "Well, there you have it..."

"Wait a minute! This explains nothing!" Motoko shouted drawing her sword from her sheath a pointing it at Sora, stopping a scant millimeter away from his face. He didn't flinch. "I demand you tell me what forced such a drastic move from your mother! And I also want to know your status as a ninja."

"Why my mother married otousan is none of your business," Sora said, once again looking Motoko in the eye. "As for my status, I'm merely a wanderer. I no longer belong to any clan."

"Liar... all of you ninja are nothing but dirty, rotten, lying, MURDERING, scum!" Motoko practically screeched. Now shaking with anger Motoko's sword wavered in her hand. Sora could see the pain in her eyes. Everyone watched, shocked once again that night. Motoko usually had a very good reign over her emotions, but they seemed to be running wild right now. Sora, however, was only focused on the pain in her eyes. //I see now...// he thought.

Getting onto his knees, Sora pulled his sword from his belt and set it on the floor in front of him. He then bowed low to the ground, his nose touching the dirt. "I was with the Auron clan of the ninja."

"You..." She said, pulling the sword back as if preparing to strike. "You ARE a ninja of the 'Dark Fire'! You must have been involved with..." Motoko cut off sharply. A wide set of emotion passed through her face ranging from anger to sadness and back again. Sora did not take his eyes off the floor.

"I was not. It was a joint attack between a select few of our clansmen and the Kato ninja. I did not go with them." Sora replied evenly, still not rising.

"Fine, then you will die in behalf of your clan," Motoko spat as she raised her sword. "Rise and pick up your sword. I refuse to kill someone while they are in that position."

Keitaro finally snapped out of his trance at the word "kill". The other girls gasped at the realization that Motoko was actually going to murder the boy right in front of them. "Motoko-chan, please don't--"

"Stand back, otousan," Sora said rising from the floor and dusting himself off. He then picked up his sword and unsheathed it, but never moved into a stance. He merely held the blade loosely at his side, awaiting the end.

Seeing that her opponent had no intention of fighting irritated Motoko even more. "Well, are you going to get ready or not?" She growled at him. Her eyes narrowed as he merely stared at her emotionlessly. "Fine then, prepare to die!"

Time seemed to slow down as Motoko charged at the small boy. To everyone else, it appeared as is Motoko merely passed by the kid. When she finally sheathed her sword, however, a large gash opened up on Sora's left cheek. Blood exploded from the wound, but Sora barely reacted.

Time stood still for a moment as Sora turned his head slightly to look at Motoko. She answered his unasked question. "I couldn't possibly kill in front of such young girls," Motoko said nodding to Shinobu and Suu. "Well, I'm tired now. Good night," She called over her shoulder.

Shaken from the encounter, Shinobu raced up to her room. Suu took a glance at the boy and followed her two friends. Naru shrugged and left the room, Mitsune following with a whispered, "Good night."

"Come on," Keitaro said to Sora. "Let's get that cut cleaned."

Sora nodded and followed his father into the kitchen. "Cheerful folk."

Keitaro shrugged. "What can I say? I don't understand girls..."

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*Morning*

Sora woke from his spot in the corner of Keitaro's room. He slept sitting up, with his sword in hand, as he been for the last two years, always wary of an attempt on his life. //I should be safe from the 'Dark Fire' here with otousan, and that swordswoman...// He sighed. //Old habits die hard, I guess.//

Sora, however, was very much on edge. His clansmen were around somewhere, looking for his head. //These people could be in danger.// he thought as he looked around.

~~

"So, I take it you're not returning?"

"No. I will return one day, Yoshiro-san. For your head."

"A bold challenge, little Bandit. I look foreword to that day..."

~~

//Why did I have to be so stupid that day? I can't possibly win against Yoshiro... // Sora shook his head. He pulled his sword slightly from his sheath. //Time to finish what I started. I must continue my training and put out the 'Dark Fire' for good.//

Stretching, he looked at the clock. //4:30 a.m.// he picked up his bokken and left. //Time for business.//

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On the flat roof, Motoko went through her kata in an attempt to clear her mind. //Step. Thrust. Spin. Parry. Counter...// she mentally went through the commands, even though her body executed them as if they were second nature.

As she finished, she heard a soft voice say, "Very impressive." Turning around, Motoko saw the last person in the world she wanted to at the moment. He was sitting casually on the roof a few feet away.

"How long have you been here, vermin?" She asked, slightly embarrassed that he had snuck up on her so easily.

"About half an hour," he replied.

"Well leave. And do not ever come up here again while I'm practicing." Motoko turned away and started a different kata.

Sora merely stood from his place and made his way towards the angry samurai. He waited a moment, watching her graceful arcs quietly. //Such precision... There's no way that miss last night was an accident.// "You've never killed anyone before, have you?"

Motoko stopped in mid-swing and turned her head so she could see the ninja. "Not everyone is as low as you ninja. I respect people's right to live."

//Even me?// Sora thought, puzzled.

"Yes, demon, even you," Motoko said noticing his confused look. Angrily, she restarted her kata. "You probably don't understand. So what is your situation, manslayer? How many have you slain for your clan?"

