Suddenly Tatsuki shot Rukia a very ugly look, “Let's get a couple of things strait Rukia, first off I didn't agree to stay as an active Shinigami entirely out of obligation to you, or duty to some organization that I have never seen or heard of before. I agreed to do it because it is the duty of a martial-artist to protect others who can't protect themselves; I refuse to let any soul that I can help become food for one of those monsters. My only duty is to do the right thing, and for right now that means helping you do your job...understood.”
“H-Hai,” Rukia said taken aback by the force of the girl’s words, “wait a minute, just what was the other thing?”
“Well even though I’m covering for you while you’re recuperating I also have another duty to fulfill,” Tatsuki said while scratching the back of her head, “ and unless I’m mistaken we both have the same amount of power as a shinigami so can I have about three hours a day to myself.”
“What, what could possibly be important enough to make you need to slack off for three hours,” Rukai shouted in her face.
“This isn’t slacking off,” Tatsuki retorted, “I’m a teaching assistant at my karate dojo, I need that time to both work on polishing my own skills and help teach others with theirs.”
“Well at least that makes better since,” Rukia said calmly as she backed off, “I still don’t like it but at least it can be something to tie into your duties as a shinigami.”
Rukia looked on with disinterest and impatience at the display before her, granted that this ‘karate’ as it was called was no back ally brawl in Inuzuri; however most of her past experiences embittered her towards kempo styles. This is how she spent most of the period dedicated towards sparing and class for the older students.
Still she was allowed to have a second opinion especially when she saw a few things such as how Tatsuki and this Lee-sensei instructed the younger students, and how they stopped practice now and again to give pointer to their pupils such as to change the angle of this kick or how to follow through on that punch.
The true spectacle that wowed Rukia however came after the classes were over and Rukia began to have a private match with her sensei. This was less a sparring match or fight than a fast-paced, high-impact dance between the two women, Lee-san clearly holding back a lot in her fight with the substitute-shinigami; however her teacher was only holding back enough so that Tatsuki could match her if she only dug just a little deeper, or pushed her skills a little further.
Of course something else was odd to Rukia as well, she could almost swear that she had seen Lee-san’s fighting style somewhere before, she just couldn’t place it.
All too soon this dance of punches, kicks, throws, dodges and rolls came to an end as Tatsuki punched what looked like an opening in sensei’s guard unintentionally opened by creating a false opening elsewhere, only to be grabbed and pulled into a hold. After a few moments of unsuccessfully trying to overcome her sensei’s leverage, Tatsuki yielded to her teacher.
“Man sensei, I was sure that I had you for a moment there,” Tatsuki said as Lee-sensei let her up, “I was almost certain that today would finally be the day.”
“Keep dreaming kid,” the older woman said with a smile, “you are good, but still have a little ways to go. Still you have managed to force me to raise the bar further than I have in a while; soon you might even be able to surpass my former top pupil when she left.”
“Wait if she was so good, why did she abandon her training? Tatsuki asked intrigued at this mysterious student her teacher brought up occasionally.
“Tatsuki just because one has talent in the martial-arts does not mean that they should let their entire life be consumed by it,” Lee-sensei said shaking her head. “Even I have a regular job and a life beyond these walls; you need to learn that there are many things in life, you really should try to find as much about yourself as you can before you make any serious decisions about your future.”
“I still want to be a vale tudo champ, when I grow up sensei.” Tatsuki stated as she gathered her things, “I mean to see the world while doing what I like, what is the harm in that?”
“All that I’m saying is not to sell yourself short Tatsuki,” Lee-sensei sighed, “broaden your horizons a little before you make any serious decisions on the future, you are only young once after all.”
“I’ll think about it sensei,” Tatsuki said as she turned to leave the dojo before her sensei’s hand on her shoulder stopped her.”
“Think hard my teishi,” Lee-san spoke with a face sterner than Tatsuki had seen looking at her in years. “Remember this; a true martial-artist can keep their candle burning well into the twilight of their days, while an athlete forces theirs to burn brilliantly until it has either dimmed down to a pale ember or extinguished entirely.”
As her student left for the day, Lee-san had time to reflect on a few recent revelations that had been nagging at her ever since class had begun. ‘Alright so your top student suddenly becomes a shinigami overnight, and was just accompanied to class and observed by another shinigami. All right Shaolan Lee it’s time for some answers, and Kisuke better tell me the truth if he knows what’s good for him.’
“So that was your other obligation,” Rukia said contemplating what she just witnessed for the last three hours, “fortunately combat training does help in your duties; however I would suggest kendo instead of kempo.”
“No thanks,” Tatsuki said rolling her eyes as she walked home, “the local kendo dojo’s assistant instructor is a little manic, apparently he never got over the fact that his team never won a single tournament in High School outside of the district. Besides that the former captain of our school’s Kendo Team hates my guts, and he’s the nephew of the local training hall’s sensei.”
“Why would he hate you enough to keep you from taking lessons?”
“The creep tried to force a date out of a friend of mine earlier this year,” Tatsuki said smiling at the memory, “all he succeeded in getting though was a face full of floor after I threw him face down on the ground and gave him a kick to the small of his back. He stepped down as the Kendo Team's Captain after that to keep his defeat from disgracing the Team.”
“So you’re saying the local kendo program is no good,” Rukia said shaking her head.
“Yeah it just hasn’t been the same since ojiisan retired,” Tatsuki said with an air of nostalgia, “unfortunately the student he had chosen to succeed him had to move to Fukuoka after less than a year because of family troubles there, and the one who stepped in is one of those staunch traditionalists who finds the idea of women kendoists insulting to the purity of kendo…especially those who are guilty of pummeling his precious nephew.”
“How would you know if you didn’t want to learn kendo?” Rukia asked now that her curiosity was peaked.
“I didn’t but Keigo in our class did, he asked me to swing by the training hall and put in a good word for him since my grandfather was the dojo’s former grandmaster. The headmaster had some very nasty things to say to me, and they only got nastier when he heard my name.”
*SCREEE*
The sound of shrieking tires drew Tatsuki and Orihime’s attention, and when she saw the figure lying there in the road Tatsuki took off sprinting, running up to the downed girl Tatsuki asked, “Orihime, are you all right? Did you just get hit by that car?”
“Oh, maybe..?” her friend replied slightly bewildered.
“What do you mean maybe,” Tatsuki asked slightly confused by her friend’s reply, “are you sure that you’re okay?”
“Oh, of course I am, all I got was a little bump on the head.” Orihime stated as she began to go into a little routine to show just how okay she was, accidently thrusting out her chest in the process saying, “I’m fine, I swear,” and making Tatsuki feel just a little inadequate.
“Where did the car that just hit you go? Tatsuki asked looking for the offending party and failing to spot the vehicle.”
“It drove away,” she said pointing down the road.
“Orihime,” Tatsuki said clutching her temples and sighing in exasperation.
“Sorry Tatsuki,” the red head said with a slight bow.
“Well as long as you’re alright,” Tatsuki replied in embarrassment.
“Oh, Rukia!” Orihime exclaimed as she noticed the diminished shinigami next to her best friend.
“And who might you be?” Rukia asked in the gruff manner of her true self.
“That’s Orihime, she’s in our class at school,” Tatsuki whispered sideways to her temporary partner in hollow extermination.
“Oh, of course Orihime I'm honored to make your acquaintance, how are you? Rukia asked with a curtsy.
“Oh, I’m great thank you,” Orihime replied as she curtsied back in response.
“Well now,” the faux transfer student continued, “it appears that you’ve been shopping.”
“Oh that’s right, dinner,” Inoue went looking left and right for her fallen groceries and picked them up as she went. After she was done she stood up with the sack and twirling a leek she said with a smile, “My leeks, bananas, butter and bean-jam seem to have made it too.”
“I don’t know Orihime,” Tatsuki said nervously at the thought of just what her friend was planning to concoct with her ingredients, “I’ll see if I can bring over something from my place later.”
Rukia meanwhile was fascinated by something she had just noticed, “How did you get that bruise on your leg?”
“What bruise?” Orihime asked looking down, “oh, I guess that happened just now when that car ran into me.”
“Does it hurt?” Tatsuki asked, “It looks pretty bad.”
“No, not really,” Inoue responded as energetic as ever.
Rukia meanwhile continued to stare until Orihime asked her, “Um what’s the matter Rukia?” Catching her attention and followed by asking “Is anything wrong?”
Flustered, Rukia stood up and backed off rambling, “Ah, right, well you take care.”
“Are you sure that you wouldn’t like me to walk me home?” Tatsuki asked.
“No, it’s alright I will be seeing you later right?” Inoue asked.
“Count on it,” Tatsuki said with a smile as her friend walked towards home.
Later as Tatsuki was walking home Rukia started asking about Orihime, “That girl, do you know her?”
“Orihime, of course she’s my best friend, why?” Tatsuki replied curious about the direction this conversation was taking.
“Why did you say you would be by later with something for dinner?” Rukia asked
“Well the truth is that she’s been living alone ever since her brother Sora died three years ago,” Tatsuki informed the side-lined shinigami, “and she’s got some pretty odd tastes, so I bring her some home-cooked meals from my place every once in a while, otherwise there’s no telling what she’ll end up eating.”
“Her brother’s dead?” Rukia asked.
“Yes,” Tatsuki said somberly, “he was in a car wreck two years ago; he was all the family she had. I don't even have the words to say just how much it affected her, but I think that deep down she still hasn't gotten completely over what happened.”
“I see,” Rukia said walking off; Tatsuki glad the shinigami was no longer tailing her, stayed silent.
Read the comments on this episode
See other episodes by The Insane Hiker
(Posted Mon, 29 Dec 2008 02:41)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.