"Many," Sora replied in a monotone. He imagine the jolt of impact when blade met flesh. Images of people going lifeless as a poison dart hit its mark. He heard the screams of shocked onlookers. The distressed cries of loved ones as they rushed to aid the victim. It was always too late though. Sora never missed his mark. //I'm not sure what haunts me more. The fact that I'm having these visions or the fact that they no longer bother me.//

"Ah," Motoko said noting his distracted look. She resumed her kata, losing herself in her motion. Midway through, she was mildly surprised to see Sora mimicking her every move. //Forget him...// she thought as she continued. She couldn't help but glance over from time to time to see if the boy was keeping up.

Side by side they continued in near-perfect synch. //He's pretty good...// Motoko admitted to herself. //Why am I practicing with this demon? I thought I told him to leave.// Looking over at the boy however, she could see his inner turmoil. //Of course... For me, I am merely practicing to become stronger. He is training out of necessity. He must keep sharp in order to remain a manslayer.// She altered her kata slightly, adding a jumping slash to her spin. Sora followed it perfectly, moving right with her. //Unbelievable... He can predict my every motion even though I am a stranger to him.//

Motoko continued, her movements becoming faster and more complex. This is when she began to note minor errors in his technique. //Demon... So even you make mistakes...// Motoko shook her head slightly, clearing it. //I mustn't think about this vermin anymore! I can ill-afford to waste time on the likes of him... He is a 'Ninja of the Dark Fire'. A demon. So why did Urashima allow him to stay here?// Looking over at Sora again, Motoko couldn't completely justify what she was saying. //He looks broken... his emotion burned out of him... Is this why Urashima decided to take him? Can he be helped...?//

After awhile, Motoko's irritation got the better of her and she stopped suddenly. Sora who had been following her lead was not prepared to stop in mid-swing and fell on his face. Embarrassed the young ninja rose and dusted himself off. He looked back up at Motoko, waiting. Motoko put a hand on her hip, "Do you always annoy people like this?"

Sora merely nodded.

Motoko let out an irritated sigh. "I thought as much. Well, if you're going to remain up here you might as well train."

Sora got to his knees and bowed low. "Arigato..." He said.

Motoko grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet. "There will be no more of that. Also, remember that you are still ninja and I still do not like you. Wakarimasu, ka?"

"Wakarimasu," Sora replied.

"Good." //Well, Urashima, you can no longer say I have never done anything for you. I hope you are right about this kid...//

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Keitaro woke to the sounds of two people fighting. Fearing the worst, the young manager quickly stuck his head outside his window to call out to the fighters, but stopped when he noticed that the sounds were wooden sword on wooden sword.

Sighing, Keitaro went for the bathroom to brush his teeth. He had a pretty good amount of work to do today to make up for the work he missed yesterday. //I have to clean the hot springs as well...// He shuddered. //Maybe I can pay Kitsune-san to do it.//

When he reentered his room, Keitaro was about to begin dressing, when he heard a knock on the hatch that separated his room from Naru's. "Yes?" he called out.

The hatched opened and Naru poked hear head through. "We need to talk."

"Right. Come on down," Keitaro replied. Naru landed in front of him. "Is there something you need?"

"Information about your son. I also need to know a few things about you as well." Naru stepped a bit closer to him with a rather skeptical look on her face. Keitaro slunk back slightly but didn't make a sound. Naru tapped her foot impatiently. "Well?"

Keitaro looked at the floor. //She wouldn't understand...// "I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you anything without Bandit's permission," Keitaro said quietly.

"And why not?" Naru sniffed.

"Because it is personal. I have never inquired about your past. In fact, I know very little about you. So shouldn't we be allowed to hold our own secrets?" Keitaro asked, still staring at the ground.

"Not when it could put us all in danger. My past doesn't affect anyone else," Naru replied.

"Well is your past so painful that the very thought of it makes you want to die?" Keitaro said darkly. Naru gasped slightly as he looked up. A scowl twisted his features, his eyes narrowed dangerously. Naru had never seen him like this. "I saw my son for the first time in two years, but was there any joy? No. Do you wonder why? Because my son can no longer see the present. Before his eyes play images of all the terrible things he was forced to witness. The unspeakable horrors of what he was forced to do. And the images of loving parents who were both brutally murdered right in front of his eyes. Do you want more information?" Keitaro asked in a cold voice.

Naru shook her head, but he continued anyway, determined to show her the full picture. "Afterwards he is forced to come to my home and try to live a normal life, but it was too late. The hole in his heart is too deep, and there isn't a damn thing anyone can do to fill it!" Keitaro pounded on his dresser in frustration. He took a moment to control his breathing, then pressed on quietly. "Do you have any idea how painful it is to watch your son give up on life? To wander around each day like a ghost, until the day he vanishes into thin air?"

Naru, who was stunned into silence, moved over to Keitaro and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I had no idea..."

Keitaro wasn't listening to her though. He was too busy listening to Motoko and Sora on the roof sparring. //How many times have you done that dance of death for real, Bandit?// Keitaro thought as he fought back tears. //And how many more times will you have to until you can finally rest?//

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A/N: So what is Keitaro's affiliation with the ninja? How will the rest of the girls react to Sora? What is the 'Dark Fire' exactly? What the hell happened all those years ago? What forced Sora's mother into such a desperate situation with Keitaro? Why were his parents murdered? Why the hell am I even writing this part? You people won't read it...

Well, I've ranted enough, please review and thank you for your time.

-Stizzo Out